Commentary on Isaiah 1.4.7–1.4.14
Greek text: PG 70.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
part 1, chapter 4
1.4.7PG 70
πρὸς τὸν μακάριον Ἰεζεχιήλ" ε Καὶ τὴν γλῶσσάν σου συνδήτω, καὶ ἀποχωφωθήσῃ" καὶ οὐκ ἔσῃ αὑτοῖς εἰς ἄνδρα εὐβύνοντα, ὅτι οἶκος παραπικραίνων ἐστίν. ν ᾿Αποσεσίγηχε τοίνυν, καίτοι δεικνύων τὴν ἀγανάκτησιν. Σέσεισται γὰρ τὰ Ἱεροσόλυμα, καὶ χατεδονήθη πᾶσα τῶν Ἰουδαίων χώρα. Εἰσόμεθα δὲ καὶ τοῦτο δι᾽ ὧν ἐγεγράφει ὁ προφήτης ᾿Αμώς. Ἔχει γὰρ οὕτως" «Λόγοι ᾿Αμὼς οἵ ἐγένοντο ἐν ᾿Αχχαρεὶμ ἐν θεχονὲ, οὺς ἴδεν ὑπὲρ Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐν ἡμέραις Ὀζίου βασιλέως Ἰούδα, καὶ ἐν ἡμέραις Ἱεροδοὰμ τοῦ Ἰωᾶς βασιλέως ᾿Ισραὴλ πρὸ δύο ἐτῶν τοῦ σεισμοῦ.» Ἐπειδὴ δὲ τετελεύτηκεν Ὀζίας συγχατέληξεν αὐτῷ τῆς σιωπῆς ὁ καιρός. Καὶ πάλιν ἐδίδου τὰς θεοπτίας τοῖ; ἁγίοις προφήταις ὁ τῶν ὅλων θεός. Ταύτῃ τοί φησιν ὁ προφήτης Ἡσαῖας " ε Καὶ ἐγένετο τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ οὗ ἀπέθανεν Ὁζίας ὁ βασιλεὺς, ἴδον τὸν Κύριον Σαδαὼθ καθήμενον ἐπὶ θρόνου ὑψηλοῦ καὶ ἐπηρμένον. » Ὅτι. μὲν οὖν τὸν Υἱὸν ὁ προφήτης τεθέαται ἐν τῇ δόξῃ “οὔ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς, οὐκ ἂν ἐνδοιάσειέ τις, Ἰωάννου γράφοντος ἐναργῶς περὶ αὐτοῦ" «Ταῦτα δὲ εἶπεν Ἡσαῖας, ὅτε ἴδε τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐλάλησε περὶ αὐτοῦ.» ΓΛθρε: δέ μο! τῆς θεοπρεποῦς ὑπεροχῆς τὸ ἀξίωμα, καὶ τὸ κατὰ πάσης κτίσεως κράτος. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἔστιν ἐφ᾽ ὑψηλοῦ τε καὶ ἐπηρμένου θρόνου τοῖς τῆς βασιλείας ἐχπρεπεστάτοις αὐχήμασιν εὖ μάλα χατεστεμμένος. Αἱ δὲ ἀνωτάτω δυνάμεις, μεθ᾽ ἃς οὐδὲν ἐπέκεινα τῶν γενητῶν εἶναι λέγεται, κύκλῳ περιιστᾶσι τάξιν ἔχουσα: τὴν οἰχετικὴν, καὶ ταῖς εὖ φημίαις καταγεραίρουσα!. Πλήρη τε εἶναί φησι τὴν γῆν ἅπασαν τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ. Χρῆνα! δὲ ὑπολαμδάνω μὴ ἐν τοπιχοῖς ὑψώμασι τὸν θεῖον οἴεσθαι τεθεῖσθαι θρόνον. Εὔηθες γὰρ καὶ ἀσύνετον κομιδῇ τὸ χρῆμά ἐστιν. Ὑφοῦ δὲ ὁ θεῖος τέθειται θρόνος, καθὸ καὶ νοεῖται πάσης ἐπέκεινα φύσεως νοητῆς τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ βασιλείας ἢ δόξα. Ἢ δὲ χάθισις ἡ ἐπ᾽ αὐτοῦ τὴν οἱονεὶ. βεδαιότητά τε καὶ ἐν ταυτότητι τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἵδρυσίν “Ξ καὶ διαμονὴν ἔοικεν ὑποδηλοῦν. Ῥάλλει γὰρ οὕτω καὶ ὁ θεσπέσιος Δαδίδ- ε Ὁ Θεὸς χάθητα! ἐπὶ θρόνου ἁγίου αὐτοῦ.» Καὶ μὴν καὶ ὁ προφήτης Ἱερεμίας πρὸς αὐτόν πού φησιν « Ὅτι σὺ καθήμενος τὸν αἰῶνα, καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀπολλύμενοι τὸν αἰῶνα. » ᾿Αεὶ γὰρ καὶ ἐν παντὶ χρόνῳ φθαρτή τέ ἔστιν ἡ πεποιημένη φύσις, καὶ τῶν γενητῶν ἐν τούτοις τὸ μέτρον" κάθηται δὲ, ὡς ἔφην, ἡ πάντων τεχνίτις καὶ δημιουργὸς σοφία, τοῦτ᾽ ἔστιν, ἀχλόνητον ἔχει τὴν ἐν ταυτότητι διαμονήν. Πλήρη δὲ εἶναί φησ: τὸν οἶκον τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ. Οὔπω γὰρ δεδυσσεδηχότος τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ εἰς τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν τὸν Χριστὸν, ἐπλήρου τὸν οἶκον τὸν ἐν τοῖς Ἱεροσολύμοις ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ δόξα.
pros ton makarion Iezechiēl" e Kai tēn glōssan sou syndētō, kai apochōphōthēsę̄" kai ouk esę̄ hautois eis andra eubynonta, hoti oikos parapikrainōn estin. n ᾿Aposesigēche toinyn, kaitoi deiknyōn tēn aganaktēsin. Seseistai gar ta Hierosolyma, kai chatedonēthē pasa tōn Ioudaiōn chōra. Eisometha de kai touto di᾽ hōn egegraphei ho prophētēs ᾿Amōs. Echei gar houtōs" «Logoi ᾿Amōs hoi egenonto en ᾿Achchareim en thechone, ous iden hyper Hierousalēm en hēmerais Oziou basileōs Iouda, kai en hēmerais Hierodoam tou Iōas basileōs ᾿Israēl pro dyo etōn tou seismou.» Epeidē de teteleutēken Ozias synchatelēxen autǭ tēs siōpēs ho kairos. Kai palin edidou tas theoptias toi? hagiois prophētais ho tōn holōn theos. Tautę̄ toi phēsin ho prophētēs Hēsaias " e Kai egeneto tou eniautou hou apethanen Hozias ho basileus, idon ton Kyrion Sadaōth kathēmenon epi thronou hypsēlou kai epērmenon. » Hoti. men oun ton Huion ho prophētēs tetheatai en tę̄ doxę̄ “ou Theou kai Patros, ouk an endoiaseie tis, Iōannou graphontos enargōs peri autou" «Tauta de eipen Hēsaias, hote ide tēn doxan autou, kai elalēse peri autou.» GLthre: de mo! tēs theoprepous hyperochēs to axiōma, kai to kata pasēs ktiseōs kratos. Ho men gar estin eph᾽ hypsēlou te kai epērmenou thronou tois tēs basileias echprepestatois auchēmasin eu mala chatestemmenos. Hai de anōtatō dynameis, meth᾽ has ouden epekeina tōn genētōn einai legetai, kyklǭ periistasi taxin echousa: tēn oichetikēn, kai tais eu phēmiais katagerairousa!. Plērē te einai phēsi tēn gēn hapasan tēs doxēs autou. Chrēna! de hypolamdanō mē en topichois hypsōmasi ton theion oiesthai tetheisthai thronon. Euēthes gar kai asyneton komidę̄ to chrēma estin. Hyphou de ho theios tetheitai thronos, katho kai noeitai pasēs epekeina physeōs noētēs tēs tou Theou basileias ē doxa. Ē de chathisis hē ep᾽ autou tēn hoionei. bedaiotēta te kai en tautotēti tōn agathōn hidrysin “X kai diamonēn eoiken hypodēloun. Rhallei gar houtō kai ho thespesios Dadid- e Ho Theos chathēta! epi thronou hagiou autou.» Kai mēn kai ho prophētēs Hieremias pros auton pou phēsin « Hoti sy kathēmenos ton aiōna, kai hēmeis apollymenoi ton aiōna. » ᾿Aei gar kai en panti chronǭ phthartē te estin hē pepoiēmenē physis, kai tōn genētōn en toutois to metron" kathētai de, hōs ephēn, hē pantōn technitis kai dēmiourgos sophia, tout᾽ estin, achlonēton echei tēn en tautotēti diamonēn. Plērē de einai phēs: ton oikon tēs doxēs autou. Oupō gar dedyssedēchotos tou Israēl eis ton Kyrion hēmōn Iēsoun ton Christon, eplērou ton oikon ton en tois Hierosolymois hē tou Theou doxa.
… to the blessed Ezekiel: “And I will bind your tongue, and you will be dumb, and you will not be to them a man who reproves, for it is an embittering house.” He kept silent, then, though he showed his indignation. For Jerusalem was shaken, and the whole country of the Jews was set quaking. We shall learn this too from what the prophet Amos wrote. It runs thus: “The words of Amos, which came to him in Akkarim from Tekoa, which he saw concerning Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.” But when Uzziah died, the time of silence ended with him, and the God of all again gave divine visions to the holy prophets. This is why the prophet Isaiah says: “And it came to pass in the year in which King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord Sabaoth sitting on a throne, high and lifted up.”
That the prophet saw the Son in the glory of God the Father no one would doubt, since John writes plainly about him: “Isaiah said these things when he saw his glory and spoke about him.” And consider, I pray, the dignity of his God-befitting pre-eminence and his power over all creation. For he is on a high and lifted-up throne, crowned very fittingly with the most splendid glories of kingship. And the highest powers, beyond which nothing among created things is said to exist, stand around him in a circle, keeping the rank of servants and honouring him with praises. And he says that all the earth is full of his glory. I suppose we must not think that the divine throne is set on heights of place; that is a silly and wholly senseless notion. The divine throne is set on high inasmuch as … the glory of God's kingdom is understood to be beyond every intelligible nature. And the sitting upon it seems to indicate, as it were, stability, and an establishment and continuance in the sameness of his goods. For so the divine David sings: “God sits on his holy throne.” And the prophet Jeremiah too says to him somewhere: “For you sit for ever, and we perish for ever.” For created nature is always and at every time perishable, and this is the measure of things that come to be; but the Wisdom that is the craftsman and creator of all sits, as I said, that is, has an unshaken continuance in sameness. And he says that the house was full of his glory. For since Israel had not yet committed impiety against our Lord Jesus Christ, the glory of God filled the house in Jerusalem.
Ezek 3:26 (quotation, high confidence) · Amos 1:1 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 6:1 (quotation, high confidence) · John 12:41 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 47:8 (46:9 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Lam 5:19 (quotation, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Cyril explains that God's silence ended at Uzziah's death, and reads the vision of Isa 6:1 as Isaiah's sight of the Son in the Father's glory, enthroned above all creation.
- The section begins mid-sentence. Quotations: Ezek 3:26; Amos 1:1; Isa 6:1; John 12:41; Ps 47:8 (LXX 46:9); Lam 5:19 (Cyril's “Jeremiah,” LXX wording: “we perish”); Isa 6:1 again. Following John 12:41, Cyril identifies the Lord of the vision as the Son. Two runs of Migne's Latin read as Greek letters have been removed; a few words lost with them are marked “…”.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Migne's Latin version read as Greek letters by the OCR; removed): 5661 πῃ 1τῃγΟΠῸ 88 ποῖο δυο ᾽". » Εἰ ργορίιοία τη ΐλ5 δὶ οὐυῃ) ἀΐεὶ! : « Τιι 56.465 Ἶ) δο:ῃρίΘΓΉΠΠΙ, ὁ" → ; Β "05 ρδγίπιυ8 ἰῃ 56: ρί ΓΘ Γμ πὴ “δ. ») ϑόπιρογ δηΐι οἱ → .
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Comm. Isa. 1.4.7 (PG 70; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-isaiam/1-4-7). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-isaiam/1-4-7
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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.
