Tractates on the Gospel of John 7.21–7.24
Latin text: Migne, PL 35 (Latin text: Migne, Patrologia Latina, digitized by Open Greek and Latin (patrologia_latina-dev, University of Leipzig), CC BY-SA 4.0).English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0). Compare: Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 7 (1888).
Chapter 7
7.21PL 35:1447
Quærendum est, an aliquid significet ista arbor fici. Audite enim, fratres mei: Invenimus arborem fici maledictam, quia sola folia habuit, et fructum non habuit. In origine humani ge neris Adam et Eva cum peccassent, de foliis ficul neis succinctoria sibi fecerunt: folia ergo ficulnea intelliguntur peccata. Erat autem Nathanael sub arbore fici, tanquam sub umbra mortis. Vidit eum Dominus, de quo dictum est, Qui sedebant sub umbra mortis, lumen ortum est eis. Quid ergo dictum est Nathanaeli? Dicis mihi, o Nathanael, Unde me nosti? Modo jam loqueris mecum, quia vo cavit te Philippus. Jam quem vocavit per apostolum, ad Ecclesiam suam vidit pertinere. O tu Ecclesia, o tu Israel, in quo dolus non est; si es populus Israel in quo dolus non est, modo jam cognovisti Christum per Apostolos, quomodo Nathanael cognovit Christum per Philippum. Sed misericordia sua ante te vidit, quam tu eum cognosceres, cum sub peccato jaceres. Nunquid enim nos prius quæsivimus Christum, et non ille nos quæsivit? Numquid nos venimus ægroti ad medicum, et non medicus ad ægrotos? Nonne ovis illa perierat, et relictis nonaginta novem pastor quæ sivit illam et invenit, quam lætus in humeris repor tavit? Nonne perierat drachma illa, et accendit mulier lucernam, et quæsivit in tota domo sua donec invenit? Et cum invenisset, Collaetamini mihi, ait vicinis suis, quia inveni drachmam quam perdideram. Sic et nos sicut ovis perieramus, et sicut drach ma perieramus: et pastor noster invenit ovem, sed quesivit ovem; mulier invenit drachmam, sed quae sivit drachmam. Quæ est mulier? Caro Christi. Quæ est lucerna? Paravi lucernam Christo meo. Ergo quæsiti sumus, ut inveniremur; inventi loquimur. Non superbiamus, quia antequam inveniremur, periremus, si non quæreremur. Non ergo nobis dicant quos amamus, et volumus lucrari paci Ecclesiae catholicae: Quid nos vultis? quid nos quæritis, si peccatores sumus? Ideo vos quærimus, ne pereatis: quaerimus, quia quaesiti sumus; invenire vos volumus, quia inventi sumus.
We must ask whether that fig tree signifies something. For hear, my brothers: we find a fig tree cursed because it had only leaves and had no fruit. At the origin of the human race, Adam and Eve, when they had sinned, made themselves girdles of fig leaves: so fig leaves are understood as sins. Nathanael, then, was under the fig tree, as under the shadow of death. The Lord saw him, the Lord of whom it was said, "Those who sat in the shadow of death, on them a light has dawned." What, then, was said to Nathanael? "You say to me, O Nathanael, 'How do you know me?' You are speaking with me now because Philip called you." He whom he called through an apostle he saw already belonging to his Church. O you Church, O you Israel in whom there is no guile: if you are the people of Israel in whom there is no guile, you have now come to know Christ through the apostles, as Nathanael came to know Christ through Philip. But his mercy saw you before you knew him, when you lay under sin. For did we first seek Christ, and he not seek us? Did we come sick to the physician, and not the physician to the sick? Had not that sheep been lost, and the shepherd, leaving the ninety-nine, sought it and found it, and carried it back rejoicing on his shoulders? Had not that drachma been lost, and the woman lit a lamp and searched her whole house until she found it? And when she had found it, she said to her neighbors, "Rejoice with me, because I have found the drachma I had lost." So we too were lost like the sheep, and lost like the drachma; and our shepherd found the sheep, but he sought the sheep; the woman found the drachma, but she sought the drachma. Who is the woman? The flesh of Christ. What is the lamp? "I have prepared a lamp for my Christ." So we were sought, that we might be found; found, we speak. Let us not be proud, because before we were found we would have perished, had we not been sought. So let not those whom we love and wish to win for the peace of the Catholic Church say to us, "What do you want with us? Why do you seek us, if we are sinners?" We seek you so that you may not perish; we seek because we were sought; we want to find you because we were found.
