38. Then certain of the Scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from you.
39. But he answered and said to them, An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:
40. For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly: so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
CHRYS; Because the Lord had so oft repressed the shameless tongue of the Pharisees by His sayings, they now turn to His works, whereat the Evangelist wondering, says, Then certain of the Scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign of you; and that at a time when they should have been moved, when they should have wondered, and been dumb with astonishment; yet even at such time they desist not from their malice. For they say, We would see a sign of you, that they may take Him as in a snare.
JEROME; They require a sign of Him, as though what they had seen were not signs; and in another Evangelist what they required is more fully expressed, We would see of you a sign from heaven. Either they would have fire from heaven as Elias did; or after the example of Samuel the, would that in summer-time, contrary to the nature of the climate, thunder should be heard, lightning gleams, and rain descend; as though they could not have spoken falsely even against such miracles, and said that they befell by reason of divers hidden motions in the air. For if you cavils against what you not only behold with shine eyes, but feel with your hand, and reap the benefit of, what will you do in those things which come down from heaven. You might make answer, that in Egypt the magi also had given many signs from heaven.
CHRYS; But their words are full of hypocrisy and irony. But now they were railing against Him, saying that He had a demon; now they fawn upon Him, calling Him, Master. Wherefore the Lord rebukes them severely; He answered, and said to them, An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign. When they railed on Him, He had answered them mildly, now they approached Him with smooth and deceitful words, He rebukes them sharply; showing that He was above either affection, and was neither moved to anger by evil speaking, nor was to be gained by flattery. What He says is this; What wonder that you do thus to Me who am unknown to you, when you have done the same to the Father of whom you have had such large knowledge, in that, despising Him you went after demons? He calls them and their generation, because they have ever been ungrateful to received benefactors, and were made worse when they received benefits, which is the extreme of wickedness.
JEROME; Excellently is that said, and adulterous, seeing she has put away her husband, and, according to Ezekiel, has joined herself to many lovers.
CHRYS; Which also proves Him to be equal to the Father, if not to believe in Him makes them adulterous.
RABAN; Then He begins to answer them giving them a sign not from heaven, which they were not worthy to see, but giving it to them from the deep beneath. But to His own disciples He gave a sign from heaven, whom He showed the glory of His blessed eternity both in a figure on the mount, and after in verity when He was taken up into heaven. Wherefore it follows, And there shall no sign be given it, out the sign of the Prophet Jonas.
CHRYS; For the signs He wrought were not in order to move them for He knew that they were hard as stone, but for the profit of others. Or because they had not received it when He bad given them a sign such as they now desired. And a sign was given them, when by their own punishment they learned His power. This He alludes to when He says, No sign shall be given it. As much as to say; I have shown you many mercies; yet none of these has brought you to honor My power, which you will then know when you shall behold your city thrown down upon the ground in punishment. In the mean time He brings in a saying concerning the Resurrection which they should after understand by those things that they should suffer; saying, Except the sign of the Prophet Jonas. For verily His Cross would not have been believed, unless it had had signs to testify to it. But if that were not believed, truly the Resurrection would not have been believed. For this reason also He calls this a sign, and brings forward a figure thereof, that the verity itself may be believed. It follows, As Jonas was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale.
RABAN; He shows that the Jews were as criminal as the Ninevites; and that unless they repented they would be destroyed. But like as punishment was denounced against the Ninevites, and at the same time a remedy was set before them, so neither should the Jews despair of pardon, if at least after Christ's resurrection they should do penitence. For Jonas, that is The Dove, or The mourner, is a sign of Him on whom the Holy Spirit descended in the form of Dove, and who bore our sorrows. The fish which has swallowed Jonas in the sea, shows forth the death which Christ suffered in the world. Three days and nights was the one in the whale's belly, the other in the tomb; the one was cast up on dry land, the other arose in glory.
AUG. Some not knowing the Scripture manner of speaking, would interpret as one night those three hours of darkness when the sun was darkened from the sixth to the ninth hour; and as a day in like manner those other three hours in which it was again restored to the world, from the ninth hour till Sunset. Then follows the night preceding the sabbath, which if we reckon with its own day we shall have thus two days and two nights. Then after the sabbath follows the night of the sabbath prime, that is of the dawning of the Lord's day on which the Lord arose. Thus we shall only get two nights and two days, with this one night to be added if we might understand the whole of it, and it could not be shown that that dawn was indeed the latter part of the night. So that not even by taking in those six hours; three of darkness, and three of restored light, can we establish the computation of three days and three nights. It remains therefore that we find the explanation in that usual manner of Scripture of putting a part for the whole.
