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Signs before the end (1–13). Impression from the Angel's speech (14–15). Falthiel's exhortation to return to the people (16–19). Second vision. Ezra's perplexity about the fact that God punishes his chosen people not directly with His own hand, but with the help of the pagans (20-30). Angel's answer. Man's powerlessness to comprehend God's love for Israel and to delve into the plans of the Divine economy (31–40). Strict gradualism in the implementation of Divine plans, excluding the possibility of injustice to anyone at the trial (41–49). Bringing the world closer to old age (50–55). The question is who will carry out the final judgment (56). 3Ezra 5:1 Concerning signs: behold, the days will come in which many of those who dwell on the earth who have knowledge will be caught up, and the way of truth will be hidden, and the world will fail in faith, 1. The Vulgate, accurately conveyed by the Slavic translation, among the signs in the first place indicates the burden of the inhabitants with a large tribute (in censu multo). The Russian Bible is guided by Fabricius' amendment made in relation to the Arabic text (in sensu multo). She puts here the meaning that in the last days rational people will be taken from the face of the earth (cf. Matthew XXIV:40; Luke XVII:34-37). Volkmar (22), Hilgenfeld (Messias Judaeorum, 124; Esra und Daniel, 16), Fritzsche (28), Bissel (647) and Zeckler (45) accept the reading in sensu multo, seeing here an indication of the madness with which people will be possessed before the end of the world. Bensley (15) in relation to the Syriac translation suggests reading in excessu multo. A similar frenzy or horror will attack people when the Almighty comes to free His enslaved people (XIII:30). 3Ezra 5:2 And the iniquity which you now see and which you have heard of long ago will increase. 2. The New Testament books speak more than once about the increase of lawlessness in the last days (Matthew XXIV:12). 3Ezra 5:3 And it will come to pass that the country which you now see as dominant will be devastated. 3. The Vulgate text suffers from darkness. In the Russian Bible the incomprehensible expression imposito vestigio is completely omitted; in Slavic it is conveyed by the words “in nyuzhe vkhed”, which in this place turn out to be completely unnecessary and unexpected. Ezra had no need to enter the country that reigned over the whole world in his time: he lived in it, like the other Jews of the dispersion. Hilgenfeld (Judische Apokaryptik, 193) sees in these words a hint of extreme despotism in the relations of the Romans towards the Jews. The Roman Empire reigned over Israel, trampling it underfoot. But there is no basis for such an understanding of the word vestigium. Volkmar, Bissel and Zickler propose to read here incompositio e vestigio, understanding the entire verse as follows: “And there will be destruction along the way of the country that you now see as dominant, and they will see how it becomes a desert.” Bensley, in relation to the Syriac translation, reproduces the Latin text in this form: “And the country which you now see ruling will be unsettled (incomposita, Syr. instabilis) and without traces of man (sine vestigio, Syr. non calcata).” No man will trample it under his heels. However, the Latin handwritten text (incomposita vestigio) can be correctly understood without Bensley's addition. The country that Ezra sees now ruling will be undeveloped for movement, for walking, there will be no path through it with the feet of people, it will be impassable. 3Ezra 5:4 And if the Most High allows you to live, you will see that after the third trumpet the sun and moon will suddenly shine in the middle of the night three times a day; 4. The Latin text introduces a number of arbitrary interpretations into the author’s deliberately obscure speech, which are not justified by the Eastern translations. The mention of the third trumpet (post tertiam tubam) is inappropriate, since below, in the second vision, we are talking about only one trumpet, foreshadowing the end of the world. Volkmar (23–24) arbitrarily identifies the third trumpet with the last trumpet, behind which, according to Ap. Paul will be followed by the resurrection of the dead (1 Cor. XV:52; cf. Matthew XXIV:31; 1 Sol IV:16; Rev. VIII:2). Leake understands the expression “after the third trumpet” as indicating the time when Ezra will receive a more detailed revelation about the last days of the world. According to the testimony of the Gemara, confirmed by Josephus (On the Jewish War, IV, 9, 12), the sound of a trumpet among the Jews announced the onset and end of the Sabbath. The third trumpet here signifies the third Sabbath, which is to occur