Translated by Qwen
Commentary on Baruch by St. Albert the Great
[Baruch 3:9] ...because they have departed from Me and walked after vanity, and have become vain.
Up to this point, the history of the penance and prayer of those who heard the present book of Baruch has been described, and henceforth the instruction of the book will be described.
[Baruch 3:9] Hear, O Israel, the commandments of life.
In this part, three things are said: namely, the sublimity of divine knowledge above all human intellect; the utility of returning to it, there: Return, O Jacob, and apprehend her (Bar 4:2); and the clarity and joyfulness of His promises, there: Behold Jerusalem towards the East (Bar 4:36).
In the first part, there are four things: namely, the difficulty, the subtlety, there: Who has found her place? (Bar 3:15); the sublimity, there: But He who knows all things knows her (Bar 3:32); and the utility of its containment, there: This is the book of the commandments of God (Bar 4:1).
In the first [section regarding difficulty], there are three things by which the difficulty is shown: namely, the excitement of attention, the proof of experience, there: What is it, O Israel? (Bar 3:10); the subtle investigation of things which ought to be known, there: Learn where prudence is (Bar 3:14).
He says therefore: Hear, O Israel. For only Israel can hear, [Israel] most upright in virtue and a man seeing God in contemplation. For only such a one can prove what he has heard. Job 34: The ear tries words, and the throat tastes meat. He indeed proves who has proven virtue, and he judges who has the science of judgment. For this cannot be except through virtue and science. Job 34: Let intelligent men speak to me, and let the wise man hear me.
Commandments of life. Command and precept are the same in subject but differ in reason. For precept is according as it is a precept, as a rule of work; but command according as it is a sign of the intention of the first commander or announcer. And according to this, it is directly a command of life effectively, because from the First Life all things proceed; for all things which proceed to this proceed from Life and from the Fountain of Life, and they make life and lead to life. John 1: In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. For light is the first principle of life in corporeal things.
Perceive with your ears that you may know prudence. To perceive with the ears is to receive interior words and perfectly judge the intention of the words. Matthew 13: He who has ears to hear, let him hear. Apocalypse 2: He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Job 34: Let intelligent men speak to me, and let the wise man hear me. Proverbs 8: Hear, for I will speak of great things.
And he subjoins concerning experience first in the contrary, that he may conclude the opposite from the opposite. And this is verse 10: What is it, O Israel? That is, may you experience in yourself, O Israel, what is the cause that you are a captive detained in the land of enemies, within the boundaries of enemies of nature, reason, virtue, and truth. For the enemy exterminates all these things. This is signified in 4 Kings 5 [2 Kings 5]: Raiders had gone out from Syria and had led away a little girl captive from the land of Israel. The raiders of Syria, which is interpreted as lofty, are movements of pride, in which, as it is said in Tobit 4, all destruction takes its beginning. The little girl is the soul, small in virtue and intelligence of truth. But captive through the intention and consent of sin. The land of enemies is the boundaries of the power of demons. Job 9: The earth is given into the hand of the wicked.
[Baruch 3:10-11] You have grown old in a foreign land. Through morose delight and the antiquity of sin. Daniel 13 [Susanna]: O you who have grown old in evil days, now your sins have come upon you. Isaiah last chapter: The sinner of a hundred years shall be accursed. Psalm 119: Woe is me, that my sojourning is prolonged.
You are defiled with the dead. Which happens through custom, since now he feels no dissent to sin, as if dead and dissolved by the decay of sin. Job 17: I have said to rottenness: You are my father, and to the worm: my sister. Because of this it is said in Ephesians 5: Arise, you who sleep, and arise from the dead.
You are reckoned with those who descend into the pit. They descend into the pit who continuously descend through the heaviness of sin, which happens through impenitence and obduracy and despair. Psalm 87: I am counted among those who go down into the pit; I am become as a man without help, free among the dead. That is, so that, with help postponed, death may be able to rule freely in me. Lamentations 3: They have cut off my life in the pit, and laid a stone upon me.
