(8) "The daughter of Zion shall be left as a tabernacle in the vineyard, and as a storehouse of vegetables in the vineyard."

The retribution of equals for equal serves as a proof of God's justice. Since the "daughter of Zion" has forsaken the Lord, she will also be forsaken. But the Lord still preserves His love for mankind, calls her daughter, calling her by the former name that she had before her estrangement. "It shall be left as a tabernacle in the vine." To protect the fruits, tabernacles are placed in the vineyards. Therefore, when the vineyard abounds in its proper fruits, the tabernacle is taken care of, and every care is taken so that the watchman may look out of it to see if those who pass by do not pluck the grapes; but when the vineyard is barren, it is necessary to neglect the protection of the grapes. For this reason God threatens the people of Israel with forsaken for not bearing proper fruit.

Let us also be afraid to become barren, so as not to be left without God's care! Our guardian is the Holy Spirit. When the soul bears fruit worthy of eternal granaries, the Spirit abides with it, protects it and repels the intrigues of the "solitary wonder" (cf. Psalm 79:14). But when it brings forth a "cluster of gall" and brings forth a "cluster of bitterness" (cf. Deuteronomy 32:32), then the Spirit leaves the barren soul, and it is trampled under foot by bestial thoughts and bestial desires of all kinds.

The Scriptures often call Israel the vineyard in a figurative sense, for example: "Thou hast brought the vine out of Egypt" (Psalm 79:9), and "the vine was for the Beloved" (Isaiah 5:1), and "And I planted thee a fruitful vineyard, all true" (Jeremiah 2:21). And if Israel is a vineyard, then the tabernacle of this vineyard is a house, and perhaps a temple. For it is called "the dwelling place of glory" (cf. Psalm 25:8) and "the dwelling place where men dwelt" (cf. Psalm 77:60). Therefore, while this vine bore many fruits, there was also a tabernacle to preserve the fruits. But since He who planted him was waiting for him to "make a cluster," and he "made thorns" (cf. Isaiah 5:2), with which the Lord was crowned, and all turned to bitterness, for he created "a bunch of gall" and "a bunch of sorrow," which is why they also gave gall to the Lord for food, then for this a tabernacle of grapes was left. For it is said: "Behold, your house is left unto you desolate" (Matt. 23:38). Then this threat was fulfilled, for Israel was forsaken as "a tabernacle in the vine"; Since then, "it has been commanded by a cloud, lest it rain" on the grapes (cf. Isaiah 5:6). That is why they have no prophets, no heavenly grace, but they have become "frogs" (arable land overgrown with grass), suitable for trampling (cf. Isaiah 5:6). The fences of this people are destroyed, that is, the protection of the holy Powers: if they do anything according to the law, it will serve them to destruction. That is why now "they encircle those who pass by, the boar and the boar from the oak grove, and the solitary wonder of the devour" (cf. Psalm 79:13-14): now they are trampled under foot by the invisible Powers.

"And like a vegetable storehouse in a vineyard." To save vegetables, storage facilities are built in the fall. Why is the "vertigrad" (beds with cucumbers) a place that bears temporary fruits, which soon disappear, serving more for pleasure than for good. But such is the law, which has a short-term use. For the ministry was temporary and flourished for a short time, then it provided the continuation of life with true and more solid food — the teaching of the Gospel. Thus, Zion will be "left" as a vegetable storehouse, a place in which vegetables are stored. But vegetables are not hard and permanent, but tender and temporary food. And such is the law, which has in itself the likeness of service, and not the truth itself, which is why it is "the image and wall of the heavenly ones" (cf. Heb. 8:5).

