THEOSISJerome of Stridon
Refrain from allowing your speech to lead you into transgression. Do not claim before the angel that it is due to ignorance, lest the Lord become displeased with your words and dismantle the works of your hands. The Hebrew perspective emphasizes: what you are unable to fulfill, do not promise; your words are not whispered into the void, but are conveyed by the angel who accompanies each person, and they are reported to the Lord immediately. If you believe that God is unaware of your commitments, you provoke His wrath, which could result in the destruction of all your endeavors. The phrase “let not thy mouth lead thy body into sin” has a deeper implication; it serves as a reminder similar to the wisdom imparted in Ecclesiastes: do not let your mouth lead you to sin.
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Additionally, it suggests that those are admonished who lament the frailty of the flesh, claiming they are compelled by their physical weaknesses to act against their desires, aligning with the Apostle’s words: “For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing” (Rom. 7:13). Therefore, abstain from seeking hollow justifications, do not allow your flesh to provide reasons for sinning, and avoid saying, “The sin that dwells within my flesh is the true sinner.” Regarding the phrase “Say not before the angel that it is ignorance,” Aquila translates the Hebrew term segaga not as ignorance, but as άκούσιον, meaning unwilling. For if one utters this, they essentially summon God as if He were the source of wrongdoing, provoking Him to remove any semblance of goodness from your grasp. Truly, if such thoughts inhabit your mind, God may abandon you to a corrupt mind, leading you to act wrongly.