The Seventy Years and the Nature of Prayer

oikonomia (household/management)

He asks: 'Tell me, when do you think that which is in Isaiah will be fulfilled?' 'And it shall be,' he says, 'after seventy years Tyre shall be restored to its ancient state' (Isaiah 39:7). From when of the seventy years are they counted? Not so that I may take them according to history, but seventy cycles of the sun of righteousness, seventy years. For the sun goes around, illuminating souls and making the doctrines of truth manifest and sending forth its rays. Therefore, when anyone is perfected and has reached the end of his progress, then the seventy years are established for him. As for the stated text, the deviation is not appropriate, but as a question, it is necessary.

Listen, O Lord, to my voice, which I have cried out (Psalm 142:1). I cried a voice to You, requesting what it would be good for me to have. And that which is paradoxical: it sends back a prayer of prayer; for he who entreats someone whose prayer has failed, offers a prayer in place of a prayer. Praying, I cried out to You again, beseeching, so that You might listen to this voice, which I cried out to You. For not everyone who cries according to the inner man cries to God, but he who says the things of God, bringing a petition to Him. The Sodomites also cry, but not to God: 'The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah has filled the heavens and their sins are very great' (Genesis 18:20). And concerning the Ninevites it is said: 'The cry of their wickedness ascended' (Jonah 3:4), the multitude of wickedness. And in Isaiah: 'I waited to do justice, but he made a cry instead' (Isaiah 5:7). Thus, the cry of the Sodomites is an injunction of wickedness.

But he who prays cries to God when he has an uplifted voice, when he prays concerning great things, not concerning trivial and contemptible things, the one requesting that good things might be given to him. And the other Evangelist, the Holy Spirit, interpreted the good things; for writing in the same place, Matthew says: 'He will give good things to those asking Him' (Matthew 7:11), while Luke says: 'He will give the Holy Spirit' (Luke 11:13). The Spirit, being one, is a multitude of good things according to His various gifts; for he who has the Holy Spirit has the gifts of the Spirit, which are many good things. And in essence He is one, but in His thoughts He is many good things, just as God is one in essence. It is said also that He is many according to various thoughts: good, unshakeable, unchangeable, fountain, light; and likewise the Savior is one.

