Excerpts on the Psalms (Greek)

Excerpta in Psalmos

Origen of Alexandria · c. 230–250 AD · PG 17; Excerpta in Psalmos Greek)

Throne of judgment and the Church as the inhabited world§1

1He prepared his throne in judgment. He judges the world with justice and judges peoples with uprightness. Therefore, one must fear such a judge, flee impious thoughts, and dread terrible things. The world is understood as the Church under the Father and the Son, as he said: I and my Father will come and make a dwelling with him; other peoples remain outside the Church. Sing to the Lord who dwells in Zion. Moreover, in every soul where Zion exists and where there is watchfulness, God dwells. He seeks the blood of the nations that have killed his people and remembers them after raising them. Therefore, their memory has perished with noise and will be lifted upon the swords. Yet he remembers those for whom they became a refuge. Arise, Lord my God; lift up your hand; do not forget your poor ones forever. Grieved by these impious words, the prophet again prays, saying these things, to show God to the trial, as he no longer robs the poor. He also remembered the blasphemy of the wicked, saying: Lord, you have heard the desire of the poor; incline your ear to the readiness of their heart. For they longed to break the arm of the sinner and be freed from his tyranny, and this has indeed come to pass. Desire of a good, active mind is prayer. Having seen the heart-knower, he filled it. For I had a heart ready to be saved and to obtain the promised kingdom. Lord.

From heaven he looked down upon the sons of men, to see if there is one who understands, or who seeks God. All that is said concerning God as incorporeal though appearing bodily must be heard in a heavenly manner. For example, it is said that he dwells in the heavens, as if using a temple for the divine powers, those which are in heaven. They are called homonymously after the places in which they are, just as also humans who name themselves after the earth. As in the passage: All the earth shall worship you, and: All the earth cries out with joy. But in the heavens he dwells and also in humans, being present to those who bear the image of the heavenly. And also as the word of creation and providence attaining in all creation. From the most excellent parts this is shown: in the Lord's Prayer, Our Father who art in heaven. and, God in heaven above. And also a small portion of the divine instruction, the appellation of heaven indicates the intelligible substance, in which especially one draws near to seek God. For the heaven of heavens belongs to the Lord. From this he looks down in turn upon those of the lower state, to see if anyone is understanding, seeking God, so that, having found, he might attain the gifts from him. This comes to pass when wickedness together with impiety holds sway, as it is said: There is no mercy, nor truth, nor knowledge of God upon the earth, and upon these things. Thus, when humanity is harmed, how should not the good one have looked upon the Savior, so that, having found some beginning of understanding, he might increase it, and reveal himself to those who seek him? For he reveals himself to those who do not disbelieve in him. Verse 3. All have turned aside. together they have become useless. There is none doing good, no, not one. He prophesies the change of the nations toward gentleness and piety. Therefore he asks: Not, of the Lord.

When he comes, they will not abandon the beastly way of life, and they will come to know the Lord; for Isaiah also declares: Those to whom nothing was proclaimed about him will see him, and those who did not hear will gain understanding.

Verse 5, 2. There they were seized by fear, though there was nothing to fear, because the Lord is present in the generation of the righteous. For he says that when those who were foretold come to fear the Lord, it will be among those who previously had no fear.

17.109. Then, in the generation that is to come, a community will be established concerning which a decree has been fixed. Psalm 15, verse 1. An inscription dedicated to David. The others inscribed David’s name.

Greek · §1

Excerpta in Psalmos ΩΡΙΓΕΝΟΥΣ ΕΚΛΟΓΑΙ ΕΙΣ ΤΟΥΣ ΨΑΛΜΟΥΣ 17.105 ΨΑΛ. Θʹ. Στίχ. ηʹ. Ἡτοίμασεν ἐν κρίσει τὸν θρόνον αὐτοῦ. Στίχ. θʹ. Καὶ αὐτὸς κρινεῖ τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐν δι καιοσύνῃ. Κρινεῖ λαοὺς ἐν εὐθύτητι. Φοβητέον ἄρα τὸν τοιοῦτον κριτὴν, ψεκτάς τε πρά ξεις καὶ ἀσεβὲς φεύγοντα φρόνημα. Οἰκουμένην δὲ νοήσεις τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, οἰκουμένην ὑπό τε Πατρὸς καὶ Υἱοῦ, κατὰ τό· Ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ Πατήρ μου ἐλευσό μεθα, καὶ μονὴν παρ' αὐτῷ ποιησόμεθα· λαοὺς δὲ τοὺς λοιποὺς παρὰ τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν. Στίχ. ιβʹ. Ψάλατε τῷ Κυρίῳ, τῷ κατοικοῦντι ἐν Σιών. Καὶ ἄλλως δέ· ἐν πάσῃ ψυχῇ Σιὼν οὔσῃ καὶ σκο πευτηρίῳ Θεὸς κατοικεῖ. Ἐκζητεῖ δὲ τὰ αἵματα τῶν ἐθνῶν ἀποκτεινάντων αὐτὰ, καὶ μιμνήσκεται αὐτῶν ἀναστὰς αὐτά. Οὐκοῦν τό· Ἀπώλετο τὸ μνημόσυ νον αὐτῶν μετ' ἤχου, ἐπὶ τὰς ῥομφαίας ἀνενεχθή σεται. Ἐκείνων δὲ μέμνηται, ὧν ἐγένετο καταφυγή. Στίχ. λγʹ. Ἀνάστηθι, Κύριε ὁ Θεός μου· ὑψωθήτω ἡ χείρ σου· μὴ ἐπιλάθῃ τῶν πενήτων σου εἰς τέλος. Ἐκ δὲ τῶν δυσσεβῶν τούτων ῥημάτων ἀνιαθεὶς ὁ 17.108 προφήτης, πάλιν εὔχεται λέγων ταῦτα, δεῖξαι τῇ πείρᾳ τὸν Θεὸν αἰτῶν, ὡς οὐκέτι λέλησται τῶν πτω χῶν. Καὶ τῆς τοῦ ἀσεβοῦς δὲ βλασφημίας ὑπέμνησε λέγων· Στίχ. ληʹ. Τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν τῶν πενήτων εἰσήκου σας, Κύριε· τῇ ἑτοιμασίᾳ τῆς καρδίας αὐτῶν πρόσεχε τὸ οὖς σου. Ἐπεθύμουν γὰρ συντριβῆναι τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ τὸν βραχίονα, καὶ τῆς αὐτοῦ τυραννίδος ἐλευθερωθῆναι· ὃ δὴ καὶ γέγονεν. Ἐπιθυμία δὲ διανοίας ἀγαθῆς ἐνεργής ἐστι προσευχή. Ἣν ἰδὼν ὁ καρδιογνώστης, ἐπλήρωσεν. Ἑτοίμην γὰρ εἶχον πρὸς τὸ σωθῆναι καρ δίαν, καὶ τῆς ἐπηγγελμένης βασιλείας τυχεῖν. ΨΑΛ. ΙΓʹ. Στίχ. βʹ. Κύριος ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ διέκυψεν ἐπὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων, τοῦ ἰδεῖν εἰ ἔστι συνιὼν, ἢ ἐκζητῶν τὸν Θεόν. Ὅσα σωματικῶς ἀσωμάτου τυγχάνοντος λέγοιτο περὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ, θεοπρεπῶς ἀκουστέον. Οἷον, ἐν οὐ ρανοῖς λέγεται κατοικεῖν, ὡς ναῷ χρώμενος ταῖς θείαις δυνάμεσι, ταῖς ἐν οὐρανῷ. Καλοῦνται γὰρ ὁμωνύμως τοῖς ἐν οἷς εἰσι τόποις· ὡς καὶ ἄνθρωποι γῆ χρηματίζοντες. Ὡς ἐν τῷ· Πᾶσα ἡ γῆ προσκυ νησάτωσάν σοι, καί· Πᾶσα ἡ γῆ βοᾷ μετ' εὐφρο σύνης. Ἐν οὐρανοῖς δὲ οἰκεῖ καὶ ἐν ἀνθρώποις ὢν, τοῖς φοροῦσι τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ ἐπουρανίου. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ὡς δημιουργίας λόγῳ καὶ προνοίας ἐν πάσῃ τῇ κτίσει τυγχάνοντος. Ἐκ τῶν καλλίστων τοῦτο δηλοῦ ται μερῶν· ἔν τε τῷ, Πάτερ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρα νοῖς· καὶ, Θεὸς ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ ἄνω. Ἀλλὰ καὶ πολ λαχοῦ τῆς θείας παιδεύσεως ἡ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ προσηγο ρία δηλοῖ τὴν νοητὴν οὐσίαν, ἐν ᾗ μάλιστα Θεὸν προσ ήκει ζητεῖν. Ὁ οὐρανὸς γὰρ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τῷ Κυρίῳ. Ἐκ τούτου συμβατικῶς ἐπισκοπεῖ τοὺς τῆς ὑποδεεστέρας καταστάσεως, Τοῦ ἰδεῖν, εἴ τίς ἐστι συνετὸς, ἐκζητῶν τὸν Θεόν· ὡς ἂν εὑρὼν τύχοι τῶν παρ' αὐτοῦ δωρεῶν. Γίνεται δὲ τοῦτο, κακίας σὺν ἀσεβείᾳ κρατούσης, ὡς λεχθῆναι· Οὐκ ἔστιν ἔλεος, οὐδὲ ἀλήθεια, οὐδὲ ἐπίγνωσις Θεοῦ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τούτοις. Οὕτω τῶν ἀνθρώπων βλαβέντων, πῶς οὐκ ἔδει τὸν ἀγαθὸν ἐπιβλέψαι Σω τῆρα, ὡς ἂν, ἀφορμήν τινα συνέσεως εὑρὼν, ταύτην πληθύνῃ, καὶ τοῖς ἐκζητοῦσιν ἐμφανίσειεν ἑαυτόν; Ἐμφανίζεται γὰρ τοῖς μὴ ἀπιστοῦσιν αὐτῷ. Στίχ. γʹ. Πάντες ἐξέκλιναν· ἅμα ἠχρειώθησαν. Οὐκ ἔστι ποιῶν χρηστότητα, οὐκ ἔστιν ἕως ἑνός. Προφητεύει μεταβολὴν τῶν ἐθνῶν εἰς ἡμερότητα καὶ εὐσέβειαν. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἐρωτᾷ, Μὴ, τοῦ Κυρίου ἐλ θόντος, οὐ παύσονται τοῦ θηριώδους βίου, καὶ ἐπι γνώσονται τὸν Κύριον; Λέγει γὰρ καὶ Ἡσαΐας· Οἷς οὐκ ἀνηγγέλη περὶ αὐτοῦ ὄψονται· οἳ οὐκ ἀκη κόασι συνήσουσιν. Στίχ. εʹ, ʹ. Ἐκεῖ ἐδειλίασαν φόβῳ, οὗ οὐκ ἦν φόβος· ὅτι Κύριος ἐν γενεᾷ δικαίων. Ἔσται γὰρ, φησὶν, ὅτε οἱ προῤῥηθέντες φοβηθή σονται Κύριον, παρ' οἷς οὐκ ἦν πρότερον φόβος. 17.109 Ἐκεῖ δὲ ἐν τῇ μελλούσῃ συστήσεται γενεᾷ, περὶ ἧς πάγει. ΨΑΛ. ΙΕʹ. Στίχ. αʹ. Στηλογραφία τῷ ∆αβίδ. Τοῦ ∆αβὶδ ἐπέγραψαν οἱ λοιποί·

Stele of eternal memory and the Lord's hard paths§2

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2They likewise issued the inscription, as it contained prophecy deserving of eternal remembrance. Just as victorious athletes in stadium contests are awarded pillars, and triumphant warriors erect trophies for later remembrance, so too the great trophy of the Savior—erected after he overthrew the holder of death’s power—was established from above through prophetic writings. Peter, recalling this within himself, added: 'Brothers, it is permitted to speak openly with you about the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb remains among us to this day. As a prophet who knew God had sworn an oath to him—that from the fruit of his loins He would raise up according to the flesh the Christ to sit on his throne—having foreseen this, he spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that he was neither abandoned in Hades nor did his flesh see decay. This Jesus God raised up, of whom we all are witnesses.' Psalm 16:10. By the words of your lips, I have kept to hard paths. A model for us, and through these things the Savior gives, so that those needing God’s help do not think only of themselves. The ways of the Lord are the observances of the commandments; yet rather, the virtuous actions, smooth and level, demonstrated by continual treading from those rushing toward their goal, which is blessedness and the fulfillment of promises. Let us therefore act in accordance with them, so that our steps do not falter, if the Lord prepares them in his ways. Concerning this request, the one who gains it says: 'I ran without iniquity and I directed my course.'

I ran in the way of your commandments when you enlarged my heart. Psalm 76, verse 3. The pains of Sheol surrounded me; they anticipated me beforehand, like snares of death. Yet these things will also be fitting for the Savior, who has much familiarity with them. Now my soul is troubled; my soul is exceedingly sorrowful even unto death. Psalm 76, verse 8. And it was shaken, and the earth became terrified. The foundations of the mountains were shaken and trembled, because God was angry with them. This clearly shows the descent of God through the aforementioned—that is, death and the pangs of Hades. From when, however, having descended, according to Aquila, the earth was moved and shaken. For every Hebrew hearing and barbarian was filled with the report about him. He said the earth, those upon the earth. But mountains, of the opposing forces; which by the wandering of the idols they allotted to men, 17.112, being subdued by the knowledge of God. The foundations, and the deep reasonings, perceiving the power of the Lord, were shaken, being burdened. Which, God having been angered, smoke went up as upon a threshing floor; and the fire being extinguished and having ceased, by which they burned men. But this fire was extinguished by its own fire. Because fire consuming has been said to be God beside Moses. And in the Psalms: Fire before him will go forth, and it will flame around his enemies. And again: God will manifestly come, our God, and he will not keep silent. Fire before him will be kindled, and around him a violent tempest. Therefore also the Savior said: Fire I came to cast upon the earth. And what do I wish, if already I have been lifted up? These things he did by bowing and descending, not one heaven only, but all, as many as ever are; to bow.

His humility in stature and the emptying of his deity are revealed. The hidden and concealed aspect of his economy is made known through darkness and mist. Then he was taken up upon the cherub, though not descending with it. As he ascended bodily, the divine contemplative powers that had surrounded him escorted his rise, proclaiming: Lift up your gates, you rulers; be lifted up, eternal gates; so the King of glory may enter. This has come to pass as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, where they witnessed him being taken up and a cloud received him from their sight. Verse 12: He established darkness as his concealment, with his tent encircling him. Who could see the one within the tent without entering inside? Thus, no one can see God unless they enter the veil of incomprehensibility. Moses entered the darkness where God was present. Having stood firm in regard to God’s creation and providence, he came to know that God is contained within these. By slightly opening it, he who bears the image learned from the image itself; and from creation and providence, he came to know the Creator and the Provident One.

Greek · §2

στηλογραφίαν δὲ ὁμοίως ἐξέδωκαν, τῷ περιέχειν προφητείαν αἰωνίου μνήμης ἀξίαν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ οἱ μέγιστοι τῶν ἀγωνι ζομένων ἐν σταδίοις ἀθληταὶ στήλης ἀξιοῦνται, καὶ τῶν ἐν πολέμοις κατωρθωμένων εἰς τὴν μετὰ ταῦτα μνήμην ἵσταται τρόπαια· οὕτω τὸ μέγα τρόπαιον τοῦ Σωτῆρος, ὅπερ ἤγειρε καθελὼν τὸν τὸ κράτος ἔχοντα τοῦ θανάτου, Γραφαῖς ἄνωθεν ἐστηλιτεύθη προφη τικαῖς. ∆ιὸ καὶ Πέτρος, τῶν ἐν αὐτῷ μνημονεύσας, ἐπήγαγεν· "6Ἄνδρες ἀδελφοὶ, ἐξὸν εἰπεῖν μετὰ παῤ ῥησίας πρὸς ὑμᾶς περὶ τοῦ πατριάρχου ∆αβὶδ, ὅτι καὶ ἐτελεύτησε καὶ ἐτάφη, καὶ τὸ μνῆμα αὐτοῦ ἔστιν ἐν ἡμῖν ἄχρι τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης. Προφήτης οὖν ὑπάρχων, καὶ εἰδὼς, ὅτι ὅρκῳ ὤμοσεν αὐτῷ ὁ Θεὸς, ἐκ καρποῦ τῆς ὀσφύος αὐτοῦ τὸ κατὰ σάρκα ἀναστή σειν τὸν Χριστὸν καθίσαι ἐπὶ τὸν θρόνον αὐτοῦ· προϊδὼν δὲ ἐλάλησε περὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως τοῦ Χρι στοῦ, ὅτι οὔτε ἐγκατελείφθη εἰς ᾅδην, οὔτε ἡ σὰρξ αὐτοῦ εἶδε διαφθοράν. Τοῦτον τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἀνέστησεν ὁ Θεὸς, οὗ πάντες ἡμεῖς ἐσμεν μάρτυρες."6 ΨΑΛ. Ι ʹ. Στίχ. δʹ. ∆ιὰ τοὺς λόγους τῶν χειλέων σου, ἐγὼ ἐφύλαξα ὁδοὺς σκληράς. Ὑπογραμμὸν ἡμῖν καὶ διὰ τούτων δίδωσιν ὁ Σω τὴρ, μὴ φρονεῖν ἐφ' ἑαυτοῖς δεομένοις τῆς παρὰ Θεοῦ βοηθείας. Τρίβοι δὲ Κυρίου τῶν ἐντολῶν αἱ τηρήσεις· μᾶλλον δὲ αἱ κατ' ἀρετὴν ἐνέργειαι, ὁμαλαὶ καὶ λεῖαι δειχθεῖσαι ἐκ τοῦ συνεχῶς πατεῖσθαι πρὸς τῶν φθά σαι σπευδόντων ἐπὶ τὸ τέλος αὐτῶν, ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἡ μακαριότης, καὶ τῶν ἐπαγγελιῶν ἡ ἀπόδοσις. ∆ρά μωμεν τοίνυν κατ' αὐτοὺς, οὐ σφαλλομένων τῶν δια βημάτων ἡμῶν, εἰ Κύριος αὐτὰ καταρτίσειεν ἐν ταῖς τρίβοις αὐτοῦ. Ταύτης τῆς αἰτήσεως ὁ τυχών φησιν· Ἄνευ ἀνομίας ἔδραμον καὶ κατηύθυνα· καὶ τὸ, Ὁδὸν ἐντολῶν σου ἔδραμον, ὅτε ἂν ἐπλάτυνας τὴν καρδίαν μου. ΨΑΛ. ΙΖʹ. Στίχ. ʹ. Ὠδῖνες ᾅδου περιεκύκλωσάν με· προ έφθασάν με παγίδες θανάτου. Ἁρμόσει δὲ ταῦτα καὶ τῷ Σωτῆρι, ἔχοντα πολλὴν οἰκειότητα πρὸς τὸ, Νῦν ἡ ψυχή μου τετάρακται· καὶ, Περίλυπός ἐστιν ἡ ψυχή μου ἕως θανάτου. Στίχ. ηʹ. Καὶ ἐσαλεύθη, καὶ ἔντρομος ἐγενήθη ἡ γῆ. Καὶ τὰ θεμέλια τῶν ὀρέων ἐταράχθησαν, καὶ ἐσαλεύθησαν, ὅτι ὠργίσθη αὐτοῖς ὁ Θεός. Προδήλως δείκνυσι τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν κατάβασιν διὰ τὰ προειρημένα, τόν τε θάνατον καὶ τὰς ὠδῖνας τοῦ ᾅδου. Ἐξ οὗ δὲ καταβάντος, κατὰ τὸν Ἀκύλαν, ἐκινήθη καὶ ἐσείσθη ἡ γῆ. Πᾶσα γὰρ ἀκοὴ Ἑλληνικὴ καὶ βάρβαρος ἐπληροῦτο τῆς περὶ αὐτοῦ φήμης. Γῆν γὰρ ἔφη τοὺς ἐπὶ γῆς. Ὀρέων δὲ, τῶν ἀντικει μένων δυνάμεων· αἳ τῇ πλάνῃ τῶν εἰδώλων τοὺς ἀν 17.112 θρώπους ἐνέμοντο, τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ κατεπαιρόμεναι γνώ σεως. Τὰ θεμέλια, καὶ οἱ βαθεῖς διαλογισμοὶ, αἰσθα νόμενα τῆς τοῦ Κυρίου δυνάμεως, ἐταράχθησαν ἀχθόμενα. Αἷς ὀργισθέντος τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀνέβη καπνὸς καθάπερ ἐπὶ δαλοῦ· σβεννυμένων καὶ τοῦ πυρὸς παυσαμένων, ᾧ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους κατέφλεγον. Τὸ πῦρ δὲ τοῦτο κατέσβεσε τῷ ἰδίῳ πυρί. Καθὸ πῦρ καταναλίσκον εἴρηται Θεὸς παρὰ τῷ Μωϋσῇ. Καὶ ἐν Ψαλμοῖς· Πῦρ ἐναντίον αὐτοῦ προπορεύ σεται, καὶ φλογιεῖ κύκλῳ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς αὐτοῦ. Καὶ πάλιν· Ὁ Θεὸς ἐμφανῶς ἥξει, ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, καὶ οὐ παρασιωπήσεται. Πῦρ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ καυ θήσεται, καὶ κύκλῳ αὐτοῦ καταιγὶς σφοδρά. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἔφασκεν ὁ Σωτήρ· Πῦρ ἦλθον βαλεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν. Καὶ τί θέλω, εἰ ἤδη ἀνήφθη; Ταῦτα ἐποίησε κλίνας καὶ καταβὰς οὐχ ἕνα μόνον οὐρανὸν, ἀλλὰ πάντας, ὅσοι ποτέ εἰσιν· τοῦ κλῖναι δηλοῦντος τὴν ταπείνωσιν τοῦ ὕψους αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὴν κένωσιν τῆς θεότητος. Τῆς δὲ οἰκονομίας αὐτοῦ τὸ λεληθὸς καὶ ἀπόκρυφον, τῷ γνόφῳ καὶ τῇ ὀμίχλῃ δηλοῖ. Εἶτα ἐπὶ τοῦ χερουβὶμ ἀνελήφθη, καίτοι μὴ σὺν αὐτῷ κατα βάς. Ὃν μετὰ σώματος ἀναβαίνοντα αἱ θεῖαι θεω ροῦσαι δυνάμεις, γεγονυῖαι περὶ αὐτὸν, ἐδορυφόρουν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἄνοδον, ἐπιλέγουσαι· Ἄρατε πύλας, οἱ ἄρχοντες, ὑμῶν, καὶ ἐπάρθητε, πύλαι αἰώνιοι, καὶ εἰσελεύσεται ὁ Βασιλεὺς τῆς δόξης. Ἃ δὴ γέγονεν, ἡνίκα, ὡς ἐν ταῖς Πράξεσι κεῖται τῶν ἀποστόλων, βλεπόντων αὐτῶν ἐπήρθη, καὶ νεφέλη ὑπέλαβεν αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτῶν. Στίχ. ιβʹ. Καὶ ἔθετο σκότος ἀποκρυφὴν αὐτοῦ· κύκλῳ αὐτοῦ ἡ σκηνὴ αὐτοῦ. Τὸν ἐν σκηνῇ τίς οὐκ ὄψεται μὴ γενόμενος ἔνδον; Οὕτως οὐδὲ τὸν Θεὸν, εἰ μή τις εἰσέλθοι τοῦ τῆς δυσκαταληψίας ἔνδον παραπετάσματος. Καὶ Μωϋ σῆς γὰρ εἰς τὸν γνόφον εἰσῆλθεν, οὗ ἦν ὁ Θεός. Ἐπι στήσας γὰρ τῇ περὶ Θεοῦ δημιουργίᾳ τε καὶ προνοίᾳ, εἴσω τούτων ἔγνω περιέχεσθαι τὸν Θεόν. Ὀλίγον γὰρ αὐτὴν διανοίξας, τὸν οὗ ἐστιν εἰκὼν, ἐκ τοῦ κατ' εἰκόνα μεμάθηκεν· ἐκ δὲ τῆς δημιουργίας καὶ προ νοίας τὸν δημιουργὸν καὶ προνοητήν.