two weeks after the present vision. The first three visions, which represent one whole, occur on Saturdays. The author fasts for a week before each of them. Thus, by the beginning of the third vision, the three weeks of fasting (VI:31) commanded by Ezra in this place are fulfilled. The three-week fast is an imitation of the book. Prophet Daniel (X:2). In Eastern translations, instead of the sound of the third trumpet, another sign is indicated: an earthquake (cf. Matthew XXIV:29; Rev. XI:13). Van der Ulis suggests that the original Latin text was terram turbatam. Hilgenfeld (47) defends the reading post tertiam turbatam and puts the following meaning into this passage: “You will see how the country that has to follow the third will begin to experience unrest.” He dates it to the fourth Daniel monarchy (Syrian). Gutschmid (282), sharing Lieke's view on the meaning of the third trumpet, sees here an allusion to the earthquake that occurred in the spring of 31 BC. According to the Jewish calendar, it falls on the third Saturday after the beginning of the new year, in the middle of the month of Nissan. The most natural explanation of the expression post tertiam is given by Blas and Gunkel (359), who understand it in the sense of indicating the third day (μετώ τηντρίτην), after which the end of the world should occur. Three days are used in apocalyptic writing to mean a mysterious number to determine the period remaining until the advent of a new century. The end of the verse, which speaks of the moon appearing three times during the day (ter in die), is damaged in the Vulgate. The manuscripts only say that the moon will shine during the day (interdie). At the end of the world there will be neither day nor night: the sun will shine at night, and the moon will shed its pale rays during the day (Mk XIII:24; Mt XXIV:29; cf. Isa XIII:10; Eze XXXII:7-8; Joel II:30-31). The entire verse can be reproduced as follows: “And if the Almighty allows you to live, then you will see how after the third day the earth will come into confusion: the sun will suddenly shine at night, and the moon during the day.” 3Ezra 5:5 And blood will drip from the tree, the stone will give its voice, and the nations will be shaken. 5. In all nature there will be a deviation from the usual order. Drops of blood will appear on the tree; a voice will be heard from the stone. These details are inspired by the book of the prophet Habakkuk, II:11: “The stones of the walls will cry out, and the beams of wood will answer them” (cf. Luke XIX:40). The idea of ​​blood flowing from trees is in connection with the view of the pagan world that sacred trees have a soul. In the Epistle of Barnabas (chap. XII) there is an excerpt from some prophetic book that comes close to this place: “In a similar way, another prophet accurately testifies to the cross, who says: “When will this be fulfilled?” And the Lord says: “When the tree bends down and rises up, and blood flows from the tree.” A number of researchers (Le Moyne. Notae ad varia Sacra, 836. Fabnotus. Codex pseridepigraphus V. T. II, 184–185. CorrodI: 180. Volkmar, 403, 408. Hilgenfeld. Messias Judaeorum, 47. Harnack. Barnabas briee, with 12. Schurer, 329. Gunkel, 359. Shavrov, 165–166. Bukharev, 3–5. Smirnov, 37) suggest here a free borrowing from the prophetic book of Ezra (IV:33; V:5). With this view, the message of Barnabas becomes very important for determining the time of the appearance of our book. However, Cotelerius already drew attention to the fact that between the meaning that the flow of blood from a tree has, Ezra and Barnabas have nothing in common. The first half of the excerpt in the book of Ezra is completely absent. Undoubtedly, the author himself united the Christian meaning with it, attaching it to the tree of the Cross of the Lord. Meanwhile, the writer of our book knows nothing about atonement. Therefore, it is much fairer to admit that the author of the epistle of Barnabas quotes from some other book Cotelerius, Lucke, Gfroer, 70, 71, Ewald, 137, Keil, 740, Wieseler, 289-291, James, XXVIII-XXIX). Hence, there is not the slightest reason to rely on the message of Barnabas as proof of the origin of the prophetic book of Ezra before the destruction of Jerusalem (Smirnov, 37). At the end of the verse in the Vulgate there is an omission: “and the issues (egressus) will fall into disorder.” The outcome refers to the heavenly gates through which the stars pass (ef) and the winds blow (Syr., Ar. 2). The order established in the sky has never been violated throughout world history. Its cessation will indicate that the end is near. Volkmar sees in this place a hint of the confusion in the order of succession to the throne that occurred in Rome after the end of the Julian dynasty. But there are no sufficient grounds for a historical understanding of each of the signs of the end. The author strove to exhaust the eschatological material that folk tradition provided, sometimes not even bothering to harmonize it with each other. 