Глава 3 На песнь, толкование того же 4 .

Having beautifully concluded his speech about Babylon and quite sufficiently foreshadowed that those who devastated the holy city and led Israel into captivity will suffer heavy retribution, he moves opportunely to the mystery of Christ and from the deliverance that was accomplished for one people and a particular one, he transfers his speech to a deliverance that concerned everyone and was universal, in which, although the remnant of Israel is saved, the whole earth is nevertheless saved. How the son of Cambyses freed Israel from captivity, destroying the proud and God-hating kingdom, I say, the Chaldean. And these events were an image and prototype of what Christ accomplished. Having found all humanity as if in captivity and languishing under tyrannical power (for Satan reigned over us through sin), He made us free from bonds and sorrows and, freeing us from unworthy slavery, returned us, as it were, to the holy city, heavenly Jerusalem. Thus, according to what is written, we became fellow citizens of the angels and “fellow of God” (Eph. 2:19) and finally began to consider heaven as our fatherland. So, the amazed prophet, marveling at the greatness of the sacrament, the ineffable and divine economy in the flesh of the coming of the Only Begotten, sends up a prayer, in the form of a song, completely in the likeness of what was said through the mouth of David: “my tongue will learn your righteousness, all day long your praise” (Ps. 34:28). Hab.3:1–2. Lord, I heard your rumor and was afraid: I understood your deeds and was horrified. This speech can be attributed, if you wish, to the Father of all God himself, as the one who reveals the Son and communicates hearing about Him through the Spirit, or, and rightly so, to the Word Himself made man. And if this speech is attributed to the Father, then we will have to understand it in this way. O Lord of all, he says, I am amazed at this revelation or rumor about Your Son; for these words are amazing and ineffable, and the image of the economy is above all law. If, having fixed the eye of my heart, I carefully consider the greatness of Your deeds, then the consequence of this will be nothing other than great amazement. If this speech refers to the Son, then we will interpret it in this way. O Lord, Almighty of all! Although You became flesh, when I received hearing or news and revelation about You, I fell into fear. I am amazed, and quite rightly, by the extreme nature of this matter; for I know that You, being the image of the Parent and equal to Him in everything, will voluntarily condescend to humiliate Yourself, become a man like us from a wife and take the form of a servant, and, being God with us, will ascribe to yourself a father: “You will obey even to death, even death on the cross” (Phil. 2:6-9 cf. Gal.4:4). Therefore, “I heard Thy rumor and was afraid: I understood Thy works and was horrified”; for You brought the gospel of sight to the blind, preached release to the captives (Isa.61:1-2; Luke 4:18-19), healed the brokenhearted, converted the erring, united the scattered (Ps.146:3), was the light of darkness (Is.9:2; Luke 1:79), the door and way to life and sanctification ( Isa.45:1; John 10:7, 14:6); You have become peace, uniting through faith into one people those who are of the circumcision and those who are of the Gentiles (Eph. 2:14, 18), you have become the cornerstone, the chosen, the honorable (Is. 28:16; Matt. 21:42). You purchased the universe to God and the Father, freed from sins those who were captive through weakness, and snatched them from the hand of the devil (1 John 3:8). Servants shone with the grace of sonship (Eph.1:5; Col.1:13), earthly man became a citizen of heaven (1 Cor.15:47–49). In addition to this, I think the following is worthy of attention. You, the life-giving one of all, suffered bodily death with us. But You became the firstborn from the dead, the firstfruits of those who fell asleep, the firstborn of humanity restored to incorruption; for You have risen as God, having trampled down the harsh and invincible beast, that is, death, having destroyed the power of that ancient curse, in You and through You the definition spoken against us has lost its meaning: “You are earth, and you will go to earth” (Gen. 3:19). Hab.3:2. In the midst of two animals you will be known 5. This is explained differently by different interpreters. One of them said that the two animals here are called the Spirit and the Son, and in the midst of them God and the Father are known. But, in my opinion, such an interpretation contains a lot of rude and absurd things. Who dares to say that life, that is, the Son or the Holy Spirit, is an animal? On the contrary, life is that which animates, and an animal borrows life from another. But in another respect, it is absurd to call the Father, as it were, an average between both, who is called first according to the order of confession of the Holy and Consubstantial Trinity. However, we do not at all claim that he was placed before the Son and the Spirit by name and existed before them; for these are empty words and lies. On the contrary, we think and believe that He has the Word co-eternal with Himself, and was not what He is without His Spirit. But inseparable from the way in which God the Father is conceived, at the same time the existence of Him through Whom He is the Father, and His Divine Himself and the Holy Spirit are presupposed. Since He is a certain source, as it were, of His generation, He is prudently named first. So, I cannot understand how He can be the middle between the Son and the Spirit. But perhaps they will say that the “average” should be understood as if in place. But this is also inappropriate, for the Divine does not occupy space, because it is not quantitative and not corporeal. Others said that two lives 6 are the New and Old Testaments, in the middle of which Christ is known. In these contemplations, let everyone follow the path they choose at their own discretion. We, once we have applied these words to the face of Christ, will make an explanation of these thoughts in accordance with the law. So, our Lord Jesus Christ became the propitiation through faith. This is how it pleased the divine Paul to philosophize and speak (Heb. 2:17, 3:14). Through Him we have been freed from all guilt (before God) and received the mercy and favor of the Father. And the wise John will testify to this, saying: “My children, I write this to you, so that you may not sin: and if anyone sins, the imams made intercession with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and for him there is cleansing for our sins, not for our own, but also for the whole world” (1 John 2:1-2). Since the ancient prototypes secretly depicted what was about to happen in reality, we will say that what was in the holy tabernacle pointed to the Son as a propitiatory sacrifice according to the will of the Father. So, the God of all commanded that there should be in the holy tabernacle an ark and a lamp, and also a meal; in addition, a purgatory made of gold and a curtain made of threads of purple or fine linen and woven scarlet, which (the curtain) was supported by four pillars and hung over the holy ark; then he placed two Cherubim made of gold on the clearinghouse on the right and left sides, with their faces turned towards him. All this was again a covert indication of the mystery of Christ. The Word became flesh, although being God and Lord of all, as being by nature from God the Father. But although It became flesh and became, according to the will of the Father, a propitiatory sacrifice, It did not cease to be what It was, that is, to be God; It still has the power and glory due to God, and now He is surrounded by higher powers and carries out the ministries entrusted to Him. Therefore, the Cherubim surround the purification and constantly look at it; for the heavenly powers, holy and pure, tend to contemplate the divine glory, look at God and constantly do what is pleasing and pleasing to Him. So, “you will be known,” says, Lord, who you will be, having become like us. From the prototype that was in the holy tabernacle, You will clearly be known that You are a purifying sacrifice: You stand in the midst of two living creatures, that is, Cherubim, and Your name is purification. And this is the true name, for Christ himself says: “The Father did not send the Son... into the world to judge the world, but that by him the world might be saved” (John 3:17) 7. Hab.3:2. When you approach in the summer, you become aware: when the time comes, you appear. The Law foretold the mystery of Christ, and the choir of holy prophets prophesied about Him. By usefully comparing with what was written about Him in ancient times what came true and happened during His coming, the secret guides in various ways strengthen us in faith in Him, and we will see that they themselves found here confirmation for their own minds. Such, for example, are the words spoken by the mouths of the Evangelists. Our Lord Jesus Christ expelled from the church “those who sold sheep and oxen, ... and dskiy refuted the money-sellers. And having created, as it were, a scourge from the ropes, he drove out everything,... saying: Do not do to my Father’s house the house that was bought” (John 2:14-16). And then what? “Remember...,” he