Commentary on Isaiah 1.5.17–1.6.1
Greek text: PG 70.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).
part 1, chapter 5
1.5.17PG 70
Μετατίθησι τὸν λόγου" ἐπὶ τὸ ἀπειθῆσαν ἔθνος, τοῦτ᾽ ἔστι, τὸν Ἰσραὴλ, οἵ κλὶ πλατειαν ἔχοντες καὶ ἀμφιλαφὴ τὴν ἐκ Θεοῦ παράκλησιν, καὶ ταῖς νομικαῖς εἰσηγήσεσιν ἐντρυφῶντες πλουσίως, εἴς γε τὸ εἰδέναι τὸ τελοῦν εἰς ὄνησιν οὐ προσήκαντο τὸν Χριστόν. Ταύτῃ τοι καὶ ὠλισθήχασι τῆς πρὸς αὐτὸν οἰκειότητος νοητῆς δηλονότι καὶ πνευματικῆς, καὶ οἷον λιμῷ διολώλασιν. "ἔφη γὰρ ὁ τῶν ὅλων θεὸς διὰ φωνῆς προφητῶν. ε Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐπάγω λιμὸν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, λέγει Κύριος: Οὐ λιμὸν ἄρτου, οὐδὲ δίψαν ὕδατος, ἀλλὰ λιμὸν τοῦ ἀκοῦσαι τὸν λόγον Κυρίου " καὶ ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν ἕως δυσμῶν, περιδραμοῦνται ζητοῦντες τὸν λόγον Κυρίου, καὶ οὐ μὴ εὕρωσιν. »ταν τοίνυν, φησὶ, τὸν ἀρχηγὸν τῆς ζωῆς ἀποκτείναντες, σκληρὸν καὶ δύσοιστον ὑπομένητε λιμὸν, τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ λόγον οὐκ ἔχοντες, τὸν ἄρτον τὸν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ, τὸν ζωὴν διδόντα τῷ κόσμῳ, τότε πεινήσετε. Καὶ δὴ καὶ εἰς αἴσθησιν τοῦ συμθεθηχότος χκαχῶς ἐρεῖτε τὸν ἄρχοντα καὶ τὰ πάτρια. Καὶ τί δὴ τοῦτό ἐστιν; Οἱ μὲν γὰρ τῶν Ἰουδαίων χαθηγηταὶ, Γραμματεὶς δὴ λέγω καὶ Φαρισαίους, παροτρύνονιες οὐ διαλελοίπασι, κατὰ τοῦ πάντων ἡμῶν Σωτῆρος Χριστοῦ, τὴν ὑπὸ χεῖρα πληθύν. Καὶ πρόφασιν τῆς κατ᾽ αὐτοῦ μανίας ἐδέχοντο, τὴν εἰς Μωσέα τε καὶ γόμον αἰδῶ. Ἐδίωκον γὰρ λέγοντες “ « Εἰ ἣν οὗτος παρὰ Θεοῦ ὁ ἄνθρωπος, οὐκ ἂν ἔλυε τὸ Σάδδατον » Οὐκοῦν ὡς παρανομοῦντα διώκειν ἂν ἔπειθον. Ὅταν τοίνυν φησίν: Ὑμεῖς οἱ παρ᾽ ἐχείνων ἥπαττ μένοι πεινήσετε, τότε κακῶς ἐρεῖτε πάντα ὑμῶν ἄρχοντα καὶ τὰ πάτρια, τοῦτ᾽ ἔστι, τὰ ἔθη τὰ νόμιμα. ᾽λναμνησθήσεσθε γὰρ ὅτι παρώτρυνον ὑμᾶς οἱ ἡγούμενοι" καὶ τῶν ἀρχόντων ἡ πρόφασις ἣν τῆς κατὰ Χριστοῦ μανίας τὰ πάτρια " τοῦτ᾽ ἔστι, τὰ ἔθη καὶ αἱ παραδόσεις, καὶ οὐκὶ δὴ πάντως αἱ διὰ νόμον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ματα ἀνθρώπων. Ἕσται τοίνυν ἐφ᾽ ὑμᾶς σκληρᾷ λιμὸς, ἄνω τε καὶ κάτω περιδλεπόμενοι καὶ πανταχόσε βλέποντες, ἦτοι τὸν τῆς διανοίας ὀφθαλμὸν περιφέ-. ροντες, ἕτερον οὐδὲν ὄψεσθε, φησὶν, εἰ μὴ ἀπορίαν Ὦ στενὴν καὶ σκότος, ὥστε μηδὲν δύνασθαί τι τῶν χρησίμων βλέπειν, καὶ οὐκ ἀπορηθήσεται ὁ ἐν στενοχωρίᾳ ὧν ἕως καιροῦ. Προαγορεύει πάλιν τὴν τῶν ἐθνῶν κλῇσιν. Οἱ γὰρ νῦν ὄντες, φησὶν, ἐν στενοχωρίᾳ καὶ λιμῷ τῶν θείων μαθημάτων πεπιεσμένοι, οὐκ ᾿ἀπορηθήσονται. Χαριεῖται γὰρ αὐτοῖς τὴν εὐλογίαν ὁ ἘΜμμανονὴλ, καὶ παραθήσει τροφὰς τὰς πνευματικὰς, καὶ τὴν θείαν αὐτοῖς ἁπλώσει τράπεζαν. ἐκεῖνο λέγων᾽ Φάγετε καὶ πίετε, καὶ μεθύσθητε, οἱ πλησίον. "Ἔσται δὲ τοῦτο, φησὶν, ἕως καιροῦ, τοῦτ᾽ ἔστιν, οὐ νῦν εἰς πέρας οἰχήσεται. Ὅτε καὶ ὁ τῆ; προφητείας περὶ αὐτῶν γέγονε λόγος. ᾿Αλλ᾽ ἐν καιρῷ τῷ δέοντι καθ᾽ ὅν ἐπιλάμψει τοῖ; ἐπὶ γῆς ὁ Ἐμμανουήλ. Τότε γὰρ κέκληται τῶν ἐθνῶν ἢ πληθύς..- Τοῦτο πρῶτον πίε, ταχὺ ποίει, χώρα ἡ γῇ Νεφθαμλεὶμ. ὁδὸς θαλάσσης. καὶ οἱ οιποὶ οἱ τὴν παραλίαν καὶ πέραν τοῦ Ἰορδάνου, Γαΐλι- «λαία τῶν ἐθγῶγ. Ὁ «αὸς ὁ πορευόμενος ἐν σκότει, ἴδετε ρῶς μέγα. Οἱ κατοικοῦντες δγ χώρα καὶ ἐν σκιᾷ θαγάτου, φῶς λάμψει ἐφ᾽ ὑμᾶς" τὸ πιλεῖστον τοῦ αοῦ, ὃ κατήγαγες ἐν εὐφρροσύγῃ σου" καὶ εὐφρανβήσονται ἐνώπιόν σου ὡς οἱ εὐφραινόμενοι ἐν ἀμητῷ, καὶ ὃν τρόπον οἱ διαι- Σκληρᾷ τε λιμῷ καὶ μέντοι καὶ ἀπορίᾳ καταπιεσθήσεσθαι λέγων, τοὺς ἀπειθεῖν ἡρημένους τῷ Ἐμμανουὴλ, οὐκ ἀπορηθήσεσθαι τοὺς ἐν στενοχωρίᾳ προξιρηχὼς ἕως καιροῦ, κατά γε τὴν ἤδη προαποδοθεῖσαν διάνοιαν. ἼἌρχεται δηλοῦν καὶ τίνες οἱ πρῶτοι πιστεύσαντες, καὶ ἀπαρχὴ γεγονότες τῶν κεκλημένων εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν τοῦ Ἑμμανουὴλ τοῦ λέγοντος " ᾿Ιδοὺ ἐγὼ καὶ τὰ παιδία ἃ μοι ἔδωκεν ὁ Θεὸς, ὃς καὶ γέγονεν εἰς σημεῖά τε καὶ τέρατα ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ Ἰσραὴλ παρὰ Βυρίου Σαδαὼθ τοῦ κατοικοῦντος ἐν τῷ ὄρει Σ:ών. Φασὶ γάρ που καὶ ὅρια Ζαδουλὼν καὶ Νεφθαλεὶμ τῇ Τιδεριάδι παρακεῖσθαι λίμνῃ, καὶ ἐν ἐσχατιαῖς εἶναι τῆς Ἰουδαίων χώρας, ὡς ὅμορον ὑπάρχειν τῇ τῶν ἐθνῶν Γαλιλαίᾳ, ἑτέρας οὔσης τῆς πρὸς τῇ Φοινίκων χώρᾳ. Ἐκ τούτων φασὶ μάλιστα τῶν φυλῶν τοὺς ἁγίους ἀποστόλους γενέσθαι κατὰ τὸ πλεῖστον. Καὶ γοῦν τὰ περὶ τῆς κλήσεως αὐτῶν, Ματθαῖος …
Metatithēsi ton logou" epi to apeithēsan ethnos, tout᾽ esti, ton Israēl, hoi kli plateian echontes kai amphilaphē tēn ek Theou paraklēsin, kai tais nomikais eisēgēsesin entryphōntes plousiōs, eis ge to eidenai to teloun eis onēsin ou prosēkanto ton Christon. Tautę̄ toi kai ōlisthēchasi tēs pros auton oikeiotētos noētēs dēlonoti kai pneumatikēs, kai hoion limǭ diolōlasin. "ephē gar ho tōn holōn theos dia phōnēs prophētōn. e Idou egō epagō limon epi tēs gēs, legei Kyrios: Ou limon artou, oude dipsan hydatos, alla limon tou akousai ton logon Kyriou " kai apo anatolōn heōs dysmōn, peridramountai zētountes ton logon Kyriou, kai ou mē heurōsin. »tan toinyn, phēsi, ton archēgon tēs zōēs apokteinantes, sklēron kai dysoiston hypomenēte limon, ton tou Theou logon ouk echontes, ton arton ton ex ouranou, ton zōēn didonta tǭ kosmǭ, tote peinēsete. Kai dē kai eis aisthēsin tou symthethēchotos chkachōs ereite ton archonta kai ta patria. Kai ti dē touto estin? Hoi men gar tōn Ioudaiōn chathēgētai, Grammateis dē legō kai Pharisaious, parotrynonies ou dialeloipasi, kata tou pantōn hēmōn Sōtēros Christou, tēn hypo cheira plēthyn. Kai prophasin tēs kat᾽ autou manias edechonto, tēn eis Mōsea te kai gomon aidō. Ediōkon gar legontes “ « Ei hēn houtos para Theou ho anthrōpos, ouk an elye to Saddaton » Oukoun hōs paranomounta diōkein an epeithon. Hotan toinyn phēsin: Hymeis hoi par᾽ echeinōn hēpatt menoi peinēsete, tote kakōs ereite panta hymōn archonta kai ta patria, tout᾽ esti, ta ethē ta nomima. ᾽lnamnēsthēsesthe gar hoti parōtrynon hymas hoi hēgoumenoi" kai tōn archontōn hē prophasis hēn tēs kata Christou manias ta patria " tout᾽ esti, ta ethē kai hai paradoseis, kai ouki dē pantōs hai dia nomon, alla kai ta mata anthrōpōn. Hestai toinyn eph᾽ hymas sklērą limos, anō te kai katō peridlepomenoi kai pantachose blepontes, ētoi ton tēs dianoias ophthalmon periphe-. rontes, heteron ouden opsesthe, phēsin, ei mē aporian Ō stenēn kai skotos, hōste mēden dynasthai ti tōn chrēsimōn blepein, kai ouk aporēthēsetai ho en stenochōrią hōn heōs kairou. Proagoreuei palin tēn tōn ethnōn klę̄sin. Hoi gar nyn ontes, phēsin, en stenochōrią kai limǭ tōn theiōn mathēmatōn pepiesmenoi, ouk ᾿aporēthēsontai. Charieitai gar autois tēn eulogian ho EMmmanonēl, kai parathēsei trophas tas pneumatikas, kai tēn theian autois haplōsei trapezan. ekeino legōn᾽ Phagete kai piete, kai methysthēte, hoi plēsion. "Estai de touto, phēsin, heōs kairou, tout᾽ estin, ou nyn eis peras oichēsetai. Hote kai ho tē? prophēteias peri autōn gegone logos. ᾿All᾽ en kairǭ tǭ deonti kath᾽ hon epilampsei toi? epi gēs ho Emmanouēl. Tote gar keklētai tōn ethnōn ē plēthys..- Touto prōton pie, tachy poiei, chōra hē gę̄ Nephthamleim. hodos thalassēs. kai hoi oipoi hoi tēn paralian kai peran tou Iordanou, Gaïli- «laia tōn ethgōg. Ho «aos ho poreuomenos en skotei, idete rōs mega. Hoi katoikountes dg chōra kai en skią thagatou, phōs lampsei eph᾽ hymas" to pileiston tou aou, ho katēgages en euphrrosygę̄ sou" kai euphranbēsontai enōpion sou hōs hoi euphrainomenoi en amētǭ, kai hon tropon hoi diai- Sklērą te limǭ kai mentoi kai aporią katapiesthēsesthai legōn, tous apeithein hērēmenous tǭ Emmanouēl, ouk aporēthēsesthai tous en stenochōrią proxirēchōs heōs kairou, kata ge tēn ēdē proapodotheisan dianoian. IArchetai dēloun kai tines hoi prōtoi pisteusantes, kai aparchē gegonotes tōn keklēmenōn eis epignōsin tou Hemmanouēl tou legontos " ᾿Idou egō kai ta paidia ha moi edōken ho Theos, hos kai gegonen eis sēmeia te kai terata en tǭ oikǭ Israēl para Byriou Sadaōth tou katoikountos en tǭ orei S:ōn. Phasi gar pou kai horia Zadoulōn kai Nephthaleim tę̄ Tideriadi parakeisthai limnę̄, kai en eschatiais einai tēs Ioudaiōn chōras, hōs homoron hyparchein tę̄ tōn ethnōn Galilaią, heteras ousēs tēs pros tę̄ Phoinikōn chōrą. Ek toutōn phasi malista tōn phylōn tous hagious apostolous genesthai kata to pleiston. Kai goun ta peri tēs klēseōs autōn, Matthaios …
He turns his word to the disobedient nation, that is, to Israel, who, though they had broad and abundant exhortation from God and luxuriated richly in the teachings of the law for knowing what makes for profit, did not accept Christ. This is why they slipped from their kinship with him, the spiritual one of course, and perished as from famine. For the God of all said through the voice of the prophets: “Behold, I bring a famine on the land, says the Lord: not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the word of the Lord; and from east to west they will run about seeking the word of the Lord, and they will not find it.” When, then, he says, having killed the Author of life, you endure a harsh and unbearable famine, not having the word of God, the bread from heaven that gives life to the world, then you will be hungry. And indeed, coming to a sense of what has happened, you will speak evil of the ruler and of the ancestral things. And what is this? The leaders of the Jews, I mean the scribes and Pharisees, did not cease inciting the multitude under their hand against Christ, the Saviour of us all, and took as the pretext for their madness against him their reverence for Moses and the law. For they persecuted him, saying: “If this man were from God, he would not break the Sabbath.” So they persuaded them to persecute him as a transgressor of the law. When, then, he says, you who were deceived by them are hungry, then you will speak evil of every ruler of yours and of the ancestral things, that is, the customary usages. For you will remember that your leaders incited you, and the pretext of the rulers for their madness against Christ was the ancestral things, that is, the customs and the traditions, and not at all only those given through the law, but also the [command]ments of men. A harsh famine, then, will come upon you; looking around above and below and gazing everywhere, that is, turning about the eye of the mind, you will see nothing else, he says, but narrow perplexity and darkness, so as to be unable to see anything useful. “And the one who is in distress will not be at a loss until a time.” He again foretells the calling of the nations. For those who are now, he says, in distress, pressed by a famine of divine teachings, will not be at a loss. For Emmanuel will grant them the blessing, will set before them spiritual food, and will spread the divine table for them, saying: “Eat and drink, and be drunk, you neighbours.” And this will be, he says, “until a time,” that is, it will not come to fulfilment now, when the word of prophecy about them was spoken, but at the due time when Emmanuel shines on those on earth. For then the multitude of the nations was called.
