Fathers

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What the Fathers say

Luke 13:15

Eastern Fathers

Basil of Caesarea

The hypocrite is one who on the stage assumes a different character from his own. So also in this life some men carry one thing in their heart, and show another on the surface to the world.

Catena Aurea by Aquinas ↗

Cyril of Alexandria

Now the ruler of the synagogue is convicted a hypocrite, in that he leads his cattle to watering on the Sabbath-day, but this woman, not more by birth than by faith the daughter of Abraham, he thought unworthy to be loosed from the chain of her infirmity. Therefore He adds, And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound, lo, these eighteen years, to be loosed from this bond on the sabbath-day? …

Catena Aurea by Aquinas ↗

Irenaeus

For the Lord vindicated Abraham's posterity by loosing them from bondage and calling them to salvation, as He did in the case of the woman whom He healed, saying openly to those who had not faith like Abraham, "Ye hypocrites, doth not each one of you on the Sabbath-days loose his ox or his ass, and lead him away to watering? …

Against Heresies Book IV ↗

Western Saints

Ambrose of Milan

Lastly, God rested from the works of the world not from holy works, for His working is constant and everlasting; as the Son says, My Father worketh until now, and I work; (John 5:17.) that after the likeness of God our worldly, not our religious, works should cease. Accordingly our Lord pointedly answered him, as it follows, Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the sabbath-day loose his ox or his ass? &c. …

Catena Aurea by Aquinas ↗

Bede

Responding to him, the Lord said: "Hypocrites, does not each one of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it to water? Indeed, he reproached the leaders of the synagogue for their faithlessness, and deservedly notes them with the name of hypocrites, that is, dissemblers, who, despite wanting to seem like teachers of the people, would not be ashamed to place the healing of a person after the care of a beast: but in a higher sense, by the word ox and donkey, he signifies a Jew and a Greek. …

On the Gospel of Luke ↗

Bonaventure

But answering him, etc. Here in the third place is added the confutation of the proposed objection, concerning which he first sets forth a sensible example, then draws out a rational argument. First, therefore, setting forth a sensible example, he says: But the Lord answering said to him: Hypocrite. …

Commentary on Luke, Chapter 13 ↗