JEROME; Not that He remained three whole days and three nights in hell, but that this be understood to imply a part of the preparation day, and of the Lord's day, and the whole sabbath day.
AUG. For that the three days were not three full and entire days, Scripture witnesses; the first day is reckoned because the latter end of it comes in; and the third day is likewise reckoned, because the first part of it is included; while the day between, that is the second day, appears in all its twenty-four hours, twelve of the night and twelve of the day. For the succeeding night up to the dawn when the Lord's resurrection was made known, belongs to the third day. For as the first days of creation were, because of man's coming fall, computed from morning to night; so these days are because of man's restoration computed from night to morning.
CHRYS. He said not openly that He should rise again, because they would have derided him, but hints it distantly that even they might believe that He foreknew it. He said not in the earth, but in the heart of the earth, therein declaring His tomb, and that none might suspect that there was only the semblance of death. Therefore also He spoke of three days, that it should be believed that He was dead. But the sign itself proves the truth of it, for Jonas was in the whale's belly not in figure but in deed; and surely the sign did not happen in very deed, if the thing signified happened only in figure. Wherefore it is manifest that they are children of the Devil who follow Marcion asserting that the passion of Christ was only a fantasy. And that He should suffer for them also, though they would not profit by it, is shown by that which He speaks, that to this generation should be given the Sign of Jonas the Prophet.
41. The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.
42. The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.
CHRYS; That none should think that the same things would come to pass now among the Jews, as had of old been among the Ninevites; that as Jonas converted them and their city was delivered out of danger, so the Jews should be converted after the resurrection, the Lord now shows the contrary, that they should have no fruit of the benefit of the passion, but should suffer moreover grievous things, as He signifies below in the example of the demon. But now He first shows what just punishment they shall suffer, saying, The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation.
REMIG; The Lord shows in these words that there shall be one resurrection of the good and the bad against certain heretics, who said that there should be two, one of the good, another of the bad. These words likewise overthrow that fable of the Jews, who use to say that the Resurrection shall be held a thousand years before the judgment; these words clearly proving that the Judgment shall ensue straight upon the Resurrection. And shall condemn it.
JEROME; Not by a sentence of judgment, but by the comparison of their example; as He adds, For they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here. This word 'hie' is to be taken as an adverb of place, not as a pronoun. Jonas (according to the LXX) preached for three days, for this so long time; he to the Assyrians an unbelieving nation, I to God's own people the Jews; he preached with his voice only, doing no miracles, I, doing so many wonders, am falsely accused as Beelzebub.
CHRYS; Yet does not the Lord stay here, but adds another denunciation, saying, The queen of the South shall rise in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon. This was yet more than that first Jonas went to them; the queen of the south waited not for Solomon to come to her, but herself sought him. Both a woman and a barbarian, and dwelling so far away, she was not afraid of death in her desire to hear his wise words. This woman went to Solomon, I came hither; she rose up from the ends of the earth, I go round about your towns and villages; he spoke of trees and wood, I of unspeakable mysteries.
JEROME; So the queen of the south will condemn the Jews in the same manner as the men of Nineveh will condemn unbelieving Israel. This is the queen of Saba, of whom we read in the book of Kings and Chronicles, who leaving her nation and kingdom came through so many difficulties to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and brought him many gifts. Also in these instances of Nineveh and the queen of Saba, the faith of the Gentiles is significantly set above that of Israel.
RABAN; The Ninevites typify those who cease from sin - the queen those that know not to sin; for penitence puts away sin, wisdom shuns it.
REMIG; Beautifully is the Church gathered out of the Gentiles spoken of as a queen who knows how to rule her ways. Of her the Psalmist speaks; The queen stood on your right hand. She is the queen of the south because she abounds in the fervor of the Holy Spirit. Solomon, interpreted 'peaceful', signifies Him of whom it is said, He is our peace.
Catena Aurea Matthew 12