Turning away from the Divine Words
Looking toward the Lord of all, the speaker says: 'If I remembered you on my bed in the watches, I meditated on you' (Psalm 63:6).
But also the one fasting does the same, having the words of God in memory, as if speaking boldly to God: 'God, my God, toward you I rise early' (Psalm 43:27). The prophet Isaiah, having this same zeal, said: 'My spirit rises toward you in the night, O God' (Isaiah 26:9). Believe that it has the same mind and that which is thus announced: 'At midnight I arose to confess to you' (Psalm 119:62).
He who is thus zealously disposed toward the words of God, having turned them into works, grasps them upon his practical power, the hand called allegorically, so that having them before his eyes, he may contemplate the beauty of their thought, whether they be shaken or unshaken—for I said there are two kinds of writing of the word. And the words and the meanings completed from them are shaken before the eyes of the heart when we act according to what has been legislated.
Or are the words grasped upon the hand and understood and practiced not shaken, indicating the other writing of the unshaken, which is said before the eyes of the legislated, the permanent and certain of the established things, agreeing with the prophetic here: 'The word of the Lord remains forever' (Psalm 119:89), and with the words of the Psalmist: 'All his commandments are sure, established unto the age of ages' (Psalm 119:152). According to this thought, 'the words of Jesus shall not pass away, even if heaven and earth pass away' (Matthew 24:35).
He who is secured through all the things contemplated, having the words of the Lord in heart and soul, and speaking in them while being at home or walking on the way, looking and fasting, will by no means be inattentive or disobedient, nor again 'will he give heed to one acting foolishly.' How then will he who is disobedient in paying attention give heed to one acting foolishly?
This happens when someone becomes so foolish as to have the most corrective things said to him, beginning from the ninety-fourth Psalm: 'God said to the sinner: Why do you recount my judgments and take up my covenant by your mouth? But you hated instruction and cast out my words...'
Not toward the back. For how have they not turned away from the divine commands, having given them neglect, 'the one running with a thief and after committing adultery, setting his own portion,' doing the same things as those who transgress, turning away from: 'You shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal' (Exodus 20:14-15), and the laws given along with these.
2.164 It happens that they stumble and disregard those to whom the words of God have been given as a matter of neglect, just as they have turned away from the very one to whom the words belong. For each of those persisting thus and cutting short, dishonors the Lawgiver God, transgressing what has been legislated, as the Apostle says regarding the one who falsely and with deceit claims to have the truth and guards what God has legislated: 'He who boasts in the law, by the transgression of the law, dishonors God' (Romans 2:29), as it was said by this dishonored God toward those who have perverted the will, as if not only to cast the divine words into the background, but also to give neglect to the one to whom the words belong, turning away crudely: 'They turned their neglect toward me and not toward their faces,' which is necessary for the enlightened one of the inner man to have the face as the cause of all good, just as it is said by the wise one through whom all things unclear and hidden of wisdom are revealed: 'Toward you I lifted up my eyes, the one dwelling in heaven' (Psalm 123:1); and again: 'My eyes are toward the Lord always, because he will deliver my feet from the snare' (Psalm 25:15).
2.165 Not only did these wanderers not do this, but they also showed neglect with an unslumbering eye to the overseer, having gone entirely after Baal and regarding all idolatry as to worship and adore evil demons, those hidden among soulless statues, enjoying itching and smoke, and incantations and other things, being burned upon altars built lawlessly and most impiously.
2.166 But how has it come to pass for the ill-fated to give neglect, disregarding what is brought forth: 'For they made their ears heavy, he says, not to listen, and they set their heart disobedient, not to listen to the divine law and words of which the Lord the Pantokrator spoke in his Spirit' (Ezekiel 3:7).
2.167 For someone makes his own ears heavy, not those of the body, for this is not upon us, but those of the soul; by pre-choice.
