Thomas de Vio, Cardinal Cajetan (1469–1534) was a Dominican theologian, Master General of the Order of Preachers, and Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church. He is regarded as one of the foremost commentators on St. Thomas Aquinas and produced a monumental multi-volume commentary on the whole of Sacred Scripture. His biblical commentaries were composed between approximately 1508 and 1534, and his Commentary on the Summa Theologiae became the standard accompaniment to that work for centuries.
Note on sources: Passages marked [Trans.] are translated from the original Latin of Cajetan’s Opera Omnia (Lyon, 1639 edition). Passages marked [Eng.] are taken directly from the modern English translation of the Summa Theologiae Prima Pars with Cajetan’s Commentary (Catholic University of America Press, 2024).
I. The Old Covenant, Ceremonies, and Supersessionism
On the purpose of the Mosaic Law and its relation to the Gentiles:
The Law was given so that it might be a pedagogue unto Christ; just as a pedagogue is employed for children to restrain or moderate their unruly passions, so the Law was to restrain men — and the Jews first of all — from every kind of wickedness, and especially from idolatry, and to deter them by fear. For that was the purpose of Moses the man of God in writing the Pentateuch: namely, to draw the world away from the sacrilegious worship of false gods, to which he had found his own people most inclined. Nor is it without reason that I say the world at large. For sacred and profane histories alike testify that after the times of Moses, the study of philosophy spread everywhere… all of which I would willingly believe flowed from Moses alone, since salvation is from the Jews — that is, all true knowledge of God had its origin from the Jews. God was known in Judah. Whatever the wise men of the nations taught concerning God, they borrowed from them; for it is from Sion that the law and doctrine of life went forth, and from Jerusalem the word; for to them were committed the oracles of God, namely the Mosaic law, by which Judea was illuminated and the name of God became known to the whole world.
— Commentary on the Pentateuch, Prolegomena to the Five Books of Moses. [Trans.] Source: Opera Omnia, Tom. I (Lyon, 1639)
On the Old and New Testaments, and the ceremonies added to the Jews alone:
The books written after the manifestation of Christ, since the new people gathered from Jews and Gentiles, united into one body through Christ’s blood by which He restored all things, embrace their inheritance, are rightly called the New Testament. Though our God is the same God who was the God of the Jews, and the same covenant and testament that He struck with them was also struck with us, except that to them He also added ceremonies and various external rites; wherefore theirs is called the old covenant and the Old Testament — but not ours; for He willed us to be more free from the elements of the world.
— Commentary on the Pentateuch, Prolegomena to the Five Books of Moses. [Trans.] Source: Opera Omnia, Tom. I (Lyon, 1639)
On all the sacrifices of the Old Law being abrogated by the Sacrifice of Christ:
All sacrifices were abrogated, once the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross was consummated. This proves the coming of Christ against the Jews.
— Index to the Commentary on Leviticus. [Trans.] Source: Opera Omnia, Tom. I (Lyon, 1639)
On the Jews‘ misbelief that works earn salvation:
No work that we can do earns salvation, as the Jews mistakenly believed about the works of the Law.
— Commentary on Summa Theologiae Ia, Q.62, a.4 (footnote). [Eng.] Source: Summa Theologiae Prima Pars, Vol. 2, trans. Marshner (CUA Press, 2024)
II. Gentiles Substituted in Place of the Jews
On predestination and the substitution of the Gentiles for the Jews:
God does not permit any persons to fall without raising up others, according to Job 34:24, “He shall break in pieces mighty men without number, and set others in their stead.” In this way, humans were substituted for the fallen angels, and gentiles were inserted in place of the Jews.
— Commentary on Summa Theologiae Ia, Q.23, a.5. [Eng.] Source: Summa Theologiae Prima Pars, Vol. 1, trans. Marshner (CUA Press, 2024)
On the conversion of Jews and Gentiles compared:
Justice and mercy appear in both conversions — of Jews and Gentiles — but a reason to speak of justice that is missing from the conversion of the Gentiles appears in the conversion of the Jews: they are saved because of promises made to their ancestors.
— Commentary on Summa Theologiae Ia, Q.21, a.4. [Eng.] Source: Summa Theologiae Prima Pars, Vol. 1, trans. Marshner (CUA Press, 2024)
III. The Jews as Children of the Devil
On the Jews losing their title to the Promised Land by killing the Messiah:
“I will give this land to you and to your seed forever.” But when he says forever, it does not signify true eternity, but duration as long as his seed endures. The sense is: as long as your seed shall be, I will give them this land. Wherefore, when the seed of Abraham ceased to be the seed of Abraham, they lost that land — first in large part, when the ten tribes were carried away; then entirely, when Jerusalem was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar; and at last without hope of recovery, when the remnant that had returned lost everything upon the slaying of the Messiah, because they entirely ceased to be the seed of Abraham. For they were made the seed of the Devil: as the Lord said to the Jews who claimed to have Abraham as their father: “If you are sons of Abraham, do the works of Abraham; you are of your father the Devil.”
