The Eightfold Sign and the Rain of the Word
The 'eight signs of men' are those who, after the coming of the Savior, have approached the gospel and are toiling and 'biting' the enemy. And regarding his toil, which all those called by the gospel have undergone, the word signifies things differently: at times 'with crushing' of him—'the God of peace will crush Satan' (Rom 16:20)—at other times his toil—the 'biting'—and at other times the undoing of his harm—'for I have given you authority to tread upon serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall harm you' (Luke 10:19). The 'will not harm' here means 'will not strike.'
for you do not know what evil lies beneath the earth. If the clouds of rain are filled, they pour out upon the earth. Since you are ignorant of the 'evil upon the earth,' that is, that which is done contrary to the good, or the toil that the 'evil'—that which receives the things men do—has undergone, because of this, do as I command you: 'give a portion to the seven and to the eight'; for from these two scriptures you will 'know' what is being done 'evilly' and what 'evil' is coming against those doing evil. Because of this, 'give a portion to the seven and to the eight.' Moreover, are you then the one 'giving to the seven'? It is not possible otherwise to 'know.' It is as if you say: read then the scripture, for you do not know what you ought to do and what not to do. Because of this, 'know what it is,' what must be done and what must not. Similar to this is 'test all things' (1 Thess 5:21). And why 'test'? So that you may 'retain the good' (1 Thess 5:21) and 'abstain from every form of evil' (1 Thess 5:22).
If the clouds of rain are filled, they pour out upon the earth. And this is according to the spoken truth. When things are well, when those ministered to by providence are well, that is, 'the clouds, having been filled, pour out upon the earth.' Water, if it flows into the sea, is of no use for sowing. Even if all things happening under providence are useful in some other way, they are of no use to the 'earth' if they flow into the Adriatic or into the sea. As for the literal sense, this is so; but this is for the intellect. Souls ministering to the 'word of salvation' happen to be 'clouds being filled with rain.' Moses, being a single 'cloud,' says: 'let my utterance be expected like rain' (Isa 55:10). And concerning all those who are 'raining' being rained upon.