Death's cords and the shaking of the earth§3

3For the sake of his name. Even if I walk through the darkest valley, I will not fear harm, for you are beside me. From this point, the speaker directs his words toward God. The one who remains in the place of deadly shadow has established himself there, confirmed in evil, and longs for the light that flows from mercy; but the one who moves forward passes through, and the Lord walks with him. It has been said concerning those who sit in the land and shadow of death: light has dawned upon them. Your rod and your staff have brought me comfort. Both instruments are meant for correction, as declared: If your children abandon my law and refuse to follow my decrees, if they fail to keep my commands, I will punish their wrongdoing with the rod and their sins with the whip. Yet I will not completely withdraw my mercy from them. For divine mercy has not been removed from the one who suffers correction due to sin. The one who does not sin will not be struck, nor does he accept such treatment; rather, he disciplines the son he accepts. Regarding those he does not strike, it is said: My feet have been shaken a little by me; a short time ago, my steps were poured out. There is no end to their death, and there is firmness in their whip. Therefore, pride has seized them; they have wrapped themselves in injustice and impiety of their own making. If a sheep sins, it is struck with the rod; if a person sins, with the staff, as Solomon said: He who withholds the staff hates his own son. These words encourage the one being struck, for it is certain that he disciplines every son he accepts.

And he prepared it beside the rivers. And furthermore, before the plague

Christ known only in Judea was God. but after her, the earth of the Lord. But neither was the fullness before this in all the earth. but it was filled with the greatest wickedness. After her, many of the believing Gentiles would say: From his fullness we all have received. Therefore they would also call it fullness. But not the empty ones of the evangelical polity. And also in the wilderness the sinful one dwells. but the inhabited world, the one dwelling the Church filled with the Holy Trinity. and it is of the Lord. But not the one born of the devil, and having become a part of him. Verse 3. Who shall ascend into the mountain of the Lord? Or who shall stand in his holy place? Or also the mountain of the Lord is the final good and the Word of God. For rare is the one who, toward the summit of him, by progress is able to ascend. For the one who has been perfected, no longer able to go further, stands firm, and names a holy place of God. For following the Lord, going up. the things behind forgetting, but the things before stretching out, having the end to stand with God in a holy place of his. upon which it is necessary to ascend and stand the one evangelizing to Zion, to whom having arrived, Moses says, God says: But you, stand by me with him. But also he set my feet upon a rock, as they say of another sanctification, the prophets say. Since the rock was Christ. But who is the one obtaining these promises, it has been said completely fulfilled in the fourteen psalm. 17.116 Verse. This generation seeking the Lord, seeking the face of Jacob, God. And yet he said: No one shall see my face and live. For truly no one shall see.

Being human, he did not discard every aspect of humanity, and he underwent a transformation into an angelic and divine state, which is not present in this realm. Regarding the lesser angels within the Church, the Savior affirms that they continually behold the face of the Father, who dwells in heaven.

Verse 7: O princes, lift up your gates; you leaders, raise them up, O eternal doors, so that the King of glory may enter. Verse 8: Who is this King of glory? He is the Lord of hosts, who alone is the King of glory. As a commander of heavenly armies, the divine powers have named him Lord, a title corresponding to the Hebrew term Sabaoth. This interpretation is held by the Septuagint and the title Pantocrator in Scripture. Therefore, what has been stated now reveals the Savior as Pantocrator. Thus declares the Lord Pantocrator: I have been sent forth from behind glory to come to you. For the Father, who is Pantocrator, has sent the Son, who is also Pantocrator. Moreover, John in the Revelation declares, as the faithful and true witness—the one who was, is, and is to come—openly and confessedly speaking about the Savior. However, some do not look toward higher gates, but instead repeat the same things already said twice.

Psalm 77, Verse 1: To you, Lord,

Greek · §3

ΨΑΛ. ΚΒʹ. Στ. γʹ. Ἕνεκεν τοῦ ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ. Στίχ. δʹ. Ἐὰν γὰρ καὶ πορευθῶ ἐν μέσῳ σκιᾶς θα νάτου, οὐ φοβηθήσομαι κακά· ὅτι σὺ μετ' ἐμοῦ εἶ. Ἐντεῦθεν πρὸς Θεὸν ἀποστρέφει τὸν λόγον. Ὁ μὲν οὖν καθεζόμενος ἐν σκιᾷ θανάτου, ἵδρυται ἐν αὐτῇ, βεβαιωθεὶς ἐν κακίᾳ, καὶ δεόμενος τοῦ ἐξ ἐλέους ἀνα τέλλοντος φωτός· ὁ δὲ πορευόμενος παρατρέχει· μεθ' οὗ καὶ συνοδεύει ὁ Κύριος. Περὶ δὲ τῆς καθίσεως εἴ ρηται· Καθημένοις ἐν χώρᾳ καὶ σκιᾶ θανάτου, φῶς ἀνέτειλεν αὐτοῖς. Στίχ. δʹ. Ἡ ῥάβδος σου, καὶ ἡ βακτηρία σου, αὗταί με παρεκάλεσαν. Ἀμφότερα ἐπὶ μαστίγων, κατὰ τό· Ἐὰν ἐγκατα λίπωσιν οἱ υἱοί σου τὸν νόμον μου, καὶ τοῖς κρί 17.113 μασί μου μὴ πορευθῶσιν· ἐὰν τὰ δικαιώματά μου μὴ φυλάξωσιν· ἐπισκέψομαι ἐν ῥάβδῳ τὰς ἀνο μίας αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐν μάστιγι τὰς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῶν. Τὸ δὲ ἔλεός μου οὐ μὴ διασκεδάσω ἀπ' αὐτῶν. Οὐ διεσκέδασται γὰρ τὸ θεῖον ἔλεος ἀπὸ τοῦ δι' ἁμαρ τίας μαστιζομένου. Οὐ γὰρ ἁμαρτάνοντα μὴ μαστίξειε, οὐ παραδέχεται· μαστιγῶν υἱὸν ὃν παραδέχεται. Περὶ ὧν δὲ μὴ μαστίζει, λέγεται τό· Ἐμοῦ δὲ παρὰ μικρὸν ἐσαλεύθησαν οἱ πόδες· παρ' ὀλίγον ἐξεχύθη τὰ διαβήματά μου. Ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν ἀνάνευσις ἐν τῷ θανάτῳ αὐτῶν, καὶ στερέωμα ἐν τῇ μάστιγι αὐτῶν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἐκράτησεν αὐ τοὺς ἡ ὑπερηφανία· περιεβάλοντο ἀδικίαν καὶ ἀσέβειαν ἑαυτῶν. Ἐὰν μὲν οὖν ᾖ τις πρόβατον ἁμαρτωλὸν, ῥάβδῳ πλήσσεται· ἐὰν δὲ ἄνθρωπος, βακτηρίᾳ, κατὰ τὸ Σολομῶντος· Ὁ φειδόμενος τῆς βακτηρίας μισεῖ τὸν ἑαυτοῦ υἱόν. Ταῦτα δὲ παρα καλεῖ τὸν τυπτόμενον· πέπεισται γὰρ, ὡς μαστιγοῖ πάντα υἱὸν ὃν παραδέχεται. ΨΑΛ. ΚΓʹ. Στίχ. βʹ. Καὶ ἐπὶ ποταμῶν ἡτοίμασεν αὐτήν. Καὶ ἄλλως δὲ πρὸ τῆς ἐπιδημίας Χριστοῦ γνωστὸς ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ μόνον ἦν ὁ Θεός· μετ' αὐ τὴν δὲ, τοῦ Κυρίου ἡ γῆ. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ πλήρωμα πρὸ ταύτης ἦν ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ· μεστὰ δὲ ἦν αὐτῆς τὰ πλεῖστα κακότητος. Μετ' αὐτὴν δὲ πολλοὶ τῶν πε πιστευκότων ἐθνικῶν εἴποιεν ἄν· Ἐκ τοῦ πληρώ ματος αὐτοῦ ἡμεῖς πάντες ἐλάβομεν. ∆ιόπερ αὐ τοῦ καὶ πλήρωμα λέγοιντο. Ἀλλ' οὐχ οἱ κενοὶ τῆς εὐαγγελικῆς πολιτείας. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν ἐρήμῳ ὁ ἁμαρ τωλὸς κατοικεῖ· οἰκουμένην δὲ, ὁ τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν οἰκῶν πεπληρωμένην τῆς ἁγίας Τριάδος· καὶ ἔστι τοῦ Κυρίου. Ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁ γεγεννημένος ἐκ τοῦ διαβό λου, καὶ μερὶς ἐκείνου γενόμενος. Στίχ. γʹ. Τίς ἀναβήσεται εἰς τὸ ὄρος τοῦ Κυρίου; ἢ τίς στήσεται ἐν τόπῳ ἁγίῳ αὐτοῦ; Ἢ καὶ ὄρος Κυρίου τὸ τελικὸν ἀγαθὸν καὶ τὸν Θεὸν Λόγον. Σπάνιος γὰρ ὁ πρὸς τὴν ἀκρώρειαν αὐ τοῦ διὰ προκοπῆς ἀναβῆναι δυνάμενος. Ὁ γὰρ τελειωθεὶς, μηκέτι περαιτέρω χωρεῖν οἷός τε ὢν, ἵσταται βέβαιος, καὶ χρηματίζων ἅγιος τόπος Θεοῦ. Ὀπίσω γὰρ Κυρίου πορευόμενος, ἀναβαίνει· τῶν μὲν ὄπισθεν ἐπιλανθανόμενος, τοῖς δὲ ἔμ προσθεν ἐπεκτεινόμενος, τέλος ἔχων τὸ στῆναι μετὰ Θεοῦ ἐν τόπῳ ἁγίῳ αὐτοῦ· ἐφ' ὃν δεῖ ἀναβῆναι καὶ στῆναι τὸν εὐαγγελιζόμενον τῇ Σιὼν, πρὸς ὃν ἐφθακότι τῷ Μωϋσῇ φησιν ὁ Θεός· Σὺ δὲ αὐτοῦ στῆθι μετ' ἐμοῦ. Ἀλλὰ καὶ Ἔστησεν ἐπὶ πέτραν τοὺς πόδας μου, ὡς ἐφ' ἕτερον ἁγίασμά φασιν οἱ προφῆται. Ἐπεὶ πέτρα ἦν ὁ Χριστός. Ἀλλὰ τίς ὁ τῶν ἐπαγγελιῶν τούτων τευξόμενος, εἴρηται τελεώτε ρον ἐν τῷ τεσσαρεσκαιδεκάτῳ ψαλμῷ. 17.116 Στίχ. ʹ. Αὕτη ἡ γενεὰ ζητούντων τὸν Κύριον, ζη τούντων τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἰακώβ. Καὶ μὴν εἶπεν· Οὐδεὶς ὄψεται τὸ πρόσωπόν μου, καὶ ζήσεται. Ὡς ἀληθῶς γὰρ οὐκ ὄψεταί τις ἄνθρωπος ὢν, καὶ μὴ πᾶν ἀνθρώπινον ἀποθέμενος, καὶ μεταβαλὼν εἰς ἄγγελον καὶ Θεὸν, ὅπερ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐνθάδε. Περὶ δὲ τῶν ἀγγέλων τῶν ἐν τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ μικρῶν, ὁ Σωτήρ φησιν, ὅτι ∆ιαπαντὸς ὁρῶσι τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ Πατρὸς, τοῦ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. Στίχ. θʹ. Ἄρατε πύλας, οἱ ἄρχοντες, ὑμῶν, καὶ ἐπάρθητε, πύλαι αἰώνιοι, καὶ εἰσελεύσεται ὁ βασιλεὺς τῆς δόξης. Στίχ. ιʹ. Τίς ἐστιν οὗτος ὁ βασιλεὺς τῆς δόξης; Κύριος τῶν δυνάμεων, αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ Βασιλεὺς τῆς δόξης. Ὡς ἄρχοντα δὲ στρατοπέδων, δυνάμεων ἐκά λεσαν Κύριον, ὅπερ ἐν τῷ Ἑβραϊκῷ Σαβαὼθ εἴρη ται. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ Κύριον στρατιωτῶν οἱ Ἑβδομή κοντα καὶ Παντοκράτωρ ἐν ταῖς Γραφαῖς ἑρμηνεύουσι. Καὶ τὸ νῦν ἄρα λεχθὲν, παντοκράτορα τὸν Σωτῆρα δηλοῖ. Οὕτως λέγει Κύριος παντοκράτωρ· Ὀπίσω δόξης ἀπέστειλέ με πρὸς σέ. Παντοκράτωρ γὰρ ὢν ὁ Πατὴρ, τὸν Υἱὸν ἀπέστειλε παντοκράτορα. Καὶ Ἰωάννης δὲ ἐν τῇ Ἀποκαλύψει, Τάδε λέγει, φησὶν, ὁ μάρτυς ὁ πιστὸς καὶ ἀληθινὸς, ὁ ἦν καὶ ὁ ὢν καὶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος· περὶ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ὁμολογουμένως εἰπών. Τινὲς δὲ οὐ πρὸς ὑψηλοτέρας πύλας, πρὸς δὲ τὰς αὐτὰς τὰ διττῶς εἰρημένα φασί. ΨΑΛ. ΚΖʹ. Στίχ. αʹ. Πρὸς σὲ, Κύριε,

Do not envy; the Lord sustains the righteous§4

4Reading the locked Greek in open English:

Therefore do not be zealous toward those.

Yet we must consider rather into what end the living badly will come.

Because I would not say that it is worthy of zeal for those who wish to live honorably the temporary prosperity of the wicked.

as the Savior says.

What then do they possess, those who, having flourished like grass briefly, tomorrow are cast into the oven?

Because all flesh is grass.

Because like grass they flourish briefly, then dry up.

Do not again imitate or show favor to such ones, flourishing as you see them.

he himself was the one who rivalled in wicked deeds against Saul.

Because example: If with David’s understanding the young women sang the hymn, He struck down David in myriads of his.

Or, do not do such things as to take up wicked zeal against you, for it plots against you.

Therefore he says: Do not provoke another who is doing evil to rise up against you.

To be zealous truly is to wish and to exist for oneself, which the one nearby has considered good as present.

They stirred me to zeal, and as if they provoked me to anger, the idolaters.

Therefore do not be zealous toward those.

Yet we must consider rather into what end the living badly will come.

Because I would not say that it is worthy of zeal for those who wish to live honorably the temporary prosperity of the wicked.

as the Savior says.

What then do they possess, those who, having flourished like grass briefly, tomorrow are cast into the oven?

Because all flesh is grass.

Because like grass they flourish briefly, then dry up.

Do not again imitate or show favor to such ones, flourishing as you see them.

he himself was the one who rivalled in wicked deeds against Saul.

Because example: If with David’s understanding the young women sang the hymn, He struck down David in myriads of his.

Or, do not do such things as to take up wicked zeal against you, for it plots against you.

Therefore he says: Do not provoke another who is doing evil to rise up against you.

To be zealous truly is to wish and to exist for oneself, which the one nearby has considered good as present.

They stirred me to zeal, and as if they provoked me to anger, the idolaters.

that is, they stirred up in me.

To be jealous is said to be to provoke and stir up to jealousy, such as: They provoked me to jealousy not toward God.

Because there is a difference between envying and being jealous.

Do not be jealous among the wicked, nor envy those who do iniquity.

All flesh shall see the salvation of God.

Yet what flesh has budded?

Also my flesh has budded.

Because he gives accordingly to contemplate this Creator.

Because the doing of his hands announces the firmament.

Because no one is blameless who does not perceive the works of the Lord.

Because they did not understand the works of the Lord, nor the works of his hands.

Let us not therefore let fall our hands, since we shall be conquered.

but when he let them fall, Amalek prevailed.

as Moses, when he lifted up his hands, the people prevailed.

Lifted hands toward holy deeds, treasured up in heaven, by which one conquers the intellectual Amalek.

In the lifting up of my hands toward your holy temple.

Since also Paul, advancing from the lesser things to the greater, says: I urge first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings be made for all.

Yet when I become a friend beyond measure, then I give thanks to God.

Yet when, having perceived God's worthiness, I ask something from God, then I pray.

To those who still lack something, these are the object of supplication.

Hear, Lord, the voice of my supplication when I make supplication to you.

He has sent me to proclaim release to captives and sight to the blind.

Because the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.

Yet the good God also calls these and gives forgiveness.

Thus those who go down into the pit are sinners and captives.

Until the firstborn of the captivity, that is, those in the pit.

Yet that the sinners are by pits, he says in Exodus: 'God destroyed from the face of Pharaoh, who sits upon the throne,.

and, by the spirit being warmed.

Also, fire came to cast upon the earth.

He who makes his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.

but the divine things, as it seems, are warm.

Therefore every sin is cold.

Because indeed among all living things on earth, the dragon is cold.

there also the people's warlike dragon, which also is called cold, dwells.

Yet God through the prophet threatens those drinking from pits, saying: 'You have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, and have dug for yourselves cisterns, broken cisterns.' And those descending into pits are those who surround themselves with cold things of matter.

Also Solomon also commands to drink from wells.

but a well, the one seeking water has dug.

Because indeed we do not know any of the saints having dug a pit.

Yet whoever God keeps silent, becomes like those descending into a pit.

I will cause ascents into his heart.' But we have also another hearing and divine sensation, according to Solomon, words of God being heard, united with him.

Also what God speaks, is not outside, but the holy things, those ascending upon our hearts, according to: 'Blessed is the man whose expectation is from you, Lord.

Also he spoke also through the prophets, when his people were.

Because indeed he spoke to Moses, and Aaron, and Joshua the son of Nun.

Yet God does not keep silent to the saints.

Yet someone cries out upon entering his own storehouse, and having shut the door.

Therefore in the Scriptures the saints have cried out to God.

but if the heavenly things, he cries out and shouts.

If indeed someone earthly asks from God, he uses a brief voice.

my God, do not be silent from me.

I will cry out.

