ADRIAN. NOTICE.
(FABRIC. Biblioth. Græc. ed. Harles, t. X, p. 687.)
Adrian’s *Isagoge in Scripturam sacram* [Introduction to Sacred Scripture], a little book useful and worthy of reading concerning the locutions of the sacred writers, which David Hoeschel first published in Greek from an Augsburg manuscript at Augsburg in 1602 (in quarto), and which John Pearson later arranged to be prefixed to the eighth volume of the *Critici Sacri*, printed under his own auspices at London in 1660 (in folio), and since that time has been subjected to the presses again at Amsterdam and Frankfurt. After Aloysius Lollus had translated it into Latin and illustrated it with notes in his 1550 folio work, our friend Christopher Woltereck of Glückstadt translated it; I examined that work of his, prepared in manuscript for the press, many years ago, and I hope that it may see the light of day(a). Cassiodorus praises this Adrian in chapter 10 of his *Institutiones divinae*, and I suspect that he is the very same Adrian the monk to whom letter 60 in the second book of the Allatian edition of St. Nilus is addressed, where he praises him for his diligent reading of the Holy Scriptures. Turrianus incorrectly calls him Andronicus, a man who is also called Adrian in the parchments of the library of John of Hamburg, in which he stands before two small works of Jerome, a Greek theologian, which I presented in the previous volume, c. 24. Conrad Rittershusius long ago wished to publish this small work of Adrian, gifted with a Latin version, as he did the arguments of the twelve prophets (by Hesychius of Jerusalem), which Hoeschel had published in Greek with Adrian; he published both languages at the end of the *assis fatidici* [fateful weights/prophets], or the twelve prophets rendered into a Latin paraphrase by Thuanus and Rittershusius, Amberg, 1614, in octavo, p. 290 seq.
DEDICATORY EPISTLE
TO THE NOBLE MARQUARD FREHER, COUNCILLOR TO THE ELECTOR PALATINE, DAVID HOESCHEL OF AUGSBURG SENDS GREETINGS.
He returns to you, excellent man, your Adrian, and not without interest, as we judge. For not only have we compared yours with another manuscript codex, which the noble and magnificent Lord Jo. Georgius Herwardus ab Hohenburg sent from the Bavarian library to M. Velser, the most distinguished Duumvir of the Republic of Augsburg, but we have also endeavored to have the passages of Scripture accurately expressed in the margin. Farewell, excellent man, and view this little work of philology with favor and good will.
Augsburg, on the 10th day before the Kalends of September, in the year of our salvation 1602.
(a) Although you may read in the *Acta eruditorum* of 1709, p. 432, that it was under the press even then at Leipzig, yet it has not yet appeared. FABR. [Cf. what I wrote in *Introd. in Hist. L. Gr.* 1, 2, p. 283. HARL.]. He cites no passage from the apocryphal books, as John Cosin observes in his *Historia canonis S. Scripturæ*, published in English at London, 1672, in 4to, p. 149, where he refers to the year 769: *For if Photius read him, he was at least so ancient, if he lived at all in the age before.* Therefore Alphonsus Ciacconius is mistaken, who in his *Bibliotheca universalis* manuscript confuses this Adrian with Andronicus Comnenus, who was much younger.
ADRIAN'S INTRODUCTION TO THE HOLY SCRIPTURES
A There are three species of the idioms of the Hebrew character: one of which you may find involving thought, another involving style, and another involving composition.
Beginning of those involving thought.
That which involves thought is indeed this: to portray the operations of God from those things which are our own, whether they are performed for good or for evil. I speak, that is, either from members, or from senses, or from spiritual motions, or from bodily motions, or from spiritual passions, or from bodily passions, or from dispositions, or from common opinions, or from dignities, or from patterns of conduct, or from places, or from adornments, or from customs, or from forms, or from the whole living creature.
1. How from members: from members, as for instance: "His eyelids examine the sons of men," and, "The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous," and, "The mouth of the Lord has spoken these things," and, "The law of thy mouth is good to me," and, "Righteousness shall indeed go forth from my mouth," and, "The face of the Lord is upon those who do evil," and, "Lift up thy hands against their pride." He knows how to name the right hand, as being more honorable, among the better things; for instance, "The right hand of the Lord has wrought power," and, "Let us worship in the place where his feet have stood," and all things similar to these. Of these, some are set forth for salvation, others for punishment.
2. How from senses: as, "The Lord looked down from heaven, he saw all the sons of men," and, "With my voice I cried out to the Lord, and he heard me," and, "The Lord will hear me," and, "The Lord smelled a scent of sweet fragrance," and, "Send forth thy hand," and, "Touch his bones," and, "The hand of the Lord that touched me," and, "He who touches the mountains and they smoke," and, "I shall touch all the iniquity of that land," and, "Shall I eat the flesh of bulls?" and the Savior says, "I have food to eat that you do not know," and, "My food is that I should do the will of my Father." And his presence
A he calls a flight hyperbolically, as it is written: "He mounted upon the Cherubim and flew" (Ps. XVII, 11; Ps. CIII, 3; Ps. XVII, 11).
3. From psychic movements: as it is written, "I have trampled them in my wrath and crushed them in my anger," and, "O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger, nor discipline me in your fury" (Isa. LXIII, 3; Ps. VI, 2).
4. From bodily movements: as it is written, "Let God arise and let his enemies be scattered," and, "Awake, O Lord my God, according to the command you have decreed," and, "Wait for me until the day of my resurrection," and, "And Adam heard God walking" (Ps. LXVII, 2; Ps. VII, 7; Soph. III, 8; Gen. III, 8).
5. From psychic passions: as it is written, "I regretted, says God, that I made man," and, "God tested Abraham," and, "You have forgotten the laws of your God, and I will forget your children," and, "Now I know that you fear God," and, "I will search Jerusalem with a lamp," and, "Adam, where are you?" and, "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit," and the like (Gen. VI, 7; XXII, 1; Ose. IV, 6; Gen. XXII, 12; Soph. I, 12; Gen. III, 9; Eph. IV, 30).
6. From bodily passions: as it is written, "Awake, why do you sleep, O Lord?" and, "The Lord awoke as one who sleeps," and, "He will not slumber nor sleep, he who watches over Israel," and the like (Ps. XLIII, 23; LXXVII, 65; CXX, 4).
7. From dispositions: as it is written, "Was not Esau a brother to Jacob?" and, "I have loved Jacob, but Esau I have hated," and, "The Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the tents of Jacob," and, "I have been jealous for Jerusalem and Zion with a great jealousy" (Malach. I, 2, 3; Ps. LXXXVI, 2; Zach. VIII, 2).
