Commentary on Isaiah 1.3.13–1.3.20
Greek text: PG 70.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
part 1, chapter 3
1.3.13PG 70
δὲ καὶ ἑτέροις τὸ ἐν κέρατι δοκεῖ, ὡς ἐν ὑψηλῷ τε καὶ ἐπηρμένῳ χωρίῳ" τοιαύτη γὰρ ἢ Σιὼν ἐν ὄρει κειμένη. Καταφυτεύσας δὴ οὖν τὸν ἀμπελῶνα, φησὶ, καὶ φραγμὸν περιέθηκα, καὶ ἐχαράχωσα, καὶ χκατἐφύτευσα ἄμπελον Σωρήκ. Ηεριεδέδετο δὲ καθάπερ «τινὶ φραγμῷ, καὶ ἀγγελικαῖς δυνάμεσι, καὶ ταῖς ἄνωθεν ἐπικουρίαις ὁ Ἰσραήλ. Ἔχαρακώθη δὲ πρὸς τούτῳ. Καὶ τί δὴ τοῦτό ἐστιν; Οἱ τῆς τῶν ἀμπελώνῶν γεωργίας ἐπιστήμονες δόναχας ἐκάστῃ παραπηχοῦντες εὐτεχνῶς, αἵρουσξ τε αὐτὰ; ὑφοῦ, καὶ ἄναδεσμοῦσι τῆς γῆς. Ἑῶος γὰρ οὕτως ὁ ἐξ αὐτῶν καὶ - ἀδιαλώδητος ἔσται καρπός. Τοιοῦτόν τι πέπραχε καὶ ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεοὺς, νόμῳ τῷ διὰ Μωσέως μονονουχὶ χαραχώσας τὸν ἀμπελῶνα τὸν νοητὸν, ἵνα μὴ εἰς γῆν ἐῤῥιμμένος, καὶ μόνα φρονῶν τὰ σαρκὸς χκαταφθείφῆται πολυτρόπως, δύναιτο δὲ καὶ τὸ ἄνω φρονεῖν. ᾿Αποφέρει γὰρ τῶν γηΐνων ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ νόμος, οἷον «ἀνέχων ὑψοῦ τῶν παιδαγωγου μένων τὸν νοῦν. “Ὅτι δὲ ιαὶ δὐγενὴς ὁ ἀμπελὼν, διατρανοῖ λέγων, οὐκ ἁπλῶς “πὴν τυχοῦσαν ἄμπελον ἐν τῷ πίονι πεφυτεῦσθαι πόπῳ, ἀλλὰ γὰρ Σωυρὴκ, τοῦτ᾽ ἔστιν, ἐκλεκτήν. Ἑθραίοις δὲ δοκεῖ, καὶ εἶδος ἀμπέλου, ἤτ᾽ οὖν ὄνομα φιαλῆς καὶ εὐφορωτάτης διὰ τοῦ Σωρὴκ σημαίνεσθαι. « Ὦρχοδόμησα δὲ, φησὶ, καὶ πύργον ἐν μέσῳ αὐτοῦ, ϑεαὶ προλήνιον ὥρυξα ἐν αὐτῷ. ν» Ἔγήγερται γὰρ ἐν φοῖς Ἱεροσολύμοις ὁ διαδόητος ἑκεῖνος νεὼς, οἷόν τις “πύργος καὶ ἐνδιαίτημα Θεοῦ, καὶ μὴν ὥρυχται καὶ προλήνιον. Τέθειται δὲ θυσιαστήριον ἐν αὐτῷ, καὶ πχορθὰν, ὅ ἔσοι γαζοφυλάκιον, ἐν ᾧ πᾶσα δωροφορία πῶὧν προσιόντων συνεχομίζετο. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ τὸν ἀμπελῶνα, φησὶν, εὖ ἔχοντα διὰ πάντων ἀπέφηνα, προσοὐχ ἕτερόν τι ποιήσειν αὐτὸν, ἢ τὸν εὐγενῆ τῆς ἀμπέλου καρπόν" ἐποἔησε δὲ ἀκάνθας. Θύκοῦν ἢμάρ-: Δρρουαμ, οἱ ἰμ ΔΙσμν το] ]υηι, οἱ πῃ τοῦτα ἐριμ!. ΘΧρ ΐ σαι σειν 411, ΠΟ ἢ δ᾿ πη} ]Π οἷτοῦ φυληγνὶ5. Υἱ θη) ἷμ πηκε τῆς ἐλπίδα;, ἐψεύσατο δὲ, καὶ ἀκάνθας τέτοκεν ἔ γίιγίθνιϑ πιοί 8 προ δῖ!., οἱ δρίῃδϑ {}12 [εἰ 651, ΟΡ σὰ ἀντὶ βοτρύων ὁ Ἰσραῆλ. Οὐ γάρ τοι γέγονε νομοφύλαξ, οὐδὲ τοῖς τῆς ἐπιεικείας χατεκαλλύνθη καρποῖς, ἀλλ᾽ ἐξώχειλεν ἀλλοτρόπως, καὶ πεποίηκεν ἀκάνθας, «τοῦτ᾽ ἔστιν, ἔργα πυρὺς, Ὦγουν ὅσα πλήττει τοὺς ἐπαφωπένους καὶ προσεγγίζοντας. λυπεῖ δὲ Θεὸν. ἥπερ ἂν γένοιτο παρ᾽ ἡμῶν ἀμαρτία, καὶ ὅπερ ἐστὶ παρ᾽ ἡμῖν ἢ ἄκανθα, τοῦτο καὶ παρ᾽ αὐτῷ φαυλότητος Ὁ τρόπος. ᾿Ἀλλ᾽ ὡς ὁ μακάριος γράφει Ἠαῦλο:" ε Τῇ μὲν ἡ πιοῦσα τὸν ἐπ᾽ αὐτῆς ἐρχόμενον “«ολλάχις Ργοίεγι δὲ ιγιθι]ο8, γοργορα οϑί, οἱ πη δ οἰ] ι ὑετὸν, καὶ τέχτουσα βοτάνην εὔθετον ἐκείνοις, δι᾽ οὖς καὶ γεωργεῖται, μεταλαμδάνει εὐλογίας ἀπὸ Θεοῦ. "Ἐκφέρουσα δὲ ἀχάνδας καὶ τριδόλους ἀδόκιμος, καὶ κατάρας ἐγγὺς, ἧς τὸ τέλος εἰς καῦσιν. » Καὶ νῦν, ὃ ἄνθρωπος τοῦ ᾿ἸἸούδα, καὶ οἱ -ἐν- “ιχοῦντες Ἱερουσαλὴμ, κρίνατε ἐν ἐμοὶ, καὶ ἀναμέσον τοῦ ἀμπελῶνός μου. Τί ποιήσω ἐῷ ἀμπελῶνί μου, καὶ οὐκ ἐχσίησα αὐτῷ; Διότι ἔμεινα τοῦ ποιῆσαι σταφυλὴν, ἐποίησε δὲ ἀκάνθας.
de kai heterois to en kerati dokei, hōs en hypsēlǭ te kai epērmenǭ chōriǭ" toiautē gar ē Siōn en orei keimenē. Kataphyteusas dē oun ton ampelōna, phēsi, kai phragmon periethēka, kai echarachōsa, kai chkatephyteusa ampelon Sōrēk. Ēeriededeto de kathaper «tini phragmǭ, kai angelikais dynamesi, kai tais anōthen epikouriais ho Israēl. Echarakōthē de pros toutǭ. Kai ti dē touto estin? Hoi tēs tōn ampelōnōn geōrgias epistēmones donachas ekastę̄ parapēchountes eutechnōs, hairousx te auta? hyphou, kai anadesmousi tēs gēs. Heōos gar houtōs ho ex autōn kai - adialōdētos estai karpos. Toiouton ti peprache kai ho tōn holōn Theous, nomǭ tǭ dia Mōseōs mononouchi charachōsas ton ampelōna ton noēton, hina mē eis gēn errhimmenos, kai mona phronōn ta sarkos chkataphtheiphētai polytropōs, dynaito de kai to anō phronein. ᾿Apopherei gar tōn gēïnōn ho tou Theou nomos, hoion «anechōn hypsou tōn paidagōgou menōn ton noun. “Hoti de iai dygenēs ho ampelōn, diatranoi legōn, ouk haplōs “pēn tychousan ampelon en tǭ pioni pephyteusthai popǭ, alla gar Sōyrēk, tout᾽ estin, eklektēn. Hethraiois de dokei, kai eidos ampelou, ēt᾽ oun onoma phialēs kai euphorōtatēs dia tou Sōrēk sēmainesthai. « Ōrchodomēsa de, phēsi, kai pyrgon en mesǭ autou, ϑeai prolēnion hōryxa en autǭ. n» Egēgertai gar en phois Hierosolymois ho diadoētos hekeinos neōs, hoion tis “pyrgos kai endiaitēma Theou, kai mēn hōrychtai kai prolēnion. Tetheitai de thysiastērion en autǭ, kai pchorthan, ho esoi gazophylakion, en hǭ pasa dōrophoria pōōn prosiontōn synechomizeto. Epeidē de ton ampelōna, phēsin, eu echonta dia pantōn apephēna, prosouch heteron ti poiēsein auton, ē ton eugenē tēs ampelou karpon" epoeēse de akanthas. Thykoun ēmar-: Drrouam, hoi im DIsmn to] ]yēi, hoi pę̄ touta erim!. ThChr ï sai sein 411, PO ē d᾿ pē} ]P hoitou phylēgni5. Hui thē) him pēke tēs elpida?, epseusato de, kai akanthas tetoken e giigithniϑ pioi 8 pro di!., hoi drię̄dϑ {}12 [ei 651, OR sa anti botryōn ho Israēl. Ou gar toi gegone nomophylax, oude tois tēs epieikeias chatekallynthē karpois, all᾽ exōcheilen allotropōs, kai pepoiēken akanthas, «tout᾽ estin, erga pyrys, Ōgoun hosa plēttei tous epaphōpenous kai prosengizontas. lypei de Theon. hēper an genoito par᾽ hēmōn amartia, kai hoper esti par᾽ hēmin ē akantha, touto kai par᾽ autǭ phaulotētos Ho tropos. ᾿All᾽ hōs ho makarios graphei Ēaulo:" e Tę̄ men hē piousa ton ep᾽ autēs erchomenon “«ollachis Rgoiegi de igithi]o8, gorgora oϑi, hoi pē d oi] i hyeton, kai techtousa botanēn eutheton ekeinois, di᾽ ous kai geōrgeitai, metalamdanei eulogias apo Theou. "Ekpherousa de achandas kai tridolous adokimos, kai kataras engys, hēs to telos eis kausin. » Kai nyn, ho anthrōpos tou ᾿IIouda, kai hoi -en- “ichountes Hierousalēm, krinate en emoi, kai anameson tou ampelōnos mou. Ti poiēsō eǭ ampelōni mou, kai ouk echsiēsa autǭ? Dioti emeina tou poiēsai staphylēn, epoiēse de akanthas.
To others “on a horn” seems to mean on a high and lofty place; for such is Zion, lying on a mountain. “Having planted the vineyard,” he says, “I also put a hedge around it and fenced it, and planted a choice vine.” Israel was surrounded, as with a hedge, by angelic powers and by help from above. And besides this it was fenced. And what is this? Those skilled in the cultivation of vineyards skilfully set reeds beside each vine, raise the vines up high and tie them up off the ground; for so their fruit will be sound and unharmed. Something of this kind the God of all did too, as it were fencing the spiritual vineyard with the law given through Moses, so that it might not be cast upon the ground and, minding only the things of the flesh, be ruined in many ways, but might be able to mind the things above. For the law of God carries away from earthly things, holding up on high, as it were, the mind of those it instructs. And that the vineyard was also of noble stock he makes plain when he says that it was not just any vine that was planted in the fat place, but Sorek, that is, a choice one. The Hebrews think that Sorek signifies a kind of vine, or the name of a fine and most fruitful one. “And I built a tower in its midst,” he says, “and dug a winepress in it.” For that famous temple was raised in Jerusalem like a tower and a dwelling of God, and a winepress was dug. And an altar was set in it, and the korban, that is, the treasury, in which every gift of those who came was collected. Since, he says, I had made the vineyard good in every respect, [I expected that] it would produce nothing else than the noble fruit of the vine; but it produced thorns. So Israel failed the hope and deceived it, and bore thorns instead of grapes. For it did not become a keeper of the law, nor was it adorned with the fruits of gentleness; but it ran aground in another direction and produced thorns, that is, works of fire, or things that prick those who touch and approach them. Whatever sin comes from us grieves God; and what the thorn is among us, that the manner of wickedness is before him. But, as the blessed Paul writes: “For the land that drinks the rain that often falls upon it, and bears vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God; but if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.”
“And now, man of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, judge between me and my vineyard. What shall I do for my vineyard that I have not done for it? For I waited for it to produce grapes, but it produced thorns.”
Isa 5:1–4 (quotation, high confidence) · Heb 6:7–8 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Cyril explains the hedge, fence, choice vine, tower and winepress of Isa 5:2 as the angels’ protection, the law that lifts Israel’s mind from earthly things, and the temple with its altar and treasury, and the thorns as Israel’s sins.
- Isa 5:2–4; Heb 6:7–8 are quoted. “The Hebrews” are those who explained the Hebrew word Sorek. A line of Latin from Migne’s column after “failed the hope” is removed.
Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Comm. Isa. 1.3.13 (PG 70; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-isaiam/1-3-13). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-isaiam/1-3-13
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 70 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
1.3.14PG 70
Βειρᾶται δεικνύειν ἀπροφάσιστον παντελῶς τῶν “Ἰουδαίων τὸ ῥᾷθυμον καὶ πρός γε τούτῳ τὴν εἴς γε εἰ ἢ Οιποπίαπι ἐχϑρεοίαυϊ μὲ [ἐὐτεῖ τὰς, δε {πώ απ δηΐμ ργοἰδγαπὶ οἱ ἰδυύθδίδπι ᾿ο αἰ αἰ πΠς6 νἱ τὰ ει τὸν νόμον ἀναισχυντίαν. Μετὸν γὰρ αὐτοῖς καὶ μάλα ῥᾳδίως τὴν εὐχλεῦ καὶ εὐδόκιμον τῆς ἐν νόμῳ ζωῖς, ἤγουν τῆς ἐν Χριστῷ πολιτείας, ἱέναι, τρίδον, αὐτοὶ τετιμήκασι τὴν διεστραμμένην. Καὶ μὴν τὸ δύνασθαι καρποφορεῖν ἀφέντες ὡς ἕωλον, γῇ τις ὥσπερ γεγόνασιν οὐ καρπῶν ἡμέρων τροφὴ " ἀγρία δὲ μᾶλλον φησὶν, οἱ ἐν ὑμῖν σοφοὶ, δικαζέτωσαν ἐν ἐμοὶ τῷ τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος δεσπότῃ, καὶ αὐταῖς δὲ ταῖς ἀμπέλοις. Τίνος δὴ οὖν ἄρα τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐλλελοιπότων αὑταῖς ἀχρεῖοι γεγόνασιν; Εἰ μὲν γάρ τι τῶν ἀναγκαίων εἰς ὄνησιν παρῶπται τυχὸν ἐμοὶ τῷ πεφυτευχότι, δικαὶ οὐκ αἰτήσω δίκας. Τί γὰρ ποιήσω, φησὶν, ὃ μὴ πεποίηκα αὑτῷ; Ἐπειδὴ δὲ τῶν χρησίμων πλήρη τε ἀπέφηνα καὶ οὐδενὸς ἐπιδεᾶ, εἶτα γέγονεν ἀχανθοτόχος, καίτοι προσδοκῶντος ἐμοῦ καρποῖς ὡραίοις χομῶντα βλέπειν. Ποία τις ἔσται λοιπὸν ἡ παρὰ τοῦ τοὺς ἐν μεθέξει γεγονότας τῆς παρ᾽ ἐμοῦ φροντίδος, ἠμεληχότας δὲ οὕτω τῆς ἑαυτῶν εὐχαρπίας, ὡς εἰκαίαν ὕλην καὶ ἀκανθῶν ὄχλον ἀντὶ βοτρύων ἐκτεκεῖν; Ὅτι δὲ οὐ περὶ τῆς αἰσθητικῆς ἀκάνθης ὁ λόγος αὐτῷ, οὔτε μὴν βοτρύων ἣ σταφυλῆς, παντί τῳ σαφές. Εἴπερ ἐστὶ νοητὸς ὁ ἀμπελὼν, τοιοῦτοι δὲ πάντως καὶ οἱ καρποί.:} Νὺν δὲ ἀπαγγε.1ῶ ὑμῖν τί ποιήσω τῷ ἀμπελῶνί μου" ἀφελῶ τὸν φραγμὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔσται εἰς διαρπάγήγν' καὶ καθελῶ τὸν τοῖχον αὑτοῦ, καὶ ἔσται εἰς καταπάτημα. Καὶ ἀγήσω τὸν ἀμπειλῶν ἃ μου, καὶ οὐ μὴ τμηθῇ, οὐδ᾽ οὗ μὴ σκαφῇ" καὶ ἀγαδήσονται εἰς αὐτὸν, ὡς εἰς χέρσον ἄχαγθαι. Καὶ ταῖς νεφέλαις ἐντελοῦμαι, τοῦ μὴ βρέξαι ἐπ᾿ αὐτὸν ὑετόν. Οὐκ ἀθαύμαστον, ὥσγ᾽ ἐμοὶ φαίνεται, τοῦ λόγου τὸ σχῆμα. Μόνον γὰρ οὐκὶ καὶ σεσιγηχότων τῶν κεκλημένων εἰς τὸ δικάσαι, αὐτῷ τε καὶ τῷ ἀμπελῶνι, τὴν δίκην αὑτοῖς ὁρίζει λοιπόν" καὶ τὰ ἐν τίσιν ἔσται προαγορεύει σαφῶς. Ἐλλελοιπότος γὰρ ὅλως οὐδενὸς αὑτῷ τῶν εἰς τὸ εὖ εἶναι χρησίμων, αὐτὸς ἐξ οἰκείας χατεχερσοῦτο γνώμης. Ἔδει δὴ οὖν ἄρα τοὺς εἰς τοῦτο φαυλότητος χαθιγμένους ἔξω τε χειρὸς καὶ φροντίδος, καὶ μὴν καὶ ἐπικουρίας τοῦ Δεσπότου γε- Ὁ "σθαι λοιπόν. Οὐκοῦν ἀφελῶ, φησὶ, τὸν φραγμὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἔσται εἰς διαρπαγὴν, καὶ καθελῶ τὸν τοῖχον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἕσται εἰς καταπάτημα. Φραγμοῦ δὲ καὶ τείχους ἔρημος ἀμπελὼν, προκείσεται πάντως φράττοντος μὲν γὰρ ἡμᾶς τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἀποῤῥήτοις πισὶν ἐπικουρίαις μονονουχὶ καὶ ἀνατειχίζοντος, οὐκ ἐσόμεθα βατοὶ καὶ ἐν τάξει τρίδου τοῖς ἀκαθάρτοις πνεύμασιν’ οὔτε μὴν ἕτοιμο: πρὸς διαρπαγὴν τοῖς θηρίοις τοῦ ἀγροῦ, καὶ ἀλώπεξι τρυφή. Ἱερὶ ὧν γέγραπται καὶ ἐν τῷ “Δσματι τῶν ἀσμάτων᾽ ε Πιάσατε ἡμῖν ἀλώπεκας μικροὺς ἀφανίξζοντας ἀμπέλους. » Λέγονται δὲ καὶ μερίδες ἀλωπέχων γενέσθαι τινές.
Beiratai deiknyein aprophasiston pantelōs tōn “Ioudaiōn to rhąthymon kai pros ge toutǭ tēn eis ge ei ē Oipopiapi echϑreoiauï me [eutei tas, de {pō ap dēïm rgoidgapi hoi idyythdidpi ᾿o ai ai pPs6 ni ta ei ton nomon anaischyntian. Meton gar autois kai mala rhądiōs tēn euchleu kai eudokimon tēs en nomǭ zōis, ēgoun tēs en Christǭ politeias, hienai, tridon, autoi tetimēkasi tēn diestrammenēn. Kai mēn to dynasthai karpophorein aphentes hōs heōlon, gę̄ tis hōsper gegonasin ou karpōn hēmerōn trophē " agria de mallon phēsin, hoi en hymin sophoi, dikazetōsan en emoi tǭ tou ampelōnos despotę̄, kai autais de tais ampelois. Tinos dē oun ara tōn agathōn elleloipotōn hautais achreioi gegonasin? Ei men gar ti tōn anankaiōn eis onēsin parōptai tychon emoi tǭ pephyteuchoti, dikai ouk aitēsō dikas. Ti gar poiēsō, phēsin, ho mē pepoiēka hautǭ? Epeidē de tōn chrēsimōn plērē te apephēna kai oudenos epidea, eita gegonen achanthotochos, kaitoi prosdokōntos emou karpois hōraiois chomōnta blepein. Poia tis estai loipon hē para tou tous en methexei gegonotas tēs par᾽ emou phrontidos, ēmelēchotas de houtō tēs heautōn eucharpias, hōs eikaian hylēn kai akanthōn ochlon anti botryōn ektekein? Hoti de ou peri tēs aisthētikēs akanthēs ho logos autǭ, oute mēn botryōn hē staphylēs, panti tǭ saphes. Eiper esti noētos ho ampelōn, toioutoi de pantōs kai hoi karpoi.:} Nyn de apange.1ō hymin ti poiēsō tǭ ampelōni mou" aphelō ton phragmon autou, kai estai eis diarpagēgn' kai kathelō ton toichon hautou, kai estai eis katapatēma. Kai agēsō ton ampeilōn ha mou, kai ou mē tmēthę̄, oud᾽ hou mē skaphę̄" kai agadēsontai eis auton, hōs eis cherson achagthai. Kai tais nephelais enteloumai, tou mē brexai ep᾿ auton hyeton. Ouk athaumaston, hōsg᾽ emoi phainetai, tou logou to schēma. Monon gar ouki kai sesigēchotōn tōn keklēmenōn eis to dikasai, autǭ te kai tǭ ampelōni, tēn dikēn hautois horizei loipon" kai ta en tisin estai proagoreuei saphōs. Elleloipotos gar holōs oudenos hautǭ tōn eis to eu einai chrēsimōn, autos ex oikeias chatechersouto gnōmēs. Edei dē oun ara tous eis touto phaulotētos chathigmenous exō te cheiros kai phrontidos, kai mēn kai epikourias tou Despotou ge- Ho "sthai loipon. Oukoun aphelō, phēsi, ton phragmon autou, kai estai eis diarpagēn, kai kathelō ton toichon autou, kai hestai eis katapatēma. Phragmou de kai teichous erēmos ampelōn, prokeisetai pantōs phrattontos men gar hēmas tou Theou, kai aporrhētois pisin epikouriais mononouchi kai anateichizontos, ouk esometha batoi kai en taxei tridou tois akathartois pneumasin’ oute mēn hetoimo: pros diarpagēn tois thēriois tou agrou, kai alōpexi tryphē. Hieri hōn gegraptai kai en tǭ “Dsmati tōn asmatōn᾽ e Piasate hēmin alōpekas mikrous aphanixzontas ampelous. » Legontai de kai merides alōpechōn genesthai tines.
He tries to show that the laziness of the Jews, and besides this their shamelessness toward the law, is wholly without excuse. For although it was open to them, and very easily, to walk the glorious and approved path of the life in the law, or rather of the way of life in Christ, they honoured the crooked one. And abandoning the ability to bear fruit as stale, they became as it were a land that nourishes not cultivated fruits but rather wild [thorns. Therefore,] he says, let the wise among you judge between me, the master of the vineyard, and the vines themselves. What good thing was lacking to them, that they have become useless? For if something necessary for their benefit was perhaps overlooked by me who planted them, [rightly] I will not demand a penalty. “For what shall I do,” he says, “that I have not done for it?” But since I made it full of useful things and lacking in nothing, and then it became a bearer of thorns, though I expected to see it abounding in ripe fruits, what will [the penalty] be henceforth from [me] for those who have shared in my care, but have so neglected their own fruitfulness as to bring forth worthless stuff and a crowd of thorns instead of grapes? And that his word is not about thorns perceived by the senses, nor about clusters or grapes, is clear to everyone, if indeed the vineyard is spiritual; and such, surely, are its fruits.
“But now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take away its hedge, and it shall be for plunder; and I will pull down its wall, and it shall be for trampling. And I will abandon my vineyard, and it shall not be pruned nor dug; and thorns will come up on it as on waste land. And I will command the clouds not to rain rain upon it.”
The form of the saying is not without wonder, as it seems to me. For as though those called to judge between him and his vineyard had kept silent, he himself at last fixes the penalty for them, and foretells clearly what will befall them. For since nothing at all useful for its well-being was lacking to it, it made itself waste land by its own choice. Those who had come to such wickedness had therefore at last to be outside the Master’s hand and care, and indeed his help. “So I will take away its hedge,” he says, “and it shall be for plunder; and I will pull down its wall, and it shall be for trampling.” A vineyard bereft of hedge and wall will surely lie open to all. For while God hedges us about and as it were walls us up with ineffable helps, we shall not be trodden down and become a path for the unclean spirits; nor shall we be ready to be plundered by the beasts of the field and a delicacy for foxes, of which it is written in the Song of Songs too: “Catch us the little foxes that ruin the vines.” And some are said to become portions for foxes.
Isa 5:4–6 (quotation, high confidence) · Song 2:15 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 63:10 (62:11 LXX) (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: On Isa 5:3–6 Cyril says Israel had every help and so is without excuse for its fruitlessness, and that God therefore removes his hedge and wall, leaving the soul he abandons open to the unclean spirits.
- Isa 5:4–6; Song 2:15; Ps 63:10 (LXX 62:11) are quoted or alluded to. Latin from Migne’s column at the beginning of the section is removed; a few lost words are supplied in brackets. The judgment on the Jews is Cyril’s and is translated as written.
Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Comm. Isa. 1.3.14 (PG 70; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-isaiam/1-3-14). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-isaiam/1-3-14
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 70 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
1.3.15PG 70
Ανιέντος τε ἑοῖς ἀδικεῖν ἐθέλουσιν, καὶ φροντίδος τῆς ἄνωθεν ἀπαμφιεννῦντος Θεοῦ, παντὸς εἰς πεῖραν ἄξομεν κακοῦ" καὶ πᾶς ὁστισοῦν ἐντρυφήσει τοῖς καθ᾽ ἡμῶν, κἂν εἰ νοητός τις εἴη λῃστής" κἂν ἧ ὁ ἐν τοῖς διαὶ, ἴῃ οπιηΐυπι πηοϊογυπι ἰδοῦ π θη ὙΘηϊοιν"8. -. μέλεσι σαρκὸς ἀγριαίνων νόμος" καὶ ἅπαν ἡμῶν τῆς 1 διανοίας τὸ κίνημα καρποφορήσῃ τῷ Σατανᾷ. Οὐκοῦν δίχα τε φραγμοῦ, τοῦ μὴν ἀτείχιστος ἀμπελὼν, τοῖς ἐθέλουσιν ἀνεθήσεται πρὸς διαρπαγήν. Καὶ οὐ μὴ τμηθῇ, οὐδ᾽ οὐ μὴ σκαφῇ, τοῦτ᾽ ἔστιν, οὐδεμιᾶς ἐπιτεύξεται φροντίδος, ἐπανορθοῦν δυναμένης καὶ ἀνακομίζειν ἐπὶ τὸ ἄμεινον, καὶ τῆς οὕτω δεινῆς χερσίάς ἀπαλλάττειν αὐτόν. ἙἘντελοῦμαι γὰρ δὴ καὶ ταῖς νοηταῖς νέφέλαις, «οὔτ᾽ ἔστι, τοῖς ἁγίοις προφήταις, ἤγουν δυνάμεσι ταῖς ἀγγελικαῖς, τοῦ μὴ βρέξαι εἰς αὐτὸν ὑετόν" δῆλον δὲ ὅτι τὸν νοητὸν, τὸν ὡς ἐν παρακλήσει τῇ εἰς νοῦν καὶ καρδίαν, καὶ λόγῳ τῷ θεέῳ πραττόμενον. Πλὴν ἐντεῦθεν ἔστι μάλιστα ἰδεῖν; ὅτι τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰσραὴλ οὐ πρό γε τῶν τῆς ἐπιδημίας καιρῶν τὰ τοιάδε συμδήσεσθαί φησιν ὁ προφητικὸς ἡμὲν λόγος, ἀλλ᾽ ὅτε πεπαρῳνήχασιν εἰς Χριστόν. Οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν, οὐκ ἔστιν εἰπεῖν, ἤγουν καταδεῖξαι καιρὸν, καθ᾽ ὃν κατατετέλεχεν ὁ Ἰσραὴλ προφητῶν ἁγίων δίχα. Γεγόνασι μὲν γὰρ αἰχμάλωτοι κατὰ καιροὺς, καὶ εἷς τὴν Περσῶν καὶ Μήδων ἀπῴχοντο χώραν ναιξὶν ὁμοῦ καὶ φιλτάτοις. Πλὴν οὐ δίχα προφητῶν ἁγίων χατέθησαν εἰς Αἴγυπτον, ἡρηχότων κατὰ καιροὺς τὴν διαδόητον Ἱερουσαλὴμ τῶν Βαδυλωνίων, ἀλλὰ συνῆν αὐτοῖς ὁ προφήτης Ἱερεμίας, τοῖς ἄνω» θεν καὶ παρὰ Θεοῦ διακονούμενος λόγοις. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ πεκαρῳνήῆχασιν εἰς Χριστὸν, ἔρημοι φραγμοῦ διατε- «ελέχασι, καὶ πᾶσα αὐτῶν ἀσφάλεια πέπτωκεν. Τοῦτο γὰρ, οἶμαι, ἐστὶ τὸ χαθαιρεῖσθαι λέγειν τὸν τοῖχον αὖ- «ποῦ. Πέπαυται δὲ καὶ ἅπας προφητῶν ἁγίων ὁ ἐπ᾽ αὐτοῖς λόγος, καὶ ὑετοῦ δίκην ἀνασχὼν τρόπον τινά" καὶ διαλελοίπασιν αἱ τῶν ἁγίων φωναί" καὶ τοῦτο, οἶμαι, ἐστὶ τὸ δι᾽ ἑνὸς αὐτοῖς εἰρημένον παρὰ Θεοῦ" « Ἰδοὺ ἡμέραι ἔρχονται, λέγει Κύριος, καὶ ἐπάξω λιμὸν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, οὐ λιμὸν ἄρτον, οὐδὲ δίψαν ὕδατος" ἀλλὰ λιμὸν τοῦ ἀκοῦσαι λόγον Κυρίου. Καὶ ἀπὸ ᾿Ανατολῶν ἕως καὶ Δυσμῶν περιδραμοῦνται ζητοῦντες πὸν λόγον Κυρίου, καὶ οὐ μὴ εὕρωσι. » Καὶ ταυτὶ μὲν, ὡς ἔφην, τοῖς ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ συμδέθηχεν, καὶ μάλα εἰκότως. ᾿Απεώσαντο γὰρ αὑτοὶ τὸν τῶν δυνάμεων Κύριον, τὸν χατάρδοντα νοητῶς ψυχὰς καὶ καρδίας, καὶ χαταπιαίνοντα δρόδοις ταῖς πνευματικαΐς" ὧν καὶ ὁ μακάριος Δαδὶὸ διεμέμνητο λέγων' « Ὡς δρόσος Ἑρμὼν καταθαίνουσα ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη Σιών. » Ἐγήγερται δὲ ἀμπελὼν ἀντ᾽ ἐχείνου νέος, ὁ τῶν διὰ πέ:στεως κεκλημένων εἰς ἁγιασμόν. Καὶ περὶ αὐτῶν φησιν ὁ Νυμφίος ὁ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ, τοῦτ᾽ ἔστι Χριστός" Αἱ ἄμπελοι χυπρίζουσιν, ἔδωκαν ὁσμήν. Καὶ αὐτὸς μέν ἐστι ἡ πρώτη τε καὶ παναγία, καὶ ἀληθὴς ἄμπελης. ᾿Απηρτήμεθα δὲ αὐτοῦ ἡμεῖς χλημάτων δίκην, τῆς παρ᾽ αὐτοῦ ζωοποιοῦ πιότητος ἀναπιμπλάμενοι.
Anientos te heois adikein ethelousin, kai phrontidos tēs anōthen apamphiennyntos Theou, pantos eis peiran axomen kakou" kai pas hostisoun entryphēsei tois kath᾽ hēmōn, kan ei noētos tis eiē lę̄stēs" kan hē ho en tois diai, ię̄ opiēïypi pēoïogypi idou p thē HyThēïoin"8. -. melesi sarkos agriainōn nomos" kai hapan hēmōn tēs 1 dianoias to kinēma karpophorēsę̄ tǭ Sataną. Oukoun dicha te phragmou, tou mēn ateichistos ampelōn, tois ethelousin anethēsetai pros diarpagēn. Kai ou mē tmēthę̄, oud᾽ ou mē skaphę̄, tout᾽ estin, oudemias epiteuxetai phrontidos, epanorthoun dynamenēs kai anakomizein epi to ameinon, kai tēs houtō deinēs chersias apallattein auton. HeEnteloumai gar dē kai tais noētais nephelais, «out᾽ esti, tois hagiois prophētais, ēgoun dynamesi tais angelikais, tou mē brexai eis auton hyeton" dēlon de hoti ton noēton, ton hōs en paraklēsei tę̄ eis noun kai kardian, kai logǭ tǭ theeǭ prattomenon. Plēn enteuthen esti malista idein? hoti tois huiois Israēl ou pro ge tōn tēs epidēmias kairōn ta toiade symdēsesthai phēsin ho prophētikos hēmen logos, all᾽ hote peparǭnēchasin eis Christon. Ou gar estin, ouk estin eipein, ēgoun katadeixai kairon, kath᾽ hon katatetelechen ho Israēl prophētōn hagiōn dicha. Gegonasi men gar aichmalōtoi kata kairous, kai heis tēn Persōn kai Mēdōn apǭchonto chōran naixin homou kai philtatois. Plēn ou dicha prophētōn hagiōn chatethēsan eis Aigypton, hērēchotōn kata kairous tēn diadoēton Hierousalēm tōn Badylōniōn, alla synēn autois ho prophētēs Hieremias, tois anō» then kai para Theou diakonoumenos logois. Epeidē de pekarǭnēēchasin eis Christon, erēmoi phragmou diate- «elechasi, kai pasa autōn asphaleia peptōken. Touto gar, oimai, esti to chathaireisthai legein ton toichon au- «pou. Pepautai de kai hapas prophētōn hagiōn ho ep᾽ autois logos, kai hyetou dikēn anaschōn tropon tina" kai dialeloipasin hai tōn hagiōn phōnai" kai touto, oimai, esti to di᾽ henos autois eirēmenon para Theou" « Idou hēmerai erchontai, legei Kyrios, kai epaxō limon epi tēn gēn, ou limon arton, oude dipsan hydatos" alla limon tou akousai logon Kyriou. Kai apo ᾿Anatolōn heōs kai Dysmōn peridramountai zētountes pon logon Kyriou, kai ou mē heurōsi. » Kai tauti men, hōs ephēn, tois ex Israēl symdethēchen, kai mala eikotōs. ᾿Apeōsanto gar hautoi ton tōn dynameōn Kyrion, ton chatardonta noētōs psychas kai kardias, kai chatapiainonta drodois tais pneumatikaïs" hōn kai ho makarios Dadio diememnēto legōn' « Hōs drosos Hermōn katathainousa epi ta orē Siōn. » Egēgertai de ampelōn ant᾽ echeinou neos, ho tōn dia pe:steōs keklēmenōn eis hagiasmon. Kai peri autōn phēsin ho Nymphios ho ex ouranou, tout᾽ esti Christos" Hai ampeloi chyprizousin, edōkan hosmēn. Kai autos men esti hē prōtē te kai panagia, kai alēthēs ampelēs. ᾿Apērtēmetha de autou hēmeis chlēmatōn dikēn, tēs par᾽ autou zōopoiou piotētos anapimplamenoi.
And when God lets us go to those who wish to wrong us and strips from us his care from above, we shall come to experience every evil; and everyone will take his pleasure in what is against us, whether it be a spiritual robber or the law that rages in the members of the flesh; and every movement of our mind will bear fruit for Satan. So the vineyard without hedge and without wall will be let go for plunder to those who wish. “And it shall not be pruned nor dug”; that is, it will receive no care able to set it right, to bring it back to what is better and to free it from so terrible a wasteness. “For I will command” the spiritual “clouds,” that is, the holy prophets, or the angelic powers, “not to rain rain upon it”: the spiritual rain, clearly, given as exhortation to mind and heart and by the divine word. But from this especially one can see that the prophetic word says these things will befall the sons of Israel not before the times of the coming, but when they had behaved outrageously toward Christ. For it is not possible, it is not possible, to name or point out a time in which Israel lived without holy prophets. They became captives at times and went away to the land of the Persians and Medes with their wives and dearest ones. But not without holy prophets did they go down into Egypt, when the Babylonians in their time took the famous Jerusalem; the prophet Jeremiah was with them, ministering the words from above and from God. But since they behaved outrageously toward Christ, they have continued bereft of a hedge, and all their security has fallen. This, I think, is what is meant by saying that its wall is pulled down. And every word of the holy prophets to them has ceased, held back in a way like rain, and the voices of the saints have stopped. And this, I think, is what was said to them by God through one of them: “Behold, days are coming, says the Lord, and I will send a famine upon the land, not a famine of bread nor a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the word of the Lord. And from the east to the west they will run about seeking the word of the Lord, and they shall not find it.” These things, as I said, befell those of Israel, and very rightly. For they thrust away the Lord of powers, who waters souls and hearts spiritually and enriches them with spiritual dews, which the blessed David mentioned, saying, “Like the dew of Hermon coming down upon the mountains of Zion.” And a new vineyard has risen instead of that one, the vineyard of those called through faith to sanctification. Of them the Bridegroom from heaven, that is, Christ, says: “The vines are in blossom; they have given forth their fragrance.” And he himself is the first, all-holy and true vine; and we hang from him like branches, filled with the life-giving richness that comes from him.
Rom 7:23 (allusion, high confidence) · Isa 5:6 (quotation, high confidence) · Jer 43:6–7 (50:6-Jer LXX) (allusion, medium confidence) · Amos 8:11–12 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 133:3 (132:3 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Song 2:13 (quotation, high confidence) · John 15:1 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Cyril says the vineyard left without rain means Israel without prophets, which never happened before Christ, since even in exile Jeremiah was with them, but has happened since they rejected him; the new vineyard is the Church, joined to Christ the true vine.
- Rom 7:23; Isa 5:6; Jer 43:6–7; Amos 8:11–12; Ps 133:3 (LXX 132:3); Song 2:13; John 15:1 are quoted or alluded to. Latin from Migne’s column is removed. The judgment on the Jews is Cyril’s and is translated as written.
Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Comm. Isa. 1.3.15 (PG 70; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-isaiam/1-3-15). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-isaiam/1-3-15
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-cyril-alexandria-commentarius-isaiam-1-3-15) · Report an error
Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 70 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
1.3.16PG 70
Καὶ γοῦν ἔφασκεν ἐναργῶς" « Ἐγώ εἰμι ἡ ἄμπελος ἀληθὴς, καὶ ὁ Πατήρ μου γεωργός ἐστι πᾶν κλῆμα ἐν ἐμοὶ μὴ φέρον καρπὸν αἴρει αὐτὸ, καὶ πᾶν τὸ φέξτγδβϑᾶπβ ἰακ, οἷν φυ δαὶ ἀρίίϑιῖο ᾿ποιπξάμ δι}νοῦ! δυπὶ ρῈΓ {δι δἰ 88ηοι "ἰόν. Δα εἶα τος, δῆλον ὅτι τῆς πνευματικῆς, ἀποτετελέσμεθα καρποφόροι" καὶ πρός γε τοῦτο ἡμᾷς ἐμπεδοῖ λέγων ἀὑτός" « Μείνατε ἐν ἐμοὶ, χἀγὼ ἐν ὑμῖν. Καθὼς τὸ κλῆμα οὐ δύναται καρπὸν φέρειν ἀφ᾽ ἑαυτοῦ, ἐὰν μὴ μείνῃ ἐν τῇ ἀμπέλῳ " οὕτως οὐδὲ ὑμεῖς, ἐὰν μὴ ἐν ἐμοὶ μείνητε. Ἐγώ εἰμι ἢ ἄμπελος, ὑμεῖς δὲ. τὰ χλέμᾶτα' ὁ μένων ἐν ἐμοὶ, κἀγὼ ἐν αὐτῷ, οὗτος φέρει καρπὸν πολὺν, ὅτι χωρὶς ἐμοῦ οὐ δύνασθε ποιεῖν οὐδέν. » Χρῆναι δὲ οὖν ἔγωγέ φημι προσερηρεῖσθαι δεῖν διὰ πέστεως καὶ ἀγάπης καὶ τῆς εἰς πᾶν ὁτιοῦν εὐπειθείας τῇ ἀμπέλῳ τῇ ἀληθινῇ, τοῦτ᾽ ἔστι, Χριστῷ. Αὐτὸς γὰρ ἡμᾶς ἀποφανεῖ χαρποφόρους, αὐτὸς περιθήσει φραγμὸν, καὶ ἐγερεῖ τὸ τεῖχος, καὶ ἀπο- Ι5 στήσει διοδεύοντας. Καὶ πρὸς αὐτόν πού φησι λόγιον ἱερόν" « Καὶ οἰχοδομηθήσονταί δου ἔρημοι ἀϊώνιοι, καὶ μνημόσυνον γενεῶν γενεαῖς, καὶ κληθήσῃ οἶκο-» ἐΐ πο )μδι απ, 664 [Ὁ γὰρ ἀμπελὼν Κυρίου Σαδαὼθ, οἶκος τοῦ ᾿Ισραή.} ἐστι, καὶ ἄνθρωπος τοῦ ᾿Ιούδα, νεόφυτον ἠγαπημένον. “Ἔμεινα τοῦ ποιῆσαι κρίσιν, ἐποίησα δὲ ἀγομίαν' καὶ οὐ δικαιοσύνην, ἀ.1λὰ κραυγήν. ᾿Αποδέδειχεν ἐναργῶς ἐν τοὔτοις, ὅτιπερ ὁ λόγος {αὐτῷ γέγονεν οὐ περὶ αἰσθητοῦ μᾶλλον ἀμπελῶνος, ἀλλὰ περὶ νοητοῦ. Δέχεται γὰρ ἀεί πως ἡ θεόπνευστος Γραφὴ τὰ ἐμφανῆ τῶν παραδειγμάτων εἰς ἔνδειξιν πῶν ἀφανεστέρων καὶ νοητῶν πραγμάτων. Καὶ γάρ ἐστι, φησὶν, ὁ ἀμπελὼν τοῦ Κυρίου Σαδαὼδ, καὶ τὸ νεόφυτον ἡγαπημένον, ὁ οἶκος τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ ὁ ἄνθρωπος τοῦ Ἰούδα. ᾿Αλλὰ καίτοι τῆς παρ᾽ ἐμοὶ φειδοῦς καὶ ἀγάπης ἠξιωμένος, καὶ πάσης φροντίδος ἀπολελαυχὼς, οὐ γέγονεν εὔδοτρυς, οὐκ ἄμπελος δυ δ πυδτα, αυδὴν οομῖγα ἱρά (ἀμ γδίαπι ΤΊ οι,κν, ἅ, ὃ. 1888. χὙπ,) 12, 19. διεδίω ζωὴν ἐψεύσατο δὲ ὥσπερ καὶ τὴν τοῦ γηπονοῦντος ἐλπίδα. Ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ προσεδόκησα χρίσιν, τοῦτ᾽ ἔστι, τὴν ἐκ διανοίας εἰλικρινοῦ; ἀρθὴν καὶ ἀμώμητον τὴν ἐφ᾽ ἅπασι τοῖς πρακτικοῖς ἀΐρεσιν., ἤτοι χρίσιν. Ὁ δὲ, φησὶ, πεποίηκεν ἀνομίαν. Καίτοι πῶς ἂν ἄμπελος ἀκάνθας τέκοι; οὐκοῦν ἐψεύσατο, καθάπερ ἔφην ἀρτίως. Ὅθεν γὰρ ἦν εἰκὸς τοὺς τῖς ἐχδέδοται βίος, ὁ καὶ νόμων ἔξω τῶν ἱερῶν καὶ τὰν ἐκ τῆς θεία; ἐντολῆς κατάῤῥησιν ἔχων. Οὐκοῦν ἐποίησεν ἀνομίαν, καὶ οὐ δικαιοσύνην, ἀλλὰ χρανγήν. Κραυγὴν δέ φησιν ἐκεῖνο οἶμαί που δεικνύων, ὅτι γέγονεν αὑτοῖς σεσοδημένος μὲν εἰς ὀργὰς καὶ θορύδου 'μεστὸς ὁ βίος. Διὸ καὶ ὁ θεσπέσιος Παῦλος τοῖς ἡγιασμένοις ἐντέλλεται λέγων’ « Πᾶσα δὲ χρανγὴ, καὶ ὀργὴ, καὶ θυμὸς, καὶ βλασφημία ἀρθήτω ἀφ᾽ ὑμῶν σὺν πάσῃ κακίᾳ. » Πρέποι γὰρ ἂν, οὐ τοῖς χαθεστῶσαν ἔχουσι τὴν φρένα, τὸ ταῖς ἀσυφήλοις κεχρῆσθαι χραυγαΐῖς, ἐκείνοις δὲ μᾶλλον, οἷς ὁ βίος οὐκ ἀσφαλής μᾶλλον δὲ πρὸς πᾶν ὁτιοῦν εὐκόλως τῶν κακῶν, καὶ θυμῷ μᾶλλον ἣ συνέσει διοικουμένοις, Ἔοικε δὲ καὶ τὴν παγχάλεπον τῶν Ἰουδαίων κραυγὴν ὑπαινίττεσθαι, ἦν ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ πεποίηνται τῷ Χριστῷ. Πιλάτου γὰρ ὀνειδίζοντος, εἰ δὴ βούλοιντο γεααν αὐτοί" ςε Αἶρε, αἶρε, σταύρωσον αὐτόν" οὐκ μεν βασιλέα εἰ μὴ Καίσαρα.» Κρανγὴ τοίνυν πονηρὰν [τειῖ, ρον γὰρ, ὅτι ᾿Ανήαῳ τὸν ἀμπελῶνά μου, καὶ οὐ μὴ οὐδ᾽ οὐ μὴ σκαφῇ. Κατεχερσώθη δὲ ὅλος ἀκάνθας ἐχτετοχὼς, αἵ φλογός εἰσι τροφή.) : ἀγρὸν πρὸς ἀγρὸν ἐγγίζοντες, ἵνα τοῦ πιησίον πιμηι, οἱ ἀστιιπε ας ἀστιη ἀρργορίμφμανί, μἱ υἱοῖπο εἰκῇ τε τὴν ἄμπελον διαβαλεῖν, ὡς ἥκιστα μὲν στα- Ῥ οἱ φυλὴν. ἐκτετοχυῖαν, μᾷλλον δὲ ἀκάνθας, τοῦτ᾽ ἀντὶ κρίσεως, ἤτοι χριμάτων δικαίων ἀνομίας, ἀντὶ (δι, ΘΗ καὶ οὐκ ἐπὶ τοῖς τυχοῦσιν ἁπλῶς, ἀλλ᾽ ἐπὶ τοῖς οἱ οριηπηπῖϑ, 564 ρτορίοῦ 68 415 γε] δηνθη ογ ἰορὶ « Οϑαὶ οἱ συνάπτοντες οἰκίαν πρὸς οἰκίαν, καὶ ἀγρὸν ἀοπιυΐ, οἱ πρὸς ἀγρὸν ἐγγίζοντες, ἵνα τοῦ πλησίον τι.» ἼἜγεστι γὰρ ὡς ἐπέπαν τοῖς ἐθέλουσι πλουτεῖν, ἰρρρογα γοϊιπί, δὲ υΐ ροιεπιία γνα]θῖ, αἱ καὶ μὴν καὶ τὸ δύνασθαι λαχοῦσι πρὰς τοῦτο, τὸ ἀεί φρχυίε! 8 λυ, δἰϊᾳυϊά νας νοἰϊε! ἀοουπιυΐδγο, οἱ καὶ τὰ τῆς οὐσίας αὐτοῖς ἐν σμοῖς, ὁρᾶσθαι ποιεῖν. Καὶ γοῦν ἐπιφύονται τοῖς ς οο15 νἱοἰπἶδ, οἱ ὠγῦδηδδ γα διμριἤοᾶγα διυάθηϊ, οἱ
Kai goun ephasken enargōs" « Egō eimi hē ampelos alēthēs, kai ho Patēr mou geōrgos esti pan klēma en emoi mē pheron karpon airei auto, kai pan to phextgdbϑapb iak, hoin phy dai ariiϑiio ᾿poipxam di}nou! dypi rEG {di di 88ēoi "ion. Da eia tos, dēlon hoti tēs pneumatikēs, apotetelesmetha karpophoroi" kai pros ge touto hēmąs empedoi legōn hautos" « Meinate en emoi, chagō en hymin. Kathōs to klēma ou dynatai karpon pherein aph᾽ heautou, ean mē meinę̄ en tę̄ ampelǭ " houtōs oude hymeis, ean mē en emoi meinēte. Egō eimi ē ampelos, hymeis de. ta chlemata' ho menōn en emoi, kagō en autǭ, houtos pherei karpon polyn, hoti chōris emou ou dynasthe poiein ouden. » Chrēnai de oun egōge phēmi proserēreisthai dein dia pesteōs kai agapēs kai tēs eis pan hotioun eupeitheias tę̄ ampelǭ tę̄ alēthinę̄, tout᾽ esti, Christǭ. Autos gar hēmas apophanei charpophorous, autos perithēsei phragmon, kai egerei to teichos, kai apo- I5 stēsei diodeuontas. Kai pros auton pou phēsi logion hieron" « Kai oichodomēthēsontai dou erēmoi aïōnioi, kai mnēmosynon geneōn geneais, kai klēthēsę̄ oiko-» eï po )mdi ap, 664 [Ho gar ampelōn Kyriou Sadaōth, oikos tou ᾿Israē.} esti, kai anthrōpos tou ᾿Iouda, neophyton ēgapēmenon. “Emeina tou poiēsai krisin, epoiēsa de agomian' kai ou dikaiosynēn, a.1la kraugēn. ᾿Apodedeichen enargōs en toutois, hotiper ho logos {autǭ gegonen ou peri aisthētou mallon ampelōnos, alla peri noētou. Dechetai gar aei pōs hē theopneustos Graphē ta emphanē tōn paradeigmatōn eis endeixin pōn aphanesterōn kai noētōn pragmatōn. Kai gar esti, phēsin, ho ampelōn tou Kyriou Sadaōd, kai to neophyton hēgapēmenon, ho oikos tou Israēl, kai ho anthrōpos tou Iouda. ᾿Alla kaitoi tēs par᾽ emoi pheidous kai agapēs ēxiōmenos, kai pasēs phrontidos apolelauchōs, ou gegonen eudotrys, ouk ampelos dy d pydta, audēn oomiga hira (am gdiapi TI oi,kn, ha, ho. 1888. chYp,) 12, 19. diediō zōēn epseusato de hōsper kai tēn tou gēponountos elpida. Egō men gar prosedokēsa chrisin, tout᾽ esti, tēn ek dianoias eilikrinou? arthēn kai amōmēton tēn eph᾽ hapasi tois praktikois aïresin., ētoi chrisin. Ho de, phēsi, pepoiēken anomian. Kaitoi pōs an ampelos akanthas tekoi? oukoun epseusato, kathaper ephēn artiōs. Hothen gar ēn eikos tous tis echdedotai bios, ho kai nomōn exō tōn hierōn kai tan ek tēs theia? entolēs katarrhēsin echōn. Oukoun epoiēsen anomian, kai ou dikaiosynēn, alla chrangēn. Kraugēn de phēsin ekeino oimai pou deiknyōn, hoti gegonen hautois sesodēmenos men eis orgas kai thorydou 'mestos ho bios. Dio kai ho thespesios Paulos tois hēgiasmenois entelletai legōn’ « Pasa de chrangē, kai orgē, kai thymos, kai blasphēmia arthētō aph᾽ hymōn syn pasę̄ kakią. » Prepoi gar an, ou tois chathestōsan echousi tēn phrena, to tais asyphēlois kechrēsthai chraugaïis, ekeinois de mallon, hois ho bios ouk asphalēs mallon de pros pan hotioun eukolōs tōn kakōn, kai thymǭ mallon hē synesei dioikoumenois, Eoike de kai tēn panchalepon tōn Ioudaiōn kraugēn hypainittesthai, ēn ep᾽ autǭ pepoiēntai tǭ Christǭ. Pilatou gar oneidizontos, ei dē boulointo geaan autoi" se Aire, aire, staurōson auton" ouk men basilea ei mē Kaisara.» Krangē toinyn ponēran [teii, ron gar, hoti ᾿Anēaǭ ton ampelōna mou, kai ou mē oud᾽ ou mē skaphę̄. Katechersōthē de holos akanthas echtetochōs, hai phlogos eisi trophē.) : agron pros agron engizontes, hina tou piēsion pimēi, hoi astiipe as astiē arrgorimphmani, mi huioipo eikę̄ te tēn ampelon diabalein, hōs hēkista men sta- Rh hoi phylēn. ektetochuian, mąllon de akanthas, tout᾽ anti kriseōs, ētoi chrimatōn dikaiōn anomias, anti (di, ThĒ kai ouk epi tois tychousin haplōs, all᾽ epi tois hoi oriēpēpiϑ, 564 rtoriou 68 415 ge] dēnthē og iori « Oϑai hoi synaptontes oikian pros oikian, kai agron aopiyï, hoi pros agron engizontes, hina tou plēsion ti.» IEgesti gar hōs epepan tois ethelousi ploutein, irrroga goïipi, de yï roiepiia gna]thi, hai kai mēn kai to dynasthai lachousi pras touto, to aei phrchuie! 8 ly, diïąuïa nas noiïe! aooupiyïdgo, hoi kai ta tēs ousias autois en smois, horasthai poiein. Kai goun epiphyontai tois s oo15 nioipid, hoi ōgydēdd ga dimriēoaga diyathēï, hoi
And so he said plainly: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every one that bears [fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit].” Through [his care], the spiritual care, clearly, we have been made fruitful; and he himself confirms us in this, saying: “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is who bears much fruit; for apart from me you can do nothing.” I say, then, that we must cleave by faith and love and obedience in everything to the true vine, that is, to Christ. For he will make us fruitful; he will put a hedge around us, raise up the wall, and keep away those who pass through. And a holy oracle says somewhere to him: “And your deserts of old will be built, and a memorial for generations of generations, and you will be called [the repairer of breaches].”
“For the vineyard of the Lord Sabaoth is the house of Israel, and the man of Judah a beloved new planting. I waited for it to do judgment, but it did lawlessness; and not righteousness, but a cry.”
Here he has shown plainly that his word was not about a vineyard perceived by the senses but about a spiritual one. For the divinely inspired Scripture somehow always takes visible examples to show more hidden and spiritual things. For the vineyard of the Lord Sabaoth, he says, and the beloved new planting, is the house of Israel and the man of Judah. But although it was counted worthy of my forbearance and love and enjoyed every care, it did not become rich in grapes, nor a [fruitful] vine …, but deceived, as it were, the hope of the farmer. For I expected judgment, that is, the right and blameless choice, or judgment, from a sincere mind in all practical matters; but it, he says, did lawlessness. Yet how could a vine bear thorns? It deceived, then, as I said just now. For where it was reasonable that … a life was given over [to them] that was outside the sacred laws and under the condemnation of the divine commandment. So it did lawlessness, and not righteousness, but a cry. And by “a cry” he shows, I think, that their life became agitated to anger and full of tumult. Therefore the divine Paul commands the sanctified, saying: “Let all clamour and anger and wrath and blasphemy be put away from you, with all malice.” For unsteady cries would befit not those whose mind is settled, but rather those whose life is not secure, who are easily moved to any evil at all, and are governed by temper rather than by understanding. And he seems also to hint at the most grievous cry of the Jews which they raised against Christ himself. For when Pilate reproached them, [asking] whether they wished [him to release their king, they cried]: “Away with him, away with him, crucify him; we have no king but Caesar.” A wicked cry, then … For [he said], “I will abandon my vineyard, and it shall not be pruned nor dug.” And it was made wholly waste, having borne thorns, which are fuel for the flame.
