Theodoret of Cyrus, Commentary on the Song of Songs--Translation &amp; Notes

Justin Gohl

This paper examines the links between inscribed hymns, especially inscribed paians, and Callimachus’ Hymn to Apollo, building on recent studies which identify inscribed cult hymns as an important influence on Callimachus’ hymns (Vamvouri Ruffy 2004; Petrovic 2011). It argues that the replication of performance found in the mimetic opening of the Hymn to Apollo uses strategies similar to those employed by the authors of contemporary inscribed paians. Inscribed paians, like Callimachus’ mimetic hymns, take steps to recreate a performance context that is lost when the paian is transferred away from the medium of performance. Thus, inscribed paians include an address inviting choirs of boys to sing (e.g. the Erythrae paian or those by Isyllos and Makedonikos) and are commonly accompanied by a paratext which attempts to give the reader in the sanctuary a sense of the context under which the poem was performed (e.g. Isyllos, Philodamos). In the same way, Callimachus’ mimetic opening to the Hymn to Apollo attempts to give the audience a sense of the conditions under which the hymn might be performed. Yet, without the accompanying context of a sanctuary for his hymn to be placed in, Callimachus expands the mimetic technique used by the authors of cult paians, creating a mimetic opening which points firmly to the hymn’s performance context (whether real or imagined) in the Cyrenaean Carneia. However, by virtue of its extended mimetic opening, the hymn can be read or performed in any location and is not bounded temporally or spatially. The extended mimetic opening takes the place of the inscription’s surroundings; the god’s temple and sacred flora are inside not outside the hymn.

The hagiological texts of the late byzantine period, written by literate writers in a climate of intellectual development and deep religiousness, abound in laudatory descriptions (ekphraseis). Most of them concern the birthplace of the saint to whom the texts are dedicated, despite the frequent initial reserve on the writers’ part about the advisability of the observance of the laws of rhetoric. According to an old rhetorical rule, a person should first be praised because of his birthplace. In the current of the hagiological account, the writers incorporate laudatory descriptions of various cities, mainly Constantinople and Thessaloniki. The elements stressed all derive from centenary rhetorical theory and tradition, with an emphasis on certain elements expressing the new climate of the time: the eternal and universal Constantinople, the inhabitants’ praise because of their occupations and virtues - with an emphasis on the orthodox faith of course. Another example is the frequent tr...

Ο Merlin Peris, ομότιμος καθηγητής Κλασικών Σπουδών στο Πανεπιστήμιο Peradeniya, έχει συγκεντρώσει ενδιαφέρουσες πληροφορίες σχετικά με τους παραλληλισμούς και τις ομοιότητες μεταξύ Ελληνικών μύθων αφ&#39; ενός και θεμάτων του Βουδιστικού βιβλίου pansiya panas jataka, αφ&#39; ετέρου.[1] Τέτοια μυθολογικά &#39;στερεότυπα&#39; εμφανίζονται οικεία στους λαούς στην Ανατολή αλλά και στην Δύση, καθένας δε από αυτούς φαίνεται να πιστεύει ότι οι θεμελιώδεις ρίζες των μυθικών πλοκών ανήκουν στους ίδιους από την αρχή του μύθου. Αυτά τα συγκρίσιμα θεματίδια αποδεικνύονται περισσότερα από ό,τι είχε αναγνωρισθεί πριν από αυτήν την έρευνα του Merlin Peris.

Theodoret of Cyrus, Commentary on the Song of Songs, Preface & Chapter 1 Translation & Notes by Justin M. Gohl (2021) 1 INTRODUCTION I offer this translation, in parallel columns, with awareness that the late Robert Hill has already published a complete translation of the work, though one that is certainly not readily accessible. As such, we have not yet had occasion to consult his translation—which is no doubt superior to what I have below. Theodoret of Cyrus Commentary on the Song of Songs Translated with introduction and commentary by Robert C. Hill Early Christian Studies 2 Brisbane: Center for Christian Studies, Australian Catholic University, 2001 Pp. 129.1 There are excerpts of Hill’s translation in the Ancient Christian Commentary volume on Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon (ed. J. Robert Wright). The preset translation was pursued, in collaboration with John Mazzamuto, as a kind of independent study to grow further competence in Patristic Greek, and to further engage the Patristic phronema of Scriptural exegesis as initiation into the mystery of Christ and our union with Him by grace. In short, lectio divina unto deification. Along with Theodoret’s direct commentary on the Song, the reader is treated to sustained reflection on Ezekiel 16 and Psalm 44 (LXX), both in the commentary and, in particular, in his Preface, which fill out other dimensions of the Scriptural metaphor of husband-wife nuptial union for the relationship of God and Church. 1 The volume can be purchased, it seems, directly from the Australian publisher, https://scd.edu.au/product/early-christian-studies-series-vol-2-theodoret-ofcyrus-commentary-on-the-song-of-songs-robert-c-hill/ 2 TEXT & TRANSLATION (Praefatio) (Preface) Τῷ Θεοφιλεστάτῳ ἐπισκόπῳ Ἰωάννῃ Θεοδώρητος. Theodoret, To the most God-loving bishop John. 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 ἑρμηνευούσης. Ἐμοὶ δὲ καὶ ψυχὴ πολὺν ἁμαρτημάτων φορυτὸν 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 αἰνιγματωδῶς καὶ μυστικῶς εἰρημένων σαφῆ καὶ δήλην τὴν διάνοιαν δεῖξαι, κατετολμήκαμεν τῶν ὑπὲρ δύναμιν, 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 ζητουμένου συνεργῷ χρήσωμαι χειροποιήτῳ φωτὶ, [M81.29] ἀλλ' εὐχὴν καὶ ἱκετείαν, ἧς ὅτι μάλιστα χρῄζουσιν οἱ τῆς τῶν θείων λογίων διανοίας ἐφικέσθαι ποθοῦντες. Ἐδίδαξε γὰρ ἡμᾶς ὁ μακάριος Δαβὶδ λέγειν· "Ἀποκάλυψον τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς μου, καὶ κατανοήσω τὰ θαυμάσια ἐκ τοῦ νόμου σου." Ταῦτα δεδιδαγμένοι, τὴν θείαν ἱκετεύσωμεν χάριν, ὑποδεῖξαι ἡμῖν τὴν τοῦδε τοῦ βιβλίου διάνοιαν. The explanation of the divine oracles requires a soul that has been purified and is freed from all stain. It also requires an intellect that has been furnished with wings, and is able to contemplate divine things, making bold [to enter upon] the inner recesses of the Spirit. It also needs a tongue2 that is in the service of the intellect, and interprets its contemplation in a worthy fashion. But I have a soul beset with a great mass of sins, and an intellect inundated with cares of the matters [of this life that] I have undertaken, and on account of this [it is] lowly and stunted, and not able to behold the divine oracles with precision, and in addition [I have] a tongue more sluggish and slow of intellect. But since you have directed me, O loving head, to interpret the book of the Song of Songs, and to show the clear and evident meaning of the things that have been said enigmatically and mystically, we have made bold on things beyond [our] ability, and this while we are involved with the myriad of cares related to issues urban and rural, military and political, ecclesiastical and civil. We have been so brash as [to plumb] the depth of the sea, and we have dared to descend to the depth of the letter, so that we may bring forth for you the pearl of the noetic [meaning]. We have taken no oil in [our] mouth, so that I might not make use of any handmade light as a coworker for interpretation of the object of inquiry,3 [M81.29] except prayer and supplication, of which those who yearn to attain to the meaning of the divine oracles must especially make use. For the blessed David taught us when he said, “Unveil my eyes, and I will contemplate the wonders from your law” (Ps 118.18). Having been taught these things, let us supplicate the divine grace that he might indicate to us the meaning of this Book. Since there are some people who disparage the Song of Songs, Ἐπειδὴ δέ τινες τῶν τὸ Ἆσμα τῶν ᾀσμάτων διαβαλλόντων, καὶ πνευματικὸν εἶναι τὸ βιβλίον οὐ πιστευόντων, μύθους δέ τινας not believing the book to be spiritual, but invent certain myths which are οὐδὲ γραϊδίοις παραληροῦσιν ἁρμόττοντας ὑφαινόντων, καὶ not even appropriate for prattling oldwives’ tales, and who dare to speak 2 3 Or “language.” I take this as a reference to fasting. 3 λέγειν τολμώντων, ὡς σοφὸς Σολομὼν εἰς ἑαυτὸν, καὶ τὴν τοῦ Φαραὼ θυγατέρα, τοῦτο συγγέγραφε, καὶ ἄλλοι δέ τινες ταυτησὶ τῆς συμμορίας ὑπάρχοντες, Ἀβισαὴ τὴν Σουναμῖτιν, ἀντὶ τῆς τοῦ Φαραὼ θυγατρὸς, εἶναι τὴν νύμφην ἀνεπλάσαντο· οἱ δὲ τούτων σεμνότερον νενοηκότες, βασιλικὸν τὸν λόγον ὠνομάκασι, καὶ νύμφην τὸν λαὸν προσηγορεύκασι, τὸν δὲ βασιλέα νυμφίον· ἀναγκαῖον 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 συνιδεῖν, ὡς πολὺ λίαν αὐτῶν καὶ σοφώτεροι, καὶ πνευματικώτεροι 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 συνηρίθμησαν, 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 παντελῶς ἐγένοντο· τῶν Βαβυλωνίων καὶ τὸν θεῖον ναὸν ἐμπρησάντων, καὶ τὴν πόλιν ἀνάστατον πεποιηκότων, καὶ τὸν λαὸν ἐξανδραποδισαμένων μετὰ πολὺν ἐτῶν ἀριθμὸν, τοῦ λαοῦ πάλιν ἀνακλήσεως τετυχηκότος, ὁ μακάριος Ἔσδρας, ἀνὴρ ἀρετῇ διαπρέπων, καὶ τοῦ παναγίου Πνεύματος πλήρης γενόμενος, ὡς βοᾷ τὰ πράγματα, τὰς ἀναγκαίας ἡμῖν καὶ σωτηρίας παρεκτικὰς ἀναγράφει Γραφάς· καὶ οὐ μόνον τὰ Μωσέως συγγράμματα, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν Ἰησοῦ, καὶ τῶν Κριτῶν, καὶ τῶν Βασιλέων ἱστορίαν, καὶ τοῦ γενναίου Ἰὼβ τὸ διήγημα· καὶ τὴν ἱερὰν τοῦ Δαβὶδ μελῳδίαν, τὴν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας εὐφροσύνην, καὶ τοὺς ἑκκαίδεκα προφήτας, καὶ τοῦ σοφοῦ Σολομῶντος τὰς παροιμίας, καὶ τὸν Ἐκκλησιαστὴν, καὶ τὸ Ἆσμα τῶν ᾀσμάτων. Πῶς τοίνυν ταύτην ἔχει τὴν διάνοιαν, ἥν φατε, τὸ βιβλίον, ὦ βέλτιστοι, εἰ ὁ μὲν Ἔσδρας ταῦτα συνέγραψεν, οὐκ ἐξ as though the wise Solomon composed this about himself and the daughter of Pharaoh, while certain others who are in league with this opinion have styled the bride to be Abishag the Shunamite instead of the daughter of Pharaoh, while others whose thinking is more respectable than these call the account “royal,” and have termed the people the “bride,” and the king the “bridegroom,” we thought it necessary, then, as we begin our interpretation, to reprove this first way of thinking as deceiving and harmful, and so in this way to make clear the skopos of the letter.4 It was necessary, then, on the one hand, to consider these things, since the blessed Fathers who ranked this book among the divine Scriptures, and simultaneously adjudged it as spiritual, and decided that it is fitting for the Church, are very much wiser and spiritual than them. For if they had supposed otherwise, that [the book] had an hypothesis of incontinence and love of pleasure, they would not have numbered it together with the holy Scriptures. And why is it necessary to mention the Fathers below, when one can call on the witness of the divine Spirit himself? For since the divine Scriptures that were under Manasseh’s control were set on fire, who concealed all the things [done] with evil and impiety before him and after him, and [other Scriptures] completely disappeared at the time of the captivity, when the Babylonians set fire to the divine temple, and laid waste to the city, and deported into slavery the people for a great number of years; [for this reason,] when again the people happened to be recalled, the blessed Ezra, a man eminent in virtue, and being filled with the all-holy Spirit, as he announces the matters, he recopies the Scriptures that are necessary for us and conducive to [our] salvation, and not only the compositions of Moses, but also that of Joshua, and the Judges, and the history of the Kings, and the account of the noble Job, as well as the sacred hymnody of David, which is the joy of the Church, and the Twelve prophets, along with the Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs of the wise Solomon. How then could the book have this meaning, which you suggest, my dear friends, if Ezra cowrote these things, but wrote not from copies, but being full of the divine Spirit, so that he might transmit the benefit to In this paragraph, Theodoret effectively denounces the approach of fellow Antiochene, Theodore of Mopsuestia. On Theodore’s approach to the Song, see Dimitri Z. Zaharapoulos, Theodore of Mopsuestia on the Bible: A Study of His Old Testament Exegesis (New York: Paulist Press, 1989), 33-34, 49-52, 70-71. 4 4 ἀντιγράφων δὲ ἔγραψεν, ἀλλὰ τοῦ θείου Πνεύματος πλήρης γενόμενος, ἵνα πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις ἀνάγραπτον παραπέμψῃ τὴν ὠφέλειαν; Τὰ γὰρ τῆς ἀκολασίας [M81.32] συγγράμματα, οὐ τοῦ θείου Πνεύματος, ἀλλὰ τοῦ ἐναντίου πνεύματος. "Ὁ γὰρ καρπὸς τοῦ Πνεύματος, κατὰ τὸν μακάριον Παῦλον, ἀγάπη, χαρὰ, εἰρήνη, μακροθυμία, χρηστότης, ἀγαθωσύνη, πίστις, πραότης, ἐγκράτεια." Εἰ δὲ τοῦ θείου Πνεύματος καρπὸς ἡ ἐγκράτεια, τοῦ ἐναντίου δηλονότι ἡ ἀκρασία· ἀκρασίας δὲ ὑπόθεσιν, ὥς φατε, περιέχει τοῦ Ἄσματος τῶν ᾀσμάτων τὸ σύγγραμμα. Ὁρᾶτε τοίνυν ποῦ τὰ τῆς βλασφημίας χωρεῖ; Κατὰ γὰρ τοῦ παναγίου Πνεύματος ἡ κατὰ τοῦ βιβλίου λοιδορία τολμᾶται. Τῆς γὰρ τούτου χάριτος ἐμπλησθεὶς ὁ μακάριος Ἔσδρας διαφθαρὲν, ὡς ἔφαμεν, τὸ βιβλίον ἀνενεώσατο· καὶ τοῦτο συνειδότες οἱ μακάριοι Πατέρες ταῖς θείαις αὐτὸ Γραφαῖς συντετάχασι. Πολλοὶ δὲ αὐτὸ τῶν παλαιῶν καὶ ἡρμηνεύκασιν· οἱ δὲ τοῦτο ἐφεξῆς μὴ πεποιηκότες, ταῖς ἐκεῖθεν χρήσεσι τὰ οἰκεῖα συγγράμματα κατεκόσμησαν. Καὶ οὐ μόνον Εὐσέβιος ὁ Παλαιστινὸς, καὶ Ὠριγένης ὁ Αἰγύπτιος, καὶ Κυπριανὸς ὁ Καρχηδόνιος, ὁ καὶ τοῦ μαρτυρίου στέφανον ἀναδησάμενος, καὶ οἱ τούτων παλαιότεροι, καὶ τῶν ἀποστόλων πλησιέστεροι· ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ μετ' ἐκείνους ἐν ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις διαπρέψαντες, πνευματικὸν ἔγνωσαν τὸ βιβλίον, Βασίλειός τε ὁ μέγας τὴν ἀρχὴν τῶν Παροιμιῶν ἑρμηνεύων, καὶ Γρηγόριος ἑκάτερος, ὁ μὲν τὴν ἐκείνου συγγένειαν, ὁ δὲ τὴν φιλίαν αὐχῶν, καὶ Διόδωρος ὁ γενναῖος τῆς εὐσεβείας πρόμαχος· καὶ Ἰωάννης ὁ τοῖς ῥεύμασι τῆς διδασκαλίας μέχρι καὶ τήμερον πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην ἀρδεύων, καὶ οἱ μετ' ἐκείνους ἅπαντες, ἵνα συνελὼν εἴπω, καὶ τοῦ λόγου διαφύγω τὸ μῆκος. all men by rewriting the book? For the compositions [M81.32] of intemperance are not from the divine Spirit, but from the opposing spirit, for “the fruit of the Spirit,” according to the blessed Paul, “is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, selfcontrol” (Gal 5.22-23). If self-control is a fruit of the divine Spirit, clearly incontinence is [a fruit] of the opposing one, and the composition of the Song of Songs, as you suggest, involves a hypothesis of incontinence. Do you see, then, where the things of blasphemy lead? For the reproach against the book is a daring effrontery against the all-holy Spirit. For the blessed Ezra, being filled with His grace, as we affirm, restored the book which had been destroyed, and the blessed Fathers being cognizant of this ranked it among the divine Scriptures. Many of the ancients also offered interpretations of it, and those who did not do it in sequence have adorned their own compositions with the sayings from there. Indeed, not only Eusebius the Palestinian,5 and Origen the Egyptian,6 and Cyprian the Carthaginian7 who was endowed with a martyr’s crown, and those more ancient than them, who were closer to the apostles, but indeed those who were eminent after them in the Churches, knew that the book is spiritual—Basil the Great who interpreted the beginning of Proverbs,8 and Gregory who was both his relative and boasts of friendship,9 along with Diodore the noble contender of piety,10 and John11 who waters the whole inhabited world even unto today with the drops of [his] teaching, and all those after them, so that I might speak with brevity, and avoid a lengthy account. 5 If Eusebius wrote a commentary on the Song, it is no longer extant. That he shared an Origenian perspective on the Song is not surprising. Of course, wonderfully translated in R. P. Lawson, trans. Origen: The Song of Songs: Commentary and Homilies (ACW 26; Westminster, MD: The Newman Press, 1957). 7 St. Cyprian did not compose an independent commentary, it seems, but makes use of the Song in his On the Unity of the Church (https://ccel.org/ccel/schaff/anf05/anf05.iv.v.i.html) 8 See my translation of St. Basil, Homily 12 on the Beginning of Proverbs (PG 31.385-424) at https://www.academia.edu/29768653/St_Basil_of_Caesarea_Homily_12_on_the_Beginning_of_Proverbs_An_English_Translation_Updated_2021_ 9 See Richard A., Norris, Jr., trans. Gregory of Nyssa: Homilies on the Song of Songs (WGRW 13; Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2012). 10 This is an interesting and unexpected reference to Diodore (of Tarsus), as it is thought that Theodore of Mopsuestia’s approach to the Song was inherited from Diodore. Cf. the reference to this passage in Theodoret in Thrupp, Song of Songs (Cambridge, 1862), p. 17. 11 Presumably St. John Chrysostom? 6 5 Συνίδωμεν τοίνυν, εἰ δίκαιον τοσούτους καὶ τοιούτους ἄνδρας διαπτύσαντας, καὶ αὐτοῦ δὲ τοῦ παναγίου καταφρονήσαντας Πνεύματος, ταῖς οἰκείαις ἐννοίαις ἀκολουθεῖν, μὴ πειθομένους τῷ καλῶς εἰρηκότι· "Λογισμοὶ ἀνθρώπων δειλοὶ, καὶ ἐπισφαλεῖς αἱ ἐπίνοιαι αὐτῶν·" μηδὲ ἀκούοντας τοῦ μακαρίου Παύλου περί τινων λέγοντος, ὅτι "Ἐματαιώθησαν ἐν τοῖς διαλογισμοῖς αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐσκοτίσθη ἡ ἀσύνετος αὐτῶν καρδία." Διὸ ἡμεῖς μετὰ τοῦ μακαρίου Πέτρου βοῶμεν· "Πειθαρχεῖν δεῖ Θεῷ μᾶλλον ἢ ἀνθρώποις." Ἐροῦμεν δὲ καὶ πρὸς αὐτούς· "Εἰ δίκαιόν ἐστιν ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ ὑμῶν μᾶλλον ἀκούειν ἢ τοῦ Θεοῦ, κρίνατε· ἡμεῖς γὰρ οὐ δυνάμεθα, ἃ εἴδομεν διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος, καὶ ἠκούσαμεν, μὴ λαλεῖν." Ἵνα δὲ μὴ μόνον αὐτῶν ἡμῶν φροντίζωμεν, αὐτοὺς δὲ βλαπτομένους παρίδωμεν, φέρε ζητήσωμεν, πόθεν αὐτοῖς γέγονεν ἡ τῆς βλάβης ἀφορμὴ, καὶ τὴν δυνατὴν αὐτοῖς θεραπείαν ἐκ τῶν θείων Γραφῶν προσενέγκωμεν. Let us consider, then, even though so many eminent men were to spit upon what is righteous,12 and show contempt to the all-holy Spirit himself, to follow their own concepts, who are not persuaded by him who said well, “Thoughts of men are worthless, and their concepts are unstable” (Wisdom 9.14), and neither listen to the blessed Paul who says concerning certain people, that “They were made futile in their reasonings, and their foolish heart was darkened” (Rom 1.21). Nevertheless let us cry out with the blessed Peter, “It is necessary to obey God rather than men” (Acts 5.29). And we will say to them, “If it is just before God to listen to you rather than to God, you judge, for we cannot but speak the things we have seen and have heard through the Spirit” (Acts 4.19-20). But in order that we might not be concerned only for ourselves, while overlooking those who are injuring themselves, come let us inquire whence comes the occasion of injury for them, and let us proffer the mighty cure for them from the divine Scriptures. Ἀναγινώσκοντες, ὡς οἶμαι, τοῦτο τὸ σύγγραμμα, καὶ ὁρῶντες ἐν αὐτῷ μύρα καὶ φιλήματα, καὶ μηροὺς, καὶ κοιλίαν, καὶ ὀμφαλὸν, καὶ σιαγόνας, καὶ ὀφθαλμοὺς, καὶ κρίνα, καὶ μῆλα, καὶ νάρδον, καὶ στακτὴν, καὶ σμύρναν, καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα, καὶ τῆς θείας Γραφῆς ἀγνοοῦντες τὰ ἰδιώματα, οὐκ ἠθέλησαν διαδῦναι, καὶ τοῦ γράμματος ὑπερβῆναι τὸ κάλυμμα, καὶ ἐντὸς γενέσθαι τῷ πνεύματι, καὶ ἀνακεκαλυμμένῳ προσώπῳ τὴν δόξαν Κυρίου κατοπτρισθῆναι· [M81.33] ἀλλὰ σαρκικῶς νενοηκότες τὰ εἰρημένα, εἰς ἐκείνην τὴν βλασφημίαν ἐξώκειλαν. Ἔδει δὲ αὐτοὺς συνιδεῖν, ὅτι καὶ ἐν τῇ Παλαιᾷ πολλὰ τροπικῶς ἡ θεία λέγει Γραφή· καὶ ἑτέροις ὀνόμασι κεχρημένη, ἕτερα δὲ διὰ τούτων σημαίνει. Περὶ γὰρ τοῦ Βαβυλωνίου διηγουμένη, οὔτε τὸ κύριον ὄνομα τέθεικεν, οὔτε τὸ κοινὸν τῆς φύσεως· οὔτε γὰρ Ναβουχοδονόσωρ ὠνόμασεν, οὔτε ἄνθρωπον προσηγόρευσεν· ἀλλά φησιν· "Ὁ ἀετὸς ὁ μεγαλοπτέρυγος, ὁ μακρὸς τῇ ἐκτάσει, ὁ When they read this composition, so it seems to me, and they see in it perfumes and kisses, and thighs, and a bed, a navel, cheeks, eyes, lilies, apples, nard, stacte, and myrrh, and such things as these, and being ignorant of the peculiar modes of speech in the divine Scriptures, they were unwilling to slip through,13 and to transcend the veil of the letter, and to become united with the spirit, and with face unveiled to behold as in a mirror the glory of the Lord (cf. 2 Cor 3.18), [M81.33] but rather, having understood the things said in a fleshly way, they drove headlong into that blasphemy. For they ought rather to have considered that the divine Scripture says many things figuratively in the Old [Covenant], and that it makes use of different terms to signify other realities through these [terms]. When discoursing concerning the Babylonian, it neither uses the proper name, nor the common [name] for nature, for he neither names “Nebuchadnezzar,” nor does he title [him] “man,” but he says, “The I am not completely sure how to take this clause. The Latin translation does not seem to have anything corresponding to the verb “to spit upon” (διαπτύω, assuming this is indeed the intended root; exact form is found in St. John Chrysostom, Hom. 1 Cor. [PG 61.149]). It seems to be a reference back, not to the ecclesial writers just mentioned, but to the group that Theodoret is critiquing, who reject the spiritual status of the Song. The whole paragraph could be read, it seems, as a kind of argument from transcendent authority—that is, even if the group of pious ecclesial interpreters were to prove wrong (in some interpretation, or in a rejection of the Song), nevertheless Theodoret suggests one must align with the Holy Spirit who inspired and attests to the Song. 13 I am not completely sure of the force of Διαδύνω here. It can denote slipping through, or evading, shirking, or in Patristic usage, immersing oneself, study. 