And Jesus rebuked him, saying,
Hold your peace, and come out of him.
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Athanasius the Apostolic
AD 373
He put a bridle in the mouths of the demons that cried after him from the tombs. For although what they said was true, and they did not lie when they said, “You are the Son of God” and “the Holy One of God,” yet he did not wish that the truth should proceed from an unclean mouth, and especially from such as those who under pretense of truth might mingle with it their own malicious devices.
And Jesus threatened him; Gr. ×•Ì‰× ×•×¤ï¢“×œ×—×£×•×, i.e, rebuked, chided him with threats. That He would punish him unless he were silent.
Saying, Speak no more: Arab. shut thy mouth. Wherefore? I answer, First, Because it was not fitting that Christ should be commanded by the devil.
Second, That He might not appear to be a friend of the devil, and to hold intercourse with him. For afterwards it was objected to Christ that He cast out devils by the aid of Beelzebub. By acting as He did, Christ has taught us to shun all dealings with the devil; for he is the sworn enemy of God, and is wholly bent upon injuring and destroying us, even when he promises or brings us any corporal aid. Wherefore, as the Scholiast in Chrysostom saith, "Be silent; let thy silence be My praise. Let not thy voice, but thy torments praise Me. I am not pleased that thou shouldst praise Me, but that thou shouldst go forth."
Third, To show that we should resist flattery, that it may not stir up any desire of v...
Christ would not suffer the devils to be produced as witnesses of his divinity; the author of truth could not bear the father of lies to bear testimony of him. Hence Jesus threatened him, in order to teach us never to believe or put our trust in demons, whatever they may foretell. (St. Chrysostom)