“Drink this first, act quickly, land of Zebulun, land of Naphtali, way of the sea, and the rest who inhabit the coast and beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The people walking in darkness, see a great light; you who dwell in the land and in the shadow of death, light will shine on you. The greater part of the people, which you brought down in your gladness; and they will rejoice before you like those who rejoice in harvest, and as those who divide [spoils].”
Having said that those who chose to disobey Emmanuel would be pressed by harsh famine and perplexity, and having foretold that those in distress would not be at a loss until a time, according to the sense already given, he begins to show who were the first to believe and became the first-fruits of those called to the knowledge of Emmanuel, who says: “Behold, I and the children whom God has given me”; who also became for signs and wonders in the house of Israel from the Lord Sabaoth who dwells on Mount Zion. For they say that the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali lie beside the lake of Tiberias and are at the extremities of the country of the Jews, so as to border on Galilee of the nations, which is distinct from the Galilee by the country of the Phoenicians. They say that the holy apostles came for the most part from these tribes. And indeed Matthew [relates] what concerns their calling …
Amos 8:11 (quotation, high confidence) · Amos 8:12 (quotation, high confidence) · Acts 3:15 (allusion, medium confidence) · John 6:33 (allusion, high confidence) · Isa 8:21 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 8:22 (quotation, high confidence) · John 9:16 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 15:9 (allusion, medium confidence) · Song 5:1 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 9:1 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 9:2 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 9:3 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 8:18 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Cyril reads the famine of Isa 8:21–22 as the Jews' lack of God's word after rejecting Christ, and their curse on 'the ruler and the ancestral things' as blame of the leaders and traditions that incited them; Isa 9:1–3 introduces the Galilean apostles, the first to believe.
- Lemma: Isa 9:1–3 (LXX 8:23–9:2), with the LXX opening “Drink this first, act quickly.” Quotations: Amos 8:11–12; Acts 3:15 recalled; John 6:33; John 9:16; Matt 15:9 recalled; Song 5:1; Heb 2:13; Isa 8:18. Cyril's charges against the Jewish leaders are translated as written. A run of Migne's Latin read as Greek letters has been removed at the end of the section; lost words are marked “…”.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Migne's Latin version read as Greek letters by the OCR; removed): ἐη ἰαεἰπἴα μα, εἰ ἰαἰαϑεπίαν σονται (6, μὲ ἱΐ φεὶ ἰα!απῖμν ἰπ πιϑεδο, εἰ μὶ ἐὶ φημὶ αἰνίδιιπ! → … .
Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Comm. Isa. 1.5.17 (PG 70; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-isaiam/1-5-17). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-isaiam/1-5-17
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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.
1.5.18PG 70
ἡμῖν ὁ μακάριος εὐαγγελιστὴς ἐξηγούμενος, πρῶτον ᾳ εἰ μὲν ἀποχομίζει τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἐν ὁρίοις Ζαδουλὼν καὶ ΝΝεφθαλείμ. Εἶτα τίνα τρόπον ἀπολέχτους ἐποιήσατο τοὺς ἁγίους ἀποστόλους, προσεπάγει σαφῶς. Γράφει δὲ οὕτω περὶ Χριστοῦ" ε Καὶ καταλιπὼν τὴν Ναζαρὲθ ἐλθὼν κατῴκησεν εἰς Καπερναοὺμ τὴν παραθαλάττιον ἐν ὁρίοις Ζαδουλὼν καὶ Νεφθαλεὶμ, ἵνα πληρωθῇ τὸ ῥηθὲν διὰ ᾿Ησαΐου λέγοντος“ Γῆ Ζαδουλὼν, καὶ γῆ Νεφθαλεὶμ ὁδὸς θαλάσσης πέραν Ἰορδάνου, Γαλιλαία τῶν ἐθνῶν, ὁ λαὸς καθήμενος ἐν σκότει φῶς τὸΞ μέγα, καὶ τοῖς καθημένοις ἐν χώρᾳ καὶ σκιᾷ θαγάτου, φῶς ἀνέτειλεν αὑτοῖς. » Προσεπάγει δὲ τούποις" « Περιπατῶν δὲ παρὰ τὴν θάλασσαν τῆς λαίας ἴδε δύο ἀδελφοὺς, Σίμωνα τὸν λεγόμενον Πέτρυν, καὶ ᾿Ανδρέαν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ, βάλλοντας ρ ἀμφίδληστρον εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν' ἧσαν γὰρ ἁλιεῖς " καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς" Δεῦτε ὀπίσω μου, καὶ ποιήσω ὑμᾶς γενέσθαι ἁλιεῖς ἀνθρώπων. Οἱ δὲ εὐθέως ἀφέντες τὰ δίκτυα ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῷ. Καὶ προδὰς ἐκεῖθεν εἶδεν ἄλλους δύο ἀδελφοὺς, Ἰάχωδον τὸν τοῦ Ζεδεδαίου, καὶ Ἰωάννην τὸν ἀδολφὸν αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ πλοίῳ μετὰ Ζεθεδαίου τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτῶν, καταρτίζοντας τὰ δίκτυα αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐκάλεσεν αὐτούς. ΟἹ δὲ εὐθέως ἀφέντες τὸ πλοῖον καὶ τὸν πατέρα αὐτῶν ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῷ. » Ἰστέον δὲ ὅτι τὴν θάλασσαν τῆς Γαλιλαίας τὴν Τιδεριάδα λίμνην τὸ Γράμμα φησὶ τὸ ἱερόν᾽ ἔνθα καὶ ηὕρηνται τὴν τῶν ἁλιέων μετιόντ τες τέχνην ὁΐ θεσπέσιοι μαθηταί. Ποιεῖςαι τοῖνυν ποὺς λόγους ὁ τῶν ὅλων θεὸς διὰ φωνῆς τοῦ προφήτου πρὸς τὸ παρὸν, ὡς πρός τε τὰς χώρας ἤτοι τὰς πόλεις τῆς φυλῆς Ζαδουλὼν καὶ Νεφθαλεὶμ, αἴ παρἐχειντο τῇ Τιδεριάδι λίμνῃ " καὶ μονονουχὶ ποτήριον αὐταῖς τοῦ σωτηρίου διδοὺς, καὶ οἶνον προσάγων τὸν εὐφραίνοντα καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου, τὸ κήρυγμα δηλονότι τὸ περὶ Χριστοῦ, Τοῦτο πρῶτον πίε, φησὶ, ταχὺ φοίει, τοῦτ᾽ ἔστιν, ὦ χώρα Ζαδουλὼν καὶ Νεφθαλεὶμ, δέχεσθε τὸ κήρυγμα τὸ σωτήριον. ᾿Αλλὰ ποιεῖτε «ταχὺ, τοῦτ᾽ ἔστι͵ μελλησμοῦ δίχα παντός. Ὀξεῖς δὲ, ὡς ἔφην, οἱ μαθηταὶ, καὶ λίαν ἑτοίμως ἰόντες ἐπὶ τὸ πιστεῦσαι Χριστῷ, χολούθησαν γὰρ εὐθὺς ἀφέντες τὰ δίκτυα καὶ τὸν πατέρα, καὶ μυσταγωγίας αὐτοῖς ἐδέησεν οὐ μακρᾶς. Ἤκουον γάρ" ει Δεῦτε ὀπίσω μου, καὶ ποιήσω ὑμᾶς γενέσθαι ἁλιεῖς ἀνθρώπων, καὶ ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῷ. ν Κατὰ τὸν ἴσον τρόπον καὶ ἑτέρους τῶν ἁγίων ἀποστόλων χεκχλημένους μεν, καὶ κεποιηχότας τῆς ἐπὶ Χριστῷ μυσταγωγίας τὸν λόγον. Γράφει γὰρ Ἰωάννης δὶ περὶ τοῦ πάντῶν ἡμῶν Σωτῆρος Χριστοῦ" « Τῇ ἐπαύριον ἠθέλησεν ἐξελθεῖν εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν " καὶ εὑρίσκει Φίλετπον, καὶ λέγει αὑτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς" ᾿Ακολούθει μοι. Ἦν δὲ ὁ Φίλιππος ἀκὸ Βηθσαϊδὰ ἐκ τῆς χώρας ᾿Ανδρέου καὶ Πέτρου. Ἐὐρίσκει Φίλιππος τὸν Ναθαναὲλ καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ Ὃν ἔγραψε Μωσῆς ἐν τῷ νόμῳ, καὶ οἱ προφῆται, εὑρήκαμεν Ἰησοῦν υἱὸν τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ τὸν ἀπὸ Ναζαρέθ, » Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἀφέκετο πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν, εἶτα λέγοντος ἤκουσε" ε Πρὸ τοῦ σὲ Φίλιππον φωνῆσαι ὄντα ὑπὸ τὴν συκῆν εἶδόν σε,» πεπίστευκε παρα- … Υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, σὺ εἴ ὁ βασιλεὺς «οὔ Ἰσραήλ. » Βηθσαϊδὰ δὲ πάλιν ἐξ ἧ: ὁ Φίλιππος ἣν καὶ μέν τοι Διαμέμνηξαι δὲ καὶ ὁ μακάριος Δαδὶδ «ἧς τῶν μαθητῶν ἀναῤῥήσεως, καί φησιν" « Ἐκεῖ Βενιαμεὶν νεώτερος ἐν ἐκστάσει, ἄρχοντες Ἰούδα ἡγεμόνες αὖτῶν’ ἄρχοντες Ζαβουλὼν, ἄρχοντες Νεφθαλείμ. » “Ὅτε δὲ ἔμελλον οὐ μόνοι κληθήσεσθαι κατὰ καιροὺς οἱ θεσπέσιοι μαθηταὶ, ἀλλὰ γὰρ καὶ αἱ τῶν ἐθνῶν ἀγέν λαι, καταμηνύει λέγων καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ οἱ τὴν παράλιον καὶ πέραν τοῦ Ἰορδάνον, Γαλιλαία τῶν ἐθνῶν, ὁ λαὸς ὁ πορενόμενος ἐν σκότει φῶς ἴδε μέγα. Οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐν χώρᾳ καὶ σκιᾷ θανάτον, φῶς λάμψει ἐφ᾽ ὑμᾶς. Ἐδάδιζον γὰρ ὥσπερ οἱ ἐξ ἐθνῶν, καὶ διέτριθον ἐν τῷδε τῷ κόσμῳ " καθάπερ οἱ ἐν νυκτὶ καὶ ἐν σκότῳ, διά τοι τὸ φῶς οὐκ ἔχειν εἰς νοῦν κῃ;
hēmin ho makarios euangelistēs exēgoumenos, prōton ą ei men apochomizei ton Iēsoun en horiois Zadoulōn kai NNephthaleim. Eita tina tropon apolechtous epoiēsato tous hagious apostolous, prosepagei saphōs. Graphei de houtō peri Christou" e Kai katalipōn tēn Nazareth elthōn katǭkēsen eis Kapernaoum tēn parathalattion en horiois Zadoulōn kai Nephthaleim, hina plērōthę̄ to rhēthen dia ᾿Ēsaïou legontos“ Gē Zadoulōn, kai gē Nephthaleim hodos thalassēs peran Iordanou, Galilaia tōn ethnōn, ho laos kathēmenos en skotei phōs toX mega, kai tois kathēmenois en chōrą kai skią thagatou, phōs aneteilen hautois. » Prosepagei de toupois" « Peripatōn de para tēn thalassan tēs laias ide dyo adelphous, Simōna ton legomenon Petryn, kai ᾿Andrean ton adelphon autou, ballontas r amphidlēstron eis tēn thalassan' hēsan gar halieis " kai eipen autois ho Iēsous" Deute opisō mou, kai poiēsō hymas genesthai halieis anthrōpōn. Hoi de eutheōs aphentes ta diktya ēkolouthēsan autǭ. Kai prodas ekeithen eiden allous dyo adelphous, Iachōdon ton tou Zededaiou, kai Iōannēn ton adolphon autou en tǭ ploiǭ meta Zethedaiou tou patros autōn, katartizontas ta diktya autōn, kai ekalesen autous. HoI de eutheōs aphentes to ploion kai ton patera autōn ēkolouthēsan autǭ. » Isteon de hoti tēn thalassan tēs Galilaias tēn Tideriada limnēn to Gramma phēsi to hieron᾽ entha kai hēurēntai tēn tōn halieōn metiont tes technēn hoï thespesioi mathētai. Poieisai toinyn pous logous ho tōn holōn theos dia phōnēs tou prophētou pros to paron, hōs pros te tas chōras ētoi tas poleis tēs phylēs Zadoulōn kai Nephthaleim, ai parecheinto tę̄ Tideriadi limnę̄ " kai mononouchi potērion autais tou sōtēriou didous, kai oinon prosagōn ton euphrainonta kardian anthrōpou, to kērygma dēlonoti to peri Christou, Touto prōton pie, phēsi, tachy phoiei, tout᾽ estin, ō chōra Zadoulōn kai Nephthaleim, dechesthe to kērygma to sōtērion. ᾿Alla poieite «tachy, tout᾽ esti͵ mellēsmou dicha pantos. Oxeis de, hōs ephēn, hoi mathētai, kai lian hetoimōs iontes epi to pisteusai Christǭ, cholouthēsan gar euthys aphentes ta diktya kai ton patera, kai mystagōgias autois edeēsen ou makras. Ēkouon gar" ei Deute opisō mou, kai poiēsō hymas genesthai halieis anthrōpōn, kai ēkolouthēsan autǭ. n Kata ton ison tropon kai heterous tōn hagiōn apostolōn chekchlēmenous men, kai kepoiēchotas tēs epi Christǭ mystagōgias ton logon. Graphei gar Iōannēs di peri tou pantōn hēmōn Sōtēros Christou" « Tę̄ epaurion ēthelēsen exelthein eis tēn Galilaian " kai heuriskei Philetpon, kai legei hautǭ ho Iēsous" ᾿Akolouthei moi. Ēn de ho Philippos ako Bēthsaïda ek tēs chōras ᾿Andreou kai Petrou. Euriskei Philippos ton Nathanael kai legei autǭ Hon egrapse Mōsēs en tǭ nomǭ, kai hoi prophētai, heurēkamen Iēsoun huion tou Iōsēph ton apo Nazareth, » Epeidē de apheketo pros ton Iēsoun, eita legontos ēkouse" e Pro tou se Philippon phōnēsai onta hypo tēn sykēn eidon se,» pepisteuke para- … Huios tou Theou, sy ei ho basileus «ou Israēl. » Bēthsaïda de palin ex hē: ho Philippos hēn kai men toi Diamemnēxai de kai ho makarios Dadid «hēs tōn mathētōn anarrhēseōs, kai phēsin" « Ekei Beniamein neōteros en ekstasei, archontes Iouda hēgemones autōn’ archontes Zaboulōn, archontes Nephthaleim. » “Hote de emellon ou monoi klēthēsesthai kata kairous hoi thespesioi mathētai, alla gar kai hai tōn ethnōn agen lai, katamēnyei legōn kai hoi loipoi hoi tēn paralion kai peran tou Iordanon, Galilaia tōn ethnōn, ho laos ho porenomenos en skotei phōs ide mega. Hoi katoikountes en chōrą kai skią thanaton, phōs lampsei eph᾽ hymas. Edadizon gar hōsper hoi ex ethnōn, kai dietrithon en tǭde tǭ kosmǭ " kathaper hoi en nykti kai en skotǭ, dia toi to phōs ouk echein eis noun kę̄?
