Chapter CXXIII.—Ridiculous interpretations of the Jews. Christians are the true Israel.

“As, therefore, all these latter prophecies refer to Christ and the nations, you should believe that the former refer to Him and them in like manner. For the proselytes have no need of a covenant, if, since there is one and the same law imposed on all that are circumcised, the Scripture speaks about them thus: ‘And the stranger shall also be joined with them, and shall be joined to the house of Jacob;’476    Isa. xiv. 1. and because the proselyte, who is circumcised that he may have access to the people, becomes like one of themselves,477    Literally, “a native of the land.” while we who have been deemed worthy to be called a people are yet Gentiles, because we have not been circumcised. Besides, it is ridiculous for you to imagine that the eyes of the proselytes are to be opened while your own are not, and that you be understood as blind and deaf while they are enlightened. And it will be still more ridiculous for you, if you say that the law has been given to the nations, but you have not known it. For you would have stood in awe of God’s wrath, and would not have been lawless, wandering sons; being much afraid of hearing God always say, ‘Children in whom is no faith. And who are blind, but my servants? and deaf, but they that rule over them? And the servants of God have been made blind. You see often, but have not observed; your ears have been opened, and you have not heard.’478    Deut. xxxii. 20; Isa. xlii. 19 f. Is God’s commendation of you honourable? and is God’s testimony seemly for His servants? You are not ashamed though you often hear these words. You do not tremble at God’s threats, for you are a people foolish and hard-hearted. ‘Therefore, behold, I will proceed to remove this people,’ saith the Lord; ‘and I will remove them, and destroy the wisdom of the wise, and hide the understanding of the prudent.’479    Isa. xxix. 14. Deservedly too: for you are neither wise nor prudent, but crafty and unscrupulous; wise only to do evil, but utterly incompetent to know the hidden counsel of God, or the faithful covenant of the Lord, or to find out the everlasting paths. ‘Therefore, saith the Lord, I will raise up to Israel and to Judah the seed of men and the seed of beasts.’480    Jer. xxxi. 27. And by Isaiah He speaks thus concerning another Israel: ‘In that day shall there be a third Israel among the Assyrians and the Egyptians, blessed in the land which the Lord of Sabaoth hath blessed, saying, blessed shall my people in Egypt and in Assyria be, and Israel mine inheritance.’481    Isa. xix. 24 f. Since then God blesses this people, and calls them Israel, and declares them to be His inheritance, how is it that you repent not of the deception you practise on yourselves, as if you alone were the Israel, and of execrating the people whom God has blessed? For when He speaks to Jerusalem and its environs, He thus added: ‘And I will beget men upon you, even my people Israel; and they shall inherit you, and you shall be a possession for them; and you shall be no longer bereaved of them.’ ”482    Ezek. xxxvi. 12.

“What, then?” says Trypho; “are you Israel? and speaks He such things of you?”

“If, indeed,” I replied to him, “we had not entered into a lengthy483    [I cannot forbear to note this “Americanism” in the text.] discussion on these topics, I might have doubted whether you ask this question in ignorance; but since we have brought the matter to a conclusion by demonstration and with your assent, I do not believe that you are ignorant of what I have just said, or desire again mere contention, but that you are urging me to exhibit the same proof to these men.” And in compliance with the assent expressed in his eyes, I continued: “Again in Isaiah, if you have ears to hear it, God, speaking of Christ in parable, calls Him Jacob and Israel. He speaks thus: ‘Jacob is my servant, I will uphold Him; Israel is mine elect, I will put my Spirit upon Him, and He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not strive, nor cry, neither shall any one hear His voice in the street: a bruised reed He shall not break, and smoking flax He shall not quench; but He shall bring forth judgment to truth: He shall shine,484    LXX. ἀναλάμψει, as above. The reading of the text is ἀναληψει. and shall not be broken till He have set judgment on the earth. And in His name shall the Gentiles trust.’485    Isa. xlii. 1–4. As therefore from the one man Jacob, who was surnamed Israel, all your nation has been called Jacob and Israel; so we from Christ, who begat us unto God, like Jacob, and Israel, and Judah, and Joseph, and David, are called and are the true sons of God, and keep the commandments of Christ.”

