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loudly, Eloim, Eloim, lema sabachthani, which is interpreted, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And the Hebrew phrase is taken from the prophecy at hand. 10.8.9 In these very syllables, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani,” the beginning of the Psalm contains, which Aquila interpreted in this manner: “My strong one, my strong one, why have you forsaken me?” And that these things are equivalent to those spoken by our Savior at the time of his passion, anyone at all would confess. 10.8.10 It is time, therefore, to refer the psalm indisputably not to another but to him alone, since its contents apply to him alone and to no other. For indeed, the other things are shown to be fulfilled in him, and especially what is said in the psalm: “They divided my garments among themselves, and for my clothing they cast lots.” 10.8.11 And he plainly indicates the piercing of the nails in his hands and feet as he was nailed to the cross, saying, “They pierced my hands and my feet, they numbered all my bones.” And the rest would apply to him alone, as the argument will show as it proceeds; or let the one who wishes, transferring it to another person, either a king or a prophet or any of those ever beloved by God among the Jews, show if he would be able to apply the things that have been written. 10.8.12 For to which of those ever born was present so much virtue and power, as to receive knowledge of God with a steady reasoning and an unconfused soul and a sober mind, and to hang all his hope on God, so as to say, “For you are the one who drew me from my mother's womb, my hope from my mother's breasts. On you I was cast from the womb, from my mother's belly you are my God.” 10.8.13 And who, being such a one cared for by God, has become “a reproach of men” and “the scorn of the people?” By what kind and what sort of “calves” and “bulls” must we understand such a one to be encircled? And what did the one indicated suffer, that “he was poured out like water,” and how were “his bones scattered?” And how was he brought “to the dust of death,” and having been brought “to the dust of death,” does he still speak such things and live and utter sounds? And who are the “dogs” who surrounded him, being different from the previously named bulls and calves? And what “assembly of evildoers” “pierced” not only the “hands” but also the “feet” of so great a one, and having stripped him, they divided some of his garments, and others they took by casting lots? And what is the “sword” and the “dog” and the “lion?” And who are the so-called “unicorns,” surrounding the one indicated? And how, after the struggle with so many, after being