Which none of the princes of this world knew; for if they had known it, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory.

“These men are not the planting of the Father, but are an accursed brood. And says the Lord, "Let every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted be rooted up." For if they had been branches of the Father, they would not have been "enemies of the cross of Christ," but rather of those who "killed the Lord of glory." But now, by denying the cross, and being ashamed of the passion, they cover the transgression of the Jews, those fighters against God, those murderers of the Lord; for it were too little to style them merely murderers of the prophets. But Christ invites you to [share in] His immortality, by His passion and resurrection, inasmuch as ye are His members.”

“But because (the apostle) subjoins, on the subject of our glory, that "none of the princes of this world knew it for had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory," the heretic argues that the princes of this world crucified the Lord (that is, the Christ of the rival god) in order that this blow might even recoil on the Creator Himself. According to Marcion, however, the apostle in the passage under consideration does not allow the imputation of ignorance, with respect to the Lord of glory, to the powers of the Creator; because, indeed, he will have it that these are not meant by "the princes of this world.”

“As John says these things to the multitude, and as the people watch in eager expectation of seeing some strange spectacle with their bodily eyes, and the devil is struck with amazement at such a testimony from John, lo, the Lord appears, plain, solitary, uncovered, without escort, having on Him the body of man like a garment, and hiding the dignity of the Divinity, that He may elude the snares of the dragon.”

“"Which none of the rulers of this world knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory." Now if they knew not, how said He unto them, "Ye both know Me, and ye know whence I am?" Indeed, concerning Pilate the Scripture saith, he knew not. It is likely also that neither did Herod know. These, one might say, are called rulers of this world: but if a man were to say that this is spoken concerning the Jews also and the Priests, he would not err. For to these also He saith, "Ye know neither Me nor My Father." How then saith He a little before, "Ye both know Me, and ye know whence I am?" However, the manner of this way of knowledge and of that hath already been declared in the Gospel; and, not to be continually handling the same topic, thither do we refer our readers. What then? Was their sin in the matter of the Cross forgiven them? For He surely did say, "Forgive them." If they repented, it was forgiven. For even he who set countless assailants on Stephen and persecuted the Church, even Paul, became the champion of the Church. Just so then, those others also who chose to repent, had forgiveness: and this indeed Paul himself meant, when he exclaims, "I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid." "I say then, hath God cast away His people whom He foreknew? God forbid." Then, to shew that their repentance was not precluded, he brought forward as a decisive proof his own conversion, saying, "For I also am an Israelite." As to the words, "They knew not;" they seem to me to be said here not concerning Christ's Person, but only concerning the dispensation hidden in that event: as if he had said, what meant "the death," and the "Cross," they knew not. For in that passage also He said not, "They know not Me," but, "They know not what they do;" that is, the dispensation which is being accomplished, and the mystery, they are ignorant of. For they knew not that the Cross is to shine forth so brightly; that it is made the salvation of the world, and the reconciliation of God unto men; that their city should be taken; and that they should suffer the extreme of wretchedness. By the name of "wisdom," he calls both Christ, and the Cross and the Gospel. Opportunely also he called Him, "The Lord of glory." For seeing that the Cross is counted a matter of ignominy, he signifies that the Cross was great glory: but that there was need of great wisdom in order not only to know God but also to learn this dispensation of God: and the wisdom which was without turned out an obstacle, not to the former only, but to the latter also.”

