Commentary on Daniel 2.46–3.38 (Commentary on Daniel)

Theodoret of Cyrus

Commentary on Daniel 2.46–3.38

Theodoret of Cyrus · Commentary on Daniel · probably 430s (before ca. 446) · Cyrrhus · 13 passages

Greek text: PG 81.English: Claude (claude-opus-5-5), public domain (CC0).

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Chapter 2

2.46PG 81

μς΄. « Τότε γὰρ, φησὶν, ὁ βασιλεὺς Ναδουχοδονόσορ ἐπὶ πρόσωπον ἔπεσε, καὶ τῷ Δανιὴλ προσεχύ- Ἐνθυμήθητι δὲ, ἡλίκον 55 ἐκεῖνον τὸν ἀλαξόνα, τὸν μεμηνόνα, τὸν καὶ Θεὸν εἶναι δ᾽ νομίσχυτα (δι ἑτέρου γὰρ προφήτου φησὶν ὁ Θεὸς πρὸς αὐτόν " ἢ « Σὺ δὲ εἴ ἄνθρωπος, καὶ οὐ Θεὸς ν), τὸν πάντας ἀνθρώπους ὑπηκόους ποιησάμενον, τὺν αἰχμάλωτον προσκυνεῖν τὸν Ἰουδαῖον, τὸν ἀνδραπόδου τάξιν ἀποπληροῦντα, καὶ ἡγεῖσθα: διὰ τούτου τὸν τούτου προσκυνεῖν Θεόν. Τούτου γὰρ χάρι!» « μαναὰ δὲ διὰ τούτων ἡ ἱστορία, ὡς τοῖς δοκοῦσιν ἱερεῦσι τοῦτο ποιῆσαι παρεγγύησεν. Ὃ γὰρ προσκυνήτας πάντως ἂν καὶ τὴν εὐωδίαν προσενηνόχει, εἴπερ ἱερατεύειν εἰώθει. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ τοῦτο ἄλλοις "" πάντω; ἁρμόττον " ἦν, αὐτὸς μὲν οὐκ ἐπεχείρει ποιεῖν, ἃ μὴ προσῆκον ἦν, τοῖς δὲ ποιεῖν εἰωθότι τοῦτο ποιῆσαι παρακελεύεται. Καὶ ἵνα μὴ δόξῃ μάτην ἄνθρωπον προσκυνεῖν, λέγει τῷ Δανιήλ" ε« Ἐπ᾽ ἀντθείας ὁ Θεὸς ὑμῶν οὗτός ἐστι Θεὸς θεῶν, καὶ Κύ. ριος τῶν 3" βασιλέων, καὶ ὁ ἀποκαλύπτων μυστήρια, ὅτι ἡδυνήθης ἀποκαλύψαι τὸ μυστήριον τοῦτο. ν Ἰὸσαύτην ἔκ τε "δ τοῦ ἐνυπνίου, καὶ τῆς τοῦ ἐνυπυίου 35 λήθης ὠφέλειαν αὐτῷ τῶν ὅλων ὁ πρύταν:: προσενήνοχε. Πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ ἔγνω τὴν οἰκείαν εὖτέλειαν, ἔπειτα μεμάθηκε τῶν ὑπ᾽ αὐτοῦ προσκυνουμένων θεῶν τὴν ἀσθένειαν, πρὸς τούτοις ἐδιδάχθη τὴν ἐνέργειαν 31 τοῦ ὄντως Θεοῦ. Οὗ χάριν βοζ᾽ « Ἐπὶ ἀληθείας ὁ Θεὸς ὑμῶν, οὗτός ἔστι Θεὸς τῶν " θξ:ῶν, καὶ Κύριος τῶν βασιλέων, καὶ ἀποκαλύπτων μυστήρια. ν» Θεὺ» δὲ θεῶν προσαγορεύει, οὐ κατὰ τὴν διάνοιαν τῆς θείας Γραφῆς " ἡ ᾽ μὲν γὰρ θεἰα Γραφὴ τοὺς ἠξιωμένους ' ἑερωσύνης ὀνομάζει θεούς" « Θεοὺς γὰρ, φησὶν, οὐ καχολογή,σεις, καὶ ἄρχοντα τοῦ λαοῦ σου οὐκ ἐρεῖς κακῶς - » οὗτος δὲ θεοὺς τὰ εἴξωλα προσηγόρευσεν" οὐδέπω γὰρ ἐδυνήθη τὸ πᾶνπελῶς αὐτῶν ᾿ ἀσθενὲς συνιδεῖν. Μεμάθηκε δὲ ὅμως τὸ διάφορον, διὸ καὶ Θεὸν τῶν θεῶν τὸν τῶν ὅλων προσαγορεύει Θεὸν, καὶ Κύριον βασιλέων 5. Ταῦθ' οὕτως ὁμολογήσας,

ms΄. « Tote gar, phēsin, ho basileus Nadouchodonosor epi prosōpon epese, kai tǭ Daniēl prosechy- Enthymēthēti de, hēlikon 55 ekeinon ton alaxona, ton memēnona, ton kai Theon einai d᾽ nomischyta (di heterou gar prophētou phēsin ho Theos pros auton " ē « Sy de ei anthrōpos, kai ou Theos n), ton pantas anthrōpous hypēkoous poiēsamenon, tyn aichmalōton proskynein ton Ioudaion, ton andrapodou taxin apoplērounta, kai hēgeistha: dia toutou ton toutou proskynein Theon. Toutou gar chari!» « manaa de dia toutōn hē historia, hōs tois dokousin hiereusi touto poiēsai parengyēsen. Ho gar proskynētas pantōs an kai tēn euōdian prosenēnochei, eiper hierateuein eiōthei. Epeidē de touto allois "" pantō? harmotton " ēn, autos men ouk epecheirei poiein, ha mē prosēkon ēn, tois de poiein eiōthoti touto poiēsai parakeleuetai. Kai hina mē doxę̄ matēn anthrōpon proskynein, legei tǭ Daniēl" e« Ep᾽ anttheias ho Theos hymōn houtos esti Theos theōn, kai Ky. rios tōn 3" basileōn, kai ho apokalyptōn mystēria, hoti hēdynēthēs apokalypsai to mystērion touto. n Iosautēn ek te "d tou enypniou, kai tēs tou enypuiou 35 lēthēs ōpheleian autǭ tōn holōn ho prytan:: prosenēnoche. Prōton men gar egnō tēn oikeian euteleian, epeita memathēke tōn hyp᾽ autou proskynoumenōn theōn tēn astheneian, pros toutois edidachthē tēn energeian 31 tou ontōs Theou. Hou charin boz᾽ « Epi alētheias ho Theos hymōn, houtos esti Theos tōn " thx:ōn, kai Kyrios tōn basileōn, kai apokalyptōn mystēria. n» Theu» de theōn prosagoreuei, ou kata tēn dianoian tēs theias Graphēs " hē ᾽ men gar theia Graphē tous ēxiōmenous ' heerōsynēs onomazei theous" « Theous gar, phēsin, ou kachologē,seis, kai archonta tou laou sou ouk ereis kakōs - » houtos de theous ta eixōla prosēgoreusen" oudepō gar edynēthē to panpelōs autōn ᾿ asthenes synidein. Memathēke de homōs to diaphoron, dio kai Theon tōn theōn ton tōn holōn prosagoreuei Theon, kai Kyrion basileōn 5. Tauth' houtōs homologēsas,

46. "Then," it says, "King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face and worshiped Daniel, [and gave orders to offer him gifts and incense]." Consider how great a thing it is that this boastful, raving man, who thought he was God (for through another prophet God says to him: "But you are a man and not God"), who had made all people his subjects, worships the captive, the Jew, one who filled the rank of a slave, and thinks that by this he is worshiping this man's God. For this reason … "gifts and …" … the history [shows] by these words that he ordered those who were regarded as priests to do this. For having worshiped, he would surely have offered the incense too, if he had been accustomed to act as priest. But since this belonged entirely to others, he did not himself attempt to do what was not fitting for him, but orders those whose custom it was to do it. And so that he might not seem to worship a man for nothing, he says to Daniel: (47) "Truly your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and the revealer of mysteries, since you have been able to reveal this mystery." Such benefit did the Ruler of the universe bring him both from the dream and from the forgetting of the dream. First he recognized his own lowliness; then he learned the weakness of the gods he worshiped; and besides this he was taught the working of the true God. That is why he cries: "Truly your God is God of gods and Lord of kings, and the revealer of mysteries." He calls him God of gods, not in the sense the divine Scripture gives; for the divine Scripture calls gods those who have been granted priesthood: "You shall not revile gods," it says, "nor speak evil of a ruler of your people." But he called the idols gods, for he could not yet see their utter weakness. Yet he learned the difference, and so he calls the God of the universe God of gods and Lord of kings. Having confessed this,

Dan 2:46–47 (quotation, high confidence) · Ezek 28:2 (quotation, high confidence) · Exod 22:28 (22:27 LXX) (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: The proud king falls down before the captive Daniel and confesses Daniel's God as God of gods, though he still calls his idols gods.

The words "But you are a man and not God" are said to the prince of Tyre in Ezek 28:2; Theodoret applies them to Nebuchadnezzar.
The end of the lemma and part of the comment on the offerings are lost in the OCR; bracketed words are supplied from Theodotion's text.
The comment includes verse 47 (Migne's numeral in brackets).
Exod 22:28 is quoted in the Septuagint form ("gods"), which Theodoret takes to mean priests.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (apparatus, marginal references and Latin column read into the text): 59 καὶ 18 εἰ, Π68. ἰῃ Β. 19 Π δευτέραν ἐννοεῖν. 59 καί. 65. ἰη Β. οὗτος. ἔχ Β ξιιρρ!. 5, Β αἰωνίαν. βο μὰν, Βὶ ρα, φ τὴν, εἴπου, Ιὴ) ἑαρινῶν. 5 ἢ. 1} καί, 55 Καὶ ἰκανὰ δέ. 3 ἢ χρ. δ ἢ) εὐωδίας. 5 1} ἡλίκον ἐστίν, Υεμβ. 48. « Μαρυϊοανίε δη 6] απ), οἱ ἀοηᾶ πε} ἃ Υ Εχοά. κσιι, 38, τ Ρραὶ. οἵν, 47, → .

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Comm. Dan. 2.46 (PG 81; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-danielem/2-46). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-danielem/2-46

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 81 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

2.48PG 81

μη΄. « Ἐμεγάλυνε τὸν Δανιὴλ, καὶ δόματα πολλὰ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ, καὶ κατέστησεν αὑτὸν ἐπὶ πάσης τῆς; χώρας Βαθυλῶνος, καὶ ἄρχοντα σατραπῶν, καὶ ἐπὶ πάντας τοὺς σοφοὺς Βαθυλῶνος.. Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ τῇς θείας κηδεμονίας ἴδιον. Μεγίστην φέρει " τοῖς ὑτ' ηχόοις τὴν ὠφέλειαν τοῦ ἄρχοντος ἣ εὐσέδε:α" τοῦτος καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ πεποίηκεν ὁ Δεσπότης. Καὶ συντομώτερον ὁ μάκάριος Δαδὶδ τὰ κατ᾽ αὑτὸν μενος, καὶ τὴν θείαν πρόνοιαν ὑμνῶν “, φησίν “ε Ἐξ ἀπέστειλεν ᾿ ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῶν ἄνθρωπον, εἰς δοῦλο} ᾿ἐπράθη ὁ " Ἰωσήφ.» Εἶτα τὰ συμθεθηχότα αὑτῷ δυτχερήματα λέξας ", καὶ τῆς εἰρκτῆς, καὶ τῶν δεσμῶν μνημονεύσας, ἐπήγαγεν « ᾿Απέστειλε βασιλεὺς, καὶ ἔλυσεν αὐτὸν ἄρχων λαοῦ, καὶ ἀφῆκεν αὐτὸν, καὶ " κατέστησεν αὐτὸν χύριον τοῦ οἴχου αὑτοῦ, καὶ ἄρ᾽ χοντα πάσης τῆς κτήσεως αὑτοῦ " παιδεῦσαι “' τοὺς ἄρχοντα: αὐτοῦ, ὡς ἑαυτὸν, καὶ τοὺς πρεσδυτέρους αὑτοῦ "3" σοφίσαι.» Οὕτω κἀντεῦθεν "} πεποίηκε τῶν σοφῶν Βαθυλῶνος τὸν τρισμακάριον Δανιὴλ καταστή- σας, ἀρχέτυπον αὐτὸν εὐσεβείας καὶ τῆς ἄλλης ΄ προῦθηχεν ἀρετῆς ᾿ ἀλλ᾽ ὅμως οὐκ ἠνέσχετο μόνος ταύτῃς ἀπολαῦσαι τῆς τιμῆς ὁ προφήτης, ἀλλὰ τοὺς κοινωνοὺς τῆς εὐχῆς κοινωνοὺς ἔλαξε καὶ 1" τῆς τιμῆς.

mē΄. « Emegalyne ton Daniēl, kai domata polla edōken autǭ, kai katestēsen hauton epi pasēs tēs? chōras Bathylōnos, kai archonta satrapōn, kai epi pantas tous sophous Bathylōnos.. Kai touto de tę̄s theias kēdemonias idion. Megistēn pherei " tois hyt' ēchoois tēn ōpheleian tou archontos hē eusede:a" toutos kai epi tou Iōsēph pepoiēken ho Despotēs. Kai syntomōteron ho makarios Dadid ta kat᾽ hauton menos, kai tēn theian pronoian hymnōn “, phēsin “e Ex apesteilen ᾿ emprosthen autōn anthrōpon, eis doulo} ᾿eprathē ho " Iōsēph.» Eita ta symthethēchota hautǭ dytcherēmata lexas ", kai tēs eirktēs, kai tōn desmōn mnēmoneusas, epēgagen « ᾿Apesteile basileus, kai elysen auton archōn laou, kai aphēken auton, kai " katestēsen auton chyrion tou oichou hautou, kai ar᾽ chonta pasēs tēs ktēseōs hautou " paideusai “' tous archonta: autou, hōs heauton, kai tous presdyterous hautou "3" sophisai.» Houtō kanteuthen "} pepoiēke tōn sophōn Bathylōnos ton trismakarion Daniēl katastē- sas, archetypon auton eusebeias kai tēs allēs ΄ prouthēchen aretēs ᾿ all᾽ homōs ouk ēnescheto monos tautę̄s apolausai tēs timēs ho prophētēs, alla tous koinōnous tēs euchēs koinōnous elaxe kai 1" tēs timēs.

48. "And he magnified Daniel, gave him many gifts, and set him over the whole province of Babylon, as ruler of satraps and over all the wise men of Babylon." This too is characteristic of divine care: the piety of a ruler brings the greatest benefit to his subjects. The Master did this in the case of Joseph as well. Blessed David, [telling] his story more briefly and singing the praise of divine providence, says: "He sent a man before them; Joseph was sold as a slave." Then, after recounting the hardships that befell him and mentioning the prison and the fetters, he added: "The king sent and released him, the ruler of peoples, and set him free; he made him lord of his house and ruler of all his possessions, to instruct his rulers as himself and to teach his elders wisdom." So here too, by setting the thrice-blessed Daniel [over the] wise men of Babylon, he set him before them as a model of piety and of every other virtue. Yet the prophet did not consent to enjoy this honor alone, but took the partners of his prayer as partners in his honor too.

Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.

Dan 2:48 (quotation, high confidence) · Gen 41:39–44 (allusion, medium confidence) · Ps 105:17–22 (104:17-Ps LXX) (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: As with Joseph, God raised Daniel to high office so that a pious ruler might benefit his subjects, and Daniel shared the honor with his companions.

