Commentary on Zechariah · §38 · Didymus the Blind

Iron, Bronze Mountains, and the Purpose of Divine Anger

Iron, as one who most strictly reproves God for being unyielding and having the appearance of a harlot, and for having shamed everyone and not submitting oneself to the gentle yoke of Jesus (Matthew 11:30): 'I know that you are hard; and your forehead is bronze, and the sinew of your neck is iron.'

Two bronze mountains are said to exist because of the twofold nature of those exalted against the knowledge of God. For it is possible to hold false opinions regarding both practical and intellectual virtue, not being any other than the knowledge of truth; for those from the heresies are impious concerning both kinds of virtue.

Regarding the black horses coming from the north as vessels of wrath (Zechariah 6:6), 'from which the evils are burned upon those dwelling on the earth,' white horses were shown coming after them. These are the ministers of propitiation and of joy, and of profitable things. Since punishments are brought for the improvement of those surrendered to them, they follow harmoniously behind, clearly following them, weaving and announcing the bright and light-like things.

A soul, having experienced these, having become through perception, cries out most clearly toward that which approaches the destruction of the harmed (Micah 7:8): 'Do not rejoice over me, my enemy, because I have fallen; I shall rise again,' meaning, having repented. For even if, having fallen, I was cast down by punishment through the wrath of God, yet having endured and having bravely received the wrath that was incited, I have come into a propitiatory state and a rejoicing intercourse, saying: 'I will bear the wrath of the Lord, because I have sinned against Him, until He justifies my judgment (Micah 7:9); and He will execute my judgment, and He will lead me out into the light, and I shall see His righteousness.'

For even if God is angered for the sake of improvement and benefit, He does not always do this; for He says: 'When the anger of the spirit arises, I will heal again.' He who has been benefited from such providence says gratefully to the one who has chastised for salvation by a little: 'I will bless You, Lord, that You were angry with me for salvation; You turned Your face and had mercy on me.'

When the black horses had come from the land of the north to rest the wrath of the Lord, the variegated and speckled were seen coming from the south; from that, namely, concerning which in the Song of Songs the bride says to her bridegroom: 'Come, south wind,' the cold north wind and harsh wind having been sent away by her. The bride's saying goes thus: 'Awake, north wind, and come, south wind; blow through my garden, and let my spices flow' (Song of Songs 4:16). And good words and pious thoughts are the spices. It was interpreted in what went before who the variegated horses are, and why they were so called. And all the horses stand by the Lord of all the earth, being ready to go around all the earth and to accomplish what the Lord of all the earth commands, or rather of all creation. The first tome having been circumscribed with regard to the visions of the prophet Zechariah, the brightly seeing one, we must begin the second from the following text, which goes thus. Tome 2. Zechariah 6:9-11: And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Take from the captivity, from the rulers and from the useful ones of it and from those who have known it. And you shall enter on that day into the house of Josiah the son of Zephaniah, who came from Babylon. And you shall take silver and gold and make crowns and set them upon the head of Jesus the son of Jozadak, the great priest. As it is not possible to speak or hand down scientific lessons without having science, so it is not possible to foreknow truly and according to God or to prophesy spiritual prophecy without the word of God coming to the one foreknowing and prophesying. For the word of the Lord, coming to such a one, gives eyes and illumines for beholding the beauties and mysteries of truth and of God's wisdom. And the word coming to the prophet is not other than the Word of God, who comes to holy men, both angels and principalities and authorities and thrones and dominions, being always toward the Father who begot him. For concerning the Father it is said that the Word was toward him: 'For this one,' it says, 'was toward God,' being God the Word (John 1:1-2). And he comes to be, and is not already, toward the spirit-bearing men, being also then toward them when he comes to be. For then they shall also be gods, toward whom he visited and came to be, as the Savior himself in the Gospel […]