1.4.8PG 70
Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἠἡρνήσαντο τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτοῦ, καὶ πεπτώκασιν εἰς ἀνοσιότητα τρόπων. Οὗ ἕνεκεν τὴν φωνὴν ἤκουσαν λέγοντος" « Ἰδοὺ ἀφίεται ὑμῖν ὁ οἶκος ὑμῶν.» Ἕκάστῳ δὲ τῶν Σεραφεὶμ ἕξ ἐμπεφυχέναι φησὶ τὰς πτέρυγας, ὡς ταῖς μὲν δυσὶ χαταχαλύπτειν τὸ πρόσωπον, ταῖς δὲ δυσὶ τοὺς πόδας, πέτασθαι δὲ τος θερμαίνοντες. Ῥυχρὸν γὰρ οὐδὲν παρά γε ταῖς ἄνω δυνάμεσιν, αἵπερ ἂν εἷεν μάλιστα καὶ ἐγγὺς Θεοῦ. Ταύτῃ τοι καὶ ἡμεῖς αὐτοὶ κολλώμενοι διὰ πίστεως καὶ πολιτείας τῆς ἀγαθῆς καὶ ἐννομωτάτης ζέοντες ἀποτελούμεθα τῷ πνεύματι, καὶ θερμοὶ τὴν ἀγάπην τὴν εἰς Θεόν. Σύμδολον δὲ τὸ ταῖς πτέρυξι χαταχαλύπτειν τὰ Σεραφεὶμ τότε πρόσωπον καὶ τοὺς πόδας, πέταπθαι δὲ ταῖς δυσὶν, τοῦ μὴ δύνασθαί τινας ἢ ἀρχὴν ἢ τέλος ὁμᾷν ἐννοιῶν ἣ λόγων τῶν περὶ Θεοῦ. Σημαίνει μὲν γὰρ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἡ κεφαλὴ, καὶ τὸ πρόσωπον, τὸ δέ γε τέλος οἱ πόδες. ΓΑναρχον γὰρ τὸ Θεῖον καὶ τελευτᾷν οὐκ εἰδός. Προσδάλλομεν δὲ τοῖς διὰ μέσου μόλις τοῖς κατά γε τοὺς χρόνους φημὶ, καθ᾽ οὗς, τὰ οὐκ ὄντα ποτὲ παρήχθη πρὸς ὕπαρξιν. Πέτονταί γε μὴν ὡς οὐδὲν ἔχοντες τὸ χατεῤῥιμμένον. Ὑψοῦ δὲ μᾶλλον ἀεὶ τὸ φρόνημα πρὸς Θεόν. Οὐ γάρ τοι καθ᾽ ἡμᾶς φρονοῦσι τὰ κάτω, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν ἀποῤῥήτοις τισὶν ὑψώμασιν ἐννοιῶν αἱ ἀνωτάτω δυνάμεις τὸν οἰκεῖον ἔχουσι νοῦν. Εὔφημον δὲ καὶ τὸ στόμα … καὶ αὐτῷ δουλεύσουσι, κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον. γε τὸ κάμνειν, καθάπερ ἐγῷμαι, παραχωροῦσι δὲ μᾶλλον τὰς τιμὰς ἀλλήλως, καὶ ἀντιδωρούμεναι τὰς δοξολογίας. Πάντα γὰρ ἐν κόσμῳ τὰ ἄνω. Τρὶς δὲ τὸ, « ἽΔγιος » λέγουσαι, χαταχλείουσι τὴν δοξολογίαν, εἰς «ὃ, ἱ Κύριος Σαδαὼθ,» ἐν μιᾷ θεότητος φύσει τὴν ἁγίαν πιθέντες Τριάδα. Ὑφεστάναι μὲν γὰρ ὁμολογουμέ-' νως φαμὲν τὸν Πατέρα" οὕτω δὲ καὶ τὸν ΥἹὸν, καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον. Καὶ λόγος οὐδεὶς διατέμνει πρὸς ἑτερότητα φυσικὴν τῶν ὠνομασμένων ἕχαστον, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν ὑποστάσεσι τρισὶ νοεῖται μία θεότης. Καὶ δι' αὐἐῶν ἡμῖν τοῦτο μεμαρτύρηται τῶν ἁγίων Σεραφεὶμ, οἵ καὶ πλήρη πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν εἶναι λέγουσι τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ, προαναφωνοῦντες τὰ ἐσόμενα, καὶ τῆς διὰ Χριστοῦ γεγενημένης οἰκονομίας προαναγγέλλοντες τὸ μυστήριον. Πρὶν μὲν γὰρ σάρκα γενέσθαι τὸν Λόγον, κατεχράτει τῆς ὑπ᾽ οὐῤανὸν ὁ δαίμων ὁ ἀλητήριος, ὁ δράκων, ὁ ἀποστάτης. Προσεκυνήθη δὲ και ἡ κτίσις παρὰ τὸν κτίσαντα καὶ Ποιητήν" ἐπειδὴ δὲ γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος ὁ μονογενὴς τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος, πεπλήρωται τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ πᾶσα γῆ. Κάμψει γὰρ αὐτῷ "πᾶν γόνυ, καὶ πᾶσα φυλὴ, καὶ γλῶσσαι ἐξομολογήσονται Προχναχεχράγει δὲ καὶ τοῦτο ὁ μακάριος Δαδὶδ ἐν πνεύματι" ἔφη γάρ' « Πάντα τὰ ἔθνη ὅσα ἐποίησας, ἥξουσι, καὶ προσκυνήσουσιν ἐνώπιόν σον, Κύριε. » Τοῦτό τοι τετέλεσται χεχλημένης τῆς ἐξ ἐθνῶν πληθύος" καὶ προσκυνούντων ἁπάντων τῷ δι᾽ ἡμᾶς καθ’ ἡμᾶς γενομένῳ, μεμενηχότι δὲ δι᾽ ἑαυτὸν ὑπὲρ πάντα.
Epeidē de hēērnēsanto tēn basileian autou, kai peptōkasin eis anosiotēta tropōn. Hou heneken tēn phōnēn ēkousan legontos" « Idou aphietai hymin ho oikos hymōn.» Hekastǭ de tōn Serapheim hex empephychenai phēsi tas pterygas, hōs tais men dysi chatachalyptein to prosōpon, tais de dysi tous podas, petasthai de tos thermainontes. Rhychron gar ouden para ge tais anō dynamesin, haiper an heien malista kai engys Theou. Tautę̄ toi kai hēmeis autoi kollōmenoi dia pisteōs kai politeias tēs agathēs kai ennomōtatēs zeontes apoteloumetha tǭ pneumati, kai thermoi tēn agapēn tēn eis Theon. Symdolon de to tais pteryxi chatachalyptein ta Serapheim tote prosōpon kai tous podas, petapthai de tais dysin, tou mē dynasthai tinas ē archēn ē telos homąn ennoiōn hē logōn tōn peri Theou. Sēmainei men gar tēn archēn hē kephalē, kai to prosōpon, to de ge telos hoi podes. GAnarchon gar to Theion kai teleutąn ouk eidos. Prosdallomen de tois dia mesou molis tois kata ge tous chronous phēmi, kath᾽ hous, ta ouk onta pote parēchthē pros hyparxin. Petontai ge mēn hōs ouden echontes to chaterrhimmenon. Hypsou de mallon aei to phronēma pros Theon. Ou gar toi kath᾽ hēmas phronousi ta katō, all᾽ en aporrhētois tisin hypsōmasin ennoiōn hai anōtatō dynameis ton oikeion echousi noun. Euphēmon de kai to stoma … kai autǭ douleusousi, kata to gegrammenon. ge to kamnein, kathaper egǭmai, parachōrousi de mallon tas timas allēlōs, kai antidōroumenai tas doxologias. Panta gar en kosmǭ ta anō. Tris de to, « HiDgios » legousai, chatachleiousi tēn doxologian, eis «ho, hi Kyrios Sadaōth,» en mią theotētos physei tēn hagian pithentes Triada. Hyphestanai men gar homologoume-' nōs phamen ton Patera" houtō de kai ton HuIon, kai to Pneuma to hagion. Kai logos oudeis diatemnei pros heterotēta physikēn tōn ōnomasmenōn hechaston, all᾽ en hypostasesi trisi noeitai mia theotēs. Kai di' aueōn hēmin touto memartyrētai tōn hagiōn Serapheim, hoi kai plērē pasan tēn gēn einai legousi tēs doxēs autou, proanaphōnountes ta esomena, kai tēs dia Christou gegenēmenēs oikonomias proanangellontes to mystērion. Prin men gar sarka genesthai ton Logon, katechratei tēs hyp᾽ ouranon ho daimōn ho alētērios, ho drakōn, ho apostatēs. Prosekynēthē de kai hē ktisis para ton ktisanta kai Poiētēn" epeidē de gegonen anthrōpos ho monogenēs tou Theou Logos, peplērōtai tēs doxēs autou pasa gē. Kampsei gar autǭ "pan gony, kai pasa phylē, kai glōssai exomologēsontai Prochnachechragei de kai touto ho makarios Dadid en pneumati" ephē gar' « Panta ta ethnē hosa epoiēsas, hēxousi, kai proskynēsousin enōpion son, Kyrie. » Touto toi tetelestai chechlēmenēs tēs ex ethnōn plēthyos" kai proskynountōn hapantōn tǭ di᾽ hēmas kath’ hēmas genomenǭ, memenēchoti de di᾽ heauton hyper panta.
But since they denied his kingdom and fell into unholy ways, for this reason they heard the voice of the one who said: “Behold, your house is left to you.” He says that six wings grew on each of the seraphim, so that with two they covered the face, with two the feet, and with two they flew … warming. For there is nothing cold among the powers above, which are, above all, near to God. So we ourselves too, clinging [to him] through faith and a good and most lawful way of life, are made fervent in spirit and warm in love toward God. The seraphim's covering of the face and the feet with their wings, and flying with two, is a symbol that no one can see either the beginning or the end of thoughts or words about God. For the head and the face signify the beginning, and the feet the end. For the Divine is without beginning and knows no ending. We reach, with difficulty, only the things in between, I mean in relation to the times in which the things that once were not were brought into being. They fly, since they have nothing cast down, but their mind is always rather raised on high toward God. For they do not think of things below as we do; the highest powers keep their mind on certain unspeakable heights of thought. Their mouth too is full of praise … and they will serve him, as it is written … not growing weary, as I think, but rather yielding the honours to one another and giving back doxologies in turn. For all things above are in order. And saying “Holy” three times, they close the doxology in “Lord Sabaoth,” setting the holy Trinity in one nature of Godhead. For we confess that the Father has his own existence; and so too the Son and the Holy Spirit. And no account divides each of those named into a difference of nature, but one Godhead is understood in three hypostases. This is attested to us through the holy seraphim themselves, who also say that all the earth is full of his glory, proclaiming beforehand what would be and announcing in advance the mystery of the dispensation accomplished through Christ. For before the Word became flesh, the destroying demon, the dragon, the apostate, held sway over the world under heaven, and the creation was worshipped instead of its Creator and Maker; but when the only-begotten Word of God became man, all the earth was filled with his glory. For every knee will bow to him, and every tribe, and tongues will confess. The blessed David also cried this out beforehand in the Spirit; for he said: “All the nations that you have made will come and worship before you, Lord.” This has been fulfilled now that the multitude from the nations has been called, and all worship him who for our sake became as we are, while remaining in himself above all.
Matt 23:38 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 6:2 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 6:3 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 12:11 (allusion, medium confidence) · Rom 1:25 (allusion, medium confidence) · John 1:14 (allusion, high confidence) · Phil 2:10 (allusion, high confidence) · Phil 2:11 (allusion, high confidence) · Isa 45:23 (allusion, medium confidence) · Ps 86:9 (85:9 LXX) (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Cyril reads the seraphim's six wings as a sign that God has neither beginning nor end, their threefold 'Holy' as the one Godhead in three hypostases, and the earth full of glory as the incarnation and the calling of the nations.
- Quotations: Matt 23:38; Rom 12:11 recalled (“fervent in spirit”); Rom 1:25 recalled; John 1:14; Phil 2:10–11 and Isa 45:23 recalled; Ps 86:9 (LXX 85:9). The words lost after “flew” probably explained the name seraphim (“burning”); lost text is marked “…”. The Trinitarian reading of the trisagion is Cyril's own and is translated as written. Two runs of Migne's Latin read as Greek letters have been removed.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Migne's Latin version read as Greek letters by the OCR; removed; OCR joined and garbled two words): ἢ 4" ἢ} μγοου!οαιι παι δ ἤθηϊ 56 Δοὐδοιυπὶ : αυΐι → ; αὖδον θη ἰαγυι 50 1 πι τα πὰ5 αἴ καπὶ δἰ ἤθη! ἃς ἀδοθη δῦ. σα! Ὑϑῦο ε ϑλησίυδ ν» (0 ἀΐοιηι, τἷο ἀΐδδοαδι, δαὶ ἴῃ {γἱρ! οἱ Πγροβιλϑὶ τ18 δἰ (28 {1 → … ; φύσετῆν → φύσει τὴν.
Topics: Trinity, Christology
Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Comm. Isa. 1.4.8 (PG 70; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-isaiam/1-4-8). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-isaiam/1-4-8
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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.
