Miscellanies 5.6.35
Summary: The golden lampstand is a sign of Christ, giving light in many ways; the seven lamps are the seven spirits on Jesse's rod; the table of loaves, the ark, and the six-winged cherubim symbolize the churches, the intelligible world, and the heavens.
Greek text · Stählin 2:349–350
ἔχει δέ τι καὶ ἄλλο αἴνιγμα ἡ λυχνία ἡ χρυσῆ τοῦ σημείου τοῦ Χριστοῦ, οὐ τῷ σχήματι μόνῳ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ φωτεμβολεῖν πολυτρόπως καὶ πολυμερῶς τοὺς εἰς αὐτὸν πιστεύοντας ἐλπίζοντάς τε καὶ βλέποντας διὰ τῆς τῶν πρωτοκτίστων διακονίας. φασὶ δʼ εἶναι ἑπτὰ ὀφθαλμοὺς κυρίου τὰ ἑπτὰ πνεύματα, τὰ ἐπαναπαυόμενα τῇ ῥάβδῳ τῇ ἀνθούσῃ ἐκ τῆς ῥίζης Ἰεσσαί. πρὸς δὲ τοῖς βορείοις τοῦ θυμιατηρίου τράπεζα εἶχε τὴν θέσιν, ἐφʼ ἧς ἡ παράθεσις τῶν ἄρτων, ὅτι τροφιμώτατα τῶν πνευμάτων τὰ βόρεια. εἶεν δʼ ἂν μοναί τινες εἰς ἓν σῶμα καὶ σύνοδον μίαν συμπνεουσῶν ἐκκλησιῶν. τά τε ἐπὶ τῆς ἁγίας κιβωτοῦ ἱστορούμενα μηνύει τὰ τοῦ νοητοῦ κόσμου τοῦ ἀποκεκρυμμένου καὶ ἀποκεκλεισμένου τοῖς πολλοῖς. ναὶ μὴν καὶ τὰ χρυσᾶ ἐκεῖνα ἀγάλματα, ἑξαπτέρυγον ἑκάτερον αὐτῶν, εἴτε τὰς δύο ἄρκτους, ὡς βούλονταί τινες, ἐμφαίνει, εἴτε, ὅπερ μᾶλλον, τὰ δύο ἡμισφαίρια, ἐθέλει δὲ τὸ ὄνομα τῶν Χερουβὶμ δηλοῦν ἐπίγνωσιν πολλήν. ἀλλὰ δώδεκα πτέρυγας ἄμφω ἔχει καὶ διὰ τοῦ ζῳδιακοῦ κύκλου καὶ τοῦ κατʼ αὐτὸν φερομένου χρόνου τὸν αἰσθητὸν κόσμον δηλοῖ.
English · Claude translation
The golden lampstand has another riddle too, of the sign of Christ, not only in its shape, but in shedding light in many ways and in many parts on those who believe in him, hope, and see, through the ministry of the first-created. They say that the seven eyes of the Lord are the seven spirits resting on the rod that flowers from the root of Jesse. To the north of the altar of incense the table was placed, on which the loaves were set out, because the north winds are the most nourishing. They might also be certain dwelling places of churches breathing together into one body and one assembly. And what is recorded about the holy ark signifies the things of the intelligible world, hidden and closed to the many. Indeed, those golden figures, each with six wings, show either the two Bears, as some would have it, or, rather, the two hemispheres; and the name Cherubim means much knowledge. But both together have twelve wings, and through the zodiac and the time carried with it they signify the sensible world.
About this passage
Notes
Translation notes
- The allusions are Exod 25:31–40, Zech 4:10 (Rev 5:6), Isa 11:1–2, Exod 26:35 (the table to the north), Exod 25:10–22, and Isa 6:2. “The first-created” are the highest angels.
Cite this passage
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 5.6.35 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/5/6/35/).
Plain text
Clement of Alexandria, Strom. 5.6.35 (trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/fathers/clement-stromata/5/6/35/).
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