THEODORET (tr. Hill)

1.1 (α) Theodoret [PG 81:816B]:

Some commentators thought that the thirtieth year was that of the jubilee, Jews using "jubilee" to refer to the number of fifty years: just as Romans calculate the temporal cycle in fifteen years, so Jews to in fifty. Some commentators among whom are Apollinarius and Polychronius claim the thirtieth year of this fifty was the date of his prophesying.

1.1 (β) Theodoret [PG 81:820D-821A]:

the man of piety in the company of the impious, the righteous one in the company of the lawless; God's lovingkindness is so great that for the sake of sinners his own servants are given over to troubles and calamities.

1.1 (δ) Theodoret [PG 81:820C]:

not in actual fact but in a spiritual insight.

1.1 (ε) Theodoret [PG 81:820C-D]:

not of God's being but a vision, a kind of revelation, like an image, frightening to human nature.

1.2 (ζ) Polychronius [2nd part of the comment = Thdt., PG 81:821A]:

thus conveying many things: firstly, that the divinity is not circumscribed, with authority only in Jerusalem or lordship only of Jews, but as creator and master and governor of all things.

1.2 (θ) Theodoret [PG 81:821B]:

Now, he accords him the vision near water to imply the salvation of all people, and to suggest the knowledge of God by regeneration through water that would come to the devout.

1.3 (ι) Theodoret [PG 81:821B]:

This was his way of referring to the operation of the divine Spirit...

1.5 (ιη [?]) τοῦ αὐτοῦ (Polychronius) [PG 81:824BC]:

Living beings that are rational go by the names of human beings and angels, the former rational ones mortal, the latter immortal. Now, who could clearly comment on the revelation when the prophet himself was at a loss to explain? In fact, he did not simply say he had a vision of four living beings, or even a likeness of living beings, but something like four living beings; so it is clear that the divinely-inspired prophets had a vision not of the actual natures of the invisible things but of some kind of figures and impressions conveyed by the giver of wonderful gifts for individual benefit.

1.5 (κ) Theodoret and Apollinarius [PG 81:824D-825A +]:

He says the shape of the things seen was upright and like a human being...

+ MATERIAL NOT IN THEODORET +

Their being winged suggests their natural speed...

[I have provisionally assigned the non-Theodoret material to Apollinaris, following the compiler's composite attribution.]

1.7 (κβ) Theodoret [PG 81:825A]:

the sparks resembling gleaming bronze suggest purity...

1.8 (κδ) Theodoret [PG 81:825A +]:

and the hand hidden under the wings [suggests] their invisible and manifold activity.

[Following this, the catena text continues: "For in many passages it calls God's activity his '"'hand.'" Although this is not extant in Theodoret's commentary at this point, it is not unlike Thedoret (cf. PG 80:1764; 81:1189), but could belong here to another commentator, such as Polychronius (cf. Theodore of Mopsuestia on Ps. 37[38].3b-4a and on Ps. 73[74].3a.)]

1.9 (κς) Theodoret [PG 81:825AB]:

A human being moving in a northerly direction who wants to change direction to the south has to turn around, having only one face; but to those who have as many faces as the four quarters of the world there is no south: their face surveys everything in all directions, there being no need to change direction for going wherever they want.

1.10 (κη) Theodoret [PG 81:825BC]:

Let no one think that images of wild animals and brute beasts have invisible powers [better, "that the invisible powers have the forms of wild animals and brute beasts"]; in this description he is suggesting different things: by lion kingship, this animal being kingly; by calf priesthood, one calf being offered on behalf of the high priest; by eagle prophecy, this animal flying high and being very sharp-sighted, as is prophecy, which has an elevated vision and sees the future from afar.

1.11 (κθ) Theodoret [PG 81:825CD]:

In this he indicates that not even by the divine powers is everything comprehended, some things being clear, others hidden, and that far from overstepping set limits, they extend two wings in enjoyment of the vision accorded them, and with two they cover their body, content with their ignorance of what is hidden, not striving to find out what it is illicit to find out.

1.12 (λα) Theodoret [PG 81:828A]:

He indicates the complete obedience of the unseen powers and their not departing from the set direction.

1.13 (λβ) Theodoret [PG 81:828AB]:

A fearsome sight, instilling terror and conveying a threat of retribution: the burning coals, the moving lamps, lightning emitted from it, the living beings coursing hither and yon, the brightness issuing from the running are all suggestive of impending troubles.

1.15 (λδ) Theodoret [PG 81:828C]:

He saw one wheel belonging to each of the living beings, with the appearance of sapphire; he said that he saw no difference in them, but rather that the four closely resembled one another.

