Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho

“And that you may learn that it was for the sins of your own nation, and for their idolatries and not because there was any necessity for such sacrifices, that they were likewise enjoined, listen to the manner in which He speaks of these by Amos, one of the twelve, saying: ‘Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord! to what end is this day of the Lord for you? It is darkness and not light, as when a man flees from the face of a lion, and a bear meets him; and he goes into his house, and leans his hands against the wall, and the serpent bites him. Shall not the day of the Lord be darkness and not light, even very dark, and no brightness in it? I have hated, I have despised your feast-days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies: wherefore, though ye offer Me your burnt-offerings and sacrifices, I will not accept them; neither will I regard the peace-offerings of your presence. Take thou away from Me the multitude of thy songs and psalms; I will not hear thine instruments. But let judgment be rolled down as water, and righteousness as an impassable torrent. Have ye offered unto Me victims and sacrifices in the wilderness, O house of Israel? saith the Lord. And have ye taken up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Raphan, the figures which ye made for yourselves? And I will carry you away beyond Damascus, saith the Lord, whose name is the Almighty God. Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria: those who are named among the chiefs have plucked away the first-fruits of the nations: the house of Israel have entered for themselves. Pass all of you unto Calneh, and see; and from thence go ye unto Hamath the great, and go down thence to Gath of the strangers, the noblest of all these kingdoms, if their boundaries are greater than your boundaries. Ye who come to the evil day, who are approaching, and who hold to false Sabbaths; who lie on beds of ivory, and are at ease upon their couches; who eat the lambs out of the flock, and the sucking calves out of the midst of the herd; who applaud at the sound of the musical instruments; they reckon them as stable, and not as fleeting, who drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments, but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph. Wherefore now they shall be captives, among the first of the nobles who are carried away; and the house of evil-doers shall be removed, and the neighing of horses shall be taken away from Ephraim.’54 Amos v. 18 to end, Amos vi. 1–7. And again by Jeremiah: ‘Collect your flesh, and sacrifices, and eat: for concerning neither sacrifices nor libations did I command your fathers in the day in which I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt.’55 Jer. vii. 21 f. And again by David, in the forty-ninth Psalm, He thus said: ‘The God of gods, the Lord hath spoken, and called the earth, from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof. Out of Zion is the perfection of His beauty. God, even our God, shall come openly, and shall not keep silence. Fire shall burn before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about Him. He shall call to the heavens above, and to the earth, that He may judge His people. Assemble to Him His saints; those that have made a covenant with Him by sacrifices. And the heavens shall declare His righteousness, for God is judge. Hear, O My people, and I will speak to thee; O Israel, and I will testify to thee, I am God, even thy God. I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices; thy burnt-offerings are continually before me. I will take no bullocks out of thy house, nor he-goats out of thy folds: for all the beasts of the field are Mine, the herds and the oxen on the mountains. I know all the fowls of the heavens, and the beauty of the field is Mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee; for the world is Mine, and the fulness thereof. Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? Offer unto God the sacrifice of praise, and pay thy vows unto the Most High, and call upon Me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me. But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare My statutes, and to take My covenant into thy mouth? But thou hast hated instruction, and cast My words behind thee. When thou sawest a thief, thou consentedst with him; and hast been partaker with the adulterer. Thy mouth has framed evil, and thy tongue has enfolded deceit. Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother’s son. These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I would be like thyself in wickedness. I will reprove thee, and set thy sins in order before thine eyes. Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest He tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver. The sacrifice of praise shall glorify Me; and there is the way in which I shall show him My salvation.’56 Ps. l. (in E. V.). Accordingly He neither takes sacrifices from you nor commanded them at first to be offered because they are needful to Him, but because of your sins. For indeed the temple, which is called the temple in Jerusalem, He admitted to be His house or court, not as though He needed it, but in order that you, in this view of it, giving yourselves to Him, might not worship idols. And that this is so, Isaiah says: ‘What house have ye built Me? saith the Lord. Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool.’57 Isa. lxvi. 1.

