The Practical Life and the Soul as City
Commentaries on Ecclesiastes. 'Abundance of the earth is in everything, a king of the cultivated field is there' (Eccl 4:6). In the literal sense: no one is lord, master, or ruler of a field while it is being blamed for bearing 'thorns and thistles' (Eccl 2:6); but of a cultivated field, there is a king. He calls the king the owner. In the literal sense: if you see a cultivated field, know that it has a master and a king; just as if you see a chariot being driven in the manner of a charioteer, you realize you are receiving the impression of a charioteer; and if you see a ship being rowed and it must be steered in a certain way, you receive the impression of a pilot, even if you do not see him.
And those who occasionally introduce the idea that God's providence rules all things, say, if they are constructing something, that it is providence; just as a fabric clearly shows that there is a weaver, even if the weaver does not appear, so one, seeing a cultivated field, receives the impression that it has a leader and a ruler. Furthermore: about whom then does he speak according to the literal sense? About the fields, saying regarding the king, the master, the owner, the one who cultivates: he names the king more appropriately. We sometimes call God lord and master. But it is also more powerful and more public to say so, if one sees a soul like a cultivated field, having been tilled, with offspring and wood and a multitude of offspring. For 'one carried a hundred, another sixty, another thirty' (Ps 126:2). When you see, therefore, a soul thus being farmed and having 'sown in tears' (Ps 126:5) and having itself ready for 'reaping in joy' (Ps 126:6), of this cultivated thing there is a king, a word meaning a leader, a word meaning one ruling and reigning.
But one should also take another analogy: the Church of God, according to the pious doctrines and the ethical works, and those who practice them, are called a field. When, therefore, one has according to the ecclesiastical canon and law and the mental dispositions and...
The practical life is a king for this field, because it has worked. But when you see false teachers and "churches committing adultery", know that this field has not worked truly; it does not have a king who praises it, but rather a tyrant or a robber. For robbers and tyrants especially pursue the wilderness.
And according to various thoughts, the soul is called sometimes a field and sometimes a city. And it is said concerning it: "The rivers of which the banks rejoice in the city of God" (Ps 46:4). And again: "You have been glorified, O city of God" (Ps 87:3). The soul, being thus disposed and having a straight canon of logic, is ready to receive the Word.
Indeed, it is sometimes guarded by the world of the word and from those received through induction, but sometimes in a way other than how the following intends, let us take some starting point to depart from the history. "He who loves silver will not be filled with silver" (Eccl 5:10). As for the literal sense: the one desiring material things is never filled, but if it were possible for him to have all things under his own control, he would have loved this; therefore he is not insatiable of these things. It can be said concerning silver here: "it is not praised". For the one loving "the words of the Lord" will also be filled with "refined silver". For he does not always know "in part", nor, having transitioned from "out of the fullness", does he remain in the "from the fullness", but he will encounter eventually to approach "face to face" (1 Cor 13:12) the truth and to acquire the very "fullness" of the mind of Christ. Therefore, the discourse is concerning fake silver.
