Alcuin of York, on Rev 2:20

“But I have against thee a few things: because thou sufferest the woman Jezabel, who calleth herself a prophetess, to teach, and to seduce my servants, to commit fornication, and to eat of things sacrificed to idols.”

“But I have somewhat against thee: because thou sufferest the woman Jezabel, who calleth herself a prophetess, to teach, and to seduce my servants, to commit fornication, and to eat of things sacrificed to idols. These things do not correspond to the one he honored with such great praise above, but they refer specifically to the bad preachers who allow fornication and idolatry in the Church by their negligence. It is not to be believed that Jezabel the wife of Ahab, who we know was crushed by the hoofs of horses, [2 Kings 9:33] physically survived until that time; but since there were then in that church some people who imitated her sexual intercourses, the very mother of fornications was censured in them: for the reprobates, united in an equality of vices, constitute one body, which is that of the old enemy, just as the elect, by the bond of virtues, make up one body, which is that of Christ. Jezebel's fornication is of four kinds: there is fornication in pleasure, as in Whosoever shall look on a woman to lust after her, hath already committed adultery with her in his heart; [Matt. 5:28] there is also fornication in deed, whence the apostle: Fly fornication, brethren; [Variant of 1 Cor. 6:18] there is the fornication of idolatry, according to this: She played the harlot with stones and with stocks; [Jer. 3:9] and there is also the fornication of covetousness, according to this: covetousness, which is the service of idols. [Col. 3:5] It is also to be noted that Jezabel calls herself a prophetess, and seduces God's servants because of that. So, when anyone says to a celibate, "Come, let us enjoy what we desire, because if God did not wish this to happen, he would not have created man and woman," they are seeking to seduce a soldier of God as though by prophesying. So, Jezabel translates to "flow of blood," "flowing," or "dunghill." By the name of blood are symbolized sins, according to this: Deliver me from bloods. [Ps. 50:16] It is said that what happens to women when they suffer their flow of blood is that humor of blood collected during several days overflows and is discharged when the menstrual time has come. It is demonstrated that it is what happens to the universal Jezabel: a shameful pleasure accumulated during a long time springs forth to open ugliness of works when the time has come. Then the mind grows excessively anxious, and the man melts just like wax in front of fire; whence it is right for her to be called "flowing." Finally, by the very repetition of the perpetration of lust, a stench of bad reputation is emitted far and wide, whence it is fittingly that Jezabel translates to "dunghill."”

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.

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