… the blessed evangelist, in his explanation, first brings Jesus into the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali. Then he adds clearly in what way he made the holy apostles his chosen ones. He writes thus about Christ: “And leaving Nazareth he came and dwelt in Capernaum by the sea, in the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what was spoken through Isaiah might be fulfilled, saying: Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations, the people sitting in darkness [saw] a great light, and for those sitting in the land and shadow of death, light has dawned on them.” And he adds to these: “Walking by the sea of Galilee he saw two brothers, Simon who is called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them: Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they immediately left the nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. And they immediately left the boat and their father and followed him.” It should be known that the sacred Scripture calls the lake of Tiberias the sea of Galilee; there the divine disciples were found plying the craft of fishermen. The God of all, then, speaks the words through the prophet's voice for the present as to the districts or the cities of the tribe of Zebulun and Naphtali, which lay beside the lake of Tiberias; and, as it were, giving them the cup of salvation and offering the wine that gladdens the heart of man, plainly the preaching about Christ, he says: “Drink this first, act quickly,” that is: O land of Zebulun and Naphtali, receive the saving preaching. But do it quickly, that is, without any delay. And the disciples, as I said, were swift and went very readily to believe in Christ; for they followed at once, leaving the nets and their father, and they needed no long initiation. For they heard, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men,” and they followed him. In the same way [we find] others of the holy apostles also called and having made the word of initiation into Christ [their own]. For John writes about Christ, the Saviour of us all: “The next day he wished to go out into Galilee; and he finds Philip, and Jesus says to him: Follow me. Now Philip was from Bethsaida, of the country of Andrew and Peter. Philip finds Nathanael and says to him: We have found him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote, Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth.” And when he came to Jesus and then heard him say, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you,” he believed at once … “[You are] the Son of God, you are the King of Israel.” And Bethsaida again, from which Philip was, … The blessed David too recalls the declaration of the disciples, and says: “There is Benjamin the youngest in ecstasy, rulers of Judah their leaders, rulers of Zebulun, rulers of Naphtali.” And that not the divine disciples alone would be called in their time, but also the flocks of the nations, he shows by saying: “And the rest who inhabit the coast and beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations, the people walking in darkness, see a great light; you who dwell in the land and shadow of death, light will shine on you.” For they walked like those from the nations and spent their time in this world like those in night and darkness, because they did not have the light in their mind …
Matt 4:13 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 4:14 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 4:15 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 4:16 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 4:18 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 4:19 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 4:20 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 4:21 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 4:22 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 116:13 (115:4 LXX) (allusion, medium confidence) · Ps 104:15 (103:15 LXX) (allusion, medium confidence) · Isa 9:1 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 9:2 (quotation, high confidence) · John 1:43 (quotation, high confidence) · John 1:44 (quotation, high confidence) · John 1:45 (quotation, high confidence) · John 1:48 (quotation, high confidence) · John 1:49 (quotation, high confidence) · Ps 68:27 (67:28 LXX) (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Cyril shows from Matthew and John that Isa 9:1–2 was fulfilled when Jesus settled in Capernaum and called the Galilean fishermen and Philip and Nathanael, and that the light reaches the nations as well.
- The section begins with a run of Migne's Latin read as Greek letters (removed). Quotations: Matt 4:13–22; John 1:43–49; Ps 116:13 (LXX 115:4) recalled (“cup of salvation”); Ps 104:15 (LXX 103:15) recalled; Ps 68:27 (LXX 67:28); Isa 9:1–2. Further runs of Latin and marginal references have 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): Ιοῃ οἱ Νορμε αι Τί ον. δίασιο διἤὔδοδγα, οἱ ἐμ ἰδ φοιεί) δ! σοι! γα, ἢ81) ἀἰίεγα 681 ἴῃ → ; δι}. τιν, 15-11. "191. 5861 πὰ το υγὶβ, ἰασθιν νἱ ἀΐς νά φηδιι, οἱ βαϊ μεῖς ροουΐιν ἱσεραγείαγ, εἰ νίπαπι ῥτορίηδι → ; ἀΐεθηβ : ε« ΒΑῦδϊ, τ) 68 ΕἸ 6 οὶ, τὰ 68 τὸσ - → ; ΠΟΓΠΙΔ5 ἐπη 128}, δἰ σιδηίυπι 86 βϑι} δἰ οἰ υυυ - → … .
Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Comm. Isa. 1.5.18 (PG 70; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-isaiam/1-5-18). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-isaiam/1-5-18
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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.
1.5.19PG 70
ἀληθοῦς θεογνωσίας, πίπτειν δὲ ὥσπερ κατὰ βόθρου σραντός " καὶ οἷά τις λίθῳ παντὶ προσπταίειν κακῷ. Κατοικεῖν δὲ αὐτοὺς ἐν χώρᾷ καὶ σκιᾷ θανάτου φησὶν, διὰ τὸ εἶναι παρ᾽ αὐτοῖς, ἤγουν ἐν ταὶς αὐτῶν χώραις, ἕτερον οὐδὲν, πλὴν ὅτι μόνην ἀχλὺν καὶ σκότον, «τὸν γοητὸν δηλονότι, εἶναι δὲ ὥσπερ ἐν ὁμοιώσει: τῶν πεθνεώτων, καίτοι ζῷντας ἔτι. Ἢ μὲν γὰρ τῶν σων ϑάτων σκιὰ μιμεῖται πάντως αὑτῶν τὰ σχήματα, παρᾳλλάξτει δὲ ὅλως κατ᾽ οὐδένα τρόπον, ὅδον ἧκεν εἰς ἐμφέρειαν τὴν ὡς ἂν σχήματι λέγω᾽ τὸν δέ γε Θεὸν οὐκ εἰδέναι τὸν φύσει καὶ ἀληθῶς, μίμημά πώς ἔστι καὶ σκιὰ θανάτου. ᾿Αλλὰ τοῖς ἐκεῖνα νενοσηχόσι φῶς ἐπέλαμψε, μετὰ τὸ παρὰ Χριστοῦ δηλονότι, καὶ πὸ θέσπισμα τὸ εὐαγγελικόν. Ἐκεῖθεν γέγονε τὸ πλεῖστον τοῦ λαοῦ, ὃν κατήγαγες ἐν τῇ εὐφροτύνῃ σου. Πλείους γὰρ λίαν οἱ ἐξ ἐθνῶν κεκλημένοι παρὰ τοὺς πιστεύσαντας ἐξ Ἰσραήλ. Οὐκοῦν φῶς εἶδε, φησὶ, μέγα, τὸ πλεῖστον τοῦ λαοῦ, ὃ κατήγαγες ἐν εὐφροσύνῃ σου. Τὸ δὲ Κατήγαγες, ἀντὶ τοῦ, ᾿Ανεχαλέαω, τέθεικεν, καὶ Ἐλυτρώσω, καθάπερ αἰχμαλώποὺς ἐκ πλεονεξίας διαδολιχῆς γεγενημένους. ε Οὗτοι εὐφρανθήσονται ἐνώπιόν σον, ὡς οἱ εὐφραινόμενοι ἐν ἀμητῷ " καὶ ὃν τρόπον οἱ διαιρούμενοι τὰ σκύλα. ν Νοήσομεν δὲ διχῆ τῶν προκειμένων τὴν δήλωσιν. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ εἶεν οἱ θεσπέσιοι μαθηταὶ οἱ εὐφραινόμενοι ἐν ἀμητῷ, καὶ διαιρούμενοι σκύλα, φαμὲν ὅτι τοὺς ἐξ ἐθνῶν συλλέγοντες καθάπερ τινὰ σῖτον εἰς ἀπὸοθήχην δεσποτικὴν, καὶ τῆς ἀρκαίας ἀποχείροντες πλάνης, εὐφραίνονται κατὰ τὸν ἶσον τρόπον τοῖς ἀμῶσιν ἐν ἀγροῖς, ἁρπάζοντες δὲ καθάπερ ἐκ τυραννικῆς πλεονεξίας τοὺς ἡπατημένους ὑπὸ τοῦ Σατανᾶ, καὶ μεθιστάντες διὰ τῆς πίστεω; εἰς εὐσέδειαν, καίρουσιν ὡς οἱ διαιρούμενοι τὰ σκύλα. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ τούτους, οἱ δὲ ἐκείνους ἔπειθον - καὶ ἑκάστῳ κέρδος οἱ σεσωσμένοι, καθάπερ τοῖς νενιχηχόσι τὰ ἐκ τοῦ πολέμου σκύλα, Εἰ δὲ δὴ περὶ τῶν πεπιστευκότων εἰρῇσθαι λέγοι ταυτὶ, ἐννοήσωμεν, ὅτι κατὰ τὸν τοῦ πλανᾶσθαι καιρὸν, καρπὸν οὐδένα δικαιοσύνης ἔχοντες, πεπλουτήχασι τοῦτον πεπιστευχότε; εἰς Χριστόν. ᾿Αλλὰ καὶ πάλαι πορθούμενοι καὶ διαρπάξομενοι παρά τε πὧν δαιμονίων καὶ τοῦ Σατανᾶ, νενικήκασι διὰ Χριστοῦ, τοὺς πάλαι σχυλεύοντας, καὶ κρείττους γεγόνασι τῆς ἐχείνων σκαιότητος, Οὐκοῦν εὐφραίνονιαι καὶ αὑτοὶ, καθά φησιν ὁ προφήτης, ὡς οἱ εὐφραινόμενοι ἐν ἀμητῷ, καὶ ὃν τρόπον οἱ διαιρούμενοι σκύλα,. Διόει ἀφαιρεθήσεται ὁ ζυγὸς ὁ ἐπ᾿ αὐτῶν κεὶμενος, καὶ ἡ ῥάδδος ἡ ἐπὶ τοῦ τραχήϊον αὑτῶν. Τὴν γὰρ ῥάδδον τῶν ἀπαιτούντων διεσκέδασε Κύριος ὡς τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ἐπὶ Μαδιάμ. Ἐλευθέρους ὄντας τοὺ; ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ κατ᾽ εἰκόνα τὴν θείαν εὖ μάλα πεποιημένους, ἐχτισμένους τε, καθά φησιν ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος, ἐπὶ ἔργοις ἀγαθοῖς, οἷς πρηητοίμασεν ὁ θεὸς, ἵνα ἐν αὐτοῖς περικατήσωμεν, πεπλεονέχτηχεν οὐ μετρίως ὁ τῆς ἄνομίας εὑρετὴς, καὶ τῆς εἰς Θεὸν ἀποστήσας ἀγάπης, ἰδίους ἐποιήσατο προσκυνητὰς, δυσδιάφυχτον αὐτοῖς ἑπαρτήσας τὸν τῆς ἁμαρτίας ζυγόν. Πεπραχότας «οἰνυν ἀθλίως, καὶ ἐν τούτοις ὄντας τοῖς κακοῖς, μάλιστα τοὺς ἐξ ἐθνῶν ἐῤῥύσατο Χριστὸς, καὶ πάλιν ἀπέφηνεν ἐλευθέρους. Ταύτῃ τοί φησιν" «᾿Αφαιρεθήσεται ὁ ζυγὸς ὁ ἐπ᾿ αὐτῶν κεΐμενος, καὶ ἡ ῥάδδος ἢ ἐαὶ τοῦ τραχήλου αὐτῶν. » Ῥάδδον δὲ οἶμαι, φησὶν, ἣ τὸ σκήπτρον, τοῦτ᾽ ἔστι, τὴν βασιλείαν, δῃλον δὲ ὅτι τὴν τοῦ Σατανᾶ͵ ἢ τάχα που τὴν ἀνάγκην, καὶ τὴν οἱονεὶ πληγήν τε καὶ μάστιγα. Συνέχει γὰρ ἡμᾶς εἰς τὸ οἰκεῖον θέλημα τὸ μιαρὸν καὶ βέθηλον τῶν δαιμογίων τὸ στίφος, καὶ ὁ τούτων ἡγούμενος ὁ Σατανᾶς, μονονουχὶ δάδδῳ χαταπαίων ταῖς; τῶν παθῶν δυναστείαις, ἃ ἐπιφέρει τῷ νῷ, καὶ χαταδιάζεται τὴν καρδίαν εἰς τὸ δρᾷν ἐθέλειν ἃ μὴ θέμις. ᾿Αποσείσονται τοίνυν, φησὶ, τὸν ἐκ πλεονεξίας ζυγὸν, καὶ μὴν καὶ τὴν ῥάδδον, ἣν ἐσχήκασιν ἀεὶ γατὰ τοῦ τραχήλου, καθάπερ οἰχέται ταῖς τοῦ δεσπότου πληγαῖς ὑποκείμενοι. Μέμνηται δὲ πάλιν ἱπτορίας κειμένης ἐν τῇ βίόλῳ τῶν Κριτῶν. Ἔστι δὲ αὕτη. Καταλελοιπότες γὰρ τὸν τῶν ὅλων Θεὸν οἱ ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ ἐν ταῖς τῶν Κριτῶν ἡμέραις, ἐτράποντο πρὸς ἀνοσιότητα τρόπων, καὶ λελυπηχότες οὐ μετρίως τὸν ἐπαμύνοντα Θεὸν, εἰδώλοις προσκείμενοι, καὶ τοῖς ἔργοις τῶν
