The Assyrian and the Seven Shepherds
the weight of the sixth verse
The devil himself is defeated against you. When he approaches and draws near and finds strong ones, then he is destroyed.
Something like this was also mentioned a little ago regarding what was said in Isaiah: 'Before a child is known to call father or mother, he shall take the power of Damascus and the raids of Samaria against Assyria the king' (Isaiah 7:8). It was not a great thing if he 'had taken the power of Damascus,' that is, the nations, and 'having taken the raids of Samaria' he 'would deliver' if the 'Assyrian' had gone away. As if someone holds a territory in the absence of the ruling king and takes it, it is not a great thing, nor is 'peace' secure; for 'coming' that one will avenge the things taken in his absence. But when, in the presence of the defender, it is taken from him, they are strong and, having the deepest 'peace,' they are the ones removing his things.
Therefore he says that 'this peace' is the true one. 'This peace' is when 'the Assyrian, having come into your land,' is defeated, when he is rendered helpless, being unable to 'raid' from the 'land' because of his own weakness. 'And seven shepherds shall arise against him,' he says—the holy ones before the visitation, as it was said, because the Sabbath named 'seven'—'and eight marks of men' after the visitation who believed. These 'bite' and cause him pain. For the wording in the Scripture means this: 'But if you bite and devour one another' (James 2:15-16); and in Habakkuk again concerning this same evil one, it is said that 'suddenly they shall arise, biting him' (Habakkuk 1:5). Contrary to expectation, those from the nations who once 'shall arise' against him cause him pain, 'biting him.'
He therefore says that the holy ones before the visitation 'shall arise against the Assyrian, seven shepherds,' so that you may take all the prophets before the visitation, these patriarchs, as these 'shepherds,' not standing on the number 'seven' which is divided into five and two, but on the mystery of the week. Those who had 'left the Sabbath to the people of God for forty years' found 'rest of soul' through Jesus—for 'you shall find rest for your souls' (Matthew 11:29)—these are in the true Sabbath and are named by him through the 'seven.' They are said...
