The Allegory of the Tabernacles
a rational form of the Word
Having turned back and having come to it, they ascend annually to worship the Lord King Pantocrator during the time of the feast called the Tabernacles, which the Jews perform for historical reasons and explicitly, as the righteous men were wandering about, and this feast as well as the others.
And first let us see the explicit meaning so that it may be concise and suitable for allegory. Having come out of Egypt, the people of the Hebrews, after the Red Sea had been divided and Pharaoh and all his army had been drowned, those helped by God did not immediately enter the holy land, as all forty years were spent in the wilderness, where there was neither city, nor village, nor houses; and since it was not possible for those about to cross into the holy land to be entirely without dwellings, those who had come out of Egypt raised tents for shelter and habitation, so that they might also in this way have a memory of the existing benefit, by raising tents annually.
the law given is a clear witness to this diligence. For it says: 'If your son asks you tomorrow, saying: What are these tabernacles? You shall say to him: We dwelt for a long time in Egypt, and God brought us out of it into this wilderness, and for this reason we raise the tabernacles, so that by seeing them annually, the good gift may by no means be forgotten.'
And how was the feast of the tabernacles performed, and when? 'In the seventh month,' he says, 'on the fifteenth day, take beautiful fruit of the tree, and palm branches, and thick branches, and olive branches, and vine from the stream, to be rejoiced.'
And what does each of these signify for the purpose of following an allegorical interpretation? The tent is described as progress according to virtue and wisdom, being a shelter for those wandering. The theory is made clear in the first and fortieth Psalm, of the one hurrying toward the house of God, saying: 'I will pass through a place of a wonderful tabernacle until the house of God' (Ps 84:1). For a place of a tabernacle and a wonderful progress is necessary for the one passing toward the house of God, dwelling but not yet tabernacling, until having reached the end with much progress, as one might say, in a joyful disposition.