says, “his disciples, as it is written: it is a pity for your house to destroy me” (John 2:17). Joseph once thought that the virgin betrothed to him had been corrupted and wanted to secretly let her go; Then “an angel of the Lord,” he says, “appeared to him in a dream, saying: Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to receive Miriam your wife: what was born in her is holy from the Spirit.” She will give birth to a Son, and you will call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:20-21). Then the Holy Scripture began to verify (the truth of what was said); for it again says this: “Now all this happened, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (Matthew 1:22-23). We will see that Emmanuel himself reinforced faith in Himself through what was foretold by the prophets and demanded that He be known from the events themselves, and those who compared the deeds that had taken place with what was foretold had no doubt at all that He was precisely the one foretold by the law and the prophets. So some of John’s disciples came to Him, curious and saying: “John the Baptist sent us to you, saying: Are you the one who is coming, or someone else?” Although he could say that it is I, and not another Who, he convinces them to turn to the ancient prophecy, saying: “He went and told John what he had seen and heard: for the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the blind hear, the dead are raised, the poor preach the good news: and blessed is he who is not offended because of me” ( Luke 7:20–23 ). So, it is true that, as the prophet says, “whenever you come near in the summer, you will know” that at the times predetermined by the will and advice of God and the Father, Christ appeared; for in the last times of the age He appeared to us, was known and confessed, as, for example, before others Nathanael exclaimed, saying: “Rabbi, You are the Son of God, You are the king of Israel” (John 1:49). So, He was known when the times drew near, that is, the time of dispensation in the flesh, He was known by the saints and finally by the whole universe; for “in the midst of the two living creatures” we recognized propitiation (purification) as foreshadowed in the types of the law, that is, Christ 8. Hab.3:2. Whenever my soul is troubled in anger, please... remember. Humanity angered the Creator with the crime of Adam, who completely neglected the commandment given to him; therefore we, miserable ones, were embarrassed and perished, subjected to curse and punishment; While God was angry, we were under the dominion of death. Therefore, the forefather Adam, as the root of the human race, heard: “you are earth and you will come to earth” (Gen. 3:19). But the Creator did not completely despise us, but as God had mercy on us; for even if “he had devoured death, he was able,” according to the word of the prophet, “but again he took away... God took away every tear from every face: the reproach of men took away from all the earth” (Is. 25:8). In Christ the power of death was abolished, after the destruction of sin, for the sake of which we were reproached. The Lord remembered us and had mercy on us, just as the divine David sang; for He restored to us incorruption and life, although we were confused, as I just said, due to divine wrath, so that we lacked the spirit, that is, our souls were rejected and rejected. This is how death worked in us; because after the wrath of God, we are condemned to death; but again those who have been pardoned are saved. Blessed David will attest to this, saying to the God of all: “I will turn away... your face, they will be troubled,... and they will return to their dust: you will follow your Spirit, and they will be created, and you will renew the face of the earth” (Ps. 103:29-30). Having been disgusted by Adam's crime, we were turned into dust, from which we came. But since in Christ and through Christ we have again been enriched with the divine Spirit, having become partakers of His nature, according to the Scriptures, we are returned to the primitive state and renewed and saved. This is undoubtedly true; about this, the divine Paul himself wrote to us that everything that exists “in Christ is a new creation, and the ancient thing was made all new” (2 Cor. 5:17). So we were confused, suffering the consequences of divine wrath from the very beginning. When, in the approaching years, Christ was known and revealed in the times predetermined of ancient times, He finally remembered mercy; for we are not justified by the works of the law, according to Scripture, “not by the works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His great mercy” (Titus 3 cf. Rom. 3:20, 28). Hab.3:3. God will come from the south, and the Holy One from the mountain 9 shaded thicket. The words read have a double meaning, and we will talk about their content to the best of our ability. "Feman" means south; the southernmost area is a complete desert, in which, they say, Mount Horeb is located, where Moses stood before God, who determined the exact laws for the life and activities of the Israelites. So, applying one thought to the words being explained, we say the following: God will come, he says, from Teman, from Mount Paran, or Horeb, that is, He who of old appeared to the fathers in the southernmost desert on Mount Horeb in the form of fire (Deut. 33:2). He who himself spoke the law of old will come and appear in the flesh like us in the form of a Prophet and Mediator, as without a doubt the divine Moses was, to whom it was said from God: “I will raise up for them a prophet from among their brethren, just as you did, and I will put my word in his mouth, and he will speak to them as I commanded him” (Deut. 18:18). If anyone wants to understand the said words in a different way, then this is the way. Feman, as I said, is the name of the southernmost desert. Now: in the southernmost parts of Judea lies, they say, Bethlehem. So, God will come from Teman, that is, from Bethlehem, which is in the south; for the real and true God, the Only Begotten Word of the Father, having become like us, was born of the Virgin in Bethlehem. Since the divine Scripture usually compares the Jewish synagogue with the most famous of the mountains because it appears to be decorated with numerous and famous men; therefore, now it likens it to Mount Paran, saying: “from the mountain of the shaded thicket.” He calls it a shady mountain, covered with dense vegetation, for the sake of the fathers, from whom, it is said, Christ came forth in the flesh. Therefore, it is necessary to listen carefully to blessed Luke, who leads the order of genealogy from Joseph to Adam, and then Matthew, from David and Abraham descending again by generation, as I said, to Joseph. So, the mountain, covered with vegetation and shady, is the synagogue, which once gave birth to many, from whom Christ was born. And that He is one of the Jews, can there be any doubt about that? For He was born of Abraham and David, I say, according to the flesh, and nowhere does He speak of Himself, “for there is salvation from Judea” (John 4:22). Hab.3:3. The heavens covered his virtue, and the earth was filled with his praises. The only begotten Word of God, when born like us and in the form of a servant, that is, as a man, became a cleansing sacrifice through faith for those living on earth. For this reason, It seemed lower than the most holy angels and inferior to them in glory, but as God, It was above them. And the wise Paul will confirm this, saying: “Jesus, who was made a little less than an angel, was crowned with glory and honor for accepting death” (Heb. 2:9). Since He was “obedient... to the point of death, death on the cross; “In the same way,” as he wrote again, “and God highly exalted him and gave him a name that is above every name, that in the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:8-11). Therefore, the prophet rightly says: “The heavens covered his virtue, and the earth was filled with his praises”; for those who live in the holy city and are in the inhabitants on high “are all... servant souls, sent out to serve for those who want to inherit salvation” (Heb. 1:14). It also dwells on the thrones of the deity. And none of those were told by God and the Father: “Thou art my Son” (Heb. 1:5), but they confess Him as Son and call Him beloved, and have Him as their adviser, worshiped and glorified. So the divine Paul again speaks of Him: “when... he brings the firstborn into the world, he says: And let all the angels of God worship him” (Heb. 1:6). So, although He became a purifying sacrifice, having accepted humanity through us and for our sake, nevertheless He is God and above every creature, visible, I say, and invisible; for His virtue covers the heavens, and the earth will be full of His praise. This was clearly proclaimed by the holy Seraphim, who stood before His divine throne and extolled Him with praise as the Lord of Hosts and the God of all; for they said that the heavens and the earth are full of His praise (Isa. 6:3). If someone wants to say that the virtue of Christ is great and extraordinary, so much so that it covers the very heavens, even if we understand it in measurable greatness, then such an explanation will be probable. So once upon a time blessed David said: “Lord, your mercy is in heaven, and your truth reaches