Глава XXV

Jer. 25:1. The word will come soon. He intends to finally set the time for punishment and pronounce the decision. Jer. 25:3. And I rise up to you in the morning with words. Through this prophet continuously, as through others I spoke, and did not stop speaking, and did not say anything heavy. Christ does this too; intending to betray the city to the enemies, he almost defends himself against them. How often did your fellow children desire, and did not desire, and so on (Matthew 23:37). Jer. 25:8. For this reason the Lord says this. Did I give so that I could take it away again? Did I demand a bribe from you? It was a matter of mercy. No one takes away what is given unless the recipient becomes too unworthy. Jer. 25:9. This time I will send and take the tribe (πατριάν). I will bring, he says, the Babylonians, because you did not believe. Do you see why they were careless? From disbelief. The same thing happens today regarding Gehenna. Couldn't I punish if I wanted? False prophets are to blame for this. If you didn't believe the words, believe the deeds. Jer. 25:9. And in all languages. For what? So that you know that the provision of everything belongs to God. Jer. 25:11. And they will work. Being philanthropic, he counts seventy years not from the destruction of the church to the return, but to the construction of the church. And what he says is the following. Before seventy years he returned them and counted the time of return as captivity. When there was no church, no priest, no altar, no sacrifices, how was this time different from life in captivity? And this is a matter of His love for mankind. Therefore, with Darius, when so much time had passed after his return, he said: How long have you, O Lord, despised Jerusalem, this seventieth year (Zech. 1:12), so that then seventy years will be completed. He does the same when punishing, saying: the life of people will be one hundred and twenty years (Gen. 6:8), and they will live a hundred years. He did the same at the resurrection: having said that there will be three days and three nights (Matthew 12:40), he rises on the third day. But that was, of course, a matter of philanthropy, and what kind of philanthropy was shown in this? Why did he make it three days (Sunday)? To make sure that he died. A lot is being done for this. Why didn’t he do the same, saying that there would be three days and three nights in the hearts of the earth - was it so that the body would not be damaged? Well, couldn't you keep it? He could, but he wanted to make sure that nature had nothing alien. Some say that (it was) for the disciples to strengthen their weakness. Therefore, he did not expect to appear to them himself, but he rejoices with good news and calms their thoughts. Go, he says, the hearts of my brethren (John 20:17). Having appeared immediately, he could better confirm what was said, but (he did this in order) to prepare their ears. It is not for the leader, for it is fitting for him to rise from the dead (John 20:9). Or it must be said that Jonah also did it in the belly of the whale; corruption of the body begins on the first day; thus this is sufficient evidence that He died. When he threatens disasters, he shortens time and uses art (σοφίζεται), and when he (talks) about blessings, he expands it. He gave benefits that were not determined by number, and even more so – unknown. There is no limit to blessings anywhere except everyone’s disposition, and to disasters there is always a limit. He says, I have given you the land from everlasting to everlasting (Jer. 25:5). (Here) you do not see any limit, but when he sends into captivity, he determined (the time), and look: the first (captivity) is 400, the second - 30, the third - 73 (years), and after Christ - permanent. Daniel remembers these years. Jer. 25:12. When will they be fulfilled? He predicts punishment for the Babylonians, so that you know that now they did not do it by their own strength. Jer. 25:12. When the seventy years are completed, I will visit the king of Babylon, and so on. Seventy years of captivity are counted from the third year of King Jehoiakim, who reigned after Jehoahaz, who was installed as king of Egypt. Jer. 25:15. Take a cup of undissolved wine from my hand, and give all tongues to drink to them; I will send you. Instead of undissolved, the Hebrew text has: anger; but contemplates the phenomenon for the consolation of the people. Since, seeing the strongest Babylonian (king), they came to the idea that perhaps there was no benefit from serving God, the prophet, or - better - God through the prophet, showing that they were subjected to this for sin, pronounces a prophecy against the nations and all seventy-seven kings; calls Idumea, which now bears the name Bethanea, which was formerly owned by those belonging to the tribe of Reuben and half the tribe of Manasseh. Then he says: Jer. 25:30. These, like the vines that surround them, answer to all those who sit on the earth. The word: these things are not well delivered in the Greek (translation); it was necessary to put: “dad” (Δάδ), and “dad” is the exclamation of those trampling grapes, which serves as an answer to those who gather. Just as those who utter this exclamation quickly trample grapes, so, like one who tramples grapes, the Babylonian king will trample you, all nations.