8. From common beliefs: as it is written, "I will betroth you to myself forever," and, "I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice," and, "She is not my wife, and I am not her husband," and, "And I gave her a writ of divorce," and, "I have become a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn," and, "He himself will call upon me, You are my father, and I will make him my firstborn," and, "Israel is my firstborn son," and the like (Osee II, 2, 19; Jerem. III, 8; XXXI, 9; Ps. LXXXVIII, 27, 28).
9. From dignities: as it is written, "The Lord has reigned, let the earth rejoice," and, "You who sit upon the Cherubim, be manifest," and, "You sat on the throne, you who judge righteousness" (Ps. XCVI, 1; LXXIX, 2; IX, 5).
10. From activities: as it is written, "He who covers D [the heavens]..."
A, and, "He formed man," and, "He breathed into his face the breath of life," and, "He ascended breathing into your face"—instead of the phrase, "dispelling the enemies before your face by puffing on them," so that it implies how easily and suddenly this is done; for the outer philosophers have philosophized about "breathing" as "scattering." And, "Behold, I have inscribed your walls on my hands, towards Jerusalem," and, "I put a fence around, and I dug a trench, and I planted you as a Sorech vine, and I built a tower in the middle of it, and I dug a winepress in it." And, "Behold, I hedge up her way with thorns, and I will build up her paths, and she shall not find her way," and, "I will spread my net over him," and, "Sinners shall fall into his net," and all similar things.
11. From places: as it is written, "Be exalted above the heavens, O God," and, "You ascended on high, you led captivity captive," and, "He bowed the heavens and came down," and, "The Lord is near to those who call upon him," and, "Why, O Lord, have you stood afar off?" and, "Behold, the Lord sits on a light cloud," and, "Behold, the Lord goes out from his place," and, "He shall ascend upon the high places of the earth" (Ps. LVII, 6; LXVII, 19; XVII, 10; CXLIV, 18; IX, 22; Isa. XIX, 1; Mich. I, 3).
12. From garments: as it is written, "The Lord has clothed himself with power, and he has girded himself," and, "Gird your sword upon your thigh," and, "Girded with power," and, "Clothed with light as with a garment," and, "Who is this who comes from Edom? The redness of his garments is from Bosor; this one is beautiful in his attire" (Ps. XCII, 1; XLIV, 4; LXIV, 7; CIII, 2; Isa. LXIII, 1). C
13. From habits: as it is written, "You turned your face away, and I was troubled," and, "Why, O Lord, do you reject my soul, do you turn your face away?" and, "Do not decline in anger from your servant," and, "Do not cast me away from your face," and, "I said in my ecstasy: I am cast away from the face of your eyes," which are things that angry and sorrowing people demonstrate toward those with whom they are at odds (Ps. XXIX, 8; LXXXVII, 15; XXVI, 9; L, 15; XXX, 23).
14. From gestures: as it is written, "Why do you turn back your hand, and your right hand?"—taken by metaphor from those who are consoled and afterward turn their hands away—and, "For I will lift up my hand to heaven, and I will swear by my right hand," and the like (Ps. LXXIII, 11; Deut. XXXII, 40). D
15. From the whole animal: from the whole animal by division, now from the soul, now from the flesh; as, "My flesh is from them," in Hosea. From the soul, as, "Your new moons and your sabbaths my soul hates," and these things have been said by way of example so that the rationale of the idioms may be rendered more completely (Hos. IX (?), Isa. I, 14).
Explanation of the aforementioned divisions.
1, 2. That which is hidden from the knowledge of God, therefore, he knows how to call by the terms "eyes" and "eyelids" and "vision."
A 3. He calls his ears and hearing the sign of his indulgence, and his voice and mouth the sign of his will; and because among us the thoughts held in the mind are made known through the mouth and words, he therefore calls his approval of what he desires a "feeding," [derived from the fact] that in us the natural hunger is satisfied through the sensation of taste.
4. He calls the acceptance of our good will towards him, "smell."
5. He calls the demonstration of him in events "face," as from this in us there arises a manifestation, whether for good or for evil; as, B "The face of the Lord is against those who do evil" (Psal. xxxiii, 17).
6. He calls the operative power of his energy "hands," as among us all useful things are accomplished through the energy of the hands, whether for good or for evil; as, "Send forth your hand from on high" (Psal. cxliii, 7), and, "Lift up your hands against their pride to the end" (Psal. lxxiii, 3).
7. He seems, however, to express his right hand only regarding good things, as being the more honorable part.
8. And he calls his precise power to act "touch," and he names his swiftness to help the needy "feet" and "walking"; as, "And he bowed the heavens and came down" (Psal. xvii, 10), and, "Adam heard God walking in the paradise" (Gen. iii, 8). C
9. However, he often keeps the consistency of the figure throughout; as in the psalm he describes God as descending, then calling out, then sending arrows; he knows how to do the same also in the case of men; as, "Deliver my soul from the midst of the lions" (Psal. xvii, 11), and what follows; these things may be interpreted as derived from limbs and senses.
10. He names the opposition of the will of God to wickedness "wrath" and "anger," from [the fact] that hatred toward contraries happens among us; as, "From then [was] your wrath," meaning, "from the beginning and always you have been accustomed to be contrary to evil"; and, "Pour out your wrath upon the nations that do not know you" (Psal. lxxv, 8; lxxviii, 6); D these things may be interpreted as derived from the movements of the soul.
11. He calls the help for his own, and the punishment of his enemies, the "rising" and "waking from sleep" of God; as, "Arise, O Lord, help us" (Psal. xliii, 26). These may be interpreted as derived from bodily movements.
12. He calls the calling of his own to a work, in order to manifest their benevolence and to make them more illustrious, more famous, and more admired by others, a "testing" of God; as, "God tested Abraham" (Gen. xxii, 1).
