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7

he says, concerning which it is said: "the end of the age". But we say this according to an allegorical sense; in many places of the divine teachings "generation" is spoken of in another way. as in "a crooked and perverse generation"; and he means the Jewish one. And "a coming generation will be told of the Lord," the one from the nations. Therefore he says that the old, Jewish one "goes," and in its place "comes" the one called by the savior through the gospel and upon this "earth," on which both the one that has departed and the one that "is coming" dwell, it remains "forever." And this is the "God-breathed scripture." Since: what then of "what gain is there in all toil"? Interpreted in another contemplation, if you take these things according to the literal sense, it says this, that, since "a generation goes," and "a generation comes"—the one perishing by death "goes," and the one being born "comes"—, man will have nothing more from "toiling," whether he departs or "comes." 1,4b and the earth stands forever. This says that this "earth," upon which the successions of those who have been born dwell, remains until "the end," "until it passes away" with the "heaven"; "forever" of this age it "has stood"; and if an "end" occurs, the "age" is also defined.

1,5ab and the sun rises and the sun sets and to its place

it draws. I was saying that "vanities" and "vanity of vanities" are understood in two ways, once concerning the ordering of the sensible world, and otherwise concerning the pursuits of men. He spoke concerning the pursuits, saying that the one "toiling under the sun" has nothing of "gain," but is subject to the same things as the one not "toiling." Then he speaks concerning the visible creation, of which the apostle also says: "the things that are seen are temporary"; and he says: "the sun rises and sets," and nothing more. Again this happens in succession; and "it returns upon its circuits," it "circles to the north," comes to the "south" and "circling, the wind circles" and "upon its circuits 13 it returns." And by "wind" he now means either the as-it-were soul of the "sun" or the "sun" itself. So listen: some of the more superficial men who do not discourse on nature nor have made the sensible things nor human affairs think that the "sun" does not complete its course in a circular revolution, but they say thus: from here, he says, it comes and turns back and departs "to its place." But here he says that "upon its circuits" it "goes." And in Esdras this is shown more clearly, being a natural contemplation: "great is the earth and high is the heaven and swift in its course is the sun, and it turns in the circle of heaven and again runs back to its own place in one day." Therefore he says this: even if this contemplation concerning the "sun," being a natural one, has something of exceeding beauty, yet it too, since it is sensible and of the order here, is "vanity of vanities" with respect to the ordering "above," with respect to the "sun of righteousness." The "sun of righteousness" "rises" in a soul; but the beginning of its rising is more introductory and the illumination is more introductory. But when it turns about the whole soul and illuminates it all, so that nothing is left outside the light, then it has come to be in perfect illumination. For it "sets" many times, in order that it may "rise" again; for according to progress there is a setting and a rising. And the setting and the rising are united, being taken in relation: the second is a setting in relation to the preceding illumination, but a rising in relation to the one beginning. 1,6ab rising there it goes forth to the south and circles to the north. The climes

7

λέγει, περὶ ου λέγεται· "συντέλεια τοῦ αἰῶνος". κατὰ ἀναγωγὴν δὲ λέγομεν τοῦτο· πολλαχοῦ τῶν θείων παιδευμάτων ἑτέρως λέγεται ἡ "γενεά". ὡς τὸ "γενεὰ σκο λιὰ καὶ διεστραμμένη"· λέγει δὲ τὴν ̓Ιουδαϊκήν. καὶ "ἀν αγγελήσεται τῷ κυρίῳ γενεὰ ἡ ἐρχομένη", ἡ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν. λέγει ουν οτι ἡ παλαιὰ ἡ Ἰουδαϊκὴ "πορεύεται", "ερχεται" δὲ ἀντ' αὐτῆς ἡ κληθεῖσα ὑπὸ τοῦ σωτῆρος διὰ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου καὶ ἐπ' αὐτῆς τῆς "γῆς", καθ' ην διατρίβουσιν ἡ ἀπελθοῦσα καὶ ἡ "ἐρχομένη", "εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα" μένει. ευ̣σ τιν̣ δ̣ὲ̣ αυτη ἡ "θεόπνευστος γραφή". ἐπερ· τί ουν πρὸς τὸ "τίς περιςσεία ἐν παντὶ μόχθῳ"; ε̣ἰ̣ς̣ αλλο θεώρημα ἑ̣ρμη̣ν̣ε̣υ̣θέν, ἐὰν πρὸς τὴν ἱστορίαν αὐτὰ λαμβάνῃς, τοῦτο λέγει οτι, ἐπεὶ "γενεὰ πορεύετ̣αι", καὶ "γενεὰ ερχεται"- "πορεύεται" δὲ ἡ θανάτῳ φθειρομένη, "ερχεται" δὲ̣ ἡ γεννωμένη-, οὐδὲν πλέον εξει ὁ ανθρωπος ἐκ τοῦ "μοχθεῖν", η ἀπέρχεται η "ευ̣ρχεται". 1,4b καὶ ἡ γῆ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα εστηκεν. τοῦτο λέγει οτι ἡ "γῆ" αυτη, ἐφ' ην διατρίβουσιν αἱ διαδοχαὶ τῶν γενομένων, μένει μέχρι "τῆς συντελείας", "εως αν παρέλθῃ" μετὰ τοῦ "οὐρανοῦ"· "εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα" τοῦ αἰῶνος "εστηκεν" τοῦτον· καὶ εἰ "συντέλεια" γίνεται, καὶ περιγράφεται ὁ "αἰών".

