Silver light / bronze sound = gospel; oil for perpetual lamps
Cyril: …of this also would be Christ, because he has shone through in the manner of light, flashing with intelligible rays as God—the silver signifying. And that bright and well-sounding is the word about earth made for him—that is, the Gospel preaching—the silver-around bronze sideways hints to us. For well-sounding also is the bronze, and very bright and transparent is the matter of the silver. And this is in the Gospel preachings, and one would look down upon the Savior’s word, having the clear and pure of piety unto the extreme, and as buzzing around the whole inhabited world. And if someone should choose to pattern the holy apostles and evangelists as somehow in such pillars, he will reckon the likely things. For they are truly as silvered, through having become in a share of Christ who illuminates. Therefore he says: ‘And the brightness of the Lord our God will be upon us.’ (Psalm 90:17) And they are also named ‘Light of the world,’ (Isaiah 52:7) all but also having stepped in silver-around bronze. For a support for them is as to use the bright and most well-sounding word. ‘For the Lord,’ (Exodus 27:20–21) he says, ‘will give a word to those evangelizing with much power.’ (Matthew 5:14) And beautiful also are the feet of those evangelizing the goods, it has been written.
Palladius: Deep is the word, yet near truth.
Cyril: The things oracled upon the courts having then also been concluded, he turns unto construction of oil and myrrh and indeed also incense, saying thus: ‘And you, arrange for the sons of Israel; and let them take for you oil from olives, unpressed, pure, beaten unto light to burn, that a lamp may burn through all in the tent of the testimony, outside the veil that is upon the covenant, and Aaron and his sons will burn it from evening until morning before the Lord, an age-long lawful thing unto your generations, from the sons of Israel.’ (Psalm 68:11)
Palladius: And what then is this?
Cyril: It has a most necessary showing, and I say the riddle is wise; for with seven lamps, always burning and shining in the holy tent, one must very well liken the illumination through Christ, holding sufficiently unto being able to shine and kindle, or fill, the mind of those believing. For the number unto seven somehow hints everywhere the showing of perfection. As at least in saying somehow, ‘And a barren woman bore seven’ (1 Samuel 2:5)—that is, both most and as many as must be unto self-sufficiency. And Aaron and the remaining priests after him kindle the lamps. For as unquenchable the illumination from Christ is kept in Churches by the fairnesses of those allotted to be priests, who with initiations unto uprightness make bright the mind of those believing. For this, I think, is the lamps being kindled from evening until morning. And I think darkness is the wandering from the devil, and as somehow an intelligible night happening according to mind for humans—the
Greek
δ' ἂν εἴη καὶ τοῦδε Χριστὸς, φωτὸς μὲν ὅτι διέλαμψε δίκην, αὐγαῖς δηλονότι ταῖς νοηταῖς ἀστράπτων ὡς Θεὸς, τοῦ ἀργύρου σημαίνοντος. Ὅτι δὲ λαμπρὸς καὶ εὐηχὴς ὁ περὶ γῆν αὐτῷ πεποίηται λόγος, τοῦτ' ἔστι, τὸ κήρυγμα τὸ εὐαγγελικὸν, τοῦ περιαργύρου χαλκοῦ πλαγίως ἡμῖν ὑπεμφαίνοντος. Εὐηχὴς μὲν γὰρ καὶ ὁ χαλκὸς, λαμπρὸν δὲ δὴ λίαν καὶ διαφανὲς τοῦ ἀργύρου τὸ χρῆμα. Ἔνεστι δὲ τοῦτο τοῖς εὐαγγελικοῖς κηρύγμασι, καὶ κατίδοι τις ἂν, τοῦ Σωτῆρος τὸν λόγον, ἔχοντα μὲν τῆς εἰς ἄκρον εὐσεβείας τὸ διειδές τε καὶ καθαρὸν, ὅλην δὲ ὥσπερ περιβομβοῦντα τὴν οἰκουμένην. Εἰ δὲ δή τις ἕλοιτο τοὺς ἁγίους ἀποστόλους καὶ εὐαγγελιστὰς ὡς ἐν τοῖς τοιοῖσδε τυχὸν ἀνατυποῦσθαι στύλοις, λογιεῖται τὰ εἰκότα. Καὶ γάρ εἰσιν ἀληθῶς ὥσπερ ἠργυρωμένοι, διὰ τὸ ἐν μεθέξει γενέσθαι Χριστοῦ τοῦ φωτίζοντος. Τοιγάρτοι φησί· «Καὶ ἔσται ἡ λαμπρότης Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν ἐφ' ἡμᾶς.» Ὀνομάζονται δὲ καὶ «Τοῦ κόσμου φῶς,» χαλκῷ δὲ περιαργύρῳ μονονουχὶ καὶ ἐμβεβηκότες. Ἔρεισμα γὰρ αὐτοῖς, ὥσπερ τῷ λαμπρῷ καὶ εὐηχεστάτῳ κεχρῆσθαι λόγῳ. «Κύριος γὰρ,» φησὶ, «δώσει ῥῆμα τοῖς εὐαγγελιζομένοις δυνάμει πολλῇ.» Ὡραῖοι δὲ καὶ οἱ πόδες τῶν εὐαγγελιζομένων τὰ ἀγαθὰ, γέγραπται.
