Gregory of Nazianzus, Interpretation of Ezekiel

Significatio in Ezechielem

AN INTERPRETATION OF EZEKIEL. We consider the man to be the rational part; the lion, the spirited part; the calf, the appetitive part; the eagle, the conscience set over the others, which is called the spirit of man by Paul; the one seated upon [the throne], the Father; the spirit, the Holy Spirit; the cloud, the Son; and from the north means from the introductory, proceeding to better things. A brightness, because of being enlightened; fire, because of chastisement; the flashing forth, because punishments are intermittent; the purified part of the soul is called electrum; it should be noted, that the likeness of the man leads the way. Every rational nature is winged with spiritual wings. They join one another, because of their fellowship and concord. A man's hand underneath, because of good order. The firmament, because of its firmness. A rainbow, because of the peace and covenant from God toward us. Sapphire, the unutterable things; crystal, the pure and unadulterated. The feet are straight, because of their stability and permanence. Fire infolding itself in the midst, not loose and flowing about. And brightness, because of the end of rest. The sole of the feet, as Symmachus has it, of a calf, because of the farmer; but as Aquila has it, round, because it is the most beautiful of shapes. The appearance of the wheels, as Symmachus has it, of hyacinth. 36.668 And it did not turn back, as the appearance of *bezek*, as if going with difficulty, not having the fullness of light, but as the appearance of *bezek*, which is lightning. If it perfects the likeness of the man, it rules over the other men; but if not, the opposite happens. The lion has something of pride, of vigor, so that we may use it well. The calf, so that we may desire as we ought. Isaiah says: You will sanctify him in burning fire. From the loins and upward, electrum; for the upper parts do not need punishment. From the loins and downward, fire, the things of generation; and these need punishment. The Spirit first lifts up, cleansing; then the fire cleanses those not cleansed by this. And the brightness, a good end. For such are the punishments. One principle of a creator is to make the underlying matter as he wishes and as is possible for the art; just as God is good and wise, but not as we are, so also is He creator; since He is simple and uncompounded; for we, being composite, are not so. Wisdom was justified by her children, calling the wise her children. And again the Savior himself says to them in the passage: The sons of this age are wiser than the sons of light in their own generation; calling sons of light those who have been enlightened by knowledge. And, We were by nature children of wrath, not meaning what is according to nature, but that in truth sinners are liable to wrath. And concerning Judas it is written that he was the Son of perdition; he called him a son of perdition for having done the things of perdition. Isaiah for three years went naked and barefoot. They say that Moses, after hearing the oracles of God, no longer touched his wife, nor begot children. The abomination of desolation standing in the holy place, they say, means that the temple in Jerusalem will be built later, as the Antichrist will be believed by the Jews to be Christ, and will be seated there, and will seem to be the king of the whole world. He will come for the desolation of the world; for he is the abomination of desolation. The three 36.669 youths in Babylon, and in the furnace, are said to be the children of Hezekiah, and Ezekiel to have formerly been a servant of Jeremiah.