[123] Ὡς οὖν πάντα ταῦτα εἴρηται πρὸς τὸν Χριστὸν καὶ τὰ ἔθνη, οὕτως κἀκεῖνα εἰρῆσθαι νομίζετε. οὐδὲν γὰρ χρῄζουσιν οἱ προσήλυτοι διαθήκης, εἰ, ἑνὸς καὶ τοῦ αὐτοῦ πᾶσι τοῖς περιτεμνομένοις κειμένου νόμου, περὶ ἐκείνων οὕτως ἡ γραφὴ λέγει: Καὶ προστεθήσεται καὶ ὁ γηόρας πρὸς αὐτούς, καὶ προστεθήσεται πρὸς τὸν οἶκον Ἰακώβ. καὶ ὅτι μὲν προσήλυτος ὁ περιτεμνόμενος εἰς τὸ τῷ λαῷ προσκεχωρηκέναι ἐστὶν ὡς αὐτόχθων, ἡμεῖς δὲ λαὸς κεκλῆσθαι ἠξιωμένοι ὁμοίως ἔθνος ἐσμὲν διὰ τὸ ἀπερίτμητοι εἶναι. πρὸς δὲ καὶ γελοῖόν ἐστιν ἡγεῖσθαι ὑμᾶς τῶν μὲν προσηλύτων αὐτῶν ἀνεῷχθαι τὰ ὄμματα, ὑμῶν δὲ οὔ, καὶ ὑμᾶς μὲν ἀκούειν τυφλοὺς καὶ κωφούς, ἐκείνους δὲ πεφωτισμένους. Καὶ ἔτι γελοιότερον ἀποβήσεται ὑμῖν τὸ πρᾶγμα, εἰ τὸν νόμον τοῖς ἔθνεσι δεδόσθαι φήσετε, ὑμεῖς δὲ οὐκ ἐκεῖνον τὸν νόμον ἔγνωτε. ηὐλαβεῖσθε γὰρ ἂν τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ ὀργήν, καὶ υἱοὶ ἄνομοι καὶ ῥεμβεύοντες οὐκ ἂν ἦτε, δυσωπούμενοι ἀκούειν ἑκάστοτε λέγοντος αὐτοῦ: Υἱοί, οἷς οὐκ ἔστι πίστις ἐν αὐτοῖς: καί: Τίς τυφλὸς ἀλλ' ἢ οἱ παῖδές μου, καὶ κωφὸς ἀλλ' ἢ οἱ κυριεύοντες αὐτῶν; καὶ ἐτυφλώθησαν οἱ δοῦλοι τοῦ θεοῦ. εἴδετε πολλάκις, καὶ οὐκ ἐφυλάξασθε: ἀνεῳγμένα τὰ ὦτα ὑμῶν, καὶ οὐκ ἠκούσατε. ἢ καλὸς ὑμῶν ὁ ἔπαινος τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ θεοῦ μαρτυρία δούλοις πρέπουσα; οὐκ αἰσχύνεσθε πολλάκις ταὐτὰ ἀκούοντες, οὐδὲ ἀπειλοῦντος τοῦ θεοῦ φρίσσετε, ἀλλ' ἦ λαὸς μωρὸς καὶ σκληροκάρδιός ἐστε. Διὰ τοῦτο ἰδοὺ προσθήσω τοῦ μεταθεῖναι τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον, λέγει κύριος, καὶ μεταθήσω αὐτούς, καὶ ἀπολῶ τὴν σοφίαν τῶν σοφῶν καὶ τὴν σύνεσιν τῶν συνετῶν κρύψω. εὐλόγως. οὐ γὰρ σοφοί ἐστε οὐδὲ συνετοί, ἀλλὰ δριμεῖς καὶ πανοῦργοι: σοφοὶ εἰς τὸ κακοποιῆσαι μόνον, γνῶναι δὲ βουλὴν θεοῦ κεκρυμμένην ἢ διαθήκην κυρίου πιστὴν ἢ τρίβους αἰωνίους εὑρεῖν ἀδύνατοι. τοιγαροῦν: Ἐγερῶ, φησί, τῷ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ τῷ Ἰούδᾳ σπέρμα ἀνθρώπων καὶ σπέρμα κτηνῶν. καὶ διὰ Ἠσαίου περὶ ἄλλου Ἰσραὴλ οὕτω φησί: Τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ ἔσται τρίτος Ἰσραὴλ ἐν τοῖς Ἀσσυρίοις καὶ Αἰγυπτίοις, εὐλογημένος ἐν τῇ γῇ, ἣν εὐλόγησε κύριος Σαβαὼθ λέγων: Εὐλογημένος ἔσται ὁ λαός μου ὁ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ καὶ ὁ ἐν Ἀσσυρίοις, καὶ ἡ κληρονομία μου Ἰσραήλ. εὐλογοῦντος οὖν τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ Ἰσραὴλ τοῦτον τὸν λαὸν καλοῦντος καὶ κληρονομίαν αὐτοῦ βοῶντος εἶναι, πῶς οὐ μετανοεῖτε ἐπί τε τῷ ἑαυτοὺς ἀπατᾶν, ὡς μόνοι Ἰσραὴλ ὄντες, καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ καταρᾶσθαι τὸν εὐλογημένον τοῦ θεοῦ λαόν; καὶ γὰρ ὅτε πρὸς τὴν Ἰερουσαλὴμ καὶ τὰς πέριξ αὐτῆς ἔλεγε χώρας, οὕτω πάλιν ἐπεῖπε: Καὶ γεννήσω ἐφ' ὑμᾶς ἀνθρώπους, τὸν λαόν μου Ἰσραήλ, καὶ κληρονομήσουσιν ὑμᾶς καὶ ἔσεσθε αὐτοῖς εἰς κατάσχεσιν, καὶ οὐ μὴ προστεθῆτε ἔτι ἀτεκνωθῆναι ἀπ' αὐτῶν. Τί οὖν; φησὶν ὁ Τρύφων. Ὑμεῖς Ἰσραήλ ἐστε, καὶ περὶ ὑμῶν λέγει ταῦτα; Εἰ μέν, ἔφην αὐτῷ, μὴ περὶ τούτων καὶ πολὺν λόγον πεποιήμεθα, κἂν ἀμφέβαλλον μή τι οὐ συνίων τοῦτο ἐρωτᾷς: ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ μετὰ ἀποδείξεως καὶ συγκαταθέσεως καὶ τοῦτο συνηγάγομεν τὸ ζήτημα, οὐ νομίζω σε ἀγνοεῖν μὲν τὰ προειρημένα οὐδὲ πάλιν φιλεριστεῖν, ἀλλὰ προκαλεῖσθαί με καὶ τούτοις τὴν αὐτὴν ἀπόδειξιν ποιήσασθαι. Καὶ τῷ διὰ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν νεύματι συντιθεμένου: Πάλιν, ἔλεγον ἐγώ, ἐν τῷ Ἠσαίᾳ, ὠσὶν ἀκούοντες εἰ ἄρα ἀκούετε, περὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ λέγων ὁ θεὸς ἐν παραβολῇ Ἰακὼβ αὐτὸν καλεῖ καὶ Ἰσραήλ. οὕτω λέγει: Ἰακὼβ ὁ παῖς μου, ἀντιλήψομαι αὐτοῦ. Ἰσραὴλ ἐκλεκτός μου, θήσω τὸ πνεῦμά μου ἐπ' αὐτόν, καὶ κρίσιν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἐξοίσει. οὐκ ἐρίσει οὔτε κράξει, οὔτε ἀκούσεταί τις ἐν ταῖς πλατείαις τὴν φωνὴν αὐτοῦ: κάλαμον συντετριμμένον οὐ κατεάξει καὶ λίνον τυφόμενον οὐ μὴ σβέσει, ἀλλὰ εἰς ἀλήθειαν ἐξοίσει, κρίσιν ἀναλήψει καὶ οὐ μὴ θραυσθήσεται, ἕως ἂν θῇ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς κρίσιν: καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ ἐλπιοῦσιν ἔθνη. ὡς οὖν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἑνὸς Ἰακὼβ ἐκείνου, τοῦ καὶ Ἰσραὴλ ἐπικληθέντος, τὸ πᾶν γένος ὑμῶν προσηγόρευτο Ἰακὼβ καὶ Ἰσραήλ, οὕτω καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀπὸ τοῦ γεννήσαντος ἡμᾶς εἰς θεὸν Χριστοῦ, ὡς καὶ Ἰακὼβ καὶ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ Ἰούδα καὶ Ἰωσὴφ καὶ Δαυείδ, καὶ θεοῦ τέκνα ἀληθινὰ καλούμεθα καὶ ἐσμέν, οἱ τὰς ἐντολὰς τοῦ Χριστοῦ φυλάσσοντες.