Forgiveness and the Law
Regarding those who are being benefited?e same way as one must not oppress a widow and an orphan through a husband or parents, one must not likewise oppress a sojourner staying with those to whom he has taken refuge, whom they consider a stranger and a non-native. If any of those named—a widow, an orphan, or a sojourner—is deprived of resources, one should share equality with him, not by oppressing or by harming him in any other way. 2.147 It is indeed good and pleasing to God to stand up for those who are in such a state according to history, but especially according to allegorical interpretation. 2.148 A widow is praised according to theory if she has cast off the evil husband she had, meaning no one other than the devil or some other evil spirit. Likewise, an orphan is good if the father who sired him through sin has died. This is symbolized by one who has come out of his own father's house having been called by God, and that woman to whom it is said in the Psalms: 'Be favorable to your people and to your father's house,' even after you have died. 2.149 The divine Bridegroom, being also a Father, lifts up those souls who have thus become widows and orphans, according to what is said in the Psalms about him: 'He will take up the orphan and the widow.' For 'the Father is the judge of orphans and widows,' according to what is said in another Psalm, also caring for sojourners who have left idolatry and turned to piety, enriching every poor person and needy one because of us, according to the apostolic word that stirs up those who suffer well, saying: 'Know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that being rich he became poor for us, so that through his poverty we might become rich.' 2.150 Having taught how one must not oppress those in need of protection and help, he harmoniously brought forward also that one must not be vengeful, not only in word but from the depth of the mind, saying: 'And let no one be vengeful against his brother in your heart.' What was said by the Savior in the Gospel is equal to the prophetic: 'If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you your trespasses.' 2.151 In accord with the existing prophecy, Jeremiah says on behalf of God: 'And the malice of the [near...'
Let no one of you hold a grudge in your hearts against his debt. The Savior makes this perfect forgiveness of whatever one has done sinfully manifest in the parable of the servant owing ten thousand talents; for this is chosen by the master who forgave the debts to the 'unworthy servant' for all of us: 'So also will your Father do if you do not each forgive from your heart those who owe you' (Matt 18:35).
Taking the whole parable in hand, understand its words and its meaning precisely, so that, being benefited toward goodness, you may forgive the debts from your whole heart to all those who owe, remembering no more those things by which the one who wronged you sinned against you.
Regarding the brother, being understood in two ways—the one being a fleshly kinsman, the other having been born from God who also begot you—it is proper to hold a grudge from the heart against either.
And they refused to pay attention, and they gave a stubborn ear, and their ears became heavy so as not to listen, and they set their heart to be disobedient, not to listen to my law and the words which the Lord of all has sent in His Spirit by the hands of the prophets before them (Zech 7:11-12).
Since God has given a divine law to the people of the Hebrews, an exhortation from the one who gave it was brought forward in the seventy-seventh and seventy-seventh Psalm thus: 'Pay attention, my people, to my law' (Ps 76:7). He who follows the exhortation in this way 'meditates on the law of the Lord day and night' (Ps 1:2), according to what is philosophized in the first Psalm, which Moses the high priest previously established saying from the face of God:
'All these words, as many as I command you this day, shall be in your heart and in your soul, and you shall speak of them sitting in your house and walking on the way, looking and wandering, and you shall touch them as a sign upon your hand, and they shall be unshakable'—or 'unmoving'—for the scripture is carried either way—'before your eyes' (Deut 6:6-8).
To the one thus keeping the given commandment, paying attention and obeying the legislation follows. For how will one who has the holy words in heart and soul disobey in paying attention, as speaking of them while being at home and walking on the way, looking and wandering? Or he does not carry them...