12 6 πλήρης ὀνύχων· ὃς ἔχει τὸ ἥγημα εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὸν Λίβανον, καὶ ἔλαβε τὰ ἐπίλεκτα τῆς κέδρου, τὰ ἄκρα τῆς ἁπαλότητος ἀπέκνισε." Καὶ οὐδεὶς πώποτε τὸν ἀετὸν, ἀετὸν ἐνόησεν, οὔτε τὸν Λίβανον, Λίβανον, οὔτε τὴν κέδρον, κέδρον· ἀλλ' ἀετὸν μὲν τὸν βασιλέα, ἐπειδὴ καὶ τὸ ζῶον βασιλικόν· μεγαλοπτέρυγον δὲ, διὰ τὸ πλάτος τῆς βασιλείας· πλήρη δὲ ὀνύχων, διὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῆς στρατιᾶς. Ἥγημα δὲ αὐτὸν ἔχειν ἔφησε, διὰ τὸ θείῳ νεύματι ἀγόμενον πεποιηκέναι ἃ πεποίηκε. Λίβανον δὲ τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ προσηγόρευσε, διὰ τὸ δασὺ καὶ πυκνὸν τῶν πνευματικῶν χαρισμάτων. Ἁπαλὰ δὲ τῆς κέδρου, τοὺς ἁβροὺς καὶ τρυφῇ προσέχοντας, καὶ ἐν ἀξιώμασι διαπρέποντας. Καὶ ταῦτα οὕτω νοεῖν, οὐ μόνον τοῖς τῆς εὐσεβείας τροφίμοις, ἀλλὰ καὶ Ἰουδαίοις σύνηθες, τοῖς παχύτερον καὶ σαρκικώτερον τὰς θείας νοοῦσι Γραφάς. Καὶ ὁ μακάριος δὲ Ζαχαρίας· "Διάνοιξον, ὁ Λίβανος, τὰς θύρας σου, καὶ καταφαγέτω πῦρ τὰς κέδρους σου· ὀλολυζέτω πίτυς, ὅτι πέπτωκε κέδρος." Καὶ οὔτε Λίβανον νοοῦμεν τὸν Λίβανον, οὔτε κέδρους τὰς κέδρους, οὔτε πῦρ τὸ πῦρ, οὔτε πίτυς τὰς πίτυς· ἀλλὰ πῦρ μὲν πάλιν τὸν Βαβυλώνιον, ὃν ὁ Ἐζεκιὴλ ἀετὸν προσηγόρευσε· Λίβανον δὲ, τὴν Ἱερουσαλήμ· κέδρους δὲ, τοὺς ἐπὶ πλούτῳ βριθομένους, καὶ ἐν ἀξιώμασι λαμπρυνομένους· πίτυς δὲ τοὺς τούτων ὑποδεεστέρους. Διὸ ἐπάγει· "Ὀλολυζέτω πίτυς, ὅτι πέπτωκε κέδρος," ὅτι μεγάλως μεγιστᾶνες ἐταλαιπώρησαν. Καὶ τί δεῖ πάντα καταλέγειν, ὅσα τροπικῶς ἡ θεία λέγει Γραφή; great-winged eagle, spreading them out very far, with many claws, which has the design of entering into Lebanon, and he took the choice [branches] of the cedar, he cropped off the ends of the tender twigs” (Ezek 17.3-4). No one has ever thought that “the eagle” is actually an eagle, nor that “Lebanon” is actually Lebanon, nor that “the cedar” is actually a cedar, but “eagle” is the king, since it is a royal animal of course, while “great-winged” is on account of the breadth of the kingdom. “Full of claws” [is said] on account of the great size of the army. It speaks of him having a “design,” which on account of divine approval leads him to do the things he did. But he gives Jerusalem the title “Lebanon” because of the density and abundance of spiritual gifts. And “tender twigs” of “the cedar” are decadent people who devote themselves to wantonness, and are eminent in honors. Indeed, these things are understood in this way not only by those well-nourished with piety, but even as is customary with the Jews who [otherwise] understand the divine Scriptures in a way that is more dull and fleshly. The blessed Zechariah also: “Open, O Lebanon, your doors, and let the fire devour your cedars; let the pine howl because the cedar has fallen” (Zech 11.12). We do not understand “Lebanon” as [actually] Lebanon, or “the cedars” as cedars, or “the fire” as fire, or “the pine” as pine, but fire again is the Babylonian, which Ezekiel had titled “eagle,” and Lebanon as Jerusalem, and “cedars” as those who are weighed down with wealth, and are priding themselves in honors, but “pine” is those who are inferior to them. Wherefore he asserts, “Let the pine howl because the cedar has fallen,” for the great people were enduring severe distress. But why must I catalogue all such things which the divine Scripture says figuratively? Τ' ἄλλα τοίνυν καταλιπόντες, φέρε δείξωμεν τὸν τῶν ὅλων Θεὸν, καὶ ἐν τῇ Παλαιᾷ, ὡς γυναικὶ τῇ τῶν Ἰουδαίων πληθύϊ διαλεγόμενον, καὶ τοιούτοις ὀνόμασι μελῶν κεχρημένον, ὁποίοις ὁ Σολομὼν περὶ ταύτης τῆς νύμφης συγγράφων ἐχρήσατο. Φησὶ τοίνυν πρὸς τὸν Ἐζεκιὴλ ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεός· "Υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου, διαμάρτυραι τῇ Ἱερουσαλὴμ τὰς ἀνομίας αὐτῆς· καὶ ἐρεῖς· Τάδε λέγει Ἀδωναῒ Κύριος τῇ Ἱερουσαλήμ· Ἡ ῥίζα σου καὶ ἡ γένεσίς σου, ἐκ γῆς Χαναάν. Ὁ πατήρ σου Ἀμοῤῥαῖος, καὶ ἡ μήτηρ σου Χετταία· καὶ ἡ γένεσίς σου, ἐν ᾗ ἡμέρᾳ ἐτέχθης, οὐκ ἐτμήθη ὁ ὀμφαλός σου, καὶ οὐκ ἔδησαν τοὺς μαστούς σου· καὶ ἐν ὕδατι οὐκ ἐλούσθης Leaving these things behind, then, come let us show the God of all discoursing, even in the Old [Covenant], to the population of Jews as though to a woman, and making use of these very terms for members such as Solomon used when he composed [this book] concerning this bride. The God of all says, then, to Ezekiel, “Son of man, bear witness to Jerusalem of her lawless deeds, and you will say, ‘Thus says Adonai Lord to Jerusalem, “Your root and your beginning are from the land of Canaan. Your father was an Amorite, and your mother a Hittite. Your beginning, in the day in which you were brought forth, your navel was 7 [M81.36] εἰς σωτηρίαν, οὐδὲ ἁλὶ ἡλίσθης, καὶ ἐν σπαργάνοις οὐκ ἐσπαργανώθης· οὐδὲ ἐφείσατο ὁ ὀφθαλμὸς ἐπὶ σοὶ τοῦ ποιῆσαί σοι ἓν ἐκ πάντων τούτων τοῦ παθεῖν τι ἐπὶ σοί· καὶ ἀπεῤῥίφης ἐπὶ προσώπου τοῦ πεδίου τῇ σκολιότητι τῆς ψυχῆς σου, ἐν ᾗ ἡμέρᾳ ἐτέχθης. Καὶ διῆλθον ἐπὶ σὲ, καὶ εἶδόν σε, πεφυρμένην ἐν τῷ αἵματί σου. Καὶ εἶπά σοι· Ἐκ τοῦ αἵματός σου ζωὴ, πληθύνου· καθὼς ἡ ἀνατολὴ τοῦ ἀγροῦ δέδωκά σε. Καὶ ἐπληθύνθης, καὶ ἐμεγαλύνθης, καὶ εἰσῆλθες εἰς πόλεις πόλεων. Οἱ μαστοί σου ἀνωρθώθησαν, καὶ ἡ θρίξ σου ἀνέτειλε. Σὺ δὲ ἦς γυμνὴ, καὶ ἀσχημονοῦσα. Καὶ διῆλθον διὰ σοῦ, καὶ εἶδόν σε· καὶ ἰδοὺ καιρός σου, καὶ καιρὸς καταλυόντων· καὶ διεπέτασα τὰς πτέρυγάς μου ἐπὶ σοὶ, καὶ ἐκάλυψα τὴν ἀσχημοσύνην σου. Καὶ ὤμοσά σοι, καὶ εἰσῆλθον ἐν διαθήκῃ μετὰ σοῦ, λέγει Ἀδωναῒ Κύριος. Καὶ ἐγένου μοι. Καὶ ἔλουσά σε ὕδατι, καὶ ἀπέπλυνα τὸ αἷμά σου ἀπὸ σοῦ· καὶ ἔχρισά σε ἐν ἐλαίῳ. Καὶ ἐνέδυσά σε ποικίλα· καὶ ὑπέδησά σε ὑάκινθον, καὶ ἔζωσά σε βύσσῳ, καὶ περιέβαλόν σε τριχάπτῳ. Καὶ ἐκόσμησά σε κόσμῳ, καὶ περιέθηκα ψέλλια περὶ τὰς χεῖράς σου, καὶ κάθεμα περὶ τὸν τράχηλόν σου· καὶ ἔδωκα ἐνώτιον περὶ τὸν μυκτῆρά σου, καὶ τροχίσκους ἐπὶ τὰ ὦτά σου, καὶ στέφανον καυχήσεως ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλήν σου." Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· "Σεμίδαλιν, καὶ μέλι, καὶ ἔλαιον ἔφαγες. Καὶ ἐγένου καλὴ σφόδρα· καὶ ἐξῆλθέ σου ὄνομα ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἐπὶ τῷ κάλλει σου." Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα πάλιν· "Καὶ ἐγένετο μετὰ πάσας τὰς κακίας σου, λέγει Ἀδωναῒ Κύριος, καὶ ᾠκοδόμησας σεαυτῇ οἴκημα πορνικόν· καὶ ἐποίησας σεαυτῇ ἔκθεμα ἐν πάσῃ πλατείᾳ, καὶ ἐπ' ἀρχὴν πάσης ὁδοῦ ᾠκοδόμησας τὰ πορνεῖα· καὶ ἐλυμήνω τὸ κάλλος σου, καὶ διήγαγες τὰ σκέλη σου παντὶ παρόδῳ, καὶ ἐπλήθυνας τὴν πορνείαν σου· καὶ ἐξεπόρνευσας ἐπὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς Αἰγύπτου τοὺς ὁμοροῦντάς σοι, τοὺς μεγαλοσάρκους· καὶ πολλαχῶς ἐξεπόρνευσας τοῦ παροργίσαι με." Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα πάλιν· "Καὶ οὐκ ἐγένου ὡς πόρνη συνάγουσα τὰ μισθώματα· ἡ γυνὴ ἡ μοιχωμένη ὑπὸ τὸν ἄνδρα αὐτῆς εἰς ἀλλοτρίους, ὁμοία σοι· ἡ παρὰ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς αὐτῆς λαμβάνουσα not cut,14 and they did not bind your breasts; you were not washed in water [M81.36] for salvation,15 nor were you salted with salt, and swathed in swaddling-bands. The eye16 did not spare you so as to do for you one of all these things to suffer something for you. And you were thrown out on the surface of the plain by the perversion of your soul, in the day you were brought forth. And I passed by you, and I saw you, fouled in your own blood. And I said to you, ‘Life from your blood, be increased; just as the sprouting of the field I have given you.’ And you were increased, and you grew up exceedingly, and you entered into cities of cities. Your breasts were restored, and your hair grew up. But you were naked, and in a shameful condition. And I passed by you and I saw you, and behold it was your season, even a season for those who take rest, so I spread my wings over you, and I covered your shameful condition. And I swore to you, and I entered into a covenant with you,” says Adonai Lord. “And you become mine, and I washed you with water and washed away your blood from you, and I anointed you with oil. I also clothed you with embroidery and bound a sapphire on you, and girded you with fine linen and clothed you in a fine hair-veil. I adorned you with an ornament, and set bracelets around your arms, and a chain around your neck, and I gave a ring on your nostril, and small rings on your ears, and a crown of boasting on your head”’” (Ezek 16.2-12). A little later, “You ate fine flour, honey, and oil, and you became exceedingly beautiful. Your name went out among the nations because of your beauty” (Ezek 16.13-14). And again a little later, “‘And it came about after all your vices,’ says Adonai Lord, ‘that you fashioned for yourself a harlot’s habitation, and you made for yourself a public announcement in every open space, and you fashioned your brothels at the head of every street, and you spoiled your beauty and you spread your legs for every passerby, and you multiplied your harlotry. Indeed you played the whore with the sons of Egypt who accompanied you, who are well-endowed of flesh. And you played the whore in so many ways as to anger me’” (Ezek 16.23-26). 14 This expression is presumably Hexaplaric; it is reflected in the MT, and is not in Rahlfs. “For salvation” too reflects the MT. 16 Rahlfs: “My eye” 15 8 μισθώματα, καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς ἐκπορνεύσασιν εἰς αὐτὴν προσδιδοῦσα μισθώματα. Πάσαις πόρναις δίδοται μισθώματα· σὺ δὲ προέδωκας μισθώματα πᾶσι τοῖς ἐρασταῖς σου· καὶ ἐφόρτιζες αὐτοὺς τοῦ ἔρχεσθαι πρὸς σὲ κυκλόθεν ἐν τῇ πορνείᾳ σου. Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν σοὶ διεστραμμένον παρὰ τὰς γυναῖκας ἐν τῇ πορνείᾳ σου· καὶ μετὰ σὲ οὐ πορνεύσουσιν. Ἐν τῷ προσδιδόναι σε μισθώματα, καί σοι μισθώματα οὐκ ἐδόθη, ἐγένετο ἐν σοὶ διεστραμμένον." Καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς τοῦ αὐτοῦ εἴδους ὑπάρχοντα. And again a little later, “And you were not17 like a prostitute who collects payments; you were like a woman who commits adultery against her husband with foreigners; she receives payment from her husband, and gives payments to all who commit fornication with her. Payments are given to all whores, but you gave payments to all your lovers, and you loaded them down for coming to you from all around in your harlotry. And there was something more perverted in you beyond other women in your harlotry, such that compared to you they have not committed harlotry. Because you gave out payments, and no payments were given to you, there was something perverted in you” (Ezek 16.3134). These forms continue in the same passage. Τί ἂν εἴποιεν οἱ τοῦ Ἄσματος τῶν ᾀσμάτων βλασφημοῦντες τὸ σύγγραμμα, καὶ ἀκολάστως αὐτὸ νοεῖν τολμῶντες, τοιαῦτα καὶ ἐν τῇ Παλαιᾷ Διαθήκῃ περὶ τῆς Ἰουδαίων πληθύος εὑρίσκοντες εἰρημένα; [M81.37] Ἰδοὺ γὰρ καὶ ἐνταῦθα μαστοὺς, καὶ ὀμφαλὸν, καὶ σκέλη, καὶ χεῖρας, καὶ ῥῖνας, καὶ ὦτα, καὶ κάλλος, καὶ ἀγάπην, καὶ περίληψιν, καὶ συνάφειαν εὑρίσκομεν, καὶ πάντα ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων εἰρημένα, καὶ οὐδὲν οὕτω νοοῦμεν, ὡς ἀναγινώσκομεν, οὐδὲ τῷ ἀποκτείνοντι πειθόμεθα γράμματι· ἀλλ' ἐντὸς τούτου γενόμενοι, τὴν τοῦ Πνεύματος ἐρευνῶμεν διάνοιαν, καὶ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ φωτιζόμενοι πνευματικῶς ἐκλαμβάνομεν τὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος. Καὶ ἀκούοντες πρὸς τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ λέγοντος τοῦ Θεοῦ, "Ὁ πατήρ σου Ἀμοῤῥαῖος, καὶ ἡ μήτηρ σου Χετταία," οὐ φυσικὴν, ἀλλὰ γνωμικὴν νοοῦμεν συγγένειαν. Κατὰ γὰρ φύσιν, τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ ἦσαν ἀπόγονοι, ὃς ἐκ τοῦ Σὴμ κατῆγε τὸ γένος· κατὰ δὲ τὴν τοῦ τρόπου μοχθηρίαν, τῷ γένει τοῦ καταράτου συνέβαινον Χαναάν. Διὸ καὶ τὸν πατέρα Ἀμοῤῥαῖον, τὴν δὲ μητέρα εἶναι λέγει Χετταίαν· παῖδες δὲ οὗτοι τοῦ Χαναάν. Ὧν γὰρ τὴν πονηρίαν ἐμιμήσαντο, τούτων ἔλαχον τὴν συγγένειαν. Διὸ καὶ ὁ μακάριος Ἰωάννης ὁ Βαπτιστὴς τοῖς πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐξεληλυθόσιν ἔλεγε· "Γεννήματα ἐχιδνῶν, τίς ὑπέδειξεν ὑμῖν φυγεῖν What might those who blaspheme the composition of the Song of Songs and who dare to understand it intemperately, say when they find such things said in the Old Covenant concerning the population of the Jews? [M81.37] For behold we find breasts, and navel, legs, arms, noses, ears, along with beauty, love, embrace, and connection18 here as well, all of which are said by the God of all, and we understand nothing as straightforward, as we read, nor do we rely upon the letter that kills. But having become one with Him, we inquire after the mind of the Spirit, and being enlightened by Him, we receive the things of the Spirit in a spiritual way. So, when we hear God saying to Jerusalem, “Your father is an Amorite, and your mother a Hittite” (Ezek 16.3), we do not understand the family relationship in terms of nature but disposition of will. For according to nature, they were offspring of Abraham, who trace their descent from Shem. But according to the depravity of mode [of life], they incurred the curse due the race of Canaan. Wherefore he says that the father was Amorite and the mother was Hittite, and that they were the children of Canaan. For when they imitated their evil, they were allotted a family relationship with them. Wherefore also the blessed John the Baptizer said to those who had come out to him, “Offspring of vipers, who indicated to you to flee 17 This is again closer to the MT—preserving the irony in the Hebrew, that Israel’s harlotry was unlike normal harlotry in that she did not require payment, but gave payment. 18 συνάφειαν, here used with conjugal-marital implications, but was one of the terms used in Nestorian Christology to denote the relationship between the two prosopa in Christ. 9 ἀπὸ τῆς μελλούσης ὀργῆς, Ποιήσατε οὖν καρποὺς ἀξίους τῆς μετανοίας, καὶ μὴ δόξητε λέγειν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς, ὅτι Πατέρα ἔχομεν τὸν Ἀβραάμ." Καὶ τοὺς τὸν Ἀβραὰμ αὐχοῦντας, γεννήματα ἐχιδνῶν προσηγόρευσεν, διὰ τὴν τῆς πονηρίας συγγένειαν. Καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ Κύριος τοῖς εἰρηκόσιν, "Ἡμεῖς Πατέρα ἔχομεν τὸν Ἀβραὰμ," ἀπεκρίνατο λέγων· "Ὑμεῖς ἐκ τοῦ πατρὸς ὑμῶν τοῦ διαβόλου ἐστέ." Καὶ δεικνὺς τὴν αἰτίαν ἐπάγει· "Καὶ τὰ ἔργα τοῦ πατρὸς ὑμῶν θέλετε ποιεῖν." Καὶ δηλῶν ὁποῖα, "Ἐκεῖνος, φησὶν, ἀνθρωποκτόνος ἦν ἀπ' ἀρχῆς·" οὕτως τοιγαροῦν καὶ ἐνταῦθα ὁ τῶν ὅλων ἔφη Θεός· "Ἡ ῥίζα σου καὶ ἡ γένεσίς σου, ἐκ γῆς Χαναάν. Ὁ πατήρ σου Ἀμοῤῥαῖος, καὶ ἡ μήτηρ σου Χετταία." Εἶτα δεικνὺς τὴν ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ διαγωγὴν, τὴν ἀτημέλητον καὶ κηδεμονίας οὐδεμιᾶς ἠξιωμένην· "Ἐν ᾗ ἡμέρᾳ ἐτέχθης, φησὶν, οὐκ ἔδησαν τοὺς μαστούς σου." Τροπικῶς καὶ τοὺς μαστοὺς, καὶ τοὺς δεσμοὺς προσαγορεύσας, ἐπειδὴ ἔθος ταῖς παρθένοις παιδόθεν τῶν μαστῶν ἐπιμελεῖσθαι. Διὸ καὶ διὰ Ἱερεμίου τοῦ προφήτου φησὶν ὁ Θεός· "Μὴ ἐπιλήσεται νύμφη τοῦ κόσμου αὐτῆς; ἢ παρθένος τῆς στηθοδεσμίδος αὐτῆς;" ἐπιμελοῦνται δὲ τούτων παρθένοι, τοῖς οἰκείοις νυμφίοις ἀρέσκειν βουλόμεναι. Ἐπεὶ οὖν οὐδεμιᾶς ἐπιμελείας τετύχηκε μετὰ τὸν τῆς ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ παροικίας καιρὸν ἡ Ἰουδαίων πληθὺς, οὐδὲ τῶν τῆς ἀρετῆς μορίων ἐφρόντισαν, εἰκότως φησίν· "Ἐν ᾗ ἡμέρᾳ ἐτέχθης, οὐκ ἔδησαν τοὺς μαστούς σου·" τουτέστι, τὸ θρεπτικὸν τῆς ψυχῆς μόριον, τὸ τοῦ θρεπτικοῦ γάλακτος γεννητικὸν, ἐπιμελείας οὐκ ἠξίωσαν, ὥστε εἰς καιρὸν ὀρέξαι τοῖς μετὰ ταῦτα τῆς διδασκαλίας τὰς θηλάς. Καὶ ἐπιμένων τῇ τροπῇ, "Ἐν ὕδατι, φησὶν, οὐκ ἐλούσθης·" τουτέστι, Τῆς Αἰγυπτιακῆς εἰδωλολατρείας οὐκ ἀπώσω τὸν ῥύπον· ἀλλὰ [M81.40] καὶ οἱονεὶ τεχθεῖσα τῷ τῆς δουλείας ἐκείνης ἐξελθεῖν, ἔτι φέρεις τὰ τοῦ τόκου σημεῖα, μὴ ἀπολουσαμένη, ἀλλὰ τὸν μητρῷον περικειμένη ῥύπον. Ἀκολούθως τούτοις ἐπάγει· "Οὐδὲ ἁλὶ ἡλίσθης," ὅπερ ἔθος ταῖς μαίαις προσφέρειν τοῖς βρέφεσι. Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ κατὰ τοὺς τῆς ἀλληγορίας νόμους νοήσομεν· ἅλας εἰδότες τὴν πνευματικὴν σύνεσιν, καὶ τὴν θείαν διδασκαλίαν, τὴν διαστύφουσαν τὰ σεσηπότα, καὶ σῶα 19 20 from the wrath to come? Effect, then, fruits worthy of repentance, and do not presume to say about yourselves that ‘We have Abraham as father’” (Matt 3.7-9). He refers to those boasting about Abraham as “offspring of vipers,” on account of a family relationship with evil. The Lord himself answered to those who said, “We have Abraham as our father” (Matt 3.9; Jn 8.39), by saying, “You are from your father the devil” (Jn 8.44). He indicates the cause when he asserts, “And you desire to do the works of your father” (Jn 8.44). And he indicates what sort [of work] when he says, “He was a manslayer from the beginning” (Jn 8.44), in the same way here, then, the God of all says, “Your root and your beginning are from Canaan. Your father is Amorite, and your mother Hittite” (Ezek 16.3). Then, indicating the course of time in Egypt, that she deemed unworthy of notice and of any care at all,19 “in the day you were brought forth,” he says, “they did not bind your breasts” (Ezek 16.4). Breasts and bindings are being used figuratively, since it is customary for virgins to care for [their] breasts in childhood. So also through the prophet Jeremiah God says, “Does a bride forget her ornament? Or a virgin her girdle?” (Jer 2.32). Virgins care for these things because they desire to please their own bridegrooms. Since, then, the population of the Jews did not attain any care at all after the season of [their] sojourn in Egypt, nor did they have any concern for the portions of virtue, fittingly he says, “In the day you were brought forth, they did not bind your breasts,” that is, the nourishing part of the soul, which produces the nourishing milk, they did not count worthy of care, so that for a time the nipples would extend with the matters of the teaching that come after.20 And continuing with the figure, “In water,” he says, “you were not washed” (Ezek 16.4), that is, you did not reject the stain of Egyptian idolatry, but [M81.40] even when you were born as it were by coming out from that slavery, still you carried the signs of the birth, not being washed from the maternal stain but still clad with it. Following these things he asserts, “Nor were you salted with salt” (Ezek 16.4), which is customary for midwives to apply to babies. We understand this in accordance with the laws of allegory, knowing that “salt” is spiritual I am unsure of the exact sense of this clause: τὴν ἀτημέλητον καὶ κηδεμονίας οὐδεμιᾶς ἠξιωμένην. The meaning of the clause is relatively clear, but I am not sure exactly how to render it: ὥστε εἰς καιρὸν ὀρέξαι τοῖς μετὰ ταῦτα τῆς διδασκαλίας τὰς θηλάς. 10 φυλάττουσαν. Διὸ καὶ ὁ Κύριος ἔλεγε τοῖς μαθηταῖς· "Ἔχετε ἅλας·" καὶ πάλιν, "Ὑμεῖς ἐστε τὸ ἅλας τῆς γῆς." Καὶ ἐν τῇ Παλαιᾷ δὲ εὑρίσκομεν οὐδεμίαν θυσίαν ἄνευ ἁλῶν προσφερομένην. Οὕτως νοοῦμεν τὸ, "Οὐκ ἐτμήθη ὁ ὀμφαλός σου." Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ οἷόν τις ῥίζα τοῦ ἐμβρύου, κατὰ τοὺς τὰ τοιαῦτα δεινοὺς, ὁ ὀμφαλὸς ὑπάρχει (δι' αὐτοῦ γὰρ ὡς διά τινος ῥίζης ἀρύεται τὴν τροφὴν, καὶ αὔξεται, καὶ τελειοῦται)· εἰκότως ἐνταῦθα τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἔφη μὴ τετμῆσθαι· ὡς ἐξ Αἰγύπτου μὲν τεχθεῖσαν, ἔτι δὲ καὶ τὴν Αἰγυπτιακὴν εἰδωλολατρείαν ἀρυομένην, καὶ ἐκ τῆς μητρῴας, νηδύος τὴν πονηρὰν ἐκείνην ἕλκουσαν τροφήν. understanding, and the divine teaching, which preserves21 things that rot, and keeps them whole. So indeed the Lord said to the disciples, “Have salt” (Mk 9.50), and again, “You are the salt of the earth” (Matt 5.13). We likewise find in the Old [Covenant] that no sacrifice is offered without salt (cf. Lev 2.13). We understand, “Your navel was not cut” (Ezek 16.422), in the same way. For since the navel is as it were a kind of root for the embryo, according to those skilled in these matters, (for through it as through a kind of root is drawn the nourishment, and it grows and is perfected), fittingly here it said that Jerusalem’s [navel] was not cut, since having been born from Egypt she was still drawing upon Egyptian idolatry, even that evil nourishment she had drawn from the maternal womb. "Καὶ διῆλθον ἐπὶ σὲ, φησὶν, καὶ εἶδόν σε πεφυρμένην ἐν τῷ αἵματί σου." Σημαίνει δὲ τὰς τοῖς εἰδώλοις προσφερομένας θυσίας. "Καὶ εἶπά σοι· Ἐκ τοῦ αἵματός σου ζωὴ, πληθύνου." Ἐπειδὴ συνεχώρησε μὲν αὐτοῖς θύειν· αὐτῷ δὲ θύειν ἐνομοθέτησεν, οὐκ αὐτὸς θυσίας δεόμενος, ἀλλὰ τῇ ἐκείνων ἀσθενείᾳ συγκαταβαίνων, Χαίρεις, φησὶ, θυσίαις καὶ αἵμασι; μὴ τοῖς δαίμοσι θύε· ἀλλ' ἐμοὶ πρόσφερε τὰς θυσίας. Ἀνέχομαι γὰρ, μὴ δεόμενος τῶν θυμάτων, σοὶ πανταχόθεν πραγματευόμενος σωτηρίαν. Διὰ τοῦτό φησιν· "Ἐκ τοῦ αἵματός σου ζωὴ, πληθύνου." Οὕτω νοήσωμεν τὸ, "Οἱ μαστοί σου ἀνωρθώθησαν·" ἀντὶ τοῦ, Καθειμένοι πρότερον διὰ τὴν πολλὴν ἀκολασίαν καὶ ἀκρασίαν, καὶ τὴν περὶ τὰ εἴδωλα μανίαν, ἐπιμελείας παρ' ἐμοῦ τυχόντες ἀνωρθώθησαν, καὶ οἱονεὶ παρθένων ἐγένοντο. Δηλοῖ δὲ τὴν ἐπὶ τὸ βέλτιον μεταβολὴν, καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ τὰ ἄνω ὁρμὴν, καὶ τῆς ἐγκρατείας τὴν κτῆσιν. "Καὶ ἡ θρίξ σου, φησὶν, ἀνέτειλε·" τουτέστι κόσμου παντὸς ἐστερημένη, ἐξαίφνης ἔσχηκας τρίχας κοσμῆσαι δυναμένας. "Σὺ δὲ ἦσθα γυμνὴ καὶ ἀσχημονοῦσα·" οὐδέπω γὰρ οὔτε νόμος ἐδέδοτο, οὔτε σκηνὴ κατεσκεύαστο, οὔτε τὰ νυμφικὰ ἕδνα προσενήνεκτο. Διὸ ἐπάγει· "Καὶ διῆλθον διὰ σοῦ, καὶ εἶδόν σε· καὶ ἰδοὺ καιρός σου, καὶ καιρὸς καταλυόντων·" ἀντὶ τοῦ, Ὡραία ἐγένου γάμου, καὶ ἐπιτηδεία πρὸς συνάφειαν. "Διὸ διεπέτασα πτέρυγάς “And I passed by you,” he says, “and I saw you spoiled in your own blood” (Ezek 16.6). He signifies the sacrifices offered to idols. “And I said to you, ‘Life from your blood, be increased’” (Ezek 16.6-7). Seeing that he did permit them to sacrifice, and he legislated that they might sacrifice to him—not because he needs sacrifice, but because he was condescending to their weakness—he says, “Do you rejoice in sacrifices and blood? Fine! But offer sacrifices to me, and make no sacrifice to demons. For I, while not requiring sacrifices, am willing to use any means to bring about your salvation.” This is why he says, “Life from your blood, be increased” (Ezek 16.6-7). We understand, “Your breasts were restored” (Ezek 16.7) in the same way, as being an alternative way of saying, Those who had formerly sunk down because of extreme intemperance and incontinence, and the madness of idols, after attaining care from me, were restored, and became as it were of virgins. He indicates the change to something better, and the inclination to things above, and the acquisition of self-control. He says, “And your hair grew up” (Ezek 16.7), that is, you who were deprived of all ornamentation, in a moment’s notice had hair able to provide adornment. “And you were naked and in a shameful condition” (Ezek 16.7), for the law had not yet been given, nor had the tabernacle been prepared, nor had he offered the wedding gifts. 