Testimonies Concerning Theodore’s Commentaries on the Old Testament

TESTIMONIES Concerning the Commentaries of Theodoret on the Old Testament

Testimonies Concerning Theodoret’s Commentaries on the Song of Songs, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and the Twelve Minor Prophets.

CONCERNING THE SONG OF SONGS

*Theodoret himself in his Preface to the Psalms.*

^AFor some have laid upon us the task of expounding the Song of Songs; others, indeed, have desired to know the prophecy of the Man of Desires; others still have requested that the predictions of the divine Ezekiel, and others of the twelve Prophets, which are wrapped in obscurity, be unfolded and explained to them.

*Pelagius II, in his epistle to Elias of Aquileia and the other bishops of Istria.*

For when Theodore of Mopsuestia wished to expound the Song of Songs, he professed that through this book he had flattered the Ethiopian queen. Theodoret, reprebending this, suppressed the name of Theodore, yet nonetheless exposed the madness of it. For in describing the commentaries of that same book, he says: "I hear that many disparage the Song of Songs, and do not believe that it is a spiritual book, but in their madness they weave and construct certain old wives' tales, presuming to say that the wise Solomon wrote this book for himself and the daughter of Pharaoh."

*Theodoret himself in epistle 82, to Eusebius, Bishop of Ancyra.*

^BFor by the grace of God we have interpreted all the prophets.

*And in epistle 113, to Pope Leo.*

The prophetic oracles have been explained by me.

*The same, towards the end of his Jeremiah Lamentations.*

We have added this interpretation to the other prophetic books; to such a degree that, by the grace of God, we have left no prophecy devoid of interpretation.

*Nicephorus, book XIV, ch. LIV, reviewing the works of Theodoret.*

He published another volume on the sixteen prophets.

ON ISAIAH

*Theodoret himself in his Questions on the Fourth Book of Kings, quæst. LII.*

But I judge it superfluous to say the same things; for when I was interpreting the prophet Isaiah, I explained this.

*The same, on Jeremiah Chapter XXI.*

And we have explained the reason for this expression more fully in our interpretation of the divine Isaiah.

ON JEREMIAH

*Theodoret himself in his Questions on the Fourth Book of Kings, quæst. LVII.*

But concerning Jehoiakim, and Joachin, and Jechoniah, and Zedekiah, the divine Jeremiah wrote more extensively. ^C But we, by divine grace, have interpreted that entire book as well. Which fact he also attests in nearly the same words at the end of his interpretation of the book of Paralipomenon.

TESTIMONIA

ON DANIEL

Photius, Library, codex ccxi. We have read the interpretation of Daniel by the blessed Theodoret, bishop of Cyrus. This wise man is by far superior ^A to not only Hippolytus, but also many others, in the exposition and clarification of prophetic utterances. His speech is as suited to commentaries as anyone’s; for he reveals all that is hidden and obscure with pure and clear words, and invites one to read through a certain pleasantness, like a soothing balm and a sweet charm. Moreover, because he does not turn aside into any digressions or wanderings from the subject at hand, he not only brings no satiety, but furthermore, by a ready and convenient method, he instructs his readers in those things that are called into question without any confusion or dissipation. His choice of words, and his composition itself, do not flee from the sources of Attic elegance; unless perhaps some detail occurs there that is overly curious, ^B or which one might say is unfamiliar to the ears of many. This much is certain: he does not turn away from what serves for interpretation, and he has ascended to the very peak of the best interpreters, so that it would not be easy to find anyone who explains obscure matters better than he. There are indeed others who speak purely, who investigate the sense of the matters proposed to them with no lack of diligence; but at the same time to speak clearly, and meanwhile to omit nothing necessary to know, nor for the sake of brevity, nor to digress into side-paths or for the exhibition of learning (unless perhaps these are used not without utility), so that one cannot perceive that he is departing from the subject proposed—this has certainly been ^C diligently taken care of by the good Theodoret, more than all other things, not only in this work, but, I might almost say, in all his writings, which he has surely left in great number, by which he has illustrated Holy Scripture with his industry.

THE TWELVE PROPHETS

Photius, Library, codex ccv. We have read the book by the same author on the twelve prophets, adorned with the same beauty ^D of diction and thought.