The Twofold Senses and the Phoenix
Who, hearing something or about someone, sees and hears with his own eye and ear? In answer to these things, it is not said wickedly, but that there is a twofold genus of sensations in us, mortal and immortal; and specifically for us rational beings, the immortal part is found to be intelligible. For the mortal is not our own essence, but is common and belongs to the irrational animals. The Scripture does not mean the sensations of the whole man, but says 'my eye and my ear see and hear' as in the things set forth.
Since the phoenix bears much fruit, and the cedar in Lebanon is very fruitful and many-rooted (Ps 92:12), it is fitting that the righteous man was compared to such much-fruitful things in the virtues according to their kinds and the various doctrines of the truth. For according to these things his blossom is compared to the phoenix, but also because of the firm and strong nature regarding the good, he is likened to the cedar in Lebanon; for the cedar is indeed dense and very thick, and the phoenix is ever-living and possessing a heart upward-stretching, to which the one who has treasured in heaven and therefore has his heart there is fittingly made similar. And since in the Song of Songs the bridegroom (and he is not the God Word) is said to be a phoenix, upon whom it is promised that he shall ascend and hold his heights, the bride (the perfect soul and the church) saying, 'I will ascend in the phoenix and hold his heights,' see, in this way the righteous man will blossom similarly, receiving from it the power to save the blossoming fruit. For those called female palms by the farmers receive from the male palm the occasion for preserving the fruit. Such is that upon whom the bride says she will ascend.
Greek
τινα καὶ περί τινος ἀκούων ὀφθαλμῷ καὶ ἀκοῇ τοῦ ἑαυτοῦ ὁρᾷ καὶ ἀκούει; ἀπαντητέον πρὸς ταῦτα ου τω πονηρῶς εἰρημένα ο τι διττὸν γένος αἰσθήσεών ἐστιν ἐν ἡμῖν, θνητὸν καὶ ἀθάνατον, κυρίως δὲ ἡμῶν τῶν λογικῶν τὸ ἀθάνατον τυγχάνον νοητόν. τὸ γὰρ θνητὸν οὐκ ι διον ἡμῶν ἀλλὰ κοινὸν καὶ πρὸς τὰ α λογα ζῷα. ο ταν ου ν ἡ γραφὴ τὰς αἰσθήσεις τοῦ ε σω ἀνθρώπου σημαίνῃ, ὀφθαλμόν μου καὶ ου ς μου ὁρᾶν καὶ ἀκούειν λέγει ὡς ἐν τοῖς προκειμένοις. 913 Ps 91,13 ̓Επεὶ ὁ φοίνιξ πολύχουν τὸν καρπὸν φέρει καὶ ἡ κέρδος ἡ ἐν τῷ Λιβάνῳ πολύερνος καὶ πολύριζός ἐστιν, εἰκότως τὸν δίκαιον παρέβαλε τοῖς τοιούτοις πολύκαρπον ο ντα ἐν ταῖς κατ' ει δος ἀρεταῖς καὶ τὰ διάφορα δόγματα τῆς ἀληθείας. κατὰ ταῦτα γὰρ ἡ ἀνθὴ αὐτοῦ παραβάλλεται τῷ φοίνικι, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ τὸ βέβαιον καὶ ἐχυρὸν περὶ τὰ ἀγαθὰ τῇ κέρδῳ τῇ ἐν τῇ Λιβάνῳ παρεικάζεται· α σηπτος γὰρ καὶ πυκνοτάτη ἡ κέρδος, καὶ ἀειθαλὴς δὲ ὁ φοίνιξ καὶ τὴν καρδίαν α νω νενευκυῖαν ε χων, ῳ εἰκότως ὁμοιοῦται ὁ θησαυρίσας ἐν οὐρανῷ καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἐκεῖ τὴν καρδίαν ε χων. ̓Επειδὴ δὲ ἐν τῷ Αισματι τῶν ᾀσμάτων ὁ νύμφιος (ε στι δὲ ου τος ὁ θεὸς λόγος) φοίνιξ ει ρηται ἐφ' ο ν ἀναβαίνειν καὶ κρατεῖν τῶν υ ψεων αὐτοῦ ἐπαγγέλλεται ἡ νύμφη (ἡ τελεία ψυχὴ 189 καὶ ἡ ἐκκλησία) φάσκουσα Ει πα ̓Αναβήσομαι ἐν τῷ φοίνικι καὶ κρατήσω τῶν υ ψεων αὐτοῦ, ο ρα εἰ τούτῳ τῷ φοίνικι παραπλησίως ἀνθήσει ὁ δίκαιος, ἀπ' αὐτοῦ λαμβάνων τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ σῴζειν τὸν ἀνθοῦντα καρπόν. οἱ γὰρ πρὸς γεωργῶν θηλυκοὶ καλούμενοι φοίνικες ἀπὸ τοῦ α ρρενος φοίνικος τὴν ἀφορμὴν τοῦ φυλάττειν τὸν καρπὸν λαμβάνουσι. τοιοῦτος δὲ ἐφ' ο ν ἀναβαίνειν ἡ νύμφη φησὶν
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.