— Commentary on Genesis, Chapter 13. [Trans.] Source: Opera Omnia, Tom. I (Lyon, 1639)
On sinners being called children of the Devil, citing the Jews specifically:
One can say of every sinner what the Lord said of the Jews in John 8:44, “Ye are of your father the devil.”
— Commentary on Summa Theologiae Ia, Q.114, a.3. [Eng.] Source: Summa Theologiae Prima Pars, Vol. 3, trans. Marshner (CUA Press, 2024)
IV. The Jews and the Crucifixion of Christ
On the devil stirring up the Jews to kill Christ:
Christ very effectively defeated his tempter. But afterwards the devil still attacked Him, stirring up the Jews to kill Him.
— Commentary on Summa Theologiae Ia, Q.114, a.5. [Eng.] Source: Summa Theologiae Prima Pars, Vol. 3, trans. Marshner (CUA Press, 2024)
On Judas and the Jews shedding the blood of Christ:
He knew what was then being done by Judas and the Jews to shed His blood.
— Commentary on Matthew, Chapter 26, v. 28. [Trans.] Source: Opera Omnia, Tom. IV (Lyon, 1639)
On Jerusalem killing Christ, stoning Stephen, and slaying James:
For indeed she ran ahead: killing Christ, stoning Stephen, then James.
— Commentary on Matthew, Chapter 23, v. 37. [Trans.] Source: Opera Omnia, Tom. IV (Lyon, 1639)
V. The Punishment of the Jews — Irreparable and Providential
On the stone of Christ falling upon the Jews to their irreparable ruin:
There is a difference between the punishment a man incurs who sins against Christ through his own fault, and the punishment which Christ Himself, angered, inflicts: that the former is as it were a fracture — that is, curable — but the latter is as it were a crushing — that is, incurable. And truly it is so; for however much a man may sin, he can be healed, unless God in His anger withdraws grace, hardens the heart, and the rest. And in this sense it leads and shows the irreparable punishment of the Jews: because the stone itself shall fall upon them, withdrawing grace… which brought the Romans upon them for their destruction.
— Commentary on Matthew, Chapter 21, v. 44. [Trans.] Source: Opera Omnia, Tom. IV (Lyon, 1639)
On the Roman armies as the armies of God sent to avenge the Jews‘ rejection:
The servants first called only the invited Jews to the wedding… The disciples of Christ after Pentecost preached to the Jews that the Messiah had come, was crucified, had died, had risen… But many of the Jews, occupied with the affairs of this world, were negligent about coming to the faith of Christ… And the rest, hostile to Christ’s disciples, harassed the Apostles with insults when they came from the council rejoicing that they had been counted worthy to suffer for the name of Jesus, and killed those so insulted: Stephen, James the companion of John, and James the brother of the Lord.
The King — that is, God — upon hearing this, was angered. He exercised vindicative justice. And having sent His armies: He calls the armies of the Romans the armies of God, because God was directing them to the vengeance upon the Jews. He destroyed those murderers — the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests, the scribes, and the rest — and burned their city — Jerusalem.
— Commentary on Matthew, Chapter 22, vv. 3–7. [Trans.] Source: Opera Omnia, Tom. IV (Lyon, 1639)
On the Jews “expelled” and the Gentiles called in their place:
Then, with the Jews expelled, he says to his servants: “The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy.” The Jews, to whom the Apostles say: It was necessary that the word of God should first be spoken to you; but since you judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. Not worthy. And so the Gentiles are called who had not previously been invited to the Kingdom of God.
— Commentary on Matthew, Chapter 22, vv. 8–9. [Trans.] Source: Opera Omnia, Tom. IV (Lyon, 1639)
On the prophecy of Numbers 24 foretelling Roman devastation of the Hebrews:
“And they shall overcome the Assyrians and lay waste the Hebrews.” The histories testify that both the Assyrians and the Hebrews were afflicted by the Romans.
