Беседа 9. Толкование на Песн. 4, 10–15

Song 4:10. What does your breast fertilize, my sister bride? What is the fertilization of your breast more than wine, and the stench of your garments more than the fragrance of all? Song 4:11. Your mouth will dig up honeycomb, honey and milk under your tongue, and the fragrance of your garments like the fragrance of Lebanon. Song 4:12. The helicopter city is sealed, sister My bride, the helicopter city is sealed, the source is sealed. Song 4:13. Your annual garden of thorns with apple fruit, Cyprus with backgammon: Song 4:14. spikenard and saffron, reed and cinnamon, with all the trees of Lebanon, myrrh, scarlet with all the first worlds. Song 4:15. The spring of the city and the reservoir of water are alive and flowing from Lebanon. “If you are risen with Christ: think on high, not on earth.” This is what the Speaker in Paul tells us! “You have died,” he continues, “and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ appears, your Life, then you will appear with Him in glory” (Col. 3:1-4). Therefore, if by our natural nature we have become dead, having transferred the hope of life from earth to heaven, and the life of the flesh is hidden in us, according to the proverb in which it is said: “wisdom hides the senses” (Proverbs 10:14), we expect that the true life will appear in us, which is Christ, so that we too will appear in glory, having been transformed into the Divine, then what is now offered Let us listen as if we are dead in the body, and not carried away by what is said to the carnal meaning, because he who has become deadened to passions and lusts will relate the meaning of the sayings to that which is pure and uncorrupted, the wisdom on high, “where Christ is seated at the right hand of God” (Col. 3:1), in whom there is no passion, consigning low concepts and those that creep on the earth to oblivion. Therefore, let us listen to the Divine utterances with which the Word depicts the beauty of the immaculate bride, let us listen as if we had become outside of flesh and blood, transformed into a spiritual nature. “What is your breast fertilizing, my sister bride? Why is your breast more fertile than wine, and the stench of your garments more fragrant than all others?” (Song. 4:10) That everyone who does the will of God is a “brother” to the Lord, “and a sister and a mother” (Matthew 12:49), and that the innocent virgin who married Him in order to have a part in the undefiled bridal chamber is in the proper sense called a bride, this is obvious to anyone who is not ignorant of God-inspired words. But, examining the meaning of these Divine sayings, in such an appeal I see not simple praise written by the Word to the bride, but I affirm that the Groom explains the reasons for the increase in beauty in the bride, so that she would not have been nourished by the sources of good teachings, which the Word figuratively calls “breasts”, if she had not first made herself a sister of the Lord through good deeds, and by being born again renewed into virginity, she became the betrothed and the bride of the One who was married to her. Therefore, He who called her His sister and His bride explains the reason for the change into something better and more perfect from her breasts, which no longer pour out milk as food for babies, but for perfect joy, exude pure wine, the kindness of which has not been spoiled by the water of the innkeepers. In these words of the Grooms, as with the mutual complacency of the spouses, when both reward each other for their tender disposition, affection filled with love is somehow observed. The Bridegroom greets the Church in expressions similar to those with which she previously exalted His beauty at the very beginning. For right in the very first words, when she expressed a desire for the word from the Divine lips to pass into her mouth, expressing this with the mysterious word “kisses,” she also said the reason for her desire, namely, that the “blessings of His breast, generously given, overcome the nature of wine and surpass all the fragrance of the world and aromas, literally expressing this like this: “the blessings of Your breast” more than wine, and the stench of Your world more than all aroma” (Song. 1, 1-2). So, because from all other places of Scripture we recognize this teaching of Divine wisdom, that the Divinity always comes to us such as we voluntarily show ourselves before God (that He is good for the good, David testifies in prophecy (Psalm 72:1), and for those who have become like beasts in life, another one of the Prophets calls Him a bear and a lynx (Hosea 13, 1). 