The Ninevites And The Queen Of The South

Viri ninevitae surgent in iudicio cum generatione ista et condemnabunt eam quia paenitentiam egerunt in praedicatione Ionae et ecce plus quam Iona hic. Regina austri surget in iudicio cum generatione ista et condemnabit eam quia venit a finibus terrae audire sapientiam Salomonis et ecce plus quam Salomon hic. Legitur in Paralipomenon, et libro Regum quod regina Saba per multas difficultas, relicto suo imperio, venit in Judaeam audire sapientiam Salomonis, et ei multa munera deferens, ab eo plura recepit. Non solum Ninivitae condemnabunt eam comparatione, sed etiam regina austri, quia ab ultimis terrae finibus venit audire sapientiam Salomonis sine lege, sine prophetis, Judaica vero plebs habet legem, habet prophetas, videt Christum, videt opera, et tamen sapientiam ejus non vult audire. Condemnabit igitur eam similiter comparatione, quia ecce hic, hoc est, Judaeos est plus quam Salomon, id est Christus. Mystice vero per Ninivitas et reginam, totus gentilis populus ad fidem conversus significatur. Ninivitae enim significant eos qui peccare desistunt. Regina vero eos qui peccare nesciunt. Poenitentia enim peccatum abolet, sapientia cavet. Nec ideo dicitur, quod regina non peccavisset, quia de peccatis ejus Scriptura nihil dicit, imo eam sapientiae studuisse asserit. Anselmus Laudunensis, Enarrationes In Matthaeum, Caput XII Source: Migne PL 162.1365c-d

The men of Nineveh will rise up in judgement against this generation and they will condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah and, behold, one greater than Jonah is here. And the queen of the south shall rise up in judgement against this generation and she will condemn it because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon and, behold, one greater than Solomon is here. 1 In Chronicles and the the book of Kings we read that the queen of Sheba, through many difficulties, abandoning her land, came to Judea to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and she brought with her many gifts, and received many from him. 2 Not only the Ninevites shall condemn this generation by comparison, but even the queen of the south shall, because she came from the very ends of the world to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and that without the law, and without the prophets, but the Jewish people had the law and the prophets, and saw Christ, and His works, yet they did not wish to listen to his wisdom. Therefore she condemns with a similar comparison, because, behold, here among the Jews is one greater than Solomon, that is, Christ. But mystically by the Ninevites and the queen is signified the conversion of the Gentile people to the faith. For the Ninevites signify those who desist from sin. The queen those who do not know sin. For penitence washes away sin, but wisdom warns one against it. Not that it is said that the queen never sinned, for Scripture says nothing about her sins, rather it asserts she was most eager for wisdom. Anselm of Laon, Commentary On The Gospel of Saint Matthew, Chapter 12 1 Mt 12.41-42 2 3 Kings 10.1-13