The Measurement of Jerusalem and the Young Man
Having been assigned the interpretations of the Savior, whom the prophet Jeremiah shows, saying: 'Behold, a man, Rising is his name' (Jer 27:2). And Rising is called 'the true light.' And John the Baptist said concerning him: 'A man comes after me who has become before me' (John 1:15).
This man, being a builder of Jerusalem, architecturally measures its width and length, having previously laid its foundations and having been cast down, and after the destruction which he underwent from the coming of wars and those capturing her, so that he may lay the foundations in the proper places, symmetrically and in order, upon which it was fitting for her walls to be raised.
And there was shown to the prophet a geometric measuring line, woven from various architectural threads, so that the previously prophesied might be fulfilled in: 'And a measure shall be stretched out over Jerusalem yet again' (Zech 2:2). And not far from the Savior being the architect, according to what was said concerning 'the city of the Lord of Powers,' that: 'God has founded it for eternity,' the apostle Paul is writing in concert concerning this divine city, which is expected by all those having pleased through faith, thus: 'For they received the city having foundations, of whom God is the craftsman and builder' (Heb 11:10).
The angels and holy men who rebuild with him, like excellent craftsmen, hold the aforementioned geometric measuring line in his hand called the practical power. Paul indeed writes concerning himself: 'As a wise architect, I laid a foundation' (1 Cor 3:10).
Furthermore, in Ezekiel, a man is seen holding a builder's rod and a reed to measure and found the holy temple of God (Ezek 40:5). In such a way he measured and crafted the building, it is possible to know, the one reading the prophet.
Since therefore the Savior is also shown to be the builder of the upper and spiritual Jerusalem, and even more he shall be shown by the Father pointing him out and saying: 'This one shall build my city,' and those contributing as both angels and men to the rebuilding of the city, according to all the clarifications assigned, ought to follow the man shown by the prophet Zechariah saying: 'Behold, a man, and in his hand a geometric measuring line' (Zech 2:1), and: 'Where is he going?' (Zech 2:2) so that...
By chance, one holding the geometric cord approaches to measure how much the width and length of Jerusalem is. For he is taking care to build well, knowing the location and the opportunity of the plots, so that each of the parts of the city, having been taken with appropriate width and length, may place the divisions, temples, monasteries, streets, and squares in harmony, so that in these streets the wisdom of God may carry itself with boldness, being proclaimed on the edges of the city walls according to what is philosophized in Proverbs, as if to say to those guarding this holy city to proclaim Him within it and upon its walls, day and night, by no means being silent but always speaking things for the salvation of its citizens.
Thrice Jerusalem has been often assigned by analogy, both of the visible soul and of the 'glorious Church not having a pillar or a support' because of holiness and fullness, and of the heavenly city of the living God, in every way to have its width and length measured by him having the geometric cord in his hand, a man being assigned by him having the reason of wisdom and knowledge. And behold, the angel speaking in me stood. And another angel was coming out to meet him, and said to him, saying: 'Run and speak to that young man there, saying.' He says that he saw the angel standing speaking in himself, and another angel coming out saying to him: 'Running, say to this young man what it is time to say.'
In many ways it has been interpreted before what it is that is spoken in the prophet by a divine angel and how this is made manifest, especially when the promise comes from another angel coming out. For it is not possible for the things being announced to be heard while remaining within and by oneself, but by coming out through condescension. Indeed, the showing of the things of the mystery happens not toward a man but toward a young man. For just as the holy man is a young man toward the divine angels, especially when he exists clothed as a young man, as it was said concerning him in the divine Proverbs such as this: 'A young man with the holy one, and his way is straight.' For how...
