212

Zion and Jerusalem; in one way, a humble and Judaic one, in another, the entire godly commonwealth understood as a combination of souls, and in a higher sense, the angelic commonwealth in heaven, concerning which the Apostle says: “But the Jerusalem above is free, which is our mother,” and: “You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem.” This being so, the present discourse to the godly commonwealth, which formerly existed among the Jews, but having been taken down and, as it were, having suffered a fall among them, has been transferred to the church from the Gentiles, proclaims the things that lie ahead. But to whom all these things are announced as good news, it clarifies next by saying: Behold, these shall come from afar, these from the north and the sea, and others from the land of the Persians, the four regions of the earth being indicated here, one by the saying: behold, these shall come from afar, or according to the other interpreters: behold, these shall come from a long way off, the country being unmentioned, and the other three being presented through what follows; for it clearly signifies north and west and east by saying: these from the north and the sea, and others from the land of the Persians. If some are from the north, and others from the sea, that is, the western parts, and others from the land of the Persians, by which the eastern parts are signified, it follows that the first ones, said to be from a land afar, are to be understood as the southerners, since the southern land, situated in the southern parts of the universe, is inaccessible to men. He reasonably said that they will come from afar; but nevertheless, the word proclaims that from everywhere, from the four regions, they will come to God and will receive the aforesaid promises. Then at the common salvation of all men it exclaims: Be glad, you heavens; for “there is joy in heaven even over one sinner who repents,” and let the earth rejoice, it says, like a mother rejoicing over her saved sons. And instead of: let the mountains break forth into gladness, Symmachus has: the mountains will be gladdened at all things, and Aquila and Theodotion have said: sing forth, you mountains, a song of praise; therefore even the mountains, as if rational, are commanded to rejoice and be glad at the salvation of men. The mountains could be souls still living on earth, but greatly lifted up to a height through the accomplishment of virtues, or also divine and heavenly powers, which it exhorts to be glad, since God had mercy on his people and comforted the humble of his people. And who were these but the ones previously indicated, that is, those called from the four regions of the entire earth? 