My Father, who gave them to me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.
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Cornelius a Lapide
AD 1637
My Father which gave them Me is greater than all (the Vulgate and Latin fathers read "majus," the Greek fathers μείξων), and no one is able to pluck them out of My Father"s hand. Because the Divine Nature which the Father gave Me, and its almighty power, is greater than all created beings, even angels and devils, and as no one can pluck them out of My Father"s hand, so can they not pluck them out of My own, for the hand and the power of the Father and Myself are one and the same. (So S. Augustine, Bede, Maldonatus; and see S. Ambrose, de Spir. Sancto, iii18. S. Hilary, de Trin. lib. vii, and Tertullian, contra Praxeam). He says this against the Jews who regarded Him as a mere Prayer of Manasseh , "Know then that the Eternal Father gave Me a Divine Nature and Personality far higher than any created nature, whether angels or men." Others explain it, that the sheep committed to Me by the Father must be more highly valued by Me than anything else; and no one can pluck them either out...
The faithful also have the succour of Christ, the devil not being able to snatch them; and they who have an endless enjoyment of good things, remain in it, no one henceforth snatching them away from the bliss that is given to them into punishment or torments. For it is not possible that they who are in Christ's hand should be snatched away to be punished, because of Christ's great might; for "the hand," in the Divine Scripture, signifies "the power:" it cannot be doubted therefore that the hand of Christ is unconquerable and mighty to all things. But when He saw the Jews mocking at Him as being a mere man, not understanding that He Who to sight and touch was Man was in His Nature God, to persuade them that He is the power of the Father, He saith: No one shall snatch them from My Father's hand, that is, from Mine. For He says that Himself is the all-powerful Right Hand of the Father, forasmuch as by Him the Father effecteth all things, even as by our hand the things are effected which w...
That which my Father hath given me, is greater than all. We may look upon this as the true reading by Tertullian, St. Hilary, St. Ambrose, St. Augustine The ancient Fathers make use of these words, to show the eternal procession of the Son from the Father; and that they are one in nature, substance, power The reading in the ordinary Greek copies is now different. My Father, who gave me them, (the sheep) is greater than all. No one can snatch, or pull them by force, out of the hand of the Father. He had said just before, no one shall, or can snatch them, out of my hand. And this shows that the hand, that is, the power of the Father and the Son, is equal, is one and the same. See St. Augustine, St. Chrysostom (Witham)
Which Thou hast redeemed with the precious blood of Thy Christ; be Thou their protector, aider, provider, and guardian, their strong wall of defence, their bulwark and security. For "none can snatch out of Thy hand: "