Significatio in Ezechielem

ΣΗΜΑΣΙΑ ΕΙΣ ΤΟΝ ΙΕΖΕΚΙΗΛ. Νομίζομεν τὸν ἄνθρωπον εἶναι τὸ λογικόν· τὸν λέοντα, τὸ θυμικόν· τὸν μόσχον, τὸ ἐπιθυμητικόν· τὸν ἀετὸν, τὴν συνείδησιν ἐπικειμένην τοῖς λοι ποῖς, ὅ ἐστι πνεῦμα παρὰ Παύλου λεγόμενον τοῦ ἀνθρώπου· τὸν ἐπικαθεζόμενον, τὸν Πατέρα· τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα, τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον· τὴν δὲ νεφέλην, τὸν Υἱόν· ἀπὸ βοῤῥᾷ δὲ, ἀπὸ τῆς εἰσαγωγικῆς, ἐπὶ τὰ κρείττονα ὁδεύοντα. Φέγγος, διὰ τὸ φωτίζεσθαι· πῦρ δὲ, διὴ τὴν παίδευσιν· τὸ ἐξαστράπτον, ὅτι ἐκ διαλειμμάτων αἱ κολάσεις· τὸ δὲ κεκαθαρμένον τῆς ψυχῆς, ἤλεκτρον λέγεται· σημειωτέον, ὅτι τὸ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ὁμοίωμα προηγεῖται. Πᾶσα δὲ ἡ λογικὴ φύσις πτερουμένη ἐστὶ πτεροῖς πνευματικοῖς. Συ σφίγγουσι δὲ ἀλλήλους, διὰ τὸ κοινωνικὸν καὶ τὴν ὁμόνοιαν. Χεὶρ δὲ ἀνθρώπου ὑποκάτω, διὰ τὸ εὔ τακτον. Τὸ δὲ στερέωμα, διὰ τὸ στεῤῥόν. Ἶριν δὲ, διὰ τὴν εἰρήνην καὶ διαθήκην τὴν πρὸς ἡμᾶς ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Σάπφειρος, τὰ ἀπόῤῥητα· κρύσταλλος, τὸ καθαρὸν καὶ ἄδολον. Ὀρθοὶ οἱ πόδες, διὰ τὸ βάσιμον καὶ μόνιμον. Πῦρ ἐν μέσῳ συστρεφόμενον, οὐχὶ χαῦνον καὶ διαῤῥέον. Φέγγος δὲ, διὰ τὸ τέλος τῆς ἀναπαύσεως. Τὸ ἴχνος δὲ τῶν ποδῶν, ὡς μὲν ὁ Σύμμαχος, μόσχου, διὰ τὸ γεωπόνον· ὡς δὲ Ἀκύλας, στρογγύλον, διὰ τὸ κάλλιστον τῶν σχημάτων. Τὸ εἶδος δὲ τῶν τροχῶν, ὡς μὲν ὁ Σύμμαχος, ὑακίν 36.668 θινον. Ἀνέκαμπτον δὲ, ὡς εἶδος τοῦ βεζὲκ, ὡσεὶ δυσοδοῦντα, τὸ ὅλον τοῦ φωτὸς μὴ ἔχοντα, ἀλλ' ὡς εἶδος τοῦ βεζὲκ, ὅ ἐστι τῆς ἀστραπῆς. Ἐὰν μὲν ἀπαρτίσῃ τὸ ὁμοίωμα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, κυριεύει τῶν ἄλλων ἀνθρώπων· εἰ δὲ μὴ, τὸ ἐναντίον συμβαίνει. Ἔχει τι ὁ λέων, τὸ γαῦρον, τὸ εὔτονον, ἵνα καλῶς αὐτῷ χρησώμεθα. Τὸν δὲ μόσχον, ἵνα δεόντως ἐπιθυμῶμεν. Ἡσαΐας λέγει· Ἁγιάσεις αὐτὸν ἐν πυρὶ καιομένῳ. Ἀπὸ ὀσφύος, καὶ ἄνω, ἤλεκτρον· τὰ γὰρ ἄνω οὐ δεῖται κολάσεως. Ἀπὸ ὀσφύος, καὶ κάτω, πῦρ, τὰ γενέσεως πράγματα· ταῦτα δὲ κολάσεως δεῖται. Τὸ Πνεῦμα πρῶτον ἐξαίρει καθαῖρον· εἶτα τοὺς μὴ καθαρθέντας ἐκ τούτου τὸ πῦρ καθαίρει. Τὸ δὲ φέγγος, χρηστὸν τέλος. Τοιαῦται γὰρ αἱ κολάσεις. Εἷς ὅρος δημιουργοῦ, τὸ τὴν ὑποκειμένην ὕλην, ὡς βούλεται, καὶ ὡς ἐνδέχεται τῇ τέχνῃ ποιεῖν· ὥσπερ ὁ Θεὸς ἀγαθὸς καὶ σοφὸς, ἀλλ' οὐχ ὡς ἡμεῖς, οὕτως καὶ δημιουργός· ἐπειδὴ ἁπλοῦς καὶ ἀσύνθετος· ἡμεῖς γὰρ σύνθετοι ὑπάρχοντες, οὐχ οὕτως ἐσμέν. Ἐδικαιώθη ἡ σοφία ἀπὸ τῶν τέκνων αὐτῆς, τοὺς σοφοὺς τὰ τέκνα λέγων. Καὶ πάλιν αὐτὸς αὐτοῖς ὁ Σωτήρ φησιν ἐν τῷ· Σοφώτεροί εἰσιν οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου, ὑπὲρ τοὺς υἱοὺς τοῦ φωτὸς, ἐν τῇ γενεᾷ αὐτῶν· υἱοὺς φωτὸς λέγων τοὺς πεφωτισμένους τῇ γνώσει. Καὶ, Ἦμεν φύσει τέκνα ὀργῆς, οὐ τὸ κατὰ φύσιν λέγων, ἀλλ' ὅτι ἐν ἀληθείᾳ ὑπεύθυνοι ὀργῆς τυγχάνουσιν οἱ ἁμαρτάνοντες. Καὶ περὶ τοῦ Ἰούδα γέγραπται, ὅτι Υἱὸς ἀπωλείας· ἀπωλείας δὲ υἱὸν αὐτὸν εἶπε, τῷ τὰ τῆς ἀπωλείας πεπραχέναι. Ἡσαΐας ἔτεσι τρισὶ γυμνὸς καὶ ἀνυποδέστατος διήγαγε. Τὸν Μωσέα φασὶ μετὰ τὸ ἀκοῦσαι τῶν χρησμῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ, μηκέτι ἅψασθαι τῆς γυναικὸς, μηδὲ τεκνοποιῆσαι. Βδέλυγμα τῆς ἐρημώσεως ἑστὼς ἐν τόπῳ ἁγίῳ, φασὶν, ὅτι ὁ ναὸς ὁ ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις οἰκοδομηθήσεται ὕστερον, ὡς τοῦ Ἀντιχρίστου πιστευθησομένου ὑπὸ Ἰουδαίων Χριστοῦ εἶναι, καὶ καθεσθησομένου, καὶ δόξοντος ὅλης τῆς οἰκουμένης εἶναι βασιλέως. Ἥξει δὲ ἐπ' ἐρημίᾳ τοῦ κόσμου· βδέλυγμα γάρ ἐστι τῆς ἐρημώσεως. Λέγον 36.669 ται οἱ τρεῖς παῖδες, οἱ ἐν Βαβυλῶνι, καὶ κατὰ τὴν κάμινον, παῖδες εἶναι τοῦ Ἐζεκίου, καὶ Ἱεζεκιὴλ δοῦλος γεγενῆσθαι πρότερον Ἱερεμίου.