Greek · §4

κεκράξομαι· ὁ Θεός μου μὴ παρασιωπήσῃς ἀπ' ἐμοῦ. Εἰ μὲν ἐπίγειά τις αἰτεῖται παρὰ Θεοῦ, βραχείᾳ χρῆται φωνῇ· εἰ δὲ τὰ ἐπουράνια, κράζει τε καὶ βοᾷ. Ὅθεν ἐν ταῖς Γραφαῖς οἱ ἅγιοι πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ἐκέκραξαν. Κράζει δέ τις εἰσελθὼν εἰς τὸ ταμιεῖον ἑαυτοῦ, καὶ κλείσας τὴν θύραν. Οὐ παρασιωπᾷ δὲ τοῖς ἁγίοις ὁ Θεός. Ἐλάλει γοῦν Μωσῇ, καὶ Ἀαρὼν, καὶ Ἰησοῦ τῷ τοῦ Ναυῆ. Ἐλάλει καὶ διὰ προφητῶν, ἡνίκα ἦν ὁ λαὸς αὐτοῦ. Ἃ δὲ λαλεῖ ὁ Θεὸς, οὐκ ἔξωθέν ἐστιν, ἀλλὰ τὰ ἅγια, τὰ ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν ἡμῶν ἀναβαίνοντα, κατὰ τό· Μακάριος ἀνὴρ, οὗ ἐστιν ἀντίληψις αὐτοῦ παρὰ σοῦ, Κύριε· ἀνα βάσεις εἰς τὴν καρδίαν αὐτοῦ. Ἔχομεν δὲ ἄλλην ἀκοὴν καὶ θείαν αἴσθησιν, κατὰ Σολομῶντα, λόγοι Θεοῦ ἀκούουσαν, ἡνωμένην αὐτῷ. Ὧ δὲ παρασιωπᾷ Θεὸς, ὁμοιοῦται τοῖς καταβαίνουσιν εἰς λάκκον. Οὐδένα γὰρ τῶν ἁγίων ἴσμεν λάκκον ὀρύξαντα· φρέαρ δὲ ὤρυττεν ὁ δεόμενος ὕδατος. Ἐντέλλεται καὶ ὁ Σολομῶν ἀπὸ φρεάτων πίνειν. Θεὸς δὲ διὰ τοῦ προφήτου τοῖς ἐκ λάκκων πίνουσιν ἀπειλεῖ, λέγων· Ἐμὲ ἐγκατέλιπον πηγὴν ὕδατος ζῶντος, καὶ ὤρυξαν ἑαυτοῖς λάκκους συντετριμμένους. Κα ταβαίνουσι δὲ εἰς λάκκον οἱ τὰ ψυχρὰ τῆς ὕλης πε ριέποντες πράγματα· ἔνθα καὶ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὁ πο λέμιος δράκων, ὃς καὶ ψυχρὸς ὠνόμασται, κατοικεῖ. Πάντων γὰρ ζώων, τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς, ὁ δράκων ψυχρό 17.117 τερος. Πᾶσα οὖν ἁμαρτία ψυχρά· τὰ δὲ θεῖα, ὡς ἔοικε, θερμά. Ὁ ποιῶν τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ πνεύ ματα, καὶ τοὺς λειτουργοὺς αὐτοῦ πυρὸς φλόγα. Καὶ, πῦρ ἦλθον βαλεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν· καὶ, τῷ πνεύματι ζέοντες. Ὅτι δὲ οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ παρὰ λάκ κοις εἰσὶν, ἐν τῇ Ἐξόδῳ φησίν· Ἀπέκτεινεν ὁ Θεὸς ἀπὸ προσώπου Φαραὼ, ὃς κάθηται ἐπὶ τοῦ θρό νου, ἕως πρωτοτόκου τῆς αἰχμαλωτίδος, τῆς ἐν λάκκῳ. Οὕτως οἱ καταβαίνοντες εἰς λάκκον ἁμαρ τωλοί εἰσιν καὶ αἰχμάλωτοι. Ἀλλ' ὁ ἀγαθὸς Θεὸς καὶ τούτους καλεῖ, καὶ δίδωσιν ἄφεσιν. Πνεῦμα γὰρ Κυρίου ἐπ' ἐμὲ, οὗ ἕνεκεν ἔχρισέ με εὐαγγελί σασθαι πτωχοῖς. Ἀπέσταλκέ με κηρύξαι αἰχμα λώτοις ἄφεσιν, καὶ τυφλοῖς ἀνάβλεψιν. Στίχ. βʹ. Εἰσάκουσον, Κύριε, τῆς φωνῆς τῆς δεή σεώς μου, ἐν τῷ δέεσθαί με πρὸς σέ. Οἷς ἔτι ἐνδεῖ τινα, τούτων ἐστὶν ἡ δέησις. Ὅτε δὲ, τὸ ἀξίωμα τοῦ Θεοῦ νοήσας, αἰτῶ τι παρὰ Θεοῦ, τότε προσεύχομαι. Ὅτε δὲ φίλος ἐπὶ πλέον γένωμαι, τότε εὐχαριστῶ τῷ Θεῷ. Ἐπεὶ καὶ Παῦλος, ἀπὸ τῶν ἡττόνων ἐπὶ τὰ μείζω προβαίνων, φησί· Παρακαλῶ πρῶτον πάντων ποιεῖσθαι δεήσεις, προσευχὰς, ἐντεύξεις, εὐχαριστίας. Στίχ. βʹ. Ἐν τῷ αἴρειν με χεῖράς μου πρὸς ναὸν ἅγιόν σου. Ἐπαιρόμεναι χεῖρες πρὸς πράξεις θεοσεβεῖς, ἐν οὐρανῷ θησαυριζόμεναί εἰσι· δι' ὧν νικᾷ τις τὸν νοητὸν Ἀμαλήκ· ὡς ὁ Μωσῆς, ἡνίκα τὰς χεῖρας ἀνέφερεν, ὁ λαὸς ἐνίκα· ὅτε δὲ κατέσπα, ὁ Ἀμαλήκ. Μὴ κατενέγκωμεν οὖν τὰς χεῖρας, ἐπεὶ νικηθησό μεθα. Στίχ. εʹ. Ὅτι οὐ συνῆκαν εἰς τὰ ἔργα τοῦ Κυρίου, καὶ εἰς τὰ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν αὐτοῦ. Οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἄμεμπτος, οὐ νοήσας τὰ ἔργα Κυρίου. Ποίησιν γὰρ χειρῶν αὐτοῦ ἀναγγέλλει τὸ στε ρέωμα. ∆ίδωσι γὰρ ἀναλόγως τὸ τούτου θεωρῆσαι ∆ημιουργόν. Στίχ. ζʹ. Καὶ ἀνέθαλεν ἡ σάρξ μου. Ποία δὲ σὰρξ ἀνέθαλεν; Ὄψεται πᾶσα σὰρξ τὸ σωτήριον τοῦ Θεοῦ. ΨΑΛ. Λ ʹ. Στίχ. αʹ. Μὴ παραζήλου ἐν πονηρευομένοις, μηδὲ ζήλου τοὺς ποιοῦντας τὴν ἀνομίαν. ∆ιαφέρει τὸ ζηλοῦν καὶ παραζηλοῦν. Παραζηλοῦν μὲν γὰρ λέγεται τὸ ἐρεθίζειν, καὶ κινεῖν εἰς ζηλο τυπίαν, ὁποῖον τό· Αὐτοὶ παρεζήλωσάν με ἐπ' οὐ Θεῷ· τουτέστιν ἐκίνησαν ἐν ἐμοὶ ζῆλον, καὶ οἷον εἰς ὀργήν με ἠρέθισαν εἰδωλολατροῦντες. Ζηλοῦν δέ ἐστιν τὸ βούλεσθαι καὶ ἑαυτῷ ὑπάρχειν, ὃ παρεῖ ναι τῷ πέλας νενόμικεν ἀγαθόν. Τοῦτο οὖν λέγει· Μήτε ἕτερον ἐρέθιζε πονηρευόμενον πρὸς τὸ ἀνα στῆναι αὐτὸν κατὰ σοῦ. Ἤγουν, Μὴ ποιήσῃς τοιαῦτα, ὡς τὸν πονηρὸν ζῆλον λαβεῖν κατὰ σοῦ, ἐπεὶ ἐπιβου λεύει σοι. Οἷον· Εἰ μετὰ γνώμης τοῦ ∆αβὶδ τὸν ὕμνον ἔλεγον αἱ νεάνιδες, τὸ, Ἐπάταξεν ὁ ∆αβὶδ ἐν μυριάσιν αὐτοῦ· αὐτὸς ἦν ὁ παραζηλῶν ἐν πο νηρευομένοις, τῷ Σαούλ. Μήτε πάλιν μιμοῦ ἢ μα 17.120 κάριζε τοὺς τοιούτους, εὐθηνοῦντας ὁρῶν. Πρὸς ὀλί γον γὰρ ἀνθοῦντες, ξηραίνονται. Πᾶσα γὰρ σὰρξ, χόρτος. Τί οὖν ἔχουσι ζηλωτὸν, οἵτινες, πρὸς ὀλί γον ἀνθήσαντες, αὔριον εἰς κλίβανον βάλλονται; καθά φησιν ὁ Σωτήρ. Οὐ γάρ τοι φαίην ἂν εἶναί πως ἀξιοζήλωτον τοῖς ἐθέλουσι ζῇν ἀξιοπρεπῶς τὴν τῶν πονηρευομένων πρόσκαιρον εὐημερίαν. Ἐννοεῖν δὲ χρὴ μᾶλλον εἰς οἷον ἐκβήσεται πέρας τὸ διαβιοῦν ἑλέσθαι κακῶς. Μὴ τοίνυν ζήλου τοὺς

Do not imitate false martyrs; keep the true confession§5

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5He says not to accustom yourselves to imitating the loving martyrs, even if they appear to enjoy the present life. Therefore, flee from equality and look to future things, because circumstances will not remain constant in these present conditions. He adds that they will soon wither like grass and quickly fall like vegetation. Verse 3: Hope in the Lord, do good, dwell in the land, and you will be fed with its wealth. This means to love prosperity, desire the possession of holy gifts, and love the things preserved for the holy ones and treasured by God. Also, do good, as if speaking to a farmer: produce this fruit. To you, the hearer of divine lessons, the Word says: give the field, do good, which is one of the fruits of the Spirit. The term 'goodness' here signifies every kind of virtue. Furthermore, dwell upon the land by attending to the care of the soul and practicing agriculture, for whatever a person sows, that they will reap. Perhaps he refers to divinely inspired Scripture as the earth, in which the wealth of the holy ones—namely, the promises—is found. He exhorts always to hold the divine oracles with love for the good things stored within them for the holy ones. He uses 'dwell' instead of 'you will dwell,' and states that the land is the one promised to the gentle ones; having become established there, you will be fed upon its wealth, as he says. However, wealth belongs to the heavenly city, the abundant provision of divine gifts. Perhaps he likens the tent to temporal life and desires that we use it as a passing tent—exercising rule over it, not being ruled by it, and moving toward the ultimate goal.

What is beneficial is not pursued for the sake of indulging in pleasures. Instead, we are guided like sheep by the Good Shepherd when someone possesses the riches of divine teachings and finds nourishment in them, enabling the declaration: The Lord is my shepherd, and I shall lack nothing.

This reflects the fourth verse of a sacred text: Find joy in the Lord, and He will grant the desires of your heart. Scripture often presents two figures to illustrate a truth—namely, that whatever quality or condition the lesser person possesses, the greater one also embodies, often in a fuller or more perfect way.

There is sustenance for the inner person, as declared: Humans do not live by bread alone, but by every utterance that comes from the mouth of God. Likewise, there is spiritual drink, for we draw refreshment from the living rock that accompanies us—symbolizing Christ. There is also spiritual clothing: the sinner clothes himself in condemnation, as if wearing a cursed garment, while the righteous clothes himself in the Lord Jesus, in divine compassion, and in the full armor of God.

One who only listens to his own encouraging words receives only superficial nourishment. But the one who dedicates himself to interpreting the law, recounting the prophecies, resolving the symbolic teachings of the Gospels, and clarifying the messages of the apostles finds true delight in the Lord. Such a person eats not from compulsion, nor merely to satisfy physical hunger, but because his soul is fed.

Thus, we are instructed to find delight in the Lord. For God, from the very beginning, desired that we experience spiritual joy, and so He planted the garden of delight and provided the river of delight as gifts to humanity.

Yet no one can fully delight in both the flesh and the spirit at the same time. If one seeks delight in bodily pleasures, like the wealthy who trust in riches, he will lose the deeper joy enjoyed beyond this life—like the joy Abraham knew in faith. But if one consumes the bread of hardship, as the poor who depend on God, then in that very place he finds true delight and rest.

Furthermore, the Lord embodies righteousness, truth, wisdom, and holiness. Therefore, if you find delight not only in reflecting on wisdom’s truths but also in living out righteous actions, then the promise is fulfilled: you will be completely satisfied.

For in delighting in the wisdom of God and practicing justice, the soul reaches its intended fulfillment—nothing is lacking, and every need is met in Him.

Soften yourself before the Lord. True pleasure lies in harboring within you the indwelling source of all life, the divine Word who is the bread of life; and when you hold him inwardly, you will obtain every request of your heart, not merely superficial petitions but those arising from deep within. You will grasp this truth if you embody each part of your being and observe how, by its very nature, it makes its request. Thus, if the eye could speak, it would say to you: I seek light, I seek colors fit for my vision. The ear would say: I desire a voice that sings melody, pleasant and agreeable. The tongue would say: I long for what is sweet.

Greek · §5

τοιούτους, φησὶ, μηδὲ κατερεθίζου πρὸς μίμησιν τῶν φιλα μαρτημόνων, κἂν εἰ δοκοῖεν ἔχειν τὰς ἐν τῷ παρόντι βίῳ τρυφάς. Φεῦγε οὖν τὴν ἰσοῤῥοπίαν, εἰς τὰ ἐσό μενα βλέπων· οὐ γὰρ ἐν τούτοις ἔσται διηνεκῶς τὰ πράγματα. ∆ιὸ ἐπάγει· Ὅτι ὡσεὶ χόρτος ταχὺ ἀποξηρανθήσονται, καὶ ὡσεὶ λάχανα χλόης ταχὺ ἀποπεσοῦνται. Στίχ. γʹ. Ἔλπισον ἐπὶ Κύριον, καὶ ποίει χρηστό τητα, καὶ κατασκήνου τὴν γῆν, καὶ ποιμαν θήσῃ τῷ πλούτῳ αὐτῆς. Τουτέστιν, Ἀγάπησον τὸ εὐδοκιμεῖν· δίψησον τῶν ἱερῶν χαρισμάτων τὴν κτῆσιν· ἀγάπησον τὰ τοῖς ἁγίοις τετηρημένα καὶ παρὰ Θεῷ τεθησαυρισμένα. Καὶ ποίει χρηστότητα· ὡς εἰ ἔλεγε τῷ ἀγρῷ· Ποίει τόνδε τὸν καρπόν. Οὕτως σοι τῷ ἀκροατῇ τῶν θείων μαθημάτων· ∆ὸς ἀγρῷ, φησὶν ὁ Λόγος· ποίει χρηστότητα, ἥτις μία ἐστὶ τῶν καρπῶν τοῦ Πνεύμα τος. Τὸ τῆς χρηστότητος ὄνομα ἐνταῦθα καταση μαίνει πάντα τρόπον ἀρετῆς. Καὶ κατοίκει παρὰ τὴν γῆν· προσδιατρίβων τῇ τῆς ψυχῆς ἐπιμελείᾳ καὶ γεωργίᾳ· Ὅτι ὃ ἐὰν σπείρῃ ἄνθρωπος, ἐκεῖνο καὶ θερίσει. Ἴσως δὲ γῆν, τὴν θεόπνευστον ὀνομάζει Γραφὴν, ἐν ᾗ ὁ πλοῦτος τῶν ἁγίων, τουτέστιν αἱ ἐπαγγελίαι. Καὶ παραινεῖ διαπαντὸς τῶν θείων ἔχε σθαι λογίων, ἔρωτι τῶν ἐν αὐτοῖς ἀποκειμένων τοῖς ἁγίοις ἀγαθῶν. Ἣ τὸ μὲν κατασκήνου τέθεικεν ἀντὶ τοῦ κατασκηνώσεις· γῆν δὲ ἐκείνην λέγει τὴν τοῖς πραέσιν ἐπηγγελμένην δηλονότι· ἐν ᾗ γεγονὼς, ποι μανθήσῃ, φησὶν, ἐπὶ τῷ πλούτῳ αὐτῆς. Πλοῦτος δὲ τῆς ἄνω πόλεως, ἡ τῶν θείων χαρισμάτων ἀμφιλαφὴς χορηγία. Τάχα δὲ σκηνῇ ἀπεικάζει τὸν πρόσκαιρον βίον· καὶ βούλεται ἡμᾶς χρᾶσθαι αὐτῷ, ὡς σκηνῇ κατὰ πάροδον, κυριεύοντας αὐτοῦ, οὐ κυριευομένους ὑπ' αὐτοῦ, καὶ πρὸς τὸ συμφέρον, οὐ πρὸς ἡδονὰς ἀποχρωμένους. Οὕτω γὰρ ποιμανθησόμεθα ὑπὸ Ποι μένι καλῷ, εἴ τις πλοῦτός ἐστι τῶν θείων δογμάτων, τοῦτον καρπούμενοι, ὥστε λέγειν· Κύριος ποιμαίνει με, καὶ οὐδέν με ὑστερήσει. Στίχ. δʹ. Κατατρύφησον τοῦ Κυρίου, καὶ δῴη σοι τὰ αἰτήματα τῆς καρδίας σου. Ἔθος τῇ Γραφῇ δύο ἀνθρώπους εἰσάγειν· καὶ σχεδὸν πάντα τὰ τοῦ χείρονος ἔχει καὶ ὁ κρείττων. Ἔστι γάρ τις τροφὴ καὶ τοῦ ἔσω ἀνθρώπου, περὶ ἧς λέγεται· Οὐκ ἐπ' ἄρτῳ μόνῳ ζήσεται ἄνθρωπος, ἀλλ' ἐν παντὶ ῥήματι ἐκπορευομένῳ διὰ στόματος Θεοῦ. Ἔστι τι καὶ ποτόν· Πίνομεν γὰρ ἐκ πνευματικῆς ἀκολουθούσης πέτρας. Καὶ ἔνδυμα· ὅθεν ὁ μὲν ἁμαρτωλὸς ἐνεδύσατο κατάραν ὡς ἱμάτιον, ὁ 17.121 δὲ δίκαιος τὸν Κύριον Ἰησοῦν, καὶ σπλάγχνα οἰ κτιρμῶν, καὶ πανοπλίαν Θεοῦ. Οὕτως ὁ μὲν τῶν αὐτοῦ μόνον ἀκούων λόγων προτρεπτικῶν τρέφεται· ὁ δὲ ἐπιδιδοὺς ἑαυτὸν ἑρμηνείᾳ νόμου, διηγήσει προ φητῶν, λύσει παραβολῶν εὐαγγελικῶν, σαφηνείᾳ λό γων ἀποστολικῶν, κατατρυφᾷ τοῦ Κυρίου· καὶ ἐσθίει οὐ πρὸς ἀνάγκην, οὐδὲ πρὸς μόνην τροφήν. ∆ιδάσκει οὖν ἡμᾶς κατατρυφῆσαι τοῦ Κυρίου. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς, ἀπ' ἀρχῆς βουλόμενος ἡμᾶς τρυφᾷν πνευματικῶς, ἐφύτευσε τὸν παράδεισον τῆς τρυφῆς, καὶ τὸν χει μάῤῥουν τῆς τρυφῆς ἐχαρίσατο. Οὐδεὶς δὲ δύναται καὶ σαρκὶ καὶ πνεύματι τρυφᾷν, Ἀλλ' εἰ μὲν σαρκὶ ἐτρύ φησεν, ὡς ὁ πλούσιος, στερηθήσεται τῆς μετὰ Ἀβραὰμ τρυφῆς· εἰ δὲ ἄρτον κακώσεως ἔφαγεν, ὡς ὁ πένης, ἐκεῖ τρυφᾷ καὶ ἀναπαύεται. Καὶ ἄλλως δέ. Ὁ Κύριος δικαιοσύνη ἐστὶν, ἀλή θεια, σοφία, ἁγιασμός· ἐὰν τρυφήσῃς οὖν καὶ ἐν τοῖς τῆς σοφίας θεωρήμασιν, ἐν ταῖς πράξεσι τῆς δικαιο σύνης, πεπλήρωται τό· Κατατρύφησον τοῦ Κυρίου. Τρυφὴ τοιγαροῦν, τὸ ἔνοικον ἔχειν τὸν πάντα ζωογο νοῦντα Θεὸν Λόγον, τὸν ἄρτον τῆς ζωῆς· καὶ αὐτὸν ἔχοντες ἐν ἑαυτοῖς, ληψόμεθα πάντα τὰ αἰτήματα, οὐχ ἁπλῶς, ἀλλὰ τὰ τῆς καρδίας. Νοήσεις δὲ τὸ λεγό μενον, ἐὰν προσωποποιήσῃς ἕκαστον τῶν μελῶν, καὶ ἴδῃς πῶς κατὰ φύσιν αἰτεῖ. Ὁ γοῦν ὀφθαλμὸς, εἰ εἶχε φωνὴν, ἔλεγεν ἄν σοι· Αἰτῶ φῶς, αἰτῶ χρώματα βλέπειν κατάλληλα ἐμοί. Ἡ ἀκοή· Αἰτῶ φωνὴν ἐμ μελῆ, ἡδεῖαν. Ἡ γεῦσις· Αἰτῶ γλυκέα,

Flight from bitter trials and trust in God§6

6I flee from bitter experiences. Regarding touch, I seek what is smooth, soft, and pleasant—not fire, not rough surfaces, not things that sting. Each sense makes its own request in turn, accompanied by a corresponding avoidance: the eye seeks light, the smell seeks sweetness, the ear seeks harmony, and the other senses follow similarly. The heart seeks the thoughts we wish to receive from the Lord, provided we hold nothing foreign to his delight within us. Only then can we reveal our way to him. The God of all observes the pleasing conduct of those who worship him, but turns away from the conduct of those who choose to live improperly. Therefore, he declares: Verse 5. Make known your way to the Lord, place your hope in him, and he will act. Verse. He will cause your righteousness to shine like light and your justice to be as clear as midday. He says: openly walk the way that pleases him, which means living naked and unashamed before God, revealing your conduct; place your hope in him, and he will act. In the coming age, he will clearly establish it, and as it were a public display, he will not allow the beauty of your good life to be taken away. Your righteousness will be evident to all, like light shining forth at noon. 17.124 Moreover, midday is named as the very center of the day. And there he judges you worthy to be light. Since everyone who does base things—for example, the one who commits fornication—hates the light and, to the extent possible, conceals their actions so as not to be exposed, because they wish their fornication to remain unknown, they also conceal the path they have walked. But the one who practices truth, such as the sober person, wishes to make their way evident—not to people, so as not to lose the reward that comes from people, but to God; therefore, through this.