alēthous theognōsias, piptein de hōsper kata bothrou srantos " kai hoia tis lithǭ panti prosptaiein kakǭ. Katoikein de autous en chōrą kai skią thanatou phēsin, dia to einai par᾽ autois, ēgoun en tais autōn chōrais, heteron ouden, plēn hoti monēn achlyn kai skoton, «ton goēton dēlonoti, einai de hōsper en homoiōsei: tōn pethneōtōn, kaitoi zǭntas eti. Ē men gar tōn sōn ϑatōn skia mimeitai pantōs hautōn ta schēmata, parąllaxtei de holōs kat᾽ oudena tropon, hodon hēken eis emphereian tēn hōs an schēmati legō᾽ ton de ge Theon ouk eidenai ton physei kai alēthōs, mimēma pōs esti kai skia thanatou. ᾿Alla tois ekeina nenosēchosi phōs epelampse, meta to para Christou dēlonoti, kai po thespisma to euangelikon. Ekeithen gegone to pleiston tou laou, hon katēgages en tę̄ euphrotynę̄ sou. Pleious gar lian hoi ex ethnōn keklēmenoi para tous pisteusantas ex Israēl. Oukoun phōs eide, phēsi, mega, to pleiston tou laou, ho katēgages en euphrosynę̄ sou. To de Katēgages, anti tou, ᾿Anechaleaō, tetheiken, kai Elytrōsō, kathaper aichmalōpous ek pleonexias diadolichēs gegenēmenous. e Houtoi euphranthēsontai enōpion son, hōs hoi euphrainomenoi en amētǭ " kai hon tropon hoi diairoumenoi ta skyla. n Noēsomen de dichē tōn prokeimenōn tēn dēlōsin. Ei men gar eien hoi thespesioi mathētai hoi euphrainomenoi en amētǭ, kai diairoumenoi skyla, phamen hoti tous ex ethnōn syllegontes kathaper tina siton eis apoothēchēn despotikēn, kai tēs arkaias apocheirontes planēs, euphrainontai kata ton ison tropon tois amōsin en agrois, harpazontes de kathaper ek tyrannikēs pleonexias tous hēpatēmenous hypo tou Satana, kai methistantes dia tēs pisteō? eis eusedeian, kairousin hōs hoi diairoumenoi ta skyla. Hoi men gar toutous, hoi de ekeinous epeithon - kai hekastǭ kerdos hoi sesōsmenoi, kathaper tois nenichēchosi ta ek tou polemou skyla, Ei de dē peri tōn pepisteukotōn eirę̄sthai legoi tauti, ennoēsōmen, hoti kata ton tou planasthai kairon, karpon oudena dikaiosynēs echontes, peploutēchasi touton pepisteuchote? eis Christon. ᾿Alla kai palai porthoumenoi kai diarpaxomenoi para te pōn daimoniōn kai tou Satana, nenikēkasi dia Christou, tous palai schyleuontas, kai kreittous gegonasi tēs echeinōn skaiotētos, Oukoun euphrainoniai kai hautoi, katha phēsin ho prophētēs, hōs hoi euphrainomenoi en amētǭ, kai hon tropon hoi diairoumenoi skyla,. Dioei aphairethēsetai ho zygos ho ep᾿ autōn keimenos, kai hē rhaddos hē epi tou trachēïon hautōn. Tēn gar rhaddon tōn apaitountōn dieskedase Kyrios hōs tę̄ hēmerą tę̄ epi Madiam. Eleutherous ontas tou? epi tēs gēs, kai kat᾽ eikona tēn theian eu mala pepoiēmenous, echtismenous te, katha phēsin ho makarios Paulos, epi ergois agathois, hois prēētoimasen ho theos, hina en autois perikatēsōmen, pepleonechtēchen ou metriōs ho tēs anomias heuretēs, kai tēs eis Theon apostēsas agapēs, idious epoiēsato proskynētas, dysdiaphychton autois hepartēsas ton tēs hamartias zygon. Peprachotas «oinyn athliōs, kai en toutois ontas tois kakois, malista tous ex ethnōn errhysato Christos, kai palin apephēnen eleutherous. Tautę̄ toi phēsin" «᾿Aphairethēsetai ho zygos ho ep᾿ autōn keïmenos, kai hē rhaddos ē eai tou trachēlou autōn. » Rhaddon de oimai, phēsin, hē to skēptron, tout᾽ esti, tēn basileian, dę̄lon de hoti tēn tou Satana͵ ē tacha pou tēn anankēn, kai tēn hoionei plēgēn te kai mastiga. Synechei gar hēmas eis to oikeion thelēma to miaron kai bethēlon tōn daimogiōn to stiphos, kai ho toutōn hēgoumenos ho Satanas, mononouchi daddǭ chatapaiōn tais? tōn pathōn dynasteiais, ha epipherei tǭ nǭ, kai chatadiazetai tēn kardian eis to drąn ethelein ha mē themis. ᾿Aposeisontai toinyn, phēsi, ton ek pleonexias zygon, kai mēn kai tēn rhaddon, hēn eschēkasin aei gata tou trachēlou, kathaper oichetai tais tou despotou plēgais hypokeimenoi. Memnētai de palin hiptorias keimenēs en tę̄ biolǭ tōn Kritōn. Esti de hautē. Kataleloipotes gar ton tōn holōn Theon hoi ex Israēl en tais tōn Kritōn hēmerais, etraponto pros anosiotēta tropōn, kai lelypēchotes ou metriōs ton epamynonta Theon, eidōlois proskeimenoi, kai tois ergois tōn
of the true knowledge of God, but fall as into a pit [in the dark], and stumble, as it were, on every evil as on a stone. He says that they dwell in the land and shadow of death because there was nothing among them, that is, in their countries, but only fog and darkness, plainly the spiritual kind, and they were as in the likeness of the dead, though still living. For the shadow of bodies wholly imitates their shapes and differs from them in no way, as far as likeness in shape, I mean, goes; and not to know the God who is God by nature and truly is in a way an imitation and shadow of death. But light shone on those sick with those things, plainly after [the coming] of Christ and the Gospel ordinance. From there came the greater part of the people which you brought down in your gladness. For those called from the nations are far more numerous than those who believed from Israel. So, he says, the greater part of the people saw a great light, “which you brought down in your gladness.” He put “you brought down” for “you called back” and “you redeemed,” as people who had become captives through the devil’s greed. “These will rejoice before you as those who rejoice in harvest, and as those who divide the spoils.” We shall understand what is meant here in two ways. If those who rejoice in harvest and divide the spoils are the divine disciples, we say that, gathering those from the nations like grain into the Master's storehouse and cutting them off from the ancient error, they rejoice in the same way as those who reap in the fields; and, snatching as from a tyrant's greed those deceived by Satan and moving them through faith to piety, they rejoice like those who divide the spoils. For some persuaded these, others those; and to each the saved were gain, as the spoils of war to the victors. But if one should say that this is said of those who have believed, let us consider that in the time of their wandering they had no fruit of righteousness, but became rich in it when they believed in Christ. And though of old they were sacked and plundered by the demons and Satan, through Christ they conquered those who of old despoiled them and became superior to their perversity. So they too rejoice, as the prophet says, as those who rejoice in harvest, and as those who divide spoils.
“Because the yoke lying on them will be taken away, and the rod on their neck; for the Lord has scattered the rod of the exactors as in the day of Midian.”
Those on earth were free, and very well made according to the divine image, created, as the blessed Paul says, for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them; but the inventor of lawlessness took no small advantage of them, and having turned them from love toward God, made them his own worshippers, hanging on them the yoke of sin, hard to escape. When they were faring wretchedly and were in these evils, Christ rescued above all those from the nations and made them free again. This is why he says: “The yoke lying on them will be taken away, and the rod on their neck.” By the rod I think he means either the sceptre, that is, the kingdom, plainly that of Satan, or perhaps the compulsion, and as it were the blow and the whip. For the foul and profane throng of demons, and Satan their leader, hold us fast to their own will, all but striking us with a rod through the tyranny of the passions which they bring upon the mind, and they force the heart to wish to do what is unlawful. They will shake off, then, he says, the yoke of greed, and also the rod which they always had on their neck, like servants subject to their master's blows. And again he recalls a history recorded in the book of Judges. It is this. Those of Israel in the days of the Judges abandoned the God of all and turned to unholy ways, and grieved not a little the God who helped them, devoting themselves to idols and to the works of
Isa 9:2 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 9:3 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 9:4 (quotation, high confidence) · Eph 2:10 (quotation, high confidence) · Judg 6:1 (allusion, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Cyril reads Isa 9:2–3 of the nations freed from the darkness of ignorance, rejoicing as at harvest and the dividing of spoils, and Isa 9:4 of Christ breaking Satan's yoke and rod, recalling Gideon's victory over Midian.
- The section begins mid-sentence. Lemma: Isa 9:4 (LXX 9:3). Quotations: Isa 9:2–3; Eph 2:10; Gen 1:26 recalled; Judg 6:1–6 recalled. Two runs of Migne's Latin read as Greek letters have been removed; a lost word is supplied in brackets.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Migne's Latin version read as Greek letters by the OCR; removed; OCR debris (Migne Latin column or marginal reference) removed): ηυρηγδάιϊούυνι ᾿ἱ ἀιΐ ἐν! αι 8ρο! 8. → ; ΡοΙΠι, οἱ φιπ ποι ᾿ἰσαὶ γος ἔασογθ. Εχοι ἴδῃ! τοιῖς θόπαι [5 γϑϑ 5 τοηιροτίθυ8. δυάϊοι πὶ, δὰ ἵπι-- Α → .
Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Comm. Isa. 1.5.19 (PG 70; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-isaiam/1-5-19). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-isaiam/1-5-19
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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.
1.5.20PG 70
ἰδίων χειρῶν προσάγοντες λατρείας. Ταύτῃ τοι δέζοντο γῆν, πόλεις τε καὶ κώμας διαρπάζοντες, καὶ τλὲν ἀγροῖς. Καὶ τοσοῦτον ἐνεποιήσαντο τοῖς ἀθλίοις τὸ δεῖμα, ὥστε καὶ πέτρας αὐτοὺς ἑλέσθαι κατοικεῖν, καὶ τὰ δύσδατα τῶν ὁρῶν, καὶ τὰς τῶν σπηλαίων περιεργάζεσθαι καταδύσεις, ἀγρίῳ τε καὶ μακρῷ χαταθλίδεσθαι λιμῷ. Κεχμηχότας δὲ οὐ μετρίως ἠλέει Θεὸς, εἶτα σέσωκεν αὐτοὺς διὰ χειρὸς Γεδεὼν, ὃς νενίκηκε τοὺς Μαδιηναίους, ἠλευθέρου τε τὸν Ἰσραὴλ τῆς ἐπηρτημένης αὑτοῖς ἀνάγκης καὶ ῥλύδου. Οὕτω τοίνυν διεσχέδασεν ὁ Κύριος τὴν τῶν ἀπαιτούντων ῥάθδον, ὡς τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ ἐπὶ Μαδίαμ. Ὡς γὰρ ἐῤῥύσατο τότε τοὺς ταῖς ἀφορήτοις πλεονοὕτω σέσωκε τοὺς ἐξ ἐθνῶν, τὴν τῶν ἀπαιτούντων ἐλάσας ῥάδδον. ᾿Απαιτοῦντας δέ φησιν, αὐτόν τε τὸν Σατανᾶν, καὶ τὰ δαιμόνια, οἷς ὁ σκοπὸς καὶ ἡ πᾶσα σπουδὴ, τὸ ἀπαιτεῖν ἀνθρώπους καθάπερ τινὰ δασμὸν, ἣ τέλος τὰς συνήθεις ἁμαρτίας. Ζητοῦσι γὰρ πάντως, ἀπὸ μὲν τοῦ πορνεύειν εἰωθότος τὴν πορὶὶ νείαν, ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ κλέπτειν τὴν χλεψίαν, “ἤγουν τὸ λωποδυτεῖν ἁπλῶς, καὶ ἐφ᾽ ἑκάστου τῶν ἐν πάθεσιν ὄντων, τὰ αὑτῷ συνήθη καὶ φίλα. Ὅθεν οἶμαι τὸ Γράμμα τὸ ἱερὸν μαχαρίξει τινὰς, ὡς μὴ ἀκούσαντας τὴν τοῦ φορολόγον φωνήν. ὍὌτ: πᾶσαν στολὴν ἐπισυνηγμένην δόλῳ, καὶ σιν, εἰ ἐγενήθησαν πυρίκαυστοι. Ὅτι παιδίον ἐγεγγήθη ἡμῖν υἱὸς, καὶ ἐδόθη ἡμῖν, οὗ ἡ ἀρχὴ ἐγεγγήθη ἐπὶ τοῦ ὥμου αὐτοῦ, καὶ καιϊεῖται ὄνομα αὐτοῦ μεγάλης βου.ϊῆς ἄγγειος. Ἐγὼ γὰρ ἄξω εἰρήνην ἐπὶ τοὺς ἄρχοντας, εἰρήνην καὶ ὑγίειαν αὐτῶν. Μεγάλη ἡ ἀρχὴ αὐτοῦ, καὶ τῆς εἰρήνης αὑτοῦ οὐκ ἔσται ὅριον" ἐπὶ τὸν θρόνον Δαδὶδ καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν αὑτοῦ, κατορθῶσαι αὖτήν. Καὶ ἀντιιαδέσθαι αὑτῆς, ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ, καὶ ἐν κρίματι, ἀπὸ τοῦ γῦν, καὶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα χρόνον" ὁ ζῆνος Κυρίου Σαδαὼθ πσιήσει ταῦτα. Κέκληται μὲν εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν τοῦ Ἐμμανουὴλ, διὰ τῶν ἁγίων ἀποστόλων τὸ κατάλειμμα τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ᾽ κέκληνται δὲ καὶ τὰ ἔθνη. Καὶ γοῦν ἔφασκεν" Χώρα Ζαδουλὼν καὶ γῇ Νεφθαλείμ." εἶτα τούτοις ἐπήγαγεν, Γαλιλαία τῶν ἐθνῶν ὁ λαὸς ὁ καθήμενος ἐν σκότει φῶς εἶδε μέγα, τὸ διὰ Χριστοῦ δηλονότι χαταφωτίζοντος νοητῶς, οὐκ ἕν ἔθνος ἔτι τὸ ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ, σύμπασαν δὲ μᾶλλον τὴν ὑπ᾽ οὐρανόν. "ὅτι ἔμελλον οἱ σασθαι τὸν ζυγὸν, διαφυγεῖν τε τὴν ῥάδδον, πεπλη. ροφόρηχε προτιθείς Διότι ἀφαιρεθήσεται ὁ ζυγὸς ὁ ἐπ᾽ αὐτῶν κείμενος, καὶ ἡ ῥάδδος ἣ ἐπὶ τοῦ τραχήλην αὑτῶν. ᾿Αλλ ὁρῶμεν ὅτι τοῖς μὲν τῇ κτίσει λελατρευχόσι καὶ τοῖς ἔργοις τῶν ἰδίων χειρῶν προτχεχ ")ὴ τοῖς γε μὴνἐξ Ἰσραὴλ τὸ τοῦ νόμον δυσδιαχόμιστον ἄχθος. καὶ δύσοιστον ἀληθῶς φορτίον. Καὶ γοῦν οἱ΄ μακάριοι μαθηταὶ, τοῖς μετὰ τὴν πίστιν ἀναπείθουσί τινας τὰ ἐν νόμῳ τηρεῖν ἐπετίμων λέγοντες" ε Καὶ γῦν τί πειράζετε τὸν Θεὸν ἐπιθεῖναι ζυγὸν ἐπὶ τὸν τράχηλον τῶν μαθητῶν, ὃν οὔτε ἡμεῖς, οὔτε οἱ πατέρὲς ἐμῶν ἰσχύσαμεν βαστάσαι; » Δυσφόρητος οὖν ἄγαν τοῖς ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ ὁ τοῦ νόμου ζυγός καὶ πρός γε τοῦτο τὸ ἔτι φορτιχώτερυν, ἡ τῶν Φαρισαίων" σχαιότῆς πέρα οὐ μετρίως συνθραύουσα ταῖς ἀπληστίαις. ᾿Ερασιχρήματοι γὰρ οἱ τῆς Ἰουδαίων σὺναγωγηφὴγούμενοι, καὶ σκοπὸν ἔχοντες ἕνα τὸ πανταχόθεν συλλέγειν, καὶ χαταθδιάζεσθαι τοὺς ὑπὸ χεῖρα λαούς. Οὐκοῦν πρέποι ἂν καὶ μάλα ὀρθῶς καὶ περί γε τῶν ἐξ Ἰσραήλ’ ε Ὅτι ἀφαιρεθήσεται ὅ ζυγὸς ὁ ἐπ' αὐτῶν κείμενος, καὶ ἣ ῥάδδος ἢ ἐπὶ τοῦ τραχήλου αὐτῶν. » Ῥάδδον δὲ κατὰ τὸ εἰκὸς, τὴν ἐκ τῶν ἡγουμένων ὀνομάζει πλεονεξίαν, διάτοι τὸ ἀπονεῦσαι δεινῶς εἰς φιλοχερδίας. Ταύτης ἕνεκα τῆς αἰτίας, οἱ δείλαιοι, καὶ αὐτὸν ἀπεχτόνασι τὸν Υἱόν. Καίτοι γὰρ ἰδόντες ὅτι αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ κληρονόμος εἶπαν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς, φησίν" ε« Δεῦτε ἀποκτείνωμεν αὐτὸν, καὶ σχῶμεν ἑαυτοῖς τὴν κληρονομίαν αὐτοῦ. » “Ὅτι τοίνυν δυσσεδῆ καὶ ἀνόσιον ἔχοντες τὸν ἐπὶ τῷδε σκοπὸν, ἥδιστα ἂν τῶν ὄντων αὐτοῖς ἀπάντων ὑπέμειναν τὴν ζημίαν. Ἢ ἴδον ἐπιλάμψαντα τῷ κόσμῳ τὸν Ἐμμανουὴλ, ὑπεμφαίνε: λέγων" « Ὅτι πᾶσαν στολὴν ἐπισυνηγμένην δόλῳ, καὶ ἱμάτιον μετὰ καταλλαγῆς, ἀποτίσουσι, καὶ θελήσουσιν εἰ ἐγενήθησαν πυρίκαν-