Greek

σίδηρος, ὡς τὸν Θεὸν ἐλεγκτικώτατα πρὸς τὸν ἀπηρυθριακότα καὶ ὄψιν πόρνης ἐσχηκότα καὶ πρὸς πάντας ἀπηναισχυντηκότα καὶ μὴ ὑποβάλλοντα ἑαυτὸν τῷ χρηστῷ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ζυγῷ· «Γινώσκω ἐγὼ ὅτι σκληρὸς εἶ σύ· καὶ τὸ μέτωπόν σου χαλκοῦν, καὶ τὸ νεῦρον τοῦ τραχήλου σου σιδηροῦν.» ‹1.409› ∆ύο δὲ εἴρηται τὰ ὄρη τὰ χαλκᾶ διὰ τὸ διττὸν τῶν ἐπαιρομένων κατὰ τῆς γνώσεως τοῦ Θεοῦ ὑψωμάτων. Ἔστιν γὰρ ψευδοδοξεῖν καὶ περὶ τὴν πρακτικὴν ἀρετὴν καὶ τὴν διανοητικήν, οὐκ ἄλλην οὖσαν τῆς γνώσεως τῆς ἀληθείας· ἀσεβοῦσι γὰρ οἱ ἀπὸ τῶν αἱρέσεων περὶ ἀμφότερα τὰ εἴδη τῆς ἀρετῆς. ‹1.410› Τῶν μελάνων ἵππων διὰ τὸ σκεύη ὀργῆς εἶναι ἐκπορευομένων ἀπὸ τοῦ βορρᾶ, «ἀφ̣' οὗ ἐκκαίεται τὰ κακὰ ἐπὶ τοὺς κατοικοῦντας τὴν γῆν», οἱ λευκ̣οὶ ἵπποι ὀπίσω αὐτῶν ἐρχόμενοι ἐδείχθησαν. Οὗτοι δ' εἰσὶν οἱ τῶν ἱλαρῶν καὶ εὐφροσύνης ποιητικῶν καὶ ἐπωφελῶν πραγμάτων διάκονοι. Ἐπεὶ γὰρ αἱ κολάσεις ὑπὲρ βελτιώσεως τ̣ῶν παραδιδομένων αὐταῖς ἐπάγονται, ἁρμονίως ὀπίσω ἐ´̣ρ̣χ̣ονται, μετ' αὐτὰς δηλονότι, ὑφαίνοντες καὶ εὐαγγελιζόμενοι τὰ λαμπρὰ καὶ φωτοειδῆ. ‹1.411› Τούτων πεῖραν λαβοῦσα ψυχὴ τῷ ἐν συναισθήσει γεγονέναι, ἀριδηλότατα βοᾷ πρὸς τὴν ἐφηδομένην τῇ ἀπωλείᾳ τῶν βλαπτομένων· «Μὴ ἐπίχαιρέ μοι, ἡ ἐχθρά μου, ὅτι πέπτωκα· πάλιν ἀναστήσομαι», δηλαδὴ μετανοήσασα. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ πεσοῦσα τιμωρίᾳ ὑπεβλήθην ὀργῇ Θεοῦ, ἀλλ' οὖν ὑπομείνασα καὶ τὴν ὀργὴν τὴν ἐπαχθεῖσαν γενναίως ἐνεγκοῦσα, εἰς ἱλαρὰν κατάστασιν καὶ εὐφραίνουσαν διαγωγὴν ἐλθοῦσα, φημί· ‹1.412› «Ὀργὴν Κυρίου ὑποίσω, ὅτι ἥμαρτον αὐτῷ, ἕως οὗ δικαιώσῃ τὴν κρίσιν μου· καὶ ἀποίσει τὸ κρίμα μου, καὶ ἐξάξει με εἰς τὸ φῶς, ὄψομαι τὴν δικαιοσύνην αὐτοῦ.» Κἂν γὰρ βελτιώσεως καὶ ὠφελίας ἕνεκα ὀργισθῇ Θεός, οὐκ ἀεὶ τοῦτο ποιεῖ· λέγει γοῦν· «Ὅταν ὀργὴ τοῦ θυμοῦ γένηται, πάλιν ἰάσομαι.» ‹1.413› Ὁ ἐκ τῆς τοιαύτης προνοίας ὠφεληθεὶς χαριστηρίως λέγει τῷ ὑπὲρ σωτηρίας κακώσει πρὸς ὀλίγον ὑποβαλόντι· «Εὐλογήσω σε, Κύριε, ὅτι ὠργίσθης μοι εἰς σωτηρίαν· ἀπέστρεψας τὸ πρόσωπόν σου καὶ ἠλέησάς με.» ‹1.414› Τῶν μελάνων ἵππων ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς τοῦ βορρᾶ ἐληλυθότων ἵν' ἀναπαύσωσιν τὸν θυμὸν Κυρίου, ἀπὸ τοῦ νότου ὤφθησαν ἐρχόμενοι οἱ ποικίλοι καὶ ψαροί· ἀπ' ἐκείνου δηλαδὴ περὶ οὗ ἐν τῷ Ἄισματι τῶν Ἀισμάτων ἡ νύμφη πρὸς τὸν ἑαυτῆς νύμφιον· «Ἔρχου, νότε», ἀποπεμφθέντος ὑπ' αὐτῆς τοῦ ψυχροῦ βορέα καὶ ἀνέμου σκληροῦ. Ἔχει δ' οὕτως ἡ λέξις τῆς νύμφης· «Ἐξεγείρου, βορρᾶ, καὶ ἔρχου, νότε· διάπνευσον κῆπο´̣ν μου, καὶ ῥευσάτω ἀρώματά μου.» Λόγοι δ' ἀγαθοὶ καὶ νοήματα εὐσεβῆ εἰσι τὰ ἀρώματα. ‹1.415› Ἡρμηνεύθη ἐν τοῖς πρότερον τίνες οἱ ποικίλοι ἵπποι, καὶ διὰ τί οὕτως εἴρηνται. Πάντες δὲ οἱ ἵπποι παρεστήκασιν τῷ Κυρίῳ πάσ̣η̣ς̣ τῆς γῆς, ἕτοιμοι τυγχάνοντες πρὸς τὸ περιοδεῦσαι πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν καὶ ἐκτελεῖν ἃ προστάττει ὁ Κύριος πάσης τῆς γῆς, μᾶλλον δὲ πάσης τῆς κτίσεως. ‹1.416› Τοῦ πρώτου τόμου περιγραφέντος εἰς τὰς φανείσας ὀπτασίας τοῦ προφήτου Ζαχαρίου τοῦ φωτεινῶς καθορῶντος, ἀρκτέον τοῦ δευτέρου ἀπὸ τῆς ἑξῆς λέξεως οὕτως ἐχούσης. 42 2.t 1Τόμος Βʹ 1 2.1 Zach. VI, 9®11: Καὶ ἐγένετο λόγος Κυρίου πρός με λέγων· Λαβὲ τὰ ἐκ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας παρὰ τῶν ἀρχόντων καὶ παρὰ τῶν χρησίμων αὐτῆς καὶ παρὰ τω῀̣ν̣ ἐπεγνωκότων αὐτήν. Καὶ εἰσελεύσῃ σὺ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ εἰς τὸν οἶκον Ἰωσίου τοῦ Σοφονίου τοῦ ἥκοντος ἐκ Βαβυλῶνος. Καὶ λήμψῃ ἀργύριον καὶ χρυσίον καὶ ποιήσεις στεφάνους καὶ ἐπιθήσεις ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν Ἰησοῦ τοῦ Ἰωσεδὲκ τοῦ ἱερέως τοῦ μεγάλου. 2.2 Ὡς οὐκ ἔστιν ἐπιστημονικὰ μαθήματα εἰπεῖν ἢ παραδοῦναι μὴ σχόντα ἐπιστήμην, οὕτω οὐκ ἔστι προγνῶναι ἀληθῶς καὶ κατὰ Θεὸν ἢ προφητεῦσαι πνευματικὴν προφητείαν ἄνευ τοῦ γενέσθαι τὸν Θεοῦ λόγον πρὸς τὸν προγινώσκοντα καὶ προφητεύοντα. Γινόμενος γὰρ πρὸς τὸν τοιοῦτον ὁ τοῦ Κυρίου λόγος ὀμματοῖ καὶ φωτίζει πρὸς τὸ θεάσασθαι τὰ κάλλη καὶ μυστήρια τῆς ἀληθείας καὶ τῆς Θεοῦ σοφίας. 2.3 Οὐχ ἕτερος δ̣ὲ ὁ γινόμενος πρὸς τὸν προφήτην λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου ὑπάρχει, ὅστις γίνεται μὲν πρὸς τοὺς ἁγίους ἄνδρας, ἀγγέλους τε καὶ ἀρχὰς καὶ ἐξουσίας καὶ θρόνους καὶ κυριότητας, πρὸς τὸν γεννήσαντα αὐτὸν Πατέρα ὢν ἀεί. Περὶ μὲν γὰρ τοῦ Πατρὸς λέγεται ὡς ἦν ὁ Λόγος πρὸς αὐτόν· «Οὗτος γάρ, φησίν, ἦν πρὸς τὸν Θεόν», Θεὸς Λόγος ὤν. 2.4 Γίνεται δέ, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν, πρὸς τοὺς πνευματοφόρους ἄνδρας, ὢν καὶ τότε πρὸς αὐτοὺς ὅταν γένηται. Τότε γὰρ τότε καὶ θεοὶ ἔσονται πρὸς οὓς ἐπεφοίτησεν καὶ γέγονεν, ὡς αὐτὸς ὁ Σωτὴρ ἐν Εὐαγγελίῳ

