[1422] A full and interesting account of the Jewish Patriarchs of the West established at Tiberias from the time of Antoninus Pius till the close of the 4th century is contained in Dean Milman's History of the Jews, Vol. III. Compare Epiphanius (Hæres. xxx. § 3 ff.).
[1423] Gen. xlix. 11.
[1424] Zech. ix. 9, quoted above, § 10.
[1425] Ps. ii. 7, 9. The passage is interpreted by Cyril (xi. 5) of the eternal generation of the Son: here it refers to His Incarnation, or perhaps is meant only to identify the Son of God with him who "shall rule with a rod of iron."
[1426] Dan. ii. 44.
[1427] Sep. tou apokrithenai, a frequent meaning of the Hebrew vyshl, by which the Greek Translators understood the answer of Darius to the Letter of Tatnai and his companions. Both A.V. and R.V. render the word "to restore."
[1428] Dan. ix. 25.
[1429] Darius the Mede (Dan. v. 31) succeeded Belshazzar as king in Babylon b.c. 538, the date assigned in Dan. ix. 1 to the prophecy of the 70 years. But "Darius the king" in whose 6th year (b.c. 516) the Temple was finished (Ezra vi. 15) was Darius Hystaspis, king of Persia, whom Cyril here confounds with "Darius the Mede." He also fails to distinguish the rebuilding of the Temple, b.c. 516, from the rebuilding of the City by permission of Artaxerxes Longimanus, b.c. 444 (Nehemiah, ii. 1).
[1430] In speaking of three supernumeracy hours in the year instead of nearly six, Cyril seems to follow the division of the diurnal period into twelve parts, not twenty-four. The Jews had derived this division either from the Egyptians, or more probably from the Babylonians: see Herodotus, II. 109.
[1431] Micah v. 2, quoted also in Cat. xi. 20, where see note.
[1432] Ps. cxxxii. 6. The Psalmist refers to the recovery of the Ark, but Cyril interprets the passage mystically of Christ, and the place of His Nativity.
[1433] The Benedictine Editor thinks that in calling the place "woody" Cyril refers to a grove planted by Hadrian in honour of Adonis, which had been destroyed about sixteen years before, when Helena built the Church at Bethlehem: see Eusebius, Life of Constantine, III. 43. But Cyril evidently means that the wood of which the Psalmist speaks had remained till a few years before. Ephrâthah is the ancient name of Bethlehem (Gen. xxxv. 19; xlviii. 7), and by "the fields of the wood" is probably meant Kirjath-Jearim, "the city of woods," where the Ark was found by David (2 Sam vi. 2; 1 Chron. xiii. 6).
[1434] Hab. iii. 2: (R.V.) O Lord, revive Thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make it known. The Septuagint gives a different sense: In the midst of two lives (or, living beings) shalt Thou be known: when the years draw nigh Thou shalt be recognised: when the time is come, Thou shalt be shewn. The two latter clauses seem to be different renderings of the same Hebrew words.
[1435] hexes. This clause comes before the preceding quotation: Cyril misplaces them. In the Vatican and other mss. of the Sept. and in some Fathers zoon ("living creatures") is found in place of zoon "lives;" but the latter reading is evidently required by the interpretation which follows in Cyril. Origen (de Principiis, I. 4), who recognises both readings ("In medio vel duorum animalium, vel duarum vitarum, cognosceris,") interprets the "two living beings" of the Son and the Spirit. Eusebius (Demonstr. Evang VI. 15) observes that zoon is to be read as perispomenon from the Singular zoe, and interprets it of Christ's life with God, and life on earth. Theodoret says, in commenting on the passage, "To me it seems that the Prophet means not "living beings" (zoa) but "lives" (zoas), the present life, and that which is to come, between which is the appearance of the Righteous Judge."
[1436] Hab. iii. 3. Cyril interprets the word Thaiman (Heb. nmyt") as a common Noun meaning "South," and the Vulgate has here "ab Austro veniet." The prophecy is thus referred to Bethlehem, as lying to the South of Jerusalem. Eusebius (Dem. Evang. VI. 15) mentions this as the rendering of Theodotion in his Greek Version, about 180 a.d. As a proper name Teman denotes a district and town in the southern part of Idumea, so called from a grandson of Esau (Gen. xxxvi. 11, 15, 42; Jer. xlix. 7, 20; Ezek. xxv. 13; Amos i. 12; Obad. 9).
