Procopius of Gaza, Commentaries on Isaiah

the Word, upon whom the Church of God is built. Since, therefore, the Holy One of Israel was exalted in the midst of the Church, rejoice, you who have him in your midst; according to that which says, "Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them." He was therefore exalted in her midst, even though he became man, taking the form of a servant, revealed as true God by his works to those who did not know him. By the name of Israel and Zion, he brings cheer to those of the circumcision, through their thinking that it was said concerning them, so that they might cherish the present book, as one that prophesies the best things concerning them. CHAP. 13. αιαʹ. 9The vision against Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw. On a level mountain lift up a standard. Raise your voice to them. Do not be afraid. Beckon with the hand, open, you rulers. I give the command, and I lead them. They are conse 2068 crated, and I lead them. Giants are coming to fulfill my wrath, rejoicing and at the same time committing outrage. A voice of many nations on the mountains, like many nations9, etc. He begins another subject, after the prophecies concerning Christ, having seen nine visions against foreign nations, beginning from Babylon. In which he also included the valley of Zion, having summoned the people of the Jews along with the foreigners, and he made mention of these nations, which alone continually attacked the Jews. Therefore he comforts those who have suffered evil, proclaiming the punishment of those who treated them badly, and the recall from captivity, so that when the prophecy came to pass, they might be firm concerning God, who both brings justice and announces it before it happens. But the good things of the knowledge of God are proclaimed not only to the Jews, but to all the nations. And at the beginning of the whole book, having begun the prophecy concerning Jerusalem, and now having made the beginning of the nations from the Babylonians, he has arrived again at Jerusalem. Thus there is no partiality with God, who began from his own people and ended with them. The Assyrians ruled the world for thirteen hundred years, until, having besieged Jerusalem, they became inhuman toward the captives, not giving glory to God who had delivered them up; and they impiously dedicated the sacred vessels to idols. A prophetic vision comes both through the mind and the inner eyes, as if seeing future things as present, God illuminating the mind, not undergoing ecstasy, as in the case of demonic activity. For those ones do not see the images produced in them, but they see amiss, just as the demon-possessed, seeing mountains and rivers, men and beasts that are not present, none of which is a vision, but a derangement of the mind that has lost its own operation. But God says, "I have multiplied visions." But in granting a vision, he does not blind the mind, which he himself created; but by illuminating it, he makes it clearer by the presence of the spirit. For this reason they used to call the prophets "seers," as if their vision in the mind had been intensified. Who then made the seeing and the blind? The one, being a prophet, and the other, being blind to the future on account of wickedness? for profane eyes do not see the sights of the blessed. Therefore he says, "For judgment I came into the world, so that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind." And the name of the Father is added to the prophet, the account showing that he also became his teacher of prophecy, having cared for his holy upbringing and education. What then is Babylon, against which the vision came? According to history, it is the place where the languages of the tower-builders were confused. For the name is interpreted "Confusion." But in the spiritual sense, it is a mind confused by its own evils, fighting against God 2069 always, and fabricating foreign doctrines, and exalting itself in its own opinion. Therefore the prophet, leaping upon the Babylonians, says, "On a level mountain lift up a standard." For since they dealt immoderately with those from Israel, even if they were handed over to them on account of idolatry, God is reasonably indignant, and through Zechariah says, "I am zealous for Jerusalem and

λόγος, ἐφ' οὗ ἡ Ἐκκλησία Θεοῦ ᾠκοδόμηται. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ὁ ἅγιος τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ἐν μέσῳ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ὑψώθη, εὐφραίνεσθε οἱ ἐν αὐτοὶ μέσον ἔχοντες αὐτόν· κατὰ τὸ, "Ὅπου δύο καὶ τρεῖς συνηγμένοι εἰσὶν ἐν τῷ ὀνόματί μου, ἐκεῖ εἰμι ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν." Ὑψώθη τοίνυν ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῆς, εἰ καὶ γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος, λαβὼν δούλου μορφὴν, Θεὸς ἀληθινὸς ἐκ τῶν ἀποτελεσμάτων τοῖς ἀγνοοῦσιν ἀναδειχθείς. Ὀνόματι δὲ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ Σιὼν, εἰς εὐθυμίαν ἄγει τοὺς ἐκ περιτομῆς, διὰ τοῦ νομίζειν εἰρῆσθαι περὶ αὐτῶν, ὡς ἂν τὴν παροῦσαν περιέποιεν βύβλον, οἷα δὴ τὰ κάλλιστα περὶ αὐτῶν θεσπίζουσα. ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΙΓʹ. αιαʹ. 9Ὅρασις κατὰ Βαβυλῶνος, ἣν εἶδεν Ἡσαΐας υἱὸς Ἀμώς. Ἐπ' ὄρους πεδινοῦ ἄρατεσημεῖον. Ὑψώσατε τὴν φωνὴν αὐτοῖς. Μὴ φοβεῖσθε. Παρακαλεῖτε τῇ χειρὶ, ἀνοίξατε, οἱ ἄρχοντες. Ἐγὼ συντάσσω, καὶ ἐγὼ ἄγω αὐτούς. Ἡγια 2068 σμένοι εἰσὶ, καὶ ἐγὼ ἄγω αὐτούς. Γίγαντες ἔρχονται πληρῶσαι τὸν θυμόν μου, χαίροντες ἅμα καὶ ὑβρίζοντες. Φωνὴ ἐθνῶν πολλῶν ἐπὶ τῶν ὀρέων, ὁμοία ἐθνῶν πολλῶν9, κ.τ.λ. Ἑτέρας ὑποθέσεως ἄρχεται, μετὰ τὰ περὶ Χριστοῦ θεσπισθέντα, κατ' ἐθνῶν ἀλλοφύλων ἐννέα τὰς ὁράσεις ἰδὼν, ἀπὸ Βαβυλῶνος ἀρξάμενος. Αἷς καὶ τὴν φάραγγα Σιὼν περιείληφεν, τοῖς ἀλλοφύλοις καὶ τὸν Ἰουδαίων λαὸν συγκαλέσας, τούτων δὲ τῶν ἐθνῶν ἐποιήσατο μνήμην, ἃ καὶ μόνα τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις συνεχῶς ἐπετίθετο. ∆ιὸ παραμυθεῖται τοὺς πεπονθότας κακῶς, εὐαγγελιζόμενος τῶν κακῶς αὐτοῖς χρησαμένων τὴν τιμωρίαν, καὶ τὴν ἐκ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας ἀνάκλησιν, ὡς ἂν εἰς ἔργον τῆς προφητείας ἐλθούσης, βέβαιοι γένοιντο περὶ τὸν Θεὸν, τὸν καὶ δίκην ἐπάγοντα, καὶ πρὶν γενέσθαι μηνύοντα. Τὰ δὲ τῆς θεογνωσίας χρηστὰ, οὐκ Ἰουδαίοις μόνοις, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἔθνεσι πᾶσιν εὐαγγελίζεται. Ἐν ἀρχῇ δὲ τῆς ὅλης βίβλου, περὶ τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ τῆς προφητείας ἀρξάμενος, καὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν τὴν ἀρχὴν ἀπὸ Βαβυλωνίων νῦν ποιησάμενος, εἰς Ἱερουσαλὴμ πάλιν κατήντησεν. Οὕτως οὐδεμία προσωποληψία παρὰ Θεῷ ἀπὸ τῶν οἰκείων ἀρξαμένῳ καὶ λήξαντι. Ἦρξαν δὲ τῆς οἰκουμένης Ἀσσύριοι ἐπὶ ἔτη χίλια τριακόσια, μέχρι πολιορκήσαντες Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἀπάνθρωποι περὶ τοὺς ἁλόντας ἐγένοντο, μὴ δόντες δόξαν τῷ παραδεδωκότι Θεῷ· τὰ ἱερὰ δὲ σκεύη τοῖς εἰδώλοις ἀσεβῶς ἀναθέντες. Ὅρασις δὲ προφητικὴ, καὶ διὰ νοῦ, καὶ τῶν ἔνδον ὀφθαλμῶν παραγίνεται, ὡς παρόντα βλεπόντων τὰ μέλλοντα Θεοῦ τὸν νοῦν καταλάμποντος, οὐκ ἔκστασιν ὑπομενόντων, ὡς ἐπὶ τῆς δαιμονικῆς ἐνεργείας. Ἐκεῖνοι γὰρ οὐχ ὁρῶσι τὰς ἐγγιγνομένας αὐτοῖς φαντασίας, ἀλλὰ παρορῶσιν, ὥσπερ οἱ δαιμονῶντες, ὄρη καὶ ποταμοὺς, ἄνδρας τε καὶ θηρία μὴ παρόντα θεώμενοι, ὧν οὐδὲν ὅρασίς ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ παραφορὰ τοῦ νοῦ τὴν ἰδίαν ἐνέργειαν ἀπολέσαντος. Θεὸς δέ φησιν· "Ἐγὼ ὁράσεις ἐπλήθυνα." Ὅρασινδὲ χαριζόμενος, οὐ τυφλοῖ τὸν νοῦν, ὃν αὐτὸς κατεσκεύασεν· φωτίζων δὲ, ποιεῖ διαυγέστερον τῇ παρουσίᾳ τοῦ πνεύματος. ∆ιόπερ ὁρῶντας τοὺς προφήτας ὠνόμαζον, ὡς ἂν ἐπιταθείσης αὐτοῖς κατὰ νοῦν τῆς ὁράσεως. Τίς οὖν ἐποίησε βλέποντα καὶ τυφλόν; Τὸν μὲν, ὄντα προφήτην, τὸν δὲ, διὰ κακίαν πρὸς τὸ μέλλον τυφλώττοντα; ὀφθαλμοὶ γὰρ βέβηλοι τὰ τῶν μακαρίων οὐχ ὁρῶσι θεάματα. ∆ιό φησιν· "Εἰς κρῖμα ἐγὼ εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἦλθον, ἵνα οἱ μὴ βλέποντες βλέπωσι, καὶ οἱ βλέποντες τυφλοὶ γένωνται." Τῷ δὲ προφήτῃ τοὔνομα πρόσκειται τοῦ Πατρὸς, τοῦ λόγου δεικνύντος, ὡς καὶ προφητείας αὐτῷ διδάσκαλος γέγονεν, ἁγίας αὐτοῦ φροντίσας ἀνατροφῆς καὶ παιδεύσεως. Τίς οὖν ἡ Βαβυλὼν, καθ' ἧς ἡ ὅρασις γέγονεν, κατὰ μὲν τὴν ἱστορίαν, τόπος ἔνθα συνεχύθησαν τῶν πυργοποιούντων αἱ γλῶτται. Σύγχυσις γὰρ ἑρμηνεύεται τοὔνομα. Κατὰ δὲ τὸ νοητὸν, συγκεχυμένον ἐστὶ νοῦς ὑπὸ τῶν ἰδίων κακῶν θεομαχῶν 2069 ἀεὶ, καὶ πλάττων ἀλλότρια δόγματα, καὶ τὸ δοκεῖν αὐτοῖς συνυψούμενος. Φησὶ δ' οὖν τοῖς Βαβυλωνίοις ὁ προφήτης ἐπιπηδῶν, Ἐπ' ὄρους πεδινοῦ ἄρατε σημεῖον. Ἐπεὶ γὰρ ἀμέτρως ἐχρήσαντο τοῖς ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ, εἰ καὶ δι' εἰδωλολατρείαν αὐτοῖς παρεδόθησαν, ἀγανακτεῖ Θεὸς εἰκότως, καὶ διὰ Ζαχαρίου φησίν· "Ἐζήλωκα τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ καὶ