How this passage has been read — the sources, oldest to newest.
From the early Church Fathers to now.
A.D. 2021274
4 Patristic witnesses · 1 Catholic witness
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Patristicbefore A.D. 750
Irenaeus · c. A.D. 130–202A.D. 202
“"God stood in the congregation of the gods, He judges among the gods." He [here] refers to the Father and the Son, and those who have received the adoption; but these are the Church. For she is the synagogue of God, which God-that is, the Son Himself-has gathered by Himself. Of whom He again speaks: "The God of gods, the Lord hath spoken, and hath called the earth." Who is meant by God? He of whom He has said, "God shall come openly, our God, and shall not keep silence;" that is, the Son, who came manifested to men who said, "I have openly appeared to those who seek Me not." But of what gods [does he speak]? [Of those] to whom He says, "I have said, Ye are gods, and all sons of the Most High." To those, no doubt, who have received the grace of the "adoption, by which we cry, Abba Father."”
“Paul did not say that their lips were full of the poison of asps. For although many may be involved in sins of that kind, there are not many who are totally given over to the harm which that poison can do. On the other hand, there are many whose mouths are full of curses and bitterness. For whose mouth is so pure that he never curses? I am not speaking now of those who deserve to be cursed but of those whom God has not cursed, i.e., the just and innocent. For this vice is so prevalent and so automatic a trait of human weakness, especially with respect to those who are under or inferior to us, that many people would not even think to call it cursing.”
854 years pass — nothing from this stretch is hosted yet
Scholasticc. 1100 – 1500
Thomas Aquinas · 1225–12741274
“Fourth, he designates the abundance of these sins when he says: whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness, because they have a plentiful supply of curses, for they curse in slandering others, contrary to what he says below: bless them and curse not (Rom 12:14). And bitterness, inasmuch as they do not hesitate to say insulting words to their neighbor's face, being provoked by bitterness, contrary to what is written in Ephesians: let all bitterness be put away from you (Eph 4:31).”
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