Theodoret of Cyrus, Interpretation on Jeremiah

they kindle a fire, and their women knead fat, to make cakes for the host of heaven. The prophet, however, answered all of them, that because of this superstition, and this error concerning idols, the Lord God has brought upon you all kinds of punishments. For these are the fruits of the transgression of the law; but you, even seeing these things, are mad about your error. Remain, therefore, in your confessions, and performing them, fulfill your vows. (26.) But hear the word of the Lord: Behold I, by my great name, said the Lord God, that my name shall no more be called upon in the mouth of any Jew saying 81.705, As the Lord lives, in all the land of Egypt. Again the oath has shown that He who has sworn has nothing superior to Himself; and He threatens total destruction to the Jews living in Egypt; for He has made this clear through what has been said; and what follows agrees. For He threatens them with both famine and the sword, and for those who escape these things, exile. "And all the remnant of the Jews, who sojourn in the land of Egypt, shall know whose word will stand, mine or theirs. Through the events themselves they will learn the truth of my words. 29. And this shall be a sign to you, says the Lord, that I will visit upon you in this place for evil, so that you may know that my words will surely stand against you for evil. The outcome of events will show the truth of the words. For just as I delivered Zedekiah to the king of the Babylonians, so will I deliver Pharaoh Hophra, to whom you are fleeing, to Nebuchadnezzar; And he calls the Pharaoh Hophra, teaching that this was his proper name, while Pharaoh was indicative of his kingship. So also we name our emperors, Tiberius Caesar, and Claudius Caesar; and the one is the proper name, while the other is particular to the imperial office. CHAPTER 45. Having thus concluded this prophecy interwoven with history, he recalls an older prediction, which in the days of Jehoiakim he was commanded to speak to Baruch. 2, 5. The Lord God of Israel said: Since you, Baruch, said: Woe is me! for the Lord has added pain to my trouble. I lay down in groaning, and found no rest. Thus say to him: Thus said the Lord, Behold, what I have built, I will tear down, and what I have planted, I will pluck up; and all that land. And do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them, for behold, I am bringing evil upon all flesh, says the Lord; and I will give your life to you as a prize, in every place where you may go 81.708 there. The Lord comforts Baruch, who was ministering to the prophet, and writing down the oracles, and lamenting, and grieving; and He exhorts him to bear nobly a life full of pain. For if, He says, I am now uprooting and cutting down the entire people whom I led out of Egypt and planted in this land, and am delivering them to so many punishments, are you distressed because you alone do not live in cheerfulness? But you ought not to do this; yet I will nevertheless care for you, and while bringing punishment upon these, I will bring you comfort; and wherever you may be, you will obtain my protection. It is fitting for us, therefore, having learned these things, not to be vexed when something sorrowful befalls us, but to ask from God for better things, while bearing the present things; for the Lord, seeing this endurance of ours, will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able; but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that we may be able to bear it; to whom is due glory and majesty, with His only-begotten Son, and the all-holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