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Didymus the Blind explains Zechariah verse by verse, from the measuring of Jerusalem and the high priest's filthy garments to the lampstand and flying sickle.

Didymus the Blind (c. 313–c. 398) was a Christian theologian in Alexandria who lost his sight at about age four and nevertheless became head of the city's catechetical school. He remained a layman and an ascetic scholar, deeply influenced by the work of Origen. He wrote this commentary for readers seeking a Christian understanding of the prophet Zechariah.

Jerome visited Alexandria in 386 and asked Didymus to write on Zechariah because Origen's own commentary had stopped at chapter five and Zechariah was considered the longest and most obscure of the Minor Prophets. Didymus composed the work shortly after that request and delivered it to Jerome by 393. The commentary survived in a single papyrus codex found in 1941 at Tura near Cairo, copied in the late sixth or early seventh century.

The commentary moves verse by verse through all fourteen chapters of Zechariah. Didymus reads the prophet's visions and oracles as prophecies of Christ's incarnation, the calling of the Gentiles, and the spiritual restoration of Jerusalem, understood as the Church or the purified soul. A reader will meet Zechariah himself, Joshua the high priest, Zerubbabel, the interpreting angel, and the devil, and will hear Didymus argue against heretics such as Tatian, Paul of Samosata, Photinus, Marcellus, Artemas, and Theodotus. To follow the work, know that Jerusalem and Zion are spiritual realities, the Dawn is a title for Christ, and the author quotes the Septuagint, so Psalms are numbered one lower than in many modern Bibles and books such as 1 Kingdoms are cited as 1 Samuel.

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