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Commentarii in Zacchariam

On Zechariah

1.1 Zechariah, who is set before us for clarification, being the eleventh of the Twelve Prophets, having the eye of his mind enlightened, deified by the word that came to him, saw great visions and proclaimed the prophetic word in many ways and forms. Eager to understand these things, we shall begin the clarification of his book, having besought 'that utterance may be given me in opening my mouth,' with you also joining in prayer, trusting thus to obtain what is sought. 1.2Zach. I, 1: In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, saying. 1.3 It being the second year of the reign of Darius the king of the Persians, in the eighth month of the second year of the ruler's reign, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Zechariah, proclaiming that a great wrath had come upon the fathers of those being reproved, as God was indignant with those being accused. 1.4 He to whom the word of God came is called Zechariah in the Hebrew tongue, but interpreted in Greek as 'remembrance of God'. For how is he not a remembrance of God who not ... of God ... having? Of the same cat... is also Berechiah and he... of the... remembrance being the eponym father of Zechariah ... Iddo. 1.5 A tradition has come down to us that the parents of the prophets are mentioned when they themselves happen to be servants of God. It is especially shown that the present prophet and his fathers are of the priestly lineage also from the Gospel according to Luke; for the father of John the Baptist, Zechariah, and his parent, Berechiah, were so named. For in general, later kinsmen have the names of their predecessors, especially when they are holy. 1.6 Mention is made in the superscriptions of the prophecies of the ancestors of those called by God to prophesy and of the time of their prophecy. And sometimes also of their homeland for the sake of certainty, so that there be no deception from a shared name or a false name. 1.7 The word of God comes to someone when he partakes of it, just as virtue and knowledge come to be in a virtuous and knowledgeable man. But what the word of God suggests and proclaims to the one who is qualified by the prophetic word will be clear from what follows. 1.8 Zach. I, 3.2: 'Thus,' he says, 'says the Lord Almighty: The Lord was very angry with your fathers.' 1.9 Great wrath comes upon those who sin greatly and act impiously; for since God the judge gives 'to each according to his works' and according to the deed of the one transgressing the divine laws, the same punishment is not threatened to all, but one that is commensurate and proportional to the sins. But the threat breathes much goodness; for if God punished vengefully those subject to suffer this, He would not announce it beforehand, but would inflict the punishment without delay. 1.10 The possessor of the divine word is commanded to urge to repentance those who have been captured, saying: 'Thus says the Lord Almighty: Return to me,' keeping my commandments and acknowledging my truth; for thus you will find me returned to you. For I, being unchangeable and immutable, always existing in the same way and manner, seem to turn away from you and be far from you when you endure this. 1.11 Therefore he says to all those being reproved as to one: 'Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you

