Zechariah 5
Commentary from 6 fathers
And he said to me, What seest thou? And I said, I see a flying sickle, of the length of twenty cubits, and of the breadth of ten cubits.
καὶ εἶπε πρός με· τί σὺ βλέπεις; καὶ εἶπα ἐγώ· ὁρῶ δρέπανον πετόμενον μήκους πήχεων εἴκοσι καὶ πλάτους πήχεων δέκα.
И҆ речѐ ко мнѣ̀: что̀ ты̀ ви́диши; И҆ рѣ́хъ: а҆́зъ ви́ждꙋ се́рпъ летѧ́щь, въ долготꙋ̀ лакте́й два́десѧть и҆ въ широтꙋ̀ десѧтѝ лакте́й.
It comes in opportunely today even from the Old Testament to show you the heinousness of perjury. "There was," it says, "a flying sickle, ten cubits in breadth." The "flying" betokens the swift advent of the vengeance which pursues oaths; that it is many cubits in length and breadth, signifies the force and magnitude of the woes; that it comes flying "from heaven," is to show that the vengeance comes from the judgment-seat on high: that it is in the form of a "sickle," denotes the inevitableness of the doom: for just as the sickle, where it comes and has hooked the neck, is not drawn back with nothing but itself, but with the head reaped off, even so the vengeance which comes upon the swearers is severe, and will not desist until it have completed its work.
But if we swear and escape, let us not be confident; this is but to our woe. For what think ye? How many, since Ananias and Sapphira, have dared the same with them? How is it then, say you, that they have not met with the same fate? Not because it was allowed in them, but because they are reserved for a greater punishment. For those who often sin and are not punished, have greater reason to fear and dread than if they were punished. For the vengeance is increased for them by their present impunity and the long-suffering of God.
Homily on Acts 12
And he said to me, This is the curse that goes forth over the face of the whole earth: for every thief shall be punished with death on this side, and every false swearer shall be punished on that side.
καὶ εἶπε πρός με· αὕτη ἡ ἀρὰ ἡ ἐκπορευομένη ἐπὶ πρόσωπον πάσης τῆς γῆς, διότι πᾶς ὁ κλέπτης ἐκ τούτου ἕως θανάτου ἐκδικηθήσεται, καὶ πᾶς ὁ ἐπίορκος ἐκ τούτου ἐκδικηθήσεται·
И҆ речѐ ко мнѣ̀: сїѧ̀ клѧ́тва и҆сходѧ́щаѧ на лицѐ всеѧ̀ землѝ: занѐ всѧ́къ та́ть ѿ сегѡ̀ да́же до сме́рти ѿмще́нъ бꙋ́детъ, и҆ всѧ́къ клены́йсѧ во лжꙋ̀ ѿ сегѡ̀ до сме́рти ѿмсти́тсѧ.
And I will bring it forth, saith the Lord Almighty, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that swears falsely by my name: and it shall rest in the midst of his house, and shall consume it, and the timber of it, and the stones of it.
καὶ ἐξοίσω αὐτό, λέγει Κύριος παντοκράτωρ, καὶ εἰσελεύσεται εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ κλέπτου καὶ εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ ὀμνύοντος τῷ ὀνόματί μου ἐπὶ ψεύδει καὶ καταλύσει ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ καὶ συντελέσει αὐτὸν καὶ τὰ ξύλα αὐτοῦ καὶ τοὺς λίθους αὐτοῦ.
И҆ и҆знесꙋ̀ є҆го̀, гл҃етъ гдⷭ҇ь Вседержи́тель, и҆ вни́детъ въ до́мъ та́тѧ и҆ въ до́мъ кленꙋ́щагѡсѧ и҆́менемъ мои́мъ во лжꙋ̀, и҆ всели́тсѧ посредѣ̀ до́мꙋ є҆гѡ̀, и҆ сконча́етъ є҆го̀ и҆ древа̀ є҆гѡ̀ и҆ ка́менїе є҆гѡ̀.
And the angel that talked with me went forth, and said to me, Lift up thine eyes, and see this that goes forth.
Καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ὁ ἄγγελος ὁ λαλῶν ἐν ἐμοὶ καὶ εἶπε πρός με· ἀνάβλεψον τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς σου καὶ ἰδὲ τί τὸ ἐκπορευόμενον τοῦτο.