A line is lost in the OCR after "by setting"; bracketed words are supplied for sense.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (Latin column read as Greek letters, splitting the word καταστήσας; apparatus read into the text): 5 ἄλλ᾽,65. ἴῃ Πι 585 ἄρα. Β ργαιν. οὐκ. " μή. Β ργδιῃ. δέ, τῶν. Α ργᾶμι. τῶν κυρίων, καὶ βασιλεύς. 95 τε, Ι}) τῆς. 55 καὶ τ. --. ἐν, [}65 καὶ πολλά. } πολλὰ χ. μεγ. [ἢ δ ἢ δ. 959 ἢ -- ὀνομ. θεούς. θὲ 3. αὖτ. 18} ροπίταν ροϑὶ ἀσθενές. φέρ. Β ρμῦϑηιν. γάρ. 15} καὶ ἐνταῦθα. ο 5,βασ. Β ρίδη). τῶν. " Δ μεγα! κι παιδ. Β ρπθηι, τοῦ, "" αὖτ. δ᾽ χ, ἐν, 1 1} ροπίτυγ ροϑ8ι Θεοῦ. → ; αὶ αἰροιπ θαϊγαραΓιιη οἱ βαρίοοταπι ΒΑΌν θα ἷ» Ὀοαιίε. → .

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Comm. Dan. 2.48 (PG 81; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-danielem/2-48). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-danielem/2-48

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 81 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

2.49PG 81

μθ΄. « Ἡτήσατο γὰρ, φτσὶ, παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ κατέστησεν ἐπὶ πάντα τὰ ἔργα τῆς χώρας Βα- Δανιὴλ ἦν 15 ἐν τῇ αὐλῇ τοῦ βασιλέως. » Συμθαίνει καὶ ταῦτα τῇ τοῦ ᾿Αποστόλου διδασκαλίᾳ" « Νῦν "5 γὰρ, φησὶ, μένει πίστις, ἐλπὶς, ἀγάπη" τὰ τρία "7 ταῦτα, μείξων δὲ πάντων 8 ἡ ἀγάπη. » Καὶ γὰρ καὶ οὗτος ὁ θεῖος προφήτης ἢγάπησε μὲν τὸν Θεὸν ἐξ ὅλης καρδίας, καὶ ἐξ ὅλης ψυχῆς, καὶ ἐξ ὅλης ἰσχύος, καὶ ἐξ ὅλης '" δυνάμεως " ἀγαπήσας δὲ θερμῶς ἐπί- Β στευσεν εἰλικρινῶς, εἰλικρινῶς δὲ πιστεύσας ἤλπισε τῆς παρ᾽ αὐτοῦ τεύξεσθαι βοηθείας" τυχὼν δὲ ὧν ἤλπισεν, ξδειξε τὴν περὶ τὸν πέλας ἀγάπην, καὶ κοινωνοὺς τοὺς ὁμοφύλους, ὧν ἔλαθεν, ἐποιήσατο. Ὅσα δὲ προεγράφη Ἶ᾿, εἰς τὴν ἡμετέραν διδασκαλίαν προεγράφη, ἵνα διὰ τῆς ὑπομονῆς, καὶ διὰ ν᾽ τῆς παρακλήσεως τῶν Γραφῶν τὴν ἐλπίδα ἔχωμεν, ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ, μεθ᾽ οὗ τῷ Πατρὶ δόξα 3, σὺν τῷ ἁγίῳ Πνεύματι, εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων ᾽2, ᾿Αμήν.

mth΄. « Hētēsato gar, phtsi, para tou basileōs, kai katestēsen epi panta ta erga tēs chōras Ba- Daniēl ēn 15 en tę̄ aulę̄ tou basileōs. » Symthainei kai tauta tę̄ tou ᾿Apostolou didaskalią" « Nyn "5 gar, phēsi, menei pistis, elpis, agapē" ta tria "7 tauta, meixōn de pantōn 8 hē agapē. » Kai gar kai houtos ho theios prophētēs ēgapēse men ton Theon ex holēs kardias, kai ex holēs psychēs, kai ex holēs ischyos, kai ex holēs '" dynameōs " agapēsas de thermōs epi- B steusen eilikrinōs, eilikrinōs de pisteusas ēlpise tēs par᾽ autou teuxesthai boētheias" tychōn de hōn ēlpisen, xdeixe tēn peri ton pelas agapēn, kai koinōnous tous homophylous, hōn elathen, epoiēsato. Hosa de proegraphē I᾿, eis tēn hēmeteran didaskalian proegraphē, hina dia tēs hypomonēs, kai dia n᾽ tēs paraklēseōs tōn Graphōn tēn elpida echōmen, en Christǭ Iēsou, meth᾽ hou tǭ Patri doxa 3, syn tǭ hagiǭ Pneumati, eis tous aiōnas tōn aiōnōn ᾽2, ᾿Amēn.

49. "For Daniel asked of the king, and he set [Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego] over all the works of the province of Babylon; and Daniel was in the king's court." This too agrees with the Apostle's teaching: "For now faith, hope and love remain, these three; but the greatest of all is love." This divine prophet loved God with all his heart, with all his soul, with all his strength and with all his power. Loving warmly, he believed sincerely; believing sincerely, he hoped to obtain help from him; and having obtained what he hoped for, he showed love for his neighbor and made his countrymen partners in what he had received. "Whatever was written beforehand was written for our instruction, so that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope" in Christ Jesus, with whom be glory to the Father, together with the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.

Dan 2:49 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Cor 13:13 (quotation, high confidence) · Mark 12:30 (allusion, high confidence) · Deut 6:5 (allusion, medium confidence) · Rom 15:4 (quotation, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Daniel obtains office for his three companions, showing the faith, hope and love of which Paul speaks.

Words lost from the lemma in the OCR are supplied in brackets from Theodotion's text.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (marginal references and apparatus read into the text at the end of the section; marginal verse number and Latin column read into the text): γεκ5. 49, « Ροδίυϊαν!ῖ δε ἢ ἃ τερα, ἴθ 111, οἱ → ; Σ 1 Ουτ. χα, 1ὅ. ἃ Βοῃ.. τν, 4. 1. καί, δ69. ἴῃ ἢ. Α "δὴν, 65. ἴῃ Β. 41 τὰ τρ. πη Β ΡοπίιΓ ροδὲ 19 ἐξ, ὅλ. Π65. ἴῃ. Β. ἦὉ Β ἐγράφη. Ξι διά, Π65. ἴ Β. 15 δόξαι. Β ριξπι. ἡ. 5 τ. αἰών. [)65. ἰῃ Β, → .

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Comm. Dan. 2.49 (PG 81; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-danielem/2-49). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-danielem/2-49

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 81 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

Chapter 3

3.1PG 81

α΄. « Ἔτους ὀκτωκαιδεκάτου Ναβουχοδονόσορ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐποίησεν εἰκόνα χρυσῆν, καὶ ἔστησεν ᾽ αὐπὴν ἐν πεδίῳ Δεηρᾶ ᾽" ἐν χώρᾳ Βαδυλῶνος. » Ὁ μὲν ἀγαθὸς ἡμῶν καὶ φιλάνθρωπος Δεσπότης, ἅτε δὴ ποιητὴς καὶ δημιουργὸς, βούλεται « πάντας ἀνθρώποὺς σωθῆναι, καὶ εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν ἀληθείας ἐλθεῖν" » καὶ, ε Οὐ θέλει τὸν θάνατον τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ, ὡς τὸ ἐπιστρέψαι αὐτὸν καὶ ζῇν. ν Οὗ χάριν ἅπαντα ὑπὲρ τῆς ἡμετέρας πραγματεύεται σωτηρίας. Οἱ δὲ ἀναλχησίᾳ νοσοῦντες, καὶ τῷ ἀνηχέστῳ πάθει τῆς ἀλα " οἴῃ σιλείαν, τὰ δὲ ἄλλα μόρια τῆς εἰκόνος ἐκ τῶν ἄλλων ποῦ χρυσίου τὴν εἰκόνα χατασχενάζει "9, ζονείας δουλεύοντες, οὐδεμίαν ἐκ τῶν θείων φαρμίχων ὠφέλειαν ᾽5 καρποῦντει, ἀλλ᾽ ἑοίκασί τισιν ἀ). χῆς τέχνης προσπαγομένην "' αὐτοῖς θεραπείαν, ἀκρασίᾳ δὲ καὶ ἀταξίᾳ πολλῇ 5 χρωμένοις, καὶ τὴν ἐπ: κειμένην αὑτοῖς αὔξουσιν ὁσημέραι νόσον. Τοιοῦτος ἣν οὗτος ὁ ἀλαζὼν βασιλεὺς, ὃς τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων ἀμέτρῳ φιλανθρωπίᾳ χρησαμένηυ, καὶ μετὰ τὰς μυρίας παρανομίας τε καὶ δυσσεύείας ᾽5 θεραπείαν αὐτῷ προσενηνοχότος, καὶ ὑποδείξαντος τῆς τε παροὐσης εὐημερίας τὸ ἐπίκηρόν τε καὶ μάταιον, κιὶ «ἧς ἀρετῆς τὸ ὑψηλὸν καὶ περίόλεπτον, ἣ καὶ τοὺς δορναλώτους, καὶ τὸν 3 τῆς δουλείας ζυγὸν ἠναγχασμένους, ἀποφαίνει λαμπροὺς, εὐθὺς μὲν ἐθαύμασε τὴν τοῦ προφήτου σοφίαν, καὶ τὸν τούτου Β Θεὸν τῶν ὅλων εἶναι Θεὸν ὡμολόγησεν " ὀλίγου δὲ χρόνου διελθόντος, εἰς ἑαυτὸν ἐπανῆλθεν, ὥσπερ κύων εἰς δ᾽ τὸν ἴδιον ἔμετον, ἦ φησιν ἡ θεία Γραφῇ, - καὶ κατασκευάζει μὲν εἰκόνα χρυσῆν, τὸ μὲν ὕψος ἔχουσαν πήχεις ἑξήκοντα, τὸ δὲ εὗρος πήχεις ἕξ, καὶ παύτην ἐν ἰσοπέδῳ στήσας χωρίῳ, ὥστε ἴσως "' ἁπάντων ὑπερέχειν καὶ ὑπὸ πάντων ὁμοίως ὁρᾶσθαι 35, παρὰ πάντων αὐτὴν κελεύει προσκυνεῖσθαι τῶν ὑπηκόων, Οὐκ ἀπλοὺς δὲ οὗτος τῆς ἀλαζονείας ὁ τρόπος, ἀλλ᾽ ἀντίθεος ἀντικρὺς καὶ θεομισής. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς ὄναρ αὐτῷ μεγίστην ὑ πέδειξεν εἰκόνα ἐκ τεττάρων ὑλῶν πεποιημένην. καὶ διὰ τούτων αὐτῷ τὰς τῶν τεττάρων βασιλειῶν διαδοχὰς παρεδήλωσεν, ἀντιστρατενόμενος δ᾽ τῷ Θεῷ τὸν οἰκεῖον τῦφον, χατασχευάτει δὴ ᾽" καὶ αὐτὸς εἰκόνα μέγεθο; δεδωκὼς, ὅσον ἡ τῶν ἀνθρώπων παρασχεῖν ἱἰ δύνατο τέχνη. Οὐκέτι δὲ καὶ ταύτην ἐκ χρυσίου ᾽5, καὶ ἀργὺ" ρον, καὶ χαλκοῦ, καὶ σιδήρου ποιεῖ, ἀλλ᾽ ἐκ μιᾶ; ὕλης τῆς τοῦ χρυτοῦ κατασκευάζει, οἰόμενος ὁ δείλαιης οὗτος ᾽ ψευδεῖς ἀποδείξειν τοῦ Θεοῦ τὰς προῤὁήσεις. Καὶ ἐπειδὴ ὁ μακάριος Δανιὴλ τὸ ἐνύπνιον ἑρμηνεύων, αὐτὸν εἶναι ἔφη τὴν χερα.λὴν τὴν χρυσῆν. τουτέστι τῶν δ Βαδυλωνίων, εἴτουν ᾿Ασσυρίων ὑλῶν ", αἵ τὴν κεφαλὴν διεδέξαντο, αὐτὸς πᾶσαν ἐκ

a΄. « Etous oktōkaidekatou Nabouchodonosor ho basileus epoiēsen eikona chrysēn, kai estēsen ᾽ aupēn en pediǭ Deēra ᾽" en chōrą Badylōnos. » Ho men agathos hēmōn kai philanthrōpos Despotēs, hate dē poiētēs kai dēmiourgos, bouletai « pantas anthrōpous sōthēnai, kai eis epignōsin alētheias elthein" » kai, e Ou thelei ton thanaton tou hamartōlou, hōs to epistrepsai auton kai zę̄n. n Hou charin hapanta hyper tēs hēmeteras pragmateuetai sōtērias. Hoi de analchēsią nosountes, kai tǭ anēchestǭ pathei tēs ala " oię̄ sileian, ta de alla moria tēs eikonos ek tōn allōn pou chrysiou tēn eikona chataschenazei "9, zoneias douleuontes, oudemian ek tōn theiōn pharmichōn ōpheleian ᾽5 karpountei, all᾽ heoikasi tisin a). chēs technēs prospagomenēn "' autois therapeian, akrasią de kai ataxią pollę̄ 5 chrōmenois, kai tēn ep: keimenēn hautois auxousin hosēmerai noson. Toioutos hēn houtos ho alazōn basileus, hos tou Theou tōn holōn ametrǭ philanthrōpią chrēsamenēu, kai meta tas myrias paranomias te kai dysseueias ᾽5 therapeian autǭ prosenēnochotos, kai hypodeixantos tēs te parousēs euēmerias to epikēron te kai mataion, kii «hēs aretēs to hypsēlon kai periolepton, hē kai tous dornalōtous, kai ton 3 tēs douleias zygon ēnanchasmenous, apophainei lamprous, euthys men ethaumase tēn tou prophētou sophian, kai ton toutou B Theon tōn holōn einai Theon hōmologēsen " oligou de chronou dielthontos, eis heauton epanēlthen, hōsper kyōn eis d᾽ ton idion emeton, ē phēsin hē theia Graphę̄, - kai kataskeuazei men eikona chrysēn, to men hypsos echousan pēcheis hexēkonta, to de heuros pēcheis hex, kai pautēn en isopedǭ stēsas chōriǭ, hōste isōs "' hapantōn hyperechein kai hypo pantōn homoiōs horasthai 35, para pantōn autēn keleuei proskyneisthai tōn hypēkoōn, Ouk aplous de houtos tēs alazoneias ho tropos, all᾽ antitheos antikrys kai theomisēs. Epeidē gar ho Theos onar autǭ megistēn hy pedeixen eikona ek tettarōn hylōn pepoiēmenēn. kai dia toutōn autǭ tas tōn tettarōn basileiōn diadochas paredēlōsen, antistratenomenos d᾽ tǭ Theǭ ton oikeion typhon, chatascheuatei dē ᾽" kai autos eikona megetho? dedōkōs, hoson hē tōn anthrōpōn paraschein hii dynato technē. Ouketi de kai tautēn ek chrysiou ᾽5, kai argy" ron, kai chalkou, kai sidērou poiei, all᾽ ek mia? hylēs tēs tou chrytou kataskeuazei, oiomenos ho deilaiēs houtos ᾽ pseudeis apodeixein tou Theou tas proroēseis. Kai epeidē ho makarios Daniēl to enypnion hermēneuōn, auton einai ephē tēn chera.lēn tēn chrysēn. toutesti tōn d Badylōniōn, eitoun ᾿Assyriōn hylōn ", hai tēn kephalēn diedexanto, autos pasan ek

1. "In the eighteenth year King Nebuchadnezzar made a golden image and set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon." Our good and loving Master, as maker and creator, "wills all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth," and "does not will the death of the sinner so much as that he should turn and live." For this reason he does everything for our salvation. But those who are sick with insensibility and enslaved to the incurable passion of arrogance reap no benefit from the divine remedies; they are like some [sick people who refuse] the treatment applied to them by the [physician's] art, and by indulging in intemperance and great disorder increase day by day the disease that besets them. Such was this boastful king. The God of the universe had shown him measureless love for humanity: after countless transgressions and impieties he had brought him treatment and shown him how perishable and vain is present prosperity, and how lofty and admired is virtue, which makes illustrious even captives and those forced under the yoke of slavery. At once he admired the prophet's wisdom and confessed that his God is the God of the universe; but after a little time had passed, he returned to himself, "like a dog to its own vomit," as the divine Scripture says. He makes a golden image, sixty cubits high and six cubits broad, and sets it up on level ground, so that it might stand equally above everything and be seen by all alike, and orders it to be worshiped by all his subjects. This kind of arrogance is not simple but openly opposed to God and hateful to God. For since God had shown him in a dream a very large image made of four materials, and through them had pointed out to him the successions of the four kingdoms, he set his own conceit in battle against God and himself made an image, giving it as great a size as human art could provide. But he no longer makes it of gold, silver, bronze and iron; he makes it of a single material, gold, thinking, the wretch, that he would prove God's predictions false. And since blessed Daniel, in interpreting the dream, had said that he was the head of gold, that is, [the kingdom] of the Babylonians or Assyrians, and that the other parts of the image [stood for the kingdoms] of the other materials, which succeeded the head, he himself makes the whole image of gold …

Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.

