The North Wind and the Approach of God
"Will they take the wickedness from you, or will they flee in these things?" Having rebuked her who, the divine word seeing, had done an abomination in his house, the Lord calls her name an olive tree of easy access; your branches have become useless. For how have the branches that fell through their own unfaithfulness become useless, especially having moved into the storm of life, in which there are billows and a multitude of salty and bitter waters.
Regarding the unfaithful branches having come to the sea and being torn apart by a very strong wind, it is said concerning this ruined city—the Jewish one, I say—and by another prophet, who is Micah, by God: "I will scatter the stones of it into chaos and I will uncover its foundations" (Micah).
When these gloomy things have come upon the wretched synagogue of the Jews, it is necessary for us, those having believed in the Savior, to become a fruitful olive in the house of God and toward the rising in the mount of olives, so that we may also be transferred into the divine paradise by the grace of God, becoming imitators of Christ, concerning whom it is written: "Behold, a man, rising is his name" (Zechariah 14:4).
"Half of the mountain shall lean toward the north and half of it toward the south. And the gorge of my mountains shall be blocked, and the gorge of my mountains shall be joined up as far as Asher, just as it was blocked in the days of the earthquake in the days of King Uzziah of Judah" (Zechariah 14:4-5).
The half, he says, of the mountain—clearly the mount of olives—will lean toward the north, toward the one deviating into the sea and the chaos, the other half reaching toward the south.
What are the north and the south? From the Breath of Breaths, the Church having been ravished by her own bridegroom, is to learn, saying: "Arise, north, and come, south, blow upon my garden and let my aromas flow."
The north in these things is the evil power, rather Satan himself; the south, being the Savior himself, is approached as the bridegroom. Therefore, when the very cold north is present, the flow of the divine aromas is hindered, the pores being choked because they become thickened due to the coldness of the north and become hard; the bride flees from this and calls to the south, so that by his warmth [she may...]
From the sources of the intelligible, the fragrances flow, concerning which it is said toward the bridal chamber of the spiritual spouse: 'The fragrance of your myrrh is above all spices' (Song of Solomon 1:3). The north wind is said to have heat and to be an invigorating breath, having learned that fire exists and came to cast upon the earth, as he himself announced saying: 'I came to cast fire upon the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled' (Luke 12:49).
It must be said: 'Arise, north wind,' not by voice alone but in reality, so that it may be sent from afar. In deeds, he says: 'Arise, north wind,' to the faithful soul saying to the teacher who speaks: 'Turn away from evil and do good,' and to the Apostle who wrote to the whole Church: 'Test all things, hold fast to the good. Abstain from every kind of evil' (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22). The north wind, driving the abstention from every kind of evil and the turning away from evil, urges the south wind to come so as to draw near to it through pious faith and moral virtue. For thus, to those being thus prepared, the provider of all good things comes, as the theologian James wrote: 'Draw near to God and He will draw near to you' (James 4:8).
Having the longing for His presence, and being near to: 'Come, south wind,' in that bridal drama he hints: 'Come, my sister, let us go out to the field' (Song of Solomon 2:10). This is equivalent to: 'Arise, north wind, and come, south wind,' and to: 'Draw near to God and He will draw near to you, resist the devil and he will flee from you' (James 4:7-8), as the one resisting the devil says to him: 'Arise, north wind,' and the one drawing near to God entreating the south wind to come to him, the God Logos, concerning whom in the song of the prophet Habakkuk, according to some interpreters, it is brought forth instead of: 'God will come from Thaman,' as 'God will come from the south wind,' the coming of the Father from the south wind of the bride, according to that which is said by Him in the Gospel: 'He who receives me receives him who sent me' (John 13:20). For in whatever way he who sees Him sees the Father, so the one receiving Him receives the Father abiding in Him, in whom is His Only-begotten.
What will happen when turning toward the north and the south of the clarified mountain of olives, or when the gorge of the mountains of God is blocked and is joined even unto Asahel? The gorge and the joining could not be understood otherwise than by having known what the mountains of God are.
