Thomas Aquinas

Above, the Apostle attempted to assign the reason for the divine judgments by which both the Gentiles and the Jews, after unbelief, obtain mercy. Now, as if recognizing himself insufficient to investigate these things, he admires the divine excellence by way of exclamation. And first he admires the divine excellence; secondly he proves what he had said, where he says "for who has known," and so on. Concerning the first he does two things. First he admires the excellence of divine wisdom considered in itself; secondly by comparison to us, where he says "how incomprehensible," and so on.

He admires the excellence of divine knowledge. First as to its depth, saying "O the depth." Ecclesiastes 7: "deep profundity, who shall find it?" Jeremiah 17: "a throne of glory, of height from the beginning." Now this depth is considered under three aspects. In one way as to the thing known, namely inasmuch as God knows himself perfectly. Ecclesiasticus 24: "I dwell in the highest places." In another way as to the mode of knowing, namely inasmuch as he knows all things through himself. Psalm 101: "he has looked down from his holy height, the Lord has beheld the earth from heaven." Thirdly as to the certitude of knowledge. Ecclesiasticus 23: "the eyes of the Lord are far brighter than the sun."

Secondly he admires the excellence of divine knowledge as to its fullness, when he says "of the riches." Isaiah 33: "the riches of salvation are wisdom and knowledge." This fullness is considered under three aspects. In one way in the multitude of things known, namely because he knows all things. John, last chapter: "Lord, you know all things." Colossians 2: "in him are hidden all the treasures of the wisdom of God." In another way as to the ease of knowing, because he beholds all things at once, without inquiry and without difficulty. Hebrews 4: "all things are naked and open to his eyes." Thirdly as to the abundance of the knowledge, because he communicates it to all abundantly. James 1: "if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all abundantly."

Thirdly he admires the divine excellence as to its perfection, when he says "of the wisdom and knowledge of God." For he has wisdom concerning divine things — Job 12: "with him is strength and wisdom" — and knowledge concerning created things — Baruch 3: "he who knows all things knows her."

Then, when he says "how incomprehensible," etc., he shows the excellence of divine wisdom by comparison to our intellect. And first as to wisdom, to which it belongs to judge and to order. Hence he says "how incomprehensible are his judgments," because, namely, man cannot comprehend the reason of the divine judgments, since they lie hidden in the wisdom of God. Psalm 35: "your judgments are a great abyss." Job 11: "perhaps you will grasp the footsteps of God, and find the Almighty perfectly."

Secondly as to knowledge, by which he operates in things. Hence he adds "and untraceable," that is, not perfectly traceable by man, "are his ways," that is, his processes, by which he works in creatures. And even if the creatures themselves are known to man, nevertheless the modes by which God works in creatures cannot be comprehended by man. Psalm 76: "your way is in the sea, and your paths in many waters, and your footsteps shall not be known." Job 38: "by what way is the light scattered," and so on.

Then, when he says "for who," etc., he proves what he had said, for which he adduces two authorities, one of which is found in Isaiah 40, verse 13, where according to our text it reads thus: "who has helped the spirit of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?" In place of which it is here said, "for who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?" The other authority is found in Job 41, 2: "who has given to me before, that I should repay him?" From which place it is here said, "or who has first given to him, and it shall be repaid to him?"

In these words and those following, the Apostle does three things. First he shows the excellence of divine wisdom by comparison to our intellect, saying: it has been said that his judgments are incomprehensible and his ways untraceable, "for who has known the mind of the Lord," by which, namely, he judges and proceeds in operating; as if he were to say: no one, except he to whom it is revealed. Wisdom 9: "your mind, who shall be able to know, unless you give wisdom, and send your Holy Spirit from on high?" And 1 Corinthians 2: "the things that are of God no one knows, but the Spirit of God; but to us God has revealed them through his Spirit."

Secondly he shows the excellence of divine wisdom according as it has in itself a depth, which indeed is the depth belonging to the supreme principle, to which two things pertain: first, that it be not from another; secondly, that other things be from it, and this he shows where he says "for from him." That the wisdom of God does not depend on a higher principle, he shows in two ways. First indeed by the fact that it was not instructed by another's counsel. Hence he says "or who has been his counselor?" As if he were to say: no one. For that one needs counsel who does not fully know how it must be acted, which does not befit God. Job 26: "to whom have you given counsel? Perhaps to him who has no wisdom." Jeremiah 23: "who has stood in the counsel of the Lord?" Secondly by the fact that he was not assisted by another's gift. Hence he adds "or who has first given to him, and it shall be repaid to him?" As it were, to one giving first. As if he were to say: no one. For man cannot give to God except what he has received from God. 1 Chronicles, last chapter: "all things are yours, and what we have received from your hand we have given to you." Job 35: "moreover, if you have acted justly, what will you give him, or what will he receive from your hand?"

Then, when he says "for from him," etc., he shows the depth of God as to this, that all things are in him. And first he shows his causality; secondly his dignity, where he says "to him be honor and glory"; thirdly his perpetuity, where he says "forever and ever, amen." He says therefore first: rightly did I say that no one has first given to him, "because from him, and through him, and in him are all things." And thus nothing can exist except as received from God.

Now to designate the causality of God he uses three prepositions, which are "from," "through," and "in." This preposition "from" denotes a principle of motion, and this in three ways: first, the agent principle itself, or that which moves; in another way, the matter itself; thirdly, the very contrary of the opposites, which is the terminus from which the motion begins. For we say that a knife is made "from" the smith and "from" the iron and "from" the unshaped thing. Now the universe of creatures was not made from pre-existing matter, since matter itself is also an effect of God. And according to this, created things are not said to be "from" something in the sense of a pre-existing subject, but rather, by contrast, are said to be from nothing, because they were nothing before they were created so as to be. Wisdom 2: "we are born from nothing." But all things are "from" God as from the first agent. 1 Corinthians 11: "but all things are from God."