“Having set forth the exposition concerning the wisdom of which the Apostle speaks among the perfect, here he assigns the reason for the aforesaid exposition, and first as to this, that he had described it by comparison to unbelievers; second, as to this, that he had described it by comparison to believers, at *but to us God has revealed*. Concerning the first he does two things. First he sets forth what he intends; second he proves the proposition, at *for if they had known*. He says therefore first: it was said that the wisdom which we speak is not of the princes of this age, for this is the wisdom which none of the princes of this age has known, which is true, of whatever princes it be understood. For secular princes have not known this wisdom, because it exceeds the reason of human governance. Job 12: *who changes the heart of the princes of the people of the earth, and deceives them, that they may walk in vain where there is no way*. Philosophers also have not known it, because it exceeds human reason. Whence it is said Bar. 3:23: *the seekers of prudence and of knowledge have not known the way of wisdom*. Demons also do not know it, because it exceeds all created wisdom. Whence it is said Job 28:21: *the birds of the heaven also are hidden from it. Destruction and death have said: with our ears we have heard the report of it*. Then when he says *for if they had known*, etc., he proves what he had said, and first indeed he proves by a sign that the princes did not know the wisdom of God, according as it is hidden in itself. Second he proves by authority that they did not know it, according as it is prepared unto our glory, at *as it is written*. He says therefore first: rightly do I say that the princes of this age have not known the wisdom of God, for if they had known the wisdom of God, they would surely have known Christ to be God, who is contained in this wisdom, which being known, they would never have crucified the Lord of glory, that is, Christ the Lord himself giving glory to his own, according to that Ps. 23:10: *the Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory*; and Heb. 2:10: *who had brought many sons into glory*. For since glory is naturally desirable to a rational creature, it cannot fall into human will that one should slay the author of glory. But that the princes crucified Jesus Christ is certain, if it be understood of the princes who have power among men. For it is said in Ps. 2:2: *the kings of the earth stood up, and the princes gathered together as one against the Lord, and against his Christ*, which Acts 4:27 expounds of Herod and Pilate, and the princes of the Jews who consented to the death of Christ. But demons too worked toward the death of Christ, by persuading, according to that Jn. 13:2: *when the devil had now put into the heart that he should betray him*, et cetera. But also the Pharisees, and the Scribes learned in the law, who devoted their study to wisdom, worked toward the death of Christ by instigating and approving. But concerning this a twofold doubt arises, of which the first is concerning this, that he says the Lord of glory was crucified. For the divinity of Christ could not suffer anything, according to which Christ is called Lord of glory. But it must be said that Christ is one person and hypostasis subsisting in each nature, namely divine and human. Whence he can be designated by the name of either nature, and by whatever name he is signified, that which belongs to either nature can be predicated of him, because to each there is not supposed except one hypostasis. And in this way we can say that a man created the stars, and that the Lord of glory was crucified, and yet he did not create the stars according as he is man, but according as he is God, nor was he crucified according as he is God, but inasmuch as he is man. Whence by this word the error of Nestorius is destroyed, who had said that there was one nature in Christ, of God and of man, because according to this it could in no way be verified that the Lord of glory was crucified. The second doubt is concerning this, that he seems to suppose that the princes of the Jews or the demons did not know Christ to be God. And indeed, as to the princes of the Jews, this seems to be established by this, that Peter says, Acts 3:17: *I know that through ignorance you did this, as did also your princes*. But it seems to be contrary what is said Matt. 21:38: *the husbandmen, seeing the son, said among themselves: this is the heir, come, let us kill him*; which Chrysostom, expounding, says: *the Lord manifestly proves by these words that the princes of the Jews crucified the Son of God not through ignorance, but through envy*. It is resolved in the Gloss that the princes of the Jews knew him to be the one who was promised in the law, yet not the mystery of him, that he was the Son of God, nor did they know the sacrament of the incarnation and redemption. But against this seems to be what Chrysostom says, that they knew him to be the Son of God. It must be said therefore that the princes of the Jews knew for certain that he was the Christ promised in the law, which the people did not know. But that he was truly the Son of God they did not know for certain, but conjectured it in some way; but this conjectural knowledge was obscured in them by envy and by desire of their own glory, which they saw diminished by the excellence of Christ. Likewise also there seems to be a doubt concerning the demons. For it is said Mk. 1:23 ff. and Lk. 4:34, that the demon cried out, saying: *I know that you are the Holy One of God*. And lest this be ascribed to the presumption of the demons, who boasted of knowing what they did not know, their knowledge which they had of