39. And here it is properly subjoined, But he shall save the poor from the sword of their mouth, and from the hand of the mighty. For the ‘poor’ is everyone that is not set up in his own eyes. And hence ‘Truth’ saith in the Gospel, Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. [Matt. 5, 3] Now a person is drawn into sin in two ways. For either he is led on by pleasure, or overcome by fear. For ‘the sword of the mouth’ is the mischievousness of persuasion, but ‘the hand of the mighty’ is the opposition of power. But because he that is truly humble, who is here called ‘the poor,’ as he covets none of the good things of this world, so also undauntedly sets at nought even its adverse fortune, it is well said, But He saveth the poor from the sword of their mouth, and from the hand of the mighty. As if it were put plainly; ‘God doth so firmly establish the souls of the humble in Himself, that neither the alluring arts of persuasion can draw them, nor the pains ...
35. For it is this very Poor Man of whom it is said by Paul, Though He was rich, yet for our sakes He became poor. [2 Cor. 8, 9] And because the Jews in accusing betrayed the Lord, Whom, when so betrayed, the Gentiles put to death, by ‘the sword of the mouth’ may be signified the tongue of the Hebrews, that were His accusers, of whom the Psalmist saith, Whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword. [Ps. 57, 4] For, as the Gospel also witnesses, they cried out, Crucify Him, Crucify Him. Luke 23, 21; John 19, 6] But by ‘the hand of the violent’ may be set forth the very Gentile world itself, which crucified Him, which in our Redeemer's death fulfilled in act the words of the Hebrews; God then ‘saved this Poor One both from the hand of the violent,’ and from ‘the sword of the mouth,’ in that our Redeemer, in His human Nature, was subjected both to the powers of the Gentiles, and to the tongues of the Jews by dying, but in the power of His Divine Nature He overcame...