21 22 PGL 361. This clause is not in the LXX, likely Hexaplaric. 11 μου ἐπὶ σέ· καὶ ἐκάλυψα τὴν ἀσχημοσύνην σου." Σημαίνει δὲ διὰ τῶν πτερύγων τὰ ποικίλα χαρίσματα· τὴν ἱερωσύνην, τὴν προφητείαν, τὴν δημαγωγίαν, τὴν βασιλείαν, τὰ θαύματα, τὰς ἀῤῥήτους ἐκείνας δωρεάς. "Καὶ ὤμοσά σοι." Τοῦτο σαφῶς ἔστιν εὑρεῖν ἐν τοῖς τοῦ μεγάλου Μωσέως συγγράμμασιν. "Ἀρῶ γὰρ, φησὶν, εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν τὴν χεῖρά μου, καὶ ὀμοῦμαι τῇ δεξιᾷ μου· καὶ ἐρῶ· Ζῶ [M81.41] ἐγὼ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα." Καὶ πάλιν· "Ἀλλ' ἢ ζῶ ἐγὼ, καὶ ζῇ τὸ ὄνομά μου, καὶ ἐμπλήσει ἡ δόξα Κυρίου πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν." Διὸ τῶν γεγενημένων αὐτῇ ὅρκων ἀναμιμνήσκει, καί φησιν· "Ὤμοσά σοι, καὶ εἰσῆλθον ἐν διαθήκῃ μετὰ σοῦ, λέγει Ἀδωναῒ Κύριος." Ἔννομον, φησὶ, γέγονε τὸ συνοικέσιον, καὶ συνθῆκαι μεταξὺ ἡμῶν γεγένηνται· καὶ προικῷα γραμματεῖα παρηκολούθησαν, αἱρέσεις ἐννόμους ἔχοντα, σημαινούσας ὡς εἰ παραβαίης τὰς κειμένας συνθήκας, καὶ τῆς οἰκίας ἐκβληθήσῃ, καὶ τῶν ἕδνων ἀποστερηθήσῃ, καὶ ἀπελεύσῃ γυμνὴ, ὥσπερ εἰσελήλυθας. Σὺ γὰρ οὐδὲ τῷ γάμῳ προσενήνοχας. Ἐγὼ δὲ καὶ ἐῤῥυπωμένην ἐξεκάθηρα, ἁλὸς ἐστερημένην διήρτυσα, καὶ γυμνὴν οὖσαν ἠμφίασα, καὶ ἀκόλαστον οὖσαν ὀρθοὺς ἔχειν πεποίηκα τοὺς μαστούς. Διὸ ἐπάγει· "Καὶ εἰσῆλθον ἐν διαθήκῃ μετὰ σοῦ, λέγει Ἀδωναῒ Κύριος· καὶ ἐγένου μοι, καὶ ἔλουσά σε ὕδατι, καὶ ἀπέπλυνα τὸ αἷμά σου ἀπὸ σοῦ, καὶ ἔχρισά σε ἐν ἐλαίῳ, καὶ ἐνέδυσά σε ποικίλα· καὶ ὑπέδυσά σε ὑάκινθον, καὶ ἔζωσά σε βύσσῳ," καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ ἔστι μαθεῖν ἀκριβῶς ἐκ τῶν τοῦ θειωτάτου Μωσέως συγγραμμάτων. Ἐκεῖνος γὰρ τὸν ἱερατικὸν κατασκευάζει κόσμον, καὶ τὸ ἅγιον ἔλαιον τῆς χρίσεως, ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων διδαχθεὶς τῆς κατασκευῆς τὸν τρόπον. Οὕτω νοήσωμεν τὰ ψέλλια τῶν χειρῶν, καὶ τὸ κάθεμα τοῦ τραχήλου, καὶ τὸ ἐνώτιον τοῦ μυκτῆρος, καὶ τοὺς τροχίσκους τῶν ὤτων, καὶ τὸν στέφανον τῆς καυχήσεως ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς κείμενον. Ψέλλια γὰρ χειρῶν τὴν πρακτικὴν ἀρετὴν ὀνομάζει· τροχίσκους δὲ ὤτων τὴν τῶν θείων λογίων ἀκρόασιν, ὧν ἔχεσθαι δεῖ καθάπερ ἡ ἀκοὴ τοῦ τροχίσκου· κάθεμα δὲ τοῦ τραχήλου τὸν τῆς συνέσεως κόσμον ἐν τῷ ἡγεμονικῷ λάμποντα, ὃ τῇ καρδίᾳ ἐπαναπαύεται, τῇ τοῦ τραχήλου ἐξηρτημένῃ· ἐνώτιον δὲ ἐν μυκτῆρι κείμενον, τῶν θείων νόμων τὸν χαλινόν· ἐκ μεταφορᾶς τῶν ταύρων, τῶν οὕτως ὑπὸ τῶν βοηλατῶν ἀγομένων. Καὶ γὰρ διὰ Ὠσηὲ τοῦ προφήτου τοιαῦτα Thus he asserts, “And I passed by you, and I saw you, and behold it was your season, even the season for those who take rest” (Ezek 16.8), instead of saying, You were ripe for marriage, and ready for conjugal union. “So I stretched my wings over you, and I covered your shameful condition” (Ezek 16.8). He signifies through “wings” the variety of graces—the priesthood, prophecy, leadership, the kingship, the miracles, those gifts that are ineffable. “And I swore to you” (Ezek 16.8). One can find this clearly in the compositions of the great Moses. “For I raise my hand to heaven,” he says, “and I swear by my right hand, and I will say, I myself [M81.41] live forever” (Deut 32.40). And again, “But as I live, and my name lives, indeed the glory of the Lord will fill the whole earth” (Num 14.21). Wherefore he remembers the oaths that were made to her, and says, “I swore to you, and I entered into covenant with you, says Adonai Lord” (Ezek 16.8). He became a lawful partner, he says, and treaties came to exist between us; the dowry contracts followed after, involving lawful choices, which signify how if you transgress the present treaties, you will be cast out of the house, and will be deprived of wedding gifts, and you will depart naked, just as you came in. For you yourself did not contribute to the marriage, but I cleansed her who was polluted, I sprinkled her who was deprived of salt, and I clothed her who was naked, and I caused her who was incontinent to have straight breasts. Wherefore he asserts, “And I entered in to covenant with you, says Adonai Lord, and you became mine, and I washed you with water, and washed away your blood from you, and I anointed you with oil, and I clothed you with various array, and I shoed you with purple, and girded you with fine linen” (Ezek 16.8-10), etc. We learn this too in a more precise way from the compositions of the most divine Moses. For he was the one who prepared the priestly ornament, and the holy oil of anointing, having been taught the manner of preparation by the God of all. Let us understand in this way the bracelets for the hands, and the necklace for the neck, and the ring for the nose, and the earrings for the ears, and the crown of boasting resting on the head (Ezek 16.11-12). For he names the practical virtue “bracelets for hands,” and the hearing of the divine oracles “earrings for ears,” which it is necessary to have just as the hearing of the earring. The necklace for the neck is the ornament of understanding which shines in the principal part [of the soul], which comes to rest in the heart, being 12 πάλιν φησὶν ὁ Θεός· "Ὡς δάμαλις παροιστρῶσα παροίστρησεν Ἐφραΐμ." Καὶ πάλιν, "Ἤκουσα, φησὶν, Ἐφραῒμ ὀδυρομένου· Ἐπαίδευσάς με, Κύριε, καὶ οὐκ ἐπαιδεύθην· ὥσπερ μόσχος οὐκ ἐδιδάχθην." Διὸ ἀναγκαίως τοῦ τοιούτου χαλινοῦ ἐδεήθη, ἵνα τῆς ἀτάκτου φορᾶς διὰ τούτου κωλύηται. hung upon the neck. The ring situated in the nose is the bridle of the divine laws, from the metaphor of bulls which are lead in this way by cattle-drivers. For God in fact speaks about these things through the prophet Hosea: “As a heifer madly raging Ephraim madly raged” (Hos 4.16; cf. 10.11). And again he says, “I heard Ephraim lamenting, ‘You disciplined me, O Lord, and I was disciplined; just as a calf I was not taught’” (Jer 38/31.18). Wherefore she was bound with this bridle of necessity, so that she might be hindered through this from disordered impulse. Οὕτω νοήσωμεν καὶ πορνικὸν οἴκημα. Τοὺς γὰρ τῶν εἰδώλων οἴκους διὰ τούτων ἐσήμανε. Πορνικὸν δὲ αὐτὸ προσηγόρευσεν οἴκημα· ἐπειδὴ οἷον τῷ Θεῷ συνημμένη, καὶ τοῦτον ἄνδρα ὀνομάζουσα, τῶν πονηρῶν ἠράσθη δαιμόνων, καὶ τούτοις ἐδείματο ναοὺς, καὶ τὰ ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ χορηγούμενα αὐτῇ δῶρα τούτοις προσέφερε. Διὰ τοῦτο ἐπήγαγε· "Καὶ ἐπ' ἀρχὴν πάσης ὁδοῦ ᾠκοδόμησας τὰ πορνεῖά σου, καὶ ἐλυμήνω τὸ κάλλος σου, καὶ διήγαγες τὰ σκέλη σου παντὶ παρόδῳ," τὴν τῆς ἀκολασίας ὑπερβολὴν διὰ τούτου παραδηλῶν. Οὐ γὰρ τοῖς συνήθεσι μόνοις ἐγένου· ἀλλὰ πάντας τοὺς παριόντας ἐφελκομένη [M81.44] ἀκολάστως ἐμίγνυσο· μίξιν δὲ πάλιν ἐνταῦθα τροπικῶς τὴν τῶν εἰδώλων θεραπείαν ὀνομάζει. Δεῖ δὲ ἐπιτηρῆσαι, ὁποίοις ὀνόμασιν ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς ἐχρήσατο, τὴν τῆς εἰδωλολατρείας ἀμετρίαν σημᾶναι βουλόμενος. "Διήγαγες γὰρ τὰ σκέλη σου παντὶ παρόδῳ, καὶ ἐπλήθυνας τὴν πορνείαν σου. Καὶ ἐξεπόρνευσας ἐπὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς Αἰγύπτου τοὺς ὁμοροῦντάς σοι, τοὺς μεγαλοσάρκους." Πάλιν ἐνταῦθα τῆς εἰδωλολατρείας τὸ μέγεθος, καὶ ἀσεβείας τὴν ὑπερβολὴν τοιούτοις ὀνόμασι παρεδήλωσεν· "Καὶ οὐκ ἐγένου ὡς πόρνη συνάγουσα μισθώματα· ἡ γυνὴ ἡ μοιχωμένη ὁμοία σοι, ἣ παρὰ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς αὐτῆς λαμβάνουσα μισθώματα, πᾶσι τοῖς ἐκπορνεύσασιν αὐτὴν προεδίδου μισθώματα· καὶ σὺ δέδωκας μισθώματα πᾶσι τοῖς ἐρασταῖς σου, καὶ ἐφόρτιζες αὐτοὺς, τοῦ ἔρχεσθαι πρὸς σὲ κυκλόθεν ἐν τῇ πορνείᾳ σου, καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν σοὶ διεστραμμένα παρὰ τὰς γυναῖκας ἐν τῇ πορνείᾳ σου." Let us understand the house of prostitution in this way. He signified the houses of idols through these things. But he termed it “house of prostitution,” since she who is as it were joined together with God, and names Him “husband,” lusted after evil demons, and built temples for them, and offered to them the gifts provided to her by God. For this reason he asserts, “And at the beginning of every way you built your brothels, and you ruined your beauty, and you spread your legs for every passer-by” (16.25), intimating through this the extreme nature of the intemperance. For you were involved not only in habits,23 but being drawn to all those passing by [M81.44], you had intercourse intemperately. Again he figuratively here names the service of idols “intercourse.” We must pay close attention to the sorts of terms the God of all used when he wanted to communicate the excess of [their] idolatry. For “You spread your legs for every passer-by, and you multiplied your fornication. And you played the whore with the sons of Egypt who cohabited with you, who are well-endowed of flesh” (Ezek 16.25-26). Again here he intimated with these terms the magnitude of the idolatry, and the severity of the impiety: “and you were not24 as a harlot gathering payments. The adulteress wife is like you, who accepts payments from her husband, only25 to dole [these] payments out to all those who played the whore with her. So also you gave payments to all your paramours, and you loaded them down such that they would come to you from all around [to take part] in your harlotry, and there happened in you a 23 This could refer either to people (familiars) or actions. This diverges from the LXX, perhaps Hexaplaric. 25 We have paraphrased a bit here to bring out the rhetorical sense. 24 13 Καὶ διὰ τούτων πάλιν ἐσήμανεν, ὅτι παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ λαμβάνοντες, καὶ σῖτον, καὶ οἶνον, καὶ ἔλαιον, καὶ πρόβατα, καὶ βόας, καὶ μόσχους, τοῖς εἰδώλοις τὰς θυσίας προσέφερον· τὸν μὲν Θεὸν ἀτιμάζοντες, οὗ ταῦτα τὰ δῶρα ἐτύγχανον· τοῖς δὲ μηδὲν πώποτε παρεσχηκόσιν, ὀλέθρου δὲ μόνον προξένοις, ταῦτα προσφέροντες· καὶ μισθὸν τοῖς μοιχοῖς ὀρέγοντες, μισθὸν δὲ παρ' αὐτῶν οὐ λαμβάνοντες. Τούτοις ὅμοια καὶ τὰ παρὰ τῷ προφήτῃ Ἱερεμίᾳ· "Νῦν μὲν γὰρ, φησὶ, ἐμοίχευσας τὸ ξύλον, καὶ τὸν λίθον. Ἆρον τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς σου εἰς εὐθεῖαν, καὶ ἰδὲ ποῦ οὐκ ἐξεφύρθης. Νῦν δὲ ἐπὶ ταῖς ὁδοῖς ἐκάθισας προσδοκῶσα αὐτοὺς, ὡσεὶ κορώνη ἐν ἐρήμῳ μόνη, καὶ ἐμίανας τὴν γῆν ἐν ταῖς πορνείαις σου." Καὶ ὁ μακάριος δὲ Ἡσαΐας, "Πῶς ἐγένετο, φησὶ, πόρνη πόλις πιστὴ Σιὼν, ἡ πλήρης κρίσεως; ἐν ᾗ δικαιοσύνη ἐκοιμήθη ἐν αὐτῇ, νῦν δὲ φονευταί." Καὶ αὖθις· "Ποῖον, φησὶ, τὸ βιβλίον τοῦτο τοῦ ἀποστασίου τῆς μητρὸς ὑμῶν; ἢ τίνι ὑπόχρεως ὢν πέπρακα ὑμᾶς; Ἰδοὺ ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ὑμῶν ἐπράθητε, καὶ ταῖς ἀνομίαις ὑμῶν ἐξαπέστειλα τὴν μητέρα ὑμῶν." Καὶ τί δεῖ πάντα λέγειν τὰ διὰ τῶν προφητῶν ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων λεγόμενα; ἀπόχρη γὰρ καὶ τὰ εἰρημένα διδάξαι ἡμᾶς, ὅπως δεῖ νοεῖν τὰς θείας Γραφὰς, μὴ τῷ γράμματι μόνον προσέχοντας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν τούτου διάνοιαν ἀναπτύσσοντας. perversion in your harlotry that [outstripped all other] women” (Ezek 16.31-34). Again, through these things, he signified that those who received from God grain, wine, oil, sheep, oxen, cattle, offered [them] as sacrifices to idols, dishonoring God on the one hand, from whom the gifts themselves came to be, while on the other hand offering these things to those who have never provided anything but only cause destruction, extending payment to adulterers, not receiving payment from them. Similar things are also [found] in the prophet Jeremiah. For he says, “Now you have committed adultery with tree and stone. Lift up your eyes straight forward, and see where you have not been utterly defiled. Now at the ways you sat looking expectantly for them, as a lone crow in the wilderness, and you have defiled the land with your harlotries” (Jer 3.9, 2). The blessed Isaiah also says, “How has faithful city Zion become a harlot, full of judgment? In which righteousness rested, but now murderers are in her” (Isa 1.21). Moreover, he says, “What sort of bill of divorce was this of your mother? Or to which debtor have I sold you? Behold, you were sold for your sins, and for your iniquities have I sent your mother away” (Isa 50.1). And why would it be necessary to recount all the things said through the prophets by the God of all? For indeed the things said are sufficient to teach us how me must understand the divine Scriptures, attending not only to the letter, but also unfolding its meaning. Ἐκ τῆς παλαιᾶς τοίνυν νύμφης ἐπὶ τὴν νέαν ποδηγηθέντες, οὕτω νοήσωμεν τὸ τοῦ Ἄσματος τῶν ᾀσμάτων βιβλίον, καὶ τὰς διεψευσμένας καὶ βλαβερὰς ἐκείνας δόξας καταλιπόντες, τοῖς ἁγίοις Πατράσιν ἀκολουθήσωμεν, καὶ νοήσωμεν μίαν νύμφην ἑνὶ νυμφίῳ διαλεγομένην, καὶ μάθωμεν παρὰ τῶν ἁγίων ἀποστόλων, τίς τε ὁ νυμφίος, καὶ τίς ἡ νύμφη. Διδάσκει γὰρ ἡμᾶς καὶ ὁ θειότατος Παῦλος, οὕτως γράφων· "Ἡρμοσάμην ὑμᾶς ἑνὶ ἀνδρὶ, παρθένον ἁγνὴν παραστῆσαι τῷ Χριστῷ." Καὶ τὴν μὲν νύμφην ἐκ πολλῶν λέγει συγκεκροτημένην. Ἡρμοσάμην γὰρ, λέγει, ὑμᾶς, οὐ σὲ, ὡς εἶναι δηλονότι τὰς εὐσεβεῖς καὶ τελείας ἐν ἀρετῇ ψυχάς. Νύμφην γὰρ οἶδεν ὁ θεῖος λόγος τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν· νυμφίον δὲ τὸν Χριστὸν ὀνομάζει. Καὶ ὁ μέγας δὲ Ἰωάννης, ὁ δείξας [M81.45] τοῦ νόμου τὸ τέλος, καὶ τῆς χάριτος τὴν ἀρχὴν, ὁ μέσος τοῦ Having been guided from the ancient bridegroom to the new one, in the same way let us understand the book of the Song of Songs, and abandoning these opinions that are deceptive and harmful, let us follow the holy Fathers, and let us understand one bride discoursing with one bridegroom, and let us learn from the holy apostles who this bridegroom is and who this bride is. For the most divine Apostle indeed teaches us, when he writes as follows, “I have betrothed you to one husband, to present a pure virgin to Christ” (2 Cor 11.2). Indeed he says that the bride has been composed out of many, for he says, “I have betrothed you [pl.],” not “you [sg.],” which are clearly the souls that are godly and perfect in virtue. For the divine Logos knows the Church as “bride,” and it terms Christ the “bridegroom.” The great John also, who represents [M81.45] the end of the law, and the beginning of grace, who was a 14 παιδαγωγοῦ καὶ τοῦ σοφοῦ διδασκάλου, ἐφ' οὗ ἡ σκιὰ τὸ σῶμα ἐδέξατο, "Ὁ ἔχων, φησὶ, τὴν νύμφην νυμφίος ἐστὶν, ὁ δὲ φίλος τοῦ νυμφίου, ὁ ἑστηκὼς καὶ ἀκούων αὐτοῦ τῶν λόγων, χαρᾷ χαίρει διὰ τὴν φωνὴν τοῦ νυμφίου." Καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ Κύριος νυμφίον ἑαυτὸν ὀνομάζει. Τῶν γὰρ Φαρισαίων αἰτιασαμένων τοὺς ἱεροὺς ἀποστόλους, ὡς μὴ νηστεύοντας, ἐπήγαγε λέγων· "Οὐ δύνανται οἱ υἱοὶ τοῦ νυμφῶνος νηστεύειν ἐν ὅσῳ μετ' αὐτῶν ἐστιν ὁ νυμφίος. Ἐλεύσονται δὲ ἡμέραι, ὅταν ἀρθῇ ἀπ' αὐτῶν ὁ νυμφίος, καὶ τότε νηστεύσουσιν." Οὐκοῦν νοήσωμεν νύμφην μὲν τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, νυμφίον δὲ τὸν Χριστόν· νεάνιδας δὲ τὰς τῇ νύμφῃ ἑπομένας, εὐσεβεῖς μὲν ψυχὰς καὶ νεανικὰς, οὐδέπω δὲ τῆς νύμφης τὴν ἀρετὴν μιμησαμένας καὶ τῆς τελειότητος ἠξιωμένας. Διὸ ἕπονται μὲν τῇ νύμφῃ, νύμφαι δὲ οὐ προσαγορεύονται. Ἔχει δὲ τὸ σύγγραμμα καὶ ἑτέρους τινὰς τῷ νυμφίῳ συνόντας· οὓς εἴτε ἀγγέλους εἴποι τις τῷ Δεσποτικῷ προστάγματι διακονοῦντας, καὶ τὴν νύμφην διακοσμοῦντας, εἴτε προφήτας πόῤῥωθεν ταῦτα προκηρύττοντας, εἴτε ἀποστόλους ἀγγελικῶς καὶ αὐτοὺς τοῖς Δεσποτικοῖς νεύμασιν ὑπηρετοῦντας, τοῦ τῆς ἀληθείας οὐχ ἁμαρτήσεται σκοποῦ. Ἐμοὶ δὲ δοκεῖ μᾶλλον ἀγγέλους εἶναι. Ἐπειδὴ τὰς τετελειωμένας ἐν ἀρετῇ ψυχὰς αὐτὴν νοεῖν τὴν νύμφην τὰ θεῖα ἡμᾶς ἐδίδαξε λόγια· οὐδὲν δὲ ἀποστόλων καὶ προφητῶν τελειότερον, πλὴν ἀγγέλων· διὸ μᾶλλον ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ ἀγγέλους εἶναι τοὺς τῷ νυμφίῳ διακονοῦντας, καὶ τὴν νύμφην θεραπεύειν ἐσπουδακότας. Εὑρίσκομεν γὰρ καὶ εὐθὺς τοῦ νυμφίου τεχθέντος χορὸν ἀγγελικὸν γαννύμενον, καὶ εὐφραινόμενον, καὶ ὑμνοῦντα, καὶ βοῶντα· "Δόξα ἐν ὑψίστοις Θεῷ, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς εἰρήνη, ἐν ἀνθρώποις εὐδοκία." Καὶ αὐτῇ δὲ τῇ συλλήψει Γαβριὴλ ὁ ἀρχάγγελος διηκόνησε· καὶ τῷ Ἰωσὴφ ἄγγελος, καὶ τὴν εἰς Αἴγυπτον φυγὴν, καὶ τὴν ἐκεῖθεν ἐπάνοδον προστεταχὼς φαίνεται· καὶ μετὰ τοὺς κατὰ τοῦ διαβόλου ἀγῶνας, ἄγγελοι προσελθόντες διηκόνησαν τῷ ὑπὲρ τῆς ἡμετέρας ἀσθενείας ἀγωνισαμένῳ, καὶ τὸν ἀνταγωνιστὴν καταλύσαντι, εὐφημοῦντες, ἀνυμνοῦντες, περιέποντες. Καὶ ἐν τῷ καιρῷ δὲ τοῦ πάθους, ἄγγελοι παρῆσαν τὸ ἀνθρώπινον ὑπερείδοντες. Καὶ τῷ τάφῳ ἄγγελοι προσεδρεύοντες ἐκήρυττον αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀνάστασιν· καὶ ἡνίκα εἰς τοὺς οὐρανοὺς ἀνελήφθη, ἄγγελοι τοῖς ἀποστόλοις ἔλεγον· "Ἄνδρες Γαλιλαῖοι, τί mediary of the pedagogue and the wise teacher, upon whom the shadow received the body, says “He who has the bride is the bridegroom, but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and listens to his words, rejoices with joy on account of the voice of the bridegroom” (Jn 3.29). In fact, the Lord himself gives the name “bridegroom” to himself, for when the Pharisees ask the holy apostles why they were not fasting, he asserted saying, “The sons of the wedding party are not able to fast so long as the bridegroom is with them. But days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast” (Mk 2.19-20). Therefore let us understand the Church as the “bride” and Christ as the “bridegroom,” and the young maidens who are attending the bride as pious and youthful souls who have not yet imitated the virtue of the bride and become worthy of perfection. So they follow the bride, but they are not termed “brides.” The composition also has a certain other group that goes along with the bridegroom. Should someone say that they are the angels who minister at the ordinance of the Master, and who adorn the bride, or are the prophets who proclaimed these things beforehand from afar, or that they are the apostles who serve like angels at the nodding of the Master, he would not miss the mark of the truth. Yet I am particularly inclined to think that they are angels, seeing as the divine oracles taught us that the souls of those perfected in virtue mean the bride herself, but no one is more perfect than the apostles and prophets, except angels. So I am particularly inclined to think that those who minister to the bridegroom, and who are eager to attend the bride, are angels. For straightway when the bridegroom is born we find a gleaming angelic band rejoicing, hymning, and crying out, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will among men” (Lk 2.14). The archangel Gabriel also ministered for the conception itself, and an angel appeared to Joseph commanding the flight to Egypt and the return from there. And after the struggles against the devil, angels came and ministered to him who was struggling on behalf of our weakness (cf. Mk 1.13) and vanquished the rival opponent, and they were exclaiming, hymning, and treating [him] with care. And at the time of his Passion, angels were present, supporting [his] humanity. With the grave also, angels who sat by proclaimed his resurrection. And when he was taken up into heaven, angels said to the apostles, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking to heaven? This Jesus who was taken up from you to 15 ἑστήκατε βλέποντες εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν; οὗτος Ἰησοῦς ὁ ἀναληφθεὶς ἀφ' ὑμῶν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, οὕτως ἐλεύσεται πάλιν." Διό μοι δοκεῖ τὰ σὺν τῷ νυμφίῳ τάγματα ἀγγέλων εἶναι τοῖς τοῦ νυμφίου νεύμασιν ὑπηρετούντων, καὶ τὴν νύμφην πάσης κηδεμονίας ἀξιούντων. Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ προειπεῖν ἀναγκαῖον, ὡς τρία τοῦ Σολομῶντος ἐδιδάχθημεν εἶναι συγγράμματα, τὰς Παροιμίας, καὶ τὸν Ἐκκλησιαστὴν, καὶ [M81.48] τὸ Ἆσμα τῶν ᾀσμάτων· καὶ αἱ μὲν Παροιμίαι τὴν ἠθικὴν ὠφέλειαν τοῖς βουλομένοις προσφέρουσιν· ὁ δὲ Ἐκκλησιαστὴς, τῶν ὁρωμένων ἑρμηνεύει τὴν φύσιν, καὶ τοῦ παρόντος βίου τὸ μάταιον ἐκδιδάσκει, ἵνα μαθόντες αὐτῶν τὸ ἐπίκηρον, ὡς παριόντων καταφρονήσωμεν, καὶ τῶν μελλόντων ὡς μενόντων ἐπιθυμήσωμεν. Τὸ δὲ Ἆσμα τῶν ᾀσμάτων, τὴν μυστικὴν συνάφειαν τῆς νύμφης καὶ τοῦ νυμφίου διδάσκει· ὡς εἶναι τὴν πᾶσαν τοῦ Σολομῶντος πραγματείαν κλίμακά τινα, τρεῖς ἔχουσαν τοὺς βαθμοὺς, τὸν ἠθικὸν, τὸν φυσιολογικὸν, τὸν μυστικόν. Δεῖ γὰρ τὸν εὐθὺς προσιόντα τῇ εὐσεβείᾳ καθαρθῆναι πρότερον διὰ τῆς ἀγαθῆς πράξεως τὴν διάνοιαν· εἶθ' οὕτως κατοπτεῦσαι τῶν παριόντων τὸ μάταιον, καὶ τῶν δοκούντων τερπνῶν τὸ ἐπίκηρον· καὶ ἐντεῦθεν λοιπὸν ἀναπτῆναι, καὶ τὸν νυμφίον ποθῆσαι, τὸν τὰ αἰώνια ἐπαγγειλάμενον ἀγαθά. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τρίτον τέτακται τὸ βιβλίον τοῦτο· ἵνα ὁδῷ τις βαδίζων ἐπὶ τὸ τέλειον ἔλθοι. Ἡγοῦμαι δὲ τὸν σοφὸν Σολομῶντα ὑπὸ τοῦ πατρὸς, ἅτε δὴ προφήτου καὶ μεγάλου προφήτου, δεδιδαγμένον ταῦτα συγγεγραφέναι. Ἤκουσε γὰρ αὐτοῦ πάντως ᾄδοντος· "Παρέστη ἡ βασίλισσα ἐκ δεξιῶν σου, ἐν ἱματισμῷ διαχρύσῳ περιβεβλημένη, πεποικιλμένη." Καὶ πάλιν· "Ἄκουσον, θύγατερ, καὶ ἴδε, καὶ κλῖνον τὸ οὖς σου, καὶ ἐπιλάθου τοῦ λαοῦ σου, καὶ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ πατρός σου, καὶ ἐπιθυμήσει ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ κάλλους σου, ὅτι αὐτός ἐστι Κύριός σου." Ἀμέλει τοῖς μειρακίοις, καὶ τοῖς ἀτελέσιν ἔτι τὴν ἡλικίαν, οὐκ ἐπιτρέπουσιν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀνάγνωσιν· μόνοις δὲ τοῖς εἰς ἄνδρας τελοῦσιν, καὶ συνιέναι δυναμένοις τὰ κεκρυμμένα, καὶ πνευματικῶς νοῆσαι τὰ γεγραμμένα, ἀναγινώσκειν κελεύουσιν. 