The Vineyard of Life and the Pit of Error
A sword, but it is shining. And the bow has been drawn and prepared to shoot the arrows of punishment, but it has not yet released the arrows, even though it has fashioned them and holds them ready to shoot. It can be said that instruments of death are prepared in a bow, those serving the punishments, often called instruments of wrath. For the wicked are not angels through whom wrath, anger, and tribulation are sent upon the worthy. And if even the fashioned arrows, having been filled with poisonous medicine, are instruments of death for those being punished, one must take heed.
He who has labored in iniquity has conceived pain to give birth to injustice (Ps 7:15–17). These are the offspring that the one who has conceived will bring forth in secret, he who is to be punished through iniquity and injustice which he did; and appropriately, he will seize both the pain in the punishment and the pain in the sinning. For the work of iniquity is most heavy and burdensome, compared to a talent of lead; for nothing is more inferior than evil, which always brings down the one who does it.
Some say that, because of the order of evil, the labor is spoken of before the seizing of the birth-pangs. For upon those pregnant, after the seizing, is the pain with which they give birth; but there, before the seizing, the pain is named because it lacks the rhythm and order of that in evil. And likewise the precedence of injustice over iniquity. For someone having become lawless from this, is not under the law of righteousness, so as to also set upon other men while he acts unjustly. This is found especially concerning Cain; for having become lawless by not rightly dividing what is due to God, he subsequently gave birth to injustice by attacking his brother lethally. Moreover, these voices belong especially to the devil, who is primeval-evil because he first acted lawlessly and unjustly. And every one sinning first harms himself, if he harms others; for the evil thing is injurious and harmful, first of all to the one participating in it, harming and damaging him. For the folly of a man defiles his ways, as it is said, 'the foolish will flee from evil' (Prov 14:16). Who is the pit into which the liar, who has done evil, will be cast? For it is written concerning a sinning soul, 'As a pit, so is Sheol' (Ps 183:4), just so.
Its wickedness is a pit. And often in the Scriptures, a pit is taken instead of wickedness, just as when the blind man leads the blind, both shall fall into a pit; and for this reason, blind teachers and students, who are under ignorance and other evils, must be avoided.
46 Having begun from hoping in the Lord his God, the Psalm settles into thanksgiving, as is fitting, having obtained the things requested or faithfully awaiting them; for 'I will confess' (Ps 7:18) declares thanksgiving here; therefore 'I will sing' is joined to it. And he confesses not as if by chance, but according to the righteousness of God; and he sings not aimlessly, but to the name of the Lord the Most High, as he declares having called Him to himself. Therefore also it is high according to holiness and virtue; for no lowly person, but only the one striving for piety, partakes of the Most High's approach.
47 For the life of every man is called a vineyard according to the Scriptures. Concerning such a thing, Naboth the righteous resisted the one demanding tyrannically, choosing rather to die than to give his vineyard to the one who wanted to make it a vegetable garden. For the man is magnanimous and the vineyard is unvanquished, a life most excellent, both practical and contemplative. The wicked desire to take this, not so that it may bear fruit according to its nature, but to tear it down into temporary and quickly withering things, vegetables appropriately named; for he says they will fall quickly like vegetables. This is said concerning those having temporary haste. Near to this vineyard are also those in the 'Aisma' of sins who are named in 'My mother's sons fought against me, they imprisoned me in vineyards; they did not protect my vineyard' (Ps 87:12).' We have passed over this, using only this expression to show for the sake of demonstration what the name of the vineyard signifies: life. He who bears clusters of truth and brings forth grapes through such a vineyard. Since the offspring of the vineyard have a season for being plucked, it is fitting to reap them and bring them into winepresses, so that they might make wine pressing that gladdens the heart of man. And since the life turns out to be both practical and contemplative, the former are the insights of truth, and the latter the work, which is praised for bearing fruit. And it is not one winepress upon which they are brought...