to the clouds” (Ps. 35:6), thereby indicating the height of His goodness and the superiority of His truth, as if using the volume of the body and space. Hab.3:4. And its radiance will be like light. That through faith the purification, that is, Christ, will come, illuminating those in darkness - this was clearly announced through the mouth of the holy prophets. So one of them said: “The country of Zebulun and the land of Nefoalim, and the rest that inhabit the seaside country of Galilee of tongues, the people who walked in darkness saw a great light” (Is. 9: 1-2). He: “Jerusalem shines, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has come upon you” (Is. 60:1). And God himself testified, saying: “For the sake of Zion I will not keep silent, and for the sake of Jerusalem I will not let go, until my righteousness comes out like a light, and my salvation is kindled like a light” (Is. 62:1); for righteousness and his salvation is Christ, “who gave us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and deliverance” (1 Cor. 1:30), according to Scripture. So, to us, as those walking in darkness, Christ appeared as a lamp, through the teaching of the Gospel, freeing us from that ancient darkness that the enemy of all brought into our souls, and did not allow us to look at the real and true God and not see the path of piety and life. So, the “radiance” that Christ showed us “is like light,” that is, not barely noticeable and weak, as was undoubtedly shown through Moses; for the law was in riddles and shadows; but as pure light, not involved in darkness, and penetrating into the mind and heart, imparting spiritual brilliance to us and introducing into us a ray of pure knowledge. Hab.3:4. Rosie is in his arms. In the inspired Scripture, the “horn” is always taken either in the sense of kingdom and power, or in the sense of pride, which blessed David himself teaches when he says: “If you have decided against the wicked, do not do wrong; and to those who sin, do not lift up the horn. Do not lift up your horns on high, and do not speak unrighteousness against God” (Ps. 75:5-6); for those who proudly speak vain things, according to what is written (Ps. 149:8), speak untruths against God, perverting the correctness of the teaching about Him, or in some other way boldly acting against Him. But the horn is a sign of power when it speaks of God and the Father, who revealed the Son to us. “Raise up the horn of salvation for us” (Luke 1:69). And again: “his horn will exalt in glory” (Ps. 112:9); for all things are glorious that are done wonderfully by the power of Christ. So, the Only Begotten came in a form similar to us, and as for the flesh and humanity, He had the appearance of weakness characteristic of us, but, as God, He had in His hands all the horns, that is, all the kingdoms, against all the power of opposing forces. When we say: “in the hands”, then we express: “in power”. Therefore, in prayers to God we have learned to say: “My lots are in Your hand” (Ps. 30:16). And that all devilish power and the so-called horns are subordinate to Christ, that is, the unlimited dominion of unclean spirits over cities and countries (for they divided the whole earth among themselves) - who can doubt this? For He expelled some with authority from among the people, while others came and begged Him not to command them to go into the abyss. This is exactly what is written by the holy evangelists (Matthew 8:31; Mark 5:10; Luke 8:31). And that He deprived the very leader of the unclean spirits, that is, Satan, of dominion over us, we can easily see this from the words of Christ himself: “Now is judgment for this world: and the prince of this world will be cast out. And even if I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to me” (John 12:31-32). So, although He became a man, He has in His hands, that is, in His power, dominion, or kingdoms, or the power of opposing forces. If anyone wants to understand this more simply in the sense that Christ has horns in his hands, that is, an invincible and irresistible force that easily pierces any enemies and unhinderedly devastates and, as if like a bull, attacks uncontrollably; then this understanding will also be correct. Hab.3:4. And make love the sovereignty of your fortress. Christ came to accomplish these two things: first, to destroy the opponents who misled the entire universe and removed it from the Creator God, stealing His due glory and appropriating it for themselves; secondly, to restore salvation to those who were lost and suffered truly hopeless oppression. But he showed that the dominion of those ceased and was completely destroyed, saying: “Roze in his hands,” obviously overthrowing the dominion of those and, as it were, goring pride. And that He intended to return salvation to us is shown by saying: “Put love as the sovereign strength of your strength.” We are saved “not by righteous deeds, which we have done” (Titus 3:5), not for any valiant deeds: “For nothing shall you do the law” (Heb. 7:19), but by the goodness of God the Father, who laid down the sovereign, that is, strong and great love of the Son for us. “For you therefore loved the world, for you also gave your only begotten Son to eat, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish, but may have eternal life” (John 3:16). So, we are saved by the love of God the Father and His Son, who suffered death for us. He rose again, destroying the power of death and blotting out our sin. Therefore, he says: “Greater love has no one to sow, but whoever lays down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). So, the Father’s love is sovereign, through which we have been delivered from death and sin and the devil’s dominion. Hab.3:5. A word will come before his face. They will come before him, he says, news, rumors will spread and there will be a lot of talk about him. As soon as Christ was born from the holy Virgin, the Magi immediately came from the east, because the star that miraculously appeared in the sky seemed to announce to them about His birth (Matthew 2:1). When, after the time of His stay in the desert, He began to perform miraculous deeds; then “his hearing went out,” as the evangelist says, “throughout all Syria” (Matthew 4:24); Moreover, He became famous throughout the entire universe. Who has not recognized the glory of Christ? What people, what country remained without experiencing His inherent power or without hearing about it? For, as He said, the Gospel was preached to all nations (Matthew 24:14), and the splendor of His deeds illuminated the whole earth like the sun. Hab.3:5. His feet will go out into the fields 10. Again he says something similar to the fact that for Him nothing is difficult or impossible, but in doing every task He will walk as if on a level and smooth road, for flat fields are comfortable and easy to walk, while hilly areas are difficult to walk and ride. So, for Christ everything is easy, and no matter which way He went, I say, in all of His activities, He would be completely free from any difficulty. What cannot He who is God by nature and Lord of hosts do without the slightest difficulty? So, from the similarity with those walking in the fields, he makes an explanation of how to look at His works. But if someone wanted to understand by fields the humble of heart (and they are called the desired land and God’s field, receiving seed from above from heaven and producing fruit, some a hundred, others sixty, and others thirty), then even such a person would understand correctly. It is as if the Son goes out into such fields to cultivate agriculture, completely in accordance with what is said about Him in the tributary form: “He went out sow” to sow his seed (Matthew 13:3). And David nowhere sings: “and your fields will be filled with fatness” (Ps. 64:12), and there he adds: “and the abundance...,” after adding this, “they will cry, for they will sing” (Ps. 64:14), gave the basis for such an understanding; for insensitive valleys are not characteristic of singing or shouting. In them, like a cedar, the divine can live and the highest Word. Hab.3:6. A hundred, and the earth will move. The expression “a hundred” in inspired Scripture is very often understood in the sense of bringing to the end of some matter, as if someone said: this matter has come to an end; and the meaning of such an expression is that the matter is completed and carried out. Thus, Zipporah, the wife of Moses, who circumcised her little son with a stone knife, said to the destroying angel: “One hundred is the blood of the circumcision of my son” (Ex. 4:25). And she wanted to say by this not that the flow of blood had stopped, but that the work of circumcision was completed and the desired was completed; For he who is circumcised with the spiritual stone, which is the Spirit of Christ, escapes death. In the same way, Jesus, the successor of Moses, commanded the children of Israel who crossed the Jordan to be circumcised with stone knives, undoubtedly drawing an image of circumcision in the spirit; for just as Christ is called a stone, so His Spirit is a stone, or a knife of stone. So, the word “hundred” often means doing something. So, Christ became a hundred, that is, what was said about Him came to fulfillment, and He appeared to those living on the earth, “and the earth moved.” He calls those who