How this passage has been read — the sources, oldest to newest.
From the early Church Fathers to now.
A.D. 4441274
2 Patristic witnesses · 1 Medieval witness
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Patristicbefore A.D. 750
Cyril of Alexandria · A.D. 376–444A.D. 444
“There is truth in the saying of Wisdom: "The Spirit of the Lord fills the universe," and "An attentive ear hears all things." To those, then, who foolishly, even godlessly, think that their words remain hidden to the divine mind, the psalmist says somewhere, "Understand, you senseless among the people. Fools, when will you become wise? Does he who made the ear not hear?" How is it possible that he who gave hearing to his creatures would not hear everything? And from this you understand, yet again, that the Lord is God by nature. He was not unaware of what the Jews murmured secretly among the crowd. Rather, as befits God, he heard it, even though they did not speak openly of him, for fear of their leaders.”
“It is said that God has hearing, because he listens to everything and nothing remains hidden to him in silence. About this, it is written in the book of Wisdom, "Heaven's ear listens to everything; even the whisper of murmurings are not hidden from him."”
825 years pass — nothing from this stretch is hosted yet
Scholasticc. 1100 – 1500
Bonaventure · c. A.D. 1221–12741274
“And rightly did I say that it will come, etc.; for the ear of jealousy, of jealousy, I say, of God who is jealous for souls as for brides, hears all things, that is, knows all things, as one who hears all things, namely words both evil and good and indifferent, just as a jealous man carefully hears and notes the words of his spouse and of those speaking with her: Exodus twenty: "I am a mighty God, jealous," etc. And the tumult of murmurings, by which men murmur against God: Ecclesiasticus thirty-three: "The heart of a fool is like a cart wheel." And it is called a tumult, because a man who murmurs makes a tumult, as it were, within his teeth, and does not speak clearly. Shall not be hidden, but shall be made manifest to the whole world; Luke twelve: "Nothing is covered that shall not be revealed, nor hidden that shall not be known"; Exodus sixteen: "I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel."”
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