καίουσι πῦρ, καὶ αἱ γυναῖκες αὐτῶν τρίβουσι στέαρ, τοῦ ποιῆσαι χαυῶνας τῇ στρατιᾷ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ. Ὁ μέντοι προφήτης πρὸς ἅπαντας ἀπεκρίνατο, ὅτι Ταύτης ἕνεκα τῆς δεισιδαιμονίας, καὶ τῆς περὶ τὰ εἴδωλα πλάνης, τὰς παντοδαπὰς ὑμῖν ὁ ∆εσπότης Θεὸς ἐπήγαγε τιμωρίας. Τῆς γὰρ τοῦ νόμου παρα βάσεως οὗτοι καρποί· ὑμεῖς δὲ καὶ τούτους θεώμενοι περὶ τὴν πλάνην μεμήνατε. Ἐμμείνατε τοίνυν ταῖς ὁμολογίαις ὑμῶν, καὶ ποιοῦντες ποιήσατε τὰς εὐχὰς ὑμῶν. (κϛʹ.) Πλὴν ἀκούσατε τὸν λόγον Κυρίου· Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ τῷ ὀνόματί μου τῷ μεγάλῳ, εἶπε Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς, ἐὰν γένηται ἔτι ὄνομά μου καλούμε νον ἐν τῷ στόματι παντὸς Ἰουδαίου λέγον 81.705 τος, Ζῇ Κύριος, ἐν ὅλῃ γῇ Αἰγύπτου. Πάλιν ἔδειξεν ὁ ὅρκος, ὡς οὐδὲν ὀμωμοκὼς ὑπερκείμενον ἔχει· ἀπειλεῖ δὲ τοῖς ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ διάγουσιν Ἰου δαίοις πανωλεθρίαν· τοῦτο γὰρ διὰ τῶν εἰρημένων δεδήλωκε· συμφωνεῖ δὲ τὰ ἑξῆς. Ἀπειλεῖ γὰρ αὐ τοῖς καὶ λιμὸν καὶ ῥομφαίαν, καὶ τοῖς ταῦτα διαφεύ γουσι μετανάστασιν. "Καὶ γνώσονται πάντες οἱ κατάλοιποι Ἰουδαῖοι, οἱ παροικοῦντες ἐν γῇ Αἰ γύπτῳ, τίνος λόγος ἐμμένει, ὁ ἐμὸς ἢ ὁ αὐτῶν. ∆ι' αὐτῶν μαθήσονται τῶν πραγμάτων τὴν τῶν ἐμῶν λόγων ἀλήθειαν. κθʹ. Καὶ τοῦτο ὑμῖν τὸ σημεῖον, φησὶ Κύριος, ὅτι ἐπισκέψομαι ἐγὼ ἐφ' ὑμᾶς ἐν τῷ τόπῳ τούτῳ εἰς κακὰ, ὅπως γνῶτε, ὅτι στάσει στήσον ται οἱ λόγοι μου ἐφ' ὑμᾶς εἰς κακά. Ἡ τῶν πρα γμάτων ἔκβασις δείξει τὴν τῶν λόγων ἀλήθειαν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τὸν Σεδεκίαν παρέδωκα τῷ τῶν Βα βυλωνίων βασιλεῖ· οὕτω τὸν Φαραὼ Οὐαφρῆ, πρὸς ὃν ὑμεῖς καταφεύγετε, παραδώσω τῷ Ναβουχοδόνο σορ· Οὐαφρῆ δὲ καλεῖ τὸν Φαραὼ, διδάσκων, ὡς τοῦτο μὲν εἶχε κύριον ὄνομα, τὸ δέ γε Φαραὼ τῆς βασιλείας δηλωτικόν. Οὕτω καὶ τοὺς ἡμετέρους ὀνομά ζομεν βασιλέας, Τιβέριος Καῖσαρ, καὶ Κλαύδιος Καῖ σαρ· καὶ ἔστι τὸ μὲν κύριον, τὸ δὲ τῆς βασιλείας ἴδιον. ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΜΕʹ. Οὕτω ταύτην τὴν ἱστορίαν συμπεπλεγμένην συμ περάνας προφητείαν, πρεσβυτέρας ἀναμιμνήσκει προῤῥήσεως, ἣν ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις Ἰωακεὶμ εἰπεῖν τῷ Βαροὺχ προσετάχθη. βʹ, εʹ. Εἶπε Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς Ἰσραήλ· Ἐπεὶ σὺ Βαροὺχ εἶπας· Οἴμοι! ὅτι προσέθηκε Κύριος πόνον ἐπὶ κόπον μου. Ἐκοιμήθην ἐν στεναγμοῖς, καὶ ἀνάπαυσιν οὐχ εὗρον. Οὕτως εἰπὲ αὐτῷ· Οὕτως εἶπε Κύριος, Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ᾠκοδόμησα, ἐγὼ καθ ελῶ καὶ οὓς ἐφύτευσα, ἐγὼ ἐκτιλῶ· καὶ σύμ πασαν τὴν γῆν ἐκείνην. Καὶ σὺ ζητεῖς σεαυτῷ μεγάλα; Μὴ ζήτει, ὅτι ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐπάγω κακὰ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν σάρκα, λέγει Κύριος· καὶ δώσω τὴν ψυχήν σου εἰς εὕρημα, ἐν παντὶ τόπῳ οὗ ἐὰν βα 81.708 δίσῃ ἐκεῖ. Ψυχαγωγεῖ τὸν Βαροὺχ ὁ ∆εσπότης διακονοῦντα τῷ προφήτῃ, καὶ τοὺς χρησμοὺς γρά φοντα, καὶ σχετλιάζοντα, καὶ δυσχεραίνοντα· τὸν δὲ βίον τὸν ὀδύνης μεστὸν φέρειν γενναίως παρεγγυᾷ. Εἰ γὰρ ἅπαντα, φησὶ, τὸν λαὸν, ὃν ἐξήγαγον ἐξ Αἰ γύπτου, ἐφύτευσα δὲ ἐν τῇ γῇ ταύτῃ, ἀνασπῶ νῦν, καὶ ἐκκόπτω, καὶ τοσαύταις παραδίδωμι τιμωρίαις, σὺ ἀλύεις, ὅτι μὴ μόνος ἐν εὐθυμίᾳ διάγεις; ἀλλ' οὐ χρή σε τοῦτο δρᾷν· ἐγὼ δὲ ὅμως φροντιῶ σου, καὶ τούτοις ἐπάγων τὴν τιμωρίαν, σοὶ προσοίσω παρα ψυχήν· καὶ ἔνθα ἂν διάγῃς, τῆς παρ' ἐμοῦ τεύξῃ κηδεμονίας. Προσήκει τοίνυν ἡμᾶς ταῦτα μεμαθη κότας, μὴ δυσχεραίνειν, ὅταν ἡμῖν προσβάλλῃ τι λυπηρὸν, ἀλλ' αἰτεῖν μὲν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὰ βελτίω, φέρειν δὲ τὰ παρόντα· ταύτην γὰρ ἡμῶν τὴν καρτε ρίαν ὁ ∆εσπότης ὁρῶν, οὐκ ἐάσει πειραθῆναι ὑπὲρ ὃ δυνάμεθα· ἀλλὰ ποιήσει σὺν τῷ πειρασμῷ καὶ τὴν ἔκβασιν, τοῦ δυνηθῆναι ἡμᾶς ὑπενεγκεῖν· ᾧ πρέπει δόξα καὶ μεγαλοπρέπεια, σὺν τῷ μονογενεῖ αὐτοῦ Υἱῷ, καὶ τῷ παναγίῳ Πνεύματι, νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ, καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.