Greek
Commentarii in Ecclesiasten 145 καὶ περισσεία γῆς ἐν παντί ἐστιν βασιλευ`̣ς τοῦ ἀγροῦ εἰργασμένου. πρὸς τὸ ῥητόν· οὐδεὶς κύριος καὶ δεσπότης καὶ ἄρχων ἀγροῦ ἐστιν ἠρη μωμένου "ἀκάνθας καὶ τριβόλους̣" φέροντος· τοῦ εἰργα̣σμε´̣νου δὲ ἀγροῦ ἐστι̣ν βασιλεύς. βασιλέα δὲ τὸν κτήτορα λέγει. ὡς πρὸς τὸ ῥητόν· ε᾿̣α`̣ν ἴδῃς εἰργασμένον ἀγρόν, ἴσθι ὅτι ἔχει δεσπότην̣ καὶ βασιλέα, ὥσπ̣ερ, ε᾿̣α`̣ν̣ ἴδῃς τέθριππον διευθυνόμενον ἡνιοχικῶς, φαν τασίαν ἡνιόχου λαμβάνεις, καὶ ἐα`̣ν ναῦν θεωρήσῃς οἰακιζομένην καὶ ὁ`̣ν δεῖ τρόπον πηδαλιουχουμένην, λαμβάνεις ἔννοιαν κυ̣βερνήτου, κἂν μὴ ὁρᾷς αὐτο´̣ν. κα̣ὶ ἁπαξαπλω῀̣ς οἱ εἰσάγον̣τ̣ε̣ς̣ τ̣ὸ πρόνοιαν θεοῦ ἄρχειν τῶν ὅλων λέγουσιν, ἐὰν κατασκευάζωσιν, ὅτι ἔστιν πρόνοια, ὅτι· ὥσπερ ὕφασμα φανερῶς δε̣ι´̣κνυσιν, ὅτι ἔστιν ὑφάντης, κἂν μὴ φανῇ κἂν φαί νηται, οὕτως ὁ ἀγρὸν εἰργασμένον βλέπων φαντασίαν δέχεται, ὅτι ἡγού μενον καὶ ἄρχοντα ἔχει. ἐπερ· περὶ τίνος οὖν λέγει κατὰ τὸ ῥητόν; περὶ τῶν ἀγρῶν τῶν α᾿̣········τ̣ων βασιλέα λέγων, τὸν δεσπότην, τὸν κτήτορα, τὸν γεοῦχον, ο᾿̣νομ̣α´̣ζ̣ει καταχ̣ρ̣ηστικώτερον βασιλέα. τὸν κύριον καὶ δεσπότην ποτε`̣ οὕτω λέγομεν. δυνα̣τ̣ο`̣ν̣ δὲ καὶ οὕτω δημοσιώτερον εἰ πεῖν· ὅταν ἴδῃς ψυχὴν ὥσπερ ἀγρὸν εἰργασμ̣ένην, τεθηλυῖαν, γενήματα καὶ ξύλα καὶ ····· ····· ····· ····· ····· ····· ····· ···δ̣··κ̣···κ̣·· ε̣··η̣··· 146 γενημάτων πληθύς. ὁ μὲν γὰρ "ἑκατόν, ὁ δὲ ἑξήκοντα, ὁ δὲ τριάκοντα ἐκαρ̣ ποφόρησεν". ὅταν ἴδῃς οὖν ψυχὴν οὕτω γεωργουμένην καὶ "σπείρασαν ἐν δάκρυσιν" καὶ καὶ ἑτοίμως ἔχουσαν πρὸς τὸ "ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει θερίσαι", τούτου τοῦ εἰργαςμένου ἔστιν βασιλεύς, λόγος ἡγούμενος, λόγος κρατῶν καὶ βασιλεύων. λημπτέον δὲ καὶ κατὰ ἄλλην ἀναγωγήν· ἡ ἐκκλησία τοῦ θεοῦ ἡ κατὰ τὰ δόγματα τὰ εὐσεβῆ καὶ τὰ ἠθικὰ ἔργα καὶ οἱ μετίοντες αὐτὰ λέγονται ἀγρός. ὅταν ο̣ὖν κατὰ κανόνα ἐκκλησιαστικὸν καὶ θεσμὸν καὶ τὰ φρονήματα ἐ´̣χ̣ῃ καὶ ὁ πρακτικὸς βίος, τούτου τοῦ ἀγροῦ ἔστιν βασιλεύς· εἰργασμένος γάρ̣ ἐστιν. ὅταν δὲ ἴδῃς ἑτεροδιδαςκαλοῦντας καὶ "ἐκκλησίαν πονηρευομένων", ἴσ̣θι̣ ὅτι̣ μὴ ἀληθῶς εἴργασται οὗτος ὁ ἀγρός, οὐκ ἔχει βασιλέα̣ τοῦ τον τὸν ἐπα̣ι̣ν̣ούμενον, ἀλλὰ τύραννόν τινα ἢ λ̣ῃ̣στη´̣ν̣. οἱ γὰρ λῃσταὶ μὲν̣ καὶ οἱ τύραννοι μάλιστα τὰ ἔρημα μ̣ε̣ταδιώκουσιν. καὶ κατὰ διαφόρους ἐπιν̣οίας ἡ ψυχὴ ὁτὲ μὲν ἀγρός, ὁτὲ δὲ πο´̣λ̣ι̣ς λέγεται. λε´̣γ̣εται̣ δ̣ὲ περὶ αὐτῆς· "τοῦ ποταμοῦ τα`̣ ὁρ̣μ̣ήματα εὐφραί νουσιν τὴν π̣όλιν τοῦ θεοῦ". καὶ ἔτι· "δεδοξασμένα ε᾿̣λαλήθη περὶ σοῦ, ἡ πόλις τοῦ θεοῦ". ἡ οὕτω διακειμένη ψυχὴ κα̣ι`̣ ο῾̣ κ̣α̣νο´̣να ἔχων̣ λ̣ο´̣γ̣ο̣ν̣ ὀρ̣ θ̣ο`̣ν̣ ἑτοίμως δ̣ε´̣χ̣ετα̣ι····· ····· ····· ··· 147 φυλάττετα̣ι γοῦν ἐνίοτε καὶ ο῾̣ κόσμος τῆς̣ λέξεως καὶ ἐκ τῶν κατ' ἀνα γωγὴν λ̣α̣μβανομένων, ἐνίοτε δὲ ἑτέρως ἢ ὡς ἡ ἀκολούθη̣σ̣ις βούλεται, τινὰ ἀφορμὴν λάβωμεν ἀποστῆναι τῆς ἱστορίας. αγα ἀγαπῶν ἀργύριον οὐ πλησθη´̣σεται ἀργυρίου. ὡς πρὸς τὸ ῥητόν· ὁ ὀρεκτικὸς τ̣ῶν χρημάτων οὐδέποτε πληροῦται, α᾿̣λ̣λ̣' εἰ οἷόν τε ἦν αὐτῷ τὰ πάντ̣α ὑφ' ἑαυτὸν ἔχειν, ἠγάπησεν ἂν τοῦτο· οὐκ ἀνόρεκτος οὖν ἐστιν τούτων. δύναται λεχθῆναι περὶ ἀργυρίου ὧδε οὐκ ἐπαινετοῦ. ὁ γὰρ ἀγαπῶν "τὰ λόγια κ̣υ̣ρ̣ι´̣ο̣υ̣" ὄντα "ἀργύριον πεπυρωμένον" πληρωθήσεταί π̣ο τε. οὐ γὰρ α᾿̣ε̣ὶ "ε᾿̣κ μέρους" γιγνώσκει οὐδὲ τ̣ῶν̣ "ἐκ̣ τοῦ πληρώματος̣" μεταλαβὼν με´̣νει ἐν τῷ "α᾿̣πὸ το̣υ῀̣ π̣ληρώματος̣", ἀλλὰ καταντήσεταί πο τε εἰς τὸ "πρόσωπον πρὸς πρόσωπον" π̣ροσβαλεῖν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ κα̣ὶ αὐτὸ τὸ "πλήρωμα̣" τῆς γνώμης τοῦ Χριστοῦ κ̣τ̣α῀̣σθαι. περὶ ψεκτοῦ τοίνυν ἀργυρίου ἐστὶν̣ ὁ λο´̣γ̣ος̣. δεη̣···· ······στιν οὗτος κα· ····· ··δ̣ι̣ς πᾶς φαῦλος̣ λ̣········· ··· οὐδέποτε πληροι῀̣ ····· ···· εὑρισκόμενος̣ ···δ̣······ ··· ἐὰν γ̣οῦν ····· ε····· ···κα̣ταλύεται πᾶν σόφισ̣μ̣α αὐτ̣ο̣υ῀̣ ····· ····· ··· ····· ····· ····· ····δ̣········κ̣αι`̣ μ̣··τ̣·ς̣ καὶ
About this text
Didymus the Blind on Ecclesiastes.
Catalogue & scope
Khazarzar scan
Witnesses
- Copy-text PG (Khazarzar) (Greek)
This is an AI-assisted study translation. Source fidelity and completeness have not been independently certified. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.