Sibylline Oracles

Historical printed page 383

THE SIBYLLINE BOOKS. Βοοκ III, Lines 220-285 a race of most righteous men, (20) who ever give themselves up to sound counsel and fair deeds. (21) For they search not out the circling course of the sun or the moon, (22) nor monstrosities beneath the earth, (23) nor the depth of Ocean’s shimmering sea, (24) nor portents of sneezes, and birds of augurers, (25) nor wizards, nor magicians, nor enchanters, (26) nor the deceits of ventriloquists’ foolish words, (27) nor do they study the predictions of Chaldaean astrology, (28) nor do they astronomize: for all these things are in their nature prone to deceive, (29) such things as witless men are searching out day by day, (30) exercising their souls for a work of no profit. (31) Yes, and they have taught deceits to ill-starred men, (32) from which come many evils to mortals on the earth, (33) so that they are led astray from good paths and righteous acts. (34) But these diligently practise justice and virtue, (35) and not covetousness, which is the source of myriad ills (36) to mortal men, of war and desperate famine. (37) But they have just measures in country and city, (38) nor do they carry out night robberies one against another, (39) nor do they drive off herds of oxen and sheep and goats, (40) nor does a neighbour remove his neighbour’s landmarks, (41) nor does a man of much wealth vex his lesser brother, (42) nor does anyone afflict widows but rather assists them, (43) ever ready to supply them with corn and wine and oil. (44) And always the wealthy man among the people sends a portion of his harvest to those who have nothing, (45) but are in want, (46) fulfilling the command of the Mighty God, the ever abiding strain: (47) for Heaven has wrought the earth for all alike. (48) But when the people of twelve tribes with their God-sent leaders (49) shall leave Egypt and pursue their road, (50) journeying with a fiery pillar in the night-time, (51) and in a pillar of cloud whensoever the dawn leads on day, (52) over them He shall set up as leader the mighty man (53) Moses, whom the princess found and took home from a marsh, (54) and bringing up called her son. But when he came, (55) leading the people whom God was bringing from Egypt (56) to Mount Sina, then God gave them the law forth from heaven, (57) writing all its ordinances on two tables, (58) and commanded to keep them: and if so be any disobeyed, (59) he should pay the penalty, either according to law or by mortals’ hands, (60) or if he escaped mortal men, he should perish by divine justice. (63) To them alone does the fruitful field yield its fruit (64) up to an hundred fold from one, and the measures of God are yielded. (65) But they too shall have evil, neither shall they escape (66) pestilence. Yea, and thou too shalt leave thy lovely shrine (67) and flee, since it is thy fate to leave thine holy soil. (68) And thou shalt be carried to the Assyrians, and shalt see thine infant children (69) enslaved to hostile men, (70) and thy wives: and all thy livelihood and wealth shall perish. (71) And every land shall be full of thee and every sea: (72) and every one shall be incensed at thy customs. (73) And the whole land shall be empty of thee: and the fenced altar, (74) and the temple of the Mighty God and the long walls (75) shall all fall to the ground, because thou didst not obey in thy mind (76) the holy law of the Immortal God, but wentest astray, (77) and didst serve miserable idols, and didst not fear (78) the Immortal Father of gods and of all men, (79) nor wouldst honour Him, but didst honour the idolsof mortal men. (80) Therefore for seven decades of times thy fruitful land (81) shall all be empty of thee and (so shall) thy wondrous shrine. (82) But there awaits thee good at the end and exceeding great glory, (83) as the Immortal God has ordained for thee. But do thou tarry, (84) trusting in the holy laws of the Mighty God, (85) when bowing thy knee thou prayest toward the light of dawn. 227-8. astrology ... astronomize. The distinction between dorpodoyeiv and ἀστρονομεῖν appears, apart from this passage, to be not earlier than Sextus Empiricus. For Chaldaea as the home of astronomy cf. Philo, De Migratione A brahamt, c. 32. 242. Theline is metrically defective, and has to be emended. Read οὐδέ γέ τις χήρας θλίβει μᾶλλον δὲ βοηθεῖ (Mein.). 246. ever abiding, ἔμμονον, conjecture, for ‘lawful’, ἔννομον. For ‘ strain’, ὕμνον, there is a variant, " sleep’, ὕπνον. 247. For the sentiment cf. ii. 319 ff., viii. 110 ff. 248. God-sent leaders. These are either Moses and Aaron, or, according to Jewish tradition, angels, who guided the Israelite host. Volkmann compares Philo, Vita Mosis, i, p. 628. 251. whensoever (ὅταν), a conjecture of Geffck. for ‘ all’ (πᾶν). 260. divine (θείῃ) seems required for MSS. ‘all’ (πάσῃ). Compare the trespass of Achan (Judg. vii). After this line two lines are omitted. Lines 247 and 585 are inserted in some MSS. 264. — of God perhaps = ‘bounteous measures’. The imperfect τελέθοντο (are yielded) is, perhaps, used omically. ae leave. καταλιπών, though metrically defective, need not be altered to κάρτα λιπών (Wilamowitz) or καλλείπων lex). 283. Immortal. MSS. καὶ βροτός for ἄμβροτος, Volkmann would read ὁ καὶ βροτός, and understand a reference to the Incarnation, but this is highly improbable. 285. The text is certainly corrupt. The MSS. have ὁππότε σεῖο καμὸν ὀρθὸν γόνυ πρὸς φάος ἄρῃ, ‘whenever he lifts thy tired (or ‘and my’) knee upright toward the light.” The emendation is not very violent to ὁππότε σου κάμπτων ὄρθρου γόνυ πρὸς φάος apy. 383