The Cracks in the Rock and the Marketplace
Worthy of the food... 'the truths were becoming real' (12:3d). And those 'looking in the eye-sockets' will darken. These 'looking in the eye-sockets' are the souls using the senses. For the senses are to be taken as 'eye-sockets'. Therefore, those 'looking in the eye-sockets' will 'darken'. For when the sensible things pass away, then darkness will prevail; they no longer see those sensible things as they ought; is there anything left besides the loss of accurate perception?
It is also possible to take it this way: those who search the Scriptures and pay attention to their reading of them find 'eye-sockets', through which they are able to be enlightened, and the light that exists within. Therefore, these 'looking in the eye-sockets' 'were darkened' because they are no longer 'becoming real'. But the 'becoming real' ones split the seeds, making 'eye-sockets'. Take the investigation of the Scriptures and their clarity by analogy with the splitting of the seeds which makes the 'eye-socket'; and this is also what it means for them to 'become real'.
And it can be said differently: they say that those 'looking in the eye-sockets' seem to see much; and some are able to approach the light; and despite the inability and the weakness of the sight, they perceive the light. When, therefore, the hidden light is produced again, those 'looking' are 'darkened' through certain 'eye-sockets'. They are not able to see the light, having those small 'eye-sockets'. But when their body changes from the 'perishable' to the 'imperishable' and from the 'psychic' to the 'spiritual', they no longer have 'darkening' senses, but renewed and increasing ones.
Therefore, the 'darkening of those looking in the eye-sockets' does not bring complete injury; for when they 'are darkened', they will see things more clearly according to the argument of 'the part', so that their own 'eye-socket' of 'the part' is not 'abolished' by becoming a great opening. And it is possible to take it this way because 'the eye-sockets' is in the plural. A praiseworthy 'eye-socket' is brought forward in the singular in the Mosaic writings, when he received a desire to 'see the face' of God and to see Him clearly and 'knowingly'. God said to him that, being still a 'man', he 'is not able' to possess the brightness (Exodus 33:20); 'but I place you in the opening of the rock' (Exodus 33:22), regarding one 'rock' as an 'eye-socket'. And 'the rock is Christ' from that...
Regarding the 'rock' and the openings in Christ. For they are called 'rocks' in the plural and 'crevices'. 'The spirit crushes the rocks'. And it is said concerning the devil: 'The pride of your heart has carried you away to dwell in the crevices of the rocks' (Job 13:16)—not 'in the crevice of the rock', for that is blessed—but because they pay attention to antichrists and false teachers and false prophets, the 'crevice' of those is not for seeing but rather for harming. 'Fissures of rocks' indeed are called 'crevices' in other places; and the discord of the teaching is a 'schism' and a multitude of 'crevices'. Therefore, those 'looking' in the 'crevice' do not 'gaze darkly', but rather are enlightened. But those in the many 'crevices' who seem to see are 'darkened'. When the truth comes into the midst, every deception is loosed; and in the deception were the many 'crevices'. And as they often said the image of the division, that those failing the vote of 349 say ten thousand 'rocks'. If therefore the correct vote shines upon, that which those voting wrongly said is loosed. Thus those holding false doctrines, in the absence of the truth, become so; when this shines and illuminates, all those holding false doctrines are loosed.
12,4ab And they will shut doors in the marketplace in the weakness of the voice of the truth. 12,4a I spoke concerning human matters, those 'being seen and being timely'. Concerning the coming age and the end of the present age he teaches and says that 'they will shut doors in the marketplace' (Acts 19:41). And 'marketplace' here he means the church, as the rhetoricians say. As long as this life exists, the 'marketplaces' or the 'marketplace', the church, exist, in which those who speak are speaking. But 'it will be shut' after these things, when teaching is no longer present in the 'time of judgment'. I do not say this to mean that there will not be instruction in the ages to come, but according to that 'time' in which those being judged 'stand at the judgment seat of Christ' (2 Timothy 4:1); for they have a word regarding what has been done, regarding being instructed or being taught. And if ever the labor from the... gap... another word is not instruction being brought forth by men or angels... concerning the ten virgins in the parable it is said that the...