brought “to the dust of death,” does he promise to declare the Father's name, not to all but only to his own “brothers?” And who are the “brothers,” and what is the “church,” about which the one who suffered such things says, “in the midst of the church I will sing your praise?” To whom he also adds, that it is not one nation of the Jews, but “all the ends of the earth” will remember “and will turn to the Lord,” “and all the families of the nations will worship before him?” And you also, having examined each word of the psalm for yourself, see if it is possible to refer the prophecies to any chance person. 10.8.14 But you would not find them to apply to another than our Savior alone, who would be the most faithful and truest of all, having taken upon his own person the voice from the psalm, as the evangelists testified; Matthew through his words which we have quoted, and Mark through what he himself also relates in this way, saying, “And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani, which is interpreted, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? And some of the bystanders said, He is calling Elijah.” 10.8.15 Come then, following these things let us see how the things shown through the psalm will be referred to him. And first let us distinguish the
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μεγάλῃ ἐλωεὶμ ἐλωεὶμ λεμᾶ σαβαχθανί, ὅ ἐστι μεθερμηνευόμενον, ὁ θεὸς ὁ θεός μου ἵνα τί ἐγκατέλιπές με;» εἴληπται δὲ ἡ ἑβραϊκὴ λέξις ἀπὸ τῆς ἐν χερσὶ προφητείας. 10.8.9 αὐταῖς γοῦν συλλαβαῖς τὸ ἠλεὶ ἠλεὶ λεμᾶ σαβαχθανεὶ» ἡ τοῦ ψαλμοῦ καταρχὴ περιέχει, ὅπερ ὁ Ἀκύλας τοῦτον ἡρμήνευσεν τὸν τρόπον «ἰσχυρέ μου, ἰσχυρέ μου, ἵνα τί ἐγκατέλιπές με;» ταῦτα δὲ ὅτι τοῖς ὑπὸ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν κατὰ τὸν τοῦ πάθους καιρὸν εἰρημένοις ἰσοδυναμεῖ πᾶς ὅστις οὖν ὁμολογήσαι ἄν. 10.8.10 ὥρα τοιγαροῦν ἀναμφιλόγως τὸν ψαλμὸν οὐδ' ἐφ' ἕτερον ἢ ἐπὶ μόνον αὐτὸν ἀναφέρειν, ἐπειδὴ αὐτῷ μόνῳ καὶ οὐδ' ἑτέρῳ ἁρμόζει τὰ ἐμπεριεχόμενα. ἄντικρυς γοῦν ἐπ' αὐτῷ πεπληρωμένα τά τε ἄλλα ἀποδείκνυται καὶ δὴ καὶ τὸ φάσκον ἐν τῷ ψαλμῷ «διεμερίσαντο τὰ ἱμάτιά μου ἑαυτοῖς, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν ἱματισμόν μου ἔβαλον κλῆρον». 10.8.11 καὶ τὴν κατάπαρσιν δὲ τῶν ἥλων τῶν κατὰ τῶν χειρῶν καὶ ποδῶν ἐπὶ τοῦ σταυροῦ προσηλωθέντων αὐτῷ διαρρήδην ἐμφαίνει λέγων· «ὤρυξαν χεῖράς μου καὶ πόδας μου, ἐξηρίθμησαν πάντα τὰ ὀστᾶ μου». Καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ δὲ μόνῳ ἂν ἐφαρμόσαι αὐτῷ, ὡς προϊὼν ὁ λόγος παραστήσει· ἢ ὁ βουλόμενος ἐφ' ἕτερον μεταλαβὼν πρόσωπον, ἤτοι βασιλέως ἢ προφήτου ἢ καί τινος τῶν πώποτε παρὰ Ἰουδαίοις θεοφιλῶν, δεικνύτω εἰ οἷός τε εἴη ἐφαρμόζειν τὰ ἀναγεγραμμένα. 