Greek
ῥομφαίᾳ ἀλλὰ στιλβώσαντος αὐτήν. καὶ τὸ τόξον δὲ ἐνέτεινεν καὶ ἡτοίμασεν ἐπὶ τῷ βαλεῖν τὰ τῆς κολάσεως βέλη, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀπέλυσέν πω τὰ βέλη καίτοι ἐξεργασάμενος αὐτὰ καὶ ἑτοίμως ε χων πρὸς τὸ βαλεῖν. δυνατὸν ἐν τόξῳ σκεύη θανάτου ἡτοιμάσθαι εἰπεῖν τοὺς ὑπηρετοῦντας ταῖς κολάσεσιν σκεύη ὀργῆς πολλαχοῦ ὀνομαζομένους· ου τοι δέ εἰσιν οἱ πονηροὶ α γγελοι δι' ω ν ὀργὴ καὶ θυμὸς καὶ θλῖψις ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀξίους ἐκπέμπεται. εἰ δὲ καὶ τὰ ἐξειργασμένα τοῖς καιομένοις βέλη πληρωθέντα τοῦ δηλητηρίου φαρμάκου εἰσὶ τὰ σκεύη τοῦ θανάτου, ἐπιστατέον. 45 Ps 7,15–17 ̔Ο 10 ὠδινήσας ἀνομίαν συνέλαβεν πόνον ἐπὶ τῷ τεκεῖν ἀδικίαν. ταῦτα τὰ γεννήματα ο λεθρον τῷ κυήσαντι προξενεῖ, κολασθησομένῳ δι' ἀνομίαν καὶ ἀδικίαν α ἐποίησεν, οι ς καταλλήλως καὶ πόνον τὸν ἐν τῇ κολάσει συλλήψεται η πόνον τὸν ἐπὶ τῷ ἁμαρτάνειν. βαρυτάτη γὰρ καὶ ἐπαχθὴς ἡ τῆς ἀνομίας ἐργασία, παραβαλλομένη ταλάντῳ μολίβου· οὐδὲν γὰρ κατωφερέστερον τῆς κακίας ἀεὶ κάτω φερούσης τὸν κατ' αὐτὴν ποιωθέντα. Ει ρηταί τισιν ὡς, διὰ τὸ α τακτον τῆς κακίας, πρὸ τῆς συλλήψεως τῆς ὠδινήσεως λεχθείσης. ἐπὶ γὰρ τῶν κυουσῶν μετὰ τὴν σύλληψιν ἡ ὠδὶν μεθ' η ν τὸ τεκεῖν, ἐνταῦθα δὲ πρὸ τῆς συλλήψεως ἡ ὠδὶν ὠνόμασται τῷ μηδὲν τῶν ἐν κακίᾳ εἱρμὸν καὶ τάξιν ε χειν. ευ δὲ καὶ τὸ προτετάχθαι τῆς ἀδικίας τὴν ἀνομίαν. ἐκ ταύτης γὰρ α νομος γεγονώς τις, οὐκ ε τι ὑπὸ τὸν νόμον ἐστὶν τῆς δικαιοσύνης, ὡς λοιπὸν καὶ κατὰ τῶν α λλων ἀνθρώπων ἐπιτίθεσθαι ἐπὶ τῷ ἀδικεῖν αὐτούς. εὑρίσκεται τοῦτο μάλιστα περὶ τὸν Κάϊν· πρότερον γὰρ α νομος γεγονὼς τῷ μὴ ὀρθῶς διαιρεῖν α ε δει θεῷ θύειν, υ στερον καὶ ἀδικίαν ε τεκεν φονικῶς ἐπιθέμενος τῷ ἀδελφῷ. μάλιστα δὲ τῷ διαβόλῳ προσοικειοῦνται αἱ φωναὶ αυ ται ἀρχεκάκῳ ο ντι διὰ τὸ πρὸ πάντων ἠνομηκέναι καὶ ἠδικηκέναι. καὶ πᾶς δὲ ἁμαρτάνων πρῶτον ἑαυτόν, ει τα α λλον η α λλους βλάπτει· ἐπιζήμιον γὰρ καὶ βλαπτικὸν ο ν τὸ κακόν, πρὸ πάντων τὸν μετέχοντα αὐτὸν ζημιοῖ καὶ βλάπτει· ̓Αφροσύνη γὰρ ἀνδρὸς λυμαίνεται τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτοῦ, ο θεν προσφυῶς ει ρηται τὸ ̔Αμαρτάνοντας καταδιώξεται κακά. Τίς δὲ ὁ λάκκος ο ν ω ρυξεν ὁ ψεγόμενος η η ν ἐποίησεν κακίαν; γέγραπται γὰρ περὶ ἁμαρτανούσης ψυχῆς ̔Ως ψύχει λάκκος υ δωρ, ου τως ψύχει κακία αὐτῆς. βόθρος δὲ πολλαχοῦ τῆς γραφῆς ἀντὶ κακίας λαμβάνεται ὡς τὸ Τυφλὸς τυφλὸν ἐὰν ὁδηγεῖ, ἀμφότεροι ἐμπεσοῦνται εἰς βόθρον· καὶ ἐνταῦθα γὰρ τοὺς ὑπ' ἀγνοίας καὶ α λλης κακίας τυφλοὺς διδασκάλους καὶ μαθητὰς ἐκληπτέον. 