Nor does he seek that he may learn, but that he may be reduced to the experiment of his own conscience. And therefore he subjoins verse 12: You have forsaken the fountain of wisdom.
The Fountain of Wisdom is the Word in the Father; then it pours forth when the Word, by flowing into souls, transfuses itself. Ecclesiasticus 1: The Fountain of Wisdom is the Word of God on high, and her walks are the eternal commandments. For even with the lofty gifts of God, the Word existing in the Father shines more brightly, which flowing into the soul announces and commands and makes known those things which are in the Father. Wisdom 7: Into holy souls she transfers herself, she makes friends of God and prophets. The forsaking of her is the cause of all evils. Jeremiah 2: My people have done two evils: they have forsaken Me, the fountain of living water, and have dug for themselves cisterns that can hold no water.
And concerning the purpose he concludes: For if you had walked in the way of God. That is, you had proceeded in the way by which God comes to you and by which you come to Him. God [comes] to you through the influence of virtue and truth; you [come] to Him through the love of virtue and the light of contemplation. Psalm 24: Show me Your ways, O Lord, and teach me Your paths. 1 John 1: God is light, and in Him there is no darkness. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another. Because He comes to us and we to Him. Supply: 1 John 2: He who says he abides in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked.
You would have dwelt surely in peace upon the earth. That is, upon the stability of grace and truth. Isaiah 48: O that you had hearkened to My commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river. Interior namely and exterior. For to a fluctuating heart there is no peace. For peace is the quiet and tranquility of the heart, as Augustine says. Philippians last chapter: The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds. Therefore, supply, in yourself.
[Baruch 3:13-14] Learn where prudence is. Which is the reason of things to be done, as the Philosopher says. Where is virtue? Which if virtue is not, as Socrates says, a habit inclining to the best. For you will not find this unless in God. Wisdom 8: Unless in sobriety and prudence, and justice and virtue, than which nothing is more useful in life for men. Where is intellect? Which, as the Philosopher says, is the principle of all truth. Isaiah 11: The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and of understanding. Gregory: He gives intellect when He illuminates the mind concerning things heard. From things heard, I say, from God.
That you may know simultaneously, as if concluding from a syllogism, where is length of life. For this is not except in the root of the purest intellect, just as also the philosophers posited the acquired intellect to be the root of immortality. Ecclesiasticus 4: Wisdom inspires life to her sons, and embraces those who seek her. Ptolemy the Philosopher: He was not dead who gave life to science, nor was he poor who ruled over intellect. And sustenance, which continuously sustains life, because there cannot be unless a continuous influx of wisdom and intellect and virtue. Wisdom 8: Her conversation has no bitterness, nor her company any tediousness, but joy and gladness. Thinking these things within myself, that immortality is in the thought of wisdom, and in her friendship is good delight.
Where is the light of the eyes? That is, illuminating the eyes. For this also, according to philosophy, is not except the first fountain of light per se, which is the sweetest light illuminating all things which are illuminated. 1 Kings 14: I have tasted a little of this honey, and behold my eyes are enlightened. John 1: That was the true Light, which lights every man coming into this world. And peace. Peace is in Him, by whom dwelling, nothing more is required, that is, in God. Augustine in Book 1 of Confessions: You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in You. John 16: In the world you shall have tribulation, but in Me peace. Psalm 75: In peace His place is made. For place is that to which everything which is moved is moved and rests when it is in it, just as per se place is and not place as a vessel, as a ship [is a place] for sailors.
[Baruch 3:15] Who has found her place?
Here the subtlety of this thought is touched upon, because it cannot be found by human intellect. And this he shows in three ways: in common, in special there: Where are the princes? and the height of its knowledge there: O Israel, how great is the house of God? And from these three he concludes that the Lord alone is the finder of it, there: But He who knows all things knows her.
