The Dove's Return to the Beloved
Between the lots, the wings of a dove are moving, and their feathers are in the greenness of gold. Toward such a soul the word says: 'My good one, my dove' (Song of Solomon 2:14).
Because such a soul is certainly such that, even if it is born into trials and is sent away from the helpers, it returns immediately to the helper, especially when it does not yet realize that the end of the trial is to take hold of the land. For it is not proper to oppose the immeasurable; therefore also the righteous man extends his hand helping and stretching out aid. We lead this up through the clear text.
And having waited yet seven other days, he sent her away again. He sends the dove away again in the same manner, and she returns having olive fruit in her mouth (Genesis 8:11). For the diligent person does all things by word; so he led the light-bearing actions toward the righteous man, a sign of not acting on his own, but rather moving toward the teacher, 'toward evening,' near the end. And having been sent away a third time, she no longer returns; for after so many progresses, to be without a teacher has become self-sufficient. And this is how the ascent proceeds; but the spoken words are not obscure.
And it happened in the one hundred and sixty-first, and the following. Since the spoken word is clear, let us now speak of the things of the intellect.
Greek
ἀνάμεσον τῶν κλήρων, πτέρυγες περι- στερᾶς περιηργυρωμέναι, καὶ τὰ μετάφρενα αὐτῶν ἐν χλωρότητι χρυσίου."6 Πρὸς τὴν τοιαύτην ψυχὴν ὁ λόγος φησίν· "6Καλή μου, περιστερά μου."6 ∆ιότι βεβαία τυγχάνουσα ἡ τοιαύτη ψυχή, κἂν ἐν πειρασμοῖς γένηται καὶ ἔξω τῶν ὠφελού<ν>των ἀποστάλῃ, ὑποστρέφει ἀδιά- φορος πρὸς τὸν ὠφελητήν, ὅτε μάλισ̣τα σύνοιδεν οὔπω τέλος εἶναι πειρασμοῦ, ὥστε γῆς ἐπιλαβέσθαι. Καὶ πρέπει γὰρ μὴ εἰς τὰ ἄμετρα ἀντιτείνειν· διόπερ καὶ ὁ δίκαιος ἐκτείνει τὴν χεῖρα ἐπικουρῶν καὶ βοήθειαν ὀρέγων. Τοῦτο δὲ ἀνηγά<γο>μεν διὰ τὸ σαφές. ῃιιι, 12. Καὶ ἐπίσχων ἔτι ἡμέρας ἑπτὰ ἑτέρας πάλιν ἐξαπέστειλεν αὐτήν. Οἰκείως πάλιν ἐξαποστέλλει τὴν περιστεράν, καὶ ὑπο- στρέφει ἔχουσα ἐλαίας κάρφος ἐν τῷ στόματι. Λόγῳ γὰρ ἅπαντα πράττει ὁ σπουδαῖος· φωτὸς οὖν φυλακτικὰς πράξεις ἤγαγεν πρὸς τὸν δίκαιον, σημεῖον τοῦ μὴ ἐφ' ἑαυτοῦ βάλλεσθαι, ἀλλ' ἢ πρὸς τὸν διδάσκαλον χωρεῖν, "6πρὸς ἑσπέραν"6, πλησίον λοιπὸν τοῦ τέλους. Καὶ τρίτον διαπο- σταλεῖσα οὐκέτι ὑποστρέφει· μετὰ γὰρ τοσαύτας προκοπὰς αὐτάρχης λοιπὸν γεγένηται χωρὶς διδασκάλου εἶναι. Καὶ ἡ μὲν ἀναγωγὴ οὕτως· τὰ δὲ ῥητὰ οὐκ ἄδηλα. ῃιιι, 13. Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ ἑνὶ καὶ ἑξακοσιοστῷ, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Τοῦ ῥητοῦ σαφοῦς ὄντος, τὰ τῆς διανοίας περιλαλητέον.
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.