idiōn cheirōn prosagontes latreias. Tautę̄ toi dezonto gēn, poleis te kai kōmas diarpazontes, kai tlen agrois. Kai tosouton enepoiēsanto tois athliois to deima, hōste kai petras autous helesthai katoikein, kai ta dysdata tōn horōn, kai tas tōn spēlaiōn periergazesthai katadyseis, agriǭ te kai makrǭ chatathlidesthai limǭ. Kechmēchotas de ou metriōs ēleei Theos, eita sesōken autous dia cheiros Gedeōn, hos nenikēke tous Madiēnaious, ēleutherou te ton Israēl tēs epērtēmenēs hautois anankēs kai rhlydou. Houtō toinyn dieschedasen ho Kyrios tēn tōn apaitountōn rhathdon, hōs tę̄ hēmerą tę̄ epi Madiam. Hōs gar errhysato tote tous tais aphorētois pleonoutō sesōke tous ex ethnōn, tēn tōn apaitountōn elasas rhaddon. ᾿Apaitountas de phēsin, auton te ton Satanan, kai ta daimonia, hois ho skopos kai hē pasa spoudē, to apaitein anthrōpous kathaper tina dasmon, hē telos tas synētheis hamartias. Zētousi gar pantōs, apo men tou porneuein eiōthotos tēn porii neian, apo de tou kleptein tēn chlepsian, “ēgoun to lōpodytein haplōs, kai eph᾽ hekastou tōn en pathesin ontōn, ta hautǭ synēthē kai phila. Hothen oimai to Gramma to hieron macharixei tinas, hōs mē akousantas tēn tou phorologon phōnēn. HoOt: pasan stolēn episynēgmenēn dolǭ, kai sin, ei egenēthēsan pyrikaustoi. Hoti paidion egengēthē hēmin huios, kai edothē hēmin, hou hē archē egengēthē epi tou hōmou autou, kai kaiïeitai onoma autou megalēs bou.ïēs angeios. Egō gar axō eirēnēn epi tous archontas, eirēnēn kai hygieian autōn. Megalē hē archē autou, kai tēs eirēnēs hautou ouk estai horion" epi ton thronon Dadid kai tēn basileian hautou, katorthōsai autēn. Kai antiiadesthai hautēs, en dikaiosynę̄, kai en krimati, apo tou gyn, kai eis ton aiōna chronon" ho zēnos Kyriou Sadaōth psiēsei tauta. Keklētai men eis epignōsin tou Emmanouēl, dia tōn hagiōn apostolōn to kataleimma tou Israēl᾽ keklēntai de kai ta ethnē. Kai goun ephasken" Chōra Zadoulōn kai gę̄ Nephthaleim." eita toutois epēgagen, Galilaia tōn ethnōn ho laos ho kathēmenos en skotei phōs eide mega, to dia Christou dēlonoti chataphōtizontos noētōs, ouk hen ethnos eti to ex Israēl, sympasan de mallon tēn hyp᾽ ouranon. "hoti emellon hoi sasthai ton zygon, diaphygein te tēn rhaddon, peplē. rophorēche protitheis Dioti aphairethēsetai ho zygos ho ep᾽ autōn keimenos, kai hē rhaddos hē epi tou trachēlēn hautōn. ᾿All horōmen hoti tois men tę̄ ktisei lelatreuchosi kai tois ergois tōn idiōn cheirōn protchech ")ē tois ge mēnex Israēl to tou nomon dysdiachomiston achthos. kai dysoiston alēthōs phortion. Kai goun hoi΄ makarioi mathētai, tois meta tēn pistin anapeithousi tinas ta en nomǭ tērein epetimōn legontes" e Kai gyn ti peirazete ton Theon epitheinai zygon epi ton trachēlon tōn mathētōn, hon oute hēmeis, oute hoi pateres emōn ischysamen bastasai? » Dysphorētos oun agan tois ex Israēl ho tou nomou zygos kai pros ge touto to eti phortichōteryn, hē tōn Pharisaiōn" schaiotēs pera ou metriōs synthrauousa tais aplēstiais. ᾿Erasichrēmatoi gar hoi tēs Ioudaiōn synagōgēphēgoumenoi, kai skopon echontes hena to pantachothen syllegein, kai chatathdiazesthai tous hypo cheira laous. Oukoun prepoi an kai mala orthōs kai peri ge tōn ex Israēl’ e Hoti aphairethēsetai ho zygos ho ep' autōn keimenos, kai hē rhaddos ē epi tou trachēlou autōn. » Rhaddon de kata to eikos, tēn ek tōn hēgoumenōn onomazei pleonexian, diatoi to aponeusai deinōs eis philocherdias. Tautēs heneka tēs aitias, hoi deilaioi, kai auton apechtonasi ton Huion. Kaitoi gar idontes hoti autos estin ho klēronomos eipan en heautois, phēsin" e« Deute apokteinōmen auton, kai schōmen heautois tēn klēronomian autou. » “Hoti toinyn dyssedē kai anosion echontes ton epi tǭde skopon, hēdista an tōn ontōn autois apantōn hypemeinan tēn zēmian. Ē idon epilampsanta tǭ kosmǭ ton Emmanouēl, hypemphaine: legōn" « Hoti pasan stolēn episynēgmenēn dolǭ, kai himation meta katallagēs, apotisousi, kai thelēsousin ei egenēthēsan pyrikan-
their own hands. This is why [the Midianites] … the land, plundering cities and villages, and … in the fields. And they put such fear into the wretches that they chose to live in rocks and the impassable parts of the mountains, to busy themselves with hiding in caves, and to be worn down by a savage and long famine. But God pitied them, worn out not a little, and then saved them by the hand of Gideon, who conquered the Midianites and freed Israel from the compulsion and the rod that hung over them. So, then, the Lord scattered the rod of the exactors as in the day of Midian. For as he rescued then those [pressed] by unbearable greed, so he saved those from the nations, driving away the rod of the exactors. By exactors he means Satan himself and the demons, whose aim and whole zeal is to exact from men, like a tribute or tax, their customary sins. For they surely seek sexual immorality from one used to fornicating, theft, or simply robbery, from the thief, and from each of those in passions what is customary and dear to him. Hence, I think, the sacred Scripture calls some blessed as not having heard the voice of the tax collector.
“For every garment gathered by deceit, and clothing with exchange, they will repay, and they will wish that they had been burned with fire. For a child was born to us, a son, and was given to us, whose rule was upon his shoulder; and his name is called Angel of great counsel; for I will bring peace upon the rulers, peace and health to him. Great is his rule, and of his peace there will be no bound, upon the throne of David and his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it in righteousness and in judgement, from now and for ever. The zeal of the Lord Sabaoth will do these things.”
The remnant of Israel has been called through the holy apostles to the knowledge of Emmanuel; and the nations too have been called. Indeed he said: “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,” and then added to these: “Galilee of the nations, the people sitting in darkness saw a great light,” plainly the light of Christ who enlightens spiritually, no longer the one nation of Israel only but rather the whole world under heaven. That they would [shake off] the yoke and escape the rod, he assured them by setting down beforehand: “Because the yoke lying on them will be taken away, and the rod on their neck.” But we see that for those who worshipped the creation and [bowed down] to the works of their own hands … and for those of Israel the burden of the law was hard to carry and truly an unbearable load. Indeed the blessed disciples rebuked those who after faith were persuading some to keep what is in the law, saying: “Now, then, why do you put God to the test by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples, which neither we nor our fathers were able to bear?” The yoke of the law, then, was very hard to bear for those of Israel; and besides this, still more burdensome, was the perversity of the Pharisees … crushing them not a little by their greed. For the leaders of the synagogue of the Jews were lovers of money, having one aim, to collect from every side and to oppress the peoples under their hand. So it would very rightly fit those of Israel too: “Because the yoke lying on them will be taken away, and the rod on their neck.” By the rod he probably names the greed of their leaders, because they had turned terribly to love of gain. For this reason the wretches killed even the Son himself. For when they saw that he was the heir, they said among themselves, it says: “Come, let us kill him, and let us have his inheritance.” That, then, having such an impious and unholy aim in this, they would most gladly have endured the loss of all they had rather than see Emmanuel shine upon the world, he indicates by saying: “For every garment gathered by deceit, and clothing with exchange, they will repay, and they will wish that they had been burned
Judg 6:2 (allusion, high confidence) · Judg 7:22 (allusion, medium confidence) · Isa 9:4 (quotation, high confidence) · Job 3:18 (allusion, medium confidence) · Isa 9:5 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 9:6 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 9:7 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 9:1 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 9:2 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 1:25 (allusion, medium confidence) · Acts 15:10 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 21:38 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Cyril recounts Gideon's deliverance from Midian as a figure of Christ's freeing the nations from the demons who exact sins as tribute, and also of freeing Israel from the yoke of the law and the greed of its leaders; then he gives the lemma of Isa 9:5–7.
- Lemma: Isa 9:5–7 (LXX 9:4–6). Quotations and references: Judg 6:2–6, 11–7:25 recalled; Job 3:18 (LXX, “the voice of the tax collector”); Isa 9:1–2, 4; Rom 1:25 recalled; Acts 15:10; Matt 21:38. πορνεία is rendered “sexual immorality.” Cyril's charges against the Pharisees and the Jewish leaders are translated as written. Two runs of Migne's Latin read as Greek letters have 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): Ἰσοιεῖα ᾿ασ6 πο βου πὶ ᾿5γϑο ἴσαι 8 ηιν 56 Το! πὶ εοἷ ον δοτιημη. Αἰομΐῖμι νἐ διν 5. 15. (1} ογθαιυγ βοῦς- → ; Αἰ μοϑι 1 δΆ, Πάοπι δ Ιορο! απ Οὔὐβογυδιοπθηι → .
Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Comm. Isa. 1.5.20 (PG 70; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-isaiam/1-5-20). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-isaiam/1-5-20
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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.
