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Explanation on the Song of songs

OF THE BLESSED THEODORET, BISHOP OF CYRUS, AN INTERPRETATION OF THE SONG OF SONGS. Theodoret to the most God-loving Bishop John. The exegesis of the divine oracles requires a soul that is purified, and free from all filth; and it also requires a winged mind, able to perceive divine things, venturing into the inner sanctuary of the Spirit; and it also needs a tongue that serves the mind, and worthily interprets its contemplation. But for me, I have a soul clothed in a great heap of sins, and a mind submerged in the cares of the affairs entrusted to me, and for these reasons humble and groveling, and unable to perceive the divine oracles accurately, and in addition to these, a tongue more sluggish and slower than the mind. But since you commanded, O my dear friend, to interpret the book of the Song of Songs, and to show the clear and manifest meaning of the things spoken enigmatically and mystically, we have ventured upon things beyond our power, and this, while being surrounded by countless cares, both of the city and of the country, both military and civil, both ecclesiastical and common; we have dared the depth of the sea, and we have ventured to descend into the depth of the letter, so that we might bring up for you the pearl of meaning. And we have taken not oil in the mouth, so that for the investigation of what is sought I might use a man-made light as a helper, 81.29 but prayer and supplication, which are most especially needed by those who long to attain to the meaning of the divine oracles. For the blessed David taught us to say: "Uncover my eyes, and I will understand the wonderful things from your law." Having been taught these things, let us beseech the divine grace, to show us the meaning of this book. But since some of those who slander the Song of Songs, and do not believe the book to be spiritual, but weave certain myths not even fitting for raving old women, and dare to say that wise Solomon wrote this about himself and Pharaoh's daughter, and certain others, being of this same company, have imagined Abishag the Shunamite, instead of Pharaoh's daughter, to be the bride; but those who have understood it more reverently than these, have called the word a royal one, and have designated the people as the bride, and the king as the bridegroom; we therefore considered it necessary, as we begin the interpretation, first to refute this false and harmful interpretation, and then thus to establish the clear purpose of the letter. They should, therefore, have understood that the blessed Fathers, who placed this book with the divine Scriptures, and, as being indeed spiritual, both canonized it and declared it to be fitting for the Church, happen to be much wiser and more spiritual than they. For they would not have counted it among the holy Scriptures if they had thought otherwise, as having a subject of incontinence and love of pleasure. And why is it necessary to speak of the Fathers below, when it is possible to call on the testimony of the divine Spirit itself? For since the divine Scriptures were on the one hand burned by Manasseh, who in wickedness and impiety surpassed all those both before and after him; and on the other hand during the time of the captivity they completely disappeared; of the Babylonians

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Explanatio in Canticum canticorum

