Paterius

In his own words on Deuteronomy

• Deuteronomy 11:14

  What do we understand here by rain, except the words of sacred preaching? We apply this passage to the holy teachers who were preachers in Judea. Of them it is written, "I will command the clouds not to pour down rain upon her." We are watered by the word of their holy preaching when we acknowledge the aridity of our hearts with true humility. Thus the psalmist says rightly, "My soul is like a land without water before you." The prophet urges us to be drenched with the flowing words of doctrine when he says, "You who thirst, come to the waters." We, in the late ages of the world, now receive the words of holy preaching. We are watered, as it were, with late rain. This preaching of the late rain went forth from his sacrifice to us. For he says through the psalmist, "The lifting up of my hands is an evening sacrifice." Because our Redeemer suffered the attack of his persecutors in the last age of the world, he offered himself as an evening sacrifice for us. Early and late rains are promised as a gift to the people destined to enter the land of promise, and we now see this promise accomplished spiritually. He gave early rain, because he conferred understanding on his elect in the earlier time, the time of the law. He also gave late rain, because he allowed the mystery of his incarnation to be proclaimed in the last days.

  EXPOSITION OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT, DEUTERONOMY 2

• Deuteronomy 15:19

  What did Moses mean by making this prohibition, except to forbid those who have begun to live aright to engage in human occupations? To plow with the firstborn of a cow is to display the beginnings of one's conversion in carrying out public activities. To shear the firstborn of sheep is to strip the cover of secrecy from our first good works and display them to human eyes. Therefore we are forbidden to work with the firstlings of cattle. When we are kept from shearing the firstlings of the sheep, we should not act openly too quickly, even if we have begun some solid work. Since our life begins as something simple and innocuous, it is proper that we should not lay aside the covering of its privacy, lest it show itself naked to human eyes once the wool has been sheared. The firstlings of cattle and sheep are suitable only for divine sacrifices. Whatever we begin with that is strong, simple and innocent, we should offer on the altar of our hearts to the honor of the secret judge. And he without a doubt receives it more gladly if it has been hidden from men and not stained with any desire for praise. But often the beginnings of a new conversion are mixed with elements of a carnal life and hence should not become known too quickly. Otherwise, when the good that is acceptable is praised, the soul is deceived by praise and cannot grasp the evils that still lie concealed in it.

  EXPOSITION OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT, DEUTERONOMY 4

• Deuteronomy 16:16

  He appears emptyhanded in the sight of the Lord who brings none of the fruits of his labor with him. One man seethes with desire to increase his power; another pants with longing to gather praise. But because the dying man leaves all these things behind, he appears before the Lord emptyhanded, for he brings nothing with him when he appears before the judge. Thus the law admonishes us to good effect when it says, "You will not appear emptyhanded in the sight of the Lord." For the man who does not plan for the reward of a meritorious life by acting well appears emptyhanded in the sight of the Lord. The psalmist says of the just, "coming they will come rejoicing, carrying their sheaves." They who come to the judge's court carrying sheaves are the ones who display in themselves good works by which they merit life. Exposition of the Old and New Testament, Deuteronomy

• Deuteronomy 16:16

  He appears empty-handed in the sight of the Lord who brings none of the fruits of his labor with him. One man seethes with desire to increase his power; another pants with longing to gather praise. But because the dying man leaves all these things behind, he appears before the Lord empty-handed, for he brings nothing with him when he appears before the judge. Thus the law admonishes us to good effect when it says, "You will not appear empty-handed in the sight of the Lord." For the man who does not plan for the reward of a meritorious life by acting well appears empty-handed in the sight of the Lord. The psalmist says of the just, "coming they will come rejoicing, carrying their sheaves." They who come to the judge's court carrying sheaves are the ones who display in themselves good works by which they merit life.

  EXPOSITION OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT, DEUTERONOMY 6

• Deuteronomy 22:10

  Man is forbidden to plow with an ox and an ass at the same time. This is as if to say you should not bring together fools and the wise to hear your teaching. Otherwise you will cause the one who cannot fulfill your words to stand in the way of the one who can.

  EXPOSITION OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT, DEUTERONOMY 10

• Deuteronomy 24:6

  To take (accipere) means "to take away." Thus those birds that are eager to seize other birds are called hawks (accipiter). Paul says, "For you bear it, if anyone consumes you, if anyone takes you." The same would be true if he said, if anyone seizes you.The sinner's confession is like the pledge of a debtor. For the pledge is received from the debtor when the sinner makes his confession of sin. The upper and lower millstones in this confession are hope and fear. Hope draws us up to the heights. Fear keeps the heart low. But upper and lower millstones must be joined together; one without the other is useless. Thus in the sinner's confession, hope and fear should always be joined, because the sinner hopes in vain for mercy if he does not also fear justice. In vain did he fear justice if he does not also trust in mercy. Hence merely an upper millstone or a lower millstone alone may not be taken as a pledge. One who preaches to a sinner should compose his sermon with such balance that he does not take away fear by offering hope alone or leave the sinner only in fear by taking away hope. For the upper or lower millstone is taken away if the preacher's tongue separates either fear from hope or hope from fear in the sinner's heart.

