But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest is come.
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Cornelius a Lapide
AD 1637
And when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he pulleth in the sickle. Greek, όταν δὲ παÏαδω̃ ÏŒ καÏπός, that Isaiah , when indeed the fruit has brought itself forth; for fruit is here in the nominative case. The Syriac has, when it has become fat; Arabic, when it is perfect. This is a Hebraism, for in Hebrew verbs in the conjugation Hitpael have a passive, or reflex, signification, by which the agent receives the action in himself, so that the agent is the same as the recipient of the action. Wherefore some codices read, when the fruit has produced itself. Otherwise Maldonatus explains, "When the fruit, that Isaiah , the seed itself, which was the fruit of former seed, shall have brought forth, that is to say, other seed from itself."
When the fruit is brought forth: literally, when the fruit hath produced. By the fruit is here meant the seed; i.e. when the seed by degrees hath produced the blade, then the ear, and lastly the corn, which is become ripe. (Witham)
This is a secondary sense of the text, when the fruit hath come to maturity, and by no means a forced interpretation.
In Ezech, 2, Hom. 3: Or else, Man casts seed into the ground, when he places a good intention in his heart; and he sleeps, when he already rests in the hope which attends on a good work. Buthe rises night and day, because he advances amidst prosperity and adversity, though he knows it not, for he is as yet unable to measure his increase, and yet virtue, once conceived, goes on increasing. When therefore we conceive good desires, weput seed into the ground; when we begin to work rightly, we are the blade. Whenwe increase to the perfection of good works, we arrive at the ear; when we are firmly fixed in the perfection of the same working, we already put forth the full corn in the ear.
For the seed is the word of life, the ground is the human heart, and the sleep of the man means the death of the Saviour. The seed springs up night and day, because after the sleep of Christ, the number of Christians, through calamity and prosperity, continued to flourish more and more in faith, and to wax greater in deed.
But when He says, “Heknoweth not how,” He is speaking in a figure; that is, He does not make known to us, who amongst us will produce fruit unto the end.
That is, fear. For “the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom. Then the full corn in the ear;” Or because we must not only put forth leaves by obedience, but also learn prudence, and, like the stalk of corn, remain upright without minding the winds which blow us about. We must also take heed to our soul by a diligent recollection, that, like the ears, we may bear fruit, that is, show forth the perfect operation of virtue.
The sickle is death or the judgment, which cuts down all things; the harvest is the end of the...
Vict. Ant.e Cat. in Marc.: A parable occurred, a little above, about the three seeds which perished in various ways, and the one which was saved; in which last Healso shows three differences, according to the proportion of faith andpractice.Here, however, He puts forth a parable concerning those only who are saved. Wherefore it is said, “And He said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground”.
Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.: Or else He calls by the name of kingdom of God, faith in Him, and in the economy of His Incarnation; which kingdom indeed is as if a man should throw seed. For He Himself being God and the Son of God, having without change been made man, has cast seed upon the earth, that is, He has enlightened the whole world by the word of divine knowledge.
Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc.: Or Christ Himself is the man who rises, for He sat waiting with patience, that they who received seed should bear fruit. He rises, that is, by the word of His love, He makes...
Or else Christ sleeps, that is, ascends into heaven, where, though He seem to sleep, yet He rises by night, when through temptations He raises us up to the knowledge of Himself; and in the day time, when on account of our prayers, He sets in order our salvation.
for we put forth the blade when we show a principle of good; then the ear, when we can resist temptations; then comes the fruit, when a man works something perfect. It goes on: “and when it has brought forth the fruit, immediately he sendeth the sickle, because the harvest is come.”