3Ezra 5:6 Then the one whom those who live on earth do not expect will reign, and the birds will fly to other places. 6. Among the signs of the end is the accession to the throne of someone who was not expected. Hilgenfeld (Judische Apokalyptik, 236–237, Messias Judaeorum, 47–43) sees here an indication of the accession of Octavian, Gutschmid (281) applies it to Herod the Great, the protege of Rome; Herod's appointment as ruler of Judea was a complete surprise to himself (Flavius. On the Jewish War XIV, 14, 5). Volkmar (363) applies this passage to Galba, who took the throne, despite the fact that other persons had much more rights to it (Tacitus, I, 5-10. Suetonius. Galba, 11. Otto, 3). Wellhausen (247) sees here an echo of the legend that Nero is alive and will suddenly appear from the East to regain his throne. Schneckenburger (Jahrbucher fur deutsche Theologie. 1859. S. 413–414) understands by the ruler who will reign at the end of the world, Satan, Gunkel (359) the Antichrist. The sheer diversity of opinions presented indicates that there is no basis for a historical interpretation of the signs of the end. The idea that in recent times the crown will be worn by someone who was not thought of is expressed in the book of Jesus, son of Sirach (XI: 5). The increase in evil on earth before the end of the world prompted the popular consciousness to think about the sudden accession of the culprit of evil - Satan. The flight of birds and the movement of animals are everyday occurrences. Birds and animals are distinguished by the gift of premonition, which is why they leave places in advance that are in danger of earthquakes. 3Ezra 5:7 The Sea of ​​Sodom will spew up fish; it will make a voice at night, unknown to many; however, everyone will hear his voice. 7. There are absolutely no fish living in the Dead Sea. Wellhausen (246–247) tries to remove the difficulty by recognizing this passage as an interpolation inspired by the books of Hosea (IV:3) and Zephaniah (I:3). There it is prophesied about the destruction of the fish of the sea during the last visit of Jehovah to Judea. The book of Ezekiel (XLVII:8-11) sheds much more light on the mystery. The following vision unfolds before his eyes. The stream emerging from under the threshold of the church flows into the sea, the waters of which become healthy; under the influence of this life will reign there; there will be as many fish as in a big sea; its swamps and pools, which are not made healthy, will be left for salt. Surely this vision must be interpreted in relation to the Dead Sea. Hence the idea was borrowed that the Sea of ​​Sodom, where there will recently be an extraordinary abundance of fish, will throw it out before the onset of the new century. The roar of the sea waves also signifies the nearness of the end. This is an echo of the ancient idea of ​​​​a constant struggle between sea and land. A rumble heard from the bottom of the sea at night in complete silence usually foreshadows an earthquake. Wellhausen attributes the extraordinary voice that will be heard at night not to the sea, but to that mysterious person who will suddenly seize power into his hands. But this in no way eliminates the mystery of this wondrous place. Obviously, the author took it entirely from folk legend. There is no reason to conclude from this geographical detail that the author lived in Palestine near the Dead Sea (Wieseler, 268-289. Baldensperger, 39. Kabisch, 39). 3Ezra 5:8 There will be confusion in many places; fire will often be sent down from heaven; wild beasts will change their places, and unclean women will give birth to monsters. 8. “And in many places the abyss (chaus) will be visible, and fire will often erupt from there, ... and women capable of conception (menstruatae) will give birth to monsters.” In the Russian Bible, in relation to the Gospel (Matthew XXIV:29; Mark XIII:25), there is talk of fire falling from heaven. In the course of thoughts, it is more natural to see here a continuation of the speech about the abyss. Wellhausen sees here an allusion to the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. 3Ezra 5:9 Sweet waters will become salty, and all friends will fight against each other; then the mind will hide, and the mind will retire into its repository. 3Ezra 5:10 Many will seek him, but will not find him, and iniquity and intemperance will increase in the earth. 