Inasmuch as the soul of each of us is likened to a vine, as in the Psalm: "Thy wife is like a fruitful vine" (Psalm 127:3), and as the Lord says: "I am the vine, but ye are the begotten" (John 15:5), let this threat not befall us either, if we do not bear the proper fruit. For tabernacle, perhaps, also means the body in which the Holy Spirit dwells: "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who dwells in you?" (1 Corinthians 6:19). The vine is the soul, from which it is required to bear fruit, worthy of the original planting and God's cultivation. For it was planted, being created true, in the image of the true God; but it is cultivated by the special care of the Creator, Who purifies that which bears fruit, so that it may bear greater fruit. If we dedicate ourselves to a pure life, God helps us in purifying ourselves from passions, perfecting our diligence and zeal for good. Therefore, just as grapes are pruned when excessive shoots stop their fertility, so do we guard in our souls the care of vain things, preserving all its strength for the fruitfulness of good deeds, so that, having grown in the vain world, it does not exhaust all its strength for the pleasure of man, scattered by the images of this world, as if by leaves and young shoots. But the soul also digs in, so that everything close to it can be turned into food proper to itself, and thus prepare itself to receive the teachings of the Spirit. Just as an undug vine deafens and does not participate in the benefit provided by water because of the density of the earth around it, so the soul, which has not cast off the carnal and is burdened by it without rest, being oppressed by the burden of the material, is incapable of bearing fruit, and therefore, not accepting help from above, remains barren. And when the soul is barren, the Holy Spirit withdraws from it; the guards fall down — the help of the Angels; and the intruders are passing strangers, who are the forces that produce in it the errors of reason; and the passions that have previously settled in it defile it, like a pig that gives itself over to irrational aspirations and rolls in the fetid slime. And then the word is fulfilled in such a soul: "The daughter of Zion shall be left as a tabernacle in the vineyard, and as a storehouse of vegetables in the vineyard." Those who do not bear fruit worthy of the granary of heaven, but admire the fleeting fruits of this world, who rely on riches, who are exalted by glory, who think highly of the nobility of their ancestors or of bodily health, are likened to a vineyard, because they produce a non-nutritious fruit, which fills with vain arrogance and vain burdens, prepares the soul for pomp and puffiness. Such fruits the lustful people coveted and were buried in the wilderness. For it is said that they wept when they remembered the cucumbers and melons, the Egyptian food (Num. 11:5), which an Israelite would not have eaten, eating the heavenly bread – manna. But the Israelites of that time despised it and coveted "scarlet onions" (cf. Num. 11:5). May this not befall us either, if we prefer a voluptuous life to a rational life. For the pleasures of the flesh are indeed like onions and garlic: they impart much sharpness and irritability; whoever has tasted of them, they emit a heavy and barely destructible stench from his inward parts, and cause many tears to those who have tasted them.

Between the threats it is also said that "it will be left as a city at war." The enemy is waiting for us, waiting for us to relax in order to attack us, the unwary. Just as in a city that has been taken by storm, after the wealth in it has been plundered, the gates remain unlocked, there are no watchful guards on the walls, so the soul, deprived of the treasures that were in it by God's gift, remains neglected, as unworthy of God's protection. That is why it is said: "Guard your heart with all guarding" (Proverbs 4:23). Therefore, let us not only be vigilant and sober, but let us pray that we also may receive for our vigilance on our guard, that "he shall not slumber, but keep Israel asleep" (Psalm 120:4). For "if the Lord does not preserve the city, it is in vain" (Psalm 126:1). When, for lack of good works, He leaves us unguarded, then before our enemies we will remain ready to be kidnapped, taken captive and taken into slavery.

(9) "And if the Lord of hosts had not left us seed, for Sodom would have been likened to Gomorrah."

If the whole nation is "sinful," all the "people are filled" with iniquity, all the "sons of lawlessness" (cf. Isaiah 1:4), then what seed is left in Israel and prevents it from suffering the same thing that Sodom and Gomorrah suffered? The seed that Israel had was "evil seed" (cf. Isaiah 1:4), it could not serve as the guilt of salvation, but was worthy of destruction. What kind of seed was it? Is it not the same of which it is said in the promises to Abraham: "I will give to thee and to thy seed" (cf. Gen. 13:15)? "And he saith not," it is said, "and by seed, as of many, but as of one, and unto thy seed, which is Christ" (Gal. 3:16). It was this Seed that by Its appearance in the world stopped the execution of those who, according to the merits of their works, had to endure the fate of Sodom and be destroyed by fire and bogeyman for the wickedness that had come to the measure of Sodom. However, even after they sinned against Christ, "the remnant according to the election of grace" was saved (cf. Rom. 11:5); and the rest are blinded and given over to destruction, as Amos says: "Destroy ye as God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, and thus turn unto Me, saith the Lord" (cf. Amos 4:11). Though God has repeatedly threatened and forgiven many times, yet in the end He has sent calamities worthy of deeds upon an impenitent heart. Thus, in one Prophet God is already striving to avenge the people for unrighteousness, but He hesitates because of His inherent love for mankind. "What shall I do to thee, O Ephraim?" what shall I do unto thee, Judah? "As unto Adam I will lay thee, and as unto Thee" (cf. Hos. 11:8). Then, out of an abundance of love for mankind, He immediately adds: "My heart is changed in it, My repentance is troubled. I will not do my wrath out of anger" (Hos. 11:8-9). However, when they fell into extreme lawlessness, then the temple was burned, the whole city was given over to flames, and they themselves were destroyed by famine, pestilence, rebellion and intrigues against one another. Of all Israel, only a part of those who believed in Christ were saved, because the election was not found in many. It is this part, having become leaven for the nations, that has made all like itself, so that from this time on, he who believes from among the Gentiles is called Israel and the people of God, and is "who is in secret a Jew" (Rom. 2:29) and heir of spiritual promises.

