Milk, Honey, and the Deception of Serpents
Paul is like a spouse, a bride according to the soul of the divine Bridegroom, with the word on his lips, providing milk to those who need it, as it is said: 'You have become in need of milk, not solid food' (1 Cor 3:2).ney, saying they are perfect, handing over wisdom to them: 'But we speak wisdom in the perfect.'
He who has fallen from the chosen land has honey to exist there, as the proverb says: 'Honey drips from the lips of a prostitute woman, which for a little while sweetens your throat, but later you will find it more bitter than bile' (Jer 12:8). To this honey from the lips of the prostitute, milk flows appropriately from the breasts of dragons; and these are wicked powers, just as the prophet Jeremiah says about them: 'And even dragons brought forth breasts, they suckled their young. Daughter of my people, like a sparrow in the wilderness' (Jer 8:7).
They say that those who took care to know the nature of reptiles, concerning the so-called horned ones, that having hidden their whole body in the sandy desert, they leave their horns above the surface, which moving, they entice the sparrows. For having taken the fantasy of falling upon worms, they are struck by the venom being injected into their mouths by the horns. Therefore the word says that those receiving the venom from those from whom dragons suckle; even if they are of the people of God, they are dried up 'like the sparrow in the wilderness' (Jer 8:7), that which was enticed by the said reptiles.
Thus it happened: 'The word of the Lord of Hosts came, saying: These things,' he says, 'says the Lord of Hosts: I have envied Jerusalem and Zion with great zeal, and with great wrath I have envied her. Thus says the Lord: And I will return to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called a true city, and the mountain of the Lord of Hosts a holy mountain' (Zech 8:2-3).
As the presented matter might be made clear toward a literal sense thus: There came a word of the Lord of Hosts saying the following things made manifest: 'These things,' he says, 'says the Lord of Hosts: I have envied Jerusalem and Zion,' recalling her to himself after she had been cast out and pushed away, as if she had been insulted by strangers. Not just by chance did I envy her, but in great wrath. From cohabiting women, to men, it was taken...
