Prophetic Symbolism and Shifts in Person
"He gave us for hunting to those walking their paths." Zachariah 11:10–11: "And I will take my good staff, and I will cast it away to scatter my covenant, which I had distributed to all the peoples; and it shall be scattered in that day, and the Canaanites shall know the sheep being guarded, because it is the word of the Lord."
Because the people of circumcision were abandoned by the shepherd due to their unfaithfulness toward him, the lying ones encountered the consequences, as if the dying were dying and the vanishing were vanishing, and the remnants were turned to eat the flesh of their neighbor.
A calling occurs of the Church from the nations having believed in Christ, which he also named a praiseworthy staff, that is, a kingdom, saying: "And I will take the good staff." But this surpassed what the Father said to the Son: "Ask from me, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance."
Because the royal scepter was cast away by the one having taken all the nations as inheritance, the covenant toward all the peoples was scattered, concerning which it is said in Deuteronomy in a great song in this manner: "When the Most High divided the nations, as he scattered the sons of Adam, he set the boundaries of the nations according to the number of the angels of God." This covenant having been scattered by Christ, the angels no longer presiding over the nations, an inheritance and a portion has become all the nations of the one who cast away the good staff upon the dissolution of the covenant toward all the peoples.
And this excellence is perfected in that day prepared by the sun of righteousness, which Abraham, the father of all the nations of the believers, rejoiced to see, having been blessed in his seed, all those of the nations fulfilling the promise, men having their faith reckoned as righteousness.
Concerning this day, the whole choir of holy men and angels sings and declares: "This is the day which the Lord made; let us rejoice and be glad in it" (Ps 118:24), being sons of those to whom the Savior said: "You are the light of the world" (Matt 5:14). "The day has approached, that we may walk decorously as in a day."
Having endured these divine exploits, the Canaanites shall know, being sheep being guarded, "that it is the word of the Lord" regarding the lying ones...
Being a signifier of great and exceeding mysteries, which it is necessary to understand, it is both a rod and a covenant toward all the peoples. 4.112 The Canaanites were being called out from the nations, prepared to become the inheritance of the Son of God, through which they had blindness regarding what was spoken: 'Learn from me that I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls' (Matt 11:29).
4.113 Zach. XI, 12–13: 'And I will say to them: If it is good in your sight, give, having stood my wages, or refuse; and they stood my wages, thirty pieces of silver. And the Lord said to me: Cast them into the potter's house, and consider if it is tested, in the manner in which I was tested against them. And they took the thirty pieces of silver, and threw them into the house of the Lord into the potter's house.'
4.114 The prophetic words, being uttered enigmatically, abruptly change the persons of those speaking and of whom they speak; and indeed, from many utterances, it is possible to believe and to demonstrate the doctrine. But in order not to mishear the word, one must take from Jeremiah, spoken in the presence of God, thus: 'Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem and see if there is anyone doing faithfulness and mercy' (Jer 3:4), or 'judgment' as some of the manuscripts have, 'and I said: As the Lord lives, they say; therefore they do not swear upon a lie.'
4.115 For having God spoken to the holy men: 'Run to and fro through the squares of Jerusalem and see if there is anyone in it doing these things,' those having received the command answer: 'As the Lord lives, they say'; toward whom God says: 'Therefore they do not swear upon a lie.' See how many changes of persons are brought about in these few symbols, not being dispersed according to the letter but in the understanding.
4.116 Just as it is regarding the received testimony, so it is in the voice of Zechariah having been set forth. For the Savior having said—for He himself is the one announcing the things set before regarding the rejection of those of the circumcision—and having announced furthermore regarding the calling of the nations who formerly were idolaters, He says from another beginning: 'I was answered and I said to them,' that is, to the Jews: 'If it is good and just in your sight, give, that is to say, having determined, my wages; but if not, refuse, declining...'