1.4.9PG 70
Καὶ ἐπήρθη τὸ ὑπέρθυρον ἀπὸ τῆς φωνῆς ἧς ἐκέκραγον, καὶ ὁ οἶκος ἐπλήσθη καπνοῦ. Τεθέατχι μὲν γὰρ ὁ προφήτης τὸν Κύριον καθήμενον ἐπὶ θρόνου ὑψηλοῦ καὶ ἐπηρμένου, περιεστηκότων ἐν κύκλῳ τῶν ἁγίων Σεραφεὶμ, καὶ εδεβαιοῦτο δὲ, ὅτι πλήρης ὁ οἶκος τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ. Νῦν δὲ ἐπῆρθαί φησὶ τὸ ὑπέρθυρον, δὲ καὶ τὸν οἶκον καπνοῦ, καὶ ἀπό γε τῆς φωνῆς ἧς ἐκέκραγον τὰ ἅγια Σεραφείμ. ἾΑρ᾽ οὖν ἐροῦμεν τὴν φωνὴν αἰτίαν γενέσθαι τῶν συμδεδηχότων τῷ οἴκῳ; Καίτοι πῶς οὐ σφόδρα ἐστὶν ἀχαλλὲς τὸ φρονεῖν ἐλέσθαι ταυτί; Τίνα δὴ οὖν τρόπον ταῖς τῶν προκειμένων προσδαλοῦμεν ἐννοίαις; "Αριστά τε καὶ σοφῶς. Πρὸ μὲν τῆς τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἐνανθρωπήσεως καὶ ἐπιδημίας, ἔτι τὴν ἐν νόμῳ πολιτείαν ἀχω λύτως τε καὶ ἀνεπιπλήχτως διέποντος τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, πλήρης ἦν ὁ διαδόητος ἐκεῖνος νεὼς ἐν τοῖς Ἵεροσο.. λύμοις ὃν Σολομὼν ἀνεδείματο τῆς δόξης τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἐπετέλουν γὰρ ἐν αὐτῷ τὰς κατὰ νόμον θυσίας. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ τὸν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ἀφιγμένον ἐν ἀνθρωπίᾳ ρφῇ, καὶ διὰ νόμου καὶ προφητῶν κεκηρυγμένον οὐ προσήκαντο, μᾶλλον δὲ καὶ ἀπεχτόνασι τὸν ἀρχηγὸν τῆς ζωῆς, ἐγκατέλιπε τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ, ἀφῆκε τὴν κληρονομίαν αὑτοῦ. ᾿Απονένευχε γὰρ εἰς τὰ ἔθνη, καὶ πεπλήρωται μὲν πᾶσα ἡ γῆ τῆς δόξης ᾿ αὐτοῦ. Παραδέδοται δὲ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἡ χώρα πρὸς ἐρήμωσιν, ἐμπέπρησται δὲ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ νεώς. Ὅτε τοίνυν κατά γε τὴν προφητείαν ἤγουν προαγόρευσιν ἤτοι φωνὴν τῶν ἁγίων Σεραφεὶμ ἐπλήσθη πᾶσα ἢ Υἢἥ τῆς δόξης αὑτοῦ, τότε ἐπήοθη, τὸ ὑπέρθυρον τοῦ ναοῦ, καὶ ἐνεπλήσθη καπνοῦ, Οὐκοῦν τὸ, ε ἀπὸ «ἧς φωνῆς ἧς ἐκέκραγον, » χρόνου μᾶλλόν ἐστι σημᾶντικὸν, οὐκὶ δὴ πάντως τῆς δοξολογίας ἔργον καὶ ἀποτέλεσμα. Σημαίνει δὲ, οἶμαι, τὸ, ε« Επήρθη τὸ ὑπέρθυρον,» τὸ καταλελεῖφθαι τὸν ναόν. “Ὅτι δὲ καὶ ἐμπέπρησται. τὸ ἐμπεπλῆσθαι λέγειν αὐτὸν καπνοῦ. Εἰ δὲ δὴ τις βούλοιτὸ καὶ καθ᾽ ἕτερον τρόπον τὰ τοιάδε νοεῖν, καὶ τὰ κατὰ παντὸς τοῦ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἔθνους πεπράχθαι λέγεῖν αὐτὰ νοητῶς, οὐκ ἂν ἁμάρτοι τοῦ πρέποντος λογισμοῦ. Ὅτε γὰρ τῆς τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν δόξης ἐπλήσήη πᾶσα ἡ γῆ κεκλημένων διὰ τῆς πίστεως τῶν ἐθνῶν, τότε τῆς Ἰουδαίων διανοίας πᾶσα μὲν ἀτφάλεια λέλυται πνευματική. Καπνοῦ δὲ δίκην οἱ τάλανες, τὴν ἐκ τῆς ἀμαθίας ἀχλὺν λαθόντες εἰς νοῦν τυφλοὶ γεγόνασι νοητῶς. Ταύτῃτοι καὶ ἡ Σωτὴρ αὐτοῖς ἐπεφώνει λέγων" « Ἕως τὸ φῶς ἔχετε, περιπατεῖτε ἐν τῷ φωτὶ, ἵνα μὴ ἡ σκοτία ὑμᾷς καταλάδῃ., Τί δέ ἐστιν ἀσφαλὴς καὶ εὐάλωτος τῶν Ἰουδαίων ὁ νοῦς πρὸς πᾶν ὁτιοῦν τῶν παθῶν ἐπικουρίας τῆς ἄνωθεν ἔρημος ὧν, πῶς ἂν ἐνδοιάσειέ τις τῶν εὖ φρονεῖν εἰωθότων;
Kai epērthē to hyperthyron apo tēs phōnēs hēs ekekragon, kai ho oikos eplēsthē kapnou. Tetheatchi men gar ho prophētēs ton Kyrion kathēmenon epi thronou hypsēlou kai epērmenou, periestēkotōn en kyklǭ tōn hagiōn Serapheim, kai edebaiouto de, hoti plērēs ho oikos tēs doxēs autou. Nyn de epērthai phēsi to hyperthyron, de kai ton oikon kapnou, kai apo ge tēs phōnēs hēs ekekragon ta hagia Serapheim. IAr᾽ oun eroumen tēn phōnēn aitian genesthai tōn symdedēchotōn tǭ oikǭ? Kaitoi pōs ou sphodra estin achalles to phronein elesthai tauti? Tina dē oun tropon tais tōn prokeimenōn prosdaloumen ennoiais? "Arista te kai sophōs. Pro men tēs tou Sōtēros hēmōn enanthrōpēseōs kai epidēmias, eti tēn en nomǭ politeian achō lytōs te kai anepiplēchtōs diepontos tou Israēl, plērēs ēn ho diadoētos ekeinos neōs en tois Hieroso.. lymois hon Solomōn anedeimato tēs doxēs tou Theou. Epeteloun gar en autǭ tas kata nomon thysias. Epeidē de ton ex ouranou aphigmenon en anthrōpią rphę̄, kai dia nomou kai prophētōn kekērygmenon ou prosēkanto, mallon de kai apechtonasi ton archēgon tēs zōēs, enkatelipe ton oikon autou, aphēke tēn klēronomian hautou. ᾿Aponeneuche gar eis ta ethnē, kai peplērōtai men pasa hē gē tēs doxēs ᾿ autou. Paradedotai de tōn Ioudaiōn hē chōra pros erēmōsin, empeprēstai de kai autos ho neōs. Hote toinyn kata ge tēn prophēteian ēgoun proagoreusin ētoi phōnēn tōn hagiōn Serapheim eplēsthē pasa ē Yēē tēs doxēs hautou, tote epēothē, to hyperthyron tou naou, kai eneplēsthē kapnou, Oukoun to, e apo «hēs phōnēs hēs ekekragon, » chronou mallon esti sēmantikon, ouki dē pantōs tēs doxologias ergon kai apotelesma. Sēmainei de, oimai, to, e« Epērthē to hyperthyron,» to kataleleiphthai ton naon. “Hoti de kai empeprēstai. to empeplēsthai legein auton kapnou. Ei de dē tis bouloito kai kath᾽ heteron tropon ta toiade noein, kai ta kata pantos tou tōn Ioudaiōn ethnous peprachthai legein auta noētōs, ouk an hamartoi tou prepontos logismou. Hote gar tēs tou Sōtēros hēmōn doxēs eplēsēē pasa hē gē keklēmenōn dia tēs pisteōs tōn ethnōn, tote tēs Ioudaiōn dianoias pasa men atphaleia lelytai pneumatikē. Kapnou de dikēn hoi talanes, tēn ek tēs amathias achlyn lathontes eis noun typhloi gegonasi noētōs. Tautę̄toi kai hē Sōtēr autois epephōnei legōn" « Heōs to phōs echete, peripateite en tǭ phōti, hina mē hē skotia hymąs kataladę̄., Ti de estin asphalēs kai eualōtos tōn Ioudaiōn ho nous pros pan hotioun tōn pathōn epikourias tēs anōthen erēmos hōn, pōs an endoiaseie tis tōn eu phronein eiōthotōn?
“And the lintel was lifted up at the voice with which they cried, and the house was filled with smoke.”
The prophet saw the Lord sitting on a throne high and lifted up, with the holy seraphim standing around him in a circle, and he was assured that the house was full of his glory. But now he says that the lintel was lifted up, and [that smoke filled] the house, at the voice with which the holy seraphim cried. Shall we say, then, that the voice became the cause of what befell the house? Yet how is it not most unseemly to choose to think this? In what way, then, shall we approach the meaning of what lies before us? Excellently and wisely. Before the incarnation and coming of our Saviour, while Israel still conducted the life under the law without hindrance and without rebuke, that famous temple in Jerusalem which Solomon built was full of the glory of God; for they performed the sacrifices according to the law in it. But since they did not accept the one who came from heaven in human form and had been proclaimed through the law and the prophets, but rather killed the Author of life, he forsook his house, he abandoned his inheritance. For he turned to the nations, and all the earth was filled with his glory; but the country of the Jews was handed over to desolation, and the temple itself was burned. When, then, according to the prophecy, that is, the prediction or voice of the holy seraphim, all the earth was filled with his glory, then the lintel of the temple was lifted up, and it was filled with smoke. So “at the voice with which they cried” signifies rather a time, and not at all the work and effect of the doxology. And “the lintel was lifted up” signifies, I think, that the temple was abandoned; and his saying that it was filled with smoke, that it was burned. And if anyone should wish to understand these things in another way also, and to say that they were done spiritually concerning the whole nation of the Jews, he would not miss the fitting reasoning. For when all the earth was filled with the glory of our Saviour, the nations having been called through faith, then all spiritual security of the Jews' mind was undone, and the wretches, having taken in, like smoke, the fog of ignorance, became spiritually blind in mind. This is why the Saviour called out to them, saying: “While you have the light, walk in the light, so that darkness may not overtake you.” And that the mind of the Jews is insecure and easily captured by any passion whatever, since it is bereft of help from above, how could anyone used to sound thinking doubt?
Isa 6:4 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 6:1 (allusion, high confidence) · Isa 6:3 (allusion, high confidence) · Acts 3:15 (allusion, medium confidence) · Jer 12:7 (quotation, high confidence) · John 12:35 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Cyril reads the lifted lintel and the smoke of Isa 6:4 as the abandonment and burning of the temple once the earth was filled with Christ's glory, and spiritually as the blinding of the Jews' mind.
- Lemma: Isa 6:4. Quotations: Acts 3:15 recalled (“the Author of life”); Jer 12:7; John 12:35. The phrase “at the voice” is read as marking the time, not the cause. Cyril's reading of the temple's fate and of the Jews' blindness is translated as written. Two runs of Migne's Latin read as Greek letters have been removed. In the last sentence the scan's ἀσφαλής (“secure”) is translated by sense as “insecure”; the word is probably damaged.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Migne's Latin version read as Greek letters by the OCR; removed): ἐπ- {γι }}ΠΠπ816 ἀἰ πιο} ἃς ἀ6760 1} δβιιῖ., 86 ἦη ἐφώνει → ἐπεφώνει; Β 1Δ0}}168 6886, 86 → .
Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Comm. Isa. 1.4.9 (PG 70; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-isaiam/1-4-9). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-isaiam/1-4-9
BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-cyril-alexandria-commentarius-isaiam-1-4-9) · 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.