From cohabiting women, to men, it was taken...
has strayed from the bed
Greek
σου.» 2.217 Τυγχάνων γοῦν Παῦλος οἷα σύζυγος νύμφη κατὰ τὴν ψυχὴν τοῦ θείου νυμφίου, ἔχων ὑπὸ τὴν γλῶσσαν ἑαυτοῦ, τοῦτ' ἔστιν τὸν λόγον, ἐπότιζε γάλα τοὺς περὶ ὧν εἴρηται· «Γεγόνατε χρείαν ἔχοντες γάλακτος, οὐ στερεᾶς τροφῆς.» Τοῖς δὲ τὸ μέλι παρεῖχεν οὖσιν τελείοις, σοφίαν παραδιδοὺς αὐτοῖς φάσκων· «Σοφίαν δὲ λαλοῦμεν ἐν τοῖς τελείοις.» 2.218 Ὁ ἐκπεσὼν τοῦ ἐκλεκτὴ γῆ ὑπάρχειν μέλι ἔχει ἐκεῖνο περὶ οὗ γέγραπται παροιμιωδῶς· «Μέλι ἀποστάζει ἀπὸ χειλέων γυναικὸς πόρνης, ἣ πρὸς ὀλίγον γλυκαίνει σὸν φάρυγγα, ὕστερον μέντοι πικρότερον χολῆς εὑρήσεις.» 2.219 Τούτῳ τῷ ἐκ τῶν χειλέων τῆς πόρνης μέλιτι, κατάλληλον ῥεῖ γάλα ἐκ τῶν μασθῶν τῶν δρακόντων· πονηραὶ δέ εἰσιν οὗτοι δυνάμεις, ὡς περὶ αὐτῶν ὁ προφήτης Ἰερεμίας οὕτω λέγει· «Καί γε δράκοντες ἐξέδυσαν μασθούς, ἐθήλασαν σκύμνους αὐτῶν. Θυγάτηρ λαοῦ μου ὡς στρουθίον ἐν ἐρήμῳ.» Φασὶν οἷς ἐμέλησεν ἐπιστῆσαι τῇ φύσει τῶν ἑρπετῶν, περὶ τῶν καλουμένων κεραστῶν, ὅτι ἐν τῇ ψαμμώδει ἐρήμῳ κρύψαντες ἑαυτῶν ὅλον τὸ σῶμα, τὰ κέρατα ἄνω τῆς ἐπιφανείας ἐῶσιν, ἅπερ κινοῦντες δελεάζουσι τὰ στρουθία. 2.220 Καταπτάντα γὰρ σκωλήκων φαντασίαν λαβόντα, πλήττονται ὑπὸ τοῦ ἰοῦ ἐνιεμένου εἰς τὸ στόμα αὐτῶν ὑπὸ τῶν κεραστῶν. ∆ιό φησιν ὁ λόγος τοὺς λαμβάνοντας τὸν ἰὸν ἀφ' ὧν θηλάζουσιν δρακόντων· κἂν ὦσιν τοῦ λαοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ξηραίνονται «κατὰ τὸ στρουθίον ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ», τὸ ὑπὸ τῶν εἰρημένων ἑρπετῶν δελεασθέν. 2.221 Zach. VIII, 1®3: Καὶ ἐγένετο λόγος Κυρίου παντοκράτορος λέγων· Τάδε λέγει Κύριος παντοκράτωρ· Ἐζήλωσα τὴν Ἰερουσαλὴμ καὶ τὴν Σιὼν ζῆλον μέγαν, καὶ θυμῷ μεγάλῳ ἐζήλωσα αὐτήν. Τάδε λέγει Κύριος· Καὶ ἐπιστρέψω ἐπὶ Σιὼν καὶ κατασκηνώσω ἐν μέσῳ Ἰερουσαλήμ, καὶ κληθήσεται Ἰερουσαλὴμ πόλις ἀληθινὴ καὶ τὸ ὄρος Κυρίου παντοκράτορος ὄρος ἅγιον. 2.222 Ὡς πρὸς ῥητὸν σαφηνισθείη τὸ προκείμενον οὕτως· Ἐγένετο λόγος Κυρίου παντοκράτορος λέγων τὰ ἑξῆς δηλούμενα· Τάδε, φησίν, λέγει Κύριος παντοκράτωρ· Ἐζήλωσα τὴν Ἰερουσαλὴμ καὶ τὴν Σιών, ἀνακαλεσάμενος αὐτὴν πρὸς ἐμαυτὸν μετὰ τὸ ἐκβληθῆναι καὶ ἀπωσθῆναι, ὡς περιυβρισθῆναι αὐτὴν ὑπὸ ἀλλοτρίων. Οὐχ ὡς ἔτυχεν δὲ ἐζήλωσα αὐτήν, ἀλλ' ἐν θυμῷ μεγάλῳ. 