Commentary on Ecclesiastes · §60

The Marketplace and the Silver Cord

And having said many things regarding those who do not listen, they 'are being cut'. Thus also Jeremiah, after Israel and Jerusalem had been taken captive, having sat in desolation, lamented with a wail for the throne. And even so God says: 'Lament for me concerning the bride girded with a sackcloth for her man, the virgin conquering'. Therefore, 'those being cut were surrounding in the marketplace'. The teachers rejoice when the hearers are being made straight; they are grieved when the divine decrees are heard against them. Since, therefore, even after the hearers sin, the teachers pity them in proclaiming the divine, 'those being cut cry out', not seeing those who are doing what they stand in defense of. And the New Testament knows the church as a 'marketplace', just as the Greeks do. In the Acts of the Apostles, indeed, it says that 'they have' certain requests, 'market-people lead them', that is to say, rhetoricians. 'You are able', he says, 'to move a case concerning this, those who are proclaiming, the rhetoricians'. Therefore, 'those being cut surrounded in the marketplace' those who were proclaiming; having been exalted and even 'dancing' after 'having surrounded', it would be at is said by them were being transferred into works of ages. Until the silver cord is not overturned and the golden ornament is crushed.

teral sense: 'the silver cord' may be the giving and the receiving concerning transactions. Toward a spiritual sense: since the word of the Lord is 'silver' and 'his words are refined silver', 'cords' are woven from these; that is, things well-understood by the orthodox or otherwise, both ways, the 'silver cord is not overturned', it 'is active'. And since it is necessary to speak regarding the text, this may be said: that 'until the silver cord' 'is active', not 'being overturned', not 'being cast out'—for it 'shall be cast out' after these things, when 'that which is from the part is abolished'—the 'those being cut in the marketplace surround', 'until' they have the 'silver cord', 'until' they weave the 'words of the Lord'; then indeed they also proclaim.

olden ornament is crushed. The deposit of 'gold' is so called, perhaps also the 'gold' itself, but rather the deposit. For those guarding the treasure neglect...