1,5ab καὶ ἀνατέλλει ὁ ηλιος καὶ δύνει ὁ ηλιος καὶ εἰς τὸν τόπον αὐτοῦ

ελκει. ευ̣λεγον οτι διχῶς ἐκλαμβάνεται τὰ "μάταια" καὶ ἡ "ματαιότης τῆς ματαιότητος", απαξ μὲν ἐπὶ τῆς διακοσμήσεως τῆς αἰσθητῆς, ἑτέρως δὲ ἐπὶ τῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων. ειπεν τὰ περὶ τῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων λέγων οτι οὐδὲν "περισσείας" ευ̣χει ὁ "μοχθῶν ὑπὸ τὸν ηλιον", ἀλλὰ τοῖς̣ αὐτοῖς ὑπόκειται, οις καὶ ὁ μὴ "μοχθῶν". λοιπὸν περὶ τῆς ὁ̣ρ̣ωμένης κτίσεως λέγει, ης καὶ ὁ ἀπόστολος λέγει· "τὰ βλεπόμενα πρόσκαιρα"· καὶ λέγει· "ὁ ηλιος ἀνατέλλει καὶ δύνει", καὶ οὐδὲν πλέον. πάλιν ἑξῆς τοῦτο γίνεται· καὶ "ἐπ̣ὶ κύκλους αὐτοῦ ἐπιστρέφει", "κυκλοῖ πρὸς βορρᾶν", ευ̣ρχεται εἰς "νότον" καὶ "κυκλοῖ κυκλῶν τὸ πνεῦμα" καὶ "ἐπὶ κύκλους αὐτοῦ 13 ἐπιστρέφει". "πνεῦμα" δὲ νῦν λέγει ηυ̣τοι τὴν ὡσανεὶ ψυ χὴν τοῦ "ἡλίου" η αὐτὸν τὸν "ηλιον". λοιπὸν αυ̣κουε· τινὲς τῶν ἐπιπολαιοτέρων ἀνθρώπων καὶ μὴ φυσιολογούντων μηδὲ τὰ αἰσθητὰ ποιησάντων μηδὲ τὰ ἀνθρώ πινα πράγματα οιυ̣ονται οτι οὐ κατὰ περιστροφὴν κυκλικὴν ὁ "ηλιος" ἀνύει τὴν πορείαν ἑαυτοῦ, ἀλλὰ ουτω λέγουσιν· ενθεν, λέγει, ερχεται καὶ ἀνακάμπτει καὶ ὑπάγει "εἰς τὸν τό πον". ωδε δὲ λέγει οτι "ἐπὶ κύκλους αὐτοῦ" "πορεύεται". ἐν τῷ υ̣Εσδρᾳ δὲ τοῦτο ευ̣τι σαφέστερον τὸ θεώρημα φυσι κὸν ον ἀποδείκνυται· "μεγάλη ἡ γῆ καὶ ὑψηλὸς ὁ οὐρανὸς καὶ ταχὺς τῷ δρόμῳ ὁ ηλιος, καὶ στρέφεται ἐν τῷ κύκλῳ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ πάλιν ἀνατρέχει εἰς τὸν ἑαυτοῦ τόπον ἐν μιᾷ ἡμέρᾳ." τοῦτο λέγει ουν· εἰ καὶ ευ̣χει τι περικαλλὲς τὸ θεώρημα τοῦτο φυσικὸν ον τὸ κατὰ τὸν "ηλιον", ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτό, ἐπεὶ α̣ἰσθ̣ητόν ἐστιν καὶ τῆς ωδε διακοσμήσεως, "ματαιότης ματαιοτήτων" ἐστὶν ὡς πρὸς τὴν "αυ̣νω" διακόσμη σιν, ὡς πρὸς τὸν "ηλιον τῆς δικαιοσύνης". ὁ "ηλιος τῆς δικαιοσύνης" "ἀνατέλλει" ἐν ψυχῇ· ἡ ἀρχὴ δὲ τῆς ἀνατολῆς αὐτοῦ εἰσαγωγικώτερά ἐστιν καὶ φωτισμὸς εἰσαγωγικώτερος. οταν δὲ στραφῇ περὶ ολην τὴν ψυχὴν καὶ ολην αὐτὴν φωτίσῃ ὡς μηδὲν λοιπὸν εξω φωτὸς ειναι, τότε γέγονεν ἐν τελείῳ φωτισμῷ. "δύνει" γὰρ πολλάκις, ινα αυθις "ἀνατείλῃ"· κατὰ γὰρ προκοπὴν δύσις γίνεται καὶ ἀνατολή. καὶ ηνωται ἡ δύσις καὶ ἡ ἀνατολὴ σχέσει λαμβανομένη· ὁ̣ δ̣εύ̣τ̣ερος̣ μὲν πρὸς τὸν προλαβόντα φωτισμὸν δύσις ἐστίν, ἀνατολὴ δὲ πρὸς τὸν ἀρχόμενον. 1,6ab ἀνατέλλων αὐτὸς ἐκεῖ ἐκπορεύεται πρὸς νότον καὶ κυκλοῖ πρὸς βορρᾶν. τὰ κλίματα