He says therefore: Who has found her place? As to human, who notes impossibility, because by the presumption of human intellect it cannot be found. Psalm 83: They who search searches have failed. John 1: No man has seen God at any time. This is signified in Exodus 8, where the magicians failed in the third sign, crying out: This is the finger of God. For unless the finger of God writes in the heart of man, he cannot have divine knowledge. But according to the revelation received, who notes dignity, and the sense is: of what dignity is he who finds the place of such wisdom? 2 Corinthians 3: But we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. But that it is not from man but from God, he said a little before: Not that we are sufficient to think anything of ourselves as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is from God.
But place is, as we have already said, that to which a thing is moved. And thus the place of divine wisdom is God. For from Him it proceeds and to Him it is reflected, as Dionysius says, and it converts to Him all those into whom it proceeds. Job 28: Gold has a vein where it is refined. And there admiring the height of this place he says: Wisdom, where is it found? And where is the place of understanding? Man knows not the price thereof.
And who has entered into her treasures? The treasures of divine wisdom are His gifts, innumerable and inestimable in virtues of intellect and operation. Wisdom 7: All gold in comparison to her is as a little sand, and silver shall be esteemed as clay before her. And after a little: All good things came to me together with her, and innumerable honesty through her hands. For wisdom is light and the brightness of eternal light, whose translation into holy souls makes many reflections for the intellect and affect. Because of this Wisdom 7, the Spirit of Wisdom is said to be unique and multiple, and in that multiplicity she constitutes many treasures of good and honorable things. But to enter into these treasures is to penetrate the intimacies of all these good things through reason and experiment. Because of this it is said in Matthew 12 that a good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good. And Matthew 13: Every scribe instructed in the kingdom of heaven is like to a man that is a householder, who brings forth out of his treasure new things and old.
And that it is placed above human studies and exceeds them, he shows through the parts of studies, namely: the height of vanity, the cupidity of vanity simultaneously and of cupidity, worldly progress, and the investigation of prophecy. And this he places in order in the text. And this is what he says verse 32:
[Baruch 3:32] But He who knows all things knows her.
Here he touches upon that it cannot be had except through the Lord Himself, and whatever is known of her is through His revelation, and the more perfect knowledge of her is through the Lord Jesus Christ. In these first [points] there are two things: namely, that the Lord is the comprehensor of His own wisdom, and that He manifests Himself in the efflux of creatures. And this is: But He who knows all things knows her. Namely, the knowledge of comprehension, that is, whose science is the cause of all things. Proverbs 8: The Lord possessed me in the beginning of His ways, before He made anything from the beginning. Romans 11: O the depth of the riches of the wisdom and of the knowledge of God! How incomprehensible are His judgments, and His ways unsearchable!
And He has found her by His prudence. That is, He has made her to be found by prudence. That is, by His prudence, that is, as much as He willed to bring forth of her or manifest. John 1: The Only Begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. For He who has searched the secrets of the Father was able to declare them, and He declared as much as He willed. Wisdom 9: For who knows the thought of God? Or who can think what the will of God is? ... For who has known Your counsel, except You have given wisdom, and sent Your Holy Spirit from above?
But the mode of that prudence or manifestation he subjoins in natural theology: first in those things which are near to man. Secondly, in remote things. And this is: Who prepared the earth in eternal time. The sense is: who in eternal time prepared the earth, measured namely, for time flows under the eternal as under a cause and exemplar. Whence Boethius in Book 5 of Consolation: You who order time to go from eternity. Thus in temporal earth we know eternity. Both [are found in] Proverbs 8: I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, before the earth was. And after a little: When He prepared the heavens, I was there... when He compassed the depths.
And filled it with bipeds, namely animals, and quadrupeds, namely perfect animals, in which namely consists the ornament of the earth, from both of which we learn something of divine wisdom. Job 12: Ask now the beasts, and they shall teach you; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell you. Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach you: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto you. Who knows not in all these that the hand of the Lord has wrought this?