ΤΟΥ ΜΑΚΑΡΙΟΥ ΘΕΟ∆ΩΡΗΤΟΥ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΥ ΚΥΡΟΥ ΕΡΜΗΝΕΙΑ ΕΙΣ ΤΟ

ΑΣΜΑ ΤΩΝ ΑΣΜΑΤΩΝ. Τῷ Θεοφιλεστάτῳ ἐπισκόπῳ Ἰωάννῃ Θεοδώρητος. Ἡ τῶν θείων λογίων ἐξήγησις δεῖται μὲν ψυχῆς κεκαθαρμένης, καὶ ῥύπου παντὸς ἀπηλλαγμένης· δεῖται δὲ καὶ διανοίας ἐπτερωμένης, καὶ καθορᾷν τὰ θεῖα δυναμένης, κατατολμώσης τῶν ἀδύτων τοῦ Πνεύματος· χρῄζει δὲ καὶ γλώττης ὑπουργούσης τῇ διανοίᾳ, καὶ τὴν ἐκείνης θεωρίαν ἀξίως ἑρμηνευού σης. Ἐμοὶ δὲ καὶ ψυχὴ πολὺν ἁμαρτημάτων φορυ τὸν περικειμένη, καὶ φροντίσιν ὧν ἐγκεχείρισμαι πραγμάτων βεβαπτισμένη διάνοια, καὶ διὰ ταῦτα ταπεινὴ καὶ χαμαίζηλος, καὶ κατοπτεύειν ἀκριβῶς τὰ θεῖα μὴ δυναμένη λόγια, καὶ πρὸς τούτοις γλῶττα τῆς διανοίας νωθεστέρα καὶ βραδυτέρα. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ προσέταξας, ὦ φίλη μοι κεφαλὴ, τοῦ Ἄσματος τῶν ᾀσμάτων ἑρμηνεῦσαι τὴν βίβλον, καὶ τῶν αἰνιγμα τωδῶς καὶ μυστικῶς εἰρημένων σαφῆ καὶ δήλην τὴν διάνοιαν δεῖξαι, κατετολμήκαμεν τῶν ὑπὲρ δύνα μιν, καὶ ταῦτα μυρίαις ἀστικαῖς τε καὶ χωριτικαῖς, στρατιωτικαῖς τε καὶ πολιτικαῖς, ἐκκλησιαστικαῖς τε καὶ κοιναῖς περιεχόμενοι φροντίσι· τόν τε βυθὸν τοῦ πελάγους κατεθαῤῥήσαμεν, καὶ εἰς τὸ βάθος τοῦ γράμματος καταβῆναι τετολμήκαμεν, ἵνα σοι τὸν τοῦ νοήματος ἀνενέγκωμεν μαργαρίτην. Ἐλάβομεν δὲ οὐκ ἔλαιον ἐν τῷ στόματι, ἵν' εἰς ἔρευναν τοῦ ζη τουμένου συνεργῷ χρήσωμαι χειροποιήτῳ φωτὶ, 81.29 ἀλλ' εὐχὴν καὶ ἱκετείαν, ἧς ὅτι μάλιστα χρῄζουσιν οἱ τῆς τῶν θείων λογίων διανοίας ἐφικέσθαι ποθοῦν τες. Ἐδίδαξε γὰρ ἡμᾶς ὁ μακάριος ∆αβὶδ λέγειν· "Ἀποκάλυψον τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς μου, καὶ κατανοήσω τὰ θαυμάσια ἐκ τοῦ νόμου σου." Ταῦτα δεδιδα γμένοι, τὴν θείαν ἱκετεύσωμεν χάριν, ὑποδεῖξαι ἡμῖν τὴν τοῦδε τοῦ βιβλίου διάνοιαν. Ἐπειδὴ δέ τινες τῶν τὸ Ἆσμα τῶν ᾀσμάτων διαβαλλόντων, καὶ πνευματικὸν εἶναι τὸ βιβλίον οὐ πιστευόντων, μύθους δέ τινας οὐδὲ γραϊδίοις παρα ληροῦσιν ἁρμόττοντας ὑφαινόντων, καὶ λέγειν τολμών των, ὡς σοφὸς Σολομὼν εἰς ἑαυτὸν, καὶ τὴν τοῦ Φα ραὼ θυγατέρα, τοῦτο συγγέγραφε, καὶ ἄλλοι δέ τινες ταυτησὶ τῆς συμμορίας ὑπάρχοντες, Ἀβισαὴ τὴν Σου ναμῖτιν, ἀντὶ τῆς τοῦ Φαραὼ θυγατρὸς, εἶναι τὴν νύμ φην ἀνεπλάσαντο· οἱ δὲ τούτων σεμνότερον νενοηκότες, βασιλικὸν τὸν λόγον ὠνομάκασι, καὶ νύμφην τὸν λαὸν προσηγορεύκασι, τὸν δὲ βασιλέα νυμφίον· ἀναγ καῖον τοίνυν ἡγησάμεθα, τῆς ἑρμηνείας ἀρχόμενοι, τὴν διεψευσμένην ταύτην καὶ βλαβερὰν πρότερον διελέγξαι διάνοιαν, εἶθ' οὕτως σαφῆ τοῦ γράμματος τὸν σκοπὸν καταστῆσαι. Ἐχρῆν μὲν οὖν αὐτοὺς συν ιδεῖν, ὡς πολὺ λίαν αὐτῶν καὶ σοφώτεροι, καὶ πνευ ματικώτεροι τυγχάνουσιν οἱ μακάριοι Πατέρες, οἱ τοῦτο τὸ βιβλίον ταῖς θείαις Γραφαῖς συντεταχότες, καὶ ἅτε δὴ πνευματικὸν κανονίσαντές τε αὐτὸ, καὶ Ἐκκλησίᾳ πρέπειν ἀποφηνάμενοι. Οὐ γὰρ ἂν, εἴπερ ἄλλως ὑπέλαβον, ταῖς ἁγίαις αὐτὸ Γραφαῖς συνηρί θμησαν, ἀκρασίας ἔχον καὶ φιληδονίας ὑπόθεσιν. Καὶ τί δεῖ τοὺς κάτω λέγειν Πατέρας, ἐξὸν αὐτοῦ τοῦ θείου Πνεύματος καλέσαι τὴν μαρτυρίαν; Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ αἱ θεῖαι Γραφαὶ, αἱ μὲν ὑπὸ Μανασσοῦ, τοῦ πονηρίᾳ καὶ δυσσεβείᾳ τούς τε πρὸ αὐτοῦ καὶ μετ' αὐτὸν ἅπαντας ἀποκρύψαντος, ἐνεπρήσθησαν· αἱ δὲ κατὰ τὸν τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας καιρὸν φροῦδοι παντε λῶς ἐγένοντο· τῶν Βαβυλωνίων