244

to be opened to the nations, refuting the arrogance of those from Israel, who were contemptuous of foreigners, calling themselves the portion and inheritance of God, and a holy people, and saying: "Blessed are we, Israel, for the things pleasing to the Lord are known to us." And see how the old things have passed away, and all things have become new. For the law says: An Ammonite and a Moabite shall not enter into the Church of the Lord. But Christ promises to bring all into the holy Church. For she is the holy mountain. Into which having entered, they rejoice in the gifts from Him. And as an example from the worship according to the law, he said that their sacrifices become acceptable. For analogously, of the whole burnt offerings, are those who are consecrated to God with their whole selves; and of the partial, such is the life of those married in the Lord, divided between God and the world. But the Savior is not gentle only to those from the nations. For He will gather, he says, also the dispersed of Israel. 2569 For they had departed from the polity in the law, rather than having become outside Judea, practicing idolatry and teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. From whom are the gathered from the dispersion of Israel, both the God-fearing of old, and the disciples of the Savior. But the beasts of the forest gathered with Israel signify the Gentiles. For he usually calls the multitude of foreign nations a forest, which are called to a spiritual feast. Therefore, according to Aquila, instead of, all the beasts, it is said, every animal of his. And again, all his animals. But whose "his," if not God's? He does not simply call them beasts, but "his." For they were made beast-like, having been reared under the tyrant, the devil, and not living as humans. But now he calls them to the spiritual table, to eat the bread of life, so that rejoicing they may say: "He has prepared a table before me." And through another prophet he says: "Eat and drink and be drunk, O near ones." For being far from God, they drew near through faith, and partake of the bread that strengthens man's heart. But according to the historical sense, you will understand it in two ways. For speaking of the return of the people from Babylon which happened under Cyrus and Darius and Artaxerxes, saying that he will gather Israel, he says that with them he will also gather the beasts. For it was likely then that a multitude of foreign nations also became proselytes to them, whom because of their foreign and savage nature he calls beasts. Or he usually calls beasts those who laid waste to Israel, and devoured him with their whole mouth, because of their impiety toward Christ. Therefore he also calls them as beasts to the devouring of the nation, and he shows the reasonableness of the punishment, saying: see that all are blinded. But some say that having foreknown that the beasts would be persuaded by