26 heaven, will come again in the same way” (Acts 1.11). Wherefore it seems to me it is ranks of angels who are with the bridegroom who serve at the nodding of the bridegroom, and make the bride worthy of all care. It is also necessary to say by way of introduction that we have been taught that there are three compositions of Solomon, the Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and [M81.48] the Song of Songs: the Proverbs offer the benefit of ethical discipline to those who desire [it]; as for Ecclesiastes it interprets the nature of things seen and teaches the vanity of the present life, so that having learned the perishability of them, we might despise [them] as though passing away, and we might desire future things as remaining permanent. The Song of Songs teaches the mystical connection of the bride and the bridegroom, such that the whole body of work of Solomon is a kind of ladder, which has three volumes, the ethical science, the natural science, and the mystical science. For it is necessary that the person who is approaching piety must first be cleansed in mind through the good practice, and so in this way he might observe the vanity of the things passing away, and the perishability of the seeming delights, and here after to fly up, and to yearn for the bridegroom who announces the eternal good things. On this account this book is ordered third, so that someone by traveling by a certain way might come to perfection. I think that the wise Solomon was taught to compose these things by his father, seeing that one was a prophet and [the other] a great prophet.26 For he heard him assuredly when he said, “The queen is standing at your right hand, bedecked in vesture wrought with gold, in varied array” (Ps 44.10). And again, “Hear, O daughter, and see, and incline your ear, and forget your people, and the house of your father, and the king will desire your beauty, for he himself is your Lord” (Ps 44.11). No doubt he does not entrust the reading of [the book] to those who are juvenile and those who are still imperfect in stature, but he permits reading only to those who have become mature men, and who are able to understand hidden things, and to understand the things written in a spiritual way. So then ceasing from quarreling, whether the book is composed in a prophetic way, whether he who learned from [his] father teaches things he was taught, let us undertake [our] interpretation, encouraging This seems to be the sense for this phrase: ἅτε δὴ προφήτου καὶ μεγάλου προφήτου, Solomon as prophet from David the great prophet. 16 Οὐκοῦν παυσάμενοι τοῦ ζυγομαχεῖν, εἴτε προφητικῶς συγγέγραπται τὸ βιβλίον, εἴτε μεμαθηκὼς παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς, ἃ ἐδιδάχθη διδάσκει, τῆς ἑρμηνείας ἁψώμεθα· τοσοῦτον τοὺς ἐντευξομένους παρακαλέσαντες, μὴ κλοπὴν ἡμῶν κατηγορεῖν, εἴ τι τοῖς πατράσιν εἰρημένον ἐν ταῖς ἡμετέραις εὕροιεν ἑρμηνείαις. Ὁμολογοῦμεν γὰρ καὶ ἡμεῖς παρ' ἐκείνων τὰς ἀφορμὰς εὑρηκέναι τῆς σαφηνείας· ἔστι δὲ τὸ τοιοῦτον οὐ κλοπὴ, ἀλλὰ κληρονομία πατρῴα. Καὶ τὰ μὲν παρ' ἐκείνων εἰληφότες τίθεμεν, τὰ δὲ αὐτοὶ ἐπεξευρόντες προστίθεμεν. Καὶ τὰ μὲν, ὡς διὰ πλάτους εἰρημένα τισὶν, συντέμνομεν· τὰ δὲ ἐπεξεργασίας δεόμενα διευρύνομεν. Καὶ ὅλως ἀνεδεξάμεθα πόνον, οὐκ ἄχρηστον οἶμαι τοῖς ἐντευξομένοις ἐσόμενον. Διὸ τοὺς ἀπόνως τοὺς ἡμετέρους καρπουμένους πόνους παρακαλοῦμεν, εὐχὰς ἡμῖν ἀντιδοῦναι τῶν πόνων. Εἰ δὲ οὐκ ἀκριβὴς ἡ ἑρμηνεία φανείη, τὸν γοῦν πόνον ἀπόδεξαι, καὶ τὰ λείποντα δίδαξον. those who read this work not to censure us of theft if they find in our interpretations something that was said by the fathers. For we indeed confess to have found occasions on which they provided clarity, but such [borrowing] is not theft but rather [the use of] a paternal inheritance. Indeed we have set out the things we have received from them, and we have set forth things that we ourselves have discovered. We abbreviate the things said by some in lengthier ways, and we expand the things that require elaboration. And the toil we have undertaken as a whole will, I think, not be without benefit to those who read. Wherefore we beseech untroubled prayers to recompense our labors, that our labors might bear fruit. But if the interpretation does not appear accurate, [we beseech you] to accept the labor then, and to teach what is lacking. 17 ΤΟΥ ΜΑΚΑΡΙΟΥ ΘΕΟΔΩΡΗΤΟΥ ΕΠΙΣΚΟΠΟΥ ΚΥΡΟΥ ΕΡΜΗΝΕΙΑ ΕΙΣ ΤΟ ΑΣΜΑ ΤΩΝ ΑΣΜΑΤΩΝ. COMMENTARY ON THE SONG OF SONGS FROM THE BLESSED THEODORET BISHOP OF CYROS Ἐπειδὴ τῇ θείᾳ θαῤῥήσαντες χάριτι τῆς ἑρμηνείας τοῦ βιβλίου τούτου κατεθαῤῥήσαμεν, φέρε πρῶτον ἁπάντων αὐτὴν τοῦ βιβλίου τὴν προγραφὴν ἐξετάσαντες εὐκρινῆ καταστήσωμεν. Ἆσμα ᾀσμάτων, ὃ ᾔσθη τῷ Σολομῶντι. Σκοπήσωμεν τί δήποτε οὐκ Ἆσμα, ἀλλ' "Ἆσμα ᾀσμάτων" αὐτὸ προσηγόρευσεν ὁ σοφὸς Σολομών. Ὅτι γὰρ οὐδὲν εἰκῆ καὶ μάτην ὑπὸ τοῦ θείου Πνεύματος ἐνεργούμενον λέγεται, δῆλον τοῖς σώφρονι λογισμῷ καὶ εὐσεβεῖ κεχρημένοις καθέστηκε. Τούτου δὲ οὕτως ἔχοντος, σκοπητέον τίνος ἕνεκεν "Ἆσμα ᾀσμάτων," ἀλλ' οὐκ Ἆσμα, τοῦτο καλεῖται τὸ σύγγραμμα. Πολλὰ μὲν οὖν ᾄσματα, καὶ ψαλμοὺς, καὶ ὕμνους, καὶ ᾠδὰς, παρά τε τῷ μακαρίῳ Δαβὶδ, καὶ παρὰ τοῖς πρὸ αὐτοῦ καὶ μετ' αὐτὸν προφήταις εὑρίσκομεν εἰρημένα καὶ συγγεγραμμένα· καὶ Μωσῆς μὲν ὁ μέγας ᾖσε πρώτην μὲν ᾠδὴν τὴν ἐπινίκιον, ἡνίκα ἡ θάλασσα διαιρεθεῖσα, αὐτοῖς μὲν τοῖς Ἰσραηλίταις ὁδὸς ἐγένετο, τοῖς δὲ Αἰγυπτίοις τάφος· δευτέραν δὲ ᾠδὴν ᾖσεν εὐχαριστήριον τὴν ἐπὶ τῷ φρέατι· τρίτην δὲ, ἐν ᾗ τὰς θείας διηγήσατο δωρεὰς, καὶ τῆς ἀγνώμονος γνώμης τοῦ λαοῦ κατηγόρησεν. Καὶ ὁ μακάριος δὲ Δαβὶδ τοὺς μὲν ἐπινικίους ᾖσεν ὕμνους, τοὺς δὲ ἐπιληνίους· καὶ τοὺς μὲν ὀρθρίους, τοὺς δὲ ἑσπερίους. Ὁ δὲ σοφὸς Σολομὼν οὐκ ἐπινίκιον, οὐδὲ ὄρθριον, ἀλλ' ἐπιθαλάμιον ᾆσμα συγγράφει. Τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἐπινίκια ᾄσματα δηλοῖ τῶν πολεμίων κατάλυσιν καὶ τῶν αἰχμαλώτων λύσιν, ὡς τὸ, "Ἀνταναιρῶν πολέμους μέχρι τῶν περάτων τῆς γῆς. Τόξον συντρίψει, καὶ συνθλάσει ὅπλον, καὶ θυρεοὺς κατακαύσει ἐν πυρί. Σχολάσατε, καὶ γνῶτε ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι Θεός· ὑψωθήσομαι ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, ὑψωθήσομαι ἐν τῇ γῇ." Σημαίνει γὰρ, ὅτι τῶν πολεμίων τὴν πανοπλίαν συντρίψας, καὶ τοὺς ὑπ' ἐκείνους πάλαι τελοῦντας αἰχμαλώτους ἐλευθερώσας, [M81.52] ὑφ' ἑαυτὸν ἐποιήσατο, καὶ τὴν τῶν πάντων ἑκόντων ἀνεδήσατο βασιλείαν. Διό φησιν· "Ὑψωθήσομαι ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, ὑψωθήσομαι ἐν τῇ γῇ." Τοιοῦτόν ἐστι καὶ τὸ, "Πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, Since we have been emboldened by divine grace to dare to undertake the interpretation of this book, come, let us first of all devote ourselves to giving careful and clear inquiry into the very title of the book. “Song of Songs,” which was sung by Solomon.27 Let us consider why it might be that the wise Solomon did not entitle it “Song,” but “Song of Songs.” For that the divine Spirit says nothing that is random and vain in its effect, is established as obvious to those who think in a moderate and pious way. With this being the situation, one must observe why it is that he called the composition “Song of Songs,” and not [merely] “a Song.” We find many songs, as well as psalms, hymns, and odes spoken and composed by the blessed David and by the prophets before and after him. Moses the Great first sang a song of victory, when the divided sea became a way for the Israelites themselves, but a tomb for the Egyptians (Exod 15.1-18). Secondly he sang a song of thanksgiving at the well (Num 21.16ff), and thirdly, [a song] in which he recounted the divine gifts, and he condemned the senseless disposition of the people (Deut 32.1-43). The blessed David also sang hymns of victory and vintage, of morning and of evening. But the wise Solomon composed neither a victory nor a morning song, but an epithalamium. For songs of victory indicate the end of wars and the freeing of captives, as in, “Putting an end to wars to the ends of the earth. He will break the bow, and he will crush the weapon, and he will burn the shields with fire. Be at rest, and know that I myself am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth” (Ps 45.10-11). For he signifies that, by himself, he has done the work of breaking the full armor of the combatants, and liberating those held completely as captives by them from of old, [M81.52], and he bound the kingdom on all those who are willing. Wherefore he says, “I will be exalted in the nations, I will be exalted in 27 Rahlfs: ᾆσμα ᾀσμάτων ὅ ἐστιν τῷ Σαλωμων. I am unsure if Theodoret is intending to quote the title as his text has it. 18 κροτήσατε χεῖρας· ἀλαλάξατε τῷ Θεῷ ἐν φωνῇ ἀγαλλιάσεως, ὅτι Κύριος ὕψιστος, φοβερὸς, βασιλεὺς μέγας ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν." Καὶ πάλιν· "Περίζωσαι τὴν ῥομφαίαν σου ἐπὶ τὸν μηρόν σου, δυνατέ. Τῇ ὡραιότητί σου καὶ τῷ κάλλει σου ἔντεινον, καὶ κατευοδοῦ, καὶ βασίλευε." Καὶ αὖθις· "Ἄρατε πύλας, οἱ ἄρχοντες, ὑμῶν, καὶ ἐπάρθητε, πύλαι αἰώνιοι, καὶ εἰσελεύσεται ὁ Βασιλεὺς τῆς δόξης, Κύριος κραταιὸς καὶ δυνατὸς, Κύριος δυνατὸς ἐν πολέμῳ." Ἐν μὲν οὖν τούτοις τοῖς ᾄσμασι τὴν νίκην τοῦ βασιλέως οἱ προφῆται διεξίασι, καὶ ἐπὶ τῇ τῶν αἰχμαλώτων αὐτὸν ὑμνοῦσιν ἐλευθερίᾳ. Τὸ δὲ Ἆσμα τῶν ᾀσμάτων τὸν γάμον αὐτοῦ διαγράφει, καὶ τὸν περὶ τὴν νύμφην ἔρωτα διαγράφεται. "Νύμφην" δὲ προσαγορεύει τοὺς ἐν ἐκείνοις τοῖς ᾄσμασι τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας ἀπαλλαγέντας, καὶ τῆς ἐλευθερίας τετυχηκότας, καὶ προσοικειωθέντας τῷ βασιλεῖ, καὶ ἄληστον τῶν εὐεργεσιῶν τὴν μνήμην ἐσχηκότας, καὶ πολλὴν περὶ αὐτὸν εὔνοιαν καὶ στοργὴν ἐπιδεικνυμένους, καὶ διηνεκῶς αὐτῷ ἑπομένους· εἶτα, τῶν ἄνω δυνάμεων πυνθανομένων, "Τίς ἐστιν ὁ βασιλεὺς δόξης;" συνεῖναι ἱμειρομένους, καὶ οὐδὲ πρὸς βραχὺ μόριον ἡμέρας χωρισθῆναι τοῦ σεσωκότος ἀνεχομένους. Τούτου χάριν Ἆσμα τῶν ᾀσμάτων καλεῖται τοῦτο τὸ βιβλίον, σημαίνοντος τοῦ λόγου, ὡς ἐκεῖνα τὰ ᾄσματα διὰ τοῦτο τὸ ᾆσμα γεγένηται, κἀκεῖνα πρὸς τοῦτο ἄγει. "Τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι τὸ κεφάλαιον τῶν ἀγαθῶν, καὶ θείας φιλανθρωπίας ὁ κολοφὼν, ἡ ἄῤῥητος ἀγαθότης, ὁ ἀμέτρητος ἔλεος, ὁ ἀστάθμητος οἶκτος, ἡ ἄφραστος ἀγάπη, τὸ ἀνέχεσθαι τὸν ποιητὴν, καὶ πλάστην, καὶ δημιουργὸν, καὶ Κύριον, καὶ Θεὸν, καὶ Δεσπότην, καὶ ἀεὶ ὡσαύτως ἔχοντα, τὸ πήλινον τοῦτο ζῶον, καὶ παθητὸν, καὶ φθαρτὸν, καὶ ἀγνῶμον, καὶ ἄχρηστον, μὴ μόνον ἀπαλλάξαι θανάτου, καὶ διαβολικῆς τυραννίδος, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐλευθερίαν δωρήσασθαι, καὶ μὴ μόνον ἐλευθέρους ἀποφῆναι, ἀλλὰ καὶ υἱοὺς καταστῆσαι· καὶ μὴ μόνον τῆς υἱοθεσίας δωρήσασθαι χάρισμα, ἀλλὰ καὶ νύμφην προσαγορεῦσαί τε καὶ ποιῆσαι, καὶ νυμφίῳ παραπλησίως συναρμοσθῆναι αὐτῇ, καὶ ἕδνα μυρία προσενεγκεῖν, καὶ νυμφῶνα καὶ θάλαμον προευτρεπίσαι· καὶ γυμνὴν οὖσαν ἀμφιάσαι, καὶ γενέσθαι αὐτῇ περιβόλαιον, καὶ τροφὴν, καὶ πόμα, 28 the earth.” Such is the case also with, “All the nations, clap [your] hands; shout to God with a voice of rejoicing, for the Lord is exalted, fearful, a great king over all the earth” (Ps 46.2-3). And again: “Gird your sword about your belt, O mighty one. By your comeliness and your beauty bend, and go about well, and rule as king” (Ps 44.4-5). And moreover, “Lift up your gates, O rulers, and be lifted up, eternal doors, and the King of glory will enter in, the Lord mighty and powerful, the Lord powerful in war” (Ps 23.7-8). In these songs, then, the prophets relayed the victory of the king, and they hymned him for the liberation of the captives. But the Song of Songs describes his marriage, and it describes the love for the bride. He uses the term “bride” for those who are set free from captivity in those [other] songs, and those who have attained freedom, and were made to live in close association to the king and hold unforgotten the memory of [his] benefactions, and who demonstrate great good will and affection for him, continually clinging to him. And so, when the powers above inquire, “Who is the King of glory?,” these ones yearn to understand, and they do not suffer to be separated from [their] Savior for even a small portion of day. For this reason this book is called “Song of Songs,” with the word signifying that those [other] songs came to be on account of this song, and they lead to it. 28 “For this is the chief of good things, and the summit of divine love for mankind, the inexpressible goodness, the immeasurable mercy, and incalculable compassion, the indescribable love, that the Maker, Fashioner, and Creator, even the Lord, God, and Master who continually exists in this way would hold up this creature of clay, who is passible, and corrupt, ignorant, and useless, not only delivering from death and diabolical tyranny, but also bestowing freedom, and not only freedom in appearance, but even giving them the state of sons. And not only bestowing the grace of adoption of sonship, but even giving them the title and causing [them to be] “bride,” and [that he would] be joined together to her in a way similar to a “bridegroom,” and to offer forth myriad of wedding gifts, and to prepare beforehand a bridal chamber and a wedding, and to clothe her who is naked, and to Their does not seem to a closed quote in the PG text. 19 καὶ ὁδὸν, καὶ θυρεὸν, καὶ ζωὴν, καὶ φῶς, καὶ ἀνάστασιν. Ἀλλὰ γὰρ φιλονεικῶ ψάμμον ἀριθμεῖν, ἢ ὑετοῦ σταγόνας, ἢ τὴν θάλασσαν κυάθῳ μετρεῖν, τῆς θείας φιλανθρωπίας ἐφικέσθαι λόγῳ τολμῶν. Διὰ τοῦτο τοίνυν Ἆσμα τῶν ᾀσμάτων προσαγορεύεται τὸ βιβλίον, ὡς τὰ μείζω τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀγαθότητος εἴδη διδάσκον [81.53] ἡμᾶς, καὶ τὰ ἐνδότατα, καὶ ἄδυτα, καὶ ἁγίων ἅγια τῆς θείας ἡμῖν φιλανθρωπίας ἀποκαλύπτον μυστήρια. become for her a cloak, and food, and drink, and way, door, life, light, and resurrection. Yet I would be struggling to count sand, or drops of dew, or to measure the sea with a cup, were I to dare to find suitable words for the divine love for mankind. On this account, then, the book is entitled “Song of Songs,” since it teaches us the supreme forms of God’s goodness [M81.53], and reveals to us the most interior, and innermost and “most holy” mysteries of the divine love for mankind. ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ Αʹ. αʹ. Φιλησάτω με ἀπὸ φιλημάτων στόματος αὐτοῦ. Ταῦτα ἡ νύμφη λέγει προσευχομένη τῷ τοῦ νυμφίου Πατρί. Ἤκουσε γὰρ καὶ τῶν τῷ Ἀβραὰμ τῷ πατριάρχῃ δοθεισῶν ὑποσχέσεων, καὶ τῶν τοῦ Ἰακὼβ ἐν εὐλογίαις προῤῥήσεων. Ἤκουσε καὶ τοῦ μεγάλου Μωσέως περὶ αὐτοῦ προθεσπίσαντος· ἤκουσε καὶ τῶν Ψαλμῶν τὸ κάλλος αὐτοῦ καὶ δύναμιν διηγουμένων· "Ὡραῖος γὰρ, φησὶ, κάλλει παρὰ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Ἐξεχύθη χάρις ἐν χείλεσί σου· διὰ τοῦτο εὐλόγησέ σε ὁ Θεὸς εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. Περίζωσαι τὴν ῥομφαίαν σου ἐπὶ τὸν μηρόν σου, δυνατέ. Τῇ ὡραιότητί σου, καὶ τῷ κάλλει σου ἔντεινε, καὶ κατευοδοῦ, καὶ βασίλευε· ἕνεκεν ἀληθείας, καὶ πραότητος, καὶ δικαιοσύνης." Ἐδιδάχθη, ὅτι καὶ Θεός ἐστι, καὶ Υἱὸς προαιώνιος οὗτος αὐτὸς ὡραῖος, καὶ εὐπρεπής. "Ὁ θρόνος γάρ σου, ὁ Θεὸς, εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος· ῥάβδος εὐθύτητος ἡ ῥάβδος τῆς βασιλείας σου." Καὶ Ἡσαΐας δὲ βοᾷ· "Τίς οὗτος ὁ παραγενόμενος ἐξ Ἐδὼμ, ἐρύθημα ἱματίων αὐτοῦ ἐκ Βοσόρ; οὗτος ὡραῖος ἐν στολῇ μετὰ ἰσχύος." Διδαχθεῖσα τοίνυν τοῦ νυμφίου τὸ κάλλος, τὴν ῥώμην, τὸν πλοῦτον, τὴν βασιλείαν, τὸ κράτος ὃ κατὰ πάντων ἔχει, τὸ ἀΐδιον, τὸ ἀνώλεθρον, τὸ ἀτελεύτητον, ἱμείρεται ἰδεῖν τε αὐτὸν, καὶ περιπτύξασθαι, καὶ τὰ πνευματικὰ αὐτῷ ἀποδοῦναι φιλήματα. Ἀλλὰ μηδεὶς τῶν χαμαιζήλων καὶ περιγείων ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν φιλημάτων προσηγορίας πληττέσθω· σκοπείτω δὲ ὡς καὶ, ἐν τῷ μυστικῷ καιρῷ, τοῦ νυμφίου τὰ μέλη δεχόμενοι, καταφιλοῦμέν τε καὶ περιπτυσσόμεθα, καὶ τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ἐπιτίθεμεν τῇ καρδίᾳ, καὶ οἱονεὶ περίληψίν τινα φανταζόμεθα νυμφικὴν, καὶ αὐτῷ συνεῖναι ἡγούμεθα, καὶ αὐτὸν περιπτύσσεσθαι καὶ καταφιλεῖν, τῆς ἀγάπης ἐκβαλλούσης τὸν φόβον, κατὰ τὴν θείαν Γραφήν. CHAPTER 1 1. Let him kiss me from the kisses of his mouth. The bride says these things while praying to the Father of the bridegroom. For she heard indeed of the promises given to the patriarch Abraham, as well as of the predictions of Jacob in [his] blessings. She also heard the great Moses who foretold concerning him, and she heard the Psalms which describe his beauty and power. For it says, “Comely in beauty [is he] more than the sons of men. Grace is poured forth on your lips; wherefore, God has blessed you forever. Gird your sword on your thigh, O mighty one. By your comeliness, and your beauty bend, and go about prosperously, and rule: for the sake of truth, meekness, and righteousness” (Ps 44.3-5). She was taught that this person who is “comely” and fair is in fact the preeternal Son himself, and is indeed God, for “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom” (Ps 44.7). Isaiah also cries out, “Who is this person who comes from Edom, with his garments red from Bosor? He is comely in raiment with might” (Isa 63.1). Having been taught, then, about the beauty of the bridegroom, the strength, wealth, kingdom, the might which he has in respect to all things, that is eternal, indestructible, unending, she yearns to see him, and to be enveloped, and to give back to him spiritual kisses. But don’t let this term “kisses” strike you as having to do with anything that is of low estate and earthly, but rather observe how indeed, in the mystical season, when we receive the members of the bridegroom, we tenderly kiss and we are enwrapped about, and with eyes we apply the heart, and as it were we imagine a certain marital embrace, and we think to be with him, and he enwraps about and tenderly kisses, with love casting out fear, according to the divine Scripture. 20 Ποθεῖ τοίνυν ἡ νύμφη ὑπ' αὐτοῦ φιληθῆναι τοῦ νυμφίου, μονονουχὶ λέγουσα πρὸς τὸν τούτου Πατέρα· Πέμψον μοι τὸν μονογενῆ σου Υἱὸν, ὦ Δέσποτα καὶ Πάτερ· τοῦτο γὰρ μᾶλλον ἢ ἐκεῖνο θέλεις ἀκούειν· πάλαι αὐτὸν ἀναμένω, πάλαι ποθῶ. Ἔκαμον αὐτοῦ τὰς ἐπιστολὰς δεχομένη διὰ πατριαρχῶν, διὰ νομοθετῶν, διὰ προφητῶν· οὐκέτι φέρω τοῦ ἔρωτος τὴν φλόγα· πῦρ ἐστι καιόμενον καὶ φλεγόμενον ἐν τοῖς ἐγκάτοις μου. Διὰ πάντων μοι τῶν προφητῶν ὑπισχνεῖται παραγίνεσθαι, καὶ οὐδέπω καὶ τήμερον ἐμπεδῶσαι τὰς ὑποσχέσεις ἠθέλησεν. Ὑπέσχετό μοι διὰ τοῦ Δαβὶδ, διὰ τοῦ Ἱερεμίου, διὰ τοῦ Ἡσαΐου, διὰ τοῦ Ἰεζεκιὴλ, καὶ Ζαχαρίου, καὶ Δανιὴλ, καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν προφητῶν παραγίνεσθαι, καὶ τὸν γάμον [81.56] ἐπιτελέσειν. Οὐκ οἶδα δὲ ἀνθ' οὗ μέλλει, καὶ περιορᾷ με ποθοῦσαν. Εἶπέ μοι διὰ Ὠσηέ· "Καὶ μνηστεύσομαί σε ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ, καὶ ἐν κρίματι, καὶ ἐν ἐλέει, καὶ ἐν οἰκτιρμοῖς, καὶ μνηστεύσομαί σε ἐν πίστει, καὶ ἐπιγνώσῃ τὸν Κύριον." Εἶπέ μοι διὰ Ἡσαΐου· "Εὐφράνθητι, στεῖρα ἡ οὐ τίκτουσα, ῥῆξον καὶ βόησον, ἡ οὐκ ὠδίνουσα, ὅτι πολλὰ τὰ τέκνα τῆς ἐρήμου μᾶλλον ἢ τῆς ἐχούσης τὸν ἄνδρα·" καὶ ἀναμένω καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν τυχεῖν ἐφιεμένη τῶν ὑποσχέσεων. Ταῦτα αἰνίττεται λέγουσα· "Φιλησάτω με ἀπὸ φιλημάτων στόματος αὐτοῦ." Καὶ ἵνα μὴ ἀποφαντικῶς ἑρμηνεύσωμεν, φέρε μάρτυρα τῶν εἰρημένων τὸν μακάριον καλέσωμεν Παῦλον. Οὗτος Ἑβραίοις γράφων, καὶ περὶ πίστεως λόγον διεξιὼν, τοιαῦτά φησι περὶ τοῦ Ἀβραάμ· "Πίστει παρῴκησεν εἰς τὴν γῆν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας ὡς ἀλλοτρίαν, ἐν σκηναῖς κατοικήσας μετὰ Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Ἰακὼβ, τῶν συγκληρονόμων τῆς ἐπαγγελίας τῆς αὐτῆς· ἐξεδέχετο γὰρ τὴν τοὺς θεμελίους ἔχουσαν πόλιν, ἧς τεχνίτης καὶ δημιουργὸς ὁ Θεός·" καὶ μετὰ βραχέα· "Κατὰ πίστιν, φησὶν, ἀπέθανον οὗτοι πάντες, μὴ λαβόντες τὰς ἐπαγγελίας, ἀλλὰ πόῤῥωθεν αὐτὰς ἰδόντες, καὶ ἀσπασάμενοι, καὶ ὁμολογήσαντες ὅτι ξένοι καὶ παρεπίδημοί εἰσιν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς· οἳ γὰρ τοιαῦτα λέγουσιν, ἐμφανίζουσιν ὅτι πατρίδα ἐπιζητοῦσιν· καὶ εἰ μὲν ἐκείνης ἐμνημόνευον ἀφ' ἧς ἐξῆλθον, εἶχον ἂν καιρὸν ἀνακάμψαι· νῦν δὲ κρείττονος ὀρέγονται, τουτέστι τῆς ἐπουρανίου· διὸ καὶ οὐκ ἐπαισχύνεται ὁ Θεὸς αὐτῶν καλεῖσθαι Θεός· ἡτοίμασε γὰρ αὐτοῖς πόλιν. Καὶ περὶ τοῦ μεγάλου Μωσέως φησὶν, ὅτι "Μᾶλλον εἵλετο συγκακουχεῖσθαι τῷ λαῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἢ The bride yearns, then, to be kissed by the Bridegroom himself, saying in fact to His Father: Send to me your only-begotten Son, O Master and Father, for you desire to hear this much more than that. I await him from of old, I yearn from of old. I have grown weary of receiving his letters through the patriarchs, through lawgivers, through prophets. I no longer carry the flame of love; fire is burning and flaming up in my inward parts. Through all the prophets he is promised to come to me, yet today indeed he did not yet wish to confirm the promises. He was promised to come to me through David, through Jeremiah, through Isaiah, through Ezekiel, and Zechariah, and Daniel, and the rest of the prophets, and to consummate [M81.56] the marriage. But I do not know at what time he is coming, and he has overlooked me in my yearning. He said to me through Hosea, “Indeed I will betroth you [to myself] in righteousness, and in judgment, and in mercy, and in compassion, and I will betroth you [to myself] in faith, and you will know the Lord” (Hos 2.21-22). He said to me through Isaiah, “Rejoice, O barren woman who does not bear, break forth and cry out, O woman who is not in travail, for many more are the children of the bereft woman than the one who has a husband” (Isa 54.1). Indeed I daily await with longing to attain the promises. This is what is being riddled when she says, “Let him kiss me from the kisses of his mouth.” And so that we might not interpret by mere assertion, come let us call on the blessed Paul as a witness of what we have said. While writing to the Hebrews, and discoursing a word concerning faith, he says these things concerning Abraham: “By faith he sojourned in the land of promise as a foreign [land], inhabiting tents with Isaac and Jacob, who were the coheirs of the promise of it. For he was expecting the city that has foundations, whose craftsman and creator is God” (Heb 11.9-10), and a little later, “In accordance with faith,” he says, “these all died, not receiving the promises, but seeing and greeting them afar off, and confessing that they are strangers and sojourners on the earth; for they who say these things are making clear that they are seeking a fatherland; and if they were remembering that they came out of it, they have a time to return. But now they are longing