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Commentaries on Ecclesiastes

145 and an abundance of earth in everything is a king of a cultivated field. According to the saying: no one is lord and master and ruler of a desolate field bearing "thorns and thistles"; but he is king of a cultivated field. And he calls the owner "king". As for the saying: if you see a cultivated field, know that it has a master and a king, just as, if you see a four-horse chariot being skillfully directed, you get the impression of a charioteer, and if you see a ship being steered and helmed in the way it should be, you get the idea of a pilot, even if you do not see him. And in general, those who introduce the idea that the providence of God rules over all things say, if they are making the case that providence exists, that: just as a fabric clearly shows that there is a weaver, whether he appears or not, so the one who sees a cultivated field receives the impression that it has a leader and a ruler. Since: about what, then, does he speak according to the saying? About the fields of the a......... calling the master, the owner, the landowner, "king" in a less proper sense. We sometimes call the lord and master thus. But it is also possible to speak thus more commonly: when you see a soul cultivated like a field, flourishing, with produce and trees and ... ... ... ... ... ... ... d...k...k... e...e...

146 a multitude of produce. For "one bore fruit a hundredfold, another sixty, another thirty." When you see a soul thus farmed and "having sown in tears" and ready "to reap in joy," of this cultivated thing there is a king, a guiding reason, a reason that has power and reigns. And it should be taken also according to another allegorical sense: the church of God, according to the pious dogmas and the ethical works, and those who pursue them are called a field. When, therefore, the active life also has its thoughts according to ecclesiastical rule and ordinance, of this field there is a king; for it has been cultivated. But when you see those teaching other doctrines and a "congregation of evildoers," know that this field has not been truly cultivated, it does not have this praiseworthy king, but some tyrant or robber. For robbers and tyrants especially pursue desolate places. And according to different conceptions the soul is sometimes called a field, and sometimes a city. And it is said concerning it: "The streams of the river make glad the city of God." And again: "Glorious things have been spoken of you, O city of God." The soul thus disposed and having the rule of right reason readily receives... ... ... ...

147 Sometimes, then, the order of the text is preserved also from the things taken allegorically, but sometimes otherwise than the sequence requires, let us take some occasion to depart from the literal account. He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver. As for the saying: he who desires riches is never filled, but if it were possible for him to have everything under his control, he would have loved this; therefore he is not without desire for these things. It can be said here concerning silver that is not praiseworthy. For he who loves "the oracles of the Lord," which are "silver refined by fire," will at some time be filled. For he does not always know "in part," nor having partaken "of the fullness" will he remain in that which is "from the fullness," but he will at some time arrive at encountering the truth "face to face" and possessing the very "fullness" of the mind of Christ. Therefore the saying is about blameworthy silver. dee... ...is this ka... ...dis every wicked l... ... ... never filled... ... ... being found ...d... ... ... if then ... e... ... ...every sophism of his is destroyed... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...d...kai... m...t...s and ... ...

