The Allegory of Lebanon
The Savior makes those who return from the evil they lived in to become followers of repentance regarding the sin they cast away. Just as it is not necessary to share the holy knowledge of the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven with such people, so it is not fitting to compare the divine pearls—which are the words of the wise, decorating the inner man and his ears—to swine.
Does the one disciplining them not feel insulted by the one saying, 'Compare with wise words your ear' (Prov 23:26), and by the one saying to the Word of God, 'Incline your ear to the words of my mouth' (Ps 89:8)?t not compare the most beautiful and fine pearls, which the merchant of the kingdom seeks and hunts, to the interpreted swine, so that they do not trample them, having ignored their use and their beauty.
Having set forth testimonies to show that men have been treated as senseless, fake animals, it remains to set forth the Scriptures, showing how some men are praiseworthy in being similar in disposition and movement to certain animals. Are not these the very ones about whom the Savior says, 'My sheep hear my voice' (John 10:27), and again, 'I am the good shepherd and I lay down my life for the sheep' (John 10:11)?
The sheep of Christ are those establishing stability and gentleness, from whom the flock is completed, concerning which the Holy Spirit says through the prophet, 'And the Lord shall stand and see and shall shepherd his flock in strength' (Ezek 34:23). By such an analogy of 'the vessel of election' (2 Tim 3:15), Paul, speaking in Christ, took up the law 'you shall not muzzle an ox while it treads' (Deut 25:4), after setting it forth and bringing it in: 'Does God not care for the oxen? Or does he speak in any way about us?' (1 Cor 9:9), as the apostles make clear: 'that the plowman ought to partake of the plowing, and the one muzzling in hope of sharing' (1 Cor 9:10).
Finding many such things by the one paying attention to the reading of the God-breathed Scripture, lest the word be stretched beyond what is necessary, let him proceed regarding the Frankincense and its woods, having it thus: 'Open, O Frankincense, your doors, and let fire devour your cedars; let the pine wail, because the cedar has fallen, because the great princes have greatly suffered' (Zach 11:1-2).
You have been uprooted, oaks of Bashan, because the adjacent forest has been scattered.
The name Lebanon, for the sake of allegory, signifies either idolatry or pride and arrogance. For in the Song of Songs, the Church from the Gentiles is the bride of Christ; he says, 'Come from Lebanon, O bride, to ascend and pass through from the beginning of faith' (Song of Songs 4:17). Having received the word of Christ from the beginning, she comes to the one calling her from practical wickedness into moral virtue, and from ignorance and unbelief into a divine knowledge and a faith surpassing all through perfection.
Just as the spoken word 'Lebanon' signifies the impious service of idols and demons, so it represents pride in the saying, 'Lebanon shall be changed like Mount Hermon,' which is to say, the haughty and self-willed person shall be brought to the knowledge of the circumcision being led into the heart by the spirit; for Hermon is interpreted as the knowledge of circumcision. He who possesses this knowledge corrects his blindness, having learned from Jesus to be humble in heart and spirit.
By this twofold Lebanon, the prophet, who is inspired by the Spirit—rather, the Lord through him—calls out to open its doors, so that the cedars within the doors of it may be devoured by fire; and these are the idle demons and the haughty men, being crushed by the voice of the Lord, according to how it is sung in the 18th and 20th Psalm in this manner: 'The voice of the Lord crushing cedars; the Lord shall crush the cedars of Lebanon' (Psalm 28:16).
Since these are wild plants and do not bear edible fruit, in Isaiah it is written concerning others thus: 'The day of the Lord of hosts upon every arrogant and proud and high and lofty thing,' and after a few words: 'and upon every high cedar of Lebanon and upon every balsam tree of Bashan' (Isaiah 13:11). These such wild woods are grown up for idolatry and pride, being crushed and consumed by fire along with those who assemble sophistically about them, according to what is said in the same Isaiah: 'And the Lebanon shall fall with the lofty ones' (Isaiah 2:12).
For idolatry falls along with the demons who assemble with it and with sophist men; likewise also the haughty ones.
