Zion, Jerusalem, and the Peace of Christ

cutting corners

“But I will be jealous for you.” He pre-announced these things by stirring her up, so that she would not fall to the threats, guarding the justice of the household undefiled. Zion and Jerusalem call the one being zealously loved so that she might no longer be exhausted by those attacking her toward evils, because of the virtues having come to her. For Zion is interpreted as a lookout, a settled commandment, and Jerusalem as a vision of peace; Zion is called by upward movement the one who looks not at the temporal things but the eternal things in order to do the commandments having been given.

Following such a state is the unmixed and undisturbed nature of those succeeding. And peace is seen, that of which Jesus says: “My peace I leave to you” (John 14:27). And this is given with divine grace from God the Father and Lord Jesus Christ, as Paul teaches. And both these things, peace and grace, I say, the Savior is. For it is said concerning him: “He is our peace” (Eph 2:14). And again, he who succeeds from it and through it says: “Not I” did these certain exploits succeed, “but the grace with me” (2 Cor 12:9). This grace and peace, God the Father providing, Jesus establishes them, granting himself to partake in the grace and peace of those having known him to be. May we also become such by good choice, so that we may not be abandoned, like a woman having dishonored her husband, becoming zealous ones desiring him.

Zach. 1:16: Because of this these things the Lord says: “I will return to Jerusalem in mercy, and my house shall be rebuilt in her,” says the Lord of hosts, “and a measuring line shall be stretched over Jerusalem still.” Since nothing happens by chance by the one providing for all things, because of this, causal conjunctions are often placed before things happening, God saying to those subject to his administration: instead of “these things you said or did,” “these things shall be brought to you.” Immediately indeed, even in the present word, there is carried the word having this manner: “Because of this these things says the Lord of hosts.” What is this, or the “I will be jealous for Zion and Jerusalem with great zeal” (Zechariah 1:14)? Since, “after my being angry a little, they attacked toward evils” (Zechariah 1:15) the enemies of those being envied, “I will return to Jerusalem in mercy” (Zechariah 1:16), pitying her like a protector and genuine helper, for he is a “father” to this.