1.5.21PG 70
στοι. Ὅτι παιδίον ἐγεννήθη ἡμῖν υἱὸς καὶ ἐδόθη ἡμῖν.» Ἐκ δόλου μὲν γὰρ καὶ ἀπάτης, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ κρίνειν ο οὐκ ὀρθῶς, τὴν τῶν χρημάτων ἄθροισιν ἐποιήσαντο, φησίν" ἀλλ᾽ ἡδὺ καὶ φίλον αὐτοῖ;, καὶ μέχρι αὐτῆς τῆς περιστολῆς καὶ τῶν ἱματίων μετὰ καταλλαγῆς, τοῦτ᾽ ἔστι, μετὰ προσθήκης, ἀποπέμψασθαι καὶ ἀποδαλεῖν, μᾶλλον δέ φησιν ἠθέλησαν χαταφλεχθῇναι καὶ πυρὶ, δυσφοροῦντες ἄγαν, ὅτι παιδίον ἐγεννήθη ἡμῖν νἱός. Πεπιστευμένοι γὰρ τὸν δεσποτικὸν ἀμπελῶνα, τοὺς καρποὺς ἠθέλησαν ἔχειν αὐτοὶ καὶ μόνοι, προσκομίζοντες τῷ δεσπότῃ τὸ σύμπαν οὐδέν, Παιδίον δὲ λέγων γεγεννῇσθαι, διελέγχει σαφῶς τῆς τῶν Μανικαίων δόξης τὸ ἀδρανὲς, οἱ παραιτοῦν ται λέγειν, ὅτι γέγονε τὰρξ ὁ Λόγος " τοῦτ᾽ ἔστ', τὴν ἡμῶν πεφόρηχε σάρκα δι᾿ ἡμᾶς οἱχυνομιχῶς. ᾿Αλλ᾽ εἰ βούλονται φρονεῖν ὀρθῶς, καὶ τῆς ἑαυτῶν δυσδουλίας καταψηφίζεσθαι, μὴ ἀτιμαζέτωσαν τὰς τοῦ προφήτου φωνὰς, παιδίον ἡμῖν γεγεννῆσθαι λέγοντος. Ὅπου γὰρ τόκος ἐκ γυναικὸς ἀληθῶς, ποῖον ἂν ἔχει τόπον τὸ δοκήσει καὶ σκιᾷ, καὶ ὡς ἐν μόναις εἰπεῖν φαντασίαις γεγενῆσθαι τὴν ἐπιδημίαν; πλὴν ἡμῖν δεδόσθαι φησὶ τὸν υἱόν. Γέγονε γὰρ ἄνθρωπος ὁ μονογενὴς τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος οὐ δι᾽ ἑαυτὸν, ἀναχκαινιῶν δὲ μᾶλλον τὰ καθ᾽ ἡμᾶς εἰς τὸ ἀπ᾽ ἀρχῆς, καὶ τῆς ἀπάντων ζωῆς ἀντῇλντρον, τὸ ἴδιον σῶμα προσχομιῶν εἰς ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Πατρί. Γεγενῆσθαι δέ φησι τὴν ἀρχὴν αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τοῦ ὥμου αὐτοῦ, καὶδοχεῖ μέν τισι τοιοῦτόν τι νοεῖν, Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ, φησὶν, ἑαυτῷ τὸν σταυρὸν εἰς ὥνμους ὄχων ὁ. Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς ὁ Χριστὸς, πρὸς τὸ σωτήριον εἴη πάθος, ὑψώθη δὲ καὶ κεκράτηκε τῆς ὑπ᾽ οὐρανὸν δι᾽ αὐτοῦ, ταύτῃ τοι καὶ γενέσθαι λέγεται ἡ ἀρχὴ αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τοῦ ὦμον αὑτοῦ ἱ “Ἔχει δὲ τὸ πιθανὸν ὁ λόγος, καὶ οὐκ ἀτιμαστέον τὴν ἔννοιαν ὀρθῶς ἔχουσαν, κἂν εἰ ἕλοιτό τις ἐπαινεῖν αὐτήν. “Ἕοικε δὲ τὸν ὦμον ὁ προφητικὸς ἡμῖν ἐν τούποις λόγος τὴν ἰσχὺν βούλεσθαι δηλοῦν. Πᾶσα γὰρ ἡμῶν ἰσχὺς ἐν βραχίοσί τε καὶ ὥμοις. Καὶ γοῦν εἴρῆται δεξιὰ καὶ βραχίων τοῦ θεηῦ καὶ Πατρὸς ὁ Υἱός.
stoi. Hoti paidion egennēthē hēmin huios kai edothē hēmin.» Ek dolou men gar kai apatēs, kai apo tou krinein o ouk orthōs, tēn tōn chrēmatōn athroisin epoiēsanto, phēsin" all᾽ hēdy kai philon autoi?, kai mechri autēs tēs peristolēs kai tōn himatiōn meta katallagēs, tout᾽ esti, meta prosthēkēs, apopempsasthai kai apodalein, mallon de phēsin ēthelēsan chataphlechthę̄nai kai pyri, dysphorountes agan, hoti paidion egennēthē hēmin nios. Pepisteumenoi gar ton despotikon ampelōna, tous karpous ēthelēsan echein autoi kai monoi, proskomizontes tǭ despotę̄ to sympan ouden, Paidion de legōn gegennę̄sthai, dielenchei saphōs tēs tōn Manikaiōn doxēs to adranes, hoi paraitoun tai legein, hoti gegone tarx ho Logos " tout᾽ est', tēn hēmōn pephorēche sarka di᾿ hēmas hoichynomichōs. ᾿All᾽ ei boulontai phronein orthōs, kai tēs heautōn dysdoulias katapsēphizesthai, mē atimazetōsan tas tou prophētou phōnas, paidion hēmin gegennēsthai legontos. Hopou gar tokos ek gynaikos alēthōs, poion an echei topon to dokēsei kai skią, kai hōs en monais eipein phantasiais gegenēsthai tēn epidēmian? plēn hēmin dedosthai phēsi ton huion. Gegone gar anthrōpos ho monogenēs tou Theou Logos ou di᾽ heauton, anachkainiōn de mallon ta kath᾽ hēmas eis to ap᾽ archēs, kai tēs apantōn zōēs antę̄lntron, to idion sōma proschomiōn eis osmēn euōdias tǭ Theǭ kai Patri. Gegenēsthai de phēsi tēn archēn autou epi tou hōmou autou, kaidochei men tisi toiouton ti noein, Epeidē gar, phēsin, heautǭ ton stauron eis hōnmous ochōn ho. Kyrios hēmōn Iēsous ho Christos, pros to sōtērion eiē pathos, hypsōthē de kai kekratēke tēs hyp᾽ ouranon di᾽ autou, tautę̄ toi kai genesthai legetai hē archē autou epi tou ōmon hautou hi “Echei de to pithanon ho logos, kai ouk atimasteon tēn ennoian orthōs echousan, kan ei heloito tis epainein autēn. “Heoike de ton ōmon ho prophētikos hēmin en toupois logos tēn ischyn boulesthai dēloun. Pasa gar hēmōn ischys en brachiosi te kai hōmois. Kai goun eirētai dexia kai brachiōn tou theēu kai Patros ho Huios.
with fire. For a child was born to us, a son, and was given to us.” For they amassed their money, he says, from deceit and fraud and from judging not rightly; but it was sweet and dear to them to send away and throw off even their very clothing and garments “with exchange,” that is, with an addition, or rather, he says, they wished to be burned up even with fire, being greatly vexed that “a child was born to us, a son.” For having been entrusted with the Master's vineyard, they wished to have the fruits themselves alone, bringing nothing at all to the Master. And by saying that a child was born, he clearly refutes the weakness of the opinion of the Manichaeans, who refuse to say that the Word became flesh, that is, bore our flesh for our sake by the dispensation. But if they wish to think rightly and to condemn their own ill counsel, let them not dishonour the words of the prophet, who says that a child was born to us. For where there is truly a birth from a woman, what place could there be for saying that the coming took place in seeming and shadow, and as in mere appearances? He says, moreover, that the son was given to us. For the only-begotten Word of God became man not for himself, but rather to renew our state to what it was at the beginning, and to offer his own body as a ransom for the life of all, for a fragrant odour to God the Father. He says that his rule came to be upon his shoulder. Some think something like this: since, they say, our Lord Jesus Christ, carrying the cross on his shoulders, [went] to the saving passion, and was lifted up and through it gained mastery over the world under heaven, for this reason his rule is said to have come to be upon his shoulder. The saying is persuasive, and a sense that is right should not be dishonoured, should anyone choose to praise it. But the prophetic word here seems to wish to indicate strength by the shoulder. For all our strength is in arms and shoulders. And indeed the Son is called the right hand and arm of God the Father.
Isa 9:5 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 9:6 (quotation, high confidence) · Matt 21:33 (allusion, medium confidence) · John 1:14 (quotation, high confidence) · Mark 10:45 (allusion, medium confidence) · Eph 5:2 (allusion, medium confidence) · John 19:17 (allusion, high confidence) · John 12:32 (allusion, medium confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Cyril reads Isa 9:5–6 of the Jewish leaders' rage at the birth of the Son, refutes the Manichaean denial of Christ's real flesh from 'a child was born,' and explains 'rule upon his shoulder' as the cross or, preferably, as his strength.
- Quotations and references: Isa 9:5–6; Matt 21:33–41 recalled; John 1:14; Gal 4:4 recalled; Mark 10:45 and Eph 5:2 recalled; John 19:17; John 12:32 recalled. Cyril's polemic against the Manichaeans and the Jewish leaders is translated as written. A run of Migne's Latin and marginal references read as Greek letters has been removed.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Migne's Latin version read as Greek letters by the OCR; removed): δ Δί κν, 0. κ΄ Μά}. χα 58. τίββογιτη τη 8 αυὰ πιοαϊοονί ον, ἰπβϑιϊ Ὀ}}} οἱ.που ΐπ. » Εκ ἀο]ο δηΐπι οἱ ἔγααθθ, οἱ χ ἰβίψυυ Ὁ νοῦ πὶ δϑὶ δκ μ} Ὁ] 6 γ6, αυΐ Ἰοου8 6856 ρυλογὶῖ, βίοι! ἕν ἃ ργϊηοϊμίο, τοβίδυγαγαι, δὲ ἂἱ σπηΐαμι 48 ποπηι}}}5 ᾿μ αϑι νου φυϊάρίαιη π|6} Πα τα : Θυοξοῖιρ, ν᾽ θε]ῖςοι Πεἱ οἱ Ραιγῖκ, Αἰ θοίδι τυ δα 6 πὶ θιθπὶ δεΐπὶ εὐ ϑἷι ἤθους, νογυᾳ θοὶ Ἰοφιΐιν 3, ν Εἰ Β Νἤ μη 115 δἰ φαΐ θη φυπὶ δἰ θα μθηίθαν Ρᾳίγαπη δὲ θδιιπ → .
Topics: Christology, Heresy
Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Comm. Isa. 1.5.21 (PG 70; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-isaiam/1-5-21). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-isaiam/1-5-21
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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.
1.5.22PG 70
«Κύριε ν γὰρ, φησὶ, ε τί; ἐπίστευσε τῇ ἀκοῇ ἡμῶν; καὶ ὁ βραχίων Κυρίου τώνι ἀπεκαλύφθη;» Ἧρξε τοίνυν τῆς ὁπ᾽ οὐρανὸν διὰ τῆς ἑχυτοῦ δυνάμεως ὁ Χριστός " ἰσχὺς γάρ ἐστι τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρός. Κέκληται δὲ καὶ μεγάλης βουλῇς Λγγελος, δῆλον δὲ ὅτι τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρός. Καὶ μαρτυρήσει λέγων ὁ σοφὸς Ἰωάννης περὶ αὐτοῦ" ε Ὁ λαμδάνων αὐτοῦ τὴν μαρτυρίαν ἐσφράγισεν ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς ἀληθής ἐστιν. Ὃν γὰρ ἀπἐστειλεν ὁ Θεὸς, τὰ ῥήματα τοῦ Θεοῦ λαλεῖ. » Καὶ αὖτὸς δέ πού φησι τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀποστόλοις" ε« Ὑμεῖς φίλοι μού ἐστε, ἐὰν ποιήσητε, ἃ ἐγὼ ἐντέλλομαι ὑμῖν. Οὐκέτι λέγω ὑμᾶς δούλους, ὅτι ὁ δοῦλος οὐκ οἷδε τέ ποιεῖ αὑτοῦ ὁ Κύριος. ᾽Υμᾶς δὲ εἴρηκα φίλους, ὅτι πάντα ἃ ἤκουσα παρὰ τοῦ Πατρός μου, ἐγνώρισα ὑμῖν. Μεγάλης οὖν ἄρα βουλῆς ἄγγελον ταύτης τε ἕνεκα τῆς αἰτίας ὀνομάζει τὸν Ἐμμανουήλ. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ γέγονεν ἄνθρωπος, αὐτός τε ἀνετίθει τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Πατρὶ, τὴν ἐφ᾽ ἅπασι τοῖς παρ᾽ αὐτοῦ δρωμένοις ἐνέργειάν τε καὶ δύναμιν, καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ διὰ τούτων ἡμῖν ὁ Θεὸς καὶ Πατὴρ, αὐτὸ δὴ τοῦτο παραδηλοῖ λέγων᾽ Ἐγὼ γὰρ ἄξω εἰρήνην ἐπὶ τοὺς ἄρχοντας εἰρήνὴν καὶ ὑγίειαν αὐτῶν. Τὴν μὲν οὖσαν εἰρήνην τοῖς ἁγίοι; ἀποστόλοις, ὡς ἰδίαν ἐδίδου Χριστός. "Ἔστι γὰρ αὐτοῦ πάντα τὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς, καὶ δὴ καὶ ἔφασκεν᾿ « Εἰρήνην τὴν ἐμὴν δίδωμι ὑμῖν " εἰρήνην τὴν ἐμὴν ἀφίημι ὑμῖν. » Εἰ δὲ δὴ λέγοιτο καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Ἐμμανουὴλ εἰρήνην καὶ ὑγίειαν λαύεζν, νόει μὲν πάλιν τῆς μετὰ σαρκὸς οἰκονομίας τὸ εὐτεχνές. Ἐδέχετο γὰρ εἰρήνην τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ κόσμου δηλονότι, προσἄγοντος αὑτῷ σύμπαντας τοῦ Πατρὸς, καὶ εἰρηνευτιῖν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀναπείθοντος, διά γε τοῦ προσκυνεῖν αὐτῷ, καὶ τὸν τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ δέχεσθαι ζυγόν. « Οὐὺδεὶς γὰρ δύνατα:, ν φησὶν, « ἐλθεῖν πρὸς μὲ, ἐὰν μὴ ὁ Πατὴρ ὁ πέμψας με ἑλκύσῃ αὐτόν. » Προσαναχεχράγει δέ πον καὶ ὁ σοφὸς ᾿Ησαΐας" « Ποιήσωμεν εἰρήνην αὐτῷ, ποιήσωμεν εἰρήνην οἱ ἐρχόμενοι. » Δέχεται μὲν οὖν τὴν εἰρήνην παρὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς, κατὸ τόνδε τὸν τρόπον, ὡς ἔφην. ᾿Ακηκόαμεν γὰραὐτοῦ λέγοντος πρὸς τὸν ἐν τοῖς; οὐρανοῖς Πατέρα καὶ Υἱόν " ε Οὖὗς δέδωκάς μοι ἐκ τοῦ κόσμον, σοὶ ἧ σαν, καὶ ἐμοὶ αὐτοὺς ἔδωκας. » Δέχεται δὲ καὶ ὑγίειαν, τοῦτ᾽ ἔστι, τὴν ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναδίωσιν, Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἀσθενῆσαι λέγεται βραχὺ, διά τοι τὸ ἐφεῖναι τῇ ἰδίᾳ σαρκὶ χάριτι Θεοῦ ὑπὲρ πάντων γεύσασθαι θανάτου, δέχεται τὴν ὑγίειαν, τοῦτ᾽ ἔστι, τὴν ἀναδίωσιν, καὶ τοῦτο πάλιν ἐνεργήσας αὐτός. Βγειρι γὰρ τὸν ἑαυτοῦ ναὸν, αὖτὸς ὑπάρχων ἢ δύγαμις τοῦ Πατρός. Εἰ γὰρ αὐτός ἐστιν ἡ ἀνάστασις, καὶ ἡ ζωὴ, τίνος ἂν ἐδεήθη πρὸς α ζωοποίησιν ἡ ζωή; Καὶ εἰ τὰ τῶν ἑτέρων ἐγηγερχὼς ὁρᾶται πώματα δυνάμει πάλιν ἰδίᾳ, πῶς ἂν οὐκ ἀνἐστησε καὶ πρό γε τῶν ἄλλων τὸ ἴδιόν; Καίτοι, φησὶ, πρὸς Ἰουδαίους αὐτός " ε« Λύσατε τὸν ναὸν τοῦτον, καὶ ἐν τρισὶν ἡμέραις ἐγερῶ αὐτόν. » Ὅτι γὰρ ἀκλόνητος ἢ βασιλεία τοῦ Χριστοῦ καὶ τὸ ἐρηρεϊσμένον ἔχουσα διὰ παντὸς διδάσκει, λέγων. ε Μεγάλη ἡ ἀρχὴ ᾿ αὐτοῦ, καὶ τῆς εἰρήνης αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἔστιν ὄριον. » ἯἯρξε γὰρ οὐκέτι μόνης τῆς Ἰουδαίας, ἁπάσης δὲ μᾶλλον τῆς ὑπ᾽ οὐρανόν. Καὶ τέλος οὐκ ἔσται τῆς παρ᾽ ἡμῶν προσφερομένης αὐτῷ εἰρήνης. Εἰρηνεύομὲν γὰῤ πρὸς αὑτὸν, αὐτῷ προσκυνοῦμεν, ὡς ἔφην, καὶ δι᾽ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Πατρί. Καὶ τὴν τοῦ πολέμου πρόξενον ἁμαρτίαν ἐκ μέσου ποιεῖν, σπουδάζοντες. Ὅτι δὲ ἀφίκετο τὸ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἐλευθερώσων ἔθνος, διδάσκει προτιθείς " ε Ἐπὶ τὸν θρόνον Δαδὶδ, καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτοῦ κατορθῶσαι αὐτὴν" καὶ ἀντιλαβέσθαι αὐτῆς ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ, καὶ ἐν κρίματι, ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν καὶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα χρόνον.» Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἀποχρώντως ἡμῖν τὸν περί γε τοῦ Ἔμμανουνλ ἐποιήσατο λόγον ὁ μακάριος προφήτης «ἣςς ἐνανθρωπήσεως τὸν καιρὸν ἀποδίδωσι, λέγων" « Ὃ ζτλος Κυρίου Σαδαὼθ ποιήσει ταῦτα. » Ποῖος δὲ ζῆλος καὶ ἐπὶ τίσιν ἀναγκαῖον εἰπεῖν. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ Δράκων ὁ ἀποστάτης ἥρπασϑβ τὴν ὑπ᾽ οὐρανὸν, καὶ τοῖς ἰδίοις ὑπέθηκε σχήπτροις τὸν κατ᾽ εἰκόνα Θεοῦ γενόμενον ἄνθρωπον. Ἧν οὖν ἄρα ζξήλου παντὸς ἄξιον ἀληϑῶς, καὶ πλεονεξίας ἀπάσης ἀνάμεστον τὸ καθ᾽ ἡμῶν γεγονὸς, ἡλευθέρωσε τοίνυν ὁ ζῆλος Κυρίου Σαδαὼθ τοὺς ἀνὰ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν. Καὶ κατ᾽ ἕτερον δὲ τρόπον, ἦν") παρεζήλωσαν αὐτὸν οἱ ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ ἐπ᾽ οὐ θεοῖς καθὰ γέγραπται, καὶ ἑν τοῖς ματαίοις αὐτῶν, καὶ τελευεῶντες ἐσταύρωσαν τὸν Ἐμμανουήλ. Παρεζηλώθησαν ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσι, καθά φησιν αὐτός" Αὐτοὶ παρεζήλωσάν με ἐπ᾽ οὐ θεοῖς. Παρώργισάν με ἐν τοῖς εἰδώλοις αὐτῶν, χἀγὼ παοαζηλώσω αὑτοὺς ἐπ᾽ οὐκ ἔθνει, ἐπ᾽ ἔθνει ἀσυνέτῳ παροργιὼ αὐτούς.