Greek
Σωτὴρ διὰ τὸ ἐπ̣ι̣στρε´̣φειν ἐφ' ἣν̣ ἤμεσαν κακίαν, μετὰ δῆθεν μετανοίας ὑπόστροφοι γινόμενοι πρὸς τὴν ἀπέβαλον ἁμαρτίαν. Ὥσπερ δὴ τούτοις οὐ δεῖ κοινωνεῖν μεταδιδόντ̣α̣ α̣υ᾿̣τ̣ο̣ι῀̣ς̣ τῆς ἁγίας γνώσεως τῶν μυστηρίων τῆς̣ β̣ασιλείας τῶν οὐρανῶν, οὕτως οὐδὲ χοίροις παραβάλλειν π̣ρ̣ο̣σήκ̣ει̣ τοὺς θείους μαργαρίτας, τῶν σοφῶν δ' εἰσὶ λόγοι, κοσμοῦντες τὸν ἔσω ἄνθρωπον καὶ τὰ ὦτα αὐτοῦ. 4.11 Ἢ οὐκ ἐγκαλλωπίζεται τούτοις ὁ πειθαρχῶν τῷ λέγοντι· «Λόγοις σοφῶν παράβαλλε σὸν οὖς», καὶ τῷ φάσκοντι Θεῷ Λόγῳ· «Κλίνατε τὸ οὖς ὑμῶν εἰς τὰ ῥήμ̣ατα τοῦ στόματός μου»; Τοὺς οὕτω τιμαλφεστάτους καλοὺς μαργαρίτας οὓς ὁ τῆς βασιλείας ἔμπορος ζητεῖ καὶ θηρεύει οὐ δεῖ παραβάλλειν τοῖς ἡρμηνευμένοις χοίροις τὸν κεκτημένον αὐτούς, ἵνα μὴ καταπατήσωσιν, τὴν χρῆσιν καὶ τὸ κάλλος αὐτῶν ἠγνοηκότες. 4.12 Αὐτάρκως μαρτυρίων παρατεθέντων πρὸς δεῖξιν τοῦ παραβεβλῆσθαι τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ψεκτῶς κτήνεσιν ἀνοήτοις, ἐκθετέον λοιπὸν γραφὰς παριστάσας ὡς καὶ ἐπαινετῶς ὁμοιοῦνται ἤθεσιν καὶ κινήμασιν ἐνίων ζῴων οἱ ἄνθρωποι. Ἢ οὐχ οὗτοι αὐτοὶ τυγχάνουσιν περὶ ὧν ὁ Σωτήρ· «Τὰ πρόβατα τὰ ἐμὰ τῆς ἐμῆς φωνῆς ἀκούουσιν», καὶ πάλιν· «Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ποιμὴν ὁ καλὸς καὶ τὴν ψυχήν μου τίθημι ὑπὲρ τῶν προβάτων»; 4.13 Πρόβατα Χριστοῦ εἰσιν οἱ εὐστάθειαν καὶ πραότητα κατορθοῦντες, ἐξ ὧν ποίμνιον συμπληροῦται, περὶ οὗ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον διὰ τοῦ προφήτου φησίν· «Καὶ στήσεται καὶ ὄψεται καὶ ποιμανεῖ τὸ ποίμνιον αὐτοῦ ἐν ἰσχύϊ Κύριος.» 4.14 Κατὰ τοιαύτην ἀναγωγὴν «τὸ τῆς ἐκλογῆς σκεῦος», ὁ ἐν Χριστῷ λαλῶν Παῦλος, ἐξέλαβεν τὸν «οὐ φιμώσεις βοῦν ἀλοῶντα» νόμον, μετὰ τὸ ἐκθέσθαι αὐτὸν ἐπενεγκών· «Μὴ τῶν βοῶν μέλει τῷ Θεῷ; ἢ πάντως περὶ ἡμῶν λέγει», τῶν ἀποστόλων δηλονότι; «ὅτι ὀφείλει ὁ ἀροτριῶν ἀροτριᾶν, καὶ ὁ ἀλοῶν ἐπ' ἐλπίδι τοῦ 115 μετέχειν.» 4.15 Μυρίων ··· ἄλλων τοιούτων εὑρισκομένων τῷ προσέχοντι τῇ ἀναγνώσει τῆς θεοπνεύστου γραφῆς, ὑπὲρ τοῦ μὴ πέρᾳ τοῦ δέοντος μηκυνθῆναι τὸν λόγον, ἐλευστέον ἐπὶ τὸ προκείμενον περὶ τοῦ Λιβάνου καὶ τῶν ξύλων αὐτοῦ, ἔχον οὕτως. 4.16 Zach. XΙ, 1–2: ∆ιάνοιξον, ὁ Λίβανος, τὰς θύρας σου, καὶ καταφαγέτω πῦρ τὰς κέδρους σου· ὀλολυξάτω πίτυς, διότι πέπτωκεν κέδρος, ὅτι μεγάλως μεγιστᾶνες ἐταλαιπώρησαν· ὀλολύξατε, δρύες τῆς Βασανίτιδος, ὅτι κατεσπάσθη ὁ δρυμὸς ὁ σύμφυτος. 