Greek
ἔδωκεν ἡμᾶς εἰς θήραν τοῖς ὀδοῦσιν αὐτῶν.» 4.105 Zach. XΙ, 10–11: Καὶ λήμψομαι τὴν ῥάβδον μου τὴν καλήν, καὶ ἀπορρίψω αὐτὴν διασκεδάσαι τὴν διαθήκην μου, ἣν διεθέμην πρὸς πάντας τοὺς λαούς· καὶ διασκεδασθήσεται ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ, καὶ γνώσονται οἱ Χαναναῖοι, τὰ πρόβατα τὰ φυλασσόμενα, διότι λόγος Κυρίου ἐστίν. 4.106 Τοῦ ἐκ περιτομῆς λαοῦ ἐγκαταλειφθέντος ὑπὸ τοῦ ποιμένος διὰ τὸ ἠσεβηκέναι εἰς αὐτόν, ἀπήντησε τὰ ἐκκείμενα ἀνιαρά, ὡς ἀποθνῄσκειν τὸ ἀποθνῇσκον καὶ ἐκλιμπάνειν τὸ ἐκλιμπάνον καὶ τὰ κατάλοιπα ἐστρᾶφθαι, ὡς ἕκαστον ἐσθίειν τὰς σάρκας τοῦ πλησίον. 4.107 Κλῆσις γίνεται τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν πιστευσάντων τῷ Χριστῷ ἐθνῶν Ἐκκλησίας ἣν καὶ ῥάβδον ἐπαινετὴν ὠνόμασεν, τοῦτ' ἔστι βασιλείαν, εἰπών· «Καὶ λήμψομαι τὴν ῥάβδον τὴν καλήν.» Ὑπῆρκται δὲ τοῦτο τοῦ Πατρὸς εἰρηκότος τῷ Υἱῷ· «Αἴτησαι παρ' ἐμοῦ, καὶ δώσω σοι ἔθνη τὴν κληρονομίαν σου.» 4.108 Τοῦ βασιλικοῦ σκήπτρου ἀπορριφέντος ὑπὸ τοῦ λαβόντος κληρονομίαν πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, ἡ πρὸς πάντας τοὺς λαοὺς διεσκεδάσθη διαθήκη περὶ ἧς εἴρηται ἐν ∆ευτερονομίῳ ἐν ᾠδῇ μεγάλῃ τῷδε τῷ τρόπῳ· «Ὅτε διεμέριζεν ὁ ὕψιστος ἔθνη, ὡς διέσπειρεν υἱοὺς Ἀδάμ, ἔστησεν ὅρια ἐθνῶν κατὰ ἀριθμὸν ἀγγέλων Θεοῦ.» Ταύτης τῆς διαθήκης διασκεδασθείσης ὑπὸ Χριστοῦ, οὐκέτι ἐπιστατούντων τῶν ἀγγέλων τῶν ἐθνῶν, κληρονομία καὶ μερὶς γεγένηνται τὰ ἔθνη πάντα τοῦ ἀπορρίψαντος τὴν καλὴν ῥάβδον ἐπὶ καταλύσει τῆς πρὸς πάντας τοὺς λαοὺς διαθήκης. 4.109 Κατώρθωται δὲ ἡ ἀριστεία αὕτη ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ὑπὸ τοῦ ἡλίου τῆς δικαιοσύνης κατασκευασθείσῃ, ἣν ἀγαλλιασάμενος ἰδεῖν ὁ πατὴρ τῶν πιστευσάντων πάντων ἐθνῶν Ἀβραὰμ ἐχάρη, εὐλογηθέντων ἐν τῷ σπέρματι αὐτοῦ πάντων τῶν συμπληρούντων τὰ ἔθνη ἀνθρώπων σχόντων τὴν πίστιν αὐτοῦ εἰς δικαιοσύνην λελογισμένην. 4.110 Περὶ 124 ταύτης τῆς ἡμέρας ὁ πᾶς τῶν ἁγίων χορὸς ἀνθρώπων τε καὶ ἀγγέλων μελῳδεῖ φάσκων· «Αὕτη ἡ ἡμέρα, ἣν ἐποίησεν Κύριος· ἀγαλλιασώμεθα καὶ εὐφρανθῶμεν ἐν αὐτῇ», ταύτης υἱοὶ τυγχάνοντες οἷς εἶπεν ὁ Σωτήρ· «Ὑμεῖς ἐστε τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου.» «Ἡ ἡμέρα ἤγγισεν, ὡς ἐν ἡμέρᾳ εὐσχημόνως περιπατήσωμεν.» 