The Ten Men and the Spiritual Jew
He says that joy is to be received, celebrating with myriads of angels and the firstborn of the Church, according to the apostolic writing: 'For you have come to the mountain and city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and with myriads of angels, in festival, and the assembly of the firstborn who are written in heaven.' (Hebrews 10:25). Zechariah 8:23 says: 'Thus says the Lord of hosts: In those days ten men from all the languages of the nations will take hold of the skirt of a Jewish man, saying: We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.'
The prophecy marks the time when many peoples and many nations will come to seek the face of the Lord of hosts, seeking nothing other than the visitation of the Savior to men, through whom Emmanuel was born of the virgin, remaining God among us; in the days of him having appeared on the earth and having lived among men, there will be a calling for all people, as the prophecy having this content makes manifest: 'In those days when ten men from all the languages of the nations take hold of the skirt of a Jewish man.'
To understand the will of the expressed prophetic word, first it must be observed who is the one Jewish man specifically named; I think it is none other than whom the Apostle signifies writing to the Hebrews: 'Manifest that from Judah our Lord has risen' (Hebrews 7:28), to rule and reign over the Jews who are in secret, by spirit and not by letter, being circumcised not in the flesh but in the heart; for concerning him we grasp that which is said in hymns by each one of discerning insight: 'My King, Judah.'
The same understanding is applied to the blessing said by Jacob having this content: 'Judah, your brothers have praised you' (Genesis 49:8); and with others: 'A ruler shall not depart from Judah, and a leader from his sides, until he comes for whom it is reserved, and he himself is the expectation of the nations' (Genesis 49:10). For it is not the expectation of one nation, but of all nations together, the fulfillment of the prophecy concerning the calling of all people having this content: 'There shall be the root of Jesse and the one standing to rule the nations, upon whom the nations shall hope' (Isaiah 11:10). Of this one rising from the root of Jesse and rising...
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Because he is a true Jew from Judah, ten men from all the languages of the nations, seizing the edge of the garment, say to him as a leader and general, rather a high priest and king of kings: 'Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.' It is evident that for the Jews according to the intelligible, those who worship God in spirit and truth (John 4:23), it is not in Jerusalem or on the Samaritan mountain. For just as the angels worship the Son of God in a place, about whom the Holy Spirit says: 'All the angels of God shall worship him' (Hebrews 1:6), so also the worshippers of God from among men do not worship in any place, but act intelligibly, 'in spirit and truth.'
Having these things set forth, a pattern is established to show how from all the languages of the nations ten men shall seize the edge, that is, the body of the spiritual Jew. The number ten mystically lies here through allegory, just as in other divinely inspired oracles about which we shall say next: first, saying how it is impossible that from all the nations and all their languages, though there be myriads and many people, only ten men, according to the number being readily taken, have followed Jesus; for he himself is the true Jew, having risen from Judah.
Might it be, then, that all the multitudes having come to the gospel from different nations and languages, and having knowledge of the Holy Trinity mystically, happen to be ten, similarly to what was said by Matthew of the parable by Jesus: 'Then the kingdom of heaven shall be like ten virgins' (Matthew 25:10); of those who have believed, all of whom happened to be the ten virgins, let the understanding be such.
Every man being a living creature has five senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, and touch; toward these and also according to the intellect he has the same: enlightened eyes, hearing, about which the prophet says, thanking the generous one: 'He added to me an ear for hearing.' And related to the hidden sight and hearing is smell, through which it is fitting to perceive the 'fragrance of Christ' and the breath of his spiritual myrrh. And there is also taste and touch beyond the common ones, through which it is possible to taste that Christ is Lord, and to touch and...