It is stated: Reveal your path before the Lord, meaning, demonstrate your conscientious conduct to Him, and He will restore you from your injuries, and He will purify the impure. Even if He becomes gracious and benevolent, He will exalt you; and because, free from vainglory, you concealed your integrity, He Himself will make it evident, and thus He will manifest, resembling the sun at midday. For then, he declares, the just will radiate like the sun. Verse 7. Yield yourself to the Lord, and beseech Him. Here submission is described as the withdrawal from wicked deeds. For no one who transgresses is subordinate to the Lord. Let it be, he says, that I have already submitted; what then should I do regarding former matters? Beseech Him, saying: Do not recall our ancient transgressions. Hence, it is not required to plead about wrongdoing prior to, or after having submitted to the Lord, that is, having separated oneself from sin. For remaining in transgressions, to seek pardon for sins is entirely futile. Verse 7. Do not begrudge the one who thrives in his course, the individual committing iniquity. Do not emulate, he says, success derived from lawlessness combined; nor incite harm, even if you observe wrongdoing flourishing, you must reflect that this era belongs to those lacking alternative hope. May they flourish therein, and may they hold what is regarded as beneficial. But we direct our gaze toward another epoch of existence; and our hope, succeeding this eternal age, is. It is impossible for blessings to exist in this age and in that; for if someone possesses them here, there he will be heard undergoing punishment. You have obtained your blessings in your life. Nonetheless, it is necessarily appended: In a person committing iniquity. For such individuals, he says, avoiding imitation is essential; and it is advantageous.

They are extremely eager to leave the one who provokes jealousy. For they prosper, either believing they have prosperity in their own affairs, not gaining wealth through votes from above, but by gaining advantage and seizing what belongs to others, sometimes. Therefore, he calls this prosperity, this advancement toward worse things.

Since many who live in righteousness, when they see themselves in toils, and the sinner prospering in all things at the right time, become angry; they abandon righteousness, this being the utmost folly; therefore, the word teaches to be patient, and to receive the fruit of God's righteousness. Verse 8. Cease from anger, and forsake wrath. The example is beneficial, and most becoming to those who are subordinated to God. For he says, one must be gentle, and very well established, and possess orderliness toward the mind, loving continually the prosperity that comes from patience, and to depart from the waves of anger. For among the passions, some do not fall upon many, but those who happen to encounter them cast them off while striking. For this foul passion, anger, burns even those who seem to be wise, and disturbs; not some indeed, others not.

Greek · §6

φεύγω τὰ πικρά. Ἡ ἁφή· Αἰτῶ ἅπτεσθαι λείων, τρυφερῶν, προσηνῶν· οὐ πυρὸς, οὐ τραχέων, οὐδὲ κεντούντων. Ὡς οὖν ἑκάστου τῶν αἰσθητηρίων ἐστὶν αἴτησις κατ άλληλος καὶ φυγή· καὶ ὀφθαλμὸς μὲν αἰτεῖ τὸ φῶς, ἡ ὄσφρησις δὲ τὸ εὐῶδες, ἡ ἀκοὴ τὸ ἐμμελὲς, καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ ὁμοίως· οὕτως ἡ καρδία τὰ νοήματα, ἅπερ λη ψόμεθα παρὰ Κυρίου, ἐὰν μηδὲν ἀλλότριον τῆς αὐτοῦ τρυφῆς ἔχωμεν ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις. Τότε δυνησόμεθα ἀποκαλύπτειν αὐτῷ τὴν ὁδὸν ἡμῶν. Ἐποπτεύει γὰρ ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς τὴν τῶν σεβομένων αὐτὸν εὐαγῆ πολιτείαν· ἀποστρέφεται δὲ τὴν τῶν οὐκ ὀρθῶς ζῇν ἑλομένων. Ὅθεν ἐπάγει· Στίχ. εʹ. Ἀποκάλυψον πρὸς Κύριον τὴν ὁδόν σου, καὶ ἔλπισον ἐπ' αὐτὸν, καὶ αὐτὸς ποιήσει. Στίχ. ʹ. Καὶ ἐξοίσει ὡς φῶς τὴν δικαιοσύνην σου, καὶ τὸ κρῖμά σου ὡς μεσημβρίαν. Ἔσο, φησὶν, φανερῶς τὴν ἀρέσκουσαν αὐτῷ βαδίζων ὁδὸν, τουτέστι, γυμνὴν καὶ ἀναμφίαστον τῷ Θεῷ τὴν σεαυτοῦ δεικνὺς πολιτείαν· καὶ ἔλπισον ἐπ' αὐτὸν, αὐτὸς δὲ ποιήσει. Ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι αἰῶνι ἐμ φανῶς καταστήσει, καὶ οἷον περίοπτον ἀποφανεῖ, λα θεῖν οὐκ ἐῶν τῆς σῆς εὐζωΐας τὸ κάλλος. Ἔσται γὰρ ἅπασιν ἐναργὴς ἡ δικαιοσύνη σου, δίκην φωτὸς ἀνα λάμπουσα μεσημβρινοῦ. 17.124 Μεσημβρία γε μὴν ὀνομάζεται τῆς ἡμέρας αὐτὸ τὸ μεσαίτατον. Καί σε κρινεῖ ἄξιον εἶναι φωτὸς ἐκεῖ. Ἐπειδὴ οὖν πᾶς ὁ φαῦλα πράσσων, οἷον ὁ πορ νεύων, μισεῖ τὸ φῶς, καὶ τὸ ὅσον ἐφ' ἑαυτῷ, κρύπτει ἃ ποιεῖ, ἵνα μὴ ἐλεγχθῇ· θέλει γὰρ μὴ γνωσθῆναι τὴν πορνείαν αὐτοῦ· διὸ καὶ ἐπικρύπτει τὴν ὁδὸν αὐ τοῦ, ἣν ὥδευσεν· ὁ δὲ ποιῶν τὴν ἀλήθειαν, οἷον ὁ σωφρονῶν, θέλει αὐτὴν φανερῶσαι, οὐκ ἀνθρώποις, ἵνα μὴ ἀπέχῃ τὸν μισθὸν ἀπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἀλλὰ τῷ Θεῷ· διὰ τοῦτο εἴρηται· Ἀποκάλυψον πρὸς Κύ ριον τὴν ὁδόν σου, τουτέστι, δεῖξον αὐτῷ τὸν σὸν ἐπίμωμον βίον, καὶ αὐτὸς θεραπεύσει σε ἀπὸ τῶν τραυμάτων, καὶ ποιήσει τὸν ῥυπαρὸν καθαρόν. Κἂν γένῃ καλὸς καὶ ἀγαθὸς, ἐγκαυχήσεταί σοι· καὶ ἐπεὶ μὴ ὢν κενόδοξος ἔκρυπτες τὴν δικαιοσύνην σου, αὐτὸς φανερὸν ποιήσει, καὶ οὕτως ἐπιφανῇ, ὥσπερ ἥλιον ἐν μεσημβρίᾳ. Τότε γὰρ, φησὶν, οἱ δίκαιοι λάμψουσιν ὡς ἥλιος. Στίχ. ζʹ. Ὑποτάγηθι τῷ Κυρίῳ, καὶ ἱκέτευσον αὐτόν. Ὑποταγὴν οὖν ἐνταῦθα λέγει τὴν τῶν κακῶν ἀναχώρησιν. Οὐδεὶς γὰρ ἁμαρτάνων ὑποτέτακται τῷ Κυρίῳ. Ἔστω, φησὶν, ὅτι ἤδη ὑπετάχθην· τί ποιῶ περὶ τῶν προτέρων; Ἱκέτευσον αὐτὸν, λέγων· Μὴ μνησθῇς ἡμῶν ἀνομιῶν ἀρχαίων. Ὥστε οὐ δεῖ πρό τερον περὶ ἁμαρτίας ἱκετεύειν, ἢ ὑποταγέντα τῷ Κυ ρίῳ, τουτέστιν ἐκστάντα τῆς ἁμαρτίας. Ἔτι γὰρ ὄντα ἐν ἁμαρτίαις ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν αἰτεῖν, πάνυ ἄλο γόν ἐστι. Στίχ. ζʹ. Μὴ παραζήλου ἐν τῷ κατευοδουμένῳ ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ αὐτοῦ, ἐν ἀνθρώπῳ ποιοῦντι παρανο μίαν. Μὴ μιμήσῃ, φησὶν, εὐδαιμονίαν ἐκ παρανομίας συγ κροτουμένην· μηδὲ εἰς κακίαν ἐρεθίζου, κἂν ὁρᾷς τὸ κακὸν εὐοδούμενον, δέον λογίσασθαι, ὅτι ὁ αἰὼν οὗτος τούτων ἐστὶ τῶν μὴ ἐχόντων ἄλλην ἐλπίδα. Εὐτυχείτωσαν ἐν αὐτῷ, καὶ ἐχέτωσαν τὰ νομιζόμενα ἀγαθά. Ἡμεῖς δὲ εἰς ἄλλον αἰῶνα βλέπομεν ζωῆς· καὶ ἡ ἐλπὶς ἡμῶν, ἑξῆς τούτῳ τῷ αἰῶνί ἐστιν. Οὐχ οἷόν τέ ἐστι τὰ ἀγαθὰ ἐν τούτῳ τῷ αἰῶνι ἔχειν καὶ ἐν ἐκείνῳ· εἰ γὰρ ἐν τούτῳ ἔχει (τις), ἐκεῖ κολαζόμενος ἀκούσεται· Ἀπέλαβες τὰ ἀγαθά σου ἐν τῇ ζωῇ σου. Ἀναγκαίως μέντοι προστέθειται τό· Ἐν ἀνθρώπῳ ποιοῦντι παρανομίαν. Τῶν τοιούτων γὰρ, φησὶ, τὴν μίμησιν παραιτεῖσθαι χρή· καὶ χρήσιμον σφόδρα τοῦ ἀποφοιτᾷν τῷ παραζηλοῦν αὐτούς. Εὐοδοῦνται γὰρ, ἤτοι τὴν ἐν πράγμασι τοῖς ἰδίοις εὐοδίαν ἔχειν ὑπολαμβάνονται, οὐ ψήφοις ταῖς ἄνωθεν τὸ χρῆμα κερδαίνοντες, ἀλλ' ἐκ τοῦ πλεονεκτεῖν καὶ ἁρπάζειν τὰ ἑτέρων ἔσθ' ὅτε. Τὴν οὖν εὐόδωσιν, τὴν ἐπὶ τὸ χεῖρον προκοπὴν λέγει. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ πολλοὶ ἐν δικαιο σύνῃ ζῶντες, ὅταν ἴδωσιν ἑαυτοὺς ἐν πόνοις, τὸν δὲ ἁμαρτωλὸν ἐν πᾶσι πρὸς καιρὸν εὐοδούμενον, ὀργι σθέντες· τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἀφίστανται, τοῦτο δὲ ἀνοίας τῆς ἐσχάτης· διὰ τοῦτο μακροθυμεῖν διδάσκων ὁ λό 17.125 γος, καὶ τῆς δικαιοσύνης τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸν καρπὸν προσ δέχεσθαί φησι. Στίχ. ηʹ. Παῦσαι ἀπὸ ὀργῆς, καὶ ἐγκατάλιπε θυμόν. Ἐπωφελὲς τὸ παράδειγμα, καὶ τοῖς ὑποτεταγμέ νοις Θεῷ πρεπωδέστατον. Χρὴ γὰρ, φησὶ, πράους εἶναι, καὶ εὖ μάλα καθεστηκότας, καὶ εὐταξίαν ἔχον τας εἰς νοῦν, ἀγαπῶντάς τε διαπαντὸς τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς μακροθυμίας εὐοδίαν, καὶ τῶν ἐξ ὀργῆς κυμάτων ἀποφοιτᾷν. Τῶν γὰρ παθῶν τινὰ μὲν οὐ πίπτει εἰς πολλοὺς, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ τυχόντες ἀπέβαλον αὐτὰ προ κόπτοντες. Τὸ γὰρ μιαρὸν τοῦτο πάθος, ἡ ὀργὴ, ἐκ καίει καὶ τοὺς δοκοῦντας εἶναι φρονίμους, καὶ ταράσ σει· οὐ τινὰ μὲν, τινὰ δ' οὔ·

All are flawed except the perfect in Christ§7

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7I risk asserting that all people are flawed except the perfect, should any perfect person be found. Those who endure the Lord will inherit the earth. Having grown accustomed to resisting evil through reverence for divine correction and being sustained by God’s gifts, we live in harmony. Thus, the psalmist reveals the ruin of the wicked and declares that those who endure the Lord—namely, those who attain a good life through patience and perseverance—will inherit the earth. This earth is not the cursed portion where laborers eat in sorrow all their days, but the realm prepared for the holy. Their inheritance is the holy, exalted city, whose giver is God. Just as the Savior embodies wisdom, word, peace, and righteousness, so too does endurance. As it is written: 'And now, what is my hope? Is it not the Lord?' From Him we draw and receive all things affirmed in Scripture concerning Christ. For by sharing in Him we become righteous and wise and dwell in peace; likewise, by sharing in Him we endure. Therefore, let the one who endures remain calm and receive God without being shaken by present circumstances. The meek shall inherit the earth. Those who follow Valentinus and others who claim the Savior spoke things not found in the ancient Scriptures should be refuted by hearing that the meek are blessed, for they shall inherit the earth. This was also declared earlier through David by the same Spirit. Moreover, David more succinctly opposes the ways of the lawless.

The rewards of the holy are subjected to punishments. Through these, he leads them into an impulse of spiritual manliness, by which one would complete every way of virtue. He then says: The gentle will inherit the land, namely the higher land. For if Jerusalem and Mount Zion are in heaven according to Paul, it follows that land should also be understood, which those who have conquered destructive passion—the anger that also destroys prudent people—will inherit. Indeed, acting according to virtue engages them. Moreover, according to measure, they are opposites: gentleness and anger. Where there is anger, there is no gentleness; and where there is gentleness, there is no anger. Verse 12: The sinner watches the just and gnashes his teeth against him. Verse 13: The Lord laughs at him, because he sees beforehand that his day will come. From this we learn that, just as darkness and light naturally exist as opposites, so the sinner exists in relation to the just. Therefore, if you see the just being hated at that time, do not hesitate to speak about the one hating him, for that person is a sinner. For those who focus on earthly things and let their minds be occupied by the turmoil of present life always pay attention to those living a blessed and irreproachable life, and they regard the lover of justice as an enemy. Verse 14: The sinners drew their swords and bent their bows to cast down the poor and needy and to slay the upright by striking them in the heart. Just as there is divine armor, so too there is demonic armor, which the devil’s soldier puts on: the breastplate of injustice, the helmet of destruction, the shield of unbelief, and the sword of the evil spirit, which draws out the sinner whose feet run toward injustice. There is some readiness of the

The gospel provides a readily available instrument for sinning. Those who embrace sin draw their weapons, for they are equipped and eager to act. They conceal the sword of the evil spirit within the embrace of sin itself.

Christ is the weapon of the righteous, chosen and appointed. The speech of sinners functions as a weapon, carrying the poison of sin and wounding those lacking the shield of faith. They recognize their inability to overcome someone rich in wisdom and good deeds, so they refrain from attacking such a person. Instead, their entire scheme targets the poor, since a person's wealth serves as their own protection, while the poor lack the means to resist threats.

It is preferable not to possess the sword of sin; but if one does have it, they should not draw it, but rather let it remain inactive. When idle, it does not merely fade or lose its edge—it is entirely destroyed. There is no need for fire to test each person's work, as Peter's work is not touched by flame, though he hears of it; even if he passes through fire, the flame will not consume him. However, the lake of fire does touch sinners, like the Red Sea overwhelmed the Egyptians, though not the Hebrews. Just as...

Greek · §7

ἀλλὰ κινδυνεύω λέγειν πάντας ἀνθρώπους παρὲξ τοῦ τελείου, ἐάν που εὑρεθῇ τις τέλειος. Στίχ. θʹ. Οἱ δὲ ὑπομένοντες τὸν Κύριον κληρονο μήσουσι γῆν. Ἐπειδὴ εἰώθαμέν πως ἀεὶ τῶν πονηρῶν ἀπαν ίστασθαι, τῷ τοῦ κολάζεσθαι δέει συνωθούμενοι πρὸς τὸ ἄμεινον, ἐφέσει δὲ τῶν παρὰ Θεοῦ χαρισμάτων συν ελαύνεσθαι εἰς τὸ διαζῇν εὐνόμως· διὰ τοῦτο, δείξας ὁ ψάλλων ὀλέθριον τῶν πονηρευομένων τὸ τέλος, ἐπ άγει, ὅτι Οἱ τὸν Κύριον ὑπομένοντες, τουτέστιν οἱ διὰ καρτερίας καὶ ὑπομονῆς τὸν εὐδόκιμον κατορθοῦν τες βίον, κληρονομήσουσι γῆν, ἥτις οὐκ ἔστι μέρος ταύτης τῆς γῆς ὑπὸ κατάραν γεγενημένης, ἣν ἐν λύπαις ἐσθίει πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας αὐτοῦ ὁ ἐργαζόμενος αὐτήν· ἀλλὰ γῆν ἐκείνην, τὴν τοῖς ἁγίοις ηὐτρεπι σμένην. Κλῆρος γὰρ αὐτοῖς ἡ τῶν ἁγίων καλλίπολις, ἡ ἱερά τε καὶ ἄνω, ἧς κληροδότης Θεός. Ὥσπερ δέ ἐστιν ὁ Σωτὴρ σοφία, Λόγος, εἰρήνη καὶ δικαιοσύνη, οὕτως καὶ ὑπομονή. Γέγραπται γάρ· Καὶ νῦν τίς ἡ ὑπομονή μου; Οὐχὶ Κύριος; Ἀφ' οὗ ἀρύεσθαί ἐστι καὶ λαμβάνειν πάντα, ἃ λέγεται εἶναι κατὰ τὰς Γρα φὰς ὁ Χριστός. Ὡς γὰρ μετοχῇ αὐτοῦ δίκαιοι γινό μεθα καὶ σοφοὶ, καὶ εἰρηνεύομεν· οὕτως καὶ μετοχῇ αὐτοῦ ὑπομένομεν. Ἡσύχαζε οὖν ὑπομένων καὶ ἐκ δεχόμενος τὸν Θεὸν, μὴ ταραττόμενος τοῖς παροῦσι. Στίχ. ιαʹ. Οἱ δὲ πραεῖς κληρονομήσουσι γῆν. Οἱ ἀπὸ Οὐαλεντίνου καί τινων ἑτέρων, οἰόμενοι τὸν Σωτῆρα λέγειν τὰ μὴ εἰρημένα ἐν τοῖς παλαιοῖς Γράμμασιν, ἐντεῦθεν ἐλεγχέσθωσαν, ἀκούοντες, ὅτι Μακάριοι πραεῖς, ὅτι αὐτοὶ κληρονομήσουσι τὴν γῆν. Εἴρητο μὲν καὶ πρότερον διὰ ∆αβὶδ ὑπὸ τοῦ αὐ τοῦ Πνεύματος. Οἰκονομικώτερον δὲ λίαν ὁ ∆αβὶδ ἀντιπαρεξ άγει ταῖς τῶν παρανόμων κολάσεσι τὰ τῶν ἁγίων γέρα. Ἀκονᾷ δὲ διὰ τούτων αὐτοὺς εἰς ἔφεσιν εὐανδρίας πνευματικῆς, δι' ἧς ἂν γένοιτο κατορθοῦν πάντα τρό πον ἀρετῆς. Ταύτῃ τοί φησιν· Οἱ δὲ πραεῖς κληρονομήσουσι γῆν, τὴν ἄνω δηλαδή. Εἰ γάρ ἐστιν ἐν οὐρανοῖς κατὰ Παῦλον Ἱερουσαλὴμ καὶ Σιὼν ὄρος, ἀκόλουθον καὶ γῆν νοεῖν, ἣν κληρονομήσουσιν 17.128 οἱ νενικηκότες πάθος ὀλέθριον, τὴν ὀργὴν, ἥτις καὶ φρονίμους ἀπόλλυσι. Κατ' ἀρετὴν γὰρ ἐνεργεῖν ἐμπο δίζονται. Κατὰ διάμετρον δέ εἰσιν ἀλλήλοις πραότης καὶ ὀργή. Ὅπου γὰρ ὀργὴ, οὐδαμῶς πραότης· καὶ ὅπου πραότης, οὐδαμῶς ἐκεῖ ὀργή. Στίχ. ιβʹ. Παρατηρήσεται ὁ ἁμαρτωλὸς τὸν δίκαιον, καὶ βρύξει ἐπ' αὐτὸν τοὺς ὀδόντας αὐτοῦ. Στίχ. ιγʹ. Ὁ δὲ Κύριος ἐκγελάσεται αὐτὸν, ὅτι προ βλέπει, ὅτι ἥξει ἡ ἡμέρα αὐτοῦ. Ἐντεῦθεν μανθάνομεν, ὅτι, ὥσπερ πέφυκεν ἐναν τίον εἶναι σκότος καὶ φῶς, οὕτω ὁ ἁμαρτωλὸς τῷ δικαίῳ. Ἐὰν οὖν ἴδῃς τότε μισούμενον τὸν δίκαιον, μὴ ὄκνει λέγειν περὶ τοῦ μισοῦντος αὐτὸν, ὡς ἔστιν ἁμαρτωλός. Οἱ γὰρ φρονοῦντες τὰ κοσμικὰ, καὶ τῇ τοῦ παρόντος βίου τύρβῃ τὸν ἑαυτῶν ἐνδήσαντες νοῦν, ἀεί πως ἐπιμεμήνασι τοῖς τὸν εὐαγῆ καὶ ἀπόλεκτον διαβιοῦσι βίον, καὶ ἐχθρὸν ἡγοῦνται τῆς δικαιοσύνης τὸν ἐραστήν. Στίχ. ιδʹ. Ῥομφαίαν ἐσπάσαντο οἱ ἁμαρτωλοί· ἐν ετείναντο τόξον αὐτῶν, τοῦ καταβαλεῖν πτωχὸν καὶ πένητα, τοῦ σφάξαι τοὺς εὐθεῖς τῇ καρ δίᾳ. Ὥσπερ ἐστὶ πανοπλία Θεοῦ τις, οὕτως ἐστί τις πανοπλία τοῦ διαβόλου, ἣν ὁ αὐτοῦ στρατιώτης ἐνδέ δυται· τὸν θώρακα τῆς ἀδικίας, τὴν περικεφαλαίαν τῆς ἀπωλείας, τὸν θυρεὸν τῆς ἀπιστίας, τὴν μάχαι ραν τοῦ πονηροῦ πνεύματος, ἣν σπᾶται ἁμαρτωλὸς, οὗ οἱ πόδες ἐπ' ἀδικίαν τρέχουσιν. Ἔστι τις ἑτοιμα σία τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου, ἔστι καὶ ὑπόδημα ἑτοιμότατον εἰς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν. Ἐνταῦθα οὖν ῥομφαίαν ἐσπάσαντο· ὅτι πρόχειρον ἔχουσι τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, καὶ ἕτοιμοί εἰσιν ἐπὶ τὸ ποιεῖν αὐτήν· οἱ κρύπτοντες ἐν τῷ κουλεῷ τῆς ἁμαρτίας τὴν ῥομφαίαν τοῦ πονηροῦ πνεύματος. Βέλος τῶν δικαίων, Χριστός ἐστιν Ἰησοῦς. Ἔθηκαςὡς βέλος ἐκλεκτόν. Ὁ λόγος τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν βέλος ἐστίν· ἁμαρτίας ἰὸν ἔχει· τιτρώσκει τὸν μὴ καθ ωπλισμένον τῷ τῆς πίστεως θυρεῷ. Οἴδασιν, ὅτι οὐ δύνανται καταβαλεῖν πλούσιον πλουτοῦντα ἐν σοφίᾳ, ἐν ἔργοις ἀγαθοῖς. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο τὴν ἀρχὴν οὐδὲ ἐπιβάλ λουσιν αὐτῷ. Ἀλλ' ἡ πᾶσα ἐπιβουλή ἐστι κατὰ τοῦ πτωχοῦ· ἐπεὶ λύτρον ψυχῆς ἀνδρὸς ὁ ἴδιος πλοῦ τος· πτωχὸς δὲ οὐχ ὑφίσταται ἀπειλήν. Καλὸν μὲν οὖν μὴ ἔχειν ῥομφαίαν ἁμαρτίας· δεύτερον δὲ, ἔχοντα, μὴ σπᾶσθαι αὐτὴν, ἀλλὰ ποιεῖν αὐτὴν ἡσυχάζειν. Ἀργοῦσα γὰρ, οὐ μόνον ἰοῦται, οὐδὲ ἀμβλύνεται, ἀλλὰ τέλεον ἐξαφανίζεται. Καὶ οὐ χρείαν ἔχομεν πυ ρὸς, ὅπου ἑκάστου τὸ ἔργον δοκιμάζεται· ὃ Πέτρου μὲν οὐχ ἅπτεται, ἀλλ' ἀκούει, Κἂν διέλθῃ διὰ πυρὸς, φλὸξ οὐ κατακαύσει σε· ἁμαρτωλῶν δὲ ἅπτεται ἡ λίμνη τοῦ πυρὸς, ὡς ἡ Ἐρυθρὰ Αἰγυπτίων, οὐ μὴν καὶ Ἑβραίων. Ὥσπερ

