Demonstrating through words and character
And what is the name applied to this, and how they presented it, and why? For you will not have sufficient knowledge of the works of God if you stumble against them without agreeing. Indeed, study the works of God; what caused stumbling to others will give to you the knowledge of both the Maker and of the things made.
For who will be able to order the world? I remembered that they call it 'the cosmos' the ordered thing. And he who blames this is considered to be accepting it; according to this it is possible to say: 'Whom do you call parts of the world?' For they themselves are the cosmos. It is so that the world may not have accusations; especially these things are drawn toward providence. For not only are the creatures the works of God, but also those according to His judgment in providence. We say that now it appears to the Creator of the world, who is being provided for, to order it through death, he dies, and again he died. And he blames much of this. We say to him: 'How should it come to pass? Order re-order that which you think is disordered.' Therefore, no one has the power to say this. And indeed, it is for everyone to re-construct in this way, not saying the constructions. But reconstruction is after a construction, even if the man, having become through the word, does not call the construction the re-ordering. But nature is thus: whomsoever God turns away.
This is set down in the Levitical law concerning lepers. And this is the beginning of the law: if ever anyone receives a sensation of his body having become leprous, he shall approach the priest, and from the sign that one the priest would demonstrate, he would show him to be either a leper or not truly a leper, but a suspicion. And he says that the priest, having examined and finding that it is leprosy, 'shall defile him,' not that he performs the 'defiling' himself, but because he demonstrated him to be such a thing. But if he does not fall into it, he shall set him apart for a certain number of days. And after those, he shall be examined; if he remains healthy, the priest shall defile him. And a physician, indeed, observes a certain disease if the body is marked. And what he says, he does it as an unceasing remedy, demonstrating it as incurable. So, not always does the act of doing signify the actual performing, but sometimes...
To demonstrate. You also have in the Gospel what is said by the Jews, that 'being a man, you make yourself God' (John 10:34). For they do not say: 'Being a man, you are preparing yourself to be God', but rather 'From those things which you announce and promise to do, you demonstrate yourself to be God'. Thus, hearing also the phrase 'making himself equal to God', since 'he calls God his own father'. The offspring are equal to the one who begot, and by saying this one is father according to truth, you demonstrate that you have a father of your own as God.
Similarly, it should be taken when it says: 'God turns away' (2 Thess 2:11). For He does not reject by acting in that way, but demonstrates him to be such a person, as 'handing someone over to an unapproved mind', not by acting Himself. The handing them over to the unapproved demonstrates their state and that they have become such people by themselves. Therefore, when it is said that God turns away someone, He demonstrates him to be having been turned away.
Whom then God has rejected and demonstrated to be turned away, 'who is able to adorn them?'; 'but those turning away', He says, 'the Lord will lead away with the workers of lawlessness to the chains' (2 Thess 2:12). For not He himself leads them away against their will with those working lawlessness, but by their turning away of will, He demonstrated them to be such people.
Live in goodness in a day of goodness, and in a day of evil, behold, and this is in agreement with that. 'In the day of goodness'. A day of goodness is when virtue is present. And this of life is life-giving. Thus, to live as good is to live as a partaker of life; he is blessed among the blessed. Be, having the life-giving disposition. You shall live in it.
Regarding: 'in the day of goodness'? The state of the one having it. For often also the states signify the name of seasons and times. In a day of evil. Just as it is from the 'day of goodness' to live in the good, so in a day of evil it is to live poorly. But the 'poorly' was silenced, so that the word might not be too much of a necessity. This is in agreement with that, just as to think from prudence and to act from folly is an analogy, they do not have similarity. For this agrees with that according to analogy, not according to quality or quantity, nor of the...
Greek
καὶ τί τὸ ὄνομα κ̣ε̣ι´̣μενον κατὰ τούτ̣ου καὶ πῶς̣ πα̣ρέστησαν καὶ διὰ τί. οὔπ̣ω̣ γὰρ ι῾̣κανὴν γνῶσιν ἕξεις τῶν τοῦ θεοῦ ποιημάτων, εἰ προσκόψεις αὐτ̣ο̣ῖς οὐ συ̣νφρονῶν. ἐπίστησον μὲν τοῖς ποιη´̣μασ̣ι̣ν̣ τ̣ο̣υ῀̣ θεοῦ· ἃ ἄλλο̣ις προσκοπὴν εἰργάσα το, δώσει σο̣ι`̣ τ̣η`̣ν γνῶσιν καὶ τοῦ ποιοῦντος καὶ τω῀̣ν πεποιη̣μ̣ε´̣ν̣ων. ὅτι τίς δυνήσε̣τ̣αι̣ τ̣ου῀̣ κ̣ο̣σ̣μῆσαι. τὸν κόσμον ἐμνήσθ̣ην̣ ὅτι ἐνκαλοῦσιν. καὶ ὁ αἰτιώμενος τοῦτο ἐν δεχόμενον ἡγεῖται· κατὰ τούτου δύνατον εἰπεῖν ὅτι· τί ἐνκαλεῖς τισιν μέρεσιν τοῦ κο´̣σμου; ····· ···· ·α̣ι α̣ὐτά ἐστιν ο῾̣ κόσμ̣ος ἀνυπ̣··· νοση ἵν' ὁ κόσμος μὴ ἔχῃ ἐνκ̣λήματα ····μάλιστα ταῦτα εἰς τ̣ὰ κα̣τα`̣ τὴν πρό νοιαν ἕλκεται. οὐ μόνα γ̣α`̣ρ̣ τ̣ὰ κ̣τίσματα ποιήματα τοῦ θεο̣ῦ ἐστιν̣, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ κατὰ κρίσιν αὐτοῦ ἐν προνοίᾳ ····· ·····μ̣ε̣·· ἐλέγομεν ὅτι τ·ον ἄρτι δ̣ι̣κ̣··· φαίνεται τῷ δημιούργῳ τοῦ κόσμου τ̣ῷ προνο̣ο̣υ̣μ̣ένῳ τὸ ἀρτι τ̣ο̣κῆσαι δ̣ι̣·ο̣ν̣ ἀποθνῄσκε̣ι̣ν̣ ·μ̣· ε̣λ̣ι̣χ̣·······εν, ἀλλὰ ·· ε᾿̣σ̣τ̣ι̣ν̣ ··ε̣κ̣· η̣···· καὶ πάλιν ἀπέθανεν. καὶ μέμφεται ὁ πολὺς αὐτά. λ̣ε´̣γομεν αὐτῷ ὅτι· "πῶς ἂν ἔδει γενέσθαι, ἐπικόσμησον, ὃ νομίζεις διεστραμμένον εἶναι". οὐδεὶς οὖν ἔχει τοῦτο εἰπεῖν. καὶ πᾶσιν γοῦν ἐστιν οὕτως ἀνασκευάζειν οὐ λέγοντα τὰς κατασκευάς. μετὰ κατασκευὴν δὲ ἡ ἀνασκευή ἐστιν, κἂν μ̣ὴ τῷ λόγῳ ὁ ἄνθρωπος γενόμενος τὴν κατασκευὴν λέγῃ τῆς ἀνακοσμήσεως. ἀλλ' οὖν γε ἡ φύσις οὕτως ἔχει. ὃν ἂν ὁ θεὸς διαστρέψῃ. ἐν τῷ Λευιτικῷ νόμος περὶ λεπρῶν τέθειται. καὶ ἀρχὴ τοῦ νόμου αὕτη ἐστίν· εἴ ποτέ τις αἴσθησιν ἔλαβεν λεπρωθέντος αὐτοῦ τοῦ σώματος, προσήρχετο πρὸς τὸν ἱερέα, καὶ ἐκ σημειώσεως ἐκεῖνος ἀπεδείκνυεν αὐτὸν ἢ λεπρὸν ὄντα ἢ μὴ ἀληθῶς λεπρόν, ὑπονοούμενον δέ. καὶ λέγει ὅτι σημει ωσάμενος ὁ ἱερεὺς καὶ εὑρὼν ὅτι λέπρα ἐστίν, "μιανεῖ αὐτόν," οὐχ ὅτι αὐ 212 τὸς ἐνεργεῖ τὸ "μιᾶναι" ἀλ̣λ' ὅτ̣ι ἀπέδειξεν αυ᾿̣τὸν τοιου῀̣τον. ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ὑποπίπτῃ, ὣς ἀφορίζει αὐτόν τινας ἡμέρα̣ς. καὶ μετ' ἐκείνας ἀνέρ χ̣ε̣ται· ε᾿̣α`̣ν ἔνμονος μείνῃ, μιανεῖ αὐτὸν ὁ ἱερεύς. καὶ ἰατρὸς γοῦν ἐνορᾷ ἔν τ̣ινι πάθος, ε̣ἰ τὸ σῶμα σημειοῦται. κα̣ὶ ὃ λ̣ε´̣γει, ποιεῖ αὐτὸ ἀθεράπευτον, ἀνίατον ἀποδείκνυσιν. οὐ πάντως οὖν τὸ ποι̣ῆσαι τὸ ἐνεργῆσα̣ι δηλοῖ, ἀλλ' ἐν̣ίοτε τὸ ἀποδεῖξαι. ἔχεις γοῦν καὶ ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ ὑπὸ τῶν Ἰουδαίων λεγόμενο̣ν, ὅτι "σὺ ἄνθρωπος ὢν ποιεῖς̣ σεαυτὸν θεόν". μὴ γὰρ του῀̣τ̣ο λέγουσιν· κα̣ τ̣ασκευάζεις σεαυτὸν θεὸν ὢν ἄνθρωπος", ἀλλὰ "ε᾿̣ξ ὧν ἀπαγγέλλεις καὶ ἐπαγγέλλῃ π̣ο̣ι̣εῖν, ἀποδεικνύε̣ις σεαυτὸν θεὸν ε̣ἶναι". οὕτω̣ς̣ α᾿̣κ̣ου στέον καὶ τοῦ "ἴσον ἑαυτὸν π̣οιῶν τῷ θεῷ", ἐπεὶ "πατέρα ἴδιον λέ γει τὸν θεόν". ἴσ̣α δε´̣ ἐστιν τὰ γεννη´̣μα̣τα τ̣ῷ γεννήσαντι̣ καὶ ἐκ τοῦ κατ' ἀλήθ̣ειαν λε´̣γ̣ε̣ιν τοῦτον̣ πατέρα ἔχειν ἴδιον̣ σεαυτὸν ἀπ̣ο δεικνύεις θεόν. ὁμοίως λημπτέον, ὅταν̣ λέγῃ· "ο῾̣ θ̣ε̣ο`̣ς̣ διαστρέφει". διαστρέφει γὰρ μ̣ὴ οὕτως ἐν̣εργῶν, ἀλλὰ ἀπο̣δείκνυσιν 23 αὐτὸν τοιοῦτον, ὡς "παραδίδω σίν̣ τινα εἰς ἀδόκι̣μον νοῦν", οὐκ αὐτ̣ὸς ἐνεργῶν. τὸ παραδοθῆναι αὐτοὺς ἐν τ̣ῷ ἀδοκίμῳ ὄντα̣ς̣ ἀποδείκνυσιν κ̣αὶ α̣ὐτο̣υ`̣ς παρ' ἑαυτοὺς τοιού τους γεγε̣νημένους. ὅταν οὖν ὁ θεὸς διαστρέφειν λέγηταί τινα, ἀπο δείκνυσιν διεστραμμένον τ̣ο´̣τε̣. ὃν ο῾̣ θεὸς οὖν α᾿̣ποδοκίμασεν κ̣αι`̣ ἀπ̣έδειξεν διαστραφέντα, "τι´̣ς δ̣υ´̣ν̣α̣ται ἐπικοσμῆσαι;" "τοὺς δὲ ἐκκλίνοντας", φησίν, "εἰς τὰς στραγγαλιὰς ἀπάξει κύριος μετὰ τῶν ἐρ γαζομένων τὴν ἀνομίαν". μὴ γὰρ αὐτὸς αὐτοὺς μὴ βουλομένους ἀπάγει μετὰ τῶν τὴν ἀνομίαν ἐργαζομένων, ἀλλ' ἐκκλίνοντας π̣ροαιρέσει τῇ αὐτῶν ἀπέ δειξεν αὐτοὺς τοιούτους ὄντας. ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἀγαθοσύνης ζῆθι ἐν ἀγαθῷ καὶ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κακίας, ἰδέ, καί γε τοῦτο συμφώνως τούτῳ. "ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς ἀγαθοσύνης". ἀγαθοσύνης ἡμέρα ἐστίν, ὅταν ἀρετὴ προσῇ. ζωῆς δὲ αὕτη περιποιητική ἐστιν. οὕτω οὖν ἔχε τὸ ζῆν ὡς ἀγαθός, ὡς ζωῆς μετέχων· μακαρίζῃ ἐν μακαρίοις. ἴσθι τὴν ζῳοποιητικὴν ἔχων διάθεσιν. ζῶν ἔσο ἐν αὐτῇ. ἐπερ· "ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἀγαθοσύνης"; τὴν κατάστασιν τοῦ ἔχοντος. πολλάκις γὰρ καὶ αἱ καταστάσεις σημαίνον ται ὀνόματι καιρῶν καὶ χρόνων. ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κακίας. 213 ὡς ἔστιν ἀπὸ τῆς "ἡμέρας τῆς ἀγαθοσύνης" ὡς ἐν ἀγαθῷ, οὕτως ἐν ἡμε´̣ρᾳ τῆς κακίας ἐστὶν ζῆν φαύλως. ἀλλ' ἐσιώπησεν τὸ φαυ´̣λως, ἵνα μὴ λίαν ἀναγκαστικὸς ᾖν ὁ λόγος. σύνφωνον τοῦτο ἐκείνῳ ἐστίν, ὡς ἀπο`̣ τ̣η῀̣ς φ̣ρονήσεως τὸ φρονεῖν καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ἀφροσύνης τὸ ἀφραίνειν ἀναλογίαν, οὐ τὴν ὁμοιότητα ἔχουσιν. συμφωνεῖ γοῦν τοῦτο ἐκείνῳ κατὰ ἀναλογίαν, οὐ κατὰ ποιότητα ἢ ποσότητα οὐδὲ τῶν
About this text
Didymus the Blind on Ecclesiastes.
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Khazarzar scan
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- Copy-text PG (Khazarzar) (Greek)
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