“Woe to those who join house to house and draw field near to field, so that they may take away something of their neighbour’s.”
… to slander the vine idly, as having borne not grapes but thorns, that is, instead of judgment, or righteous judgments, lawlessness, and instead of [righteousness, a cry] … For it is generally open to those who wish to be rich, and who have also obtained the power for this, always to make their possessions appear [ever greater]. And so they cling to [their neighbours’ property],
John 15:1–2 (quotation, high confidence) · John 15:4–5 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 58:12 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 5:6–8 (quotation, high confidence) · Eph 4:31 (quotation, high confidence) · John 19:15 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Cyril urges believers to abide in Christ the true vine, and on Isa 5:7 explains Israel’s “cry” instead of righteousness as a life of anger and tumult and as the cry “Crucify him”; he begins on the greed of Isa 5:8.
- John 15:1–2, 4–5; Isa 58:12; Isa 5:6–8; Eph 4:31; John 19:15 are quoted. The end of this section is badly damaged in the scan: lines of Latin from Migne’s column are interleaved with the Greek and the lemma of Isa 5:8 appears twice; the Greek is translated in order as far as it can be read, and lost or displaced words are marked “…” or supplied in brackets.
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Comm. Isa. 1.3.16 (PG 70; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-isaiam/1-3-16). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-isaiam/1-3-16
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 70 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
1.3.17PG 70
τοῖς ἰδίοις φυνάπτοντες. ᾿Ακόρεστον γάρ τι χρῆμα 886 πλούσιος ἀνὴρ, εἰ πᾳραχέριτό πως αὐτῷ τὸ δύνασθαι μοι ἱμμΐατο : αυο ποπάυπι 8668ι, δἰ}, δἰ 488 ῥᾳδίως ἅπερ ἂν «βούλοιτο κατορθοῦν. Πέπαυται γὰρ οὐδαμῶς τοῖς τοῦ πέλας ἐπιπηδῶν καὶ διψῇ μὲν γοίιμ! [θπβθ γα βυ 15 τ θυ αἰ ἀεὶ τὸ οὕπω παρὸν, γλίχεται δὲ τῶν μήπω τὰς ἑαυτῶν οἱκίας ταῖς ἑτέρων, καὶ ἀγροῖς ἀγροὺς, δι|085:}1 δονεἶφυοῦ 6888 πο ὁρογίθαι : ἀδίη ἐπι ε οἰ "|| ἵνα τοῦ πλησίον ἀφέλωνταί τι. Πρόφασιν γάρ πως τεβ εοφυῃ!, θὲ ἱπιρία τδρίμι αἱν |}18 εὐ ἰδ ινα! θ08 ἔμιο γα ἀεὶ τοῦ χρῆναι πλεονεκτεῖν ποιεῖσθαι σπουδάζηυσι, ἄπιν, οἱ τητος χαταχεχραγότας. Τί οὖν ἄρα φησὶν αὐτοῖς ὁ προφητικὸς λόγος; Μὴ οἰχήσετε μόνοι ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς; δὲ υμἱνογδογυι ἤρυδ: ϑυ 8. δ} 86 νέβίγα δρῴμενα; Καίτοι λίαν ἐγγὺς ὁ τῶν ὅλων ἐστὶ τῆς" ἠκούσθη τὰ παρ᾽ ὑμῶν. Καὶ τίνᾳ τρόπον; ἴσως ρίογαῖδ υἱμί 165 ἴῃ πιϊβογὶ 8 88 γ05 ἱπνούθυμ. » ει Τοιοῦτόν τι καὶ ὁ Σωτῆρος ἡμῖν γέγραφε μαθητής’ εἿΛγε νῦν, οἱ πλούσιοι, χλαύσατε ὁλολύζοντες ἐπὶ ταῖς εἱ νορὶβγϑιίοῃθβ δογιιπὶ 4 πμρβϑαθγαῃ! δὲ Διο Σ γε τούτῳ φησίν" « Ἰδοὺ ὁ μισθὸς τῶν ἐργατῶν τῶν 4 δικαιοσύνη δὲ ῥύσεται ἐκ θανάτου. ν ὦτα Κυρίου Σαδαὼθ εἰσεληλύθασιν. » Δέχεται γὰρ καὶ λίαν ἑτοίμως τὰς τῶν πλεονεχτουμένων φωνὰς ἡ παναγία τε καὶ μισοπόνηρος φύσις. Ὅτι δὲ οὐκ ἀφέστηκε τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, πιστώσεται λέγων αὖτός" «Θεὸς ἐγγίζων ἐγώ εἰμι, λέγει Κύριος, καὶ οὐ Θεὸς πόῤῥωθεν. » ᾿Ακουέτωσαν τοίνυν οἱ πλεονεκτεῖν ἐθέλοντες, καὶ βιάζειν, καὶ διαρπάζειν ἀδελφούς: Μὴ οἰχήσετε μόνοι ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς; Πάρεστι γὰρ ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεός. Ἰστέον δὲ ὅ τι, καίτοι κατὰ τὸ εἰκὸς τῶν ἄγαν ἀστειοτάτων, ὁ προφήτης ἡμῖν ἐν τούτοις ὑποδηλοῖ" Ὦ γὰρ πλούσιοι, φησὶ, τί τὰ τοῦ πλησίον ἁρπάζετε, καὶ μεμισήκατε τὸν ἐγγύς; Συμδέσεται πάντως ὑμῖν δὴ καὶ μόνοις οἰκῆσαι τὴν χώραν, τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων ἐξωθουμένων. "ἔρημον οὖν τῶν χατῳχηχότ πεν κρίμα καὶ δικαιοσύνην καλήν. « Οὐ σοφὸν, μεταποιεῖσθαι μόνων τῶν εἰς αὐτάρκειαν τὴν μεμετρημένην. Κρείσσων γὰρ μερὶ; μικρὰ μετὰ τοῦ φόδου Κυρίου, ἃ πολλὰ γενήματα μετὰ ἀδικίας. Εἰ δὲ δὴ τι χρὴ καὶ ἐξ ἑερῶν γραμμάτων λαδόνταφ εἰπεῖν, βεδασίλευχέ τις τῶν ἐν Σαμαρείᾳ κατὰ καιροὺς τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, ὃς δὴ καὶ οἴχον πολντελέστατον ἑαυτῷ ἀναστήσας, πίπτει μὲν παρ᾽ αὐτοῦ καὶ παραχρῆμα διόλλυται. Διελέγχων δὲ Θεὸς ὡς εἰκῇ πεποιηκότα, φησίν" Ὡχοδόμησας σεαυτῷ οἶκον σύμμετρον, ὑπερῷᾳ καὶ χεχρισμένα ἐν μίτῳ, Μὴ βασιλεύσῃς, ὅτι σὰ καρωξύνθης ἐν ᾿Αχὰζ τῷ πατρί σου. Βέλτιον ἦν σε γὰρ ἂν ὀνήσουσι θησανροὶ ἀνόμους, » κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον" ᾽Εὰν γὰρ γένωνται οἰκίαι πολλαὶ, εἰς ἐρήμωσιν ἔσονται μεγάλαι καὶ καιλαί" καὶ οὐκ ἔσονται οἱ ἐνοιχοῦντες ἐν αὐταῖς. Οὗ γὰρ ἔργονται δέκα ξεύγη βοῶν ποιήσει κεράμιον ἕγ" καὶ ὁ σπείρων ἀρτάθας ξξ ποιήσει μέτρα τρία.
tois idiois phynaptontes. ᾿Akoreston gar ti chrēma 886 plousios anēr, ei pąracherito pōs autǭ to dynasthai moi himmïato : auo popaupi 8668i, di}, di 488 rhądiōs haper an «bouloito katorthoun. Pepautai gar oudamōs tois tou pelas epipēdōn kai dipsę̄ men goiim! [thpbth ga by 15 t thy ai aei to houpō paron, glichetai de tōn mēpō tas heautōn hoikias tais heterōn, kai agrois agrous, di|085:}1 doneiphyou 6888 po horogithai : adiē epi e oi "|| hina tou plēsion aphelōntai ti. Prophasin gar pōs teb eophyę̄!, the hipiria tdrimi hain |}18 eu id ina! th08 emio ga aei tou chrēnai pleonektein poieisthai spoudazēusi, apin, hoi tētos chatachechragotas. Ti oun ara phēsin autois ho prophētikos logos? Mē oichēsete monoi epi tēs gēs? de yminogdogui ēryd: ϑy 8. d} 86 nebiga drǭmena? Kaitoi lian engys ho tōn holōn esti tēs" ēkousthē ta par᾽ hymōn. Kai tiną tropon? isōs riogaid huimi 165 ię̄ piïbogi 8 88 g05 hipnouthym. » ei Toiouton ti kai ho Sōtēros hēmin gegraphe mathētēs’ heILge nyn, hoi plousioi, chlausate hololyzontes epi tais hei noribgϑiioę̄thb dogiipi 4 pmrbϑathgaę̄! de Dio S ge toutǭ phēsin" « Idou ho misthos tōn ergatōn tōn 4 dikaiosynē de rhysetai ek thanatou. n ōta Kyriou Sadaōth eiselēlythasin. » Dechetai gar kai lian hetoimōs tas tōn pleonechtoumenōn phōnas hē panagia te kai misoponēros physis. Hoti de ouk aphestēke tōn epi tēs gēs, pistōsetai legōn autos" «Theos engizōn egō eimi, legei Kyrios, kai ou Theos porrhōthen. » ᾿Akouetōsan toinyn hoi pleonektein ethelontes, kai biazein, kai diarpazein adelphous: Mē oichēsete monoi epi tēs gēs? Paresti gar ho tōn holōn Theos. Isteon de ho ti, kaitoi kata to eikos tōn agan asteiotatōn, ho prophētēs hēmin en toutois hypodēloi" Ō gar plousioi, phēsi, ti ta tou plēsion harpazete, kai memisēkate ton engys? Symdesetai pantōs hymin dē kai monois oikēsai tēn chōran, tōn allōn hapantōn exōthoumenōn. "erēmon oun tōn chatǭchēchot pen krima kai dikaiosynēn kalēn. « Ou sophon, metapoieisthai monōn tōn eis autarkeian tēn memetrēmenēn. Kreissōn gar meri? mikra meta tou phodou Kyriou, ha polla genēmata meta adikias. Ei de dē ti chrē kai ex heerōn grammatōn ladontaph eipein, bedasileuche tis tōn en Samareią kata kairous tou Israēl, hos dē kai oichon polntelestaton heautǭ anastēsas, piptei men par᾽ autou kai parachrēma diollytai. Dielenchōn de Theos hōs eikę̄ pepoiēkota, phēsin" Hōchodomēsas seautǭ oikon symmetron, hyperǭą kai chechrismena en mitǭ, Mē basileusę̄s, hoti sa karōxynthēs en ᾿Achaz tǭ patri sou. Beltion ēn se gar an onēsousi thēsanroi anomous, » kata to gegrammenon" ᾽Ean gar genōntai oikiai pollai, eis erēmōsin esontai megalai kai kailai" kai ouk esontai hoi enoichountes en autais. Hou gar ergontai deka xeugē boōn poiēsei keramion heg" kai ho speirōn artathas xx poiēsei metra tria.
joining them to their own. For a rich man is something insatiable, if somehow the power is given him to accomplish easily whatever he wishes. For he never stops leaping upon his neighbour’s goods; he always thirsts for what is not yet his, and craves what is not yet in his hands; [they join] their own houses to those of others, and fields to fields, “so that they may take away something of their neighbour’s.” For they are eager always to make a pretext for their greed … [crying out against them]. What, then, does the prophetic word say to them? “Will you dwell alone upon the earth?” … And yet the God of all is very near … what comes from you has been heard. And in what way? … Something of this kind the disciple of the Saviour too has written to us: “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you”; and besides this he says, “Behold, the wages of the workers … have entered the ears of the Lord Sabaoth.” For the all-holy nature that hates evil receives very readily the voices of those who are defrauded. And that he is not far from those on earth he himself will assure us, saying, “I am a God who is near, says the Lord, and not a God far off.” Let those, then, who wish to defraud, to use force, and to plunder their brothers hear: “Will you dwell alone upon the earth?” For the God of all is present. And one must know what the prophet hints to us here, as is likely, in a very witty way. O you rich, he says, why do you seize what belongs to your neighbour and hate the one who is near? It will surely befall you to dwell in the land even alone, all the others having been thrust out. [He threatens, then, a land] empty of its inhabitants. … It is not wise [to grasp at more]; [it is wise] to claim only what suffices for a measured self-sufficiency. “For better is a small portion with the fear of the Lord than great produce with injustice.” And if one must speak taking an example from the sacred writings: one of those of Israel reigned in Samaria in his time, who built for himself a most costly house; and he fell from it and perished at once. And God, convicting him as having acted foolishly, says: “You built for yourself a spacious house, upper rooms painted with vermilion. Shall you reign because you were provoked to anger with Ahaz your father?” Better … for “treasures will not profit the lawless,” as it is written.
“For if there are many houses, they will become a desolation, great and beautiful, and there will be no inhabitants in them. For where ten yoke of oxen work, they will make one jar; and he who sows six artabas will make three measures.”
Isa 5:8–10 (quotation, high confidence) · Jas 5:1 (quotation, high confidence) · Jas 5:4 (quotation, high confidence) · Jer 23:23 (quotation, high confidence) · Prov 15:16 (quotation, high confidence) · Prov 16:8 (allusion, medium confidence) · 2 Kgs 1:2 (allusion, medium confidence) · Jer 22:14–15 (quotation, high confidence) · Prov 10:2 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: On Isa 5:8–10 Cyril condemns the insatiable greed of the rich who add house to house and field to field, warns that God hears the defrauded, and says such houses will stand empty and such fields barren.
- Isa 5:8–10; Jas 5:1, 4; Jer 23:23; Prov 15:16 (with 16:8); Jer 22:14–15; Prov 10:2 are quoted. The king who “fell from” his house in Samaria recalls Ahaziah (2 Kgs 1:2); the oracle Cyril quotes about him is Jer 22:14–15, which in Jeremiah concerns a king of Judah. This section is badly damaged in the scan, with many lines of Latin from Migne’s column interleaved; the Greek is translated as far as it can be read, and lost words are marked “…” or supplied in brackets.
