Книга пророка Иеремии, Глава 16, стих 16. Толкования стиха

TO CATCH THE LOST. AUGUSTINE: The apostles were fishermen, and the Lord said to them, “I will make you fishers of people.” Moreover, it is said by the prophet that God intended to send fishers at first, and afterwards hunters. At first, he did send fishers, and now, afterwards, he is sending hunters. Why fishers? Why hunters? Because, from the abyss and from the depth of the sea of idolatrous superstition, the believers fished with the nets of faith. But why have the hunters been sent? Because those people were wandering through the mountains and the hills, that is, through the pride of humankind, through the worldly obstacles. One mountain was Donatus, another Arius, a third was Plotinus and the last was Novatus. Through such mountains they were straying, and their wanderings called for hunters. Therefore, the duties of fishers and of hunters have been assigned, lest, by chance, they should say to us, “Why did the apostles force no one, urge no one?” Because one who is a fisher throws nets, calling out in this fashion: “Let it not go in that direction. Let it not go in this direction. Head it off there, strike it, terrify it. Do not let it get out, do not let it escape.” But our net is our life. Let love alone be preserved. Do not worry about how annoying you may be to him, but about how dear he is to you. What kind of devotion is it if you spare him and he perishes? THE USEFULNESS OF FASTING 9.

GOD’S HUNTERS BESTOW GRACE. AMBROSE: Deceit should be far from your thoughts, and you should not indulge in slander against your neighbor. God has made you a hunter, not a harrier, for he says, “Behold, I will send you many hunters”—hunters not of crime but of absolution from it. Hunters certainly not of sin but of grace. You are a fisher of Christ, for whom it is said, “From now on, you shall make people live.” SIX DAYS OF CREATION 6.8.50.

EACH IS CALLED TO EXCELLENCE. BASIL THE GREAT: In this great household of the church not only are there vessels of every kind—gold, silver, wooden and earthen—but also a great variety of pursuits. “The house of God, which is the church of the living God,” has hunters, travelers, architects, builders, farmers, shepherds, athletes, soldiers. To all of these this short admonition will be appropriate, for it will produce in each proficiency in action and energy of will. You are a hunter sent forth by the Lord, who says, “Behold, I send many hunters, and they shall hunt them on every mountain.” Take good care, therefore, that your prey does not elude you, so that, having captured them with the word of truth, you may bring back to the Savior those who have been made wild and savage by iniquity. HOMILY ON THE WORDS “GIVE HEED TO THYSELF.”

Вот Я пошлю многих рыболовов, говорит Господь, и будут ловить их; а после этого пошлю им многих охотников и они погонят их со всякой горы, со всякого холма и из ущелий скал, ибо очи Мои на все пути их. Не скрыто это от лица Моею, и не утаилась неправда их от очей Моих. И воздам им сначала за сугубые неправды и грехи их, коими они осквернили землю Мою тру­пами идолов своих, и мерзостями своими наполнили наследие Мое. Это отделение объясняют различно. Иудеи думают, что указываются Халдеи, изображаемые под име­нем рыболовов, а потом Римляне, которые сравниваются с охотниками и которые гнали несчастный народ и с гор, и с холмов и из ущелий скал. Господь говорит, что это сделал Он, ибо видел пути их и воздал за неправды, какими осквернили они землю, почитая идолов и идольскими мерзостями осквернили наследие Его. Наши же правильнее и лучше думают, что пророк предсказывал это о будущем. Ибо так как выше сказал: возвращу их в землю их, которую дал Я отцам их, то теперь показывает, как они имеют быть возвращены: — что сна­чала посылает апостолов, которым Спаситель сказал: грядита по мне и сотворю вы ловца человеком (Мф. 4:19), а потом охотников, под которыми можем разуметь или мужей церковных, или ангелов, которые, когда наступит время кончины, уловят известных святых от гор высоких догматов, и от холмов добрых дел и из ущелей скал — апостолов и мужей апостольских. Ибо не только Христос есть камень, но и апостолу Петру даро­вал называться камнем (1 Кор.10) (Мф. 16), и твердо пребывающие в расположениях его справедливо называются перенесенными с камня. Показывает также, что как апостолы, так и ловившие после них имели грехи и восприняли за сугубые неправды свои; ибо раб, знающий волю господина своего и не сотворивший ея биен будет много (Лк. 12). Должно заметить, что в еврейском поставлено сначала, а в издании LXX это опущено. Когда же говорит: воздам сначала за сугубыя неправды и грехи их, то намекает, что, восприявши злое, они вос­примут и благое. Они же, имеющие быть перенесенными, осквернили землю Господа трупами идолов своих, и мерзостями, своими наполнили наследие Его, — чтобы весь мир был повинен Богу и получил спасение не по своей за­слуге, а Его милосердием. Того, что мы поставили здесь с еврейского: не скрыто это от лица Моего, у LXX нет.

GOD’S HUNTERS BRING PROMISE OF HEALING. JEROME: “He rains on the wicked snares.” Without any doubt, it is the Lord who contrives snares for sinners, in order to entrap those who abuse their freedom and to compel them to tread the right path under his bridle, thereby making it possible for them to advance through him who says, “I am the way.” Wherefore, in Jeremiah, the Lord sends fishers and hunters to spread nets for the lost fish tossed about in whirlpools and to hunt down and save the beasts that wander through mountains and hills. This and the following verses do not promise punishment to sinners, as many believe, but rather give them promise of healing. HOMILIES ON THE PSALMS 60 (PS 10).

TRANSFORMED FISH. ORIGEN: He who was caught by the fishers of Jesus and who comes up from the sea, he also dies, but he dies to the world. He dies to sin, and after having died to the world and to sin, he is made to live by the Word of God and receives another life. If you could apprehend hypothetically when the soul of the fish changed, after coming out from the fishly body, it became something better than the fish. . . . Having come up from the sea, falling into the nets of the disciples of Jesus, after you come out, you change the soul. You are no longer a fish that struggles in the salty waves of the sea, but your soul immediately changes and transforms itself and becomes better and more godly than what it was formerly. But that it does transform itself and change, hear Paul, who says, “And we all with unveiled face, reflecting the glory of God, are being transformed to the same image from glory into glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.” And this transformed fish that was caught by the fishers of Jesus, after it has abandoned the way of life in the sea, makes his way in the mountains so that he no longer needs the fishers who brought him. HOMILIES ON JEREMIAH 16.1.2.