7–8), with these mysterious names pre-depicting the Gospel teaching, according to which those standing on the right hand see a different quality in the words of the King, and a different quality to those standing on the left; for some these words are filled with goodness and delight, but for others they are terrible and harsh, in accordance with the disposition of the defendants), then even now the Word makes a suitable reward for the bride: in which ones. In expressions she glorified the beauty of the Lord, and in similar terms she was praised by the Lord. And He praises the change that has taken place for the better in the activity of her breasts, namely, that, having ceased to deliver milk, they pour out not milk, but wine, from which joy occurs in the hearts of the more perfect, because they are no longer worried in infancy, but are able to fill their lips and draw good things from the cup of wisdom. Thus, having praised the breasts for the abundant outpouring of wine, the Word adds praise to the bride for the fragrance, saying: “The stench of your garments is more than the aroma of all” (Song 4:10). One must understand such praise from the Holy Scriptures, having learned the properties of what are called aromas in it. Every fragrant aroma gives pleasure to the sense of smell. Therefore, we understand that the Word calls aromas everything that, according to Scripture, is fragrant. So Noah makes a sacrifice to God, and “the Lord smells the stench of fragrance” (Gen. 8:21). Therefore, sacrifice is a aroma for God. And after this, according to the law, many sacrifices of propitiation, thanksgiving, salvation, cleansing and about sin are offered to God. Put all this into the list of aromas, as well as the whole fruit, burnt offerings, the portions set aside for the sacrifice, the breast of the sacrifice, the membrane of the liver, the fat of the kidneys, besides this the frankincense, the wheat flour mixed with oil, the incense of the compound, and everything else that was offered to God by means of fire, put it in the list of the aromas. Therefore, when we hear that the bride’s ointment receives greater approval than all aromas, we learn from this word that the sacrament of truth, performed by the Gospel teaching, is alone fragrant before God, preferable to all the aromas of the law, as if it is no longer covered by any type or shadow, but becomes fragrant in the manifestation of the truth. For if any of the previous aromas “smelled the Lord” as “the stench of fragrance,” then each of them received approval not because of what was visible in it at first glance and materially, but because of what was depicted. And this is clear from this lofty saying of the Prophet, which says: “I will not accept bulls from your house, nor goats from your flocks. Eating bo yam meat yuncha? or do I drink the blood of goats” (Psalm 49:9, 13)? Although many animals were often sacrificed, however, even if this was done, something else mysterious was legitimized for you in this, namely, that you must temper your passions. For it is said: “The sacrifice to God is a broken spirit: God will not despise a contrite and humble heart” (Psalm 50:19). Therefore, the sacrifice of our praise glorifies the One who smells such a stench. So, since, having surpassed all the representative aromas of the law, a spiritually fragrant soul, like that of Paul, who was the “fragrance” of Christ (2 Cor. 2:15), and through life itself became fragrant and, like the ointment of the priesthood and the incense of the composition, beautifully fragrant with a diverse collection and mixture of virtues, turned out to be worthy of the Groom’s sense of smell to serve in the stench of the fragrance, then Divine sense, as Solomon calls it (Prov. 22:13), adds to the material aromas of the law this immaterial and pure fragrance of the world, saying: “The stench of Your peace is more than all aroma” (Song 1:2). The continuation of the speech leads to higher praise, testifying in words to the bride’s abundance of spiritual gifts, acquired through reflection and attentiveness. For the tributary word wishes that the student of wisdom (from the students, of course, you will understand who their teacher is) goes to the bee, thus saying to the lovers of wisdom: “Go to the bee, and see if there is a worker, if she does honest work, kings and simpletons use her labors for health” (Proverbs 6:8), and adds to this that the bee is loved by everyone and glorious, although weak in strength, yet honored for wisdom. And therefore it is presented as a model of life for the virtuous: “wisdom,” as it is said, “was honourable.” The advice given to those who have spoken is not to deviate from any of the good lessons, but flying through the meadow of God-inspired words and collecting something from each flower to acquire wisdom, compose your honeycomb, as in a beehive, putting this work in your heart inside made in memory, like wax cups, not fused together, containers for different lessons, and thus, in imitation of the wise one the