Christ is asserted by the Evangelists themselves. In Mark indeed it is thus written: *he did not allow them to speak*, namely the demons, *because they knew him to be the Christ*. And Luke says: *rebuking them he did not allow them to speak because they knew him to be the Christ*. And to this it is answered in the book of Questions of the New and Old Testament, that the demons knew him to be the one who was promised through the law, because they saw in him all the signs which the prophets had said, but they were ignorant of the mystery of his divinity. But against this seems to be what Athanasius says, that the demons called Christ the Holy One of God, as it were singularly holy: for he alone is naturally holy, by participation in whom all others are called holy. But it must be said that, as Chrysostom says, they did not have firm and certain knowledge of the coming of God, but certain conjectures. Whence Augustine says in Bk. 9 of the City of God that he became known to the demons, not through that which is eternal life, but through certain temporal things wrought by his power. Then when he says *but as it is written*, he proves by authority that the princes of this age did not know the wisdom of God, as to this, that it was predestined unto the glory of the faithful, saying: *but as it is written*, Is. 64:4, where our text has: *eye has not seen, O God, besides you, what you have prepared for those who love you*. Now that glory of vision is shown to be plainly unknown to men in two ways. First indeed, that it is not subject to human senses, from which all human knowledge takes its beginning. And he sets down two senses. First the sense of sight, which serves discovery, when he says that *eye has not seen*, Job 28:7: *the path of it the bird has not known, nor has the eye of the vulture looked upon it*. And this because it is not something colored and visible. Second he sets down the sense of hearing, which serves instruction, saying *nor has ear heard*, namely that glory itself, because it is not sound or sensible voice. Jn. 5:37: *neither have you seen his shape, nor have you heard his voice*. Then he excludes intellectual knowledge of it, when he says *neither has it ascended into the heart of man*. This indeed can be understood: in one way, that whatever is known by man in any way whatsoever is said to ascend into the heart of man, according to that Jer. 2:50: *let Jerusalem ascend upon your heart*: and thus it must be that the heart of man is taken for the heart of the carnal man, according to that which is said below in ch. 3:3: *since there is among you jealousy and contention, are you not carnal, and do you not walk according to man?* The sense therefore is that that glory is not only not perceived by sense, but not even by the heart of the carnal man, according to that Jn. 14:17: *whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see him, nor know him*. In another way it can be expounded according as that is properly said to ascend into the heart of man which comes from below to man's intellect, namely from things sensible, of which he had made mention before. For things are in the intellect according to its mode; therefore lower things are in a higher intellect in a higher mode than in themselves. And therefore when they are grasped by the intellect, they in a certain way ascend into the heart. Whence it is said Is. 65:17: *the former things shall not be in memory, nor shall they ascend upon the heart*. But those things which are in the intellect and are themselves higher, are in themselves in a higher mode than in the intellect. And therefore when they are grasped by the intellect, they in a certain way descend. James 1:17: *every perfect gift is from above, descending from the Father of lights*. Because therefore the knowledge of that glory is not received from things sensible, but from divine revelation, therefore he says pointedly *neither has it ascended into the heart of man*, but it descends, namely that which *God has prepared*, that is, predestined, *for those who love him*, because the essential reward of eternal glory is owed to charity, according to that Jn. 14:21: *if anyone loves me, he will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and will manifest myself to him*, in which the perfection of eternal glory consists; and Job 36:33: *he declares concerning it*, that is, concerning the light of glory, *to his friend, that it is his possession*. But the other virtues receive the efficacy of meriting eternal life, inasmuch as they are informed by charity. Then when he says *but to us*, etc., he proves the aforesaid exposition concerning divine wisdom by comparison to believers. And first he sets forth what he intends; second he proves the proposition, at *for the Spirit*. He says therefore first: it was said that no one of the princes of this age knew the wisdom of God, *but to us God has revealed* it *through his Spirit*, namely whom he has sent to us, according to that Jn. 14:26: *but the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things*, Job 32:8: *the inspiration of the Almighty gives understanding*. For because the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth, as proceeding from the Son, who is the truth of the Father, he inspires truth into those to whom he is sent, just as the Son, sent by the Father, makes known the Father, according to that Matt. 11:27: *no one knows the Father except the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him*. Then when he says *for the Spirit*, he proves what he had said, namely that through the Holy Spirit wisdom was revealed to believers. And first he shows that the Holy Spirit is efficacious for this; second he proves that this he had done in the