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Translation
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What the Fathers say
Eastern Fathers
John Chrysostom
"Thou hast a devil; who goeth about to kill thee?" The expression is one of wrath and anger, and of a soul made shameless by an unexpected reproof, and put to confusion before their time, as they thought. For just as a sort of robbers who sing over their plots, then when they desire to put him against whom they are plotting off his guard, effect their object by keeping silence, so also do these.
Cyril of Alexandria
They feel the charges, and hit by the bitter words thence proceeding, they betake themselves to denial, not actually repudiating their murderous design, but only with all diligence putting from them the appearance of breaking the Law, the boast of the Pharisees in appearance only. Therefore was Christ wont to call them whited sepulchres also, outwardly clad in the beauty of the ingenuity of art, but within full of the uncleanness of the dead. …
Theophylact of Ohrid
Look how meekly He speaks with them, while they, on the contrary, say with insulting boldness: "You have a demon." They are so bold because they thought to strike Him and frighten Him. Although Christ Himself is the Lord of Moses and the author of the law, yet, yielding to the weakness and insensibility of the Jews, He says that the law was given by Moses. For they would not have been able to calmly hear that the law was given to them not by Moses, but by Him — the Master of Moses and Lord.
Western Saints
Augustine of Hippo
And they answered: "The crowd answered Him;" answered as a tumultuous crowd, things not pertaining to order, but to confusion; in a word, the crowd was disturbed. See what answer it made: "Thou hast a devil: who seeks to kill thee?" As if it were not worse to say, "Thou hast a devil," than to kill Him. To Him, indeed, was it said, that He had a devil, who was casting out devils. What else can a turbulent disorderly crowd say? What else can filth stirred up do but stink? The crowd was disturbed; by what? By the truth. …
Thomas Aquinas
Then we see the vicious reply of the crowd, when he says, The crowd replied and said: You have a demon within you! As Augustine says, their reply indicates disorder and confusion, rather than any order: for they are saying that the one who casts out devils has one himself (Mt c 12).
Bonaventure
"Why do you seek to kill me?" since the Law commands in the Decalogue: "You shall not kill," Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5; and this, an innocent man. "Why do you seek to kill me? Why?" that is, for what reason, as if to say: without cause; Exodus 23: "The innocent and the just you shall not kill." "The crowd answered." Here the obstinacy of the Jews is noted, because they do not acknowledge the crime, but hurl insults at the one reproving them. …
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