И҆ и҆зы́де а҆́гг҃лъ глаго́лѧй во мнѣ̀ и҆ речѐ ко мнѣ̀: воззрѝ ѻ҆чи́ма твои́ма и҆ ви́ждь и҆сходѧ́щее сїѐ. И҆ рѣ́хъ:
“For now,” he says, “the axe is laid at the root of the trees.” There is nothing more terrible than this turn of his discourse. For it is no longer “a flying sickle,” or “the taking down of a hedge,” or “the treading under foot of a vineyard,” but an axe exceedingly sharp, and what is worse, it is even at the roots. For inasmuch as they continually disbelieved the prophets and used to say, “Where is the Day of the Lord?” and “Let the counsel of the holy one of Israel come, that way we may know it,” by reason that it was many years before what they said came to pass; to lead them off from this encouragement also, he sets the terrors close to them. And this he declared by saying “now,” and by his putting it to “the root,” “for the space between is nothing now,” he says, “but it is laid to the very root.” And he said not “to the branches” or “to the fruits” but “to the root.” Signifying that if they were negligent, they would have incurable horrors to endure, and not have so much as hope of remedy. It being no servant who is now come, as those before him were, but the very Lord of all, bringing on them his fierce and most effectual vengeance.
Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew 3:7.4
5–8(Verse 5 seq.) And an angel came out who spoke to me, and said to me: Lift up your eyes and see what is coming. And I said: What is it? And he said: This is a departing vessel; and he said: This is their eye in all the land. And behold, a weight of lead was being carried, and behold, a woman sitting in the middle of the vessel. And he said: This is wickedness, and he threw her into the middle of the vessel, and he put a lead mass in her mouth. LXX: And the angel who spoke with me came out and said to me: Lift up your eyes and see what is coming out. And I said, What is it? And he said, This is the measure that is coming out. And he said, This is their iniquity in all the land. And behold, a talent of lead was lifted up: and behold, a woman was sitting inside the measure, and he said, This is wickedness, and he threw her into the midst of the measure, and he threw a lead stone into her mouth. The amphora, or measure, was being carried out and was seen in the air. And so that we would not doubt by what proper term it is called, the angel himself, who showed the amphora, or measure, gives it a name and says, according to the Septuagint, 'This is their wickedness in all the earth'; according to the Hebrews, 'This is the eye, that is, the manifestation of all sins.' And behold, a woman was sitting in the middle of the amphora, or measure, which is called 'Epha' by the Hebrews, and it is often translated by the Seventy as 'οἴφι'; and this very woman was called wickedness. When she saw these things, behold, a talent of lead, that is, a mass the size of a stone, was being carried either by its own force or by the command of the Lord, or it was being carried by another whose name remains unspoken. But this angel who was speaking through the prophet, and coming out of him, showed all these things, seized the woman who was called impiety, and threw her headlong into the middle of the amphora, which was previously being carried freely, and sitting on top of the amphora, he appeared to everyone. Acne forte rursum elevaret caput, et sua iniquitate et impietate gauderet, talentum plumbi in modum gravissimi lapidis mittit in os amphorae: ut impietatem in medio opprimat atque concludat, ne quoquo modo possit erumpere. Haec quasi umbras quasdam et lineas futurae imaginis duximus, ut quod reliquum est suis coloribus impleamus. Angelus qui loquebatur in propheta, egressus de eo, et quasi cominus loquens, praecipit illi ut levet oculos suos, et videat peccata populi Israel in mensuram coacervata perfectam, et impleta delicta cunctorum: et hanc esse oculum eorum, quod Hebraice dicitur Enam (), et scribitur per Ain, Jod, Nun, Mem: Sive iniquitatem eorum; quae si per Vau litteram scripta esset, recte legeretur Onam (), ut LXX putaverunt: et hic error in editione Vulgata frequenter inolevit, ut quia Vau et Jod litterae eadem forma, sed mensura diversae sunt, altera legatur pro altera. This amphora or measure, their eye is in the whole earth, that is, a display of sins, so that the vices of those scattered and hidden might be gathered together and exposed to the eyes of all, to show what kind of people Israel was and how it had been in its land. And behold, a talent of lead was carried. For the talent of lead, we read in the following passage a lead stone. Chachar is called a talent (); Aben a stone. He is, therefore, the lead stone, which we, expressing it more clearly, have interpreted as the mass or sphere of lead, from which the heaviest weight of sins is signified. And above this measure and vessel of all sins, impiety sat in the middle, which we can also call by another name, idolatry, and denial of God. Hence, the Savior said to the Jews: 'Fill up the measure of your fathers' (Matthew 23:32). This wickedness, which sat upon the sins of Israel and boasted in its own wickedness, is later cast into the midst of Babylon and pressed down by the bad of captivity. Or according to Theodotion, it throws itself and hides in the midst of a jar, and places upon itself the heaviest weight of lead, so that it may have its mouth sealed shut and cannot boast any longer. Or surely it is oppressed by the angel of God, so that what previously rejoiced in wickedness may be silenced in eternal silence. But the following reading teaches to what place and by whom it is brought to a close.
Commentary on Zechariah
And I said, What is it? And he said, This is the measure that goes forth. And he said, This is their iniquity in all the earth.