Isa 9:2 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 4:16 (quotation, medium confidence) · Matt 21:19 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 3:7 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 15:4 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 15:5 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 15:8 (allusion, high confidence) · Luke 15:9 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 132:17 (131:17 LXX) (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: The fig tree signifies sin, under which Christ saw Nathanael, as he sees and seeks all sinners before they know him; so Catholics seek the Donatists because they themselves were first sought and found.
- Quotations: Isa 9:2 (Matt 4:16); Luke 15:9; Ps 132:17 (131:17 LXX/Vulg.); allusions to Matt 21:19; Gen 3:7; Luke 15:4-8. Migne's inline reference '(Isai. IX, i)' is removed. Stray marks in the digital text are corrected.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip in the digital text (Collœtamini → Collaetamini); OCR slip in the digital text (Ecclesii catholic;c → Ecclesiae catholicae); OCR slip in the digital text (Idco → Ideo); OCR slip in the digital text (Vidit cum → Vidit eum); OCR slip in the digital text (apobtohun → apostolum); OCR slip in the digital text (arhor → arbor); OCR slip in the digital text (cognosceres I, → cognosceres,); OCR slip in the digital text (cst → est); OCR slip in the digital text (eia (Isai. IX, i). → eis.); OCR slip in the digital text (humcris → humeris); OCR slip in the digital text (ilia → illa); OCR slip in the digital text (invcuiremur, pcric ramus → inveniremur, periremus); OCR slip in the digital text (invenil ovcm → invenit ovem); OCR slip in the digital text (mccum → mecum); OCR slip in the digital text (qnam → quam); OCR slip in the digital text (quæ.. siti → quaesiti); OCR slip in the digital text (sea quæ → sed quae); OCR slip in the digital text (silius → sumus); OCR slip in the digital text (tici → fici)): arhor → arbor; tici → fici; Vidit cum → Vidit eum; eia (Isai. IX, i). → eis.; mccum → mecum; apobtohun → apostolum; qnam → quam; cognosceres I, → cognosceres,; ilia → illa; humcris → humeris; Collœtamini → Collaetamini; invenil ovcm → invenit ovem; sea quæ → sed quae; Quæ cst mulier? → Quæ est mulier?; invcuiremur, pcric ramus → inveniremur, periremus; Ecclesii catholic;c → Ecclesiae catholicae; Idco → Ideo; quæ.. siti → quaesiti; silius → sumus.
Topics: Heresy
Cite (SBL): Augustine, Tract. Ev. Jo. 7.21 (PL 35:1447; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/augustine-tractatus-ioannem/7-21/#p-7-21). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Latin of Migne PL 35 (digital text, Open Greek and Latin), then compared batch by batch with the public-domain English of NPNF¹ 7 (Gibb and Innes, 1888); differences checked against the Latin.
7.22PL 35:1447–1449
Itaque Nathanael cum dixisset, Unde me nosti? ait illi Dominus, Priusquam te vocaret Philippus, cum esses sub arbore fici, vidi te. O tu Israel sine dolo, quisquis es, o popule vivens ex fide, antequam te per Apostolos meos vocarem, cum esses sub umbra mor tis, et tu me non videres, ego te vidi. Dominus deinde dicit ei: Quia dixi tibi, Vidi te sub arbore fici, credis: majus his videbis. Quid est hoc, majus his videbis? Et dicit ei: Amen, amen dico vobis, videbitis cœlum apertum, et Angelos ascendentes et de scendentes super Filium hominis. Fratres, nescio quid majus dixi, quam est, sub arbore fici vidi te. Plus enim est quod nos Dominus vocatos justificavit, quam quod vidit jacentes sub umbra mortis. Quid enim no bis proderat si ibi remansissemus, ubi nos vidit? Numquid non jaceremus? Quid est hoc majus? Quando vidimus Angelos ascendentes et descendentes super Filium hominis?
