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Interpretatio in Jeremiam

OF THE BLESSED THEODORET, BISHOP OF CYRUS, INTERPRETATION OF THE

PROPHECY OF THE DIVINE JEREMIAH. PROLOGUE. I indeed thought that the prophecy of the divine Jeremiah did not need interpretation. But since many of the zealous urged me to interpret this book as well, saying that most people are ignorant of the prophecy's meaning; having supplicated for divine grace to be my helper, I will try to fulfill what was commanded. I will take the greatest possible care for brevity; and of the clearer parts I will make a summary paraphrase; but what needs detailed treatment, I will hasten to expound. First, however, I will state the subject of the prophecy. VOLUME I. INTRODUCTION. King Josiah had an impious father, Amon, and a forefather, Manasseh, who had become a teacher of his father's impiety; but he himself, having walked the opposite path to them, became part of the portion of the pious. But he had sons who did not emulate their father's virtue, but imitated the impiety of their ancestors. Therefore, the God of all, foreseeing these things, in the thirteenth year of Josiah's reign, appoints the prophet and commands him to foretell the calamities that would befall both the city and the people. And he continued to prophesy these things, not only for the remainder of Josiah's time, but also in the time of Jehoahaz, who, being a son of Josiah, succeeded to the kingdom, and in the time of Jehoiakim, who was the brother of the former, and son of Josiah; and indeed also in the time of Jeconiah, who was the son of Jehoiakim and the grandson of Josiah; and likewise also in the time of Zede 81.497 kiah, who himself also had Josiah as a father; so that the entire time of the prophecy was forty-two years, lacking a few months. He foretells also the siege carried out by the Babylonians, and the famine that struck, and the overthrow of Jerusalem, and the burning of the divine temple, and the enslavement of the people. He also prophesies the return of the captives, and the destruction of the Babylonians, and indeed also the various punishments of very many other nations; and he also foretells the giving of the New Covenant, and the cessation of the Old, and the calling of the nations, and the future salvation of the world. CHAP. I. 1. The word of God, which came to Jeremiah, the son of Hilkiah, of the priests, who dwelt in Anathoth. The prophet partook of a double grace, priestly and prophetic; and the one he drew from his lineage; but the other he received from the gift from above. He also states the time of the prophecy. 2. For, he says, in the days of Josiah son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign. He also mentions those who reigned next, until the final siege. Then he also teaches the things spoken by the God of all. 4, 5. And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; and before you came forth from the womb, I sanctified you. Not unjust is the

