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225

Aquila: "The voice," he says, "of your watchmen has raised a voice; they will rejoice together; for they will see eye to eye," but according to Theodotion: "The voice of your watchmen has raised a voice, for which they will give praise; for they will see eye to eye," the Word here naming the disciples and apostles of our Savior as watchmen. For just as the prophets who were among them were called watchmen of the people of the circumcision, so now too of the new and recent Zion, that is, of the church of God and of the godly commonwealth, the apostles of our Savior have become watchmen and guardians, who, having become eyewitnesses and ear-witnesses of the Savior in a clearly visible manner, raised their own voice so that it would be heard by all the nations. These same ones were filled with all spiritual gladness as the Zion restored to us was being shown mercy by God and its ancient desolate places were being saved through the saving redemption. Instead of: "Let the desolate places of Jerusalem break forth into gladness together," Symmachus: "Be cheerful and rejoice together, O desolate places of Jerusalem," Jerusalem being understood as the city of God, I mean the godly commonwealth, whose formerly desolate places are proclaimed as good news, now the word of exultation and gladness will be fulfilled through the mercy of God. And very consistently what things were said to Jerusalem, he sets forth by connecting in sequence and saying: "The Lord will reveal his holy arm in the sight of all the nations," and according to Symmachus it is said: "The Lord has revealed his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God." Do you see how through these things also the evangelical proclamation promises to the nations the things that are promised; for his holy arm, which was God the Word himself, he says God will reveal to all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation from our God. Therefore, when he himself speaks to Zion and to Jerusalem, the things said refer to the calling of the nations; for the godly commonwealth, sometimes it was among those, and sometimes among the nations, which indeed has been named Zion and Jerusalem. Wherefore such a city of God has always existed among men; it makes no difference, therefore, whether the election set apart for God among men is called Zion or named Jerusalem. And as the godly commonwealth among men has often been mentioned by us, following these things, the prophetic spirit says to the person of the choir of the apostles: "Depart, depart, go out from there," clearly from the unbelieving people, "and touch no unclean thing; go out from her midst and be separate, you who bear the vessels of the Lord." And the vessels of the Lord were their bodies chosen by the Lord, set apart for God "in holiness and honor," or the vessels of the Lord happened to be the gospels of the new covenant, which he commands those who carry them to be freed from the unbelief of the Jewish people and to be separated from them. And he adds: "For you shall not go out in turmoil, nor shall you go by flight;" for they did not go forth to the circuit of the nations as if driven, but with all eagerness and free will, having been commanded "to make disciples of all the nations in his name." Wherefore it was said as to them: "For you shall not go out in turmoil, nor shall you go by flight;" they made their journey, then, in all peace, having with them the one who said to them: "Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age;" which indeed the present word also signifies, saying: "For the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will gather you." 2.42 Behold, my servant shall understand, and shall be exalted and glorified, and shall be raised up exceedingly; for since "he humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name."