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Comm. Isa. 1.3.17 (PG 70; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-isaiam/1-3-17). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-isaiam/1-3-17
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 70 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
1.3.18PG 70
Ἠκούσθη μὲν γὰρ ὁμολογουμένως, φησὶν, εἷς τὰ ὦτα Κυρίου Σαδαὼθ, τὰ τῆς καθ᾽ ἑτέρων πλεονεξίας ἐγκλήματα τῶν δυνατωτέρων. Ἐΐ οὖν σεσίγηκεν ἄρα, παρῆκεν ἡσυχῇ, καὶ χαλινὸν ἑπῆνεγκε ταῖς ὀρχαῖς; Οὐδαμῶς, φησέ. Καὶ τούτου σαφὴς ἀπόδειξις, τὸ εἰκαῖον ἀποφῆναι τοῖς τῶν ἀλλοτρίων ἐρασταῖς τὸ ἐπὶ τούτῳ σπούδασμα. Ποία γὰρ ὄνησις τοῦ συνἀπτειν οἰκίαν πρὸς οἰκίαν, λαμπρῶς τε καὶ φιλοτίμως κατασκευάζειν ἑστίας, εἰ μή τις ἔσται, φησὶ, χατοικήσων ἐν αὐταῖς, δαπανήσαντος τοῦ πολέμου ὄφελος ἀγρῶν, εὐχαρπεῖν αὐτοῖς οὐκ δῶντος Θεοῦ, διὰ τὰς τῶν χτησαμένων, ἤγουν ἁρπασάντων πλεονεξίας; Ἔσται γὰρ, ἔσται ἐν ἀφορίᾳ τοσαύτῃ τὰ ἐν ἀγροῖς, ὡς εἴκοσι μόσχων, ἦτοι ζευγῶν δέκα πονούντων ἐν ἀμπελῶσιν, ἕν καὶ μόλις γενέσθαι κεράμιον' καὶ σπαρέντων μέτρων ἕξ ἐν ἡμίσει τῆς τῶν σπερμάτων χαταδολῆς τὴν τῶν καρπῶν ἀπόδοσιν ἰδεῖν. ᾿Αρκέσει δὲ, οἶμαι, πρὸς ἐργασίαν ζεύγεσι δέκα βοῶν, πλείστη μὲν ἀμπελόφυτος γῆ, πλεῖστοι δὲ ὁμοίως ἀρόσιμοι κλῆροι, Οὐκοῦν ἀνόνητος ἡ κτῆσις, καὶ τοῦ πλεονεχτοῖν εἰκαῖος ὁ πόνος, εἰ μήτε τις. οἰχήσε! τὰς ἂν Θεοῦ καταφθείροντος, καὶ τὴν τῶν ἀπλήστων ἐλέγχοντος ἀδικίαν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ ἡμῶν ἔκαστος ἐν ἱδίᾳ ψυχῇ νοητὸν ἔχει γεώργιον, καὶ τὸν τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἐργάζεται σπόρον, φυλαττώμεθα τὸ προσκρούειν Θεῷ. Τότε γὰρ τότε, καθάπερ οἶκον ἀσφαλῆ καὶ ἔρηρεισμένον, οἰκήσομεν τὴν πολυειδῇ καὶ παμποίκιλον ἀρετὴν, πληθυνοῦμεν δὲ σίτων ὥσπερ κοιλάδες: εὖ. λογήσει ὃὲ ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς τὸν σπόρον ἡμῶν, καὶ αὐξήσει τὰ γενήματα τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἡμῶν, καθά φήσιν ὁ θεσπέσιος Παῦλος. Οὐωὶ οἱ ἐγειρόμεγοι τῷ πρωΐ, καὶ τὸ σίκερα διώκοντες, οἱ μένοντες τὸ ὀψέ " ὁ γὰρ οἶνος αὐτοὺς συγκαύσει. Μετὰ γὰρ κιθάρας καὶ ψαλτηρίου Ργούιιπἀα πρὰ εἰ ρ Πα θίπνιβ : δὲ ὑπ γογβοτιπ θουσ καὶ τυμπάνων, τὸν οἶνον πίνουσι, καὶ αὐλῶν, τὰ ἐμμι οἰΠπατα οἱ ρεαίοτίο, εἰ ἱψηιραπὶς εἰ εἰδὶϊα δὲ ἔργα Κυρίου, οὐκ ἐμδλέπουσι, καὶ τὰ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν αὐτοῦ οὐ καταγνοοῦσιν. Συνάπτει τοῖς πρώτοις ἕτερα καὶ παγχάλεπα τῶν πλουσίων ἐγκλήματα. Πάρεσται γὰρ αὐτοῖς, πρός γε τῷ βούλεσθαι πλεονεκτεῖν καὶ ἀχορέστως βιάζεσθαι τοὺς ἀσθενεστέρους, καὶ τὸ ἐν πότοις εἶναι φιλεῖν, καὶ τρυφαῖς ἐπιγάννυσθαι, κώμοις τε καὶ μέθαις ἀκχταχαχοῖς" καὶ τοῦτο ἐνδελεχῶς οἴεσθαι δεῖν αὐτοὺς ἐν παντὶ δὴ τοῦτο πράττειν χαιρῷ. Ἱκανὸς γὰρ ὁ πλοῦτος ἀχονῆσαι πρὸς τρυφὰς, καὶ τὸν ἐπ’ αὐτοῖς ἀφανίσαι χόρον. ᾿Αλλ᾽ « ὁ σπείρων εἰς τὴν σάρκα,» καθά φησιν ὁ Παῦλος, « ἐκ τῆς σαρκὸς θερίσει φθοράν. ν» Τέλος γὰρ τῆς προφκαίρου τρυφῆς μακρὸν καὶ διηνεκὲς ἔσται δέχρυον, καὶ σαρκικῆς ἠδονῆς ὄλεθρος ὁ καρπός. Γράφει τοίνυν ἡμῖν ὁ προφήτης τὰς τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἀγερωχίας, καὶ τὸ ἐξίτηλον εἰς τρυφὰς, καὶ τὸ κεχυμένον εἰς ἀσωτίας. Πάντα γὰρ, φησὶ, καιρὸν ἀπονέμοντες ταῖς γαστριμαργίαις, ὑπὸ τὴν ἕω ζητοῦσι τὸ σίκερα, καὶ τοῖς ἡλίου δρόμένοντες τῆς ἑσπέρας. Ὁ γὰρ οἶνος αὐτοὺς συγχαύσξΞι. Ὁμολογουμένως μὲν γὰρ ἐμποιεῖ τινα καῦσιν ἄδην πινόμενος τοῖς σπλάγχνοις ὁ οἶνος. Συγκαύσει δὲ καὶ ἑτέρως τοῦ μεθύειν τοὺς ἐραστὰς, ἔσται γὰρ αὐτοῖς πρὸς τοῦτο κολάζοντος ἀφορμή. Συγχαυθήσονται δὲ πάντη τε καὶ πάντως εἰς φλόγας πεμπόμενοι τὰς διηνεκεῖ;, καὶ ἡτοιμασμένας τῷ διαδόλῳ καὶ τοῖς ἀγγέλοις αὐτοῦ. Ταύτῃτοι καὶ ὁ μέθυσος ὁμοῦ τοῖς ἄλλοις βεδήλοις ἀπόχληρος ἔσται παρὰ Θεῷ, καὶ εἰς τὴν τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείαν οὐκ εἰσελεύσεται.
Ēkousthē men gar homologoumenōs, phēsin, heis ta ōta Kyriou Sadaōth, ta tēs kath᾽ heterōn pleonexias enklēmata tōn dynatōterōn. Eï oun sesigēken ara, parēken hēsychę̄, kai chalinon hepēnenke tais orchais? Oudamōs, phēse. Kai toutou saphēs apodeixis, to eikaion apophēnai tois tōn allotriōn erastais to epi toutǭ spoudasma. Poia gar onēsis tou synaptein oikian pros oikian, lamprōs te kai philotimōs kataskeuazein hestias, ei mē tis estai, phēsi, chatoikēsōn en autais, dapanēsantos tou polemou ophelos agrōn, eucharpein autois ouk dōntos Theou, dia tas tōn chtēsamenōn, ēgoun harpasantōn pleonexias? Estai gar, estai en aphorią tosautę̄ ta en agrois, hōs eikosi moschōn, ētoi zeugōn deka ponountōn en ampelōsin, hen kai molis genesthai keramion' kai sparentōn metrōn hex en hēmisei tēs tōn spermatōn chatadolēs tēn tōn karpōn apodosin idein. ᾿Arkesei de, oimai, pros ergasian zeugesi deka boōn, pleistē men ampelophytos gē, pleistoi de homoiōs arosimoi klēroi, Oukoun anonētos hē ktēsis, kai tou pleonechtoin eikaios ho ponos, ei mēte tis. oichēse! tas an Theou kataphtheirontos, kai tēn tōn aplēstōn elenchontos adikian. Epeidē de kai hēmōn ekastos en hidią psychę̄ noēton echei geōrgion, kai ton tēs dikaiosynēs ergazetai sporon, phylattōmetha to proskrouein Theǭ. Tote gar tote, kathaper oikon asphalē kai erēreismenon, oikēsomen tēn polyeidę̄ kai pampoikilon aretēn, plēthynoumen de sitōn hōsper koilades: eu. logēsei hoe ho tōn holōn Theos ton sporon hēmōn, kai auxēsei ta genēmata tēs dikaiosynēs hēmōn, katha phēsin ho thespesios Paulos. Ouōi hoi egeiromegoi tǭ prōï, kai to sikera diōkontes, hoi menontes to opse " ho gar oinos autous synkausei. Meta gar kitharas kai psaltēriou Rgouiipaa pra ei r Pa thipnib : de hyp gogbotip thous kai tympanōn, ton oinon pinousi, kai aulōn, ta emmi oiPpata hoi reaiotio, ei hipsēirapis ei eidiïa de erga Kyriou, ouk emdlepousi, kai ta erga tōn cheirōn autou ou katagnoousin. Synaptei tois prōtois hetera kai panchalepa tōn plousiōn enklēmata. Parestai gar autois, pros ge tǭ boulesthai pleonektein kai achorestōs biazesthai tous asthenesterous, kai to en potois einai philein, kai tryphais epigannysthai, kōmois te kai methais akchtachachois" kai touto endelechōs oiesthai dein autous en panti dē touto prattein chairǭ. Hikanos gar ho ploutos achonēsai pros tryphas, kai ton ep’ autois aphanisai choron. ᾿All᾽ « ho speirōn eis tēn sarka,» katha phēsin ho Paulos, « ek tēs sarkos therisei phthoran. n» Telos gar tēs prophkairou tryphēs makron kai diēnekes estai dechryon, kai sarkikēs ēdonēs olethros ho karpos. Graphei toinyn hēmin ho prophētēs tas tōn Ioudaiōn agerōchias, kai to exitēlon eis tryphas, kai to kechymenon eis asōtias. Panta gar, phēsi, kairon aponemontes tais gastrimargiais, hypo tēn heō zētousi to sikera, kai tois hēliou dromenontes tēs hesperas. Ho gar oinos autous synchausxXi. Homologoumenōs men gar empoiei tina kausin adēn pinomenos tois splanchnois ho oinos. Synkausei de kai heterōs tou methyein tous erastas, estai gar autois pros touto kolazontos aphormē. Synchauthēsontai de pantē te kai pantōs eis phlogas pempomenoi tas diēnekei?, kai hētoimasmenas tǭ diadolǭ kai tois angelois autou. Tautę̄toi kai ho methysos homou tois allois bedēlois apochlēros estai para Theǭ, kai eis tēn tōn ouranōn basileian ouk eiseleusetai.
It was heard, admittedly, he says, in the ears of the Lord Sabaoth: the charges of greed brought against the stronger by others. Did he, then, keep silent, let it pass quietly, and put a bridle on his anger? Not at all, he says. And a clear proof of this is that he showed the zeal of the lovers of others’ goods for this end to be idle. For what benefit is there in joining house to house and building homes splendidly and lavishly, if there will be no one, he says, to live in them, the war having consumed [them]? [And what] is the profit of fields, if God does not let them bear fruit because of the greed of those who acquired, or rather seized, them? For there will be, there will be, such barrenness in the fields that while twenty calves, that is, ten yoke of oxen, labour in the vineyards, one jar will barely come of it; and when six measures are sown, the return of the fruits will be seen to be half of the seed sown. Ten yoke of oxen will suffice, I think, to work a great deal of land planted with vines and a great many arable lots. Possession, then, is useless, and the labour of greed idle, if no one will live in [the houses and the fields will not bear], God ruining them and convicting the injustice of the insatiable. But since each of us has in his own soul a spiritual field and works the seed of righteousness, let us guard against offending God. For then, then indeed, we shall dwell in manifold and many-coloured virtue as in a secure and firmly founded house, and we shall abound in grain like the valleys; and the God of all will bless our seed and increase the produce of our righteousness, as the divine Paul says.
“Woe to those who rise early and pursue strong drink, who wait for the evening; for the wine will burn them up. For with lyre and harp and drums and pipes they drink their wine, but they do not regard the works of the Lord, and they do not consider the works of his hands.”
He joins to the first charges against the rich other most grievous ones. For besides their wish to be greedy and to force the weaker insatiably, they will also be fond of being at drinking parties and of delighting in luxuries, in revels and drunkenness without restraint, and they will think they must do this continually and at every time. For wealth is able to whet the appetite for luxuries and to do away with satiety in them. But “he who sows to the flesh,” as Paul says, “will from the flesh reap corruption.” For the end of temporary luxury will be long and unending weeping, and the fruit of fleshly pleasure is ruin. The prophet, then, describes for us the haughtiness of the Jews, their extravagance in luxuries and their abandonment to dissipation. For giving all their time to gluttony, he says, at dawn they seek strong drink, and [they drink until] the sun’s course [ends], waiting for the evening. “For the wine will burn them up.” For admittedly wine drunk to excess produces a certain burning in the entrails. And it will burn up the lovers of drunkenness in another way too; for it will be for them an occasion for the one who punishes them for this. They will surely be burned up altogether, sent into the unending flames prepared for the devil and his angels. Therefore the drunkard too, along with the other profane, will be without portion before God and will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Isa 5:9–12 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 65:13 (64:14 LXX) (allusion, medium confidence) · 2 Cor 9:10 (allusion, high confidence) · Gal 6:8 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 25:41 (allusion, high confidence) · 1 Cor 6:10 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Cyril says God made the greedy rich labour in vain, urges believers to cultivate righteousness in the soul, and on Isa 5:11–12 condemns the drunken revelry of the rich, which ends in eternal fire.