καὶ εἶπα· τί ἐστι; καὶ εἶπε· τοῦτο τὸ μέτρον τὸ ἐκπορευόμενον. καὶ εἶπεν· αὕτη ἡ ἀδικία αὐτῶν ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ.
что́ є҆сть; И҆ речѐ: сїѧ̑ мѣ́ра и҆сходѧ́щаѧ. И҆ речѐ: сїѧ̀ непра́вда и҆́хъ по все́й землѝ.
And behold a talent of lead lifted up: and behold a woman sat in the midst of the measure.
καὶ ἰδοὺ τάλαντον μολίβου ἐξαιρόμενον, καὶ ἰδοὺ γυνὴ μία ἐκάθητο ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ μέτρου.
И҆ сѐ, тала́нтъ ѻ҆ловѧ́нъ взе́млѧйсѧ, и҆ сѐ, жена̀ є҆ди́на сѣдѧ́ше посредѣ̀ мѣ́ры.
For virtue is something light and exhilarating. All who live according to it “fly along the clouds,” according to Isaiah, and “like doves” with their young, but sin is heavy, seated, as one of the prophets says, upon a “talent of lead.” If such an interpretation of Scripture appears to anyone to be forced and unfitting, because he does not think the miracle of the sea was written as an aid to us, let him listen to the apostle saying that he wrote symbolically, both for the people of his own time and “for our correction.”
On Virginity 18
The deserts of each one of us are suspended in the balance, which a little weight either of good works or of degenerate conduct sways this way or that; if the evil preponderate, woe is me! if the good, pardon is at hand. For no man is free from sin; but where good preponderates, the evil flies up, is overshadowed, and covered. Wherefore in the Day of judgement our works will either succour us, or will sink us into the deep, weighed down as with a millstone. For iniquity is heavy, supported as by a talent of lead; avarice is intolerable, and all pride is foul dishonesty. Wherefore exhort the people of God to trust rather in the Lord, to abound in the riches of simplicity, wherein they may walk without snare and without hindrance.
Letter 2
And he said, This is iniquity. And he cast it into the midst of the measure, and cast the weight of lead on the mouth of it.
καὶ εἶπεν· αὕτη ἐστὶν ἡ ἀνομία· καὶ ἔρριψεν αὐτὴν εἰς μέσον τοῦ μέτρου καὶ ἔρριψε τὸν λίθον τοῦ μολίβου εἰς τὸ στόμα αὐτῆς.
И҆ речѐ: сїѧ̀ є҆́сть беззако́нїе. И҆ ве́рже ю҆̀ въ среди́нꙋ мѣ́ры и҆ вве́рже ка́мень ѻ҆ловѧ́ный во ᲂу҆ста̀ є҆ѧ̀.
And I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and, behold, two women coming forth, and the wind was in their wings; and they had stork’s wings: and they lifted up the measure between the earth and the sky.
καὶ ᾖρα τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς μου καὶ εἶδον καὶ ἰδοὺ δύο γυναῖκες ἐκπορευόμεναι, καὶ πνεῦμα ἐν ταῖς πτέρυξιν αὐτῶν, καὶ αὗται εἶχον πτέρυγας ὡς πτέρυγας ἔποπος· καὶ ἀνέλαβον τὸ μέτρον ἀναμέσον τῆς γῆς καὶ ἀναμέσον τοῦ οὐρανοῦ.
И҆ возведо́хъ ѻ҆́чи моѝ и҆ ви́дѣхъ, и҆ сѐ, двѣ̀ жєны̀ и҆сходѧ́щыѧ, и҆ дꙋ́хъ въ крилѣ́хъ и҆́хъ, и҆ тѣ̀ и҆мѧ́хꙋ кри́ла, ꙗ҆́кѡ крилѣ̑ вдо́дѡвы: и҆ взѧ́ша мѣ́рꙋ междꙋ̀ земле́ю и҆ междꙋ̀ не́бомъ.