1.4.10PG 70
Καὶ εἶπα, Ὧ τάλας ἐγὼ, ὅτι καταγένυγμαι, ὅτι ἄνθρωπος ὧν, καὶ ἀκάθαρτα χείλη ἔχων, ἐν μέσῳ «ἰαοῦ ἀκάθαρτα χείλη ἔχοντος ἐγὼ οἰκῶ" καὶ τὸν βασιλέα Κύριον Σαδαὼθ εἶδον τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς. Ὁ διὰ τοῦ πανσόφου Μωσέως προστέταχε νόμος, μὴ συναναμίγνυσθαι τοῖς ἁγίοις τὸν βέδηλον, καὶ πολλὴ τις ἄγαν ἡ ἐπιτήρησις παρὰ τοῖς ἐν τούτοις. Καὶ γοῦν τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀποστόλοις ἁλιεύουσιν ἔτι προσεφώνει λέγων ὁ Κύριος - εΧαλάσατε τὰ δίκτυα ὑμῶν εἰς ἄγραν.» Οὗ δὴ γεγονότος, ἰχθύων μὲν πλῆθος συνείληπτο πολὺ, τεθαυμαχὼς δὲ τοῦ λόγου τὴν δύναμιν ὁ θεσπέσιος Πέτοος, ε« Προσέπεσε, φησὶ, τοῖς γόνασι τοῦ Ἰησοῦ, λέγων " ΓΕξελθε ἀπ᾽ ἐμοῦ, ὅτι ἀνὴρ ἁμαρτωλός εἶμι, Κύριε. ν ᾿Αλλ᾽ οὐκ ἂν ὁ Πέτρος ἠθέλησεν ἀπελθεῖν ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ τὸν Χριστόν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἤδει τὸν τοῦ νόμου σκοπὸν, ὧμολόγει μὲν ὅτι ἁμαρτωλός ἐστιν, ἐδεδίει δὲ τῷ ἁγίῳ συνεῖναι, κατά γε τὸ κρατῆσαν ἀεὶ παρὰ τοῖς Ἶουδαίοις ἔθος. ᾿Αφιγμένου δέ ποτε τοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ εἰς τὴν χώραν τῶν Γεργεσηνῶν, εἶτα τεθεραπευχότος μβάχασι μὲν τὴν θεοσημείαν. Ἔφη δὲ ὁ Ματθαῖος, ὅτι « Πᾶσα ἡ πόλις ἐξῆλθεν εἰς συνάντησιν τοῦ ᾿ Ἴησοῦ " καὶ ἰδόντες αὐτὸν, παρεκάλεσαν μεταθδῆναι ἀπὸ τῶν ὁρίων αὐτῶν. » Καίτοι πῶς οὐκ ἔδει μᾶλλον μεταποιεῖσθαι τοῦ τεθεραπευχότος, καὶ παρακαλεῖν προσμεῖναί τε αὐτοῖς, καὶ πολλῶν ἑτέρων θαυμάτων γενέσθαι δημιουργόν; ᾿Αλλ᾽ ἦν εὐλαδείας ἀπόδειξις κατ᾽ ἐκεῖνο καιροῦ καὶ τιμῆς τοῖς ἁγίοις ὀφειλομένης «ρόπος τὸ παραιτεῖσθαί τινας ἐγγίζειν αὐτοῖς. Ματθαίου κεκλημένου καὶ ἀχολουθήσαντος τῷ Χριστῷ, εἶτα κεκληκότος αὐτὸν εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ" ε« Καὶ ἰδοὺ,» φησὶ, «πολλοὶ ἁμαρτωλοὶ καὶ τελῶναι ἐλθόντες σ συνανέχειντο τῷ Ἰησοῦ καὶ τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ. ᾿ Καὶ ἰδόντες οἱ Φαρισαῖοι ἔλεγον τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ " Διὰ τί μετὰ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν καὶ τελωνῶν ἐσθίει «οὔ νόμου χατῃτιῶντο τὸν Χριστὸν, διά τοι τὸ θέλειν συνδιαιτᾶσθαι πονηροῖς. Ἐπαιτιᾶται δέ που καὶ Θεὸς τοὺς τῆς Ἰουδαίων Συναγωγῆς προσεγχεῖσθαι λαχόντας διὰ προφήτου λέγων᾽ ε ᾿Ανὰ μέσον ἁγίου καὶ ὡς ἔφην, καὶ νομικῶν ἐνταλμάτων παράδοσις τὸ μὴ συνεῖναι θέλειν τοῖς ἁγίοις τοὺς ἐν ὑπολήψει φαυλότῆτος, καὶ οὐκ ἐλεύθερον ἁμαρτιῶν ἔχοντας τὸ συνειδός. Τοιοῦτόν τι καὶ ὁ μακάριος προφήτης ὁρᾶται παθὼν, ταύτῃτοί φησιν " « Ὦ τάλας ἐγὼ, ὅτι κατανένυγμαι. ν Καὶ οὐ διὰ τοῦτο τάλας, ὅτι χατᾶγένυχται. Πῶς οὐκ εὔηθες τοῦτο οὕτω νοεῖν " ἀλλ᾽ ὅτι κατανένυχται, φησὶν, ὑπὸ τοῦ συνειδότος, δῆλον δὲ ὅτι διὰ τοῦτο ἔφην’ « Ὦ τάλας ἐγὼ, ὅτι ἄνθρωπος … ἀκάθαρτα χείλη ἔχοντος ἐγὼ οἰκῶ καὶ τὸν βασιλέα ύριον Σαθαὼθ ἴδον τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς μον.» Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὰ ἅγια Σεραφεὶμ καθαροῖς καὶ πανάγνοις στόμασιν ἐποιοῦντο τὰς δοξολογίας, δέδιεν αὐτὸς τὸ χρῆμα, θεοδίδαχτος ὧν, καὶ οὐκ ἀγνοήσας ὅτι οὐκ ὡραῖος αἶνος ἐν στόματι ἁμαρτωλοῦ, καθὰ γέγραπται. Ἦν μὲν γὰρ ὁμολογουμένως ἀκάθαρτα χείλη τοῦ Ἰσραήλ’ δεδυσφημήχασι γὰρ εἰς τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν τὸν Χριστόν. Εἰ δὲ δὴ λέγοι καὶ ὁ προφήτης, ὅτι καὶ αὐτὸς ἔχοι τὰ χείλη τοιαῦτα, καίτοι τῆς τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ δυσσεδείας ἀμοιρήσας παντελῶς, φαμὲν ὅτι μετριάζει μὲν ὡς ἅγιος, εἰκὸς δὲ ὅτι καὶ ὡς ὑπάρχων ἐξ αἵματος Ἰσραὴλ, οὐκ ἕξω τίθησι τῆς αἰτίας ἑαυτόν. ᾿Αλλ᾽ ὑποφέρει τῷ κοινῷ τοῦ λαοῦ πλημμελήματι, σώζων διὰ τούτου τοὺς ἡμαρτηκότας " ἤγουν τῆς ἀνθρώπου φύσεως ὁμολογεῖ τὴν νόσον. Ὁποῖόν ἐστι τὸ παρὰ τοῦ μακαρίου Δαδὶδ, κατὰ τοῦ παντὸς ἀνθρώπου λεγόμενον " « Ἐγὼ εἶπα ἐν τῇ ἐκστάσει μου" Πᾶς ἄνθρωπος ψεύστης. ν Νοσεῖ γὰρ τὸ ψεῦδος ἡ ἀνθρώπου διάνοια, κἂν εἰ κερδαίνοντες. Δέδιε τοίνυν ὁ προφήτης ὅτι μὴ ὑπάρ χων οὕτω καθαρὸς, καθάπερ ἀμέλει τὰ ἅγια Σερα.
Kai eipa, Hō talas egō, hoti katagenygmai, hoti anthrōpos hōn, kai akatharta cheilē echōn, en mesǭ «iaou akatharta cheilē echontos egō oikō" kai ton basilea Kyrion Sadaōth eidon tois ophthalmois. Ho dia tou pansophou Mōseōs prostetache nomos, mē synanamignysthai tois hagiois ton bedēlon, kai pollē tis agan hē epitērēsis para tois en toutois. Kai goun tois hagiois apostolois halieuousin eti prosephōnei legōn ho Kyrios - eChalasate ta diktya hymōn eis agran.» Hou dē gegonotos, ichthyōn men plēthos syneilēpto poly, tethaumachōs de tou logou tēn dynamin ho thespesios Petoos, e« Prosepese, phēsi, tois gonasi tou Iēsou, legōn " GExelthe ap᾽ emou, hoti anēr hamartōlos eimi, Kyrie. n ᾿All᾽ ouk an ho Petros ēthelēsen apelthein ap᾽ autou ton Christon. Epeidē de ēdei ton tou nomou skopon, hōmologei men hoti hamartōlos estin, edediei de tǭ hagiǭ syneinai, kata ge to kratēsan aei para tois Ioudaiois ethos. ᾿Aphigmenou de pote tou Christou kai eis tēn chōran tōn Gergesēnōn, eita tetherapeuchotos mbachasi men tēn theosēmeian. Ephē de ho Matthaios, hoti « Pasa hē polis exēlthen eis synantēsin tou ᾿ Iēsou " kai idontes auton, parekalesan metathdēnai apo tōn horiōn autōn. » Kaitoi pōs ouk edei mallon metapoieisthai tou tetherapeuchotos, kai parakalein prosmeinai te autois, kai pollōn heterōn thaumatōn genesthai dēmiourgon? ᾿All᾽ ēn euladeias apodeixis kat᾽ ekeino kairou kai timēs tois hagiois opheilomenēs «ropos to paraiteisthai tinas engizein autois. Matthaiou keklēmenou kai acholouthēsantos tǭ Christǭ, eita keklēkotos auton eis ton oikon autou" e« Kai idou,» phēsi, «polloi hamartōloi kai telōnai elthontes s synanecheinto tǭ Iēsou kai tois mathētais autou. ᾿ Kai idontes hoi Pharisaioi elegon tois mathētais autou " Dia ti meta tōn hamartōlōn kai telōnōn esthiei «ou nomou chatę̄tiōnto ton Christon, dia toi to thelein syndiaitasthai ponērois. Epaitiatai de pou kai Theos tous tēs Ioudaiōn Synagōgēs prosencheisthai lachontas dia prophētou legōn᾽ e ᾿Ana meson hagiou kai hōs ephēn, kai nomikōn entalmatōn paradosis to mē syneinai thelein tois hagiois tous en hypolēpsei phaulotētos, kai ouk eleutheron hamartiōn echontas to syneidos. Toiouton ti kai ho makarios prophētēs horatai pathōn, tautę̄toi phēsin " « Ō talas egō, hoti katanenygmai. n Kai ou dia touto talas, hoti chatagenychtai. Pōs ouk euēthes touto houtō noein " all᾽ hoti katanenychtai, phēsin, hypo tou syneidotos, dēlon de hoti dia touto ephēn’ « Ō talas egō, hoti anthrōpos … akatharta cheilē echontos egō oikō kai ton basilea yrion Sathaōth idon tois ophthalmois mon.» Epeidē gar ta hagia Serapheim katharois kai panagnois stomasin epoiounto tas doxologias, dedien autos to chrēma, theodidachtos hōn, kai ouk agnoēsas hoti ouk hōraios ainos en stomati hamartōlou, katha gegraptai. Ēn men gar homologoumenōs akatharta cheilē tou Israēl’ dedysphēmēchasi gar eis ton Kyrion hēmōn Iēsoun ton Christon. Ei de dē legoi kai ho prophētēs, hoti kai autos echoi ta cheilē toiauta, kaitoi tēs tou Israēl dyssedeias amoirēsas pantelōs, phamen hoti metriazei men hōs hagios, eikos de hoti kai hōs hyparchōn ex haimatos Israēl, ouk hexō tithēsi tēs aitias heauton. ᾿All᾽ hypopherei tǭ koinǭ tou laou plēmmelēmati, sōzōn dia toutou tous hēmartēkotas " ēgoun tēs anthrōpou physeōs homologei tēn noson. Hopoion esti to para tou makariou Dadid, kata tou pantos anthrōpou legomenon " « Egō eipa en tę̄ ekstasei mou" Pas anthrōpos pseustēs. n Nosei gar to pseudos hē anthrōpou dianoia, kan ei kerdainontes. Dedie toinyn ho prophētēs hoti mē hypar chōn houtō katharos, kathaper amelei ta hagia Sera.
“And I said: O wretched am I, for I am pierced to the heart; for being a man and having unclean lips, I dwell in the midst of a people having unclean lips; and I have seen with my eyes the King, the Lord Sabaoth.”
The law given through the all-wise Moses commanded that the profane should not mingle with holy things, and those under it kept very great watch over this. So when the holy apostles were still fishing, the Lord called to them, saying: “Let down your nets for a catch.” When this was done, a great multitude of fish was taken; and the divine Peter, amazed at the power of the word, “fell,” it says, “at Jesus’ knees, saying: Go away from me, for I am a sinful man, Lord.” Yet Peter would not have wished Christ to go away from him; but since he knew the aim of the law, he confessed that he was a sinner and was afraid to be with the Holy One, according to the custom that always prevailed among the Jews. Again, when Christ once came into the country of the Gergesenes and then healed … they marvelled at the divine sign. And Matthew said: “The whole city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their borders.” Yet how ought they not rather to have laid claim to the one who had healed, and begged him to stay with them and to become the worker of many other miracles? But at that time it was a proof of reverence, and a way of paying the honour owed to holy men, for people to decline to come near them. When Matthew had been called and had followed Christ, and then had invited him to his house, “behold,” it says, “many sinners and tax collectors came and reclined with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to his disciples: Why does he eat with sinners and tax collectors?” [On the ground] of the law they accused Christ for being willing to live with wicked men. And God too somewhere accuses those appointed to preside over the synagogue of the Jews, saying through a prophet: “[They did not distinguish] between holy and [profane].” … as I said, and a tradition of the commandments of the law, that those under suspicion of wickedness, whose conscience is not free of sins, should not wish to be with the holy. The blessed prophet is seen to have felt something of this kind; this is why he says: “O wretched am I, for I am pierced to the heart.” And he is not wretched because he is pierced to the heart; how is it not silly to understand it so? But [he says] that he is pierced by his conscience, and it is clear that for this reason he said: “O wretched am I, for being a man … I dwell in the midst of a people having unclean lips; and I have seen with my eyes the King, the Lord Sabaoth.” For since the holy seraphim were offering their doxologies with pure and all-holy mouths, he himself feared the thing, being taught by God and not unaware that praise is not seemly in the mouth of a sinner, as it is written. The lips of Israel were admittedly unclean; for they have blasphemed against our Lord Jesus Christ. And if the prophet also says that he himself has such lips, although he had no share at all in Israel’s impiety, we say that he speaks modestly, as a saint; and it is likely too that, being of Israel’s blood, he does not put himself outside the charge, but submits himself to the common offence of the people, saving the sinners by this; or else he confesses the sickness of human nature, like what is said by the blessed David about every man: “I said in my ecstasy: Every man is a liar.” For the human mind is sick with falsehood, even if … So the prophet is afraid that, not being as pure as the holy seraphim,
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Isa 6:5 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 5:4 (quotation, high confidence) · Luke 5:8 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 8:34 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 9:10 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 9:11 (quotation, high confidence) · Ezek 22:26 (quotation, medium confidence) · Ps 116:11 (115:2 LXX) (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: On Isa 6:5 Cyril explains Isaiah's fear by the law's rule that the unclean keep away from the holy, with Gospel examples, and reads the prophet's 'unclean lips' as modesty and solidarity with his sinful people.
- Lemma: Isa 6:5. Quotations: Luke 5:4, 8; Matt 8:34; Matt 9:10–11; Ezek 22:26 (partly lost in the scan; words supplied in brackets from the quotation's sense); Sir 15:9; Ps 116:11 (LXX 115:2). Several words are lost in the scan and marked “…”; a run of Migne's Latin read as Greek letters has been removed. Cyril's charge that Israel blasphemed Christ is translated as written.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Migne's Latin version read as Greek letters by the OCR; removed): "68 Δἀ Βἰἰ ἰυ ἀΐποπὶ Ὠ οἱ οομἰ105. Νοι! οροτίοϊ, [Γἃ → … ἀκά.
Extrabiblical texts: Sir 15:9 (Sirach [in RC, EO, ETH canons]; quotation)
Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Comm. Isa. 1.4.10 (PG 70; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-isaiam/1-4-10). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-isaiam/1-4-10
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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.
