The Divine Arrow and the Light of the Soul

The daughter is commanded to rejoice intensely and suddenly at the appearance of the strong and saving King.

"God feels for Judah like a warrior wielding a sword," effecting salvation in both ways: just as a bow was strung for a blessed erotic desire, and just as an excellent general feels for a sword, being a warrior, in order to strike down those set in opposition. It is also written about this in the forty-fourth Psalm: "Gird your sword upon your thigh, O Mighty One, with your beauty and your splendor, because of truth and gentleness and righteousness, and your right hand shall lead you wondrously" (Psalm 45:3). For how would the right hand not lead wondrously the one who has girded a sword upon his thigh, the Mighty One, paradoxically striking those being struck?

It is indeed his own to hear the enemies being told regarding his divine power: "You Ethiopians are wounded by my sword." For having been wounded by him saying these things, casting off the life of the Ethiopians, they shall take up immortality, as it might be said graciously: "The brightness of the Lord our God shall be upon us" (Psalm 18:10), since, having washed us of the cause of all good things, we were shown bright and white, according to the one speaking with boldness: "You shall wash me and I shall be whiter than snow" (Psalm 51:7).

But from where did the Ethiopians come, those being wounded for good so that they might be put to death regarding impiety, or having been born from the devil, desiring to do his lusts? For it has been said about him that he is black, because of the approaching dark ignorance and malice, as is shown in the book of repentance called the Shepherd, and in the Epistle of Barnabas.

And we also have been struck saving-ly by the living and active Word, about whom it has been written: "The Word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword" (Hebrews 4:12), so that having been put to death in the flesh, we might be made alive in the spirit. And let us be struck also by the chosen arrow, sent from the drawn bow; for thus we shall be raised up, happening to be children of Zion upon the generations of the Greeks.

Many, being children and sons of the Greeks, strove according to the dogmas of piety, as to leave behind many writings; but they were overwhelmed when the ecclesiastical men of God rose up against them.

Let us overturn the contentious arguments of those with confidence, saying: 'The weapons of our warfare are not fleshly but are powerful in God, demolishing arguments and lifting up every height against the knowledge of God' (2 Cor 10:4-5). When the children of Zion rise up against the Greeks, the Lord, having accomplished this, will be 'over them' (Zech 9:14), uniting those who rise up with those against whom they rise up, as they are prepared to reign with one mind and one judgment, having created the Greek and the Jew into one new man.

And he will go forth like a flash of lightning, and the Lord God of hosts will sound the trumpet and will go forth in the fury of his indignation; the Lord God of hosts will protect them (Zech 9:14-15). When God has drawn the bow against Judah, a flash like lightning will go forth, piercing and striking toward divine love, so as to become the light of the world, which is able to be called a perfect soul or a glorious Church: 'I am wounded by love.' And it is not only there that the things sent from the divine bow are luminous; in Habakkuk it is said toward God: 'Your arrows shall go forth as light, into the brightness of lightning of your weapons' (Hab 1:8). There is no difference between saying it in the plural or the singular; for we take generally a flash going forth like lightning, of which kinds there are many among the individual flashes.

The word piercing toward desire, taking up the virtues according to kind and the doctrines according to part, is a flash in the general sense, while specific ones exist regarding each virtue and each doctrine of words, and for this reason they are named as flashes in the plural. Furthermore, just as one flash goes forth like lightning and many go forth into light according to Habakkuk, so all things sent from the bow drawn by God are bright arrows. And this is Judah.

It has been made clear previously that these things are announced concerning the one rising out of the tribe of Judah, the Savior. When the divine flash goes forth like lightning so that the inner man and the eyes of the heart may be enlightened, the Lord God of hosts sounds the trumpet, awakening also the inner hearing, so that having received the perception of the existing benefit, one may respond gratefully: 'The instruction of the Lord opens my ears' (Ps 119:16), after he has given me the habit of hearing. And see whether not by thought...