The Rod and the Almond Blossom

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overwhelms the mind

They were deacons of these traditions. And they quickly 'flourished' and quickly withered. But the 'rod', the priestly 'staff', being not present, remained until much, until a succession might be born from the greater and more spiritual priesthood; and it surpassed the others. And this must be said: that there will be a true teaching and a false and deceptive one. For they say: in the times of the prophets, false prophets are found; for the evil is a mimic of the true. From the time that Christ appeared in visitation, many false Christs promised to come.

We say therefore this: even if those of the other teachings were plants, and later 'blossom' after the upright teaching and before it; for when it appears, they are quenched. This 'rod' therefore loosed the 'rods' of the others, of the false apostles, of the false prophets. Will the 'almond' therefore 'blossom'?—this: when 'the daughters of the song are humbled' (Song of Solomon), the promised false teachings, false 'rods', then even more 'the almond will blossom'.

Regarding the apostolic word, we say that there will be a standing of righteousness when injustice prevails among men. Loosing the injustice and revealing those who advocate it, being something great, its greatness would not have been shown if there were not a great injustice which it loosed. And we say that 'the truth of God prevailed in human falsehood'. And we say that then, especially, the good appeared of the truth, when many false sophists came into the midst, promising contentious words.

Let there be a king capable and having a many-handed army and experienced in war. Does his greatness not appear when he goes against an enemy of thirty men and prevails over them? And not thus by the Preacher, but rather by Ezra, were problems regarding the king set forth. And the former two have spoken well, but the second interpretation of the third was strong; and it has been said that 'truth conquers' and is powerful. For even if 'women are strong' and such 'wine' and the 'king' and the others, but 'truth excels'. The 'prevailing' of the 'truth' appeared while those strong ones were present.