the governing principle

Greek

τες καὶ πολλὰ εἰρηκότες περὶ τῶν μὴ ἀκουσάντων "κόπ τονται". οὕτω γοῦν καὶ ὁ "Ἰηρεμίας μετὰ τὸ αἰχμαλω τισθῆναι τὸν Ἰςραὴλ καὶ Ἰερουςαλὴμ ἐρη-μωθῆναι καθίσας κλαίων ἐθρήνησεν τὸν θρῆνον". καὶ αὐ τὸς ὁ θεὸς λέγων· "θρήνησον πρός με ὑπὲρ νύμφην περιεζωσμένην σάκκον ἐπὶ τὸν ἄνδρα αὐτῆς τὸν παρθε νικόν". "ἐκύκλωσαν" οὖν "ἐν ἀγορᾷ οἱ κοπτόμενοι". χαίρουσιν οἱ διδάσκαλοι κατορθούντων τῶν ἀκροατῶν· λυποῦνται, ὅταν παρακούωνται τὰ θεσπίσματα τὰ θεῖα. ἐ πεὶ τοίνυν καὶ μετὰ τὸ ἁμαρτάνειν τοὺς ἀκροατὰς φείδον ται αὐτῶν οἱ διδάσκαλοι ἐν τῷ ἀγορεύειν τὰ θεῖα, "κυ κλοῦσιν κοπτόμενοι" οὐχ ὁρῶντες ἐκείνους ποιοῦντας, ἃ προστάττονται ποιεῖν. καὶ ἡ καινὴ διαθήκη οἶδεν τὴν ἐκκλησίαν "ἀγοράν", ὡς καὶ Ἕλληνες. ἐν ταῖς πράξεσιν γοῦν τῶν ἀποστόλων λέγει ὅτι "ἔχουσιν" ζήτημάτα τι, "ἀγοραῖοι ἄγονται", τουτέστιν ῥήτορες. “δύνασθε”, φησίν, “δίκην περὶ τού του κινεῖν ἔχοντες τοὺς ἀγορεύοντας, τοὺς ῥητορεύον τας”. "κοπτόμενοι" οὖν "ἐκύκλωσαν ἐν ἀγορᾷ" οἱ ἀγορεύ οντες· γεγηθότες ἂν καὶ "ὀρχούμενοι" "κυκλώσαντες", 360 εἰ τὰ λεγόμενα ὑπ' αὐτῶν εἰς ἔργα αἰώνων ἦν μετα βαλλόμενα. 12,6ab ἕως οὗ μὴ ἀνατραπῇ τὸ σχοι νίον τοῦ ἀργυρίου καὶ συντριβῇ τὸ ἀνθέμιον τοῦ χρυσίου. ̣12,6α̣ πρὸς ῥητόν· "σχοινίον τοῦ ἀργυρίου" δύ ναται εἶναι ἡ δόσις καὶ ἡ λῆμψις ἡ περὶ τὰ συναλλάγ ματα. πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν· ἐπεὶ ὁ λόγος κυρίου "ἄργυ ρός" ἐστιν καὶ "τὰ λόγια αὐτοῦ ἀργύριον πεπυρωμένον" ἐστίν, "σχοινία" ἐκ τούτων πλέκεται· ἤτοι καλῶς νοού-μενα ὑπὸ τῶν ὀρθοδόξων ἢ ἑτέρως, ἀμφοτέρως οὐκ "ἀνατρέπεται τὸ σχοινίον τοῦ ἀργυρίου", "ἐνεργεῖ". ἐπειδὴ δὲ δεῖ πρὸς τὸ κείμενον λέγειν, δύ-ναται τοῦτο λέγεσθαι ὅτι "ἕως τὸ σχοινίον τοῦ ἀργυρί-ου" "ἐνεργεῖ" οὐκ "ἀνατρεπόμ̣εν̣ον", οὐκ "ἐκβαλλόμε-νον"–"ἐκβληθήσεται" γὰρ μετὰ ταῦτα, ὅταν "τὸ ἐκ μέ-ρο̣υς καταργηθῇ"–, οἱ "ἐν ἀγορᾷ οἱ κοπτόμενοι κυκλοῦσιν", "ἕως" ἔχουσιν τὸ "σχοινίον τοῦ ἀργυρίου", "ἕως" πλέ-κουσιν τὰ "λόγια κυρίου"· τότε γ̣α`̣ρ καὶ ἀγορεύ-ουσιν. 