153
of your rising. Let the Jews say which kings embraced worship according to the law, and which nations were guided through them to the God of all. But they could not show it, while among us the fulfillment of the prophecy is seen; for the light of the holy church of God both illuminated the nations and guided kings to the truth. 4Lift up your eyes round about and see all your children gathered together; all <the> sons have come from afar. And your daughters shall be carried upon shoulders. Nor does this precisely fit the Jews; for not all who were taken captive returned, but those from the tribe of Judah, and not even all of these, but as many as held to their ancestral piety; for some remained, having embraced the life among the Assyrians, others chose to dwell in Egypt, and others were scattered among all the nations. But the church of God gathers her children from all the nations; and one can see people from the whole inhabited world running together to the |176 a| city of Jerusalem, not to worship God in the temple of the Jews, but to see the much-spoken-of places of the cross, the resurrection, and the ascension. 5Then you will see and you will rejoice and you will be afraid and you will be amazed in your heart, because the wealth of the sea and of nations and of peoples will be turned to you. This does not fit the Jews either; for the wealth of what nations and peoples was brought to them? But the church of God receives what was formerly offered to demons, and the once bitter sea of the nations, having been sweetened by the wood of the saving cross and having received the paradoxical change, offers its gifts to the church of God, and they especially bring these to the city of Jerusalem, running together from every land and sea. 6And droves of camels will come, and camels of Midian and Ephah will cover you, all from Sheba will come bearing gold, and they will bring you frankincense, and they will proclaim the salvation of the Lord, 7and all the flocks of Kedar will be gathered to you, and the rams of Nebaioth will come to you, and acceptable gifts will be brought up for you upon my altar, and my house of prayer will be glorified. Midian and Kedar and Ephah are nations of barbarian nomads who trace their lineage from Ishmael, and Sheba is an Ethiopian tribe. And the Lord also teaches in the holy gospels; for the one whom the history of the Kings calls the queen of Sheba, the Lord calls the queen of the Ethiopians, and he says thus: “The queen of the Ethiopians will rise up and condemn this generation; because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.” Among these was also the eunuch whom Philip initiated and baptized. And the divine David also said these things, foretelling the incarnation of the Lord. For having said: “He will come down like rain upon a