Dan 3:1 (quotation, high confidence) · 1 Tim 2:4 (quotation, high confidence) · Ezek 33:11 (quotation, high confidence) · Prov 26:11 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Pet 2:22 (allusion, medium confidence) · Dan 2:47 (allusion, high confidence) · Dan 2:31–45 (allusion, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Ignoring God's lesson in the dream, Nebuchadnezzar makes a statue entirely of gold, as if to prove false the prophecy that other kingdoms would follow his.

Lines are lost in the OCR in the comparison with the sick (bracketed words supplied for sense).
A fragment displaced by the OCR into the apparatus ("…kingdom, and the other parts of the image of the other … makes the image of gold") belongs at the end of this section, which continues in 3.2.
Theodoret's reading that the all-gold statue defied the prophecy of 2:36–45 is his own inference.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (Latin column read as Greek letters, splitting the word ἀλαζονείας; apparatus and Latin column read into the text): ἴῃ οαπιρο λεῖγα, ἴῃ τορίοια Βα υ] "8. ν Οἱ νϑγοὸ δι ἰια Ἰθυογδηῖ,, δὲ θη} 0} ἀγγοβδητ "' καὶ ἔστ. Α οἱ Β ργάτῃ. ὕψος αὐτῆς πήχεων ἑξήκοντα καὶ εὗρος αὐτῆς πήχεων ἕξ. ν5Α Δεειρά, Βοοίογὰ πη ρίδαιδ [Δοΐ τὰ Γαπγοάΐυπι εἱ Δἀ μἰ θυ δοχαρί μία, «ὑπ ποιη οὐ θἱοτὰπι 86χ, 4 πὶ → ; (Ὑγδηη05, οἱ 41| ἴῃ πα 5 ΓΑ }}118. 6556 ηΐ, οἱ Α → .

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Comm. Dan. 3.1 (PG 81; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-danielem/3-1). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-danielem/3-1

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 81 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

3.2PG 81

β΄. ε Συνήγαγε "), φησὶ, πάντας τοὺς σατράπας, ὑπάρχους " τε καὶ στρατηγοὺς, καὶ τοπάρχας, ἡγουμένους τε καὶ τυράννους, καὶ τοὺς ἐπὶ "ἐξ. ουπιῶν, καὶ πάντας τοὺς ἄρχοντας τῶν χωρῶν, ἐλ’ θεῖν εἰς τὰ ἐγκαίνια τῆς εἰκόνος, ἧς ἔστησε Ναύουχοδονόσορ ὁ βατιλεύς. » Καὶ τούτων δὲ ἔκαστον τῖν Ὁ ἄκραν ὑπερηφανίαν παραδηλοῖ. Οὐ γὰρ ἁπλῶς τοὺς τυχόντας τῶν ὑπηκόων εἰς τὴν τῆς εἰκόνος συνεχά. λεσεν " ἑορτὴν, ἀλλὰ τούς τε τοπάρχας "", καὶ τοὺς στρατηγοὺς, τοὺς τῶν σατραπειῶν τὴν ἡγεμονίαν πεπιστευμένους, καὶ εἴ τι ἕτερον εἶδος ἀρχῆς 30 οἵ τῶν οἰκείων ἐθνῶν ἐβασίλευον καὶ τοὺς ὑποκειμένους τούτους σατράπας. ἐκάλεσεν. ἡγούμενος ὁ μάταιος ἀτελεύτητον ἔχειν τὴν βασιλείαν " στήσας ᾿ τις ἐνομίζετο, ὕστερον δὲ τὸ διὰ τῆς χλήσεω; νευόμενον "" ἐφωράθη. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ συνῆλθον ἅπαν- “ἐς, «ε« Ὃ κήρυξ, φησὶν, ἐδόα ἐν ἰσχύϊ (τουτέστι, με- Ὑίστῃ χρώμενος τῇ φωνῇ) Ὑμῖν λέγεται, ἔθνη, λαοὶ, φυλαὶ, γλῶσσαι " (ε', ς΄.) ἮἯ ἂν ὥρᾳ ἀχούτητε τῆς φωνῆς τῆς σάλπιγγος, σύριγγός τε καὶ κιθάρας, σαμθύχης τε καὶ ψαλτηρίου, καὶ συμφωνίας "7, καὶ παντὸς γένους "5 μουσικῶν, πίπτοντες προσκυνεῖτε πῇ εἰκόνι τῇ χρυσῇ "5 ἦ ἔστησε Ναθουχοδονόσορ ὁ βασιλεύς. Καὶ ὃς ἂν δ᾽ μὴ πεσὼν προσκυνήσῃ "", αὑτῇ τῇ ὥρᾳ ἐμδληθήσεται εἰς τὴν κάμινον τοῦ “πυρὸς τὴν καιομένην. ν Οὕτως ἥρπασεν ὁ δείλαιος, ὡς ἐνόμισε, τὴν θείαν τιμὴν, καὶ οὐκ ἀπέχρησεν αὐτῷ πὸ προσκυνεῖσθαι παρὰ τῶν ὑπηκόων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῇ Β εἰκόνι προσφέρεσθαι τὴν προσκύνησιν ταύτην ἕνομοθέτησε, καὶ χαταπλήττει μὲν ἅπαντας τῇ τε ὕλῃ, καὶ τῇ τέχνῃ, καὶ τῷ μεγέθει τῆς εἰχόνο; " χαταχηλεῖ ὃὲ καὶ καταθέλγει τῇ παντοδαπῇ τῶν μουσικῶν ὀργάνων ἢχῇ " τοὺς δὲ μηδὲ τὸ μέγεθος τῆς εἰκόνος ἐχπληττομένους, μηδὲ ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν ὀργάνων ᾧδῆς τε καὶ ἡδονῇ: χαταθελγομένους, τῇ ἀπειλῇ τοῦ "" καμίνοῦ δεδίττεται. Καὶ ἐπὶ μὲν τῶν ἄλλων ἁπάντων οὐ διήμαρτε τοῦ σκοποῦ " ἑώρα γὰρ ἅπαντας τὸ κελευόμενον ποιοῦντας, καὶ φόδῳ καὶ ἡδονῇ δουλεύειν εἰθισμένους " μόνοι δὲ οἱ τρισμαχάριοι παῖδες ἐκεῖνοι τὴν πατρῴαν εὐγένειαν ἀκήρατον καὶ ἐν δουλείᾳ φυλάξαντες, ᾿Ανανίας, καὶ ᾿Αζαρίας, καὶ Μισαΐλ, ἐρνήθΘτσαν μὲν τὴν προσκύνησιν, οὐκ ἔλαθον δὲ τοὺς δυσσεθείᾳ συζῶντας Χαλδαίους, οἷ κοινωνοὺς ἅπαντας ἔχειν τῆς ἀσεθείας ἢθούλοντο. Αὐτίκα τοίνυν “προσίασι μὲν τῷ βασιλεῖ, ἀναμιμνήσχουσι δὲ αὑτὸν τοῦ τεθέντος νόμου διαῤῥήδην διαγορεύοντος ἅπασι ποῖς ὑπηκόοις προσκυνεῖν τὴν εἰκόνα, καὶ τοῖς τοῦτο ποιεῖν παραιτουμένοις ἀπειλοῦντος τὴν κάμινον "

b΄. e Synēgage "), phēsi, pantas tous satrapas, hyparchous " te kai stratēgous, kai toparchas, hēgoumenous te kai tyrannous, kai tous epi "ex. oupiōn, kai pantas tous archontas tōn chōrōn, el’ thein eis ta enkainia tēs eikonos, hēs estēse Nauouchodonosor ho batileus. » Kai toutōn de ekaston tin Ho akran hyperēphanian paradēloi. Ou gar haplōs tous tychontas tōn hypēkoōn eis tēn tēs eikonos synecha. lesen " heortēn, alla tous te toparchas "", kai tous stratēgous, tous tōn satrapeiōn tēn hēgemonian pepisteumenous, kai ei ti heteron eidos archēs 30 hoi tōn oikeiōn ethnōn ebasileuon kai tous hypokeimenous toutous satrapas. ekalesen. hēgoumenos ho mataios ateleutēton echein tēn basileian " stēsas ᾿ tis enomizeto, hysteron de to dia tēs chlēseō? neuomenon "" ephōrathē. Epeidē gar synēlthon hapan- “es, «e« Ho kēryx, phēsin, edoa en ischyï (toutesti, me- Huistę̄ chrōmenos tę̄ phōnę̄) Hymin legetai, ethnē, laoi, phylai, glōssai " (e', s΄.) HēĒ an hōrą achoutēte tēs phōnēs tēs salpingos, syringos te kai kitharas, samthychēs te kai psaltēriou, kai symphōnias "7, kai pantos genous "5 mousikōn, piptontes proskyneite pę̄ eikoni tę̄ chrysę̄ "5 ē estēse Nathouchodonosor ho basileus. Kai hos an d᾽ mē pesōn proskynēsę̄ "", hautę̄ tę̄ hōrą emdlēthēsetai eis tēn kaminon tou “pyros tēn kaiomenēn. n Houtōs hērpasen ho deilaios, hōs enomise, tēn theian timēn, kai ouk apechrēsen autǭ po proskyneisthai para tōn hypēkoōn, alla kai tę̄ B eikoni prospheresthai tēn proskynēsin tautēn henomothetēse, kai chataplēttei men hapantas tę̄ te hylę̄, kai tę̄ technę̄, kai tǭ megethei tēs eichono? " chatachēlei hoe kai katathelgei tę̄ pantodapę̄ tōn mousikōn organōn ēchę̄ " tous de mēde to megethos tēs eikonos echplēttomenous, mēde hypo tēs tōn organōn hǭdēs te kai hēdonę̄: chatathelgomenous, tę̄ apeilę̄ tou "" kaminou dedittetai. Kai epi men tōn allōn hapantōn ou diēmarte tou skopou " heōra gar hapantas to keleuomenon poiountas, kai phodǭ kai hēdonę̄ douleuein eithismenous " monoi de hoi trismacharioi paides ekeinoi tēn patrǭan eugeneian akēraton kai en douleią phylaxantes, ᾿Ananias, kai ᾿Azarias, kai Misaïl, ernēthThtsan men tēn proskynēsin, ouk elathon de tous dyssetheią syzōntas Chaldaious, hoi koinōnous hapantas echein tēs asetheias ēthoulonto. Autika toinyn “prosiasi men tǭ basilei, anamimnēschousi de hauton tou tethentos nomou diarrhēdēn diagoreuontos hapasi pois hypēkoois proskynein tēn eikona, kai tois touto poiein paraitoumenois apeilountos tēn kaminon "

2. "He gathered," it says, "all the satraps, governors and generals, toparchs, leaders and tyrants, and those in authority, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up." Each of these details too shows his extreme pride. He did not call just any of his subjects to the festival of the image, but the toparchs, the generals, those entrusted with the government of the satrapies, and any other kind of office there was, [and the tyrants] who reigned over their own nations, and the satraps subject to them. … thinking, the fool, that his kingdom would have no end, having set up … [At first the summons] was thought to be …, but afterwards the intention of the summons was detected. For when they had all come together, "The herald," it says, "cried aloud" (that is, using a very loud voice), "To you it is commanded, peoples, nations, tribes and tongues: (5–6.) At the hour you hear the sound of the trumpet, the pipe and the lyre, the sambuca and the psaltery, and the symphonia, and every kind of music, fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up. And whoever does not fall down and worship shall at that very hour be thrown into the furnace of burning fire." So the wretch snatched at the divine honor, as he thought; and it was not enough for him to be worshiped by his subjects, but he also made a law that this worship should be offered to the image. He dazzles everyone with the material, the craftsmanship and the size of the image; he charms and bewitches them with the varied sound of the musical instruments; and those who are neither dazzled by the size of the image nor charmed by the song and pleasure of the instruments he terrifies with the threat of the furnace. With all the others he did not miss his aim; for he saw them all doing what was commanded, accustomed as they were to be slaves of fear and pleasure. Only those thrice-blessed youths, who kept their ancestral nobility undefiled even in slavery, Hananiah, Azariah and Mishael, refused the worship. But they did not escape the notice of the Chaldeans, who lived in impiety and wanted to have everyone as partners in their impiety. At once, then, they approach the king and remind him of the law he had laid down, which expressly commanded all his subjects to worship the image and threatened the furnace to those who refused to do so.

Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.

Dan 3:2–6 (quotation, high confidence) · Dan 3:7–11 (allusion, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Nebuchadnezzar summons all his officials and orders everyone to worship the golden statue on pain of the furnace; only the three youths refuse, and the Chaldeans report them.

This section covers verses 2–11; a new lemma (verses 4–6) begins inside it.
Lines are lost or displaced in the OCR after "the satraps subject to them" (marked …).

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (apparatus read into the text): ἢ τούς, οἱ εἰπε ἀὴς ζυγόν. 3" ΑἿΩΙ Β ἐπί, πάντων. 89 ὑλ, ()65. ἴῃ 1}. Δ χας, Β διὰ. οὕτως φῇσι τὴν εἰκόνα. "' Συνήγ. Α. Καὶ ἀπέστειλε συναγαγεῖν, κ΄ τ. λ. ὑ “δτοπ, Β δα. → ; 36. Β πολλῇ καὶ ἀταξίᾳ. 3. ἴσως --- πάντων. [)65. ἴῃ Β. 53 ὁρ. 8 ργαιη, παρὰ δ᾽ Β ἀντιστρατεύει μέν. 88 Β δέ. 86 ἢ αὐτὴν ἐκ χρυσοῦ. Ὁ ἢ δυσσεδείας καὶ παρανομίας. 37 1} αὐτῷ. 35 τῶν, αὶ ῥγῶπη. τὴν. ῳ Ρ → ; 4. Α οἱ 1} ὑπάτους. "5 Β ὑπ᾽. → .

