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having learned this from the divine spirit, the prophet confesses to have been “amazed” at what he had heard and to have been afraid, saying: “O Lord, I have heard your report, and I was afraid; O Lord, I considered your works, and I was amazed.” 6.15.3 But our savior and lord, this very Word of God, “was made known in the midst of two lives,” “of the lives” here being plural and with a circumflex, understood from the singular noun “of the life.” 6.15.4 For it is not said with a paroxytone accent “of the living beings” or from the neuter “the living being,” but “of lives” with a circumflex accent from the plural nominative “the lives.” “In the midst of two,” he says, “lives you will be known.” For there being one life according to God and the other according to man, and the one mortal, the other eternal, the Lord, having come through the experience of both, is fittingly said “to be known in the midst of two lives” according to the interpretation of the Seventy; for according to Aquila it is not so, but it is said, “in the drawing near of the years, give it life.” 6.15.5 What does “it” mean, but your work?, he says. And Theodotion says, “in the midst of the years give him life,” and Symmachus has rendered it, “within the years revive him.” Therefore, all who say “give him life” have clearly shown that the discourse is not about any irrational or rational living beings. 6.15.6 Therefore, with respect to the saying in the Septuagint, “in the midst of two lives you will be known,” we have not understood it according to those before us, but we have said that two lives of the one prophesied are signified, the one divine, the other human. 6.15.7 To these things the prophet adds: “When my soul is troubled, in wrath you will remember mercy,” teaching that he was disturbed, having perceived in the spirit the time of the passion of the one prophesied. But nevertheless at this very time, he says, in which my soul was troubled, when wrath such as never before was hanging over mankind because of the impieties dared against the Lord, the most philanthropic Lord himself remembered mercy instead of wrath, as being the son of a good father. 6.15.8 His passion, therefore, became for the whole world the cause of salvation according to God and of mercy. To these things it is added: “God will come from Teman.” And Teman is translated into the Greek language as “consummation,” so that it would make no difference if it were clearly said, “God will come at the consummation.” For at the consummation of the age and in these last days has appeared to us the beneficence of the God of all through our savior. 