inhabit the earth, who have labored, earth. And how, we will tell you about this to the best of our ability. Those who were once unshakable in their determination to do evil, constant in wickedness, addicted to carnality and established in error, wavered and moved, turning to the knowledge of God and virtue. In the same way, the Israelites were moved from legal service, accepting faith in Him; for they came to the determination to live according to the Gospel and be guided by the laws of the Savior. And that the word “to move” sometimes means a transition from something to something else, this can be clear from the words of blessed David, who sings and says: “They sit on the cherubim, let the earth move” (Ps. 99:1). We affirm that he commands the earth to move, not the one that is under the feet of people and subject to their feelings; on the contrary, he demanded a change from worse to better. This is one meaning of the words being explained. But you can find another meaning in them in this way. "Hold and move the earth." The earth experienced these two states: “hundred” and “moving.” And what exactly the meaning can be in both of them needs to be explained. So, “a hundred,” for she seemed to be drunk, and conveniently inclined towards everything indecent and as if carried by every wind, finally receives a firm and necessary standing, because Christ strengthens her, according to what was said through the mouth of Isaiah to the Jewish synagogue: “Establish yourself” (Jer. 31:21). Then, “moving forward,” I moved away, as I said before, from my previous error and loved everything pleasing to God. So, it is truly amazing that the earth at the same time “stood and moved”; for Christ makes her strong for every good deed, and disposes her to strive from the worst to the best. Hab.3:6. Look, and the nations melt away: fearing the mountain of need. The expression: "look upon" God sometimes means looking with meekness and love, and sometimes with anger and threat. So, “to whom,” he says, “will I look, only to him who is meek and silent, and who trembles at my words?” (Isa.66:2). And the divine David pleaded nowhere, saying: “Look upon me, and have mercy on me” (Ps. 85:16). Through the mouth of the prophet Ezekiel, He said about someone: “I will set my face against that man and will cause him to perish and be consumed, and will cast him out from among my people, and let him know that I am the Lord” (Ezek. 14:8). These are the words of one who threatens wrath and destruction, and righteous punishment for those who provoke Him. In exactly the same way, Christ looked, that is, fixed His gaze in anger on some. And immediately they melted like wax and, as if from a scorching fire, “the mountains were afraid of need.” He calls nations and mountains the unclean spirits and those who in their souls think highly and arrogantly about themselves and, like mountains, rise above others. Excess always has bad consequences, and covetousness is combined with arrogance. Perhaps their strength corresponds to the degree of cruelty inherent in them, for demons are very strong and therefore intensify to resist God and appropriate to themselves the glory due to Him. But “fearful of need,” for by the power of Christ they were crushed and turned into nothing, and became the footstool of those who believed. In another place Satan is also called a mountain, to whom, in the person of Nebuchadnezzar, God through the mouth of the prophet said: “Behold, I am upon you, a deadly mountain... corrupting the whole earth” (Jer. 51:25). Hab.3:6. And the hills of eternity melted. Having covertly mentioned the evil and nasty forces that are at enmity against the glory of Christ and draw those living on earth into sin, he necessarily introduced into the speech the leaders of the Jewish synagogue, whom he calls hills because they seem to be raised high and surpass others in the priesthood and the honor associated with it. He calls them eternal because of the continuity of this service, for it does not cease at any time. Even if the meaning of service in shadows and images ceased, the essence of service passed into the best; for they serve God no less than the heads of the holy churches and offer Him a bloodless sacrifice. So the hills are eternal for the sake of constant and unceasing service. But they, along with the mountains, were crushed and, together with the nations, melted away. Since they philosophized what was pleasing to the demons and did what was pleasing to the devil, handing over the Chief of Life to crucifixion and raging against Him in various ways, they at the same time rightly suffered the same punishment, were overthrown and fell, or as the prophet says: “The house of Israel fell... and there is no one who raises it up (Amos 5:1-2). Hab.3:6–7. Eternal processions... for labor videsha 11. In the Holy Scriptures, the divine commandments are usually called “processions”, sometimes paths and paths. This is what is said through the mouth of Jeremiah: “Stand on the path and see, and ask about the eternal paths of the Lord, and see which is the good way, and walk in it and you will find cleansing for your souls” (Jer. 6:16), as well as through the mouth of blessed David: “Your commandments were the same when you enlarged my heart” (Ps. 119:32). So, “the hills melted,” he says, “that is, those who received the glory of the leadership of the Jews and were clothed with the benefits of serving under the law; for they considered the “processions” or commandments of Emmanuel, obviously the teachings of the Gospel, and incomparably better than the ancient predictions and the most glorious instruction “for the work of seeing”, that is, they considered it difficult and tedious, although the Savior of us all, Christ clearly says: “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28–30). Otherwise, some have made their paths difficult, by which they could easily have achieved eternal life. Our Lord Jesus Christ once, explaining the power of a mysterious blessing, said: “Amen, amen, I say to you: unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you” (John 6:53). The listeners of such sacred words of idle talk said: “This word is cruel: and who can listen to it? How can this one give us his flesh to eat?” (John 6:52, 60). The Evangelist also confirmed that “from this many his disciples went back, and no one walked with him” (John 6:66), so that Christ asked the disciples themselves whether they also wanted to move away from Him, saying: “Do you want to go?” (John 6:67) But the divine Peter responded to this by exclaiming: “Lord, to whom are we going? verbs of the eternal life "(John 6:68). They did not consider His ways to be labor, but His word was truly pleasant and worthy of attention to them. He calls the “processions” “eternal” because it will never cease, on the contrary, it will continue into an endless age and the evangelical and saving preaching will always exist, after the ancient and legal commandment has become dilapidated and turned out to be not without a defect, as Paul says, and as a result of this a second one was introduced, which was “legalized on better promises” (Heb. 8: 6–7). Therefore, the divine David proclaimed, speaking to our Lord Jesus Christ: “your righteousness is righteousness forever, and your law is truth” (Ps. 119:142); for, as I said, that which was in the shadows did not abide, and the images ceased, but that which was in Christ was established and remained steadfast forever. Hab.3:7. The villages of Ethiopia will fear the blood of the land of Midian. Beneficial stories always contain something worthy of attention and such news that does not satiate, even if someone conveys them in the same words. Therefore, having first spoken about rendering hostile forces powerless, and in the likeness of nations, presenting them as if melted and overthrown like mountains, he further likens them to foreigners who fought against the land of Judea. And these were the Ethiopians, who once lived to the east and south near the Indian Sea, and the Midianites, who inhabited the neighboring desert. So, he says, those who fought against the holy city will “fear,” by which we must mean the spiritual Zion or the Church of Christ, which is inhabited by the saints and the chosen race, which Israel was symbolically in ancient times, because Israel is interpreted: the mind that sees God. Nathanael is also worthy of surprise, as “truly an Israelite, there is no flattery in him” (John 1:47). So, by the image of the Ethiopians and Midianites, who constantly sought to harm the chosen people, that is, Israel, we will understand hordes of demons hostile to the saints. But you can also think differently, that Ethiopians are idolaters whose life is carnal, earthly and full of uncleanness. And such are the Ethiopians. They do not have the light of the Divine in their souls, but are, as it were, black in heart and darkened in thoughts, and it is said about them that a serpent was given to them as food, just as David sings and says to the God of all: “You crushed the head of the serpent, you gave him to the Ethiopian people” (Ps. 73:14). Just as for us the life-giving word of God has become spiritual and holy food, so those who love sin and do not know the true God seem to feed on Satan, having him in their souls, philosophizing and saying what is pleasing