the preaching, but the multitude of the Jews would remain in unbelief, he fittingly called them blind, who have not even become equal to the beasts. But instead of, see that they are blinded, Symmachus and Theodotion say, his watchmen are blind. But Aquila, scouts. And instead of dumb, Symmachus, speechless. But Aquila, speaking with difficulty. But you will understand the blind watchmen here from other clear-sighted watchmen, about whom it was said. The voice of those who guard you has been lifted up. Instead of which the others have. The voice of your watchmen has raised a voice. And the word was about the apostles, the clear-sighted watchmen of the Church. And to Ezekiel he says: Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. But here the rulers of the Jewish nation are called blind watchmen, and dumb dogs unable to bark, or to drive the wolves from the flock of God. And how, having blinded themselves first, and not having received the 2572 true light? although He clearly cried out: "I am the light of the world." And again: "He who follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life;" about whom the prophet says: "When they waited for light, there was darkness for them; when they waited for brightness, they walked in gloom." And the Savior says "They are blind guides of the blind, clearly in their mind." Whence the prophet now added, and they did not know how to be wise. For which reason David also exhorted them: "Lay hold of

244

ἀνεῷχθαι τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, τῶν ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ διελέγχων τὸν τύφον, οἳ κατεφύοντο τῶν ἀλλογενῶν, μερίδα καὶ κλῆρον Θεοῦ, καὶ λαὸν ἅγιον ἑαυτοὺς ὀνομάζοντες, καὶ λέγοντες· "Μακάριοι ἐσμὲν Ἰσραὴλ, ὅτι τὰ ἀρεστὰ Κυρίῳ γνωστὰ ἡμῖν ἐστιν." Καὶ ὅρα πῶς παρῆλθε τὰ ἀρχαῖα, καὶ γέγονε πάντα καινά. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ νόμος φησίν· Οὐκ εἰσελεύσεται Ἀμμανίτης καὶ Μωαβίτης εἰς Ἐκκλησίαν Κυρίου. Ὁ δὲ Χριστὸςπάντας εἰσάξειν εἰς τὴν ἁγίαν Ἐκκλησίαν ἐπαγγέλλεται. Αὐτὴ γὰρ ὄρος τὸ ἅγιον. Εἰς ἣν εἰσελθόντες τοῖς ἐξ αὐτοῦ χαρίσμασιν ἐνευφραίνονται. Ὡς δὲ ἐκ παραδείγματος τῆς κατὰ νόμον λατρείας, δεκτὰς αὐτῶν ἔφη γίνεσθαι τὰς θυσίας. Ἀναλόγως γὰρ, τῶν μὲν ὁλοκαυτουμένων, ὅσοι δι' ὅλων ἑαυτῶν καθιέρωνται τῷ Θεῷ· τῶν δὲ ἐκ μέρους, ὁποία τῶν ἐν Κυρίῳ γεγαμηκότων ἡ ζωὴ, μεμερισμένη Θεῷ τε καὶ κόσμῳ. Πλὴν οὐ μόνοις ἤμερος τοῖς ἐξ ἐθνῶν ὁ Σωτήρ. Συνάξει γὰρ, φησὶ, καὶ τοὺς διεσπαρμένους Ἰσραήλ. 2569 Ἀπέστησαν γὰρ τῆς ἐν νόμῳ πολιτείας μᾶλλον, ἢ τῆς Ἰουδαίας ἔξω γεγόνασιν, εἰδωλολατροῦντές τε καὶ διδάσκοντες διδασκαλίας ἐντάλματα ἀνθρώπων. Ἐξ ὧν ὁ ἐπισυναχθεὶς ἐκ τῆς διασπορᾶς Ἰσραὴλ, οἵτε πάλαι θεοσεβεῖς, καὶ τοῦ Σωτῆρος οἱ μαθηταί. Τὰ θηρία δὲ τοῦ δρυμοῦ τὰ μετὰ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ συναγόμενα σημαίνει τοὺς ἐθνικούς. ∆ρυμὸν γὰρ συνήθως καλεῖ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ἀλλοφύλων ἐθνῶν, ἅπερ εἰς ἑστίασιν