for something better, that is, for the heavenly. Wherefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them” (Heb 11.13-16). And concerning the great Moses he says, that “he chose rather to suffer ill-treatment with the 21 πρόσκαιρον ἔχειν ἁμαρτίας ἀπόλαυσιν· μείζονα πλοῦτον ἡγησάμενος τῶν Αἰγύπτου θησαυρῶν τὸν ὀνειδισμὸν τοῦ Χριστοῦ· ἀπέβλεψε γὰρ εἰς τὴν μισθαποδοσίαν. Πίστει κατέλιπεν Αἴγυπτον, μὴ φοβηθεὶς τὸν θυμὸν τοῦ βασιλέως· τὸν γὰρ ἀόρατον ὡς ὁρῶν ἐκαρτέρησε." Καὶ περὶ πάντων δὲ ὁμοῦ τῶν ἁγίων, τῶν ἐν τῇ Παλαιᾷ διαπρεψάντων τοιαῦτά φησι· "Καὶ οὗτοι πάντες μαρτυρηθέντες διὰ τῆς πίστεως οὐκ ἐκομίσαντο τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν, τοῦ Θεοῦ περὶ ἡμῶν κρεῖττόν τι προβλεψαμένου, ἵνα μὴ χωρὶς ἡμῶν τελειωθῶσιν." Καὶ Κύριος δὲ ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς Εὐαγγελίοις τοιαῦτα πρὸς τοὺς ἀποστόλους φησί "Πολλοὶ προφῆται, καὶ βασιλεῖς, καὶ δίκαιοι, ἐπεθύμησαν ἰδεῖν ἃ βλέπετε, καὶ οὐκ εἶδον· καὶ ἀκοῦσαι ἃ ἀκούετε, καὶ οὐκ ἤκουσαν. Ὑμῶν δὲ μακάριοι οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ, ὅτι βλέπουσι, καὶ τὰ ὦτα ὑμῶν, ὅτι ἀκούει." Καὶ πρὸς Ἰουδαίους δὲ διαλεγόμενος ἔλεγεν· "Ἀβραὰμ ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν ἐπεθύμησεν ἰδεῖν τὴν ἡμέραν ἐμήν· καὶ εἶδε, καὶ ἐχάρη." Καὶ Συμεὼν δὲ ὁ πρεσβύτης ἐχρηματίσθη μὴ ἰδεῖν θάνατον, ἕως ἂν ἴδῃ τὸν Χριστὸν [M81.57] Κυρίου. Τεχθέντα τοίνυν, καὶ εἰς τὸν ναὸν ἀνενεχθέντα, δεξάμενός τε ἐν χερσὶν, φησί· "Νῦν ἀπολύεις τὸν δοῦλόν σου, Δέσποτα, κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμά σου ἐν εἰρήνῃ· ὅτι εἶδον οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου τὸ Σωτήριόν σου, ὃ ἡτοίμασας κατὰ πρόσωπον πάντων τῶν λαῶν·" καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Δῆλον τοίνυν, ὡς ταῖς θείαις ὑποσχέσεσι πιστεύοντες ἐπεθύμουν τῶν ἐπαγγελιῶν τὸ τέλος ἰδεῖν· διὸ τὸ Ἆσμα τῶν ᾀσμάτων εἰσάγει τὴν νύμφην λέγουσαν· "Φιλησάτω με ἀπὸ φιλημάτων στόματος αὑτοῦ." Φίλημα δὲ νοοῦμεν οὐ στομάτων συνάφειαν, ἀλλ' εὐσεβοῦς ψυχῆς καὶ θείου λόγου κοινωνίαν. Καὶ ἔοικεν ἡ νύμφη τοιοῦτόν τι λέγειν· Ἤκουσά σου τῶν λόγων διὰ γραμμάτων· ἐπιθυμῶ δὲ καὶ αὐτῆς ἀκοῦσαί σου τῆς φωνῆς· βούλομαι ἀμέσως ἐκ τοῦ στόματος τὴν ἱερὰν δέξασθαι διδασκαλίαν, καὶ ταύτην τοῖς τῆς διανοίας μου καταφιλῆσαι χείλεσι. "Φιλησάτω με ἀπὸ φιλημάτων στόματος αὑτοῦ." Ταῦτα τῆς νύμφης εἰρηκυίας, εὐθὺς ὁ νυμφίος ἐπιφαίνεται τῇ νύμφῃ, τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν ἐκείνην πληρῶν, ὅτι "Ἔτι λαλούσης σου, ἰδοὺ πάρειμι." Αὕτη δὲ εὐθὺς θεασαμένη τὸν ποθούμενον ἐκπλήττεται, αὐτοῦ καὶ θαυμάζει τοὺς μαστοὺς, καὶ τὴν εὐωδίαν, καὶ βοᾷ· people of God than to have temporary enjoyment of sin, considering the affliction of Christ to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he looked to the reward. By faith he abandoned Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king, for he was steadfast as though seeing the unseen” (Heb 11.25-27). And in like fashion concerning all the saints together who were prominent in the Old [Covenant] he says these things: “And these all who were attested through faith did not receive the promise, with God looking beforehand at something better concerning us, so that they might not be completed apart from us” (Heb 11.39-40). The Lord also says such things to the Apostles in the sacred Gospels: “Many prophets, and kings, and righteous people, desired to see what you are seeing, yet they did not see, and to hear what you are hearing, yet they did not hear. Blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear” (Matt 13.16-17). And while discoursing to the Jews he says, “Abraham your father desired to see my day; indeed he saw, and rejoiced” (Jn 8.56). It was revealed to Simeon the elder, too, that he would not see death until he might see the Messiah [M81.57] of the Lord. After He was born and was brought into the temple, taking [him] in hand he says, “Now you are dismissing your servant in peace, O Master, according to your word, for my eyes have seen your Salvation, which you have prepared before the presence all the peoples,” etc. (Lk 2.29-31). Clearly, then, since those who believe in the divine promises were desiring to see the goal of the promises, thus the Song of Songs introduces the bride as saying, “Let him kiss me from the kisses of his mouth.” We understand “kisses” not as a connection of mouths, but as the communion of a pious soul and the divine Logos. And the bride seems to say something of this sort: I heard your words through letters, but I desire to hear your voice itself. I want to receive the sacred teaching from [your] mouth without intermediary, and to kiss this [teaching] with the lips of my intellect. “Let him kiss me from the kisses of his mouth.” The bride having said these things, immediately the bridegroom appears to the bride, fulfilling that promise that “While you are yet speaking, behold I am present” (Isa 58.9). And she is struck with amazement when immediately she sees him who is desired, and she marvels at his breasts, and his sweet fragrance, and cries out: 22 βʹ. Ἀγαθοὶ μαστοί σου ὑπὲρ οἶνον, καὶ ὀσμὴ μύρων σου ὑπὲρ πάντα ἀρώματα. Οἶδα, φησὶ, τὰ ὑπὸ Μωσέως κατασκευασθέντα μύρα, τό τε ἔλαιον τῆς χρίσεως, καὶ τὸ θυμίαμα τῆς συνθέσεως· ἀλλὰ πάντων ἐκείνων τῶν ἀρωμάτων τὸ σὸν μύρον ἐστὶν εὐωδέστατον. Μύρον δὲ ἐνταῦθα καλεῖ τὴν πνευματικὴν χάριν, ἧς πλήρης ὑπάρχων, ἐκ τοῦ πληρώματος αὐτοῦ πᾶσιν ἡμῖν δέδωκεν. Διὸ καὶ ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος βοᾷ, ὅτι "Χριστοῦ εὐωδία ἐσμὲν ἐν τοῖς σωζομένοις, καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἀπολλυμένοις· οἷς μὲν ὀσμὴ θανάτου, εἰς θάνατον· οἷς δὲ ὀσμὴ ζωῆς, εἰς ζωήν." Γυψὶ γὰρ τοῖς νεκροβόροις, τροφὴ μέν ἐστι τὰ δυσώδη σώματα, τὸ δὲ μύρον ὄλεθρον. Οὕτω τοῖς δυσσεβέσι, καὶ τῇ δυσωδίᾳ τῆς ἁμαρτίας προσεδρεύειν προῃρημένοις, ἡδίστη μὲν τῆς ἀκολασίας ἡ δυσωδία, βαρεῖα δὲ καὶ ἐπαχθὴς ἡ Χριστοῦ διδασκαλία· διὸ καὶ τὸν αὐθαίρετον αὐτοῖς θάνατον ἐπάγει. "Αὕτη γάρ ἐστι, φησὶ, κρίσις, ὅτι τὸ φῶς ἦλθεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον, καὶ ἠγάπησαν μᾶλλον οἱ ἄνθρωποι τὸ σκότος, ἢ τὸ φῶς." Εἰκότως τοίνυν φησὶν ἡ νύμφη· "Καὶ ὀσμὴ μύρων σου ὑπὲρ πάντα τὰ ἀρώματα." Καὶ οὐ λέγει, Τοῦ μύρου σου, ἀλλὰ, "Τῶν μύρων σου·" δεικνύουσα ὅτι πολλὰ καὶ μυρία χαρίσματα. "Ὧ μὲν γὰρ, κατὰ τὸν μακάριον Παῦλον, δέδοται λόγος σοφίας· ἄλλῳ δὲ λόγος γνώσεως κατὰ τὸ αὐτὸ Πνεῦμα· ἑτέρῳ δὲ πίστις ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ Πνεύματι· ἄλλῳ δὲ ἐνεργήματα δυνάμεων· ἄλλῳ δὲ προφητεία· ἄλλῳ δὲ διακρίσεις πνευμάτων, ἄλλῳ δὲ γένη γλωσσῶν." Διὰ τοῦτο οὐ λέγει, Ὀσμὴ μύρου σου, ἀλλὰ, "Ὀσμὴ μύρων σου." Δείξασα τὰ πολλὰ καὶ ποικίλα χαρίσματα, διδάσκει ἡμᾶς ὅτι ἀπὸ μιᾶς [M81.60] προχεῖται πηγῆς. Διὸ ἐπάγει· "Μύρον ἐκκενωθὲν ὄνομά σου." Οἱ γὰρ πολλοὶ, φησὶν, οὗτοι καὶ διάφοροι κρουνοὶ, οἱ πᾶσαν τὴν οἰκουμένην εὐωδίας πληρώσαντες, μίαν ἔχουσι φλέβα καὶ πηγὴν, τὸ σὸν μύρον. "Ἐν αὐτῷ γὰρ κατῴκησε πᾶν τὸ πλήρωμα τῆς θεότητος," καὶ αὐτὸς πάντα ὁμοῦ τὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος κατὰ τὸ ἀνθρώπινον ὑπεδέξατο δῶρα. Διὸ καὶ Ἡσαΐας βοᾷ· "Ἐξελεύσεται ῥάβδος ἐκ τῆς ῥίζης Ἰεσσαὶ, καὶ ἄνθος ἐκ τῆς ῥίζης αὐτοῦ ἀναβήσεται· καὶ ἐπαναπαύσεται ἐπ' αὐτῷ τὸ Πνεῦμα τοῦ Θεοῦ, πνεῦμα σοφίας καὶ συνέσεως, πνεῦμα βουλῆς καὶ ἰσχύος, 29 2. Your breasts are better than wine, and the fragrance of your myrrh is beyond all spices. I know, she says, the myrrh that was prepared by Moses, the oil of anointing, and the compound incense (cf. e.g., Exod 31.11), but your myrrh is more sweet-smelling than all those spices. “Myrrh” here he calls spiritual grace, of which he is full and so he gave to us all from his fullness. Wherefore the blessed Paul cries out, that “We are the sweet-smell of Christ among those being saved, and among those who are perishing; to the one a scent of death, unto death; to the others a scent of life, unto life” (2 Cor 2.15). For with corpse-devouring vultures, the foul-smelling bodies are nourishment, but the myrrh is destructive. In the same way for the impious, who were previously said to attend the foul scent of sin, the foul scent of intemperance is most sweet, but the teaching of Christ is grievous and severe; wherefore he brings the death to them that they have voluntarily chosen. “For this is the judgment,” he says, “that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light” (Jn 3.19). Fittingly, then, the bride says, “And the fragrance of your myrrh is beyond all spices.” Indeed she does not say, “Your myrrh [sg.],” but “Your myrrh [pl.],” indicating that a great myriad of gifts is involved. “For to one person,” according to the blessed Paul, “a word of wisdom was given, but to another a word of knowledge according to the same Spirit. To another faith by the same Spirit, and to another operations of powers; to another prophecy, to another discernment of spirits, to another kinds of tongues” (1 Cor 12.8-10). It is for this reason that she does not say, “Fragrance of your myrrh [sg.],” but “Fragrance of your myrrh [pl.].” When she indicates this great variety of gifts, she teaches us that they [all] proceed [M81.60] from one source. Wherefore she asserts, “Your name is myrrh poured out.” For these many and different wellsprings, which fulfill the whole economy of sweet-scent, have one vein and fountain, your myrrh. For “in Him all the fullness of deity dwelled” (Col 2.9), and he at the same time received all the gifts of the Spirit according to [His] humanity.29 Wherefore Isaiah also cries out: “A rod will go forth from the root of Jesse, and a blossom will rise up from his root. And the Spirit of God will come to rest upon him, a spirit of wisdom Interesting comment with regard to the Christological controversy of Chalcedon. 23 πνεῦμα γνώσεως καὶ εὐσεβείας· καὶ πνεῦμα φόβου Θεοῦ ἐμπλήσει αὐτόν. Διὰ τοῦτο λέγει· "Μύρον ἐκκενωθὲν ὄνομά σοι·" καὶ οὐ λέγει "μύρον" ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ "ἐκκενωθέν." Καθάπερ γὰρ τὸ μύρον ἐν ἀγγείῳ κεκρυμμένον, κεκρυμμένην ἔχει καὶ τὴν εὐοσμίαν, εἰ δὲ προχυθείη, καὶ αὐτὸν ἀναπίμπλησι τὸν ἀέρα· οὕτως ὁ Δεσπότης Χριστὸς, πρὸ μὲν τοῦ πάθους ὀλίγοις ἦν γνώριμος· ἐπειδὴ δὲ τὸν σταυρὸν ὑπέμεινε, καὶ τὸν θάνατον, καὶ οἱονεὶ διηνοίγη τὸ τοῦ σώματος ἄγγος, πλήρεις μὲν εὐθὺς οἱ μακάριοι ἀπόστολοι τῆς εὐοσμίας ἐκείνης ἐγένοντο· δραμόντες δὲ, γῆν καὶ θάλασσαν περινοστήσαντες, καὶ τὸ κήρυγμα πᾶσι διαπορθμεύσαντες, ἅπασαν τὴν οἰκουμένην τῆς εὐοσμίας ἐπλήρωσαν. Διὰ τοῦτό φησιν ἡ νύμφη· "Μύρον ἐκκενωθὲν ὄνομά σοι." Ἀρκεῖ γὰρ ἡ Χριστοῦ προσηγορία οἱονεὶ μυρίσαι καὶ εὐωδίας ἁπάσης ἐμφορῆσαι τῶν εὐσεβῶν τὰς ψυχάς. Εἰ δὲ βούλῃ καὶ μυστικώτερον νοῆσαι, ἀνάμνησον σεαυτὸν τῆς ἱερᾶς μυσταγωγίας, ἐν ᾗ οἱ τελούμενοι, μετὰ τὴν ἄρνησιν τοῦ τυράννου, καὶ τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως ὁμολογίαν, οἱονεὶ σφραγῖδά τινα βασιλικὴν δέξονται τοῦ πνευματικοῦ μύρου τὸ χρίσμα· ὡς ἐν τύπῳ τῷ μύρῳ τὴν ἀόρατον τοῦ παναγίου Πνεύματος χάριν ὑποδεχόμενοι. and understanding, a spirit of counsel and strength, a spirit of knowledge and piety, and a spirit of the fear of God will fill him” (Isa 11.1-3). For this reason she says, “Your name is myrrh poured out,” and does not simply say “myrrh,” but “poured out.” For just as the myrrh hidden in a vessel has a sweet-savor that is hidden, and if it is poured forth, it fills the air with [the scent], so also the Master Christ was recognized by a few before the Passion, but when he endured the Cross, and death, and as it were opened the vessel of the body, the blessed apostles immediately became full of that sweet-savor. And going about visiting land and sea, carrying the proclamation to all, they filled the whole inhabited world with the sweet-smell. For this reason the bride says, “Your name is myrrh poured out.” For the title “Christ” is sufficient, as it were, to perfume and to satisfy the souls of the pious with complete sweet fragrance. And if you would like to understand more mystically, recall for yourself the sacred mystagogy, in which those who are perfected, after the renunciation of the tyrant, and the confession of the King, receive the chrism of the spiritual myrrh as it were a certain royal seal, accepting the invisible grace of the all-holy Spirit by the myrrh as in a type. 3-4. Διὰ τοῦτο νεάνιδες ἠγάπησάν σε. (στιχ. γʹ.) Εἵλκυσάν σε, ὀπίσω σου εἰς ὀσμὴν μύρου σου δραμοῦσαι. Ταύτης, φησὶ, τῆς εὐοσμίας τοῦ μύρου σου, τουτέστι τῆς θείας καὶ σωτηριώδους σου διδασκαλίας, ἀντιλαμβανόμεναι αἱ νεανικαὶ καὶ ἀνδρεῖαι ψυχαὶ (ταύτας γὰρ νεάνιδας ὁ λόγος καλεῖ), οὕτως σε θερμῶς ἠγάπησαν, ὡς ἑλκῦσαί σε πρὸς ἑαυτὰς, καὶ ὀπίσω σου ἀκολουθῆσαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ σὺν δρόμῳ τοῦτο ποιῆσαι, ἵνα μὴ ἀπολειφθῶσι, μηδὲ χωρισθῶσι τοῦ ποθουμένου. Δηλοῖ δὲ καὶ ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος τοῦτον τὸν δρόμον, λέγων· "Τρέχω εἴ γε καὶ καταλάβω, ἐφ' ᾧ καὶ κατελήφθην." Καὶ πάλιν· "Οὕτως, φησὶ, τρέχετε, ἵνα καταλάβητε." Καὶ ἑτέρωθι· "Τὸν καλὸν ἀγῶνα ἠγώνισμαι, τὸν δρόμον τετέλεκα, τὴν πίστιν τετήρηκα." Τρέχουσι τοίνυν αἱ νεανικὸν φρόνημα [M81.61] κεκτημέναι ψυχαὶ, καὶ τὸν ἁβρὸν καὶ ὑγρὸν καὶ χαῦνον βίον διαφυγοῦσαι, καὶ τὸν πόνον ἀντὶ τρυφῆς προελόμεναι, ὀπίσω τοῦ νυμφίου θελγόμεναι καὶ καλούμεναι τῇ εὐωδίᾳ τοῦ μύρου, καὶ οἱονεὶ ἀῤῥήτῳ δεσμῷ κατεχόμεναι. Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἡ νύμφη, 3-4. Because of this the young maidens love you. (Verse 3). They drew you, running after you to the smell of your myrrh. The youthful and courageous souls (for the logos calls these “young maidens”) who partake of this your sweet-smelling myrrh, that is, your salvific and divine teaching, she says, love you with fervor in this way, so as to “draw you” to themselves, and to follow “after you,” and in fact to do this by running, so that they might neither be carried away from nor separated from the one who is desired. The blessed Paul indicates this race when he says, “I run if indeed I may attain, by him whom I have been attained” (Phil 3.12). And again he says, “Run in such a way that you may attain” (1 Cor 9.24). And in another place, “I have struggled the good struggle, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim 4.7). The souls that possess a youthful mind, then, run [M81.61], and flee from a life that is delicate, and flaccid, and frivolous, and choose toil instead of luxury, are enchanted after the bridegroom and are summoned to the sweet-scent of 24 μηδέπω τοῦ νυμφῶνος ἀξιωθεῖσα, πρός τε τὸν τοῦ νυμφίου Πατέρα, καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν τὸν νυμφίον ἐληλυθότα πρὸς αὐτὴν διεξέρχεται. Ἀξιοῦται δὲ καὶ τῆς παστάδος, καὶ τῶν τοῦ νυμφίου θαλάμων τε καὶ ταμιείων, καὶ σεμνυνομένη πρὸς τὸν οἰκεῖον λέγει χορόν· "Εἰσήνεγκέ με ὁ βασιλεὺς εἰς τὸ ταμιεῖον αὐτοῦ," τουτέστι, τὰ κεκρυμμένα αὐτοῦ ἀπεκάλυψέ μοι βουλεύματα· τὸ μυστήριον τὸ ἀπὸ τῶν αἰώνων καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν γενεῶν ἐγνώρισέ μοι· τοὺς θησαυροὺς, τοὺς σκοτεινοὺς, καὶ ἀποκρύφους, καὶ ἀοράτους, ἀνέῳξέ μοι, κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Ἡσαΐου προφητείαν. Καὶ τοῦτο ἔστιν ἀκριβέστερον ἐκ τῶν ἱερῶν Εὐαγγελίων μαθεῖν, ἡνίκα ὁ Δεσπότης Χριστὸς, τοῖς μὲν Ἰουδαίοις ἐν παραβολαῖς διελέγετο, τοῖς δὲ ἁγίοις αὐτοῦ μαθηταῖς ἀπεκάλυπτε τῶν παραβολῶν τὴν διάνοιαν, λέγων· "Ὑμῖν δέδοται γνῶναι τὰ μυστήρια τῆς βασιλείας, ἐκείνοις δὲ οὐ δέδοται. Καὶ ταμιεῖον δὲ ὁ Κύριος τὴν διάνοιαν προσαγορεύει, λέγων· "Σὺ δὲ ὅταν προσεύχῃ, εἴσελθε εἰς τὸ ταμιεῖόν σου, καὶ πρόσευξαι τῷ Πατρί σου τῷ ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ." "Εἰσήνεγκέ με ὁ βασιλεὺς εἰς τὸ ταμιεῖον αὐτοῦ·" μονονουχὶ λέγουσα μετὰ τοῦ μακαρίου Παύλου, ὅτι "Ἃ ὀφθαλμὸς οὐκ εἶδε, καὶ οὖς οὐκ ἤκουσε, καὶ ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου οὐκ ἀνέβη, ἃ ἡτοίμασεν ὁ Θεὸς τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτόν· ἡμῖν δὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἀπεκάλυψε διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος αὐτοῦ. Ἡμεῖς γὰρ νοῦν Χριστοῦ ἔχομεν, ἐν ᾧ πάντες εἰσὶν οἱ θησαυροὶ τῆς σοφίας καὶ τῆς γνώσεως ἀπόκρυφοι." "Εἰσήνεγκέ με ὁ βασιλεὺς εἰς τὸ ταμιεῖον αὐτοῦ." Ἀναγκαῖον ζητῆσαι τίνος ἕνεκεν μόνη ἡ νύμφη εἰσάγεται, αἱ δὲ νεάνιδες οὐκ εἰσάγονται, ἀλλ' ἔξω ἑστηκυῖαι, τὴν νύμφην εἰσελθοῦσαν ἀναμένουσι· καὶ ἐξελθούσης καὶ διηγησαμένης πῶς εἰσήγαγεν αὐτὴν ὁ βασιλεὺς εἰς τὸ ταμιεῖον αὐτοῦ, ἐπάγουσιν· "Ἀγαλλιασώμεθα, καὶ εὐφρανθῶμεν ἐν σοί. Ἀγαπήσομεν μαστούς σου ὑπὲρ οἶνον. Εὐθύτης ἠγάπησέ σε." Οὐ πάντες οἱ πεπιστευκότες, τῆς ἴσης ἀξίας ὑπάρχουσι. "Πολλαὶ γὰρ μοναὶ παρὰ τῷ Πατρί μου," φησὶν ὁ Χριστὸς, τουτέστιν, ἀξιωμάτων διαφοραί. Ἄλλο γὰρ τάγμα πατριαρχῶν, καὶ ἄλλο προφητῶν· ἄλλο ἀποστόλων, καὶ the myrrh, and are held captive, as it were, by an inexpressible bond.30 The bride, therefore, deeming them not yet worthy of the marriage, passes through to the Father of the bridegroom, and to the bridegroom himself who has come to her. And she is deemed worthy of the bridal chamber, and of the inner recesses of the bridegroom’s chamber, and being treated with reverence, she says to the household band, The king has brought me into his chamber, that is, he revealed to me his hidden counsels; the mystery that is from ages and the generations he made known to me (Col 1.26; cf. Ps 50.8; Eph 3.9); the treasures that are dark, hidden, invisible, he opened to me, according to the prophecy of Isaiah (Isa 45.3). We learn this more precisely from the sacred Gospels, when the Master Christ discoursed with the Jews in parables, but revealed the meaning of the parables to his holy disciples, saying, To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom, but to them it has not been given (Matt 13.11). The Lord identifies the meaning of “chamber” when he says, Whenever you pray, go into your chamber, and pray to your Father who is in secret (Matt 6.6). The king has brought me into his chamber, she says along with the blessed Paul, that “Things eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and has not occurred to the heart of man, things God has prepared for those who love him; but God has revealed to us through his Spirit” (1 Cor 2.9-10), for “we have the mind of Christ” (1 Cor 2.16), “in whom are all the hidden treasures of wisdom and of knowledge” (Col 2.3). The king has brought me into his chamber. It is necessary to inquire why it is that the bride is brought in, while the young maidens are not brought in, but standing outside, they await the bride who has entered. And after [the bride] comes out and relates how the king brought her into his chamber, they respond, Let us rejoice, and let us be glad in you. We will love your breasts more than wine. Uprightness has loved you (v. 4).31 Not all those who have believed are of equal dignity, “For [there are] many abodes with my Father” (Jn 14.2), Christ says, that is, differences of honor.32 For there is one order of patriarchs, and another Or, “charm.” This is a possible reading of the Hebrew text: ‫מֵ ישָׁ ִ֖רים אֲהֵ ֽבּוָך׃‬, treating mesharim as noun and subject of the 3cp verb rather than as an adverbial, “Rightly do they love you” (NAS). 32 See St. Basil, On the Holy Spirit 16,40 (PPS, 74). 30 31 25 ἄλλο μαρτύρων· ἄλλο τῶν ἐν παρθενίᾳ διαπρεψάντων, καὶ ἄλλο τῶν τοῦ γάμου ζυγὸν ἐννόμως ὑπελθόντων· ἄλλο τῶν ἐν πλούτῳ τὸν Θεὸν θεραπευσάντων, καὶ πιστῶν οἰκονόμων γεγενημένων, καὶ ἄλλο τῶν τῆς πενίας τὰ ποικίλα παθήματα καρτερῶς ὑπενεγκάντων· ἄλλο τῶν τὴν πολιτικὴν ἀρετὴν μετιόντων, καὶ ἄλλο τῶν ἐν ὄρεσι διαιτωμένων, καὶ τῇ θείᾳ θεωρίᾳ μόνῃ προσέχειν προαιρουμένων [M81.64]. Καὶ ἐν αὐτοῖς δὲ τούτοις τοῖς τάγμασι πολλὰς ἔστιν εὑρεῖν τὰς διαφοράς· τῶν μὲν θερμότερον, τῶν δὲ χαυνότερον μετιόντων ἃ μετίασι· καὶ τῶν μὲν σπουδαιότερον, τῶν δὲ ἀμελέστερον. Καὶ τοῦτο ἔστιν εὑρεῖν καὶ ἐκ τῆς τοῦ Κυρίου παραβολῆς. Δέκα γὰρ παρθένους εἰσάγων, τὰς μὲν πέντε λέγει φρονίμους, τὰς δὲ πέντε μωράς· καὶ τὰς μὲν ἀξιοῖ τοῦ νυμφῶνος, ταῖς δὲ ἀποκλείει τὰς θύρας· καὶ ἀποκρίνεται μὲν αὐταῖς, τὴν παρθενίαν τιμῶν, οὐκ ἀξιοῖ δὲ τῆς εἰσόδου, διὰ τὴν περὶ τὰς ἄλλας ἀρετὰς ῥᾳθυμίαν. Ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν οὕτω ταῦτα διευκρινησάμεθα, νοήσωμεν νύμφην μὲν εἶναι τὰς ἐν ἁπάσαις ταῖς ἀρεταῖς τετελειωμένας ψυχὰς, νεάνιδας δὲ ταύτῃ ἑπομένας, τὰς ἀγαπώσας μὲν τὸν νυμφίον, καὶ ἀκολουθεῖν αὐτῷ σπουδαζούσας, τὴν τελειότητα δὲ τῆς νύμφης οὐδέπω μιμησαμένας. Καὶ ὅτι ταῦθ' οὕτως ἔχει, μαρτυρεῖ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἐν τῷ μδʹ ψαλμῷ τὰ ὅμοια λέγον. Διηγησάμενον γὰρ τοῦ νυμφίου τὸ κάλλος, καὶ τὴν ἐν τοῖς χείλεσι χάριν, καὶ τὴν αἰώνιον εὐλογίαν, καὶ τὴν φοβερὰν παντευχίαν, καὶ τῶν πολεμίων τὸν ὄλεθρον, καὶ τῶν πάλαι αἰχμαλώτων λαῶν τὴν ὑπόπτωσιν καὶ προσκύνησιν, τὸν βασιλικὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ αἰώνιον θρόνον, καὶ τὰ σκῆπτρα τῆς βασιλείας, τὰ τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ κεκοσμημένα· πρὸς δὲ τούτοις καὶ τὴν ἀνθρωπείαν ἀρετὴν, ἣν μετελήλυθεν, "ἡνίκα ἐν μορφῇ Θεοῦ ὑπάρχων, οὐχ ἁρπαγμὸν ἡγήσατο τὸ εἶναι ἴσα Θεῷ, ἀλλ' ἑαυτὸν ἐκένωσε μορφὴν δούλου λαβών·" πρὸς δὲ τούτοις καὶ τὴν χρίσιν τὴν κατὰ τὸ ἀνθρώπινον γεγενημένην, καὶ τὰ δῶρα τὰ ὑπὸ τῶν Μάγων προσενεχθέντα, παράγει· "Παρέστη ἡ Βασίλισσα ἐκ δεξιῶν σου ἐν ἱματισμῷ διαχρύσῳ περιβεβλημένη, πεποικιλμένη." Καὶ βασίλισσαν μὲν καλεῖ τὰς τετελειωμένας ἐν ἀρετῇ ψυχὰς, ἐπειδὴ καὶ Παῦλος οὕτω λέγει· "Εἰ ὑπομένομεν, καὶ συμβασιλεύσομεν·" of prophets; another of apostles, and another of martyrs; another of those who are eminent in virginity, and another of those have submitted to the yoke of marriage lawfully; another of those who do service to God with wealth, and have been faithful stewards, and another of those who have endured the manifold sufferings of poverty with fortitude, another of those who have taken part in the political virtue, and another of those who spend life in the mountains, and who deliberately choose to devote themselves to divine contemplation alone [M81.64]. And in these very orders one can find many differences: with some engaging more fervently and others more sluggishly the things they engage in, and some with more seriousness, while others more carelessly. And we can find this also from the Lord’s parable. For when he introduces 10 virgins, he calls five [of them] “prudent,” and five “foolish” (cf. Matt 25.1-13). And he reckons the [one group] worthy of the bridal chamber, and he shuts the doors on the [other group]; indeed, he answers them, honoring [their] virginity, but does not count them worthy of entrance, on account of [their] indifference with regard to the other virtues. Since, then, we have thoroughly examined these things in this way, let us understand “bride” to be the souls who have been perfected in all the virtues, and “young maidens” who attend to her [are the souls of those] who love the bridegroom, and who are eager to follow him, but have not yet imitated the perfection of the bride. And that these things are to be taken in this way, the Holy Spirit testifies when he says the same things in the 44th psalm. For when he related the beauty of the bridegroom, and the grace on the lips, and the eternal blessing, and the fearful array of armor, and the destruction of the combatants, and the prostration and worship of the people who were held captive of old, his royal and eternal throne, and the scepters of the kingdom, which have been adorned with righteousness; and in addition the human virtue, which he partook of, “when existing in the form of God, he did not consider being equal with God robbery, but he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave” (Phil 2.6-7). And in addition, the anointing which happened according to [His] humanity, and the gifts that were brought forth by the Magi, he introduces: “The Queen stood at your right hand, bedecked in gold-woven garment, in varied array” (Ps 44.10). And he calls the souls who have been perfected in virtue “queen,” since Paul also speaks in this way: “If we endure, we also will co-reign” 26 ἱματισμὸν δὲ διάχρυσον καὶ ποικίλον, τὰ αὐτὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος ποικίλα χαρίσματα. Εἶτα καὶ συμβουλὴν αὐτῇ προσφέρει· "Ἄκουσον, θύγατερ, καὶ ἴδε, καὶ κλῖνον τὸ οὖς σου, καὶ ἐπιλάθου τοῦ λαοῦ σου, καὶ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ πατρός σου, καὶ ἐπιθυμήσει ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ κάλλους σου." Δείκνυσι δὲ ἑαυτὸν οὐ μόνον αὐτῆς συγγενῆ ὄντα κατὰ τὸ ἀνθρώπινον, ἀλλὰ καὶ Κύριον καὶ Δεσπότην κατὰ τὴν κεκρυμμένην θεότητα· καὶ τῆς ἀῤῥήτου φιλανθρωπίας αὐτὴν ἀναμιμνήσκων, φησὶν, "Ὅτι αὐτός ἐστι Κύριος καὶ Θεός σου, καὶ προσκυνήσεις αὐτῷ." Προαγορεύει αὐτῇ καὶ τὴν οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν θεωμένην παρά τε βασιλέων καὶ ἀρχόντων προσκύνησιν. "Τὸ πρόσωπόν σου γὰρ, φησὶ, λιτανεύσουσι πάντες οἱ πλούσιοι τοῦ λαοῦ." Πρόσωπον δὲ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, κατὰ μὲν τὸ ὁρώμενον, τὸ ἱερατικὸν ἀξίωμα, κατὰ δὲ τὸ νοούμενον, αὐτὸς ὁ νυμφίος, ὁ κεφαλὴ αὐτῆς γεγενῆσθαι ἀξιώσας, κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Ἀποστόλου φωνήν [M81.65]. Εἶτα τὴν κεκρυμμένην αὐτῆς διηγεῖται δόξαν· "Πᾶσα γὰρ ἡ δόξα τῆς θυγατρὸς τοῦ βασιλέως ἔσωθεν." Ἐπειδὴ κατὰ τὸν μακάριον Παῦλον, "Ἡ ζωὴ ἡμῶν κέκρυπται σὺν τῷ Χριστῷ ἐν τῷ Θεῷ·" κατὰ δὲ τὸν παρόντα βίον πάντες οἱ θέλοντες εὐσεβῶς ζῇν ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ διωχθήσονται. Διὸ καὶ ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος βοᾷ· "Εἰ ἐν τῇ ζωῇ ταύτῃ ἠλπικότες ἐσμὲν ἐν Χριστῷ μόνον, ἐλεεινότεροι πάντων ἐσμέν." Διὰ τοῦτο μέν φησι· "Πᾶσα ἡ δόξα τῆς θυγατρὸς τοῦ βασιλέως ἔσωθέν ἐστιν, ἐν κροσσωτοῖς χρυσοῖς περιβεβλημένη, πεποικιλμένη·" πάλιν κροσσωτὰ χρυσᾶ καὶ ποικίλα τὰ διάφορα λέγων χαρίσματα. Τούτοις γὰρ ἐπιφέρει· "Ἀπενεχθήσονται τῷ βασιλεῖ παρθένοι ὀπίσω αὐτῆς· αἱ πλησίον αὐτῆς ἀπενεχθήσονταί σοι, ἀπενεχθήσονται ἐν εὐφροσύνῃ καὶ ἀγαλλιάσει· ἀχθήσονται εἰς ναὸν βασιλέως." Εὔδηλον τοίνυν ἐκ τῶν εἰρημένων, ὡς οἱ μὲν φθάσαντες εἰς ἄνδρα τέλειον, εἰς μέτρον ἡλικίας, κατὰ τὸν μακάριον Παῦλον, καὶ τῆς ἀρετῆς τὴν τελειότητα κτησάμενοι, νύμφη προσαγορεύονται· οἱ δὲ μήπω τὴν τηλειότητα φθάσαντες, ἀλλὰ τούτων ὑποδεέστεροι τυγχάνοντες, οἷόν τινες νεάνιδες ἀκολουθοῦσι τῇ νύμφῃ, πᾶσαν εὔνοιαν καὶ φιλοστοργίαν περί τε αὐτὴν καὶ τὸν νυμφίον ἐπιδεικνύμεναι. 33 (2 Tim 2.13), and the gold-woven and variegated garment [he calls] the variegated gifts of the Spirit. Then, he offers counsel to her: “Listen, O daughter, and see, and incline your ear, and forget your people, and the house of your father, and the king will desire your beauty” (Ps 44.11-12). He shows himself to be not only her relative according to humanity, but also Lord and Master according to the hidden divinity. And reminding her of [his] ineffable love for mankind, he says, “For he is your Lord and God, and you will worship him”33 (Ps 44.12-13). He foretells to her also the worship that is beheld not too far off by kings and rulers. For he says, “all the rich of the people will supplicate your face” (Ps 44.13). The “face” of the Church, according to what is seen, and the sacred dignity, according to what is understood, [is] the bridegroom himself, who has deemed [her] worthy to have become her head, according to the expression of the Apostle (Eph 5.23; Col 1.18) [M81.65]. Then he recounts her hidden glory, “For all the glory of the daughter of the king is within” (Ps 44.14). Since according to the blessed Paul, “Our life has been hidden with Christ in God” (Col 3.3), while according to the present life all those who wish to live piously will be pursued by Christ Jesus. Wherefore also the blessed Paul cries out, “If in this life alone we have hope in Christ, we are the most pitiable of all” (1 Cor 15.19). On this account he says, “All the glory of the daughter of the king is within, bedecked with gold-fringed garments, in varied array” (Ps 44.14), again calling the different [spiritual] gifts gold-fringed and varied garments. For he continues with these things, “virgins will be brought in to the king after her; those close to her will be brought in with you, they will be brought in with joy and gladness; they will be led to the temple of the king” (Ps 44.15-16). It is clearly indicated from the things said, how those who have come first to the perfect man, unto the measure of the stature, according to the blessed Paul (Eph 4.13), and have acquired the perfection of virtue, are called “bride.” But those who have not yet come to perfection, but are more inferior to them, follow the bride in the manner of certain young maidens, manifesting a complete soundness of mind and loving affection concerning her and the bridegroom. Rahlfs: καὶ προσκυνήσουσιν 27 "Εἰσήνεγκέ με ὁ βασιλεὺς εἰς τὸ ταμιεῖον αὐτοῦ. Ἀγαλλιασώμεθα καὶ εὐφρανθῶμεν ἐν σοί." Οὐ γὰρ ζηλοτυποῦσιν, οὐδὲ φθονοῦσιν, ἔξω μείνασαι, καὶ μηδέπω τῆς παστάδος τυχοῦσαι· ἀλλ' εὐφραίνονται, καὶ ἀγαλλιῶνται, καὶ γάννυνται ἐπὶ τῇ τιμῇ τῆς νύμφης, καὶ ἀρκοῦνται τῷ τῆς ἡδίστης αὐτῆς ἀπολαύειν φωνῆς. Διὸ ἐπάγουσιν· "Ἀγαπήσομεν μαστούς σου ὑπὲρ οἶνον." Καὶ ὅπερ αὕτη τῷ νυμφίῳ ἔφη, τοῦτο αὗται τῇ νύμφῃ φασὶ, διὰ τὴν περὶ αὐτὴν εὔνοιαν καὶ στοργὴν, τοῦ νυμφίου τὴν εὔνοιαν ἐπισπώμεναι. Φησὶ γὰρ καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς τοῖς ἀποστόλοις· "Ὁ δεχόμενος ὑμᾶς, ἐμὲ δέχεται·" καὶ, "Ὃς ἂν ποτίσῃ ποτήριον ψυχροῦ ἕνα τῶν μικρῶν τούτων τῶν πιστευόντων εἰς ἐμὲ, ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, οὐ μὴ ἀπολέσῃ τὸν μισθὸν αὑτοῦ." Μαστοὺς δὲ πάλιν τῆς νύμφης αἱ νεάνιδες καλοῦσι τοὺς τῆς διδασκαλίας κρουνοὺς, τοὺς ἁπάσαις ταῖς ἡλικίαις τὰ πρόσφορα προχέοντας νάματα· καὶ ὑπισχνοῦνται ἀγαπήσειν τῆς νύμφης τοὺς μαστοὺς ὑπὲρ πᾶσαν ἀνθρωπίνην εὐφροσύνην. Τοῦτο γὰρ τροπικῶς ὁ οἶνος ὀνομάζεται, ὁ εὐφραίνων καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου. Ἔστι δὲ ταῦτα καὶ ἐν τῇ Παλαιᾷ καὶ ἐν τῇ Νέᾳ Διαθήκῃ γεγενημένα καταμαθεῖν, καὶ καθ' ἑκάστην δὲ ἡμέραν γινόμενα θεάσασθαι. Ἐν μὲν γὰρ τῇ Παλαιᾷ τοῖς προφήταις ὁ Θεὸς ἀποκαλύπτων τὰ μέλλοντα, δι' αὐτῶν τοὺς τηνικάδε ἀνθρώπους τὸ δέον ἐδίδασκε. Καὶ οἱ μὲν τῶν ταμιείων καὶ ἀποκρύφων ἀπήλαυον τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἐξιόντες ἔλεγον τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τὰ ἀποκαλυπτόμενα καὶ δηλούμενα. Διὸ καὶ ὁ Δαβὶδ πρὸς τὸν Θεόν φησι· "Τὰ ἄδηλα καὶ τὰ κρύφια [M81.68] τῆς σοφίας σου ἐδήλωσάς μοι." Οἱ δὲ διὰ τῶν προφητῶν τῶν θείων ναμάτων ἀπολαύοντες, ὡς μεσίταις Θεοῦ καὶ ἀνθρώπων τοῖς προφήταις προσεῖχον· καὶ οἱ ἀπόστολοι δὲ, ὡσαύτως θεόθεν ἐμπνεόμενοι, τῆς εὐσεβείας τὸ κήρυγμα εἰς ἅπαντας τοὺς ἀνθρώπους τοῦτο διαπορθμεύοντες διετέλεσαν. Καὶ οἱ μὲν ἀπόστολοι τῶν Δεσποτικῶν ἀπήλαυον ταμιείων· οἱ δὲ τούτων ἀκροαταὶ τῶν ἀποστολικῶν ἐτύγχανον κρουνῶν, οἷόν τινων μαστῶν παντὸς οἴνου καὶ πάσης εὐφροσύνης τιμιωτέρων. Καὶ κατὰ τὸν παρόντα δὲ καιρὸν, οἱ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας διδάσκαλοι τὰ θεῖα νάματα προσφέρουσι τῷ λαῷ, ὥσπερ ἔκ τινων ταμιείων. Ὁ δὲ ἀπολαύων, ὥσπερ ἀπό τινων μαστῶν, τὴν The king brought me into his chamber. Let us rejoice and be glad in you (v. 4). For they are not jealous, nor are they envious, who remain outside, and have not yet attained the bridal chamber, rather they are rejoicing and are glad, and are beaming joyously with the honor of the bride, and they are satisfied with enjoying her pleasant voice. Wherefore they continue on, “We will love your breasts more than wine” (v. 4). And what she said to the bridegroom, this they also say to the bride, having attracted the good will of the bridegroom on account of [their] good will and affection concerning her. For Christ says to the apostles, “He who receives you, receives me” (Matt 10.40), and “he who gives a cup of cold [water] to drink to one of these little ones who believes on me, truly I say to you, he will not lose his own reward” (Matt 10.42). And again the young maidens call the “breasts” of the bride the well-springs of the teaching, which pour forth the streams offered to those of all statures; and they promise that they will love the breasts of the bride beyond all human joy. For this is figuratively named “wine,” which rejoices “the heart of man” (Ps 103.15). We observe these things that have happened in the Old and New Covenant (Scriptures), and we behold that they are happening also each day. For in the Old [Covenant] God, revealing future things by the prophets, taught the men at that time through them what is required. And they enjoyed the [treasure] chambers and hidden things of God, and after coming out they spoke to men things revealed and manifest. Wherefore indeed David says to God, “The unclear and hidden things [M81.68] of your wisdom you have made manifest to me” (Ps 50.8). But those who enjoy the divine streams through the prophets, gave heed to the prophets as mediators between God and men. And the apostles, who were divinely inspired in the same way, continued conveying this very preaching of piety unto all mankind. Now, the apostles enjoyed the Master’s chambers, while those who hear them the attained to the apostolic well-springs in the manner of certain breasts which are more valuable than all wine and all gladness. Even according to the present time, the teachers of the Church (cf. Eph 4.11) bring forth the divine streams to the people, just as from certain chambers. But the person enjoying [them], just as from certain breasts, draws out the 28 πνευματικὴν ἕλκει τροφὴν, καὶ πάσης αὐτὴν εὐφροσύνης βιωτικῆς ἀμείνω ἡγεῖται. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἐν τοῖς Ἄσμασιν ἡ νύμφη φησίν· "Εἰσήνεγκέ με ὁ βασιλεὺς εἰς τὸ ταμιεῖον αὐτοῦ." Αἱ δὲ νεάνιδες ἀπεκρίναντο· "Ἀγαλλιασώμεθα καὶ εὐφρανθῶμεν ἐν σοί·" καὶ ὑπισχνοῦνται λέγουσαι· "Ἀγαπήσομεν μαστούς σου ὑπὲρ οἶνον·" καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν ἐπιφέρουσιν· "Εὐθύτης ἠγάπησέ σε." Εἰ γὰρ "χρηστὸς καὶ εὐθὺς ὁ Κύριος, κατὰ τὸν μακάριον Δαβὶδ, καὶ ῥάβδος εὐθύτητος ἡ ῥάβδος τῆς βασιλείας σου, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἠγάπησέ σε·" προσήκει καὶ ἡμᾶς ἐξηρτῆσθαι σοῦ καὶ διηνεκῶς προσεδρεύειν, καὶ τῶν σῶν ἀπολαύειν μαστῶν. Εἶτα πάλιν ἡ νύμφη φησίν· spiritual nourishment, and he regards it as better than gladness pertaining to this life. It is for this reason that the bride says in the [Song of] Songs, The king has brought me into his chamber. And the young maidens answered, Let us be glad and rejoice in you, and they promise, saying, We will love your breast more than wine. They also include the reason, “Uprightness has loved you.” For if, according to the blessed David, “the Lord is good and upright” (Ps 24.8), and “a scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom” (Ps 44.7), and on account of this he has loved you, [then] it is fitting also that we depend upon and continually await you, so as to enjoy your breasts. Then the bride speaks again: 5-6. δʹ. Μέλαινά εἰμι, καὶ καλὴ, θυγατέρες Ἱερουσαλὴμ, ὡς σκηνώματα Κηδὰρ, ὡς δέῤῥεις Σολομών. εʹ. Μὴ βλέψητέ με, ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι μεμελανωμένη, ὅτι παρέβλεψέ με ὁ ἥλιος. Ἡγοῦμαι οὐκ ἔτι ταῦτα πρὸς τὰς νεάνιδας λέγειν τὴν νύμφην, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὰς ἐπὶ τῷ νόμῳ γαυριώσας, καὶ ἐπὶ τῇ Παλαιᾷ Διαθήκῃ φρυαττομένας, καὶ μεγαλοφρονούσας, καὶ ὀνειδιζούσας αὐτῇ, οὐ τὸ ἀλλόφυλον μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν προτέραν δεισιδαιμονίαν, καὶ τὴν ἐντεῦθεν γινομένην μέλαιναν χρόαν. Διὸ λέγει πρὸς αὐτάς· Οὐ μόνον εἰμὶ μέλαινα, ἀλλὰ καὶ καλή· ἀνέβλεψα γὰρ πάλαι τυφλώττουσα, καὶ ῥάκια παλαιὰ περικειμένη, νῦν ἐν ἱματισμῷ διαχρύσῳ περιβεβλημένη, πεποικιλμένη, τὸ βασιλικὸν ἔσχον ἀξίωμα, καὶ τῷ βασιλεῖ παρίσταμαι, ἐξωθησαμένη σε ἐπιμανεῖσαν τῷ βασιλεῖ, καὶ τοῦτον μὲν θανάτῳ παραδεδωκυῖαν, τῷ πλήθει δὲ τῶν μοιχῶν τὴν παστάδα μιάνασαν. Μὴ τοίνυν ὀνείδιζέ μοι τὸ μέλαν τῆς χρόας, μηδὲ τὰ πρότερά μοι ἄγε εἰς μέσον κακά. Μέλαινα γάρ εἰμι, ὁμολογῶ, ἀλλὰ καλὴ καὶ ἀρέσκουσα τῷ νυμφίῳ. Φοβήθητι τῆς Μαριὰμ τὸ παράδειγμα· ὠνείδισε γὰρ κἀκείνη Μωσεῖ, ὅτι Αἰθιόπισσαν γυναῖκα ἠγάγετο, καὶ ἐγένετο λεπρῶσα ὡσεὶ χιών· καὶ ὡς ἀκάθαρτος ἔξω τῆς παρεμβολῆς ἐξεβλήθη, καὶ οὐκ εἰσελήλυθεν, ἄχρις οὗ μετενόησε. Κἀγὼ τοίνυν Αἰθιόπισσα μὲν, ἀλλὰ τοῦ μεγάλου Νομοθέτου νύμφη· καὶ θυγάτηρ μὲν ἱερέως Μαδιὰμ ἀνδρὸς εἰδωλολάτρου· ἐπελαθόμην δὲ τοῦ λαοῦ μου, καὶ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ πατρός μου· διὸ ἐπεθύμησεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ κάλλους μου. 5-6. I am black, and beautiful, O daughters of Jerusalem, as the tentdwellings of Kedar, as curtains of Solomon. Do not look at me, for I myself am blackened, for the sun has looked askance at me. I think that the bride no longer speaks these things to the young maidens, but to those who pride themselves in the law, and who prance about proudly over the Old Covenant [Scripture], and are arrogant, and reproach her, not because she is a foreigner, but also because of her former [pagan] superstition, and the black complexion that occurs as a result. Wherefore she says to them: Not only am I black, but also beautiful. For I who was blind of old was restored to sight, and I who was wearing old rags, now “having been bedecked with gold-fringed garments, in varied array” (Ps 44.10), possessed the royal dignity, and I present myself to the king, having expelled you who furiously attacked the king, and who delivered him over to death, and who defiled the bridal chamber with an abundance of adulterers. Do not, then, reproach me for the blackness of complexion, nor bring into the midst the former evils [that were] mine. For I confess I am black, but also beautiful and pleasing to the bridegroom. Be afraid of the example of Miriam, for she herself reproached Moses because he had taken an Ethiopian wife, and she became leprous as snow. And as one unclean she was cast out of the camp, and did not come back in until such time as she repented. I indeed am Ethiopian, but also the bride of the great Lawgiver, and a daughter of the priest of Midian, an idolatrous man. But I have forgotten my people, and my father’s house, wherefore the king greatly desires my beauty (Ps 44.11-12). 29 Μὴ βλέψητέ με τοίνυν ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι μεμελανωμένη, ὅτι παρέβλεψέ με ὁ ἥλιος· ὄψεσθέ με λελευκασμένην τὴν νῦν μεμελανωμένην, καὶ βοήσετε· Τίς αὕτη ἡ [81.69] ἀναβαίνουσα λελευκανθισμένη; Ἐρῶ δὲ ὑμῖν καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς μελανώσεως ταύτης. Ἐμελανώθην γὰρ λατρεύουσα τῇ κτίσει παρὰ τὸν κτίσαντα, καὶ τὸν ἥλιον τοῦτον τὸν αἰσθητὸν, ἀντὶ τοῦ ἡλίου τῆς δικαιοσύνης προσκυνήσασα. Ἀλλ' εἶδον τὴν διαφορὰν ἐκείνου καὶ τούτου, καὶ καταλιποῦσα τὸ ποίημα, τὸν Ποιητὴν προσεκύνησα. Μὴ βλέψητέ με τοίνυν, ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι μεμελανωμένη, ὅτι παρέβλεψέ με ὁ ἥλιος, ἢ ὡς ὁ Σύμμαχος, ὅτι καθήψατό μου ὁ ἥλιος. "Μέλαινα γάρ εἰμι, καὶ καλὴ, θυγατέρες Ἱερουσαλήμ·" μέλαινα διὰ τὴν προτέραν ἀσέβειαν, καλὴ διὰ τὴν μετάνοιαν· μέλαινα διὰ τὴν ἀπιστίαν, καλὴ διὰ τὴν πίστιν. Καὶ οὕτω σφόδρα ἤμην μέλαινα, ὡς τὰ σκηνώματα Κηδὰρ, ὃ ἑρμηνεύεται σκοτασμός· οὕτω δὲ γέγονα καλὴ, ὡς δέῤῥεις Σολομὼν ἀντὶ τοῦ, ὡς σκηναὶ τοῦ Σολομῶντος, ὡς τὰ περιβόλαια τοῦ Σολομῶντος, περὶ ὧν ὁ Κύριός φησι· "Ἀποβλέψατε εἰς τὰ κρίνα τοῦ ἀγροῦ, ἃ οὔτε νήθει, οὔτε ὑφαίνει, καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ οὐράνιος ἀμφιέννυσιν αὐτά· ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, οὐδὲ Σολομὼν ἐν τῇ δόξῃ αὑτοῦ περιεβάλετο, ὡς ἓν τούτων." Do not look at me, then, for I myself am blackened, for the sun has looked askance at me. You will see me made white who is now blackened, and you will cry out: Who is this [woman] who [M81.69] turns out having been made white? And I will tell you [pl.] the cause of this blackness. For I was blackened while worshipping the creation instead of the Creator, and venerating the sun pertaining to the sensible [creation] instead of the Sun of righteousness. But I came to see the difference between that [sun] and this One, and abandoning the created one, I worshipped the Creator. Do not look at me, then, for I myself am blackened, for the sun has looked askance at me, or Symmachus [has], for the sun has accosted me. For I am black, and beautiful, O daughters of Jerusalem, “black” on account of the former impiety, but “beautiful” on account of repentance; “black” on account of faithlessness, “beautiful” on account of faith. And in the way I was exceedingly “black,” as the tent-dwellings of Kedar, which is interpreted “darkness,” so also I became “beautiful,” as the curtains34 of Solomon, instead of “as the tents of Solomon, as the cloaks of Solomon,” concerning which the Lord says, “Look at the lilies of the field, which neither spin, nor weave, yet our heavenly Father clothes them about; truly I say to you, Solomon in his own glory was not clothed as one of these” (~Matt 6.28-30). Διὸ καὶ, μετὰ βραχὺ, κρίνον αὐτὴν ὁ νυμφίος ὀνομάζει, ὡς μήτε νήθουσαν, μήτε ὑφαίνουσαν, τὸν ἀφρόντιδα δὲ βίον μετοῦσαν, καὶ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ νυμφίου ἀμφιεννυμένην καὶ τρεφομένην. Φησὶ τοίνυν ἡ νύμφη, ὅτι Πάλαι τοῖς σκηνώμασι Κηδὰρ ἀπεικασμένη, ὃ ἑρμηνεύεται σκοτασμὸς, καὶ τῷ σκότει δουλεύουσα, καὶ τοῖς δαίμοσι λατρεύουσα, νῦν ἐξαίφνης ἠμείφθην, καὶ ἔοικα ταῖς δέῤῥεσι τοῦ Σολομῶντος ἐοικέναι· ἐπειδὴ καὶ αὕτη οὐ μόνον νύμφη, ἀλλὰ καὶ ναὸς ἐγένετο τοῦ εἰρηνικοῦ Χριστοῦ. "Υἱοὶ μητρός μου ἐμαχέσαντο ἐν ἐμοί." Ἔχεται δὲ καὶ ταῦτα τῶν προειρημένων. Διδάσκει δὲ τὰς θυγατέρας Ἱερουσαλὴμ, ὅπως, μέλαινα οὖσα καὶ δυσειδὴς, ἐξαίφνης καλὴ ἐγένετο. "Υἱοὶ γὰρ, φησὶ, μητρός μου ἐμαχέσαντο ἐν ἐμοί·" υἱοὺς μὲν καλοῦσα τοὺς ἱεροὺς ἀποστόλους, περὶ ὧν τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον ἐν τῷ μδʹ ψαλμῷ Wherefore also, in short order, the bridegroom names her a “lily” (Song 2.2), since she neither spins, nor weaves, but partakes of the carefree life, and is clothed about and nourished by the bridegroom himself. The bride says, then, that “I who of old resembled the tentdwellings of Kedar—which is interpreted ‘darkness’—and served the darkness, and worshipped demons, now have been changed in a moment, and I seemed to be like unto the curtains of Solomon,” since she indeed is not only bride, but also becomes the temple of the peaceful Christ. 6. Sons of my mother fought with me. This also involves those [persons] formerly mentioned. She teaches the daughters of Jerusalem, how, while being black and disfigured, she became beautiful in a moment. For it says, “Sons of my mother fought with me,” calling the sacred apostles “sons,” concerning whom the Holy Spirit in the 44th psalm [speaks] to the queen herself, “Instead of your fathers sons will be 34 Also can be translated “skins” (cf. Exod 26.7 et al). Cf. also Jer 4.20; 10.20; 1 Chron 17.1. 