Kidneys=discernment; calf/sheep/goat measures; talents repay
Cyril: …of the holy ones he fills a mind. Therefore also sacred and unto a smell of sweet-fragrance they would become exceptional for God. And kidneys then again, unto a type would be of the unto mind inside discerning working; according to which rejectable on the one hand, the having been natural to do-injustice, and choice-worthy and takeable-worthy he makes the benefiting. And writes also the all-divine Paul: ‘All things testing, the good hold; from every form of evil hold-off.’ (1 Thessalonians 5:21-22) So then since a discerning in a body part the kidney (for it separates very well the surplus things, the useful and benefiting sending-in for the nature, and distributing well-artfully, for whom ever and as much to be distributed would be fitting), one must take-over reasonably unto a mind’s discernment the kidneys. Sacred therefore and a dedication for God, of the holy ones the kidneys, that is, which ever they would have
Palladius: I agree; for you understand rightly.
Cyril: And upon a sheep then again, and indeed also a goat, the same he defines law, and in an equal manner also upon them the of the sacrifice was being done, of the of the animals as in greatness difference, of those accustomed to bear-fruit, the in piety and in well-reputing measure under-showing gracefully; for the on the one hand, richly and over-bearing, as in at least the calf, to think-around worthy; and the middling, as in a sheep, and the also more-under still; for lesser a goat than a sheep; and this, I think, is the the well-fruitful to grow-up earth a hundred, and sixty, and thirty, according at least to the in the Gospels parable. (Matthew 13:8)
Palladius: I am persuaded.
Cyril: And that also proportionally to the of each right-doings the of the repayment counter-payment, and equal-matched for the sweats the repayments for those having chosen to do-manfully will be distributed beside God, will fill-full on the one hand also himself the Savior, the of the talents distribution not in an equal manner to have become saying, setting of the well-reputing, the on the one hand upon ten cities, and the upon five. (Luke 19:17-19) For is balanced as it were the of each life, and will weigh-equal somewhere altogether with our fairnesses the counter-pay
Greek
τῶν ἁγίων ἐμπίπλησι φρένα. Τοιγάρτοι καὶ ἱεροὶ καὶ εἰς ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας γένοιντο ἂν ἐξαίρετοι τῷ Θεῷ. Νεφροὶ δὲ δὴ πάλιν, εἰς τύπον ἂν εἶεν τῆς εἰς νοῦν ἔσω διακριτικῆς ἐνεργείας· καθ' ἣν ἀπόβλητον μὲν, τὸ πεφυκὸς ἀδικεῖν, αἱρετὸν δὲ καὶ ἀξιόληπτον ποιεῖται τὸ ὠφελοῦν. Γράφει δὲ καὶ ὁ θεσπέσιος Παῦλος· «Πάντα δοκιμάζοντες, τὸ καλὸν κατέχετε, ἀπὸ παντὸς εἴδους πονηροῦ ἀπέχεσθε.» Οὐκοῦν ἐπειδήπερ διακριτικὸν ἐν σώματι μόριον ὁ νεφρὸς (ἀποκρίνει γὰρ εὖ μάλα τὰ περιττὰ, τὸ χρηστόν τε καὶ ὠφελοῦν ἐνιεὶς τῇ φύσει, καὶ διανέμων εὐτέχνως, οἷς ἂν καὶ ὅσον διανέμεσθαι πρέποι), μεταληπτέον εἰκότως εἰς νοῦ διάκρισιν τοὺς νεφρούς. Ἱεροὶ τοιγαροῦν καὶ ἀνάθημα Θεῷ, τῶν ἁγίων οἱ νεφροὶ, τουτέστιν, ἥνπερ ἂν ἔχοιεν ἐν νῷ διάκρισιν. Δόκιμοι γὰρ τραπεζῖται καὶ ἀκριβεῖς, οἱ Θεῷ προσκείμενοι, κατακιβδηλεύοντες μὲν τὸ φαῦλον ἀεὶ, ψήφῳ γε μὴν τῇ παγκάλῳ τιμᾷν εἰωθότες τὸ τελοῦν εἰς ὄνησιν. Ὧδε γὰρ οἶμαι καὶ τὸν θεσπέσιον Μελῳδὸν εὐδοκιμεῖν εἰωθότα διακεκραγέναι πρὸς τὸν Θεόν· «Ὅτι σὺ ἐκτήσω τοὺς νεφρούς μου, Κύριε.» Ὁ δέ γε λοβὸς τοῦ ἥπατος, οὐδὲν ἧττον ἡμῖν ὑποφαίνει, ἢ ψυχῆς ἐνέργειαν, ἤτοι φρενὸς κίνησιν, καθ' ἣν ἴεται πρὸς ἐπιθυμίας. Ἐξηκριβωκότες δὲ τὰ τοιάδε τινὲς, οὐδὲν ὀκνοῦντές φασιν, ὡς ἐν ἥπατι τὰς ἐπιθυμίας ἅπαν ἔχει ζῶον. Ἀναθετέον δὴ οὖν καὶ τὸν λοβὸν τοῦ ἥπατος τῷ Θεῷ, τουτέστιν, αὐτὴν οἱονείπως ἁπάσης ἐπιθυμίας ἡμῶν τὴν πηγὴν, κατά γε τὸν ψάλλοντα Μελῳδόν· «Κύριε, ἐναντίον σου πᾶσα ἡ ἐπιθυμία μου.» Σεμνύνεται δέ τις ἐφ' ἑαυτῷ, καὶ τὴν ὧδε σεπτὴν καὶ ἀξιάγαστον ἀναμέλπει φωνὴν, εἰ πρός γε δὴ μόνον τὸ τῷ Θεῷ δοκοῦν τὰς ὀρέξεις ἔχοι, καὶ καταφωρῷτο διψῶν, ἃ ἂν βούλοιτο δρᾷν αὐτός.
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Σύμφημι· νοεῖς γὰρ ὀρθῶς.
{ΚΥΡ.} Ἐπὶ προβάτῳ δὲ αὖ, καὶ μὴν καὶ αἰγὶ, τὸν αὐτὸν ὁρίζει νόμον, καὶ ἐν ἴσῳ τρόπῳ καὶ ἐπ' αὐτοῖς τὰ τῆς θυσίας ἐπράττετο, τῆς τῶν ζώων ὡς ἐν μεγέθει διαφορᾶς, τῶν καρποφορεῖν εἰωθότων, τὸ ἐν εὐσεβείᾳ τε καὶ εὐδοκιμήσει μέτρον ὑποφαινούσης ἀστείως· ὁ μὲν γὰρ, πλουσίως καὶ ὑπερφερῶς, ὡς ἔν γε τῷ μόσχῳ, περινοεῖν ἄξιον· ὁ δὲ μέσως, ὡς ἐν προβάτῳ, ὁ δὲ καὶ ὑφειμένως ἔτι· μείων γὰρ αἲξ προβάτου· καὶ τοῦτο, οἶμαι, ἐστὶ τὸ τὴν εὔκαρπον ἀναφῦναι γῆν ἑκατὸν, καὶ ἑξήκοντα, καὶ τριάκοντα, κατά γε τὴν ἐν τοῖς Εὐαγγελίοις παραβολήν.
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Πείθομαι.
{ΚΥΡ.} Ὅτι δὲ καὶ ἀναλόγως τοῖς ἑκάστου κατορθώμασιν ἡ τῆς ἀμοιβῆς ἀντέκτισις, καὶ ἰσοπαλεῖς τοῖς ἱδρῶσιν αἱ ἀμοιβαὶ τοῖς ἀνδραγαθεῖν ᾑρημένοις ἐκνεμηθήσονται παρὰ Θεοῦ, πληροφορήσει μὲν καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Σωτὴρ, τὴν τῶν ταλάντων διανομὴν οὐκ ἐν ἴσῳ τρόπῳ γενέσθαι λέγων, καθιστὰς δὲ τῶν εὐδοκιμούντων, τὸν μὲν ἐπὶ δέκα πόλεων, τὸν δ' ἐπὶ πέντε. Ταλαντεύεται γὰρ ὥσπερ ὁ ἑκάστου βίος, καὶ ἰσοστατήσει που πάντως ταῖς ἡμῶν ἐπιεικείαις ἡ ἀντέκτι
About this text
Cyril continues the dialogue with Palladius. Book 16 of a seventeen-book dialogue — not the whole work.
English follows Migne PG 68 (Aubert reprint). The PDF and a cleaned text of the same print were checked against each other. This page is Book 16 of seventeen. This is a reading translation for study, not a new critical edition of the Greek.
Witnesses
- Copy-text Migne PG 68 De adoratione Book 16 (Aubert reprint) (Greek · Book 16)
- Checked print PDF of PG 68 De adoratione (Greek · Book 16)
English is newly prepared for study from the stated edition. Open Greek on each section for the source text. This is not a complete critical edition.