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Βαθὺς μὲν ὁ λόγος, πλὴν, ἀληθείας ἐγγύς.
{ΚΥΡ.} Συμπεπερασμένων δὴ οὖν καὶ τῶν ἐπὶ ταῖς αὐλαῖς τεθεσπισμένων, εἰς ἐλαίου τε καὶ μύρου καὶ μὴν καὶ θυμιαμάτων μετατρέπει κατασκευὴν, οὕτω λέγων· «Καὶ σὺ, σύνταξον τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰσραήλ· καὶ λαβέτωσάν σοι ἔλαιον ἐξ ἐλαιῶν ἄτρυγον, καθαρὸν, κεκομμένον εἰς φῶς καῦσαι, ἵνα καίηται λύχνος διαπαντὸς ἐν τῇ σκηνῇ τοῦ μαρτυρίου, ἔξωθεν τοῦ καταπετάσματος τοῦ ἐπὶ τῆς διαθήκης, καὶ καύσει αὐτὸ ὁ Ἀαρὼν καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ ἀφ' ἑσπέρας ἕως πρωῒ, ἐναντίον Κυρίου, νόμιμον αἰώνιον εἰς τὰς γενεὰς ὑμῶν, παρὰ τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραήλ.»
{ΠΑΛΛ.} Καὶ τί δὴ τοῦτό ἐστιν;
{ΚΥΡ.} Ἀναγκαιοτάτην ἔχει τὴν δήλωσιν, καὶ σοφὸν εἶναί φημι τὸ αἴνιγμα· ἑπτὰ μὲν γὰρ λύχνοις, καιομένοις. τε ἀεὶ καὶ φαίνουσιν ἐν τῇ ἁγίᾳ σκηνῇ, τὸν διὰ Χριστοῦ φωτισμὸν παρεικαστέον εὖ μάλα, διαρκῶς ἔχοντα πρὸς τὸ ἐλλάμπειν δύνασθαι καὶ ἀνακαίειν, ἤτοι ἀναμεστοῦν, τῶν πιστευόντων τὸν νοῦν. Ἀριθμὸς γάρ πως ὁ εἰς ἑπτὰ τὴν τῆς τελειώσεως δήλωσιν ὑπεμφαίνει πανταχῆ. Ὡς ἔν γε τῷ φάναι τυχὸν, «Στεῖρα δὲ ἔτεκεν ἑπτὰ» τοῦτ' ἔστι, πλεῖστά τε καὶ ὅσα ἐχρῆν εἶναι πρὸς αὐτάρκειαν. Ἀνακαίουσι δὲ τοὺς λύχνους Ἀαρών τε καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ, οἱ καὶ μετ' αὐτὸν ἱερεῖς. Ἄσβεστος γὰρ ὥσπερ ὁ παρὰ Χριστοῦ φωτισμὸς ἐν Ἐκκλησίαις σώζεται ταῖς τῶν ἱερᾶσθαι κεκληρωκότων ἐπιεικείαις, οἳ ταῖς εἰς ὀρθότητα μυσταγωγίαις τὸν τῶν πιστευόντων καταλαμπρύνουσι νοῦν. Τουτὶ γὰρ, οἶμαι, ἔστι τὸ ἀνακαίεσθαι τοὺς λύχνους ἀπὸ ἑσπέρας ἕως πρωΐ. Σκοτίαν δὲ οἶμαι τὴν ἐκ διαβόλου πλάνησιν, καὶ νοητὴν ὥσπερ τινὰ νύκτα κατὰ νοῦν ἀνθρώποις συμβαίνουσαν, τὰ τῶν
About this text
Cyril continues the dialogue with Palladius. Book 9 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 9 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 5 (Aubert reprint) (Greek · Book 9)
- Checked print PDF of PG 68 De adoratione (Greek · Book 9)
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.