disciples of Christ, at *but we*. Concerning the first he does two things. First he sets forth what he intends; second he manifests the proposition, at *for who of men knows*, et cetera. He says therefore first: it was said that through the Holy Spirit God has revealed to us his wisdom, and this could come about: for *the Spirit searches all things*. This is not to be understood as though by inquiring how things come to be, but because he knows perfectly and even the inmost things of whatsoever matters, just as a man sometimes diligently searches. Whence it is said Wis. 7:22f. that *the spirit of understanding is holy, watching over all things, and taking in all spirits that are intelligible, pure, subtle*, and he knows perfectly not only created things, but also the deep things of God. Now those things are called deep which lie hidden in him, and not those things which are known of him through creatures, which are seen as it were only on the surface, according to that Wis. 13:5: *from the greatness of the beauty and of the creature the creator of them can knowably be seen*. Then, when he says *for who of men knows*, he proves what he had said concerning the Spirit of God by a likeness of the human spirit, saying *for who of men knows the things that are of man*, that is, the things that lie hidden in the heart, *except the spirit of man which is in him*, that is, the intellect? And therefore the things that lie hidden within cannot be seen. He says pointedly, however, *who of men*, lest even God should seem to be excluded from knowledge of these things; for it is said Jer. 17:9: *perverse is the heart of man, and who shall know it? I, God, proving hearts and searching reins*, because indeed of the secrets of the heart God alone is the knower. Now the reason is manifest why man cannot know the things that lie hidden in another's heart, because man's knowledge is received from sense, and therefore the things that are in another's heart, man cannot know, except insofar as they are made manifest through sensible signs, according to that 1 Kg. 16:7: *man sees the things that appear outwardly, but God beholds the heart*. But neither can a good angel nor a bad one know the things that lie hidden in man's heart, except insofar as they are made manifest through certain effects, the reason for which can be taken from the very word of the Apostle, who says the spirit of man knows the things that lie hidden in man's heart for this reason, that it is in the man himself; but an angel, whether good or bad, does not glide into the human mind so as to be in man's very heart and operate within it, but this belongs to God alone. Whence God alone is conscious of the secrets of man's heart, according to that Job 16:20: *behold, my witness is in heaven, and my knower is on high*. Second he adapts the likeness to the Spirit of God, saying *so too the things that are of God*, that is, the things that lie hidden in God himself, *no one knows, except the Spirit of God*, according to that Job 36:26: *behold, God is great, surpassing our knowledge*. But just as the things that are in one man's heart are made manifest to another through sensible signs, so the things that are of God can be known to man through sensible effects, according to that Wis. 13:5: *from the greatness of the beauty and of the creature*, et cetera. But the Holy Spirit, who is in God himself, as consubstantial with the Father and the Son, sees the secrets of the divinity through himself, according to that Wis. 7:22: *for in her*, namely the wisdom of God, *is the spirit of understanding, holy, having all power, watching over all things*. Then, when he says *but we*, etc., he shows how the knowledge of the Holy Spirit is received, saying: although no man of himself can know the things that are of God, *but we*, namely filled with the Holy Spirit, *have not received the spirit of this world, but the Spirit who is from God*. Now by the name "spirit" is understood a certain vital and cognitive and motive force. The spirit of this world, then, can be called the wisdom of this world, and the love of the world, by which man is driven to do the things that are of the world; but this spirit the holy apostles did not receive, casting off and despising the world, but they received the Holy Spirit, by whom their hearts were illumined and enkindled to the love of God, according to that Jn. 14:26: *but the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name*, etc., and Num. 14:24: *my servant Caleb, who is full of another spirit, and has followed me, I will bring into this land*. But the spirit of this world causes error, according to that Is. 19:3: *the spirit of Egypt shall be broken in the midst thereof, and I will cast down its counsel*. From the divine spirit, however, we have obtained *that we may know the things that are given to us by God*, that we may know concerning divine matters as much as God has granted to each; because, as is said Eph. 4:7, *to each one grace is given according to the measure of the gift of Christ*. Or it can be understood that the Spirit of God is given to the saints, that they may know spiritual gifts, which, not having, they are ignorant of that same Spirit, according to that Apoc. 2:17: *to him who overcomes I will give hidden manna, which no one knows except he who receives it*. From this, however, it can be gathered that just as *no one knows the Father except the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him*, as is said Matt. 11:27: so no one knows the things that are of God the Father and the Son, except the Holy Spirit and those who have received him: and this because just as the Son is consubstantial with the Father, so the Holy Spirit is with the Father and the Son.”

