Fragmentum ex commentariis in Osee

From the Exegetical Commentaries on Hosea. Since the expressions in Scripture that are spoken in a solecistic manner, as far as the wording is concerned, confuse the reader, leading him to suspect that the statements have not been written correctly, consistently, or as they actually are—so that some even dare, on the pretext of correction, to alter them, changing the underlying meaning of the passages that seem to have been written consistently—it is necessary, since a similar case has occurred here as well, as far as the wording of the present passages is concerned, that we examine the meaning underlying them. For having said in the plural, "They wept and they besought me," and again having indicated what follows in the plural, "Being in the house, they found me," he then brings the following in the singular, saying, "And there it was spoken to him." For someone looking only at the bare wording, thinking in error that it has been written incorrectly, would either write the last part also in the plural, or change the preceding parts into the singular. For reading, "They wept and they besought me," and, "Being in the house, they found me," he would say that what follows is therefore, "There it was spoken to them," that is, to those who wept and besought, and, being in the house, found God. But from observation of similar passages, we will show that this too has been spoken consistently. In Genesis, when God gives a commandment to Adam, he speaks thus: "From every tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat from it; on whatever day you eat from it, you shall die by death." For having begun there also with the singular in saying, "From every tree of the garden you may eat freely," he then continues in the plural, saying, "but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat from it.

On whatever day you eat from it, you will die by death. For when he gives the commandment through which he wished him to be in this life while observing it, he commands in the singular and says: "From every tree in the garden you may eat by eating." For those who walk according to God and hold fast to his commandments, even if they are many, because they are of one mind, the many are one. For this reason, when a commandment about a good thing is given, it is said in the singular: "you may eat by eating." But when it already distinguishes concerning transgression, it says not in the singular but now in the plural: "You shall not eat from it; on whatever day you eat, you will die by death." Thus also here, when they are still weeping and beseeching God, it is said in the plural: "They wept and beseeched." But when they find God, it no longer says in the plural: "There it was spoken to them," but "to him." For the many have already become one in having found God and in hearing his word. For the one, when he sins, is manifold, being separated from God and divided, and falling away from unity. But the many who follow the commandments of God are one, just as the Apostle also bears witness, saying: "That we, the many, are one bread and one body," and again: "One God, and one Christ, and one faith, and one baptism," and elsewhere: "That we are all one in Christ Jesus," and again: "For I have betrothed you all to one man to present a pure virgin to the Lord." And that those who are pleasing to the Lord are one, it is possible to see from the prayer which the Savior prays to the Father concerning his disciples.

Father, holy," he says, "grant that, just as I and you are one, so also these may be one in us." And when the saints are said to be members of one another, what else are they but one body? And in the Shepherd, the building of the tower, constructed through many stones but appearing to be a building from a single stone—what else does Scripture signify but the harmony and unity from many?