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Comm. Dan. 3.2 (PG 81; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-danielem/3-2). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-danielem/3-2

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 81 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

3.12PG 81

ιβ΄. ε« Εἰσὶν ἄνδρες Ἰουδαῖος, οὺς κατέστησας ἐπὶ τὰ ἔργα τῆ: χώρας Βαδυλῶνος, Σιδρὰχ, Μισάκ, καὶ ᾿Αὐδεναγώ " οἱ ἄνδρε; ἐκεῖνο: "5 οὐκ ὑπήκουσαν τῷ δόγματί σον, βασιλεῦ.» Καὶ τόν τε οἰκεῖον φθόνὸν διὰ τούτων παραδηλοῦσι, τοῦ τε βασιλέως ἐξἀπτοῦυσι τὴν ὀργὴν, αἰνιττόμενοι διὰ τούτων, καὶ μονονουχὶ λέγοντες: “Ὅρα τίνας ἡμῶν προτετίμηχας δ᾽, τίσι τῶν Βαδυλωνίων ἡγεμονίαν 5" ἐπίστευ σας οὐδὲ "5 τῆς τιμῆς τὸ μέγεθος εἰς νοῦν λαθεῖν ἡἠδουλήθησαν, καὶ εὐγνώμονες περὶ τὸν τετιμηχότα γενέσθαι, ἀλλὰ τῆς τιμῆς τὸ μέγεθος ἀτιμίας ἀφορμὴν ἐποιήσαντο, ἀντικρὺς τοὶς σοῖς ἀντιλέγοντες νόμοις, καὶ τὰ σὰ πληροῦν οὐκ ἀνεχόμενοι δόγματα. Οὐκ 5] ἐντεῦθεν δὲ μόνον ἔστι θεωρῆσαι τὸ τυραννικόυ τε καὶ ἄγνωμον ἀλλὰ καὶ ἑτέρωθεν καταμαθεῖν δυνατὸν, ὡς οὐδὲν δρῶσιν ὑπηκόοις ἁρμόττον' οὗς γὰρ νομίζεις θεοὺς, οὐ νομίζουσι, καὶ τὴν πρησἤκουσαν λατρείαν τοῖς ὑπὸ σοῦ προσχυνουμένοις θεοῖς οὐ προσφέρουσι " καὶ τῆς εἰκόνος δὲ τὴν προ:χύνησιν, ἣν ἅπαντες οἱ ἀρχόμενοι προσενηνόχασιν, ἠρνήθησαν προφανῶς. Τούτων ἀκούσας ὁ φρενοξλα. ὀὴς ἐκεῖνος βασιλεὺς, καὶ ἐπιλαθόμενος τῶν ὑπ᾽ αὐτοῦ πρὸς τὸν Δανιὴλ εἰρημένων, ε« Ἐπ᾿ ἀληθείας ὁ Θεὸς ὑμῶν οὗτός ἐστι Θεὸς τῶν θεῶν, καὶ Κύριο; τῶν βασιλέων, ν ἄγει τοὺς ἄνδρας εἰς μέσον" πυνθάνεται δὲ, εἰ τῷ ὄντι κοινωνεῖν αὐτῷ τῆς τῶν θεῶν οὐκ ἐθέλουσι θεραπείας, καὶ τῆς εἰκόνος φεύγουσι τὴν προσκύνησιν. Εἴτα παραινεῖ καὶ συμβουλεύει τοῦτο ποιεῖν, τῇ τοῦ πυρὸς ἀπειλῇ δεδιττόμενο:, « Ἐὰν γὰρ μὴ προσχυνήσητε ὅδ, αὐτῇ τῇ ὧρλ ἐμδληθήσεσθε εἰς τὴν κάμινον τοῦ πυρὸς τὴν μένην. » Ἔπειτα τὴν ἄῤῥητον ἐχείνην καὶ θηριώδη, βλασφημίαν τολμᾷ" « Καὶ τίς ἐστιν ὁ Θεὺς, ὃς ἐξελεῖται ὑμᾶς ἐκ τῶν δ᾽ χειρῶν μου; ν Οὕτω ταχέως ὃν ὠμολόγησεν ἐδλασφήμησε᾽ καὶ ὃν Θεὲν θεῶν ἀπεκάλεσε, καὶ ἀνθρώπου 50 ἀσθενέστερον εἶναι: " ὃν 5' Κύριον βασιλέων προσηγόρενσε, νικᾷν ὁ δείλαιος ἐνεανιεύσατο. Προγηνιχὰ δὲ αὐτῷ "' τὰ τοιαῦτα. τολμήματα - καὶ γὰρ ὁ Σενναχηρεὶμ ἐκεῖνο; στρατείᾳ μεγίστῃ κατὰ τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ χρηδάμενος, ἐπιστέλλων τῷ Ἐζεκίᾳ τοιαῦτα ἐφθέγξατο' «Μή σε ἀπατάτω ὁ Θεός σου, ἐφ᾽ ᾧ σὺ πέποιθας ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ, ὅτι ῥύσεται ᾿Ιερουσαλὴμ 55. ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν δ᾽ μοὺ, Μὴ ἐῤῥύσαντο θεοὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν ἕχαστος τὴν ἑαυτοῦ χώραν ἐκ γειρός μου; ποῦ ὁ θεὸς Ἐμὰθ, καὶ ποῦ ὁ θεὸς ᾿Αρφὰθ, καὶ ποῦ ὁ θεὸς τῆς πόλεως Σεπφαρίῃ; ( μὴ ἠδυνήθησαν ῥύσασθαι Σαμάρειαν ἐκ χειρός μον. ὅτι ῥύσεται Κύριος τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐκ χειρός μου» ᾿Αλλ᾽ εὐθὺς καὶ παραχρῆμα ἕλαδε τῆς βλασφημίας τὰ ἐπίχειρα, καὶ αἱ πολλαὶ μὲν ἐκεῖναι μυριάδες ὑφ᾽ ἑνὸς ἀνῃρέθτσαν ἀγγέλου " αὐτὸς δὲ φυγὼν, καὶ τὴν ἔσχηκεν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ κατὰ τοῦ Ποιητοῦ τὴν γλῶτταν ἐχίνησε, δέχεται τὴν σφαγὴν παρὰ ἀνθρώπων οὖς" ἐγέννησεν. ᾿Αλλ᾽ οὐδὲ τούτου δ᾽ τὸ παράδειγμα τ' τοῦ Ναδουχοδονόσορ ἐχαλίνωσε τὴν γλῶτταν, οὔτε τὸ ἐνύπνιον ἐκεῖνο τὰς τῶν βασιλέων ὑποδεῖξαν χὰς ἐδίδαξε σωφρονεῖν, ἀλλ᾽ ἔμεινε κατὰ τοῦ πεπριῆχότος λυττῶν - ἀντιστρατεύει δὲ αὐτῷ ὁ Θεὸς “΄ οὐκ ἄγγελον (ὅπερ 55 ἐπὶ τοῦ Σενναχηρεὶμ ἐχείΐνου πε" ποίηχεν), ἀλλὰ τρία παιδάρια αἰχμάλωτα “, τὴν Ὁ ξένην οἰκεῖν ἠναγχασμένα, τὸν τῆς δουλείας ἕλχοντὰ ζυγὸν, νέαν ἄγοντα τὴν ἡλικίαν, ἐν αὐτῷ ὄντα ἕαρι" τοῦ χρόνου " οὗτοι γὰρ παραυτίκα τῆς λύττης ἐκείνης καὶ μανιχῆς βλασφημία: ἀκούσαντες, θυμοῦ γα ξήλου πλήρεις ἐγένοντο, καὶ ἀπεχρίθησαν, καὶ εἶπον τῷ βασιλεῖ" « Οὐ χρείαν ᾿ἔχομεν ἡμεῖς περὶ τοῦ ῥήματος τούτου ἀποκριθῆναί σοι. » ΠΕεριττῆ, φησὶν, ἡ πεῦσις ἡ παρὰ σοῦ ἡμῖν προσαγομένη 1'. ἃ γχ0) ἐφρονοῦμεν, καὶ 7" νῦν φρονοῦμεν, καὶ οὐδεμίαν μεταθολὴν ἐκ τῶν σῶν ἀπειλῶν δεξόμεθα.

ib΄. e« Eisin andres Ioudaios, ous katestēsas epi ta erga tē: chōras Badylōnos, Sidrach, Misak, kai ᾿Audenagō " hoi andre? ekeino: "5 ouk hypēkousan tǭ dogmati son, basileu.» Kai ton te oikeion phthonon dia toutōn paradēlousi, tou te basileōs exaptouysi tēn orgēn, ainittomenoi dia toutōn, kai mononouchi legontes: “Hora tinas hēmōn protetimēchas d᾽, tisi tōn Badylōniōn hēgemonian 5" episteu sas oude "5 tēs timēs to megethos eis noun lathein hēēdoulēthēsan, kai eugnōmones peri ton tetimēchota genesthai, alla tēs timēs to megethos atimias aphormēn epoiēsanto, antikrys tois sois antilegontes nomois, kai ta sa plēroun ouk anechomenoi dogmata. Ouk 5] enteuthen de monon esti theōrēsai to tyrannikou te kai agnōmon alla kai heterōthen katamathein dynaton, hōs ouden drōsin hypēkoois harmotton' hous gar nomizeis theous, ou nomizousi, kai tēn prēsēkousan latreian tois hypo sou proschynoumenois theois ou prospherousi " kai tēs eikonos de tēn pro:chynēsin, hēn hapantes hoi archomenoi prosenēnochasin, ērnēthēsan prophanōs. Toutōn akousas ho phrenoxla. oēs ekeinos basileus, kai epilathomenos tōn hyp᾽ autou pros ton Daniēl eirēmenōn, e« Ep᾿ alētheias ho Theos hymōn houtos esti Theos tōn theōn, kai Kyrio? tōn basileōn, n agei tous andras eis meson" pynthanetai de, ei tǭ onti koinōnein autǭ tēs tōn theōn ouk ethelousi therapeias, kai tēs eikonos pheugousi tēn proskynēsin. Eita parainei kai symbouleuei touto poiein, tę̄ tou pyros apeilę̄ dedittomeno:, « Ean gar mē proschynēsēte hod, autę̄ tę̄ hōrl emdlēthēsesthe eis tēn kaminon tou pyros tēn menēn. » Epeita tēn arrhēton echeinēn kai thēriōdē, blasphēmian tolmą" « Kai tis estin ho Theus, hos exeleitai hymas ek tōn d᾽ cheirōn mou? n Houtō tacheōs hon ōmologēsen edlasphēmēse᾽ kai hon Theen theōn apekalese, kai anthrōpou 50 asthenesteron einai: " hon 5' Kyrion basileōn prosēgorense, nikąn ho deilaios eneanieusato. Progēnicha de autǭ "' ta toiauta. tolmēmata - kai gar ho Sennachēreim ekeino? strateią megistę̄ kata tēs Hierousalēm chrēdamenos, epistellōn tǭ Ezekią toiauta ephthenxato' «Mē se apatatō ho Theos sou, eph᾽ hǭ sy pepoithas ep᾽ autǭ, hoti rhysetai ᾿Ierousalēm 55. ek tōn cheirōn d᾽ mou, Mē errhysanto theoi tōn ethnōn hechastos tēn heautou chōran ek geiros mou? pou ho theos Emath, kai pou ho theos ᾿Arphath, kai pou ho theos tēs poleōs Seppharię̄? ( mē ēdynēthēsan rhysasthai Samareian ek cheiros mon. hoti rhysetai Kyrios tēn Hierousalēm ek cheiros mou» ᾿All᾽ euthys kai parachrēma helade tēs blasphēmias ta epicheira, kai hai pollai men ekeinai myriades hyph᾽ henos anę̄rethtsan angelou " autos de phygōn, kai tēn eschēken. Epeidē gar kata tou Poiētou tēn glōttan echinēse, dechetai tēn sphagēn para anthrōpōn ous" egennēsen. ᾿All᾽ oude toutou d᾽ to paradeigma t' tou Nadouchodonosor echalinōse tēn glōttan, oute to enypnion ekeino tas tōn basileōn hypodeixan chas edidaxe sōphronein, all᾽ emeine kata tou pepriēchotos lyttōn - antistrateuei de autǭ ho Theos “΄ ouk angelon (hoper 55 epi tou Sennachēreim echeiïnou pe" poiēchen), alla tria paidaria aichmalōta “, tēn Ho xenēn oikein ēnanchasmena, ton tēs douleias helchonta zygon, nean agonta tēn hēlikian, en autǭ onta heari" tou chronou " houtoi gar parautika tēs lyttēs ekeinēs kai manichēs blasphēmia: akousantes, thymou ga xēlou plēreis egenonto, kai apechrithēsan, kai eipon tǭ basilei" « Ou chreian ᾿echomen hēmeis peri tou rhēmatos toutou apokrithēnai soi. » PEerittē, phēsin, hē peusis hē para sou hēmin prosagomenē 1'. ha nch0) ephronoumen, kai 7" nyn phronoumen, kai oudemian metatholēn ek tōn sōn apeilōn dexometha.

12. "There are Jewish men whom you set over the works of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego; these men have not obeyed your decree, O king." By these words they show their own envy and inflame the king's anger, hinting and all but saying: See whom you have honored above us, to whom you have entrusted rule over the Babylonians! They did not even wish to consider the greatness of the honor and be grateful to the one who honored them; they made the greatness of the honor an occasion for dishonor, openly contradicting your laws and refusing to carry out your decrees. And not only from this can one see their tyranny and ingratitude; one can learn from other things too that they do nothing befitting subjects. They do not believe in the gods you believe in, and they do not offer the fitting worship to the gods you worship; and the worship of the image, which all your subjects have offered, they have openly refused. Hearing this, that frenzied king, forgetting what he had said to Daniel, "Truly your God is God of gods and Lord of kings," brings the men forward and asks whether they really refuse to join him in serving the gods and avoid worshiping the image. Then he urges and advises them to do it, terrifying them with the threat of fire: "For if you do not worship, at that very hour you shall be thrown into the furnace of burning fire." Then he dares that unspeakable and savage blasphemy: "And who is the God who will deliver you out of my hands?" So quickly did he blaspheme the one he had confessed; the one he had called God of gods he [declared] weaker than a man; the one he had addressed as Lord of kings the wretch boasted that he would defeat. Such audacities ran in his line. For Sennacherib too, after leading a very great army against Jerusalem, wrote to Hezekiah in these terms: "Let not your God, in whom you trust, deceive you, [saying] that he will deliver Jerusalem out of my hands. Did the gods of the nations deliver each his own land out of my hand? Where is the god of Hamath, and where the god of Arpad, and where the god of the city of Sepharvaim? Could they deliver Samaria out of my hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?" But at once he received the wages of his blasphemy: those many myriads were destroyed by one angel, and he himself fled, and … met [his end]. For since he had moved his tongue against his Maker, he was slaughtered by the men he had begotten. But not even his example bridled Nebuchadnezzar's tongue, nor did that dream, which showed the successions of the kings, teach him to be sober; he went on raging against the one who had made him. God fights against him not with an angel (as he did against Sennacherib), but with three captive boys, forced to live in a foreign land, dragging the yoke of slavery, young in age, in the very spring of life. When they heard that raging and mad blasphemy, they were at once filled with anger and zeal, and answered and said to the king: "We have no need to answer you concerning this matter." Your question, they say, is superfluous: what we thought before we think now too, and your threats will not change us.

Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.

Dan 3:12–16 (quotation, high confidence) · Dan 2:47 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 19:10–13 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 18:33–35 (quotation, high confidence) · 2 Kgs 19:35–37 (allusion, high confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: The Chaldeans accuse the three youths out of envy; the king, forgetting his confession, threatens them and blasphemes like Sennacherib, and the youths answer that they need not reply.

This section covers verses 12–16; new lemmas begin inside it at verses 15 and 16.
Lines are lost in the OCR (in the lemma of verse 15, completed from Theodotion's text, and in the account of Sennacherib's death).
The quotation combines 2 Kgs 18:33–35 and 19:10–13 (Isa 36:18–20; 37:10–13).
"Ran in his line": Theodoret treats the Assyrian Sennacherib as Nebuchadnezzar's predecessor, since he regards Babylon and Assyria as one kingdom (see 2.29).

