Fragments on Ezekiel · §4 · Cyril of Alexandria

The Shepherd and the Water

…and fine, clear water, namely the instruction given through Moses, which was well able to guide them to the truth, in a way trampled the pasture and muddied the water as well (Ezekiel 34:18), setting a thick, material teaching, full of earthly impurity, before those who followed them as sheep follow rams.

“And I will raise up over them one shepherd … my servant David” (Ezekiel 34:23). That he says such things about Christ is easy to see. For when the blessed David had already died and was already lying in the tomb, the blessed Ezekiel prophesied; and God the Father made the promise as one that would come to pass in due time, not as one already fulfilled. For promises concern what is yet to be, not what has already been done.

Greek

λεπτὸν δὲ καὶ διειδὲς ἔχοντες ὕδωρ τὴν διὰ Μωϋσέως παίδευσιν οὐκ ἀνικάνως ἔχουσαν ποδηγεῖν εἰς ἀλήθειαν, κατεπάτουν τρόπον τινὰ τὴν νομήν· συνετάραττον δὲ καὶ τὸ ὕδωρ, παχεῖάν τινα καὶ ὑλώδη καὶ γαιώδους ἀκαθαρσίας ἀνάπλεων παρατιθέντες διδασκαλίαν τοῖς ἐν τάξει προβάτων ἀκολουθοῦσιν αὐτοῖς ὡς κριοῖς. Καὶ ἀναστήσω ἐπ' αὐτοὺς ποιμένα ἕνα ... τὸν δοῦλόν μου ∆αβίδ. Cat. f. 225.) Ὅτι δὲ περὶ Χριστοῦ τὰ τοιαῦτά φησιν, ἀταλαίπωρον ἰδεῖν· προτετελευτηκότος γὰρ ἤδη τοῦ μακαρίου ∆αβὶδ καὶ ἐν τάφοις ἤδη κειμένου, προεφήτευσε μὲν ὁ μακάριος Ἰεζεκιήλ. Ἐποιεῖτο δὲ τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν ὁ Θεὸς καὶ Πατὴρ ὡς ἐσομένην κατὰ καιροὺς, καὶ οὐχ ὡς ἤδη τετελεσμένην· ἐπὶ γὰρ τοῖς ἐσομένοις αἱ ὑποσχέσεις, οὐκέτι τοῖς ἤδη πεπραγμένοις. 1

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About this text

Cyril of Alexandria's comments on single verses of Ezekiel, kept in the catenae: the wings of the living creatures, the disciples as doves on the mountains, why Noah, Daniel and Job are named, the cedar shoot planted from David's line, the ordinances that were not good, the Levites who fed on the flock and muddied its water, and the promise of one shepherd, which Cyril reads of Christ. A fresh English translation from the Greek.

A fresh English translation made from the Greek text printed in PG 70 (Fragmenta in Ezechielem). No published English version was used for its wording.

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Translated from PG 70 (Greek)

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