Then he induces things more distant from the sense of man, subjoining: Who sends forth light and it goes. The emission of light is the flowing forth of light from the luminaries of heaven to the earth. But the going of light is its progress into the nascent things of the earth. For concerning all these it is true what Pythagoras said: that of all tetranascents [things born of four elements], the earth is mother and the sun is father. Ecclesiasticus 43: The sun when it appears, publishing at its rising, a wonderful instrument, the work of the Most High. For in the diversity of aspect through the exit of light it announces diverse virtues and infuses them into earth-born things, and through this it is made a wonderful instrument in all works which the Lord does.
And He has called it. That is, He recalls it through setting namely, and recess. And it obeys Him in trembling. That is, it obeys Him in reverence. Ecclesiasticus 1: The sun rises and sets, and returns to its place. Approaching namely and receding, it procures all succession of generation. Thus in spiritual light, all goods are generated and profit in holy souls, which in the recess of the same fail. Proverbs 4: The path of the just, as a shining light, goes forward and increases even to perfect day.
[Baruch 3:34] The stars also gave light in their watches.
Watches are the observations of courses in preventions and conjunctions and other respects to the sun and to one another, by whose natures and virtues the light of the sun is distinguished and adapted to the figures of universals. Ecclesiasticus 43: The beauty of heaven, the glory of the stars, an ornament giving light in the highest places of the Lord.
And they rejoiced. That namely in this they are able to minister to the Most High. Ecclesiasticus 43: A vessel of the hosts in the high places, shining gloriously in the firmament of heaven. For it would not shine to the glory of the Lord unless it rejoiced.
[Baruch 3:35] They were called. That is, recalled through recess. And they said: We are here. Just as the sun through recess induces corruption so that generation may again succeed. Ecclesiasticus 43: In the words of the Holy One the stars shall stand in judgment, and shall not fail in their watches. And thus, supply, approaching and receding, they shone to Him with joyfulness who made them. For this is most joyful, to obey the Creator here. Psalm 103: The Lord shall rejoice in His works. Hypallage, that is, He will make His works rejoice in Him.
Thus also spiritually the stars, Angels or Saints, borrowing light from the sun, in the watches of their illuminations have rejoiced. Psalm 146: Who tells the number of the stars: and calls them all by their names. And when they are called by God to ampler illuminations, with promptitude of spirit and devotion they say: We are here, saying that of Job 38: By what way is the light scattered, or the east wind spread upon the earth? Thus with joyfulness they shine to the Creator. Daniel 12: They that are learned shall shine as the brightness of the firmament: and they that instruct many to justice, as stars for all eternity. Thus they conquer the princes of darkness. Judges 5: The stars remaining in their order and course, fought against Sisara.
After all he concludes: [Baruch 3:36] This is our God, the principle of all illumination. 1 Timothy last chapter: Who only has immortality and inhabits light inaccessible. And no other shall be esteemed against Him. Psalm 76: Who is a great God like our God? Jeremiah 10: Yours is the beauty. Among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like You. The foolish and the stupid shall be proved together.
[Baruch 3:37] He has found this. That is, He has made every way of discipline to be found, which namely leads to true wisdom. For it cannot be had except through His manifestation. Whence wisdom says in Ecclesiasticus 24: I came out of the mouth of the Most High, the firstborn before all creatures. I made that in the heavens there should rise light that never fails.
And He subjoins concerning revelation: And gave her to Jacob His servant. That is, to the wrestler for truth, who just as a boy purifies the spirit. And to Israel His beloved, who through truth has most upright intellect and sees God. Wisdom 7: He is the leader of wisdom and the corrector of the wise. And after a little: The Artificer of all things taught me wisdom.