Greek
διαδέξασθαι εὐφροσύνην, ἔφη, μετὰ τ̣ῶν μυριάδων τῶν ἀγγέλων καὶ τῶν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας πρωτοτόκων ἑορταστέον, κατὰ τὴν ἀποστολικὴν γραφήν· «Προσεληλύθατ̣ε̣ γάρ, φησίν, Σιὼν ὄρει καὶ πόλει Θεοῦ ζῶντος, Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἐπουρανίῳ, καὶ μυριάσιν ἀγγέλων, πανηγύρει, καὶ ἐκκλησίᾳ πρωτοτόκων ἀπογεγραμμένων ἐν οὐρανῷ.» 3.54 Zach. VIII, 23: Τάδε λέγει Κύριος παντοκράτωρ· Ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις, ἐὰν ἐπιλάβωνται δέκα ἄνδρες ἐκ πασῶν τῶν γλωσσῶν τῶν ἐθνῶν καὶ ἐπιλάβωνται τοῦ κρασπέδου ἀνδρὸς Ἰουδαίου λέγοντες· Πορευσόμεθα μετὰ σοῦ, διότι ἀκηκόαμεν ὅτι Θεὸς μεθ' ὑμῶν ἐστιν. 3.55 Ὑπογράφει τὸν καιρὸν ἡ προφητεία καθ' ὃν ἥξουσιν λαοὶ πολλοὶ καὶ ἔθνη πολλὰ ἐξιλάσασθαι τὸ πρόσωπον Κυρίου παντοκράτορος καὶ ἐκζητῆσαι αὐτό, οὐχ ἕτερον ὄντα τῆς τοῦ Σωτῆρος εἰς ἀνθρώπους ἐπιδημίας, καθ' ὃν ἐγεννήθη ἐκ τῆς παρθένου ὁ Ἐμμανουήλ, ἐν ἡμῖν τοῦ Θεοῦ λοιπὸν γεγενημένου· ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις τοῦ ὀφθέντος ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ συναναστραφέντος τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, τῶν ἁπανταχοῦ ἀνθρώπων κλῆσις ἔσται ὡς ἐκκειμένη δηλοῖ προφητεία ὧδε ἔχουσα· «Ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ὅταν δέκα ἄνδρες ἐκ πασῶν τῶν γλωσσῶν τῶν ἐθνῶν ἐπιλάβωνται τοῦ κρασπέδου ἀνδρὸς Ἰουδαίου.» 3.56 Ὑπὲρ δὲ τοῦ νοῆσαι τὸ βούλημα τοῦ ἐκτεθέντος προφητικοῦ ῥητοῦ, πρῶτον σκοπητέον τίς ὁ εἷς ἀνὴρ Ἰουδαῖος κατ' ἐξοχὴν ὀνομαζόμενος· οὐκ ἄλλος δ' οἶμαι τυγχάνει οὗ σημαίνει ὁ Ἀπόστολος Ἑβραίοις γράφων· «Πρόδηλον ὅτι ἐξ Ἰούδα ἀνατέταλκεν ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν», ἐπὶ τὸ ἡγεῖσθαι καὶ βασιλεύειν τῶν ἐν κρυπτῷ Ἰουδαίων, πνεύματι ἀλλ' οὐ γράμματι, περιτεμνομένων οὐ τὴν σάρκα ἀλλὰ τὴν καρδίαν· περὶ γὰρ αὐτοῦ ἐκλαμβάνομεν τὸ ἐν ὕμνοις εἰρημένον ὑφ' ἑκάστου διορατικοῦ· «Βασιλεύς μου Ἰούδα.» 3.57 Ἡ αὐτὴ νόησις ὑποβάλλεται καὶ ἐν τῇ ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἰακὼβ εἰρημένῃ εὐλογίᾳ ὧδε ἐχούσῃ· «Ἰούδα, σὲ αἰνέσαισαν οἱ ἀδελφοί σου»· καὶ μεθ' ἕτερα· «Οὐκ ἐκλείψει ἄρχων ἐξ Ἰούδα, καὶ ἡγούμενος ἐκ τῶν μηρῶν αὐτοῦ, ἕως ἔλθῃ ᾧ ἀπόκειται, καὶ αὐτὸς προσδοκία ἐθνῶν.» Οὐ γὰρ ἑνὸς ἔθνους, ἀλλὰ πάντων ὁμοῦ μακαρία προσδοκία τυγχάνει, πληρουμένης προφητείας περὶ κλήσεως πάντων ἀνθρώπων ὧδε ἐχούσης· «Ἔσται ἡ ῥίζα τοῦ Ἰεσσαὶ καὶ ὁ ἀνιστάμενος ἄρχειν ἐθνῶν, ἐπ' αὐτῷ ἔθνη ἐλπιοῦσιν.» 