13. He calls the delay of his customary protection...
A a "forgetting," as: "You forget our poverty" (Psal. xliii, 24). 14. He calls the execution of a purpose into a work, "full assurance of the knowledge of God," as though deeds with us were more trustworthy than words; as: "I will go down and see whether they have accomplished by their works the cry that comes to me, or if it is not so, that I may know" (Gen. xviii, 21); and: "Now I have known that you fear God" (Gen. xxii, 12). 15. The inescapable nature of the judgment of God he calls a "search," B as: "And it shall be in that day, I will search Jerusalem with lamps" (Soph. i, 12). These things are to be understood as concerning spiritual passions. 16. The postponement of his vengeance against enemies, and his slow pace in aiding his own people, he calls a "dozing," "sleep," and "heavy-headedness," as: "Arise, why do you sleep, O Lord?" (Psal. xliii, 23); and: "He who watches over Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep" (Psal. cxx, 4). These things are to be understood as concerning bodily passions. 17. The way of life pleasing to God he calls, quite fittingly, his "love." 18. And "hatred," the walking in a way contrary to his will. 19. And "zeal," the punishing of his own people; as: "The Lord was zealous for his land" (Joel ii, 18). These things are to be understood as concerning affections. 20. He calls the C intimacy of Jerusalem and Samaria with God "the betrothal of God," because he names the inhabitants by the feminine gender metonymically from the cities, following the metaphor of women; as: "I will betroth you to myself forever" (Osee ii, 19). 21. Just as he also calls the intimacy with idols "adultery"; for which reason Jerusalem also receives a writ of divorce into her hands. 22. None the less, he makes manifest the dignity of God towards them by the designation of "Father," and by that of "First-born"; these things are to be understood as concerning common glory. 23. The power and judgment of God he names his "sitting" and "throne," D from the fact that among us those who possess the authority to judge and punish carry out the trial while seated upon thrones; as: "You have sat upon a throne who judge righteousness" (Psal. ix, 5); and: "God sits upon his holy throne" (Psal. xlvi, 9); and: "Your throne, O God, is for ever and ever" (Psal. xliv, 8); and: "You who sit upon the Cherubim" (Psal. lxxix, 2). These things are to be understood as concerning dignities. 24. His creative energy, sometimes through a command, as in the case of other things, and sometimes through direct action—just as he represents it for us—he depicts: the "sketching" of Jerusalem, and the "fencing" of the way of the enemies.
A and it is said that "a net and a dragnet" are set for the capture of the wicked; these things would be from technical practices.
25. He calls his protection regarding those fighting, and the establishment of trophies, "nearness," "taking up," and "exaltation"; as in, "The Lord is near to those who are broken in heart." (Ps. xxxiii, 19.)
26. And by "length," he means the delay of support; as in, "Why, O Lord, have you stood afar off?" These things would be from places.
27. When he appears to be assisting in any way, he calls it his "clothing," from our own customs; as in, "The Lord has reigned, he has clothed himself with comeliness"; and, "Who covers himself with light as with a garment." These things would be from vestments.
28. He reasonably calls God’s not admitting the supplications of the soul a "rejection," because it is tossed about by evils, which it again begs to be delivered from; as in, "Why do you cast off my soul?" These things would be from customs.
29. He calls the delay of his benevolence the "turning away of hands"; as in, "Why do you turn away your hand, even your right hand?" These things would be from bodily postures.
30. He speaks of the "soul" and "flesh" of God, however, when he does not speak about Him from B relation or energy, but more specifically about Him; as in, "Heal my soul," instead of "Heal me"; and, "My flesh shall dwell in hope," instead of "I." He speaks of the firmness and stability of his kingdom as "prepared"; as in, "Your throne is prepared from of old," instead of "From the beginning, firm, immovable"; and, "Justice and judgment are the preparation of your throne"; and, "In the heavens your truth shall be prepared." And he says that God has "reigned" when, having mastered his enemies, he raises up his own; as in, "The Lord has reigned, let the peoples be angry, and let the earth exult." And these things, as it was permitted to philosophize concerning God, we have set forth, having no intention to think anything beyond them; and thus much concerning the technical pursuits of [the] mind.
But the things concerning the mode of expression are as follows.
1. He says "to hear," and sometimes "to see," and sometimes "to know," instead of the act and the enjoyment of the thing. "To hear," therefore, as in, "You will make me hear joy and gladness," instead of, "You will cause me to act." "To see," as in, "To see in the goodness of your elect," instead of, "To enjoy the goodness concerning us that follows for us." "To know," as in, "You have made known to me the ways," instead of, "You have caused me to enjoy life."
2. "Teach," instead of, "Grant"; as in, "And teach me that you are God my Savior."
3. "He spoke," regarding God, often means "he declared"; as in, "God spoke in his holy place."
4. "Once," regarding what is immutable; as in, "Once God spoke," and, "I have once sworn."
A 5. That which is "according to response" signifies the common beneficence of the whole people; as in, "O Lord, save now, O Lord, send now prosperity; blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord." As if each one of the people were saying this; to which he adds, "We have blessed you out of the house of the Lord" (Ps. CXVII, 25, 26).
6. "There," not only regarding place for saying "there," but also regarding actions; as in, "There is the way in which I will show him my salvation," that is, in the sacrifice; and concerning punishment, as in, "There they fell who work iniquity" (Ps. XLIX, 23; XXXIV, 13).
7. In many places it speaks of "justice," either of the man himself, not that he testifies to his own virtue from his life, or likewise [that] of others; as in, "Hear, O Lord, my justice," and all such things; as if he were justly enjoying the help from God, or [that] God is attending to him as if he were just (Ps. XVI, 1).
8. It speaks of "loving" in many places regarding God by way of intensification; as in, "The Lord loves mercy and judgment," and, "For the Lord loves justice," and, "You have loved justice," that is, "[He] has hastened to judge with justice," and, "For behold, you have loved truth" (Ps. XXXI, 5; XLIV, 8).
9. It often expresses parables metaphorically, so as to present the emphasis of what is said as greater; as in, "To him who rides upon the heaven of heaven to the east," speaking from the first and the beginning, from the metaphor of the east, which is the beginning of the day. And, "From the height of the day I will not fear," for here "from the height" is put for "from above" and "from the beginning." And, "The congregation of bulls," for "very great ones" (Ps. LXVII, 34; LV, 4; LXVII, 31).
10. It uses "as" as a syllable in two ways: either for comparison, or for confirmation. For comparison, as in, "Make them as a wheel, as stubble." By confirmation, as in, "How good is God to Israel," for saying "Very good"; and, "We became as those who are comforted"; and, "We beheld his glory, glory as of the Only-begotten from the Father," for "true" (Ps. LXXXII, 14; LXXII, 1; CXXV, 1; John 1, 14).
11. It signifies some of those whom it wishes [to describe] also from their circumstances; for example, as in, "They will dwell and hide," so that he might say: They assemble and lie in wait, intending, upon departing to another place, for them to dwell more deeply there, having emigrated from their own [places] (Ps. LIV, 6).
