THEOSISJerome of Stridon
I live, says the Lord: even if Jehoiakim’s son Honiah is like a cherished ring on my right hand, I will still remove it and place you into the hands of those seeking your life, those whose presence you fear, specifically Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, and the Chaldeans. I will cast you and your mother, who bore you, into a foreign land where you were not born, and there you shall meet your end. They will not return to the land they long for. The Lord instructs the house of the king of Judah to hear this message, as He addresses them again.
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The prophet, after speaking about Zedekiah, the final king of Jerusalem, shifts his focus back to his brother Jehoiakim, who ruled prior to him. At the conclusion of this prophecy, he addresses Jehoiakim's son, Josiah's grandson, Jehoiachin, also known as Joachin, who along with his mother, nobles, and craftsmen, was captured by Nebuchadnezzar and taken to Chaldea, where he died. It is declared that although Jehoiachin is like a ring constantly worn, I will remove him and hand him over to the king of Babylon, where he will perish along with his mother and companions, forever cut off from the land of Judah that he yearned to see again.
The unfortunate Grunnius, who maliciously spoke against the holy individuals and misused his tongue to deceive, translated one work of the pagan Sextus Pythagoreanus into Latin, dividing it into two volumes and boldly attributing them to the holy martyr Xystus, Bishop of Rome. These volumes do not mention Christ, the Holy Spirit, or God the Father, nor do they include references to patriarchs, prophets, or apostles. This book, which has found its way into various regions, particularly among those who preach apathy and moral irreproach, is referred to as The Finger (Appilite).
Just as the Lord warns He will cast aside Jehoiachin as if he were an unworthy ring, I implore readers to discard this inconsequential book and, if they choose to read it, treat it like any other philosophical text rather than as something sacred. In my interpretations, where I am accustomed to present various viewpoints, I often phrase it as ‘some say, others believe, some understand.’ Consequently, the unfortunate Grunnius and, many years later, his students and followers accused me of misattributing my own thoughts to others, which I express sincerely to avoid offending anyone.
Thus, since my good intentions have led to slander, I now address both the deceased and the living individual who seeks to revive that heresy—namely, their teacher Origen, who interprets this scripture as relating to Christ. He explains that the Lord was taken from the hand of God the Father like a ring, sent into a land of captivity, into a state of sorrow, and yielded to the cross, with His mother—clearly symbolizing the synagogue—being led into captivity as well. The same speaker is unafraid to contemplate the words of the Lord of glory: "earth, earth, earth! Hear the word of the Lord." Thus says the Lord, "Write this man as forsaken and barren." This was penned so that his disciples would not dare to challenge it, recorded in the fifth book of the Stromata.