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Commentarii in Zacchariam

Εἰς τ̣ο`̣ν̣ Ζα̣χαρίαν

1.1 Ὁ προκείμενος εἰς σαφήνειαν Ζαχαρίας, τῶν ∆ώδεκα Προφητῶν ἑνδέκατος ὑπάρχ̣ων, ὄμμα διανοίας πεφωτισμένον ἔχων, θεοποι̣η̣θ̣εὶς̣ ·α̣· ὑπὸ λόγου τοῦ πρὸς αὐτὸν γεγενημένου, ὀπτασίας μεγάλας εἶδεν καὶ προφητικὸν λόγον πολυτρόπως καὶ πολυειδῶς ἀπήγγειλεν, ἅπερ νοῆσαι προθυμούμενοι ἀπαρξώμεθα τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν σαφηνείας, παρακαλέσαντες «δοθῆναι λόγον ἐν ἀνοίξει τοῦ στόματος», συντρεχόντων καὶ ὑμῶν τῇ προσευχῇ, θαρροῦντες οὕτω τεύξεσθαι τοῦ σπουδαζομένου. 1.2Zach. I, 1: Ἐν τῷ ὀγδόῳ μηνὶ ἔτους δευτέρου ἐπὶ ∆αρείου ἐγένετο λόγος Κυρίου πρὸς Ζαχαρίαν τὸν τοῦ Βαραχίου υἱὸν Ἀδδὼ τὸν προφήτην λέγων. 1.3 ∆ευτέρο̣υ̣ ἐνιαυτοῦ ὄντος τῆς βασιλείας ∆αρείου τοῦ Περσῶν βασιλέως, ἐν τῷ ὀγδόῳ μηνὶ τοῦ δευτέρου ἔτους τῆς ἀρχῆς τοῦ κρατ̣ο̣ῦντος, πρὸς τὸν προφήτην Ζαχαρίαν ὁ τοῦ Κυρίου λόγος γέγονεν, διαγορεύων ὡς ὀργὴ μεγάλη ἐπὶ τοὺς πατέρας τῶν ἐλεγχομένων γέγονεν, ἀγαν̣α̣κ̣τ̣οῦντ̣ος Θεου῀̣ κατὰ τῶν ἐγκαλουμένων̣. 1.4 Κ̣α̣λ̣εῖτα̣ι δὲ πρὸς ὃν ο῾̣ λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ γέγονεν Ζαχαρ̣ίας ῾Ε̣βρα̣ίων φωνῃ῀̣, Ἑλ̣λήνων δὲ μνήμη Θεοῦ ἑρμηνευόμεν̣ος. Πῶς̣ γ̣α`̣ρ̣ ο̣ὐ μνήμη Θεοῦ τυγχάνει ὁ μὴ αλ······α τοῦ Θ̣εοῦ ε̣···ε̣··οις̣ ἐ´̣χων; Τῆς̣ δ' αὐτῆς κατ········οτητος̣ καὶ ὁ Βα̣ρ̣αχίας ἐστὶν καὶ αὐτ·· τη·····ς̣ μνήμης ἐπ̣ω´̣νυμος ὢν̣ πατὴρ τοῦ Ζαχαρίου ··τον̣···· Ἀδδώ. 1.5 Ἦλθεν εἰς ἡμᾶς παράδοσις τότε μνημονεύεσθαι τοὺς τοκέας τῶν προφητῶν ὅταν καὶ αὐτοὶ θεραπευταὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ τυγχάνωσιν. ∆είκνυται δὲ μάλιστα ὡς ὁ προκείμενος προφήτης καὶ οἱ τούτου πατέρες ἐκ τοῦ ἱερατικοῦ γένους ὄντες καὶ ἐκ τοῦ κατὰ Λουκᾶν Εὐαγγελίου· ὁ γὰρ πατὴρ τοῦ βαπτιστοῦ Ἰωάννου Ζαχαρίας καὶ Βαραχίας ὁ τούτου γονεὺς προσηγορεύοντο. Ὡς ἐπίπαν γὰρ οἱ ὕστεροι ὁμόφυλοι τῶν προλαβόντων, μάλιστα ὅταν ἅγιοι ὦσιν, τὰς κλήσεις ἔχουσιν. 1.6 Μνῆμαι δὲ γίνονται ἐν ταῖς προγραφαῖς τῶν προφητειῶν τῶν προγόνων τῶν εἰς τὸ προφητεύειν κληθέντων ὑπὸ Θεοῦ καὶ χρόνου τῆς προφητείας αὐτῶν. Ἔστιν δὲ ὅτε καὶ πατρίδος ὑπὲρ ἀσφαλείας, ὅπως μὴ ἀπατὴ γένηται ἐξ ὁμωνυμίας ἢ ψευδωνυμίας. 1.7 Γίνεται λόγος Θεοῦ πρός τινα ὅταν μετάσχῃ αὐτοῦ, ὡς γίνεται ἀρετὴ καὶ ἐπιστήμη ἐν σπουδαίῳ ἀνδρὶ καὶ ἐπιστήμονι. Τί δὲ ὑπηχεῖ καὶ διαγορεύει ὁ Θεοῦ λόγος τῷ κατὰ προφητικὸν λόγον πεποιωμένῳ, ἐκ τῶν ἑξῆς ἔσται σαφές. 1.8 Zach. I, 3.2: Τάδε, φησίν, λέγει Κύριος παντοκράτωρ· ὠργίσθη Κύριος ἐπὶ τοὺς πατέρας ὑμῶν ὀργὴν μεγάλην. 1.9 Ὀργὴ μεγάλη γίνεται ἐπὶ τοὺς μεγάλα ἁμαρτάνοντας καὶ ἀσεβοῦντας· διδόντος γὰρ τοῦ Θεοῦ κριτοῦ «ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ» καὶ κατὰ τὴν πρᾶξιν τῷ παραβαίνοντι τοὺς θείους νόμους, οὐχ ἡ αὐτὴ πᾶσιν ἀπειλεῖται κόλασις, ἀλλὰ σύμμετρος καὶ ἀναλογοῦσα τοῖς ἡμαρτημένοις. Πνεῖ δὲ πολλῆς ἀγαθότητος ἡ ἀπειλή· εἰ γὰρ ἀμυντικῶς ὁ Θεὸς ἐκόλαζεν τοὺς ὑποβεβλημένους τῷ τοῦτο παθεῖν, οὐ προαπήγγελλεν, ἀλλ' ἀμελλητὶ τὴν τιμωρίαν ἐπῆγεν. 1.10 Προστάττεται ὁ κάτοχος τοῦ θείου λόγου εἰς μετάνοιαν προτρέψασθαι τοὺς ἑαλωκότας, φάσκων· «Τάδε λέγει Κύριος παντοκράτωρ· ἐπιστράφητε πρός με», τὰς ἐντολάς μου φυλάσσοντες καὶ τὴν ἀλήθειάν μου ἐπιγιγνώσκοντες· οὕτω γὰρ εὑρήσετέ με ἐπιστραφέντα πρὸς ὑμᾶς. Ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ ἄτρεπτος καὶ ἀναλλοίωτος ὤν, ἀεὶ κατὰ τὰ αὐτὰ καὶ ὡσαύτως ὑπάρχων, δοκῶ ἀποστρέφεσθαι ὑμᾶς καὶ μακρύνεσθαι ὑμῶν ὅταν ὑμεῖς τοῦθ' ὑπομένητε. 1.11 Λέγει γοῦν πρὸς τοὺς ἐλεγχομένους ὡς πρὸς ἕνα πάντας· «Ὅτι σὺ ἐπίγνωσιν ἀπώσω καὶ ἐγὼ ἀπώσομαί σε