Greek
39 "ἐκοπίασαν"· ὅτε προσεληλύθασιν, τότε̣ "προσκυνήσουσίν σοι" ·········ε̣········? ἀδύνα τόν ἐστιν προσιέναι τῷ "φωτὶ" ········· κα̣ι`̣ τῇ ἀρετῇ τὸν μ̣·····οντα "ἐν τῇ ἀγνοίᾳ" καὶ κακίᾳ· ὅσον γὰρ ἥδεται καὶ τέρπεται οὐ πρόσεισιν. 11,2a δὸς μερίδα τοῖς ἑπτὰ καί γε τοῖς ὀκτώ. θεωρεῖς ὅτι ἡ ἐπιφορὰ τοῦ ἑξῆς στίχου οὐκ ἐπιτρέ πει πρὸς ῥητὸν τὸ "ἐξαπόστειλον τὸν ἄρτον σου" λαβεῖν. "δίδωσιν μέρος τοῖς ἑπτὰ" ὁ προσιέμενος τὴν παλαι ὰν γραφὴν τὴν πρὸ τῆς ἐπιδημίας τοῦ ςωτῆρος· κα λεῖται δὲ "ἑπτὰ" διὰ τὸν σαββατισμόν. "δίδωσιν μέρος τοῖς ὀκτὼ" ὁ παραδεξάμενος τὴν τοῦ ςωτῆρος ἀνά στασιν· μετὰ γὰρ τὸ σάββατον γενομένη α̣ὕτη ἐστίν. οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι "τοῖς ἑπτὰ διδόντες" οὐ "δεδώκασιν τοῖς ὀκτὼ" καὶ διὰ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐσώθησαν. οἱ ἀπὸ τῶν αἱρέσεων πάλιν παραιτοῦνται τὸν νόμον καὶ τὴν παλαιὰν γραφήν· διὰ τὸ μὴ "διδόναι τοῖς ἑπτὰ μερίδα" ἐξ έπεσαν τοῦ σκοποῦ. καὶ ἵνα ἀκριβέστερον εἴπω, οὐ δὲ ὁ Ἰουδαῖος μὴ "διδοὺς τοῖς ὀκτὼ μερίδα δίδωσιν τοῖς ἑπτά", οὐδὲ ὁ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν "δίδωσιν τοῖς ὀκτὼ" μὴ "διδοὺς μέρος τοῖς ἑπτά", τοῖς προαναφωνήσασιν τὴν ὀγδοάδα. καὶ ὥσπερ ἐὰν λέγομεν ὅτι ἔστιν ἦθος ἔχειν ῥερυθμισμένον ἄνευ θείας γνώσεως καὶ δοκεῖν θείαν 318 γνῶσιν ἔχειν ἄνευ πρακτικοῦ βίου, καὶ λέγομεν ὅτι πρα κτικὸς βίος ἄνευ γνώσεως, θεωρητικὸς β̣ίος ἄνευ πράξε ως, τὸ δὲ ὅλον οὐδὲ οὗτος ὠφελεῖ οὐδὲ ἐκεῖνος. ἐκεῖ νος γὰρ τοῦ συνεζευγμένου ἀπολειπόμενος ἀσθενέστερός ἐστιν καὶ ἀνωφελής. ὁ ἐκκλησιαστικῶς μόνως φρονῶν, ἐκεῖνος "δίδωσιν καὶ τοῖς ἑπτὰ καὶ τοῖς ὀκτὼ μερίδα". ἑτερολέξως ε᾿̣ν̣ τῷ Μιχέᾳ λέξι̣ς δ̣ιάνοιαν ταύ την ἔχουσα· λέγει ἐκεῖ γὰρ "καὶ αὕτη ἔσται εἰρήνη, ὅτ αν Ἀσσοὺρ ἐπέλθῃ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ὑμῶν καὶ ὅταν δράμῃ ἐπὶ τὰ ὅρια ὑμῶν, καὶ ἐπεγερθήσονται ἐπ' αὐτὸν ἑπτὰ ποιμένες καὶ ὀκτὼ δήγματα ἀνθρώπων, καὶ ποιμανοῦσιν τὸν Ἀσσοὺρ καὶ ἐν ῥομφαίᾳ καὶ τὴν γῆν τοῦ Νεβρὼν ἐν τῇ τάφρῳ αὐτῆς". τὸ μέρος τ̣οῦ ρ῾̣ητοῦ τούτου τινὲς ἐξήτασαν λέγοντες ὅτι “πῶς "εἰρήνη" γίνεται, "ὅταν ἐπ̣ έλθ̣ῃ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν" τῆς ψυχῆς ἡμῶν "ὁ Ἀσσοὺρ καὶ ὅταν ἐπιβῇ ἐπὶ τὰ ὅρια" αὐτῆς; τ̣ότε τάραχον ἐργάζεται”. καὶ ἔλεγον τοῦτο ὅτι ὅσον μακράν ἐστιν οὗτος ο···· ··–πονηρὰ δὲ δύναμίς ἐστιν̣, ? α̣υ᾿̣τ̣ὸς ὁ διάβολος– ἡττᾶται πρὸς ὑμῶν. ὅταν δὲ ἐγγίσῃ καὶ πλησιάσῃ καὶ ι᾿̣σ̣χυ̣ροὺς εὑ´̣ρ̣ῃ, τότε καταλυ´̣ε̣τ̣α̣ι̣. τοιοῦτόν τι καὶ πρὸ ὀλίγου μνημονευθέντος τοῦ ἐν Ἰ σαΐᾳ εἶπον· "πρὶν ἢ γνῶναι τὸ παιδίον καλεῖν πατέρα ἢ μητέρα, λήμψεται δύναμιν ∆αμασκοῦ καὶ τὰ σκῦλα τῆς Σα μαρίας ἀπέναντι Ἀσσοὺρ τοῦ βασιλέως". οὐ μέγα ἦν, εἰ "εἰλήφει τὴν δύναμιν ∆αμασκοῦ", τουτέστιν τὰ ἔθνη, καὶ "τὰ σκῦλα τῆς Σαμαρίας λαβὼν" "παραδώσει", εἰ ἀπῇ ὁ "̓Ασσύριος". ὡς ἐάν τις κρατῇ χώρας ἀπόντος τοῦ κρα τοῦντος βασιλέως καὶ λάβῃ αὐτήν, οὐ μέγα ἐστὶν οὐδὲ "εἰ ρήνη" ἐστὶν ἀσφαλής· "ἐπελθὼν" γὰρ ἐκεῖνος ἐκδικήσει τὰ λημφθέντα τῇ ἀπουσίᾳ αὐτοῦ. ὅταν δὲ παρόντος τοῦ ὑπερασπίζοντος ληφθῇ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ, ἰσχυροί εἰσιν καὶ "εἰ ρήνην" βαθυτάτην ἔχοντες ο̣ι῾̣ ἀφαιροῦντες τὰ ἐκείνου. τοῦτο οὖν λέγει ὅτι "αὕτη εἰρήνη" ἐστὶν ἡ ἀληθῶς. "αὕ τη εἰρήνη" ἐστίν, ὅταν "ἐπελθὼν ὁ Ἀσσύριος εἰς τὴν γῆν ὑμῶν" ἡττηθῇ, ὅταν ἀπορηθῇ μηδὲν δυνάμενος "σκυλεῦ σαι" ἀπὸ τῆς "γῆς" διὰ ἀσθένειαν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ. "καὶ ἐπεγερθήσονται", φησίν, "ἐπ' αὐτὸν ἑπτὰ ποιμέ νες"–τοὺς πρὸ τῆς ἐπιδημίας ἁγίους, ὡς εἶπον, διὰ 319 τὸ σάββατον "ἑπτὰ" ὠνόμασεν–"καὶ ὀκτὼ δήγματα ἀν θρώπων" μετὰ τὴν ἐπιδημίαν πιστεύσαντα. "δάκνουσιν" οὗτοι καὶ πόνον αὐτῷ ἐνποιοῦσιν. ἡ λέξις γὰρ ἐν τῇ γραφῇ τοῦτο σημαίνει· "εἰ δὲ ἀλλήλους δάκνετε καὶ κατεσθίετε"· καὶ ἐν τῷ Ἁμβακοὺμ πάλιν περὶ τοῦ αὐτοῦ τούτου τοῦ πονηροῦ λέγεται ὅτι "ἐξαίφνης ἀναστήσονται δάκνοντες αὐτόν". παρὰ προσδοκίαν οἱ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν οἵ ποτε ὑπ' αὐτὸν "ἀναστήσονται" πόνον αὐτῷ ἐνποιοῦντες, "δάκνοντες αὐτόν". λέγει οὖν ὅτι οἱ πρὸ τῆς ἐπιδημίας ἅγιοι "ἐπεγερθή σονται ἐπὶ τὸν Ἀσσύριον ἑπτὰ ποιμένες", ἵνα πάντας τοὺς προφήτας πρὸ τῆς ἐπιδημίας, αὐτοὺς τοὺς πατριάρ χας τούτους πρὸς τούτους "ποιμένας" λάβῃς, οὐκ ἐπὶ τὸν "ἑπτὰ" ἀριθμὸν ἱστάμενον τὸν τεμνόμενον εἰς πέντε καὶ δύο, ἀλλὰ εἰς τὸ μυςτικὸν τῆς ἑβδομάδος. οἱ τὸν 40 "ἀπολειπόμενον σαββατισμὸν τῷ λαῷ τοῦ θε οῦ" ἐσχηκότες εὕροντες διὰ Ἰησοῦ "ψυχῆς ἀνάπαυ σιν"–"εὑρήσετε" γὰρ "ἀνάπαυσιν ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὑμῶν"– οὗτοι ἐν τῷ ἀληθινῷ σαββάτῳ εἰσὶν καὶ παρονομάζονται ἀπ' αὐτοῦ διὰ τοῦ "ἑπτά". λέγο̣νται̣
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.