Didymus the Blind, Commentaries on the Octateuch and Kings

Commentaries on the Octateuch and Kings

39.1112 A series of fifty-one commentaries on the Octateuch and the Books of Kings, now published in print for the first time at the request of the most pious and serene ruler of all

Hungaro-Wallachia, Lord Lord Gregorios Alexandros Ghica; under the care of Nikephoros, hieromonk, the Theotokis. In Leipzig of Saxony, in the

printing house of Breitkopf. In the year 1772. CHAP. 1, v. 14. And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament

of the heaven to give light upon the earth, and to divide the day from the night. Didymus. Whence the lights, having come into being on the fourth day, because of the reason concerning them, being greater, are said to have come into being on this day. For the tetrad, being in potentiality a decad, is held in honor; for a monad, and a dyad, and a triad, and a tetrad, when put together with one another, make a decad; for throughout all of Scripture the decad is praised; for Moses gave ten commandments, and tithes are given. And just as the water, which was previously poured out over the face of the whole earth, God later on the third day, having gathered into one gathering, made the seas, and the rivers, and the wells; so also the light, which was created in the beginning, previously poured out, God later, on the fourth day, having gathered it together all at once, made from it the sun, and the moon, and the rest of the stars. Not that the sun is anything other than the day. CHAP. 3, v. 19. Thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, and you shall eat the grass of the field. Didymus. For what from the consequence of the body is not painful, with pleasures and cares springing from it? For the Savior declared that these are the thorns which choke the seed called by him, if the one who receives it does not receive it into the depth. V. 25. And he placed the cherubim, and the flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way of the tree of life. Didymus. The sword is said to be turning, so that when man has turned from evil to virtue, it also might turn, providing entrance. If, therefore, there is a desire in anyone for entrance, he is led by the hand through these things: the cherubim, signifying knowledge 39.1116 our glory, then you will follow, as a servant his master. V. 23. And I will take away my hand, and then you will see my back; but my face will not be seen by you. Didymus. The pre-cosmic existence and divinity are signified by the face; but the creation and providence, by the back (1). CHAP. 34, v. 2. And be ready in the morning, and you shall go up in the morning to Mount Sinai, and you shall stand there for me on the top of the mount. Didymus. For he does not stand for any other, but for God, for whom he will complete the declared progress. And what is it to stand for God, but to be ready to listen to God's teaching? V. 3. And let no one go up with you, and let no one be seen in all the mountain; and let the sheep and the oxen not feed near the mountain. Didymus. He commanded those who fall short of the perfection of Moses to remain at the foot of the mountain.

Commentarii in Octateuchum et Reges

39.1112 Σειρὰ ἑνὸς καὶ πεντήκοντα ὑπομνηματισμῶν εἰς τὴν Ὀκτάτευχον καὶ τὰ τῶν Βασιλειῶν, ἤδη πρῶτον τύποις ἐκδοθεῖσα ἀξιώσει μὲν τοῦ εὐσεβεστάτου καὶ γαληνοτάτου ἡγεμόνος πάσης

Οὐγκροβλαχίας Κυρίου Κυρίου Γρηγορίου Ἀλεξάνδρου Γκίκα· ἐπιμελείᾳ δὲ Νικηφόρου ἱερομονάχου τοῦ Θεοτόκη. Ἐν Λειψίᾳ τῆς Σαξονίας, ἐν τῇ

τυπογραφίᾳ τοῦ Βρειτκόπφ. Ἔτει αψοβʹ. ΚΕΦ. Αʹ, στ. ιδʹ. Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Θεὸς, Γενηθήτωσαν φωστῆρες ἐν τῷ στερεώματι