3Ezra 5:11 One region will ask another neighboring region: “Has not righteousness passed through you to make you righteous?” And she will say: “no.” 9–11. The presence of salt water in fresh water is a sign of an imminent earthquake. Before the end of the world, the mind and reason retire into their storage facilities. Post-exilic Judaism represented the main abilities of the human spirit as special beings living in the same repositories as the souls of people. From there, truth makes its journey across the earth (cf. 2Ezra IV:38–40). 3Ezra 5:12 People at that time will hope, and will not achieve what they want; they will labor, and will not succeed in their ways. 12. Wed. Am VI:10. Volkmar (364–365) applies the listed signs to the history of the Roman Empire after the end of the Julian dynasty before the accession of the Flavian house to the throne. Tacitus (Historial, 2) notes at this time the extraordinary abundance of internecine wars and rebellions, unheard of cruelties even in peacetime and the monstrous debauchery that reigned in Rome. Rome was threatened by unrest in Gaul, attacks by the Sarmatians, Suevi and Parthians (6). An earthquake struck Illyria and Campania. It destroyed part of Rome and the entrance to the royal palace. In addition, Rome was devastated by fires (6). All relationships between people were inspired by either hatred or fear (9–10). Gutschmid, with no less success, selects a whole series of extraordinary phenomena before the Battle of Acteia. At the beginning of the chapter (1-3) he sees indications of those insults to the religious feelings of the Jews that were carried out by Herod for the sake of sins. The opening of the earth indicates the death of Pisaura, a town on the shores of the Adriatic Sea, due to the abyss that formed under it. In Rome itself, part of the circus, the sanctuary of Ceres and the church of the goddess Hope were burned by falling lightning. A wolf entered Rome and was killed. Hilgenfeld and Kabisch are inclined towards this understanding. What speaks against historical understanding is, first of all, the fact that similar phenomena can easily be found in the history of every nation. All the signs were borrowed by the author from the rich stock of eschatological ideas that were the vital nerve of post-exilic Judaism and retained their charm in the first years of the existence of Christianity. Eschatology is completely alien to the certainty that historical interpretation imposes on it. 3Ezra 5:13 I am allowed to tell you about these signs, and if you pray again and weep as now, and fast for seven days, you will hear even more. 3Ezra 5:14 And I came to my senses, and my body trembled greatly, and my soul fainted, as if it was disappearing. 3Ezra 5:15 But the angel who came to me supported me and strengthened me, and set me on my feet. 14–15. The feeling of horror, reaching the point of loss of consciousness and requiring reinforcement from the Angel, finds its place in the book of the prophet Daniel (VII:15; VIII:17-18; X:8-10, 15-18), which our author imitates. 3Ezra 5:16 And it came to pass on the second night that Salafiel, the leader of the people, came to me and asked me, Where have you been, and why is your face so sad? 16. The name of the leader of the people in the Vulgate should be corrected. In eastern translations and in one of the Latin codes he is called Falthiel. In the canonical books the name of Phalti, a contemporary of Saul and David, is found (2 Samuel III:15). Heb. the word phaltiel means "salvation of God." 3Ezra 5:17 Do you not know that Israel has been entrusted to you in the land of its exile? 3Ezra 5:18 Therefore arise and eat bread, and do not leave us, like the shepherd of his flock, in the hands of wicked wolves. 1Ezra 5:19 Then I said to him, “Get away from me, and do not come near me.” And he, having heard this, left me. 19. The introductory episode with Falthiel is quite understandable if the vision took place in the house of Ezra. The absence of Ezra in those places where the social life of the scattered Jews took place gave reason to assume that he left the city. This explains Falthiel's first question. Kabish, without any sufficient grounds, suggests that the first vision takes place outside the city, since Ezra sees a furnace and a rainstorm taking place. But from the text of the vision it is clear that he contemplates both pictures in a dream. There was no need to leave home for this. 3Ezra 5:20 And I fasted for seven days, groaning and weeping, as the angel Uriel commanded me. 3Ezra 5:21 And after seven days the thoughts of my heart were again exceedingly painful to me; 3Ezra 5:22 But my soul received the spirit of understanding, and I began to speak again before the Most High 3Ezra 5:23 and said: O Sovereign Lord! Out of all the forests on earth and out of all the trees on it, you have chosen only one vine; 23. The Psalmist compares the chosen people to a vine (LXXIX:9-17). The prophet Isaiah (V:7) calls the house of Israel the vineyard of the Lord of hosts. The vine is a common symbol of Judea on coins. The author illuminates the idea of ​​​​the God-chosen dignity of Israel with the help of seven symbols attached to Judea and Jerusalem in the Old Testament literature. 