bee, whose honeycomb is sweet and whose sting is not caustic, must continually do this honest work of virtues. For he truly creates, exchanging eternal blessings with his labors here and devoting his own labors to the spiritual health of kings and commoners, so that such a soul becomes beloved of the Bridegroom and glorious among the Angels, achieving strength in weakness because of the honor that is given to wisdom. So, since what is told about this wise bee serves as an example of learning and hard work, and the divisions of spiritual talents are different depending on the thoroughness of those who have worked, the Groom therefore says to the bride: since your heart has become full of honeycombs of all kinds of learning, from the good treasure of the heart you will bring forth honey-drops of words, so that your word is honey mixed with milk. - For it is said: “Your lips will dig up honey and milk under your tongue” (Song. 4:11). You have a word ready, one that provides not just one kind of benefit to the listeners, but is adapted to the powers of those who receive it, so that it is suitable for both the more perfect and the infant, serving as honey for the perfect, and as milk for the infant. Such was Paul: he feeds newborns with gentler words, but speaks to the perfect wisdom, which has been hidden in mystery for centuries, and which this age and its princes cannot comprehend (1 Cor. 2:6-7). So, the Groom says that this preparation of honey and milk lies “under the tongue” of the bride, indicating with such a saying the secret and opportune use of words. For he who knows how he should respond to everyone, having this manifold power of speech under his tongue, offers to each of those who listen, in accordance with the time, what is useful. Having written such praise to the lips and tongue of the bride, the Groom moves on to higher praises, saying: “The fragrance of your robe is like the fragrance of Lebanon” (Song 4:11). This word is a kind of wisdom that shows people what a virtuous life strives for. For the end of a valiant life is assimilation to the Divine, and therefore the valiant with all care try to succeed in the purity of the soul, removing themselves from any passionate disposition, so that with an improved life, some traits of a higher nature will be formed in them. So, since a virtuous life is heterogeneous and heterogeneous, but just as when preparing fabrics, the art of weaving makes clothes from many threads, sometimes stretched straight, sometimes crossed across, so in a virtuous life many things must flow together, from which the fabric of an improved life is composed, as the divine Apostle counts such threads, from which the fabric of pure deeds is composed, calling: “love, joy, peace, long-suffering, goodness”, and all the like (Gal. 5:22), by which the one who is clothed with heavenly incorruptibility is adorned from the corruptible life and the earthly one. Therefore, the Groom approves of the decoration seen in the bride’s clothing, as being similar to the incense of Lebanon. Although he previously said that the fragrance of her world surpasses all aromas, so that, apparently, the previous praises are destroyed, if the one preferred to any fragrance is now comparatively likened to the fragrance alone, because the Bridegroom said this: the fragrance of Lebanon is like the fragrance of your vestments; but, since for some reason the incense of Lebanon was established to be burned exclusively in honor of the Divine, therefore, the one preferred to all aromas is worthy of likening to one aroma, which is dedicated to God, so the meaning of this riddle is this: the robe of your virtues, the bride, is similar to Divine bliss, resembling the unapproachable nature in purity and dispassion. For such is the fragrance of the Divine vestments that it resembles a frankincense dedicated to the honor of God. From the praises that follow, we learn again how someone else can become the sister and wife of the Lord, precisely from what the Bridegroom said: “The city is closed, my sister bride” (Song 4:12). Therefore, if anyone changes so much as to become both a bride, because he cleaves to the Lord, and a sister, because he does His will, as the Gospel says (Matthew 12:49), then may He be a prosperous garden, containing in itself the beauty of every plant, and a sweet fig tree, and a fruitful olive tree, and a tall-branched palm tree, and a vine abundant in fruits. vine, and not any thorny or roadside plant, but instead cypress and myrtle. For this is how the great David and the exalted Isaiah knew how to decorate such a helicopter city. One, saying: “The righteous shall flourish like a phoenix” (Psalm 91:13); and: “I am like an olive tree that bears fruit” (Psalm 51:10); and: “Your wife is like a fruitful vine” (Psalm 127:3); and from another