12. It says "to hide," even regarding God, [that it means] "to guard"; as in, "You will hide them in the secret place of your presence," that is, "you will guard them"; and, "He hid me in his tabernacle"; and, "How great is the multitude of your kindness, O Lord, which you have hidden for those who fear you," so that he might say: "Which you guard for those who fear you"; and, "Of your hidden things," as if to say, "Of those guarded by you"; and concerning us: "In my heart I have hidden your words" (Ps. XXX, 21; XXVI, 5; XXX, 20; CXVIII, 11).
13. It says "to sleep," regarding us, [that it means] "to rest"; as in, "If you sleep among the lots," and, "In peace I will sleep."
B 14. B It often uses “bosom” to mean that which is inseparable; as in, “Repay to our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom”; that is, “Bring upon them your manifold, inseparable vengeance.” And, “Which you have kept in my bosom of many nations.” And, “My prayer shall return into my own bosom.” And, “From the midst of your bosom unto the end.” And, “The only-begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.”
15. It calls “a lie” that which is unsteady, or indeed a liar; as in, “Every man is a liar.”
16. It joins truth to the mercy of God because of their certainty and infallibility; as in, “Mercy and truth have met together.” And, “Your mercy and your truth shall always support me.” And, “You are mighty, O Lord, and your truth is round about you.” And, “Who shall seek out his mercy and truth?”
17. To “wash the hands” [is used] regarding not participating in a certain matter; since this was established among the ancients; as in, “I will wash my hands in innocence.” And, “He shall wash his hands in the blood of the sinner”; that is, “He shall show himself clear of the punishment of that man”; thus also did Pilate.
18. It often says “likeness” instead of the thing itself; as in, “And I shall be likened to those who go down into the pit”; that is, “I shall go down.”
19. It often calls heaven “heavens”; as in, “Praise the Lord from the heavens.”
20. It often speaks of parables without the “as”; as in, “And he brought me up out of a pit of misery.” And, “Who makes his angels spirits, and his ministers a flaming fire.” And, “We went through fire and water.” And, “The mountains go up.” And, “A lion’s whelp, Judah.” And, “A serpent became for Adam an obstacle.” And, “The wolf shall feed together with the lamb.” And, “There shall come forth a rod out of the root of Jesse.” And, “Behold, I prepare your stone as a carbuncle.” And, “Horses mad with lust.” And, “For fire has consumed the fair things of the desert.” And, “It is a tree of life.” And, “Thorns grow in the hand of a drunkard.” And, “I was turned into misery while a thorn was fixed in me.” And, “They drank from a spiritual rock that followed them; but the rock was Christ.” And, “Rivers shall flow from his belly of living water.”
21. It indicates action from a limb; for example, “The iniquity of my heel shall encompass me”; instead of, “Of my action.” And, “They shall watch my heel.” And, “He has already tripped me”; that is,
DAVID HOESCHEL’S NOTE. (5) *Heel-tripped me*. *Pternistes*—derived from this; for it is in Hebrew “Jacob,” says Philo.
A And, “Let us confound their tongues”; that is, instead of “their utterances.” And, “He added an ear for me”; that is, instead of “obedience.” And, “The tongue of your dogs”; that is, instead of “their lapping.” And, “A tongue which he did not know he heard.”
22. He often uses “the way” for “an action,” as in: “Blessed are those who are blameless in the way, who walk”; and, “The priests hid the way,” to mean their own action. And, “Set your hearts upon your ways”; and, “Why did you lead us astray from your way?” and, “Your ways and your habits have done these things to you”; and, “So that if he found any who were of the way”; and, “As I have pursued this way”; and, “Following the way which they call a heresy, so I worship.”
23. He often uses “patience” instead of “expectation,” or “to wait” instead of “to hope,” as in: “And now, what is my patience? Is it not the Lord?” to mean, “My expectation and my hope.” And that passage in Jeremiah: “Expectation of Israel, O Lord”; and, “I waited for someone to grieve with me”; and, “Wait for the Lord”; and, “Await me, says the Lord”; and, “Of those who wait for their light.”
24. He often speaks of things that are not causes as if they were causes, as in: “So that your foot may be dipped in blood”; that is, instead of “all necessity.” And, “Against you only have I sinned”; and, “So that I may show my power in you”; and, “So that the righteousness of the Lord may be known”; and, “I have come into this world for judgment, that those who do not see may see”; and, “The law entered so that the trespass might abound”; and, “So that every mouth may be stopped”; and, “So that you may not do the things that you wish.”
25. He denotes “action” by “communion,” as in: “And I will not enter with those who act wickedly”; that is, instead of “I will not act wickedly.” And, “Blessed is the man who has not walked in the counsel of the ungodly”; that is, instead of “He has not acted impiously.” And, “I did not sit in the assembly of those who play”; and, “Let not my soul enter into their counsel.”
26. He uses an “oath” for “what is firm,” as in: “I swore to David my servant”; and, “The Lord swore truth to David”; and, “I have sworn by myself, says the Lord”; and, “The Lord swears by the pride of Jacob.”
27. He often indicates “disposition” through “words,” as in: “They said, ‘Who will see them?’” that is, instead of “Thus they were doing everything as if there were no one who was watching.” And, “For he said in his heart, ‘There is no God’”; and, “They said, ‘Come and let us destroy them from being a nation’”; and, “Let us inherit for ourselves the sanctuary of God”; and, “They said in their heart, their kindred together,” D and, “You said, ‘In what have we despised?’” And, “You have said.”
A “I am, and there is no other”; and, “You have said in your heart”; and, “I said in my abundance, I shall not be moved forever”; and, “He who says to his brother, ‘Raca’ or ‘Fool,’ shall be liable to the council and the hell of fire.” He shows the conceit that is in the soul while restraining it; instead of, “Using such arrogance against one’s neighbor that one does not even deem him worthy of a word.” (Ps. LXI, 6; XII, 1; LII, 1; LXXIII, 5; LXXIII, 13; LXXII, 8; Mal. I, 6; Isa. XLVII, 10; Soph. II, 15; Isa. XIV, 13; Ps. XXIX, 7; Matt. V, 22.)
