§13.44(6) Στιχ. μδ΄. Ὁμοία ἐστὶν ὁ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν θησαυρῳ, κ. τ. λ. Καθʼ ἑτέραν δὲ ἐκδοχὴν εἴη δʼ ἂν, ἀγρὸς μὲν ἡ Γραφὴ, πολλοῖς καταπεφυτευμένη ῥητοῖς νομικοῖς τε καὶ γραφικοῖς, καὶ ἱστορικοῖς· θησαυρὸς δὲ τὰ τούτοις ποικίλα ἐνόντα φανερά τε καὶ κεκρυμμένα νοήματα· καὶ Χριστὸς ὁ τίμιος τῆς Γραφῆς θησαυρός.
(6) Verse 44: "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure, etc." According to another interpretation, the field would be the Scripture, planted with many legal, prophetical, and historical sayings; and the treasure is the various meanings, both manifest and hidden, contained in these; and Christ is the precious treasure of the Scripture.
Ἢ ἀγρὸς ὁ Χριστὸς, ἐν ᾧ Παῦλος λέγει ἐγκεκρύφθαι τοὺς ἀποκρύφους θησαυροὺς τῆς σοφίας καὶ τῆς γνώσεως τοῦ Θεοῦ.
Or the field is Christ, in whom Paul says are hidden the secret treasures of wisdom and knowledge of God.
Τὰ οὐράνια τοίνυν πράγματα, καὶ ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν ὥσπερ ἐν εἰκόνι γέγραπται ταῖς Γραφαῖς, αἵτινές εἰσι βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν· ἡ δέ ἐστιν αὐτὸς ὁ Χριστὸς, οὗ ἡ γνῶσις κατὰ δύναμιν ἐν ἡμῖν ἐστιν· εὑρίσκεται δὲ διὰ τῆς πίστεως, καὶ ἀγοράζεται διὰ τῶν ἀρετῶν.
Therefore heavenly things and the kingdom of heaven are written as in an image in the Scriptures, which are the kingdom of heaven; and this is Christ Himself, the knowledge of whom is in us according to our capacity; and it is found through faith, and bought through virtues.
Εὑρων οὖν τις τὸν ἐν. ταῖς Γραφαῖς θησαυρὸν τοῦτον, κρύπτει, μὴ, ἀκίνδυνον εἰδὼς τῶν ἀποῤῥήτων τοῖς τυχοῦσι μεταδιδόναι.
Therefore, when someone has found this treasure in the Scriptures, he hides it, knowing that it is not safe to share secret things with just anyone.
Ἄπεισι δὲ κρύψας, ἀγοράσων τὸν ἀγρὸν ὁπόσου ἂν βούλοιτο· ὃν Ἑβραῖοι πρὶν ἐπιστεύθησαν, παῤ ὧν τοῦτον λαβὼν ὅστις κατʼ ἄλλην παραβολὴν ἀμπελών ἐστιν, ἴδιον πτῆμα τοῦτον ποιεῖ, πάντα πεπρακὼς αὐτοῦ τὰ ὑπάρχοντα· κακία δὲ ταῦτʼ ἦν, τῷ μηκέτι ζῆν τούτοις, νεκρωθῆναι δὲ τῷ κόσμῳ παντὶ καὶ θελήμασι τοῦ αὐτοῦ. (7) Οἵ γε μὴν περὶ μαργαριτῶν γράψαντες, φασὶν ἕξ εἶναι τὰς τούτων διαφορὰς, ὧν κρείττους οἱ κατʼ Ἰνδίαν ἐν κόγχαις γενόμενοι ἐκ δρόσου τῆς οὐρανίας.
And having hidden it, he goes away to buy the field for whatever price he would want; which field the Hebrews were formerly entrusted with, and receiving it from them—which according to another parable is a vineyard—he makes it his own possession, having sold all his possessions; and these possessions were wickedness, by no longer living for them, but being dead to the whole world and its desires. (7) Indeed, those who have written about pearls say that there are six varieties of them, of which the best are those produced in India in shells from heavenly dew.
Οἱ ἥττους γοῦν μαργαρῖταί εἰσιν αἱ τοῦ νόμου καὶ τῶν προφητῶν, καὶ τῆς ἄλλης Γραφῆς ζητήσεις, ἃ ὁ ἐμπόνως ζητῶν, ἐμπορίας ἀποδιδόμενος, τὸν κρείττω τούτων ἀπάντων μαργαρίτην Χριστὸν ζητεῖ, πάντα ταῦτα καὶ παρόντα καλὰ ζημίας ἡγούμενος καὶ σκύβαλα πρὸς τὴν γνῶσιν τοῦ Χριστοῦ. (8) Ἔτι σαγήνη ἐστὶν ἡ ἐκ τῶν παλαιῶν τῆς Γραφῆς λόγων πλοκὴ, ἢν ἀτελῆ δοκοῦσαν ὁ Χριστὸς ἐλθὼν τετελείωκεν.
The lesser pearls, at any rate, are the inquiries of the Law, the Prophets, and the rest of Scripture, which he who seeks with labor, giving himself to trade, seeks Christ, the pearl superior to all of these, counting all these things, even if present and good, as loss and rubbish in comparison to the knowledge of Christ. (8) Further, the dragnet is the weaving together of the ancient words of Scripture, which Christ, when He came, perfected, though it seemed incomplete.