9–11(Verse 9 and following) And I lifted up my eyes, and I saw, and behold, two women coming forth, and a spirit was on their wings, and they had wings like the wings of a kite, and they lifted up an amphora between the earth and the sky. And I said to the angel who spoke to me: Where are these taking the amphora? And he said to me: To build a house for it in the land of Shinar, and it will be established and placed there upon its base. LXX: And I lifted up my eyes, and I saw, and behold, two women coming forth, and a spirit was on their wings, and they themselves had wings like the wings of a hoopoe. And they raised the measure between the earth and the sky. And I said to the angel who spoke in me: Where do they bring this measure? And he said to me: To build a house for him in the land of Babylon, and prepare it, and place it there on its foundation. Two women coming out, the Jews imagine the kingdom of the Medes and Macedonians, both of whom have afflicted the people of Babylon, and there their wickedness has established its seat. However, they craft this in such a way that what is said of themselves may not be understood as being about themselves. For indeed, the two women who depart, there is no doubt that they are to be received by the twelve tribes from the land of Judea: of whom one was taken captive by the Assyrians, the other by the Chaldeans. And in their wings was the spirit, that is, the power of the devil, of whom it is written in Ecclesiastes: If the spirit of the one who has power ascends over you, do not abandon your place (Eccl. X, 4). And in the Gospel, we read about an unclean spirit who, after being cast out from his home, wanders through desolate and dry places, and then comes back to his former home with seven other even more wicked spirits (Luke XI). Therefore, these women, carried away by this spirit as if by a gust of wind, were being borne swiftly, and they had wings; according to the Hebrew word 'Asida' (which Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodotion translated as 'herodion'), only the LXX translated it as 'hoopoe.' The Hebrews consider 'Asida' to be the kite, a very rapacious bird that always attacks domestic birds; as for 'herodion', those who have written about the nature of birds assume three types: one white, another starry; the third black, which is both the most savage and bloodthirsty, and is fierce and unwilling to mate, to the point that blood bursts from their eyes. But the hoopoe, which we have taken from the similarity of the Greek name (for they themselves call it 'popam' from the fact that it examines human excrement), is said to be the most filthy bird, always dwelling in tombs, always in human dung: finally it is said to build its nest out of it, and to feed its young with decaying worms from the filth. Whatever you want to understand about this bird, it is fitting for those women of Judaea and Israel who, because of their sins of prostitution, were handed over to the power of demons and led into captivity by them. And they brought a jar or measure, in which impiety was enclosed, with a mass of lead placed on top so that it could not escape, and the heaviest weight of all sins between earth and heaven. The prophet, understanding this, did not ask (for it was clear to his prophetic spirit) who these women were, nor what they represented, about which he had been previously instructed; but rather to what do they portend. Finally, it follows: I said to the angel who was speaking with me: To what place are these women carrying the jar? He replied: 'To build a house for him in the land of Shinar.' For this reason, the Seventy translated it as 'in the land of Babylon.' Shinar is indeed the plain of the Chaldeans, where those who had moved their feet from the East and were unable to stand in the service of God, built a tower of pride (Gen. 11). Therefore, the city itself is called Babylon, which means confusion, because there the languages of all were confused and mixed. Therefore impiety is attributed to these women in Babylon, so that there his house may be built, and established, and placed upon its foundation, and find eternal rest. Truly, in Babylon there is a seat of impiety, according to both history and mystical understanding. If you are willing to consider two women, the peoples of heretics and Jews (both of whom turn away from the face of God, and are carried by an uncertain spirit, and have wings like eagles, herons, and hoopoes, while always seeking riches like partridges, not with judgement, and hastening to plunder the Church, and delighting in disputes and quarrels, and leading to destruction those whom they deceive, and rolling in the mire of perpetual lust and filthiness), these women relieve the weight of the most serious impiety, and build their house in confusion, and serve the Babylonian king, so that the peoples of heretics and Jews may dwell there, where idolatry resides, serving wood and stone.
Commentary on Zechariah
And I said to the angel that spoke with me, Whither do these carry away the measure?
καὶ εἶπα πρὸς τὸν ἄγγελον τὸν λαλοῦντα ἐν ἐμοί· ποῦ αὗται ἀποφέρουσι τὸ μέτρον;
И҆ рѣ́хъ ко а҆́гг҃лꙋ глаго́лющемꙋ во мнѣ̀: ка́мѡ сїѧ̑ ѿно́сѧтъ мѣ́рꙋ;
And he said to me, To build it a house in the land of Babylon, and to prepare [a place for it]; and they shall set it there on its own base.
καὶ εἶπε πρός με· οἰκοδομῆσαι αὐτῷ οἰκίαν ἐν γῇ Βαβυλῶνος καὶ ἑτοιμάσαι, καὶ θήσουσιν αὐτὸ ἐκεῖ ἐπὶ τὴν ἑτοιμασίαν αὐτοῦ.
И҆ речѐ ко мнѣ̀: созда́ти є҆́й хра́минꙋ въ землѝ вавѷлѡ́нстѣй и҆ ᲂу҆гото́вати, и҆ положа́тъ ю҆̀ та́мѡ на ᲂу҆гото́ванїе своѐ.
And I turned, and lifted up mine eyes, and looked and behold a flying sickle.
ΚΑΙ ἐπέστρεψα, καὶ ᾖρα τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς μου καὶ εἶδον καὶ ἰδοὺ δρέπανον πετόμενον.
И҆ ѡ҆брати́хсѧ и҆ возведо́хъ ѻ҆́чи моѝ и҆ ви́дѣхъ, и҆ сѐ, се́рпъ летѧ́щь.