3Ezra 5:24 You have chosen for yourself one cave out of the entire circle of the earth, and out of all the flowers in the universe you have chosen for yourself one lily; 24. In the Russian Bible, the beginning of the verse that talks about the cave is translated incorrectly. The meaning of the word fovea (ditch, pit) is correctly conveyed in the Slavic Bible, which understands it in the meaning of vale or valley. Obviously, the author is referring to a hole in the ground dug for planting plants, and in particular grapevines. Typically, vineyards were located in low-lying areas, in river valleys. Here, of course, is the valley of the Kidron River, which amazed with the splendor of the plant kingdom. The lily, with its splendor, leaves all other flowers far behind it. According to the Savior, even Solomon did not dress like the lilies of the field (Matthew VI:28–29; Luke XII:27). Solomon compares his Shulamite to a lily (Song II:2). Ave. Hosea (XIV:6) depicts the glorious future of Israel under the image of the blossoming of the lily. 3Ezra 5:25 Out of all the depths of the sea You filled one fountain for Yourself, and out of all the cities that were built You sanctified for Yourself one Zion. 25. Volkmar means the source of the Jordan River, but in the course of speech, it rather refers to the Kidron stream, the waters of which washed Jerusalem. The comparison to a stream is found in the Song of Songs (IV:15). Solomon calls his bride a garden spring - a well of living waters and streams from Lebanon. The designation of Zion as a city testifies to the close connection that existed between the religious and political life of Israel. Zion, which was the center of religious life, was identified with Jerusalem, the capital of the Jewish state. 3Ezra 5:26 Of all the created birds You gave Your name one dove, and of all the created livestock You chose for Yourself one sheep; 26. The dove and turtledove were legitimized by Moses for sacrifice (Lev I:14–17; V:7; XII:6–8; cf. Lk II:24). In the mouth of the Psalmist (LXXIII:19) the turtle dove is a symbol of the chosen people. Solomon calls his beloved by the same obscure name (Song II:14). Like the turtle dove, the sheep was used as a sacrificial animal (Lev I:10–13; IV:32; V:7). In the Psalms, God's people are recognized as the sheep of His pasture (LXXVIII:13), led by God as their Shepherd (LXXIX:2). Since a number of images show similarities with the Song of Songs, Gunkel (361) concludes that Judaism, contemporary to the author, understood it allegorically, as an image of the union of Jehovah with His people. 3Ezra 5:27 Out of all the many nations, You purchased for Yourself one people, and You loved them, You gave them a perfect law. 27. The Latin text expresses the idea that the law is approved by all people (ab omnibus probatam). The pagan world, even in ignorance of the written law, paid him tribute, since the suggestions of the natural law, expressed in the voice of conscience, coincided with the prescriptions of the Law of Moses (Rom II: 14–15; I: 32). This reading is defended by Volkmar (28), Hilgenfeld (50), Zeckler (452) and Bissel (648). Gunkel (361) prefers to read the Syrian and Ethiopic translations, where it is said that of all laws God approved one (et ex omnibus probavisti legem). Every nation has its own laws. There are as many of them as there are peoples in the world. But no nation, according to Moses, will have such just decrees and laws as Israel (Deut. IV:8). 3Ezra 5:28 But now, Lord, why did You deliver one to many, and on one root did You plant other branches and scatter Your only people among many nations? 28. The idea of ​​planting other branches on one root, expressed in the Vulgate (et praeparasti super unam radicem alias), very closely resembles the speech of Ap. Paul (Rom XI:16–24) about grafting the Gentiles into the good olive tree. It stands in clear contradiction with the worldview of the author, for whom the alpha and omega are the native people, and in whose eyes the pagan world is nothing (VI:56). The manuscripts of the Latin text, in all their darkness, leave no doubt that the author here had the opposite idea about the election of Israel preferably over all other nations: “you have prepared one root more than others” (et praeparasti unam radicem super alias). Eastern translations speak of the preferential rejection of one root compared to the others. Israel, rejected by God for their sins, suffers much more humiliation than the pagans who were hostile to God. Volkmar (29), Fritzsche (30), Zeckler (452) and Gunkel (361) recognize the latter reading as the original one, explaining the origin of the Latin text by an erroneous reading of the Greek word ητίμασας (from the verb ατιμάζω - dishonor). It was taken for ήτοίμασας (from the verb ετοιμάζω - I prepare). 