[22] Καὶ ὅτι διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας τοῦ λαοῦ ὑμῶν καὶ διὰ τὰς εἰδωλολατρείας, ἀλλ' οὐ διὰ τὸ ἐνδεὴς εἶναι τῶν τοιούτων προσφορῶν, ἐνετείλατο ὁμοίως ταῦτα γίνεσθαι, ἀκούσατε πῶς περὶ τούτων λέγει διὰ Ἀμώς, ἑνὸς τῶν δώδεκα, βοῶν: Οὐαὶ οἱ ἐπιθυμοῦντες τὴν ἡμέραν κυρίου. ἵνα τί αὕτη ὑμῖν ἡ ἡμέρα τοῦ κυρίου; καὶ αὐτή ἐστι σκότος καὶ οὐ φῶς. ὃν τρόπον ὅταν ἐκφύγῃ ἄνθρωπος ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ λέοντος, καὶ συναντήσῃ αὐτῷ ἡ ἄρκος, καὶ εἰσπηδήσῃ εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπερείσηται τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸν τοῖχον, καὶ δάκῃ αὐτὸν ὁ ὄφις. οὐχὶ σκότος ἡ ἡμέρα τοῦ κυρίου καὶ οὐ φῶς, καὶ γνόφος οὐκ ἔχων φέγγος αὐτῆς; μεμίσηκα, ἀπῶσμαι τὰς ἑορτὰς ὑμῶν, καὶ οὐ μὴ ὀσφρανθῶ ἐν ταῖς πανηγύρεσιν ὑμῶν. διότι ἐὰν ἐνέγκητέ μοι τὰ ὁλοκαυτώματα καὶ τὰς θυσίας ὑμῶν, οὐ προσδέξομαι αὐτὰ, καὶ σωτηρίου ἐπιφανείας ὑμῶν οὐκ ἐπιβλέψομαι. ἀπόστησον ἀπ' ἐμοῦ πλῆθος ᾠδῶν σου καὶ ψαλμῶν: ὀργάνων σου οὐκ ἀκούσομαι. καὶ κυλισθήσεται ὡς ὕδωρ κρίμα καὶ ἡ δικαιοσύνη ὡς χειμάρρους ἄβατος. μὴ σφάγια καὶ θυσίας προσηνέγκατέ μοι ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, οἶκος Ἰσραήλ; λέγει κύριος. καὶ ἀνελάβετε τὴν σκηνὴν τοῦ Μολὸχ καὶ τὸ ἄστρον τοῦ θεοῦ ὑμῶν Ῥαφάν, τοὺς τύπους, οὓς ἐποιήσατε ἑαυτοῖς. καὶ μετοικιῶ ὑμᾶς ἐπέκεινα Δαμασκοῦ, λέγει κύριος: ὁ θεὸς ὁ παντοκράτωρ ὄνομα αὐτῷ. οὐαὶ οἱ κατασπαταλῶντες Σιὼν καὶ τοῖς πεποιθόσιν ἐπὶ τὸ ὄρος Σαμαρείας. οἱ ὠνομασμένοι ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀρχηγοῖς ἀπετρύγησαν ἀρχὰς ἐθνῶν: εἰσῆλθον ἑαυτοῖς οἶκος Ἰσραήλ. διάβητε πάντες εἰς Χαλάνην καὶ ἴδετε, καὶ πορεύθητε ἐκεῖθεν εἰς Ἀμὰθ τὴν μεγάλην, καὶ κατάβητε ἐκεῖθεν εἰς Γὲθ τῶν ἀλλοφύλων, τὰς κρατίστας ἐκ πασῶν τῶν βασιλειῶν τούτων, εἰ πλείονά ἐστι τὰ ὅρια αὐτῶν τῶν ὁρίων ὑμῶν. οἱ ἐρχόμενοι εἰς ἡμέραν πονηράν, οἱ ἐγγίζοντες καὶ ἐφαπτόμενοι σαββάτων ψευδῶν, οἱ κοιμώμενοι ἐπὶ κλινῶν ἐλεφαντίνων καὶ κατασπαταλῶντες ἐπὶ ταῖς στρωμναῖς αὐτῶν, οἱ ἐσθίοντες ἄρνας ἐκ ποιμνίων καὶ μοσχάρια ἐκ μέσου βουκολίων γαλαθηνά, οἱ ἐπικροτοῦντες πρὸς τὴν φωνὴν τῶν ὀργάνων, ὡς ἑστῶτα ἐλογίσαντο καὶ οὐχ ὡς φεύγοντα, οἱ πίνοντες ἐν φιάλαις οἶνον καὶ τὰ πρῶτα μύρα χριόμενοι, καὶ οὐκ ἔπασχον οὐδὲν ἐπὶ τῇ συντριβῇ τοῦ Ἰωσήφ. διὰ τοῦτο νῦν αἰχμάλωτοι ἔσονται ἀπὸ ἀρχῆς δυναστῶν τῶν ἀποικιζομένων, καὶ μεταστραφήσεται οἴκημα κακούργων, καὶ ἐξαρθήσεται χρεμετισμὸς ἵππων ἐξ Ἐφραίμ. καὶ πάλιν διὰ Ἰερεμίου: Συναγάγετε τὰ κρέα ὑμῶν καὶ τὰς θυσίας καὶ φάγετε, ὅτι οὔτε περὶ θυσιῶν ἢ σπονδῶν ἐνετειλάμην τοῖς πατράσιν ὑμῶν, ᾗ ἡμέρᾳ ἐπελαβόμην τῆς χειρὸς αὐτῶν ἐξαγαγεῖν αὐτοὺς ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου. καὶ πάλιν διὰ Δαυεὶδ ἐν τεσσαρακοστῷ ἐνάτῳ ψαλμῷ οὕτως ἔφη: Θεὸς θεῶν κύριος ἐλάλησε, καὶ ἐκάλεσε