- Isa 5:9–12; Ps 65:13 (LXX 64:14); 2 Cor 9:10; Gal 6:8; Matt 25:41; 1 Cor 6:10 are quoted or alluded to. Latin from Migne’s column in the lemma of Isa 5:12 is removed; a few lost words are supplied in brackets.
Topics: Ethics
Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Comm. Isa. 1.3.18 (PG 70; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-isaiam/1-3-18). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-isaiam/1-3-18
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 70 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
1.3.19PG 70
“Ὅρα γὰρ ὅση τῶν Ἰουδαίων γέγονε κατὰ καιροὺς ἡ ἐπὶ τὸ χρῆναι τρυφᾷν. ἐξιτηλία. “Ὅπου γὰρ ὁ κιθάρας κτύπος, καὶ τυμπάνων ἦχος, καὶ τῶν αὐἔχεῖ που πάντως ἐστὶ καὶ πᾶν εἶδος ἀκαθαρσίας, καὶ τὰ κρυφῆ γιγνόμενα παρ' αὐτῶν, ἃ καὶ αἰσχρόν ἔστι λέγειν. Ζημιοῖ δὲ τοῦτο αὐτοὺς τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι καθορᾷν τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ δόξαν, μήτε μὴν ἐνατενίζειν ποῖς ἔργοις αὐτοῦ, Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ τοῦ σώματος δ. 1 (ΟΓ. ιχ, 10. 56 611. γι, 8. μένης, ἢ παρενοχλοῦντος τραύματος ἰδεῖν οὐ δύναται καθαρῶς " οὕτω καὶ ἀνθρώπινος νοῦς ταῖς τῆς σαρκὸς εἰ καταπαχύνοιτο τρυφαῖς, ἀναμύειν οὐ δύναται. πρὸς Θεὸν, οὔτε μὴν ἀχριδῇ, τοῖς παρ' αὐτοῦ γινομένοις ἐνερείδειν τὴν ὄψιν" δὲ ὧν ἔστε καὶ μάλα σαφῶς, τίς τε καὶ ὅσος ἐπτὶν ὁ Δημιουργὸς, ἐννοεῖν δύνασθαι. Γινώσκεται γὰρ ἀπὸ καλλονῆς κτισμάτων᾽ καὶ θαυμάσειεν ἂν αὐτὸν καὶ μάλα πλουσίως ὁ τοῖς παρ᾽ αὐτοῦ πεποεημένοις τὸ θαῦμα διδούς. Ὡς γὰρ ἁ μακάριος γράφει Παῦλος " ε Τὰ ἀόρατα αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ χτίατως κόσμου τοῖς ποιήμασι νοούμενα καθορᾶται, ἥ τε ἀΐδιος αὐτοῦ δύναμις καὶ θειότης.» Εἰκὸς δὲ δὴ τὸν προφήτην χαταιτιᾶσθαι τοὺς Ἰουδαίους ὡς ἀγαβως εἰς τρυφάς" μὴ μὴν ἔτι καὶ εἰς νοῦν ἔχεεν, ἤγουν εἰς τὰ μέλλοντα θεωρεῖν, τοῦτ᾽ ἔστι, τὰ συμ- Θήσοντα αὐτοῖς ὡς ἐκ θείας ὀργῆς, ἃ καὶ ἔργα φησὶ τῶν χειρῶν τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ποιεῖ γὰρ εἰρήνην τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτὸν, καὶ τοῖς παροτρύνουσι κτίζει κακά. γὰρ ἑώρων τὰ ἐσόμενα κατ᾽ αὐτῶν ἔργα Κυρίου, οὐκ ἂν ἡνέσχοντο πότον, ἀλλ᾽ ἣν ἂν αὐτοῖς ἐν σπουδῇ τὸ δάκρυον, καὶ φίλος ὁ θρῆνος, πόνοι τε καὶ προαεὐκαὶ, καὶ τὰ τῆς μεταγνώσεως ἔργα, τῶν ἐν ἀσωτίᾳ Τοίνυν αἰχμάλωτος ὁ «ἰαός μου ἐγενήθη, διὰ τὸ μὴ εἰδέναι αὑτοὺς τὸν Εύριον. Καὶ σπιλῆϑος ἐγεγήθη γεχρῶν, διὰ λιμὸν καὶ δίψαν ὕδατος. Καὶ ἐπλάτυνεν ὁ ἔδης τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ, καὶ διήνοιξεν τὸ στόμα αὐτοῦ, τοῦ μὴ διαλιπεῖν. ( Καὶ καταδήσονται οἱ ἔνδοξοι, καὶ οἱ μεγάμοι, καὶ οἱ πλούσιοι, καὶ οἱ νομεῖς αὑτῆς. Καὶ ταῖδι- Καὶ οἱ ὀρθαλμοὶ οἱ μετέωροι ταπεινωθήσονται, καὶ ὑψωθήσεται Κύριος Σαδαὼθ, καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ἅγιος δοξασθήσεται ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ. ΠΗ Ὅτι τοῖς θέλοωσε τρυφᾷν ἐχτελευτᾷ τὸ χρῆμα πρὸς ὄλεθρον καὶ πρὸς αὐτό που τὸ λοῖσθον ται τῶν κακῶν, ὁ θεῖος ἡμᾶς ἐν τούτοις διδάσκει λόγος. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ οἱ τῆς Ἰουδαίων χώρας, τῶν χρῆναι περιεργάζεσθαι τὰ ἔργα τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ τὸ ἐμδλέπειν τὰ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν αὐτοῦ, παρ᾽ οὐδὲν ποιήσασθαι μεμελετηκότες, κώμοις τε διηνεχέσιν μδνοι, καὶ τοῦτο διημερεύοντες " οἰχήσονται μὲν “ αἰχμάλωτοι καὶ δουλεύσουσιν ἐχθροῖς, πληθὺς δὰ τασαύτη νεκρῶν κατὰ πᾶσαν ἔσται τὴν χώραν, λιμῷ καὶ δίψει διολωλότων, ὡς μονονουχὶ σπαταλῆσαι τὸν φοῦντα τοὺς χαταδαίνοντας, καὶ τοῖς ἰδίοις ἀποκλείοντα θησαυροῖς. Ὅταν γὰρ δον ψυχὴν πλατυνομένην ἀκούεις, νομιστέον ἕτερον οὐδὲν βούλεσθαν δηλοῦν αὐτὸν, ἣ ὅπερ ἔφην ἀρτίως. Κέχρηται γὰρ ἡ θεόπνευστος Γραφὴ τοῖς ὀνόμασι τροπικῶς δὅαθ᾽ ὅτε, καὶ οἷον ἐκ μεταφορᾶς, καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν οὐκ ἐχόντων ψυχὴν, ἀλλ᾽ οὐδὲ ἐν τάξει ζώων ἠριθμημένων, ἥ καὶ ἄντων τούτων κατ᾽ ἀλήθειαν. Ποία γὰρ δου ψυχῆ;
“Hora gar hosē tōn Ioudaiōn gegone kata kairous hē epi to chrēnai tryphąn. exitēlia. “Hopou gar ho kitharas ktypos, kai tympanōn ēchos, kai tōn auechei pou pantōs esti kai pan eidos akatharsias, kai ta kryphē gignomena par' autōn, ha kai aischron esti legein. Zēmioi de touto autous to mē dynasthai kathorąn tēn tou Theou doxan, mēte mēn enatenizein pois ergois autou, Hōsper gar ho tou sōmatos d. 1 (OG. ich, 10. 56 611. gi, 8. menēs, ē parenochlountos traumatos idein ou dynatai katharōs " houtō kai anthrōpinos nous tais tēs sarkos ei katapachynoito tryphais, anamyein ou dynatai. pros Theon, oute mēn achridę̄, tois par' autou ginomenois enereidein tēn opsin" de hōn este kai mala saphōs, tis te kai hosos eptin ho Dēmiourgos, ennoein dynasthai. Ginōsketai gar apo kallonēs ktismatōn᾽ kai thaumaseien an auton kai mala plousiōs ho tois par᾽ autou pepoeēmenois to thauma didous. Hōs gar ha makarios graphei Paulos " e Ta aorata autou apo chtiatōs kosmou tois poiēmasi nooumena kathoratai, hē te aïdios autou dynamis kai theiotēs.» Eikos de dē ton prophētēn chataitiasthai tous Ioudaious hōs agabōs eis tryphas" mē mēn eti kai eis noun echeen, ēgoun eis ta mellonta theōrein, tout᾽ esti, ta sym- Thēsonta autois hōs ek theias orgēs, ha kai erga phēsi tōn cheirōn tou Theou. Poiei gar eirēnēn tois agapōsin auton, kai tois parotrynousi ktizei kaka. gar heōrōn ta esomena kat᾽ autōn erga Kyriou, ouk an hēneschonto poton, all᾽ hēn an autois en spoudę̄ to dakryon, kai philos ho thrēnos, ponoi te kai proaeukai, kai ta tēs metagnōseōs erga, tōn en asōtią Toinyn aichmalōtos ho «iaos mou egenēthē, dia to mē eidenai hautous ton Eurion. Kai spilēϑos egegēthē gechrōn, dia limon kai dipsan hydatos. Kai eplatynen ho edēs tēn psychēn autou, kai diēnoixen to stoma autou, tou mē dialipein. ( Kai katadēsontai hoi endoxoi, kai hoi megamoi, kai hoi plousioi, kai hoi nomeis hautēs. Kai taidi- Kai hoi orthalmoi hoi meteōroi tapeinōthēsontai, kai hypsōthēsetai Kyrios Sadaōth, kai ho Theos hagios doxasthēsetai en dikaiosynę̄. PĒ Hoti tois theloōse tryphąn echteleutą to chrēma pros olethron kai pros auto pou to loisthon tai tōn kakōn, ho theios hēmas en toutois didaskei logos. Epeidē gar hoi tēs Ioudaiōn chōras, tōn chrēnai periergazesthai ta erga tou Theou, kai to emdlepein ta erga tōn cheirōn autou, par᾽ ouden poiēsasthai memeletēkotes, kōmois te diēnechesin mdnoi, kai touto diēmereuontes " oichēsontai men “ aichmalōtoi kai douleusousin echthrois, plēthys da tasautē nekrōn kata pasan estai tēn chōran, limǭ kai dipsei diolōlotōn, hōs mononouchi spatalēsai ton phounta tous chatadainontas, kai tois idiois apokleionta thēsaurois. Hotan gar don psychēn platynomenēn akoueis, nomisteon heteron ouden boulesthan dēloun auton, hē hoper ephēn artiōs. Kechrētai gar hē theopneustos Graphē tois onomasi tropikōs doath᾽ hote, kai hoion ek metaphoras, kai epi tōn ouk echontōn psychēn, all᾽ oude en taxei zōōn ērithmēmenōn, hē kai antōn toutōn kat᾽ alētheian. Poia gar dou psychē?
For see how great at times was the extravagance of the Jews in their love of luxury. For where there is the strumming of the lyre and the sound of drums and [pipes], there surely is every form of uncleanness too, and the things done by them in secret, which it is shameful even to speak of. And this does them harm: it makes them unable to perceive the glory of God or to fix their gaze on his works. For as the eye of the body, when [it is clouded] or troubled by a wound, cannot see clearly, so too the human mind, if it is thickened by the luxuries of the flesh, cannot open its eyes toward God, nor fix its gaze precisely on the things he has made, through which it is possible to understand very clearly who and how great the Creator is. For he is known from the beauty of his creatures; and whoever gives his wonder to the things he has made would wonder at him most richly. For as the blessed Paul writes: “His invisible things are clearly seen from the creation of the world, being understood through the things that are made, both his eternal power and divinity.” But the prophet probably accuses the Jews as being given over to luxuries and no longer having it in their mind to consider what is to come, that is, the things that will befall them from the divine wrath, which he also calls the works of the hands of God. For he makes peace for those who love him, and creates evils for those who provoke him. For [if] they had seen the works of the Lord that were to come upon them, they would not have endured drinking parties; rather tears would have been their study and lament their delight, toils and prayers and the works of repentance, [instead of] those of dissipation.
“Therefore my people have become captive, because they do not know the Lord; and a multitude of dead has come about, through hunger and thirst for water. And Hades has enlarged its soul and opened its mouth without ceasing; and the glorious and the great and the rich and the pestilent of it will go down. And man will be humbled, and a man will be dishonoured, and the lofty eyes will be humbled; and the Lord Sabaoth will be exalted in judgment, and the holy God will be glorified in righteousness.”
That for those who wish to live in luxury the matter ends in ruin and in the very last of evils, the divine word teaches us here. For since those of the land of the Jews made a practice of counting as nothing the duty of examining the works of God and of looking at the works of his hands, and spent their days in continual revels, they will go away as captives and serve their enemies; and there will be such a multitude of dead throughout the whole land, perishing by hunger and thirst, that Hades will almost revel in those who go down and shut them up in its own treasuries. For when you hear of Hades’ soul being enlarged, you must think that he means nothing other than what I said just now. For the divinely inspired Scripture sometimes uses words figuratively, as by a metaphor, even of things that have no soul and are not counted in the rank of living creatures, or that do not truly exist. For what soul has Hades?
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Isa 5:12–16 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 1:20 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 45:7 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Cyril says luxury blinds the mind to God’s works in creation and to the coming judgment, and reads Isa 5:13–16 of the captivity and the mass of dead from famine, Hades’ “enlarged soul” being a figure of speech.
- Isa 5:12–16; Wis 13:5; Rom 1:20; Isa 45:7 (Septuagint, “making peace and creating evils”) are quoted or alluded to. A few words lost in the scan are supplied in brackets. Marginal references are removed.
Extrabiblical texts: Wis 13:5 (Wisdom of Solomon [in RC, EO, ETH canons]; allusion)
Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Comm. Isa. 1.3.19 (PG 70; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-isaiam/1-3-19). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-isaiam/1-3-19
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 70 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.