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Commentarii in Ecclesiasten

145 καὶ περισσεία γῆς ἐν παντί ἐστιν βασιλευ`̣ς τοῦ ἀγροῦ εἰργασμένου. πρὸς τὸ ῥητόν· οὐδεὶς κύριος καὶ δεσπότης καὶ ἄρχων ἀγροῦ ἐστιν ἠρη μωμένου "ἀκάνθας καὶ τριβόλους̣" φέροντος· τοῦ εἰργα̣σμε´̣νου δὲ ἀγροῦ ἐστι̣ν βασιλεύς. βασιλέα δὲ τὸν κτήτορα λέγει. ὡς πρὸς τὸ ῥητόν· ε᾿̣α`̣ν ἴδῃς εἰργασμένον ἀγρόν, ἴσθι ὅτι ἔχει δεσπότην̣ καὶ βασιλέα, ὥσπ̣ερ, ε᾿̣α`̣ν̣ ἴδῃς τέθριππον διευθυνόμενον ἡνιοχικῶς, φαν τασίαν ἡνιόχου λαμβάνεις, καὶ ἐα`̣ν ναῦν θεωρήσῃς οἰακιζομένην καὶ ὁ`̣ν δεῖ τρόπον πηδαλιουχουμένην, λαμβάνεις ἔννοιαν κυ̣βερνήτου, κἂν μὴ ὁρᾷς αὐτο´̣ν. κα̣ὶ ἁπαξαπλω῀̣ς οἱ εἰσάγον̣τ̣ε̣ς̣ τ̣ὸ πρόνοιαν θεοῦ ἄρχειν τῶν ὅλων λέγουσιν, ἐὰν κατασκευάζωσιν, ὅτι ἔστιν πρόνοια, ὅτι· ὥσπερ ὕφασμα φανερῶς δε̣ι´̣κνυσιν, ὅτι ἔστιν ὑφάντης, κἂν μὴ φανῇ κἂν φαί νηται, οὕτως ὁ ἀγρὸν εἰργασμένον βλέπων φαντασίαν δέχεται, ὅτι ἡγού μενον καὶ ἄρχοντα ἔχει. ἐπερ· περὶ τίνος οὖν λέγει κατὰ τὸ ῥητόν; περὶ τῶν ἀγρῶν τῶν α᾿̣········τ̣ων βασιλέα λέγων, τὸν δεσπότην, τὸν κτήτορα, τὸν γεοῦχον, ο᾿̣νομ̣α´̣ζ̣ει καταχ̣ρ̣ηστικώτερον βασιλέα. τὸν κύριον καὶ δεσπότην ποτε`̣ οὕτω λέγομεν. δυνα̣τ̣ο`̣ν̣ δὲ καὶ οὕτω δημοσιώτερον εἰ πεῖν· ὅταν ἴδῃς ψυχὴν ὥσπερ ἀγρὸν εἰργασμ̣ένην, τεθηλυῖαν, γενήματα καὶ ξύλα καὶ ····· ····· ····· ····· ····· ····· ····· ···δ̣··κ̣···κ̣·· ε̣··η̣···

146 γενημάτων πληθύς. ὁ μὲν γὰρ "ἑκατόν, ὁ δὲ ἑξήκοντα, ὁ δὲ τριάκοντα ἐκαρ̣ ποφόρησεν". ὅταν ἴδῃς οὖν ψυχὴν οὕτω γεωργουμένην καὶ "σπείρασαν ἐν δάκρυσιν" καὶ καὶ ἑτοίμως ἔχουσαν πρὸς τὸ "ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει θερίσαι", τούτου τοῦ εἰργαςμένου ἔστιν βασιλεύς, λόγος ἡγούμενος, λόγος κρατῶν καὶ βασιλεύων. λημπτέον δὲ καὶ κατὰ ἄλλην ἀναγωγήν· ἡ ἐκκλησία τοῦ θεοῦ ἡ κατὰ τὰ δόγματα τὰ εὐσεβῆ καὶ τὰ ἠθικὰ ἔργα καὶ οἱ μετίοντες αὐτὰ λέγονται ἀγρός. ὅταν ο̣ὖν κατὰ κανόνα ἐκκλησιαστικὸν καὶ θεσμὸν καὶ τὰ φρονήματα ἐ´̣χ̣ῃ καὶ ὁ πρακτικὸς βίος, τούτου τοῦ ἀγροῦ ἔστιν βασιλεύς· εἰργασμένος γάρ̣ ἐστιν. ὅταν δὲ ἴδῃς ἑτεροδιδαςκαλοῦντας καὶ "ἐκκλησίαν πονηρευομένων", ἴσ̣θι̣ ὅτι̣ μὴ ἀληθῶς εἴργασται οὗτος ὁ ἀγρός, οὐκ ἔχει βασιλέα̣ τοῦ τον τὸν ἐπα̣ι̣ν̣ούμενον, ἀλλὰ τύραννόν τινα ἢ λ̣ῃ̣στη´̣ν̣. οἱ γὰρ λῃσταὶ μὲν̣ καὶ οἱ τύραννοι μάλιστα τὰ ἔρημα μ̣ε̣ταδιώκουσιν. καὶ κατὰ διαφόρους ἐπιν̣οίας ἡ ψυχὴ ὁτὲ μὲν ἀγρός, ὁτὲ δὲ πο´̣λ̣ι̣ς λέγεται. λε´̣γ̣εται̣ δ̣ὲ περὶ αὐτῆς· "τοῦ ποταμοῦ τα`̣ ὁρ̣μ̣ήματα εὐφραί νουσιν τὴν π̣όλιν τοῦ θεοῦ". καὶ ἔτι· "δεδοξασμένα ε᾿̣λαλήθη περὶ σοῦ, ἡ πόλις τοῦ θεοῦ". ἡ οὕτω διακειμένη ψυχὴ κα̣ι`̣ ο῾̣ κ̣α̣νο´̣να ἔχων̣ λ̣ο´̣γ̣ο̣ν̣ ὀρ̣ θ̣ο`̣ν̣ ἑτοίμως δ̣ε´̣χ̣ετα̣ι····· ····· ····· ···