to him. And the Midianites, as I said, were always hostile to the saints. But, if you like, you can find a deeper meaning of this name: “Midianite” is interpreted as “condemned.” This name befits both Satan himself and the evil forces of the same mind with him, “to whom the darkness of darkness is reserved forever” (Jude 1:13). Hab.3:8–9. Food in the rivers, are you angry, Lord? food in the rivers is your rage? or is it your aspiration? for you are all on your horses, and eating 12 is your salvation. Lay your bow on the sceptres, says the Lord. The purpose of the prophet is to show that the second dispensation (the New Testament) is much better and more brilliant than the Old, and is accompanied by incomparably greater benefits. Anciently, he freed Israel through Moses from carnal slavery, turning the Egyptian rivers into blood and creating signs and wonders, then dividing the Red Sea and transferring those freed through it, and drowning the most warlike of the Egyptians in the waters. When the Only Begotten Word of God became a man, He delivered the entire universe, subject to the devil’s dominion, not turning rivers into blood, not pouring out His anger on water, not dividing the waves of the sea and not causing death to people, on the contrary, killing the killer himself - the serpent, and destroying sin from him and through him, intensifying sin, destroying the indestructible power of death and calling everyone to the knowledge of God through the saints the apostles, who, having gone around the entire universe and proclaiming the name of Christ everywhere, in all fairness aroused astonishment. O Lord, he says, You yourself have accomplished deeds that are very worthy of wonder and incomparably superior to those accomplished by You through Moses. It is not against the rivers that You will bring wrath, it is not against the sea that You will rush, it is not at them, as once upon a time, that the miracle of Your divine power will shine; on the contrary, You are “ridden on your horses, and your eating is salvation.” But, further, what kind of horses are these? These are the blessed disciples, apostles and evangelists, wholly devoted to His divine will, obedient, submissive, willingly doing everything pleasing to Him, bearing Christ within them, of whom one is blessed Paul; He himself says about him, “for this is the vessel I have chosen, to carry My name before the tongues” (Acts 9:15). These horses are very fast and flow around the entire universe. Thus, it is said that there is a chariot that has ten thousand rulers and thousands of drivers (Ps. 67:18); Subsequently, after them there were very many leaders of the people, who subdued their minds to the yoke of the Savior and spread His glory throughout the whole earth, and ruled the word of truth, and, as if by cavalry, conquered the whole earth. The salvation of horses or cavalry means that they did not flee in vain, but to save cities, countries and peoples, while Christ overthrows the dominion of the demons, who, so to speak, divided the whole earth among themselves, subordinating its inhabitants to their will. And since the ancient dominion of demons will fall, it is therefore right to say: “putting on the scepter”; for He will rush, as I said recently, not against rivers or seas, but on the contrary, He will overthrow the sceptres of demons. Hab.3:9–10. The earth will dissipate in 13 rivers. People will see you and be sick, wasting the waters of his procession. Again he mentions the deeds of the Savior, and to the other nations against which the bow is tensed or will be directed, the “land of rivers” will be added, by which, perhaps, he means the Babylonian country, for then it was in the middle of the rivers - so that under this image of sensual enemies he points out the many spiritual and invisible enemies against which the saints fight. The word of the prophets is always hidden. So, in the middle of the rivers the land of Babylon is designated, and through it is hidden a crowd of demons. Or perhaps the prophetic word hints at something else. It seems that he calls Judea the land of rivers because there were so many prophets in it, like rivers irrigating the people and, as it were, watering them with divine streams. About them, I think, blessed David also speaks: “The rivers will be woven together with their hands” (Ps. 97:8), and God through the mouth of Isaiah: “The wild beasts of the village, the syringes and the daughters of Struth will bless me: for I have given water in the desert and rivers in the arid waters, to water my chosen generation, my people, who have provided them, to tell of my virtues” ( Isa.43:20–21); for our Lord Jesus Christ is called the source of sweetness (Ps. 35:9), and truly He is such. He is also a river, as nowhere did He say about Himself through the mouths of the saints: “Behold, I bring upon you like the river of peace, and like the flood of the glory of tongues” (Is. 66:12), and through the mouth of David it is said: “The river’s aspirations make the city of God glad” (Ps. 45:5). There are no obstacles due to their resemblance to Him and the saints themselves are called rivers, as they are spiritually consistent with Him. As He Himself is the true light (John 8:12), and He said to the holy apostles: “You are the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14); so He Himself, being both a river and living water, grants the saints the right to be glorified in the same way. So, the land of spiritual rivers, that is, Judea, which does not want to drink living water and does not accept the words of the holy prophets, not even the words of Moses himself, “even if they believed Moses, they also believed in Christ: “for that is written about him” (John 5:46), “will be dissipated,” that is, will suffer thirst, for the thirsty land is dissipated. So, the prophet is surprised and, as if with compassion, says: which in ancient times had many rivers and a great abundance of springs, will be a thirsty and unirrigated land. When, he says, the people spiritually saw You, O Lord, appearing, that is, the pagans, who understood Your sacrament, they immediately received goodness in the pangs of birth and became fertile. One could say about them: “for the sake of thy fear, O Lord, in the womb we were conceived, and sick, and gave birth, the spirit of thy salvation... was created upon the earth” (Is. 26:18); for those who accepted Emmanuel as their Savior and Deliverer in illness give birth to fear, and every spiritual birth will be the fruit of virtue for them, and their efforts will be completed in the spirit of salvation. So, “people will see you and be sick,” having drunk from your source and drunk from the waters of the gospel. They willingly came to the One who says: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me” (John 7:37); for He was rich in mercies and goodness, so that even on the very paths He scattered water, that is, the life-giving word of the Gospel instruction, as Matthew says, “Jesus went through all the cities, teaching to those who came to them, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every disease among the people” (Matthew 9:35). This, I think, is what the words mean: “wasting the waters of your procession.” And that the word of inspired teaching is called water throughout the Holy Scriptures - how can one doubt this? Hab.3:10–11. The abyss has its own voice, the height of the ghost has its own. The sun has risen, and the moon has risen in its rank in the light. Shows that the nations that gave birth to virtue are countless; for such is the abyss. Many holy angels are also named by the same name through the mouth of Ezekiel. God somewhere, as if in the person of the prince of Tire, spoke about Satan when he cast him into hell: “the depths mourned for him” (Ezek. 31:15), because the one who was above all and surpassed in glory, who was between the Cherubim, was cast down and fell, according to the same prophet. There is nothing surprising in the fact that the spiritual abyss, that is, the hosts of higher spirits, was very sad, as if grieving for someone who had suffered this fate and had offended the God of all. Therefore, the abyss, that is, the boundless and immense multitude of those who believed, and the “height of a ghost” in it, that is, everything that is glorious and lofty in it, and shining in this world with ghosts or empty glory, “gave its voice.” Christ is glorified by every people, and everyone can see that this is readily done by both small and great, noble and humble, and distinguished either by glory or by wealth and splendor of life. He quite rightly called all this ghosts (ghosts); after all, for them it is nothing more than a ghost, because “all flesh is hay, and all the glory of man is like the flower of grass” (Is. 40:6). And that “the deep gave its voice” and is magnified by the praises of the Lord Jesus Christ, both small and great, this is also shown by blessed David, saying: “Praise the Lord from the earth, serpents and all the deeps” and, adding to this: “the mountains and all the hills, the fruitful trees and all the cedars: the beasts and all the cattle, the vipers and birds of the feathers,” he again added: “princes and Let all the judges of the earth: young men and maidens, old men and young men, praise the name of the Lord” (Ps. 149:7, 9-13). And the great Isaiah