4.17 Τὸ ὄνομα τὸ Λίβανος πρὸς ἀλληγορίαν ὁτὲ μὲν τὴν εἰδωλολατρείαν, ὁτὲ δὲ τὴν ὑπεροψίαν καὶ ὑπερηφανίαν σημαίνει. Ἐν γὰρ τῷ Ἄισματι τῶν Ἀισμάτων τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν Ἐκκλησίανκαλῶν ὁ νυμφίος αὐτῆς Χριστός· «∆εῦρο ἀπὸ Λιβάνου, νύμφη, φησίν, ἐλεύσῃ καὶ διελεύσῃ ἀπὸ ἀρχῆς πίστεως.» ∆εξαμένη γὰρ τὸν τῆς ἀρχῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ λόγον, ἔρχεται πρὸς τὸν προσκαλούμενον ἀπὸ πρακτικῆς κακίας εἰς ἠθικὴν ἀρετὴν καὶ ἐξ ἀγνοίας καὶ ἀπιστίας ἐπὶ θείαν γνῶσιν καὶ πίστιν ὑπερβάλλουσαν διὰ τελειότητα. 4.18 Ὥσπερ δὲ ἡ ῥηθεῖσα λέξις Λίβανον λέγει τὴν εἰδώλων καὶ δαιμόνων ἀσεβεστάτην θεραπείαν, οὕτως τὴν ὑπερηφανίαν παρίστησιν ἐν τῷ· «Μετατεθήσεται ὁ Λίβανος ὡς τὸ ὄρος τὸ Χελμέλ», τοῦτ' ἔστιν ὁ ὑπερόπτης καὶ αὐθάδης α᾿̣χθήσεται εἰς τὴν ἐπίγνωσιν τῆς περιτομῆς τὴν πνεύματι καρδίας προσαγομένην· τὸ γὰρ Χελμὲλ ἑρμηνεύεται ἐπίγνωσις περιτομῆς. 4.19 Ὁ ταύτην τὴν ἐπίγνωσιν ἔχων ἀτυφίαν κατορ̣θ̣οῖ, μαθὼν ὑπὸ Ἰησοῦ ταπεινὸς εἶναι τῇ καρδίᾳ καὶ τῷ πνεύματι. 4.20 Τῷ διττῷ τούτῳ Λιβάνῳ προσφωνεῖ ὁ πνευματόφορος προφήτης, μᾶλλον δὲ ὁ Κύριος δι' αὐτοῦ, διανοῖξαι τὰς θύρας αὐτοῦ, ἵνα καταβρωθῶσιν ὑπὸ πυρὸς αἱ εἴσω τῶν θυρῶν αὐτοῦ κέδροι· αὗται δ' εἰσὶν δαίμονες ἀλιτήριοι καὶ ἄνθρωποι ὑπερόπται, συντριβόμεναι ὑπὸ τῆς τοῦ Κυρίου φωνῆς, κατὰ τὰ ἐν εἰκοστῷ καὶ ὀγδόῳ Ψαλμῷ ᾀδόμ̣ε̣ν̣α̣ τῷδε τῷ τρόπῳ· «Φωνὴ Κυρίου συντρίβοντος κέδρους· συντρίψει Κύριος τὰς κέδρους τοῦ Λιβάνου.» 4.21 Κατὰ τῶν τ̣ο̣υ´̣των φυτῶν ἀγρίων ὄντων καὶ καρπὸν ἐδώδιμον οὐ φερ̣ο´̣ν̣των ἐν Ἠσαΐᾳ γρ̣α´̣φεται πρὸς ἑτέρ̣οις ο̣ὑ´̣τ̣ως· «Ἡμέρα Κυρίου σαβαὼθ ἐπὶ πάντα ὑβριστ̣ὴν̣ καὶ ὑπερήφανον καὶ ὑψηλὸν καὶ μετέωρον», κ̣α̣ὶ μετ̣' ο᾿̣λ̣ι´̣γ̣α̣· «καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν κε´̣δ̣ρ̣ον τοῦ Λιβάνου τῶν ὑψηλῶν καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶν δένδρον βαλάνου Βασάν.» Τ̣α̣υ῀̣τ̣α̣ τ̣α`̣ οὕτως ἄγρια ξύλα πεφύτευται ἐπὶ τὴν εἰδωλολατρείαν καὶ ὑπεροψίαν, συντριβόμενα καὶ πυρὶ ἀναλισκόμενα σὺν τοῖς συναγορεύουσιν σοφιστικῶς περὶ αὐτῶν, κατὰ τὸ λεχθὲν ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ Ἠσαΐᾳ· «Ὁ δὲ Λίβανος σὺν τοῖς ὑψηλοῖς πεσεῖται.» 4.22 Πίπτ̣ει γὰρ ἡ εἰδωλολατρεία σὺν τοῖς συναγορεύουσιν αὐτῇ δαίμοσι καὶ ἀνθρώποις σοφισταῖς· ὡσαύτως καὶ οἱ ὑπερόπται
About this text
Didymus the Blind on Zechariah.
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