Greek
ἀποδοθεισῶν ἑρμηνειῶν ὁ Σωτήρ, ὃν δεικνὺς ὁ προφήτης Ἰερεμίας εἶπεν· «Ἰδοὺ ἀνήρ, ἀνατολὴ ὄνομα αὐτῷ.» Ἀνατολὴ δὲ κέκληται ὢν «φῶς ἀληθινόν». Καὶ Ἰωάννης δὲ ὁ βαπτιστὴς περὶ αὐτοῦ εἶπεν· «Ὀπίσω μου ἔρχεται ἀνὴρ ὃς ἔμπροσθέν μου γέγονεν.» 1.104 Ὁ ἀνὴρ οὗτος οἰκοδόμος ὢν τῆς Ἰερουσαλήμ, ἀρχιτεκτονικῶς 10 τοὺς θεμελίους αὐτῆς καὶ πρότερον ἱδρύσας καὶ καταβαλόμενος, καὶ μετὰ τὴν καθαίρεσιν ἣν ὑπέμεινεν ἐπελθόντων πολεμίων τῶν καὶ αἰχμαλωτισάντων αὐτήν, διαμετρεῖ τὸ πλάτος καὶ μῆκος αὐτῆς, ἵν' εὐρύθμως καὶ τεταγμένως ἐν οἷς δεῖ τόποις τὰς κρηπῖδας καταβάληται ἐφ' ὧν προσῆκον ἦν ἐγερθῆναι αὐτῆς τὰ τείχη. 1.105 Ἐδείχθη δὲ τῷ προφήτῃ γεωμετρικὸν ἔχων σχοινίον, ἐκ ποικίλων λόγων ἀρχιτεκτονικῶν πεπλεγμένον, ἵνα πληρωθῇ τὸ προεπηγγελμένον ἐν τῷ· «Καὶ μέτρον ἐκταθήσεται ἐπὶ Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἔτι.» Οὐκ ἀπεικὸς δὲ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἀρχιτέκτονος ὄντος, κατὰ τὸ λεχθὲν περὶ «τῆς πόλεως Κυρίου τῶν δυνάμεων», τό· «Ὁ Θεὸς ἐθεμελίωσεν αὐτὴν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα», συνῳδὰ γράφοντος τοῦ ἀποστόλου Παύλου περὶ τῆς θείας ταύτης πόλεως, προσδοκωμένης ὑπὸ πάντων τῶν διὰ πίστεως εὐαρεστησάντων, οὕτως· «Ἐξεδέχοντο γὰρ τὴν τοὺς θεμελίους ἔχουσαν πόλιν ἧς τεχνίτης καὶ δημιουργὸς ὁ Θεός.» 1.106 Τοὺς συνοικοδομοῦντας αὐτῷ ἀγγέλους καὶ ἄνδρας ἁγίους, οἷα τεχνίτας ἀρίστους, ἐν τῇ πρακτικῇ δυνάμει αὐτοῦ χειρὶ καλουμένῃ, τὸ προειρημένον σχοινίον γεωμετρικὸν κατέχει. Παῦλος γοῦν περὶ ἑαυτοῦ γράφει· «Ὡς σοφὸς ἀρχιτέκτων θεμέλιον ἔθηκα.» 1.107 Ἔτι μὴν ἐν τῷ Ἰεζεκιὴλ ἀνὴρ ὁρᾶται κατέχων σπαρτίον οἰκοδόμων καὶ κάλαμον ἐπὶ τῷ μετρῆσαι καὶ θεμελιῶσαι τὸν ἅγιον τοῦ Θεοῦ ναόν. Οἵως δὲ διεμέτρησεν καὶ ἐτεχνίτευσεν τὴν οἰκοδομήν, γνῶναι ἔξεστιν ἀναγνόντα τὸν προφήτην. 1.108 Ἐπεὶ τοίνυν καὶ ὁ Σωτὴρ οἰκοδόμος τῆς ἄνω καὶ πνευματικῆς Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἀποδέδεικται, καὶ ἔτι μᾶλλον δειχθήσεται τοῦ Πατρὸς δεικνύντος αὐτὸν καὶ λέγοντος· «Οὗτος οἰκοδομήσει τὴν πόλιν μου», καὶ οἱ συμβαλλόμενοι ἄγγελοί τε καὶ ἄνθρωποι εἰς τὴν ἀνοικοδομὴν τῆς πόλεως, κατὰ πάσας τὰς ἀποδοθείσας σαφηνείας ἐκλημπτέον τὸν δεικνύμενον ἄνδρα ὑπὸ Ζαχαρίου τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος· «Ἰδοὺ ἀνὴρ καὶ ἐν τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ σχοινίον γεωμετρικόν», καί· «Ποῦ πορεύῃ;» ἵνα