The Purpose of Goodness and the Sackcloth of Repentance

Him. Rescuing the poor from the hands of those stronger than he. If the similarity is taken regarding this action, the verse signifies: God rescues the poor and the needy from the hands of those stronger than him. And this is over men, such as rulers, powerful in strength, and also the devil himself. Therefore, only God rescues from these. If, however, as I have said, he is rescued from practical matters, the verse is also able to do this; for it is not a great thing to rescue from lesser things. Those remaining according to Sosannas seemed to be stronger than her; for they were rulers and judges, but that woman was a chambermaid and a private person. And God rescued from the stronger. And this is to be understood: everyone who is of some lesser strength is poor according to this, the one unable to benefit himself, the one not able to help himself and to make himself out of the surrounding circumstance. And poor and needy from those seizing him. And it happens especially according to the underlying subject to be both poor and needy. If he is outside of wealth, he is poor; but if he is satisfied by his toil, he is a needy man; for 'the rich have become poor' (Job 22:28). If, therefore, you lift these things up, you take the man from the Jews who believed to be the poor, and the needy as one not having hope, but also being godless.

Unjust witnesses arose, things which they did not know, they questioned me. The unjust witnesses question him about things which the one whom they wish to testify against does not know. Here, 'things which they did not know', is 'things which they were not tested'. Not knowing sometimes means ignorance; 'but at that time not knowing God', it declares ignorance. It also signifies not having been tested, as if I say: 'the one who does not know sin', the one not having been tested by sin. Therefore, he knows her according to something; he understands her nature. But he does not know her without having used her. Thus also regarding wives and women in general, it is said that: 'he did not know her', 'he knew her'. He signifies the experience here. 'And Adam knew Eve his wife' (Gen 4:1). This was said when they had come together; for he approached: 'and having come together, she bore' (Gen 4:1). Therefore, the unjust ones are witnesses who say against someone things which are not present to him. Such also is this: 'as the evil was turning away from me, he did not know'. Repay me evil for good, and barrenness to my soul (Ps 31:11). It was necessary for him...

They did not realize that I was not being kind to them, nor did they know what I am asking; for I was about to be punished, and because of this, not only will they not be punished for me, but as much as it concerns me. Thus we also interpreted the Gospel: 'Be well-disposed toward your adversary until you are with him in the way' (Matt 5:44).

And since the word of well-disposition is this: 'Well-disposition is a will of good things for the sake of the neighbor,' for many times I desire to provide good things to him in order to gain something from him. Therefore, they wanted to punish me, who had done them no wrong, but had also provided them an opportunity for salvation. Such also is what is said by Jacob to Laban: 'Know, if there is anything of yours with me, take it' (Gen 31:32). I do not want any of yours; I am well-disposed toward you, I give back to you the things. Instead of the good things which I did for them, I have done good things to them so that they would not be established for the sake of being punished because of me, since I did not show them.

Even Susanna would not have said concerning the elders: 'They intended to tear me away to adultery; I was not well-disposed toward them; I did a good thing to them; as far as it concerns me, they have not committed in sin to make me barren' (Sus 3:7)? The 'they repaid me' is common; just as they repaid me evil instead of good, so also they repaid my soul with barrenness. And what about the offspring of the soul? Right thoughts, excellent deeds. 'From the fear of you we conceived in the womb and labored and brought forth' (Ps 22:3).

And I, while they were bothering me, was putting on sackcloth. Behold, their evils and the reason for wanting to make her barren—they bothered her by name, as the one who said, 'sophistical disturbances bother me more than they harm me.' However, I was putting on sackcloth so that, not being abandoned, I would not be captured by them, and on their behalf so that they would cease their insolence toward me; I was putting on a certain strict life, bearing in some way a sign of repentance, so that I might not be harmed by the bothering, and on the other hand, so that they might not be emboldened. And it is much more for the good, if they should cease. And they humbled my soul in fasting (Ps 35:6). I was not putting on sackcloth alone, that is, strictness of life, but also 'they humbled my soul in fasting,' both according to the literal sense and according to the original sense, no longer being nourished by those painful things.