certain Prophet he who rests under his fig tree is blessed (Mic. 4:4), while Isaiah proclaims that “instead of drapery the cypress will come up, and instead of nettles myrrh” (Isaiah 55:13). Explaining exactly the mysterious meaning of each of these trees indicated to us in the prophecy would be superfluous, since it is clear to everyone what the sweet fruit of the fig tree means, over time ripening from the most sour, at the beginning bitter and unfit for food, and later “the fruit is peaceful” (Heb. 12:11), delighting the senses of the soul? And what does the fruitfulness of the olive bring us as a gift in this very sour and bitter juice, nourished in the fruit at first, which then, after proper care and ripening, turns into the nature of oil, serving as food for light, relief in fatigue, peace after labor, clarity of mind, assistance in the exploits of those who strive legally? Why does the date make its fruit inaccessible to thieves, storing it at the top, and not lowering it to the ground? Where does the sweetness of grapes, the fragrance of cypress and the sweetness of myrsine come from? When all this is taken in a figurative meaning in relation to virtue, then it is obvious to any reasonable listener what exactly it refers to. Therefore, the garden of such trees is blooming, full of plants, protected from everywhere by the fence of the commandments, so that it does not allow any entry to the thieves and wild animals, because, surrounded by the stronghold of the commandments, it is not accessible to the “solitary wonder” and the boar does not protect it from the oak grove (Psalm 79:14). Therefore, if someone is a helicopter and is brought to safety, then he becomes the sister and bride of the one who said to such a soul: “The helicopter is closed, my sister is my bride.” But such a heliport requires a source so that the plantings, enriched with water, will always remain blooming. Therefore, the Bridegroom, in praising the helicopter city, added a source, saying: “the helicopter city is enclosed, the source is sealed” (Song 4:12). The book of parables mysteriously teaches us how to deal with the source when it says: “Let the fountain of water be yours,” and let it be “yours alone, and let no one who is stranger share with you” (Proverbs 5:17–18). For Scripture, just as there forbids wasting the water of a source on strangers, so here it testifies that the source is not poured out for strangers, saying that it is “sealed.” And this means the same as saying: he is protected. The meaning of this is the following: a source in its proper sense, in my opinion, is the thinking power of our soul, which pours out and exudes in us all kinds of thoughts. But the movement of thought becomes ours when it is directed towards something useful for us, providing us with every assistance in acquiring goods. When someone turns the activity of thoughts to the industry of a vicious business, then the stream is squandered on alien things, so that a life full of thorns, watered by the assistance of evil thoughts, feeds well, but the best planting dries and withers, because no moisture of good thoughts nourishes its roots. Therefore, since the seal gives inviolability to the person protected by it, frightening the thief with its mark, and everything that is not stolen remains intact with the owner, then praise here testifies to the highest virtue of the bride, namely, that her mind, kept in purity and dispassion, remains inaccessible to enemies. For its Lord, this source is imprinted with purity, without any silt of thoughts disturbing the transparency and airy subtlety of the heart. And in order to bring this thought into greater clarity for anyone, it is as follows: because of what is in us, some is truly ours, namely everything that actually belongs to the soul, and others we appropriate to ourselves as ours (I mean the body and external things), out of some sinful prejudice, recognizing someone else’s as our own (for the immaterial nature of the soul has nothing in common with material wealth?), then the tributary word advises therefore We should not deplete the source of our understanding on what is alien to us, that is, on the body and external things, but turn it to our own garden, watering God’s plantings from it. We have learned that this divine instillation consists of virtues, and if the mental power of our soul is occupied with them and is not entertained by anything external, then it is imprinted with the seal of truth, bearing on itself the image of its disposition towards good. But let us consider the power of the praises that follow. It is said: “Your summer-growing garden of thorns with apple fruit, cypress with spikenard, spikenard and saffron, reed and cinnamon, with all the trees of Lebanon, myrrh and scarlet with all the first worlds. The spring of