And when He had perfected all these things by the revelations of holy angels in multiple ways: [Baruch 3:38] And after these things He was seen on earth, assuming the nature of man and illuminating. Ecclesiasticus 24: I will penetrate to all the lower parts of the earth, and will behold all that sleep, and will enlighten all that hope in the Lord. For He assumed the lower parts of the world, He neglected the high things. The sleeping, who had senses closed by darkness, He regarded with the light of His presence, and led all hoping in Him to the light of truth.
And He conversed with men, that perfectly by example and word He might teach the truth. John 1: That was the true Light, which lights every man coming into this world. Malachi last chapter: But unto you that fear My name, the Sun of justice shall arise, and health in His wings. Hebrews 1: God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spoke in times past to the fathers by the prophets, last of all, in these days, has spoken to us by His Son.
CHAPTER 4
[Baruch 4:1] This is the book of the commandments of God.
He touches here that this, namely the book of this knowledge written in the heart of the faithful, is most fully containing the commandments of God. 2 Corinthians 3: You are our epistle... written in our hearts... written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in the fleshy tables of the heart.
And the law that is forever. Because another does not succeed it. Isaiah 8: Bind up the testimony, seal the law in my disciples. Psalm 36: The law of his God is in his heart, and his steps shall not be supplanted.
All who hold her shall come to life. Proverbs 3: Keep law and counsel, and it shall be life to your soul, and grace to your throat. But those who have forsaken her, supply, come to death. Jeremiah 17: They that depart from You shall be ashamed: they that forsake You shall be written in the earth: because they have forsaken the vein of living waters, the Lord.
[Baruch 4:2] Return, O Jacob.
Here he places the exhortation. The exhortation to conversion and to return. And he says three things: namely, the exhortation of the exhorter, the compassion of the exhorter there: Let no one rejoice over me (Bar 4:17), and the mode which ought to be applied to conversion there: For as was your sense to err (Bar 4:28).
In the first he does four things: He exhorts to returning. If they do not return, he shows the damage, there: Do not give to another. He comforts for return, there: Blessed are we. He subjoins the necessity of conversion, there: You are handed over to adversaries.
He says therefore: Return, O Jacob. He names the father that he may incline the sons to the imitation of the father. Joel 2: Be converted to Me with all your heart. Lamentations last chapter: Convert us, O Lord, to You, and we shall be converted. And apprehend her, holding and drawing her to you. Proverbs 4: Take hold of her, and she shall exalt you: you shall be glorified by her, when you shall embrace her.
Walk by the way, namely of commandments and virtues. Psalm 118: Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. Proverbs 4: I will show you the way of wisdom... When you go, your steps shall not be straitened. To her brightness. That is, to the brightness illuminating your ways. Job 29: When his lamp shined over my head, and when by his light I walked through darkness. Against her light. He stands against the light who converts himself to the light. But he who is averted from the light stands in the shadows of his darkness. Psalm 88: They shall walk in the light of Your countenance. Likewise Psalm 35: In Your light we shall see light. Jeremiah 13: Give glory to the Lord your God, before it be dark, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains.
And he subjoins concerning the damage of the unconverted: [Baruch 4:3] Do not give, that is, do not permit to be given, your glory to another. That is, the worship of the glorious God. And your dignity, supply, do not give to a foreign nation. For a most worthy nation has a most worthy worship. Deuteronomy 4: There is no other nation so great, that has gods so nigh to them, as our God is present to all our petitions. Proverbs 5: Lest you give your honor to others, and your years to the cruel. Apocalypse 3: Hold that fast which you have, that no man take your crown.
[Baruch 4:4] Blessed are we, O Israel.
He comforts for returning, to which knowing, willing, and being able are required. As to knowing, he says: Blessed are we, O Israel. Because the things that please God are manifest to us. Which is of great dignity. Psalm 147: He has not done so to every nation: and His judgments He has not made manifest to them
CONTINUE
Comments
Post a Comment