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is God.” 1.201 Having shown that even the one who sins in secret does not escape punishment, he shows next who it is that rebukes, that it is the one who has chosen Jerusalem. 1.202 In many ways it has been explained what is the chosen city of God; for both the pure soul that sees “the peace that passes all understanding” was called Jerusalem, and the glorious Church of Christ, “holy and blameless, not having spot or wrinkle,” and according to the higher allegory, the heavenly city of the living God, according to what is thus written: “You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering.” 1.203 What will come from “the Lord rebuke you, devil” he makes clear; for he says: “Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?” 1.204 A brand is a half-burnt piece of wood, having come close to turning into a coal, no longer having the strength and solidity of wood. Such also were the enemies of the king of the Hebrews, concerning whom God said to him: “Fear not, neither let your heart be faint because of these two smoldering stubs of firebrands.” 1.205 Just as, therefore, these were seen to be weak, having fallen under the punishment by fire, so also the one who received the rebuke from the Lord who chose Jerusalem has become weak so as to no longer bear fruit, having been deprived of his life-giving power, like the brand plucked from the fire; for a plant so burnt can no longer bear fruit, even if it was snatched from the fire so that it might not be completely consumed and turn to ash, being useful for other needs for which God takes it, for the beauty of the artifacts being built, both the silver and gold vessels being smelted and forged. 1.206 For how is one not plucked from the fire of captivity who was redeemed from it by the one who proclaimed release to the captives and granted a return to the homeland which they previously inhabited before the enemies came who seized and dragged them away. 1.207 Zach. III, 3-5: Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and was standing before the face of the angel. And he answered and spoke to those who were standing before his face, saying: Take the filthy garments off him. And he said to him: Behold, I have taken away your iniquities, and clothe him with a robe, and put a clean turban on his head. And they clothed him with garments. 1.208 It is possible to take the preceding words literally concerning Joshua the high priest, who typologically represents the truly faithful high priest, having an unchangeable priesthood. For since the saints are loving, they sympathize with those in misfortune, from sympathy “weeping with those who weep.” 1.209 For this reason, while fallen Israel was still in captivity, the priest entrusted with its care, mourning and sharing in the suffering, is clothed in filthy garments, which the angel present with him commands to be taken from him. The filthy garments are the deeds performed without law; for after saying, “Take from him the filthy garments,” it is harmoniously added: “Behold, I have taken away your iniquities.” 1.210 When the iniquities, which are filthy garments, have been taken away, he is clothed with the robe, which is a priestly tunic, adorning the one clothed down to the feet, and a clean turban is placed on the head of the one ministering in a priestly manner to “the Lord who has come and tabernacled in the midst” of Zion and Jerusalem. 1.211 Upon the restoration and rebuilding of the city and the temple, the one presiding over those freed from captivity is clothed with “a garment of salvation and a tunic of gladness,” having cast off the filthy garments because of no longer mourning, but exulting and rejoicing, since those who experienced the captivity have been saved from it. 1.212 But to whom is it commanded to take from him the mourning garments, called filthy, if not