Greek
σάρκα Ἰσραηλιτῶν καμήλων τυγχανόντων δι̣α`̣ τ̣ο`̣ πῂ μὲν ἔχει̣ν̣ τὸ τεκμήριον τῶν καθαρῶν, πῂ δὲ τῶν ἀκαθάρτων, οἱ εἰδωλολάτραι ὄντες ἀκάθαρτοι ὄνο̣ι εἰσὶν ἀχαλίνωτοι καὶ κάτω νενευκότες, ὀγκητικοὶ ὄντες διὰ τὸ ἀνόητον καὶ ἄλογον. Καὶ ἐπεὶ οὗτοι παρ' ἑαυτοὺς εἰς ταύτην ἦλθον τὴν κατάστασιν, δυνατῶς ἔχουσιν πεσεῖν α᾿̣π' αὐτῆς, ἵνα ἀναστάντες ἀγαλματοφοροῦντες πάλιν εἰσέλθωσιν εἰς τὴν ἀποδοθεῖσαν πολλάκις πνευματικὴν Ἰερουσαλήμ. 5.150 Ὅτε μὲν γὰρ δεδεμένη ἦν ἡ ὄνος τῷ μετ' αὐτῆς πώλῳ εἰς τὴν κατέναντι κώμην, δηλαδὴ εἰς τὸ κ̣αταντικρὺ τοῦ παραδείσου ὅπου ἐκβέβλη̣ται ὁ παραβὰς τὴν Θεοῦ ἐντολὴν ἄνθρωπος, ἀχθοφόρος ἦν καὶ πολλὴν ἄνοιαν καὶ ἀλογίαν ἔχουσα, ὅτε δὲ ἐπέβη αὐτῇ ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἵν' ἀγαλματοφορούμενος εἰς τὴν Ἰερουσαλὴμ εἰσέλθῃ, μεταβαίνει ἐξ ὄνου εἰς λογικὸν σχῆμα τοῦ λόγου ὡς λεχθῆναι περι`̣ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ὅτι «δεσμεύει πρὸς ἄμπελ̣ον τὴν ὄνον». 5.151 Γέγονε δὲ τοῦτο ὅτ' ἔκτισεν τὸν Ἕλληνα καὶ Ἰουδαῖον εἰς ἔνα καινὸν ἄνθρωπον. Ἄμπελος μὲν γ̣α`̣ρ̣ ἦν ὁ ἐκ περιτομῆς λαός, περὶ οὗ εἴρηται πρὸς τὸν Θεόν· «Ἄμ̣πελον̣ ἐξ Αἰγύπτου μετήρας, καὶ ἐξέβαλας ἔθνη καὶ κατεφύτευσας αὐτήν», πρὸς ἣν ὁ φυτουργὸς εἶπεν· «Ἐγὼ δὲ ἐφύτευσά σε ἄμπελον καρποφόρον πᾶσαν ἀληθινήν̣.» 5.152 Πρὸς το̣ιαύτην ἔδησεν τὸν ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν λαόν, ἀνόητον ὄντα πρὸ τῆς κλήσεως καὶ πῶλον διὰ τὸ ἄρτι κεκλῆσθαι. 5.153 Ἐπίστησον εἰ καὶ κατὰ θεωρίαν ἄλλην πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ἄμπελον ὄντα ἀληθινὴν συνήγαγεν καὶ ἔδησεν τὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένος, ἵν' ἀπο ········· κτι̣····η τρόπον τῇ ἀμπέλῳ πλησιᾶσαν ω········· ······νεσθαι τῆς δεσμεύσεως ταύτης μ········ς̣· «Ὁ κολλώμενος τῷ Κυρίῳ ἓν Πνεῦμά 162 ἐστιν.» 5.154 Ὁμοίως τοῖς εἰρημένοις ἵπποις, ἡμιόνοις καὶ τοῖς λοιποῖς ὅσοι ἐκ τῶν παρ̣εμ̣βολῶν ἐκείνων, τὴν αὐτὴν μεταβολὴν σχο̣···· ἡμερούμενα καὶ εἰς λογιότητα ἀγόμενα. «Κατὰ τὴν πτῶσιν ταύτην» φησίν, δηλαδὴ τὴν ἡρμηνευμένην. 5.155 Zach. XIV, 16: Καὶ ἐ´̣σται ὅσοι ἐὰν καταλειφθῶσιν ἐκ πάντων τῶν ε᾿̣θνῶν τῶν ἐλθόντων ἐπὶ Ἰερουσαλήμ, καὶ ἀναβήσονται κατ' ἐνιαυτὸν τοῦ προσκυνῆσαι τῷ βασιλεῖ Κυρίῳ παντοκράτορι καὶ τοῦ ἑορτάζειν τὴν ἑορτὴν τῆς σκηνοπηγίας. 5.156 Οἱ καταλειφθέντες ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν προσαναστήσαντές τε και`̣ προσε̣ληλυθότες αὐτῇ κατ' ἐνιαυτὸν ἀναβαίνουσιν προσκυνεῖν τῷ βασιλεῖ Κυρίῳ παντοκράτορι ἐν τῷ καιρῷ ἑορτῆς τῆς̣ καλουμένης σκηνοπηγίας, ἣν Ἰουδαῖοι μὲν πρ̣ὸς ἱστορίαν καὶ ῥητὸν ἐκτελοῦσιν, τῶν δικαίων ἀνδρ̣ῶν καὶ ταύτην ὥσπερ καὶ τὰς ἄλλας ε῾̣ορτὰς ἀγυριζόντων. 5.157 Καὶ πρῶτόν γε τὸ ῥητὸν ἴδωμεν ἵνα σύνοπτον καὶ π̣ρὸς ἀλληγορ̣ίαν γένηται. 5.158 Ἔξω τῆς Αἰγύπτου γενάμενος τῶν Ἑβραίων λαός, διαιρεθείσης τῆς Ἐρυθρᾶς θαλάσσης καὶ Φαραὼ καὶ πάσης αὐτοῦ τῆς στρατιᾶς καταποντισθέντων, ου᾿̣κ εὐθέως ἐπὶ τὴν ἁγίαν γῆν ἡ μετάθεσις τῶν βοηθηθέντων ὑπὸ Θεοῦ γέγονεν, ὡς ὅλους τεσσεράκοντα ἐνιαυτοὺς ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ διηγιοχέναι, ἔνθα οὔτε πόλις, οὐ κώμη, οὐκ οἰκίαι ἦσαν· καὶ ἐπεὶ οὐ δυνατὸν ἦν πάντη ἀοίκους εἶναι τοὺς μέλλοντα̣ς περ̣α῀̣σ̣αι εἰς τὴν ἁγίαν γῆν, σκηνὰς ἤγειρον πρὸσ σκέπην καὶ κατοίκη̣σιν οἱ τὴν Αἴγυπτον ἐξελθόντες, ἵν̣α καὶ οὕτω̣ μνήμην ἔχωσιν τῆς ὑπαρξάσης εὐεργεσίας κατ' ἐνιαυτὸν σκηνῶν ἐγειρομένων. 5.159 Τῆς σπουδῆς ταύτης μαρτυρία ἔγγυος ὁ δοθείς ἐστι νόμος. Φησὶν γάρ· «Ἐάν σε ἐρωτ̣ήσῃ ὁ υἱός σου αὔριον λέγων· Τί αἱ σκηναὶ αὗται; ἐρεῖς αὐτῷ· Ἐν πολλῷ χρόνῳ παροικήσαντας ἡμᾶς ἐν τῇ Αἰγύπ̣τῳ, ἤγαγεν ὁ Θεὸς ἀπ' αὐτῆς εἰς τὴν ἔρημον ταύτη̣ν, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο τὰς σκηνὰς ἁγίας ἐγείρομεν, ἵν' ὁρωμένων αὐτῶν κατ' ἐνιαυτὸν μηδαμῶς λήθη γένηται τῆς ἀγα̣θῆς δωρεᾶς.» 5.160 Πῶς δὲ ἐπετελεῖτο καὶ πότε ἡ τῶν σκηνῶν ἑορτὴ λεκτέον. «Τῷ ἑβδόμῳ, φησίν, μηνί, τῇ πεντεκαιδεκάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ, καρπὸν ὡραῖον ξύλο̣υ λάβε̣τε καὶ κάλλυνθρα φοιν̣ίκων καὶ κλάδους δασεῖς καὶ κλάδους ἰτέας καὶ ἄγνου ἐκ χειμάρρου τοῦ εὐφρανθῆναι.» 5.161 Τί δὲ του῀̣τ̣' ἂν δηλοῖ ἕκαστον πρὸς ἀναγωγὴν ἀκόλουθον εἰπεῖν. 5.162 ῾Η̣ κατὰ ἀρετὴν καὶ σοφίαν προκοπὴ σκηνὴ προσαγορεύε̣ται, ο῾̣δευόντων οὖσα̣ σκ̣επαστήριον. ∆ηλοῦται ἡ θεωρία ἐν πρώτῳ καὶ τεσσαρακοστῷ Ψαλμῷ, τοῦ σπεύδοντος ἐπὶ τὸν Θεοῦ οἶκον λέγοντος· «∆ιελεύσομαι ἐν τόπῳ σκηνῆς θαυμαστῆς ἕως τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ Θεοῦ.» Σκηνῆς γὰρ τόπου καὶ προκοπῆς χρεία θαυμαστῆς τῷ διερχομένῳ ἐπὶ τὸν Θεου῀̣ οἶκον, κατοικοῦντος ἀλλ' οὐ σκηνοῦντος ἔτι τοῦ μετὰ πολλὴν προκοπὴν εἰς τὸ τέλος ἐφθακότος, ὡς εἰπεῖν ἱλαρᾷ διαθέσει·
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.