And so, when Nathanael had said, "How do you know me?" the Lord said to him, "Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you." O you Israel without guile, whoever you are, O people living by faith: before I called you through my apostles, when you were under the shadow of death and did not see me, I saw you. Then the Lord says to him, "Because I said to you, I saw you under the fig tree, you believe: you will see greater things than these." What is this, "you will see greater things than these"? "And he says to him, Amen, amen, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels ascending and descending upon the Son of Man." Brothers, I have said something greater, I know not what, than "I saw you under the fig tree." For it is more that the Lord has justified us when called than that he saw us lying under the shadow of death. For what would it have profited us if we had remained where he saw us? Would we not be lying there still? What is this greater thing? When did we see the angels ascending and descending upon the Son of Man?
John 1:48 (quotation, high confidence) · John 1:50 (quotation, high confidence) · John 1:51 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Christ saw his people under the shadow of death before calling them; the 'greater things' he promised Nathanael, the angels ascending and descending on the Son of Man, signify more than that first seeing.
- Quotations: John 1:48, 50-51. The first sentence of Augustine's comment ('I have said something greater') is printed in the digital text as dixi ('I have said'), perhaps for dixit ('he has said'); translated as printed. Stray quotation marks in the digital text are removed.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip in the digital text (< Quia dixi tibi, Vidi tc → Quia dixi tibi, Vidi te); OCR slip in the digital text (Dommus dcindc → Dominus deinde); OCR slip in the digital text (ait. illi → ait illi); OCR slip in the digital text (csses → esses); OCR slip in the digital text (mcos → meos); OCR slip in the digital text (videbis. > Quid est hoc, < → videbis. Quid est hoc,); OCR slip in the digital text (vidi tc → vidi te)): ait. illi → ait illi; vidi tc → vidi te; mcos → meos; csses → esses; Dommus dcindc → Dominus deinde; < Quia dixi tibi, Vidi tc → Quia dixi tibi, Vidi te; videbis. > Quid est hoc, < → videbis. Quid est hoc,.
Cite (SBL): Augustine, Tract. Ev. Jo. 7.22 (PL 35:1447–1449; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/augustine-tractatus-ioannem/7-21/#p-7-22). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Latin of Migne PL 35 (digital text, Open Greek and Latin), then compared batch by batch with the public-domain English of NPNF¹ 7 (Gibb and Innes, 1888); differences checked against the Latin.
7.23PL 35:1449
Jam aliquando de his ascendentibus et descen dentibus Angelis dixeram; sed ne obliti fueritis, bre viter dico tanquam commemorans: pluribus enim di cerem si non commemorarem, sed modo insinuarem. Scalas vidit Jacob per somnium, et in ipsis scalis vidit Angelos ascendentes et descendentes; et lapi dem quem sibi posuerat ad caput, unxit. Audistis quia Messias Christus est, audistis quia unctus Christus est. Non enim sic posuit lapi dem unctum, ut veniret et adoraret: alioquin idolo latria esset, non significatio Christi. Facta est ergo significatio, quo usque oportuit fieri significationem, et significatus est Christus. Lapis unctus, sed non in idolum. Lapis unctus: lapis quare? Ecce pono in Sion lapidem electum, pretiosum, et qui crediderit in illum, non confundetur. Quare unctus? Quia Christus a chrismate. Quid autem vidit tunc in scalis? Ascendentes et descendentes Angelos. Sic est et Ecclesia, fratres: Angeli Dei, boni prædi catores, praedicantes Christum; hoc est, super Filium hominis ascendunt et descendunt. Quomodo ascendunt, et quomodo descendunt? Ex uno habemus exemplum: audi apostolum Paulum; quod in ipso invenerimus, hoc de cæteris veritatis prædicatoribus credamus. Vide Paulum ascendentem: Scio homi nem in Christo ante annos quatuordecim raptum fuisse usque in tertium coelum, sive in corpore, sive extra corpus nescio, Deus scit: et audisse ineffabilia verba quae non licet homini loqui. Ascendentem audistis, descendentem audite. Non potui loqui vobis quasi spiritualibus, sed quasi carnalibus: quasi parvulis in Christo lac vobis potum dedi, non escam. Ecce descendit qui ascen derat. Quaere quo ascenderat. Usque in tertium caelum. Quaere quo descenderit. Usque ad lac parvulis dan dum. Audi quia descendit: Factus sum parvulus, inquit, in medio vestrum, tanquam si nutrix foveat fi lios suos. Videmus enim et nutrices et matres descendere ad parvulos: et si norunt latina verba dicere, decurtant illa, et quassant quodammodo linguam suam, ut possint de lingua diserta fieri blan dimenta