ἀνακαλεῖται πνευματικήν. ∆ιὸ κατὰ τὸν Ἀκύλαν ἀντὶ τοῦ, πάντα τὰ θηρία, πᾶν ζῶον αὐτοῦ εἴρηται. Καὶ πάλιν πάντα τὰ ζῶα αὐτοῦ. Τίνος δὲ αὐτοῦ, ἢ τοῦ Θεοῦ; οὐχ ἁπλῶς δὲ τὰ θηρία καλεῖ, ἀλλὰ τὰ αὐτοῦ. Ἐθηριώθησαν γὰρ ὑπὸ τυράννῳ τεθραμμένοι τῷ διαβόλῳ, καὶ ζῶντες οὐκ ἀνθρωπίνως. Ἀλλὰ νῦν αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ τράπεζαν καλεῖ τὴν νοητὴν, τὸν ἄρτον φαγεῖν τῆς ζωῆς, ὥς τε χαίροντας λέγειν· "Ἡτοίμασεν ἐνώπιόν μου τράπεζαν." Καὶ δι' ἑτέρου δὲ προφήτου φησί· "Φάγετε καὶ πίετε καὶ μεθύσθητε οἱ πλησίον." Μακρὰν γὰρ ὄντες Θεοῦ, διὰ πίστεως ἤγγισαν, καὶ μετέχουσιν ἄρτου τοῦ στηρίζοντος καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου. Κατὰ δὲ τὴν ἱστορίαν διχῶς νοήσεις. Ἡ γὰρ διὰ τὴν ἀπὸ Βαβυλῶνος ἐπιστροφὴν τοῦ λαοῦ τὴν ἐπὶ Κύρου καὶ ∆αρείου καὶ Ἀρταξέρξου γενομένην λέγων συνάξειν τὸν Ἰσραὴλ, μετ' αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ θηρία συνάξειν φησίν. Τότε γὰρ εἰκὸς ἦν καὶ πλῆθος αὐτοῖς ἀλλοφύλων ἐθνῶν προσηλυτεῦσαι, οὓς διὰ τὸ ἀλλογενὲς καὶ ἄγριον θηρία καλεῖ. Ἢ θηρία συνήθως φησὶ τοὺς καταδῃώσαντας τὸν Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ ὅλῳ στόματι φαγόντας αὐτὸν, διὰ τὴν εἰς Χριστὸν ἀσέβειαν. ∆ιὸ καὶ ὡς θηρία πρὸς βρῶσιν αὐτοὺς τοῦ ἔθνους καλεῖ, καὶ τὸ εὔλογον τῆς κολάσεως ἐπιδείκνυται λέγων· ἴδετε ὅτι πάντες ἐκτετύφλωνται. Τινὲς δέ φασιν ὡς προγνοὺς ὅτι τὰ μὲν θηρία πεισθήσεται τῷ κηρύγματι, ἐν ἀπιστίᾳ δὲ τὸ Ἰουδαίων πλῆθος μενεῖ, τυφλοὺς εἰκότως αὐτοὺς ἀπεκάλεσεν, οἳ μηδὲ τοῖς θηρίοις γεγόνασιν ἴσοι. Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ, ἴδετε ὅτι ἐκτετύφλωνται, Σύμμαχος καὶ Θεοδοτίων, οἱ σκοποὶ αὐτοῦ, φασὶ, τυφλοί. Ἀκύλας δὲ σκοπευταί. Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ ἐνεοὶ, Σύμμαχος ἄλαλοι. Ἀκύλας δὲ μογιλάλοι. Νοήσεις δὲ τοὺς ἐνταῦθα σκοποὺς τυφλοὺς ἐξ ἑτέρων διορατικῶν σκοπῶν, περὶ ὧν ἐλέγετο. Φωνὴ τῶν φυλασσόντων σε ὑψώθη. Ἀνθ' οὗ οἱ λοιποί. Φωνὴ τῶν σκοπῶν σου ἐπῆρε φωνήν. Ἦν δὲ περὶ τῶν ἀποστόλων ὁ λόγος τῶν διορατικῶν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας σκοπῶν. Καὶ πρὸς Ἰεζεκιὴλ δέ φησιν· Υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου, σκοπὸν δέδωκά σε τῷ οἴκω Ἰσραήλ. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ οἱ τοῦ Ἰουδαίων ἔθνους ἄρχοντες τυφλοὶ σκοποὶ λέγονται, καὶ κύνες ἐνεοὶ οὐ δυνάμενοι ὑλακτεῖν, οὐδὲ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ ποίμνης ἀπελαύνειν τοὺς λύκους. Καὶ πῶς οἱ πρώτους ἑαυτοὺς ἐκτυφλώσαντες, καὶ τὸ φῶς τὸ 2572 ἀληθινὸν μὴ δεξάμενοι; καίτοι σαφῶς ἐβόα· "Ἐγώ εἰμι τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου." Καὶ πάλιν· "Ὁ ἀκολουθῶν ἐμοὶ οὐ μὴ περιπατήσῃ ἐν τῇ σκοτίᾳ, ἀλλ' ἕξει τὸ φῶς τῆς ζωῆς·" περὶ ὧν ὁ προφήτης φησίν· "Ὑπομεινάντων αὐτῶν φῶς, ἐγένετο αὐτοῖς σκότος· μεινάντων αὐγὴν, ἐν ἀωρίᾳ περιεπάτησαν." Καὶ ὁ Σωτὴρ δέ φησι "Τυφλοί εἰσι τυφλῶν ὁδηγοὶ, δηλονότι τὴν διάνοιαν." Ὅθεν ἐπήγαγε νῦν ὁ προφήτης, καὶ οὐκ ἔγνωσαν φρονῆσαι. ∆ι' ὅπερ αὐτοῖς παρεκελεύετο καὶ ∆αβίδ· "∆ράξασθε