1.4.11PG 70
φεὶμ, τεθέαται μὲν τὸν Κύριον Σαδαὼθ, δὲ, καίτοι μᾶλλον ὀφείλων δοξολογεῖν, διὰ τὸ μὴ οὕτως ἔχειν καθαρὸν τὸ στόμα. Ὅτι δὲ χρὴ καθαροῖς στόμᾶσιν ὑμνολογεῖν, σαφὲς ἂν γένοιτο περὶ τῆς γλώσσης λέγοντος ἑνὸς τῶν ἁγίων μαθητῶν ε« Ἐν αὐτῇ χαταρώμεθα τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, τοὺς καθ᾽ ὁμοίωσιν Θεοῦ γεγονότας. Οὐ χρὴ, ἀδελφοί μου, ταῦτα οὕτω γίνεσθαι. Μήτι ἡ πηγὴ ἐκ τῆς αὐτῆς ὁπῆς βρύει τὸ γλυκὺ καὶ τὸ πικρόν; Μὴ δύναται, ἀδελφοί μου, συκῇ ἐλαίας ποιῆσαι; ἢ ἄμπελος σῦκα; Οὕτως οὐδὲ ἁλυχὸν γλυκὺ ποιῆσαι ὕδωρ. » Καὶ ἀπεστάλη πρὸς μὲ ὃν τῶν Σεραφεὶμ, καὶ ἦν τῇ χειρὶ εἶχεν ἄνθρακα, ὃν τῇ.1αδίδι ξιλαδεν ἀπὸ τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου. Καὶ ἥψατο τοῦ στόματός μου, καὶ εἴπεν" ᾿Ιδοὺ ἥψατο τοῦτο τῶν χειλέων" σου, καὶ ἀφελεῖ τὰς ἀγομίας σου, καὶ τὰς ἁμαρ- Ὃ θεσπέσιος γράφει Παῦλος περὶ τῶν ἁγίων ἀγγέλων, ὅτι πάντες εἰσὶ λειτουργικὰ πνεύματα, εἰς διακονίαν ἀποστελλόμενα διὰ τοὺς μέλλοντας κληρονομεῖν σωτηρίαν. Καὶ τὸ χρῆμά ἐστιν οὐκ ἀσυμφανές. Πάντα μὲν γὰρ ἐν κόσμῳ τὰ παρὰ ταῖς ἄνω δυνάμεσι καὶ τιμῆς ἤτοι λειτουργίας μέτρα παρ αὐταῖς, καὶ ὅροι τέθεινται τῆς ἐκάστου δόξης, παρά γε τοῦ πάντα κατὰ τὸ αὑτῷ δοκοῦν διανέμοντος θεοῦ. "Πλὴν εἷς ἐφ᾽ ἄπασιν ὁ ζυγὸς, καὶ ὑπηρετοῦσι μασι τοῖς Δεσποτιχοῖς, οὐκ ἀπαξιοῦντα τὴν δουλείαν, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν μοίρᾳ τιμῆς καὶ δόξης καταλογιζόμενά που τὸ ἐν τούτοις γνήσιον. Προαναμορφοῦται τοίνυν ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς τοῦ προφήτου τὸ Χριστοῦ μυστήριον, διὰ τῶν ἄνω δυνάμεων εὖ μάλα διαχονούμενον. ᾿Αποστέλλεται γοῦν ἕν τῶν Σεραφεὶμ ἄνθρακα ἔχον, ὃν τῇ λαδίδι ἔλαθεν ἀπὸ τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου. Καὶ τοῦτο ἄρα ὧν Χριστοῦ σύμόολον, ὃς δι’ ἡμᾶς, καὶ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν προσεχόμισεν ἑαυτὸν τῷ Θιῷ καὶ Πατρὶ, εἰς θυσίαν πνευματικὴν καθαρὰν καὶ ἀδέδηλον καὶ εἰς ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας. Ταύτῃ τοι καὶ μάλα εἰκότως ἐκ τοῦ θυσιακαὶ διὰ ποίαν αἰτίαν εἰπεῖν ἀναγκαῖον. "Ἔθος τῇ θεο- “-νεύστῳ Γραφῇ πυρὶ τὴν θείαν παρειχάζειν φύσιν. Ὥφθη γὰρ οὕτω τῷ μακαρίῳ Ἰσραὴλ ἐν τῷ ὄρει Χωρὴμ ἧἥτοι Σινᾶ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῆς ἐκκλησίας. Οὕτω καὶ αὐτῷ τῷ μακαρίῳ Μωσῇ ποιμαίνοντι κατὰ τὴν ἔρημον, ἐν εἴδει πυρὸς ἐν τῷ βάτῳ κατὰ καιροὺς, ὥφθη τε καὶ προσελάλει. “Ὥσπερ οὖν ὁ ἄνθραξ ξύλον ἐστὶ τῇ φύσει, πλὴν ὅλος δι᾽ ὅλου μεμέστωται τοῦ πυρὸς, καὶ τὴν αὐτοῦ δύναμίν τε καὶ ἐνέργειαν ἔχει" κατὰ τοῦτον, οἶμαι, τρόπον νοοῖτ᾽ ἂν εἰκότως καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ (, Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς ὁ Χριστός " « Γέγονε γὰρ σὰρξ ὁ Λόγος, καὶ ἐσκήνωσεν ἐν ἡμῖν. » ᾿Αλλ᾽ εἰ καὶ ἦν καθ᾽ ἡμᾶς ὁρώμενος ἄνθρωπος οἰκονομικῶς, ἀλλ᾽ οὖν ἅπαν τὸ τῆς θεότητος πλήρωμα κατῴκησεν ἐν αὐτῷ, κατά γέ φημι τὸν τῆς ἑνώσεως τρόπον.
pheim, tetheatai men ton Kyrion Sadaōth, de, kaitoi mallon opheilōn doxologein, dia to mē houtōs echein katharon to stoma. Hoti de chrē katharois stomasin hymnologein, saphes an genoito peri tēs glōssēs legontos henos tōn hagiōn mathētōn e« En autę̄ chatarōmetha tous anthrōpous, tous kath᾽ homoiōsin Theou gegonotas. Ou chrē, adelphoi mou, tauta houtō ginesthai. Mēti hē pēgē ek tēs autēs hopēs bryei to glyky kai to pikron? Mē dynatai, adelphoi mou, sykę̄ elaias poiēsai? ē ampelos syka? Houtōs oude halychon glyky poiēsai hydōr. » Kai apestalē pros me hon tōn Serapheim, kai ēn tę̄ cheiri eichen anthraka, hon tę̄.1adidi xiladen apo tou thysiastēriou. Kai hēpsato tou stomatos mou, kai eipen" ᾿Idou hēpsato touto tōn cheileōn" sou, kai aphelei tas agomias sou, kai tas hamar- Ho thespesios graphei Paulos peri tōn hagiōn angelōn, hoti pantes eisi leitourgika pneumata, eis diakonian apostellomena dia tous mellontas klēronomein sōtērian. Kai to chrēma estin ouk asymphanes. Panta men gar en kosmǭ ta para tais anō dynamesi kai timēs ētoi leitourgias metra par autais, kai horoi tetheintai tēs ekastou doxēs, para ge tou panta kata to hautǭ dokoun dianemontos theou. "Plēn heis eph᾽ apasin ho zygos, kai hypēretousi masi tois Despotichois, ouk apaxiounta tēn douleian, all᾽ en moirą timēs kai doxēs katalogizomena pou to en toutois gnēsion. Proanamorphoutai toinyn en ophthalmois tou prophētou to Christou mystērion, dia tōn anō dynameōn eu mala diachonoumenon. ᾿Apostelletai goun hen tōn Serapheim anthraka echon, hon tę̄ ladidi elathen apo tou thysiastēriou. Kai touto ara hōn Christou symoolon, hos di’ hēmas, kai hyper hēmōn prosechomisen heauton tǭ Thiǭ kai Patri, eis thysian pneumatikēn katharan kai adedēlon kai eis osmēn euōdias. Tautę̄ toi kai mala eikotōs ek tou thysiakai dia poian aitian eipein anankaion. "Ethos tę̄ theo- “-neustǭ Graphę̄ pyri tēn theian pareichazein physin. Hōphthē gar houtō tǭ makariǭ Israēl en tǭ orei Chōrēm hēētoi Sina tę̄ hēmerą tēs ekklēsias. Houtō kai autǭ tǭ makariǭ Mōsę̄ poimainonti kata tēn erēmon, en eidei pyros en tǭ batǭ kata kairous, hōphthē te kai proselalei. “Hōsper oun ho anthrax xylon esti tę̄ physei, plēn holos di᾽ holou memestōtai tou pyros, kai tēn autou dynamin te kai energeian echei" kata touton, oimai, tropon nooit᾽ an eikotōs kai autos ho (, Kyrios hēmōn Iēsous ho Christos " « Gegone gar sarx ho Logos, kai eskēnōsen en hēmin. » ᾿All᾽ ei kai ēn kath᾽ hēmas horōmenos anthrōpos oikonomikōs, all᾽ oun hapan to tēs theotētos plērōma katǭkēsen en autǭ, kata ge phēmi ton tēs henōseōs tropon.
he has seen the Lord Sabaoth, but [keeps silent], although he ought rather to give glory, because his mouth is not so pure. That we must sing hymns with pure mouths would be clear from one of the holy disciples, who says of the tongue: “With it we curse men, who have come into being in the likeness of God. These things, my brothers, ought not to be so. Does the spring pour out sweet and bitter from the same opening? Can a fig tree, my brothers, make olives, or a vine figs? Neither can salt water make sweet.”
“And one of the seraphim was sent to me, and in his hand he had a coal, which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: Behold, this has touched your lips, and it will take away your lawless deeds, and [cleanse] your sins.”
The divine Paul writes about the holy angels that they are all ministering spirits sent out for service for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation. And the matter is not obscure. For all things among the powers above are in order, and there are measures of honour or of ministry among them, and limits have been set to the glory of each by God, who distributes all things as seems good to him. Yet there is one yoke over all, and they serve the Master’s [wishes], not disdaining the service, but counting genuineness in it somehow as a share of honour and glory. The mystery of Christ, then, is prefigured before the prophet’s eyes, very fittingly ministered by the powers above. One of the seraphim is sent, having a coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. And this is a symbol of Christ, who for our sake and on our behalf offered himself to God the Father as a spiritual sacrifice, pure and undefiled, and for a fragrant odour. This is why, quite fittingly, from the altar … and for what reason, it is necessary to say. It is the custom of the God-breathed Scripture to liken the divine nature to fire. For so he appeared to blessed Israel on Mount Horeb, that is Sinai, on the day of the assembly. So too to the blessed Moses himself, as he was shepherding in the wilderness, he appeared and spoke in the form of fire in the bush at that time. Just as the coal is wood by nature, yet is wholly filled through and through with fire and has its power and activity, in this way, I think, our Lord Jesus Christ himself too may fittingly be understood. For “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” But though he was seen as a man like us, by the dispensation, yet the whole fullness of the Godhead dwelt in him, I mean by way of union.
Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.
Jas 3:9 (quotation, high confidence) · Jas 3:10 (quotation, high confidence) · Jas 3:11 (quotation, high confidence) · Jas 3:12 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 6:6 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 6:7 (quotation, high confidence) · Heb 1:14 (quotation, high confidence) · Eph 5:2 (allusion, high confidence) · Deut 4:10 (allusion, medium confidence) · Exod 3:2 (allusion, high confidence) · John 1:14 (quotation, high confidence) · Col 2:9 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Cyril reads the seraph's coal from the altar (Isa 6:6–7) as Christ, who offered himself as a sacrifice and in whom, as fire fills the wood of a coal, the fullness of the Godhead dwells by union.
- The section begins mid-sentence; a verb is lost after “Sabaoth.” Lemma: Isa 6:6–7 (the last word lost in the scan). Quotations: Jas 3:9–12; Heb 1:14; Eph 5:2; Deut 4:10–12 recalled (Horeb, “the day of the assembly”); Exod 3:2; John 1:14; Col 2:9. The coal, wood wholly filled with fire, is Cyril's image for the union of the Word with his flesh; translated as written. A run of Migne's Latin read as Greek letters has been removed; lost words are marked “…”.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Migne's Latin version read as Greek letters by the OCR; removed): "θὲ. ἤοο ἰαϑῖα μια, εἰ αὐϊπιεί ἰηϊσεϊίαιε8 (μας, εἰ μέο- → .
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Comm. Isa. 1.4.11 (PG 70; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-isaiam/1-4-11). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-isaiam/1-4-11
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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.