[1437] The following note is slightly abridged from the Edition of Alexandrides of Jerusalem. "Previous Editions read ex orous pharan kataskiou daseos. This reading is found in Cod. Vat. and other mss. of the Septuagint, but pharan is omitted in the Aldine and many other copies nor was it read in the mss. of the Sept. in Jerome's time, as is clear from his comments on the passage. In the mss. of Cyril, Ottob. R.C.V. Monac. I. and II. it is wanting. Paran is the name of the desert towards the S. of Palestine lying between it and Egypt (Gen. xxi. 21; Num. i. 12). There was also a Mount Paran (Deut. xxxiii. 2). But since Cyril applies the prophecy to Bethlehem, and the "shady thickly-wooded mountain" of Habakkuk is identified with "the plains of the wood" of David, we may safely conclude that Cyril did not read pharan in his copies of the Septuagint, nor write it in his Lecture: but the reading crept in from the later copyists, accustomed to the reading pharan in the Septuagint."
[1438] Isa. vii. 14. The objection of the Jews that the Hebrew word "Almah" means "a young woman," whether married or not, is mentioned by Justin M. (Tryph. 43, 67, 71), and by Eusebius (Dem. Evang. VII. i. 315).
[1439] Deut. xxii. 27.
[1440] 1 Kings i. 4. Cyril's argument is fully justified by the actual usage of "Almah," which certainly refers to unmarried women in Gen. xxiv. 43; Ex. ii. 8; Cant. i. 3. The same is probably the meaning in Ps. lxviii. 25: "in the midst were the damsels playing with the timbrels." There is no passage in which the word can be shewn to mean a married woman.
[1441] Isa. vii. 11.
[1442] Compare Justin M. (Tryph. § 77), Euseb. (Demonstr. Evang. L. VII. c. i. 317).
[1443] In the Hebrew the word used is a Participle, and describes what Isaiah sees in a prophetic vision; "Behold, the damsel--with child."
[1444] Ps. cxxxii. 11.
[1445] Ib. lxxxix. 22.
[1446] vv. 35-37.
[1447] Matt. xxiii. 2.
[1448] Ib. xxi. 9.
[1449] John xii. 13.
[1450] Matt. xx. 30.
[1451] Luke i. 32.
[1452] 2 Tim. ii. 8.
[1453] Rom. i. 3.
[1454] Is. xi. 10; Rom. xv. 12.
[1455] Isa. ix. 5.
[1456] v. 7.
[1457] Ps. xxii. 9.
[1458] Jer. i. 5.
[1459] Job x. 10, 11.
[1460] 1 Cor. vi. 19.
[1461] Hos. ix. 12. R.V. Woe also to them, when I depart from them. The Seventy mistook yrvsv, "at my departure," for yrsb, "my flesh."
[1462] Mic. v. 3.
[1463] Hos. ii. 20.
[1464] Luke i. 45.
[1465] See the story of Pyrrha and Deucalion in Pindar, Ol. ix. 60: ater d' eunas ktesasthan lithinon gonon, and in Ovid. Metam i. 260 ff.
[1466] Athena was said to have sprung armed from the head of Zeus: Pindar, Ol. vii. 65: koruphan kat' akran anorousais' alalaxen hupermakei boa. Cf. Hes. Theog. 924.
[1467] Eurip. Bacchae. 295; Ovid. Metam. iv. 11.
[1468] Codd. Mon. i, A: ho gar autos Theos. Bened. ho gar Theos autos.
[1469] Matt. i. 24.
[1470] Gen. xxix. 21.
[1471] Luke i. 26, 27.
[1472] Ib. ii. 4, 5.
[1473] Gal. iv. 4.
[1474] See above, § 21.
[1475] Luke i. 34, 35.
[1476] Luke ii. 14.
[1477] Ib. ii. 24. In Lev. xii. 8 one pair only of turtles is prescribed, to be offered for the mother, not for the child. But the reading ta zeuge in Cyril is confirmed by that in St. Luke, tou katharismou auton. See the authorities in Tischendorf.
[1478] John vii. 19; viii. 40.
[1479] Luke xxiv. 39.
[1480] semnunetai. Rivet, misled by a double error in the old Latin version, "veneratur," accused Cyril of approving the worship of the Virgin Mary.
[1481] Ps. cxlviii. 12.
[1482] he ton agathon praxis, Cod. A.
[1483] 2 Cor. vi. 16.
Lecture XIII.
On the words, Crucified and Buried.
Isaiah liii. 1, 7
Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?...He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, &c.
1. Every deed of Christ is a cause of glorying to the Catholic Church, but her greatest of all glorying is in the Cross; and knowing this, Paul says, But God forbid that I should glory, save in the Cross of Christ [1484] . For wondrous indeed it was, that one who was blind from his birth should receive sight in Siloam [1485] ; but what is this compared with the blind of the whole world? A great thing it was, and passing nature, for Lazarus to rise again on the fourth day; but the grace extended to him alone, and what was it compared with the dead in sins throughout the world? Marvellous it was, that five loaves should pour forth food for the five thousand; but what is that to those who are famishing in ignorance through all the world? It was marvellous that she should have been loosed who had been bound by Satan eighteen years: yet what is this to all of us, who were fast bound in the chains of our sins? But the glory of the Cross led those who were blind through ignorance into light, loosed all who were held fast by sin, and ransomed the whole world of mankind.
2. And wonder not that the whole world was ransomed; for it was no mere man, but the only-begotten Son of God, who died on its behalf. Moreover one man's sin, even Adam's, had power to bring death to the world; but if by the trespass of the one death reigned over the world, how shall not life much rather reign by the righteousness of the One [1486] ? And if because of the tree of food they were then cast out of paradise, shall not believers now more easily enter into paradise because of the Tree of Jesus? If the first man formed out of the earth brought in universal death, shall not He who formed him out of the earth bring in eternal life, being Himself the Life? If Phinees, when he waxed zealous and slew the evil-doer, staved the wrath of God, shall not Jesus, who slew not another, but gave up Himself for a ransom [1487] , put away the wrath which is against mankind?
3. Let us then not be ashamed of the Cross of our Saviour, but rather glory in it. For the word of the Cross is unto Jews a stumbling-block, and unto Gentiles foolishness, but to us salvation: and to them that are perishing it is foolishness, but unto us which are being saved it is the power of God [1488] . For it was not a mere man who died for us, as I said before, but the Son of God, God made man. Further; if the lamb under Moses drove the destroyer [1489] far away, did not much rather the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world [1490] , deliver us from our sins? The blood of a silly sheep gave salvation; and shall not the Blood of the Only-begotten much rather save? If any disbelieve the power of the Crucified, let him ask the devils; if any believe not words, let him believe what he sees. Many have been crucified throughout the world, but by none of these are the devils scared; but when they see even the Sign of the Cross of Christ, who was crucified for us, they shudder [1491] . For those men died for their own sins, but Christ for the sins of others; for He did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth [1492] . It is not Peter who says this, for then we might suspect that he was partial to his Teacher; but it is Esaias who says it, who was not indeed present with Him in the flesh, but in the Spirit foresaw His coming in the flesh. Yet why now bring the Prophet only as a witness? take for a witness Pilate himself, who gave sentence upon Him, saying, I find no fault in this Man [1493] : and when he gave Him up, and had washed his hands, he said, I am innocent of the blood of this just person [1494] . There is yet another witness of the sinlessness of Jesus,--the robber, the first man admitted into Paradise; who rebuked his fellow, and said, "We receive the due reward of our deeds; but this man hath done nothing amiss [1495] ; for we were present, both thou and I, at His judgment."
4. Jesus then really suffered for all men; for the Cross was no illusion [1496] , otherwise our redemption is an illusion also. His death was not a mere show [1497] , for then is our salvation also fabulous. If His death was but a show, they were true who said, We remember that that deceiver said, while He was yet alive, After three days I rise again [1498] . His Passion then was real: for He was really crucified, and we are not ashamed thereat; He was crucified, and we deny it not, nay, I rather glory to speak of it. For though I should now deny it, here is Golgotha to confute me, near which we are now assembled; the wood of the Cross confutes me, which was afterwards distributed piecemeal from hence to all the world [1499] . I confess the Cross, because I know of the Resurrection; for if, after being crucified, He had remained as He was, I had not perchance confessed it, for I might have concealed both it and my Master; but now that the Resurrection has followed the Cross, I am not ashamed to declare it.