Greek
ἀφαιροῦσιν τὴν κακίαν ἀπὸ σοῦ, ἢ ἐν τούτοις διαφεύξει;» Ἐλέγξαντος τοῦ τὸ κρυπτὸν ὁρῶντος τὴν ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ αὐτοῦ ποιήσασαν βδέλυγμα, ὁ θεῖος λόγος λέγει πρὸς αὐτήν· «Ἐλαίαν εὔσκιον τῷ εἴδει ἐκάλεσεν Κύριος τὸ ὄνομά σου· ἠχρεώθησαν οἱ κλάδοι σου.» Πῶς γὰρ οὐκ ἀχρεῖοι κλάδοι γεγένηνται οἱ ἐκκλασθέντες τῇ ἑαυτῶν ἀπιστίᾳ, μάλιστα μεταβεβηκότες εἰς τὴν τοῦ βίου ζάλην, ἐν ᾗ τρικυμίαι καὶ πλῆθος ἁλμυρῶν καὶ πικρῶν ὑδάτων. 5.48 Πρὸς τῷ εἰς τὴν θάλατταν γεγονέναι τοὺς ἀπιστήσαντας κλάδους, καὶ σφοδροτάτῳ χάει κατεσπάσθησαν. Περὶ ταύτης τῆς βλαβείσης παρ' ἑαυτὴν πόλεως λέγεται–τῆς ἰουδαϊκῆς φημι– καὶ ἐν ἑτέρῳ προφήτῃ, Μιχαίας δ' ἐστὶν οὗτος, ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ· «Κατασπάσω εἰς χάος τοὺς λίθους αὐτ̣ῆς καὶ τὰ θεμέλια αὐτῆς ἀποκαλύψω.» 5.49 Τ̣ούτων τ̣ῶν σκυθρωπῶν ἐπελθόντων τῇ ἀθλίᾳ τῶν Ἰουδαίων συναγωγῇ, σπουδαστέον ἡμ̣ῖν ἔστω τοῖς πιστεύσασι τῷ Σωτῆρι ἐλαία κατάκαρπος γενέσθαι ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ πρὸς ἀνατολὴν ἐν τῷ ὄρει τῶν ἐλαιῶν, ἵνα καὶ εἰς τὸν θεῖον παράδεισον χάριτι Θεοῦ μετατεθῶμεν, μιμηταὶ γινόμενοι τοῦ Χριστοῦ, περὶ οὗ γέγραπται· «Ἰδοὺ ἀνήρ, ἀνατολὴ ὄνομα αὐτῷ.» 5.50 Zach. XIV, 4–5: Καὶ κλινεῖ τὸ ἥμισυ τοῦ ὄρους πρὸς βορρᾶν̣ καὶ τὸ ἥμισυ αὐτοῦ πρὸς νότον. Καὶ ἐμφραχθήσεται φάραγξ ὀρέων μου, καὶ ἐγκολληθήσεται φάραγξ ὀρέων ἕως Ἀσαὴλ καθὼς ἐνεφράγη ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις τοῦ σεισμοῦ ἐν ἡμέραις Ὀζίου βασιλέως Ἰούδα. 5.51 Τὸ ἥμισυ, φησίν, τοῦ ὄρους–τῶν ἐλαιῶν δηλονότι– κλιθήσεται πρὸς βορρᾶν τοῦ ἀποκλίνοντος εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ τὸ χάος, τοῦ λοιποῦ ἡμίσεως πρὸς τὸν νότον φθάσαντος. 5.52 Τίς ὁ βορρᾶς καὶ ὁ νότος, ἐκ τοῦ Ἄισματος τῶν Ἀισμάτων ἔστι μαθεῖν, τῆς νυμφοστοληθείσης Ἐκκλησίας τῷ ἑαυτῆς νυμφίῳ λεγούσης· «Ἐξεγέρθητι, βορρᾶ, καὶ ἔρχου, νότε, διάπνευσον κῆπόν μου καὶ ῥευσάτωσαν ἀρώματά μου.» 5.53 Βορέας ἐν τούτοις ἡ πονηρὰ δύναμις, μᾶλλον δὲ αὐτὸς ὁ Σατανᾶς, νότος δ' ὁ Σωτὴρ αὐτὸς ὢν ὁ νυμφίος προσαγορεύεται. Ἐπεὶ τοίνυν, παρόντος τοῦ ἀποδοθέντος βορέα ψυχροτάτου ὄντος, ἡ ῥοὴ τῶν θείων ἀρωμάτων κωλύεται, μυο´̣ντων τῶν πόρων διὰ τὸ πεπυκνῶσθαι ἐκ τῆς ψυχρότητος τοῦ βορέα καὶ σκληροῦ τυγχάνοντος, ἐλαύνει τοῦτον ἀφ' ἑαυτῆς ἡ νύμφη καὶ τὸν νότον προσκαλεῖται, ἵνα, τῇ θέρμῃ αὐτοῦ ἀραιωθέντων τῶν νοητῶν πόρων, ῥεύσῃ τὰ ἀρώματα περὶ ὧν εἴρηται πρὸς τὸν νυμφίον πρὸς τῆς πνευματικῆς συζύγου· «Ὀσμ̣ὴ μύρων σου ὑπὲρ πάντα τὰ ἀρώματα.» Θέρμην ἔχειν καὶ ὀσφραντικὸν εἶπον τὸν 151 νότον, μαθὼν ὅτι ····· ὑπάρχει καὶ πῦρ ἦλθεν βαλεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, ὡς αὐτὸς ἀπήγγ̣ει̣λε φήσας· «Πῦρ ἦλθον βαλεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ εἴθε ἤδη ἀνήφθη.» 