In this area, the common translation varies greatly from the Hebrew original, a fact that can be discerned by the discerning reader from our earlier commentary. Let us first provide the interpretation regarding the Hebrew text, and subsequently, with Christ's guidance, if we are worthy, share our analysis of the LXX translation. The house of Joseph, meaning the house of Ephraim, thus royal, and Bethel, or as LXX translates, ‘the house of Israel,’ symbolizing kings and nations, idols and their worshippers, shall face destruction for having provoked God's anger through unrighteous judgment. They have soured the sweetness of justice into bitter wormwood, abandoning the truth while chasing after iniquity. The following verse clarifies what that truth is: ‘Who created Arcturus and Orion, turning darkness into dawn and light into night.’ Of whom it is said: ‘Who forms the mountains, makes the wind, and proclaims His word to man, turns the morning into darkness, and walks upon the heights of the earth; the Lord God of Hosts is His name’ (Amos 4:13). He is the creator of Arcturus, referred to as “chetzi” in Hebrew, which Simmachus and Theodotion translate as πλείαδα, commonly known as “Votes.” The term ‘Orion’ which follows, known as ‘chasil’ in Hebrew, was translated by Simmachus as ‘stars’ and by Theodotion as ‘evening star’; however, our Jewish instructor interpreted ‘chasil’ as ‘luminescence,’ generally indicating ‘shining stars.’ When we hear ‘Arcturus’ and ‘Orion,’ we ought not to follow the myths of poets and the absurd fables they use to tarnish the heavens, erroneously suggesting that transformation into stars is a reward for immoral behavior. We must recognize that the Hebrew terms are distinct and have been rendered into our language using names from pagan mythology, as we can only comprehend these references by employing the terms we have learned and grown accustomed to, albeit through misunderstanding. Additionally, in the book of Kings, the Greeks interpreted the Hebrew word ‘raphaim’ as ‘titans’ (2 Kings 5:18), which is rooted in a renowned myth among the Gentiles. Similarly, they compose works in honor of deities detailing giant struggles (γιγαντομακίας) and the weaponry of Tithes and of Aetna, which trembles in response to Enceladus. Yet, it is God, the creator of all, who fashioned Arcturus and Orion, who turns night into day and day into night, purifying the bitter waters of the sea, elevated by the heat of the air, and pouring them out in pleasant rains, akin to a medical vessel drawing moisture and blood upwards. Thus, we gain insight into the origin of rains. In the subsequent phrase, ‘He derides the desolation of the strong,’ the prophet reestablishes focus on the present, indicating that the creator of all threatens the captivity of Samaria, causing the strong to face ruin, because they have turned judgment into bitterness, abandoning the truth. In our mention of 'He laughs,' Aquila translated it as ό μειδίων. The term μειδίαμα could best be described as a ‘sneer,’ an expression revealing annoyance. To address the LXX translation, God executes judgment in the heights, acting in truth and rewarding each according to their deeds. Furthermore, those who aspire to imitate Him and seek perfection, as their Father in heaven (Matthew 5), engage in judging rightly, eschewing that judge who neither feared God nor respected man (Luke 18) and, through distorted judgment, brought their judgments down rather than aspiring upwards. The following words, ‘and has put righteousness upon the earth,’ must be understood in the context that He bestowed upon us His righteousness, Christ, not casting it aside but placing it upon the earth to elevate us from earthly to heavenly through triumph over unrighteousness. I believe even the pagan poet drew from this source, who spoke of the simple and joyous lives of rural folk, stating, ‘They possess but the final trace of the truth departing from the earth.’ In the phrasing, ‘He creates all things and transforms them,’ they encapsulate Arcturus and Orion together, neglecting to convey the meanings of the words in Greek. God transforms everything when He creates heavenly from earthly and grants mankind the likeness of angels, when the moon will shine as the sun, and the sunlight will be more radiant than all times. This is when the spiritual, weak, and corruptible will become spiritual, strong, and immortal, altering glories without changing essence, when the wise will illuminate like stars in the firmament, and fulfilling the written word: ‘And glory to the sun, and glory to the moon, and glory to the stars: for one star differs in glory from another; so also is the resurrection of the dead’ (1 Corinthians 15:41-42), when all of creation will be liberated from the bondage of decay into the freedom of the glory of the children of God. This God transforms all things, even the shadow of death into light, as those who dwelt in darkness and the shadow of death behold the great light, and those who were sons of night and darkness become sons of light and day. This is the God who turns day into darkness—the day of those who shouted, ‘Crucify Him, crucify Him’ (John 19:6)—removing this person from the earth, as at the sixth hour, the day transformed into night, symbolizing Jewish blindness. Not merely in a literal sense, but in a profound sense, the light that had arisen for them through the law and the prophets has turned to darkness, and they are blind to what they read and hear, fulfilling the prophecy: ‘Let their eyes be darkened that they may not see, and their back be bent down always’ (Psalm 69:24). This God calls forth the waters of the sea and pours them across the earth, turning sinners into the righteous. For brevity's sake, let us present but one example. The apostle Paul, much like a violent tempest, a raging storm, and the depths of a tumultuous sea, persecuted and attempted to oppress the Church of God. Having received a call from the Lord, he covered the earth with his ministry, preaching from Jerusalem to Illyricum, avoiding treading upon another’s foundation where the Gospel had already been declaring (Romans 15). He ventured as far as Spain and traversed from the Red Sea, or rather from ocean to ocean, emulating his Lord and the Son of Righteousness, of whom it is stated: ‘from the end of heaven His going forth, and His return is to the end of it’ (Psalm 18:7), indicating he lacked for earthly locales but not zeal for proclaiming the Gospel. This God also breaks the mighty, making weak those who were strong in evil, so they may echo the apostle’s words: ‘for when I am weak, then I am strong’ (2 Corinthians 12:10). Even ‘the sons of this age are more shrewd than the sons of light in their generation’ (Luke 16:8). Physical strength often results in spiritual weakness, while strength of spirit leads to physical frailty. Therefore, the Lord, who organizes all things with wisdom and judges them with justice, shatters the strong opponent and brings trouble to the stronghold that rebels against divine understanding. We find this in Proverbs: ‘A wise man scales the city of the mighty and brings down the stronghold in which they trust’ (Proverbs 21:22). He operates similarly towards all worldly powers, particularly heretics who strive to impose false doctrines through arguments, sophistries, and dialectical tactics. Yet the wise man dismantles them, and with God’s aid, reveals the emptiness of their strongholds by imposing calamity upon them, so that they, turning from arrogance, may resonate with the apostle’s reflection: ‘I am a wretched man: who will deliver me from this body of death?’ (Romans 7:24).
THEOSIS