1.3.20PG 70
Τόπος δὲ μᾶδλον ὁ ἄδης, καὶ ψυχῶν ἀθλίων ἀμειδὲς δεσμωτήριον. Οὐκοῦν τῶν ἐν τῷδε τῷ βίῳ ἐντρυχατεμπλήσουσι δὲ ὥσπερ τὴν ψυχήν. Καΐ τι τοιοῦτον ἡμῖν ὁ θεσπέσιος μελῳδὸς ὑποδηλοξ, λέγων περὶ πάσης. οἶμαι, ψυχῆς φιληδόνου τε καὶ φιλαμαρτήμονος Εἰσελεύσεται ἕως γενεᾶς πατέρων αὐτοῦ, ἕως αἰῶνος οὐκ ὄψεται φῶς. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τοὺς ἁγίους ἀπαλλαττομένους τῶν καθ᾽ ἡμᾶς πραγμάτων, προστεθῆναί φησε τὸ Γράμμα τὸ ἱερὸν τοῖς πατράσιν αὐτῶν εἴρηται γάρ που πρὸς τὸν μακάριον 'Αδραάμ᾽" « Καὶ σὺ προστεθήσῃ πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας σου τραφεὶς ἐν γήρᾳ καλῷ " » οὕτω καὶ τοὺς τελευτῶντας ἐν ἁμαρτίαις εἰς γενεὰν πατέρων αὐτῶν ἀποδραμεῖσθαί φαμεν, πατέρας αὐτῶν εἶναι λέγοντες τοὺς ὁμοιοειδῇ καὶ διὰ πάντων ἴσην καὶ ὁμοίως ἔχουσαν διαξῶντας Β 605 ζωήν. Εἰ δὲ δὴ λέγοιτο πλῆθος εἶναι νεκρῶν, διὰ λιμὸν καὶ δίψαν ὕδατο;, ἐκεῖνό φαμεν, ὅ τι γέγραφεν Ἰώσηπος ὁ τῆς Ἰουῦζων συμφορᾶς ἐχτραγῳδήσας τῷ βίῳ τὸ μέγεθος - ὅτι πολιορχουμένης τῆς Ἱεἥττοντο δὲ παντὸς ὑπὸ λιμοῦ καὶ ἀνάγκης τοῦ τοῖς ὁδοῦσεν εἴχοντος. Ὅτι δὲ οὐκ ἐν μόνῃ τοῦτο γέγονε τῇ Ἱερουσαλὴμ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἑτέραις τῆς Ἰουδαίας πόλεσιν, πῶς ἂν ἣ πόθεν ἐνδοιάσειέ τις; Οὐκοῦν πλεῖστοι μὲν ὅσοι δεδαπάνηνται τῷ πολέμῳ, καὶ πεπτώκασιν ἐν μακαίραις " πολλῶν δὲ τῶν οὕτως ἀπολωλότων πλείονας ἡ τοῦ λιμοῦ χατέφθειρεν τῆς. ΕἸ δὲ δὴ τις λέγοι, καὶ νοητῶν ὑδάτων γενέσθαι σπάνιν, καὶ τροφῆς τῆς θείας δεδυσσεδηχόσι τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις " ἀπολωλέναι δὲ οὕτω; αὐτοὺς, καὶ οἷον εἰς ἄδου καθικέσθαι, διά γε τοῦ μὴ ζωοποιεῖσθαι διὰ Χριστοῦ, καθ᾽ ὁμοιότητα τῶν πιστευσάντων εἰς αὑτόν" οὐκ ἂν ἁμάρτοι τοῦ ἀληθοῦς, Συμδέδηχε γὰρ αὐτοὺς καὶ τοῦτο παθεῖν. ᾿Αλλὰ τίνες ἂν νοηθεῖεν οἱ καταβαίνοντες, οἷς καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ ἄδης χαταπλατύνει τὴν ἰδίαν ψυχὴν, καὶ τὸ ἄπληστον ἀνοίξει στόμα, προσεπάγει λέγων " Οἱ ἔνδοξοι καὶ οἱ μεγάλοι, καὶ οἱ πλούσιοι, καὶ οἱ λοιμοὶ αὑτῆς, Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἧσὰν τῶν ἀνὰ πᾶσαν τὴν χώραν ἡγούμενοι καὶ στεροι, δι᾿ αὐτῶν ἣν εἰκὸς παιδαγωγηθήσεσθαι καλῶς τὸ ὑπήκοον" ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μὲν οὐκ ἔδρων. Τύποι δὲ ὥσπερ καὶ ὑπογραμμὸς γεγόνασι τοῖς ἄλλοις τῆς ἐπαράτου ζωῆς, καὶ πρὸς αὐτούς πού φησι λόγιον οοοἰάοτυπὶ : δὲ τυ εἶ δὶς 6 πιάϊΐο βδυῦ]α! 8, ρί 88 ἱερόν- ε Ὅτι παγὶς ἐγενήθητε τῇ σχοπιᾷ, καὶ ὡς ἢ) {νει 6515 βρεουϊδιϊοηΐ, οἱ τὲς τὴν θήραν χατέπηξαν. » Ὁρᾷς ὅπω; παγὶς καὶ θήρατρον γεγόνασι τοῖς λοιποῖς, ὅτι καὶ ταῖς «ὧν ἡγουμένων ἐπιεικείαις, καὶ μέντοι καὶ ῥᾳθυμίαις ἀεί πως ἕπεσθαι φιλεῖ τὸ ὑπήκοον. Οὐκοῦν ὡς παραίτιοι γεγονότες σφίσιν ἑαυτοῖς, καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασι τοῦ ἀπολέσθαι δεῖν, πρῶτο! χαταδήσονται καὶ προελάτοντιν εἰς ἄδου, ἐπιπηδώσης τρόπον τινὰ καὶ πρό γε τῶν ἄλλων αὐτοῖς τῆς θείας ὀργῆς. Κολασθήσονται δὲ εὐχ ὅτι πλούσιοι καὶ ἔνδοξο! γεγόνασιν, ἀλλ᾽ ὅτι λοιμοὶ, τοῦτ᾽ ἔστι, φθοροὶ καὶ λυμεῶνες, καὶ ἑαυτῶν, ὡς ἔφην, καὶ τῆς ἀγελαίας πληθύος. Οἱ ταν άδ οδιδπι (26 υϊείυπ) οἱ δορίίυπι πο τού υεῖ ἢ εἶθ δΐ ϑογυδίογοιη εἰἶχίββα : ε Υτ νοἱνδ ἶνὶκαὶ ἄτιμοι. Καὶ τίνα γὰρ οὐ ταπεινοῖ τοῦ θανάτου τὸ δεῖμα; Ἢ ποῖον ὀφθαλμὸν ἐπηρμένον καὶ ἄνω βλέποντα δεινὴ καὶ δύσοιστος οὐ χαταχοιμίζει συμφορά;
Topos de madlon ho adēs, kai psychōn athliōn ameides desmōtērion. Oukoun tōn en tǭde tǭ biǭ entrychatemplēsousi de hōsper tēn psychēn. Kaï ti toiouton hēmin ho thespesios melǭdos hypodēlox, legōn peri pasēs. oimai, psychēs philēdonou te kai philamartēmonos Eiseleusetai heōs geneas paterōn autou, heōs aiōnos ouk opsetai phōs. Hōsper gar tous hagious apallattomenous tōn kath᾽ hēmas pragmatōn, prostethēnai phēse to Gramma to hieron tois patrasin autōn eirētai gar pou pros ton makarion 'Adraam᾽" « Kai sy prostethēsę̄ pros tous pateras sou trapheis en gērą kalǭ " » houtō kai tous teleutōntas en hamartiais eis genean paterōn autōn apodrameisthai phamen, pateras autōn einai legontes tous homoioeidę̄ kai dia pantōn isēn kai homoiōs echousan diaxōntas B 605 zōēn. Ei de dē legoito plēthos einai nekrōn, dia limon kai dipsan hydato?, ekeino phamen, ho ti gegraphen Iōsēpos ho tēs Iouyzōn symphoras echtragǭdēsas tǭ biǭ to megethos - hoti poliorchoumenēs tēs Hieēttonto de pantos hypo limou kai anankēs tou tois hodousen eichontos. Hoti de ouk en monę̄ touto gegone tę̄ Hierousalēm, alla kai en tais heterais tēs Ioudaias polesin, pōs an hē pothen endoiaseie tis? Oukoun pleistoi men hosoi dedapanēntai tǭ polemǭ, kai peptōkasin en makairais " pollōn de tōn houtōs apolōlotōn pleionas hē tou limou chatephtheiren tēs. EI de dē tis legoi, kai noētōn hydatōn genesthai spanin, kai trophēs tēs theias dedyssedēchosi tois Ioudaiois " apolōlenai de houtō? autous, kai hoion eis adou kathikesthai, dia ge tou mē zōopoieisthai dia Christou, kath᾽ homoiotēta tōn pisteusantōn eis hauton" ouk an hamartoi tou alēthous, Symdedēche gar autous kai touto pathein. ᾿Alla tines an noētheien hoi katabainontes, hois kai autos ho adēs chataplatynei tēn idian psychēn, kai to aplēston anoixei stoma, prosepagei legōn " Hoi endoxoi kai hoi megaloi, kai hoi plousioi, kai hoi loimoi hautēs, Epeidē gar hēsan tōn ana pasan tēn chōran hēgoumenoi kai steroi, di᾿ autōn hēn eikos paidagōgēthēsesthai kalōs to hypēkoon" alla touto men ouk edrōn. Typoi de hōsper kai hypogrammos gegonasi tois allois tēs eparatou zōēs, kai pros autous pou phēsi logion oooiaotypi : de ty ei dis 6 piaïïo bdyy]a! 8, ri 88 hieron- e Hoti pagis egenēthēte tę̄ schopią, kai hōs ē) {nei 6515 breouïdiïoēï, hoi tes tēn thēran chatepēxan. » Horąs hopō? pagis kai thēratron gegonasi tois loipois, hoti kai tais «hōn hēgoumenōn epieikeiais, kai mentoi kai rhąthymiais aei pōs hepesthai philei to hypēkoon. Oukoun hōs paraitioi gegonotes sphisin heautois, kai tois allois hapasi tou apolesthai dein, prōto! chatadēsontai kai proelatontin eis adou, epipēdōsēs tropon tina kai pro ge tōn allōn autois tēs theias orgēs. Kolasthēsontai de euch hoti plousioi kai endoxo! gegonasin, all᾽ hoti loimoi, tout᾽ esti, phthoroi kai lymeōnes, kai heautōn, hōs ephēn, kai tēs agelaias plēthyos. Hoi tan ad odidpi (26 yïeiyp) hoi doriiypi po tou yei ē eith dï ϑogydiogoiē eiichibba : e Yt noind inikai atimoi. Kai tina gar ou tapeinoi tou thanatou to deima? Ē poion ophthalmon epērmenon kai anō bleponta deinē kai dysoistos ou chatachoimizei symphora?
Rather, Hades is a place, a joyless prison of wretched souls. So [Hades will receive] those who lived in luxury in this life, and they will fill up, as it were, its soul. And the divine Psalmist hints something of this kind to us when he says, of every soul, I think, that loves pleasure and loves sin: “He will go to the generation of his fathers; he will never again see light.” For as the holy Scripture says that the saints, when they depart from our affairs, are added to their fathers (for it is said somewhere to the blessed Abraham, “And you will be added to your fathers, nourished in a good old age”), so we say that those who die in their sins run off to the generation of their fathers, calling their fathers those who lived a life of the same kind, equal and alike in every respect. And if it is said that there was a multitude of dead through hunger and thirst for water, we mention what Josephus wrote, who told in tragic style the greatness of the calamity of the Jews in his history: that when Jerusalem was besieged, [men … ] and were overcome by hunger and need of anything that could be held in the teeth. And that this happened not in Jerusalem alone but also in the other cities of Judea, how or whence could anyone doubt? Very many, then, were consumed by the war and fell by the sword; but more than those who perished in this way were destroyed by the famine. And if someone should say that a scarcity of spiritual waters and of divine food also came upon the Jews, who had acted impiously, and that they perished in this way and as it were went down to Hades because they were not given life through Christ, like those who believed in him, he would not miss the truth; for it befell them to suffer this too. But who should be understood to be those who go down, for whom Hades itself enlarges its soul and opens its insatiable mouth, he adds, saying: “The glorious and the great and the rich and the pestilent of it.” For since they were the leaders throughout the whole land and [more prominent], it was reasonable that the subject people would be well schooled through them; but they did not do this. Rather they became types and patterns of an accursed life for the others; and a holy oracle says somewhere to them: “For you have become a snare to the watchtower, and like a net spread [on Tabor] … they fixed the trap for the hunt.” Do you see how they became a snare and a trap for the rest, because the subject people somehow always like to follow both the goodness and the laxity of their leaders? So, as having become the cause of destruction both to themselves and to all the others, they will be the first to go down and will run ahead into Hades, the divine wrath springing upon them, as it were, before the rest. And they will be punished not because they were rich and glorious, but because they were pestilent, that is, corrupters and destroyers, both of themselves, as I said, and of the common multitude. … and dishonoured. For whom does the fear of death not humble? Or what eye that is lifted up and looks on high does not a terrible and unbearable calamity lay to sleep?
Ps 49:19 (48:20 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 15:15 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 5:13–15 (quotation, high confidence) · Hos 5:1 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Cyril explains Hades as the prison of souls, recalls Josephus’ account of the famine in the siege of Jerusalem, and says the leaders, who led the people into ruin, will be the first to go down.
- Ps 49:19 (LXX 48:20); Gen 15:15; Isa 5:14–15; Hos 5:1 are quoted. Josephus’ account of the famine in the siege of Jerusalem is Jewish War 5–6 (e.g. 5.424–438, 6.193–213); the sentence quoting it is damaged in the scan. Some other words lost to Latin from Migne’s column are marked “…” or supplied in brackets. The judgment on the Jews is Cyril’s and is translated as written.
Extrabiblical texts: Josephus, J.W. 5.424-438 (Josephus (works); allusion)
Topics: Eschatology
Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Comm. Isa. 1.3.20 (PG 70; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-isaiam/1-3-20). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-isaiam/1-3-20
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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 70 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.