6.15.9 But perhaps in these things he also prophesies his second and glorious arrival, so that the words from “God will come from Teman” should be read from another starting point, as he will come at the consummation of the age from the southern parts of heaven; for “Teman” is translated as “the south.” 6.15.10 Wherefore Theodotion interprets it in this way: “God will come from the south.” And the next thing said, “and the Holy One from a shady, wooded mountain,” you will understand by comparing the words in Zechariah that are thus: “I saw in the night, and behold a man riding on a red horse, and he stood between the shady mountains.” 6.15.11 This one, therefore, riding “on a red horse” and standing “between the shady mountains,” I consider to be the very one signified in the prophecy at hand, which says: the Holy One will come “from a shady, wooded mountain.” For in both, shady mountains are mentioned, and I consider them to be the paradise of God, which he “planted” “in Eden toward the east,” or even the heavenly Jerusalem; for “mountains are round about her, and the Lord is round about his people.” 6.15.12 These, therefore, are called shady, because they are full of divine powers and holy spirits, as if overgrown and densely wooded. But in Zechariah a man is clearly seen riding on a red horse, thus signifying the incarnation of our savior and the flesh which he mounted; but here he has been named God and Holy One. 6.15.13 For as having made his arrival from God to men, and as if from the more divine things

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αὐτὸν θείου πνεύματος μαθών, «ἐκστῆναι» ὁ προφήτης ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀκουσθεῖσι καὶ πεφοβῆσθαι ὁμολογεῖ φάσκων· «κύριε, εἰσακήκοα τὴν ἀκοήν σου, καὶ ἐφοβήθην· κύριε, κατενόησα τὰ ἔργα σου, καὶ ἐξέστην». 6.15.3 ὁ σωτὴρ δὲ καὶ κύριος ἡμῶν, αὐτὸς οὗτος ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγος, «ἐν μέσῳ δύο ζωῶν ἐγνώσθη», πληθυντικῶς ἐνταῦθα καὶ περισπωμένως «τῶν ζωῶν» ἀπὸ ἑνικοῦ τοῦ «τῆς ζωῆς» ὀνόματος ἐξακουομένων. 6.15.4 οὐ γὰρ παροξυτόνως «τῶν ζώων» ἢ ἀπὸ οὐδετέρου τοῦ ζώου λέγεται, ἀλλὰ «ζωῶν» περισπωμένως ἀπὸ πληθυντικῆς εὐθείας τῆς «αἱ ζωαί». «δύο οὖν», φησίν, «ζωῶν μέσον γνωσθήσῃ». μιᾶς γὰρ οὔσης τῆς κατὰ θεὸν ζωῆς καὶ θατέρας τῆς κατὰ ἄνθρωπον, καὶ τῆς μὲν θνητῆς τῆς δὲ ἀϊδίου, ἀμφοτέρων εἰκότως ὁ κύριος διὰ πείρας ἐλθών, «ἐν μέσῳ δύο ζωῶν γνωσθῆναι» λέγεται κατὰ τὴν τῶν ἑβδομήκοντα ἑρμηνείαν· κατὰ γὰρ τὸν Ἀκύλαν οὐχ οὕτως, ἀλλ' «ἐν τῷ ἐγγίζειν τὰ ἔτη ζώωσον αὐτό» εἴρηται 6.15.5 τί δὲ «αὐτὸ» ἢ τὸ κάτεργόν σού φησιν;, καὶ ὁ Θεοδοτίων δέ φησιν «ἐν μέσῳ ἐτῶν ζώωσον αὐτόν», καὶ ὁ Σύμμαχος «ἐντὸς τῶν ἐνιαυτῶν ἀναζώωσον αὐτόν» ἐκδέδωκεν. πάντες οὖν «ζώωσον αὐτόν» εἰπόντες, σαφῶς ὅτι μὴ περὶ οἷον ἀλόγων τινῶν ἢ λογικῶν ζῴων ὁ λόγος τυγχάνει παρέστησαν. 