Greek
οἱ εὐεργετούμενοι; 2.146 Ὅνπερ δὲ τρόπον οὐ δεῖ χήραν καὶ ὀρφανὸν καταδυναστεύειν δι' ἀνδρὸς καὶ γονέων ἐρημίαν, οὕτως οὐδὲ προσήλυτον ἐπιξενούμενον παρὰ τοὺς οἷς προσέφυγεν, ἡγουμένους αὐτὸν αὐτόχθονα καὶ συμπολίτην. Κἄν τις δὲ τῶν ὠνομασμένων, χήρας φημὶ καὶ ὀρφανοῦ καὶ προσηλύτου, ἐστέρηται χρημάτων, καὶ τούτῳ ἰσότητος μεταδοτέον, οὐ καταδυναστεύοντα ἢ ἄλλως πως καταπονοῦντα. 2.147 Καλὸν μὲν οὖν καὶ Θεῷ ἀρέσκον προΐστασθαι τῶν οὕτως ἐχόντων καθ' ἱστορίαν, μάλιστα δὲ κατ' ἀναγωγήν. 2.148 Ἐπαινεῖται χήρα κατὰ θεωρίαν ἀνηγμένην ἡ ἀποβαλοῦσα ὃν εἶχεν κακὸν ἄνδρα, οὐχ ἕτερον ὄντα τοῦ διαβόλου ἢ ἄλλου τινὸς πονηροῦ πνεύματος. Ὡσαύτως ὀρφανὸς ἀγαθός ἐστιν ᾧ τέθνηκεν ὁ κατὰ ἁμαρτίαν γεννήσας αὐτὸν πατήρ. Τούτου σύμβολον ὑπάρχει ὁ ἐξελθὼν ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ πατρὸς ἑαυτοῦ ὑπὸ Θεοῦ κληθείς, κἀκείνη πρὸς ἣν εἴρηται ἐν Ψαλμοῖς· «Ἐπιλαθοῦ τοῦ λαοῦ σου καὶ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ πατρός σου», ἤδη τεθνηκότος σοι. 2.149 Τὰς οὕτω χηρευσάσας καὶ ὀρφανωθείσας ψυχὰς εἰς ὕψος μετεωρίζει ὁ θεῖος νυμφίος ὢν καὶ πατήρ, κατὰ τὸ ἐν Ψαλμοῖς εἰρημένον περὶ αὐτοῦ· «Ὀρφανὸν καὶ χήραν ἀναλήμψεται.» «Πατὴρ γὰρ τῶν ὀρφανῶν καὶ τῶν χηρῶν κριτής ἐστιν», κατὰ τὰ ἐν ἄλλῳ Ψαλμῷ εἰρημένα, κηδόμενος καὶ τῶν προσηλύτων, τῶν καταλιπόντων τὴν εἰδωλολατρείαν καὶ προστεθέντων τῇ εὐσεβείᾳ, πλουτίζων ᾗ ἀνεδέξατο ἡμῶν ἕνεκα πτωχείᾳ πάντα πτωχὸν καὶ πένητα, κατὰ τὴν λέξιν τὴν ἀποστολικὴν εἰς εὐχαριστίαν διεγείρουσαν τοὺς εὖ παθόντας, οὕτως ἔχουσαν· «Γινώσκετε τὴν χάριν τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὅτι πλούσιος ὢν δι' ἡμᾶς ἐπτώχευσεν, ἵνα τῇ αὐτοῦ πτωχείᾳ ἡμεῖς πλουτήσωμεν.» 2.150 ∆ιδάξας ὡς δεῖ μὴ καταδυναστεύειν τοὺς δεομένους προστασίας καὶ βοηθείας, ἁρμονίως ἐπήγαγεν καὶ ἀμνησικάκους εἶναι οὐ λόγῳ μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπὸ βάθους τῆς διανοίας, εἰπών· «Καὶ κακίαν τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ ἕκαστος μὴ μνησικακείτω ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ ὑμῶν.» Ἰσοδυναμεῖ τῷ προφητικῷ τὸ λεχθὲν ὑπὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἐν Εὐαγγελίῳ· «Ἐὰν ἀφῆτε τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τὰ παραπτώματα αὐτῶν, ἀφήσει καὶ ὑμῖν ὁ Πατὴρ ὁ οὐράνιος τὰ παραπτώματα ὑμῶν.» 2.151 Συνῳδὰ τῷ ἐκκειμένῳ προφητικῷ, καὶ Ἰερεμίας ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ Θεοῦ φησιν· «Καὶ κακίαν τοῦ πλησίον αὐτοῦ ἕκαστος ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν μὴ μνησικακεῖτε.» Ταύτην τὴν τελείαν ἀμνηστίαν