Encircled And Besieged

Περιεκύκλωσάν με μόσχοι πολλοί, ταῦροι πίονες περιέσχον με... ̓Μόσχοι δ' ἄν εἴεν καὶ αἱ περὶ τὰ γήϊνα καὶ σωματικὰ ἐνεργοῦσαι πονηραὶ δυνάμεις γεωπόνον γὰρ τοῦτο τὸ ζῷον, αἱ δὲ ψευδοδοξίας προϊστάμεναι δι' ἀπατηλῶν λόγων καὶ σοφισμάτων κερατίζουσαι ταῦροι τυγχάνουσιν πίονες ὄντες διὰ τὸ δῆθεν πολυμαθὲς καὶ κεκομψευμένον τῆς φράσεως. Δυνατὸν δὲ καὶ τοὺς ̓Ιουδαίους κατὰ νόμον βουθυτοῦντας ἐξ ὤν ἐπιτηδεύουσιν μόσχους ὠνομασμένους περικυκλοῦν ἐχθρικῶς τὸν Kύριον· Πόντιος δὲ Πιλᾶτος καὶ εἰ τινες ἄλλοι ἐν ὑπεροχῇ ταῦροι κερατισταὶ ὑπάρχοντες, περιέχειν σπουδάζουσιν αὐτόν. Λέγοι δ' ἄν ταῦτα ὁ σωτὴρ καὶ περὶ τοῦ σώματος αὐτοῦ τῆς ἐκκλησίας, ἰδὼν ἀνθρώπους χαμαιπεταῖς καὶ γῆν ἐργαζομένους πολεμικῶς περικυκλοῦντας αὐτοῦ τὸ σῶμα, τὸ ̓Εκύκλωσάν με μόσχοι πολλοί. Tοὺς δὲ αρχοντας, τούτου τοῦ αἰῶνος σοφίαν ἐπαγγελλομένους, ἑωρακὼς περιθέοντας αὐτοῦ τὸ σῶμα ἐρεῖ· Ταῦροι πίονες περιέσχον με. Δίδυμος Αλεξανδρεύς, Εἰς Ψαλμούς, Ψαλμος KA´ Source: Migne PG 39.1280b-c

Many young bulls encircled me, mighty bulls besieged me... 1 The young bulls seem to be wicked powers that drive to worldly and corporeal cares, for this animal is a labourer on the earth, but those who glory in lies through deceitful words and sophisms, which are their tossing horns, they are the bulls who are mighty because of learning and eloquent words. Also it is possible to say that the Jews according to the law are sacrificial bulls, and among these they appear to be named the young bulls who are aggressively surrounding the Lord, but Pontius Pilate, and not a few others, greater in the rank of dignity, are therefore the horn bearing bulls, who are keen to beleaguer Him. And then the Savior may say these things about the body of His Church, when He sees base men and the earth becoming hostile and encircling His body: 'Many young bulls encircled me,' and when He sees those professed as leaders in the world's wisdom surrounding His body, He says, 'Mighty bulls besieged me.' Didymus the Blind, Commentary on The Psalms, from Psalm 21 1 Ps 21.12