12,6b καὶ συντριβῇ τὸ ἀνθέμιον τοῦ χρυσίου. ἡ θήκη τοῦ "χρυσίου" ο̣ὑ´̣τω καλεῖται, τάχα δὲ καὶ τὸ απαν5–7 "χρυσίου", μᾶλλον δὲ ἡ θήκη. ἀμ̣έλει γοῦν τοὺς θησαυροφυλακοῦντας λε············ς ἐσ-τιν ουτος ἀντὶ τοῦ φύλαξ "χρυσίου". "χρυσι´̣ον" οὖν ἐν τούτοις λημπτέον τὸν νοῦν· "ἀργύριον" δὲ εἰ τὸν προφορικὸν λόγον, "χρυσὸν" λαμ-βάνεις ὧδε τὸ νόημα, "ἀνθέμιον" δὲ τὸ ἡγεμονικὸν ···ς τ̣ο εἶναι θήκη καὶ φυλακὴ τοῦ "χρυσίου". ἐὰν δὲ "ἄργυ-ρον" σημαίνῃ τὸν λόγον καὶ τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ γραφήν, πλοκή ἐστιν τὰ κατάλληλα καταλλήλοις λαμβάνειν ῥητὰ καὶ τὴν νόησιν εἴρειν τῶνδε πρὸς τάδε καὶ τὴν ἐκείνων πρὸς ταῦτα. ἐπερ· "ἕως" τὴν ἐκκλησίαν οὐ λέγει; –τοῦτο λέγει· "ἐν ἀγορᾷ οἱ κοπτόμενοι κόπτονται κυκλοῦσιν". "ἀγορὰ" δέ ἐστιν ἡ ἐκκλησιαστικὴ διδασ-καλία. ἐκκλησιαστικὴν δὲ λέγω οὐ πάντως τὴν Χριστι-ανῶν, ἀλλὰ τὴν συνελευστικήν. τοῦτο οὖν λέγει ὅτι ἐς ὅσον "ἐνεργεῖ" τὸ "σχοινίον τοῦ ἀργυρίου", "κυκλοῦσιν" καὶ "κόπτονται" τοὺς μὴ πειθομένους. ὅταν δὲ "ἀνατραπῇ" "καταργηθέντος τοῦ ἐκ 62 μέρους", οὐκέτι "κυκλοῦσιν κοπτόμενοι τὴν ἀγοράν"· οὐκέτι γὰρ ὁ κοπετὸς αὐτῶν ἐνεργήσει τι τότε ἀκουσομένου ἑκάστου· “νῦν μετανοεῖς, ὅτε "καιρὸς" οὐκ ἔστιν.” οὐ τοῦτο δέ φημι ὅτι οὐδέποτε ἔσται μετάνοια, ἀλλὰ τότε, ὅτε ὁ "καιρὸς τῆς κρίσεως" ἐνεργεῖ, ὅτε "τῷ βήματι τοῦ Χριστοῦ παρίστανται ἐπὶ τῷ κομίσασθαι ἕκαστος, ἃ ἔπραξεν διὰ τοῦ σώματος". ἐπερ· ἐὰν δὲ "μὴ ἀνατραπῇ"; –τοῦτο· τότε "κυκλοῦσιν ἐν ἀγορᾷ οἱ κοπτόμενοι", ὅταν ἔτι "ἐνεργῇ" ὁ λόγος ὁ τῆς διδασκαλίας μὴ πειθο-361 μένων ἐκείνων, μὴ συνκατατιθεμένων, μὴ δεσμουμένων ὑπὸ τοῦ "σχοινίου τοῦ ἀργυρίου"· δεσμεῖται γὰρ ὁ συνκατατιθέμενος. "καὶ συντριβῇ τὸ ἀνθέμιον". ἐλέχθη ὅτι ἡ γραφὴ διὰ τοῦ "χρυσοῦ" σημαίνει τὰ νοήματα· τὰ νοήματα οὖν τὰ κατειργ̣ασ̣μ̣ένα κ̣αὶ εὐτρεπισθέντα οὕτως ὥστε λ̣όγ̣ια α᾿̣γ̣αθὰ γενέσθαι. καὶ γὰρ φαίνεται "πε´̣τ̣αλα" τὰ τεμνόμενα ἐν τοῖς ἱματίοις τ̣οῦ ἀρχιιερέως· λέγεται γὰρ εκιο̣····· ······· "χρυσίον" καὶ τ̣η κατ̣ω̣ κατασκευ̣······· ··ης. δύναται οὖν "συντριβη῀̣ναι" ···· συνενῶσαι αὐτὰ καὶ ὥσπερ ἠλαθῆναι. 12,6cd καὶ συντριβῇ ὑδρία ἐπὶ τὴν πηγήν, καὶ συντροχάσει ὁ τροχὸς ἐπὶ τὸν λάκκον. ̣12,6c ? τινῶν ἐστιν ἀπ' αὐτῆς τῆς "πηγη῀̣ς̣" ἀ´̣ν̣ευ το̣ῦ ἀγγείου πίνειν. ἡ Ῥεβέκκα ἡ ε᾿̣πιμονὴ τῶν καλῶν, ἡ τελεία διδασκαλία, "ἐπὶ τὴν πηγὴν κατα-βαίνουσα" "ὑδρίᾳ" ἐλάμβανεν τὸ ποτόν, ἵνα

About this text

Didymus the Blind on Ecclesiastes.

Original English Translation — new OET from PG Greek.

Catalogue & scope

Khazarzar scan

Witnesses

Copy-text PG (Khazarzar) (Greek)

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