2.223 Ἀπὸ συμβιουσῶν δὲ γυναικῶν ἀνδράσιν ἐλήφθη τὸ παράδειγμα. Ἡ ἀθετήσασα γυνὴ τὰ γαμικὰ δίκαια, ἀποφοιτήσασά τε τοῦ θαλάμου ἔρωτι τῷ πρὸς ἀλλοτρίους, οὐκέτι ὑπὸ τὴν κηδεμονίαν τυγχάνουσα τοῦ πρότερον συμβιοῦντος, παρορᾶται λοιπόν, ὡς λέγεσθαι αὐτῇ ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀθετηθέντος ἀνδρός· Οὐ φείσομαι ἐπὶ σοὶ ἔτι, οὐδὲ ζηλώσω. Πῶς γὰρ ἂν ζηλώσειέν τις ἢ φροντίσειεν διαλυθέντος τοῦ γάμου; Κἂν τοίνυν ἐξώβλητος γένηται ἡ καταφρονήσασα τοῦ γαμικοῦ θαλάμου, ἔχουσα μετανοίας τόπον, ἀνακάμψασα πρὸς ὃν καταλέλοιπεν, ζηλωτὴ γίνεται πάλιν, πολλῇ ἀγαθότητι προσηκαμένου αὐτὴν τοῦ πάλαι συνοικήσαντος. 2.224 Ἐκ δὲ τοῦ κατὰ τὰς γυναῖκας μεταβητέον ἐπὶ τὴν περὶ τῆς Σιὼν καὶ Ἰερουσαλὴμ θεωρίαν. Τὴν Ἰερουσαλὴμ καὶ τὴν Σιὼν οὐ τοὺς τόπους λέγω, ἀλλὰ τοὺς οἰκοῦντας ἐν αὐτοῖς. 2.225 Ἠγάγετο ὁ Θεὸς πρὸς συμβίωσιν ἀναγαγὼν ἐκ τῆς Αἰγύπτου, νόμους καὶ δικαιώματα δίκην ἕδνων παρασχών, ὡς λοιπὸν κήδεσθαι καὶ φείδεσθαι τῆς ἠγμένης, καὶ θαλαμεύεσθαι ὡς πρέπει συνοικοῦσαν κουρίδιον. 2.226 Μετὰ τὴν οὕτω γεναμένην κατὰ νόμους ἁρμονίαν, ἀθετήσασα τοὺς γαμηλίους νόμους, ἠθέτησεν τὸν προστάτην καὶ ἐπίκουρον ἄνδρα, ὡς λέγειν· «Ὡς ἀθετεῖ γυνὴ εἰς τὸν συνόντα, ἠθέτησεν εἰς ἐμὲ ὁ οἶκος Ἰσραήλ», ὡς ἀπελθεῖν λοιπὸν πρὸς δαίμονας ἀλιτηρίους καὶ πνεύματα ἀκάθαρτα, καὶ περιυβρίζεσθαι πορνικῶς. Εἰσὶν δὲ οἱ συνερχόμενοι αὐτῇ Βαβυλώνιοι καὶ Ἀσσύριοι κατ' ἀλληγορίαν. 2.227 Τούτων ἐπὶ πολὺ γινομένων, 64 ἀνανήψασα ἡ Ἰερουσαλὴμ καὶ ἡ Σιὼν ἀνεπόλησεν τοῦ πάλαι αὐτὴν πρὸς σύμβιον εἰληφότος, ὡς θελῆσαι ἐπιστρέψαι πρὸς τὸν ἀφ' οὗ ἀπεζεύχθη. Φωνὰς γοῦν ἀφῆκεν ταύτας· «Ἐπιστρέψω ἐπὶ τὸν ἄνδρα μου τὸν πρότερον, ὅτι καλῶς μοι ἦν τότε ἢ νῦν.» Τὴν τοιαύτην μετάνοιαν αὐτῆς προσηκάμενος πρὸς ὃν ἐπιστρέψαι καὶ ἀνακάμψαι ἤρξατο λέγει· «Τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ», ὅταν ἡ ἐπιστροφὴ δηλονότι βεβαιωθῇ, «καλέσει με· Ὁ ἀνήρ μου», ὡς λοιπὸν οἷα προστάτην καὶ κηδεμόνα ἐν θυμῷ μεγάλῳ ζηλῶσαι αὐτήν, τιμωρούμενον τοὺς περιυβρίσαντας αὐτήν. Ἐν θυμῷ μεγάλῳ ζηλώσας αὐτήν, ὥστε ποθῆσαι συνεῖναι αὐτῇ ὡς πρότερον, ὅτε οὔπω ἀποφοιτήσασα ἦν τοῦ θαλάμου, διὸ ἐπιστρέφων πρὸς αὐτήν· «Κατασκηνώσω ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῆς.» 2.228 Ὡς περὶ μιᾶς δὲ λέγει τῆς Σιὼν καὶ τῆς Ἰερουσαλήμ· μέρος γὰρ ἡ Σιὼν τῆς μητροπόλεώς ἐστιν. 2.229
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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