«Kyrie n gar, phēsi, e ti? episteuse tę̄ akoę̄ hēmōn? kai ho brachiōn Kyriou tōni apekalyphthē?» Hērxe toinyn tēs hop᾽ ouranon dia tēs hechytou dynameōs ho Christos " ischys gar esti tou Theou kai Patros. Keklētai de kai megalēs boulę̄s Lngelos, dēlon de hoti tou Theou kai Patros. Kai martyrēsei legōn ho sophos Iōannēs peri autou" e Ho lamdanōn autou tēn martyrian esphragisen hoti ho Theos alēthēs estin. Hon gar apesteilen ho Theos, ta rhēmata tou Theou lalei. » Kai autos de pou phēsi tois hagiois apostolois" e« Hymeis philoi mou este, ean poiēsēte, ha egō entellomai hymin. Ouketi legō hymas doulous, hoti ho doulos ouk hoide te poiei hautou ho Kyrios. ᾽Ymas de eirēka philous, hoti panta ha ēkousa para tou Patros mou, egnōrisa hymin. Megalēs oun ara boulēs angelon tautēs te heneka tēs aitias onomazei ton Emmanouēl. Epeidē de gegonen anthrōpos, autos te anetithei tǭ Theǭ kai Patri, tēn eph᾽ hapasi tois par᾽ autou drōmenois energeian te kai dynamin, kai autos de dia toutōn hēmin ho Theos kai Patēr, auto dē touto paradēloi legōn᾽ Egō gar axō eirēnēn epi tous archontas eirēnēn kai hygieian autōn. Tēn men ousan eirēnēn tois hagioi? apostolois, hōs idian edidou Christos. "Esti gar autou panta ta tou Patros, kai dē kai ephasken᾿ « Eirēnēn tēn emēn didōmi hymin " eirēnēn tēn emēn aphiēmi hymin. » Ei de dē legoito kai autos ho Emmanouēl eirēnēn kai hygieian lauezn, noei men palin tēs meta sarkos oikonomias to eutechnes. Edecheto gar eirēnēn tēn apo tou kosmou dēlonoti, prosagontos hautǭ sympantas tou Patros, kai eirēneutiin pros auton anapeithontos, dia ge tou proskynein autǭ, kai ton tēs basileias autou dechesthai zygon. « Ouydeis gar dynata:, n phēsin, « elthein pros me, ean mē ho Patēr ho pempsas me helkysę̄ auton. » Prosanachechragei de pon kai ho sophos ᾿Ēsaïas" « Poiēsōmen eirēnēn autǭ, poiēsōmen eirēnēn hoi erchomenoi. » Dechetai men oun tēn eirēnēn para tou Patros, kato tonde ton tropon, hōs ephēn. ᾿Akēkoamen garautou legontos pros ton en tois? ouranois Patera kai Huion " e Ouys dedōkas moi ek tou kosmon, soi hē san, kai emoi autous edōkas. » Dechetai de kai hygieian, tout᾽ esti, tēn ek nekrōn anadiōsin, Epeidē gar asthenēsai legetai brachy, dia toi to epheinai tę̄ idią sarki chariti Theou hyper pantōn geusasthai thanatou, dechetai tēn hygieian, tout᾽ esti, tēn anadiōsin, kai touto palin energēsas autos. Bgeiri gar ton heautou naon, autos hyparchōn ē dygamis tou Patros. Ei gar autos estin hē anastasis, kai hē zōē, tinos an edeēthē pros a zōopoiēsin hē zōē? Kai ei ta tōn heterōn egēgerchōs horatai pōmata dynamei palin idią, pōs an ouk anestēse kai pro ge tōn allōn to idion? Kaitoi, phēsi, pros Ioudaious autos " e« Lysate ton naon touton, kai en trisin hēmerais egerō auton. » Hoti gar aklonētos ē basileia tou Christou kai to erēreïsmenon echousa dia pantos didaskei, legōn. e Megalē hē archē ᾿ autou, kai tēs eirēnēs autou ouk estin orion. » HēĒrxe gar ouketi monēs tēs Ioudaias, hapasēs de mallon tēs hyp᾽ ouranon. Kai telos ouk estai tēs par᾽ hēmōn prospheromenēs autǭ eirēnēs. Eirēneuomen gar pros hauton, autǭ proskynoumen, hōs ephēn, kai di᾽ autou kai en autǭ tǭ Theǭ kai Patri. Kai tēn tou polemou proxenon hamartian ek mesou poiein, spoudazontes. Hoti de aphiketo to tōn Ioudaiōn eleutherōsōn ethnos, didaskei protitheis " e Epi ton thronon Dadid, kai epi tēn basileian autou katorthōsai autēn" kai antilabesthai autēs en dikaiosynę̄, kai en krimati, apo tou nyn kai eis ton aiōna chronon.» Epeidē de apochrōntōs hēmin ton peri ge tou Emmanounl epoiēsato logon ho makarios prophētēs «hēss enanthrōpēseōs ton kairon apodidōsi, legōn" « Ho ztlos Kyriou Sadaōth poiēsei tauta. » Poios de zēlos kai epi tisin anankaion eipein. Ho men gar Drakōn ho apostatēs hērpasϑb tēn hyp᾽ ouranon, kai tois idiois hypethēke schēptrois ton kat᾽ eikona Theou genomenon anthrōpon. Hēn oun ara zxēlou pantos axion alēϑōs, kai pleonexias apasēs anameston to kath᾽ hēmōn gegonos, hēleutherōse toinyn ho zēlos Kyriou Sadaōth tous ana pasan tēn gēn. Kai kat᾽ heteron de tropon, ēn") parezēlōsan auton hoi ex Israēl ep᾽ ou theois katha gegraptai, kai hen tois mataiois autōn, kai teleueōntes estaurōsan ton Emmanouēl. Parezēlōthēsan en tois ethnesi, katha phēsin autos" Autoi parezēlōsan me ep᾽ ou theois. Parōrgisan me en tois eidōlois autōn, chagō paoazēlōsō hautous ep᾽ ouk ethnei, ep᾽ ethnei asynetǭ parorgiō autous.
“Lord,” it says, “who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” Christ, then, ruled over the world under heaven by his own power; for he is the strength of God the Father. And he is called the Angel of great counsel, plainly of God the Father's counsel. The wise John will testify, saying about him: “Whoever receives his testimony has set his seal to this, that God is true. For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God.” And he himself says somewhere to the holy apostles: “You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.” For this reason too, then, he names Emmanuel the Angel of great counsel. And since he became man, he himself referred to God the Father the activity and power in all that he did; and God the Father himself indicates this very thing to us through these words, saying: “For I will bring peace upon the rulers, peace and health to him.” Christ gave the holy apostles the peace that exists as his own. For all that is the Father's is his; and indeed he said: “My peace I give you; my peace I leave with you.” And if it is said that Emmanuel himself receives peace and health, consider again the skilful wisdom of the dispensation with the flesh. For he received peace, plainly from the world, the Father bringing all to him and persuading them to make peace with him by worshipping him and receiving the yoke of his kingdom. “For no one can,” he says, “come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.” And the wise Isaiah too cried out somewhere beforehand: “Let us make peace with him, let us make peace, you who come.” He receives peace from the Father, then, in this way, as I said. For we have heard him say to the Father in heaven: “Those whom you have given me out of the world were yours, and you gave them to me.” And he receives health also, that is, the return to life from the dead. For since he is said to have been weak for a little, because he allowed his own flesh by the grace of God to taste death for all, he receives health, that is, the return to life, and this again he worked himself. For he raised his own temple, being himself the power of the Father. For if he is the resurrection and the life, what would life have needed for being made alive? And if he is seen raising the bodies of others by his own power, how would he not raise his own before the others? Indeed he says to the Jews himself: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it.” That the kingdom of Christ is unshakable and firmly established for ever he teaches, saying: “Great is his rule, and of his peace there is no bound.” For he ruled no longer over Judea alone, but rather over the whole world under heaven. And there will be no end of the peace offered to him by us. For we make peace with him, we worship him, as I said, and through him and in him God the Father, striving to put away the sin that brings about war. That he came to free the nation of the Jews he teaches by setting down: “Upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it in righteousness and in judgement, from now and for ever.” And since the blessed prophet has made his discourse about Emmanuel sufficient for us, he gives the time of the becoming man, saying: “The zeal of the Lord Sabaoth will do these things.” What zeal, and over what, it is necessary to say. The apostate Dragon seized the world under heaven and put under his own sceptres man, made according to the image of God. What was done against us was truly worthy of all zeal and full of every greed; the zeal of the Lord Sabaoth, then, freed those throughout the whole earth. And in another way: those of Israel provoked him to jealousy with what are not gods, as it is written, and with their vanities, and at the last they crucified Emmanuel. They were provoked to jealousy by the nations, as he himself says: “They provoked me to jealousy with what is no god; they angered me with their idols; and I will provoke them to jealousy with what is no nation; with a senseless nation I will anger them.”
Isa 53:1 (quotation, high confidence) · John 3:33 (quotation, high confidence) · John 3:34 (quotation, high confidence) · John 15:14 (quotation, high confidence) · John 15:15 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 9:6 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 9:7 (quotation, high confidence) · John 16:15 (allusion, medium confidence) · John 14:27 (quotation, high confidence) · John 6:44 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 27:5 (quotation, high confidence) · John 17:6 (quotation, high confidence) · Heb 2:9 (allusion, high confidence) · John 2:19 (quotation, high confidence) · John 11:25 (allusion, high confidence) · Deut 32:21 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Cyril explains Christ as the Father's arm and 'Angel of great counsel,' receiving peace as the nations are brought to him and 'health' as his self-wrought resurrection, ruling an endless kingdom; the 'zeal of the Lord' is God's jealousy against the devil's seizure of mankind and Israel's provocation.
- Quotations: Isa 53:1; John 3:33–34; John 15:14–15; Isa 9:6–7; John 16:15 recalled; John 14:27; John 6:44; Isa 27:5 (LXX); John 17:6; Heb 2:9; John 2:19–21; John 11:25; Deut 32:21. Cyril's statements that Christ raised his own body by his own power, and that Israel crucified Emmanuel, are translated as written. A run of Migne's Latin read as Greek letters has been removed.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Migne's Latin version read as Greek letters by the OCR; removed): ἴει. » βοβίυδπι ἀμ 16} δι 1} 5 ἀ6 Επιημθ δῖα γ γα → .
