The Shepherd and the Living Stones
While they are sling-stoning and filling the altars like bowls.
When the sons of the Greeks suffer the things lying before them, such as being driven into stones and their blood being poured out, the Lord will save those who stand guard as a people like sheep; for after that, the powerful stones will become movable, having been built up with the divine foundation, so as to roll upon the earth of God, becoming light and movable as the weight and stoniness is lifted from them. For so, rolling upon the holy earth of God, they will build themselves up, harmoniously stepping into the walls of the holy city and the building of the temple of God.
What is meant by the being driven into stones by slings, those being consumed by those standing guard under God the Pantokrator, should be contemplated.
the words of rebuke, like stones shot by a sling, will consume the sinners, so that they are no longer enemies of God, the wickedness having been consumed through which they were opposed to the grace of God, after they were struck down by the stones of the sling being made against them. For just as 'love covers a multitude of sins' (1 Pet 4:8) does not allow them to remain, having hidden the sins by making them vanish from all, so the rebuking and corrective words coming upon them, by which they are sling-stoned, will cover them, becoming their covering, the pouring out of their wine-like blood is a joy, as to gladden and pour out abundantly those who are pouring, so as to become altars, bowls, vessels of joy serving for use.
For how does one not partake of the divine, he who offers a sacrifice of praise and righteousness? For just as those performing the rite in an improper way cover the altar with tears, the most corrective voice saying to them: 'You covered my altar with tears; is it still worthy to look upon your sacrifice, or to receive a gift from your hands?' (Mal 2:13) Let these things be said to those sacrificing after impiety; but to those performing the rite piously, as their sacrifices are to be acceptable, the altars will be bowls making joy, so that, having been made sacred, they may be saved, being revealed in a luminous state, on the intellectual day, when they shall be saved, being transformed into a people of God like sheep.
For the first state of those beginning well and as they ought, is to be led like a flock by the best shepherd, so that after these things, having been promoted from sheep to a people, they might be made kings by the one who was previously their shepherd; those who, after being enriched, shall be a people of the Pantokrator and parts of the city being built by the Lord of Powers.
Stones that were rolling upon the earth of God because they had become hollow and light, being placed upon an immovable foundation, having become stones, build; Peter, the spokesman of the apostles, writes: 'To whom approaching, a chosen precious stone by God, and you yourselves, as living stones, are being built into a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ' (1 Peter 2:5).
If concerning such ones those who give glory say, 'If these should be silent, the stones would cry out,' they proclaim holiness and the glory of God's earth, which all sings to Him, having worshiped Him, according to that which is written in the Psalms, where it says, 'Sing to the Lord, all the earth' (Ps 95:1), and where it says, 'Let all the earth worship you and sing to you' (Ps 66:4).
Taking the 'overflowing like wine' (Zech 9:17), the shoulder and toward slaughter were sought by those being consumed, casting it with the word in battle and in the stance of wars, seven books concerning the wise man.
Zechariah 9:17: That if there is anything good, it is His; and if anything beautiful, it is from Him, grain for youths and fragrant wine for virgins.
That which is principally acceptable and good exists, and that which is uncontradictedly praised is found, agreeing with the prophetic word in the epistle concerning him: 'Every good gift and every perfect gift comes down from above from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning' (Jas 1:17).