2.36 Having then foretold the indicated things concerning the calling of the gentiles, as concerning islands and gentiles, he accordingly added through the present words, that even if the Zion among the Jews has been taken down, that is, the godly commonwealth that formerly existed among them, yet let it not say, The Lord has forsaken me, and God has forgotten me; for it is not possible for God to forget the godly commonwealth among men. And he uses a natural example: for as it is impossible for a mother to forget her own child and as it is not possible for her who gave birth not to have mercy on the offspring of her womb, so also it is impossible for me, who established the rational souls among men as if they were children, to forget the godly commonwealth among men. Wherefore let not Zion say, The Lord has forsaken me, and God has forgotten me; for a mother would sooner forget her own bowels of compassion than I the race of men, which must by all means continue to exist, “whether of Jews or of Greeks” or of whatever nations. And he elaborates the thought very necessarily, saying: Behold, I have inscribed your walls upon my hands, and you are continually before me, by which he plainly shows that the true Zion is unfallen and indestructible, ever remaining and continually existing. So that if anyone desires to be in contemplation of it, let him not look around below, nor in the land of Palestine for it

212

τὴν Σιὼν καὶ τὴν Ἰερουσαλήμ· καθ' ἕνα μὲν τρόπον ταπεινὸν καὶ Ἰουδαϊκόν, καθ' ἕτερον δὲ πᾶν τὸ θεοσεβὲς πολίτευμα συγκρίματι ψυχῶν νοούμενον, κατὰ δὲ τὸν ἐπαναβεβηκότα τρόπον ἡ ἐν οὐρανοῖς ἀγγελικὴ πολιτεία, περὶ ἧς φησιν ὁ Ἀπόστολος· «ἡ δὲ ἄνω Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἐλευθέρα ἐστίν, ἥτις ἐστὶ μήτηρ ἡμῶν», καί· «προσεληλύθατε Σιὼν ὄρει καὶ πόλει θεοῦ ζῶντος, Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἐπουρανίῳ». ὧν οὕτως ἐχόντων ὁ παρὼν λόγος πρὸς τὸ θεοσεβὲς πολίτευμα, ὃ πάλαι μὲν παρὰ Ἰουδαίοις συνεστήκει, καθαιρεθὲν δὲ καὶ ὡσπερεὶ πτῶσιν πεπονθὸς παρ' αὐτοῖς μεταβέβληται ἐπὶ τὴν ἐξ ἐθνῶν ἐκκλησίαν τὰ προκείμενα θεσπίζει. Τίσι δὲ ταῦτα πάντα εὐαγγελίζεται, διασαφεῖ ἑξῆς λέγων· ἰδοὺ οὗτοι πόρρωθεν ἥξουσιν, οὗτοι ἀπὸ βορρᾶ καὶ θαλάσσης, ἄλλοι δὲ ἐκ γῆς Περσῶν, τῶν τεσσάρων ἐνταῦθα κλιμάτων τῆς γῆς δηλουμένων ἑνὸς μὲν διὰ τοῦ λέγεσθαι· ἰδοὺ οὗτοι πόρρωθεν ἥξουσιν, ἢ κατὰ τοὺς λοιποὺς ἑρμηνευτάς· ἰδοὺ οὗτοι μακρόθεν ἥξουσιν σεσιωπημένης τῆς χώρας, τῶν δὲ λοιπῶν τριῶν διὰ τῶν ἑξῆς παρισταμένων· βορρᾶν γὰρ καὶ δύσιν καὶ ἀνατολὴν σαφῶς σημαίνει λέγων· οὗτοι ἀπὸ βορρᾶ καὶ θαλάσσης, ἄλλοι δὲ ἐκ γῆς Περσῶν. εἰ δὲ οἱ μὲν ἀπὸ βορρᾶ, οἱ δὲ ἀπὸ θαλάσσης, τῶν δυτικῶν δηλαδὴ μερῶν, ἄλλοι δὲ ἐκ γῆς Περσῶν, δι' ὧν τὰ ἀνωτερικὰ σημαίνεται, ἀκόλουθόν ἐστι καὶ τοὺς πρώτους τοὺς ἀπὸ γῆς πόρρωθεν λεγομένους τοὺς μεσημβρινοὺς νοεῖσθαι, ἐπεὶ δὲ ἀκατάληπτος ἀνθρώποις ἡ νότιος γῆ ἐν τοῖς μεσημβρινοῖς τοῦ παντὸς κειμένη. πόρρωθεν ἥξειν αὐτοὺς εἰκότως ἔφη· πλὴν ἀλλὰ πανταχόθεν ἐκ τῶν τεσσάρων κλιμάτων ἥξειν πρὸς τὸν θεὸν καὶ τὰς προλεχθείσας ἐπαγγελίας ἀπολήψεσθαι ὁ λόγος θεσπίζει. Εἶτ' ἐπὶ τῇ κοινῇ πάντων ἀνθρώπων σωτηρίᾳ ἐπιβοᾷ· εὐφραίνεσθε, οὐρανοί· «χαρὰ» γὰρ «ἐν οὐρανῷ γίνεται καὶ ἐπὶ ἑνὶ ἁμαρτωλῷ μετανοοῦντι», καὶ ἀγαλλιάσθω φησὶν ἡ γῆ, οἷα μήτηρ χαίρουσα ἐπὶ σῳζομένοις υἱοῖς. ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ· ῥηξάτωσαν τὰ ὄρη εὐφροσύνην, ὁ Σύμμαχος· ἱλαρευθήσεται ὄρη ἐπὶ πᾶσιν, ὁ δὲ Ἀκύλας καὶ ὁ Θεοδοτίων κελαδήσατε ὄρη αἴνεσιν εἰρήκασιν· οὐκοῦν καὶ τὰ ὄρη ὡς λογικὰ χαίρειν καὶ ἀγαλλιᾶν ἐπὶ τῇ τῶν ἀνθρώπων σωτηρίᾳ προστάττεται. εἶεν δ' ἂν ὄρη ψυχαὶ ἐπὶ γῆς μὲν ἔτι βιοῦσαι, σφόδρα δὲ εἰς ὕψος ἐπηρμέναι διὰ τῆς τῶν ἀρετῶν κατορθώσεως ἢ καὶ θεῖαι καὶ οὐράνιαι δυνάμεις, αἷς εὐφραίνεσθαι παρακελεύεται, ἐπειδὴ ἠλέησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ τοὺς ταπεινοὺς τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ παρεκάλεσεν. τίνες δὲ ἦσαν οὗτοι ἀλλ' ἢ οἱ προδηλωθέντες, δηλαδὴ οἱ ἀπὸ τῶν τεσσάρων κλιμάτων τῆς γῆς τοῦ παντὸς ἀνακεκλημένοι; 2.36 Προειπὼν γοῦν περὶ τῆς τῶν ἐθνῶν κλήσεως τὰ δηλωθέντα ὡς περὶ νήσων καὶ ἐθνῶν ἀκολούθως διὰ τῶν παρόντων ἐπήγαγεν, ὅτι εἰ καὶ καθῄρηται ἡ παρὰ Ἰουδαίοις Σιών, τοῦτ' ἔστι τὸ θεοσεβὲς πολίτευμα τὸ πάλαι συνεστὼς παρ' αὐτοῖς, ἀλλὰ μὴ λεγέτω Ἐγκατέλιπέ με κύριος, καὶ ὁ θεὸς ἐπελάθετό μου· οὔτε γὰρ δυνατὸν λήθην ποιήσασθαι τὸν θεὸν τοῦ ἐν ἀνθρώποις θεοσεβοῦς πολιτεύματος. καὶ παραδείγματι κέχρηται φυσικῷ· ὡς γὰρ ἀδύνατόν ἐστι μητέρα τοῦ ἰδίου τέκνου λαθεῖν καὶ ὡς οὐ δυνατὸν μὴ ἐλεῆσαι τὴν γεννήσασαν τὰ ἔκγονα τῆς κοιλίας αὐτῆς, οὕτως κἀμὲ τὰς ἐν ἀνθρώποις λογικὰς ψυχὰς ὥσπερ τέκνα συστησάμενον ἀδύνατόν ἐστιν ἐπιλαθέσθαι τοῦ ἐν ἀνθρώποις θεοσεβοῦς πολιτεύματος. διὸ μὴ λεγέτω ἡ Σιών Ἐγκατέλιπέ με κύριος, καὶ ὁ θεὸς ἐπελάθετό μου· θᾶττον γὰρ μήτηρ ἐπιλάθοιτο τῶν ἑαυτῆς σπλάγχνων ἢ ἐγὼ τοῦ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένους, ὅπερ δεῖ πάντως συνεστάναι, «εἴτε ἐξ Ἰουδαίων εἴτε ἐξ Ἑλλήνων» εἴτε ἐξ ὁποίων δὴ ἐθνῶν. σφόδρα δὲ ἀναγκαίως ἐπεξεργάζεται τὴν διάνοιαν λέγων· ἰδοὺ ἐπὶ τῶν χειρῶν μου ἐζωγράφηκά σου τὰ τείχη, καὶ ἐναντίον μου εἶ διὰ παντός, δι' ὧν ἄντικρυς παρίστησι τὴν ἀληθινὴν Σιὼν ἄπτωτον εἶναι καὶ ἀκαθαίρετον ἀεὶ μένουσαν καὶ διὰ παντὸς συνεστῶσαν. ὥστ' εἴ τις αὐτῆς ἐν θεωρίᾳ γενέσθαι ποθεῖ μὴ κάτω περιβλεπέσθω μηδὲ ἐπὶ τῆς Παλαιστίνης χώρας αὐτὴν