Greek

εἰσίν, φόβοι εἰσίν. το´̣δε ὅλως περὶ τοιο·········· σ̣υνχεῖ τ̣ὴν διάνοιαν τ̣ὰ πε ρ̣ι`̣ τῆς χρήσεως ἀπαγγελλόμενα· καὶ μάλιστα, ὅταν πι στευθῇ ἐγγὺς εἶναι, συνχεῖ τὴν διάνοιαν καὶ "θάμβος" γίνεται· θαμβοῦνται ἐκ τῶν λεγομένων, καὶ ὥσπερ ἐπὶ τῶν αἰσθητῶν, ἐὰν προσδοκηθῇ κεραυνοῦ βολή, πάντες φοβοῦν ται, βροντῆς γινομένης πάντες δεδίασιν. τοῦτο γοῦν καὶ ὁ ὑμνῳδὸς εἶπεν· "ἀπὸ φωνῆς βροντῆς σου δειλι άσουσιν". καὶ ὥσπερ ἀπὸ τῆς αἰσθητῆς "φωνῆς" δέος λαμ βάνουσιν συνχεόμενοι, οὕτως ἀπὸ τοῦ μεγαλοφώνου θε οῦ λόγου, περὶ οὗ λέγεται ὡς "βροντῆς"· "ὁ θεὸς τῆς δόξης ἐβρόντησεν" καὶ ἔτι "καὶ ἐβρόντησεν ἐξ οὐρα νοῦ κύριος". ταύτης τῆς "βροντῆς" ἤκουσαν οἱ ἀμφὶ τὸν Ἰά κωβον καὶ Ἰωάννην· ἐχρημάτισαν γὰρ "υἱοὶ βροντῆς". καὶ ὡς Πέτρος διὰ τὸ στερρὸν τῆς πίστεως ἧς ἔσχεν "πέτρας" καλουμένης παρωνομάσθη "Πέτρος", οὕτω καὶ οὗτοι ἀπὸ τῆς μεγαλοφωνίας ἐχρημάτισαν "υἱοὶ βροντῆς". ἀλλ' ἴσως τις ἐνστήσεται πρὸς ἡμᾶς ὅτι “ναί, βροντάτω μεγάλα ὁ Ἰωάννης θεολογῶν καὶ λέγων "ἐν ἀρχῇ 356 ἦν ὁ λόγος" καὶ "ἦν τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινὸν" καὶ "μονογενὴς θεὸς ὁ ὢν εἰς κόλπον τοῦ πατρός"· ποίαν "βροντὴν" ὁ Ἰάκωβος ἐνήνοχεν; εὐθέως γὰρ ἀφῃρέθη”. λέγομεν ὅτι συνλημπτικῷ τρόπῳ δύναται εἰρῆσθαι ἢ ὅτι ἀμ φότεροι μὲν κατὰ τὴν διάνοιαν εἴχοντο μεγαλοφώνων, οὐκ ἐπετράπη δὲ ὁ Ἰάκωβος γράψαι ταχέως ἀπαλλαγεὶς ἅμα τῇ ἀναλήμψει τοῦ σωτῆρος τοῦ βίου. ὥσπερ οὖν ἀπὸ τῆς "βροντῆς" τῆς αἰσθητῆς "θάμ βος" λαμβάνει τοὺς ἀκούοντας καὶ διὰ προσδοκίας ἢ ἄλ λου τινὸς σκηπτροῦ φοβοῦνται, οὕτως, ὅταν "ὑψωθῶ σιν" οὗτοι οἱ κήρυκες τῆς ἀληθείας, "θάμβος" λαμβά νει τοὺς ἔτι "ἐν τῷ ὁδεύειν" ὄντας· δεῖ δὲ αὐτοὺς ἀναβάντας εἰς τὸ "ὕψος" ἤδη εἶναι. 12,5b καὶ ἀνθήσῃ τὸ ἀμύγδαλον. οἱ περὶ φύσεως φυτῶν εἰρηκότες περὶ τοῦ "ἀμυγ δάλου" τοῦτο λέγουσιν· πρὸ πάντων φυτῶν ἐν τῷ ἔαρι ἐκφέρει φύλλα καὶ ἀποβάλλει αὐτὰ μετὰ τὴν ἀποβο̣ λ̣ὴν πάντων τῶν ἄλλων δένδρων· παράμονον οὖν ἐστιν τοῦτο. διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἡ "ῥάβδος" ἡ ἱερατικὴ "καρυΐνη" εἴ ρηται. οὐ μέχ̣ρι γὰρ ὀλίγων ἡμερῶν διέμεινεν· ἀπὸ Μωσέως ἕως τῆς ἐπιδημίας τοῦ ςωτῆρ̣ος̣ ἐφάνη. ἐγεγόνεσαν δὲ καὶ ἄλλης διδασκαλίας ἀντὶ Ἰουδαί ων παραδόσεις. ··ρ̣···· πράττοντες ? "ε᾿̣ν̣τολὰς ἀν θρώπων̣" ············α··· διάκονο̣ι τούτων τῶν παραδόσεων. καὶ ταχὺ "ἤνθησαν" καὶ ταχὺ ἐμαράνθησαν. ἡ μέντοι "ῥάβδος" ἡ ἱερατικὴ "καρυΐνη" οὐ῀̣σ̣α̣ παρέμεινεν ἕως πολλοῦ, ἕως διαδοχὴ γένηται ἀπὸ τῆς μείζονος καὶ πνευματικωτέρας ἱερωσύνης· καὶ προήν θησεν τῶν ἄλλων. καὶ τοῦτο δὲ λεκτέον ὅτι οὔσης ἀληθοῦς διδασκα λίας ἔσται καὶ ψευδὴς καὶ ἠπατημένη. ὅ γε ἔλεγον· ἐν τοῖς καιροῖς τῶν προφητῶν εὑρίσκονται ψευδοπρο φῆται· μιμηλὸν γάρ ἐστιν τὸ κακὸν τοῦ ἀληθοῦς. ἀφ' οὗ βεβόηται Χριστὸς ἐπιδημίᾳ, πολλοὶ ψευδόχριστοι ἐπηγγείλαντο ἐλεύσεσθαι. τοῦτο οὖν λέγομεν ὅτι, κἂν ἐκεῖνα φυτὰ ἦσαν τὰ τῶν ἄλλων διδασκαλιῶν, καὶ ὕστερον "ἀνθεῖ" μετὰ τὴν ὀρ θὴν διδασκαλίαν καὶ πρὸ αὐτῆς λήγει· ἐπιφανείσης γὰρ αὐτῆς σζβέννυνται. αὕτη οὖν ἡ "ῥάβδος" τὰς τῶν ἄλλων "ῥάβδους" ἔλυσεν, τῶν ψευδαποστόλων, τῶν ψευδοπροφη τῶν. ἐπερ· "ἀνθήσει" οὖν τὸ "ἀμύγδαλον"; –τοῦτο· ὅταν "αἱ θυγατέρες τοῦ ᾄσματος ταπεινωθῶ 357 σιν" αἱ ἐπαγγελλόμεναι διδασκαλίας ψευδεῖς, "ῥάβ δους" ψευδεῖς, τότε ἔτι μᾶλλον "ἀνθήσει τὸ ἀμύγ δαλον". εἰς τὴν ἀποστολικὴν λέξιν εἴπομεν ὅτι τότε σύνστα σι̣ς ἔσται τῆς δικαιοσύνης, ὅταν κρατήσῃ ἐν ἀνθρώ ποις ἡ ἀδικία. λύουσα τὴν ἀδικίαν καὶ τ̣ο̣ὺς πρεσ βεύοντας αὐτὴν ἀναδείκνυται μεγάλη τις οὖσα, οὐκ ἂν δειχθέντο̣ς τοῦ μεγέθους αὐτῆς εἰ μὴ ἦν συνστᾶσα πολλὴ ἀδικία, ἣν ἔλυσεν. καὶ ἐλέγομεν ὅτ̣ι "ἡ ἀλήθεια τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν τῷ ἀνθρωπίνῳ ψεύδει ἐπερίσ σευσεν". καὶ ἐφάσκομεν τότε ὅτι τότε μάλιστα τ̣ὸ κα̣· ···ν ἐφάνη τῆς ἀληθείας, ὅτε πολλοὶ σοφι̣σ̣τα̣ι`̣ εἰς μέσον ἦλθαν ψευδεῖς καὶ ἐριστικοὺς λόγους ἐπαγγελλό μενοι. ἔσ̣τ̣ω̣ τις̣ βασιλεὺς ἱκανὸς καὶ χεῖρα π̣ολ λ̣ὴν ἔχων καὶ ἐμπειροπόλεμος. μὴ τὸ μ̣έγ̣εθος αὐτοῦ φαίνεται, ὅταν πολεμίου 60 συνστάντος τριάκοντα ἀνθρώ ποις ε᾿̣π̣ε´̣λ̣θῃ καὶ περιγένηται αὐτῶν; καὶ οὑ´̣τως ὑπ̣ὸ τοῦ Ἐκκλησιαστοῦ, μᾶλλον δ̣ὲ ὑπ̣ο`̣ τ̣ο̣ῦ Ἔσ-δρα προβλήματα προυβλ̣η´̣θησαν περὶ τὸν βασιλέα. καὶ εἰρήκασ̣ιν οι῾̣ πρότεροι δύο καλῶς, ἴσχυσεν δὲ ἡ δευτέρα ἑρμηνεία τοῦ τρίτου· καὶ εἴρηται̣ ὅτ̣ι "νικᾷ ἡ ἀλήθεια" καὶ ἰσχύει. εἰ γὰρ καὶ "ἰσχύουσιν αἱ γυναῖ κες" καὶ ὁ τοιοῦτος "οἶνος" καὶ ὁ "βασιλεὺς" καὶ τὰ ἄλλα, ἀλλὰ "ὑπερισχύει ἡ ἀλήθεια". ἡ "ὑπερίσχυ σις" τῆς "ἀληθείας" ἐφάνη ἐκείνων ἰσχυρῶν ὄντων τῶν

About this text

Didymus the Blind on Ecclesiastes.

Catalogue & scope

Khazarzar scan

Witnesses

Copy-text PG (Khazarzar) (Greek)

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