Commentary Purg VIII 25-30

Most of the early commentators, following their natural inclination, allegorize the meaning of the two swords (often as God's justice and mercy), but Pietro di Dante (DDP Pietro1.Purg.VIII.25-27) turns to the Bible for their source, and presents a more interesting analysis.  Yet it will only be with Lombardi (DDP Lombardi.Purg.VIII.26-27) that a later commentator turns to this most likely source.  Genesis 3:24 records God's placing (two?) Cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden along with a flaming sword to keep sinful humans from the tree of life.  Dante's redoing of the scene is careful and meaningful.  The swords have no points because they do not need to do any harm, since the enemy has been defeated by Christ and need no longer be feared by those having faith in Christ; they are aflame with God's love for humanity, which has reversed the exclusionary rule of law in Genesis and reopened the garden with its tree of eternal life; the angels are green of wing and vestment because they give expression to the hope for salvation brought by Christ.  Güntert (Gunt.2001.1), p. 109, notes the pivotal reversals of the scene in Genesis here.