30 πρὸς αὐτὴν τὴν βασιλίδα· "Ἀντὶ τῶν πατέρων σου ἐγεννήθησάν σοι υἱοί· καταστήσεις αὐτοὺς ἄρχοντας ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν." Μητέρα δὲ αὐτῆς καὶ αὐτῶν καλεῖ τὴν ἄνω Ἱερουσαλὴμ, περὶ ἧς ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος λέγει· "Ἡ δὲ ἄνω Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐλευθέρα ἐστὶν, ἥτις ἐστὶ μήτηρ πάντων ἡμῶν." Οἱ τοίνυν υἱοὶ, φησὶ, τῆς μητρός μου ἐμαχέσαντο ἐν ἐμοί·" τὸν κατὰ τῆς εἰδωλολατρείας, καὶ τῆς ἄλλης παρανομίας γενόμενον τοῖς ἀποστόλοις πόλεμον· οἵτινες ἐν ἑκάστῳ τῶν ἀκροατῶν, οἷόν τινα μάχην καὶ πόλεμον ἀνεδέχοντο, ἀγωνιζόμενοι ἐκβάλλειν μὲν τὰ πονηρὰ ἔθη τῶν ψυχῶν, τοὺς δὲ τῆς εὐσεβείας ἐγκαταπῆξαι νόμους. Καὶ ἵνα σαφέστερον μάθωμεν, πῶς ἐν ταῖς τῶν μαθητευομένων ψυχαῖς διεμάχοντο οἱ μακάριοι τῆς εὐσεβείας κήρυκες, ἀκούσωμεν τοῦ μακαρίου [81.72] Στεφάνου διαμαχομένου καὶ λέγοντος· "Σκληροτράχηλοι, καὶ ἀπερίτμητοι τῇ καρδίᾳ καὶ τοῖς ὠσὶν, ὑμεῖς ἀεὶ τῷ Πνεύματι τῷ ἁγίῳ ἀντιπίπτετε, ὡς οἱ πατέρες ὑμῶν καὶ ὑμεῖς." Καὶ ὁ μακάριος δὲ Παῦλος Κορινθίοις μὲν ἐπιστέλλων φησίν· "Ὅλως ἀκούεται ἐν ὑμῖν πορνεία, ἥτις οὐδὲ ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ὀνομάζεται·" καὶ πάλιν, "Μήπως ἐλθόντα με πρὸς ὑμᾶς ταπεινώσῃ ὁ Θεός μου, καὶ πενθήσω πολλοὺς τῶν προημαρτηκότων, καὶ μὴ μετανοησάντων." Γαλάταις δὲ γράφων, "Ὦ ἀνόητοι, φησὶ, Γαλάται, τίς ὑμᾶς ἐβάσκηνε τῇ ἀληθείᾳ μὴ πείθεσθαι, οἷς κατ' ὀφθαλμοὺς Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς προεγράφη ἐν ὑμῖν ἐσταυρωμένος;" Οὕτως ἐπιτιμῶντες, καὶ παραινοῦντες, καὶ τὰς ῥυτίδας τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων διατείνοντες, καὶ τὰ γεγηρακότα ἀποξύοντες ἤθη, νέαν ἀντὶ παλαιᾶς, καὶ ἀντὶ δυσειδοῦς καὶ εἰδεχθοῦς εὐπρεπῆ, καὶ ἀντὶ μελαίνης λευκοτάτην ἀπεφήναντο τοῦ Κυρίου τὴν νύμφην οἱ πρῶτοι τῆς εὐσεβείας ὑποφῆται καὶ κήρυκες. Διὰ τοῦτο ἡ νύμφη δεῖξαι βουλομένη τίνα τρόπον ὡραία γέγονε καὶ καλὴ, φησίν· "Υἱοὶ μητρός μου ἐμαχέσαντο ἐν ἐμοί. Ἔθεντό με φυλάκισσαν ἐν ἀμπελῶσι." Παρέδωκάν μοι γὰρ οἷόν τινας ἀμπελῶνας, τὰς θείας ἐντολάς· καὶ ταύτας οὐκ ἐργάζεσθαι μόνον καὶ γεωργεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ φυλάττειν παρεκελεύσαντο, ἵνα μή τι τῶν πονηρῶν θηρίων λυμαίνηται τὸν καρπόν. Τούτοις ἐπιφέρει· "Ἀμπελῶνα ἐμὸν οὐκ ἐφύλαξα." Διπλῆν ἔχει τὴν ἔννοιαν τὸ ῥητὸν, εὐσεβῆ δὲ ἑκατέραν, καὶ ὠφελείας μεστήν. Ἢ γὰρ τοῦτο λέγει, ὅτι Τὸν πρότερόν μου ἀμπελῶνα, ὃν πρὸ τῆς πίστεως ἐγεώργουν, τὸν πατρόθεν μοι παραδοθέντα, καταλέλοιπα ἀνεπιμέλητον καὶ born to you; you shall set them as rulers over all the earth” (Ps 44.17). She calls the Jerusalem above her and their “mother,” concerning which the blessed Paul says, “The Jerusalem above is free, who is mother of us all” (Gal 4.26). The “sons,” then, she says, “of my mother were fighting with me,” the war waged by the apostles against idolatry, and [any] other lawlessness. These [apostles] were undertaking in each of [their] hearers, a certain fight and war, as it were, struggling to cast evil habits out of [their] souls, and to firmly impress the laws of piety. And so that we might more clearly learn how the blessed heralds of piety were fighting in the souls of those who were being taught, let us listen to the blessed [M81.72] Stephen who says while fighting, “O stiff-necked people, and uncircumcised in heart and ears, you perpetually resist the Holy Spirit, as your fathers so also yourselves” (Acts 7.51). And the blessed Paul addressing the Corinthians says, “It is generally heard that there is a fornication among you, which is not even named among the Gentiles” (1 Cor 5.1), and again, “lest whenever I come to you my God may humble [me], and I may lament for many of those who sinned previously and have not repented” (2 Cor 12.21). To the Galatians he writes, “O foolish Galatians,” he says, “who has bewitched you so as to not be persuaded of the truth, in whose sight Jesus Christ was publicly exhibited as crucified among/by you?” (Gal 3.1). In this way censuring and exhorting, and stretching out the wrinkles of sins (cf. Eph 5.27), and stripping off the customs which have grown old, the first heralds and poets of piety proclaimed the bride of the Lord who was new instead of the old, and attractive instead of disfigured and ugly, and most white instead of black. On account of this, the bride wanting to show the kind of manner [by which] she became lovely and beautiful, says, “Sons of my mother were fighting with me. They made me a keeper in the vineyards.” For they handed over to me the divine commandments as it were certain vineyards, and they ordered [me] not only to work and farm them, but also to guard [them], so that some of the evil beasts might not spoil the fruit. With these things she asserts, “I did not guard my vineyard.” The text has a double sense, each one pious, and full of benefit. For either she is saying this, that My first vineyard, which I was farming before the faith, which was handed over to me by ancestry, I left without attention and unguarded, so that the first things were indeed completely destroyed and were handed over to oblivion. Or, that Leaving my vineyard, that is 31 ἀφύλακτον, ὥστε παντελῶς τὰ πρότερα ἤδη διαφθαρῆναι, καὶ λήθῃ παραδοθῆναι· ἢ ὅτι Τὸν ἐμὸν ἀμπελῶνα, τουτέστι τῆς ἐμῆς ψυχῆς τὴν ὠφέλειαν ἀφιεμένη, καὶ τὰ τῶν ἄλλων κέρδη τῶν οἰκείων κερδῶν προαιρουμένη. Τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ὁ μακάριος Παῦλός φησιν, ὅτι "Ἡ ἀγάπη οὐ ζητεῖ τὰ ἑαυτῆς·" καὶ πάλιν, "Μηδεὶς τὸ ἑαυτοῦ ζητείτω, ἀλλὰ τὸ τοῦ ἑτέρου ἕκαστος·" καὶ περὶ ἑαυτοῦ δέ φησιν, ὅτι "Οὐ ζητῶ τὸ ἐμαυτοῦ συμφέρον, ἀλλὰ τὸ τῶν πολλῶν, ἵνα σωθῶσι." Τέθεικα δὲ ἀμφότερα τὰ νοήματα, ἵν' ἔχοιεν οἱ ἐντυγχάνοντες ἀμφοτέρων τὴν γνῶσιν, καὶ τὸ δοκοῦν αὐτοῖς ἀληθέστερον εἶναι λάβωσιν. Μετὰ ταῦτα ἡ νύμφη, καταλιποῦσα τούς τε πρὸς τὰς νεάνιδας λόγους, καὶ τὴν πρὸς τὰς θυγατέρας Ἱερουσαλὴμ διδασκαλίαν, τρέπεται πρὸς τὸν νυμφίον, καὶ ἣν ἔχει περὶ αὐτὸν ἀγάπην γυμνοῖ, καί φησιν· the benefit of my soul, and preferring the profits of others to my own profits. For the blessed Paul says this, that “Love does not seek its own things” (1 Cor 13.5), and again, “Let no one seek that which is his own, but each that of the other person” (1 Cor 10.24). But concerning himself he says, “I do not seek my own advantage, but that of the many, so that they might be saved” (cf. Jn 5.30; 2 Cor 12.14). I have set forth both of these concepts, so that readers might have the knowledge of both, and they might take what seems to them to be the truer sense. After these things the bride, leaving behind the words to the young maidens, and the teaching to the daughters of Jerusalem, turns to the bridegroom, and she lays bare the love which she has for him, and says: ϛʹ. Ἀπάγγειλόν μοι, ὃν ἠγάπησεν ἡ ψυχή μου, ποῦ ποιμαίνεις, ποῦ κοιτάζεις ἐν μεσημβρίᾳ, μή ποτε γένωμαι ὡς περιβαλλομένη ἐπ' ἀγέλαις ἑταίρων σου. Δειμαίνουσα γὰρ, καὶ ἀγωνιῶσα μὴ στερηθῇ τοῦ νυμφίου, καὶ ἑτέροις περιπέσῃ ποιμνίοις οὐχ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ποιμαινομένοις, ἀλλ' ὑπὸ ἄλλων τινῶν ἑταίρων αὐτοῦ ὀνομαζομένων, οὐ κατὰ τὴν ἀξίαν οὐδὲ κατὰ τὸ κοινὸν τοῦ φρονήματος, ἀλλὰ [81.73] κατὰ τὴν μίμησιν τοῦ ἐπιτηδεύματος ἱκετεύει τὸν νυμφίον λέγουσα· Ἐπειδὴ ἠγάπησέ σε ἡ ψυχή μου, εἰπέ μοι κατὰ τὸν τῆς μεσημβρίας καιρὸν ποῦ ποιμαίνεις, ἢ ποῦ κοιτάζεις τὰ πρόβατα· μὴ ἀγνοοῦσα τῇδε κἀκεῖσε περινοστήσω, καὶ ἀλωμένη καὶ πλανωμένη περιπέσω ἀγέλαις οὐ τῆς σῆς ἐπιστασίας ἀξιωμέναις, ἀλλά τινας ἄλλους νομέας καὶ βουκόλους ἐχούσαις. Τὸ γὰρ "περιβαλλομένη," ῥεμβομένη ὁ Σύμμαχος τέθεικεν. Εἰκότως δὲ καὶ κατὰ τὸν τῆς μεσημβρίας καιρὸν πυνθάνεται ἡ νύμφη ποῦ ὁ νυμφίος μένει, ἐπειδὴ τοῦ φωτὸς τῆς γνώσεως ἐγκρατοῦς γενομένου, ἀνεφύησαν αἱ αἱρέσεις, Χριστιανῶν μὲν τὸ ὄνομα ἔχουσαι, ἀλλ' ἔρημοι τῆς ἀληθείας ὑπάρχουσαι. Τούτου χάριν ἀγωνιῶσα μαθεῖν ἐφίεται τοῦ νυμφίου τὸν τόπον, ἔνθα κατὰ τὸν τῆς μεσημβρίας καιρὸν κοιτάζει τὰ πρόβατα, ἵνα μὴ περιπέσῃ ταῖς τῶν καλουμένων ἑταίρων ἀγέλαις. Ἰστέον δὲ ὅτι, ὥσπερ ἦσαν οἱ προφῆται, καὶ τούτων ἐναντίοι ψευδοπροφῆται, καὶ πάλιν ἀπόστολοι, καὶ τὰ ἐναντία φρονοῦντες v. 6[7]. Tell me, whom my soul loves, where are you shepherding, where are you putting to rest in the midday, lest I become as one bedecked about by the flocks of your friends. For fearing, and being anxious that she not be deprived of the bridegroom, and that she might fall among other flocks that are not being shepherded by him, but by certain other ones who are named his “friends,” not according to merit nor according to a commonality of mind, but [M81.73] according to the imitation of [his] way of life she beseeches the bridegroom, saying, Since my soul loves you, tell me where you are shepherding at the time of the midday, or where you are putting the sheep to rest; if I am not ignorant of this place I might go about there, lest roaming and wandering I might fall among flocks which are not made worthy of your care, but which have certain other herdsmen and shepherds. For the [phrase] “bedecked about,” Symmachus supplied “rolled about.” It is fitting that the bride inquires where the bridegroom is staying at the time of midday, since after the light of the knowledge of self-control came, heresies have grown up that have the name of Christians, but are destitute of the truth. For this reason she is anxiously desiring to learn the place of the bridegroom, where he causes the sheep to rest at the time of the midday, so that she might not fall among the flocks of those who are called “friends.” One must understand that, just as there were prophets and false prophets opposing them, and again 32 ψευδαπόστολοι, οὕτως καὶ ψευδόχριστοι ὑπὸ τῆς θείας καλοῦνται Γραφῆς. Διὸ καὶ ὁ Κύριός φησιν, ὅτι "Ἀναστήσονται πολλοὶ ψευδοπροφῆται, καὶ πολλοὺς πλανήσουσι." Καὶ ὁ μακάριος δὲ Παῦλος οὐ μόνον ψευδαδέλφους οἶδε λέγειν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ψευδαποστόλους. Διό φησιν· "Οἱ γὰρ τοιοῦτοι ψευδαπόστολοί εἰσι." Τούτοις ἡ νύμφη μὴ περιπεσεῖν ἱκετεύει· ἐπειδὴ τὸ ποιμενικὸν ἐπιδείκνυνται σχῆμα καὶ ἀγέλας ὡσαύτως, καὶ ποίμνας ἔχοντες φαίνονται· ὁποῖοί εἰσιν οἱ τὰ τοῦ Ἀρείου, καὶ Εὐνομίου, καὶ Μαρκίωνος, καὶ Βαλεντίνου, καὶ Μάνητος, καὶ Μοντανοῦ φρονοῦντες· σχῆμα μὲν χριστιανικὸν καὶ ὄνομα περικείμενοι, καὶ ἐκκλησίας οἰκοδομοῦντες, καὶ θείας Γραφὰς πεπλανημένοις προβάτοις ἀναγινώσκοντες, καὶ νέμοντες κακῶς τοὺς πειθομένους, καὶ ἑταῖροι τοῦ νυμφίου νομιζόμενοι, ἐπίβουλοι δὲ ὄντες καὶ ὀλέθριοι, καὶ δηλητήρια τοῖς προβάτοις ἀντὶ τῆς τροφίμου πόας ὀρέγοντες. Διὰ τοῦτο ἡ νύμφη ἱκετεύει τὸν νυμφίον, ὑποδεῖξαι αὐτῇ ποῦ κοιτάζει τὰ πρόβατα ἐν μεσημβρίᾳ, ἵνα μὴ γένηται "περιβαλλομένη," ἢ ῥεμβομένη κατὰ τὸν Σύμμαχον, ἐπ' ἀγέλας τῶν ἑταίρων αὐτοῦ προσαγορευομένων, ἐναντίων δὲ αὐτῷ ὑπαρχόντων. Ἀποκρίνεται οὖν ὁ νυμφίος τῇ νύμφῃ· καί φησιν· apostles and false apostles who think opposing things, so also these are called “false christs” by the divine Scripture (Matt 24.24). Wherefore the Lord also says that “Many false prophets will arise, and they will lead many astray” (Matt 24.11). The blessed Paul knows to call them not only false brothers, but also false apostles (2 Cor 11.26; Gal 2.4). Wherefore he says, “for these are false apostles” (2 Cor 11.13). The bride supplicates not to fall among these people, since they display themselves with the pastoral schema and flocks in the same way, and they appear to have sheep. Such are those who are of common mind with Arius, Eunomius, Marcion, Valentinus, and Mani, and Montanus, who have the trappings of a Christian name and schema, and who build a church, and who read the divine Scriptures to the sheep who have been led astray, and with malice herd those who rely [on them], who are deemed “friends” of the bridegroom, but are conspirators and destroyers, who desire poison for the sheep instead of nourishing grass. On account of this the bride supplicates the bridegroom, that he indicate to her where he puts the sheep to rest in the midday, so that she might not be “bedecked about,” or “rolled about” according to Symmachus, by the flocks of those who are called his friends, but are actually hostile to him. The bridegroom answers the bride, therefore, and says: ζʹ. Ἐὰν μὴ γνῷς σεαυτὴν, ἡ καλὴ ἐν γυναιξὶν, ἔξελθε σὺ ἐν πτέρναις τῶν ποιμνίων, καὶ ποίμαινε τοὺς ἐρίφους σου ἐπὶ σκηνώμασι τῶν ποιμένων. Ὃ δὲ λέγει τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· Εἰς σαυτὴν ἀποβλέπουσα, καὶ τὰ κατὰ σαυτὴν περισκοποῦσα, καλὴ γὰρ γέγονας, καὶ πασῶν γυναικῶν εὐπρεπεστάτη, γνώριζε τὰς ὁμοίας σοι. Ἐὰν δὲ σαυτὴν ἠγνόησας, ἐρεύνησον τῶν ποιμνίων τὰ ἴχνη, καὶ ἀκολουθοῦσα ποίμαινε μὴ τὰ πρόβατα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἐρίφους σου, ἐν τοῖς σκηνώμασι τῶν ποιμένων. Βούλεται γὰρ ὁ φιλάνθρωπος Δεσπότης οὐ μόνον τοὺς δικαίους, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἁμαρτωλοὺς ἐπιμελείας [81.76] πάσης ἀξιοῦσθαι. Διό φησιν· "Οὐ χρείαν ἔχουσιν οἱ ἰσχύοντες ἰατροῦ, ἀλλ' οἱ κακῶς ἔχοντες·" καί· "Οὐκ ἦλθον καλέσαι δικαίους, ἀλλ' ἁμαρτωλοὺς εἰς μετάνοιαν." Καὶ διὰ Ἰεζεκιὴλ τοῦ προφήτου· "Μὴ θελήσω, φησὶ, τὸν θάνατον τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ, ὡς τὸ ἐπιστρέψαι καὶ ζῇν αὐτόν·" Καὶ ὁ μακάριος ἀπόστολος Παῦλος περὶ αὐτοῦ φησιν· "Ὁ θέλων πάντας ἀνθρώπους σωθῆναι, καὶ εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν ἀληθείας ἐλθεῖν." 7. If you do not know yourself, O beautiful among women, you yourself go out in tracks of the sheep flocks, and shepherd your kid-goats to the tents of the shepherds. This is what he is saying: As you look to yourself, and closely observe those akin to you—for you have become beautiful and more attractive than all [other] women—you will recognize those who are similar to you. But if you are ignorant of yourself, examine the tracks of the sheep flocks, and as you follow [them] shepherd not only the sheep, but also your kid-goats, in the tents of the shepherds. For the Master who loves mankind desires to make not only the righteous, but also sinners, worthy of all [M81.76] care. Wherefore he says, “Those who are strong have no need of a physician, but those who are in a bad condition” (Matt 9.12), and “I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners unto repentance” (Matt 9.13; Lk 5.32). And he says through the prophet Ezekiel, “I do not desire the death of the sinner, so that he might turn and live” (Ezek 18.23). The blessed apostle Paul also says 33 Διὰ τοῦτο βούλεται αὐτὴν καὶ τοὺς ἐρίφους βόσκειν· ἐν τύπῳ δὲ ἁμαρτωλῶν τοὺς ἐρίφους ἡ θεία παραλαμβάνει Γραφή· τούτους γὰρ ἐξ εὐωνύμων ὁ Κύριος ἔφη σταθήσεσθαι, διακριθέντας ἐκ τῶν ἀμνῶν τῶν λαχόντων δεξιὸν χῶρον. Ἐπειδὴ καὶ ἐν τῷ νόμῳ ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτίας οὐ πρόβατον, ἀλλὰ χίμαρος ἐξ αἰγῶν προσεφέρετο. Διὰ τοῦτο λέγει τῇ νύμφῃ ὁ νυμφίος· Τοῖς ἴχνεσι τῶν ποιμνίων ἀκολούθει, καὶ τῶν προλαβόντων ἁγίων ἀνερεύνα τὸν βίον· καὶ ἐν τοῖς τῶν ποιμένων ἐκείνων σκηνώμασι, τουτέστιν ἐν ταῖς ἀποστολικαῖς ἐκκλησίαις, βόσκε σου τοὺς ἐρίφους, ἀκούσασα ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς Εὐαγγελίοις· "Ὁρᾶτε μὴ καταφρονήσητε ἑνὸς τῶν μικρῶν τῶν ἐλαχίστων τῶν πιστευόντων εἰς ἐμέ· ἀμὴν γὰρ λέγω ὑμῖν, οἱ ἄγγελοι αὐτῶν καθ' ἡμέραν ὁρῶσι τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ Πατρὸς ὑμῶν τοῦ ἐν οὐρανοῖς." concerning him, “He desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim 2.4). This is the reason he wants her to tend the kid-goats as well, yet the divine Scripture uses “kid-goats” as a type for sinners, for the Lord said that they will be placed on the left, the [goats] having been divided from the lambs who are allotted the region to the right. In fact in the law one does not offer a sheep as a sin offering, but rather a kid from the goats (cf. Lev 16.5; Lev 4.23).35 For this reason the bridegroom says to the bride, “Follow in the tracks of the sheep flocks, and examine again the life of the saints who have gone before, and in the tents of those shepherds—that is, in the apostolic churches—tend your kid-goats, having heard in the sacred Gospels, “See that you do not have contempt for one of the least of the little ones who believe on me, for truly I say to you, their angels daily see the face of your Father in heaven” (Matt 18.10; cf. 25.45; Jn 17.20). ηʹ. Τῇ ἵππῳ μου ἐν ἅρμασι Φαραὼ ὡμοίωσά σε, ἡ πλησίον μου. Τροπικῶς ἐνταῦθα Φαραὼ τὸν τῆς ἡμετέρας φύσεως ἀλάστορα προσηγόρευσε, τὸν ἀλιτήριον καὶ κοινὸν ἡμῶν πολέμιον ὃν τῷ Φαραὼ παραπλησίως ἐν τοῖς ἁγίοις τοῦ βαπτίσματος ὕδασιν ὑποβρύχιον πεποίηκε. Τῇ ἵππῳ μου τοίνυν, ᾗ χρησάμενος τὰ ἅρματα τοῦ Φαραὼ κατεπόντισα, ὁμοίαν σε κρίνω πλησίον μου γενομένην, καὶ ἀγάπην περὶ ἐμὲ κτησαμένην. Ἐχρήσατο δὲ οἷόν τινι ὀχήματι τῇ τοῦ δούλου μορφῇ, ἣν κενώσας ἑαυτὸν ἀνέλαβεν, ἵνα παντὶ τῷ γένει πραγματεύσηται σωτηρίαν. Ταύτῃ τοίνυν τῇ ἵππῳ ἀπεικάζει τὴν νύμφην. Καὶ μαρτυρεῖ τῷ νοήματι ὁ Ἀπόστολος, οὑτωσὶ λέγων περὶ τοῦ Σωτῆρος Χριστοῦ· "Ὃς μετασχηματίσει τὸ σῶμα τῆς ταπεινώσεως ἡμῶν εἰς τὸ γενέσθαι αὐτὸ σύμμορφον τῷ σώματι τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ." Καὶ πάλιν· "Ἡμεῖς δὲ πάντες ἀνακεκαλυμμένῳ προσώπῳ τὴν δόξαν Κυρίου κατοπτριζόμενοι, τὴν αὐτὴν εἰκόνα μεταμορφούμεθα ἀπὸ δόξης εἰς δόξαν, καθάπερ ἀπὸ Κυρίου Πνεύματος." Ἐκ τῶν ἀποστολικῶν τοίνυν ῥημάτων τὰ μυστικὰ τοῦ Ἄσματος νοήσωμεν ῥήματα, καὶ 8. I have likened you to my horse in Pharaoh’s chariots, O my companion. Here he figuratively terms the Destroyer36 of our nature “Pharaoh,” our wicked and common enemy whom He caused [to be] submerged37 in the holy waters of Baptism in a way similar to Pharaoh. “I judge you similar to my horse, then, [he says,] which I used to drown the chariots of Pharaoh, O you have become my companion, having acquired love for me.”38 He made use of the form of a servant, as it were a certain riding animal, which He assumed when He emptied himself, in order that He might undertake [the work of] salvation for the whole race. He likens the bride to this “horse,” then. And the Apostle bears witness to the concept, speaking in this very way concerning the Savior Christ, “Who will change over the pattern of the body of our lowliness such that it becomes conformed to the body of his glory” (Phil 3.21). And again, “We all, beholding the glory of the Lord with face having been unveiled, are being transformed into that very Image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, Spirit” (2 Cor 3.18). Let us understand, then, the mystical sayings of the Song from the Apostolic sayings, and let us listen to the 35 Sheep are acceptable as sin offerings (e.g., Lev 4.32), so it seems that Theodoret is thinking more specifically of the Day of Atonement. Cf. PGL 69, referring to Devil. 37 With the connotation, “overwhelmed” (PGL 1446), as in vanquished. 38 This sentence is dense. 36 34 ἀκούσωμεν τοῦ νυμφίου λέγοντος, ὅτι Σὲ τὴν πλησίον μου γενομένην, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο πλησίον ὀνομαζομένην, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ πράγματος καρπουμένην τὸ ὄνομα, τῇ ἵππῳ μου ἐοικέναι φημὶ, ᾗ χρησάμενος τὸν νοητὸν Φαραὼ σὺν τοῖς ἅρμασιν αὐτοῦ κατεπόντισα, καί σοι τὴν ἐλευθερίαν ἐδωρησάμην. Τούτοις ἐπάγει· Bridegroom who says, that “You who have become my companion, and because of this are named ‘companion,’ and from that fact are enjoying the name, I say that [you are] similar to my horse, which I made use of when I drowned the noetic Pharaoh with his chariots, and I presented to you [the gift of] freedom.” He continues with the following: θʹ. Τί ὡραιώθησαν αἱ σιαγόνες σου, ὡς τρυγόνος! [81.77] τράχηλός σου, ὡς ὁρμίσκοι! Ἀλλὰ μὴ πάλιν σαρκικῶς νοήσωμεν τὴν σιαγόνα, καὶ τὸν τράχηλον· λάβωμεν δὲ εἰς νοῦν, ὅτι καὶ πολλάκις ἡ θεία Γραφὴ σωματικοῖς ὀνόμασι καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ψυχῆς κέχρηται· καὶ ποτὲ μέν φησιν ὁ προφήτης Ἱερεμίας· "Τὴν κοιλίαν μου, τὴν κοιλίαν μου ἐγὼ ἀλγῶ·" καὶ δεικνὺς ὅτι οὐ περὶ ταύτης λέγει, ἐπάγει, "καὶ τὰ αἰσθητήρια τῆς καρδίας μου." Ποτὲ δὲ ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος λέγει· "Τὰς παρειμένας χεῖρας, καὶ τὰ παραλελυμένα γόνατα ἀνορθώσατε, καὶ τροχιὰς ὀρθὰς ποιήσατε τοῖς ποσὶν ὑμῶν, ἵνα μὴ τὸ χωλὸν ἐκτραπῇ, ἰαθῇ δὲ μᾶλλον·" οὔτε περὶ χειρῶν, οὔτε περὶ ποδῶν, οὔτε περὶ τῆς ὁρωμένης χωλότητος ὁ μακάριος παρῄνεσε Παῦλος, ἀλλὰ τὰς πρακτικὰς τῆς ψυχῆς ἐνεργείας τούτοις τοῖς ὀνόμασι προσηγόρευσεν. Οὕτω τοίνυν νοήσωμεν τό· "Ὡραιώθησαν σιαγόνες σου ὡς τρυγόνος, τράχηλός σου ὡς ὁρμίσκοι." Ἐκ πολλῶν γὰρ ἀνδρῶν καὶ γυναικῶν ἡ Ἐκκλησία συγκεκροτημένη, ἔχει τινὰς μὲν σιαγόνας, τινὰς δὲ ὀφθαλμοὺς, τινὰς δὲ ἀκοὰς, τινὰς δὲ στόμα, ἄλλους δὲ χεῖρας, καὶ ἄλλους πόδας ὀνομαζομένους. Ἐπαινεῖ τοίνυν ὁ νυμφίος τοὺς τὴν σεμνότητα μετιόντας, καὶ τὸ τῆς αἰδοῦς ἐρύθημα κεκτημένους· καί φησιν· "Ὡραιώθησαν σιαγόνες σου ὡς τρυγόνος." Τὴν δὲ τρυγόνα φασὶν οἱ τὰς φύσεις τῶν ζώων συγγεγραφότες, οὐ φιλέρημον εἶναι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ σώφρονα, καὶ τόν τε ἄῤῥενα μιᾷ θηλείᾳ συναπτόμενον, τὴν δὲ θήλειαν ἑνὶ ἄῤῥενι κοινωνοῦσαν, καὶ οὐδὲ μετὰ τὴν ἀποβίωσιν ἑτέρῳ ἢ ἑτέρᾳ συναφθῆναι ἀνεχομένην. Εἰκότως τοίνυν ταύτῃ ἐοικέναι τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν φησὶ τὴν τῷ Χριστῷ συναφθεῖσαν, καὶ τὰς τῶν ἄλλων κοινωνίας διαφυγοῦσαν, καὶ μηδὲ μετὰ τὸν θάνατον αὐτοῦ καταλιπεῖν αὐτὸν ἀνεχομένην, ἀλλὰ ἀναμείνασαν τὴν ἀνάστασιν, καὶ ἀναμένουσαν αὐτοῦ τὴν δευτέραν παρουσίαν. Καὶ τὸν τράχηλον δὲ αὐτῆς ὁρμίσκοις ἐοικέναι φησί. Περιδέραιον δέ ἐστι τοῦτο, καὶ εἶδος κόσμου τὸν τράχηλον 9. How your cheeks have been beautified, as a turtle-dove! [M81.77] Your neck, as chains [of pearls]! But again, let us not understand “cheek” and “neck” in a fleshly way; rather, let us take [them] in terms of the mind, as indeed the divine Scripture in many places uses somatic names for the soul. The prophet Jeremiah says at one point, “My belly, I myself am pained in my belly,” yet he goes on to show that he is not speaking about this [literally] when he says, “and the sense-faculties of my heart” (Jer 4.19). At one point the blessed Paul says, “Straighten the weakened hands, and the paralyzed knees, and make straight tracks for your feet, so that the lame [limb] might not be dislocated, but rather be healed” (Heb 12.13), but the blessed Paul was not exhorting about hands, nor feet, nor a lameness that is visible, but rather he referred to the practical energies of soul with these names. In the same way, then, let us understand, Your cheeks have been beautified, as a turtle-dove! Your neck, as chains [of pearls]! For the Church, having been composed of many men and women, has some who are named cheeks, and some eyes, some ears, some mouths, and others hands, and others feet. The bridegroom praises, then, those who have a share of the dignity, and who have acquired the blush of reverence, and he says, “Your cheeks have been beautified, as a turtledove.” And those who have written compositions about the natures of animals say that the turtledove is not only fond of solitude, but also is moderate, and the male has intercourse with one female, and the female partners with one male, and not even after life’s end does she seek to be conjoined with another [male] or another [female]. Fittingly, then, to this [character of the turtledove], he says that the Church seems to have been conjoined to Christ, and flees partnerships with others, and not even after his death 35 καλλωπίζοντος. Ἐπαινεῖ δὲ αὐτὴν καλῶς ἕλκουσαν τὸν τῆς εὐσεβείας ζυγὸν, περὶ οὗ φησιν ἐν Εὐαγγελίοις ὁ νυμφίος· "Ἄρατε τὸν ζυγόν μου ἐφ' ὑμᾶς, ὅτι ὁ ζυγός μου χρηστὸς, καὶ τὸ φορτίον μου ἐλαφρόν ἐστι." Διὰ τοῦτο ἐν τοῖς Ἄσμασι θαυμάζει τὸν τράχηλον τὸν