John Chrysostom, Fragments on Jeremiah

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since they practiced their impiety near at hand, and not far off. Their sons gather wood, to make cakes. Do you see the zeal; do you see impiety being done with eagerness? What is, cakes? Sacrificial cakes, or, he says, pastries, breads. He showed everyone inclined toward evil. But the Hebrew has this for, "They grind fat, they knead": To make chabonas, that is, large loaves of bread. For chabonas is a Hebrew word; and it signifies the 64.840 loaf made from one measure of the so-called modius. And by host of heaven, he means the zodiacal circle. And they poured libations to foreign gods. Not even poverty prevents the sacrifice. And their women grind meal. They do not have sheep; and yet they commit impiety with what they have. To the host of heaven. Here he means the stars; but why does he say host of heaven? Showing that the dignity of lordship is not in them, but another is the king. What then when it says, "to the queen of heaven"? There it speaks according to their own notion; for the speech is theirs. "Do they provoke Me to anger?" says the Lord. "Is it not themselves?" For do I suffer anything terrible? Yes, this, he says, perhaps. But they themselves, he says, that I might shame them, perhaps, that they might shame themselves; for the one who insults is the one who suffers, and when the one insulted suffers nothing terrible, he will desist from the insult, as accomplishing nothing further. Therefore, thus says the Lord. Everywhere the phrase, "Says the Lord," is so that he might make the word trustworthy; so that his being without anger might not again cast them into indifference. Behold, my anger and my wrath are poured out. For what reason then upon these things? Tell me. First, because these things were about to become useless; second, so that he might show the intense impulse of his anger. For if even a man is destroyed and a temple is torn down, he would hardly be likely to spare the irrational creatures. Because I did not speak, and I did not command them. Whatever he does not command according to his preceding word, he says is not even his counsel; and just as when he says: "Do I desire the death of the sinner, as that he should turn and live?" And yet he is punished by His will. And they did not listen to me. Great is this reward, "And they did not listen to me." And you shall speak this word to them, and they will not listen. That is, they will not turn back. Shave your head, and take up. This is said to the prophet, which was a symbol of mourning. For since they were insensible to their own evils, he orders him to lament, and to mourn; we do these things also for those who are mad, sympathizing with them alone. And take up a lament on your lips. He says well, not in your mind; for he had this, and was groaning. But make it public, he