τοῦ οὐρανοῦ εἰς φαῦσιν τῆς γῆς, τοῦ διαχωρίζειν ἀνὰ μέσον τῆς ἡμέρας καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τῆς νυκτός. ∆ιδύμου. Ὅθεν καὶ οἱ φωστῆρες τῇ τετάρτῃ ἡμέρᾳ γενόμενοι, διὰ τὸν περὶ αὐτοὺς λόγον, ἅτε μείζους ὄντες ἐν ταύτῃ λέγονται γεγενῆσθαι. Ἡ γὰρ τετρὰς, δυνάμει οὖσα δεκὰς, τιμία ὑπάρχει· μονὰς γὰρ, καὶ δυὰς, καὶ τριὰς, καὶ τετρὰς, ἀλλήλοις συντεθεῖσαι τὴν δεκάδα ποιοῦσι· διὰ πάσης γὰρ τῆς Γραφῆς ἡ δεκὰς ὑμνεῖται· καὶ γὰρ δέκα λόγους Μωσῆς δέδωκε, καὶ δεκάται παρέχονται. Ὥσπερ δὲ τὸ ὕδωρ, πρότερον διακεχυμένον κατὰ πρόσωπον πάσης τῆς γῆς, ὕστερον τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ συναγαγὼν ὁ Θεὸς εἰς συναγωγὴν μίαν, ἐποίησε τὰς θαλάσσας, καὶ τοὺς ποταμοὺς, καὶ τὰ φρέατα· οὕτω καὶ τὸ φῶς, τὸ ἐν ἀρχῇ κτισθὲν, πρότερον διακεχυμένον, ἀθρόως ὕστερον τῇ τετάρτῃ ἡμέρᾳ συναγαγὼν ὁ Θεὸς, ἐποίησεν ἐξ αὐτοῦ τὸν ἥλιον, καὶ τὴν σελήνην, καὶ τοὺς λοιποὺς ἀστέρας. Οὐχ ὅτι ἄλλο τι παρὰ τὴν ἡμέραν ὁ ἥλιος. ΚΕΦ. Γʹ, στ. ιθʹ. Ἀκάνθας καὶ τριβόλους ἀνατελεῖ σοι, καὶ φαγῇ τὸν χόρτον τοῦ ἀγροῦ. ∆ιδύμου. Τί γὰρ ἐκ τῆς τοῦ σώματος ἀκολουθίας οὐκ ἐπώδυνόν ἐστιν, ἡδονῶν τε καὶ μεριμνῶν ἐξ αὐτοῦ φυομένων; Ταύτας γὰρ εἶναι τὰς ἀκάνθας ὁ Σωτὴρ ἐμήνυσεν, αἵτινες συμπνίγουσι τὸν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ καλούμενον σπόρον, ἐὰν ὁ δεξάμενος μὴ εἰς βάθος τοῦτον ὑποδέξηται. Στ. κεʹ. Καὶ ἔταξε τὰ χερουβὶμ, καὶ τὴν φλογίνην ῥομφαίαν τὴν στρεφομένην φυλάσσειν τὴν ὁδὸν τοῦ ξύλου τῆς ζωῆς. ∆ιδύμου. Ῥομφαία εἴρηται στρεφομένη, ἵνα στραφέντος ἀπὸ κακίας εἰς ἀρετὴν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, καὶ αὐτὴ στραφῇ τὴν εἴσοδον παρέχουσα. Εἰ τοίνυν τῆς εἰσόδου τινὶ γένοιτο πόθος, διὰ τούτων χειραγωγεῖται· τῶν μὲν χερουβὶμ, αἰνιττομένων τὴν γνῶσιν 39.1116 τὴν ἡμετέραν δόξαν, τότε σὺ ἐπακολουθήσεις, οἷα θεράπων δεσπότῃ. Στ. κγʹ. Καὶ ἀφελῶ τὴν χεῖρα, καὶ τότε ὄψει τὰ ὀπίσω μου· τὸ δὲ πρόσωπόν μου οὐκ ὀφθήσεταί σοι. ∆ιδύμου. Ἡ μὲν προκόσμιος ὕπαρξίς τε καὶ θειότης δηλοῦται διὰ τοῦ προσώπου· ἡ δὲ δημιουργία καὶ πρόνοια, διὰ τῶν ὀπίσω (1). ΚΕΦ. Λ∆ʹ, στ. βʹ. Καὶ γίνου ἕτοιμος εἰς τὸ πρωῒ, καὶ ἀναβήσῃ τὸ πρωῒ εἰς τὸ ὄρος τὸ Σινᾶ, καὶ στήσῃ μοι ἐκεῖ ἐπ' ἄκρου τοῦ ὄρους. ∆ιδύμου. Οὐ γὰρ ἑτέρῳ τινὶ ἵσταται, ἀλλ' ἢ Θεῷ, ᾧ τὴν δηλωθεῖσαν προκοπὴν διανύσει. Τί δέ ἐστι τὸ ἑστάναι Θεῷ, ἢ τὸ ἕτοιμον γενέσθαι πρὸς τὸ ἀκροᾶσθαι Θεοῦ διδασκαλίαν; Στ. γʹ. Καὶ μηδεὶς ἀναβήτω μετὰ σοῦ, καὶ μηδεὶς ὀφθήτω ἐν παντὶ τῷ ὄρει· καὶ τὰ πρόβατα καὶ οἱ βόες μὴ νεμέσθωσαν πλησίον τοῦ ὄρους. ∆ιδύμου. Τοῖς ἀπολειπομένοις τῆς τοῦ Μωϋσέως τελειότητος μένειν κάτω τοῦ ὄρους προσέταξε.