ὧν τις ἔπραξεν ἁμαρτητικῶς φανεροῖ ὁ Σωτὴρ ἐν τῇ παραβολῇ τοῦ μύρια τάλαντα χρεωστοῦντος δούλου· ἐπιλέγεται γὰρ αὕτη ὑπὸ τοῦ δεσπότου τοῦ συγχωρήσαντος τὰ χρέα «τῷ ἀχρείῳ δούλῳ» πρὸς πάντας ἡμᾶς· «Οὕτω καὶ ὑμῖν ὁ Πατὴρ ποιήσει ἂν μὴ ἀφῆτε ἕκαστος ἀπὸ τῆς καρδίας ὑμῶν τοῖς ὀφείλουσιν ὑμῖν.» 2.152 Λαβὼν ἐν χερσὶν ὅλην τὴν παραβολήν, ἐπίστησον ἀκριβῶς ταῖς λέξεσιν καὶ νοήσει αὐτῆς, ἵνα εἰς ἀγαθότητα ὠφεληθείς, ἀφῇς ἐξ ὅλης καρδίας τὰ ὀφειλήματα 56 πᾶσι τοῖς ὀφείλουσιν, μηδενὸς ἔτι μνημονεύων ὧν εἰς σὲ ἥμαρτεν ὁ ἀδικήσας σε. 2.153 Τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ διχῶς νοουμένου, τοῦ μὲν κατὰ σάρκα ὁμογνησίου ὄντος, τοῦ δὲ ἐκ Θεοῦ γεγεννημένου τοῦ καί σε γεννήσαντος, πρὸς ἑκάτερον ἀμνησικακεῖν ἀπὸ καρδίας προσήκει. 2.154 Zach. VII, 11®12: Καὶ ἠπείθησαν τοῦ προσέχειν, καὶ ἔδωκαν νῶτον παραφρονοῦντα, καὶ τὰ ὦτα αὐτῶν ἐβάρυναν τοῦ μὴ εἰσακούειν, καὶ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτῶν ἔταξαν ἀπειθῆ τοῦ μὴ εἰσακούειν τοῦ νόμου μου καὶ τοὺς λόγους οὓς ἐξαπέστειλεν Κύριος παντοκράτωρ ἐν Πνεύματι αὐτοῦ ἐν χερσὶν τῶν προφητῶν τῶν ἔμπροσθεν. 2.155 Τοῦ Θεοῦ θεῖον νόμον δεδωκότος τῷ λαῷ τῶν Ἑβραίων, προτροπὴ ὑπὸ τοῦ δεδωκότος αὐτὸν προσηνέχθη ἐν ἑβδομηκοστῷ καὶ ἑβδόμῳ Ψαλμῷ οὕτως· «Πρόσεχε, λαός μου, τὸν νόμον μου.» Ὁ ταύτῃ ἀκολουθῶν τῇ παραινέσει «ἡμέρας καὶ νυκτὸς μελετᾷ τὸν τοῦ Κυρίου νόμον», κατὰ τὰ ἐν πρώτῳ Ψαλμῷ φιλοσοφούμενα, ἃ πρότερον ὁ ἱεροφάντης Μωϋσῆς ἐθέσπισεν εἰπὼν ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ Θεοῦ· 2.156 «Ἔσται πάντα τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα ὅσα ἐγὼ ἐντέλλομαί σοι σήμερον ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ σου καὶ ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ σου, καὶ λαλήσεις ἐν αὐτοῖς καθήμενος ἐν οἴκῳ καὶ πορευόμενος ἐν ὁδῷ, κοιταζόμενος καὶ διανιστάμενος, καὶ ἀφάψεις αὐτὰ σημεῖον ἐπὶ τῆς χειρός σου, καὶ ἔσται σαλευτά», ἢ «ἀσάλευτα»–ἑκατέρως γὰρ ἡ γραφὴ φέρεται, –»πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν σου». 2.157 Τῷ οὕτω τηροῦντι τὴν δοθεῖσαν ἐντολήν, ἕπεται τὸ προσέχειν καὶ πείθεσθαι τῇ νομοθεσίᾳ. Πῶς γὰρ ἀπειθήσει ἐν τῷ προσέχειν ὁ ἐν καρδίᾳ καὶ ψυχῇ ἔχων τὰ ἅγια ῥήματα, ὡς λαλεῖν ἐν αὐτοῖς οἴκοι μὲν ὄντα καὶ βαδίζοντα ἐν ὁδῷ, κοιταζόμενον καὶ διανιστάμενον; Ἢ οὐ προφέρει αὐτὰ
About this text
Didymus the Blind on Zechariah.
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Khazarzar scan
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- Copy-text PG (Khazarzar) (Greek)
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