Greek
κοιταζόμενος ὁ φάσκων τῷ δεσπότῃ τῶν ἁπάντων· «Εἰ ἐμνημόνευόν σου ἐπὶ τῆς στρωμνῆς μου ἐν τοῖς ὄρθροις ἐμελέτων εἰς σέ»; 2.158 Ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ δια2.158 νιστάμενος τὸ αὐτὸ ποιεῖ, διὰ μνήμης ἔχων τὰ Θεοῦ λόγια, ὡς παρρησιάζεσθαι πρὸς τὸν Θεόν· «Ὁ Θεός, ὁ Θεός μου πρὸς σὲ ὀρθρίζω.» Ταύτην τὴν σπουδὴν καὶ ὁ προφήτης Ἠσαΐας ἔχων εἶπεν· «Ἐκ νυκτὸς ὀρθρίζει τὸ πνεῦμά μου πρὸς σέ, ὁ Θεός.» Ἐπίστησον εἰ τὴν αὐτὴν ἔχει νόησιν καὶ τὸ οὕτω ἀπαγγελλόμενον· «Μεσονύκτιον ἐξηγειρόμην τοῦ ἐξομολογεῖσθαί σοι.» 2.159 Ὁ οὕτω σπουδαίως διατεθεὶς πρὸς τοὺς Θεοῦ λόγους, εἰς ἔργα μεταβαλὼν αὐτούς, ἀφάπτει αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ τῆς πρακτικῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ, χειρὸς ἀλληγορικῶς καλουμένης, ἵν' οὕτω πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτοῦ ἔχων, θεωρῇ τὸ κάλλος τῆς νοήσεως αὐτῶν, σαλευτοὺς ἢ ἀσαλεύτους ἔχων, –εἶπον γὰρ δύο γραφὰς εἶναι τῆς λέξεως. Σαλεύονται δὲ πρὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν τῆς καρδίας τὰ ῥήματα καὶ οἱ ἐξ αὐτῶν συμπληρούμενοι λόγοι ὅταν ἐνεργῶμεν κατὰ τὰ νομοθετηθέντα. 2.160 Ἢ οὐ σαλευτὰ τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς χειρὸς ἀπαφθέντα ῥήματα νοούμενα καὶ πραττόμενα, δηλούσης τῆς ἑτέρας γραφῆς τῆς ἀσάλευτα λεγούσης πρὸ προσώπου τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν τὰ νομοθετηθέντα τὸ μόνιμόν τε καὶ βέβαιον τῶν θεσπισθέντων, συμφώνως τῷ προφητικῷ τῷ ὧδε ἔχοντι· «Τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦ Κυρίου μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα», καὶ τῇ τοῦ ψαλμῳδοῦ λέξει· «Πισταὶ πᾶσαι αἱ ἐντολαὶ αὐτοῦ, ἐστεριγμέναι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος.» Κατὰ ταύτην τὴν νόησιν «οὐ παρέρχονται οἱ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ λόγοι, κἂν παρέλθῃ ὁ οὐρανὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ». 2.161 Ὁ διὰ πάντων τῶν τεθεωρημένων ἠσφαλισμένος, ἔχων τὰ ῥήματα τοῦ Κυρίου ἐν καρδίᾳ καὶ ψυχῇ, λαλῶν τε ἐν αὐτοῖς οἴκοι μὲν ὢν καὶ ἐν ὁδῷ πορευόμενος, κοιταζόμενός τε καὶ διανιστάμενος, οὐδαμῶς ἀπροσεκτήσει ἢ ἀπειθήσει, οὐδ' αὖ «δώσει νῶτον παραφρονοῦντα». 2.162 Πῶς δὲ ὁ ἀπειθῶν τοῦ προσέχειν δώσει νῶτον παραφρονοῦντα ἐπιστατέον. 