28. “Evil,” or “wickedness,” is often used for punishment, as when it says, “He sent upon them the wrath of His anger”; and, “I am He who makes peace and creates evils,” meaning that He allows peace to be had and permits war to be waged; and, “Add evils to them, O Lord”; and, “Evil has descended from the Lord”; and, “And Sarah mistreated Hagar her handmaid”; and, “They shall mistreat him,” instead of, “They shall be prepared to suffer hardship”; and, “They have mistreated your inheritance”; and, “Repenting for the evils,” instead of, “For the punishments for the offenses”; and, “There is no evil in the cities”; and, “Sufficient for the day is its own evil,” instead of saying that the work occurring therein is the cause of ten thousand labors and pains for men. (Ps. LXXVII, 49; Isa. XLV, 7; Isa. XXVI, 15; Mich. I, 12; Gen. XVI, 6; XV, 13; Ps. XCIII, 5; Joel II, 13; Amos III, 6; Matt. VI, 34.) B
29. “Cup” is often used for punishment, as in, “Fire and sulfur and a spirit of storm are the portion of their cup”; and, “Behold, I have taken from your hand the cup of stumbling”; and, “You shall drink the cup of your sister”; and the Lord, “I am about to drink a cup.” (Ps. X, 7; Isa. LI, 17, 22; Ezech. XXIII, 32; Matt. XX, 22.) C
30. “The name” in reference to the Lord is used instead of “to have one’s own [name],” as in, “Let them know that Your name is Lord,” to mean, “You are Lord”; and, “Behold, the name of the Lord comes from afar,” instead of, “The Lord.” (Ps. LXXXII, 19; Isa. XXX, 27.)
31. He figures the punishments of God metaphorically as fire, and sword, and arrows, as in, “Your arrows are sharpened, O Mighty One.” (Ps. XLIV, 6.) D
32. The number “seven” is used for abundance, or rather for a perfect number, as in, “Seven times a day,” instead of, “Often”; and, “Repay to our neighbors sevenfold”; and, “He set up seven pillars.” (Ps. CXVIII, 164; LXXVIII, 12; Prov. IX, 1.)
33. He often speaks of God as if changing persons, as in, “Your righteousness is as the mountains of God”; and, “Your arrows are sharpened, O Mighty One, [peoples shall fall under You], in the heart of the enemies [of my] King,” that is, “Of Your mighty King”; and, “According to the image of God He made man”; and, “The Lord rained upon Sodom fire and sulfur from the Lord”; and, “May the Lord grant him to find mercy from the Lord”; and, “Of Him who was marked out as Son of God by the resurrection of the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Ps. XXXV, 7; XLIV, 6; Gen. I, 27; XIX, 24; II Tim. I, 18; Rom. I, 4.)
A 34. He takes "in the morning" to mean speed, as in, "God shall help her early in the morning"; and, "Morning, morning, He shall give His judgment," that is, immediately; and, "As the dawn," that is, suddenly. (Ps. LXV, 6; Soph. III, 5.)
B 35. He calls joy, or life, "light" many times, and grief, or death, "darkness"—because those who live in joy are somehow more clear-sighted in their affairs, whereas those who are in a state of dejection cannot even look at what is right before their feet. And it is the lot of the living to behold the light, while those who are dying continue in darkness. Joy, therefore, or life, he calls "light," as in, "Light has sprung up for the righteous," and, "My God, You will enlighten my darkness," that is to say, "You will change my grief into joy." And, "The light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun," and, "Arise, shine, Jerusalem," and, "If I walk in darkness, the Lord will be my light." That is to say, on the contrary, while I was suffering calamity and affliction, a certain joy and cheering feast unexpectedly encountered me. He calls grief and death "darkness," as in, "And I said, Perhaps darkness shall trample me," and, "Night is my illumination in my delights," and, "Fear and trembling have come upon me, and darkness has covered me," and, "They set me in a lowest pit, in dark places and in the shadow of death." (Ps. XCVI, 11; XVII, 29; Isa. XXX, 26; LX, 1; Mich. VII, 8; Ps. CXXXVIII, 11; LIV, 6; LXXXVII, 7.)
C 36. He defines the "end of the elements" as being those things which are darkened and not allowed to be seen, as in, "The sun and moon shall grow dark, and the stars shall not give their brightness," and, "The Lord shall utter His voice before the face of His power, for His camp is very great." (Joel II, 10, 11; III, 11.)
37. He speaks of God's permission of human evils as His own action, because when He is able to prevent them, He does not do so, as in, "Do not incline my heart to words of wickedness," and, "Do not incline in anger from Your servant," and, "You turned our paths from Your way," and, "Behold, I make her to err," concerning Jerusalem, and, "Why have You made us to err, O Lord, from Your ways? You hardened our hearts so that we might not fear You," and, "Hardening I will harden the heart of Pharaoh and his servants," and, "God delivered them over to a reprobate mind." (Ps. CXL, 4; XXVI, 9; XLIII, 19; Isa. LXIII, 17; XIV, 4; I, 17; Rom. I, 28.)
38. He often speaks of the power of God through such acts, as in, "He who looks upon the earth and makes it tremble," and, "He who rebukes the sea and dries it up, and makes all the rivers desert," and, "At His feet the earth stood and was shaken; He looked, and the nations were melted." (Ps. CIII, 32; Nahum I, 4; Habac. III, 5, 6.)
39. In many places he speaks of "flesh," either in terms of the body itself, as in, "They have given the flesh of Your saints to the beasts of the earth," or in terms of lowliness, as in, "My Spirit shall not remain forever in man, because he is flesh."
A And regarding mortality, as it is written: "He remembered that they are flesh, a breath that passes away"; and, "All flesh is grass"; and the Apostle: "Even if we have known Christ according to the flesh," to indicate the mortal; and, "In the days of His flesh"; and, "Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God"; and, "The life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith." And regarding kinship, as in Hosea: "My flesh from them"; and, "Behold, we are your bone and your flesh, from yesterday and the day before"; and, "You are my brothers"; and, "Are you not my bone and my flesh?" to Amasa; and, "If by any means I might provoke my flesh to jealousy."
40. He says "Son" instead of "man": "What is man, that You are mindful of him? Or the son of man," instead of "man"; and, "Son of man," instead of "man"; and, "A lion's whelp," instead of a "lion"; and, "As a sheep he was led to the slaughter"; and, "As a lamb before its shearer is silent."
41. Often he uses the term "spirit" in many ways: either for counsel, or for a gift, or for an angel, or for the soul, or for a voice, or for the air, and for the counsel of God; as: "You have taken counsel, but not by my spirit," for counsel. And, "He shall turn His spirit," for counsel. And regarding us, as: "Renew a right spirit within me," meaning counsel; and, "His spirit was not faithful with God," meaning his purpose. And, "They were led astray by a spirit of fornication"; and, "Ephraim is an evil spirit"; C and, "Because no other spirit was found in him"; and, "Behold, I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem"; and our Lord: "Blessed are the poor in spirit." And for a gift, as: "And uphold me with a princely spirit"; and, "The spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and piety, the spirit of the fear of God shall fill him"; and: "Let your spirit be double upon me"; and the Apostle often calls a gift a spirit, as: "Do not quench the spirit." And for an angel, as: "And the spirit entered into me and lifted me up and took me." For the soul, as: "His spirit shall depart and he shall return to his earth." And for voice, as: D "By the word of the Lord the heavens were established, and all their host by the spirit of His mouth"; and the Apostle: "I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the mind." And for air, as: "With a violent spirit You shall break the ships of Tarshish"; and, "You have sent forth Your spirit, and the sea covered them"; and, "Let it come from the four spirits."