τὴν γῆν ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν ἡλίου μέχρι δυσμῶν. ἐκ Σιὼν ἡ εὐπρέπεια τῆς ὡραιότητος αὐτοῦ. ὁ θεὸς ἐμφανῶς ἥξει, ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν, καὶ οὐ παρασιωπήσεται: πῦρ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ καυθήσεται, καὶ κύκλῳ αὐτοῦ καταιγὶς σφόδρα. προσκαλέσεται τὸν οὐρανὸν ἄνω καὶ τὴν γῆν τοῦ διακρῖναι τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ. συναγάγετε αὐτῷ τοὺς ὁσίους αὐτοῦ, τοὺς διατιθεμένους τὴν διαθήκην αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ θυσίαις. καὶ ἀναγγελοῦσιν οἱ οὐρανοὶ τὴν δικαιοσύνην αὐτοῦ, ὅτι θεὸς κριτής ἐστι. ἄκουσον, λαός μου, καὶ λαλήσω σοι, Ἰσραήλ, καὶ διαμαρτυροῦμαί σοι: ὁ θεός, ὁ θεός σου εἰμὶ ἐγώ. οὐκ ἐπὶ ταῖς θυσίαις σου ἐλέγξω σε: τὰ δὲ ὁλοκαυτώματά σου ἐνώπιόν μου ἐστὶ διὰ παντός. οὐ δέξομαι ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου σου μόσχους οὐδὲ ἐκ τῶν ποιμνίων σου χιμάρους, ὅτι ἐμά ἐστι πάντα τὰ θηρία τοῦ ἀγροῦ, κτήνη ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσι καὶ βόες: ἔγνωκα πάντα τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ ὡραιότης ἀγροῦ μετ' ἐμοῦ ἐστιν. ἐὰν πεινάσω, οὐ μή σοι εἴπω: ἐμὴ γάρ ἐστιν ἡ οἰκουμένη καὶ τὸ πλήρωμα αὐτῆς. μὴ φάγωμαι κρέα ταύρων, ἢ αἷμα τράγων πίωμαι; θῦσον τῷ θεῷ θυσίαν αἰνέσεως, καὶ ἀπόδος τῷ ὑψίστῳ τὰς εὐχάς σου: καὶ ἐπικάλεσαί με ἐν ἡμέρᾳ θλίψεως, καὶ ἐξελοῦμαί σε, καὶ δοξάσεις με. τῷ δὲ ἁμαρτωλῷ εἶπεν ὁ θεός: Ἵνα τί σὺ ἐκδιηγῇ τὰ δικαιώματά μου, καὶ ἀναλαμβάνεις τὴν διαθήκην μου διὰ στόματός σου; σὺ δὲ ἐμίσησας παιδείαν καὶ ἐξέβαλες τοὺς λόγους μου εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω. εἰ ἐθεώρεις κλέπτην, συνέτρεχες αὐτῷ, καὶ μετὰ μοιχοῦ τὴν μερίδα σου ἐτίθεις. τὸ στόμα σου ἐπλεόνασε κακίαν, καὶ ἡ γλῶσσά σου περιέπλεκε δολιότητας. καθήμενος κατὰ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου κατελάλεις, καὶ κατὰ τοῦ υἱοῦ τῆς μητρός σου ἐτίθεις σκάνδαλον. ταῦτα ἐποίησας, καὶ ἐσίγησα: ὑπέλαβες ἀνομίαν ὅτι ἔσομαί σοι ὅμοιος. ἐλέγξω σε καὶ παραστήσω κατὰ πρόσωπόν σου τὰς ἁμαρτίας σου. σύνετε δὴ ταῦτα οἱ ἐπιλανθανόμενοι τοῦ θεοῦ, μήποτε ἁρπάσῃ, καὶ οὐ μὴ ᾖ ὁ ῥυόμενος. θυσία αἰνέσεως δοξάσει με, καὶ ἐκεῖ ὁδός, ἣν δείξω αὐτῷ τὸ σωτήριόν μου. οὔτε οὖν θυσίας παρ' ὑμῶν λαμβάνει, οὔτε ὡς ἐνδεὴς τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐνετείλατο ποιεῖν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ὑμῶν. καὶ γὰρ τὸν ναὸν τὸν ἐν Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἐπικληθέντα οὐχ ὡς ἐνδεὴς ὢν ὡμολόγησεν οἶκον αὐτοῦ ἢ αὐλήν, ἀλλ' ὅπως καὶ κατὰ τοῦτο προσέχοντες αὐτῷ μὴ εἰδωλολατρῆτε. καὶ ὅτι τοῦτό ἐστιν, Ἠσαίας λέγει: Ποῖον οἶκον ᾠκοδομήσατέ μοι; λέγει κύριος. ὁ οὐρανός μοι θρόνος, καὶ ἡ γῆ ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν μου.