says. And he has rejected the generation that does these things, because. Not all simply, but the one doing this. For truly, truly this one is worthy of laments and wailings, 64.841 when someone appears unapproved before God. For where will he be approved then? Because they have done evil before me. Not hiding, nor being concealed; and how could they hide from the sleepless eye? What then does "Before me" signify? In my temple. They have set their abominations in the house upon which my name was called, to defile it. Have you seen madness? Have you seen frenzy? not secretly, but they did all things openly, acting insolently against the glory of God, as if someone should bring a tyrant into the palace, having driven out the king. How then do you say, "The temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord it is"? How will the one who has been wronged stand up for you? How will the one who has been insulted save you? Your accuser will be bitter. And you will call them, and they will not answer you. You will call, that is, you will urge them to repentance, and they will have no benefit from the words. And they built the altar of Topheth. That is, the altar of Pluto; as if always paying tribute to death, so that they might live long. The altar of Topheth for some idolatry, in the valley of the son of Hinnom, he says the olive grove. See also the places, not the deserts or desolations

ἐπειδὴ ἐγγὺς, καὶ οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν τὴν ἀσέβειαν εἰργάζοντο. Οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτῶν συλλέγουσι ξύλα, τοῦ ποιῆσαι χαυῶνας. Ὁρᾷς σπουδήν· ὁρᾷς μετὰ προθυμίας τὴν ἀσέβειαν γιγνομένην; Τί ἐστι, χαυῶνας; Πόπανα ἄλλ. πέμματα, φησὶν, ἄρτους. Ἔδειξε πάντας περὶ τὸ κακὸν ῥέποντας. Τὸ δὲ, Τρίβουσι στέαρ, φύρουσιν, ἔχει ὁ Ἑβραῖος τόδε· Τοῦ ποιῆσαι χαβῶνας, τουτέστιν, ἄρτους μεγάλους. Τὸ γὰρ χαβῶνας ἐστὶ λέξις Ἑβραϊκή· σημαίνει δὲ τὸ ἀπὸ μέτρον ἑνὸς τοῦ λεγομένου μοδίου γιγνόμενον 64.840 ἄρτον. Στρατιὰν δὲ οὐρανοῦ λέγει, τὸν ζωδιακὸν κύκλον. Καὶ ἔσπεισαν σπονδὰς θεοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις. Οὐδὲ ἡ πενία κωλύει τὴν θυσίαν. Καὶ αἱ γυναῖκες αὐτῶν τρίβουσι σταῖς. Οὐκ ἔχουσι πρόβατα· καὶ ὅμως ἀπὸ τῶν ἐνόντων ἀσεβοῦσι. Τῇ στρατιᾷ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ. Τοὺς ἀστέρας ἐνταῦθά φησι· στρατιὰν δὲ οὐρανοῦ τίνος ἕνεκέν φησι; ∆εικνὺς ὅτι οὐκ ἐν αὐτοῖς τὸ τῆς δεσποτείας ἀξίωμα, ἀλλ' ἕτερός ἐστιν ὁ βασιλεύς. Τί οὖν ὅταν λέγῃ τῇ βασιλίσσῃ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ; Αὐτόθι κατὰ τὴν ὑπόνοιαν λέγει τὴν ἐκείνων· ἐκείνων γάρ ἐστιν ἡ λαλιά. Μὴ ἐμὲ αὐτοὶ παροργίζουσι; λέγει Κύριος. Οὐχὶ ἑαυτούς; Μὴ γὰρ ἐγὼ πάσχω δεινόν τι; ναὶ τοῦτο, φησὶν ἴσ. ἀλλ' αὐτοὶ, φησὶν, ἵνα ἑαυτοὺς καταισχύνω ἴσ. καταισχύνωσι· ὁ γὰρ ὑβρίζων ἐστὶν ὁ παθὼν, καὶ ὅταν μηδὲν ὁ ὑβριζόμενος πάσχῃ δεινὸν, ἀποστήσεται τῆς ὕβρεως, ὡς οὐδὲν πλέον παραινῶν ἴσ. περαίνων. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο τάδε λέγει Κύριος. Πανταχοῦ τὸ, Λέγει Κύριος, ἵνα ἀξιόπιστον ποιήσῃ τὸν λόγον· ἵνα μὴ πάλιν τὸ ἀόργητον εἰς ῥᾳθυμίαν αὐτοὺς ἐμβάλῃ. Ἰδοὺ ὀργὴ καὶ θυμός μου χεῖται. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν ἐπὶ ταῦτα; εἰπέ μοι. Πρῶτον μὲν ἐπειδὴ ταῦτα ἄχρηστα ἤμελλε γίνεσθαι· δεύτερον ἵνα τὴν ἐπιτεταμένην δείξῃ τῆς ὀργῆς ὁρμήν. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἄνθρωπος ἀναιρεῖται καὶ ναὸς καθαιρεῖται, σχολῇ γ' ἂν ἤμελλε φείδεσθαι τῶν ἀλόγων. Ὅτι οὐκ ἐλάλησα, καὶ οὐκ ἐνετειλάμην αὐτοῖς. Ὅσα μὴ κατὰ τὸν προηγούμενον λόγον ἐπιτάττει, οὐδὲ αὐτοῦ φησιν εἶναι συμβουλήν· καὶ ὥσπερ ὅταν λέγῃ· Μὴ θελήσω τὸν θάνατον τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ, ὡς τὸ ἐπιστρέψαι καὶ ζῇν αὐτόν; Καίτοιγε ἑκόντος αὐτοῦ κολάζεται. Καὶ οὐκ ἤκουσάν μου. Μέγας οὗτος ὁ μισθὸς, Καὶ οὐκ ἤκουσάν μου. Καὶ ἐρεῖς αὐτοῖς τὸν λόγον τοῦτον, καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀκούσωσιν. Τουτέστιν, οὐκ ἐπιστραφήσονται. Κεῖρε τὴν κεφαλήν σου, καὶ ἀνάλαβε. Πρὸς τὸν προφήτην τοῦτο λέγεται, ὃ πένθους σύμβολον ἦν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἀναισθήτως πρὸς τὰ οἰκεῖα διέκειντο κακὰ, κελεύει θρηνεῖν αὐτὸν, καὶ πενθεῖν· ταῦτα καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν μαινομένων ποιοῦμεν συμπάσχοντες ἐκείνοις μόνον. Καὶ ἀνάλαβε ἐπὶ χειλέων θρῆνον. Καλῶς φησι, μὴ κατὰ διάνοιαν· τοῦτο γὰρ εἶχε, καὶ ἔστενεν. Ἀλλὰ δημοσίευσον, φησίν. Καὶ ἀπώσατο τὴν γενεὰν τὴν ποιοῦσαν ταῦτα, ὅτι. Οὐχὶ πάντας ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ τὴν ποιοῦσαν ταύτην. Ὄντως γὰρ, ὄντως θρήνων ἀξία αὕτη καὶ ὀδυρμῶν, 64.841 ὅταν τις ἀδόκιμος παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ φαίνηται. Ποῦ γὰρ ἔσται δόκιμος λοιπόν; Ὅτι ἐποίησαν ἐναντίον ἐμοῦ. Οὐχὶ κρυπτόμενοι, οὐδὲ λανθάνοντες· καὶ πῶς τὸν ἀκοίμητον ὀφθαλμὸν κρύψαι δύναιντο; Τί οὖν αἰνίττεται τὸ, Ἐνώπιόν μου; Ἐν τῷ ναῷ μου. Ἔταξαν τὰ βδελύγματα αὐτῶν ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ οὗ ἐπεκλήθη τὸ ὄνομά μου, τοῦ μιᾶναι αὐτόν. Εἶδες μανίαν; Εἶδες παραπληξίαν; οὐδὲ λανθανόντως, ἀλλὰ πεπαῤῥησιασμένως ἅπαντα ἐποίουν ἐμπαροινοῦντες εἰς τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ δόξαν, ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις τύραννον εἰς τὰ βασίλεια εἰσαγάγοι, τὸν βασιλέα ἀπελάσας. Πῶς οὖν φατε, Ναὸς Κυρίου, ναὸς Κυρίου ἐστί; Πῶς ὑμῶν προστήσεται ὁ ἠδικημένος; Πῶς ὑμᾶς ὁ ὑβρισμένος σώσει; Κατήγορος ὑμῶν ἔσται πικρός. Καὶ καλέσεις αὐτοὺς, καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀποκριθῶσί σοι. Καλέσεις, τουτέστι, προτρέψεις αὐτοὺς εἰς μεταμέλειαν, καὶ οὐδὲν ὄφελος ἐκ τῶν λόγων ἔξουσιν. Καὶ ᾠκοδόμησαν τὸν βωμὸν τοῦ Ταφέθ. Τουτέστι τὸν βωμὸν τοῦ Πλούτωνος· ὡς ἀεὶ τῷ θανάτῳ ἐπενδόντες, ὥστε ἐπὶ πολὺ ζῇν. Βωμὸν Ταφὲθ ἐπ' εἰδωλείῳ τινὶ, ἐν φάραγγι υἱοῦ Ἐννὸμ, τὸν ἐλαιῶνά φησι. Ὅρα καὶ τοὺς τόπους, οὐ τὰς ἐρήμους ἄλλ. ἐρημίας