Глава 15

Ezek.15:1–4. And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Son of man, what would be the vine tree of all the cluster trees that are in the forest trees? If they take a tree from him, will they do the work? and if they take away a stake from it, and put a vessel on it? Is the hedgehog given over to the fire for consumption, its summer cleansing consumed by the fire, and disappears completely: will the food be needed for work? Since God always called Israel a grapevine (through the mouth of David he says: “Thou hast brought grapes from Egypt” (Psalm 79:9), in Isaiah it is said: “Grapes became beloved” (Is. 5:1) and in Jeremiah: “How have you turned into sorrow, true grapes?” (Jer. 2:21)), then allegorically, taking a figure of speech from the vine branches, shows the worthlessness of Israel. Just as the vine tree, more than all other trees, is unsuitable for work, because it is impossible to make even the thinnest stake out of it, it serves only as food for fire, and annually pruned from the vines is burned, so this people are not suitable for anything other than extermination and punishment. It is said: “his summer cleansing is consumed by fire and disappears completely: will food be needed for the work?” Ezek.15:5. And even if the fire burns him to the end, there will be no need for him to do anything later? If even before it was consigned to fire, it was not suitable for any work, much less can it be useful, having become a prey to fire. Having said this in a particular way, he also adds the interpretation of the parable. Ezek.15:6–7. For this reason, the Lord Adonai says: “Like the vine in the trees of the groves, which he gave to consume fire, so will I give to them that dwell in Jerusalem: and I will give My face upon them, He said this, taking the image of speech from those showing an angry and menacing face. They will come out of the fire, and I will girdle the fire: Having got rid of hunger, they will be given over to beating and captivity. and they will take you away, for I am the Lord, when I set my face upon them: Ezek.15:8. And I will give the land to destruction, because it has fallen into sin, says the Lord Adonai. I will give them over to captivity and beatings, and I will make the land they cultivate desolate, because there will be no cultivators, but they will endure this as punishment for their sins. So, since “the tree was ordained”, “pre-written” for our benefit (Rom. 15:4), so that through patience and the consolation of the scriptures we might have hope, then we will become not wood, hay and reeds, which serve as food for the fire, but gold and honorable stones (1 Cor. 3:13), which are used for the royal diadem, so that we may reign with Christ. With Him belongs glory to the Father, with the Holy Spirit, forever and ever! Amen.