τοῦτον φέροντα τὸν ζυγὸν, ὡς οὐ δεόμενον τῆς ἔξωθεν κοσμήσεως, καὶ ἐπεισάκτου ὡραϊσμοῦ, ἀλλ' οἴκοθεν ἔχοντα τὴν εὐπρέπειαν, ὡς ἀπεικάζεσθαι γυμνὸν ὄντα ὁρμίσκοις ἄλλους τραχήλους κοσμοῦσι. Τούτων ὑπὸ τοῦ νυμφίου ῥηθέντων, ἀποκρίνονται καὶ οἱ δορυφόροι τοῦ νυμφίου, καὶ ὑπηρέται, καί φασι τῇ νύμφῃ· does she seek to forsake him, but she awaited the resurrection, and awaits his second coming.39 And he says that her “neck” is similar to “chains.” This is a necklace, and form of the ornament that beautifies the neck. He praises her for effectively drawing the yoke of piety, concerning which the bridegroom says in the Gospels, “Take up my yoke upon you, for my yoke is beneficial, and my burden is light” (Matt 11.29, 30). It is for this reason that he marvels in the [Song of] Songs at the neck which bears this yoke, as though not needing any external ornamentation, and alien beautification, but having her own native comeliness, such that [her neck] being bare is to be likened unto the chains which adorn other necks. After the bridegroom says these things, the bridegroom’s bearers of purple and attendants answer, and they say to the bride: ιʹ, ιαʹ. Ὁμοιώματα χρυσίου ποιήσομέν σοι μετὰ στιγμάτων τοῦ ἀργυρίου. Ἕως οὗ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐν ἀνακλίσει αὑτοῦ. Δοκοῦσι δέ μοι σημαίνειν ἐνταῦθα τὸν πρὸ τῆς παρουσίας τοῦ Δεσπότου Χριστοῦ [81.80] καιρόν· καὶ παραμυθοῦνται τὴν νύμφην, ὅτι Πάντα τὸν πρὸ τῆς ἀναστάσεως τοῦ βασιλέως καιρὸν ἡμεῖς σοὶ συνεσόμεθα, καὶ διακοσμήσομέν σε τῷ δυνατῷ κόσμῳ· καὶ οὐ καταλείψομέν σε ἕως ἀναστῇ, ἀλλὰ προσοίσομέν σοι ὁμοιώματα χρυσίου, καὶ στίγματα ἀργυρίου. Ἀκολούθως δὲ ἔφασαν ὁμοιώματα χρυσίου, καὶ οὐκ αὐτὸν τὸν χρυσόν· ἐπειδὴ μείζονα τοῦ νυμφίου τὰ δῶρα· τὰ δὲ τῶν ἐκείνου διακόνων οὐ τὴν ἴσην ἔχει δόξαν. Διὸ τοῖς θείοις Εὐαγγελίοις πλείονα προσφέρομεν τὴν τιμήν· τιμῶμεν δὲ καὶ νόμον, καὶ τοὺς προφήτας, καὶ τὰ τῶν ἁγίων ἀποστόλων συγγράμματα. Εἰκότως τοίνυν ἔφασαν οἱ τοῦ νυμφίου διάκονοι· "Ὁμοιώματα τοῦ χρυσίου ποιήσομέν σοι μετὰ στιγμάτων τοῦ ἀργυρίου, ἕως οὗ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐν ἀνακλίσει αὐτοῦ." Στίγματα δὲ ἀργυρίου καὶ ὁμοιώματα χρυσίου τὸ ποικίλον τῶν χαρισμάτων νοήσωμεν, καὶ τῆς περὶ ἡμᾶς ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ γινομένης προνοίας. Ἀπολαύομεν γὰρ καὶ τῆς παρ' ἀγγέλων βοηθείας· "Παρεμβαλεῖ γὰρ ἄγγελος Κυρίου κύκλῳ τῶν φοβουμένων αὐτὸν, καὶ ῥύσεται αὐτούς." Καὶ, "Τοῖς ἀγγέλοις αὑτοῦ ἐντελεῖται περὶ σοῦ, τοῦ 10, 11a. We will make for you likenesses of gold with marks of silver. Until the king is in his own reclining. Here they seem to me to signify the time before the appearing of the Master Christ [M81.80]; and they encourage the bride that “We ourselves will be with you the whole time before the resurrection of the king, and we will array you with a mighty ornament, and we will not forsake you until He arises, and we will offer to you likenesses of gold, and marks of silver.” They said “likenesses of gold” and not gold itself in consequence of the fact that the gifts for the bridegroom are greater, and the [gifts] of those who serve Him do not have an equivalent glory. Wherefore we offer a greater honor to the divine Gospels; and we also honor the law and the prophets, and the compositions of the holy apostles. Fittingly, then, the servants of the bridegroom said, “We will make for you likenesses of gold with marks of silver. Until the king is in his reclining.” Let us understand “marks of silver” and “likenesses of gold” as the variety of gifts, and of the providence of God that exists for us. For we also enjoy the assistance from angels, for “the angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear Him, and will save them” (Ps 33.8). And, “He will command His own angels concerning you, so as to protect you in all your ways” (Ps 90.11). Indeed, the law itself was given [through] ministering angels. Wherefore the Apostle says, “For if the Origen has a similar set of comments on “turtle-doves” in Comm. Cant. 2.7. Cf. Wright, ACCS 9, for references, including Hill’s translation of the present passage. 39 36 διαφυλάξαι σε ἐν πάσαις ταῖς ὁδοῖς σου." Καὶ ὁ νόμος δὲ αὐτὸς ἀγγέλων διακονούντων ἐδόθη. Διό φησιν ὁ Ἀπόστολος· "Εἰ γὰρ ὁ δι' ἀγγέλων λαληθεὶς νόμος ἐγένετο βέβαιος." Ἐν ὅσῳ τοίνυν ὁ βασιλεὺς ἀνακλίνεται καὶ ἀνίσταται, ἡμεῖς, φησὶ, τὰ δυνατὰ προσοίσομεν. Ἀνάκλισιν δὲ αὐτοῦ τὸν θάνατον προσαγορεύουσιν. Διὸ καὶ ὁ Βαλαὰμ προφητεύων φησίν· "Ἐξελεύσεται ἄνθρωπος ἐκ τοῦ σπέρματος αὐτοῦ, καὶ κυριεύσει ἐθνῶν πολλῶν·" καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· "Κατακλιθεὶς ἀνεπαύσατο ὡς λέων, καὶ ὡς σκύμνος, τίς ἀναστήσει αὐτόν; Οἱ εὐλογοῦντές σε εὐλόγηνται, καὶ οἱ καταρώμενοί σε κεκατήρανται." Ταῦτα δὲ καὶ ἐν τῇ προφητείᾳ τοῦ πατριάρχου Ἰακὼβ τῇ πρὸς τὸν Ἰούδαν εἰρημένῃ ἔστιν εὑρεῖν. law40 spoken through angels was firm” (Heb 2.2). While the king is reclining and rises up, we ourselves, he says, will offer what we can. He terms [his] death “his reclining.” Wherefore Balaam prophesies saying, “A man will come forth from his seed, and he will rule over many nations” (Num 24.7), and a little later, “Having reclined he rested as a lion, and as a cub, who will raise him? Those who bless you are blessed, and those who curse you are cursed” (Num 24.9). One can also find these things in the prophecy of the patriarch Jacob which was spoken in reference to Judah (Gen 49.8ff). (ιαʹ, ιβʹ) Τούτων ἄνωθεν οὕτω ῥηθέντων ὑπὸ τῶν τοῦ νυμφίου διακόνων, πάλιν ἡ νύμφη φησί· Νάρδος μου ἔδωκεν ὀσμὴν αὐτοῦ. (ιβʹ) Ἀπόδεσμος στακτῆς ἀδελφιδοῦς μου ἐμοί. Ζητητέον δὲ πρότερον, τί δήποτε αὐτὸν ἀδελφιδοῦν ὀνομάζει· νύμφην δὲ ἐδιδάχθημεν τὴν ἐξ ἐθνῶν Ἐκκλησίαν· ἀλλὰ καὶ γυναῖκα προτέραν τοῦ νυμφίου τὴν Ἰουδαίων πληθὺν, λαβοῦσαν βιβλίον ἀποστασίου εἰς τὰς χεῖρας αὐτῆς, διὰ τὴν οἰκείαν ἀκολασίαν. Ἀδελφαὶ δὲ τυγχάνουσιν· ἄμφω γὰρ τὸν Ἀδὰμ αὐχοῦσι πατέρα· ἀλλ' ὁ νυμφίος ἐκ τῆς προτέρας ἐβλάστησε κατὰ τὸ ἀνθρώπινον. Φησὶ γὰρ ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος· "Πρόδηλον δὲ ὅτι ἐξ Ἰούδα ἀνατέταλκεν ὁ Κύριος." Καὶ πάλιν· "Τῷ δὲ Ἀβραὰμ ἐῤῥέθησαν αἱ ἐπαγγελίαι, καὶ τῷ σπέρματι αὐτοῦ. Οὐ λέγει, Καὶ τοῖς σπέρμασιν, ὡς ἐπὶ πολλῶν, ἀλλ' ὡς ἐφ' ἑνός· Καὶ τῷ σπέρματι αὐτοῦ, ὅς ἐστι Χριστός." Καὶ περὶ τοῦ Δαβὶδ δέ φησιν ὁ μακάριος Πέτρος, ὅτι "Προφήτης [81.81] ὑπάρχων, καὶ εἰδὼς ὅτι ὅρκῳ ὤμοσεν αὐτῷ ὁ Θεὸς ἐκ καρποῦ τῆς ὀσφύος αὐτοῦ ἀναστήσειν τὸ κατὰ σάρκα τὸν Χριστὸν, προειδὼς ἐλάλησε περὶ τοῦ θανάτου, ὅτι "Οὐκ ἐγκατελείφθη ἡ ψυχὴ εἰς ᾅδου, οὐδὲ ἡ σὰρξ αὐτοῦ εἶδε διαφθοράν." Ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν ἀδελφαὶ τυγχάνουσαι, ἥ τε Ἰουδαίων πληθὺς, καὶ ἡ ἐξ ἐθνῶν Ἐκκλησία, ἐκείνης δὲ υἱὸς ὁ Χριστὸς τὸ κατὰ σάρκα, εἰκότως αὐτὸν ἀδελφιδοῦν ἡ νύμφη καλεῖ, ὡς τῆς ἀδελφῆς αὐτῆς υἱὸν γενόμενον κατὰ τὸ ἀνθρώπινον. [11b, 12a.] With the servants of the bridegroom having thus said the things above, again the bride says, My nard gives off his scent. (v. 12) My kinsman is to me a bundle of stacte. One must inquire first, why it is that she names him “kinsman.” We were taught that the bride is the Church from the gentiles, but also the former wife of the bridegroom which is the great mass of the Jews, which received a document of divorce in her hands (Jer 3.8), because of her own intemperance. They are sisters, for they both boast of [having] Adam as father, but the bridegroom sprouts forth from the former according to [his] humanity. For the blessed Paul says, “It is evident that the Lord has arisen from Judah” (Heb 7.14), and again, “The promises were spoken to Abraham, and to his seed. It does not say, ‘And to seeds,’ as though to many, but as though to One, ‘And to his seed,’ who is Christ” (Gal 3.16). And concerning David the blessed Peter also says, that “He being [M81.81] a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn an oath to him [that] He would raise up from the fruit of his loins the Christ according to the flesh, foreknowing [this] he spoke concerning [his] death, that ‘My soul was not abandoned to hades, nor did my flesh see corruption’” (Acts 2.3031; Ps 15.10). Since they are sisters, then, the great mass of the Jews and the Church from the gentiles, yet Christ is the son of the one according to the flesh, fittingly the bride calls him “kinsman,” since he came as son of her sister according to [his] humanity. 40 Variant reading, vs. λόγος. 37 Οὗτος τοίνυν ὁ ἀδελφιδοῦς μου ἐμοὶ καὶ νάρδος ἐστὶ, καὶ ἀπόδεσμος στακτῆς· πολλοῖς γὰρ αὐτὸν ὀνόμασι προσαγορεύω, ὑπὸ τῆς εὐοσμίας τοῦ μύρου αὐτοῦ καταθελγομένη, καὶ οὐ δύναμαι ἑνὶ ὀνόματι χρήσασθαι. Πάσας γὰρ ὁμοῦ τὰς προσηγορίας νικᾷ τῆς εὐοσμίας αὐτοῦ ἡ δύναμις· ἀλλ' ὑπὸ τῆς ἀγάπης αὐτοῦ νικωμένη, καὶ νάρδον αὐτὸν ὀνομάζω, καὶ ἀπόδεσμον στακτῆς προσαγορεύω. Νάρδον μὲν, ὡς καὶ ἀλιφέντα τῇ νάρδῳ τῇ πιστικῇ τῇ πολυτίμῳ, ἧς ἡ ὀσμὴ ὅλον τὸν οἶκον ἐπλήρωσε, τύπον ἔχοντα τῆς οἰκουμένης· ἐπλήρωσε γὰρ τῆς εὐώδους πίστεως τὴν οἰκουμένην ἡ ὑπὸ τῶν εὐσεβῶν τῷ Κυρίῳ προσενεχθεῖσα θεραπεία· ἀπόδεσμον δὲ αὐτὸν καλῶ στακτῆς, ἐπειδὴ αὐτὸς "Κατέβη ὡς ὑετὸς ἐπὶ πόκον, καὶ ὡσεὶ σταγὼν ἡ στάζουσα ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν." Κέκληται δὲ ὑπὸ τῶν προφητῶν καὶ σταγών· "Ἔσται γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐκ τῆς σταγόνος τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου συναγόμενος συναχθήσεται Ἰακώβ." Ἰστέον δὲ ὅτι ὁ Σύμμαχος, καὶ ὁ Ἀκύλας, σμύρναν τὴν στακτὴν ὠνομάκασι. Δηλοῖ δὲ ἡ σμύρνα τοῦ νυμφίου τὸν θάνατον, καὶ τὴν ἐκεῖθεν γενομένην εὐοσμίαν τῇ νύμφῃ. Προσέθηκε δέ· "Ἀναμέσον τῶν μαστῶν μου αὐλισθήσεται." Τουτέστιν ἐν τῷ ἡγεμονικῷ τῆς ψυχῆς μου, ὃ τῇ καρδίᾳ ἐπαναπαύεται μεταξὺ τῶν μαστῶν διακειμένῃ. Δηλοῖ δὲ τοῦτο τῆς προφητείας τὸ πέρας, τῆς ὑπὸ Θεοῦ λεγομένης· "Ἐνοικήσω ἐν αὐτοῖς, καὶ ἐμπεριπατήσω, καὶ ἔσομαι αὐτῶν Θεὸς, καὶ αὐτοὶ ἔσονταί μοι λαὸς, λέγει Κύριος παντοκράτωρ." Καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ νυμφίος ὑπισχνεῖται λέγων, ὅτι "Ἐλευσόμεθα ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ, καὶ μονὴν παρ' αὐτῷ ποιησόμεθα." Διὸ καὶ ὁ Παῦλος βοᾷ, "Ἢ δοκιμὴν ζητεῖτε τοῦ ἐν ἐμοὶ λαλοῦντος Χριστοῦ;" Τούτου χάριν ἡ νύμφη φησίν· "Ἀναμέσον τῶν μαστῶν μου αὐλισθήσεται. This “my kinsmen,” then, “is for me” both nard, and a bundle of stacte. For I would name him with many names, seeing as I am enchanted by the sweet-scent of his myrrh, and I am not able to use just one name, for the power of his sweet-scent vanquishes every appellation at once. But being overcome by his love, let me name him “nard,” and let me term [him] “a bundle of stacte.” [I call him] “nard,” on the one hand, because he was anointed by nard of pure quality and of great value, of which the scent filled the whole house (cf. Jn 12.3), which involves a type of the inhabited world; for the service (θεραπεία) that was offered to the Lord by the pious ones filled the inhabited world with the sweetscent of faith (cf. Matt 26.13). And I call him “a bundle of stacte” on the other hand, since he himself “descended as rain on a fleece, and as a drop that drops on the earth” (Ps 71.6).41 He was also called a “drop” by the prophets, for it says “It will be [that], from the drop of this people, Jacob will certainly be gathered together” (Mic 2.11-12). One should know that Symmachus, and Aquila, named stacte “myrrh.” The “myrrh” of the bridegroom indicates [his] death, and the sweet-scent that comes to the bride from it. Then he adds, “In the midst of my breasts he will lodge” (v. 12b). That is, in the principal part of my soul, which rests between the breasts where the heart is situated. This indicates the completion of the prophecy, which is spoken by God, “I will dwell within them, and I will walk about among [them], and I will be their God, and they will be for me a people, says the Lord almighty” (2 Cor 6.1642). The bridegroom himself promises, saying, that “I and the Father will come, and we will make [our] abode with him” (Jn 14.23). Wherefore Paul also cries out, “Or do you seek a proof of the Christ who speaks in me?” (2 Cor 13.3). For this reason the bride says, “In the midst of my breasts he will lodge.” ιγʹ. Βότρυς κύπρου ἀδελφιδοῦς μου ἐμοὶ ἐν ἀμπελῶσιν Ἐνγαδδί. Ἀποροῦσα ἡ νύμφη, ποῖον ὄνομα ἐπιθῇ τῷ νυμφίῳ, τῇδε κἀκεῖσε περινοστεῖ, καὶ πανταχόθεν προσηγορίας ἐρανιζομένη ἐπιτίθησιν αὐτῷ, ἐπειγομένη μὲν ὑπὸ τῆς ἀγάπης αὐτὸν καλεῖν, οὐ δυναμένη δὲ εὑρεῖν τὴν ἀξίαν προσηγορίαν. Διὸ πάλιν βότρυν αὐτὸν 13. My kinsman is to me a cluster of henna43 in the vineyards of Engaddi. The bride is looking for the sort of name she might apply to the bridegroom, and she goes about from this to that, and she applies to him appellations she collects from everywhere, hastening to call him by [her] love, yet she is unable to find an appellation worthy of him. Wherefore Rahlfs: καὶ καταβήσεται ὡς ὑετὸς ἐπὶ πόκον καὶ ὡσεὶ σταγόνες στάζουσαι ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν Per Lev 26.12; Ezek 37.27; Isa 52.11; 2 Sam 7.14; Isa 43.6. 43 Or camphor. 41 42 38 ὀνομάζει κύπρου, τουτέστι κυπρίζοντα, ἀντὶ τοῦ ἀνθεῖν ἀρξάμενον. Εὐώδης γὰρ ἡ ἄμπελος κατ' ἐκεῖνο τοῦ καιροῦ. Προστίθησι δὲ, [81.84] "Ἐν τοῖς ἀμπελῶσιν Ἐνγαδδὶ" τοιοῦτός ἐστιν εὐώδης. Εἰ μὲν οὖν τὸ χωρίον σημαίνει τὸ ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ, ὡς ἀμπελῶσι θαυμαστοῖς κεκοσμημένον, νοητέον τροπικῶς, ὅτι Ὑπὲρ ἐκείνας τὰς ἀμπέλους εὐώδης σου ὁ βότρυς ὑπάρχει. Εἰ δὲ διὰ τὴν τοῦ ὀνόματος σημασίαν τὴν προσηγορίαν τοῦ "Ἐνγαδδὶ" τέθεικεν, ὅπερ ἑρμηνεύεται ὀφθαλμὸς πειρατηρίου, νοητέον οὕτως, ὅτι Καὶ ἐν πειρασμοῖς ὑπάρχουσα, καὶ ὑπὸ πολλῶν πολεμουμένη, τῆς σῆς εὐοσμίας ἀντιλαμβάνομαι· καὶ τῶν κατὰ τὸν παρόντα καιρὸν ἀνθούντων ἀμπελώνων, τροπικῶς νοουμένων, πειρατηρίου δὲ ὄντων μέσον· πειρατήριον γάρ ἐστι ὁ βίος ἀνθρώπου ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς· προκρίνω τὴν εὐοσμίαν τοῦ κυπρίζοντος βότρυος. Εἰ δὲ ὁ ἄρτι ἀνθῶν τοιοῦτός ἐστι, σκοπητέον οἷος ὁ περκάζων καὶ εἰ ὁ περκάζων τούτου κρείττων, ἐνθυμητέον οἷος ὁ πέπειρος, καὶ ταῖς ληνοῖς ἐπιτήδειος. Ἡγοῦμαι γὰρ τὸν αὐτὸν, ἀναλόγως ταῖς πνευματικαῖς ἡλικίαις, τοῖς μὲν ἀνθεῖν, τοῖς δὲ ὀμφακίζειν, τοῖς δὲ ὑποπερκάζειν, τοῖς δὲ πέπειρον εἶναι, ὑπὸ δὲ τῶν τελείων πίνεσθαι· "Τὸ γὰρ ποτήριον αὐτοῦ μεθύσκον ὡσεὶ κράτιστον." Τούτων ὑπὸ τῆς νύμφης ῥηθέντων, πάλιν αὐτῇ ὁ νυμφίος προσδιαλέγεται, καί φησιν· again she names him “a cluster of henna,” that is, [one that is] blooming, instead of beginning to blossom. For the vine is fragrant according to its [proper] season. Then he adds, [M81.84] this fragrant [vine] is “in the vineyards of Engaddi.” If then he signifies the region that is in Judaea, as though adorned with marvelous vineyards, one must understand [this] figuratively, that “Your cluster is more fragrant than those vines.” But if he supplied the appellation of “Engaddi” on account of the signification of the name, which is interpreted “eye of trial,” one must understand in this way, that “Even while being in trials, and being warred against by many, I am helped by your sweet-scent”—with the vineyards blooming according to the present season being understood figuratively as being in the midst of trial, for “the life of man on the earth is a trial” (Job 7.1)— “I prefer the sweet-scent of the blooming cluster.” And if this person is still blooming, one must examine such a one who is turning dark and if the one turning dark is better than this, one must consider such a one that is ripe, and ready for the presses. For I think that this involves an analogy with spiritual statures, with those that are blooming, and those that are unripe, with those that are beginning to turn color, and with those that are ripe, and are to be drunk by the perfect, for “His cup intoxicates as the best [wine]” (Ps 22.5).44 With these things having been said by the bride, the bridegroom resumes his discourse to her, and says: ιδʹ. Ἰδοὺ εἶ καλὴ, ἡ πλησίον μου· ἰδοὺ εἶ καλή· οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου περιστεραί. Ἐπαινεῖ αὐτῆς πάλιν τὸ κάλλος, καὶ θαυμάζει τὴν ὥραν, καὶ τῷ διπλασιασμῷ τὴν εὐπρέπειαν αὐτῆς ἐκπλήττεται. Πρὸ δὲ πάντων τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτῆς ἐγκωμιάζει, καί φησιν· "Οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου περιστεραὶ," τουτέστι πνευματικοί· ἐν εἴδει γὰρ περιστερᾶς ἐπεφοίτησε τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, καὶ ἐνῴκησε τῷ νυμφίῳ. Διὰ τοῦτο οὐ λέγει, ὡσεὶ περιστερᾶς, ἀλλὰ "περιστεραὶ," τουτέστι πνευματικοὶ, χάριτος θείας πεπληρωμένοι, ἀχλύος ἐλεύθεροι, ἀνακεκαλυμμένῳ προσώπῳ τὴν δόξαν Κυρίου κατοπτριζόμενοι, καὶ τὴν αὐτὴν εἰκόνα μεταμορφούμενοι, ἀπὸ δόξης εἰς δόξαν, καθάπερ ἀπὸ Κυρίου Πνεύματος, καὶ δυνάμενοι λέγειν· "Ἡμῖν δὲ ὁ Θεὸς ἀπεκάλυψε διὰ τοῦ Πνεύματος αὐτοῦ." Ἀποκρίνεται πάλιν ἡ νύμφη, καί φησιν· 14. Behold you are beautiful, my companion; behold, you are beautiful; your eyes are doves. Again he extols her beauty, and he marvels at her elegance, and he is struck at her comeliness in double measure.45 Above all he praises her eyes, and he says, “Your eyes are doves,” that is [her] spiritual [eyes], for the Holy Spirit visited habitually in the form of a dove, and he indwelt the bridegroom. On account of this he does not say, “as it were a dove,” but “doves,” that is spiritual ones who have been filled with divine grace, are free of gloom, who with face having been unveiled are beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, and are being transformed according to the same image, from glory to glory, just as from the Lord Spirit (2 Cor 3.18), and who are able to say, “The Lord revealed to us through His Spirit” (1 Cor 2.10). Again the bride answers, and says: 44 45 See Origen, Comm. Matt. 17.8, for a fuller development of this typology. Referring to the repetition of “Behold, you are beautiful.” 39 ιεʹ, ιϛʹ. Ἰδοὺ εἶ καλὸς, ἀδελφιδοῦς μου, καί γε ὡραῖος πρὸς κλίνην ἡμῶν σύσκιον. Δοκοὶ οἴκων ἡμῶν κέδροι, φατνώματα ἡμῶν κυπάρισσοι. Μέχρι μὲν οὖν τοῦ παρόντος τὴν εὐοσμίαν αὐτοῦ διετέλει θαυμάζουσα· νῦν δὲ αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν ὥραν ἐκπλήττεται, φωτισθεῖσα τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς, καὶ πνευματικοὺς αὐτοὺς κτησαμένη, ὡς καὶ περιστερᾶς ὀνομασθῆναι· διό φησιν, ὅτι "Καλὸς καὶ ὡραῖος ὁ ἀδελφιδοῦς μου." Κλίνην δὲ, ὡς οἶμαι, τὴν θείαν καλεῖ Γραφήν· ἐν ᾗ ὅ τε νυμφίος καὶ ἡ νύμφη διαναπαυομένη κοινωνοῦσιν ἀλλήλοις κατὰ τὴν πνευματικὴν κοινωνίαν. Καὶ ὁ μὲν δίδωσι τοῦ λόγου τὰ [81.85] σπέρματα· ἡ δὲ δεχομένη συλλαμβάνει, καὶ κύει, καὶ ὠδίνει, καὶ βοᾷ μετὰ τοῦ προφήτου· "Διὰ τὸν φόβον σου, Κύριε, ἐν γαστρὶ ἐλάβομεν, καὶ ὠδινήσαμεν, καὶ ἐτέκομεν πνεῦμα σωτηρίας σου, ὃ ἐκυήσα μεν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς." Σύσκιον δὲ καλεῖ τὴν κλίνην, ὡς βοηθουμένην ὑπὸ τῆς τοῦ Πνεύματος χάριτος, καὶ τοῦ καύματος τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἀπηλλαγμένην. Ὅπερ γὰρ ἡ νεφέλη τῷ Ἰσραὴλ γέγονεν, τοῦτο ἡμῖν ἡ τοῦ Πνεύματος βοήθεια. Διὰ τοῦτό φησι· "Πρὸς κλίνην ἡμῶν σύσκιον. Δοκοὶ οἴκων ἡμῶν κέδροι, φατνώματα ἡμῶν κυπάρισσοι." Ταῦτα δὲ τὰ εἴδη τῶν ξύλων παρέλαβεν, ἐπειδὴ ἡ μὲν κέδρος ἔχει τὸ ἄσηπτον, ἡ δὲ κυπάρισσος τὸ εὐῶδες· ἀμφότερα δὲ παρὰ τῇ θείᾳ Γραφῇ ἔστιν εὑρεῖν, ἥτις ἡμῶν οὐ μόνον κλίνη, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἶκος τυγχάνει, καὶ τράπεζα, καὶ τροφή· καὶ οὐ μόνον τὴν εὐωδίαν παρέχει, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ἄσηπτον, καὶ τὸ ἀπαθὲς, καὶ ἀθάνατον ἐπαγγέλλεται. Εἰ δέ τις βούλοιτο οἴκους τῆς νύμφης, καὶ τὰς ἁπανταχοῦ γῆς καὶ θαλάσσης ἐκκλησίας καλεῖν, οὐ διαμαρτήσεται τῆς ἀληθείας· τῶν κέδρων καὶ τῶν κυπαρίσσων τροπικῶς νοουμένων· τῶν μὲν ὡς δοκῶν τιμιωτέρων· αἱ γὰρ δοκοὶ τὸν ὄροφον φέρουσιν· τῶν δὲ ὑποδεεστέρων, φατνωμάτων ὀνομαζομένων. Οὕτως ἐπαινεθεὶς ὁ νυμφίος ὑπὸ τῆς νύμφης διδάσκει, ὡς οὐδέπω τὸ ἀληθινὸν αὐτοῦ τεθέαται κάλλος, ἀλλ' ἔτι τῇ τοῦ κάλλους ἐνετρύφησε σκιᾷ. 15, 16. Behold, you are beautiful, my kinsman, and indeed comely unto our thickly-shaded bed. The beams of our houses are cedars, our ceilings are cypresses. She was continuing to marvel at his sweet-scent up to the present, but now she too is struck by his elegance, having been enlightened of eyes, and having acquired spiritual [eyes] themselves, such as are named “doves.” Wherefore she says that “My kinsman is beautiful and comely.” I think that she calls the divine Scripture a “bed” in which the bridegroom and the bride who is made to rest [there] commune with one another in accordance with a spiritual communion. On the one hand, he gives the seeds of the word, while she who receives [them] conceives, and is pregnant, and is in travail, and cries out with the prophet, “Because of your fear, O Lord, we were pregnant, and we were in travail, and we bore a spirit of your salvation, which I conceived on the earth” (Isa 26.17-18). She calls the bed “thickly-shaded,” since it is assisted by the grace of the Spirit, and has been freed from the heat of sin. For that “cloud” that came to Israel, that is the help of the Spirit to us. On account of this, she says, unto our thickly-shaded bed. The beams of our houses are cedars, our ceilings are cypresses. She took up these forms of trees, since the cedar is not liable to decay, and the cypress has sweet scent. Both of these are found in the divine Scripture, which is not only our “bed,” but is also a “house,” and “table,” and “nourishment.” It provides not only sweet scent, but it announces what is not susceptible to decay, and is impassible, and immortal. If one might wish to call the churches from everywhere over land and sea the “houses of the bride,” he would not err from the truth, with “cedars” and “cypresses” being understood figuratively, with those more honorable as “beams,” for the “beams” bear the roof, and those that more inferior being named “ceilings.” Being commended in this way by the bride, the bridegroom teaches how she has not yet beheld his true beauty, but has [only] yet reveled in the shadow of [his] beauty. 40

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Theodoret of Cyrus, Commentary on the Song of Songs--Translation & Notes

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