A 42. He does not use the word *until* (*donec*) with respect to time in many places, but with respect to the same matter; as: "And in the shadow of Your wings I will hope, until iniquity passes by"; for he was not about to depart from his hope in God after this. And, "Until I make Your enemies Your footstool," and, "I myself am He until you grow old." And, "Seek the Lord until there come to you the fruit of righteousness," and, "Samuel did not continue to see Saul until the day of his death." And the passage, "Lo, I am with you all the days, even unto the end of the age," and, "He did not know her until she had brought forth her firstborn son." (Psal. LVII, 2; CIX, 1; Isa. LXVI, 4; Osee X, 12; I Kings XV, 35; Matt. XXVIII, 20; I, 24.)
43. He uses the substitution of tenses continuously; the future for the past, as: "I will wash my bed every night," instead of "I washed"; and, "They will pass through the river on foot," instead of "they passed through"; and, "Like a young swallow, so will I cry out." And the past for the future, as: "But I have cried out to God, and the Lord heard me," instead of "will hear me"; and, "Then the princes of Edom were troubled." And the future instead of the present, as: "They will dwell and hide," instead of "they dwell"; and, "They will speak out and talk." (Psal. VI, 7; LXV, 6; Isa. XXXVIII, 14; Psal. LIV, 17; Exod. XV, 15; Psal. LV, 7; XCIII, 4.)
B 44. He speaks of eternity in three ways: either the time of each life, or the extension of time in general, or that which is continuous and endless. Therefore, regarding the time of each life, as: "And he labored into eternity, and shall live until the end," and, "You gave him length of days for eternity of eternity," and, "Into eternity I will confess to You, as long as I live and am," and, "He who dwells in Jerusalem shall not be shaken into eternity," and, "He shall serve you into eternity," and, "You shall never wash my feet into eternity," and, "I will by no means eat meat into eternity," and, "He shall by no means thirst into eternity." (Psal. XLVIII, 9; XX, 5; XXIX, 13; III, 6; CXXVI, 1; Deut. XV, 17; John XIII, 8; I Cor. VIII, 13; John IV, 13.)
Concerning the extension of time in general; as: "He shall enter into the generation of his fathers, until eternity he shall not see the light," instead of "until the present state of things remains"; for he did not speak indefinitely regarding the negation of the resurrection. And, "He gave them eternal reproach," C regarding foreigners, so that he might say long-lasting, so that it might even be remembered by the most infamous of descendants; and the passage, "The righteous shall be in eternal remembrance," and, "Israel is saved by the Lord with an eternal salvation," and, "They shall by no means be put to shame until eternity on Mount Zion, from now and into eternity," instead of "for a long time." And, "Judea shall be inhabited into eternity."
D DAVID HOESCHELIUS'S NOTES. (7) "Until" in many places does not distinguish by the future; rather, it sets the limit up to this point, but it does not deny what comes after. Nazianzen, Orat. II On the Son. See similar things in Basil the Great, Homily on the Nativity of Christ, p. 233, and in Isidore of Pelusium, book 1, epistle 18, in which an error is corrected by the copyist; and finally in St. Augustine, On the Sermon on the Mount, c. 21. (8) "They shall by no means be put to shame." Also "they shall not be put to shame."
Regarding the continuous and the unending, as: "Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever" A (Ps. XLIV, 7); and, "For ever, O Lord, thy word is settled in heaven" (Ps. CXVIII, 89); and, "The Lord remains for ever, and his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom" (Dan. VII, 27); and the Lord says, "Shall receive a hundredfold in this present time, and in the world to come shall inherit eternal life" (Matth. XIX, 29); and, "This is eternal life" (Joan. XVII, 3); and, "I will give them eternal life" (Joan. X, 28).
He states optative expressions in the imperative, such as: "Let them be blotted out of the book of the living," instead of, "they might be blotted out and not be written down"; and, "In the greatness of thine arm let them be as still as a stone," instead of, "they might be as still"; and, "May my life go up from destruction" (Ps. LXVIII, 29; Exod. XV, 16; Jonas II, 7). B
The Beginning of Terms in Composition
These things may be considered peculiar to the blessed David; according to ellipsis, as: "But it is not so: but as the chaff which the wind drives away from the face of the earth," where "it shall be" is missing; and [in the case of] the words "saying," or "by saying." Either you have said, or they say, something of the sort; and the "saying," as: "I cried to the Lord in my affliction, saying, 'What profit is there in my blood?'" where the tense is changed; and, "Out of the depths I have cried to thee, O Lord," [that is] saying, "O Lord, deliver my soul." But "the saying" [is used] as: "I will sing and will psalm to the Lord, saying," for there is no exchange of person in the psalms: and "you have said" as: "When I shall have received time, I will judge uprightly" (Ps. LXXIV, 3; CXXIX, 1; CXIX, 1); and, "I will instruct thee and teach thee" (Ps. XXXI, 8). But regarding "those saying," as: "Against the Lord and against his Christ, saying" (Ps. II, 2); but regarding "they say," as: "And speak not against God injustice," instead of [them] saying: "There is no help from the desolate mountains" (Ps. LXXIV, 6, 7). C
He uses repetition everywhere, as: "For behold, I was conceived in iniquities, and in sins did my mother conceive me" (Ps. L, 7); and, "I laid me down and slept" (Ps. III, 6); and, "Earth-born and sons of men" (Ps. XLVII, 3); and, "Who makes his angels spirits, and his ministers a flaming fire" (Ps. CIII, 4); and, "The Lord became my refuge, and my God the helper of my hope" (Ps. XCII, 22); and, "The Lord has spoken and called the earth" (Ps. XCIII, 4); and, "They shall utter and shall speak" (Ps. LXXII, 5); and, "Give ear to my words, O Lord" (Ps. V, 1). D
He often uses the same thing in three ways according to a certain inversion, as: "You see," instead of, "Because you see"; and, "Your arm," instead of, "Yours" (Ps. LXXXVIII, 14).
And he makes the inversion in a longer way, as: "In your remainders you will prepare their face," instead of, "In their remainders" (Ps. XX, 13); as such things are also found among the lyric poets.