the city, and the well of living waters flowing from Lebanon” (Song 4: 13–15). At the first reading of what has been said, it is clear that these words contain some lofty and extraordinary thought, according to which the beauty of the bride, exalted by God and praised in many ways in abundance, becomes a miracle. And what true thought is signified by these sayings can know this clearly, according to St. Paul, only one who “speaks with the spirit” the Divine “mysteries” (1 Cor. 14:2). Why is what the bride grows a garden of thorns? Why do thorns produce apple fruit? Why is this apple fruit made a collection of peace and aromas? For among the apple fruits there is cyprus, and spikenard, and saffron, and cane, and cinnamon, and every tree of Lebanon, so that in the number there is no shortage of any kind of various Lebanese aromas, to which are numbered myrrh and scarlet, and all the first of the world. And to those who praise above, the named vertograd is now called the source of vertograds “and a well of living waters flowing from Lebanon.” But the true meaning of this, as we said above, can be understood by those who are capable of experiencing “the depths of the riches and wisdom and mind of God” (Rom. 11:33). But we, in order not to remain completely untasted of the benefits offered in this place and unenjoyed, let us touch upon this word in a few words, making God the Word Himself the leader in our diligence. The entire list of praises set out before this, and everything that the Word about the Bride now offers us, seems to mean not just some kind of praise, but by the predicate puts in us the strength to ascend the heart to greater and more significant heights. For example, she is called the sister and bride of the Word, and each of these names combines the soul with the Bridegroom, since the name of the bride, in Pavlov’s words, makes her the “steward” of the incorruptible Bridegroom (Eph. 3:6), and thoroughness in fulfilling the will, according to the Gospel word, brings her into a close bond of brotherhood. Then the property of breasts, which exude wine instead of milk, is praised, and it is clear that praise becomes the deed itself, because they do not praise what is not carried out in practice. Moreover, her ointment is recognized as superior to all aromas, about which such a judgment would not have been pronounced if, in fact, she had not ascended to this height by excelling in the best. After this, surprise is expressed at the honeycomb of words dripping from her lips, and at the mixed preparation of wisdom under her tongue - milk mixed with honey. And this is power, not words, because she, guided by the Word to a higher ascent, has grown to such an extent that her mouth has become a source of honey, and her tongue has become a repository of mixed wisdom; in it is visible the land of promise, flowing with honey and milk. Having exalted her so much by ascents, the Word leads even higher, saying that her robe emits a fragrance similar to the fragrance of the frankincense, which testifies that she has put on Christ, because the end of every valiant life is the communion with God, and the frankincense indicates the Divinity. And the soul, always guided by the Word to the highest, does not stop there; on the contrary, having become like the incense of Lebanon, it becomes a mountain city in the likeness of paradise, but not the same city as the first people had, not accessible to everyone and unguarded, but fenced in from everywhere by the remembrance of the commandment. Do you see how much new strength the bride has acquired for the procession on high? Look at her rise even higher than this. For not only did she become an enclosed garden, bearing fruit for her food, but she also became a drinkable source for those who were thirsty, having been transformed into the nature of a source, and, moreover, a sealed source, she did not even stop there, but in growing to a greater extent she stretched out to the point that a garden grew from her mouth. For he who has delved into the power of the Hebrew expression with greater accuracy, instead of saying: “your summer shoots,” says: from your mouth “a garden of thorns”; and this means: the word that comes out of your mouth is a garden of thorns. The thorns produce an abundance of fruits of all kinds, and the fruits are cyprus with spikenard and saffron, reed and cinnamon, every kind of frankincense and myrrh, and scarlet, and the first of the world. So, because the bride, according to the pleasure depicted in the psalm, because of the intercession she found with God, she “laid these beautiful ascents in her heart,” always ascending “from strength to strength” (Psal. 83:6, 8), then when her condition is perfected, the summer growth of her mouth is beautifully called a garden of thorns; The phrase “summerbloom” (Greek: apostles) is successfully combined with the implied concept, because what is sent from the sender passes into what is received. And this can be learned from ordinary usage, just as the Gospel says that the disciples sent to preach the truth are the Word itself “called Apostles” (Luke 6:13). What does the bride's mouth send? It is clear that the word of faith, which becomes a garden in those who receive it, is planted in their hearts through hearing. For a grove, planted with trees and shady, is customarily called a garden. Therefore, in order to know for us the type of plants that are planted by the Word in the souls of believers, the trees that the Word sent from the lips of the bride grows as thorns. And the thorn is inexplicable, sending out prickly needles from itself, under some kind of hard and bitter-tasting cover, containing and nurturing the fruit, which in due time, when it ripens and the shell disintegrates, turns out inside to be pleasant and beautiful to look at, and also similar to honey, not unpleasant to the taste, even delights the sense of taste with a wine-like juice. Therefore, it seems to me that the word sent from the lips of the bride produces gardens of thorns in the souls of those who listen, so that from what has been said we learn not to pamper ourselves in real life with any kind of freedom and luxury, but to choose a life exhausted by abstinence. For in this case, the fruit of virtue will be inaccessible to the thieves, being protected by the hard bark of abstinence, an honest and gloomy state, as if by some thorn needles, ulcerating those approaching with a bad purpose. But when time permits one to enjoy the fruits, the spike is made by the abundance of all kinds of apples that delight, because it is not thorns or acorns or anything like that that are eaten, but aromas of different and varied quality are revealed in the apples. For the combination of Cyprus with spikenard, intoxicating with incense, is wonderful. It is not commendable to be intoxicated in itself, when the ardor is a fetid inflammation, but it is necessary that in the inflamed one purity should be evidenced by incense, and the one who has been cleansed from the unpleasant ardor becomes “burning in spirit” (Rom. 12:11). In these apples you can find other aromas, as said, spikenard and saffron. But we recognized the fragrance of nard in what was said above; All that remains is to depict the mysterious meaning of saffron in the word. Those who have observed the power of this color say that it occupies the middle between coldness and hotness and avoids immoderation in both, so that this, perhaps, is mysteriously taught to us the wise teaching of virtue, because every virtue is the middle between two evils - lack and excess in good. For example, about courage and freedom they say that one is seen in the middle between cowardice and insolence, and the other - between being bound by trifles and self-will. And they claim that among the vices are cowardice and being bound by trifles due to a lack of what is proper, and self-will and insolence due to excess and crime of proportion; the middle between excess in both is called virtue. Therefore, if the word about saffron has any relation to virtue, then, in accordance with the measure of strength, explain to yourself by this the virtuous state that has no deficiency and excess. And I reason, although what I say will not be so learned, that the mysterious meaning of saffron can be understood much closer to the teachings of faith. For the flower grows in a triple calyx, and the calyx itself is an air-colored flower. When the shell of the cups unfolds, there will certainly be three flowers hidden in the cups, fragrant and with the healing power of a flower, which are equal in size, beauty, fragrance and quality of strength to one another, and all three show one thing in everything, both in good color, as said, and in fragrance, and in the quality of strength. Together with them, three other flowers appear, seemingly yellow, but not having the quality of serving in any way to restore health. They lead the inexperienced into error, plucking what is worthless instead of what is actually good. Those who now err in faith do the same thing, choosing cunning false teachings instead of sound dogmas. Let the listener's judgment choose from both explanations what he pleases, or one of the two, or both. For in some way one thing is both, that is, the acquisition of both perfect virtue and Divinity, since virtue is not outside of Divinity. But let's move on to reviewing other aromas, mentioned in order in the word. It is said: “reed and kinnamon”, and apples. Apples are the fruit that is brought by the thorns of the bride’s garden; on the contrary, the “reed”, as they say, surpasses everything else in fragrance, which is