Some, failing to grasp the meaning of this passage, connect the terms Lebanon, firs, pines, and oaks of Bashan to the opposing powers labeled by the prophet Ezekiel as Assur and Pharaoh: "Behold, Assur was a cedar in Lebanon, with beautiful branches and shady foliage, and tall in stature; his top was in the midst of thick boughs. The waters raised it up, the abyss lifted it up" (Ezekiel 31:3-4). They interpret this to refer to either hostile forces or to certain arrogant leaders, reminiscent of the psalm: "The voice of the Lord crushes the cedars; the Lord crushes the cedars of Lebanon" (Psalm 28:5), and elsewhere: "For the day of the Lord of hosts is coming upon all that is proud and haughty, and upon all that is exalted, and it shall be abased" (Isaiah 2:12), continuing with "And upon all the cedars of Lebanon, high and exalted, and upon all the oaks of Bashan" (Isaiah 2:13). They further assert that it is foretold of Lebanon: "Lebanon shall fall with the high ones." However, we will adhere to the former interpretation, as it aligns with our indicated understanding. The weeping of the shepherds is evident, for their security lies in ruins; the roar of young lions signifies the desolation of the splendor of the Jordan (Zechariah 11:3). This echoes a portion of the preceding text. Those previously termed cedars, firs, pines, and oaks of Bashan are now compared to shepherds, meaning leaders and teachers among the people. They must lament due to the destruction of their greatness, external beauty, and splendor, specifically the temple they took pride in.
The Synod presents additional thoughts that suggest this could still reference the Assyrian, proposing that with its downfall, neighboring nations under its influence would be cut down and humbled, representing metaphorically the people and rulers. Lebanon with its heights would also collapse, leaving no remnants of Assyrian power. Conversely, others perceive this as foreshadowing Christ, particularly as we recognize references made about Him, both to us and to the circumcision. Previously, we discussed the name of the Child born of the Virgin, called Immanuel, and later how He would be conceived by the Prophetess—named Haste, meaning to seize the spoils, to hurry in plunder; that He serves as a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to both houses of Israel, with His dominion being at His feet. He is known by six names: Wonderful, Counselor, God, Mighty, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace, with His reign multiplying and His peace enduring without end. In the prologue to His coming, prior to declaring His descent from Jesse and David, His suffering is symbolized through the image of the broken pane—indicating that by divine will, His flesh was put to death, leading to the humbling of the Jews who once stood high, and that Lebanon with its cedars would be felled. This is illustrated in Zechariah: "Open, O Lebanon, thy doors, and let fire consume thy cedars; cry, O fir tree, for the cedar has fallen, for the magnificent have been devastated" (Zechariah 11:1-2). His being wounded and afflicted by the Father is manifested in: "I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered" (Zech. 13:8), and further: "By him thou hast struck, thou hast scattered them" (Psalm 67:27). The Hebrew term phura, which Aquila translated as χεραμεΤον, and Theodotion and Symmachus as ληνόν, or cottonwood, signifies the Lord's suffering, as proclaimed in Isaiah: "I alone have trodden the winepress, and of the nations there was no man with Me" (Isaiah 63:3). The LXX, in place of hatchet, introduced a new meaning by translating it as glorious.
THEOSIS