fleece and like drops that drip on the earth, in his days righteousness will spring up,” he adds: “And he will rule from sea to sea and from the rivers to the ends of the inhabited world. Before him Ethiopians will fall down, and his enemies will lick the dust, the kings of Tarshish and the islands will bring gifts, the kings of the Arabs and of Sheba will offer gifts, and all the kings of the earth will worship him, all the nations will serve him.” And the peoples of Kedar and of Midian and Ephah and Nebaioth, who inhabit the deserts of Arabia, are also called Arabs; and these ride on camels and dromedaries. And indeed, they are accustomed to offer gifts from these things to the God of all; and those who draw near to this apostle offer gifts to him, and those who neighbor <this> martyr propitiate God through him and bring, as it were, first-fruits of whatever they promise. And in addition to the camels, they are accustomed to offer sheep. But if anyone should understand the meaning of the sayings precisely, he will find that the people themselves are called sheep and rams and camels. For it did not say: They will bring camels, but: Droves of camels will come and camels will cover you
153
ἀνατολῆς ςου. Εἰπάτωσαν Ἰουδαῖοι ποῖοι βασιλεῖς τὴν κατὰ νόμον λατρείαν ἠσπάσαντο, ποῖα δὲ ἔθνη δι' αὐτῶν ἐποδηγήθη πρὸς τὸν τῶν ὅλων θεόν. Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνοι μὲν οὐκ ἂν δείξαιεν, παρ' ἡμῖν δὲ ὁρᾶται τῆς προφητείας τὸ τέλος· τῆς γὰρ ἁγίας τοῦ θεοῦ ἐκκλησίας τὸ φῶς καὶ τὰ ἔθνη κατηύγασε καὶ βασιλεῖς πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἐποδήγησεν. 4Ἆρον κύκλῳ τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς σου καὶ ἴδε συνηγμένα πάντα τὰ τέκνα σου· ἥκασι πάντες <οἱ> υἱοί σου μακρόθεν. Καὶ αἱ θυγατέρες σου ἐπ' ὤμων ἀρθήσονται. Οὐδὲ τοῦτο κατ' ἀκρίβειαν τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ἁρμόττει· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἅπαντες ἐπανῆλθον οἱ γενόμενοι δορυάλωτοι ἀλλ' οἱ ἐκ τῆς τοῦ Ἰούδα φυλῆς καὶ οὐδὲ οὗτοι πάντες ἀλλ' ὅσοι τῆς προγονικῆς εὐσε βείας ἀντείχοντο· μεμενήκασι γὰρ οἱ μὲν τὴν παρ' Ἀσσυρίοις διαγωγὴν ἀσπασάμενοι, οἱ δὲ τῆς Αἰγύπτου τὴν οἴκησιν προελόμενοι, οἱ δὲ εἰς ἅπαντα διεσπαρμένοι τὰ ἔθνη. Ἡ δὲ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐκκλησία ἐκ τῶν ἐθνῶν ἁπάντων συλλέγει τὰ τέκνα· καὶ ἔστιν ἰδεῖν ἐξ ἁπάσης τῆς οἰκουμένης εἰς τὴν τῶν Ἱεροσολύμων συντρέχοντας |176 a| πόλιν, οὐχ ἵνα ἐν τῷ Ἰουδαίων ναῷ τὸν θεὸν προσκυνήσωσιν ἀλλ' ἵνα τοῦ σταυροῦ καὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως καὶ τῆς ἀναλήψεως τοὺς πολυθρυλήτους ἴδωσι τόπους. 