Commentarii in Baruch

Chapter 1 "Son of Chelkias." He perhaps mentions the ancestors of Baruch as being noteworthy. "At the time." He did not say "in the year," but "at the time," meaning in that period; for the city was captured not in the fifth nor in the ninth year of the reign of Zedekiah, but in the eleventh. "In the ears of Jeconiah." This man Nebuchadnezzar had previously deported to Babylon. This same Jeconiah, son of Jehoiakim, was also called Eliakim, being of two names. "And in the ear of everyone." Instead of "those who came together for the hearing." "And offer upon the altar." Even though the temple had been razed, they still sacrificed on the site; for it was not permitted to perform the sacrifices elsewhere except in Jerusalem. "And you will pray for the life of Nebuchadnezzar." God had commanded them to pray for the peace of the Babylonians, so that they themselves might also have peace. "So that their days may be." So that they may be long-lived, or so that they may live in piety. "On feast days." For they had certain distinct times for feasts. "And you will say to our Lord God." According to the reasoning of the just man, both God punished and we are in shame today, being justly in captivity. "And we devised." We fabricated excuses, inventing causes. Chapter 2. "And you made a name for yourself." On account of your continuous wonders; for God does not cease working wonders for the prophet and all the saints, but is always wondrous among them. If he does not perform signs, he is not marveled at. "But the soul." Those who carry heavy burdens, being weak, stoop down.

The soul, then, he says, which is afflicted on account of its sins and has a great measure of grief, is acknowledged to be bowed down and weakened. "And the eyes that are failing." Whether perceptibly on account of the calamities, or also darkened from intellectual contemplation. "To have the bones of our kings carried out." As a sign of the coming judgment, after death their bones were punished. Chapter 3. "That you sit for eternity." You, he says, are eternal and sovereign, while we are mortal and perishable. "Lord Almighty, hear now the prayer of the dead." The dead, he says, are those who have come under the sentence on account of sin. The discourse has clearly shown the immortality of the soul. "But remember." Use the customary miracle, he says, and as you led out of Egypt, so free from Babylon. For we are called your people. "Behold us today in our exile." We have judged ourselves, he says, and blamed ourselves, because what has befallen us is deserved on account of the deeds of our fathers. "Hear, O Israel." From here Baruch begins to prophesy; for all the preceding words are of the letter of the captives from Babylon who sent it, being uttered in the form of a confession. "You have grown old." The commandment of life is prudence. "You have been counted." Among those who have ignorance of God. Of those still held by death. "You have abandoned." Our Lord Jesus Christ. You have become, he says, the cause of the present evils for yourself. For you ought to have used the law as a guide, which the source of wisdom provided, but you followed vain thoughts. "The way of God." The Lord says: I am the way.

Therefore, he who proceeds in imitation of him proceeds on his path. "Learn where prudence is." Since you are attached to the letter, learn that prudence is in the Holy Spirit. "Where is strength?" Now at least, since not before, seek and you will know who is the provider of these goods. "Where is understanding?" That which is against sin. "Where is long life and life?" To distinguish the good from the base. "Where is light?" In the Lord, evidently. For he who believes in me, he says, shall not die for eternity. For the Lord says: I am the light of the world, and the Apostle says: He is our peace. "Who found her place?" That the judgments of God are inscrutable, and his ways are untraceable. "And who entered into her treasuries?" Who has comprehended the judgments of God? "Where are the rulers of the nations?" The wise men of this age, who also ruled over the beast-like men. "Mocking in the birds of the sky." Practicing augury. And because their wisdom is earthly, psychic, demonic. "And the silver." For all their wisdom is in greed. "Because those who work the silver." Those who exploit silver through various persons. "And there is no discovery of their works." Because they partake of darkness. "And others arose." Those to whom the law was entrusted, and they themselves did not keep it; these are the ones who arose in place of the wise men in idolatry. "Younger ones saw light." Those not dragged down by carnal deeds saw light, that is, the knowledge of God. "And they dwelt upon the earth." Upon the teachings of the legislation.