1.17 (λζ) Theodoret [PG 81:828C-829A]:

he says the living beings had four faces, the term suggesting God's all pervading view in every direction, so he also makes the comment on the appearance of the wheels that it was as if there were a wheel within a wheel. You could grasp this if you were to imagine two circles and superimpose one on the other at right angles: such an arrangement, while remaining in the same position, allows movement in four directions--namely, east and west, north and south. So the blessed prophet means, As if there were a wheel within a wheel, they moved in their four directions without reversing when they moved, since such an arrangement did not require change in direction, movement towards each quarter being easy when starting from the one position.

1.18 (με) Theodoret [PG 81:829C]:

that is, they enjoyed all knowledge, which is also the meaning of "cherubim," the term meaning "fullness of knowledge" when translated into Greek.

[Cf. Origen, Hom. in Ezek. 1.15.]

1.22 (νβ) Thedoret [PG 81:832A]:

At all points the divine prophets [misprint for "prophet"] refers to a likeness to convey to us that he saw some outline of divine things, but not the actual nature of the invisible realities...

1.23 (νγ [νβ O]) Theodoret [NOT THEODORET]:

Clearly teaching that the ones extended were one thing, the ones flapping [for flight] another; [there were] 'two covering them for each'—that is, [covering] their own faces—so that these are again different ones.

[This is not attested in Theodoret's commentary; it is closely connected with the following comment (also misattributed to Theodoret), and together, asserting a total of eight wings, they contradict Theodoret's views, as well as Apollinaris' discussion. Possibly, then, they should be attributed to Polychronius.]

1.23 (νδ) τοῦ αὐτοῦ (Theodoret) [NOT THEODORET]:

So that these again are different ones, and all together there appear to be eight: some they had that were extended, so as to preserve the image of a throne; some for the flapping [in flight]; some for the hiding of the face; and some [finally] for the covering of the rest of the body.

[Possibly to be attributed to Polychronius; see note on preceding comment.]

1.24 (νη) Theodoret [PG 81:832B]:

why do I go to the trouble of looking for figures to do justice to the reality (he is saying) and never finding them? It suffices to present the one who is acting, and through him to indicate the loudness of the noise, sufficient as he is and quite capable of easily doing all he wants.

1.26 (ξβ) Theodoret [PG 81:832C]:

This shape suggests the profundity and invisibility of the divine nature; "Cloud and gloom all about him," Scripture says... [Ps. 96.2]

1.26 (ξδ) Theodoret [PG 81:833A]:

At all points he inserts the word likeness and the term as so as to teach us not to stop at that point but to realize that each of the things seen is adapted to normal usage.

1.26 (ξδ) τοῦ αὐτοῦ (Theodoret) [NOT THEODORET]:

The human form is seen on account of the [creation] in [God's] image, and the human appearance he would have, at the embodiment of the Logos. And a little later: For indeed the Father is seen in the Son being seen, as the prototype in an image; and the Son in the Father, as an image in the prototype.

[Note the Messianic / Christological interpretation. Theodoret is attested to have seen a reference to the incarnation in this passage, but also makes the point of distinguishing the two natures [electrum = human; fire = divine]—i.e., he makes a Christological point of his own. The comment is not attested in Theodoret's commentary, moreover, and thus most likely belongs to another, perhaps Polychronius, perhaps Apollinaris.]

1.26 (ξδ) τοῦ αὐτοῦ (Theodoret) [PROBABLY NOT THEODORET]:

For indeed here too the "likeness" appeared, and "like the form"—in order to indicate the incomprehensibility of the what appeared.

[The comment does not appear in Thedoret's extant commentary. Cf. "allos"; but cf. also Theodoret's attested discussion (νβ and ξδ above) which moves from the observation of Ezekiel's use of "likeness" and "as" to the use of this same sort of language to describe God (concluding with the following comment (ξε); cf. also Theodoret on Isaiah, 3.48 Guinot). The direct interpretation here, however, is not given by Theodoret in these comments, and attribution to Polychronius is at least plausible.]

1.27 (ξε) Theodoret [PG 81:833CD]:

When you hear of different manifestations of God, therefore, do not get the impression that the divinity has a variety of forms: it has no bodily form or appearance of any kind, being simple, without composition or shape, invisible and unimaginable, and subject to no limitation.

1.27 (ξε) τοῦ αὐτοῦ (Theodoret) [PROBABLY NOT THEODORET]:

For the brightness belonging to God [is] prior and higher and as it were a characteristic of him, on account of his goodness.

[Does not appear in Theodoret's extant commentary. Attribution uncertain.]

1.27 (ξη) Theodoret [PG 81:836C]:

These things signify the divine gifts: they proceed from that source like beams and confer favors on the human race, indicating and bearing rain from that source.