1.4.12PG 70
Ταύτῃτοι καὶ διὰ τῆς ἰδίας σαρκὸς θεοπρεπεστάτας ἔχων ὁρᾶται τὰς ἐνεργείας. ψατο γοῦν τῆς σοροῦ, καὶ ἀνέστησε τὸν τεθνεῶτα τῆς χήρας υἱόν. Καὶ μὴν καὶ πτύσας ἐνετίθει τυφλοῖς τὸ βλέπειν, πηλῷ χαταχρίων τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς. ΓΑνθραχι δὴ οὖν εὖ μάλα παρεικαστέον τὸν Ἐμμανουὴλ, ὃς εἰ καὶ γένοιτό πως ἐν τοῖς ἡμετέροις χείλεσιν, πάντη τε καὶ πάντως ἀφαιρεῖ τὰς ἁμαρτίας, καὶ περικαθαριεῖ τὰς ἄνομίας. Εἶτα πῶς ἐν τοῖς ἡμετέροις χείλεσιν ἕσται; “Ὅταν τὴν πίστιν ὁμολογῶμεν τὴν εἰς αὐτόν. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ ϑεσπέσιος γράφει Παῦλος" « Ἐγγύς σου τὸ ῥῆμά ἔστιν, ἐν τῷ στόματί σου, καὶ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ σου" τοῦτ᾽ ἔστι τὸ ῥῆμα τῆς πίστεως, ὃ κηρύσσομεν. Ὅτι ἐὰν ὁμολογήσῃς ἐν τῷ στόματί σου ὅτ Κύριος Ἰησοῦς, καὶ πιστεύσῃς ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ σου, ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς αὐτὸν ἤγειρεν ἐκ νεκρῶν, σωθήσῃ καρδίᾳ γὰρ πιστεύεται εἰς δικαιοσύνην, στόματι δὲ ὁμολογεῖται εἰς σωτηρίαν. » Γἕστω τοίνυν ἐν τοῖς χεζλεσιν ἡμῶν ὁ θεῖος ἄνθραξ, ὁ τὸν ἐκ τῆς ἁμαρτίας καταφλέγων συρφετὸν, καὶ τὸν ἐκ τῆς ἀνομίας ἐντήχων ῥύπον, καὶ ζέοντας ἡμᾶς ἀποτελῶν τῷ πνεύματι. Εἰ δὲ δὴ λέγοιτο τῇ λαδίδι … συνήσεις ἀστείως ὁτι πίστιν τὴν ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ, καὶ μέντοι τὴν γνῶσιν, καθάπερ τινὶ λαδίδι δεχώμεθα διὰ νομικῶν τε ἅμα καὶ προφητικῶν παιδενμάτων, ἤτοι προαγορεύσεων. Ὅθεν καὶ ὁ τῶν ἀγίων ἀποστόλων εἰς ἁλήθειαν πανταχῇ χατασφραγίζεται λόγος. Κεχρημένοι γὰρ ταῖς ἐκ νόμου καὶ προφητῶν μαρτυρίαις, ἀναπείθουσι τοὺς ἀκροωμένους, καὶ μονονουχὶ τὸν ἄνθρακα προσάγουσι καὶ αὐτοὶ τοῖς χείλεσιν αὐτῶν, ὁμολογεῖν τὴν πίστιν τὴν εἰς Χριστὸν παρα- … Καὶ ἤκουσα τῆς φωνῆς Κυρίου Τίνα ἀποστείλω; καὶ τίς πορεύσεται πρὸς τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον; Καὶ εἶπα" Ἰδοὺ ἐγώ εἶμι" ἀπό- [Ὅτε τῶν τοῦ προφήτου χειλέων ὁ ἄνθραξ ἥψατο, καὶ ἀφήρηχεν αὐτοῦ τὰς ἀνομίας, τότε καὶ ἀκούει τῆς φωνῆς Κυρίου, καὶ δέδιε μὲν οὐκέτι, καὶ σιωπᾷ τὸ, « Τάλας ἐγὼ,» παρειστήχει δὲ καὶ μάλα γοργῶς ἑαυτὸν εἰς ἀποστολὴν, καὶ οἷον αὐτόμολος εἰς τοῦτό τοι ἰὼν, τὸ, « Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ, ἀπόστειλόν με.» Εἰ δὲ δὴ λέγοι Θεός" « Τίνα ἀποστείλω; καὶ τίς πορεύσεται πρὸς τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον; νοὐχ ἠπορηχότος εἶναί φαμεν τὴν φωνὴν, οὐδὲ οἷον ἐν σπάνει γεγονότος τοῦ πεμφθησομένου, χαταιτιωμένου δὲ μᾶλλον τὸν Ἰσραὴλ ὡς ἀπειθῇ λίαν, καὶ εἴξαντα μὲν οὐδενὶ τῶν προαπεσταλμένων, ἀπεχτονότα δὲ μᾶλλον αὐτούς. Τοὺς μὲν γὰρ ὕδρισαν, τοὺς δὲ ἐλιθοδόλησαν, τοὺς δὲ ἀπέκτειναν, καθά φησιν ὁ Χριστὸς, τὴν ἐν τοῖς Εὐἄρα, φησὶν, ἀποστείλω; Καὶ τίς πορεύσεται πρὸς τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον; οἵ τοῖς ἤδη προαπεσταλμένοις ο ἠπειθηχότες, σκληροί τέ εἰσι, καὶ δυσάντητοι, καὶ δι᾽ αὑτῶν ἔδειξαν τῶν πραγμάτων, ὡς οὐκ ἂν εἴη τοῦ τυχόντος προσδαλεῖν αὐτοῖς, μόνου δὲ τάχα τοῦ καὶ αὐτῆς ἀπεγνωχότος τῆς ἰδίας ζωῆς. Ὅτι δὲ γέγονεν ἀχαμπὴς, καὶ ἀνουθέτητος ἄγαν ὁ Ἰσραὴλ, ἀναμάθοι τις ἂν καὶ δι᾽ ὧν ἔφη Θεὸς πρὸς τὸν μακάριον Ἐζεκιήλ. Ἔχει δὲ οὕτως «ε Υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου, βάδιζε, εἴσελθε εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ λάλησον τοὺς λόγους μου πρὸς αὐτὸν, διότι οὐ πρὸς λαὸν βατοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, οὐδὲ πρὸς λαοὺς πολλοὺς ἀλλοφώνους, ἣ ἀλλογλώσσους, οὐδὲ στιδαροὺς τῇ γλώσσῃ ὄντας, ὧν οὐκ ἀκούσῃ τοὺς λόγους αὐτῶν. Καὶ εἰ πρὸς πκοιούτους ἐξαπέστειλά σε, αὐτοὶ ἂν εἰσήχουσάν σου " ὁ δὲ οἶκος τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ οὐ μὴ θελήσουσιν ἀχοῦσαξ Ὦ σου, διότι οὐ βούλονται εἰσαχοῦσαί μον, ὅτι πᾶς ὁ οἶκος τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ φιλόνεικοί εἰσι, καὶ σκληροκάρδιοι.» Εἰκότως δὴ οὖν μονονουχὶ ἀπορήσας, μᾶλλον δὲ, ὡς ἔφην, ἀρτίως ἐπὶ πολλῇ λίαν ὠμότητι χαταιτιώμενος τοὺς ἐξ Ἰσραήλ. Τίνα δὴ οὖν ἀποστείλω; Μελλήσας δὴ οὖν ὁ προφήτης κατ᾽ οὐδένα τρόπον « Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ,» φησὶν, ε ἀπόστειλόν με. » Ὅταν τοίνυν καὶ ἡμῶν ὁ θεῖος ἄνθραξ ἐπιθιγγάνῃ, καθαροὶ μὲν ἐσόμεθα τῶν διεπταισμένων, πρόθυμοι δὲ καὶ νεανιχοὶ πρὸς ἀποστολὴν, ὃ δὴ καὶ πεπράχασιν οἱ θεσπέσιοι μαθηταί.
Tautę̄toi kai dia tēs idias sarkos theoprepestatas echōn horatai tas energeias. psato goun tēs sorou, kai anestēse ton tethneōta tēs chēras huion. Kai mēn kai ptysas enetithei typhlois to blepein, pēlǭ chatachriōn tous ophthalmous. GAnthrachi dē oun eu mala pareikasteon ton Emmanouēl, hos ei kai genoito pōs en tois hēmeterois cheilesin, pantē te kai pantōs aphairei tas hamartias, kai perikathariei tas anomias. Eita pōs en tois hēmeterois cheilesin hestai? “Hotan tēn pistin homologōmen tēn eis auton. Houtō kai ho ϑespesios graphei Paulos" « Engys sou to rhēma estin, en tǭ stomati sou, kai en tę̄ kardią sou" tout᾽ esti to rhēma tēs pisteōs, ho kēryssomen. Hoti ean homologēsę̄s en tǭ stomati sou hot Kyrios Iēsous, kai pisteusę̄s en tę̄ kardią sou, hoti ho Theos auton ēgeiren ek nekrōn, sōthēsę̄ kardią gar pisteuetai eis dikaiosynēn, stomati de homologeitai eis sōtērian. » Gestō toinyn en tois chezlesin hēmōn ho theios anthrax, ho ton ek tēs hamartias kataphlegōn syrpheton, kai ton ek tēs anomias entēchōn rhypon, kai zeontas hēmas apotelōn tǭ pneumati. Ei de dē legoito tę̄ ladidi … synēseis asteiōs hoti pistin tēn ep᾽ autǭ, kai mentoi tēn gnōsin, kathaper tini ladidi dechōmetha dia nomikōn te hama kai prophētikōn paidenmatōn, ētoi proagoreuseōn. Hothen kai ho tōn agiōn apostolōn eis halētheian pantachę̄ chatasphragizetai logos. Kechrēmenoi gar tais ek nomou kai prophētōn martyriais, anapeithousi tous akroōmenous, kai mononouchi ton anthraka prosagousi kai autoi tois cheilesin autōn, homologein tēn pistin tēn eis Christon para- … Kai ēkousa tēs phōnēs Kyriou Tina aposteilō? kai tis poreusetai pros ton laon touton? Kai eipa" Idou egō eimi" apo- [Hote tōn tou prophētou cheileōn ho anthrax hēpsato, kai aphērēchen autou tas anomias, tote kai akouei tēs phōnēs Kyriou, kai dedie men ouketi, kai siōpą to, « Talas egō,» pareistēchei de kai mala gorgōs heauton eis apostolēn, kai hoion automolos eis touto toi iōn, to, « Idou egō, aposteilon me.» Ei de dē legoi Theos" « Tina aposteilō? kai tis poreusetai pros ton laon touton? nouch ēporēchotos einai phamen tēn phōnēn, oude hoion en spanei gegonotos tou pemphthēsomenou, chataitiōmenou de mallon ton Israēl hōs apeithę̄ lian, kai eixanta men oudeni tōn proapestalmenōn, apechtonota de mallon autous. Tous men gar hydrisan, tous de elithodolēsan, tous de apekteinan, katha phēsin ho Christos, tēn en tois Euara, phēsin, aposteilō? Kai tis poreusetai pros ton laon touton? hoi tois ēdē proapestalmenois o ēpeithēchotes, sklēroi te eisi, kai dysantētoi, kai di᾽ hautōn edeixan tōn pragmatōn, hōs ouk an eiē tou tychontos prosdalein autois, monou de tacha tou kai autēs apegnōchotos tēs idias zōēs. Hoti de gegonen achampēs, kai anouthetētos agan ho Israēl, anamathoi tis an kai di᾽ hōn ephē Theos pros ton makarion Ezekiēl. Echei de houtōs «e Huie anthrōpou, badize, eiselthe eis ton oikon tou Israēl, kai lalēson tous logous mou pros auton, dioti ou pros laon batou Israēl, oude pros laous pollous allophōnous, hē alloglōssous, oude stidarous tę̄ glōssę̄ ontas, hōn ouk akousę̄ tous logous autōn. Kai ei pros pkoioutous exapesteila se, autoi an eisēchousan sou " ho de oikos tou Israēl ou mē thelēsousin achousax Ō sou, dioti ou boulontai eisachousai mon, hoti pas ho oikos tou Israēl philoneikoi eisi, kai sklērokardioi.» Eikotōs dē oun mononouchi aporēsas, mallon de, hōs ephēn, artiōs epi pollę̄ lian ōmotēti chataitiōmenos tous ex Israēl. Tina dē oun aposteilō? Mellēsas dē oun ho prophētēs kat᾽ oudena tropon « Idou egō,» phēsin, e aposteilon me. » Hotan toinyn kai hēmōn ho theios anthrax epithinganę̄, katharoi men esometha tōn dieptaismenōn, prothymoi de kai neanichoi pros apostolēn, ho dē kai peprachasin hoi thespesioi mathētai.
This is why he is also seen to have most God-befitting activities through his own flesh. He touched the bier and raised the widow’s dead son. And he spat and gave sight to the blind, anointing their eyes with clay. Emmanuel, then, is very fittingly likened to a coal: if he should somehow be on our lips, he takes away sins wholly and entirely and will cleanse lawless deeds. Then how will he be on our lips? When we confess the faith in him. So too the divine Paul writes: “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that is, the word of faith that we proclaim. For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth one confesses unto salvation.” Let the divine coal, then, be on our lips, burning up the rubbish of sin and melting away the filth of lawlessness, and making us fervent in spirit. And if it is said [that he took it] with the tongs … you will understand neatly that we receive the faith in him, and indeed the knowledge, as with a kind of tongs, through the teachings, or predictions, of the law and the prophets together. Hence the word of the holy apostles too is everywhere sealed as truth. For using the testimonies of the law and the prophets, they persuade their hearers, and themselves all but bring the coal to their lips, [urging them] to confess the faith in Christ …
“And I heard the voice of the Lord: Whom shall I send, and who will go to this people? And I said: Behold, here am I; send me.”
When the coal touched the prophet’s lips and took away his lawless deeds, then he also hears the voice of the Lord; and he no longer fears, and is silent about “wretched am I,” but very readily presents himself for the mission, and going to it as it were of his own accord, says: “Behold, here am I; send me.” And if God says: “Whom shall I send, and who will go to this people?” we say that the voice is not that of one at a loss, nor as though there were a shortage of someone to be sent, but rather of one accusing Israel as very disobedient, yielding to none of those sent before, but rather killing them. For some they insulted, some they stoned, and some they killed, as Christ says, [in the parable] in the Gospels … Whom then, he says, shall I send? And who will go to this people, who, having disobeyed those already sent before, are hard and difficult to face, and have shown by the facts themselves that it is not for just anyone to approach them, but perhaps only for one who has despaired even of his own life? That Israel had become unbending and very unteachable one might learn also from what God said to the blessed Ezekiel. It runs thus: “Son of man, go, enter the house of Israel and speak my words to them. For [you are] not [sent] to a people of deep speech … Israel, nor to many peoples of foreign speech or foreign tongue, nor of heavy tongue, whose words you will not understand. And if I had sent you to such, they would have listened to you; but the house of Israel will not want to listen to you, because they do not want to listen to me; for the whole house of Israel is contentious and hard-hearted.” Fittingly, then, as though at a loss, or rather, as I said just now, accusing those of Israel of very great cruelty, [he says]: Whom then shall I send? The prophet, then, not hesitating in any way, says: “Behold, here am I; send me.” When, then, the divine coal touches us too, we shall be pure of our offences and eager and vigorous for the mission, as indeed the divine disciples did.
Luke 7:14 (allusion, high confidence) · John 9:6 (allusion, high confidence) · Rom 10:8 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 10:9 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 10:10 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 6:8 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 21:35 (quotation, high confidence) · Ezek 3:4 (quotation, high confidence) · Ezek 3:5 (quotation, high confidence) · Ezek 3:6 (quotation, high confidence) · Ezek 3:7 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Cyril explains that Christ, the coal, touches our lips when we confess faith in him, received through the law and the prophets; then on Isa 6:8 he reads God's question as a reproach of Israel's stubbornness and Isaiah's answer as the readiness of the cleansed.
- Quotations and references: Luke 7:14; John 9:6; Rom 10:8–10; Rom 12:11 recalled; Isa 6:8 (lemma); Matt 21:35 (parable of the tenants); Ezek 3:4–7. A run of Migne's Latin and a marginal reference read as Greek letters have been removed; lost words are marked “…”, and a few words needed for the sense are supplied in brackets.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Marginal reference read by the OCR; removed; Migne's Latin version read as Greek letters by the OCR; removed): ᾿ μρββῖο ἢι δὰ βαϊυίδιῃ "" "7. » 811 ἰδ 'π [418 πὸ- Φροδίοϊογα νη Οἰθ σηϑίυ 86. Θοιἤγηνδιυν ογαιο. Οἷ- Α → … ; 3. Εχροι. Π}, → … .
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Comm. Isa. 1.4.12 (PG 70; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-isaiam/1-4-12). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-isaiam/1-4-12
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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.
1.4.13PG 70
Καίτοι γὰρ ὄντες ἐξ Ἰἰουδαίων, καὶ πρὸ τῆς εἰς Χριστὸν ἀγάπης, ἀκάθαρτά που καὶ αὐτῶν τὰ χείλη μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων ἔχοντες, ἐπειδὴ δὲ προσήκαντο τὴν Ἐπ πίστιν, πεποίηνται τὴν καλὴν ὁμολογίαν, ἥψατο δὲ καὶ αὐτῶν ὁ ἄνθραξ, τότε καὶ κέκληνται πρὸς ἀποστολὴν, καὶ ἠκολούθουν ἀμελλητὶ, καίτοι λέγοντος τοῦ πανσόφου Μωσέως « Δέομαι, Κύριε, προχείρισαι ἄλλον δυνάμενον, ὃν ἀποστελεῖς," » Ἱερεμίου δὲ πάλιν " «ε Ὁ ὧν, Δέσποτα Κύριε, ἰδοὺ οὐκ ἐπίσταμαι λαλεῖν, ὅτι ἐγὼ νεώτερός εἶμι. » Θερμότεροι δὴ οὖν πρὸς ἀποστολὴν καὶ διακονίαν τῶν ἀρχαιοτέρων ἁγίων οἱ ἐν Χριστῷ. Καὶ σαφὴς ἂν γένοιτο τοῦ πράγματος τύπος ὁ μακάριος προφήτης Ἡσαΐας, λέγων τό" ε Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ, ἀπόστειλόν με. ν Καὶ εἶπεν" Πορεύθητι, καὶ εἶπον τῷ λαῷ τούτῳ" Ἀκοῇ ἀκούσετε, καὶ οὐ μὴ συνῆτε" καὶ βλέποντες βλέψετε, καὶ οὗ μὴ ἴδητε. Ἐπαχύγθη γὰρ ἡ καρδία τοῦ «.αοῦ τούτου, καὶ τοῖς ὠσὶν αὐτῶν βαρέως ἤκουσαν, καὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὑτῶν ἐχάμμυσαγν, μή ποτε ἴδωσι τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς, καὶ τοῖς ὠσὶν ἀκούσωσι, καὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ συνῶσι, καὶ ἐπιστρέψωσι, καὶ ἰάσωμαι αὐτούς. Πώρωσιν μὲν ἀπὸ μέρους γεγενῆσθαι τῷ Ἰσραὴλ, ὁ θεσπέσιος γράφει Παῦλος " διερμηνεύων δὲ ὥσπερ αἰνα τρόπον αὐτοῖς τὴν πώρωσιν συνέδη παθεῖν. εἴΑχρι γὰρ σήμερον, φησὶν, ἡνίχα ἂν ἀναγινώσκηται Μωσῆς, κάλυμμα ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτῶν χεῖται.» Καὶ γὰρ ἦν ἀκόλουθον τοῖς εἰς τοῦτο λοιπὸν ἀγριότητος τρόπων ὠλισθηχόσιν, ὡς πολὺ νοσεῖν τὸ ἐξἡνιον, καὶ μήτε τοῖς Μωσέως γράμμασιν εἴκειν ἐθέλοντες, μήτε μὴν τοῖς ἁγίοις προφήταις" προσθεξην δ᾽ ἂν ὅτι μηδὲ αὐτῷ τῷ Χριστῷ, τῷ τῆς νοητῆς ἀχλύος χαταλαμδάνεσθαι σκότῳ, καὶ ὀλίγα διενεγκεῖν τῶν ἀναισθήτων λίθων. Ταύτην οὖν ἄρα ποιεῖται τὴν προαγόρευσιν ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς, καὶ τῷ προφήτῃ παρεγγυᾷ προχαταμηνύειν αὐτοῖς " ὅτι «᾿Ακοῇ ἀκούσετε καὶ οὐ μὴ συνῆτε" καὶ βλέποντες βλέψετε, καὶ οὐ. μὴ ἴδητε. » Γεγόνασι γὰρ αὐτήχοοι τῆς τοῦ Σωτῆρος φωνῆς " ἐδίδαξεν ἐν συναγωγαΐς, προσπεφώνηχεν ἐν τοῖς Ἱεροσολύμοις πλειστάκις, ἀλλ᾽ ἦσαν ἐν ἴσῳ τοῖς μηδ᾽ ὅλως ἀχηχοόσιν, Γεγόνασι θεωροὶ τῶν παραδόξως τετελεσμένων. Τεθέανται γὰρ λεπροὺς τοῦ πάθους ἀπηλλαγμένους, ἀναπηδῶντας χωλοὺς, τυφλοὺς ἀναδλέποντας, νεκροὺς ἐκ μνημάτῶν ἀνισταμένους " ἀλλ᾽ ὠφέληνται μὲν κατ᾽ οὐδένα τρόπον, ὥσπερ δὲ καὶ αὐτῶν ὁμμάτων ἐστερημένοι, διετέλουν οἱ δείλαιοι. Ταύτῃ τοι καὶ ὀνειδίζονται διὰ τῆς τῶν ἀγίων φωνῆς, ὡς γεγονότες ἀεὶ σχληροτράχηλοι, καὶ ἀπειθεῖς τῇ καρδίᾳ, καὶ ἀπεχτονότες ἁγίους. Δεδόσθαι γε μὴν τὴν πώρωσιν αὐτοῖς φησιν, ἵνα μὴ ἴδωσι τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς, καὶ συνῶσι τῇ καρδίᾳ, καὶ ἐπιστρέψωσι, καὶ ἰάσηται αὐτοῖς. Καὶ τοῦτο ἦν ἄρα καὶ μάλα σαφῶς, ὅπερ ἔφη Χριστὸς ἀπειθεῖν ἡρημένοις " « Μὴ γογγύζετε μετ᾽ ἀλλήλων " οὐδεὶς δύναται ἐλθεῖν πρός με, ἐὰν μὴ ὁ Πατήρ μου ὁ πέμψας μὲ ἑλκύσῃ αὐτόν. ν» Καὶ πάλιν" ε« Πᾶς ὁ ἀκούσας παρὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς, ἔρχεται πρός με.» Οὐχοὖν οὗ κέκληνται πρὸς ἐπίγνωσιν τοῦ ΥἹοῦ, δι᾽ ἀποκαλύψεως τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρὸς, ὅτι μηδὲ ἦσαν ἄξιοι τῆς δι᾽ αὐτοῦ σωτηρίας καὶ ζωῆς. Εἰ δὲ δὴ τις βού-
Kaitoi gar ontes ex Iioudaiōn, kai pro tēs eis Christon agapēs, akatharta pou kai autōn ta cheilē meta tōn allōn echontes, epeidē de prosēkanto tēn Ep pistin, pepoiēntai tēn kalēn homologian, hēpsato de kai autōn ho anthrax, tote kai keklēntai pros apostolēn, kai ēkolouthoun amellēti, kaitoi legontos tou pansophou Mōseōs « Deomai, Kyrie, procheirisai allon dynamenon, hon aposteleis," » Hieremiou de palin " «e Ho hōn, Despota Kyrie, idou ouk epistamai lalein, hoti egō neōteros eimi. » Thermoteroi dē oun pros apostolēn kai diakonian tōn archaioterōn hagiōn hoi en Christǭ. Kai saphēs an genoito tou pragmatos typos ho makarios prophētēs Hēsaïas, legōn to" e Idou egō, aposteilon me. n Kai eipen" Poreuthēti, kai eipon tǭ laǭ toutǭ" Akoę̄ akousete, kai ou mē synēte" kai blepontes blepsete, kai hou mē idēte. Epachygthē gar hē kardia tou «.aou toutou, kai tois ōsin autōn bareōs ēkousan, kai tous ophthalmous hautōn echammysagn, mē pote idōsi tois ophthalmois, kai tois ōsin akousōsi, kai tę̄ kardią synōsi, kai epistrepsōsi, kai iasōmai autous. Pōrōsin men apo merous gegenēsthai tǭ Israēl, ho thespesios graphei Paulos " diermēneuōn de hōsper aina tropon autois tēn pōrōsin synedē pathein. eiAchri gar sēmeron, phēsin, hēnicha an anaginōskētai Mōsēs, kalymma epi tēn kardian autōn cheitai.» Kai gar ēn akolouthon tois eis touto loipon agriotētos tropōn ōlisthēchosin, hōs poly nosein to exēnion, kai mēte tois Mōseōs grammasin eikein ethelontes, mēte mēn tois hagiois prophētais" prosthexēn d᾽ an hoti mēde autǭ tǭ Christǭ, tǭ tēs noētēs achlyos chatalamdanesthai skotǭ, kai oliga dienenkein tōn anaisthētōn lithōn. Tautēn oun ara poieitai tēn proagoreusin ho tōn holōn Theos, kai tǭ prophētę̄ parengyą prochatamēnyein autois " hoti «᾿Akoę̄ akousete kai ou mē synēte" kai blepontes blepsete, kai ou. mē idēte. » Gegonasi gar autēchooi tēs tou Sōtēros phōnēs " edidaxen en synagōgaïs, prospephōnēchen en tois Hierosolymois pleistakis, all᾽ ēsan en isǭ tois mēd᾽ holōs achēchoosin, Gegonasi theōroi tōn paradoxōs tetelesmenōn. Tetheantai gar leprous tou pathous apēllagmenous, anapēdōntas chōlous, typhlous anadlepontas, nekrous ek mnēmatōn anistamenous " all᾽ ōphelēntai men kat᾽ oudena tropon, hōsper de kai autōn hommatōn esterēmenoi, dieteloun hoi deilaioi. Tautę̄ toi kai oneidizontai dia tēs tōn agiōn phōnēs, hōs gegonotes aei schlērotrachēloi, kai apeitheis tę̄ kardią, kai apechtonotes hagious. Dedosthai ge mēn tēn pōrōsin autois phēsin, hina mē idōsi tois ophthalmois, kai synōsi tę̄ kardią, kai epistrepsōsi, kai iasētai autois. Kai touto ēn ara kai mala saphōs, hoper ephē Christos apeithein hērēmenois " « Mē gongyzete met᾽ allēlōn " oudeis dynatai elthein pros me, ean mē ho Patēr mou ho pempsas me helkysę̄ auton. n» Kai palin" e« Pas ho akousas para tou Patros, erchetai pros me.» Ouchoun hou keklēntai pros epignōsin tou HuIou, di᾽ apokalypseōs tou Theou kai Patros, hoti mēde ēsan axioi tēs di᾽ autou sōtērias kai zōēs. Ei de dē tis bou-
For though they were of the Jews, and before their love for Christ had, I suppose, unclean lips like the rest, yet when they accepted the faith, they made the good confession, and the coal touched them too; then they were called to the mission and followed without delay, although the all-wise Moses said: “I beg you, Lord, appoint another who is able, whom you will send,” and Jeremiah again: “O you who are, Master, Lord, behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am too young.” Those in Christ, then, are warmer toward mission and service than the saints of old. And the blessed prophet Isaiah would be a clear type of the thing, saying: “Behold, here am I; send me.”
“And he said: Go, and say to this people: You will hear with hearing and will not understand, and seeing you will see and will not perceive. For the heart of this people has grown fat, and with their ears they have heard heavily, and they have shut their eyes, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I heal them.”
