Chapter L.—It is proved from Isaiah that John is the precursor of Christ.

And Trypho said, “You seem to me to have come out of a great conflict with many persons about all the points we have been searching into, and therefore quite ready to return answers to all questions put to you. Answer me then, first, how you can show that there is another God besides the Maker of all things; and then you will show, [further], that He submitted to be born of the Virgin.”

I replied, “Give me permission first of all to quote certain passages from the prophecy of Isaiah, which refer to the office of forerunner discharged by John the Baptist and prophet before this our Lord Jesus Christ.”

“I grant it,” said he.

Then I said, “Isaiah thus foretold John’s forerunning: ‘And Hezekiah said to Isaiah, Good is the word of the Lord which He spake: Let there be peace and righteousness in my days.’160    Isa. xxxix. 8. And, ‘Encourage the people; ye priests, speak to the heart of Jerusalem, and encourage her, because her humiliation is accomplished. Her sin is annulled; for she has received of the Lord’s hand double for her sins. A voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the ways of the Lord; make straight the paths of our God. Every valley shall be filled up, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough way shall be plain ways; and the glory of the Lord shall be seen, and all flesh shall see the salvation of God: for the Lord hath spoken it. A voice of one saying, Cry; and I said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass has withered, and the flower of it has fallen away; but the word of the Lord endureth for ever. Thou that bringest good tidings to Zion, go up to the high mountain; thou that bringest good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up thy voice with strength. Lift ye up, be not afraid; tell the cities of Judah, Behold your God! Behold, the Lord comes with strength, and [His] arm comes with authority. Behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him. As a shepherd He will tend His flock, and will gather the lambs with [His] arm, and cheer on her that is with young. Who has measured the water with [his] hand, and the heaven with a span, and all the earth with [his] fist? Who has weighed the mountains, and [put] the valleys into a balance? Who has known the mind of the Lord? And who has been His counsellor, and who shall advise Him? Or with whom did He take counsel, and he instructed Him? Or who showed Him judgment? Or who made Him to know the way of understanding? All the nations are reckoned as a drop of a bucket, and as a turning of a balance, and shall be reckoned as spittle. But Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts sufficient for a burnt-offering; and all the nations are considered nothing, and for nothing.’ ”161    Isa. xl. 1–17.

[50] Καὶ ὁ Τρύφων: Ἔοικάς μοι ἐκ πολλῆς προστρίψεως τῆς πρὸς πολλοὺς περὶ πάντων τῶν ζητουμένων γεγονέναι καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἑτοίμως ἔχειν ἀποκρίνεσθαι πρὸς πάντα ἃ ἂν ἐπερωτηθῇς. ἀπόκριναι οὖν μοι πρότερον, πῶς ἔχεις ἀποδεῖξαι ὅτι καὶ ἄλλος θεὸς παρὰ τὸν ποιητὴν τῶν ὅλων, καὶ τότε ἀποδείξεις ὅτι καὶ γεννηθῆναι διὰ τῆς παρθένου ὑπέμεινε. Κἀγὼ ἔφην: Πρότερόν μοι συγχώρησον εἰπεῖν λόγους τινὰς ἐκ τῆς Ἠσαίου προφητείας, τοὺς εἰρημένους περὶ τῆς προελεύσεως ἣν προελήλυθεν αὐτοῦ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τούτου Ἰωάννης ὁ βαπτιστὴς καὶ προφήτης γενόμενος. Κἀκεῖνος: Συγχωρῶ. Κἀγὼ εἶπον: Ἠσαίας οὖν περὶ τῆς Ἰωάννου προελεύσεως οὕτως προεῖπε: Καὶ εἶπεν Ἑζεκίας πρὸς Ἠσαίαν: Ἀγαθὸς ὁ λόγος κυρίου, ὃν ἐλάλησε: γενέσθω εἰρήνη καὶ δικαιοσύνη ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις μου. καί: Παρακαλεῖτε τὸν λαόν: ἱερεῖς, λαλήσατε εἰς τὴν καρδίαν Ἰερουσαλὴμ καὶ παρακαλέσατε αὐτήν, ὅτι ἐπλήσθη ἡ ταπείνωσις αὐτῆς: λέλυται αὐτῆς ἡ ἁμαρτία, ὅτι ἐδέξατο ἐκ χειρὸς κυρίου διπλᾶ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα αὐτῆς. φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ: ἑτοιμάσατε τὰς ὁδοὺς κυρίου, εὐθείας ποιεῖτε τὰς τρίβους τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν. πᾶσα φάραγξ πληρωθήσεται, καὶ πᾶν ὄρος καὶ βουνὸς ταπεινωθήσεται: καὶ ἔσται πάντα τὰ σκολιὰ εἰς εὐθεῖαν, καὶ ἡ τραχεῖα εἰς ὁδοὺς λείας: καὶ ὀφθήσεται ἡ δόξα κυρίου, καὶ ὄψεται πᾶσα σὰρξ τὸ σωτήριον τοῦ θεοῦ, ὅτι κύριος ἐλάλησε. φωνὴ λέγοντος: Βόησον. καὶ εἶπον: Τί βοήσω; Πᾶσα σὰρξ χόρτος, καὶ πᾶσα δόξα ἀνθρώπου ὡς ἄνθος χόρτου. ἐξηράνθη ὁ χόρτος, καὶ τὸ ἄνθος αὐτοῦ ἐξέπεσε, τὸ δὲ ῥῆμα κυρίου μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. Ἐπ' ὄρους ὑψηλοῦ ἀνάβηθι, ὁ εὐαγγελιζόμενος Σιών: ὕψωσον τῇ ἰσχύϊ τὴν φωνήν σου, ὁ εὐαγγελιζόμενος Ἰερουσαλήμ. ὑψώσατε, μὴ φοβεῖσθε. εἶπον ταῖς πόλεσιν Ἰούδα: Ἰδοὺ ὁ θεὸς ὑμῶν: κύριος ἰδοὺ μετ' ἰσχύος ἔρχεται, καὶ ὁ βραχίων μετὰ κυρίας ἔρχεται. ἰδοὺ ὁ μισθὸς μετ' αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὸ ἔργον ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ. ὡς ποιμὴν ποιμανεῖ τὸ ποίμνιον αὐτοῦ, καὶ τῷ βραχίονι συνάξει ἄρνας, καὶ τὴν ἐν γαστρὶ ἔχουσαν παρακαλέσει. Τίς ἐμέτρησε τῇ χειρὶ τὸ ὕδωρ καὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν σπιθαμῇ καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν δρακί; τίς ἔστησε τὰ ὄρη σταθμῷ καὶ τὰς νάπας ζυγῷ; τίς ἔγνω νοῦν κυρίου, καὶ τίς αὐτοῦ σύμβουλος ἐγένετο, ὃς συμβιβάσει αὐτόν; ἢ πρὸς τίνα συνεβουλεύσατο, καὶ συνεβίβασεν αὐτόν; ἢ τίς ἔδειξεν αὐτῷ κρίσιν; ἢ ὁδὸν συνέσεως τίς ἐγνώρισεν αὐτῷ; πάντα τὰ ἔθνη ὡς σταγὼν ἀπὸ κάδου, καὶ ὡς ῥοπὴ ζυγοῦ ἐλογίσθησαν, καὶ ὡς πτύελος λογισθήσονται. ὁ δὲ Λίβανος οὐχ ἱκανὸς εἰς καῦσιν, καὶ τὰ τετράποδα οὐχ ἱκανὰ εἰς ὁλοκάρπωσιν, καὶ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη οὐθέν, καὶ εἰς οὐδὲν ἐλογίσθησαν.