225

τὸν Ἀκύλαν· φωνή φησι τῶν σκοπῶν σου ἐπῆρε φωνήν, ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ἀγαλλιάσονται· ὅτι ὀφθαλμὸν ἐν ὀφθαλμῷ ὄψονται, κατὰ δὲ τὸν Θεοδοτίωνα· φωνὴ τῶν σκοπῶν σου ἐπῆρε φωνήν, περὶ οὗ αἰνέσουσιν· ὅτι ὀφθαλμὸν ἐν ὀφθαλμῷ ὄψονται, σκοποὺς ἐνταῦθα τοὺς μαθητὰς καὶ ἀποστόλους τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ὀνομάζοντος τοῦ λόγου. ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐκαλοῦντο σκοποὶ τοῦ ἐκ περιτομῆς λαοῦ οἱ παρ' αὐτοῖς γενόμενοι προφῆται, οὕτω καὶ νῦν τῆς νέας καὶ καινῆς Σιών, δηλαδὴ τῆς ἐκκλησίας τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τοῦ θεοσεβοῦς πολιτεύματος οἱ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἀπόστολοι γεγόνασι σκοποὶ καὶ φύλακες, οἳ καὶ ὀφθαλμοφανῶς αὐτόπται καὶ αὐτήκοοι τοῦ σωτῆρος γενόμενοι ὕψωσαν τὴν ἑαυτῶν φωνὴν ὡς ἐξάκουστον αὐτὴν γενέσθαι πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθνεσιν. οἱ δ' αὐτοὶ πάσης πνευματικῆς εὐφροσύνης ἐπληροῦντο ἐλεουμένης ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ τῆς ἀποδοθείσης ἡμῖν Σιὼν καὶ τῶν πάλαι ἐρήμων αὐτῆς σῳζομένων διὰ τῆς σωτηρίου ἀπολυτρώσεως. Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ· ῥηξάτω εὐφροσύνην ἅμα τὰ ἔρημα Ἰερουσαλήμ, ὁ Σύμμαχος· ἱλαρύνθητε καὶ ἀγαλλιᾶσθε ὁμοῦ τὰ ἔρημα Ἰερουσαλήμ, Ἰερουσαλὴμ νοουμένης τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ πόλεως, λέγω δὲ τοῦ θεοσεβοῦς πολιτεύματος, οὗ τὰ πάλαι γενόμενα ἔρημα εὐαγγελίζεται, νῦν ὁ λόγος ἀγαλλιάσεως καὶ εὐφροσύνης πληρωθήσεσθαι διὰ τὸ τοῦ θεοῦ ἔλεος. Σφόδρα δὲ ἀκολούθως τίνα ἦν τὰ εἰρημένα τῇ Ἰερουσαλήμ, παρίστησι συνάπτων ἑξῆς καὶ λέγων· ἀποκαλύψει κύριος τὸν βραχίονα τὸν ἅγιον αὐτοῦ ἐνώπιον πάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν, καὶ κατὰ τὸν Σύμμαχον δὲ εἴρηται· ἀπεκάλυψε κύριος τὸν βραχίονα τὸν ἅγιον αὐτοῦ ἐνώπιον πάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν καὶ ὄψεται πάντα τὰ πέρατα τῆς γῆς τὸ σωτήριον τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν. ὁρᾷς ὅπως καὶ διὰ τούτων τοῖς ἔθνεσι τὸ εὐαγγελικὸν κήρυγμα τὰ ἐπαγγελλόμενα ὑπισχνεῖται· τὸν γὰρ βραχίονα τὸν ἅγιον αὐτοῦ, αὐτὸς δὲ ἦν ὁ θεὸς λόγος, ἀποκαλύψειν τὸν θεόν φησι πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθνεσι καὶ ὄψεσθαι πάντα τὰ ἄκρα τῆς γῆς τὴν σωτηρίαν τὴν παρὰ τοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν. οὐκοῦν ἐπειδὰν αὐτὸς φωνήσῃ τῇ Σιὼν καὶ τῇ Ἰερουσαλήμ, τὰ λελεγμένα ἐπὶ τὴν τῶν ἐθνῶν κλῆσιν ἀναφέρεται· τὸ γὰρ θεοσεβὲς πολίτευμα, ὅτε μὲν παρ' ἐκείνοις ἦν, ὅτε δὲ παρὰ τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, ὃ δὴ Σιὼν καὶ Ἰερουσαλὴμ ὠνόμασται. διὸ καὶ πάντοτε ἐν ἀνθρώποις συνέστηκεν ἡ τοιαύτη τοῦ θεοῦ πόλις· οὐδὲν οὖν διαφέρει Σιὼν καλεῖσθαι καὶ Ἰερουσαλὴμ ὀνομάζεσθαι τὴν ἐν ἀνθρώποις ἀφωρισμένην τῷ θεῷ ἐκλογήν. Καὶ ὡς πολλάκις ἡμῖν εἴρηται τὸ θεοσεβὲς ἐν ἀνθρώποις πολίτευμα, τούτοις ἑξῆς εἰς πρόσωπον τοῦ χοροῦ τῶν ἀποστόλων τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ προφητικόν φησιν· ἀπόστητε ἀπόστητε, ἐξέλθετε ἐκεῖθεν, δῆλον δὲ ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ ἀπίστου λαοῦ, καὶ ἀκαθάρτου μὴ ἅπτεσθε, ἐξέλθετε ἐκ μέσου αὐτῆς καὶ ἀφορίσθητε, οἱ φέροντες τὰ σκεύη κυρίου. σκεύη δὲ κυρίου ἦν τὰ ἐκλεχθέντα ὑπὸ τοῦ κυρίου σώματα αὐτῶν «ἐν ἁγιωσύνῃ καὶ τιμῇ» τῷ θεῷ ἀφωρισμένα ἢ καὶ σκεύη κυρίου ἐτύγχανε τὰ τῆς καινῆς διαθήκης εὐαγγέλια, ἅπερ ἐπικομιζομένους ἀπαλλάττεσθαι τῆς ἀπιστίας τοῦ Ἰουδαίων λαοῦ καὶ ἀφορίζεσθαι αὐτῶν προστάττει. Καὶ ἐπιλέγει· ὅτι οὐ μετὰ ταραχῆς ἐξελεύσεσθε οὐδὲ φυγῇ πορεύσεσθε· οὐ γὰρ ὡς ἐλαυνόμενοι προῆλθον εἰς τὴν περίοδον τῶν ἐθνῶν, ἀλλὰ προθυμίᾳ πάσῃ καὶ προαιρέσει αὐτεξουσίῳ κελευσθέντες «μαθητεῦσαι πάντα τὰ ἔθνη ἐν τῷ αὐτοῦ ὀνόματι». διὸ ὡς πρὸς αὐτοὺς εἴρηται· ὅτι οὐ μετὰ ταραχῆς ἐξελεύσεσθε οὐδὲ φυγῇ πορεύσεσθε· ἐποιοῦντο γοῦν τὴν πορείαν σὺν πάσῃ εἰρήνῃ ἔχοντες σὺν αὐτοῖς τὸν εἰρηκότα αὐτοῖς· «ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ μεθ' ὑμῶν εἰμι πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας ἕως τῆς συντελείας τοῦ αἰῶνος»· ὃ δὴ σημαίνει καὶ ὁ παρὼν λόγος φάσκων· προπορεύσεται γὰρ πρότερος ὑμῶν κύριος καὶ ὁ ἐπισυνάγων ὑμᾶς θεὸς Ἰσραήλ. 2.42 Ἰδοὺ συνήσει ὁ παῖς μου καὶ ὑψωθήσεται καὶ δοξασθήσεται καὶ μετεωρισθήσεται σφόδρα· ἐπειδὴ γὰρ «ἐταπείνωσεν ἑαυτὸν γενόμενος ὑπήκοος μέχρι θανάτου, θανάτου δὲ σταυροῦ. διὰ τοῦτο ὁ θεὸς αὐτὸν ὑπερύψωσε καὶ ἐχαρίσατο αὐτῷ ὄνομα τὸ ὑπὲρ πᾶν ὄνομα».