puerilia; quia si sic dicant, non audit infans, sed nec proficit infans. Et disertus aliquis pater, si sit tantus orator ut lingua illius fora concrepent, et tribunalia concutiantur; si habeat parvulum filium, cum ad domum redierit, seponit forensem eloquen tiam quo ascenderat, et lingua puerili descendit ad parvulum. Audi uno loco ipsum Apostolum ascen dentem et descendentem, in una sententia: Sive enim, inquit, mente excessimus, Deo: sive temperan tes sumus, vobis. Quid est, mente excessimus, Deo? Ut illa videamus quae non licet homini loqui. Quid est, temperantes sumus, vobis? Numquid judicavi me aliquid scire inter vos, nisi Je sum Christum, et hunc crucifixum? Si ipse Dominus ascendit et descendit; manifestum est quia et praedicatores ipsius ascendunt imitatione, descendunt praedicatione.
I have already spoken at some time about these ascending and descending angels; but lest you have forgotten, I speak briefly by way of reminder: for I would speak at greater length if I were not reminding you but introducing it. Jacob saw a ladder in a dream, and on that ladder he saw angels ascending and descending; and he anointed the stone he had set at his head. You have heard that the Messiah is Christ; you have heard that Christ is the Anointed. For he did not set up the anointed stone so as to come and worship it; otherwise it would have been idolatry, not a signifying of Christ. So a signifying was made, so far as it was fitting to make one, and Christ was signified. The stone was anointed, but not as an idol. An anointed stone: why a stone? "Behold, I lay in Zion a stone, chosen, precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame." Why anointed? Because Christ is from chrisma. But what did he then see on the ladder? Angels ascending and descending. So it is with the Church too, brothers: the angels of God are good preachers, preaching Christ; this is what it means that they ascend and descend upon the Son of Man. How do they ascend, and how do they descend? We have an example in one: hear the apostle Paul; what we find in him, let us believe of the other preachers of the truth. See Paul ascending: "I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven, whether in the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows; and heard unutterable words which it is not lawful for a man to speak." You have heard him ascending; hear him descending: "I could not speak to you as to spiritual men, but as to carnal; as to little ones in Christ I gave you milk to drink, not solid food." See, he descended who had ascended. Ask where he had ascended: to the third heaven. Ask where he descended: to giving milk to little ones. Hear that he descended: "I became a little one," he says, "in your midst, as if a nurse were cherishing her children." For we see both nurses and mothers come down to little ones; and if they know how to speak Latin words, they shorten them and as it were shake their tongue, so that out of an eloquent language childish endearments may be made; because if they speak properly, the infant does not hear, and the infant does not profit either. And some eloquent father, if he is such an orator that the forums resound with his tongue and the tribunals are shaken, if he has a little son, when he returns home he lays aside the forensic eloquence to which he had ascended, and with a childish tongue he descends to his little one. Hear the apostle himself in one place ascending and descending in one sentence: "For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are sober, it is for you." What is "we are beside ourselves, for God"? That we see those things "which it is not lawful for a man to speak." What is "we are sober, for you"? "Did I judge that I knew anything among you except Jesus Christ, and him crucified?" If the Lord himself ascended and descended, it is plain that his preachers too ascend by imitation and descend by preaching.
Gen 28:12 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 28:18 (allusion, high confidence) · John 1:51 (allusion, high confidence) · Isa 28:16 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 9:33 (quotation, medium confidence) · 2 Cor 12:2 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Cor 12:4 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 3:1 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 3:2 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Thess 2:7 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Cor 5:13 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 2:2 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Jacob's anointed stone signified Christ, and the angels ascending and descending are preachers like Paul, who ascended to the third heaven and descended to give milk to little ones, as a parent stoops to a child's speech.