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Interpretatio in Jeremiam

ΤΟΥ ΜΑΚΑΡΙΟΥ ΘΕΟ∆ΩΡΗΤΟΥ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΥ ΚΥΡΟΥ ΕΡΜΗΝΕΙΑ ΤΗΣ

ΠΡΟΦΗΤΕΙΑΣ ΤΟΥ ΘΕΙΟΥ ΙΕΡΕΜΙΟΥ. ΠΡΟΛΟΓΟΣ. Ἐγὼ μὲν ᾤμην τὴν Ἱερεμίου τοῦ θείου προφη τείαν ἑρμηνείας μὴ δεῖσθαι. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ πολλοί με τῶν σπουδαίων ἐπήγγειλαν καὶ ταύτην ἑρμηνεῦσαι τὴν βίβλον, φήσαντες ἀγνοεῖν τοὺς πλείστους τὴν τῆς προφητείας διάνοιαν· τὴν θείαν χάριν γενέσθαι συνεργὸν ἱκετεύσας, πειράσομαι πληρῶσαι τὸ κελευ σθέν. Συντομίας δὲ ὡς ἔνι μάλιστα φροντιῶ· καὶ τῶν μὲν σαφεστέρων παράφρασιν ἐν κεφαλαίῳ ποιήσο μαι· τὰ δέ γε ἐπεξεργασίας δεόμενα ἀναπτύξαι σπου δάσω. Πρῶτον μέντοι τῆς προφητείας τὴν ὑπόθεσιν φράσω. ΤΟΜΟΣ Αʹ. ΠΡΟΘΕΩΡΙΑ. Ἰωσίας ὁ βασιλεὺς πατέρα μὲν ἔσχε δυσσεβῆ τὸν Ἀμὼς, καὶ προπάτορα τὸν Μανασσῆ, τῆς τοῦ πα τρὸς δυσσεβείας γεγενημένον διδάσκαλον αὐτὸς δὲ τὴν ἐναντίαν ἐκείνοις ὁδεύσας, τῆς τῶν εὐσεβῶν μερίδος ἐγένετο· ἔσχε δὲ παῖδας, τὴν μὲν τοῦ πα τρὸς οὐ ζηλώσαντας ἀρετὴν, τὴν δὲ τῶν προγόνων μιμησαμένους ἀσέβειαν. Ταῦτα τοίνυν προειδὼς ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς, ἐν τῷ τρισκαιδεκάτῳ ἔτει τῆς Ἰω σίου βασιλείας προχειρίζεται τὸν προφήτην, καὶ προαγορεῦσαι κελεύει τὰς ἐσομένας τῇ τε πόλει καὶ τῷ λαῷ συμφοράς. Ταῦτα δὲ προθεσπίζων διετέλε σεν, οὐ μόνον τὸν ὑπόλοιπον τοῦ Ἰωσίου χρόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ Ἰωάχαζ, ὃς υἱὸς ὢν τοῦ Ἰωσίου τὴν βασιλείαν διεδέξατο, καὶ ἐπὶ Ἰωακεὶμ, ὃς τούτου μὲν ἦν ἀδελφὸς, τοῦ δὲ Ἰωσίου υἱός· καὶ μέντοι καὶ ἐπὶ Ἰεχονίου, ὃς τοῦ μὲν Ἰωακεὶμ υἱὸς ὑπῆρχεν, ἔγγονος δὲ τοῦ Ἰωσίου· ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ Σεδε 81.497 κίου, ὃς καὶ αὐτὸς ἔσχε τὸν Ἰωσίαν πατέρα· ὡς εἶναι πάντα τῆς προφητείας τὸν χρόνον δύο καὶ τεσ σαράκοντα ἐτῶν, ὀλίγων μηνῶν δέοντα. Προαγορεύει δὲ καὶ τὴν ὑπὸ Βαβυλωνίων γεγενημένην πολιορκίαν, καὶ τὸν ἐπισκήψαντα λιμὸν, καὶ τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ τὴν ἀνάστασιν, καὶ τὸν ἐμπρησμὸν τοῦ θείου νεὼ, καὶ τοῦ λαοῦ τὸν ἀνδραποδισμόν. Προθεσπίζει δὲ καὶ τῶν αἰχμαλώτων ἐπάνοδον, καὶ τῶν Βαβυλωνίων τὸν ὄλεθρον, καὶ μέντοι καὶ ἄλλων ἐθνῶν παμπόλλων τὰς παντοδαπὰς τιμωρίας· προλέγει δὲ καὶ τῆς Καινῆς ∆ιαθήκης τὴν δόσιν, καὶ τῆς Παλαιᾶς τὴν παῦλαν, καὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν τὴν κλῆσιν, καὶ τὴν ἐσομένην τῆς οἰκουμένης σωτηρίαν. ΚΕΦΑΛ. Αʹ. αʹ. Τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὃ ἐγένετο ἐπὶ Ἱερεμίαν, τὸν τοῦ Χελκίου, ἐκ τῶν ἱερέων, ὃς κατῴκει ἐν Ἀναθώθ. ∆ιπλῆς ὁ προφήτης μετέλαχε χάριτος, ἱερατικῆς καὶ προφητικῆς· καὶ τὴν μὲν ἐκ τοῦ γένους εἵλκυσε· τὴν δὲ ἐκ τῆς ἄνωθεν ἔλαβε δωρεᾶς. Λέγει δὲ καὶ τὸν χρόνον τῆς προφητείας. βʹ. Ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις γὰρ, φησὶν, Ἰωσίου υἱοῦ Ἀμὼς βασιλέως Ἰούδα, ἔτους τρισκαιδεκάτου ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ αὐτοῦ. Μέμνηται δὲ καὶ τῶν ἑξῆς βεβασιλευκότων, μέχρι τῆς ἐσχάτης πολιορκίας. Εἶτα καὶ τὰ εἰρημένα παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων δι δάσκει. δʹ, εʹ. Καὶ ἐγένετο λόγος Κυρίου πρός με, λέ γων· Πρὸ τοῦ με πλάσαι σε ἐν κοιλίᾳ, ἐπίσταμαί σε· καὶ πρὸ τοῦ σε ἐξελθεῖν ἐκ μήτρας, ἡγίακά σε. Οὐκ ἄδικος ἡ