why it is taken according to the law and into sacred incense (Ex. 30:23). And “Kinnamon”, by some natural force, promises many different types of actions, many of which, apparently, are beyond probability. For they say that when water boils in a cauldron, if only this aroma touches it, the water immediately cools down; if it is brought into a hot bathhouse, the heat in the air turns into coolness and has the property of destroying animals infected by rottenness. They tell about him and other similar things that seem to exceed the faith of those who hear. For they claim that if it is placed in the mouth of a sleepy person, nothing prevents the person from answering the questions asked during sleep; on the contrary, the person being asked is in a dream and gives decent and separately pronounced answers to the proposed questions to the awake person. To assert that this is really so, without knowing through experience the truth of what is being said about the plant, would be rash and imprudent. At least, since, on some mysterious basis, this aroma is included in the list of apples, not because they actually grow from thorns (for it is not to such an extent that sensual gardens produce the lips of the bride), but in order to serve as a sign of one of the concepts included in the praise of the bride, I do not consider it fair to pass in silence those fabulous tales about kinnamon, which are now set forth in the word, and also, if anything else After this, he will decide to inform those telling the story about this aroma. If only the predicate added something to the praise of virtue, because each part of the story significantly serves to demonstrate the perfection of a virtuous life. For in the souls of those who are trained and prudent, this “kinnamon” can be found, when someone, either flaming with lust, or being overcome by anger, quenches these passions with reason. Or who, during everyday sleep, has this sober “kinnamon” of thought in his mouth and, like the vigilant and vigilant Angels, discovers in himself an infallible and imperturbable understanding of the predicate, and in the truth of the teaching imitates the vigilant nature of the Angels, whom no need for any representation distracts from the truth; we can say that “kinnamon” flows from his lips, in which both the ignition of lust and the boiling of anger in the heart are extinguished, and the mind is clear of all sleepy dreams and confusion of concepts in this life. And no one, bearing in mind the improbability of what is being told about kinnamon, condemns the words for borrowing praise from the bride not from the truth. For it is not uncommon for Holy Scripture to borrow certain fables from outsiders in furtherance of its purpose, and without shame to mention certain names from fabulous tales to clearly indicate the proposed thought. So the Scripture, expressing surprise at the beauty of Job’s daughters, showed the excessiveness of surprise towards her by their very names, saying that one is “called” Job “day”, the other is “Cassia”, the third is “the horn of Amaltheus” (Job 42:14). Everyone knows that Hellenic fables invented the story of Amalthys, this goat, which, according to the fable, became the nurse of this Cretan (Zeves), and from which, when one horn fell off, from its emptiness, as the fable put it, everything poured out in abundance. Therefore, did Holy Scripture really believe the fable told about Amalfi? - This is impossible. On the contrary, testifying to the abundance of Job's daughter with the benefits of virtue, it makes this known by this name, so that he who judiciously listens to the Scripture by name understands only the purpose of praise, without attention, leaving aside fabulous stories, as well as hearing about “cassia” and about the “day”, from these names it is not the fragrant substance and not the flow of the sun over the earth that we learned, but we affirm that the names contain an indication of virtuous life of those so named, and “cassia” means purity and fragrance, and “day” means the goodness of intentions, as the Apostle says that those who live in purity are called “children of light” (Eph. 5:8) and “sons of the day” (1 Thess. 