Αὕτη. εἰς τὴν τοῦδε τοῦ βίου ἐμβαλλομένη θάλασσαν, οὐ φύσεων συνάγει διαφόρων, ἀλλὰ γνωμῶν αὐτεξουσίων καὶ προαιρέσεων· ὡς εἶναι τὸ ἐκ παντὸς γένους συναγόμενον, ἐπαινετοὺς καὶ ψεκτοὺς ἐν ταῖς πρὸς τὰ εἴδη τῶν ἀρετῶν, ἢ τῶν κακιῶν ἐπιῤῥεπείαις.
This, being cast into the sea of this life, gathers not different natures, but free-will choices and intentions; so that what is gathered "of every kind" are those praiseworthy and those blameworthy in their inclinations toward kinds of virtues or vices.
Δύναται δὲ ποὸς τούτοις τὸ ἐκ παντὸς γένους συναγόμενον δηλοῦν τὴν ἀπὸ παντὸς γένους κλῆσιν.
In addition to these, what is gathered "of every kind" can signify the calling from every nation.
Οὐκ ἂν δὲ τὴν σαγήνην ἑλκύσωσιν ἐπὶ τὸν αἰγιαλὸν, ἤτοι τὰ ἔξω τοῦδε τοῦ βίον πράγματα, οἱ ἄγγελοι, μὴ πληρωθεῖσαν τῷ πληρώματι τῶν ἐθνῶν· πλησθεῖσαν δὲ ἀναβιβάζουσι, καὶ ἕκαστον τῶν ὑπὸ τὴν σαγήνην καλῶν, εἰς τὸ οἰκεῖον τάγμα ἀποκαταστήσονται κατὰ τὰ ὀνομαζόμενα ἐνταῦθα αὐτῶν ἀγγεῖα, τὰ δὲ σαπρὰ ἔξω βαλοῦσι.
And the angels would not drag the net to the shore—that is, the things outside of this life—unless it were filled with the fullness of the Gentiles; but when it is filled, they bring it up, and they will restore each of the good things under the net to its proper order according to what are here called their vessels, but they will throw the bad away.
Τὸ δὲ ἔξω ἡ κάμινός ἐστι τοῦ πυρὸς, καθώς φησιν ὁ Σωτὴρ ἐν τοῖς ἐξῆς· οἱ μὲν γὰρ φαῦλοι τῶν ἰχθύων ἔξω ῥιπτοῦνται, οἱ δὲ τῶν ἀνθρώπων εἰς τὴν κάμινον τοῦ πυρός (9); §13.47Στ. μζ΄.
And "outside" is the furnace of fire, as the Savior says in what follows; for the bad of the fish are thrown outside, but those of men into the furnace of fire. (9); Verse 47.
Πάλιν· Ὁμοία ἐστὶν ὁ βασιλεία τῶν οὐχανῶν σαγήνῃ βληθείσῃ εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν. (10) Σαγήνης πλοκὴ νοητὴ ἡ ἐκ ποικίλων νοημα των παλαιὰ καὶ καινὴ Γραφή·
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea." (10) The spiritual weaving of the dragnet is the Old and New Scripture made of various meanings.
Θάλασσα, ὁ κυματούμενος τῶν ἀνθρώπων βίος.
The sea is the turbulent life of men.
Τὸ πᾶν γένος τὸ ποικίλον τῶν ἐν ἀνθρώποις προαιρέσεων, ἡ παντοίων ἐθνῶν κλῆσις.
"Every kind" is the diverse choices among men, the calling of all kinds of nations.
Ἐργάται σαγήνης, ὁ Κύριος καὶ οἱ προσελθόντες ἄγγελοι διακονεῖν αὐτῷ.
The workers of the dragnet are the Lord and the angels who came to minister to Him.
Ἀγγεῖα αἱ διάφοροι μοναί.
The vessels are the various mansions.
Οὐκ ἀνάγεται δὲ ἡ σαγήνη, ἕως οὗ τὸ πλήρωμα τῶν ἐθνῶν εἰσέλθῃ. Ἤ οὕτως·
And the dragnet is not drawn up until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.
Σαγήνη ἐστὶν ἡ ἀποστολικὴ διδασκαλία, ἡ ἀδιακρίτως συλλαμβανομένη Ἰουδαίους καὶ Ἕλληνας, βαρβάρους, Σκύθας, δούλους, ἐλευθέρους, πονηροὺς καὶ ἀγαθούς.
Or thus: The dragnet is the apostolic teaching, which comprehends without distinction Jews and Greeks, barbarians, Scythians, slaves, free men, evil and good.
Θάλασσα, ὁ τῶν ἀνθρώπων βίος.
The sea is the life of men.
Αἰγιαλὸς, τὸ τέρμα τούτου.
The shore is the end of this life.
Ἐν δὲ τῇ συντελείᾳ, ὅτε ἀνασπᾶται ἡ σαγήνη, ἀφορίζονται ἀπὸ τῶν φαύλων οἱ ἀγαθοὶ, οἱ μὲν τιμώμενοι, οἱ δὲ κολαζόμενοι. Οὐ γὰρ πάντων τῶν πιστῶν ὅμοιος ὁ τρόπος.
And at the consummation, when the dragnet is drawn up, the good are separated from the bad, the former being honored, the latter punished. For the manner of life of all believers is not the same.
Ἵνα δὲ μὴ νομίσῃ τις, ὅτι ἔξω μόνον βάλλονται οἱ ἄπιστοι καὶ πονηροὶ, ἐσήμανεν, ὅτι εἰς διηνεκῆ κόλασιν παραπέμπονται· Καὶ βαλοῦσιν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὴν κάμινον τοῦ πυρός, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς.
And lest anyone should think that only unbelievers and the wicked are thrown outside, He indicated that they are sent to eternal punishment: "And they will throw them into the furnace of fire," etc.