Topics: Christology
Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Comm. Isa. 1.5.22 (PG 70; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-isaiam/1-5-22). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-isaiam/1-5-22
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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.
part 1, chapter 6
1.6.1PG 70
Θάνατον ἀπέστει.ε Κύριος ἐπὶ ᾿ἸΙαχὼθδ, καὶ Ἐφραῖμ, καὶ ἐγχωαθήμενοι ἐν Σαμαρείᾳ, ἐφ᾽ ὕδρει συκαμίνους, καὶ κέδρους καὶ οἰκοδομήσωμεν ἑαυτοῖς πύργον. ποῦ Ἑμμανουὴλ, ὃν διαπεράνας εὐπαλῶς, πάλιν ἐπάνεισιν ἐπὶ τὰ ἐν ἀρχαῖς " ἦσαν δὲ ταυτί, Ἕπῃτιᾶτο “ὰρ λίαν τὸν Ἰσραὴλ, ὡς ἀπειθοῦντά τε καὶ παροτρύνοντα τὸν ἀεὶ σεσωχότα Θεὸν, ταύτης τε ἕνεκα τῆς αἰτίας, τοῖς ἐσχάτοις ἑαυτὸν ἑνιέντα κακοῖς" ἔφασκε γὰρ ὅτι οὐκ ἠθέλησαν τὸν νόμον Κυρίου Σαδαώθ - ἀλλὰ τὸ λόγιον τοῦ ἀγίου Ἰσραὴλ παρώξυναν. Καὶ ἐθυμώθη ὀργῇ Κύριος ἐπὶ τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐπέδαλς τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ἐπ᾽ αὐτοὺς, καὶ ἐπάταξεν αὐτούς. Καὶ παρωξύνθη τὰ ὄρη, καὶ ἐγενήθη τὰ θνησιμαῖα αὐτῶν ὡς κοπρία ἐν μέσῳ ὁδοῦ. Ὅρη δέ φησι τὰ παρωξυμμένα τοὺς τῶν ᾿ΑΛσσυρίων βασιδδίιν … φρένας γεγόνασιν. Οἵ καὶ πᾶσαν ἐκ βάθρων χατασείσταντε:ς τὴν Σαμαρείαν, εἷλον αἰχμάλωτον τὸν Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ ἀπεχόμισαν εἰς τὰ ὄρη Περσῶν καὶ Μήδων. Διαπεράνας τοίνυν, ὡς ἔφην, τὴν ἀνάῤῥησιν τοῦ Ἐμμανουὴλ, ἕπεται δὴ πάλιν τῷ ἐν ἀρχαῖς προτεθέντι σκοπῷ, καὶ τῆς Σαμαρείας τὴν δήωσιν ἀφηγεῖται λέγων" ε Θάνατον ἀπέστειλε Κύριος ἐπὶ Ἰακὼθ, καὶ ἦλθεν ἐπ’ Ἰσραήλ. » Ἰστέον δὲ ὅτι καὶ … ἀντὶ τοῦ, θανάτου τεθείκασι λόγον. ε Λόγον » γὰρ, φησὶν, ε ἀπέστειλεν ὁ Κύριος ἐπὶ Ἰαχὼδ, καὶ ἦλθεν ἐπὶ Ἰσραήλ. ν Λόγον δὲ ὁποῖον; Καταδιχάζοντα … ἀπέστειλε ὁ Θεὸς, εἰτοῦν ᾿Αρὰν ἣ λόγον, οὐκ ἀσύμόατος ἔσται τῶν ἐννοιῶν ἡ δύναμις, βαδιεῖται δὲ μᾶλλον εἰς ἕνα τε καὶ τὸν αὐτὸν σκοπόν. Διαμέμνηταί γε μὴν ἱστορίας ἐν τούτοις, ἣν ἐρῶ διὰ βραχέων. Ἔσται γὰρ οὕτω καὶ μόλις καταφανὲς τὸ δηλούμενον. Βεδασιλεύχασι τοίνυν κατὰ καιροὺς ἐν τοῖς Ἱεροόσολύμοις ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰούδαν, ἦτοι τὸν Ἰαχὼδ, ἄνδρες ἀγαθοί τε καὶ πονηροί' οὐδὲν δὲ ἧττον καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰσραὴλ οἱ ἐκ φυλῆς Ἐφραῖμ ἐν τῇ Σαμαρείᾳ. Ἧν τὰρ ἐκ φυλῆς Ἐφραῖμ καὶ ὁ πρῶτος αὐτῶν βεδασιλδυχὼς Ἱεροδοὰμ. ὁ τοῦ Νάθαν, ὃς καὶ ταῖς δαμάλεσιν αὐτοῦ ταῖς χρυσαῖς ἀνέπεισε προσκυνεῖν. Τῶν ποίνυν κατὰ καιροὺς βεδασιλευχότων ἕν τε τοῖς Ἱεροσολύμοις καὶ ἐν τῇ Σαμαρείᾳ πλεῖστοι γεγόνασιν, ὡς ἔφην, Θεῷ προσκρούοντες ἀδεῶς, βέδηλοΐξ τε καὶ εἰδωλολάτραι, προσκυνοῦντες τῇ στρατιᾷ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, ξύλοις τε καὶ λίθοις ἀνοσίως λελατρευχότες " ὁποῖός τις ἣν καὶ οὗτος ὁ “Αχαξς, ὃ; καὶ τὰ ἴδια τέχνα διήγαγε διὰ πυρὸς, πλεῖστά τε ὅσα κατὰ τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ εἰργάτατο κακὰ, παρανενόμηχε δὲ καὶ εἰς αὑτὸν τὸν θεῖον νεών. Ἐ πειδὴ “δὲ γέγονεν ἐκ μέσου θανάτῳ χατειλημμένυς, διαδέχεται τὸ σκήπτρον Ἐζεκίας. βασιλεύοντος ἐν τῇ Σαμαρείᾳ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, ἤτοι τῶν δέκα φυλῶν Ὡσηὲ υἱοῦ Ἠλά, Οὗ διέποντος τὴν βασιλείαν χατεστράτευσε τῆς Σαμαρείας ὁ τῶν ᾿Ασσυρίων βασιλεύς. Συνεξεῖλε δὲ αὐτῇ καὶ πολλὰς ἑτέρας τῆς Ἰουδαίας πόλεις. Εἶτα μετὰ τοῦτο τοῦ Ὦ θεὸς παραδόξως τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ εὑὐσεδοῦς ὄντος Ἐζεχίου. Γέγραπται δὲ οὕτως ἐν τῇ τετάρτῃ τῶν βασιλειῶν. Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ ἔτει τῷ τετάρτῳ βασιλεῖ Ἐζεκίᾳ, αὐτὸς ὁ ἐνιαυτὸς ἑδδομο;, τῷ Ὥσηξ λεὺς ᾿Ασσυρίων ἐπὶ Σαμάρειαν καὶ ἐπολιόρχει αὐτὴν.
Thanaton apestei.e Kyrios epi ᾿IIachōthd, kai Ephraim, kai enchōathēmenoi en Samareią, eph᾽ hydrei sykaminous, kai kedrous kai oikodomēsōmen heautois pyrgon. pou Hemmanouēl, hon diaperanas eupalōs, palin epaneisin epi ta en archais " ēsan de tauti, Hepę̄tiato “ar lian ton Israēl, hōs apeithounta te kai parotrynonta ton aei sesōchota Theon, tautēs te heneka tēs aitias, tois eschatois heauton henienta kakois" ephaske gar hoti ouk ēthelēsan ton nomon Kyriou Sadaōth - alla to logion tou agiou Israēl parōxynan. Kai ethymōthē orgę̄ Kyrios epi ton laon autou, kai epedals tēn cheira autou ep᾽ autous, kai epataxen autous. Kai parōxynthē ta orē, kai egenēthē ta thnēsimaia autōn hōs kopria en mesǭ hodou. Horē de phēsi ta parōxymmena tous tōn ᾿ALssyriōn basiddiin … phrenas gegonasin. Hoi kai pasan ek bathrōn chataseistante:s tēn Samareian, heilon aichmalōton ton Israēl, kai apechomisan eis ta orē Persōn kai Mēdōn. Diaperanas toinyn, hōs ephēn, tēn anarrhēsin tou Emmanouēl, hepetai dē palin tǭ en archais protethenti skopǭ, kai tēs Samareias tēn dēōsin aphēgeitai legōn" e Thanaton apesteile Kyrios epi Iakōth, kai ēlthen ep’ Israēl. » Isteon de hoti kai … anti tou, thanatou tetheikasi logon. e Logon » gar, phēsin, e apesteilen ho Kyrios epi Iachōd, kai ēlthen epi Israēl. n Logon de hopoion? Katadichazonta … apesteile ho Theos, eitoun ᾿Aran hē logon, ouk asymoatos estai tōn ennoiōn hē dynamis, badieitai de mallon eis hena te kai ton auton skopon. Diamemnētai ge mēn historias en toutois, hēn erō dia bracheōn. Estai gar houtō kai molis kataphanes to dēloumenon. Bedasileuchasi toinyn kata kairous en tois Hieroosolymois epi ton Ioudan, ētoi ton Iachōd, andres agathoi te kai ponēroi' ouden de hētton kai epi ton Israēl hoi ek phylēs Ephraim en tę̄ Samareią. Hēn tar ek phylēs Ephraim kai ho prōtos autōn bedasildychōs Hierodoam. ho tou Nathan, hos kai tais damalesin autou tais chrysais anepeise proskynein. Tōn poinyn kata kairous bedasileuchotōn hen te tois Hierosolymois kai en tę̄ Samareią pleistoi gegonasin, hōs ephēn, Theǭ proskrouontes adeōs, bedēloïx te kai eidōlolatrai, proskynountes tę̄ stratią tou ouranou, xylois te kai lithois anosiōs lelatreuchotes " hopoios tis hēn kai houtos ho “Achaxs, ho? kai ta idia techna diēgage dia pyros, pleista te hosa kata tēn Hierousalēm eirgatato kaka, paranenomēche de kai eis hauton ton theion neōn. E peidē “de gegonen ek mesou thanatǭ chateilēmmenys, diadechetai to skēptron Ezekias. basileuontos en tę̄ Samareią tou Israēl, ētoi tōn deka phylōn Hōsēe huiou Ēla, Hou diepontos tēn basileian chatestrateuse tēs Samareias ho tōn ᾿Assyriōn basileus. Synexeile de autę̄ kai pollas heteras tēs Ioudaias poleis. Eita meta touto tou Ō theos paradoxōs tēn Hierousalēm heuysedous ontos Ezechiou. Gegraptai de houtōs en tę̄ tetartę̄ tōn basileiōn. Kai egeneto en tǭ etei tǭ tetartǭ basilei Ezekią, autos ho eniautos heddomo?, tǭ Hōsēx leus ᾿Assyriōn epi Samareian kai epoliorchei autēn.
[Heading:] “The Lord sent death upon Jacob, and Ephraim, and those who dwell in Samaria, in insolence … sycamores and cedars, and let us build ourselves a tower.”
… Emmanuel; having brought this to a fine conclusion, he goes back again to what he said at the beginning. That was this: he was charging Israel severely with being disobedient and provoking the God who had always saved them, and with casting themselves for this reason into the worst evils. For he said that “they did not want the law of the Lord Sabaoth, but provoked the word of the Holy One of Israel. And the Lord was angered with wrath against his people, and he laid his hand on them and struck them. And the mountains were provoked, and their carcasses became like dung in the middle of the road.” By the provoked mountains he means the kings of the Assyrians, who … had become … in mind. They shook all Samaria from its foundations, took Israel captive, and carried them off to the mountains of the Persians and the Medes. Having completed, then, as I said, the announcement of Emmanuel, he follows again the aim set out at the beginning and narrates the ravaging of Samaria, saying: “The Lord sent death upon Jacob, and it came upon Israel.” One should know that … in place of “death” have put “word.” “For the Lord,” it says, “sent a word upon Jacob, and it came upon Israel.” And what kind of word? One that condemns … Whether God sent a curse or a word, the force of the ideas will not be inconsistent; it will rather go to one and the same aim.
He recalls a piece of history here, which I will tell briefly; for in this way what is meant will become clear, though with difficulty. At various times, then, men both good and wicked reigned in Jerusalem over Judah, that is, Jacob; and no less over Israel those of the tribe of Ephraim reigned in Samaria. For the first of them to reign, Jeroboam son of Nebat, was of the tribe of Ephraim, and he also persuaded them to worship his golden heifers. Of those who reigned from time to time both in Jerusalem and in Samaria, very many, as I said, offended God without fear: they were profane and idolaters, worshipping the host of heaven and impiously serving wood and stones. Such was this Ahaz too, who even passed his own children through fire, did a great many evils in Jerusalem, and acted lawlessly even against the divine temple itself. When he had been taken from the midst, seized by death, Hezekiah succeeded to the sceptre. Hoshea son of Elah was reigning in Samaria over Israel, that is, over the ten tribes; while he held the kingdom, the king of the Assyrians marched against Samaria, and together with it he also took many other cities of Judea. Then after this … God … Jerusalem marvellously, since Hezekiah was pious. It is written thus in the fourth book of Kingdoms: “And it came to pass in the fourth year of King Hezekiah, that is, the seventh year of Hoshea … king of the Assyrians … against Samaria, and besieged it.”
Isa 9:8 (9:7 LXX) (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 9:9 (9:8 LXX) (allusion, medium confidence) · Isa 9:10 (9:9 LXX) (allusion, medium confidence) · Isa 5:24 (quotation, high confidence) · Isa 5:25 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Kgs 12:28 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 16:3 (allusion, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 17:16 (allusion, medium confidence) · 2 Kgs 18:9 (quotation, high confidence)
Notes and citation
Summary: Cyril returns from the Emmanuel prophecy to the threat against Samaria and begins to tell the history of the kings of Israel and Judah down to the Assyrian siege.
- The opening line is a heading summarizing the lemma (Isa 9:8–10); the text that preceded “Emmanuel” is lost at the start of this part. The quotation “they did not want the law…” is Isa 5:24–25 LXX. The scan has unreadable text after “the kings of the Assyrians” and in the report of the other translators’ rendering (“word” for “death”: the Hebrew can be read as dābār, “word,” or deber, “pestilence”); these are marked “…”. The word printed ᾿Αρὰν is taken as ἀράν, “curse” (uncertain). The printed “son of Nathan” is translated “son of Nebat” (1 Kgs 11:26), probably a scanning slip. The final quotation is 2 Kgs 18:9; words lost from it are marked “…”.
Notes on the original text
- Digital text corrected (Migne's Latin version read as Greek letters by the OCR; unreadable scan text (column marks and fragments of Migne's Latin version); unreadable scan text (fragments of Migne's Latin version read as Greek)): οἱ διἱ ἱγβαουπάϊλην ἐκ οἰιδητθηι δἰ 4 86 ην- ΄ → …; ἧ᾽ Βοπλΐννυιδ δ: ΡῈ Γ 7λ60}". ν Ὁ υδπὶ βου πιθη πὶ 7 ΠΕΏρ6 β πῶν, → …; {Π|6Ριιβαϊομν πα ἰὰ 65 πιο διυ8., δία ἴῃ ἰρϑυπὶ Ὀεϊϊ. διατί ἰδ Απϑυγίογαιη Γὰσ, οἱ οἱ ἃ ροϑι (γί δινΐυμ (ρα Δη 0 δέχιο ΕΖοΟΙνΐοΒ, 4} [1 → ….
Cite (SBL): Cyril of Alexandria, Comm. Isa. 1.6.1 (PG 70; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-isaiam/1-6-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)
Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/cyril-alexandria-commentarius-isaiam/1-6-1
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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.