147 φυλάττετα̣ι γοῦν ἐνίοτε καὶ ο῾̣ κόσμος τῆς̣ λέξεως καὶ ἐκ τῶν κατ' ἀνα γωγὴν λ̣α̣μβανομένων, ἐνίοτε δὲ ἑτέρως ἢ ὡς ἡ ἀκολούθη̣σ̣ις βούλεται, τινὰ ἀφορμὴν λάβωμεν ἀποστῆναι τῆς ἱστορίας. αγα ἀγαπῶν ἀργύριον οὐ πλησθη´̣σεται ἀργυρίου. ὡς πρὸς τὸ ῥητόν· ὁ ὀρεκτικὸς τ̣ῶν χρημάτων οὐδέποτε πληροῦται, α᾿̣λ̣λ̣' εἰ οἷόν τε ἦν αὐτῷ τὰ πάντ̣α ὑφ' ἑαυτὸν ἔχειν, ἠγάπησεν ἂν τοῦτο· οὐκ ἀνόρεκτος οὖν ἐστιν τούτων. δύναται λεχθῆναι περὶ ἀργυρίου ὧδε οὐκ ἐπαινετοῦ. ὁ γὰρ ἀγαπῶν "τὰ λόγια κ̣υ̣ρ̣ι´̣ο̣υ̣" ὄντα "ἀργύριον πεπυρωμένον" πληρωθήσεταί π̣ο τε. οὐ γὰρ α᾿̣ε̣ὶ "ε᾿̣κ μέρους" γιγνώσκει οὐδὲ τ̣ῶν̣ "ἐκ̣ τοῦ πληρώματος̣" μεταλαβὼν με´̣νει ἐν τῷ "α᾿̣πὸ το̣υ῀̣ π̣ληρώματος̣", ἀλλὰ καταντήσεταί πο τε εἰς τὸ "πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον" π̣ροσβαλεῖν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ κα̣ὶ αὐτὸ τὸ "πλήρωμα̣" τῆς γνώμης τοῦ Χριστοῦ κ̣τ̣α῀̣σθαι. περὶ ψεκτοῦ τοίνυν ἀργυρίου ἐστὶν̣ ὁ λο´̣γ̣ος̣. δεη̣···· ······στιν οὗτος κα· ····· ··δ̣ι̣ς πᾶς φαῦλος̣ λ̣········· ··· οὐδέποτε πληροι῀̣ ····· ···· εὑρισκόμενος̣ ···δ̣······ ··· ἐὰν γ̣οῦν ····· ε····· ···κα̣ταλύεται πᾶν σόφισ̣μ̣α αὐτ̣ο̣υ῀̣ ····· ····· ··· ····· ····· ····· ····δ̣········κ̣αι`̣ μ̣··τ̣·ς̣ καὶ ····· ·······