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (apparatus and Latin column read into the text, splitting the word προσήκουσαν; apparatus read into the text at the end of the section): οὐ 486 πη ΠΓΟΒιΡ (18 Δαν Γ᾿, οδιὰθη) ΠΟΓΆ ἴη}}- Ἐκ Β βιιρρὶ. 8 Β ἐάν. δ' πρόσχ. Β λιἀ. αὐτήν. " γέν. Α ριθῃ. συμφωνίας. Βὶ γέν. μουσικοῦ. 1 ἢ τῆς, “ τῇ χρ, 88 ἐκ, Π οὗτοι. δ᾽ Β προετίμησας. ὅ5 ἦγ. Β Ργϑδη). τήν. δ6 οὐδέ. Β ργηι. οἵ. 57 οὐκ. Β ργῶπι. χαΐ, οπι ἰϊ δυΐοπι δὲ ἀπ μόνον. ργωεῖρία οὐ Θοηδι}}} κἱ [ἃ ΓἈοίδηι, ᾿ξ} 605 πεῖ ἴθ. ν Τααι ποίατ αν ΕΠ, οἱ (γί π} διιάθί Α → ; δ πρ. Α διὰ. τῇ τα τῇ χρυσῇ. “. Β αὐτοῦ. 5 Ἵερ. Β Δι. τήν. δ᾽ Β χει 4. ἢ ὥσπερ. 5“ αἰχμ. [δ μ.. ἐἰρλγωτεν ταῦτα. ἐρός. 8 ἀνδρῶν, ὧν. 9 ἔαρι. Β ργάιι. τῷ, ὁ Β' ἀνθρώ των, οἰπΐξ580 καί. “' ὃν. 1} δι. δὲς 66 [} τοῦτο. “17 ὁ Θεός. Εκ Βὶ κυρρί. τὸ Βὶ προσφερομένη. 15 καί, Β ῥγάιῃ. → .

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Comm. Dan. 3.12 (PG 81; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-danielem/3-12). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-danielem/3-12

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 81 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

3.17PG 81

ιζ΄. « Ἔστι γὰρ ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν ἐν οὐρανοῖς 13, ᾧ ἡμεῖς λατρεύομεν, δυνατὸς ἐξελέσθαι ἡμᾶς ἐκ τῆς καμίνου τοῦ πυρὸς τῆς καιομένης, καὶ ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν σου, βασιλεῦ, ῥύτεται ἡμᾶς. » Τίς οὐκ ἂν εἰκότως ἐκπλαγείη τῶν μακαρίων τούτων νέων τὴν ἀνδρείαν, πἣν σοφίαν, τὴν εὐσέθειαν, τὴν περὶ τοὺς νόμους δικαιοσύνην, τὴν περὶ πάντα σωφροσύνην; Τὸ μὲν γὰρ μὴ καταπλαγῆναι τὸν τοσοῦτον ἐκεῖνον τύραννον, μετὰ πάντων, ὡς ἕπος εἰπεῖν, ἀνθρώπων ἀντιτεταγμένον, καὶ τὴν μεγίστην ἐχείνην πυρὰν, οὐ λόγοις μόνον ἀπειλουμένην, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁρωμένην, τὴν ἀδάβαντο; στεῤῥοτέραν αὐτοῖς ἀνδρείαν μαρτυρεῖ. Τὸ δὲ τοὺς θείους νόμους τῆς παρούσης προυτιμῆσαι ζωῆς, ποίας δικαιοσύνης ὑπερδολὴν καταλείπει; Τὴν δὲ σωφροσύνην αὐτῶν κηρύττει, τὸ μῆτε θρασέσι κατὰ τοῦ βασιλέως χρήσασθαι λόγοις, μῆτε δειλίᾳ πάλιν καταισχῦναι τὸ γένος " τὴν δὲ φρόνησιν καὶ σοφίαν ἡ τοῖς δυσσεδέσι καὶ βλασφήμοις λόγοις ἀντιτεθεῖσα εὐσέδεια. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἔλεγε" ε Τίς ἐστι Θεὸς, ὃς ἐξελεῖται ὑμᾶς ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν μου; » Οἱ δὲ ἐδόων " « Ἔστιν ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν ἐν οὐρανοῖς, ᾧ ἡμεῖς λατρεύομεν, δυνατὸς ἐξελέσθαι ἡμᾶς ἐκ τῆς καμίνου τοῦ πυρὸς τῆς καιομένης, καὶ ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν σου, βασιλεῦ, ῥύσεται ἡμᾶς. ν Μὴ γὰρ 1" νομίσῃς τὸν ἡμέτεῥῦν θεὸν τοῖς σοῖς ἐοικέναι θεοῖς, Ἐχείνων γὰρ εἰκότως καταφρονεῖς, ἐξ ὕλης τε καὶ τέχνης ἐσχηκότων τὸ εἶναι ὁ δὲ ἡμέτερος Θεὸς, οὐρανοῦ τε καὶ γῆς, γκαὶ τῶν ἁπάντων Δημιουργὸς, δύναμιν ἔχων, ἣν δείκνυσι τὰ ὁρώμενα. Τὴν γὰρ ὑπὲρ ταῦτα τοῖς τῶν θείων ἀμυήτοις οὐ ῥάδιον κατιδεῖν “ τοῦτον πρε- (Σ σδεύοντες τὴν παρ᾽ αὐτοῦ βοήθειαν ἀναμένομεν. Ἱκανὸς γὰρ ἡμᾶς καὶ τῶν σῶν ἀπαλλάξαι χειρῶν, καὶ τῆς καμίνου τοῦ πυρὸς, ἣν σὺ κατεσκεύασας 15. Τὰ δὲ μετὰ ταῦτα ῥηθέντα οὐδεμίαν ἀνδρείας καὶ φιλοθεῖας ὑπερθολὴν καταλείπει. Εἰρηκότες γάρ" ε« Ἔστιν 15 ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν ἐν οὐρανοῖς, ᾧ ἡ μεῖς λατρεύομεν, δυνατὸς ἐξελέσθαι ἡμᾶς ἐκ τῆς καμίνου τοῦ πυρὸς τῆς καιομένης, καὶ ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν σου, βασιλεῦ, ῥύσεται ἡμᾶς,» εὐθὺς ἐπήγαγον" τη. « Καὶ ἐὰν μὴ, γνωστὸν ἔστω σο:, βασιλεῦ, ὅτι τοῖς θεοῖς σου οὐ λατρεύομεν, καὶ τῇ εἰκόνι τῇ χρυσῇ, ἧ ἔστησας, οὐ προσκυνοῦμεν. » Οὐ γὰρ ἐπὶ μισθῷ τῷ ἡμετέρῳ Δεσπότῃ δουλεύομεν, ἀλλὰ φίλτρῳ καὶ πόθῳ νυττόμενοι, πάντων ὁμοῦ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν προαιρούμεθα θεραπείαν. Οὗ χάριν οὐδὲ τὴν ἀπαλλαγὴν τῶν κακῶν ἀορίστως αἰτοῦμεν, ἀλλὰ τοῦ Δεσπότου τὴν οἰκονομίαν καὶ προμήθειαν στέργομεν " καὶ τὸ συνοίσειν μέλλον οὐκ εἰδότες, τῷ χυδερνήτῃ παραχωροῦμεν ἰθύνειν, ὡς ἂν ἐθέλῃ. Ὅτι μὲν γὰρ ἀπαλλάττειν ἡμᾶς τῶν ἠπειλημένων κακῶν "7 ἰσχύει, σαφῶς ἐπιστάμεθα. Εἰ δὲ καὶ βούλετα: τοῦτο ποιεῖν, ἀγνοοῦμεν " σοφῷ δὲ ὄντι παραχωροῦμεν τανεύοντι͵ καὶ δεχόμεθα τὴν ψῆφον, ταύτην ἡμῖν συμφέρειν πιστεύοντες, Εἴτε οὖν ῥύεται, εἴτε καὶ μὴ, τῆς 15 εἰκόνος σου καὶ τῶν θεῶν σου φεύγομεν ταξις " ὃν ἂν ἐθέλῃς τρόπον ἀνταγωνίζου, οὔτε χατα θέλξεις τιμῶν, οὔτε χαταπλήξεις ἀπειλῶν πάντων γὰρ ἡμῖν ὁ Θεὸς "9 ἐρασμιώτατός τε καὶ φοδερώτατος. Τί τούτων ὑψηλότερον τῶν ῥημάτων; Τούτοις τὴν ἀποστολικὴν ἐχείνην ἐφαρμόσαι προσέχει φωνὴν " « Τὸ γὰρ τί προσευξώμεθα καθ᾽ ὃ δεῖ, οὐκ οἴδαμεν.» Ἀλλ᾽ ὁ θηριώδης 59. καὶ μανιχώτατος τύραννος, ἔμπλεως θυμοῦ γενόμενο;, ὡς καὶ δηλῶσα: τῷ προσώπῳ τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς ταραχὴν, ἐπιπλεῖστον μὲν δὲ τοὺς ἁγίους ἄνδρας ' παρεγελεύσατο, καὶ ὥστε μηδεμίαν γενέσθαι τῆς τιμωρίας ἀναδολὴν, τῆς ἐσθῆτος καὶ τῶν ὑποδημάτων ἀφαιρουμένων. σὺν αὑτοῖς τούτοις τῇ πυρᾷ παραδοθῆναι προσέταξε “ τουτέστι, σὺν τοῖς σαραδάροις αὐτῶν, καὶ τιάραες, καὶ περιχνημῖσι. Σαράβαρα δέ ἐστι Περσικῶν περιλέγει, ἣ τὰς σχυτίνας τὰς ἔξωθεν, ἢ τὰ σχύτινα ὑποδήματαϑι, Οὕτω πεδηθέντες οἱ ἅγιοι ἄνδρες παρἐδόθησαν τῷ πυρίδ᾽ καὶ ὁ μὲν τάχους χάριν καὶ συντομίας οὕτως αὐτοὺς καταχαυθῆναι προσέταξεν " ἡ δὲ θεία χάρις ἕτερον ἐντεῦθεν ᾧκονόμει μυστήριον. Τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἐπιδληθέντα αὐτοῖς ἐκ σιδήρον δεσμὰ συνήθως ἡ τοῦ πυρὸς διέλυσε φύτις " εὔπρηστα δὲ ὄντα λίαν τὰ περιθόλαια ἀκήρατα διεφύλαξς " καὶ τοὺς μὲν τῶν ἁγίων ἀνδρῶν κατηγόρους, καὶ τοῦ δυσσεθοῦς προστάγματος διακόνους, ἐκτὸς ἑστῶτας ἡ φλὸξ κατηνάλωσεν᾽" αὐτοῖς δὲ τοῖς ἁγίοις πελάζειν οὐκ ἴσχυσεν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἔνδον τὰ νῶτα παρἔχουσα "", κατὰ τῶν οἰκείων ἐχώρει: προσκυνητῶν, ὥσπερ δίκας αὐτοὺς ὑπὲρ τῶν τοῦ Δεσπότου θεραπόντων εἰσπραττομένη. Τοσαύτης δὲ ἔνδον οἱ τῆς εὑσεδείας κήρυκες ἀδείας καὶ θεραπείας ἀπήλανον, ὅτι τῶν" ἀνθράκων οἷόν τινων ἐπιδαίνοντες ῥόδων. 4

iz΄. « Esti gar ho theos hēmōn en ouranois 13, hǭ hēmeis latreuomen, dynatos exelesthai hēmas ek tēs kaminou tou pyros tēs kaiomenēs, kai ek tōn cheirōn sou, basileu, rhytetai hēmas. » Tis ouk an eikotōs ekplageiē tōn makariōn toutōn neōn tēn andreian, pēn sophian, tēn eusetheian, tēn peri tous nomous dikaiosynēn, tēn peri panta sōphrosynēn? To men gar mē kataplagēnai ton tosouton ekeinon tyrannon, meta pantōn, hōs hepos eipein, anthrōpōn antitetagmenon, kai tēn megistēn echeinēn pyran, ou logois monon apeiloumenēn, alla kai horōmenēn, tēn adabanto? sterrhoteran autois andreian martyrei. To de tous theious nomous tēs parousēs proutimēsai zōēs, poias dikaiosynēs hyperdolēn kataleipei? Tēn de sōphrosynēn autōn kēryttei, to mēte thrasesi kata tou basileōs chrēsasthai logois, mēte deilią palin kataischynai to genos " tēn de phronēsin kai sophian hē tois dyssedesi kai blasphēmois logois antitetheisa eusedeia. Ho men gar elege" e Tis esti Theos, hos exeleitai hymas ek tōn cheirōn mou? » Hoi de edoōn " « Estin ho theos hēmōn en ouranois, hǭ hēmeis latreuomen, dynatos exelesthai hēmas ek tēs kaminou tou pyros tēs kaiomenēs, kai ek tōn cheirōn sou, basileu, rhysetai hēmas. n Mē gar 1" nomisę̄s ton hēmeterhyn theon tois sois eoikenai theois, Echeinōn gar eikotōs kataphroneis, ex hylēs te kai technēs eschēkotōn to einai ho de hēmeteros Theos, ouranou te kai gēs, nkai tōn hapantōn Dēmiourgos, dynamin echōn, hēn deiknysi ta horōmena. Tēn gar hyper tauta tois tōn theiōn amyētois ou rhadion katidein “ touton pre- (S sdeuontes tēn par᾽ autou boētheian anamenomen. Hikanos gar hēmas kai tōn sōn apallaxai cheirōn, kai tēs kaminou tou pyros, hēn sy kateskeuasas 15. Ta de meta tauta rhēthenta oudemian andreias kai philotheias hypertholēn kataleipei. Eirēkotes gar" e« Estin 15 ho Theos hēmōn en ouranois, hǭ hē meis latreuomen, dynatos exelesthai hēmas ek tēs kaminou tou pyros tēs kaiomenēs, kai ek tōn cheirōn sou, basileu, rhysetai hēmas,» euthys epēgagon" tē. « Kai ean mē, gnōston estō so:, basileu, hoti tois theois sou ou latreuomen, kai tę̄ eikoni tę̄ chrysę̄, hē estēsas, ou proskynoumen. » Ou gar epi misthǭ tǭ hēmeterǭ Despotę̄ douleuomen, alla philtrǭ kai pothǭ nyttomenoi, pantōn homou tēn tou Theou hēmōn proairoumetha therapeian. Hou charin oude tēn apallagēn tōn kakōn aoristōs aitoumen, alla tou Despotou tēn oikonomian kai promētheian stergomen " kai to synoisein mellon ouk eidotes, tǭ chydernētę̄ parachōroumen ithynein, hōs an ethelę̄. Hoti men gar apallattein hēmas tōn ēpeilēmenōn kakōn "7 ischyei, saphōs epistametha. Ei de kai bouleta: touto poiein, agnooumen " sophǭ de onti parachōroumen taneuonti͵ kai dechometha tēn psēphon, tautēn hēmin sympherein pisteuontes, Eite oun rhyetai, eite kai mē, tēs 15 eikonos sou kai tōn theōn sou pheugomen taxis " hon an ethelę̄s tropon antagōnizou, oute chata thelxeis timōn, oute chataplēxeis apeilōn pantōn gar hēmin ho Theos "9 erasmiōtatos te kai phoderōtatos. Ti toutōn hypsēloteron tōn rhēmatōn? Toutois tēn apostolikēn echeinēn epharmosai prosechei phōnēn " « To gar ti proseuxōmetha kath᾽ ho dei, ouk oidamen.» All᾽ ho thēriōdēs 59. kai manichōtatos tyrannos, empleōs thymou genomeno?, hōs kai dēlōsa: tǭ prosōpǭ tēn tēs psychēs tarachēn, epipleiston men de tous hagious andras ' paregeleusato, kai hōste mēdemian genesthai tēs timōrias anadolēn, tēs esthētos kai tōn hypodēmatōn aphairoumenōn. syn hautois toutois tę̄ pyrą paradothēnai prosetaxe “ toutesti, syn tois saradarois autōn, kai tiaraes, kai perichnēmisi. Sarabara de esti Persikōn perilegei, hē tas schytinas tas exōthen, ē ta schytina hypodēmataϑi, Houtō pedēthentes hoi hagioi andres paredothēsan tǭ pyrid᾽ kai ho men tachous charin kai syntomias houtōs autous katachauthēnai prosetaxen " hē de theia charis heteron enteuthen hǭkonomei mystērion. Ta men gar epidlēthenta autois ek sidēron desma synēthōs hē tou pyros dielyse phytis " euprēsta de onta lian ta peritholaia akērata diephylaxs " kai tous men tōn hagiōn andrōn katēgorous, kai tou dyssethous prostagmatos diakonous, ektos hestōtas hē phlox katēnalōsen᾽" autois de tois hagiois pelazein ouk ischysen, alla tois endon ta nōta parechousa "", kata tōn oikeiōn echōrei: proskynētōn, hōsper dikas autous hyper tōn tou Despotou therapontōn eisprattomenē. Tosautēs de endon hoi tēs heusedeias kērykes adeias kai therapeias apēlanon, hoti tōn" anthrakōn hoion tinōn epidainontes rhodōn. 4