It must be noted, however, that this preposition "of" (de) seems to designate the same relations, yet adds this over and above, that it always designates a consubstantial cause. For we say that a knife is "of" iron, but not "of" the craftsman; therefore, because the Son proceeds from the Father as consubstantial to him, we say the Son is "of" the Father. Creatures, however, do not proceed from God as consubstantial to him; hence they are not said to be "of" him, but only "from" him.

This preposition "through" designates the cause of operation; but because operation is a medium between that which makes and that which is made, this preposition "through" can designate the cause of operation in two ways. In one way according as the operation issues from the operator: as something is said to operate "through itself" which is to itself the cause that it operates. This, in one way, is the form, as we say that fire heats "through" heat. In another way it is some higher agent, as if we should say that man generates "through" the power of the sun, or rather of God. Thus, therefore, all things are said in two ways to be "through" him. In one way, as through the first agent, by whose power all other things act. Proverbs 8: "through me kings reign." In another way, inasmuch as his wisdom, which is his essence, is the form through which God made all things, according to that saying of Proverbs 3: "the Lord by wisdom founded the earth."

In yet another way this preposition "through" designates the cause of operation, not indeed according as it issues from the operator, but according as it is terminated at the works, as we say that a smith makes a knife "through" a hammer — which is not to be understood as though the hammer operates together with the smith in the way understood in the prior cases, but because the knife is made from the operation of the smith by means of the hammer. And therefore it is said that this preposition "through" sometimes designates authority in the direct sense, as when we say: the king acts "through" the bailiff — which pertains to what is now being said. But sometimes it designates it in the causal sense, as when it is said: the bailiff acts "through" the king — which pertains to the preceding manner. Now it is in this manner of which we now speak that all things are said to have been made by the Father "through" the Son, according to that saying of John 1: "all things were made through him" — not that the Father has from the Son this, that he makes things, but rather, because the Son receives the power of making from the Father — not, however, an instrumental power, or a diminished one, or another kind, but a principal and equal power, and the same power. John 5: "whatever things the Father does, these the Son does likewise." Hence, although all things were made by the Father through the Son, nevertheless the Son is not an instrument or a minister of the Father.

This preposition "in" likewise designates a threefold relation of cause: in one way it designates matter, as we say the soul is "in" the body and the form "in" matter; but in this way it is not said that all things are "in" God, since he is not the material cause of things. In another way it designates the relation of the efficient cause, in whose power it is to dispose of its effects, and according to this all things are said to be "in" him, inasmuch as all things consist in his power and disposition, according to that saying of Psalm 94: "in his hand are all the ends of the earth." And Acts 17: "in him we live, and move, and are." Thirdly it designates the relation of the final cause, according as the whole good of a thing and its preservation consists in that which is best for it, and according to this all things are said to be "in" God, as in the goodness that preserves them. Colossians 1: "and in him all things hold together."

Now that which he says, "all things," is to be taken absolutely for all things which have true being; but sins do not have true being, but insofar as they are sins, are said to exist through the defect of some being, because evil is nothing but the privation of good. And therefore when it is said "from him, and through him, and in him are all things," it is not to be understood of sins, because, according to Augustine, "sin is nothing, and men become nothing when they sin." Whatever entity, however, there is in the sin, all of it is from God.

Thus, therefore, according to the foregoing, all things are "from him," namely God, as from the first operative power. All things are "through him," inasmuch as he makes all things through his wisdom. All things are "in him," as in the goodness that preserves them. Now these three, namely power, wisdom, and goodness, are common to the three Persons. Hence that which is said, "from him, and through him, and in him," can be attributed to any of the three Persons; nevertheless power, which has the character of a principle, is appropriated to the Father, who is the principle of the whole Godhead; wisdom to the Son, who proceeds as the Word, which is nothing other than begotten wisdom; goodness is appropriated to the Holy Spirit, who proceeds as love, whose object is goodness. And therefore, by way of appropriation, we can say: "from him," namely from the Father; "through him," namely through the Son; "in him," namely in the Holy Spirit, are all things.

Then, when he says "to him be honor and glory," he shows the dignity of God, which consists in the two things premised. For from the fact that from him, and through him, and in him are all things, honor and reverence and subjection are owed to him by the whole of creation. Malachi 1: "if I am a father, where is my honor?" But from the fact that neither counsel nor gift is received from another, glory is owed to him, just as, on the contrary, it is said to man in 1 Corinthians 4: "if you have received, why do you boast as if you had not received?" And because this is proper to God, it is said in Isaiah 42: "my glory I will not give to another."

Finally he sets down his eternity, when he says "forever and ever," because his glory is not transitory, as is the glory of man, of which it is said in Isaiah 40: "all his glory is like the flower of the field," but it endures forever and ever, that is, through all the ages succeeding one another, insofar as "age" (saeculum) denotes the duration of any given thing. Or "ages of ages" are called ages, that is, the durations of incorruptible things, which contain the ages of corruptible things, and especially the very eternity of God — which nevertheless can be spoken of in the plural, although in itself it is one and simple, on account of the multitude and diversity of the things it contains, so that the sense may be: "in the ages containing the ages." Psalm 144: "your kingdom is a kingdom of all ages."

He adds, for confirmation, "amen," as if to say: truly, so it is. And thus it is taken in the Gospels, where it is said "amen I say to you." Sometimes, however, it is taken for "let it be done" (fiat). Hence in Jerome's Psalter it is said, "let all the people say: amen, amen," where we have "let it be done, let it be done" (fiat, fiat).