Estranged Sons

Υἱοὶ ἀλλότριοι ἐπαλαιώθησαν, καὶ τα ἐξῆς. Τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀρχὴ καὶ πηγὴ τυγχάνων ὁ Θεὸς, πατὴρ γίνεται τῶν ἀγαθοεργούντων· καὶ ὅσον ἐν τῷ ποιεῖν τὰ δέοντα τυγχάνουσιν οὗτοι ἴδιοι υἱοὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ μετέχοντες τοὺ μονογενοῦς Υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ. Εἰ δὲ ἀπροσεκτήσαντες, τῶν ἐναντίων μεθέξουσιν, ταῦτα δ' ἐστιν τὰ κακὰ, ἀλλοτριωθεῖειν Θεοῦ· οἶς ἀκολουθήσει καὶ τὸ, παλαιωθῆναι. Κοινωνοῦντες γὰρ τῇ ἀρετῇ λαμπρᾷ καὶ ἁμαράντῳ σοφιᾳ και ἀγήρῳ ἀεὶ νεάζοντες ἐτυγχανον· μεταπεσόντες δὲ εἰς τὴν κακίαν, παλαιωθεῖεν ὑπὸ τῆς φθορᾶς αὐτῶν, ἵν' οὕτως εἴπω, τριβακούμενοι. Καὶ ἔτι ἐπεὶ περὶ Ἰουδαίων ἐστὶν ὁ στίχος· οὗτοι δὲ παρακάθηνται τῇ παλαιότητι τοῦ γράμματος, οὐδὲ κατὰ ποσὸν ἔπεσθαι τῇ καινόντητι τοῦ πνεύματος ἁνεχόμενοι, Υἱοὶ ἀλλότριοι καὶ πεπελαιωμένοι γεγένηνται. Οὗτοι δὲ καὶ ἐπαμφοτερισταὶ καὶ δίψυχοι γεγένημενοι, χωλεύειν ἀπὸ τῶν σφῶν τρίβων λέγονται. Τὸ γὰρ ἐπαμφοτερίζειν, χωλεύειν Ἠλίας εἶπεν φάσκων· Ἔως πότε χωλανεῖτε ἐπ' ἀμφοτέραις ἰγνύαις; Εἰ ἔστιν Κύριος, πορεύεσθε ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ. Καὶ τάχα πᾶς ὁ τὴν θείαν Γραφὴν προσηκάμενος, μὴ ὡς δεῖ διανοούμενος αὐτὴν, χωλεύειν ἐν αὐτῇ λέγεται· τοῦ μὴ παραδεξαμένου αὐτὴν, μήτε βαδίζοντος, μήτε χωλεύοντος ἐν αὐτῇ. Δίδυμος Αλεξανδρεύς, Εἰς Ψαλμους, Ψαλμος ΙΖ'

'Estranged sons have withered,' 1 and what follows. God is the principle and fount of all goods, a father doing good, and whoever in deed does rightly they are like the sons of God, participants in the the only begotten Son of God. And if they decline from this, partaking of what is opposite to this, by these wicked things they are estranged from God, by which it follows that they wither. For those participant in virtue shine with unfading wisdom, and not growing old are ever young, but they who fall into wickedness, they age by their own corruption, and, so I say, perish. And then the verse is about the Jews, for these serving the old letter are not able to follow the new spirit and 'Estranged sons' and 'withered' they are.' And those who are wavering and uncertain are then referred to, when they are said to hobble from their paths. 1 And about wavering and doubt Elijah speaks, saying, 'How long shall you hesitate with your feet? If he is the Lord, follow him.' 2 And perhaps everyone who receives Divine Scripture and does not grasp it as it befits is one who hesitates in the way of the things that are said. And he who does not receive it, well, he neither walks in it, nor does he hobble in it. Didymus the Blind, Commentary on the Psalms, Psalm 17 1 Ps 17. 46 2 3 kings 18.21