told us about Him: “kings will see him, and princes will rise up and worship him” (Is. 49:7), and as if he shows the reason why “the deep and the height of its ghost will give a voice,” immediately adding: “the sun is risen, and the moon is a hundred in its order in the light.” We understand how the abyss is not in a sensual sense, for this is very crude, but spiritually and rationally; so now, not on the elements, that is, on the sun and moon, we will fix our mental gaze; but, from similarity with them, rushing to the highest, let us consider the meaning of thoughts. So, by the sun we mean the full light and brilliance of the instruction of the Gospel sayings, and by the moon - the smaller and weaker light of the law, shining as if in the night and in the darkness of the time before the coming of Christ; for day is the time in which Christ, the Sun of righteousness, the spiritual day that arose in the hearts of those who believed, shone. Therefore, the divine David says: “This is the day the Lord has made: let us rejoice and be glad in it” (Ps. 118:24). Just as the sensual sun, being still low and barely rising above the earth, does not yet spread its rays widely and is not brilliant, but seems to restrain its light within itself; rising to a height, it casts the most brilliant rays on everyone; Likewise, the teaching of Christ, that is, the Gospel, was at first constrained and unknown to many, but, rising like the sun and gradually rising to a height, and everywhere spreading the light of the knowledge of God, it amazes the abyss, that is, the entire human race. Therefore, “dade voice”; for, as I said, it praises and calls Emmanuel both God, and Lord of all, and Redeemer. So, “the sun has risen,” and likewise “the moon,” that is, the law of “a hundred in their order in the light”; for the stewardship through Moses is lower than the gospel, and such was the purpose of the first, that it was a shadow and an image. After Christ, the fulfillment of the law and the prophets, shone, the law also shone; for when we compare what has happened with what was foreshadowed through it, we are amazed at the light of the law itself, which in many ways skillfully transformed the sacrament of Christ for us. So, “a hundred in the light.” And Christ Himself pleases those who have brought to unity the legal and evangelical teachings, saying this: for this reason I say to you, “For every scribe, that is, who knew the law, having learned the kingdom of heaven, is like a housewife 14 who brings out of his treasure the new and the old” (Matthew 13:52). But we can accept another meaning here, admitting, as it seems to me, not something incredible, but very close to the truth. We call, and quite rightly, Emmanuel the sun: for that is exactly what He is called, and this is true. The moon, one must think, is called in its likeness to matter (i.e., the moon) the Church of God, which appears to those who exist in darkness and shines to those who exist in the night. So, when the sun rose, according to the word of the prophet (for Christ ascended for us on the honorable cross), then the church of the pagans also shone, and “one hundred in their order in the light,” that is, rich in light, like a certain moon and preserving the order of its rotation, became the light of being in darkness, as I just said. And that the church appeared when Christ was ascended and endured the cross for the lives of all, He Himself will confirm this, saying: “Unless a grain of wheat falls on the earth, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much fruit” (John 12:24). And again: “even if I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all things to myself” (John 12:32). So, the raising of the sun to a height undoubtedly means suffering on the cross or ascending to heaven; for in this case too we say that He ascended. Hab.3:11. Your arrows will go in the flash of the lightning of your weapons. Here he refers to the holy apostles and evangelists as arrows flying across the whole earth and as if shot from a bow or a beneficent hand, about whom blessed David says somewhere: “Like arrows in the hand of a mighty man, like the sons of those shaken off” (Ps. 127:4). The Jewish people were expelled and cast out because they impudently treated Christ, who called to life. The sons of those and the descendants of Israel, the chosen disciples, became arrows and spears, as if thrown by a very powerful hand and easily piercing everyone to death. These arrows receive shine as if from the hand of Christ, and pierce into the entrails of the devil and kill the serpent. Therefore, blessed David sings nowhere and says to our Lord Jesus Christ: “Your arrows are sharp and powerful: the people under you will fall into the hearts of the enemies of the Kings” (Ps. 44:6). So, these arrows strike hordes of demons and become the destruction of enemies; to those who know His appearance and honor Him with faith, they send a different grace, for they are wounded by love, according to the word of the bride in the Song of Songs, “as I was wounded by love” (Song. 2:5). And in another respect they turn out to be “the brilliance of the lightning of his weapons.” By his arms we can understand those in which Blessed Paul commands us to put on ourselves, saying: “Put on the full armor of God” (Eph. 6:11); and this is the essence: the breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation, the shield of faith, the putting on of shoes for the feet in preparation for the gospel of peace, and the sword of the Spirit (Eph. 6:14-17). These weapons of Christ are such that they do not protect Him, on the contrary, they are given to the worthy; These weapons are brilliant and lightning fast, for virtue is most brilliant. So, the arrows will be in the light of the shine of your weapons, because the weapons will shine, they will enlighten, teaching the ignorant. For sin-lovers, virtue is something ugly and not at all bright; among people who know it, it is brilliant and bright, no less than lightning, and makes a person known everywhere. So, the divine disciples were the first to have the lightning of your weapons, and for others they will be in its brightness. Just as those who are experienced in the art of medicine, those suffering from eye disease and escaping the light of the sun's rays, are convinced to withstand the power of light in order to cure their illness, and with all justice can be considered to have become for them, as it were, some kind of light; so the divine disciples, highly honoring and appreciating the virtues that are placed among the weapons of Christ, turn out to be, as it were, some radiance of their characteristic brilliance or enlighteners of others. Hab.3:12. With rebuke you will make the earth dumb and the tongues subdued with rage. With these words, the prophet points us to the devastation of the abandoned country of Judea and the destruction of the peoples living in it. Since they rejected faith in Christ and rebelled against Him, and killed the Author of life, they were given over to devastation, and Isaiah foretold this to them, saying: “Woe to the wicked: for the evil one will befall him according to the work of his hands” (Is. 3:11). Hab.3:13. Thou hast come forth to save thy people, to save thy anointed ones, thou hast put death upon the heads of the wicked: thou hast erected bonds even unto the neck. Again he tells us, as it were, about the whole economy of the incarnation of the Only Begotten. He saved those justified by faith, anointed by the Holy Spirit and made partakers of His divine nature; and He allowed those who did not want to believe in Him to perish in their sins, about which He clearly spoke: Amen, I say to you, “If you do not have faith as I am, you will die in your sins” (John 8:24). So, “he came out,” he says, as if some king was going against his enemies and armed according to the law of war. And the purpose of his speech is the salvation of his anointed ones, obviously anointed with the Holy Spirit, about whom he commanded of old through the prophets, saying: “Touch not my anointed, and in my prophets do not be deceitful” (1 Chronicles 16:22), - and to put the wicked to death, which they brought on their own heads. Those who did not accept the justifying faith were taken captive. Therefore, they were devoted to indissoluble bonds and bound by the chains of their own sins, and this not only in part, but as if throughout the body, even to the neck. If the bonds are called the bonds of Christ, then let no one be embarrassed by this, for what happens to someone by God’s permission is always attributed to Him; so eg “or there will be evil in the city which the Lord has not done” (Amos 3:6). After all, He Himself does not create evil; on the contrary, He very often allows it to happen in sinful cities. If by the bonds spoken of here we mean bonds in a praiseworthy sense, then in this case we affirm that death fell on the heads of the wicked. God, as it were, binds with bonds of love those who come to Him, both justified by faith and sanctified by the Spirit, in full accordance with what is said through the mouth of the prophet about the descendants of Israel: “And with the bonds of Ephraim, I took him upon my arm, ... I drew him with the bonds of my love” (Hos. 11: 3-4). By “chains to the neck” here we mean the obedience of those who bowed