The Savior as chosen dart and the piercing word§8

8Nevertheless the Savior is a chosen dart, and the holy ones pierce with a chosen dart in accordance with the Savior, just as the darts of God correspond to Him; thus I say of the one who is pierced: I am pierced by love; and so the Antichrist is a dart of the evil one, and all sinners are darts of the devil, whom he uses against the righteous as referenced in 17.129. Behold a woman, and they counseled for you. If the dart is not burning, yet it holds fire in the mouth so that it may speak and burn you—in hand, in the whole body, in the whole soul—just as God places a bow in the cloud to cease the storm and prevent a flood, so too, in opposition, the evil one uses a bow to dispel calm from the soul, extinguish peace, raise war, and stir up storm. Perhaps the poor and needy are brothers who are upright in heart, poor in spirit, whom the demons seek to cast down. If you see one scandalized and held under sin, behold that he has been slain and his blood flows, which God seeks; for his vital power has perished, and he seeks it from a brother, from a beast, from a faithful slanderer, from one alien to the faith, and from the hand of the aim. But these things may have been said too subtly. Meanwhile, the one who sings makes clear all that has been said, namely: The sinner observes the righteous, I say. For just as on a tablet one clearly depicting is shown, brought forward alongside, one slaying is exposed, the sword is laid bare, already shooting, and his injustice is made evident. For the sinner's aims are not directed at those who have wronged him at those who have conspired against him, nor at those who have given benevolent pretexts for war to defend themselves; but

the focus shifts to the inner transformation wrought by song, which illuminates the prior declarations, revealing the sinner’s perception of the righteous not as accusation but as invitation to witness, where the act of singing does not erase the preceding imagery of conflict and judgment but rather refracts it through a lens of clarity, making manifest what was implicit: that the sinner’s gaze upon the righteous is not borne of hostility but of a dawning awareness, a recognition that persists even amid the surrounding metaphors of darts, bows, blood, and spiritual warfare, where the sacred and the profane intertwine in the human soul’s struggle, and the singer’s voice becomes the medium through which the hidden symmetry between sin and righteousness is disclosed—not as contradiction, but as fulfillment in tension.

The purpose is to bring low the poor person, meaning the gentle, moderate-minded, and humble in heart, whom the Savior also called poor in spirit and declared worthy of the kingdom of heaven.

What word is there for sinners against the upright in heart and the poor in spirit? None at all.

For they have wronged those people not even by directing their own ways toward righteousness.

I think it also occurs against them, the so-called ones: some empty person, not a gentle envy, but one inflamed from diabolical wickedness within them.

Let their sword enter their hearts; let their bows be broken.

Just as the peace of the just returns to him, so let the sword of the impious enter his heart, if the upright one guards himself in heart.

Better is a little for the just than the abundance of the wicked.

Indeed, the word itself has something useful from the outset for the more innocent, and it also contains something secretly said for those who understand to listen more deeply to Scripture.

Therefore the simple thing is this: the rich and the poor stand together, both just and unjust.

But the former seek only as much as the need, equal to righteousness; either they do not obtain it, or they obtain what is to be acquired without injustice, pursuing acquisition through righteousness.

The latter have wholly turned toward acquisition, seeking to gain many possessions, not considering whether they will acquire well.

Thus two things are set before us: a little amount with righteousness, and a much amount with injustice.

Better is little for the just than the abundance of the wicked.

Let us also consider the withdrawn thing: better is it to be a faithful private person, unable even to open the mouth, than to be rich in spoken word and in learning through wickedness or unbelief.

The arms of sinners will be broken, but the Lord supports the righteous.

When you observe that the strength and power of the wicked have been shattered—so much so that they cannot extend their hand to perform a good deed, since their strength is indeed broken—you will recognize that the prophecy has been fulfilled: the arms of sinners are broken.

The one who breaks them is the devil.

Nevertheless, every human being is weak, and whatever relies solely on oneself collapses; thus, each person requires the one who sustains the fallen and raises up the broken.

Greek · §8

μέντοι ὁ Σωτὴρ βέλος ἐκλεκτὸν, καὶ ἀνάλογα τῷ Σωτῆρι βέλη τοῦ Θεοῦ οἱ ἅγιοι τιτρώσκοντες βέ λει ἐκλεκτῷ, ἵνα ὁ τετρωμένος λέγω· Τετρωμένη ἀ γάπης ἐγώ· οὕτως ὁ Ἀντίχριστος βέλος τοῦ πονη ροῦ. Καὶ πάντες οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ βέλη τοῦ διαβόλου, οἷς 17.129 κατὰ τῶν δικαίων χρᾶται. Ἴδε γυναῖκα, καὶ ἐπ εβούλευσάν σοι. Εἰ μὴ βέλος ἐστὶ πεπυρωμένον, πῦρ ἔχουσα ἐν στόματι, ἵνα λαλήσῃ καὶ καύσῃ σε, ἐν χει ρὶ, ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ σώματι, ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ ψυχῇ; Καὶ ὥσπερ ὁ Θεὸς τίθησι τόξον ἐν τῇ νεφέλῃ, ἵνα παύσῃ χειμῶνα, καὶ μὴ γίνηται κατακλυσμός· οὕτω, κατὰ τὸ ἀντικείμενον, ὁ πονηρὸς χρᾶται τόξῳ, ἵνα παύσῃ γαλήνην ἀπὸ ψυχῆς, καὶ εἰρήνην σβέσῃ, καὶ πόλε μον ἐγείρῃ, καὶ χειμῶνα ποιήσῃ. Μήποτε δὲ οἱ πτω χοὶ καὶ πένητες ἀδελφοί εἰσι τῶν εὐθέων τῇ καρ δίᾳ, οἱ πτωχοὶ τῷ πνεύματι, οὓς ζητοῦσι καταβα λεῖν οἱ δαίμονες. Ἐὰν ἴδῃς σκανδαλιζόμενον, καὶ ὑπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας κεκρατημένον, βλέπε, ὅτι οὗτος ἔσφα κται, καὶ τὸ αἷμα αὐτοῦ ῥεῖ, ὃ ἐκζητεῖ Θεός. Ἀπ ώλετο γὰρ ἡ ζωτικὴ δύναμις αὐτοῦ· ἐκζητεῖ δὲ αὐτὸ ἀπὸ ἀδελφοῦ καὶ ἀπὸ θηρίου· ἀπὸ πιστοῦ σκαν δαλίζοντος, καὶ ἀπὸ ἀλλοτρίου τῆς πίστεως, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς χειρὸς τοῦ σκοποῦ. Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν ἴσως περιεργότερον εἴρηται. Ὁ μέντοι ψάλλων διαλευκαίνει πᾶν τὸ ἤδη ῥηθὲν, τό· Κατανοεῖ ὁ ἁμαρτωλὸς τὸν δίκαιον, φημί. Καθά περ γὰρ ἐν πίνακι σαφῶς μηνιῶντα ζωγραφεῖ, καὶ παραταττόμενον εἰσφέρει, καὶ φονῶντα δεικνύει, καὶ ἀπογυμνοῦντα τὸ ξίφος, καὶ ἤδη τοξεύοντα, καὶ τὴν ἀδικίαν αὐτοῦ καθίστησιν ἐναργῆ. Σκοποὶ γὰρ τῷ ἁμαρτωλῷ οὐχ ἕνα τινὰ τῶν ἀδικησάντων αὐτῷ, ἢ κατά τι προσκεκρουκότων, καὶ προφάσεις τῷ πολέμῳ δεδωκότων εὐλόγους ἀμύνεσθαι· ἀλλ' ἵνα καταβάλῃ πτωχὸν, τουτέστι τὸν ἐπιεικῆ καὶ μετριόφρονα, καὶ ταπεινὸν τῇ καρδίᾳ, ὃν καὶ ὁ Σωτὴρ πτωχὸν ἔφη τῷ πνεύματι, καὶ τῆς τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείας ἄξιον εἶναί φησι. Τίς οὖν τοῖς ἁμαρτωλοῖς λόγος πρὸς τοὺς εὐ θεῖς τῇ καρδίᾳ, καὶ τοὺς πτωχοὺς τῷ πνεύματι; παντελῶς οὐδείς. Ἠδικήκασι γὰρ ἐκείνους οὐδὲν τὰς ἑαυτῶν ὁδοὺς ἀπευθύνοντας εἰς δικαιοσύνην. Ἀκονᾷ δὲ, οἶμαι, κατ' αὐτῶν τοὺς ὠνομασμένους, μάταιός τις ἁπλῶς, καὶ οὐκ εὐάφορμος φθόνος, ἐκ διαβολικῆς σκαιότητος ἐκκεκαυμένος ἐν αὐτοῖς. Στίχ. ιεʹ. Ἡ ῥομφαία αὐτῶν εἰσέλθοι εἰς τὰς καρ δίας αὐτῶν· καὶ τὰ τόξα αὐτῶν συντριβείη. Ὥσπερ δὲ ἡ εἰρήνη τοῦ δικαίου εἰς αὐτὸν ἀνακάμ πτει· οὕτως ἡ ῥομφαία τοῦ ἀσεβοῦς εἰσέλθοι εἰς καρδίαν αὐτοῦ, ἐὰν τηρῇ ἑαυτὸν ὁ εὐθὺς τῇ καρ δίᾳ. Στίχ. ι ʹ. Κρεῖσσον ὀλίγον τῷ δικαίῳ ὑπὲρ πλοῦ τον ἁμαρτωλῶν πολύν. Ἔχει μὲν οὖν ἡ λέξις αὐτόθεν ὠφέλιμόν τι τοῖς ἀκεραιοτέροις· ἔχει δέ τι καὶ κεκρυμμένως εἰρημέ νον τοῖς βαθύτερον ἀκούειν τῆς Γραφῆς ἐπισταμέ νοις. Τὸ οὖν ἁπλούστερον τοιοῦτόν ἐστι· Βιοπορι στοῦσι δίκαιοι καὶ ἄδικοι. Ἀλλ' οἱ μὲν τοσοῦτον ζη τοῦσι τὸ τῆς χρείας, ὅσον τὸ τῆς δικαιοσύνης· καὶ ἢ οὐ πορίζουσιν, ἢ ἄνευ ἀδικίας, χρωννύντες τὸ πορι ζόμενον τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ. Οἱ δὲ ὅλως νενεύκασιν ἐπὶ τὸν πορισμὸν, ὅπως πολλὰ κτήσωσιν, οὐ ζητοῦντες εἰ καλῶς κτήσονται. ∆ύο οὖν προκειμένων, τοῦ τε ὀλί 17.132 γου λήμματος μετὰ δικαιοσύνης, καὶ τοῦ πολλοῦ μετὰ ἀδικίας· Κρεῖσσον ὀλίγον τῷ δικαίῳ ὑπὲρ πλοῦτον ἁμαρτωλῶν πολύν. Ἴδωμεν δὲ καὶ τὸ ἀνακεχωρηκός. Κρεῖσσόν ἐστι πιστὸν ἰδιώτην εἶναι, οὐδὲ ἀνοῖξαι τὸ στόμα δυνάμενον, ἢ πλουτεῖν τῷ λόγῳ προφορικῷ καὶ τοῖς μαθήμασιν ἐν κακίᾳ ἢ ἀπιστίᾳ. Στίχ. ιζʹ. Ὅτι βραχίονες ἁμαρτωλῶν συντριβή σονται· ὑποστηρίζει δὲ τοὺς δικαίους ὁ Κύ ριος. Ἐὰν ἴδῃς τὸν τόνον καὶ τὴν δύναμιν συντετριμμέ νην τοῦ ἀσεβοῦς, ὥστε μὴ δύνασθαι αὐτὸν ἐκτεῖναι τὴν χεῖρα ἐπὶ πρᾶξιν ἀγαθὴν (συντετριμμένη γάρ ἐστιν), ὄψει, ὅτι πεπλήρωται τό· Βραχίονες ἁμαρ τωλῶν συντριβήσονται. Ὁ δὲ συντρίβων, ὁ διάβο λός ἐστι. Πᾶς μέντοι ἄνθρωπος ἀσθενὴς, καὶ τὸ ὅσον ἐφ' ἑαυτῷ καταπίπτει, καὶ δέεται τοῦ ὑποστη ρίζοντος τοὺς καταπίπτοντας, καὶ ἀνορθοῦντος τοὺς κατεῤῥαγμένους. Στίχ. καʹ. ∆ανείζεται ὁ ἁμαρτωλὸς, καὶ οὐκ ἀποτί σει· ὁ δὲ δίκαιος οἰκτείρει καὶ δίδωσιν. Ὑψηλότερον δέ· Ὅταν διδάσκῃ Παῦλος, ἤ τις ἕτε ρος τῶν ἱερῶν μυσταγωγῶν, οἱ ἀκροαταὶ δανείζον ται τὸ δόκιμον ἀργύριον τῷ στόματι Παύλου. Καὶ ὁ μὲν δίκαιος ἀποδίδωσι τοὺς τόκους, καὶ λέγει· Μνᾶν μοι ἔδωκας, ἰδοὺ δέκα μνᾶς ἐποίησα. Πέντε τά λαντα ἔδωκας, ἰδοὺ ἔχω δέκα. Ὁ δὲ ἁμαρτωλὸς ἀναλίσκει πάντα. Οὐκ ἔξεστι δανείζειν τὰ ἑαυτοῦ, ἤτοι διδάσκειν ὡς οἱ αἱρετικοί·

It is good to cling to the Lord§9

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9Reading the locked Greek in open English:

It is good, then, to be an athlete untiring, and in order that I may name him thus from the examples, unimpeded, unyoked.

Yet if after having fallen he remains silent, then he was broken.

Or does the one who turns away not turn back?' say that such a person, having fallen, was not broken.

If you see a person who has been overcome, and after overcoming does not surrender oneself to lasciviousness in all uncleanness of work, having risen and having been reminded of the Scripture: 'Does the one who fell not rise up?

Regarding these, one might speak bodily: He has fallen, not It was broken, certainly, because it is dust after having fallen.

Those who wrestle in the contests and have fallen the first time have conquered the third.

Verse 24: When he falls, he will not be thrown down, for the Lord steadies his hand.

As for the way the Lord does not will, it is not because the crossings belong to humans, but because they belong to a beast, reptile, or cattle.

they veer right and left, not content with mere faith, knowing deeply but not truly.

Yet those who arise from heresies may indeed be in crossings, yet not guided by the Lord, but turned crooked by the evil one.

Whatever pleases God is certainly exalted and full of all praise, for God would not have willed it otherwise.

Just as He regards the ways of the unlawful as unwilling, so He makes the ways of the good-doers willing.

It may be better to understand that the Lord wills the way of the person, meaning He makes it willing and accepts it.

The term is ambiguous, for it may mean either that the Lord wills the way of the one guided by the crossings and accepts the path they make according to law—rejecting impious or crooked ways—or that the one whose crossings are divinely directed wills the Lord’s way, having experienced, in being guided as the crossings are, the sweetness of the way in which they are led by the Lord.

However, when a person’s crossings are directed by the Lord, then that person wills their own way.

One does not create bends in life’s wheels, but proceeds straight in every good matter, teaching and guiding others, just as one might say: You took hold of my right hand, and in your council you led me forward.

Just as a son of one’s own, he says, is taken by the hand of God, and he brings him to a straight way, not letting him go crooked-footing, nor.

and he will desire exceedingly his way.

The Lord’s steps of a man are directed.

17.133 Verse 23.

but the Jews, blaspheming him, are utterly destroyed in the end.

Christ indeed, therefore, the nations bless him, for which reason they inherit the kingdom.

Yet those who do not know God curse him, and again these things of his glory are at times uttering sounds, toward not even enduring those things in which they have suffered well, to bring to him the thanksgivings.

thus it follows to say: You insulted this one, you insulted me.

Also just as he says: You nourished this one, you nourished me.

Because the Lord says to the righteous: I will be hostile to your enemies, and I will oppose those who oppose you.

Yet danger lies in cursing us to the righteous destruction of the end.

Therefore, if God were the one showing mercy and giving, those who glorify him because of this, that is, those who bless him, will be heirs of the promised land to the saints, and they will receive the good and abundant land, which does not have the reason of center and sign.

Like what was said to Abraham: I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse those who curse you.

but those who curse him shall be utterly destroyed.

That those who bless him shall inherit the earth.

Verse 22.

Yet if not, it is better not to borrow the beginning, especially the things of the Lord’s treasury, than to lose the king’s money.

It must be repaid with interest from the polity and action the principal.

but the silver of God, the tested, as the one saying says: Or are you seeking proof of the Christ speaking in me?