5:5). Therefore, here, too, not without benefit, as serving to praise the bride, the story told about “Kinnamon” is included in the content of praise, only in a figurative meaning. But whoever has already become such and has reached this height of praise in life, shows in everything the features of the Divine image. He who said this makes it clear: from all the trees of Lebanon. For observers of such things say that the Lebanese tree from which the palm oozes is not of the same kind, but there is some difference in these trees, which changes the appearance of the aroma with the appearance of the tree. Therefore, whoever, through all the endeavors of life, expresses in himself the likeness of God, shows in himself the beauty of all the trees of Lebanon, which signify the distinctive features of the Divine image. But no one becomes a partaker of the glory of God without first becoming “conformed in the likeness of death” (Rom. 6:5). Why does the praise in the list of aromas also say that the apples of the ship are also the other aromas listed in the word, and between them “myrrh, scarlet and the first world.” For with them, myrrh and scarlet, is indicated the participation in the tomb, as the high Gospel says, because with them the burial of Him who tasted death for us was completed (John 19:39). And by the “first worlds” the Word indicates purity and the absence of any tavern forgery, just as Amos addresses those who enjoy this with a similar speech, saying: “those who drink strained wine, and who are smeared with the first stinks” (Amos. 6:6); whereas before this he said: “The goats that eat are from the pastures, and the calves are fed with milk from the midst of the flocks: splashing at the sound of arquebuses” (Amos. 6:4-5), so that neither the wine was disturbed by the scum, nor the purity of the fragrance was spoiled by any admixture into the world. But there, of course, it must be assumed that the prophecy reproaches the Israelites, who, reveling in the pure teaching of Scripture, filtered from all sorts of scum, and having the genuine fragrance of the world, and enjoying the spiritual feast in every possible way, did not take advantage of such sweets, because their evil will and the transparency of the wine turned into a cloudy fermenting liquid, and the purity of the first world was damaged by the impurity evil concepts. And here the word with the fruiting of the “first world” testifies to the bride about the integrity and purity of her dogmas. And the bride, reaching out to the highest, and the Word, assisting her to ascend, did not stop there. For she, from whose mouth “blooms of thorns” and “gardens” of aromas come, now herself becomes a source irrigating the gardens that grow from her, and not, as we know about Paul and Apollos, that one planted and the other watered (1 Cor. 3:6), on the contrary, one does two things together, planting and watering the gardens. Or perhaps this praise also contains some higher thought. For the Word says that it is not a source of any overflowing moisture, but of heliports; it exudes and pours out not any streams of water, but the heapstones themselves. Thus the divine Apostle poured out animated heirlooms to those who had him, planting the garden of the Church with his teaching. Then the Word elevates the bride to the very top with praise, calling her a storehouse of “living waters” and “flowing from Lebanon.” For we have learned this from the Holy Scripture about the Life-Giving Nature: that prophecy speaks on behalf of God: “You have forsaken me the fountain of living waters” (Jer. 2:13), then the Lord said to the Samaritan woman: “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is, say to you: Give me water to drink, you would have asked Him, and would have given you living water” (John 4, 10), and “if anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. Believe in Me, as the Scripture says, rivers of living waters will flow out of his belly. This is what he said about Dus, whom those who believe in Him wanted to receive” (John 7:37-39). So, by living water everywhere we mean the divine nature, but here it is not the false testimony of the Word that confirms that the bride is a reservoir of water that flows from Lebanon. This is most amazing of all, because all the wells have water constantly collected in them, one bride has water pouring out in her, so that in her is both the depth of the well and the constant movement of the river. For who, as it should, will depict the miracles shown, as if as a result of the likeness that has now taken place in her? Perhaps she has nothing to surpass herself, having become like the original beauty in everything. For exactly like a source, she became similar to the Source, like life - to Life, like water - to Water. The Word of God is alive, and so is the soul that has received the Word. That Water flows from God, as the Source says: “I went out from God, and came back again” (John 8:42). And it contains within itself what flows into the well of the soul, and through this it becomes a treasury of this living water, flowing, or better to say, as the Word puts it, flowing (more precisely: flowing with noise) from Lebanon, of which may we also be partakers, having acquired this well, so that, according to the commandment given by wisdom, we drink our own, and not someone else’s water (Prov. 5:15) in Christ Jesus the Lord ours. Glory to him forever and ever! Amen. You might be interested in: