Книга пророка Иезекииля, Глава 16, стих 42. Толкования стиха

GOD’S ANGER IS THE RESULT OF HIS LOVE FOR US. JEROME: Mighty is the wrath of the Lord when he is not angry with us here, for, then, he reserves us like a calf for slaughter. In fact, he says to Jerusalem, “Many are your sins and many your iniquities, but I will not be vexed with you.” In other words, when you were only an adulteress, I loved you with a jealous love; but when you had many lovers, I despised you, and I will not be vexed with you. In this same way, a man is jealous of his wife when he loves her; but if he is not jealous, he hates her and does not imitate the words of him who says, “I will punish their crime with a rod” but, “I will not punish your daughters for their harlotry.” HOMILIES ON THE PSALMS 51 (PS 140).

GOD’S LOVE PREVAILS. JOHN CASSIAN: Like a skillful physician, who has tried all saving cures and sees there is no remedy left which can be applied to their disease, the Lord is, as it were, overcome by their iniquities and is obliged to desist from his kindly chastisement. And so he denounces them saying: “I will no longer be angry with you, and my jealousy has departed from you.” CONFERENCE 6.11.

WE NEED TO BE CORRECTED. ORIGEN: If you do not recover your senses when you have been chastised, if you are not corrected when you have been reproved, if you despise when you are beaten, you must realize that if you go on continually sinning his jealousy will depart from you and that which is said to Jerusalem by the prophet Ezekiel will be said to you: “Therefore my jealousy will depart from you, and I will no longer be angry with you.” Behold the mercy and piety of the good God. . . . This is terrible! This is the end when we are no longer reproached for sins, when we offend and are no longer corrected. For then, when we have exceeded the measure of sinning “the jealous God” turns his jealousy away from us, as he said above, or my jealousy will be removed from you, and I will no longer be angry over you. HOMILIES ON EXODUS 8.5.

EXILE WITH PAIN. ORIGEN: O you who are subject to pain, do not go into exile with mourning. HOMILIES ON EZEKIEL 10.1.

EXILE FROM THE CHURCH HURTS. ORIGEN: It is an infamy to be separated from the people of God and from the church; it is a dishonor in the church to leave the bench of presbyters, to be expelled from the rank of the diaconate. HOMILIES ON EZEKIEL 10.1.

WE MUST TAKE OUR PUNISHMENT. ORIGEN: If we justify providence, we cleanse our disgrace; but if we do not receive the judgments of God, we will multiply our disgrace. HOMILIES ON EZEKIEL 10.1.

NEARNESS TO GOD. ORIGEN: The more we come very near to God the more we come near the beatitude; and when we have sinned, we shall be far from it and very near terrible and very great punishments. HOMILIES ON EZEKIEL 10.2.

THE MERCY OF GOD. ORIGEN: The person who is “very small” deserves mercy more quickly. HOMILIES ON EZEKIEL 10.2.