Поскольку же Содом в переводе значит «уклонение», а Гоморра — «мятеж», то толкование имен наводит нас на такую мысль, что если бы не пришло обетованное Семя, то нам, уклонившимся от Бога, ничто не воспрепятствовало бы впасть в совершенную погибель; и если бы не воссиял нам мир с высоты, «превосходяй всяк ум» (Флп. 4, 7), то каждый из нас был бы истреблен от собственного мятежа и от живущей в нем брани. Ибо греховные страсти и все неразумные движения обыкновенно производят в душах неумолкающую молву и неукротимый мятеж. Посему Церковь, сознавая, сколько благодетельно пришествие Спасителя, Который, как малое семя, чрез плоть человеческую вошел к нам в мир, в виде благодарения говорит сие:

(10) «Услышите слово Господне, князи Содомстии; внемлите закону Божию, людие Гоморрстии!» —

дабы показать, что явление семени, оставленного ей Господом Саваофом, сделалось для них виной спасения. Поскольку они сами по себе заслуживали бедствия содомского города, то называет их князьями содомскими и народом гоморрским, то есть более и князей порочными, потому что Содом был как бы столицей нечестия, а сей город по преизбытку пороков брал верх и над князьями. Но за что же князья содомские? Или за то, что содомляне, когда справедливо рассуждающий Лот старался избавить принятых им странников, не послушали его, говоря: «пришел еси обитати, еда ли и суд судити?» (Быт. 19, 9), так и они не послушали правдивого Судию, вопия: «распни», распни, истреби «Его» с земли (ср.: Ин. 19, 15). Но здесь гораздо большее злодеяние. Содомляне нагло поступали со странниками, ничем не оскорбившими их, а они поступили так с Тем, Кто оказал им в преизбытке великие благодеяния; содомляне — со странниками, а они с Тем, Кто «во своя прииде» (ср.: Ин. 1, 11); содомляне — с Ангелами, а они — с Богом. Посему справедливо дается им название князей содомских. Впрочем, благодетельствующий им Бог призывает их к слышанию полезных Его глаголов, а управляемый ими народ, который за лукавые учения называется «людие Гоморрстии», заставляет внимать закону: тем, которые более смыслены, повелевает слушать, а неразумным — внимать, или принимать слухом, что преподали другие.

Какое различие между словом и законом, такое же — между слушанием и принятием на слух. Закон есть правило для праведных и неправедных, предписывающее то, что должно делать, и запрещающее то, чего не должно делать; его многие соблюдают, даже не зная заключающейся в нем пользы; а слово представляет и причину, почему учреждено что–нибудь. Особливо же наше слово, которое объясняет закон возвышенно и духовно, превосходнее одного буквального соблюдения закона. Чем же слушание отличается от принятия в слух? Тем, что слушание есть дело разумения, как показывает Господь, возбуждая к разумному слышанию того самого намерения, с каким говорится: «имеяй уши слышати да слышит» (Мф. 11, 15), а принять слухом — значит вложить в уши голый звук. Посему и народ в книге Исхода говорит: «вся, яже возглаголет Господь, сотворим и послушаем» (ср.: Исх. 24, 3), хотя согласнее с разумом было бы сказать: «Послушаем и сотворим». Но, без сомнения, человеку можно и с самым грубым разумением сотворить, например: соблюсти субботу, телесно воздержаться от снедей, обрезать в осьмый день и трижды в год явиться в храме; но проникнуть в основание сих постановлений свойственно уже совершенному и далеко простершемуся в ведении.

Говорят же, что сия одна причина побудила тогдашних иудеев злоумышлять против Пророка. Но князьями содомскими потому ли названы, что начальствовали над людьми лукавыми? Или потому, что сами были лукавы? Ибо начальник порочных людей может быть сам свободен от порока подчиненных. Но если бы умолчено было о народе, то, может быть, имело бы место такое недоумение. Теперь же, поскольку народ назван людьми гоморрскими, то он менее достоин укоризны, нежели князи его; и Писание показывает тем, что Содом был главный в пятиградии, имел как бы первенство в лукавстве и всякими пороками превзошел прочие города. Собственно же о князьях содомских история ничего не предала, кроме известия о царях побежденных (см.: Быт. 14, 10). По причине дерзновения, с каким Исаия обличает неправды иудеев, Апостол говорит о нем: «дерзает и глаголет» (Рим. 10, 20). Но кто держится здравых учений и неукоризнен по жизни, тот может иногда употреблять такие обличения противу начальников Церкви, живущих беззаконно, и против народа, заблуждающегося и ведущего себя гнусно.