Книга пророка Варуха, Глава 3, стих 36. Толкования стиха

GOD SEEN ON EARTH. HILARY OF POITIERS: Listen now to Jeremiah: “This is our God, and there shall be no one else like him who has found out all the way of knowledge and has given it to Jacob his servant and to Israel his beloved. Afterward he showed himself on earth and dwelled among people.” For previously he had said, “And he is human, and who shall know him?” Thus you have God seen on earth and dwelling among people. Now I ask you what sense you would assign to “no one has seen God at any time, except the only-begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father,” when Jeremiah proclaims God seen on earth and dwelling among people? The Father most assuredly cannot be seen except by the Son. Who then is this who was seen and lived among us? He must be our God, for he is God visible in human form, whom human beings can handle. ON THE TRINITY 4.42.

SINGING THE MAGNIFICENCE OF GOD’S WORKS. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM: It is ordained that not only we human beings but also the angels, the archangels, the celestial nations and all we who are on earth give praise. “Bless the Lord,” it says, “all you works of his.” His good works are no small achievement; rather, they exceed all speech, intellect and human understanding. The prophets announce these things every day, each in various ways publishing this splendid triumph. One says, “You have gone up on high, you have led captivity captive, and you have received gifts among people.” And, “The Lord strong and powerful in battle.” And another says, “He will divide the spoils of the strong.” For this is why he came, in order to announce freedom to the prisoners and the recovery of sight to the blind. And raising aloud the cry of victory against over death, he said, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O grave, is your sting?” And another, in its turn, announcing good news of the most profound peace, said, “They will forge their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks.” And while one invokes Jerusalem, saying, “Rejoice greatly, daughter of Zion, because your king comes to you, meek, riding on a beast of burden, a young colt,” another proclaims his second coming, thus saying, “The Lord, whom you seek, will come, and who will abide the day of his coming? Leap as calves set free from their bonds.” And another again, amazed at such similar events, said, “This is our God; no other will be compared with him.” HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW 19.9.

A PROPHECY ABOUT THE APOSTLES. OLYMPIODORUS OF ALEXANDRIA: They speak who obeyed the apostolic calling without delay and “have the desire to be set free from the body so as to be with Christ,” preferring nothing to the fulfillment of the commandments. FRAGMENTS ON BARUCH 3.36.

У отцов Церкви изречения из этой книги приводятся под именем Иеремии; в 60-м правиле Лаодикийского собора и в списках священных книг Афанасия Великого и Кирилла Иерусалимского книга Варуха соединяется с книгой пророка Иеремии.

Поэтому с древних времен за богослужением паремия из книги Варуха (3,36–38; 4,1–4) под праздник Рождества Христова читается под именем пророчества Иеремии. Это значит, что книга Варуха, шеющая сходство с книгой пророка Иеремии по мыслям и даже выражениям, рассматривалась отцами как дополнение к книге пророка Иеремии, содержащее в себе свидетельства об исполнении его пророчеств.

Особенно важным местом из паремийного чтения, является текст: «Сей Бог наш, не вменится ин к Нему...» Посем на земли явися и с человеки поживе» (3,36–38). Церковь рассматривает это место как мессианское пророчество о Боговоплощении.