Greek
αξίους̣ τῆς τροφῆς η··········? "αἱ ἀλήθουσαι ἤργησαν". 12,3d καὶ σκοτάσ̣ουσιν αἱ βλε´̣π̣ο̣υ̣σ̣αι ἐν ταῖς ὀπαῖς. αἱ "βλέπουσαι̣ ἐν ταῖς ὀπαῖς" ψυχαὶ αὗταί εἰσιν αἱ ταῖς α̣ἰσθήσεσιν χρώμεναι. "ὀπὰς" γὰρ τὰς αἰσθή σεις λάβε. "σκοτάσουσιν" οὖν αἱ "βλέπουσαι ἐν τα̣ῖς ο᾿̣παῖς". ὅταν γὰρ παρέλθῃ τ̣ὰ αἰσθητά, τότε τὸ σκότος κρατήσει· οὐκέτι ὁρῶσιν τ̣α`̣ αἰσθ̣η̣τα`̣ ὡς δεῖ, ἔξω γέ γοναν λοιπὸν ? τῆς ἀκριβοῦς αἰσθήσεως. δυνατο`̣ν δ̣ε`̣ καὶ οὕτως λαβεῖν· οἱ "ἐρευνῶντες τὰς γραφὰς" καὶ "προσέχοντες τῇ ἀναγνώσει" αὐτῶν εὑ ρίσκουσιν "ὀπάς", δι' ὧν δύνανται φωτισθῆναι καὶ ὁ ρᾶν τὸ ἔνδον ὑπάρχον φῶς. "ἐσκοτίσθησαν" οὖν αὗται αἱ "ἐν̣ ταῖς ὀπαῖς βλέπουσαι" οὐκέτι οὐσῶν τῶν "ἀλη θουσῶν". αἱ δὲ "ἀλήθουσαι" σχίζουσαι τὰ σπ̣έρματα ἐποίουν 55 "ὀπάς". καταλλήλως λάβε τῇ σχίσει τῶν σπερμά των τὴν "ὀπὴν" τὴν ἔρευναν τῶν γραφῶν, τὴν σαφήνει αν αὐτῶν· αὕτη δέ ἐστιν τὸ καὶ "ἀλήθεσθαι" αὐτάς. καὶ ἑτέρως δὲ ῥητέον· δοκοῦσιν, φησίν, αἱ "βλέπουσαι ἐν ταῖς ὀπαῖς" ἰδεῖν πολλά· καὶ εἰσίν 348 τινες δυνάμεναι προσβάλλειν τῷ φωτί· καὶ παρὰ τὴν δύ ναμιν καὶ τὴν ἀςθένειαν τῆς ὄψεως ἀντίλημψις γίνεται τοῦ φωτός. ὅταν οὖν πάλιν τὸ φῶς κεκρυμμένον γένη ται, αἱ "βλέπουσαι" δι' "ὀπῶν" τινων "σκοτίζονται". οὐ δύνανται ἰδεῖν τὸ φῶς τὰς μικρὰς "ὀπὰς" ἐκείνας ἔχο̣ν̣τες. ὅταν μέντοι μεταβάλῃ αὐτῶν τὸ σῶμα ἀπὸ τοῦ "φθαρτοῦ" ἐπὶ τὸ "ἄφθαρτον" καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ "ψυχικοῦ" ἐπὶ τὸ "πνευματικόν", οὐκ ἔχουσιν οὐκέτι αἰσθήσεις "σκοτιζομέ νας" ἀλλὰ ἀναλαμπούσας καὶ αὐξομένας. οὐ παντελῆ οὖν ὕβριν φέρει τὸ "σκοτισθῆναι τὰς βλεπούσας ἐν ταῖς ὀ παῖς"· ὅταν γὰρ "σκοτισθῶσιν", κατὰ τὸ μέτρον τῆς παρ ούσης αἰσθήσεως μειζόνως ὄψονται τὰ πράγματα "κατ αργουμένου τοῦ ἐκ μέρους", ἵνα μὴ καὶ ἡ "ἐκ μέρους" αὐτῶν "ὀπὴ" "καταργηθῇ" γινομένης μεγάλης ἀνοίξεως. δυνατὸν δὲ καὶ οὕτω λαβεῖν διὰ τὸ πληθυντικῶς εἰ ρῆσθαι "τα̣ῖς ὀπαῖς". φέρεται ἐπαινετὴ "ὀπὴ" ἑνικῶς ἐν τοῖς Μωσαϊκοῖς γράμμασιν, ὅτε πόθον ἔλαβεν τοῦ "ἰδεῖν τὸ πρόσωπον" τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ἐμφανῆ αὐτὸν "γνωστ̣ῶς ἰδεῖν". εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ θεὸς ὅτι "ἄνθρωπος" ἔτι ὠ`̣ν "οὐ δύνασαι" τὴν αὐγ̣ὴν ἔχει̣ν· "τίθημι δέ σε ἐν τῇ ὀπῇ τῆς πέτρας", μιᾶς "πέτρας" εἶπεν "ὀπήν". ἔστιν δὲ "ἡ πέτρα ὁ Χρι στὸς" ἐκ τῆσ̣δε τῆς "πέτρας" καὶ ἡ ενδεχομ̣ε̣·····σ̣ις τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐντ̣α̣υ῀̣θ̣α̣ ······. κ̣αι`̣ λ̣ε´̣γ̣ονται γ̣ὰρ "π̣ε´̣τ̣ρα̣ι" ψεκταὶ πληθυντικῶς καὶ "ὀπαί"· "πνεῦμα συντρῖβον πέτρας". καὶ λέγεται πρὸς τὸν διάβολον· "ἡ ὑπερηφανία τῆς καρδίας σου ἐπῆρέν σε κατασκηνοῦντα ἐν ταῖς ὀπαῖς τῶν πετρῶν" –οὐκ "ἐν τῇ ὀπῇ τῆς πέτρας", μακάριον γὰρ τοῦτο–, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ ἀντιχρίστοις προςέχουσιν καὶ ψευδοδι δασκάλοις καὶ ψευδοπροφήταις, ἡ "ὀπὴ" ἐκείνων οὐκ ἔστιν ἐφοπτικὴ ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον βλαπτική. "σχισμαὶ πετρῶν" γοῦν ἐν ἀ´̣λλοις "ὀπαὶ" λέγονται· τὸ ἀσύμφωνον δὲ τῆς διδασκαλίας "σχίσμα" ἐστὶν καὶ "ὀπῶν" πλῆθος. οὐκ αἱ "βλέπουσαι" οὖν ἐν τῇ "ὀπῇ" "συνσκοτάζουσιν", ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον φωτίζονται. αἱ δὲ ἐν ταῖς πολλαῖς "ὀ παῖς" δοκοῦσαι ὁρᾶν "σκοτίζονται". ὅταν δὲ ἡ ἀλήθεια εἰς μέσον ἔλθῃ, πᾶσα ἀπάτη λύεται· ἐν τῇ ἀπάτῃ δὲ ἦσαν αἱ πολλαὶ "ὀπαί". καὶ ὡς ἔλεγον πολλάκις τὴν εἰκόνα τῆς διαψηφίσεως ὅτι ο̣ἱ ἀποτυγχάνοντες τοῦ 349 διαψηφισμοῦ μυρίας "πέτρας" λέγουσιν. ἐὰν οὖν ἐπι λάμψῃ ἡ ο᾿̣ρθὴ ψῆφος, ἃ οἱ διαψηφίζοντες ἐσφαλμένως ἔλεγον λύεται. οὕτως αἱ ψευδοδοξοῦσαι ἀπούσης τῆς ἀληθείας γίνονται· ὅταν ταὕτη φανῇ καὶ ἀναλάμψῃ, λύονται ὅλαι αἱ ψευδοδοξοῦσαι. 12,4ab καὶ κλείσουσιν θύρας ἐν ἀγο ρᾷ ἐν ἀσθενείᾳ φωνῆς τῆς ἀληθούσης. ̣12,4a εἶπον περὶ τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων πραγμάτων τῶν τε "βλεπομένων καὶ προσκαίρων". περὶ τοῦ μέλλοντος αἰῶνος καὶ τοῦ τέλους τοῦ παρόντος αἰῶνος διδάσκει καὶ λέγει ὅτι "κλείσουσιν θύρας ἐν ἀγορᾷ". "ἀγορὰν" δὲ ἐνταῦθα τὴν ἐκκλησίαν λέγει, ὡς οἱ ῥή τορες λέγουσιν. ὅσον ἐνέστηκεν ὁ βίος οὗτος, αἱ "ἀγοριαὶ" τυγχάνουσιν ἢ ἡ "ἀγορά", ἡ ἐκκλησία, ἐν ᾗ ἀγορεύουσιν οἱ ἀγορεύοντες. "κλεισθήσεται" δὲ μετὰ ταῦ τα οὐκ ἐν̣ούσης ἔτι διδασκαλίας ἐν τῷ τῆς "κρίσεως καιρῷ". οὐ τοῦτο λέγω ὅτι οὐκ ἐνίοτε ἔσται παίδευσις ἐν τοῖς μέλλουσιν αἰῶσιν, ἀλλὰ κατ' αὐτὸν τὸν "καιρὸν" καθ' ὃν "παρίστανται" οἱ κρινόμενοι "τῷ βήματι τοῦ Χρισ τοῦ"· τὸν λόγον γὰρ πρὸς τὰ πραχθέντα ἔχουσιν, πρὸς τὸ παιδευθῆναι ἢ διδαχθῆναι. εἰ δέ ποτε ὁ πόνος ὁ ἐκ τῆς ····ε̣·σ̣···ε̣?·········ε̣σ̣?·ν ἄλλος λόγος οὐ διδασκαλία ἐστὶν παρὰ ἀνθρώπων προφερομένη ἢ ἀγγέλων ·······?············· π̣ε̣ρ̣ὶ τῶν δέκα παρθένων ἐν τῇ παραβολῇ λέγεται ὅτι αἱ
About this text
Didymus the Blind on Ecclesiastes.
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.