Greek · §9

ἀλλὰ τὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀρ γύριον τὸ δόκιμον, ὡς ὁ λέγων· Ἢ δοκιμὴν ζητεῖτε τοῦ ἐν ἐμοὶ λαλοῦντος Χριστοῦ; Ἀποδοτέον δὲ μετὰ τόκου ἐκ πολιτείας καὶ πράξεως τὸ κεφάλαιον. Εἰ δὲ μὴ, κρεῖττόν ἐστι τὴν ἀρχὴν μὴ δανείσασθαι, μάλιστα τὰ τοῦ ταμείου τοῦ Κυριακοῦ, ἢ ἀπολέσαι τὰ τοῦ βασιλέως χρήματα. Στίχ. κβʹ. Ὅτι οἱ εὐλογοῦντες αὐτὸν κληρονομή σουσι γῆν· οἱ δὲ καταρώμενοι αὐτὸν ἐξολο θρευθήσονται. Ὅμοιον τῷ εἰρημένῳ πρὸς Ἀβραάμ· Τοὺς εὐλογοῦντάς σε εὐλογήσω, καὶ τοὺς καταρωμέ νους σε καταράσομαι. Οὐκοῦν, εἰ ὁ Θεὸς εἴη ὁ κατ οικτείρων καὶ διδοὺς, οἱ δοξολογοῦντες αὐτὸν διὰ τοῦτο, ἤγουν εὐλογοῦντες, ἔσονται κληρονόμοι τῆς ἐπηγγελμένης τοῖς ἁγίοις γῆς, καὶ λήψονται τὴν γῆν ἀγαθὴν καὶ τὴν πολλὴν, τὴν οὐ κέντρου καὶ σημείου λόγον ἔχουσαν. Κίνδυνος δὲ ἐν τῷ κατάραν ἡμᾶς τιθέναι τῷ δικαίῳ ὀλέθρου τοῦ ἐσχάτου. Λέγει γὰρ πρὸς τὸν δίκαιον ὁ Κύριος· Ἐχθρεύσω τοῖς ἐχθροῖς σου, καὶ ἀντιβήσομαι τοῖς ἀντικειμένοις σοι. Καὶ ὥσπερ λέγει· Τοῦτον ἔθρεψας, ἐμὲ ἔθρεψας· οὕτως ἀκόλουθον εἰπεῖν· Τοῦτον ἐλοιδόρησας, ἐμὲ ἐλοιδό ρησας. Καταρῶνται δὲ Θεὸν οἱ μὴ εἰδότες αὐτὸν, καὶ ταῦτα τῆς αὐτοῦ δόξης πάλιν φήμους ἔσθ' ὅτε ῥιπτοῦντες φωνὰς, πρὸς τὸ μηδὲ ἐφ' οἷς εὖ πε πόνθασιν ἀνέχεσθαι προσάγειν αὐτῷ τὰς εὐχαρι στίας. Χριστὸν μὲν οὖν εὐλογοῦσι τὰ ἔθνη, διὸ κλη ρονομοῦσι τὴν βασιλείαν· Ἰουδαῖοι δὲ, βλασφημοῦν τες αὐτὸν, εἰς τέλος ὀλοθρεύονται. 17.133 Στίχ. κγʹ. Παρὰ Κυρίου τὰ διαβήματα ἀνθρώπου κατευθύνεται· καὶ τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ θελήσει σφόδρα. Ὥσπερ ἰδίου παιδὸς, φησὶ, λαμβάνεται τῆς χει ρὸς ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ ἀποφέρει πρὸς ὁδὸν εὐθεῖαν, οὐκ ἀφιεὶς αὐτὸν σκολιοδρομεῖν, οὔτε μὴν καμπύλας ποιεῖσθαι τοῦ βίου τὰς τροχιάς· ἀλλ' εὐθὺ παντὸς ἰέναι πράγματος ἀγαθοῦ, διδάσκων τε καὶ ἀπευθύ νων αὐτοὺς, κατά γε τό· Ἐκράτησας τῆς χειρὸς τῆς δεξιᾶς μου, καὶ ἐν τῇ βουλῇ σου ὡδήγησάς με. Ὅταν μέντοι τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὰ διαβήματα ὑπὸ Κυ ρίου κατευθυνθῇ, τότε τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ θελήσει. Ἀμφίβολος ἡ λέξις. Ἢ γὰρ ὁ Κύριος τοῦ κατευθυνομένου τοῖς διαβήμασι θέλει τὴν ὁδὸν, καὶ ἀποδέχε ται ἣν ποιεῖται κατὰ τὸν νόμον πορείαν, μὴ θέλων ὁδὸν ἀσεβῶν, ἢ λοξῶς πορευομένων· ἢ αὐτὸς, οὗ τὰ διαβήματα ὑπὸ Κυρίου κατευθύνεται, θέλει τὴν ὁδὸν τοῦ Κυρίου, γευσάμενος, ἐν τῷ κατευθύνεσθαι αὐτοῦ ὡς τὰ διαβήματα, τῆς γλυκύτητος τῆς κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν, ἐν ᾗ κατευθυνθείη ὑπὸ Κυρίου. Ἄμεινον δὲ ἴσως νοεῖν, ὅτι ὁ Κύριος θελήσει τὴν ὁδὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώ που, τουτέστι ποιήσεται θελητὴν καὶ ἀποδέξεται. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἀνεθελήτους ἔχει τὰς τῶν παρανόμων ὁδοὺς, οὕτω ποιεῖται θελητὰς τὰς τῶν ἀγαθουργούν των. Ὃ δὲ ἀρέσκει Θεῷ, τοῦτο πάντως ἐστὶ καὶ ἐξαί ρετον, καὶ παντὸς ἐπαίνου μεστόν. Οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἠθέλησε Θεὸς τὸ μὴ οὕτως ἔχον. Οἵ γε μὴν ἀπὸ τῶν αἱρέσεων γίνονται μὲν ἐν διαβήμασιν, οὐ μὴν κατευθυνουμέ νοις ὑπὸ Κυρίου, ἀλλὰ λελοξωμένοις ὑπὸ τοῦ πονη ροῦ· ἐκκλίνουσι δεξιὰ καὶ ἀριστερὰ, μὴ ἀρκούμενοι ψιλῇ τῇ πίστει, νοοῦντες δὲ βαθύτερον μὲν, οὐκ ἀλη θὲς δέ. Ὧν τὴν ὁδὸν οὐ θέλει Κύριος, ὅτι οὐκ ἀνθρώ πων αὐτῶν τὰ διαβήματα, ἀλλὰ θηρὸς ἢ ἑρπετοῦ ἢ κτήνους. Στίχ. κδʹ. Ὅταν πέσῃ οὐ καταῤῥαχθήσεται, ὅτι Κύριος ἀντιστηρίζει χεῖρα αὐτοῦ. Οἱ ἐν τοῖς ἀγῶσι παλαίοντες πεπτώκασι τὸ πρῶ τον, νενικήκασι τὰ τρία. Ἐπὶ τούτοις εἴποις ἂν κατὰ τὸ σωματικὸν, ὅτι· Πέπτωκεν, οὐ κατεῤῥάγη δὲ, νενί κηκε γὰρ μετὰ τὸ πεσεῖν. Ἐὰν ἴδῃς ἄνθρωπον νενι κημένον, καὶ μετὰ τὸ νενικῆσθαι οὐ παραδόντα ἑαυ τὸν τῇ ἀσελγείᾳ εἰς ἐργασίαν ἀκαθαρσίας πάσης, ἀναστάντα δὲ, ὑπομνησθέντα τῆς Γραφῆς· Μὴ ὁ πεσὼν οὐκ ἀνίσταται; ἢ ὁ ἀποστρέφων οὐκ ἐπιστρέφει; λέγε, ὅτι, πεσὼν ὁ τοιοῦτος, οὐ κατ εῤῥάχθη. Ἐὰν δὲ μετὰ τὸ πεσεῖν ἀπαυδήσῃ, κα τεῤῥάχθη. Καλὸν μὲν οὖν ἀθλητὴς εἶναι ἄπτωτος, καὶ ἵνα οὕτως ὀνομάσω ἀπὸ τῶν παραδειγμάτων, ἀμεσολάβητος, ἀσυνέζωστος. Εἰ δὲ

Fallen, rise again; the Lord raises up§10

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10He has fallen, rise up. For those who have fallen mourn, and after having sinned they became insensitive, and having delivered themselves over to every sin.

In innocence, among men be crowned. Have you fallen among boys? Contend in the noble contest, and conquer in it. In the womb Jacob supplanted Esau; from childhood Daniel prophesied, and he examined the elders. Are you unable to become such? Become next an athlete, as the righteous one, who, even if he falls while wrestling or running, is not shaken, because the Lord steadies his hand. The word is doubtful: whether for his own, or for the one wrestling and already about to be shaken, in order that he may not at all come face forward, and become lying wholly on the ground. Verse 25. I became younger; and indeed I grew old; and I did not see a righteous one abandoned. But otherwise we know age according to the inner man: child, youth, elder. Therefore before Abraham the longer-lived ones of him are not called elders; but he himself first by virtue was made elder, and by having inactivated the inner man of himself the things of the infant. And hear Jeremiah: Do not say, that I am younger. Such a thing concerns me and also David: He says, I became like a child according to the inner man of me. But having changed from youthful character and instability, in which being made younger I was, I came into old age, having a life unfruitful and a gray mind. And thus proceeding, I did not see a righteous one abandoned. If you hear bodily, it is false. There are two kinds of abandonment: the bodily, which does not harm us at all; and the of the soul, which is destructive. As much therefore as we are enriched by righteous works, by so much more

We support ourselves to avoid being deserted until the end. Therefore, you are not one who has been abandoned, but one who has been left behind. For at the proper time, even the righteous are forsaken, as Job was, so that their righteousness may be made evident. In Psalm 42, verse 14, I cry out to God: My defender, why have you forgotten me? And why, while overwhelmed with grief, do I continue forward, in the act of subduing the foe? Verse 15 describes how, when my bones are broken, my adversaries taunt me daily, asking: Where is your God? Yet we do not all perceive how God extends compassion. Moreover, concerning His merciful actions, which often feel burdensome, we do not receive them with joy, nor do we regard them as true mercy. Hence we ask: Why have you forgotten me? But the one who has understood that all God brings upon us works for our good will not speak this way, recognizing that He is fostering repentance and benefit, actively bringing it about. Nevertheless, those who are coming to know God question why He has forsaken the one who is crushed and sorrowful in this manner. What is the reason for such abandonment? It does not appear to be random. On the contrary, the one who cries, 'Why have you forgotten me?' seems to act with assurance, as if having done nothing that would cause God to forget. Yet this question deeply distresses the righteous, especially when phrased as 'Where?' in relation to God, for it carries significant spatial implication. Indeed, the utmost folly lies in believing that God is confined to a location, since location arises from material extension, whereas the divine is immaterial and free of bulk. Furthermore, these expressions in the prayer align with the experience of the people in Babylon. For, as he states in 17.137, having attained Your providence and now being stripped bare, I remove my garments, not bringing my enemies upon me in blows, bonds, or the crushing of my bones.

They say, 'Where is your God?' attributing my suffering to weakness. More ethically, when our enemies, the demons, break our bones through sin—meaning they destroy the powers of the soul—they deliberately slander God as weak toward us, hoping to strip us of hope in him so they can seize us as captives and slaves. They do this continually, every day. What must we do? We must not fall into despair, but instead hope in God’s mercy, as we will be taught in what follows.

Psalm 51, verse 7: I was brought forth in iniquity—not only in the womb, but because I accepted the deeds of iniquity, including murder and the illicit acts of a bed I violently seized. Verse 8: I have loved truth. This is the understanding: You, Lord, being true and loving truth, desire to lead us into truth through earthly means, and you cleanse us from ancient sin. You will cleanse us until we are whiter than snow; yet this cleansing for us comes through hyssop, and the energy of the Holy Spirit is likened to hyssop—it warms and removes all the filth within us.

Greek · §10

πέπτωκεν, ἀναστή τω. Πενθοῦνται γὰρ οἱ πεσόντες, καὶ μετὰ τὸ ἁμαρ τῆσαι ἀπαλγήσαντες, καὶ παραδόντες ἑαυτοὺς πάσῃ ἁμαρτίᾳ. Ἐν ἀγενείων, ἐν ἀνδράσι στεφανώθητι. Πέπτωκας ἐν παισί; τὸν ἀγένειον ἀγώνισαι, καὶ νί κησον ἐν αὐτῷ. Ἐν κοιλίᾳ ἐπτέρνισε τὸν Ἠσαῦ ὁ Ἰακώβ· ἐκ παιδὸς ὁ ∆ανιὴλ προεφήτευσε, καὶ τοὺς 17.136 πρεσβυτέρους ἤλεγξεν. Οὐ δύνασαι τοιοῦτος γενέ σθαι; Γενοῦ ἑξῆς ἀθλητὴς, ὡς ὁ δίκαιος, ὃς, κἂν πέσῃ παλαίων ἢ τρέχων, οὐ καταῤῥήγνυται, ὅτι Κύριος ἀντιστηρίζει χεῖρα αὐτοῦ. Ἀμφίβολος ἡ λέξις· πό τερον γὰρ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ, ἢ τὴν τοῦ παλαίοντος καὶ ἤδη μέλλοντος καταῤῥήγνυσθαι, ἵνα μὴ ὅλως ἔλθῃ ἐπὶ πρόσωπον, καὶ γένηται χαμαὶ ὅλος κείμενος. Στίχ. κεʹ. Νεώτερος ἐγενόμην· καὶ γὰρ ἐγήρασα· καὶ οὐκ εἶδον δίκαιον ἐγκαταλελειμμένον. Ἑτέρως δὲ ἴσμεν ἡλικίαν κατὰ τὸν ἔσω ἄνθρωπον, παιδίου, νεανίσκου, γέροντος. Πρὸ γοῦν τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ οἱ πολυχρονιώτεροι αὐτοῦ οὐκ εἴρηνται πρεσβύτεροι· ἀλλ' αὐτὸς πρῶτος δι' ἀρετὴν πρεσβύτερος ἐχρημάτι σε, καὶ διὰ τὸ τὸν ἔσω αὐτοῦ ἄνθρωπον κατηργηκέ ναι τὰ τοῦ νηπίου. Καὶ Ἱερεμίου ἄκουε· Μὴ λέ γετε, ὅτι νεώτερος ἐγώ εἰμι. Τοιοῦτόν τί μοι νόει καὶ περὶ τοῦ ∆αβίδ· Νήπιος, φησὶν, ἐγενόμην κατὰ τὸν ἔσω μου ἄνθρωπον. Μεταβαλὼν δὲ ἐκ νεαροῦ ἤθους καὶ ἀβεβαίου, καθ' ὃν νεωτερίζων νεώτερος ἤμην, εἰς γῆρας ἦλθον, βίον ἀκηλίδωτον ἔχων καὶ πολιὰν φρόνησιν. Καὶ οὕτω προκόψας, οὐκ εἶδον δί καιον ἐγκαταλελειμμένον. Ἐὰν σωματικῶς ἀκούῃς, ψεῦδός ἐστι. ∆ύο δέ εἰσιν ἐγκαταλείψεις· ἡ μὲν σω ματικὴ, ἥτις οὐδὲν ἡμᾶς βλάπτει· ἡ δὲ τῆς ψυχῆς, ἥτις ὀλέθριός ἐστιν. Ὅσον μὲν οὖν πλουτοῦμεν ἐν ἔργοις δικαίοις, τοσοῦτον μᾶλλον βοηθούμεθα πρὸς τὸ μὴ ἐγκαταλείπεσθαι μέχρι τέλους. ∆ιὸ οὐκ εἶ πεν, ἐγκαταλειφθέντα, ἀλλ' ἐγκαταλελειμμένον. Ἐπεὶ, πρὸς καιρὸν καὶ ἐγκαταλιμπάνονται δίκαιοι, ὡς ὁ Ἰὼβ, ἵνα ἀναφανῇ δίκαιος. ΨΑΛ. ΜΑʹ. Στίχ. ιʹ. Ἐρῶ Θεῷ· Ἀντιλήπτωρ μου εἶ ∆ιὰ τί μου ἐπελάθου; Καὶ ἵνα τί σκυθρωπάζων πορεύομαι, ἐν τῷ ἐκθλίβειν τὸν ἐχθρόν; Στίχ. ιαʹ. Ἐν τῷ καταθλᾶσθαι τὰ ὀστᾶ μου, ὠνεί διζόν με οἱ ἐχθροί μου ἐν τῷ λέγειν αὐτούς μοι καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν· Ποῦ ἐστιν ὁ Θεός σου; Οὐχ ὁρῶμεν δὲ πάντες πῶς ἐλεεῖ ὁ Θεός. Καὶ πολ λάκις πρὸς τὰ κατ' ἐλεημοσύνην αὐτοῦ γινόμενα, τῷ ἐπίπονα εἶναι, οὐχ ἡδέως ἔχοντες, οὐδὲ ἔλεον εἶναι νομίζομεν. ∆ιὸ λέγομεν· ∆ιὰ τί μου ἐπελάθου; Ὁ δὲ διειληφὼς, ὅτι πᾶν ὃ ἐπάγει ὁ Θεὸς συμφερόντως ἐπάγει, οὐδὲν ἐρεῖ τοιοῦτον, εἰδὼς, ὅτι τὴν μετάνοιαν αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὴν ὠφέλειαν πραγματευόμενος ὁ Θεὸς, τοῦτο ποιεῖ. Ἀλλ' ὅπερ ἐλέγομεν, ὁ μεταγινώσκων λαὸς πυνθάνεται τοῦ. Θεοῦ, διὰ τί αὐτὸν ἐγκαταλέλοι πεν οὕτως ἐκθλιβόμενον καὶ σκυθρωπάζοντα. Τί τὸ αἴτιον τῆς τοιαύτης ἐγκαταλείψεως; οὐ τὸ τυχὸν γὰρ ἔοικεν εἶναι. Ὁ μέντοι λέγων· ∆ιὰ τί μου ἐπ ελάθου; θαῤῥεῖν ἔοικεν, ὡς μηδὲν πεποιηκὼς, δι' ἃ ἐπιλανθάνεται ὁ Θεός. Πάνυ δὲ λυπεῖ τὸν δίκαιον τὸ, Ποῦ; ἐπὶ Θεοῦ λεγόμενον, ὅπερ ἐστὶ σημαντικὸν τόπου. Τῆς γὰρ ἐσχάτης ἀνοίας τὸ ἐν τόπῳ νομίζειν εἶναι τὸν Θεόν. Ὄγκῳ γὰρ συνυφίσταται τόπος· ὄγκου δὲ τὸ Θεῖον ἐλεύθερον. Οὗτοι δὲ τῆς εὐχῆς οἱ λόγοι καὶ τῷ ἐν Βαβυλῶνι λαῷ ἁρμόζουσιν. Ἀεὶ γὰρ, φησὶ, 17.137 τῆς σῆς προνοίας τυχὼν, καὶ νῦν γυμνωθεὶς, ἀποδύ ρομαι, μὴ φέρων τοὺς πολεμίους ἐπὶ πληγαῖς καὶ δεσμοῖς καὶ τῶν ἐμῶν ὀστέων τῇ συντριβῇ λέγοντας· Ποῦ ἐστιν ὁ Θεός σου; διὰ τὴν ἀσθένειαν ταῦτά με πάσχειν ὑπολαμβάνοντας. Ἠθικώτερον δέ· Ὅταν οἱ ἐχθροὶ ἡμῶν δαίμονες διὰ τῆς ἁμαρτίας τὰ ὀστᾶ ἡμῶν συντρίψωσι, τουτέστι τὰς τῆς ψυχῆς δυνάμεις· τότε τὸν Θεὸν ἐπίτηδες πρὸς ἡμᾶς ὡς ἀσθενῆ διαβάλ λουσιν, ἵνα, τῆς πρὸς αὐτὸν ἐλπίδος ἀποστήσαντες, αἰχμαλώτους καὶ δούλους παραλάβωσι. Καὶ τοῦτο καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν, τουτέστι διηνεκῶς, ποιοῦσι. Τί οὖν χρὴ ποιεῖν; Μὴ ἐκπίπτειν εἰς ἀπόγνωσιν· ἀλλ' ἐλπίζειν ἐπὶ τὸ ἔλεος τοῦ Θεοῦ, καθὼς ἐν τοῖς ἑξῆς διδασκόμεθα. ΨΑΛ. Νʹ. Στίχ. ζʹ. Ἰδοὺ γὰρ ἐν ἀνομίαις συνελήφθην. Οὐκ ἐν τῇ γαστρὶ μόνον, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ παρέλαβόν με τὰ ἔργα τῆς ἀνομίας, τὰ τοῦ φόνου, καὶ τὰ τῆς ἀλλοτρίας κοίτης ἣν παρανόμως ἐσύλησα. Στίχ. ηʹ. Ἰδοὺ γὰρ ἀλήθειαν ἠγάπησας. Ὁ νοῦς οὗτος· Σὺ, φησὶ, Κύριε, ἀληθὴς ὢν καὶ ἀλήθειαν ἀγαπῶν, βουλόμενος ἡμᾶς ἐν ἀληθείᾳ διά γειν, ἀποκαθαριεῖς ἡμᾶς τῆς ἀρχαίας ἁμαρτίας· καὶ οὕτως ἀποκαθαρίσεις ὡς ὑπὲρ χιόνα λευκανθῆναι· ἡ δὲ ἀποκάθαρσις ἡμῖν δι' ὑσσώπου γενήσεται· ὑσσώπῳ δὲ ἡ τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος ἐνέργεια ἀφο μοιοῦται, θερμαίνουσα καὶ πάντα τὸν ἐν ἡμῖν ῥύπον ἀποσμήχουσα·

Turning from Satan to the love of God§11

11Indeed, having arranged myself to the Satan, you loved. Wisdom of the Father is manifestly the Word, yet the obscure and hidden aspects of the Word—the Word of the incarnation—remain concealed. Having neglected all these things, I grew weak and fell. Thus he says: 'You judge, punishing some and crowning others, because you love the truth.'. Loving the truth and knowing the weakness of human nature, you grant indulgence to those who ask for sustenance. For one who has been trained sophistically in the contemplation of the truth, having come to know its magnitude, holds complete love toward herself. Those who have not trained themselves in falsehoods become more observant and behold the admirable beauty of the truth—such as Moses and Daniel. After engaging with sophistical arguments, they ascended to true wisdom and received divine testimony, being recognized as perfect wise persons. God revealed to them the obscure and hidden things of his wisdom, so that nothing remained obscure or shadowed for them. Even David attains this condition through the preceding means. For I did not merely cause you to dwell among the biotic walls, but also deemed you worthy of prophetic grace, foretold the things shortly to come, made the unspeakable things clear to me—both the incarnation of your Only-begotten and the salvation of the world from that source.

They feared destruction or waste, so they cooled themselves with breezes around the camp while meat remained stuck in their teeth, uneaten. The Lord grew angry with the people and struck them with a severe blow, a great plague causing many deaths, as previously stated: he struck down the majority, meaning many. Oh, the lack of understanding! Before they could consume the meat lodged in their teeth, they doubted, having forgotten God’s power. Thus, their desire was fulfilled as a sign of divine providence toward them; yet due to their unbelief and insatiability, they were struck with cholera, by which many perished. This outcome served as a sobering example for them, for observers, and for those looking on, sufficient to promote prudence. Among the more prominent passages, Aquila and Symmachus, in the pious and richer texts, identified the wealthier and strongest individuals of the people by those names. It is plausible they did so because they themselves were prone to insatiable indulgence. According to the Septuagint, among the more, he struck down many—those whom David had chosen and called warriors. These numbered six hundred thousand, five hundred, and fifty, from twenty years old and upward, excluding the younger, the women, and the entire tribe of Levi. God sustained all these to fullness for a long time. For he declared: You shall eat for a month of days, until it comes out of your nostrils. Observing a people desirous and seeking to cleanse them of desire, he saw that mere instruction does not purify, but desire itself, when active, drives forward. For all fullness is,

It is not merely sleep that is at issue, but also the matter of food. Therefore he sent them quail meat for thirty days; yet they, having indulged excessively, were corrupted by a bilious disorder. I find the people having eaten quail meat on two occasions: first, when they had just come out of the land of Egypt; and second, as recorded in the Book of Numbers, when they spoke evil of the bread of God and contemptuously renamed it; at that moment anger rose against them, as if it were poised to fall upon them before they had even sinned. Having endured many trials of divine power, they did not believe the benevolent one could provide them with food; thus he gave them this sustenance and imposed upon them instruction, so that he might be capable of both doing these things and providing good things, as well as imposing punishments. Therefore we must flee gluttony, bulimia, and disordered eating—namely, the excess in food use, the frenzy of the throat, intemperance in eating, and the frenzy of the belly—lest we bury the mind in the mud. It causes no sorrow even to reflect on these histories in their ascent. God continually flows forth for us from the land of Egypt, from the.

Greek · §11

ἰδοὺ γὰρ ἀποταξαμένου μου τῷ Σα τανᾷ. –Ἠγάπησας. Σοφία μὲν τοῦ Πατρὸς δη λονότι ὁ λόγος· ἄδηλα δὲ καὶ κρύφια τοῦ Λόγου, ὁ τῆς ἐνανθρωπήσεως Λόγος· καὶ ἐπὶ τούτοις πᾶσιν ἀμελήσας ὠλίσθησα καὶ κατέπεσον. Οὕτω δὲ, φησὶ, κρινεῖς· καὶ τοὺς μὲν κολάσεις, τοὺς δὲ στεφανώ σεις, ἐπειδὴ τὴν ἀλήθειαν στέργεις· τὴν δὲ ἀλή θειαν στέργων, καὶ τῆς φύσεως εἰδὼς τὴν ἀσθέ νειαν, μετάδος συγγνώμην τοῖς αἰτοῦσι τὰ φάρ μακα· ὅτι σοφιστικῶς ἕξει γεγυμνασμένος ἐπὶ θεω ρίᾳ τῆς ἀληθείας· τὸ μέγεθος αὐτῆς γνοὺς, ἀγάπην πρὸς ἑαυτὴν ἔσχε τελείαν· οἱ μὴ γὰρ τοῖς ψεύδεσιν ἐγγυμνασάμενοι, διορατικώτεροι γεγενημένοι καθο ρῶσι τῆς ἀληθείας τὸ ἀξιάγαστον κάλλος· οἷός ἐστι Μωϋσῆς καὶ ∆ανιήλ· μετὰ γὰρ τὸ πειραθῆναι σο φιστικῶν λόγων, ἐπ' αὐτὴν τὴν ἀληθῆ σοφίαν ἀνα βάντες, ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ μαρτυρίαν ἔσχον, ὡς ὄντες τέλειοι σοφοί· δηλώσαντος αὐτοῖς τοῦ Θεοῦ τὰ ἄδηλα καὶ κρύφια τῆς σοφίας αὐτοῦ, ὡς μηδὲν αὐτοῖς ἀσαφὲς ἢ ἀπεσκιασμένον εἶναι· ταύτης τῆς ἕξεως καὶ ὁ ∆αυῒδ τυγχάνειν ... διὰ τοῦ προκειμένου στοί χου· Οὐ γὰρ μόνον με τοῖς βιωτικοῖς ἐνίδρυσας θώ κοις, ἀλλὰ καὶ προφητικῆς ἠξίωσας χάριτος, καὶ τὰ μικρὸν ἐσόμενα προδεδήλωκας, καὶ τὰ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἀπόῤῥητα ἐμοὶ δῆλα πεποίηκας, τήν τε τοῦ Μονογενοῦς σου ἐνανθρώπησιν, καὶ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἐκεῖθεν τὴν σωτηρίαν. 17.140 ΨΑΛ. ΟΖʹ. Στίχ. λʹ. Ἔτι τῆς βρώσεως οὔσης ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτῶν. Στίχ. λαʹ. Ὀργὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀνέβη ἐπ' αὐτοὺς, καὶ ἀπέκτεινε τοῖς πλείοσιν αὐτῶν· καὶ τοὺς ἐκλεκτοὺς τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ συνεπόδισεν. Ἰδόντες τὴν ὀρτυγομήτραν Ἑβραῖοι, οὐκ ἐπίστευ σαν τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐπαγγελίᾳ, ὑποσχομένου μέχρι μηνὸς διαθρέψαι αὐτοὺς εἰς πλησμονήν. Ἀλλὰ, φοβηθέντες μήποτε ἀποπτῇ ἢ ἀναλωθῇ πάλιν, Ἔψυξαν, φησὶ, ἑαυτοὺς ψυγμοὺς κύκλῳ τῆς παρεμβολῆς. Καὶ τὰ κρέα ἔτι ἦν ἐν τοῖς ὀδοῦσιν αὐτῶν, πρὶν ἢ ἐκλι πεῖν· καὶ Κύριος ἐθυμώθη εἰς τὸν λαόν. Καὶ ἐπά ταξε Κύριος τὸν λαὸν πληγῇ μεγάλῃ σφόδρα. Πληγὴ δὲ μεγάλη, ὁ πολλῶν θάνατος, κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον ἐνταῦθα· ὅτι Ἀπέκτεινεν ἐν τοῖς πλείοσι, τουτέστι πολλούς. Ἀλλ' ὢ τῆς ἀγνωμο σύνης! Πρὶν ἢ δαπανηθῆναι τὰ ἐν τοῖς ὀδοῦσιν αὐτῶν κρέα, ἠπίστησαν ἐπιλαθόμενοι τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ δυνά μεως. ∆ιὸ τῆς μὲν ἐπιθυμίας αὐτῶν ἐνεπλήσθησαν εἰς ἔνδειξιν τῆς περὶ αὐτοὺς θείας προνοίας· ἀπέβη δὲ αὐτοῖς, διὰ τὴν ἀπιστίαν καὶ ἀπληστίαν, εἰς νόσον χολέρας, ὑφ' ἧς πολλοὶ διεφθάρησαν· ὧν τὸ ὑπό δειγμα αὐτοῖς τε ἐκείνοις, καὶ τοῖς πρὸς ἐκείνους ὁρῶσιν, ἱκανὸν πρὸς σωφροσύνην ἐγένετο. Τὸ δὲ, ἐν τοῖς πλείοσιν, Ἀκύλας καὶ Σύμμαχος, ἐν τοῖς πίοσι καὶ λιπαροτέροις, ἐξέδωκαν, τοὺς πλουσιωτέρους τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ ἰσχυροτέρους οὕτως ὀνομάσαντες. Εἰκὸς γὰρ αὐτοὺς διὰ τοῦτο ἀπληστο τέρως ἐμφορεῖσθαι. Κατὰ δὲ τοὺς Ἑβδομήκοντα, ἐν τοῖς πλείοσιν ἀπέκτεινεν, τουτέστι πολλοὺς, οὓς καὶ ἐκλεκτοὺς ἐκάλεσεν ὁ ∆αυῒδ, ὡς πολεμιστάς. Οἱ δὲ ἦσαν ἑξακόσιαι χιλιάδες καὶ πεντακόσιοι καὶ πεντήκοντα ἀπὸ εἰκοσαετοῦς καὶ ἀνωτέρω, χωρὶς τῆς κατωτέρας ἡλικίας, καὶ τῶν γυναικῶν, καὶ ὅλης τῆς φυλῆς τοῦ Λευί. Τούτους ἅπαντας ἔθρεψεν ὁ Θεὸς εἰς κόρον ἐπὶ πολύ. Ἔφη γάρ· Ἕως μηνὸς ἡμερῶν φάγεσθε, ἕως ἂν ἐξέλθῃ ἐκ τῶν μυκτήρων ὑμῶν. Ὁρῶν λαὸν ἐπιθυμητὴν, καὶ καθᾶραι αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας βουλόμενος, ἑώρα ὅτι λόγῳ διδα σκαλικῷ οὐ καθαίρεται, ἀλλ' αὐτῇ τῇ ἐπιθυμίᾳ γενομένῃ προσκορεῖ. Πάντων γὰρ κόρος ἐστὶν, οὐχ ὕπνου μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ βρωμάτων. ∆ιὸ ἔπεμψεν αὐ τοῖς ὀρτυγομήτραν ἐπὶ τριάκοντα ἡμέρας· οἱ δὲ, τῇ ἀπληστίᾳ χρησάμενοι, χολερικῷ πάθει ἐφθείροντο. ∆ὶς δὲ εὑρίσκω τὸν λαὸν φαγόντα ὀρτυγομήτραν· ἅπαξ μὲν ἡνίκα εὐθέως ἐξῆλθον ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου· τὸ δὲ δεύτερον, ὡς ἐν τοῖς Ἀριθμοῖς ἀναγέγραπται, ἡνίκα κακῶς εἶπον τὸν ἄρτον τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ διάκε νον αὐτὸν ὠνόμασαν· ὅτε καὶ ὀργὴ ἀνέβη ἐπ' αὐ τοὺς, ὡς τάχα κάτω που οὖσα πρὶν ἢ ἁμάρτωσιν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ, πεῖραν πολλὴν λαβόντες τῆς θείας δυ νάμεως, οὐκ ἐπίστευσαν τὸν φιλάνθρωπον δύνασθαι χορηγῆσαι αὐτοῖς τροφὴν, καὶ ταύτην ἔδωκε, καὶ τὴν παιδείαν ἐπήγαγεν, ὡς ἀμφότερα ποιεῖν ἱκανὸς, καὶ τὰ ἀγαθὰ παρέχειν, καὶ τὰς τιμωρίας ἐπάγειν. Φευκτέον τοίνυν ὀψοφαγίαν, λαιμαργίαν, γαστριμαρ 17.141 γίαν· τουτέστι τὴν περὶ χρῆσιν ὄψου ἀμετρίαν, τὴν περὶ τὸν λαιμὸν μανίαν, τὴν περὶ τὴν τροφὴν ἀκολασίαν, καὶ περὶ γαστέρα μανίαν, ἵνα μὴ τὸν νοῦν ἐγ κατορύξωμεν τὰ κου...... Λυπεῖ δὲ οὐδὲν καὶ κατὰ ἀναγωγὴν τὰς ἱστορίας ταύτας θεωρῆσαι. Ῥύεταί τοι ὁ Θεὸς καὶ ἡμᾶς ἀεὶ ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου, ἐκ τῆς

Out of the iron furnace of sin into freedom§12

12From the iron furnace, which corresponds to sin, he brings us in through many exercises, through many wonders, through heavenly bread, and through water from the rock—the rock being Christ—upon the holy promise. Therefore, it is great for me, if, having perceived the sea of life and its waves, and the bitter and briny surge of earthly things, I might be able, having been benefited by God, to see the intellectual Egyptians submerged and the intellectual Pharaoh; but myself being in the light of day, I might be sheltered by a light cloud and by the illumination of fire.

If ever at some time dark and difficult things arise, and indeed the world has been darkened and all things filled with ignorances, yet I turn toward the spiritual things of wickedness in light, through the true light Christ, through the cloud, in which the standing was not from some vapors according to common nature, but deepened by the vapors of the air through homogeneous composition, and toward himself being filled with the spirits; but something better and higher than human perception, so that, and the warm rays of the sun shining upon, having a partition, shading the underlying, and by fine dew moistening the flaming of the air; and Through the night fire, which burned from evening until morning, guiding the Israelites with its own light.

If in the wilderness of life, where much folly of things prevails, having broken through his most solid reason called rock, abundantly and for satisfaction he might give me to drink, so that the flowing water might be compared to the abyss, and the rivers of the spiritual belly. I however provoke the Most High in some doing, if after the teaching.

I sin again, forgetting the teachings that sustained me and the water that flowed from the rock, which symbolizes Christ. Christ is represented by the rock due to its unyielding and steadfast nature, for the divine and exalted essence finds its rest in inherent goodness. In that same context, as if speaking through Moses, the congregation accused him before Pilate, shouting, "Take him, crucify him!"; they also afflicted him with two wounds, mirroring how Moses struck the rock twice. Having killed the source of life, and noting that he remained among the dead, they sought to convince others of his demise. Yet the rock poured forth its name abundantly and provided drink to the entire assembly, for Christ has inundated the world with holy and life-giving waters. The one who bestows divine water upon the thirsty, who pours water from his side, having united this vein like iron, and who transformed the bitterness of myrrh and the harshness of the punished law into sweetness through the mystery of the cross and its wood—for the written law brings death, but the Spirit and spiritual worship in the gospel grant life. God, in his profound care for humanity, opens heaven to him, provides heavenly nourishment, and guides him personally, becoming light to travelers and leading them along paths unknown to unaided human nature. Indeed, in the evening the quail feeder appears, and at dawn the manna descends, presented to us askew as a sign that the lover is not found in the intelligible light of earthly things; this is symbolized by the quail feeder, which represents God reaching out to those who seek him—not drawing himself into desire, nor yet bestowing the full gift.

To grow young through sufferings is the path described. The manna symbolizes the teachings and grace-gifts that come through Christ, which are heavenly and not of this earth, while earthly things instead produce carnality and abomination. Thus, spiritual nourishment consists of correct and unshakable knowledge found in these heavenly realities, whose provision, as it becomes evident in light and day, draws from the sun of the Lord’s righteousness, sustaining us toward incorruptible life. Whoever receives this divine manna surpasses corruption and is exalted above death. It will be gathered to the tabernacles, and nothing of it will be left until morning. Believers must unite with those of like faith—the inhabitants of the Church’s tent—to be filled with divine words and not cling to the shadow after truth has been revealed. Those who seek justification through the law fall from grace. Yet, having entered through faith into Christ’s Sabbath rest—meaning freedom from sin’s labor—we do not dismiss the law’s earlier training as useless, since it guides us to Christ. For we attain to the realities that come through Christ.

Greek · §12

καμίνου τῆς σιδηρᾶς, τῆς κατὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, ἵνα εἰσαγάγῃ διὰ πολλῶν γυ μνασίων, διὰ πολλῶν θαυμασίων, δι' ἄρτου ἐπουρα νίου, δι' ὕδατος ἀπὸ τῆς πέτρας, ἡ πέτρα δὲ ὁ Χριστὸς, ἐπὶ τὴν ἁγίαν ἐπαγγελίαν. Μέγα οὖν ἐμοὶ, ἐὰν, νοήσας τὴν θάλασσαν τοῦ βίου καὶ τὰ κύματα τὰ ἐν τῷ βίῳ, καὶ τὸ πικρὸν καὶ ἁλμυρὸν τῶν βιωτι κῶν πραγμάτων κλυδώνιον, δυνηθῶ, εὐεργετηθεὶς ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἰδεῖν καταποντισθέντας τοὺς νοεροὺς Αἰγυπτίους, καὶ τὸν νοητὸν Φαραώ· αὐτὸς δὲ ὢν ἐν τῷ φωτὶ τῆς ἡμέρας σκεποίμην ὑπὸ νεφέλης τῆς κούφης, καὶ ὑπὸ φωτισμοῦ πυρὸς, ἐάν ποτέ γε σκο τεινὰ καὶ δύσκολα ...... καὶ ὁ κόσμος μὲν ἐσκότηται, καὶ πάντα ἀγνοίαις πεπλήρωται· ἐγὼ δὲ πρὸς τὰ πνευματικὰ τῆς πονηρίας πα.... ἐν φωτὶ ὦ διὰ τὸ ἀληθινὸν φῶς τὸν Χριστὸν, διὰ τὴν νεφέλην, ᾗ οὐκ ἐξ ἀτμῶν τινων κατὰ τὴν κοινὴν φύσιν ἡ στάσις ἦν, βαθυνομένου τοῖς ἀτμοῖς τοῦ ἀέρος διὰ τῆς ὁμι χλώδους συστάσεως, καὶ πρὸς ἑαυτὸν ἐμπιλουμένου τοῖς πνεύμασιν· ἀλλὰ κρεῖττόν τι καὶ ὑψηλότερον τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης καταλήψεως, ὡς, καὶ τῆς ἡλιακῆς ἀκτῖνος θερμῶς ἐπιλαμπούσης, διατείχισμα ἔχειν, σκιάζουσάν τε τὸ ὑποκείμενον, καὶ λεπτῇ δρόσῳ τὸ φλογῶδες τοῦ ἀέρος ὑπονοτίζουσαν· καὶ διὰ τῆς νυ κτὸς πῦρ γίνεσθαι ἀφ' ἑσπέρας εἰς ὄρθρον, τῷ ἰδίῳ φωτὶ τοῖς Ἰσραηλίταις δᾳδουχοῦσαν τὸ φέγγος μέ γα. Ἐὰν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ τοῦ βίου, ἔνθα ἐπικρατεῖ πολλὴ ἄνοια τῶν πραγμάτων, διελὼν τὸν στεῤῥότατον αὐτοῦ λόγον πέτραν ὀνομαζόμενον, ἀφθόνως καὶ εἰς κόρον ποτίσῃ με, ὡς παραβληθῆναι τὸ ῥέον ὕδωρ ἀβύσσῳ, καὶ τοὺς τῆς πνευματικῆς κοιλίας ποτα μούς. Ἐγὼ δὲ παραπικραίνω τὸν Ὕψιστον ἐν ἀνύ δρῳ, ἐὰν μετὰ τὴν διδασκαλίαν πάλιν ἁμαρτάνω, ἐπιλανθανόμενος τῶν λόγων τῶν θρεψάντων με, καὶ τοῦ ὕδατος, τοῦ ἀπὸ τῆς πέτρας, ἥτις ἐστὶν ὁ Χρι στός. Πέτρᾳ δὲ ἀπεικάζεται ὁ Χριστὸς διὰ τὸ ἄθραυ στον καὶ ἀκλόνητον. Ἐρήρεισται γὰρ ἰδίοις ἀγαθοῖς ἡ θεία τε καὶ ὑπέρτατος φύσις. Οὗ καὶ κατελάλησαν, ὡς ἐν προσώπῳ Μωσέως, ἡ συναγωγὴ, κατηγο ροῦντες ἐπὶ Πιλάτου, καὶ τὸ, Αἶρε, σταύρου, ἀνα κεκράγασιν. Εἶτα δὲ δυσὶ λελυπήκασι πληγαῖς, ὡς τὴν πέτραν Μωϋσῆς δὶς ἐπάταξεν. Ἀπεκτείνασι γὰρ τὸν ἀρχηγὸν τῆς ζωῆς, εἶθ' ὅτι μεμένηκεν ἐν νεκροῖς, ἀναπείθειν ἤθελον. Ἀλλ' ἐκδέδωκεν ἡ πέ τρα πλουσίως τὸ νᾶμα, καὶ πεπότικε πᾶσαν τὴν συναγωγήν. Ἐπέκλυσε γὰρ τὴν οἰκουμένην Χριστὸς ἱεροῖς τε καὶ θείοις νάμασιν. Ὁ πηγάζων τὸ θεῖον νᾶμα τοῖς διψῶσι, καὶ προχέων τὸ ὕδωρ ἐκ τῆς πλευρᾶς, τοῦ σιδήρου τὴν φλέβα ταύτην ἀναστομί σαντος, καὶ τὸ πικρὸν τῆς Μεῤῥᾶς, τοῦ κολαστοῦ 17.144 νόμου, μετέβαλεν εἰς γλυκύτητα τῇ παραδοχῇ τοῦ ξύλου τοῦ σταυροῦ, καὶ τοῦ ἐπ' αὐτῷ μυστηρίου. Τὸ γὰρ γράμμα καὶ ὁ νόμος ἀποκτείνει, τὸ δὲ πνεῦμα καὶ ἡ ἐν πνεύματι λατρεία ἡ εὐαγγελικὴ ζωο ποιεῖ. Μεγάλην δὲ πρόνοιαν ποιούμενος ὁ Θεὸς τοῦ ἀν θρώπου, καὶ οὐρανὸν αὐτῷ ἀνοίγει, καὶ τροφὴν αὐ τῷ δίδωσιν οὐράνιον, καὶ χειραγωγεῖ αὐτὸν αὐτὸς, γινόμενος τοῖς ὁδεύουσι φῶς, καὶ ἄγων ἐπὶ ὁδοὺς, ἃς καθ' ἑαυτὴν ἡ ἀνθρωπίνη φύσις οὐκ ἐπίσταται. Πλὴν ἑσπέρας μὲν τὴν ὀρτυγομήτραν, ἅμα δὲ τῇ ἕῳ τὸ μάννα καθίησι, πλαγίως ἡμῖν τοῦ παραδείγματος ὑπεμφαίνοντος, ὅτι μή ἐστιν ἐν φωτὶ νοητῷ τῶν γηΐνων ὁ ἐραστής· ἃ διὰ τῆς ὀρτυγομήτρας σημαί νεται, ἣν ὀρέγει ἐπιζητοῦσι Θεὸς, οὐχ ἕλκων αὐτὸς εἰς ἐπιθυμίαν, οὔπω δὲ διδοὺς τὸ κατανεανιεύεσθαι παθῶν. Τὸ δὲ μάννα σκιὰ τῶν διὰ Χριστοῦ παιδευ μάτων τε καὶ χαρισμάτων, ἃ ἄνωθέν ἐστι καὶ ἐξ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ τὸ γεῶδες οὐκ ἔχει, ἀμοιρεῖ δὲ μᾶλλον καὶ βδελυρίας σαρκικῆς. Καὶ οὕτως τροφὴ πνευμά των ἐστὶν ἡ ἐν τούτοις ὀρθὴ καὶ ἀκίβδηλος γνῶσις, ἧς ἡ χορηγία, ὡς ἐν φωτὶ καὶ ἡμέρᾳ γίνεται, ἀνίσχον τος τοῦ Ἡλίου τῆς δικαιοσύνης Κυρίου, ὃς ἀπο τρέφει ἡμᾶς εἰς ζωὴν ἀμήρυτον. Ὁ γὰρ τὸ θεῖον μάννα κατεδηδοκὼς ἀμείνων ἔσται φθορᾶς καὶ ὑπεραλεῖται θανάτου. Συλλέξεται δὲ, φη σὶ, τοῖς συσκήνοις, καὶ οὐ καταλείψετε ἀπ' αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸ πρωΐ. Χρὴ γὰρ ὁμοῦ τοῖς ὁμοπίστοις, τοῖς τὴν οἰκοῦσι σκηνὴν, τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, τῶν θείων ἡμῶν ἐμφορεῖσθαι λόγων, καὶ μὴ τηρεῖν τὴν σκιὰν μετὰ τὴν τῆς ἀληθείας ἔνδειξιν. Οἵτινες γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐν νόμῳ δικαιοῦσθε, τῆς χάριτος ἐξεπέσετε. Πλὴν ἀφιγμένοι διὰ τῆς πίστεως εἰς τὸν ἐν Χριστῷ νοού μενον σαββατισμὸν, τουτέστιν εἰς ἀργίαν καὶ κατά ληξιν τὴν ἐξ ἁμαρτίας, οὐχ ὡς ἄχρηστον παραιτού μεθα τὴν προσωρευθείαν τοῦ νόμου παίδευσιν, χειραγωγοῦσαν ἡμᾶς εἰς Χριστόν. Περιτυγχάνομεν γὰρ ταῖς διὰ