The divine Paul writes that a hardening has come upon Israel in part, and explains, as it were, in what way it befell them to suffer the hardening: “For to this day,” he says, “whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart.” And indeed it followed for those who had slipped so far into savagery of ways, being so sick with unruliness that they were willing to yield neither to the writings of Moses nor to the holy prophets, and, I would add, not even to Christ himself, that they should be overtaken by the darkness of a spiritual fog and differ little from senseless stones. This, then, is the prediction the God of all makes, and he charges the prophet to announce to them beforehand: “You will hear with hearing and will not understand, and seeing you will see and will not perceive.” For they heard the Saviour’s voice with their own ears: he taught in synagogues, he spoke out in Jerusalem very many times, but they were like those who had not heard at all. They were spectators of things done beyond nature. For they saw lepers freed from their disease, the lame leaping up, the blind seeing again, the dead rising from their tombs; but they were helped in no way, and the wretches went on as though deprived of their very eyes. This is why they are reproached by the voice of the saints as having always been stiff-necked and disobedient in heart, and as having killed the saints. He says indeed that the hardening was given them so that they should not see with their eyes and understand with their heart and turn, and he heal them. And this was very clearly what Christ said to those who had chosen to disobey: “Do not grumble among yourselves; no one can come to me unless my Father who sent me draws him.” And again: “Everyone who has heard from the Father comes to me.” So they were not called to the knowledge of the Son through the revelation of God the Father, because they were not worthy of the salvation and life that come through him. But if anyone should wish
Exod 4:13 (quotation, high confidence) · Jer 1:6 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 6:8 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 6:9 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 6:10 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 11:25 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Cor 3:15 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 11:5 (allusion, medium confidence) · Acts 7:51 (allusion, medium confidence) · John 6:43 (quotation, high confidence) · John 6:44 (quotation, high confidence) · John 6:45 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Cyril contrasts the apostles' readiness for mission with the hesitation of Moses and Jeremiah, then reads Isa 6:9–10 as foretelling the Jews' hardening against Christ despite his teaching and miracles.
- Lemma: Isa 6:9–10. Quotations: 1 Tim 6:12 recalled (“the good confession”); Exod 4:13; Jer 1:6; Isa 6:8; Rom 11:25; 2 Cor 3:15; Matt 11:5 recalled; Acts 7:51 recalled; John 6:43–45. Cyril's account of the hardening of the Jews is translated as written. Marginal references read by the OCR have been removed. The section breaks off mid-sentence.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Marginal references read by the OCR; removed): 930. {Ἕγ. "1, 15. → .
Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Comm. Isa. 1.4.13 (PG 70; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-isaiam/1-4-13). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-isaiam/1-4-13
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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.
1.4.14PG 70
λοίτο προσδαλεῖν ἑτέρως ταῖς τῶν εἰρημένων ἐννοίαις, συνήσει τοιῶσδε. Προαγορεύει μὲν γὰρ ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς, ὡς γινώσκων τὰ κεκρυμμένα, καὶ τὰ ἐσόμενα, καί φησιν, ὅτε πάντη τε καὶ πάντως ὄψονται μὲν καὶ ἀκούσονται, μενοῦσί γε μὴν ὡς μὴτε ἀκηκοότες, μήτε συντιθέμενοι, καὶ τοῦτο παθόντες ἐκ μοχθηρᾶς αὐτοὶ τῆς ἰδίας γνώμης. Προσἐπάγει δὲ τούτοις, ὅτι ταῦτα δρῶντες ἐκεῖνοι, ταῖς ἰδίαις ἐπιδουλεύουσι κεφαλαῖς. Ἠῤῥωστήχασι γὰρ τὸ δυσήχοον, καὶ τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι καθορᾷν, ε Ἵνα μὴ ἴδωσι τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς, καὶ τοῖς ὠσὶν ἀκούσωσι, καὶ ἐπιστρέψουσι, καὶ ἰάσομαι αὐτούς. » Αἴτιοι τοίνυν αὑτοὶ τῆς σφῶν αὐτῶν γεγόνασιν ἀπωλείας, ἂν τὸ «- οὖς παραθέντες τοῖς παρὰ Χριστοῦ λεγομένοις ὀξὺ, μῆτε μὴν τὸν τῆς ἑαυτῶν διανοίας ἀνευρύνοντες ὀφθαλμόν. Εἰ γὰρ τοῦτο ἔδρων, ὑπέστρεψαν ἄν, καὶ τῆς χαθηχούσης θεραπείας τετυχηχότες, σῶόν τε καὶ ὑγιᾶ τὸν ἑαυτῶν διεσώσαντο νοῦν. Καὶ εἶπα' Ἕως πότε, Κύρις; Καὶ εἶπεν" Ἕως ἂνἐρημωθῶσι πόμιεις παρὰ τὸ μὴ κατοικεῖσθαι, καὶ οἷἶχοι, παρὰ τὸ μὴ εἶναι ἀνθρώπους, καὶ ἡ γῆ κατα.1ειρθήσεται ἔρημος. Καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα μαχρυγεῖ ὁ Θεὸς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, καὶ οἱ τες πιιηθυνθήσογται ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Δέδιεν ὁ προφήτης, μὴ ἄρα διηνεκὴς, καὶ ἀχατά- Ταύτῃ τοι καὶ ξιαμαθεῖν ἀξιοῖ τὸν χρόνον, καθ᾽ ὄν ἔσται τοῦτο αὐτοῖς, καὶ μέχρι τίνος παρατείνει τὸ ἀῤῥώπστημα. Καὶ πρός γε δὴ ταῦτα Θεὸς προαγορεύει τὴν δήωσιν αὐτῶν τε τῶν ᾿Ἱεροσολύμων, καὶ ἀπάσης τῆς Ἰουδαίων χώρας, καί φησιν᾽ « Ἕως ἂν ἔἐρημωθῶσι πόλεις παρὰ τὸ μὴ κατοικεῖσθαι, καὶ οἷκοι παρὰ τὸ μὴ εἶναι ἀνθρώπους. » Ὃ δὴ καὶ εἰς πέρας σάντων τὴν Ἰουδαίαν μετὰ τὸν τοῦ Σωτῆρος σταυρὸν, καὶ ἀνάληψιν τὴν εἰς οὐρανούς. Ὅτι δὲ οὐ μέχρι τοῦ ταῦτα παθεῖν, ἐχμετρηθήσεται τοῖς ἀπειθοῦσιν ἡ κόλασις, οὔτε μὴν εἰς ἅπαν ἤγουν ὀλόῤῥιζος ὁ Ἰσραὴλ οἰχήσεται, καταμηνύει λέγων᾽ ε Καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα μακρυνεῖ ὁ Θεὸς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, καὶ οἱ καταλειφθέντες, πληθυνθήσονται ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. » Ἐμαχρύνθησαν μὲν γὰρ ἀπὸ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἁγίους ἀπεχτονότες, προσθέντες δὲ τὸν ἀρχνγὸν τῆς ζωῆς. Οἱ δὲ δὴ καταλειφθέντες, τοῦτ᾽ ἔστιν, οἱ περισεσωσμένοι, καὶ πεπιστευκότες εἰς Χριστὸν, οἱ καί εἰσι τὸ κατάλειμμα τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, ἐν πολλῇ, φησὶν, ἔσονται πληθύϊ. Πεπίστευκε γὰρ οὐ βραχὺ μέρος τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ τοῦτο ἐν ἀρχαῖς τοῦ βιδλίου καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ μακάριος προφήτης Ἡσαῖας μεμήνυχε, λέγων’ ε Καὶ εἰ μὴ Κύριος Σαθαὼθ ἐγκατέλιπεν ἡμῖν σπέρμα, ὡς Σόδομα ἂν ἐγενήθημεν, καὶ ὡς Γομόῤῥα ἂν ὡμοιώθημεν. » Δοκεῖ δέ τισι καὶ ἑτέρως νοεῖν τῶν προκειμένων τὴν δύναμιν.
loito prosdalein heterōs tais tōn eirēmenōn ennoiais, synēsei toiōsde. Proagoreuei men gar ho tōn holōn Theos, hōs ginōskōn ta kekrymmena, kai ta esomena, kai phēsin, hote pantē te kai pantōs opsontai men kai akousontai, menousi ge mēn hōs mēte akēkootes, mēte syntithemenoi, kai touto pathontes ek mochthēras autoi tēs idias gnōmēs. Prosepagei de toutois, hoti tauta drōntes ekeinoi, tais idiais epidouleuousi kephalais. Ērrhōstēchasi gar to dysēchoon, kai to mē dynasthai kathorąn, e Hina mē idōsi tois ophthalmois, kai tois ōsin akousōsi, kai epistrepsousi, kai iasomai autous. » Aitioi toinyn hautoi tēs sphōn autōn gegonasin apōleias, an to «- ous parathentes tois para Christou legomenois oxy, mēte mēn ton tēs heautōn dianoias aneurynontes ophthalmon. Ei gar touto edrōn, hypestrepsan an, kai tēs chathēchousēs therapeias tetychēchotes, sōon te kai hygia ton heautōn diesōsanto noun. Kai eipa' Heōs pote, Kyris? Kai eipen" Heōs anerēmōthōsi pomieis para to mē katoikeisthai, kai hoiichoi, para to mē einai anthrōpous, kai hē gē kata.1eirthēsetai erēmos. Kai meta tauta machrygei ho Theos tous anthrōpous, kai hoi tes piiēthynthēsogtai epi tēs gēs. Dedien ho prophētēs, mē ara diēnekēs, kai achata- Tautę̄ toi kai xiamathein axioi ton chronon, kath᾽ on estai touto autois, kai mechri tinos parateinei to arrhōpstēma. Kai pros ge dē tauta Theos proagoreuei tēn dēōsin autōn te tōn ᾿Hierosolymōn, kai apasēs tēs Ioudaiōn chōras, kai phēsin᾽ « Heōs an eerēmōthōsi poleis para to mē katoikeisthai, kai hoikoi para to mē einai anthrōpous. » Ho dē kai eis peras santōn tēn Ioudaian meta ton tou Sōtēros stauron, kai analēpsin tēn eis ouranous. Hoti de ou mechri tou tauta pathein, echmetrēthēsetai tois apeithousin hē kolasis, oute mēn eis hapan ēgoun olorrhizos ho Israēl oichēsetai, katamēnyei legōn᾽ e Kai meta tauta makrynei ho Theos tous anthrōpous, kai hoi kataleiphthentes, plēthynthēsontai epi tēs gēs. » Emachrynthēsan men gar apo Theou, kai hagious apechtonotes, prosthentes de ton archngon tēs zōēs. Hoi de dē kataleiphthentes, tout᾽ estin, hoi perisesōsmenoi, kai pepisteukotes eis Christon, hoi kai eisi to kataleimma tou Israēl, en pollę̄, phēsin, esontai plēthyï. Pepisteuke gar ou brachy meros tou Israēl, kai touto en archais tou bidliou kai autos ho makarios prophētēs Hēsaias memēnyche, legōn’ e Kai ei mē Kyrios Sathaōth enkatelipen hēmin sperma, hōs Sodoma an egenēthēmen, kai hōs Gomorrha an hōmoiōthēmen. » Dokei de tisi kai heterōs noein tōn prokeimenōn tēn dynamin.
to approach the meaning of what has been said in another way, he will understand it thus. The God of all, as one who knows hidden things and things to come, foretells and says that they will indeed wholly and entirely see and hear, yet will remain as though they had neither heard nor understood, and will suffer this from their own wicked will. And he adds that in doing these things they plot against their own heads. For they were sick with hardness of hearing and inability to see, “lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and turn, and I heal them.” They themselves, then, have become the causes of their own destruction, … not lending a sharp ear to what Christ said nor opening wide the eye of their own mind. For if they had done this, they would have turned back and, having obtained fitting healing, would have kept their mind safe and sound.
“And I said: How long, Lord? And he said: Until cities are made desolate for lack of inhabitants, and houses for lack of men, and the land will be left desolate. And after this God will remove men far away, and those who are left will be multiplied on the earth.”
The prophet fears that [the hardening] may be continual and unceasing … This is why he asks to learn the time in which this will befall them and how long the sickness will stretch out. And in answer God foretells the ravaging of Jerusalem itself and of the whole country of the Jews, and says: “Until cities are made desolate for lack of inhabitants, and houses for lack of men.” This was fulfilled to the end when [the Romans] … Judea after the Saviour’s cross and his ascension into heaven. And that the punishment of the disobedient will not be measured out only to the point of suffering this, nor will Israel go to ruin wholly, root and all, he shows by saying: “And after this God will remove men far away, and those who are left will be multiplied on the earth.” For they were removed far from God, having killed the saints and having added the Author of life. But those who are left, that is, those who have been saved and have believed in Christ, who are the remnant of Israel, will be, he says, a great multitude. For no small part of Israel has believed; and the blessed prophet Isaiah himself showed this at the beginning of the book, saying: “And if the Lord Sabaoth had not left us a seed, we would have become like Sodom and been made like Gomorrah.” Some, however, think the force of these words should be understood in another way.
Isa 6:10 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 6:11 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 6:12 (quotation, high confidence) · Acts 3:15 (allusion, medium confidence) · Isa 1:9 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 9:29 (allusion, low confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Cyril adds that the Jews caused their own ruin by refusing to hear Christ, and reads Isa 6:11–12 as the Roman desolation of Judea after the cross, with a believing remnant of Israel multiplied.
- The section begins with a run of Migne's Latin read as Greek letters (removed) and continues the previous sentence. Lemma: Isa 6:11–12 (LXX). Quotations: Isa 6:10; Acts 3:15 recalled; Isa 1:9 (cf. Rom 9:29). Cyril reads the believers from Israel as the remnant; translated as written. A second run of Latin and marginal references has been removed; lost words are marked “…”.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Migne's Latin version read as Greek letters by the OCR; removed): δυάίνίι ἃ Ῥαίγὸ εἱ ἀϊεϊεἶι, νϑϊ δὰ πιὸ ὅ".» ᾿ἴδαυθ δὰ ἀφυϊίοποιη Οἰντὶϑιὶ μδ τενοϊδειουθαι θεοὶ οἱ Ραεὐἶτ οἱ (ματα, ΔἸ (4116, ΟΠληἶ 0 608. νἱδβίιγοθ, οἱ ἃι:- Α → ; γεκϑ. 11], 12. Εἰ αἰχὶ; Οκοιεφιε, θονῖπεῦ Εἰ ἢ → .
Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Comm. Isa. 1.4.14 (PG 70; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-isaiam/1-4-14). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-isaiam/1-4-14
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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.