“Which none of the princes of this world knew. The pronoun is better referred to glory than to wisdom, and the sense is : if this wisdom, or rather this glory and its being predestined in Christ, had been known by Pilate, Annas, Caiaphas, and the other princes of the world, they would never have crucified the Lord of Glory, viz., Christ, by whose merits this eternal glory was predestined and prepared for us from eternity. Gabriel Vasquez comments well on this passage {lib. i. disp. 2, c. 3). The Apostle tacitly implies that none other of the princes of this world knew this glory and wisdom of Christ. For, d fortiori the Jews were wiser than the Gentiles, especially in Divine things ; if, therefore, they did not know it, much more were the others ignorant of it”

“But as it is written,.... Not in an apocryphal book, called the Apocalypse of Elijah the prophet, as some have thought, but in Isa 64:4 with some variation; and is brought to prove that the Gospel is mysterious and hidden wisdom, unknown to the princes of this world, and ordained before the world was, for the glory of the saints: for the following words are not to be understood of the glories and happiness of the future state; though they are indeed invisible, unheard of, and inconceivable as to the excellency and fulness of them, and are what God has prepared from all eternity, for all those on whom he bestows his grace here; but of the doctrines of grace, and mysteries of the Gospel, as the context and the reason of their citation abundantly show; and are what eye hath not seen, nor ear heard: which could never have been seen to be read by the eye of man, nor the sound thereof ever heard by the ear of man, had not God been pleased to make a revelation of them; and though they are to be seen and read in the sacred writings, and to be heard either read or expounded, with the outward hearing of the ear; yet are neither to be seen nor heard intellectually, spiritually, and savingly, unless, God gives eyes to see, and ears to hear; the exterior senses of seeing and hearing are not sufficient to come at and discover the sense of them; flesh and blood, human nature cannot search them out, nor reveal them, no nor the internal senses, the intellectual capacity of men: neither have entered into the heart of man; this clause is not in the original text; but is a phrase often used by the Jews, for that which never came into a man's mind, was never thought of by him, or he ever had any conceptions, or the least notion and idea of; so the elders of the city, at the beheading of the heifer, are represented not only as saying, "our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it"; but also neither , "hath it entered into our hearts", that the sanhedrim hath shed blood (y); and elsewhere (z) it is said, this matter is like to a king, , "into whose heart it entered", to plant in his garden, &c. The things which God hath prepared for them that love him; in the original text it is, "for him that waiteth for him"; the sense is the same, for such as hope in the Lord and wait for him, are lovers of him; and the meaning is, that God has prepared and laid up in his own breast, in his counsels and covenant, in the types, shadows, and sacrifices of the old law, in the promises and prophecies of the Old Testament, such doctrines and mysteries of grace as were not so seen, heard, known, and understood by the Old Testament prophets and saints; and has reserved for his people under the Gospel dispensation, the times of the Messiah, a more clear discovery of them: so the Jews themselves own that these words belong to the world to come (a), which with them commonly signifies the days of the Messiah; though here they think fit to distinguish them, and interpret the phrase, "eye hath not seen", of the eye of the prophets: their words are these (b); "all prophesied not, but of the days of the Messiah; but as to the world to come, eye hath not seen, O God, besides thee.'' The gloss on it is, "the eye of the prophets hath not been able to see it.'' Indeed, the mysteries of the Gospel are more clearly discerned now, than by the prophets formerly. (y) T. Bab. Sota, fol. 46. 2. (z) Sepher Bahir in Zohar in Gen. fol. 31. 1. (a) Zohar in Exod. fol. 64. 4. & 67. 2. (b) T. Bab. Beracot, fol. 34. 2. Sabbat, fol, 63. 1. Sanhedrin, fol. 99. 1. Maimon. in Misn. Sanhed. c. 11. sect. 1. & Hilch. Teshuva, c. 8. sect. 7. & Jarchi in Isa. lxiv. 4.”

“Which none of the princes of this world knew - Here it is evident that this world refers to the Jewish state, and to the degree of knowledge in that state: and the rulers, the priests, rabbins, etc., who were principally concerned in the crucifixion of our Lord. The Lord of glory - Or the glorious Lord, infinitely transcending all the rulers of the universe; whose is eternal glory; who gave that glorious Gospel in which his followers may glory, as it affords them such cause of triumph as the heathens had not, who gloried in their philosophers. Here is a teacher who is come from God; who has taught the most glorious truths which it is possible for the soul of man to conceive; and has promised to lead all the followers of his crucified Master to that state of glory which is ineffable and eternal.”