spiritual ascent
Greek
"ὀκτὼ δήγματα ἀν θρώπων" οἱ μετὰ τὴν ἐπιδημίαν τοῦ ςωτῆρος προσεληλυθότες τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ καὶ καταπονοῦντες καὶ "δάκνοντες" τὸν ἐχθρόν. καὶ τὸν πόνον αὐτοῦ, ὃν ἔσχεν τοῦ εὐαγγελίου πάντας καλέσαντος, διαφόρως ὁ λόγος σημαίνει ὁτὲ μὲν "συν τριβὴν" αὐτοῦ–"ὁ θεὸς τῆς εἰρήνης συντρίψει τὸν σατανᾶν"–, ὁτὲ δὲ τὸν πόνον αὐτοῦ–τὸ "δάκνεσθαι"–, ὁτὲ τὸ λελῦσθαι τὴν βλάβην αὐτοῦ–"δέδωκα" γὰρ "ὑμῖν ἐξουσίαν πατεῖν ἐπάνω ὄφεων καὶ σκορπίων καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶ σαν τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ ἐχθροῦ, καὶ οὐδὲν ὑμᾶς οὐ μὴ ἀδική σει". τὸ "ἀδικήσει" ὧδε τὸ "βλάψει" σημαίνει. 11,2b3ab ὅτι οὐ γιγνώσκεις τί ἔσται πονηρὸν ὑπὸ τὴν γῆν. ἐὰν πληρωθῶ σιν τὰ νέφη ὑετοῦ, ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ἐκχέουσιν. ̣11,2b ἐπεὶ ἀγνοεῖς τὸ "ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς πονηρὸν" ἤτοι τὸ πραττόμενον ἐναντίως τῷ ἀγαθῷ ἢ τὸν πόνον ἐνποιῆσαν τὸ "πονηρὸν" τὸ διαδεξάμενον τὰ ἀνθρώ πινα πράγματα–, διὰ τοῦτο ποίησον, ἃ ἐντέλλομαί σοι· "δὸς μερίδα τοῖς ἑπτὰ καὶ τοῖς ὀκτώ"· ἐξ αὐτῶν γὰρ τῶν δύο γραφῶν "γνώσει" τὸ "πονηρῶς" πραττόμενον καὶ τὸ ἐπελευσόμενον "πονηρὸν" κατὰ τῶν τὸ κακὸν ποι ούντων. διὰ τοῦτο "δὸς μερίδα τοῖς ἑπτὰ καὶ τοῖς ὀκτώ". ἐπερ· σὺ οὖν ὁ "διδοὺς τοῖς ἑπτά"; 320 –οὐ δύναται ἄλλως "γνῶναι". ὡς ἐὰν λέγῃς· ἀνάγνω θι τὴν γραφήν, ὅτι οὐκ οἶδας τί δεῖ πρᾶξαι καὶ τί οὐ. διὰ τοῦτο "γνῶθι τίνα ἔστιν", τίνα δεῖ πράττειν καὶ τί να μή. τούτῳ ὅμοιόν ἐστιν καὶ τὸ "πάντα δοκιμάζετε". διὰ τί δὲ "δοκιμάζετε"; ἵνα "τὸ καλὸν κατέχητε" καὶ "ἀπὸ παντὸς εἴδους πονηροῦ ἀπέχησθε". 11,3ab ἐὰν πληρωθῶσιν τὰ νέφη ὑετοῦ, ἐκχέουσιν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν. καὶ πρὸς τὸ ῥητὸν ἀληθές ἐστιν. ὅτε εὖ ἔχει τὰ πράγματα, ὅτε οἱ διακονούμενοι ὑπὸ τῆς προνοίας καλῶς ἔχουσιν, τὸ τηνικάδε "τὰ νε´̣φ̣η πληρωθέντα ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ἐκχέουσιν". τὸ ὕδωρ, ἐὰν εἰς τὸ πέλαγος ῥέῃ, μὴ γὰρ χρησιμεύει πρὸς σπόρον. εἰ καὶ ἄλλως πως πάντα τὰ ὑπὸ τῆς προνοίας γινόμενα χρησιμεύει, ὅμως εἰς τὴν "γῆν" οὐδὲν λυσιτελεῖ, ἐν τῷ Ἀδρίᾳ ἢ ἐν τῷ πελάγει ἐὰν ῥέῃ. ὡς πρὸς τὸ ῥητόν, τοῦτο δὲ πρὸς διάνοιαν. "νέφη πληρούμενα ὑετοῦ" τυγχάνουσιν αἱ διακονοῦσαι τῷ "λόγῳ τῆς σωτηρίας" ψυχαί. μία "νεφέλη" ὢν Μωϋσῆς ἔ λεγεν· "προσδοκάσθω ὡς ὑετὸς τὸ ἀπόφθεγμά μου". καὶ περὶ πάντων τῶν "βρεχόντων" τὸν πνευματικὸν "ἀμπελῶνα", τὸν "τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ οἶκον", "ἐντολὴ" δέδοται, ὅτε ἀντὶ "σταφυλῆς" "ἀκάνθας" ἠγίοχεν, "μὴ βρέχειν εἰς αὐτόν". καὶ ἔτι ἐν̣ α̣ὐτῷ τῷ Ἰσαΐᾳ λέγεται· "αἱ νεφέλαι ῥανάτωσαν δικαιοσύνην, βλαστησάτω ἡ γῆ ἔλεος". ἡ "βλάστη τοῦ ἐλέου" οὐχ ὑπὸ τῆς αἰσθητῆς "γῆς" γίνεται, ἀλλ' ὑπὸ ἐκείνης τῆς λεγομένης "ἀγαθῆς γῆς" "καλῆς καρδίας", ἔνθα πεσὼν ὁ Ἰησοῦ "σπόρος" "ἐκαρποφόρησεν". ταῦτα δὲ τὰ "νέ φη" πότε "πληροῦται τοῦ ὑετοῦ", τουτέστιν τοῦ λόγου, ἢ ὅτε "γίνεται ὁ τοῦ κυρίου λόγος πρὸς" αὐτοὺς ὡς ἕ καστον λέγειν· "τάδε λέγει πρός με κύριος". ἰδοὺ ὁ "ὑετός". τότε δὲ "πληροῦται τὰ νέφη ὑετοῦ", ὅτε "ἐκ χέουσιν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν". ἐάν τις μὴ "πληρωθῇ" τοῦ λόγου, οὐ δύναται "βρέχειν"· ἀλλὰ οὐ δύναται ἕτερον "ποτίζειν"· οἷοί εἰσιν οἱ ψευδοδιδάσκαλοι οἱ μηδὲν ἐπιστάμενοι καὶ δοκοῦντες "πάντα κατέχειν". "ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν" δὲ ἤτοι τὴν ἀνθρωπότητα ἢ τὴν "καρ δίαν" ἑκάστου, τὴν εὐτρεπισμένην πρὸς ὑποδοχήν· ἰδοὺ "σπόρος" ποτιστοῦ. 11,3cd ἐὰν πέσῃ ξύλον ἐν τῷ νότῳ καὶ ἐν τῷ βορρᾷ, τόπῳ, οὗ πίπτει, ἐκεῖ μενεῖ. 321 φανερὸν ὅτι ἀλληγορούμενον καὶ πρὸς ἀναγωγὴν τοῦτο. τίς γὰρ οὐκ οἶδεν ὅτι, ὁπότε ἄν τις ἐκκόπτῃ "ξύλα", "ἐκεῖ μενεῖ" τὸ "ξύλον, ὅπου πίπτει"; οὐδὲ τοῦτο δὲ πρὸς τὴν ἱστορίαν ἀληθές ἐστιν· τέμνεται γὰρ τοῦτο "ξύ λον", οὐχ ἵνα "ἐκεῖ 41 μείνῃ, ὅπου πίπτει", ἀλλ' ἵνα μετενεχθῇ εἰς χρείαν τινά. "ξύλον" οὖν ὧδε λέγει τὸν ἄνθρωπον. καὶ λέγει ὅτι, ὅπου ἐὰν καταλημφθῇ ὁ ἄνθρωπος, "ἐκεῖ" εὑρίσκε ται κἀκεῖ κρίνεται, ἵνα ᾖ ὅμοιον τὸ "τοὺς πάντας δεῖ ἡμᾶς παραστῆναι ἔνπροςθεν τοῦ βήματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἵνα κομίσηται ἕκαστος πρὸς ἃ διὰ τοῦ σώματος ἔπρα ξεν". εἰ δὲ "ἀγαθόν", "πίπτει" εἰς τὸν "νότον"· εἰ δὲ "κακόν", εἰς τὸν "βορρᾶν". πολλαχῶς διαστέλλεται ὁ "νότος" πρὸς τὸν "βορρᾶν", καὶ τοπικῶς, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς ἀναγωγήν. ἡ νύμφη ἐν τῷ ᾄσματι τῶν ᾀσμάτων λέγει· "ἐξεγεί ρου, βορρᾶ, καὶ ἔρχου, νότε". ἀποπέμπει τὴν πονηρὰν δύναμιν ἀπ' αὐτῆς. ἐν αὐτῇ δὲ ἦν ἡ πονηρὰ δύναμις. ὅτε τὸ "κακὸν" ἐνήρ̣γ̣ε̣ι̣, τὸ "κακο`̣ν" πρὸ τῆς πίστεως, πρὸ τῆς̣ κλη´̣σεως, εἶχε τὸν "βορρέαν" κατασκηνοῦντα ἐν αὐτῇ. ὅτε δὲ "ἐξέκλινεν ἀπὸ τοῦ κακοῦ" καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν "ποίησιν τοῦ
About this text
Didymus the Blind on Ecclesiastes.
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Witnesses
- Copy-text PG (Khazarzar) (Greek)
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