46 Ps 7,18 ̓Απὸ τοῦ ἐλπίζειν ἐπὶ κύριον τὸν θεὸν αὐτοῦ ἀρξάμενος τοῦ ψαλμοῦ, εἰς εὐχαριστίαν καταπαύει, ὡς εἰκός, τυχὼν τῶν αἰτηθέντων η πιστῶς προσδοκῶν αὐτά· εὐχαριστίαν γὰρ δηλοῖ ἐνταῦθα τὸ ̓Εξομολογήσομαι· διὸ καὶ συνέζευκται αὐτῷ τὸ Ψαλῶ. ἐξομολογεῖται δὲ οὐχ ὡς ε τυχεν, ἀλλὰ Κατὰ τὴν δικαιοσύνην τοῦ θεοῦ· καὶ ψάλλει οὐ παρέργως, ἀλλὰ Τῷ ὀνόματι κυρίου τοῦ ὑψίστου, ὡς η δη σχῶν ἐπικεκλημένον ἑαυτῷ αὐτό. διὸ καὶ ὑψηλὸς κατὰ ἁγιότητα καὶ ἀρετήν ἐστιν· οὐδεὶς γὰρ ταπεινὸς ἀλλὰ μόνος ὁ ὑπὲρ εὐσεβείας μετεωριζόμενος μετέσχει τῆς τοῦ ὑψίστου προσηγορίας. 47 Ps 8,1 ̔Ο γὰρ ἑκάστου ἀνθρώπου βίος ἀμπελὼν κατὰ τὰς γραφὰς καλεῖται. περὶ τοῦ τοιούτου Ναβουθαὶ ὁ δίκαιος ἀντέστη τῷ τυραννικῶς ἀπαιτοῦντι, αἱρούμενος τεθνᾶναι μᾶλλον η δοῦναι τὸν ἀμπελῶνα αὐτοῦ τῷ θέλοντι αὐτὸν ποιῆσαι κῆπον λαχάνων. μεγαλόψυχος γὰρ ὁ ἀνὴρ καὶ ὁ ἀμπελὼν περιμάχητος, βίος ω ν α ριστος, πρακτικὸς α μα καὶ θεωρητικός. τοῦτον οἱ πονηροὶ λαμβάνειν ἐθέλουσιν οὐκ ἐπὶ τῷ καρποφορεῖν κατ' αὐτόν, ἀλλὰ κατασπᾶν εἰς πρόσκαιρα καὶ ταχὺ μαραινόμενα πράγματα, λάχανα εἰκότως ὀνομαζόμενα· ̔Ωσεὶ λάχανα γάρ φησι ταχὺ ἀποπεσοῦνται. περὶ τῶν προσκαίρους σπουδὰς ἐχόντων ει ρηται τοῦτο. τούτῳ τῷ ἀμπελῶνι παραπλήσιοι καὶ οἱ ἐν τῷ Αισματι τῶν ᾀσμάτων εἰσὶν ὀνομαζόμενοι ἐν τῷ Υἱοὶ μητρός μου ἐμαχέσαντο ἐν ἐμοί, ε θεντό με φυλάκισσαν ἐν ἀμπελῶσιν· ἀμπελῶνα ἐμὸν οὐκ ἐφύλαξα. Παρειλήφαμεν δὲ τὰ νῦν ταύτην τὴν λέξιν μόνον τοῦ δεῖξαι χάριν ο τι τὸ ο νομα τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος σημαίνει βίον. ὁ κατὰ τὸν τοιοῦτον ἀμπελῶνα καρποφορῶν βότρυας ἀληθείας καὶ σταφυλὴν φέρει. τὰ ου τω γενήματα τῆς ἀμπέλου καιρὸν ε χοντα τοῦ τρυγηθῆναι δρέψασθαι προσήκει καὶ εἰς ληνοὺς ἀπαγαγεῖν, ι ν' ἐκθλιβέντα οι νον ποιήσωσι τὸν εὐφραίνοντα καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου. καὶ ἐπεὶ πρακτικὸς καὶ θεωρητικὸς ὁ βίος τυγχάνει, οἱ μὲν θεωρήματα τῆς ἀληθείας, 11 ὁ δὲ ε ργα ἐπαινετὰ καρποφορήσει. οὐ μία δέ ἐστιν ἡ ληνὸς ἐφ' η ν φέρονται οἱ
About this text
Discover how early Christians interpreted the Psalms as divine messages and prophecies about salvation and judgment.
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- 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.