They did not know the path of knowledge." As the Lord says, If you believed Moses, you would have believed me. "Nor did they understand." The manifold teaching. "Nor did they grasp it." As the evangelist John says: He came to his own, and his own did not receive him. The sons, clearly of the lawgivers. "They were far removed from their path." For while pursuing the law of righteousness, they did not attain the law. "Nor were they heard." Those who followed only the letter of the law were judged equal to the Gentiles who had not heard the law. For seeing, they do not see, and hearing, they do not hear. "Nor sons of Hagar." The descendants of the old covenant, concerning whom the Apostle says in agreement: For not knowing the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not submit to the righteousness of God. "The merchants of Mephran." He calls them merchants because they are inexperienced in farming. For having been appointed vine-dressers, they gathered thorns instead of grapes. Mephran and Thaiman are barbarian tribes, into which they trade, which are the beastly ways, those dragged down by the vanity of this life. "And the mythologizers." Those who, instead of the commandment and judgments of God, mythologized baptisms of cups and pints. And further, rejecting judgment, mercy, and faith, they tithed rue and mint. "And the inquirers." Those who inquire, but do not know how to conduct the inquiry intelligently. "But they did not know the path of wisdom." Clearly the Lord. "Nor did they remember its ways." The modes of teaching.

O Israel, how great is the house of God." The Church, and the word of the mystery. Since now we know in part, and not yet the perfection of knowledge. And he calls piety "place"; and "long" because of the perpetual increase toward the better. "The place of possession." That it contains the mysteries of the heavenly king. "There the giants were born." He speaks concerning the demons, that having been ranked with the angels from the beginning, they were cast out from the heavenly vaults through folly. And they are "renowned" because proclamation was made beforehand concerning them; and "huge" as being overgrown. "Knowing war." For being unworthy of the peace of Christ, both the demons and the heretics practiced war. "Who went up into heaven?" As it is written: Not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and having loved, he inclined the heavens and came down. "Who crossed over?" The Lord saying, Take courage, I have conquered the world. For he alone crossed over sin. And "found it" is instead of, He showed us how to find it. "And will bring it." That wisdom is priceless. And in respect to the meaning, the elect gold is faith, through which we know the Son. "There is no one who knows her way." For if anyone seems to have known something, he has not yet known as one ought to know. "Her path." The teachings, the

prophecy. "But the one who knows all things." For only the Father knows the Son. "He discovered her." He also revealed him to us through the wise mystery of the incarnation. "The one who constructed." With respect to the literal sense, that all things were constructed through the incarnate Word. With respect to the deeper meaning, the earth is the knowledge of piety. "He filled." The Lord called both good and evil to the weddings. He calls "beasts" those who before this were compared to senseless beasts. "The stars." The apostles, to whom he said, "You are the light of the world." "He called them." Having shone in the gifts given to them, they rejoiced. "This God." Those who eagerly obeyed the apostolic calling, and who have a desire to depart and be with Christ, and who value nothing more than doing what is commanded. —The one who became man for our sake, the Word who became of the Father, and appeared on earth, and associated with men. "And he gave her." That all spiritual knowledge leading to heaven is wrought by him. "After this he appeared on earth." For in order the one and same mystery shone forth, legally, prophetically, evangelically. Chapter 4. "This book." The varied knowledge of the mystery through the Gospels, which also endures forever. "Pass through." For he himself calls, saying, "Come to me, all who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest." "We are blessed." He urges those from Israel to seize the grace beforehand. Since it was necessary for them also first to announce the word of God. —The spiritual Israel says these things.