Greek
σφενδονιζόντων πληρούντων τε ὡς φιάλας θυσιαστήρια. 3.217 Ὅταν πάθωσιν οἱ τῶν Ἑλλήνων υἱοὶ τὰ ἐκκείμενα, τό τε καταχωσθῆναι ἐν λίθοις καὶ ἐκποθῆναι τὸ 101 αἷμα αὐτῶν, τὸ τηνικαῦτα σώσει Κύριος τοὺς ὑπερασπιζομένους ὡς πρόβατα λαὸν αὐτοῦ γεγενημένους, ἐπείπερ οἱ δυνάμενοι λίθοι ἐποικοδομηθῆναι τῷ θείῳ θεμελίῳ εὐκίνητοι γενήσονται, ὡς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ κυλίεσθαι, κούφους καὶ εὐκινήτους γινομένους πρὸς τοῦ αἴροντος ἀπ' αὐτῶν τὸ ἄχθος καὶ λιθῶδες. Οὕτω γὰρ κυλιόμενοι ἐπὶ τῆς ἁγίας τοῦ Θεοῦ γῆς ἑαυτοὺς οἰκοδομήσουσιν, ἁρμονίως ἐμβιβαζόμενοι εἰς τὰ τείχη τῆς πόλεως τῆς ἁγίας καὶ τὴν οἰκοδομὴν τοῦ ναοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ. 3.218 Τί δὲ βούλεται τὸ καταχώννυσθαι λίθοις σφενδόνης τοὺς καταναλισκομένους ὑπὸ τῶν ὑπερασπιζομένων ὑπὸ Θεοῦ παντοκράτορος θεωρητέον. 3.219 Οἱ τῆς ἐπιτιμίας ἐλεγκτικοὶ λόγοι, οἷα λίθοι εὐθίκτως ὑπὸ σφενδόνης πεμπόμενοι, καταναλώσουσιν τοὺς ἁμαρτωλούς, ὥστε μηκέτ' εἶναι ἐχθροὺς Θεοῦ, καταναλωθείσης τῆς κακίας δι' ἣν ἦσαν ἀντικείμενοι ταῖς Θεοῦ χάρισιν, ἐπείπερ κατεκρύβησαν ὑπὸ τῶν τῆς σφενδόνης λίθων ποιωθέντες κατ' αὐτούς. Ὡς γὰρ «ἡ ἀγάπη καλύπτουσα πλῆθος ἁμαρτιῶν» οὐκ ἐᾷ ἔτι εἶναι ἃς ἔκρυψεν ἁμαρτίας ἐξ ὅλων ἀφανιζομένας, οὕτως οἱ ἐπιπληκτικοὶ καὶ ἐλεγκτικοὶ λόγοι ἐπερχόμενοι καθ' ὧν σφενδονίζονται, καταχώσουσιν αὐτοὺς κάλυμμα αὐτῶν γινόμενοι, ἐκπινομένου δίκην οἴνου τοῦ αἵματος αὐτῶν, ὡς εὐφραίνειν καὶ ἄγαν διαχεῖν τοὺς πιόντας, ὡς λοιπὸν φιάλας, σκεύη εὐφροσύνης ὑπηρετικά, τὰ θυσιαστήρια γενέσθαι. 3.220 Πῶς γὰρ οὐ θείας μεταλαμβ̣άνει πόσεως ὁ θυσίαν αἰνέσεως καὶ δικαιοσύνης θύων; Ὡς γὰρ οἱ μὴ ὃν δεῖ τρόπον ἱερουργοῦντες καλύπτουσιν ἐν δάκρυσιν τὸ θυσιαστήριον τοῦ ἐλεγκτικώτατα πρὸς αὐτοὺς λέγοντος· «Ἐκαλύπτετε ἐν δάκρυσιν τὸ θυσιαστήριόν μου· ἔτι ἄξιον ἐπιβλέψαι εἰς θυσίαν ὑμῶν, ἢ λαβεῖν δῶρον ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν ὑμῶν;» Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν λεγέσθω τοῖς μετὰ ἀσεβείας θύουσιν· τοῖς δὲ εὐσεβῶς ἱερουργοῦσιν ὡς δεκτὰς εἶναι τὰς θυσίας αὐτῶν, φιάλαι εὐφροσύνης ποιητικαὶ ἔσονται τὰ θυσιαστήρια, ἵν' οὕτω ἱερωμένοι σωθήσονται, ἐν φωτεινῇ καταστάσει ἀναδειχθέντες, ἡμέρᾳ νοητῇ τυγχανούσῃ, ὅτε σωθήσονται ὡς πρόβατα εἰς λαὸν Θεοῦ μεταποιούμενοι. 