3Ezra 5:29 And the adversaries trampled it under foot, Thy promises, and Thy covenants, who did not believe. 29. The pagan world in the eyes of the author is an opponent of the promises of God, unbelievers of His covenants. The crimes of paganism are not a sin of ignorance, since under the Sinai legislation the whole universe listened to the voice of Jehovah. 3Ezra 5:30 And if You have already greatly hated Your people, then let them be punished by Your hands. 30. It cannot be denied that the punishments that befell Israel were deserved. It is not clear why God does not punish him with His own hand through famine, pestilence and earthquake, but chooses pagans for this task who are worthy of even more severe punishment. 3Ezra 5:31 While I had spoken these words, the angel who had come to me before at night was sent to me, 3Ezra 5:32 And he said to me, Hear me, and I will teach you; listen to me, and I will tell you even more. 3Ezra 5:33 Speak, I said, my lord. And he said to me: You have gone too far with your inquisitive mind about Israel; do you really love him more than He who created him? 3Ezra 5:34 No, my lord, I answered, but I spoke out of great sorrow. My insides torment me every hour when I try to comprehend the path of the Most High and explore at least part of His judgment. 3Ezra 5:35 He answered, “You cannot.” Why, my lord? I asked. It would be better if I had not been born, and my mother’s womb had become a grave for me, than to see the oppression of Jacob and the exhaustion of the race of Israel. 35. Wed. Jer XX:17–18; XV:10; XX:14. This passage is given by Clement of Alexandria with a specific designation of the author (Strom. III, 16): “Why did not my mother’s womb become a grave for me, so that I would not see the disasters of Jacob and the exhaustion of the family of Israel? - says the prophet Ezra." This excerpt defines the final point beyond which the appearance of the prophetic book of Ezra cannot be pushed back. The attitude of Clement of Alexandria towards it, who recognizes it as a genuine work of Ezra, indicates that by the end of the 2nd century it had a venerable history behind it, so that Clement knew nothing about the circumstances of its origin. In view of this, the theories of Hartwig, Gutschmid and Le Hire, which push the book back to the beginning of the 3rd century or more specifically to 218, must be rejected. 3Ezra 5:36 And he said to me: Count for me what has not yet come, and gather up for me the scattered drops, and revive the withered flowers; 3Ezra 5:37 Open the enclosed storehouses and bring out to me the enclosed winds, and show me the image of the voice: and then I will show you what you are strengthening to see. 37. According to the ancients, the winds are enclosed, as it were, in bellows, and each has a special place assigned (Job XXXVII:9, XXXVIII:22–24). In the Ethiopian and Arabic translations, instead of winds, they speak of repositories of souls. The difference is explained by the possibility of a double translation of the word πνεύμα. Eastern translations (Sir., Eph., Ar. 1) give a list of phenomena inaccessible to human understanding in more detail: “Show me the image of those persons whom you have not yet seen.” According to the conviction of post-exilic Judaism, the voice, like everything that exists, has a sensual appearance, inaccessible to human perception only due to the limitations of his mind. 3Ezra 5:38 Sovereign Lord! I answered, who can know this, unless he who does not live with people? 3Ezra 5:39 But I am foolish, and how can I speak about what You asked me? 3Ezra 5:40 Then He said to me: Just as you cannot do any of the things that have been said, so you cannot know My judgments, nor the extent of the love that I promised to the people. 40. The angel identifies himself with God. Likewise, Ezra himself calls him the Master, the Lord (V:38) and the Creator of the world (V:45). Similar examples appear more than once in the Old Testament. 