3.58 Τούτου τοῦ ἀναστάντος ἐκ τῆς ῥίζης Ἰεσσαὶ καὶ ἀνατείλαντος ἐκ τοῦ Ἰούδα ἀληθινοῦ Ἰουδαίου ὄντος ἐπιλαβόμενοι τοῦ κρασπέδου τοῦ ἱματίου ἄνδρες δέκα ἐκ πασῶν τῶν γλωσσῶν τῶν ἐθνῶν φασιν αὐτῷ ὡς ἡγουμένῳ καὶ στρατηγῷ, μᾶλλον δὲ ἀρχιερεῖ καὶ παμβασιλεῖ· «Πορευθῶμεν δὲ μετὰ σοῦ, διότι ἀκηκόαμεν ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς ἐν ὑμῖν ἐστιν», φανερὸν δ' ὅτι τοῖς κατὰ τὸ νοητὸν Ἰουδαίοις, τοῖς ἐν πνεύματι καὶ ἀληθείᾳ προσκυνοῦσι τῷ Θεῷ, οὐκ ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις ἢ τῷ Σαμαριτῶν ὄρει. Ὡς γὰροὐκ ἐν τόπῳ οἱ ἄγγελοι προσκυνοῦσιν τῷ Υἱῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ, περὶ οὗ τὸ ἅγιον Πνεῦμα λέγει· «Προσκυνήσουσιν αὐτῷ πάντες ἄγγελοι Θεοῦ», οὕτως οὐδὲ οἱ ἐξ ἀνθρώπων προσκυνηταὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν τόπῳ τινὶ 86 προσκυνοῦσιν, νοητῶς αὐτὸ ἐνεργοῦντες, «πνεύματι καὶ ἀληθείᾳ». 3.59 Τούτων προτεθεωρημένων, εἱρμὸς καλεῖ ἐκλαβεῖν πῶς ἀπὸ πασῶν τῶν γλωσσῶν τῶν ἐθνῶν δέκα ἄνδρες ἐπιλήμψονται τοῦ κρασπέδου, τοῦτ' ἔστιν τοῦ σώματος τοῦ πνευματικοῦ Ἰουδαίου. 3.60 Ὁ δέκα ἀριθμὸς μυστικῶς κατ' ἀλληγορίαν καὶ ἐνταῦθα 3.60 κεῖται, ὡς καὶ ἐν ἑτέροις θεοπνεύστοις λογίοις περὶ ὧν ἑξῆς ἐροῦμεν, πρῶτον εἰπόντες ὡς ἀδύνατόν ἐστιν ἐκ πάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν καὶ πασῶν τῶν γλωσσῶν αὐτῶν, μυρίων καὶ πολὺ ἀνθρώπων ὄντων, μόνους δέκα ἄνδρας κατὰ πρόχειρον τοῦ ἀριθμοῦ λαμβανομένου ἠκολουθηκέναι τῷ Ἰησοῦ· αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ ἀληθῶς Ἰουδαῖος ἀνατείλας ἐκ τοῦ Ἰούδα. 3.61 Μή ποτ' οὖν πάντα τὰ πλήθη τὰ ἐκ διαφόρων ἐθνῶν καὶ γλωσσῶν προσελθόντα τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ ἐπὶ τῷ κατ' αὐτὸ πολιτεύεσθαι καὶ γνῶσιν ἔχειν τῆς ἁγίας Τριάδος μυστικῶς δέκα τυγχάνουσιν, παραπλησίως τῷ λεχθέντι παρὰ Μαθθαίῳ ὑπὸ Ἰησοῦ παραβολῆς τρόπῳ· «Τότε ὁμοιωθήσεται ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν δέκα παρθένοις», τῶν πιστευσάντων πάντων τυγχανόντων τῶν δέκα παρθένων νοήσει τοιᾶδε. 3.62 Πᾶς ἄνθρωπος ζῷον ὢν πέντε αἰσθήσεις ἔχει, ὄψιν, ἀκοήν, ὄσφρησιν, γεῦσιν, ἁφήν· πρὸς ταύταις καὶ κατὰ τὴν διάνοιαν τὰς ἴσας ἔχει· ὀφθαλμοὺς πεφωτισμένους, ἀκοήν, περὶ ἧς ὁ προφήτης εὐχαριστῶν τῷ μεγαλοδώρῳ φησίν· «Προσέθηκέν μοι ὠτίον τοῦ ἀκούειν.» Ἔστι δὲ συγγενὴς τῇ ἐν κρυπτῷ ὄψει καὶ ἀκοῇ ὄσφρησις, καθ' ἣν ἀντιλαμβάνεσθαι προσήκει τῆς «Χριστοῦ εὐωδίας» καὶ πνοῆς τῶν πνευματικῶν αὐτοῦ μύρων. 3.63 Ἔστι δὲ καὶ γεῦσις καὶ ἁφὴ παρὰ τὰς κοινάς, καθ' ἃς γεύσασθαι ἔστιν ὅτι Χριστὸς ὁ Κύριος, καὶ ἅψασθαι καὶ
About this text
Didymus the Blind on Zechariah.
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