17. "For there is our God in heaven, whom we serve, able to deliver us from the furnace of burning fire, and he will rescue us out of your hands, O king." Who would not rightly be amazed at the courage of these blessed youths, at their wisdom, their piety, their righteousness toward the laws, their self-control in all things? Not to be dismayed by so great a tyrant, ranged against them with virtually all mankind, nor by that enormous fire, not only threatened in words but seen with their eyes, testifies to a courage firmer than adamant. To prefer the divine laws to the present life: what height of righteousness does that leave unreached? Their self-control is proclaimed by their neither using insolent words against the king nor, on the other hand, shaming their race by cowardice; their prudence and wisdom by the piety they set against impious and blasphemous words. He said: "Who is the God who will deliver you out of my hands?" They cried: "There is our God in heaven, whom we serve, able to deliver us from the furnace of burning fire, and he will rescue us out of your hands, O king." Do not think, they say, that our God is like your gods. You rightly despise those, for they have their being from matter and craftsmanship. But our God is the Creator of heaven and earth and of all things, and has a power that visible things display; what lies beyond these is not easy for those uninitiated into divine things to see. Honoring him, we await help from him; for he is able to deliver us both from your hands and from the furnace of fire that you have built. What they said after this leaves no height of courage and love of God unreached. Having said, "There is our God in heaven, whom we serve, able to deliver us from the furnace of burning fire, and he will rescue us out of your hands, O king," they at once added:

18. "And if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods and do not worship the golden image that you set up." We do not serve our Master for wages; pierced by affection and longing, we choose the service of our God above all things together. That is why we do not ask unconditionally even for release from these evils, but are content with the Master's dispensation and providence; and since we do not know what will be to our advantage, we yield to the helmsman to steer as he will. That he is able to deliver us from the evils you threaten, we know clearly; whether he also wishes to do so, we do not know. But we yield to him as wise in his governing, and accept his verdict, believing it to be for our good. Whether, then, he rescues us or not, we flee [the worship] of your image and your gods … Contend against us in whatever way you wish: you will neither charm us with honors nor terrify us with threats; for God is to us both the most lovable and the most fearful of all. What could be loftier than these words? It is fitting to apply to them that apostolic saying: "For we do not know what to pray for as we ought." But the savage and most raving tyrant, so filled with anger that his face showed the turmoil of his soul, [ordered the furnace to be heated] as much as possible, and gave orders [to bind] the holy men; and so that there might be no delay to the punishment while their clothes and shoes were taken off, he ordered them to be given to the fire with these on, that is, with their sarabara, tiaras and leggings. Sarabara are, … Persian, … either the outer leather garments or the leather shoes. Bound in this way, the holy men were handed over to the fire. He ordered them to be burned up like this for speed and quickness; but the divine grace arranged another mystery from it. For the nature of fire dissolved, as it usually does, the iron bonds put on them, but it kept their highly flammable clothing untouched; and the flame consumed the accusers of the holy men and the ministers of the impious command, who were standing outside, but it could not come near the saints themselves. Turning its back on those inside, it advanced against its own worshipers, as if exacting justice from them on behalf of the Master's servants. And the heralds of piety within enjoyed such security and care that they walked on the coals as on roses.

Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.

Dan 3:17–18 (quotation, high confidence) · Dan 3:15 (quotation, high confidence) · Rom 8:26 (quotation, high confidence) · Dan 3:19–23 (allusion, high confidence) · Dan 3:27 (allusion, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: The youths answer that God can save them, and that even if he does not they will not worship the statue; thrown bound into the furnace, they are unharmed while the flame kills their accusers.

This section covers verses 17–23; new lemmas begin at verse 18 and (in paraphrase) at verses 19–23. Migne's numerals for verses 19–23 were lost in the OCR.
Lines are lost in the OCR after "we flee [the worship] of your image and your gods", in the account of the heating of the furnace, and in Theodoret's explanation of sarabara (marked …); bracketed words are supplied for sense.
Theodoret's statement that the iron bonds were dissolved while the clothing was kept unharmed goes beyond Dan 3:25, 27, which says the youths were loosed and their garments unharmed.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (Latin column and apparatus read into the text; Latin column read as Greek letters, splitting the word θείων; marginal verse number and Latin column read into the lemma): α Ὑεκ5. 17. « Εϑι. δπΐπι Πότ ποβίοῦ ἴῃ ΘΟἶο, αἱ → ; σοπεϊποη απ 2 Ουοι οἱ τη τρἰ πἰ π16 νοὶ ἰ δα δοιῃ νοΓἿ5. τιϑὶ δίῃ, ποῖα δία! Ορίίοχ, ἰδ] θη μα αὶ ν᾿ Γι αὐδπὶ, φυλ] πὶ πο 5 οδίοπ → ; ἀϊοία δυηΐ, πα} }8}} Γογιια 115 ἃς το! σ᾽ Ομ ἷβ 1 Ἔστιν. Β ρει. ὅτι. Τ κακ, [ἢ Β ροπίίυς ροδὶ ἰσχ. 8 τῆς. ἢ ν Πρ απ γοϑι}ὶ5 δἱ οὐ] σα πγθ 4 ἀδίγα αΐυγ, υπ ἃ οὐ πὶ → .

Topics: Martyrdom, Persecution

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Comm. Dan. 3.17 (PG 81; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-danielem/3-17). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-danielem/3-17

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 81 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

3.23PG 81

Κγ΄. « Περιεπάτουν, φησὶν, ἐν μέσῳ τῆς φλογὸς ὑμνοῦντες τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ εὐλογοῦντες τὸν Κύριον. » Καὶ ταῦτα δὲ ἔμφασιν τῆς ἄκρας αὐτῶν ἔχει φιλοσοφίας " οὔτε γὰρ ἤτουν, φησὶ, τῶν δεινῶν ἀπαλλαγὴν, ἀλλ᾽ ὕμνουν τὸν οὕτω τὰ κατ᾽ αὐτοὺς πρυτανεύσαντα, καὶ τῆς χαλῆῇς ταύτης αὐτοὺς ὁμολογίας ἀξιώσαντα. "Ἔστι δὲ ἰδεῖν ἐοικότα τοῖς νέοις τὰ πα- Ἰωάννης, ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν Φαρισαίων αἰκχισθέντες συμμορίας, ἐξῆλθον καίροντες, ὅτι χατηξυώθησαν ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὀνόματος Ἰησοῦ 55 ἀτιμασθῆναι᾽ καὶ ὁ θειότατος δὲ Παῦλος σὺν τῷ Σίλᾳ, μετὰ τὰς αἰκίας ἐκείνας τὰς ἐν Φιλίπποις ὑπὸ τῶν στρατηγῶν αὐτοῖς προσενεχθείσας, δεσμωτήριον οἰκοῦντες, καὶ ποδοχάνῃ προῖδεδεμένοι, κατὰ τὸ μεσονύκτιον, φησὶ, τ Προσευχόμένοι ὕμνουν τὸν Θεόν. » Οὕτω καὶ οἱ μακάριοι παῖδες οὗτοι ἐν καμίνῳ χορεύοντες τὸν θεῖον ὕμνον διετέλουν ὑφαένοντες. Καὶ δ6 πρῶτον 51 μὲν ὁ ᾿Αζαρίας στόμα κοινὸν γενόμενος, καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν τῆς φλο- « ᾿Ανοίξας, φησὶ, τὸ στόμα αὑτοῦ ἐν δ᾽ μέσῳ τοῦ πυρὸς, εἶπεν ΄ (κς΄.) Εὐλογητὸς εἴ, Κύριε ὁ Θεὰς τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν, καὶ αἰνετὸν 5, καὶ δεδοξασμένον τὸ δνομά σον εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας. » Τίς ἂν πρὸς ἀξίαν τοῦ «ροοιμίου τὴν σοφίαν θαυμάσειεν; Οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐν εὐὖἡμερίᾳ ὦ" καὶ εὐχληρίᾳ, οὐδὲ κατὰ ῥοῦν τοῦ βίου φερομένου, ἀλλ᾽ ἐν καμίνῳ τοσαύτῃ τὸν τῶν ὅλων ὕμνει Θεὸν, καὶ ἐκάλει αὐτὸν τὸν") πατέρωγ' Θεὸν, καὶ τὴν τοῦ φρονήματος δεικνὺς μετριότητα, καὶ τῶν πατέρων ἀνακηρύττων τὴν ἀρετήν. Ὑμνοῦμεν γάρ σε, φησὶν, ὦ Δέσποτα, ἡμεῖς οἱ πατέρας ἔχοντες ἐχεένους, ὧν ἠθέλησας κληθῆναι Θεός. Σὺ γὰρ εἶπας τῷ θεράποντί σου Μωπτῇ" « Ἐγὼ ὁ Θεὸς ᾿Αὐραὰμ, καὶ ὁ θεὸς Ἰταὰχ, καὶ ὁ Θεὸς Ἰακώδ"» τοῦτό σου τὸ ὄνομα αἰνετόν ἐστι, καὶ δεδοξασμένον, οὐκ ἐν χαιρῷ τινι καὶ χρόνῳ ῥητῷ, ἀλλ᾽ εἰς πάντας τοὺς κζ. « Ὅτι δίκαιος εἴ ἐπὶ πᾶσιν, οἷς ἐποίησας ἡμῖν. ν» Ὑμνοῦμεν δέ σε, φησὶ, τὸ δίκαιον τῆς σῆς ἐπιστάμενοι χρίσεως" ὀρθῇ γὰρ καὶ δικαίᾳ χρησάμενος" ψήφῳ ἐξανδραποδισθῆναι ἡμᾶ;, καὶ πόῤῥω πῶν οἰκείων γενέσθαι προσέεαξας. ε« Καὶ πάντα σου δ, φησὶ, τὰ ἔργα ἀληθινὰ, καὶ εὐθεῖαι αἱ ὁδοί σου. (χη΄.) Καὶ πᾶσαι αἱ κρίσεις σου ἀληθιναὶ "", καὶ κρίματα ἀληθείας ἐποίησας, κατὰ πάντα ἃ ἐπήγαγες ἡμῖν, καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν τὴν ἁγίαν τὴν τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν Ἱερουσαλὴμ, ὅτι ἐν ο ἀληθείχ καὶ χρίσει ἐπήγαγες ταῦτα πάντα ἐφ᾽ ἡμᾶς" διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν. » Τὴν αὐτὴν μὲν διάνοιαν ἅπαντα ἔχει τὰ εἰρημένα " διαφόρως δὲ αὑτὰ εἴρηκε, τὴν, δικαίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ χρίσιν ὑμνῶν, καὶ χώραν οὐδεμίαν τῇ ἀχαριστίᾳ διδούς. Διὰ τοῦτο καὶ τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ μνημονεύσας, καὶ ἀγίαν αὐτὴν ὀνομάσας, καὶ τῶν πατέρων ἐχείνων τῶν ἐκλεκτῶν στόλιν προσαγορεύσας, εὐθὺς τὴν τῆς τιμωρίας αἰτίαν ἐπήγαγε " « Ταῦτα πάντα, φησὶν, ἐπήγαγες ἐφ᾽ ἡμᾶς διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν. (κθ΄.) “Ὅτι ἡμάρτομεν καὶ ἐνομήσαμεν ἀποστάντες "5 ἀπὸ σοῦ. » Οὐ γὰρ μάτην, φησὶ, καὶ ἣν ἀφιέρωσας παρέδωκας "7 πόλιν τοῖς πολεμίοις, καὶ ἡμᾶς εἴασας δορυαλώτους γενέσθαι, ἀλλ᾽ « ὅτι ἡμάρτομεν, καὶ ἠνομήσαμεν ἀποστάντες ἀπὸ σοῦ. » Πολλὴν δὲ ἔμφασιν ἔχει τὸ ἀπὸ σοῦ, ἀντὶ τοῦ, Τοῦ Ἠοιητοῦ καὶ Δημιουργοῦ, τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ Δεσπότου, τοῦ τροφέως, καὶ φύλαχος, τοῦ τῆς Αἰγυτοῦ δι᾽ ἀδύσσου ποδηγήσαντος, τοῦ πέτραν ξηρὰν ὠδῖσι πληγῶν "5 χαταχλύσαντος, τοῦ τ᾽ ἄλλα πάντα ἀνάγραπτα ἀγαθὰ χορηγήσαντος. Ἡμάρτομεν τοίνυν ἀποστάντες ἀπὸ σοῦ" « Καὶ ἐξημάρτομεν ἐν πᾶσιν.» Οὐ γὰρ τόδε, ἣ τόδε παρέδημεν, ἀλλὰ πάντα σου τὸ : προστάγματα. ᾿ς Δ’, ε Καὶ τῶν ἐντολῶν τοῦ νόμου σου οὐκ ἠκούσαμεν, οὐδὲ ἐφυλάξαμεν αὐτὰς ', οὐδὲ ἐποιήσαμεν, καθὼς ἐνετείλω ἡμῖν, ἵνα εὖ ἡμῖν γένηται, » Κἀνταῦθα πάλιν τὴν τῆς εὐσεδείας καὶ ἢ σοφίας ἔδειξεν ὑπερθδολήν. Ἡ γὰρ τῶν νόμων, φησὶ, καὶ τῶν ἐντολῶν φυλακὴ, σοὶ μὲν τῷ νομοθέτῃ παρεῖχεν οὐδὲν, ἡμῖν δὲ ἀγαθῶν ἀφθονίαν προεξένει " τούτου τοίνυν χάριν καὶ τοὺς. νόμους ἐτεθείχεις ἐκείνους, ἀφορμὰς ἡμῖν χορηγῶν σωτηρίας. Ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν, φησὶ, παρ-