3Ezra 5:41 But behold, Lord, You are close to those who are nearing the end, and what will those who were before me, or we, or those who will be after us, do? 41. The author raises the question of how to reconcile the successive succession of one generation to another with the simultaneous judgment of all people. In the Russian translation, according to the Vulgate, the advantage of those who will live at the end of the world over the modern and all past generations is noted (tu prore es his qui in finem sunt). In the manuscripts the idea is different: tu praees his qui in fine sunt. Volkmar arbitrarily puts the following meaning here: God rules over everything from the beginning to the end of the world, and therefore can answer the question about the fate of people. More likely is Gunkel's assumption that the word praees represents a translation of the Greek προφθαίνεις (προφθαίνω means to affirm, to anticipate, to meet halfway). In this case, the meaning is as follows: “You greet (with blessings and bliss) only those who will live at the end.” In Judaism there was originally a conviction that the entire people, represented by its last generations, would be participants in the new century. This is reflected in this case. Subsequently, with the great development of eschatological ideas, the Kingdom of the Messiah began to be considered the property of the righteous alone (VI:25; VII:27; XIII:16–24; cf. Luke II:29–32). The question posed here occupied the minds and hearts of Jews and early Christians for a long time, who eagerly awaited the end. Ap decides. Paul in 1 Thessalonians (IV:13-17). 3Ezra 5:42 He said to me, “I will liken My judgment to a crown; just as there is no delay of the latter, there is no acceleration of the former. 42. Judgment will be carried out simultaneously on all humanity, both on those who died earlier, and on the contemporary author and subsequent generations. Just as in a wreath, due to its round shape, it is impossible to find the beginning or the end, so at the last judgment people will not differ at all in their fate depending on the time in which they lived. According to Kabish (45), this refers to the distribution of wreaths to the winners at the games (cf. 1 Cor. IX:24-27). Just as victory crowns are not distributed immediately after each individual competition, but at the end of all games, so all the righteous will be awarded the crowns of bliss at once. This passage is quoted by Ambrose of Milan (De bono mortis, 10): “Preventing people’s complaints that the righteous who died earlier before the day of judgment will be unjustly deprived of the rewards they deserve for a long time, Scripture wonderfully says that the day of judgment will be like a wreath, since neither the delay of recent newcomers nor the haste of those who appeared before will matter.” In addition, it is used by the author of the 34th conversation on Ev. Matthew, attributed to Chrysostom (Opus imperfectum in Mattaeum Hom. 34). The conversation, according to Lyke (148), belongs to an Arian who lived under Theodosius the Great. It survives only in Latin. Here a detailed interpretation of the symbol of the wreath is given: “Wanting to show the simultaneity of the calling of all the saints and the absence of any difference between them due to time, the prophet Ezra says that all the saints in their totality will represent a kind of wreath, for, just as in a wreath, due to its round shape, you will not find where in your opinion the beginning or end is, so among the saints no one is called a novice or first, depending on the time spent in that century." Hilgenfeld (Esra und Daniel, 69. Messias Iudaeorum, 52) and Gausrath bring the end of the verse, which speaks of the first and the last, closer to Hev. Matthew (XIX:30; XX:16) and allow the possibility of literary dependence of one book on another. But all similarities are limited to individual words. The Gospel prophecy that the first will be last and the last will be first refers to the rejection of the Jews and the calling of the Gentiles. This idea is completely alien to our author. 3Ezra 5:43 I answered and said: Could You not unite together both those who were created before, and those who exist and who will be, in order to quickly declare Your judgment to them? 43. The Latin text is accurately reproduced in the Slavic Bible. “Could You not have created at one time those who were created before, who now live, and who will live?” 3Ezra 5:44 He answered me: He cannot hasten the creation of his Creator, nor can this age contain in itself all together that must be created. 44. “The creature cannot exhibit greater haste than the Creator.” She is unable, contrary to God’s plans, to rush into her birth and development. 3Ezra 5:45 And I said, How did You say to Your servant that You gave life to the created creation together, and yet the creation endured it? Therefore, those who currently exist together could also suffer. 