5.54 Λεκτέον τό· «Ἐξεγείρου, β̣ορρᾶ», οὐ φωνῇ μόνῃ ἀλλὰ πραγματικῶς, ἵν' ἐκπεμφθῇ μακράν. Πράγμασιν δὲ λέγει· «Ἐξεγείρου, βορρᾶ», ἡ πιστὴ ψυχὴ τῷ λέγοντι διδασκάλῳ· «Ἔκκλινον ἀπὸ κακοῦ καὶ ποίησον ἀγαθόν», καὶ τῷ γράψ̣αντι Ἀποστόλῳ πρὸς ὅλην Ἐκκλησίαν· «Πάντα δοκιμάζετε, τὸ καλὸν κατέχετε. Ἀπὸ παντὸς εἴδους πονηροῦ ἀπέχεσθε», τῆς ἀποχῆς παντὸς εἴδους πονηροῦ καὶ τῆς ἀπὸ τοῦ κακοῦ ἐκκλίσεως ἐλαυνούσης τὸν βορέαν, προτρεπομένης ἐλθεῖν τὸν νότον διὰ τοῦ συνεγγίσαι αὐτῷ εὐσεβεῖ πίστει καὶ ἠθικῇ ἀρετῇ. Οὕτω γὰρ καθαρθεῖσιν τοῖς οὕτως ἀρεσκευομένοις ἔρχεται ὁ τῶν πάντων ἀγαθῶν χορηγός, ὡς ἔγραψεν ὁ θεολόγος Ἰάκωβος· «Ἐγγίσατε τῷ Θεῷ καὶ ἐγγιεῖ ὑμῖν.» 5.55 Ἡ πόθον τῆς παρουσίας αὐτοῦ ἔχουσα, παραπλήσιον τῷ· «Ἔρχου, νότε», ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ ἐπιθαλαμίῳ δράματι φάσκει· «Ἐλθέ, ἀδελφιδέ μου, ἐξέλθωμεν εἰς ἀγρόν.» Ἰσοδυναμεῖ τῷ· «Ἐξεγείρου, βορρᾶ, καὶ ἔρχου, νότε», τό· «Ἐγγίσατε τῷ Θεῷ καὶ ἐγγιεῖ ὑμῖν, ἀντίστητε τῷ διαβόλῳ καὶ φεύξεται ἀφ' ὑμῶν», παντὸς καὶ μόνου τοῦ ἀνθισταμένου τῷ διαβόλῳ λέγοντος αὐτῷ· «Ἐξεγείρου, βορρᾶ», καὶ τοῦ ἐγγίζοντος τῷ Θεῷ παρακαλοῦντος ἥκειν πρὸς αὐτὸν τὸν νότον, τὸν Θεὸν Λόγον, περὶ οὗ ἐν τῇ ᾠδῇ τοῦ προφήτου Ἁμβακοὺμ κατά τινα τῶν ἑρμηνευτῶν φέρεται ἀντὶ τοῦ· «Ὁ Θεὸς ἐκ Θαιμὰν ἥξει», «Ὁ Θεὸς ἐκ τοῦ νότου ἥξει», ἐρχομένου τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐκ τοῦ νότου τοῦ νυμφίου, κ̣ατὰ τὸ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ λεχθέν· «Ὁ ἐμὲ δεχόμενος δέχεται τὸν ἀποστείλαντά με.» Ὅνπερ γὰρ τρόπον ὁ ὁρῶν αὐτὸν ὁρᾷ τὸν Πατέρα, οὕτως ὁ δεχόμενος αὐτὸν δέχεται τὸν ἐν αὐτῷ μένοντα Πατέρα ἐν ᾧ ἐστιν τὸ Μονογενὲς αὐτοῦ ······α̣. 5.56 Τί ἔσται κλίναντος πρὸς τὸν βορρᾶν καὶ τὸν νότον τοῦ σαφηνισθέντος ὄρους τῶν ἐλαιῶν, ἢ τὸ ἐμφραχθῆναι τὴν φάραγγα τῶν ὀρέων τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ ἐγκολληθῆναι ἕως Ἀσαήλ. Οὐκ ἄλλως δὲ νοηθείη ἡ φάραγξ καὶ ἡ ἐγκόλλησις ἢ γνωσθέντος τίνα τὰ ὄρη̣ τοῦ Θεοῦ.
About this text
Didymus the Blind on Zechariah.
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.