2.163 Γίνεται τοῦτο ὅταν τις τοσοῦτον φαῦλος γένηται ὡς ἐλεγκτικώτατα λεχθῆναι πρὸς αὐτὸν τὰ ἐν τεσσαρακοστῷ ἐνάτῳ Ψαλμῷ ἔνθεν ἀρχόμενα· «Τῷ ἁμαρτωλῷ εἶπεν ὁ Θεός· Ἵνα τί διηγῇ τὰ δικαιώματά μου καὶ ἀναλαμβάνεις τὴν διαθήκην μου διὰ στόματός σου; Σὺ δὲ ἐμίσησας παιδείαν καὶ 57 ἐξέβαλες τοὺς λόγους μου εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω.» Πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἀπεστράφη τὰς θείας ἐντολάς, νῶτον αὐταῖς δεδωκώς, «ὁ συντρέχων κλέπτῃ καὶ μετὰ μοιχῶν τιθεὶς τὴν μερίδα ἑαυτοῦ», τὰ αὐτὰ ἐνεργῶν τοῖς παρανομοῦσιν, ἀποστρεφομένοις τό· «Οὐ μοιχεύσεις, οὐ κλέψεις», καὶ τοὺς σὺν τούτοις δοθέντας νόμους. 2.164 Συμβαίνει δὲ παραπαίειν καὶ παραφρονεῖν τοῖς νῶτον δεδωκόσιν τοῖς Θεοῦ λόγοις, ὡς καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν οὗ οἱ λόγοι ἀποστραφῆναι. Ἕκαστος γὰρ τῶν οὕτω μανέντων καὶ παρακοπτόντων, ἀτιμάζει τὸν νομοθέτην Θεόν, παραβαίνων τὰ νομοθετηθέντα, ᾗ φησιν ὁ Ἀπόστολος πρὸς τὸν ψευδῶς καὶ σὺν δόλῳ ἐπιμορφαζόμενον ἔχειν τὴν ἀλήθειαν καὶ φυλάττειν ἃ ἐνομοθέτησε Θεός· «Ὃς ἐν νόμῳ καυχᾶσαι, διὰ τῆς παραβάσεως τοῦ νόμου τὸν Θεὸν ἀτιμάζεις», ὡς λεχθῆναι ὑπ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ ἀτιμαζομένου Θεοῦ πρὸς τοὺς τὴν γνώμην διαστραφέντας ὡς μὴ μόνον εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω ἐκβαλεῖν τοὺς θείους λόγους, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτῷ οὗ εἰσιν οἱ λόγοι τὰ νῶτα δοῦναι, χειρίστως ἀποστραφέντας· «Ἐπέστρεψαν ἐπ' ἐμὲ νῶτα καὶ οὐχὶ πρόσωπα αὐτῶν», δεὸν πρὸς τὸν πάντων ἀγαθῶν αἴτιον ἔχειν τὸ πεφωτισμένον τοῦ ἔσω ἀνθρώπου πρόσωπον, ὡσαύτως τῷ λεγομένῳ ὑπὸ τοῦ σοφοῦ ᾧ πάντα τὰ ἄδηλα καὶ τὰ κρύφια τῆς σοφίας πεφανέρωται· «Πρὸς σὲ ἦρα τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς, τὸν κατοικοῦντα ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ»· καὶ πάλιν· «Οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου διὰ παντὸς πρὸς τὸν Κύριον ὅτι αὐτὸς ἐκσπάσει ἐκ παγίδος τοὺς πόδας μου.» 2.165 Οὐ μόνον τοῦτο οὐκ ἔπραξαν οἱ ἀλάστορες, ἀλλὰ καὶ νῶτα ἔδειξαν τῷ ἐπισκοποῦντι ἀκοιμήτῳ ὀφθαλμῷ, τὰ ὅλα ὀπίσω τῆς Βαὰλ πορευθέντες καὶ πάσης εἰδωλολατρείας ὡς σέβειν καὶ προσκυνεῖν δαίμονας πονηρούς, τοὺς τοῖς ἀψύχοις ἀγάλμασιν παριδρυμένους, ἡδομένους κνίσῃ καὶ καπνῷ, ποπάνοις τε καὶ λοιβαῖς, καιομένοις ἐπὶ τοῖς παρανόμως καὶ σφόδρα ἀσεβῶς οἰκοδομηθεῖσι βωμοῖς. 2.166 Πόθεν δὲ ὑπῆρκται τοῖς κακοδαίμοσιν τὸ δοῦναι νῶτον παραφρονοῦντα, τὰ ἐπιφερόμενα δηλοῖ· «Ἐβάρυναν γάρ, φησίν, τὰ ὦτα αὐτῶν τοῦ μὴ εἰσακούειν, καὶ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτῶν ἔταξαν ἀπειθῆ τῷ μὴ εἰσακούειν τοῦ θείου νόμου καὶ λόγων ὧν ἐλάλησεν ἐν Πνεύματι αὐτοῦ Κύριος ὁ παντοκράτωρ.» 2.167 Βαρύνει δέ τις τὰ ὦτα ἑαυτοῦ οὐ τὰ τοῦ σώματος, οὐ γὰρ ἐφ' ἡμῖν τοῦτο, ἀλλὰ τὰ τῆς ψυχῆς· προαιρέσει
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.