10.8.12 τίνι γὰρ τῶν πώποτε κυοφορουμένων ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον παρῆν ἀρετῆς καὶ δυνάμεως, ὥστε καθεστῶτι λογισμῷ καὶ ἀσυγχύτῳ ψυχῇ νηφαλίῳ τε φρονήματι θεοῦ γνῶσιν ἀναλαβεῖν καὶ πᾶσαν ἐπὶ τὸν θεὸν ἀναρτῆσαι αὐτοῦ τὴν ἐλπίδα, ὥστ' ἂν εἰπεῖν· «ὅτι σὺ εἶ ὁ ἐκσπάσας με ἐκ γαστρὸς μητρός μου, ἡ ἐλπίς μου ἀπὸ μαστῶν τῆς μητρός μου. ἐπὶ σὲ ἐπερρίφην ἐκ μήτρας, ἐκ κοιλίας μητρός μου θεός μου εἶ σύ». 10.8.13 τίς δὲ τοιοῦτος θεῷ μεμελημένος «ὄνειδος ἀνθρώπων» γέγονεν καὶ «ἐξουδένημα λαοῦ;» ὑπὸ τίνων δὲ καὶ ποδαπῶν «μόσχων» καὶ «ταύρων» χρὴ νοεῖν τὸν τοιόνδε κεκυκλῶσθαι; τί δὲ παθὼν ὁ δηλούμενος «ὡσεὶ ὕδωρ ἐξεχύθη», καὶ πῶς «διεσκορπίσθη» αὐτοῦ «τὰ ὀστᾶ;» πῶς δὲ «εἰς χοῦν θανάτου» κατήχθη, καὶ καταχθεὶς «εἰς χοῦν θανάτου» τὰ τοιαῦτα λαλεῖ ἔτι καὶ ζῇ καὶ φθέγγεται; τίνες δὲ οἱ «κύνες» οἱ κυκλώσαντες αὐτόν, ἕτεροι ὄντες παρὰ τοὺς προωνομασμένους ταύρους καὶ μόσχους; ποία δὲ «συναγωγὴ πονηρευομένων» τὰς «χεῖρας» οὐ μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς «πόδας» τοῦ τηλικούτου «ὤρυξαν», ἀποδύσαντές τε αὐτὸν τὰ μέν τινα διείλοντο αὐτοῦ τῶν ἐνδυμάτων, τὰ δὲ καὶ κλήρῳ λαχόντες ἔλαβον; τίς δὲ ἡ «ῥομφαία» καὶ ὁ «κύων» καὶ ὁ «λέων»; τίνες δὲ οἱ λεγόμενοι «μονοκέρωτες», τὸν δηλούμενον περιέχοντες; πῶς δὲ μετὰ τὴν πρὸς τοσούτους πάλην, μετὰ τὸ «εἰς χοῦν θανάτου» καταχθῆναι, ἐπαγγέλλεται τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ πατρὸς διηγεῖσθαι, οὐ πᾶσιν ἀλλὰ μόνοις τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ «ἀδελφοῖς»; τίνες τε οἱ «ἀδελφοί», τίς τε ἡ «ἐκκλησία», περὶ ἧς φησιν ὁ τὰ τοιαῦτα παθὼν «ἐν μέσῳ ἐκκλησίας ὑμνήσω σε»; οἷς καὶ ἐπιλέγει, ὡς ἄρα οὐχ ἓν τὸ Ἰουδαίων ἔθνος, «πάντα» δὲ «τὰ πέρατα τῆς γῆς» συναισθήσονται «καὶ ἐπιστραφήσονται πρὸς κύριον», «καὶ προσκυνή σουσιν ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ πᾶσαι αἱ πατριαὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν»; καὶ σὺ δὲ παρὰ σαυτῷ βασανίσας ἑκάστην λέξιν τοῦ ψαλμοῦ, θέα εἰ δυνατὸν ἐπὶ τὸν τυχόντα ἀναφέρειν τὰ θεσπιζόμενα. 10.8.14 ἀλλ' οὐκ ἂν εὕροις ἑτέρῳ ἐφαρμόττειν αὐτὰ ἢ μόνῳ τῷ σωτῆρι ἡμῶν, ὃς πάντων πιστότατος ἂν εἴη καὶ ἀληθέστατος, εἰς ἑαυτοῦ πρόσωπον ἀνειληφὼς τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ ψαλμοῦ φωνήν, ὡς ἐμαρτύρησαν οἱ εὐαγγελισταί· ὁ μὲν Ματθαῖος δι' ὧν παρεθέμεθα αὐτοῦ λέξεων, ὁ δὲ Μάρκος δι' ὧν καὶ αὐτὸς ὧδέ πως ἱστορεῖ λέγων· «γενομένης δὲ ὥρας ἕκτης σκότος ἐγένετο ἐφ' ὅλης τῆς γῆς ἕως ὥρας ἐνάτης. καὶ τῇ ἐνάτῃ ὥρᾳ ἐβόησεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς φωνῇ μεγάλῃ λέγων, ἠλὶ ἠλὶ λεμᾶ σαβαχθανί, ὅ ἐστιν μεθερμηνευόμενον, ὁ θεὸς ὁ θεός μου, εἰς τί ἐγκατέλιπές με; καί τινες τῶν ἀκουσάντων ἔλεγον, Ἠλίαν φωνεῖ». 10.8.15 Φέρε δὴ οὖν τούτοις ἀκολούθως ἴδωμεν ὅπως εἰς αὐτὸν ἀνενεχθήσεται τὰ διὰ τοῦ ψαλμοῦ δηλούμενα. καὶ πρῶτόν γε διαλάβωμεν τὴν