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Translated by Cardinal Newman.
St Athanasius the Great Resources Online and in Print
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This Part: 128 Pages
Page 121
5. The Jews in their imaginings, and in their agreeing to act unjustly against the Lord, forgot that they were bringing wrath upon themselves. Therefore does the Word lament for them, saying, 'Why do the people exalt themselves, and the nations imagine vain things [4297] ?' For vain indeed was the imagination of the Jews, meditating death against the Life [4298] , and devising unreasonable things against the 'Word of the Father [4299] .' For who that looks upon their dispersion, and the desolation of their city, may not aptly say, 'Woe unto them, for they have imagined an evil imagination, saying against their own soul, let us bind the righteous man, because he is not pleasing to us [4300] .' And full well is it so, my brethren; for when they erred concerning the Scriptures, they knew not that 'he who diggeth a pit for his neighbour falleth therein; and he who destroyeth a hedge, a serpent shall bite him [4301] .' And if they had not turned their faces from the Lord, they would have feared what was written before in the divine Psalms: 'The heathen are caught in the pit which they made; in the snare which they hid is their own foot taken. The Lord is known when executing judgments: by the works of his hands is the sinner taken [4302] .' Let them observe this, and how that 'the snare they know not shall come upon them, and the net they hid take them [4303] .' But they understood not these things, for had they done so, 'they would not have crucified the Lord of glory [4304] .'
[4297] Ps. ii. 1.
[4298] The parallel clause of this sentence would seem to determine that by 'Life' here we must understand Christ.
[4299] aloga kata tou Logou tou Patros. Cf. Suicer. Thes. s.v. ,'Alogos tom. i. p. 199.
[4300] Is. iii. 9, 10, LXX.; cf. Wisd. ii. 12.
[4301] Eccl. x. 8.
[4302] Ps. ix. 15.
[4303] Ib. xxxv. 8.
[4304] 1 Cor. ii. 8.
Reference address : https://www.elpenor.org/athanasius/letters.asp?pg=121
