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like, a man would again be beastly and harsh, delighting in the bare letter of the divine Scripture, which the Word calls chaff. For the hidden meaning and the nourishing word of souls is fittingly fire. Furthermore, a suckling child, such as was mentioned a little before, will put his hand, it says, harmlessly on the hole of asps and on the den of the offspring of asps. And these things signify the bodies of those troubled by demons, in which spirits, lurking and being reptilian and venomous, lie as in holes in the sense-organs of the body. But upon these, the child of Christ, a certain simple man and a babe in evil, driving them out by the power of the Savior, places his own hand, as they are able to do no harm, on account of the one who came forth from the root of Jesse, who gives his children authority to tread on serpents and scorpions. But you will understand the holes and lairs of asps also as the refuges of heretics, on which those who are babes in Christ harmlessly lay a hand, as Christ renders their bites and their venom ineffective. And holy mountain, it says, is the Church, exalted in life and doctrines, and having the proclamation of the heavenly word. But lest we should understand the mountain in Judea, it added that, “The whole earth was filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as much water to cover the sea;” thus showing the Church throughout the whole world, the pious knowledge, flooding all the saltiness of the evil of this life as if with a great current. But at the time, it says, that was prophesied, the one who will rise from the root of Jesse, that is, after the resurrection from the dead, will rule the nations. For he will not be king of the Jews, nor like David and his successors, of some small corner; but he will rule the whole earth, and in him the nations will hope, in accordance with what is from Moses. A ruler shall not fail from Judah, nor a leader from his loins, until he comes for whom it is reserved. And he himself will be the expectation of the nations. But there, he said the tribe; but here, the family, saying "from the root of Jesse," the father of David; for the tribes were divided into families. But the beasts mentioned before figuratively, he now clearly calls nations. 2049 But instead of, "who rises to rule the nations," Aquila rendered, "who rises as a standard for the peoples;" and Symmachus, "who rises as a standard of the nations." Therefore, the nations that have believed in him bear about the seal of his passion and the saving sign. And his rest, it says, will be honor. But according to Aquila and Symmachus, glory. Very consistently with the beginning and middle of the economy, showing what kind of end there will be; not speaking of his death, but of rest and honor, the body having rested for a short while, which indeed is the end of the economy towards men. For he said to the Father: "Father, glorify me