Kg΄. « Periepatoun, phēsin, en mesǭ tēs phlogos hymnountes ton Theon, kai eulogountes ton Kyrion. » Kai tauta de emphasin tēs akras autōn echei philosophias " oute gar ētoun, phēsi, tōn deinōn apallagēn, all᾽ hymnoun ton houtō ta kat᾽ autous prytaneusanta, kai tēs chalēę̄s tautēs autous homologias axiōsanta. "Esti de idein eoikota tois neois ta pa- Iōannēs, hypo tēs tōn Pharisaiōn aikchisthentes symmorias, exēlthon kairontes, hoti chatēxyōthēsan hyper tou onomatos Iēsou 55 atimasthēnai᾽ kai ho theiotatos de Paulos syn tǭ Silą, meta tas aikias ekeinas tas en Philippois hypo tōn stratēgōn autois prosenechtheisas, desmōtērion oikountes, kai podochanę̄ proidedemenoi, kata to mesonyktion, phēsi, t Proseuchomenoi hymnoun ton Theon. » Houtō kai hoi makarioi paides houtoi en kaminǭ choreuontes ton theion hymnon dieteloun hyphaenontes. Kai d6 prōton 51 men ho ᾿Azarias stoma koinon genomenos, kai hypo tōn tēs phlo- « ᾿Anoixas, phēsi, to stoma hautou en d᾽ mesǭ tou pyros, eipen ΄ (ks΄.) Eulogētos ei, Kyrie ho Theas tōn paterōn hēmōn, kai aineton 5, kai dedoxasmenon to dnoma son eis tous aiōnas. » Tis an pros axian tou «rooimiou tēn sophian thaumaseien? Oude gar en euyēmerią ō" kai euchlērią, oude kata rhoun tou biou pheromenou, all᾽ en kaminǭ tosautę̄ ton tōn holōn hymnei Theon, kai ekalei auton ton") paterōg' Theon, kai tēn tou phronēmatos deiknys metriotēta, kai tōn paterōn anakēryttōn tēn aretēn. Hymnoumen gar se, phēsin, ō Despota, hēmeis hoi pateras echontes echeenous, hōn ēthelēsas klēthēnai Theos. Sy gar eipas tǭ theraponti sou Mōptę̄" « Egō ho Theos ᾿Auraam, kai ho theos Itaach, kai ho Theos Iakōd"» touto sou to onoma aineton esti, kai dedoxasmenon, ouk en chairǭ tini kai chronǭ rhētǭ, all᾽ eis pantas tous kz. « Hoti dikaios ei epi pasin, hois epoiēsas hēmin. n» Hymnoumen de se, phēsi, to dikaion tēs sēs epistamenoi chriseōs" orthę̄ gar kai dikaią chrēsamenos" psēphǭ exandrapodisthēnai hēma?, kai porrhō pōn oikeiōn genesthai proseeaxas. e« Kai panta sou d, phēsi, ta erga alēthina, kai eutheiai hai hodoi sou. (chē΄.) Kai pasai hai kriseis sou alēthinai "", kai krimata alētheias epoiēsas, kata panta ha epēgages hēmin, kai epi tēn polin tēn hagian tēn tōn paterōn hēmōn Hierousalēm, hoti en o alētheich kai chrisei epēgages tauta panta eph᾽ hēmas" dia tas hamartias hēmōn. » Tēn autēn men dianoian hapanta echei ta eirēmena " diaphorōs de hauta eirēke, tēn, dikaian tou Theou chrisin hymnōn, kai chōran oudemian tę̄ acharistią didous. Dia touto kai tēs Hierousalēm mnēmoneusas, kai agian autēn onomasas, kai tōn paterōn echeinōn tōn eklektōn stolin prosagoreusas, euthys tēn tēs timōrias aitian epēgage " « Tauta panta, phēsin, epēgages eph᾽ hēmas dia tas hamartias hēmōn. (kth΄.) “Hoti hēmartomen kai enomēsamen apostantes "5 apo sou. » Ou gar matēn, phēsi, kai hēn aphierōsas paredōkas "7 polin tois polemiois, kai hēmas eiasas doryalōtous genesthai, all᾽ « hoti hēmartomen, kai ēnomēsamen apostantes apo sou. » Pollēn de emphasin echei to apo sou, anti tou, Tou Ēoiētou kai Dēmiourgou, tou agathou Despotou, tou tropheōs, kai phylachos, tou tēs Aigytou di᾽ adyssou podēgēsantos, tou petran xēran ōdisi plēgōn "5 chatachlysantos, tou t᾽ alla panta anagrapta agatha chorēgēsantos. Hēmartomen toinyn apostantes apo sou" « Kai exēmartomen en pasin.» Ou gar tode, hē tode paredēmen, alla panta sou to : prostagmata. ᾿s D’, e Kai tōn entolōn tou nomou sou ouk ēkousamen, oude ephylaxamen autas ', oude epoiēsamen, kathōs eneteilō hēmin, hina eu hēmin genētai, » Kantautha palin tēn tēs eusedeias kai ē sophias edeixen hyperthdolēn. Hē gar tōn nomōn, phēsi, kai tōn entolōn phylakē, soi men tǭ nomothetę̄ pareichen ouden, hēmin de agathōn aphthonian proexenei " toutou toinyn charin kai tous. nomous etetheicheis ekeinous, aphormas hēmin chorēgōn sōtērias. Epeidē toinyn, phēsi, par-

23. "They walked about," it says, "in the midst of the flame, singing hymns to God and blessing the Lord." This too reveals their supreme philosophy. They did not ask, he says, for release from their dreadful plight, but sang the praise of the one who had so directed their affairs and had deemed them worthy of this fine confession. One can see things like the youths' [in the apostles: Peter and] John, maltreated by the band of the Pharisees, went out rejoicing that they had been counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name of Jesus; and the most divine Paul with Silas, after those beatings inflicted on them at Philippi by the magistrates, lodged in prison with their feet fastened in the stocks, at midnight, it says, "were praying and singing hymns to God." So too these blessed youths, dancing in the furnace, went on weaving the divine hymn. And first Azariah, becoming the common mouth of them all, and by the … of the flame … "Opening his mouth," it says, "in the midst of the fire, he said: (26.) Blessed are you, O Lord, God of our fathers, and praiseworthy and glorified is your name for ever." Who could admire the wisdom of this opening as it deserves? It was not in prosperity and good fortune, nor while life was carried along with the current, but in so great a furnace that he sang the praise of the God of the universe, and called him the God of the fathers, both showing the modesty of his mind and proclaiming the virtue of the fathers. We sing your praise, he says, O Master, we who have those fathers whose God you willed to be called. For you said to your servant Moses: "I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob"; this name of yours is praiseworthy and glorified, not at some set time or season, but for all [ages].

27. "For you are just in all that you have done to us." We sing your praise, he says, knowing that your judgment is just; for by a right and just verdict you ordered us to be enslaved and to be far from our own land. "And all your works," he says, "are true, and your ways are straight. (28.) And all your judgments are true, and you have executed judgments of truth in all that you have brought upon us and upon the holy city of our fathers, Jerusalem; for in truth and judgment you have brought all these things upon us because of our sins." All these words have the same meaning, but he said them in different ways, singing the praise of God's just judgment and leaving no room for ingratitude. That is why, having mentioned Jerusalem, called it holy, and named it the city of those chosen fathers, he at once added the cause of the punishment: "All these things you have brought upon us because of our sins. (29.) For we have sinned and acted lawlessly in departing from you." Not in vain, he says, did you hand over to the enemy the city that you had consecrated, and allow us to become captives, but "because we have sinned and acted lawlessly in departing from you." The words "from you" carry great emphasis; that is: from our Maker and Creator, the good Master, our nourisher and guardian, who led us out of Egypt through the abyss, who [turned] the dry rock … who overwhelmed [the Egyptians] with the pangs of plagues, and who supplied all the other good things that are on record. We have sinned, then, in departing from you: "and we have sinned greatly in all things." For it is not this or that command we have transgressed, but all your commands.

30. "And we have not listened to the commandments of your law, nor kept them, nor done as you commanded us, so that it might go well with us." Here again he showed the height of his piety and wisdom. The keeping of the laws and commandments, he says, gave nothing to you, the Lawgiver, but procured for us an abundance of good things; that is why you laid down those laws, supplying us with the means of salvation. Since, then, he says, [we] trans…

Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.

Acts 5:40–41 (allusion, high confidence) · Acts 16:22–25 (quotation, high confidence) · Exod 3:6 (quotation, high confidence) · Exod 14:21–22 (allusion, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: The youths walk in the flames praising God, like the apostles who rejoiced in suffering; Azariah's prayer confesses that God's judgment on Israel was just because they had sinned.

From here to 3.88 the lemmas are the Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Young Men (Greek Daniel 3:24–90, not in the Protestant canon), tagged as extrabiblical. Theodotion's verse 3:24 = Pr Azar 1; 3:26–30 = Pr Azar 3–7.
This section holds several lemmas (verses 24, 26, 27–28, 29, 30); Migne's numerals for some were lost in the OCR.
Lines are lost in the OCR in several places (in the comparison with the apostles, after "by the … of the flame", in the list of God's benefits, and at the end); gaps are marked "…" and bracketed words are supplied for sense.

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (Latin column read as Greek letters; apparatus and Latin column read into the text; apparatus read into the text; marginal column letter and number read into the text): Το Ὁ ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν. "΄ θηρ. Β δἀ(. ἐκεῖνος. ἄνδρ, Β ρτιεπι. τρεῖς, δ᾽ ἢ τι σκ, ὑποδ, Πο5. ἰη Β. " Βτῇ πκιρᾷ. Ν᾽ Β παραχωροῦσα. “' Ἴησ. Β τοῦ Θεοῦ. → ; Α 168 → ; Β νυ ρϑίγε5 {}}1 → ; γαπι, ΠΙΘΓΟΒΟΙγπηδπὶ, 418 ἴῃ νοῦ [δι οἱ )αάίοϊο ἀἀ- ". 1. ἰμιϑαγίιν, 57 Β πρῶτος. δ᾽ ἐν --- πυρός. 68. ἰπ Α. Ον, καὶ. [ὸ Β ρδηίταν Ροει ψήφῳ. 32 σου. ἔῃ Β ροηΐίιν ρθεί ἔργα. 8Ὰ ἀπ. [(Δ ἃ β6ἀ Β ᾿ι. Ι. οἱ ᾿Αδραὰμ, καὶ Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Ἰαχώδ. "χρ εἰ καὶ ἀληθεῖς. 55 ἐφ᾽ ἡμ. θὲ5 ἰπ Α,. Α αἰνετός, 3 Β τῶν. "' ὦ ἀδίμοορο ἀποστῆναι, "7 Β πα ν είιη; φυσι ἀπά 6 οβίαπάθηβ 500}! : αἷϊ: : Α → .

Extrabiblical texts: Pr Azar 1-7 (Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Young Men [in RC, EO, ETH canons]; quotation)

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Comm. Dan. 3.23 (PG 81; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-danielem/3-23). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-danielem/3-23

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 81 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

3.31PG 81

λα΄. « Πάντα ὅσα ἡμῖν ἐπήγαγες, καὶ πάντα ὅσα ἐποίησας ἡμῖν, ἐν ἀληθινῇ χρίσει ἐποίησας. » ᾿Αξία γὰρ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἡ τιμωρία. Εἴτα ταύτην δεικνὺς ἐπάγει"

la΄. « Panta hosa hēmin epēgages, kai panta hosa epoiēsas hēmin, en alēthinę̄ chrisei epoiēsas. » ᾿Axia gar tēs hamartias hē timōria. Eita tautēn deiknys epagei"

31. "All that you have brought upon us and all that you have done to us, you have done in true judgment." For the punishment is worthy of the sin. Then, to show this, he adds:

Notes and citation

Summary: Azariah declares that all God has brought on Israel is a just judgment.

Pr Azar 8 (Greek Daniel 3:31).

Extrabiblical texts: Pr Azar 8 (Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Young Men [in RC, EO, ETH canons]; quotation)

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Comm. Dan. 3.31 (PG 81; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-danielem/3-31). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-danielem/3-31

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 81 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

3.34PG 81

λδ΄. ε Καὶ παρέδωκας ἡμᾶς εἰς χεῖρας ἀνόμων", ἐχθίστων, ἀποστατῶν, καὶ βασιλεῖ ἀδίκῳ καὶ πονηροτάτῳ παρὰ πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν παρέδωκας ἡμᾶς ᾿ Ἐπειδὴ γάρ σε τὸν ἡμέτερον οὐκ ἐθεραπεύσαμεν βασιλέα, ἀλλὰ τῆς σῆς κατεφρονήσαμεν ἀγαθότητος, εἰκότως ἡμᾶς ὠμοτάτῳ, καὶ ἀπηνεστάτῳ, καὶ οὐδαμῶς εἰδότι τὸ δίκαιον 'δουλεύειν ἢνάγχασας " βασιλεῖ, ἔχοντι καὶ τοὺς ὑπηκόους τῇ βασιλικῇ πονηρίᾳ συμθαίνοντας. ᾿Αλλ᾽ ὅμως καὶ ἐν τοσούτοις ὄντες κακοῖς πάσης ἐστερήμεθα παῤῥησίας, καὶ προσφέἃ θεῖν σοι δέησιν ὑπὸ τῆς αἰσχύνης χιυλυέμεθχ᾽ τοῦτο γὰρ σημαίνει λέγων " λγ΄. «Καὶ νῦν οὐκ ἔστιν ἡμῖν ἀνοῖξαι τὸ στόμα, αἰσχύνη καὶ ὄνειδος ἐγενήθημεν τοῖς δούλοις σου, καὶ τοῖς σεθομένοις σε. » ἙἘμφράττει, φησὶν, ἡμῶν τὸ στόμα τῆς παρανομίας τὸ πλῆθος " ἀλλ᾽ ὅμως ἐπονείδιστοι, καὶ καταγέλαστοι, καὶ λίαν ἐπίχαρτοι τοῖς πολεμίοις γενόμενοι ἡμεῖς, οἱ δοῦλοί σου προῦαγορενόμενοι, ἱκετεύομέν σε, διὰ τὸ ἐπικείμενον ἡμῖν τῆς σῆς δεσποτείας ὄνομα δεῖξαι τοῖς ἐναντίοις τὴν σὴν ἰσχὺν, καὶ μὴ παντελῶς ἡμᾶς τῆς σῆς προ λδ', « Μὴ παραδῷς γὰρ ἡμᾶς", φησὶν, εἰς τέλος διὰ τὸ ὄνομά σου, καὶ τὴν " διαθήκην σου μὴ ἀπο’ στήσῃς, καὶ μὴ διασχεδάσῃς "5 τὸ ἔλεός σον ἀφ᾽ Ὁ ἡμῶν. » Τολμῶμεν δὲ "', φησὶ, ταῦτα λέγειν, πολλὰ ἐνέχυρα τῆς σῆς ἀγαθότητος ἔχοντες " πρῶτον μὲ αὑτὸ τῆς σῆς Δεσποτείας τὸ ὄνομα ἔπειτα τὸν ἀμέπρὸς τούτοις, τὰς πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας ἡμῶν συν» θήκας " ὑπέσχου γὰρ ἐκείνοις περίθλεπτόν τε καὶ ἔνδοξον τὸ ἐχείνων γένος ποιήσειν. Εἶτα καὶ τῶν ἐν" μάτων τῶν πατέρων μέμνηται, τῇ μνήμῃ τῶν δικαίων τὸν ἀγαθὺν Δεσπότην εἰς ἕλεον ἐχχαλούμδ’ νος. Β

ld΄. e Kai paredōkas hēmas eis cheiras anomōn", echthistōn, apostatōn, kai basilei adikǭ kai ponērotatǭ para pasan tēn gēn paredōkas hēmas ᾿ Epeidē gar se ton hēmeteron ouk etherapeusamen basilea, alla tēs sēs katephronēsamen agathotētos, eikotōs hēmas ōmotatǭ, kai apēnestatǭ, kai oudamōs eidoti to dikaion 'douleuein ēnanchasas " basilei, echonti kai tous hypēkoous tę̄ basilikę̄ ponērią symthainontas. ᾿All᾽ homōs kai en tosoutois ontes kakois pasēs esterēmetha parrhēsias, kai prosphea thein soi deēsin hypo tēs aischynēs chiylyemethch᾽ touto gar sēmainei legōn " lg΄. «Kai nyn ouk estin hēmin anoixai to stoma, aischynē kai oneidos egenēthēmen tois doulois sou, kai tois sethomenois se. » HeEmphrattei, phēsin, hēmōn to stoma tēs paranomias to plēthos " all᾽ homōs eponeidistoi, kai katagelastoi, kai lian epichartoi tois polemiois genomenoi hēmeis, hoi douloi sou prouagorenomenoi, hiketeuomen se, dia to epikeimenon hēmin tēs sēs despoteias onoma deixai tois enantiois tēn sēn ischyn, kai mē pantelōs hēmas tēs sēs pro ld', « Mē paradǭs gar hēmas", phēsin, eis telos dia to onoma sou, kai tēn " diathēkēn sou mē apo’ stēsę̄s, kai mē diaschedasę̄s "5 to eleos son aph᾽ Ho hēmōn. » Tolmōmen de "', phēsi, tauta legein, polla enechyra tēs sēs agathotētos echontes " prōton me hauto tēs sēs Despoteias to onoma epeita ton amepros toutois, tas pros tous pateras hēmōn syn» thēkas " hypeschou gar ekeinois perithlepton te kai endoxon to echeinōn genos poiēsein. Eita kai tōn en" matōn tōn paterōn memnētai, tę̄ mnēmę̄ tōn dikaiōn ton agathyn Despotēn eis heleon echchaloumd’ nos. B