to whom the Savior says: "But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear." "Take courage, my people." O Israel, remembered by me. "You were sold." For if on account of sin the devil held the bond against us, yet Christ ransomed us with his own blood. "But you forgot." That having been nourished by divine reason as rational beings, we have fallen into irrationality. "Hear, you sojourners of Zion." She calls the sojourners to the spectacle of mourning, making them more prudent by the example. — The discourse is directed to the subject cities. "Let no one rejoice over me, the widow." And she calls herself a widow, as bereft of divine care, the only one remaining at rest [desolated], that is, now the only one; or, if not this, as the only one that possessed the divine temple; or as the only one left unconquered by the Assyrians [perhaps: childless]. For even if the Lord disciplined me with chastisement, he did not deliver me to death. And the Synagogue was properly called a widow at that time when, having insulted her bridegroom Christ, she was abandoned. "Let the sojourners of Zion come." The vain pretensions of the sojourn of this world. "For he brought a nation against them." God removed our transgressions far from us, but we drew them upon ourselves, and through them we are punished. And he is said to bring them, because nothing happens without the permission of God. "A shameless nation." First the Babylonian, later also that of the Romans. And this can be understood also concerning those who teach false knowledge through sophistical deceit. "But how am I able to help you?" Because without the mercies of God it is impossible for a soul to be saved.

He will deliver you." He exhorts them to the discipline through the whip. "And I was left behind." By the absence of God. And if the saints say these things, they speak appropriating the words of the sinners; but if the Synagogue of the Jews, when on account of the insult to Christ it heard: Behold, our house is left to you desolate. And if the city, on account of the desolation of its inhabitants. "I put off the garment of peace." The splendor which it had when at peace with God. "The sackcloth of my supplication." Mourning over our sins, and beseeching God. "And it came to me." It foresees the redemption through the Savior Christ, and foretells this. "Which will come upon." For the redemption through Christ showed our race more splendid than at the original creation. "And you will see his destruction." Which happened to the devil through the precious cross. "And on necks." For behold, he says: I have given you authority to tread upon snakes and scorpions, and upon every power of the enemy. "My tender ones." Those who at the original creation were made tender and delicate, traveled the uneven and rough roads. "Take courage, Jerusalem." The God Word, who became man for our sake, who deigned to call the Church his bride. "Wretched are those who harmed you." Demons, heretics, those who at various times persecuted the Church. "Wretched are the cities." The strongholds of evils, the constructions of demons. "Thus will it grieve." Idolatry and the Synagogue of the Jews. "And I will remove from it." From the Synagogue that persecuted the Church, and from the varied assault of evils.

For fire will come." Instead of, until he returned; therefore he also said the greater time. "Look around." Toward the sun of righteousness, our Lord Jesus Christ. Chapter 5. "Strip yourself, Jerusalem." The old man together with his desires. "And clothe yourself." Those who were baptized into Christ put on Christ. "Wrap yourself." These are the teachings of the old and new covenant. Otherwise: practical and contemplative virtue. "Place the mitre." The cross of Christ, which is imprinted on the forehead of the faithful. Or also the Lord himself; for Christ is the head of the Church. "For your name will be called." The distinguishing marks of the new Jerusalem. And he added "of righteousness." For there is a peace of sinners according to David, therefore also the Savior: "Peace," he says, "I give you my peace." — As the assault of enemies can no longer tear apart the peace of righteousness, nor destroy the glory of piety. Otherwise: Since our peace is Christ, and he is our righteousness and our glory, and he is the pattern of our life according to piety, from him we are also called. "Arise, Jerusalem." To a high way of life, to the evangelical proclamation. "For they went out." The mourning garb, as David shows, fleeing from Absalom. Those who served demons and were led by their various desires did things worthy of mourning. "As sons of a kingdom." Being lifted up by holy angels, and being sent through faith in Christ into the kingdom of the heavens. "He arranged...

:Every high mountain is to be humbled." Every elevation raised against the knowledge of God. "And the everlasting sand-dunes." The demons who have warred against us from the beginning, from eternity. "And the ravines are to be filled." The divisions of the false christs are to be brought into concord. Alternatively: the souls formerly hollow and earthy are to be filled with good works, the stumbling blocks having been removed.