5Τότε ὄψῃ καὶ χαρήσῃ καὶ φοβηθήσῃ καὶ ἐκστήσῃ τῇ καρδίᾳ, ὅτι μεταβαλεῖ εἰς σὲ πλοῦτος θαλάσσης καὶ ἐθνῶν καὶ λαῶν. Οὐδὲ τοῦτο τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ἁρμόττει· ποίων γὰρ αὐτοῖς ἐθνῶν καὶ λαῶν προσηνέχθη πλοῦτος; Ἡ δὲ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐκκλησία τὰ πάλαι τοῖς δαίμοσι προσφερόμενα δέχεται, καὶ ἡ πάλαι πικρὰ τῶν ἐθνῶν θάλασσα τῷ ξύλῳ τοῦ σωτηρίου σταυροῦ γλυκανθεῖσα καὶ τὴν παράδοξον δεξα μένη μεταβολὴν τῇ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐκκλησίᾳ προσφέρει τὰ δῶρα, διαφερόντως δὲ εἰς τὴν Ἱεροσολύμων ταῦτα προσφέρουσι πόλιν ἐκ πάσης γῆς καὶ θαλάττης συντρέχοντες. Καὶ ἥξουσιν 6ἀγέλαι καμήλων, καὶ καλύψουσί σε κάμηλοι Μαδιὰμ καὶ Γηφά, πάντες ἐκ Σαβὰ ἥξουσι φέροντες χρυσίον, καὶ λίβανον οἴσουσί σοι, καὶ τὸ σωτήριον παρὰ κυρίου εὐαγγελιοῦνται, 7καὶ πάντα τὰ πρόβατα Κηδὰρ συναχθήσεταί σοι, καὶ κριοὶ Ναβεὼθ ἥξουσί σοι, καὶ ἀνενεχθήσεταί σοι δῶρα δεκτὰ ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριόν μου, καὶ ὁ οἶκος τῆς προσευχῆς μου δοξασθήσεται. Μαδιὰμ καὶ Κηδὰρ καὶ Γεφὰ ἔθνη ἐστὶ βαρβάρων νομάδων ἐκ τοῦ Ἰσμαὴλ καταγόντων τὸ γένος, Σαβὰ δὲ φῦλόν ἐστιν Αἰθιοπικόν. ∆ιδάσκει δὲ καὶ ὁ κύριος ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς εὐαγγελίοις· ἣν γὰρ τῶν Βασιλειῶν ἡ ἱστο ρία βασίλισσα<ν> ὀνομάζει Σαβά, ταύτην ὁ κύριος βασίλισσαν Αἰθιόπων καλεῖ, φησὶ δὲ οὕτως· «Βασίλισσα Αἰθιόπων ἀναστήσεται καὶ κατακρινεῖ τὴν γενεὰν ταύτην· ὅτι ἦλθεν ἐκ τῶν περάτων τῆς γῆς ἀκοῦσαι τῆς σοφίας Σολομῶντος, καὶ ἰδοὺ πλεῖον Σολομῶντος ὧδε.» Ἐκ τούτων ἦν καὶ ὁ εὐνοῦχος ὃν ὁ Φίλιππος μυσταγωγήσας ἐβάπτισεν. Ταῦτα δὲ καὶ ὁ θεσπέσιος εἶπε ∆αυὶδ τοῦ κυρίου προλέγων τὴν ἐνα νθρώπησιν . Εἰρηκὼς γάρ· «Καταβήσεται ὡς ὑετὸς ἐπὶ πόκον καὶ ὡσεὶ σταγόνες στάζουσαι ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, ἀνατελεῖ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις αὐτοῦ δικαιοσύνη» ἐπάγει· «Καὶ κατακυριεύσει ἀπὸ θαλάσσης ἕως θαλάσσης καὶ ἀπὸ ποταμῶν ἕως τῶν περάτων τῆς οἰκουμένης. Ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ προπεσοῦνται Αἰθίοπες, καὶ οἱ ἐχθροὶ αὐτοῦ χοῦν λείξουσι, βασιλεῖς Θαρσὶς καὶ νῆσοι δῶρα προσοίσουσι, βασιλεῖς Ἀράβων καὶ Σαβὰ δῶρα προσάξουσι, καὶ προσκυνήσουσιν αὐτῷ πάντες οἱ βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς, πάντα τὰ ἔθνη δουλεύ σουσιν αὐτῷ.» Ἄραβες δὲ καλοῦνται καὶ οἱ τοῦ Κηδὰρ καὶ οἱ τοῦ Μαδιὰμ καὶ Γεφὰ καὶ Ναβεώθ, οἳ τῆς Ἀραβίας οἰκοῦσι τὰ ἔρημα· ἐπὶ καμήλων δὲ οὗτοι καὶ δρομάδων ὀχοῦνται. Καὶ μέντοι καὶ δῶρα προσ φέρειν ἐκ τούτων εἰώθασι τῷ τῶν ὅλων θεῷ· καὶ οἱ μὲν τῷδε τῷ ἀποστόλῳ πελάζοντες ἐκ είνῳ δῶ ρα προσφέρουσιν, οἱ δὲ <τῷδε> τῷ μάρτυρι γειτνιάζοντες δι' ἐκείνου τὸν θεὸν ἱλεοῦνται καὶ οἷόν τινας ἀ παρχὰς ἅπερ ἂν ὑπόσχωνται προσκομίζουσιν. Πρὸς δὲ ταῖς καμήλοις καὶ τὰ πρόβατα προσφέρειν εἰώ θασιν. Εἰ δέ τις ἀκριβῶς τῶν ῥητῶν καταμάθοι τὴν ἔννοιαν, αὐτοὺς εὑρήσει τοὺς ἀνθρώπους πρόβατα καὶ κριοὺς καὶ καμήλους προσηγορευμένους. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν· Οἴσουσι καμήλους, ἀλλ'· Ἥξουσιν ἀγέλαι καμήλων καὶ καλύψουσί σε κάμηλοι