Matthew 5:2 (WEB)
He opened his mouth and taught them, saying,
Fathers and councils · 29
John Chrysostom
“Matt. V. 1, 2.” — the author cites it
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Leo the Great
“A Homily on the Beatitudes, St. Matt. v. 1–9” — the author cites it
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Catena Aurea on Matthew
- Pseudo-ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Matthew
Every man in his own trade or profession rejoices when he sees an opportunity of exercising it; the carpenter if he sees a goodly tree desires to have it to cut down to employ his skill on, and the Priest when he…
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on Matthew
Or He may be thought to have sought to shun the thickest crowd, and to have ascended the mountain that He might speak to His disciples alone.
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Matthew
By not choosing His seat in the city, and the market place, but on a mountain in a desert, He has taught us to do nothing with ostentation, and to depart from crowds, above all when we are to be employed in…
Read the whole comment - Remigius of AuxerreCatena Aurea on Matthew
This should be known, that the Lord had three places of retirement that we read of, the ship, the mountain, and the desert; to one of these He was wont to withdraw whenever He was pressed by the multitude.
Read the whole comment - JeromeCatena Aurea on Matthew
Some of the less learned brethren suppose the Lord to have spoken what follows from the Mount of Olives, which is by no means the case; what went before and what follows fixes the place in Galilee - Mount Tabor, [ed.…
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Matthew
“He ascended a mountain,” first, that He might fulfil the prophecy of Esaias, “Get thee up into a mountain;” [Isa 40:9] secondly, to shew that as well he who teaches, as he who hears the righteousness of God should…
Read the whole comment - Hilary of PoitiersCatena Aurea on Matthew
Or, He ascends the mountain, because it is placed in the loftiness of His Father’s Majesty that He gives the commands of heavenly life.
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on Matthew
Or, He ascends the mountain to shew that the precepts of righteousness given by God through the Prophets to the Jews, who were yet under the bondage of fear, were the lesser commandments; but that by His own Son were…
Read the whole comment - JeromeCatena Aurea on Matthew
He spoke to them sitting and not standing, for they could not have understood Him had He appeared in His own Majesty.
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on Matthew
Or, to teach sitting is the prerogative of the Master. “His disciples came to him,” that they who is spirit approached more nearly to keeping His commandments, should also approach Him nearest with their bodily presence.
Read the whole comment - Rabanus MaurusCatena Aurea on Matthew
Mystically, this sitting down of Christ is His incarnation; had He not taken flesh on Him, mankind could not have come unto Him.
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on Matthew
It cause a thought how it is that Matthew relates this sermon to have been delivered by the Lord sitting on the mountain; Luke, as He stood in the plain. This diversity in their accounts would lead us to think that…
Read the whole comment - Gregory the GreatCatena Aurea on Matthew
When the Lord on the mountain is about to utter His sublime precepts, it is said, “Opening his mouth he taught them,” He who had before opened the mouth of the Prophets.
Read the whole comment - Remigius of AuxerreCatena Aurea on Matthew
Wherever it is said that the Lord opened His mouth, we may know how great things are to follow.
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on Matthew
Or, the phrase is introductory of an address longer than ordinary.
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Matthew
Or, that we may understand that He sometimes teaches by opening His mouth in speech, sometimes by that voice which resounds from His works.
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on Matthew
Whoever will take the trouble to examine with a pious and sober spirit, will find in this sermon a perfect code of the Christian life as far as relates to the conduct of daily life. Accordingly the Lord concludes it…
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on Matthew
The chief good is the only motive of philosophical enquiry; but whatever confers blessedness, that is the chief good; therefore He begins, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.”
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on Matthew
Augmentation of ‘spirit’ generally implies insolence and pride. For in common speech the proud are said to have a great spirit, and rightly - for wind is a spirit, and who does not know that we say of proud men that…
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Matthew
Or, He here calls all loftiness of soul and temper spirit; for as there are many humble against their will, constrained by their outward condition, they have no praise; the blessing is on those who humble themselves…
Read the whole comment - Pseudo-ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Matthew
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,” [ed. note, a: The Bened. ed. reads ‘beati egeni’ - and has this marginal note, ‘Hinc sequitur hune Graece non scripsisse’ - but S. Thos. reads ‘beati πτώχοι ptochi;’ it may be…
Read the whole comment - John ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Matthew
Or, the poor in spirit may be those who fear and tremble at God’s commandments, whom the Lord by the Prophet Isaiah commends. Though why more than simply humble? Of the humble there may be in this place but few, in…
Read the whole comment - Augustine of HippoCatena Aurea on Matthew
The proud seek an earthly kingdom, of the humble only is the kingdom of Heaven.
Read the whole comment - Pseudo-ChrysostomCatena Aurea on Matthew
For as all other vices, but chiefly pride, casts down to hell; so all other virtues, but chiefly humility, conduct to Heaven; it is proper that he that humbles himself should be exalted.
Read the whole comment - JeromeCatena Aurea on Matthew
The “poor in spirit” are those who embrace a voluntary poverty for the sake of the Holy Spirit.
Read the whole comment - Ambrose of MilanCatena Aurea on Matthew
In the eye of Heaven blessedness begins there where misery begins in human estimation.
Read the whole comment - Glossa OrdinariaCatena Aurea on Matthew
The riches of Heaven are suitably promised to those who at this present are in poverty.
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Cross-references · 2
Cited together in John Chrysostom on Matthew 5:1–3 (2) (Catena Aurea).
Cited together in John Chrysostom on Matthew 5:1–3 (2) (Catena Aurea).