Greek

ἐπικερτομοῦντες ἐπιχαιρεκάκῳ προαιρέσει, κονδυλίζοντες, πατοῦντες τοὺς παραδοθέντας. 1.58 Πρὸς τοὺς οὕτω ἀπανθρώπως καὶ θηριωδῶς προσενεχθέντας τοῖς παραδοθεῖσιν αὐτοῖς μέμφεται Θεὸς λέγων ἐν Ἠσαΐᾳ τῷ προφήτῃ· «Ἐγὼ ἔδωκα αὐτοὺς εἰς τὰς χεῖράς σου, σὺ δὲ οὐκ ἐποίησας αὐτοῖς ἔλεος· τοῦ πρεσβυτέρου ἐβάρυνας τὸν ζυγὸν καὶ εἶπας· Ἔσομαι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἄρχουσα.» Ὅθεν ὀργισθέντος σοι ἐμοῦ ἐξαίφνης ἥξει ἐπὶ σὲ ἃ ἠπείλησας διαθεῖναι οὓς ἐγὼ παρέδωκα οὐκ εἰς ἀπώλειαν, ἀλλ' ἵνα αἰσθηθέντες τῆς κατ' αὐτῶν ἐσομένης ἀπειλῆς, ἐπιστρέψωσιν πρὸς ἐμὲ τὸν κηδεμόνα. 1.59 Τίνα δὲ ἦν ἃ ἐκόμπασεν ἀπὸ ὑπερηφανίας καὶ θρασύτητος; «Ἐγώ εἰμι, φησίν, καὶ οὐκ ἔστι μετ' ἐμὲ ἔτι. Οὐ καθιῶ χήρα οὐδὲ γνώσομαι ὀρφανείαν.» Ταῦθ' ὑπερηφάνως καὶ ὠμῶς λελακυῖα, ἐξαίφνης Θεοῦ κρίσει ἀπροστασίαστος ὤφθη, οὐκ ἐπικουρουμένη ἔτι ὑπὸ πατρὸς καὶ ἀνδρός. Ταῦτα κατὰ νοῦν λαβόντες οἱ ἀρχὴν ἐγκεχειρισμένοι μὴ κατεξανιστάσθωσαν ὠμῶς ἐπιτιθέμενοι καθ' ὧν ἔσχον ὑποχειρίων ψήφῳ τῆς προνοίας δι' ἃς οἶδεν αὐτὴ αἰτίας. 1.60 Τί δ' ἐστὶν ὃ βούλεται Κύριος παντοκράτωρ διὰ τοῦ εἰπεῖν· «Ἐζήλωσα τὴν Σιὼν καὶ τὴν Ἰερουσαλὴμ ζῆλον μέγαν»; Ἦν μὲν γὰρ νύμφη καὶ σύνοικος τῷ Θεῷ Λόγῳ ἡ πνευματικῶς Σιὼν καὶ Ἰερουσαλὴμ προσαγορευομένη, ἥντινα πρὸς ὀλίγον καταλέλοιπεν λύσασαν τὰ πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα γαμικὰ δίκαια, ὡς εἰπεῖν αὐτὸν τὸν συνοικοῦντα αὐτῇ· «Ὡς ἀθετεῖ γυνὴ εἰς τὸν συνόντα αὐτῇ, οὕτως ἠθέτησεν εἰς ἐμὲ ὁ οἶκος Ἰσραήλ, λέγει Κύριος.» 1.61 Οὕτως παροραθείσης τῆς ποτε εὐγενῶς καὶ σεμνῶς θαλαμευομένης, πολλοὶ τῶν βλάπτειν ἐπιχειρούντων κακώσει αὐτὴν ὑπέβαλον, ἀτιμάζοντες, εἰς ἀσχημοσύνην ἄγοντες οἷά τινα ἀπροστασίαστον ἄνδρα οὐκ ἔχουσαν. Ἐφ' οἷς οἶκτον λαβὼν ὁ τῇ φύσει ἵλεω, ἤρξατο πάλιν ζηλοῦν αὐτήν. 1.62 6 Τούτου γὰρ γενομένου, οὐκέτι χώραν ἔχουσιν οἱ περιυβρίζειν βουλόμενοι, τοῦ ζηλοῦντος ἀνδρὸς φυγαδεύοντος ἀπὸ τῆς γαμετῆς τοὺς ἐπὶ βλάβῃ αὐτῆς ἐπιβαίνοντας· πάλιν φροντίζων γνησίως καὶ μετ' ἔρωτος συνοικῶν, ὡς καὶ πρότερον ὅπου οὔπω ἐγκαταλέλειπτο. 1.63 Ὅτι δ' ἔρρωται ἡ νόησις αὕτη καὶ ἐκ τοῦ προφήτου Ἰεζεκιὴλ ἔστιν μαθεῖν· ὀργισθεὶς γοῦν ὁ Θεὸς τῇ ἑβραϊκῇ πληθύϊ· «Οὐ φείσομαι ἐπὶ σοὶ ἔτι, εἶπεν, οὐδὲ ζηλώσω ἐπὶ σοί.» Προανεφώνει δὲ ταῦτα διεγείρων, ἵνα μὴ ὑποπέσῃ ταῖς ἀπειλαῖς, φυλάττουσα ἄχραντα τὰ τῆς συνοικήσεως δίκαια. 1.64 Σιὼν καὶ Ἰερουσαλὴμ καλεῖ τὴν ζηλουμένην ὅπως μηκέτι καταπονῆται ὑπὸ τῶν συνεπιτιθεμένων αὐτῇ εἰς κακά, διὰ προσούσας ἀρετάς. Σιὼν μὲν γὰρ ἑρμηνεύεται σκοπευτήριον, ἐντολὴ πεποιημένη, Ἰερουσαλὴμ δὲ ὅρασις εἰρήνης· Σιὼν κατ' ἀναγωγὴν καλεῖται ἡ μὴ τὰ πρόσκαιρα ἀλλὰ τὰ αἰώνια σκοποῦσα τῷ ποιεῖν τὰς δοθείσας ἐντολάς. 1.65 Ἕπεται δὲ τῇ τοιαύτῃ καταστάσει τὸ ἀσύγχυτον καὶ ἀτάραχον τῶν κατορθουμένων. Ὁρᾶται δὲ ἡ εἰρήνη ἡ περὶ ἧς ὁ Ἰησοῦς· «Εἰρήνην τὴν ἐμὴν ἀφίημι ὑμῖν.» ∆έδοται δὲ αὕτη μετὰ θείας «χάριτος ἀπὸ Θεοῦ πατρὸς καὶ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ», ὡς παιδεύει Παῦλος. Ἀμφότερα δὲταῦτα, ἡ εἰρήνη καὶ ἡ χάρις φημί, ὁ Σωτήρ ἐστιν. Εἴρηται γὰρ περὶ αὐτοῦ· «Αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ εἰρήνη ἡμῶν.» Καὶ πάλιν ὁ ἐξ αὐτῆς καὶ δι' αὐτῆς κατορθῶν λέγει· «Οὐκ ἐγὼ» τάδε τινὰ τὰ ἀνδραγαθήματα κατώρθωσα, «ἀλλ' ἡ χάρις σὺν ἐμοί». Ταύτην τὴν χάριν καὶ εἰρήνην Θεοῦ πατρὸς παρέχοντος, καὶ Ἰησοῦς ὑφίστησιν αὐτάς, ἐπιδοὺς ἑαυτὸν μετέχεσθαι τοῖς ἐγνωκόσιν αὐτὸν ὄντα χάριν καὶ εἰρήνην. 1.66 Γενοίμεθα καὶ ἡμεῖς προαιρέσει ἀγαθῇ τοιοῦτοι, ἵνα μὴ ἐγκαταλείπωμεν, οἷα ἀθετήσασα γυνὴ τὸν συνόντα, ζηλωτοὶ ποθητοὶ αὐτῷ τυγχάνοντες. 1.67 Zach. I, 16: ∆ιὰ τοῦτο τάδε λέγει Κύριος· Ἐπιστρέψω ἐπὶ Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἐν οἰκτιρμῷ καὶ ὁ οἶκός μου ἀνοικοδομηθήσεται ἐν αὐτῇ, λέγει Κύριος παντοκράτωρ, καὶ μέτρον ἐκταθήσεται ἐπὶ Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἔτι. 1.68 Ἐπεὶ οὐδὲν ὡς ἔτυχεν γίνεται ὑπὸ τοῦ προνοουμένου τῶν ὅλων, διὰ τοῦτο προτάττονται πολλάκις τῶν γινομένων αἰτιολογικοὶ σύνδεσμοι, τοῦ Θεοῦ λέγοντος πρὸς τοὺς ὑποκειμένους τῇ διοικήσει· ἀνθ' ὧν τάδε εἴπατε ἢ πεποιήκατε, τάδε ἐπαχθήσεται ὑμῖν. Αὐτίκα γοῦν καὶ ἐν τῷ προκειμένῳ ῥητῷ φέρεται ἡ οὕτως ἔχουσα λέξις· «∆ιὰ τοῦτο τάδε λέγει Κύριος παντοκράτωρ.» 1.69 Τί δ' ἐστὶ τοῦτο ἢ τὸ «ζηλῶσαί με τὴν Σιὼν 1.69 καὶ τὴν Ἰερουσαλὴμ ζῆλον μέγαν»; Ἐπείπερ, «ὀργισθέντος ἐμοῦ μικρά, συνεπέθεντο εἰς κακὰ» οἱ ἐχθροὶ τῶν ζηλωθέντων, «ἐπιστρέψω ἐν Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἐν οἰκτιρμῷ», οἰκτείρων αὐτὴν οἷα προστάτης καὶ γνήσιος ἐπίκουρος, «πατὴρ» γὰρ αὐτὸ τοῦτο

About this text

Didymus the Blind on Zechariah.

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