He uses hyperbata and transpositions, as: "When the impious man is proud, the poor man is burned," etc.
A And, "That day and night your hand was heavy upon me, when the thorn was fixed in me." For the phrase, "I turned into misery, while I was crying out all day long," is reasonably supplied; and so is the phrase, "Your arrows are sharpened, O mighty one," with the word "people" inserted. B By way of extension he says the same thing, as: "Chastising, the Lord has chastised me"; and, "Waiting, I waited for the Lord"; and, "Blessing, I will bless you" (Ps. CXVII, 18; XXXIX, 2; Gen. XXII, 17).
See how he often speaks by way of pleonasm, as: "Behold, for you have loved truth"; "Behold, the Virgin shall have in her womb." And the word "yet," which contributes nothing at all, as: "Yet in vain is he disturbed." And the word "with," as: "The Lord examines with the just and with the impious"; and, "The Lord will judge with the just and with the impious." And the word "for," as: "The clouds gave a voice, for your arrows pass through"; and, "For even those who do not believe to dwell"; and, "For you are my brother." C And indeed, the word "of," which it is not rare to find among most of them, and especially in the Book of Kings and in Solomon — though blessed David uses "in" instead of "with," as: "And with [in] the transferring of mountains into the heart of the seas"; and, "In [with] whole burnt offerings," instead of "With whole burnt offerings"; and, "In peace in the same"; and, "I walked in my innocence"; and, "God ascended in shouts of joy"; and, "The voice of the Lord in strength, the voice of the Lord in magnificence." Diligent students, therefore, having borrowed the starting points from these, will find a certain path and door for their love of learning to be guided toward the understanding of Holy Scripture (Ps. L, 8; Matt. I, 25; Ps. XXXVII, 7; X, 6; Eccles. III, 17; Ps. LXXVI, 18; LXVII, 19; Gen. XXIX, 15; Ps. XLV, 2; IV, 9; XXV, 1; XLVI, 6; XXV, 4).
There are also these most general tropes of it. D According to metaphor, according to parable, according to comparison, according to synecdoche, according to example, according to metonymy, according to antiphrasis, according to periphrasis, according to recapitulation or return to the beginning, according to catachresis, according to prosopopoeia, according to figurative speech, according to allegory, according to hyperbole, according to sarcasm, according to irony, according to mockery, according to aculeated statement, according to enigma, according to threat, according to apophasis, according to reticence, according to admonition, except for its own idioms, of course.
According to metaphor, it is when he transfers things that belong to others, either by action or by nature, to other things; for example, to us and to God, as: "The Lord shepherds me"; and, "To shepherd Jacob his servant"; and, "May the shepherds no longer feed themselves"; and, "My sheep were scattered because there was no shepherd"; and, "Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men." For he often calls the interventions of God’s justice nets and casting nets; for example, "I will spread my net over him"; and he explains the desolation of the enemies as a flood.
A He declares: just as, "The Lord makes the flood to inhabit," and, "He who calls for the waters of the sea," in order to refer to the Assyrians and the multitude; and, "Look, O God, our protector," and, "In the shadow of your wings you will protect me," and, "He spread his wings and received them," and he remains in this figurative mode.
By way of parable: as, "I have watched and become like a bird," and, "As a sheep."
By way of comparison: for instance, he wishes to liken present things to ancient things by means of similarities; the grace of baptism to the Red Sea, and the participation in the divine mysteries to the manna and the water from the rock.
By synecdoche, when he shows the whole by a part: as, "He has converted my soul," meaning me; and, "Moreover, my flesh will rest in hope," for "I"; and, "From the womb, before the morning star, I have begotten you," for, "before all creation."
By way of example, when things that must be done are set forth by certain similarities: for instance, "The ox knew its owner," and, "The kite in the sky knew the time of its arrival," and, "A man was a householder," and, "Of a certain rich man." B
By metonymy, when he names either the surrounded by the surrounding things, or the inhabitants by those who provide the dwelling; and from the surrounding by the surrounded things, as: "And how excellent is my cup that inebriates," and, "Wail, O ships of Tyre," and, "You will drink the cup of your sister." From those who provide the dwelling by the inhabitants, as: "He will call the heaven from above," and, "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets," and, "Let many islands rejoice." C
By antiphrasis [(9)], when he shows the contrary by its opposite: for instance, "Unless he will bless you to your face," instead of, "he will blaspheme"; and, "He blessed God and the king," instead of, "he insulted and treated badly"; and, "Because the king has been celebrated," and, "Blessed be that man." D
By periphrasis, when he spreads a description of many words over matters that could be expressed in few: for instance, "And behold, foreigners, and Tyre, and the people of the Ethiopians, these were born there."
By recapitulation, or a return to the beginning, when things that are narrated in various ways through many words, because of the difficulty arising from the disorder of digressions, in
in turn expounded, as Moses says, “This is the book of the generation of heaven and earth.” Such things are also in the Books of Kings and in the Apostle. A
According to abuse, when it uses the name of one thing for another; for example, as it is written, “Keep me, O Lord, as the apple of an eye,” and, “In thee we shall strike down our enemies with a horn,” and, “He who covers his upper chambers with waters,” and, “As the dawn shall a great and strong people be poured out over the mountains,” speaking of the locust. (Psal. xvi, 8; xliii, 6; ciii, 3; Joel ii, 2.)
According to prosopopoeia, when it attributes personhood and speech to certain inanimate things, and sometimes to things that exist only through the power of imagination; of the inanimate, as: “Lift up your gates, O eternal ones,” and, “The heavens declare,” and, “The trees went forth and walked.” Of those that exist only by imagination, as: “Justice and peace have kissed,” and, “The Lord called for judgment by fire,” and, “He cast the stone into the mouth of iniquity,” and, “Wisdom said, ‘The Lord created me,’” and, “I was that in which He delighted day by day,” and, B “She built herself a house.” (Psal. xxiii, 7; xviii, 2; Judic. ix, 8; lxxxiv, 11; Amos vii, 4; Zach. v, 8; Prov. viii, 12, 22, 30.)
According to figurative oratory, when it represents the same things beyond the narration of the facts, as: “The queen stood on thy right hand,” and, “The rivers shall clap their hands for the same,” and, “Thy breasts have swollen, and thy hair has grown; and thou wast naked and full of confusion.” By catachresis it calls the mountains breasts, from their shape, and fertility of the earth hair. It also fashions a figurative speech from facts, as in the account of the blessed Job, namely, “Satan to stand before the Lord.” (Psal. xliv, 10; xcvii, 8; Ezech. xvi, 7; Job 1, 6.) C
According to allegory, when it continuously calls infinite multitudes “waters,” and their passage an “inundation,” and that, “He shall be like the tree that is planted,” and the Apostle allegorizes Hagar. (Psal. i, 3; Galat. iv, 24.)