ἀποκρίσεως τύχῃ πρὸς τοῦ ἔχοντος τὸ γεωμετρικὸν σχοινίον τοῦ διαμετρῆσαι πηλίκον τὸ πλάτος καὶ μῆκος τῆς Ἰερουσαλήμ ἐστιν· 1.109 φροντίζοντος γὰρ τοῦ καλῶς οἰκοδομῆσαι τὸ τὴν τοποθεσίαν καὶ τὴν εὐκαιρίαν τῶν χωρίων γνῶναι, ἵν' ἕκαστα τῶν μερῶν τῆς πόλεως, καταλλήλου εὔρους καὶ μήκους καταλημφθέντος, ἁρμονίως τὰ τεμένη καὶ οἱ ναοί, λαῦραί τε καὶ ἀγυιαὶ καὶ πλατεῖαι τιθῶσιν, ὥστε ἐν ταύταις ταῖς πλατείαις παρρησίαν ἄγῃ ἡ Θεοῦ σοφία, κηρυττομένη ἐπὶ ἄκρων τῶν τειχέων τῆς πόλεως κατὰ τὰ ἐν Παροιμίαις φιλοσοφούμενα, ὡς αὐτὸν τὸν Θεὸν εἰπεῖν τοῖς φρουροῦσιν τὴν ἱερὰν ταύτην πόλιν κηρύττειν ἐν αὐτῇ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν τειχέων αὐτῆς ἡμέρας καὶ νυκτός, οὐδαμῶς σιωπῶντας ἀλλὰ ἀεὶ λέγοντας τὰ πρὸς σωτηρίαν τῶν πολιτῶν αὐτῆς. 1.110 Τριχῶς τῆς Ἰερουσαλὴμ πολλάκις ἀποδοθείσης κατὰ ἀναγωγήν, τῆς τε ἐναρέτου ψυχῆς καὶ «τῆς ἐνδόξου Ἐκκλησίας σπίλον ἢ ῥυτίδα οὐκ ἐχούσης» διὰ ἁγιότητος πληρότητα καὶ τῆς ἐπουρανίου τοῦ ζῶντος Θεοῦ πόλεως, κατὰ πάντας τοὺς τρόπους πλάτος καὶ μῆκος μεμετρῆσθαι τῆς Ἰερουσαλὴμ ὑπὸ τοῦ τὸ γεωμετρικὸν σχοινίον ἔχοντος ἐν τῇ χειρὶ ἀνδρὸς ἀποδοτέον ὑπὸ τοῦ ἔχοντος λόγον σοφίας καὶ γνώσεως. 1.111 Zach. II, 7®8: Καὶ ἰδοὺ ὁ ἄγγελος ὁ λαλῶν ἐν ἐμοὶ εἱστήκει. Καὶ ἄγγελος ἕτερος ἐξεπορεύετο εἰς ἀπάντησιν αὐτοῦ, καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτὸν λέγων· ∆ράμε καὶ λάλησον πρὸς τὸν νεανίαν ἐκεῖνον λέγων. 1.112 Τὸν ἄγγελον τὸν λαλοῦντα ἐν ἑαυτῷ ἑστῶτα ἑωρακέναι φησίν, καὶ ἕτερον ἄγγελον ἐκπορευόμενον λέγοντα αὐτῷ· ∆ράμων εἰπὲ πρὸς τὸν νεανίαν τοῦτον ἃ καιρός ἐστιν εἰπεῖν. 1.113 Πολυτρόπως ἡρμήνευται πρότερον τί ἐστιν τὸ ἐν τῷ προφήτῃ λαλούμενον ὑπὸ θείου ἀγγέλου καὶ πῶς τοῦτο φανεροῦται, μάλιστα ὅταν ὑπὸ ἑτέρου ἀγγέλου ἐκπορευομένου ἡ ἐπαγγελία γίνηται. Οὐ γὰρ οἷόν τε ἔσω καὶ καθ' ἑαυτὸν μένοντος τὰ ἀπαγγελλόμενα ἀκούεσθαι, ἀλλ' ἐκπορευομένου διὰ συγκαταβάσεως. 1.114 11 Ἀμέλει γοῦν οὐ πρὸς ἄνδρα ἀλλὰ νεανίαν δεικνύμενον τὰ τῆς μυσταγωγίας γίνεται. Ὡς γὰρ πρὸς τοὺς θείους ἀγγέλους ὁ ἅγιος ἀνὴρ νεανίας ἐστίν, μάλιστα ὅταν τὸν νέον ἄνθρωπον ἐνδεδυσμένος ὑπάρχῃ, ὡς λεχθῆναι περὶ αὐτοῦ τὸ ἐν ταῖς θείαις Παροιμίαις οὕτως ἔχον· «Νεανίσκος μετὰ ὁσίου καὶ εὐθεῖα ἡ ὁδὸς αὐτοῦ.» Πῶς γὰρ
About this text
Didymus the Blind on Zechariah.
Original English Translation — new OET from PG Greek.
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.