3.221 Πρώτη γὰρ κατάστασις τῶν εὖ καὶ ὡς δεῖ ἀρχομένων, τὸ ποίμνης δίκην ἄγεσθαι ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀρίστου ποιμένος, ἵνα μετὰ ταῦτα ἐκ προβάτων λαὸς ἀναδειχθέντες βασιλευθῶσιν ὑπὸ τοῦ πρότερον ποιμένος γενομένου αὐτῶν, οἵτινες μετὰ τὸ χρηματίσαι λαὸς τοῦ παντοκράτορος, καὶ μέρη ἔσονται τῆς οἰκοδομουμένης ὑπὸ Κυρίου τῶν δυνάμεων πόλεως. 3.222 Ἅγιοι λίθοι κυλιόμενοι ἐπὶ τῆς Θεοῦ γῆς διὰ τὸ κοῦφον καὶ ἐλαφρὸν γεγενημένοι, ἐπιτιθέμενοι λοιπὸν ·························· ἀμετακινήτῳ θεμελίῳ ······························· ους γεναμένους λίθους ····················· οἰκοδομοῦσιν, ὁ πρόκριτος τῶν ἀποστόλων Πέτρος ··············· γράφει· «Πρὸς ὃν προσερχόμενοι ······· παρὰ Θεῷ ἐκλεκτὸν ἔντιμον λίθον, καὶ αὐτοὶ ὡς λίθοι ζῶντες οἰκοδομεῖσθε οἶκος πνευματικὸς εἰς ἱεράτευμα ἅγιον, ἀνενέγκαι πνευματικὰς θυσίας εὐπροσδέκτους Θεῷ διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.» 3.223 Εἰ περὶ τῶν τοιου´̣των ·························· τοὺς δοξολογοῦντας ······ «Ἐὰν οὗτοι σιωπήσουσιν, οἱ λίθοι κεκράξονται», πα································ ἁγιότητα καὶ τὴν α································ Θεοῦ γῆς, ἥτις πᾶσα ᾄδει τῳ῀̣ ············· προσκυνήσασα αὐτῷ, κατὰ τὰ γραφέντα ἐν τοῖς Ψαλμοῖς, ὅπου μέν· «Ἄισατε τῷ Κυρίῳ, πᾶσα ἡ γῆ», ὅπου δέ· «Πᾶσα ἡ γῆ προσκυνησάτωσάν σοι καὶ ψαλάτωσάν σοι» ······················ 3.224 λαμβάνων τὸ «ἐκπίονται ὡς οἶνον» ·············· τὸ ὠμὸν καὶ πρὸς φόνους α·························· θησαν οἱ καταναλούμενοι. ··························· βάλλοντες τῷ ῥητῷ τῇ κατ·························· μάχῃ τε καὶ στάσει πολε···························· λοις ἑπτὰ βιβλίοις περὶ τῆς ························ ἀνδρὶ σοφῷ. 3.225 Zach. IX, 17: Ὅτι εἴ τι ἀγαθόν, αὐτοῦ· καὶ εἴ τι καλόν, παρ' αὐτοῦ, σῖτος νεανίσκοις καὶ οἶνος εὐωδιάζω̣ν εἰς παρθένους. 3.226 Τὸ κυρίως αἱρετὸν ἀγαθὸν ὑπάρχον ············ καὶ τὸ ἀναντιρρήτως ἐπαινε̣τὸν 102 ······················· ·····························εύεται· συνᾴδει τῷ προφητικῷ ····················· ἐν τῇ κατ' αὐτὸν ἐπιστολῇ· «Πᾶσα δόσις ἀγαθὴ καὶ πᾶν δώρημα τε´̣λειον ἄνωθέν ἐστιν καταβαῖνον ἀπὸ τοῦ Πατρὸς τῶν φωτῶν, παρ' ᾧ οὐκ ἔνι παραλλαγὴ ἢ τροπῆς
About this text
Didymus the Blind on Zechariah.
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.