the neck of their minds before Him and laid upon themselves the truly good yoke of our Savior. Hab.3:14. If you cut off the heads of the mighty in a frenzy, they will shake in it. The word “outburst” in inspired Scripture is understood in various senses. Sometimes it means horror, as in the case when it is said about the sins of Israel: “the heavens were horrified at this” (Jer. 2:12), and again: “a terrible and terrible thing happened on earth” (Jer. 5:30). Sometimes there is a change in morals and life from an earthly mood to something divine and spiritual. So the divine Paul writes to some and says: “If we are foolish, O God, if we are chaste, it is for you” (2 Cor. 5:13). Just as we call the deviation from the shameful to the better an “excess” pleasing to God, so we consider the transition from the good to the shameful to be an “excess” that is bad and inglorious. In precisely this “outburst” the former “strong heads were cut to pieces.” Hints, undoubtedly, at the leaders of Israel - the scribes and Pharisees, and those who officiated in earthly matters; for they really strayed from right-mindedness and good intentions, and from the love of God, not accepting the Son, on the contrary, killing Him, although they knew and said: “This is the heir” (Matthew 21:38). And what kind of method of dissection can be understood, this is probably explained by blessed David, saying to the Savior of all God: “I divided into their belly” (Ps. 16:14), for “it became a part of God... and Israel is already his inheritance” (Deut. 32:9–10). But after they wickedly raged against the Son, the beloved became rejected and divided, deprived of the hope of those who believed, of participation in the inheritance, and became rejected and removed from seeing, and found himself in second place and behind the pagans, who in themselves say the following: “Blessed are we to the Lord, who made heaven and earth” (Ps. 113:23). “God is the Lord and appear to us” (Ps. 118:27). So, Israel was cut up, and, having lost the blessing, it became a part not of God, but of the devil, the most despicable and unclean. Then he speaks of frenzy, because “they will tremble in it,” that is, they will fall; for whatever is in shock and violent movement is close to falling. The prophet also cries over their manifold destruction, saying: “The house of Israel is fallen... and there is no one who rises up” (Am.5:1-2). Hab.3:14. They will unravel their reins like a devoured beggar. The difficulty of understanding these words, both in their composition and in their expression, is very great. But for the best possible explanation of the meaning of thoughts, we will say it to the best of our ability. Pointing to the state in which the heads of the strong should have been, that is, those called to rule the Jewish synagogue, he directly addresses the holy apostles, who at first experienced a lot of fear from the persecutors; for they were beaten with whips in the Sanhedrin and commanded not to tell anyone about the name of Christ. But they, secretly gathering, made prayers to God, saying: “Truly having gathered in this city against your holy youth Jesus, whom you anointed, Herod and Pontic Pilate with the tongues and people of Israel. And now, Lord, look upon their reproaches—obviously the Jews—and grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness” (Acts 4:27,29). So, constrained by fear, as if with a bridle, and forced into silence, constrained, secretly and with difficulty speaking to some, and as if becoming like a beggar who eats, they will “unloose their bridles.” He seems to be saying that they will certainly achieve a boldness that is very pleasant for them and characteristic of them; for they will not pay any attention to the Jewish synagogue. Having despised the threats and, as it were, breaking the imposed bridle, like some fast, beautiful and proud horses, they will finally neigh, because no one will hold them back, and will fill the universe with their voice. The divine Isaiah says something similar to those who preach the Gospel: “Come up to a high mountain, preach the good news to Zion, lift up your voice with strength, preach good news to Jerusalem: exalt, do not be afraid... Behold, your God, behold, the Lord comes with strength, and his arm with power” (Is. 40: 9-10). So, those who were once “like a beggar devouring secrets,” that is, did not have boldness, but secretly and with difficulty fed on the faith of believers, will joyfully “unloose their bridles,” as has already been said about this. And that the faith of those who are being saved is, as it were, some kind of food both for God and for the saints, Christ himself affirms this, speaking about the conversion of the Samaritans: “I am a good thing, which you do not know,” and again: “My good thing is, that I may do the will of him who sent me and complete his work” (John 4:32, 34). Hab.3:15. And you brought your horses into the sea, troubling many waters. Speech again retains its figurative appearance. Having mentioned the bridles, he called the holy apostles horses on which Christ himself makes his way, as if dwelling in their mind and heart. So, he tries to teach that He will guide not only the Israelites, but also a very great and countless number of other nations; for he likens the world to the sea in accordance with what is sung in the psalms: “this sea is great and spacious” and further (Ps. 103:25). He likens to many waters the crowds of peoples living throughout the whole earth, and to horses, as I said, the holy apostles, who, going around the heavenly places, frightened and confused the idolaters who were snoring and resting in error, putting them in fear with a reminder that they would be punished and they would undergo retribution through fire if they did not repent and know the real and true God. So the divine Paul, talking with the Athenians and calling them more devout than all the others, led them to considerable confusion, adding the following: “God despising the years of ignorance, now commands man everywhere to repent: he has not appointed a day, in which he wants to judge the world in righteousness, O men, whom he has established, giving faith to everyone, raising him from the dead” ( Acts 17:30–31). So, the troubled waters are many peoples living in the world, for they are sometimes likened to waters, and quite rightly. However, human life is also like the sea, because there is great confusion of events in it, both up and down, and in all directions there is excitement and movement. The expression: “many, troubled waters” can also apply to Israel, for they were one people, and the others exceeded any number. Hab.3:16. I was preserved and my heart was afraid at the voice of the prayer of my lips, and trembling came into my bones, and my strength was shaken within me: I will rest in the day of my tribulation, that I may go up among the people of my coming. That attention which the holy prophets were able to observe in their hearts and minds while the Holy Spirit imparted to them knowledge of the future, they usually call guarding or hearing. Therefore, Habakkuk himself says: “I will stand on my guard” and further. And another (the prophet says): “I heard a rumor from the Lord, a messenger in the tongues” (Abd.1:1); and besides, the divine David: “I will hear what the Lord God says about me” (Ps. 84:9). The prophet points to something similar now, saying: “I will be preserved and my heart will fear”; I delved into, he says, the meaning of what was said, and I was greatly afraid “at the voice of the prayer of my lips”; for together with the song he created a prayer to God, and the song was his way of prophecy. But he was afraid and did not think about harmonious broadcasting; on the contrary, he was plunged into bitter sorrows and experienced strong fear when he contemplated in spirit what was about to happen to Israel in the last times. But what especially confused him and aroused fear in him was probably one thing, so that he would not be left unattended during disasters and he would not have to see the destruction of the people, the defeat of the heads of the mighty by death, their dissection in a frenzy and their shaking in it, in accordance with the meaning we indicated earlier. Then, showing that the vision will be fulfilled in due time and that what was foretold will not happen soon, and as if emerging from grave sorrow, he says: “I will rest in the day of my tribulation, that I may go up among the people of my coming.” I will not be subjected, he says, to such calamities; I will no longer be in this life when the time comes in which such calamities will certainly befall the Israelites. I will leave, he says, from here, and move to another who was a migrant in this life, like myself, because all the saints in the whole world are “strangers and strangers” (Heb. 11:13). That is why they say: “We are not the imams of the city that is here, but we are seeking the one to come” (Heb. 13:14). There is nowhere where David sings to the God of all: “Weaken me... for I am a stranger among you and a stranger, like all my fathers” (Ps. 38:13-14). So, the determination of the saints not even to see at all what can anger God is worthy of surprise; on the contrary, they consider relocation from this world more pleasant than life itself, if we have not observed what serves for the glory of God. Therefore, the divine Paul said that it is better to “be determined to be with Christ himself” (Phil. 1:23) for those who have come to the conviction that life in the body is an advent. Hab.3:17. The tree of figs will not bear fruit, and there will be no generation in the vines; the olive tree will lie, and the fields will not produce food; the sheep will be scanty for food, and there will be no oxen for the manger. As if in response to someone’s question and desire to know why he so strongly wants to leave this life and “summon up his coming among the people,” he with great foresight covers up the condemnation of the Jewish synagogue and, it seems, mourns the barrenness that is happening in it and points to it in various ways, saying that it will be like a fig tree on which there will be no fruit. This is what the Savior called her when he spoke about her in the parable: “A certain man planted a fig tree with his vines”; and since it was barren, he said that it should be cut down so that it would not occupy any land (Luke 13:6–7); and once before Jerusalem He cursed the fig tree, because he found no fruit on it: from now on, he said, there will be no fruit from you forever (Mark 11:14). He also compares it to a grapevine that does not have clusters; for she, as the prophet Isaiah says, “is the vine of the Lord of hosts... the man of Judah, the beloved new garden, he fenced it in with fences and trenches,... and made a pillar in the midst of it, and a fort for graves in it, and waited, that he might make grapes, and create thorns” (Is. 5:2, 7). Therefore, as David says, “the wild goat and the wild boar are from the oak grove, and the solitary wild one is devoured and; He has cast down his stronghold... and they embrace all those who pass by” (Ps. 79:13-14). The work of the olive tree, that is, again of the Jewish synagogue, lied; for in this way the prophet Jeremiah also points to it, saying: “The blessed olive tree, the red blossom of which the Lord calls thy name, unto the voice of its pruning: fire burnt in it, great tribulation is upon thee; its branches were indecent. And the Lord of hosts, who planted it on you, spoke evil against you” (Jer. 11:16-17). Since, as the prophet says, “his work is a lie” (for those who were led to Christ through the law and the prophets did not accept the faith), then she too was cut off, her branches fell, and those who were grafted in from the wild olive tree, that is, from the pagans, became partakers of the root and fat of the good olive tree. He further compares Israel to fields in which the farmer will not notice anything necessary for food. This can serve as clear evidence of extreme infertility. And that, suffering a lack of divine disciples, they will be subjected to extreme suffering, he explained this, adding: “the sheep will be destitute of food,” that is, they will not have food. “And there shall be no ox with the manger.” This indicates that they will not have a sacred and chosen race at all, that is, the descendants of the tribe of Levi, who, like oxen, leveling the spiritual threshing floor and removing the veil of obscurity from the teachings of the wise Moses, offered others, as it were, grain of wheat and spiritual food. They themselves ate at the manger the tithes and firstfruits offered by the people in gratitude. So, the sheep is depleted of food. And the oxen were no longer at the manger, that is, the leaders and teachers of others; Therefore, the divine Paul also refers to the words: “Thou shalt not turn away the ox that threshes” (1 Tim. 5:18) as teachers, clearly explaining to us the teaching contained in the law. He says that the oxen became poor “from their healing.” These words are unclear, but I think they have the following meaning. Since, due to their foolishness, they did not care at all to receive healing from Christ, although He strengthens the weak and justifies the wicked, therefore they became impoverished, that is, they completely weakened and turned into nothing. So, insulting God is a terrible thing and causes extreme infertility; and we will suffer a lack of spiritual food and as a result we will be in very great distress. Hab.3:18–19. I will rejoice in the Lord, I will rejoice in God my Savior. The Lord my God is my strength, and he will make my troubles to perfection: and he will lift me up on high, so that I can conquer in my song. Here the face of the prophet himself is finally clearly introduced into speech as he says this. Or we can say that these words of those justified by faith, who find delight in Christ and rejoice in Him, and He is proclaimed as the Giver of the strength inherent in them, say that in Him all things are possible for them, as the divine Paul says: “I can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13), and also blessed David sings nowhere: “For you are the praise of their strength” ( Ps.89:18). From Him they expect only one thing to be enriched by constancy in piety; for the words: “and he will cause my sins to commit” certainly mean nothing else but exactly this. Therefore, the Jewish edition puts “firmness” instead of “completion.” And feet trained for firmness, what else can point us to if not constancy, as I said, in piety, steadfastness in virtue, firmness in faith and love for Christ? And that the life of those justified in Christ has nothing earthly or low in itself, but is above everything earthly and corporeal, and is distinguished by a higher quality, this is shown by saying: “it lifts me up to high places.” Truly high in the eyes of God are the virtues of the gospel life. And that we will overcome our opponents and defeat our enemies, praising Him, he convinces us of this, saying: “I will overcome the hedgehog in my song.” Those. interpretation of the same St. Cyril on the song of Habakkuk, contained in the 3rd chapter. In glory this chapter has the following inscription: “Prayer of Habakkuk the prophet with a song.” In Hebrew, sire. and hald. so: “in the middle of the years, revive him.” Wed. Theodorite ibid. “They think differently about these animals. Some understand by two animals angels and people; others from the incorporeal forces of the cherubim and seraphim, approaching divine glory, others from the Jews and Babylonians. It seems to me that the prophet called the present and the future not “animals,” but “lives,” among which the Righteous Judge again appears.” Eusebius: “two lives mean, in our opinion, divine life and human life” (ib. 444–445). Also St. Cyril of Jerusalem: the life of Christ before death and after the resurrection (Catech. XII, 20, Migne, Patr. Gr. 33. 752), - Wed. Theophilus. to fl. m. (Migne, Patr. Gr. 126 col. 877). In explanation of the interpretation of St. Cyril, we also cite Jerome’s remark: “many refer this word to the Son and the Holy Spirit, for the Father is understood through the Son and the Spirit.” Others refer to the two Seraphim in Isaiah (chap. 6) and the two Cherubim in the book of Exodus (chap. 25), through whom there was a revelation (of the will of God)... A simpler interpretation and popular opinion finds here an indication that the Savior was crucified between two thieves. But the best see here an indication of the union in Christ and His Church of two peoples - the circumcised (Jews) and the uncircumcised (Gentiles). There are also those who by two animals mean two Testaments - the New and the Old, which are truly life-giving animals that breathe and among which Christ is known (ibid. 1309). Tertullian by two animals means Moses and Elijah, among whom the Lord was at the time of the transfiguration (Aduersus Marcionem, lib. IV. cap. 22, ed. Oehier, t. 2. pag. 218). Augustine also mentions this interpretation, as well as the interpretation in relation to the two covenants and the two thieves (De civ. Dei, XVIII. 32. Migne, Patr. lat. 41. col. St. Methodius of Patara refers to the cherubim of the ark (Migne, Patr. Gr. t. 18. col. 357 - in the word for the Presentation). Theodore Monc: Medes and Persians or Darius and Cyrus (Migne, Patr. Gr. t. 66. col. 441). There is also an interpretation that sees here an indication of two animals (an ox and a donkey) who were in the cave (manger) where the Lord was born (so apocryphal. Gospel of Pseudo-Matthew cap. XIV. in Tischendorf, Evangelia aporcrypha, pag. 77 - and the unknown author of the work De promissionibus et praedictionibus Dei y Migne, Patr. lat. t. 51. col. 820). Wed. in general also Theophylact to this place (Migne, Patr. Gr. t. 126, col. 877). In Greek The reading of the two animals also draws attention to Grieg. Barhebraeus, referring this to the angels and people to whom God is revealed as the Provider of His servants - and to the Babylonians and Jews. See details on 3:1–2 in Knabenbauer, Comm. in prophetas minores, pars II. pag. 92–97, in the famous Curcus Scripturae Sacrae. At St. Cyril added “Paran”, as in LXX in many copies - (cf. Heb., Chald., Syrian. But according to the testimony of Jerome, LXX did not read this word, like Eusebius, Theodoret). Slav.: “and he will go out into the field at his feet.” So with Theophylact. But others (Hebrew, Syriac, Italic, Arabic) as in the glory: “his eternal procession, for his labor he saw the villages.” Resp. Greek "horse riding, cavalry." Heb.: “You cut the earth with streams.” At St. Kirill: “rich.” You might be interested in: