103
Neither the Hebrew reading nor the other interpreters have said all her merchandise, but they have declared that a certain part of her merchandise and of her wages is offered to those who dwell before the Lord by the faithful who inhabit Tyre. In deed, the conclusion of the decree is shown to be fulfilled according to the given account. And who, upon encountering these things, would not marvel at the prophecy made so many years ago, which says that the idolaters and those exceedingly terrified by the polytheistic error, being also enemies and foes of the Jews always, would come to such a change, as to know the God honored among the Jews and to bring him gifts, which indeed are shown to have been accomplished in deeds through the grace of our Savior Jesus Christ. In these things, the prophecies concerning the foreign nations have their summary; but what follows takes up another subject. 1.84 Beginning, the prophet saw the things “against Judea and against Jerusalem,” but proceeding after many things said in between, he went through the things “concerning the foreign nations,” then having made a partial mention of the enumerated nations, he accordingly, through the present text, sets forth a universal prophecy, decreeing concerning the whole world; for “the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof.” Reasonably, as if caring for all men, he proclaims to the world the things concerning the judgment of God that is to overtake all men, “on the day when God judges the secrets of men.” That the present text sets forth a universal teaching you would know by observing how it speaks clearly not of Judea nor of Samaria, nor even of Tyre or Damascus or Babylon or any other nation, but the account deals with the end of life and the judgment that will come after these things, so that all men might be taught the things that will succeed the impious after the present life and the things stored up in good things for the God-fearing. And he makes a beginning from the gloomier things, in order to end on the better things. Therefore he says: Behold, the Lord destroys the world and will make it desolate; for since those on earth are judged and are being transferred to certain other regions of the whole cosmos, it was consequent that the former dwelling place of men be left desolate because those who dwell in it no longer exist. And he says he will uncover the face of the earth, that is its surface, so that those who have been covered in it may come forth to the light, the word signifying the manner of the resurrection of the dead. And he will scatter those who dwell in it, or according to Aquila and Theodotion he will disperse, one to one place, another to another, according to the proportion of each one's deeds; for “many are the mansions with the Father,” and great and vast is the world of God, so as to be able to receive all the souls that have lived on earth since the beginning of time, the impious having been allotted Hades and the dwellings under the earth, both dark and unseen recesses, according to that: “they will go into the lowest parts of the earth; they will be delivered into the hands of the sword, they will be portions for foxes,” but the pious “being caught up” “in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and so always with the Lord” “to be.” And when the bodies hidden in the earth are uncovered, the ones being judged “will stand before the judgment seat” of the great judge equally, “all” of them, so that those who once in mortal life seemed to have had something more, either in rank or birth or wealth, differ in nothing from those who were inferior; for “all” will then equally “stand before the judgment seat of Christ.” Likewise the priest and similarly to the priest the people, and all who are similar; “since there is no partiality with God.” Wherefore it is also said in Job: “the small and the great are there, and the servant not fearing his lord.” And again likewise the slave and the master and she who was once the maidservant
103
Ἑβραϊκὴ ἀνάγνωσις οὔτε οἱ λοιποὶ ἑρμηνευταὶ τὸ πᾶσα ἡ ἐμπορία αὐτῆς εἰρήκασι, μέρος δέ τι τῆς ἐμπορίας αὐτῆς καὶ τοῦ μισθοῦ τοῖς κατοικοῦσιν ἔναντι κυρίου ὑπὸ τῶν πιστῶν τῶν τὴν Τύρον οἰκούντων προσφέρεσθαι δεδηλώκασιν. ἔργῳ δείκνυται τὸ συμπέρασμα τοῦ θεσπίσματος πεπληρωμένον κατὰ ἀποδοθέντα λόγον. τίς δὲ τούτοις ἐντυγχάνων οὐκ ἀποθαυμάσει τὴν πρὸ τοσούτων χρόνων γενομένην πρόρρησιν, ἣ τοὺς εἰδωλολάτρας καὶ ἐκτόπως περὶ τὴν πολύθεον πλάνην ἐπτοημένους, Ἰουδαίων τε ὄντας ἐχθροὺς καὶ πολεμίους πάντοτε εἰς τοσοῦτον ἥξειν μεταβολῆς φησιν, ὡς τὸν παρὰ Ἰουδαίοις τιμώμενον θεὸν γνώσεσθαι καὶ δῶρα αὐτῷ προσάξειν, ἃ δὴ καὶ ταῦτα διὰ τῆς τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ χάριτος ἔργοις ἀποτελεσθέντα δείκνυται. ἐν τούτοις περιγραφὴν ἔχουσιν αἱ περὶ τῶν ἀλλοφύλων ἐθνῶν προφητεῖαι, τὰ δ' ἑξῆς ἑτέρας ἅπτεται ὑποθέσεως. 1.84 Ἀρχόμενος ὁ προφήτης τὰ «κατὰ τῆς Ἰουδαίας καὶ κατὰ τῆς Ἰερουσαλὴμ» ἑώρα προϊὼν δὲ μετὰ πολλὰ τὰ μεταξὺ λελεγμένα τὰ «περὶ τῶν ἀλλοφύλων», διεξῆλθεν εἶτα μερικὴν μνήμην ποιησάμενος τῶν κατηριθμημένων ἐθνῶν, ἀκολούθως διὰ τῶν προκειμένων καθολικὴν ἐκτίθεται προφητείαν περὶ πάσης θεσπίζων τῆς οἰκουμένης· ἐπειδὴ γὰρ «τοῦ κυρίου ἡ γῆ καὶ τὸ πλήρωμα αὐτῆς». εἰκότως ὡς ἂν εἰ πάντων ἀνθρώπων κηδόμενος διαστέλλεται τῇ οἰκουμένῃ τὰ περὶ τῆς μελλούσης ἅπαντας ἀνθρώπους διαλήψεσθαι τοῦ θεοῦ κρίσεως, «ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ὅτε κρίνει ὁ θεὸς τὰ κρυπτὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων». ὅτι δὲ τὰ προκείμενα καθολικὴν ποιεῖται διδασκαλίαν γνῴης ἂν ἐπιτηρήσας, ὡς οὔτε τῆς Ἰουδαίας οὔτε τῆς Σαμαρείας, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ Τύρου ἢ ∆αμασκοῦ ἢ Βαβυλῶνος ἢ ἄλλου τινὸς ἔθνους, σαφῶς δὲ ὁ λόγος περὶ τῆς συντελείας τοῦ βίου καὶ τῆς μετὰ ταῦτα ἐπιστησομένης κρίσεως διαλαμβάνει, ὡς ἂν πάντες ἄνθρωποι διδαχθεῖεν τὰ τοὺς ἀσεβεῖς διαδεξόμενα μετὰ τὸν ἐνεστῶτα βίον καὶ τὰ τοῖς θεοσεβέσιν ἐν ἀγαθοῖς τεταμιευμένα. ἀρχὴν δὲ ποιεῖται ἀπὸ τῶν σκυθρωποτέρων, ἵν' ἐπὶ τὰ χρηστότερα καταλήξῃ. διό φησιν· Ἰδοὺ κύριος καταφθείρει τὴν οἰκουμένην καὶ ἐρημώσει αὐτήν· κρινομένων γὰρ τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ μετατιθεμένων εἰς ἕτερά τινα τοῦ σύμπαντος κόσμου χωρία, ἀκόλουθον ἦν τὸ πάλαι τῶν ἀνθρώπων οἰκητήριον ἔρημον καταλειφθῆναι διὰ τὸ μηκέτ' ὑπάρχειν τοὺς ἐνοικοῦντας ἐν αὐτῷ. καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον δὲ τῆς γῆς φησι, τοῦτ' ἔστι τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν αὐτῆς, ἀνακαλύψει, ὅπως οἱ ἐν αὐτῇ κεκαλυμμένοι εἰς φῶς προέλθοιεν σημαίνοντος τοῦ λόγου τὸν τῆς τῶν νεκρῶν ἀναστάσεως τρόπον. καὶ διασπερεῖ τοὺς ἐνοικοῦντας ἐν αὐτῇ, ἢ κατὰ τὸν Ἀκύλαν καὶ τὸν Θεοδοτίωνα διασκορπίσει, ἄλλον ἀλλαχοῦ κατὰ τὴν ἀναλογίαν τῶν ἑκάστου πράξεων· «πολλαὶ» γὰρ «μοναὶ παρὰ τῷ πατρί», μέγας τε καὶ πολὺς ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ κόσμος, ὡς δύνασθαι πάσας ὑποδέχεσθαι καὶ τὰς ἐξ αἰῶνος ἐν τῇ γῇ πεπολιτευμένας ψυχάς, τῶν μὲν ἀσεβῶν τὸν ᾅδην καὶ τὰ ὑπὸ γῆν οἰκητήρια, σκοτείους τε καὶ ἀοράτους μυχοὺς κληρωσαμένων κατὰ τό· «εἰσελεύσονται εἰς τὰ κατώτατα τῆς γῆς· παραδοθήσονται εἰς χεῖρας ῥομφαίας, μερίδες ἀλωπέκων ἔσονται», τῶν δὲ εὐσεβῶν «ἁρπαγησομένων» «ἐν νεφέλαις εἰς ἀπάντησιν τοῦ κυρίου εἰς ἀέρα καὶ οὕτως πάντοτε σὺν κυρίῳ» «γενησομένων». ἐπειδὰν δὲ ἀνακαλυφθῇ τὰ ἐγκεκρυμμένα ἐν τῇ γῇ σώματα, «παραστήσονται» οἱ κρινόμενοι «πρὸ τοῦ βήματος» τοῦ μεγάλου κριτοῦ ἐξ ἴσου «πάντες», ὡς μηδὲν διαφέρειν τοὺς ἐν τῷ θνητῷ βίῳ ποτὲ δόξαντας πλεῖόν τι ἐσχηκέναι ἤτοι ἐπ' ἀξιώματι ἢ γένει ἢ πλούτῳ τῶν ὑποδεεστέρων· «πάντες γὰρ» ἐξ ἴσου τότε «παραστήσονται τῷ βήματι τοῦ Χριστοῦ». ὁμοίως ἱερεὺς καὶ τῷ ἱερεῖ παραπλησίως ὁ λαός, καὶ οἱ ὅμοιοι πάντες· «ἐπεὶ μή» «ἐστι προσωποληψία παρὰ τῷ θεῷ». διὸ εἴρηται καὶ παρὰ τῷ Ἰώβ· «μικρὸς καὶ μέγας ἐκεῖ ἐστι καὶ θεράπων οὐ δεδοικὼς τὸν κύριον αὐτοῦ». καὶ πάλιν ὁμοίως ὁ δοῦλος καὶ ὁ δεσπότης καὶ ἡ ποτὲ δὲ θεράπαινα