According to hyperbole, when in many things it employs a greater magnitude of expression than the actual events or inherent qualities or possibilities allow; as: “They ascend even to the heavens,” concerning those navigating; and, “Yet God shall break the heads of his enemies,” and, “I will wash my bed every night,” and, “The mountains leaped like rams,” and, “The trees of the field shall applaud with their branches,” and, “It is easier for a camel,” and concerning the locust, “For a nation has come up upon my land, strong, its teeth are as the teeth of a lion,” and, “Sinners have been alienated from the womb,” and, “Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand does,” and, “If thy right eye scandalize thee, pluck it out,” and, “If you should be silent, the stones will shout,” and, “One jot or one tittle,” and, “Heaven and D
DAVID HOESCHEL’S NOTE. (10) *According to hyperbole*. Of this, the same Augustine treats in the last chapter of his exposition on the Gospel of John.
earth shall pass away.” (Ps. civ, 26; lxvii, 22; vi, 7; cxiii, 4; Isa. lv, 12; Matt. xix, 24; Joel i, 16; Ps. lvii, 3; Matt. vi, 3; Matt. v, 29; Luke xix, 40; Matt. v, 18; xxiv, 35.)
B According to objurgation, when one speaks of the disgrace of enemies: “Aha, aha, our eyes have seen it,” and, “Take a harp, wander about, sing well; for ships no longer come from Tyre; a beautiful and welcome city, leading with ointments. It did not trust in the Lord,” and, “Prophesy to us, Christ, who is it that struck you?” (Ps. xxxv, 21; Isa. xxiii, 16 and 10; Nahum iii, 4; Zeph. iii, 3; Matt. xxvi, 68.)
According to irony, when one mocks worthlessness through praise, such as: “Gather his saints together to him,” and, “A vine shedding foliage, O Jerusalem,” and, “Where is the dwelling-place of lions, and the whelp of the lion?” and, “Adders and the offspring of adders hastened to the Egyptians,” and, “Hell from beneath was pricked to meet you,” and, “You have been wounded as—,” and, “Your pride is brought down to the depths, beneath you they shall spread rot.” (Ps. xlix, 5; Hos. x, 1; Nahum ii, 11; Isa. xxx, 6; xiv, 9, 10, 11.)
According to an acerbic saying, when one wishes to praise through excessive lowliness, such as: “But I am a worm and no man,” and, “Do you pursue a bird, O king? A single flea, and a dead dog,” and similar things. (Ps. xxi, 7; 1 Reg. xxiv, 15.)
According to enigma, when one sets forth history incongruously; for instance, “Your silver is mixed with dross; your merchants mix wine with water,” and, “To every bird and to all the beasts of the field,” and, “Send forth the sickle, for the harvest is at hand,” and, “Behold, the axe is laid to the root of the trees.” (Isa. i, 22; Ezek. xxxix, 17; Joel iii, 13; Luke iii, 9.)
According to threats, when one threatens by the command of God, such as: “If you are not converted, he will whet his sword,” and, “Bring forth fruit worthy of repentance,” and, “There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Ps. vii, 13; Matt. iii, 8; xxii, 13.)
According to explanation, when one defines the coming of good and evil things without a special cause, captivity, and the return.
According to reticence, when he shows renewal by God, such as: “And Jerusalem shall be holy, and foreigners shall pass through it no more,” and the distinction: “Unless perhaps they should transgress,”—he kept silent; and, “Unless one is born of water and the Spirit,”—the distinction regarding blood he reserved. (Joel iii, 17; John iii, 5.)
According to correction, when all things of sacred Scripture alike, whether through words or through deeds, are seen to converge into this.
The species of sacred Scripture are two, the prophetic
DAVID HOESCHEL’S NOTE. (11) *A beautiful city*, a beautiful harlot, in the printed editions, ibid. l. xxx. For *do you pursue* (διώκεις), the same read *it shall come* (ἐκπορεύη).
(ἐκπορεύη). A and historical; yet each of these consists of three times: the past, the present, and the future. The past, for instance, is the scroll of Moses concerning the constitution of the universe; the present is like the scroll of the most blessed Elisha regarding the gold given to Gehazi; the future is like the writing of the prophets concerning the Hebrews and the coming of Christ, which we have received through words, visions, and deeds. By words, as in: "Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, and I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah." By visions, as in: "And the hand of the Lord was upon me," and, "The dead shall rise," and, "I watched until the thrones were set," and, "Behold, one like the Son of Man coming with the clouds." By deeds, as in the case of Abraham: "Take for me a heifer three years old, and a female goat three years old, and a ram three years old, and a turtledove, and a pigeon," and the rest; and, "Take your beloved son, whom you loved, Isaac." (IV Reg. v, 19; Jerem. xxxi, 31; Ezech. iii, 22; I Thess. iv, 16; Dan. vii, 9; Gen. xv, 9; xxii, 1.)
B Since these things are so, it is fitting that those who are learning should first fix their attention upon the themes of the sayings, and then subsequently apply to them the literal interpretation in a suitable manner; for if the intellect does not precede, the construction derived from words would be led astray. For just as with those who steer ships, if there were not some fixed destination of the course set before them, toward which they intended to direct every movement of the rudders, they would be carried across the whole sea—shifting their art according to every wind and acting as if they were turning into a harbor—so too will it necessarily happen in the explanations of doctrine if no established subject matter is proposed. C For how would it not be among the most absurd things, if experts, when dealing with epic poems containing fictions and things that are not true, cannot introduce them otherwise than by first bringing the theme of each into knowledge—so that they might reasonably direct the use of their words toward this, and not into the wind—yet we do not shrink from subjecting the matters of our divine instruction to certain unsubstantial conjectures, bringing upon them impulsive and incoherent interpretations? D Therefore, just as it is right for those traveling into a region entirely unknown to have those who have experience of it point out, before all else, the path that leads there, by which they might travel, and thus also to make known to them the signs along this path, by following which they would in no way stray from the straight road—the same might one decree for those who profess to teach: that they ought primarily to make known to the students the theme of the matters to which they must necessarily apply the inclination of their own intellect; then the knowledge of scriptural idioms, the discernment of figures, the distinction of tropes; and not least, the clarity of the literal interpretation, as certain signs of the journey to be pointed out in advance.