- Quotations: Isa 28:16 (cf. Rom 9:33; 1 Pet 2:6); 2 Cor 12:2-4; 1 Cor 3:1-2; 1 Thess 2:7; 2 Cor 5:13; 1 Cor 2:2; allusions to Gen 28:11-18; John 1:51. Stray quotation marks in the digital text are removed.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip in the digital text (< Sive enim → Sive enim); OCR slip in the digital text (aMen dunt → ascendunt); OCR slip in the digital text (audite.c Non po tuiloqui → audite. Non potui loqui); OCR slip in the digital text (c Scio → Scio); OCR slip in the digital text (crucifixum »? → crucifixum?); OCR slip in the digital text (escam ». → escam.); OCR slip in the digital text (habenas → habemus); OCR slip in the digital text (loqui ». → loqui.); OCR slip in the digital text (quasicarnalibus → quasi carnalibus); OCR slip in the digital text (rap!um → raptum); OCR slip in the digital text (ut.veniret → ut veniret); OCR slip in the digital text (vobis ». → vobis.); OCR slip in the digital text (« mente excessimus, Deo? » → mente excessimus, Deo?); OCR slip in the digital text (« quæ non licet ho mini loqui. » → quae non licet homini loqui.); OCR slip in the digital text (« temperantes → temperantes)): ut.veniret → ut veniret; aMen dunt → ascendunt; habenas → habemus; c Scio → Scio; rap!um → raptum; loqui ». → loqui.; audite.c Non po tuiloqui → audite. Non potui loqui; quasicarnalibus → quasi carnalibus; escam ». → escam.; < Sive enim → Sive enim; vobis ». → vobis.; « mente excessimus, Deo? » → mente excessimus, Deo?; « quæ non licet ho mini loqui. » → quae non licet homini loqui.; « temperantes → temperantes; crucifixum »? → crucifixum?.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Augustine, Tract. Ev. Jo. 7.23 (PL 35:1449; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/augustine-tractatus-ioannem/7-21/#p-7-23). (abbreviation not yet checked)
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Translation: Translated by Claude from the Latin of Migne PL 35 (digital text, Open Greek and Latin), then compared batch by batch with the public-domain English of NPNF¹ 7 (Gibb and Innes, 1888); differences checked against the Latin.
7.24PL 35:1449
Et si aliquanto vos diutius tenuimus, consilii fuit ut importunae horae transirent: arbitramur jam illos peregisse vanitatem suam. Nos autem, fratres, quando pasti sumus epulis salutaribus, quæ restant agamus, ut diem dominicum solemniter impleamus in gaudiis spiritualibus, et comparemus gaudia veritatis cum gaudiis vanitatis: et si horremus, doleamus; si dolemus, oremus; si oramus, exaudiamur; si exaudi mur, et illos lucramur.
And if we have kept you somewhat longer, our plan was that the troublesome hours might pass: we think that those people have now finished their vanity. But let us, brothers, since we have been fed with the banquet of salvation, do what remains, so as to fill the Lord's day solemnly with spiritual joys, and compare the joys of truth with the joys of vanity: and if we shudder, let us grieve; if we grieve, let us pray; if we pray, may we be heard; if we are heard, we win them too.
Notes and citation
Summary: Augustine explains that he preached at length to keep his hearers away during the hours of the pagan festival, and urges them to pray for those who took part.
- The 'troublesome hours' are those of the festival mentioned in 7.1-2 and 7.6.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (OCR slip in the digital text (consili → consilii)): consili → consilii.
Cite (SBL): Augustine, Tract. Ev. Jo. 7.24 (PL 35:1449; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/augustine-tractatus-ioannem/7-21/#p-7-24). (abbreviation not yet checked)
BibTeX · RIS (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-augustine-tractatus-ioannem-7-24) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude from the Latin of Migne PL 35 (digital text, Open Greek and Latin), then compared batch by batch with the public-domain English of NPNF¹ 7 (Gibb and Innes, 1888); differences checked against the Latin.