  EXPOSITION OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT, DEUTERONOMY 16

• Deuteronomy 24:13

  Our brother becomes our debtor when our neighbor is shown to have committed some sin against us. For we call sins debts. Thus the sinful servant is told, "I have forgiven you your whole debt." And each day in the Lord's Prayer we pray, "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors." We receive a pledge from our debtor when we receive a confession of sin from him who is known to have sinned against us. His confession bids us to forgive the sin he has committed against us. If he confesses the sin he has committed and seeks pardon, he has already given a pledge for his debt. It is no wonder that we are bidden to return the pledge before sunset. Before the sun of justice sets in us because our hearts are grieved, we ought to accept his confession of sin. For it was he who made his confession of guilt to us. He has remembered that he has sinned against us. Let him soon feel forgiveness for his sin from us.

  EXPOSITION OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT, DEUTERONOMY 17

• Deuteronomy 32:1

  By heavens he means the order of the clergy and by earth the people subject to them. For "Listen, O heavens, and I shall speak" was addressed not to insensible but to rational creation.

  EXPOSITION OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT, DEUTERONOMY 19

• Deuteronomy 32:11

  The Lord protects us, his little ones. He nourishes us and restores us—not in a heavy and burdensome way but with gentle and kind protection. He shows his mercies toward us, as if extending his wings over us as a bird does.

  EXPOSITION OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT, DEUTERONOMY 20

• Deuteronomy 32:13

  Nothing like this is ever found in Scripture in the literal sense, even if one reviews the whole body of the Old Testament. People never sucked honey or oil from a rock. But since, according to Paul, the rock was Christ, they did suck honey from a rock, because they beheld the deeds and miracles of that same Redeemer of ours. They did suck oil from a solid rock, because after his resurrection they deserved to be anointed with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Thus the Lord gave them honey in the solid rock when he, still subject to death, showed his disciples the sweetness of his miracles. And the solid rock poured forth oil, because after his resurrection, when he became impassible, he founded the house of holy anointing by the outpouring of the Spirit. The prophet says of this oil, "The yoke will fall from before the oil." We were held under the yoke of demonic domination, but we have been anointed with the oil of the Holy Spirit. And because the grace of liberty has anointed us, the yoke of demonic domination has fallen.

  EXPOSITION OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT, DEUTERONOMY 21

• Deuteronomy 32:42

  The sword of God consumes flesh, because at the last judgment his sentence slays those who think carnally.

  EXPOSITION OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT, DEUTERONOMY 25

• Deuteronomy 33:2

  What does God's left hand mean, except the reprobate, who are to be placed at God's left hand? The elect are called God's right hand. For at God's right hand there is a fiery law, because by no means do the elect hear the heavenly commands with cold hearts but flame up at these commands like torches of inner love. The word comes to their ears, and their minds burn with the flame of inner sweetness.

  EXPOSITION OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT, DEUTERONOMY 26

• Deuteronomy 33:9

  That man desires to know God more closely who, out of love for piety, does not want to know those he knew according to the flesh. Divine knowledge suffers a grave loss if it is shared with fleshly knowledge. Each one ought to stand apart from his relatives and neighbors if he wishes to be joined more truly to the Father of all. Those he manfully neglects for the sake of God he loves more firmly, to the extent that he ignores the passing attachment of carnal relationship. In the world of time, indeed, we should be more helpful to those we are related to more closely than to others, since this flame grows into a fire when fuel is supplied. But the fire first burns where it is kindled. We ought to acknowledge the bond of earthly relationship but ignore it when it blocks the journey of the mind. This happens when the faithful soul, on fire with devotion to God, does not despise what is joined to it below, rightly orders these relations within itself and transcends them by its love of what is highest. So we ought to see to it by resourceful concern lest such love should make its entry for the sake of the flesh and turns the heart's progress away from the right path. It could weaken the power of higher love and press the rising mind down by loading a weight on it. Thus one ought to sympathize with his relatives' needs in such a way that, through compassion, he does not allow the effect of his decision to be blocked. The emotions of the mind should fill the heart but not turn it away from its spiritual vocation. For holy men do not love their carnal relatives by failing to give them what they need, but by love of spiritual things they conquer that love in themselves, insofar as they temper it with the reins of discretion. Through this love, at least in a small measure, they will not stray from the right path. Cows are figures that suggest these men to us. As the cows move to the high place before God's ark, they walk with eagerness and a determined pace, while their calves have been left in the stable. For Scripture has it, "walking on and lowing, giving forth bellows from within, and yet not turning their steps away from the path, they have set out."

  EXPOSITION OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT, DEUTERONOMY 27

• Deuteronomy 33:25

  Moses says this with regard to the holy church. Shoe in Holy Scripture means the office of preaching, as is written, "Feet have been shod in preparation for the gospel of peace." Since iron means virtue and bronze means perseverance, a man's shoes are said to be iron and bronze when his preaching is strengthened with incisiveness and persistence. With iron he penetrates opposing evils, and with bronze he preserves the good he had patiently proposed.

  EXPOSITION OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT, DEUTERONOMY 28