Greek

πλεῖον δὲ εἶχεν οὗτος ὁ ἐνιαυτὸς τῶν ἄλλων ἐνιαυτῶν. ἐλέγομεν εἶναι καὶ ἑβδόμους ἐνιαυτοὺς καὶ ἑβδόμους μῆνας. ἐν τῷ πεντηκοστῷ ἐνιαυτῷ τῷ καλουμένῳ Ἰωβηλαίῳ καὶ χρ̣εοκοπία ἐγί νετο τῶν χρεῶν. ἐχαρίζοντο οἱ δανεισταὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ νόμου εἰς τοῦτο ἀγόμενοι, ἐχρεοκόπουν κατὰ τὴν δύναμιν, καὶ οὐδὲ τόκους εἰσεπράττετο. καὶ ἄλλο· αἱ οἰκίαι αἱ ἀποδεδομέναι καὶ οἱ ἀγροὶ λυτρωτοὶ ἐγίνοντο τῷ πεντηκοστῷ ἐνιαυτῷ. εἰ εἶχεν ὁ πωλήσας δοῦναι τὸ τίμημα, ἀπεκαθίστατο αὐτῷ ἡ κτῆσις ἑαυτοῦ ἣν εἶχεν πρότερον. ᾐνίττετο δὲ ὁ λόγος τοῦτο, ὅτι καὶ ἐάν τις τὴν πολιτείαν ἑαυτοῦ ἐκποιήσηται–πολλάκις δὲ ἡ πολιτεία οἰκία εἴρηται, ὡς τό· "ἐὰν ποιήσῃ τοὺς Ἰησοῦ λόγους ὁ ἀκούσας αὐτούς, οἰκοδομεῖ τὴν οἰκίαν ἑαυτοῦ". καὶ πάλιν· "ἐπεὶ ἐφοβοῦντο αἱ μαῖαι τὸν θεόν, ἐποίησαν ἑαυταῖς οἰκίας". ἄρα περὶ μόνων γυναικῶν μαιουμένων ταῦτα γέγραπται προηγουμένως· οὐκ εἶχαν γὰρ οἰκίαν καὶ πρότερον. διὰ τὸν φόβον τοῦ θεοῦ οἰκοδόμησαν οἰκίας ταύτας, τὰς πολιτείας τὰς ὀρθάς, τὰς σὺν φόβῳ θεοῦ κατορθουμένας. ἡ οἰκία ἤδη πεφανέρωται. καὶ τὸν ἀγρόν τις δὲ ἐκεῖνον, ὃν πρότερον εἶχεν καὶ ἠμέλησεν περὶ τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν αὐτοῦ, ἀναλαμβάνει ὥστε σπεῖραι πάλιν αὐτοῦ τὸ καλὸν σπέρμα, σπεῖραι εἰς δικαιοσύνην, τρυγῆσαι εἰς καρπὸν ζωῆς, γενήματα δικαιοσύνης συναγαγεῖν ἀπ' αὐτοῦ. μηδέποτε οὖν εἰς τὰς ἐπιγραφὰς τῶν ψαλμῶν σκόπει. οὗτος οὖν "πρὸ τοῦ χρισθῆναί" ἐστιν. ἐὰν ζητῇς τὴν ἐπιγραφήν, ἔδει μᾶλλον τοῦτον μὴ εἰκοστὸν ἑκτὸν εἶναι. ἔτι μὴν ὁ Ἀβεσσαλὼν ἐπέθετο τῷ πατρὶ μετὰ τὰ κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Οὐρίου· ὅσον ἧκεν εἰς τάξιν ἀριθμῶν, μετὰ τὸν πεντηκοστόν· καὶ τρίτος ἐπιγράφεται ὁ ψαλμὸς ἐκεῖνος. εἰς τὰς δυνάμεις τῶν ἀριθμῶν σκοποῦμεν καὶ οὕτω τὴν τάξιν τῶν νοημάτων ἐκλαμβάνομεν, οὐχ ἁπλῶς εἰς τοὺς ἀριθμούς. ἐρώτησέν μέ τις τὸ "πᾶσα σοφία παρὰ κυρίου", καὶ ἔλεγον ὅτι ἐὰν λέγῃ "πᾶσα σοφία", πᾶσαν τὴν κατ' εἶδος λέγει, ἐὰν δὲ λέγῃ "πᾶσα ἡ σοφία", μίαν ὅλην λέγει. ὡς καὶ ἐὰν λέγωμεν "πᾶσα ἡ πόλις", μίαν λέγομεν ὅλην, ὅταν δέ· "πᾶσα πόλις κατὰ νόμον διοικεῖται", οὐ μίαν λέγομεν, ἀλλὰ πάσας τὰς πόλεις. καὶ οἱ ἀριθμοὶ οὖν ἐν τοῖς πράγμασιν κεῖνται οὐ πρὸς ἄλλου τεθέντες ἢ ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ. πάντα δὲ ἐν σοφίᾳ ποιήσας καὶ τοὺς ἀριθμοὺς ἐν σοφίᾳ ἐποίησεν. ἐπεί, εἰπέ μοι, τὸ ἐν τῷ Ἰσαίᾳ πότε δοκεῖς πληροῦσθαι; "καὶ ἔσται", λέγει, "μετὰ ἑβδομήκοντα ἔτη ἀποκαταστήσεται Τύρος εἰς τὸ ἀρχαῖον", ἀπὸ πότε τῶν ἑβδομήκοντα ἐτῶν ἀριθμουμένων; οὐδὲ ὧδε, ἵνα κατὰ τὴν ἱστορίαν λαμβάνω109 μεν, ἀλλὰ ἑβδομήκοντα περιόδους τοῦ ἡλίου τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἐνιαυτοὺς ἑβδομήκοντα· περιοδεύει γὰρ ὁ ἥλιος τὰς ψυχὰς φωτίζων καὶ τὰ δόγματα τῆς ἀληθείας φανερῶν καὶ ἐκπέμπων τὰς ἀκτῖνας. ὅταν οὖν τις τελειωθῇ καὶ καταπαύσῃ τῆς προκοπῆς εἰς τὸ τέλος ἀφιγμένος, τότε συνέστη αὐτῷ τὰ ἑβδομήκοντα ἔτη. ὡς πρὸς τὸ ῥητὸν τὸ προκείμενον οὐκ οἰκεία ἡ παρέκβασις, ὡς δὲ πρὸς ἐρώτησιν ἀναγκαία. 7 εἰσάκουσον, κύριε, τῆς φωνῆς μου, ἧς ἐκέκραξα. φωνὴν ἔκραξα πρὸς σὲ αἰτούμενος, ἃ καλόν μοι ὑπαρχθῆ ναι. καὶ τὸ δὴ παράδοξον· εὐχῆς εὐχὴν ἀναπέμπει· ὁ γὰρ παρακαλῶν τινα τὴν φθάσασαν εἰσακουσθῆναι αὐτοῦ εὐχήν, εὐχὴν ἀντὶ εὐχῆς 74 προτείνει. εὐχόμενος ἐβόησα πρὸς σὲ πάλιν ἀπιών, ἵνα εἰσακούσῃς ταύτης τῆς φωνῆς, ἧς πρὸς σὲ ἐκέκραξα. οὐ πᾶς γὰρ ὁ κράζων κατὰ τὸν ἔσω ἄνθρωπον πρὸς θεὸν κράζει, ἀλλὰ ὁ τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ λέγων, ὁ αἴτησιν πρὸς αὐτὸν προσάγων. κράζουσιν καὶ Σοδομ̣ῖται, ἀλλ' οὐ πρὸς τὸν θεόν· "κραυγὴ Σοδόμων καὶ Γομόρρων πεπλήθυνται καὶ αἱ ἁμαρτίαι αὐτῶν μεγάλαι σφόδρα". καὶ περὶ Νινευιτῶν λέγεται ὅτι· "ἀνέβη ἡ κραυγὴ τῆς κακίας αὐτῶν", τὸ πλῆθος τῆς κακίας. καὶ ἐν τῷ Ἰσαίᾳ· "ἔμεινα τοῦ ποιῆσαι δικαιοσύνην, ἐποίησεν δὲ κραυγήν". ἐπίτασις οὖν κακίας ἐστὶν ἡ κραυγὴ Σοδομιτῶν. κράζει δὲ πρὸς θεὸν ὁ εὐχόμενος ὅταν ἐπιτεταμένην φωνήν, ὅταν περὶ μεγάλων εὔχηται, οὐ περὶ εὐτελῶν καὶ εὐκαταφρονήτων, ὁ αἰτούμενος ἵνα δοθῇ αὐτῷ ἀγαθά. τὰ δὲ ἀγαθὰ ἑρμήνευσεν ὁ ἕτερος εὐαγγελιστὴς τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα· τὸν αὐτὸν γὰρ τόπον γράφοντες ὁ μὲν Μαθαῖος λέγει· "δώσει ἀγαθὰ τοῖς αἰτοῦσιν αὐτόν", ὁ Λουκᾶς· "δώσει πνεῦμα ἅγιον". τὸ πνεῦμα δὲ ἓν ὂν κατὰ τὰ διάφορα αὐτοῦ χαρίσματα πλῆθος ἀγαθῶν ἐστιν· ὁ γὰρ τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα ἔχων ἔχει τὰ χαρίσματα τοῦ πνεύματος ἀγαθὰ ὄντα πλείονα. καὶ τῇ μὲν οὐσίᾳ ἕν ἐστιν, ταῖς δὲ ἐπινοίαις πολλὰ ἀγαθά. ὡς καὶ ὁ θεὸς εἷς ἐστιν κατ' οὐσίαν. λέγεται δὲ καὶ κατὰ διαφόρους ἐπινοίας πολλά· ἀγαθός, ἄτρεπτος, ἀναλλοίωτος, πηγή, φῶς· καὶ πάλιν ὁ σωτὴρ ὡσαύτως εἷς

About this text

Didymus the Blind on the Psalms.

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Khazarzar scan

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