with the glory which I had with you before the world was." For he has been glorified, having endured the cross for us, toward which going, he says to the Father, "Glorify me." And again. "Now is the Son of Man glorified," and what follows. For by the madness of those who dared it, it was a disgrace, but by the resurrection, it came to glory. For the passion was not involuntary, as they thought. And otherwise: The rest of Christ himself is the honor of those who honor him. Through which they confess the Word of God and wisdom and power, signifying consubstantiality and co-honor and eternal existence with the Father. And you might call rest also that by which he gives rest to those who love him. According to another passage, "Those who love me, I glorify." For the rest, which the Lord gives, is honor; which according to the just judgment of God will be distributed according to the worth of deeds done. For there are many mansions with the Father. And star differs from star in glory. And here also, in whom he dwells, he makes them all honorable. For if anyone hears my words, he says, my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and we will make our dwelling in him. He will rise, therefore, not only to begin to rule the nations. But indeed also for honor and glory, he will grant them rest in themselves. ιαιδʹ. 9And it will be in that day the Lord will add to
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δίκην, ἄνθρωπος ἂν εἴη πάλιν θηριώδης καὶ ἀπηνὴς, ψιλῇ τῇ λέξει τῆς θείας χαίρων Γραφῆς, ἣν ἄχυρον ὁ λόγος καλεῖ. Πυρὸς γὰρ εἰκότως ὁ ἐν ἀποκρύφῳ νοῦς καὶ ὁ ψυχῶν τρόφιμος λόγος. Ἔτι πρὸς τούτοις, παιδίον νήπιον, ὁποῖον ἦν τὸ μικρῷ πρόσθεν εἰρημένον, ἐπὶ τρώγλην ἀσπίδων καὶ ἐπὶ κοίτην ἐκγόνων ἀσπίδων ἐπιβαλεῖν τὴν χεῖρα, φησὶν, ἀβλαβῶς. ∆ηλοῖ δὲ ταῦτα τῶν ὑπὸ δαιμόνων ἐνοχλουμένων τὰ σώματα, οἷς ἐμφωλεύοντα καὶ ἑρπυστικὰ ὄντα πνεύματα, καὶ ἰοβόλα, τρώγλαις ὥσπερ ἐγκοιτάζεται τοῖς αἰσθητηρίοις τοῦ σώματος. Ταῦτα δὲ τὸ Χριστοῦ παιδίον ἀνήρ τις ἁπλοῦς καὶ τῇ κακίᾳ νηπιάζων, τῇ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἀπελαύνων δυνάμει, τὴν ἰδίαν ἐπιτίθησι χήρα μηδὲν κακοποιεῖν δυναμένοις, διὰ τὸν ἐκ ῥίζης Ἰεσσαὶ προελθόντα, τοῖς αὐτοῦ παιδίοις ἐξουσίαν παρέχοντα πατεῖν ἐπάνω ὄφεων καὶ σκορπίων. Νοήσεις δὲ τρώγλας καὶ κοίτας ἀσπίδων, καὶ τὰς τῶν αἱρετικῶν καταδύσεις, αἷς οἱ ἐν Χριστῷ νηπιάζοντες ἀβλαβῶς ἐπιβάλλουσι χεῖρα, Χριστοῦ τὰ κείνων δήγματα καὶ τὸν ἰὸν ἀποφαίνοντος ἄπρακτον. Ἅγιον δὲ ὄρος, τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν φησὶν ἐπηρμένην βίῳ καὶ δόγμασιν, ἔχουσάν τε τοῦ λόγου τοῦ ἐπουρανίου τὸ κήρυγμα. Ὡς ἂν δὲ μὴ τὸ κατὰ τὴν Ἰουδαίαν ὄρος νοήσωμεν, ἐπήνεγκεν, ὅτι Ἐπλήσθη ἡ σύμπασα τοῦ γνῶναι τὸν Κύριον, ὡς ὕδωρ πολὺ κατακαλύψαι θάλασσαν· οὕτω τὴν καθ' ὅλης τῆς οἰκουμένης Ἐκκλησίαν δηλῶν τὴν εὐσεβῆ γνῶσιν, πᾶν τὸ ἁλμυρὸν τῆς τοῦ βίου κακίας ὥσπερ πολλῷ τῷ ῥεύματι κατακλύζουσαν. Κατὰ καιρὸν δὲ, φησὶ, τὸν προφητευόμενον, ὁ ἐκ ῥίζης Ἰεσσαὶ ἀναστησόμενος, τοῦτ' ἔστι μετὰ τὴν ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀνάστασιν, ἄρξει τῶν ἐθνῶν. Οὐ γὰρ Ἰουδαίων ἔσται βασιλεὺς, οὐδ' ὥσπερ ὁ ∆αβὶδ, οἵ τε τούτου διάδοχοι, βραχείας τινὸς γωνίας· πάσης δὲ κρατήσει τῆς γῆς, καὶ ἐπ' αὐτῷ ἔθνη ἐλπιοῦσιν συμφώνως τῷ παρὰ Μωϋσεῖ. Οὐ ἐκλείψει ἄρχων ἐξ Ἰούδα οὐδὲ ἡγούμενος ἐκ τῶν μηρῶν αὐτοῦ, ἕως ἂν ἔλθῃ ᾧ ἀπόκειται. Καὶ αὐτὸς ἔσται προσδοκία ἐθνῶν. Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖ μὲν, τὴν φυλὴν εἶπεν· ἐνταῦθα δὲ, τὴν πατριὰν ἐκ ῥίζης λέγων Ἰεσσαὶ τοῦ Πατρὸς τοῦ ∆αβίδ· διῄρηντο γὰρ εἰς πατριὰς αἱ φυλαί. Τὰ τροπικῶς δὲ προειρημένα θηρία, νῦν σαφῶς ἔθνη καλεῖ. 2049 Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ, ὁ ἀνιστάμενος ἄρχειν ἐθνῶν, ὁ μὲν Ἀκύλας ἐξέδωκεν, ὃς ἀνίσταται εἰς σύσσημον λαῶν· ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος, ὃς ἀνίσταται σύσσημον τῶν ἐθνῶν. ∆ιὸ τὴν σφραγίδα τοῦ πάθους αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ σωτήριον· σημεῖον περιφέρει τὰ εἰς αὐτὸν ἔθνη πεπιστευκότα. Καὶ ἔσται, φησὶν, ἡ ἀνάπαυσις αὐτοῦ τιμή. Κατὰ δὲ Ἀκύλαν καὶ Σύμμαχον, δόξα. Λίαν ἀκολούθως τῇ τῆς οἰκονομίας ἀρχῇ τε καὶ μέσοις, καὶ τὸ τέλος ὁποῖον ἔσται, δηλῶν· θάνατον μὲν οὐ λέγων αὐτοῦ, ἀνάπαυσιν δὲ καὶ τιμὴν, πρὸς βραχὺ τοῦ σώματος ἠρεμήσαντος, ὃ δὴ τέλος τῆς εἰς ἀνθρώπους οἰκονομίας. Ἔλεγε γὰρ πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα· "Πάτερ, δόξασον με τῇ δόξῃ, ᾗ εἶχον πρὸ τοῦ τὸν κόσμον εἶναι παρὰ σοί." ∆εδόξασται γὰρ τὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ὑπομείνας σταυρὸν, πρὸς ὃν χωρῶν, τὸ, ∆όξασόν με, πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα φησί. Καὶ πάλιν. "Νῦν ἐδοξάσθη ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου," καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Τῇ μὲν γὰρ ἀπονοίας τῶν τολμησάντων, μῶμος ἦν, τῇ δὲ ἀναστάσει, πρὸς δόξαν κατήντησεν. Οὐ γὰρ ἦν, ὥσπερ ἐδόκουν, τὸ πάθος ἀκούσιον. Καὶ ἄλλως· Ἀνάπαυσις αὐτὴ Χριστοῦ, ἡ τιμὴ τῶν τιμώντων αὐτόν. ∆ι' ὧν ὁμολογοῦσι Λόγον Θεοῦ καὶ σοφίαν καὶ δύναμιν τὴν πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα σημαίνοντες ὁμοφυΐαν τε καὶ ὁμοτιμίαν καὶ ὕπαρξιν τὴν ἀΐδιον. Λέγοις δ' ἂν ἀνάπαυσιν, καὶ ἣν, ἀναπαύει τοὺς ἀγαπῶντας αὐτόν. Κατὰ τὸ ἄλλῃ, Τοὺς ἐμὲ ἀγαπῶντας δοξάζω. Ἔστι γὰρ ἡ ἀνάπαυσις, ἣν ἀναπαύει Κύριος, τιμή· ἥτις κατὰ τὴν δικαιοκρισίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ πρὸς τὴν τῶν πεπραγμένων ἀξίαν διανεμηθήσεται. Πολλαὶ γὰρ μοναὶ παρὰ τῷ Πατέρι. Καὶ ἀστὴρ ἀστέρος διαφέρει ἐν δόξῃ. Κἀνταῦθα δὲ οἷς ἐνοικεῖ, τιμίους πάντας ποιεῖ. Ἐὰν γάρ τις ἀκούσῃ, φησὶ, τῶν λόγων μου, ἀγαπήσει αὐτὸν ὁ Πατήρ μου, καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐλευσόμεθα, καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ καταλύσομεν. Ἀναστήσεται τοίνυν οὐ πρὸς τὸ κατάρξαι μόνον ἐθνῶν. Ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ εἰς τιμὴν καὶ δόξαν, αὐτοῖς χαριεῖται τὴν ἐν αὐτοῖς ἀνάπαυσιν. ιαιδʹ. 9Καὶ ἔσται τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ προσθήσει ὁ Κύριος τοῦ