Commentary on the Twelve Prophets , volume 1 (Fathers of the Church)

Cyril, Bishop of Alexandria (412-444), is best known as a protagonist in the christological controversy of the second quarter of the fifth century. Readers may be surprised therefore to find such polemic absent from this early work on the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament. Another possibly unexpected feature of this Alexandrian commentary is its focus on historical exegesis, which reveals Cyril's serious interest in the fortunes of the people of Israel and Judah in the centuries preceding and following the exile. Unlike his predecessor Didymus the Blind, Cyril abjures an approach that dismisses the historicity of the text (as in his opening defense of Hosea's marriage), and he proceeds to other levels of interpretation, moral and spiritual, only after a preliminary examination of the historical. Indebted to the diverse approaches of Didymus, Jerome, and Theodore, Cyril appears in this work as a balanced commentator, eclectic in his attitude and tolerant of alternative views. Although he displays an occasional uncertainty in his grasp of historical and geographical details, as well as an inclination to verbosity, Cyril has conspicuously influenced the exegesis of his younger contemporary Theodoret of Cyrus, and has made a vital contribution to the development of biblical interpretation in the church. "Cyril, Bishop of Alexandria (412-444), is best known as a protagonist in the christological controversy of the second quarter of the fifth century. Readers may be surprised therefore to find such polemic absent from this early work on the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament. Indebted to the diverse approaches of Didymus, Jerome, and Theodore, Cyril appears in this work as a balanced commentator, eclectic in his attitude and tolerant of alternative views. Although he displays an occasional uncertainty in his grasp of historical and geographical details, as well as an inclination to verbosity, Cyril has conspicuously influenced the exegesis of his younger contemporary Theodoret of Cyrus, and has made a vital contribution to the development of biblical interpretation in the church."--Publisher description CONTENTS Abbreviations Select Bibliography Introduction COMMENTARY ON THE TWELVE PROPHETS Commentary on the Prophet Hosea Preface Commentary on Hosea, Chapter One Commentary on Hosea, Chapter Two Commentary on Hosea, Chapter Three Commentary on Hosea, Chapter Four Commentary on Hosea, Chapter Five Commentary on Hosea, Chapter Six Commentary on Hosea, Chapter Seven Commentary on Hosea, Chapter Eight Commentary on Hosea, Chapter Nine Commentary on Hosea, Chapter Ten Commentary on Hosea, Chapter Eleven Commentary on Hosea, Chapter Twelve Commentary on Hosea, Chapter Thirteen Commentary on Hosea, Chapter Fourteen Commentary on the Prophet Joel Preface Commentary on Joel, Chapter One Commentary on Joel, Chapter Two Commentary on Joel, Chapter Three v. 1. The commentary on the twelve prophets among Cyril's works Text of the commentary : Cyril's biblical text of The Twelve Cyril's style of commentary Interpreting the Twelve Prophets Theological accents in the commentary Cyril's achievement in the commentary on the twelve prophets Commentary on the twelve prophets Commentary on the prophet Hosea Commentary on the prophet Joel Commentary on the prophet Amos Commentary on the prophet Obadiah Commentary on the prophet Jonah Commentary on the prophet Micah Commentary on the prophet Nahum Commentary on the prophet Habakkuk Commentary on the prophet Zephaniah Commentary on the prophet Haggai Commentary on the prophet Zechariah Commentary on the prophet Malachi This Final Volume In A Series Of Three Contains Cyril's Commentary On Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, And Malachi. Applying His Knowledge Of Ancient Israelite History In His Analysis Of The Immediate Context For Each Of These Prophetic Books, Cyril Believes That Zephaniah Was Addressed To The Residents Of Jerusalem In The Years Preceding The Babylonian Exile, And The Other Three Were Addressed To A Newly Repatriated, Post-exilic Nation. Maximos the Confessor's penetrating theological vision found expression in an unparalleled synthesis of biblical exegesis, ascetic spirituality, patristic theology, and Greek philosophy. On Difficulties in Sacred Scripture, presented here in a complete English translation, contains Maximos's theological interpretations of sixty-five difficult passages from the Old and New Testaments.