45. The author refers at the beginning of the verse to the words of the Angel about the final judgment, to which all humanity will appear at once. The further meaning is very obscure, due to the replacement of the future tense with the past tense in the Vulgate. Volkmar, who defends the reading of the Vulgate, sees in the first words a reference to the Genesis account of creation. But the text of the book gives no basis for this. According to Volkmar, Bissel and Lepton, this is the teaching of Philo that God created all things at once (Cf. Sir XVIII:1, κοινή). The manuscripts speak of the future resurrection of all humanity. “How did You tell Your servant that You would immediately (in-unum) give life (vivificans vivificabis) to the creation You created? After all, if they live (viventes vivent) all together (in unum), and the creation is able to carry them on itself (sustinebit), then it is now able to carry on itself all people together (in unum) in their present form (praesentes).” The author continues to defend his idea that the best thing would be to create all people at once. This would hasten the trial that he so eagerly awaits (Van der Ulis, Hilgenfeld, 53.129, Zeckler, 453 and Gunkel, 363). 1Ezra 5:46 He said to me: Ask a woman and say to her: “If you give birth to ten, then why do you give birth at times?”, and ask her to give birth to ten suddenly. 3Ezra 5:47 But I said to Him, This is impossible, but it must be done in time. 3Ezra 5:48 Then He said to me: And I have given to the depths of the earth the ability to bring back what is sown on it from time to time. 3Ezra 5:49 Just as a child cannot produce what is characteristic of old men, so I have designed the age that I have created. 49. In its development, the world goes through the same ages as an individual person. “Just as a child cannot give birth, nor one who is already old, so I have distributed the age that I have created.” 3Ezra 5:50 Then I asked Him and said: When You have opened the way for me, let me tell You: is our mother, about whom You told Me, still young, or approaching old age? 50. The Slavic translation expresses the idea that although the world in terms of the time of its existence should be recognized as young, however, in all other respects it is approaching old age. According to Volkmar and Zeckler, the Angel in the previous speech made it clear that the world is still young. This prompts the author to again raise the question of the nearness of the end. However, it is much more natural to see the question in this verse expressed in a disjunctive form. It has this meaning in Syriac, Armenian and our Russian translation (Hilgenfeld, Fritzsche, Bissel, Bensly, Gunkel). This is the same question that Ezra asked in the previous vision (IV:33), about the time remaining before the new age begins. The idea of ​​the decrepitude of the world is found among pagan (Lucretius), Jewish (Philo. De mundi opificio, S. 49) and Christian (Cyprian. Epistle to Demetrian) writers. Ambrose (De bono mortis, 10) cites an extensive excerpt from our book (V:50-55) to explain the fragmentation of humanity noticed in his time: “Scripture has not hidden why those born in former times are taller in appearance, and those born later are weaker. It compares the offspring of the present age to the womb of a mother; After all, those born in blooming youth are stronger, and those born in old age are weaker. From the multitude of births, the present age has become decrepit; like the wombs of a mother in labor and an aged creature, he loses his youthful power due to weakening of his strength.” 3Ez.5:51 Ask the woman in labor about this, and she will tell you. 3Ezra 5:52 Tell her: “Why are those born to you now not like those who were born before, but smaller in stature?” 3Ezra 5:53 And she will tell you: “Some were born by me in the strength of young strength, and others were born in old age, when the false strength began to lose its strength.” 3Ezra 5:54 Consider this: you are now smaller in camp than those who were before you; 3Ezra 5:55 And those who are born after you will be even smaller than you, since the creatures are already growing old, and the strength of youth has already passed away. 3Ezra 5:56 And I said, If I have found favor in Your sight, show Your servant through whom You visit Your creation? 56. From what is said above about God's last visit to the world, there was no reason to admit any mediator between God and people. The special importance the author attaches to this issue suggests that he is polemicizing here against the views widespread in his time among Judaism that the last visit to the world will be carried out through the Messiah (Volkmar, 37. Kahisch, 48. Gunkel, 337). Volkmar's assumption that he is fighting here against the Christian preaching about the imminent coming of the Messiah (Matthew XXV:31–46, Rom II:16) is not sufficiently substantiated.