— Commentary on Numbers, Chapter 24, v. 24. [Trans.] Source: Opera Omnia, Tom. I (Lyon, 1639)
VI. The Sons of the Kingdom Cast into Outer Darkness
On the Jews as “sons of the kingdom” who shall be cast out:
But the sons of the kingdom shall be cast out. The Jews are called sons of the kingdom, because they are born according to the flesh of the race to whom the kingdom was promised. But he does not say all, but indefinitely — because just as not all, but many Gentiles shall recline with Abraham, so not all, but many sons of the kingdom shall be cast out. Into the outer darkness.
— Commentary on Matthew, Chapter 8, vv. 11–12. [Trans.] Source: Opera Omnia, Tom. IV (Lyon, 1639)
VII. The Jews as a Smoldering Flax — Obstinate in Perfidia
On the Jewish people as smoldering wood striving to exterminate Christ’s name:
The same Hebrew people, by reason of their dejection, is again signified by smoldering flax, by reason of their dark and harmful endeavor against Christ. For it is established that the Jews strove to exterminate the name of Christ, even after Christ was crucified. And their endeavor is aptly compared to smoldering wood: both on account of the darkness, and on account of their intention to harm — with little effect of harm.
He shall not destroy the temporal state of the Jews… until the judgment by which He was judged by the Jews and Pilate leads to victory — by rising from the dead, sending the Holy Spirit, publishing the Gospel, converting the elect from among the Jews to the faith… For having done this, He broke the bruised reed and extinguished the smoldering flax through the Romans. For then He destroyed Jerusalem.
— Commentary on Matthew, Chapter 12, v. 20. [Trans.] Source: Opera Omnia, Tom. IV (Lyon, 1639)
On the Jewish people as a swept house: obstinate and persevering in perfidia:
For the Jewish people at that time was clean from idolatry, and observing the external precepts of the Law, yet remote from God on account of the inner grace that was dwelling within… Far worse things befell that generation than all previous generations… After the resurrection of Christ and the rest, it is inhabited to this day by all the demons, having become obstinate and persevering in its perfidy against the Messiah — which is worse than all that came before.
— Commentary on Matthew, Chapter 12, v. 45. [Trans.] Source: Opera Omnia, Tom. IV (Lyon, 1639)
VIII. The Cursed Fig Tree — The Synagogue Bearing No More Fruit
On the cursed fig tree signifying the Synagogue of the Jews:
For this signified that His coming was to seek the fruit of the spirit in the Synagogue, in the people of the Jews, whom the fig tree having only leaves represented… by the demerits of the Synagogue signified by the fig tree… by the demerits of the Hebrew people He responded by cursing the fig tree. He said to it: “Henceforth let no man eat fruit of thee forever.” This was verified to the letter beginning from the time of Christ’s death; for with Him it died… so that no more fruit has ever been received from them.
— Commentary on Mark, Chapter 11, vv. 13–14. [Trans.] Source: Opera Omnia, Tom. IV (Lyon, 1639)
IX. Woes Against the Scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 23)
On the Scribes and Pharisees shutting up the Kingdom of Heaven:
Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites — to distinguish the Scribes and Pharisees who were not hypocrites; for by this explanation it is made clear that He does not address all the Scribes, nor reprove all — but only those who were hypocrites. For there were many good men among them, such as Nicodemus and Simon the leper. Who shut up the kingdom of heaven before men: opening the kingdom of heaven is done by teaching doctrine and example — those things which are to be believed, hoped, and loved in it. You shut it up, teaching that it is not to be believed in me, who am the door of the kingdom of heaven. For you yourselves do not enter, you do not believe in me… and those wishing to enter, coming to my preaching, you prevent from entering by speaking against me, decreeing that he who confesses me as Christ be put out of the Synagogue.
— Commentary on Matthew, Chapter 23, v. 13. [Trans.] Source: Opera Omnia, Tom. IV (Lyon, 1639)
On the Scribes and Pharisees as hypocrites building the tombs of the prophets while persecuting Christ:
The Pharisees merited that this retortion of their works be turned against them, because it was not from a religious spirit, but from hypocrisy, that they built and adorned the sepulchres of the prophets — so as to show that they abhorred the crimes of their fathers against the prophets; and yet they were persecuting Jesus, the head of all the prophets.
— Commentary on Matthew, Chapter 23, v. 29. [Trans.] Source: Opera Omnia, Tom. IV (Lyon, 1639)
On the killing of Christ contained within the measure of the Jews‘ iniquities:
“You also fill up the measure of your fathers.” God said once to Abraham: “The iniquities of the Amorites are not yet complete.” So now Jesus says the iniquities of the fathers are to be filled up. For under the measure of the iniquities of the Jews, which had already begun in the fathers, was comprised the slaying of Christ and the persecution of His disciples; and therefore it is said to the Scribes and Pharisees: “Fill up the measure of your fathers.”
And He says fill up not by commanding, but by permitting what was to come — according to the customary way of speaking by which we say to our persecutors: “Do the whole of what you have conceived.”
— Commentary on Matthew, Chapter 23, v. 32. [Trans.] Source: Opera Omnia, Tom. IV (Lyon, 1639)
On the Scribes and Pharisees as serpents who cannot escape the judgment of hell:
Serpents, brood of vipers — born of venomous parents, having venom on every side. And He said this to show that they had lied when they said: “If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been their accomplices in the blood of the prophets.” How will you escape the judgment of hell? Although you have here ways of escaping the judgments of men, no way shall there be for you of escaping the judgment of hell — that is, the punishment of hell.
— Commentary on Matthew, Chapter 23, v. 33. [Trans.] Source: Opera Omnia, Tom. IV (Lyon, 1639)
On all just blood coming upon the Jews — the gravest crime of all:
Let all just blood come upon you — that is, the punishment due for the shedding of all just blood. This is not a great, but the greatest punishment, containing in itself the penalties of every killer of every just man. It is not meant that these men will pay the penalty for Cain and the other murderers (for God does not punish twice), but that they will expiate a punishment equivalent to the penalties of all murderers of just men. And this signifies the gravest enormity of the crime of the Jews. And truly it was so: for the fathers raged against men, but these men raged against Christ, God and man. Whence He Himself said: “Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?”
— Commentary on Matthew, Chapter 23, v. 35. [Trans.] Source: Opera Omnia, Tom. IV (Lyon, 1639)
On all these evils coming upon that generation within forty years:
Upon this generation. Within forty years indeed these evils came upon them. And they were so great as to be incredible — beyond the penalty of a persevering obstinacy which is greater than all that they have suffered and shall suffer in their misery. So that it is not undeservedly said that upon them shall come all just blood, etc.
— Commentary on Matthew, Chapter 23, v. 36. [Trans.] Source: Opera Omnia, Tom. IV (Lyon, 1639)
On Jerusalem’s house left desolate:
Behold — this is a gesture pointing to the destruction to come. Your house shall be left to you desolate. He shows as if present the destruction of Jerusalem that followed within forty years — both because of the brevity of the time, and because of the cause of the destruction already at hand; for within that week they crucified Christ, on account of which they deserved that the city should be left desolate.
— Commentary on Matthew, Chapter 23, v. 38. [Trans.] Source: Opera Omnia, Tom. IV (Lyon, 1639)
On the Jews not seeing Christ again until His second coming, when they will confess Him:
“For I say unto you, you shall see me no more from now on.” He indicates the time not of that discourse but of His imminent death. “Until you say: Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord” — that is, until my glorious second coming, when, converted to the truth, believing in me, you will say, confessing me as the true Messiah: “Blessed is He that cometh.”
— Commentary on Matthew, Chapter 23, v. 39. [Trans.] Source: Opera Omnia, Tom. IV (Lyon, 1639)
X. The Jews Who Persecuted the Prophets — A Continuous Lineage
On the disciples being consoled by the example of the prophets persecuted by the Jews:
He consoles the disciples who are to suffer from the Jews, by the example of the ancient Prophets — reminding them that they are the successors of the ancient Prophets in suffering; and that the Jews who will persecute them succeed their fathers who were persecutors of the Prophets. As if He openly said: you will not be the first to suffer these things from yours; for the ancient Jews likewise persecuted the Prophets.
— Commentary on Luke, Chapter 6, v. 23. [Trans.] Source: Opera Omnia, Tom. IV (Lyon, 1639)
On the Samaritan being more a neighbor than the Jews:
From this the reader gathers that every man is a neighbor to his fellow — a Samaritan more so than the Jews — and that he is judged as a neighbor.
— Commentary on Luke, Chapter 10, v. 37. [Trans.] Source: Opera Omnia, Tom. IV (Lyon, 1639)
Sources
- Opera Omnia, Tom. I (Genesis–Numbers), Lyon, 1639
- Opera Omnia, Tom. IV — Gospel Commentaries (Matthew/Mark/Luke/John), Lyon, 1639
- Summa Theologiae Prima Pars with Cajetan’s Commentary, Vol. 1, trans. Marshner (CUA Press, 2024)
- Summa Theologiae Prima Pars with Cajetan’s Commentary, Vol. 2, trans. Marshner (CUA Press, 2024)
- Summa Theologiae Prima Pars with Cajetan’s Commentary, Vol. 3, trans. Marshner (CUA Press, 2024)