6.15.6 διὸ παρὰ τοῖς ἑβδομήκοντα λεγομένου τοῦ «ἐν μέσῳ δύο ζωῶν γνωσθήσῃ» οὐ κατὰ τοὺς πρὸ ἡμῶν ἐξειλήφαμεν, ἀλλὰ δύο ζωὰς τοῦ προφητευομένου δηλοῦσθαι ἔφαμεν, μίαν μὲν τὴν ἔνθεον, θατέραν δὲ τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην. 6.15.7 Τούτοις ὁ προφήτης ἐπιλέγει· «ἐν τῷ ταραχθῆναι τὴν ψυχήν μου, ἐν ὀργῇ ἐλέους μνησθήσῃ», διδάσκων ὅτι τὸν τοῦ πάθους τοῦ προφητευομένου καιρὸν συνιδὼν τῷ πνεύματι τεθορύβητο. πλὴν ἀλλ' ἐν αὐτῷ τούτῳ, φησίν, τῷ καιρῷ, ἐφ' ᾧ τὴν ψυχὴν ἐταράχθην. ὀργῆς τοῖς ἀνθρώποις οὐδεπώποτε ἄλλοτε ἐπαιωρηθείσης διὰ τὰς τολμηθείσας κατὰ τοῦ κυρίου δυσσεβείας, ἐλέους αὐτὸς ὁ φιλανθρωπότατος κύριος ἀντὶ ὀργῆς ἐμνήσθη, ὡς ἂν ἀγαθοῦ τυγχάνων πατρὸς υἱός. 6.15.8 τὸ γοῦν πάθος αὐτοῦ τῷ παντὶ κόσμῳ σωτηρίας τῆς κατὰ θεὸν καὶ ἐλέους κατέστη αἴτιον. τούτοις ἐπιλέγεται· «ὁ θεὸς ἀπὸ Θαιμὰν ἥξει». τὸ δὲ Θαιμὰν μεταλαμβάνεται εἰς τὴν ἑλλάδα φωνὴν «συντέλεια», ὡς μηδὲν διαφέρειν εἰ σαφῶς ἐλέγετο «ὁ θεὸς ἐπὶ συντελείᾳ ἥξει». ἐπὶ γὰρ συντελείᾳ τοῦ αἰῶνος καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἐσχάταις ταύταις ἡμέραις ἐπέφανεν ἡμῖν ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων διὰ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν εὐεργεσία. 6.15.9 τάχα δὲ καὶ τὴν δευτέραν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔνδοξον ἐν τούτοις ἄφιξιν θεσπίζει, ὥστε ἀπὸ ἑτέρας ἀναγινώσκεσθαι ἀρχῆς τὰ ἀπὸ τοῦ «ὁ θεὸς ἀπὸ Θαιμὰν ἥξει», ὡς ἐπὶ συντελείᾳ τοῦ αἰῶνος ἥξοντος αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τῶν κατὰ τὰ νότια μέρη τοῦ οὐρανοῦ· μεταλαμβάνεται γὰρ «Θαιμὰν» εἰς τὸν «νότον». 6.15.10 διόπερ ὁ Θεοδοτίων τοῦτον ἑρμηνεύει τὸν τρόπον· «ὁ θεὸς ἀπὸ νοτίου ἥξει». Τὸ δὲ ἑξῆς εἰρημένον «καὶ ὁ ἅγιος ἐξ ὄρους κατασκίου δασέος» νοήσεις παραθεὶς τὰς οὕτως ἐχούσας ἐν τῷ Ζαχαρίᾳ φωνάς· «ἑώρακα τὴν νύκτα, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἀνὴρ ἐπιβεβηκὼς ἐπὶ ἵππον πυρρόν, καὶ οὗτος εἱστήκει ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν ὀρέων τῶν κατασκίων». 6.15.11 τοῦτον γοῦν τὸν ἐπιβεβηκότα «ἐπὶ ἵππον πυρρόν», καὶ ἑστῶτα «ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν ὀρέων τῶν κατασκίων», αὐτὸν ἡγοῦμαι εἶναι τὸν ἐν τῇ μετὰ χεῖρας δηλούμενον προφητείᾳ φασκούσῃ· τὸν ἅγιον ἥξειν «ἐξ ὄρους κατασκίου δασέος». ἐν ἑκατέροις γοῦν ὄρη κατάσκια λέλεκται, καὶ ἡγοῦμαι τοῦ παραδείσου τοῦ θεοῦ τυγχάνειν, ὃν «ἐφύτευσεν» «ἐν Ἐδὲμ κατ' ἀνατολάς», ἢ καὶ τῆς ἐπουρανίου Ἱερουσαλήμ· «ὄρη» γὰρ «κύκλῳ αὐτῆς, καὶ κύριος κύκλῳ τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ»· 6.15.12 ταῦτα γοῦν διὰ τὸ πλήρη τυγχάνειν θείων δυνάμεων καὶ πνευμάτων ἁγίων ὡς ἂν σύμφυτα καὶ ἀμφιλαφῆ κατάσκια λέγεται. ἀλλ' ἐν μὲν τῷ Ζαχαρίᾳ σαφῶς ἀνὴρ ἐποχούμενος ἵππῳ πυρρῷ θεωρεῖται, οὕτω τῆς τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἐνανθρωπήσεως καὶ τῆς σαρκός, ᾗ ἐπωχήσατο, δηλουμένης· ἐνταῦθα δὲ ὁ θεὸς καὶ ἅγιος ὠνόμασται· 6.15.13 ὡς γὰρ ἐκ θεοῦ εἰς ἀνθρώπους τὴν ἄφιξιν πεποιημένος, καὶ ὡς ἂν ἐκ τῶν θειοτέρων