4.111 Τούτων τῶν θείων ἀνδραγαθημάτων ἀνυσθέντων, γνώσονται οἱ Χαναναῖοι ὄντες πρόβατα φυλασσόμενα «ὅτι λόγος Κυρίου ἐστὶν» ὁ περὶ τῶν ἐκκειμένων ῥάβδου τε καὶ διαθήκης πρὸς τοὺς λαοὺς ἅπαντας, ὅνπερ νοῆσαι προσῆκόν ἐστιν μεγάλων καὶ ὑπερφυῶν μυστηρίων δηλωτικὸν ὄντα. 4.112 Χαναναίους ἐκλημπτέον τοὺς ἡτοιμασμένους ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν εἰς τὸ γενέσθαι κληρονομία τοῦ Υἱοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ δι' ἣν ἔσχον ἀτυφίαν πρὸς τοῦ εἰρηκότος· «Μάθετε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ ὅτι πραΰς εἰμι καὶ ταπεινὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ, καὶ εὑρήσετε ἀνάπαυσιν ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὑμῶν.» 4.113 Zach. XΙ, 12–13: Καὶ ἐρῶ πρὸς αὐτούς· εἰ καλὸν ἐνώπιον ὑμῶν ἐστιν, δότε στήσαντες τὸν μισθόν μου ἢ ἀπείπασθε· καὶ ἔστησαν τὸν μισθόν μου τριάκοντα ἀργυροῦς. Καὶ εἶπεν Κύριος πρός με· κάθες αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸ χωνευτήριον, καὶ σκέψαι εἰ δοκιμεῖόν ἐστιν, ὃν τρόπον ἐδοκιμάσθην ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν. Καὶ ἔλαβον τοὺς τριάκοντα ἀργυροῦς, καὶ ἐνέβαλον αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸν οἶκον Κυρίου εἰς τὸ χωνευτήριον. 4.114 Οἱ προφητικοὶ λόγοι αἰνιγματωδῶς προφερόμενοι ἀθρόως μεταβάλλουσι τὰ πρόσωπα τῶν λεγόντων καὶ περὶ ὧν λέγουσιν· καὶ ἐκ πολλῶν γε ῥητῶν ἔστι πιστώσασθαι καὶ ἀποδεῖξαι τὸ θεώρημα. Ὑπὲρ δὲ τοῦ μὴ μηκῦναι τὸν λόγον, παραληπτέον ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἰερεμίου ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ Θεοῦ λεγόμενον οὕτως· «Περιδράμετε ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς Ἰερουσαλὴμ καὶ εἴδετε εἰ ἔστιν ἐκεῖ ποιῶν πίστιν καὶ ἔλεος», ἢ «κρίσιν» ὡς ἔνια τῶν ἀντιγράφων ἔχει, «καὶ εἶπα· ζῇ Κύριος, λέγουσιν· διὰ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐπὶ ψεύδεσιν ὀμνύουσιν.» 4.115 Φήσαντος γὰρ τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀνδράσιν· «Περιδράμετε ἐν ταῖς πλατείαις Ἰερουσαλὴμ καὶ εἴδετε εἰ ἔστιν ἐν αὐτῇ οἱ τάδε τινὰ ποιοῦντες», ἀποκρίνονται οἱ τὴν πρόσταξιν λαβόντες· «Ζῇ Κύριος, λέγουσιν»· πρὸς οὓς ὁ Θεός φησιν· «∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐπὶ ψεύδεσιν ὀμνύουσιν.» Ὅρα ποσαὶ μεταβολαὶ προσώπων ἐν ταῖς ὀλίγαις ταύταις συμβολαῖς φέρονται, οὐ διασταλεῖσαι κατὰ τὴν λέξιν ἀλλ' ἐν τῇ νοήσει. 4.116 Ὡς οὖν ἔχει ἐπὶ τῆς παραληφθείσης μαρτυρίας, οὕτως ἔχει καὶ ἐν τῇ ἐκτεθείσῃ τοῦ Ζαχαρίου φωνῇ. Εἰπὼν γὰρ ὁ Σωτήρ–αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ ἀπαγγέλλων τὰ προκείμενα περὶ τῆς ἀποβολῆς τῶν ἐκ περιτομῆς–καὶ ἑξῆς ἀπαγγείλας περὶ τῆς κλήσεως τῆς τῶν ποτ' εἰδωλολατρούντων ἐθνῶν, ἀπὸ ἑτέρας ἀρχῆς φησιν· Ἀπεκρίθην καὶ εἶπα πρὸς αὐτούς, δηλαδὴ τοὺς Ἰουδαίους· Εἰ καλὸν καὶ δίκαιον ἐνώπιον ὑμῶν ὑπάρχει, δότε στήσαντες, τοῦτ' ἔστιν ὁρίσαντες, τὸν μισθόν μου· εἰ δὲ μὴ, ἀπείπασθε παραιτούμενοί
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.