The Raven and the Dove
It has been shut according to the saying, 'Do not throw the holy things to the dogs' (Matt 7:6); for whenever someone rightly shuts or opens, he is an imitator of Noah.
And he sent the raven (Gen 8:7), and the following. Not all who are under the same guidance of the church exist, but some are doves and others are ravens, being symbols of manners and characters. And the dove is a sign of pure life, for it has been arranged among the pure and is brought up for sacrifice, but the raven has nothing of this. According to this understanding, the history concerning Elijah (1 Kings 17) is also to be interpreted, how ravens nourished him; for when a teacher removes the unclean from uncleanness as if to change his manner, the one being helped has food.
This one himself, whom I say also has the manner of the raven, even if he seems to be under the righteous, having gone out as if in a contest toward temptation, does not turn back. And do not marvel if the righteous sends such a one into the gymnasium, where he also says a divine word: 'Child, if you approach to serve the Lord, prepare your soul for temptation' (Sir 24:2); therefore he does not turn back, being uncertain and prone to fall into temptation, not yet established.
And he sent the dove (Gen 8:8), and the following. Being ready for temptations is a prelude and a foundation of the true citizenship; for this reason also the one living according to the dove is sent to the 81st stadium. Regarding the important word, he says to them: 'If you sleep...'
Greek
κεκλεῖσθαι κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον· "6Μὴ βάλητε τὰ ἅγια τοῖς κυσίν"6· ὅτε γάρ τις καθηκόντως κλείει ἢ ἀνοίγει, οὗτος μιμητὴς τοῦ Νῶέ ἐστιν. ῃιιι, 7. Καὶ ἀπέστειλε τὸν κόρακα, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Οὐ πάντες οἱ ὑπὸ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν τῆς αὐτῆς ἀγωγῆς ὑπάρχουσιν, ἀλλ' οἱ μὲν περιστεραί, οἱ δὲ κόρακες τυγχά- νουσιν, σύμβολα τυγχάνοντες τρόπων καὶ ἠθῶν. Καὶ περιστερὰ μέν ἐστιν καθαροῦ βίου σημεῖον, αὕτη γὰρ ἐν τοῖς καθαροῖς τέτακται καὶ εἰς θυσίαν ἀναφέρεται, ὁ δὲ κόραξ οὐδέτερον ἔχει. Κατὰ ταύτην τὴν διάνοιαν ἐκλημπτέα ἐστὶν καὶ ἡ κατὰ Ἠλίαν ἱστορία, ὡς κόρακες αὐτὸν ἔθρεψαν· ὅτε γὰρ διδάσκαλος ἀκάθαρτον μεθίστησιν τῆς ἀκαθαρσίας ὡς μεταβα[λ]εῖν αὐτὸν τοῦ τρόπου, τροφὴν ἔχει τὸν ὠφελούμενον. Οὗτος δ' αὐτός, ὁ τοιοῦτός φημι καὶ κατὰ τὸν κόρακα τρόπον ἔχων, κἂν ὑπὸ τὸν δίκαιον δοκεῖ τυγχάνειν, ἐξελθὼν ὡς ἐν ἀγῶνι πρὸς πειρασμὸν οὐχ [ὑ]ποστρέφει. Μὴ θαυμάσῃς δὲ εἰ ὁ δίκαιος ἀποστέλλει τὸν τοιο[ῦτον] εἰς γυμνάσιον, ὅπου γε καὶ θεῖον λόγιόν φησιν· "6Τέκνον, εἰ προσέ[ρχῃ] δουλεύειν Κυρίῳ, ἑτοίμασον τὴν ψυχήν σου εἰς πειρασμόν"6· διόπερ̣ οὐδὲ ὑποστρέφει, ἀβέβαιός τις ὢν καὶ ζάλην ἐνεγκεῖν πειρασμῷ οὐ δεδυνημένος. ῃιιι, 8. Καὶ ἀπέστειλεν τὴν περιστεράν, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Προοίμιον καὶ θεμέλιός ἐστιν τῆς ἀληθοῦς πολιτείας τὸ εἰς πειρασμοὺς πρόθυμον· διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ κατὰ τὴν περιστερὰν πολιτευόμενος ἀποστέλλεται εἰς τὸ 81 στάδιον. 197 Περὶ τῶν σπουδαίων τὸ λόγιον πρὸς αὐτοῖς φησιν· "6Ἐὰν κοιμηθῆτε
About this text
Didymus the Blind reads the creation account verse by verse, finding Christ and the Spirit in Genesis.
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.