[32.] "And you handed us over into the hands of lawless enemies, most hateful, apostates, and to an unjust king, the most wicked in all the earth." Since we did not serve you, our King, he says, but despised your goodness, you rightly compelled us to be slaves to a king most cruel and harsh, who knows nothing at all of justice and whose subjects go along with the king's wickedness. Yet, though we are in such evils, we are deprived of all freedom of speech and are kept by shame from offering you supplication. This is what he means when he says:

33. "And now we cannot open our mouth; we have become a shame and a reproach to your servants and to those who worship you." The multitude of our transgressions, he says, stops our mouth. Yet we, who have become a reproach and a laughingstock and a great joy to our enemies, we who are called your servants, beseech you, because of the name of your lordship that is laid upon us, to show your strength to our adversaries and not to deprive us entirely of your prov[idence] …

34. "For do not hand us over to the end," he says, "for your name's sake, and do not annul your covenant, and do not scatter your mercy from us." We dare to say this, he says, because we have many pledges of your goodness: first, the very name of your lordship; then your boundless [love for humanity]; besides these, the covenants with our fathers, for you promised them to make their race renowned and glorious. Then he also mentions the names of the fathers, calling the good Master to mercy by the memory of the righteous.

Textual problem in this passage: see the notes.

Notes and citation

Summary: Azariah confesses that Israel's sins have brought them under a wicked king and silenced them, yet asks God, for his name and his covenant, not to abandon them.

Pr Azar 9–11 (Greek Daniel 3:32–34). The first lemma is verse 32, though the section bears Migne's numeral 34; new lemmas begin at verses 33 and 34.
Lines are lost in the OCR at the end of the comment on verse 33 and in the list of God's pledges (bracketed words supplied for sense).

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (apparatus read into the text at the end of the section): Γ Ν ὁ ἀν, Α ργβιη. ἐχθρῶν. " π. ἧμ. [)65. ἴῃ Α εἱ Β. ἐδωκας. ὙὮ ἀπαλλοτριώσῃς. ὅ ἡμ. ἴ. Β ἐράν σῦν ἤν ἮΥ -- ἀποστ. Α οἱ Β μὴ διασχεδάσῃς. θυ. ἴῃ Β. 4 ἐφ, αὖτ. Α οἱ Β συνετηρήσαμεν. “ἣν. Β παρτὴν → .

Extrabiblical texts: Pr Azar 9-11 (Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Young Men [in RC, EO, ETH canons]; quotation)

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Comm. Dan. 3.34 (PG 81; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-danielem/3-34). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-danielem/3-34

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 81 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

3.35PG 81

λε', λς΄. «Διὰ ᾿Αδραὰμ, φησὶ, τὸν ἤγαπημένον ὑπὸ σοῦ, καὶ διὰ Ἰσαὰκ τὸν δοῦλόν σον, καὶ Ἰσραὴλ τὸν ἅγιόν σου, οἷς ἐλάλησας αὐτοῖς." λέγων " Πληθυνῶ "" τὲ σπέρμα ὑμῶν 1" ὡσεὶ τὰ ἄστρα τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ ὡς τὴν ἄμμον τὴν παρὰ τὸ χεῖλος τῆς θαλάσσης.» Ταῦτα, φησὶν, ἐκείνοις ὑπέσχου, Δέσποτα, οὗς ἢγάπησάς τε καὶ ἀοιδίμους ἐποίησας, ὥστε τῇ ψάμμῳ μὲν κατὰ τὸν ἀριθμὸν παραθδάλλεσθαι τὸ γένος, τοῖς δὲ ἀστράσι '5 παραπλησίως εἶναι λαμπρόν τε καὶ ὑψηλὸν, καὶ περιφανές. Εἶτα ἐκ παραλλήλου ταῖς ἐπαγγελίαις τὰ πράγματα τίθησιν".

le', ls΄. «Dia ᾿Adraam, phēsi, ton ēgapēmenon hypo sou, kai dia Isaak ton doulon son, kai Israēl ton hagion sou, hois elalēsas autois." legōn " Plēthynō "" te sperma hymōn 1" hōsei ta astra tou ouranou, kai hōs tēn ammon tēn para to cheilos tēs thalassēs.» Tauta, phēsin, ekeinois hypeschou, Despota, hous ēgapēsas te kai aoidimous epoiēsas, hōste tę̄ psammǭ men kata ton arithmon parathdallesthai to genos, tois de astrasi '5 paraplēsiōs einai lampron te kai hypsēlon, kai periphanes. Eita ek parallēlou tais epangeliais ta pragmata tithēsin".

35–36. "For the sake of Abraham," he says, "beloved by you, and for the sake of Isaac your servant and Israel your holy one, to whom you spoke, saying: I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven and as the sand on the shore of the sea." These things, he says, O Master, you promised to those whom you loved and made famous, so that their race would be compared to the sand in number and be bright, lofty and conspicuous like the stars. Then he sets the facts side by side with the promises.

Gen 22:17 (allusion, high confidence) · Gen 15:5 (allusion, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Azariah recalls God's promise to Abraham, Isaac and Israel to make their descendants as many as the stars and the sand.

Pr Azar 12–13 (Greek Daniel 3:35–36).

Notes on the original text

Digital text corrected (marginal verse numbers and Latin column read into the lemma): α Υεμ5. δδ, 506. ε« → .

Extrabiblical texts: Pr Azar 12-13 (Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Young Men [in RC, EO, ETH canons]; quotation)

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Comm. Dan. 3.35 (PG 81; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-danielem/3-35). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-danielem/3-35

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 81 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

3.37PG 81

λζ΄. ε Ὅτι, Δέσποτα, φησὶν ἐσμιχρύνθημεν παρὰ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, καέ ἐσμεν ταπεινοὶ ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ σήμερον "7. » Καὶ ἵνα μὴ ψευδῶς κατηγορήσῃ τῶν ὑποσχέσεων, εὐθὺς τὴν αἰτίαν ἐπήγαγε, λέγων" «Διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν. » Οὐ γὰρ σὺ, φησὶ, Δέσποτα, τὰς ὑποχέσεις ἐψεύσω, ἀλλ᾽ ἡμεῖς τὰς συνθήκας παρέθημεν, καὶ πολλοὶ ὄντες κατὰ τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν, καὶ ἀριθμοῦ κρείττους, διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν ὁλιγώθημεν. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἠνίξατο εἰρηκώς " « Ἐσμιχρύνθημεν'". » Οὐ ᾽" γὰρ εἶπε, Σμικροί ἔσμεν, καὶ ὀλίγο: παρὰ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, ἀλλ᾽, « Ἐσμιχρύνθημεν᾽", » τουτἐστιν, Ἐγενόμεθα μὲν ἀριθμοῦ κρείττους κατὰ τὴν σὴν" ὑπόσχεσιν, παραθάντες δέ σου τὰς ἐντολὰς ὀλίγοι ἀντὶ πολλῶν ἐγενόμεθα. Εἶτα ὑποδείκνυσι τῷ Θεῷ τὴν κατέχουσαν συμφορὰν, οὐκ ὡς ἀγνοοῦντα διδάσκων, ἀλλὰ τῇ διηγήσει τῶν λυπηρῶν " εἰς τος

lz΄. e Hoti, Despota, phēsin esmichrynthēmen para panta ta ethnē, kae esmen tapeinoi en pasę̄ tę̄ gę̄ sēmeron "7. » Kai hina mē pseudōs katēgorēsę̄ tōn hyposcheseōn, euthys tēn aitian epēgage, legōn" «Dia tas hamartias hēmōn. » Ou gar sy, phēsi, Despota, tas hypocheseis epseusō, all᾽ hēmeis tas synthēkas parethēmen, kai polloi ontes kata tēn hyposchesin, kai arithmou kreittous, dia tas hamartias hēmōn holigōthēmen. Touto gar ēnixato eirēkōs " « Esmichrynthēmen'". » Ou ᾽" gar eipe, Smikroi esmen, kai oligo: para panta ta ethnē, all᾽, « Esmichrynthēmen᾽", » toutestin, Egenometha men arithmou kreittous kata tēn sēn" hyposchesin, parathantes de sou tas entolas oligoi anti pollōn egenometha. Eita hypodeiknysi tǭ Theǭ tēn katechousan symphoran, ouk hōs agnoounta didaskōn, alla tę̄ diēgēsei tōn lypērōn " eis tos

37. "For, O Master," he says, "we have become fewer than all the nations, and we are brought low in all the earth today." And so as not to accuse the promises falsely, he at once added the cause, saying: "because of our sins." It was not you, O Master, he says, who were false to your promises; it was we who transgressed the covenants. We had become many, according to the promise, beyond number, but because of our sins we became few. This is what he hinted at in saying "we have become fewer". For he did not say, We are small and few beside all the nations, but "we have become fewer": that is, we became beyond number, according to your promise, but by transgressing your commandments we became few instead of many. Then he points out to God the misfortune that has overtaken them, not teaching one who does not know, but by recounting their grievous plight [moving him] to …

Notes and citation

Summary: Azariah explains that Israel became few not because God failed his promise but because of their sins.

Pr Azar 14 (Greek Daniel 3:37). The section breaks off in the OCR at the end.

Extrabiblical texts: Pr Azar 14 (Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Young Men [in RC, EO, ETH canons]; quotation)

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Comm. Dan. 3.37 (PG 81; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-danielem/3-37). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-danielem/3-37

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Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 81 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.

3.38PG 81

λη΄. « Καὶ οὐκ ἔστι, φησὶν "", ἐν τῷ χαιρῷ τούτῳ ἄρχων, καὶ προφήτης, καὶ ἡγούμενος. » ᾿Ἀπεστερήμεθα γὰρ, φησὶ, βασιλείας, προφητείας ἱερωσύνης, τῶν θείων σου καὶ μεγάλων δωρεῶν, δι᾽ ὧν κυδερνώμενοι διετελοῦ μεν. ε Οὐδὲ ὁλοχαύτωσις, οὐδὲ 5 θυσία, οὐδὲ προσφορὰ, οὐδὲ θυμίαμα. ν» Καὶ δεικνὺς τὴν αἰτίαν, δι᾽ ἣν ἀδύνατον θῦσαι, ἀκολούθως ἐπήγαγεν " ς« Οὐδὲ "6 τόπος τοῦ καρπῶσαι ἐνώπιόν σου, καὶ εὑρεῖν ἕλεον"7.,» Ὁ γὰρ σὸς νόμος τὴν τῶν θυσιῶν λειτουργίαν ἑνὶ περιέγραψε τόπῳ, καὶ παρανομία σαφὴς τὸ ἐν ἑτέρῳ τόπῳ προσενεγκεῖν σοι θυσίαν. Τούτων ἀκούειν οὐκ ἐθέλουσιν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς μύσαντες, καὶ τὰ ὦτα βύσαντες, πάντα τολμῶσι παρανόμως ἐπιτελεῖν. Οἱ δὲ ἅγιοι παῖδες οὗτοι, τοῦ νόμου τὸν σκοπὸν ἐπιστάμενοι, ἔλεγον μὴ εἶναι τόπον τοῦ καρπῶσαι ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ, καὶ εὑρεῖν ἔλεον Καὶ ἐπειδὴ τούτου, φησὶ, τυχεῖν ἀδύνατον, “πόῤῥω τῆς ἱερᾶς ἐκείνης πόλεως ὄντας, εὑρήκαμεν τρόπον τινὰ θεραπείας, ὦ Δέσποτα.

lē΄. « Kai ouk esti, phēsin "", en tǭ chairǭ toutǭ archōn, kai prophētēs, kai hēgoumenos. » ᾿Apesterēmetha gar, phēsi, basileias, prophēteias hierōsynēs, tōn theiōn sou kai megalōn dōreōn, di᾽ hōn kydernōmenoi dietelou men. e Oude holochautōsis, oude 5 thysia, oude prosphora, oude thymiama. n» Kai deiknys tēn aitian, di᾽ hēn adynaton thysai, akolouthōs epēgagen " s« Oude "6 topos tou karpōsai enōpion sou, kai heurein heleon"7.,» Ho gar sos nomos tēn tōn thysiōn leitourgian heni periegrapse topǭ, kai paranomia saphēs to en heterǭ topǭ prosenenkein soi thysian. Toutōn akouein ouk ethelousin hoi Ioudaioi, alla tous ophthalmous mysantes, kai ta ōta bysantes, panta tolmōsi paranomōs epitelein. Hoi de hagioi paides houtoi, tou nomou ton skopon epistamenoi, elegon mē einai topon tou karpōsai enōpion autou, kai heurein eleon Kai epeidē toutou, phēsi, tychein adynaton, “porrhō tēs hieras ekeinēs poleōs ontas, heurēkamen tropon tina therapeias, ō Despota.

38. "And there is not," he says, "at this time ruler, or prophet, or leader." We have been deprived, he says, of kingdom, prophecy and priesthood, your divine and great gifts, by which we were always steered. "Nor whole burnt offering, nor sacrifice, nor offering, nor incense." And to show the reason why it is impossible to sacrifice, he consistently added: "nor a place to offer firstfruits before you and to find mercy." For your law confined the service of sacrifices to one place, and it is a plain transgression to offer you sacrifice in another place. The Jews do not want to hear this; shutting their eyes and stopping their ears, they dare to perform everything unlawfully. But these holy youths, knowing the aim of the law, said that there was no place to offer firstfruits before him and to find mercy. And since it is impossible to obtain this, he says, as we are far from that holy city, we have found another way of worship, O Master.

Deut 12:13–14 (allusion, medium confidence)

Notes and citation

Summary: Azariah laments that in exile Israel has no ruler, prophet, priesthood or place of sacrifice, since the law allowed sacrifice only in Jerusalem.

Pr Azar 15 (Greek Daniel 3:38).
Theodoret's charge that the Jews of his day "dare to perform everything unlawfully" (that is, keep the law's rites away from Jerusalem) is translated as written.

Extrabiblical texts: Pr Azar 15 (Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Young Men [in RC, EO, ETH canons]; quotation)

Cite (SBL): Theodoret, Comm. Dan. 3.38 (PG 81; trans. Sophia Scriptura, https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-danielem/3-38). (abbreviation not yet checked)

Permanent link: https://sophiascriptura.com/p/theodoret-interpretatio-danielem/3-38

BibTeX · RIS · CSL-JSON (whole work; this passage's key: sophiascriptura-theodoret-interpretatio-danielem-3-38) · Report an error

Translation: Translated by Claude (Opus) from the Greek as printed in Migne PG 81 (archive.org OCR); no public-domain or FOTC English exists, so each batch was re-read against the Greek.