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ἔστιν Θεός.» 1.201 ∆είξας ὡς καὶ ὁ ἐν κρυπτῷ ἁμαρτάνων οὐ διαδιδράσκει τιμωρίαν, δείκνυσιν ἑξῆς τίς ἐστιν ὁ ἐπιτιμῶν, ὅτι ὁ ἐκλεξάμενος τὴν Ἰερουσαλὴμ ὑπάρχει. 1.202 Πολυτρόπως δὲ ἀποδέδοται τίς ἐστιν ἡ ἐκλεκτὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ πόλις· καὶ γὰρ ἡ καθαρὰ ψυχὴ ἡ ὁρῶσα «τὴν πάντα νοῦν ὑπερέχουσαν εἰρήνην» Ἰερουσαλὴμ προσηγορεύετο, καὶ ἡ ἔνδοξος τοῦ Χριστοῦ Ἐκκλησία, «ἡ ἁγία καὶ ἄμωμος, ἡ σπίλον ἢ ῥυτίδα οὐκ ἔχουσα», καὶ κατὰ τὴν ὑπεραναβεβηκυῖαν ἀλληγορίαν ἡ ἐπουράνιος τοῦ ζῶντος Θεοῦ πόλις, κατὰ τὸ οὕτω γεγραμμένον· «Προσεληλύθατε Σιὼν ὄρει καὶ πόλει τοῦ Θεοῦ ζῶντος, Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἐπουρανίῳ καὶ μυριάσιν ἀγγέλων, πανηγύρει.» 1.203 Τί δ' ἔσται ἐκ τοῦ «ἐπιτιμῆσαι τὸν Κύριον ἐν τῷ διαβόλῳ» φανεροῖ· φησὶν γάρ· «Οὐκ ἰδοὺ τοῦτο ὡς δαλὸς ἐξεσπασμένος ἐκ πυρός;» 1.204 Ἡμίκαυτον δὲ ξύλον ὁ δαλός, ἐγγὺς τοῦ εἰς ἄνθρακα μεταβαλεῖν φθάσας, μηκέτι ἔχων τὴν ἰσχὺν καὶ στερρότητα τοῦ ξύλου. Τοιοῦτοι δ' ἦσαν καὶ οἱ ἐχθροὶ τοῦ βασιλέως τῶν Ἑβραίων περὶ ὧν ὁ Θεὸς εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτόν· «Μὴ φόβου, μηδὲ ἡ ψυχή σου ἀσθενείτω ἀπὸ τῶν δύο δαλῶν τῶν καπνιζομένων τούτων.» 1.205 Ὥσπερ οὖν οὗτοι ἀσθενεῖς ὤφθησαν ὑποπεσόντες τῇ διὰ πυρὸς κολάσει, οὕτω καὶ ὁ τῆς ἐπιτιμίας τυχὼν ὑπὸ Κυρίου τοῦ ἐκλεξαμένου τὴν Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἀσθενὴς γέγονεν ὡς μηκέτι καρπὸν φέρειν, ἀφῃρημένος τὴν ζωτικὴν δύναμιν, κατὰ τὸν ἐκσπασθέντα ἀπὸ πυρὸς δαλόν· οὐ γὰρ ἔτι τὸ οὕτω καταφλεχθὲν φυτὸν καρπὸν φέρειν δύναται, εἰ καὶ ἐξεσπάσθη τοῦ πυρὸς ἵνα μὴ τέλειο̣ν ἀναλωθῇ καὶ εἰς τέφραν μεταβάλῃ, χρησιμεῦον εἰς ἑτέρας χρείας εἰς ἃς ὁ Θεὸς αὐτὸ παραλαμβάνει, πρὸς κάλου τοῖς κτιζομένοις, χωνευομένοις τε καὶ ἐλαυνομένοις ἀργυρέοις καὶ χρυσέοις σκεύεσι. 1.206 Πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἐκσπᾶται ἀπὸ τοῦ πυρὸς τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας ὁ λυτρωθεὶς ἀπ' αὐτῆς ὑπὸ τοῦ κηρύξαντος αἰχμαλώτοις ἄφεσιν καὶ κάθοδον δόντος εἰς τὴν πατρίδα ἣν πρότερον ᾤκουν πρὶν ἐπελθεῖν τοὺς πολεμίους τοὺς συλλαβομένους καὶ κατασπάσαντας αὐτούς. 1.207 Zach. III, 3-5: Καὶ Ἰησοῦς ἦν ἐνδεδυμένος ἱμάτια ῥυπαρά, καὶ εἱστήκει πρὸ προσώπου τοῦ ἀγγέλου. Καὶ ἀπεκρίθη καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς τοὺς ἑστηκότας πρὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ λέγων· Ἀφέλετε τὰ ἱμάτια τὰ ῥυπαρὰ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ. Καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτόν· Ἰδοὺ ἀφῄρηκα τὰς ἀνομίας σου, καὶ ἐνδύσατε αὐτὸν ποδήρη, καὶ ἐπίθετε κίδαριν καθαρὰν ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ. Καὶ περιέβαλον αὐτὸν ἱμάτια. 1.208 ∆υνατὸν ἐκλαβεῖν πρὸς ῥητὸν τὰς προκειμένας φωνὰς περὶ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ ἱερέως τοῦ μεγάλου, τοῦ δεικνύντος εἰκονικῶς τὸν ἀληθῶς πιστὸν ἀρχιερέα, ἀπαράβατον ἱερωσύνην ἔχοντα. Ἐπεὶ γὰρ ἀγαπητικοὶ τυγχάνουσιν οἱ ἅγιοι, συμπαθοῦσιν τοῖς ἐν κακοπραγίᾳ, ἀπὸ συμπαθείας «κλαίοντες μετὰ κλαιόντων». 1.209 Τούτου ἕνεκα ἀκμὴν ἔτι ἐν αἰχμαλωσίᾳ τυγχάνοντος τοῦ πέσαντος Ἰσραήλ, ὁ τὴν κηδεμονίαν ἐγκεχειρισμένος ἱερεύς, πενθῶν καὶ συγκακούμενος, ῥυπαρὰ ἱμάτια ἐνδέδυται, ἅπερ ἀφαιρεθῆναι ἀπ' αὐτοῦ προστάττει ὁ παρὼν αὐτῷ ἄγγελος. Ἔστιν δὲ τὰ ἱμάτια τὰ ῥυπαρὰ αἱ ἄνευ νόμου ἐπιτελούμεναι πράξεις· μετὰ γὰρ τὸ εἰπεῖν· «Ἀφέλετε αὐτοῦ τὰ ῥυπαρὰ ἱμάτια», ἁρμονίως ἐπιφέρεται· «Ἰδοὺ ἀφῄρηκα τὰς ἀνομίας σου.» 1.210 Ἀφαιρεθεισῶν τῶν ἀνομιῶν αἵτινές εἰσιν ῥυπαρὰ ἱμάτια, ἐνδιδύσκεται τὸν ποδήρη, ἱερατικὸν ὄντα χιτῶνα, κοσμοῦντα μέχρι τῶν ποδῶν τὸν ἀμφιεννύμενον, καὶ ἐπιτίθεται κίδαρις καθαρὰ ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν τοῦ ἱερατικῶς θεραπεύοντος «τὸν ἐληλυθότα Κύριον καὶ κατασκηνώσαντα ἐν μέσῳ» τῆς Σιὼν καὶ Ἰερουσαλήμ. 1.211 Ἐπὶ τῇ ἀποκαταστάσει καὶ ἀνοικοδομῇ τῆς πόλεως καὶ τοῦ ναοῦ, ἐνδιδύσκεται ὁ προϊστάμενος τῶν ἐλευθερωθέντων ἀπὸ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας «ἱμάτιον σωτηρίου καὶ χιτῶνα εὐφροσύνης», ἀποβαλὼν τὰ ῥυπαρὰ ἱμάτια διὰ τὸ μηκέτι πενθεῖν, ἀλλὰ ἀγαλλιᾶν καὶ εὐφραίνεσθαι, σωθέντων ἀπὸ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας τῶν πειραθέντων αὐτῆς. 1.212 Τίσιν δὲ προστάττεται ἀφελεῖν ἀπ' αὐτοῦ τὰ ἱμάτια τὰ πενθικά, ῥυπαρὰ ὠνομασμένα, ἢ