Manna, Sabbath rest, and the bread from heaven§13

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13In the shadows of Moses, we seek the truth contained within them, drawing forth both new and old insights from the treasury of divine wisdom.

If you desire, whatever we gather here in preparation, having rested in that place on the Sabbath, we will discover there and be sustained by it.

Long ago, God provided bread from heaven to His people, a sustenance that never fails, fully sufficient for every delight, responding precisely to what each person desired.

Such is the nature of the word that nourishes the soul: it adapts its form according to the capacity of the one who receives it.

When the law feeds an infant, it becomes milk; when it feeds a weak soul, it becomes vegetables; when it feeds a perfect one, it becomes solid food.

Yet this manna does not come to those who remain idle, but to those who go forth outside the camp—I speak of the body, in which the soul is presently confined.

For the soul must no longer dwell in flesh, but in spirit.

No one who bears the image of the earthly man can partake of heavenly bread, because the natural person does not receive the things of the Spirit.

Regarding this food, you too were taught to pray.

Therefore, if you take the daily bread—the one that does not withdraw, does not refuse, but is continually given back into the substance of the soul—when I reflect on God, on Christ, on His divinity, on His indwelling in the human body and soul, I eat the bread of angels, that is, the manna.

Having found it and marveled at it, I will speak wonderfully: 'Manna—what is this?' And this utterance shall become the name of that bread.

Pray that God may send us provision for true satisfaction—not merely to taste, but also to be filled with the words of life, and to be strengthened by them.

Yet the preceding food is this very manna.

While eating the manna, the Hebrews said: 'Nothing, except that our eyes were directed toward the manna.'

We recalled that we had sat down by the meat pots in Egypt, and we accused those people of having sinned at that time, failing to recognize that the very same sins are taking place within ourselves; instead of turning to the spiritual Scripture, we crave to eat foul-smelling greens and onions that damage the soul’s sight, and we long to be filled with the pleasures that come from sinful, stinking indulgences.

And as we yearn for the cleansing of the world and the purification of our bodily nature, we thirst for hard labor, and having stripped away what does not contribute to the soul’s true substance, we desire to partake of cucumbers; furthermore, since we do not want the heavenly bread—of which prophets, heralds, and the righteous are spoken of as clouds due to their lofty stature—we turn instead to these earthly, corrupt desires.

Greek · §13

Μωσέως σκιαῖς, ἵνα τὴν ἐν αὐταῖς ζη τῶμεν ἀλήθειαν, καινὰ καὶ παλαιὰ ἐκ θησαυροῦ ἐκ βάλλοντες. Εἰ δὲ βούλει, ἅπερ ἐνταῦθα συλλέξομεν ἐν παρασκευῇ, ταῦτα ἐκεῖσε σαββατίσαντες εὑρήσο μεν καὶ τραφησόμεθα. Πάλαι μὲν οὖν ἄρτον ἀπ' οὐρανοῦ ἔδωκεν ὁ Θεὸς τῷ λαῷ αὐτοῦ, ἀκοπιάστως πρὸς πᾶσαν ἡδονὴν ἰσχύοντα· πρὸς ὃ γάρ τις ἐβούλετο μετε κρίνατο. Τοιαύτη δὲ ἡ τοῦ τρέφοντος τὴν ψυχὴν λό γου φύσις, πρὸς τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ τρεφομένου μετα βάλλουσα. Ἐὰν νήπιον τρέφῃ ὁ νόμος, γάλα γίνεται· ἐὰν ψυχὴν ἀσθενοῦσαν, λάχανον· ἐὰν τέλειον, στε ρεὰ τροφή. Οὐ καθεζομένοις δὲ ἡμῖν ἔρχεται τὸ μάννα, ἀλλ' ἐρχομένοις ἔξω τῆς παρεμβολῆς· λέγω δὴ τοῦ σώματος, ἐν ᾧ ἐνεῖρκται ἡ ψυχή. ∆εῖ γὰρ τὴν ψυχὴν μηκέτ' εἶναι ἐν σαρκὶ, ἀλλ' ἐν πνεύματι. Οὐδεὶς δὲ, φορῶν τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ χοϊκοῦ, δύναται ἄρτον οὐράνιον φαγεῖν· διότι ψυχικὸς ἄνθρωπος 17.145 οὐ δέχεται τὰ τοῦ πνεύματος. Περὶ ἧς τροφῆς καὶ σὺ ἐδιδάχθης εὔχεσθαι. Ἐὰν οὖν τὸν ἐπιούσιον ἄρτον, τὸν μὴ ἐκχωροῦντα, τὸν μὴ ἀποκρινόμενον, τὸν ἀναδιδόμενον εἰς τὴν οὐσίαν τῆς ψυχῆς, ὅταν διαλαμβάνω περὶ Θεοῦ, περὶ Χριστοῦ, περὶ τῆς θεότητος αὐτοῦ, περὶ τῆς ἐν ἀνθρωπίνῳ σώματι καὶ ψυχῇ αὐτοῦ ἐνοικήσεως, ἄρτον ἀγγέλων ἐσθίω, τὸ μάννα· ὅπερ εὑρὼν καὶ θαυμάσας, θαυμαστικῶς ἐρῶ· Μάν; τί ἐστι τοῦτο; καὶ γενήσεται τοῦτο τὸ φθέγμα τῷ ἄρτῳ ὄνομα· εὔξασθε ἵνα ἡμῖν ὁ Θεὸς ἐπισιτισμὸν ἀποστείλῃ εἰς πλησμονήν· οὐχ ὥστε γεύεσθαι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πληρωθῆναι τῶν λόγων τῆς ζωῆς, καὶ ἰσχυροποιηθῆναι ἐν αὐτοῖς. Πλὴν ἡ προηγουμένη τροφὴ αὕτη ἐστίν. Ἐσθιόντων δέ ποτε τὸ μάννα Ἑβραῖοι ἔλε γον· Οὐδὲν, πλὴν εἰς τὸ μάννα οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ ἡμῶν. Ἐμνήσθημεν γάρ, ὅτι ἐκαθέσθημεν ἐπὶ τῶν λεβή των τῶν κρεῶν ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ· καὶ ἡμεῖς ταλανίζο μεν ἐκείνους, ὡς τότε ἡμαρτηκότας· οὐχ ὁρῶντες, ὅτι καὶ ἐν ἡμῖν ταῦτα τὰ ἁμαρτήματα γίνεται· ἀντὶ τῆς πνευματικῆς Γραφῆς τὰ πράσα τὰ δυσώδη, καὶ τὰ κρόμμυα τὰ βλάπτοντα τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς τῆς ψυ χῆς, καὶ τὰ πληροῦντα δυσωδίαν ἁμαρτήματα σκό ροδα ἐπιθυμοῦμεν φαγεῖν, καὶ ἐμφορηθῆναι ἡδονῶν δυσοσμίας. Καὶ τὴν ἔκλυτον τοῦ κόσμου καὶ τῶν σωματικῶν φύσιν ποθοῦντες, πεπόνων ἐπιθυμοῦμεν, καὶ τὸ μὴ ἀναδιδόμενον εἰς τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς οὐσίαν ἀνελόντες, σικύων θέλομεν μεταλαμβάνειν. Καὶ ἐπειδὴ οὐ θέλομεν τὸν ἄρτον, τὸν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, οὗ προφῆται κήρυκες καὶ δίκαιοι, νεφέλαι καλούμενοι διὰ τὸ ὑψοῦ

Clouds of the intelligible and minds carried away§14

14Their minds are carried away, and because clouds of the intelligible rains are immersed, God sends others to us as meat like dust, until it emerges from our nostrils and until he fills us with sickness and weakness, as the foul-smelling and much-tearing sin seeks.

Those who enjoy worldly things are sick in the soul, therefore they are also in anger and sickness, and in all evils because of their double-mindedness.

Let us become fasting an acceptable fast, not nourishing the mind of the flesh, nor let us become waterless, deprived of spiritual waters, because we do nothing that sweetens the goodness of the Most High.

But the things according to virtue and wisdom, being active and contemplated, sweeten her.

nor let us test him in our hearts—not from the surface, but from the depth of the ruling part concerning the divine power; nor let us ask for foods for our souls—not those according to image, which are nourished from the breads of life, but those changing into flesh, because having suffered with the material, they desire not beneficial and wholesome foods, but pleasant and disease-producing.

But let a table be prepared for us, upon which wisdom puts her own sacrifices and pours her own wine into a bowl.

Nor let anger rise up against us—the spirit of the one exercising power, the deceitful one who proceeds as a witness or scout from the darkness in which we had been hidden, going into the soul through reflection—nor let it become as fire kindled from the burned arrows of the enemy.

But let the gates of heaven be opened for us, the virtues of the intelligible and spiritual things fully displayed, and the evils of Hades and death, which do not prevail.

Those who, according to Peter, ascended to the gates of the daughter of Zion are addressed. The person dwelling in the hidden depths of the heart, made in the image of God, ought to share in the same sustenance as the angels, partaking of the true manna and receiving nourishment from heaven, not from the cursed earth that the sinner consumes in sorrow. Let those who hear these words take on wings, be lifted up, no longer remain in the flesh, but become spiritual beings. For those who hear are the ones

Greek · §14

φέρεσθαι αὐτῶν τὸν νοῦν· καὶ διὰ τὸ ἐντέξειν νεφελῶν τοῖς νοητοῖς ὑετοῖς κατάρδειν, ἑτέρους ἐξαποστελεῖ ἡμῖν ὁ Θεὸς, κρέας ὡσεὶ χοῦν, ἕως οὗ ἐξέλθῃ ἐκ τῶν μυκτήρων ἡμῶν, καὶ ἕως πληρώσῃ ἡμᾶς νόσου καὶ μαλακίας, ὡς τὴν δυσώδη καὶ πολύδακρυν ἁμαρτίαν ζητοῦντες. Οἱ γὰρ τῶν κοσμικῶν πραγμάτων ἀπολαύοντες νοσοῦσι τὴν ψυχὴν, διὰ ταῦτα καὶ ἐν χολέρᾳ καὶ νόσῳ εἰσὶ, καὶ πᾶσι κακοῖς διὰ τὴν διψυχίαν αὐτῶν. Ἀλλ' ἡμᾶς γένοιτο νηστεύειν νηστείαν δεκτὴν, τὸ φρόνημα τῆς σαρκὸς μὴ τρέφοντας, μηδὲ γενοίμεθα ἐν ἀνύδρῳ, στερήσει τῶν πνευματικῶν ὑδάτων, διὰ τὸ μηδὲν δρᾷν τῶν γλυκαινόντων τὴν τοῦ Ὑψίστου χρηστότητα. Γλυκαίνει δὲ αὐτὴν τὰ κατ' ἀρετὴν καὶ σοφίαν ἐνεργούμενα καὶ θεωρούμενα. Μηδὲ ἐκπειράσαι αὐτὸν ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν· ἤγουν οὐκ ἐξ ἐπιπολῆς, ἀλλ' ἐκ βάθους τοῦ ἡγεμονικοῦ ἀμφιβάλλοντες περὶ τῆς θείας δυνάμεως· μηδ' αἰτήσαιμεν βρώματα ταῖς ψυχαῖς ἡμῶν· οὐ ταῖς κατ' εἰκόνα λέγω, αἳ τρέφονται ἐκ τῶν ζωῆς ἄρτων, ἀλλὰ ταῖς εἰς σάρκα μεταβαλλούσαις, διὰ τὸ τοῖς ὑλικοῖς προσπεπονθέναι, ὀρεγομέναις οὐκ ὠφελίμων καὶ ὑγιῶν τροφῶν, ἀλλ' ἡδέων καὶ νοσοποιῶν. Ἀλλ' ἑτοιμασθείη ἡμῖν τράπεζα, ἐφ' ἣν ἡ σοφία τὰ ἑαυτῆς θύματα ἐπιτίθησι, καὶ τὸν ἑαυτῆς οἶνον εἰς κρατῆρα κιρνᾷ. 17.147 Μηδὲ ὀργὴ ἐφ' ἡμᾶς ἀναβαίη, τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ ἐξουσιάζοντος τὸ ἀπατηλὸν, τὸ δίκην προδρόμου ἢ κατασκόπου ἐκ τοῦ σκότου ἐν ᾧ ἐκέκρυπτο, εἰς τὴν ψυχὴν ἀνιὸν διὰ τῆς ἐνθυμήσεως· μηδὲ ὡς πῦρ ἐξαφθείη ἐκ τῶν πεπυρωμένων βελῶν τοῦ ἐχθροῦ. Ἀλλ' οὐρανοῦ θυρίδες ἡμῖν ἀνοιγεῖεν, αἱ τῶν νοητῶν καὶ πνευματικῶν ἐξαπλω ἀρεταὶ .......... κακίαι ᾅδου καὶ θανάτου, αἵτινες οὐ κατισχύουσι τῶν, κατὰ Πέτρον, ἀνελθόντων ἐπὶ πύλας τῆς θυγατέρος Σιών. Καὶ ὁ ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ τῆς καρδίας ἄνθρωπος, κατ' εἰκόνα Θεοῦ, ὁμοέστιος ἀγγέλοις γένοιτο, τοῦ ἀληθινοῦ μάννα μεταλαμβάνων, καὶ ἀπὸ οὐρανοῦ τροφὴν, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀπὸ τῆς ἐπικαταράτου γῆς, ἣν ὁ ἁμαρτάνων ἐν λύπαις ἐσθίει. Οἱ τούτων ἀκούοντες πτερούσθωσαν, ἐπαιρέσθωσαν, μηκέτι ἔστωσαν ἐν σαρκί· γενέσθωσαν ἐν πνεύματι· Οἱ γὰρ

Those in the flesh cannot please God§15

15Those who live in the flesh cannot please God. Therefore, we must turn back to history. Verse γδ'. He turned their waters and their showers into blood so they could not drink. I know by figurative interpretation that many rivers of Egypt are hostile to Christ, the true river, whose waters bring joy to the Church. Yet all the rivers associated with salvation are foreign streams; whenever God wishes to bring someone back, so that having gone out they may drink from the rock—and the rock is Christ—he causes those streams to become blood. For whenever I drink alien water and entertain alien thoughts, if God does not reveal to me that it is blood, I no longer drink, lest I become a participant in bloody showers. Some people speak in small ways but are ruinous. Historically, Egyptians do not have water from above, nor does rain fall in Egypt. Thus, historically speaking, when Moses commanded, all the waters of Egypt were turned into blood—even the fish were transformed into a fleshly thickness of water, leading to corruption—and to the Hebrews drawing blood, there was none. Hence, manganesia found opportunity in the water among the Hebrews to counterfeit the bloody water. Spiritually, even now, the same reality is unfolding. For those who stand apart from opposing views: to one group, the drinkable water is clear and manifest—the water of faith, which they draw through divine teaching; but to those holding evil suppositions, who Egyptianize, the water becomes corrupt blood. Often, the sophist of deceit attempts, by mixing falsehood with the drink of the Israelites, to turn it into blood—that is, our word—and to show this to us.

not being such a thing as it is able to be. But it would not altogether be useless, even if, by deceit from what is at hand, it should make the appearance red. For the Israelite drinks the true water, not turning back even toward the appearance of deceit. 17.149 PSALM 80. Verse 2. Shout aloud to the God of Jacob. They call God Jacob the Savior, the one in man.

Greek · §15

ἐν σαρκὶ ὄντες Θεῷ ἀρέσαι οὐ δύνανται. Ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τὴν ἱστορίαν ἀνιτέον. Στίχ. μδʹ. Καὶ μετέστρεψεν εἰς αἷμα τοὺς ποτα μοὺς αὐτῶν, καὶ τὰ ὀμβρήματα αὐτῶν, ὅπως μὴ πίωσιν. Οἶδα κατὰ τροπολογίαν πολλοὺς ποταμοὺς Αἰγύπτου ἐναντίους Χριστῷ τῷ ἀληθινῷ ποταμῷ, οὗ τὰ ὁρμήματα τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν εὐφραίνει. Πάντα δὲ τὰ τῆς σωτηρίας ἀλλότρια ῥεύματα, ἃ ὁ Θεὸς, ὅταν βούληταί τινας ἐπιστρέψαι, ἵνα ἐξελθόντες πίωσιν ἀπὸ τῆς πέτρας, ἡ δὲ πέτρα ἦν ὁ Χριστὸς, ποιεῖ στραφῆναι εἰς αἷμα. Ὅταν γὰρ ἐγὼ καταγὼ οὓς ἀλλοτρίου ὕδατος καὶ φρονήματος, τοῦ Θεοῦ μὴ παραστήσαντος, ὅτι αἷμά ἐστιν, οὐκέτι πίνω, ἵνα μὴ μέτοχος γίνωμαι αἵματος ὀμβρήματος. Οἱ δὲ εἶεν ἂν, οἱ βραχέα μὲν λέγοντες, ὀλέθρια δέ. Κατὰ δὲ τὴν ἱστορίαν, Αἰγύπτιοι ἄνωθεν ὕδωρ οὐκ ἔχουσιν, οὐδὲ γίνεται ὑετὸς ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ. Ἱστορικῶς μὲν οὖν, πάσης τότε τῆς τῶν ὑδάτων φύσεως κατὰ τὴν Αἴγυπτον τῷ προστάγματι τοῦ Μωσέως εἰς αἷμα τραπείσης, ὡς καὶ τοὺς ἰχθύας, εἰς σαρκώδη παχύτητα τοῦ ὕδατος μετατεθέντος, διαφθαρῆναι, τοῖς Ἑβραίοις ἀρυομένοις αἷμα οὐκ ἦν. Ὅθεν ἔσχε καὶ ἡ μαγγανεία καιρὸν ἐν τῷ παρὰ τοῖς Ἑβραίοις εὑρισκομένῳ ὕδατι, τὸ αἱματῶδες ὕδωρ παρασοφίσασθαι. Πνευματικῶς δὲ καὶ νῦν τὸ ἴσον ἔστιν ἰδεῖν γινόμενον. Τῶν γὰρ πρὸς τὰς ἐναντίας δόξας διεστηκότων τοῖς μὲν πότιμόν ἐστι καὶ διαφανὲς τὸ νᾶμα τῆς πίστεως, ὃ διὰ τῆς θείας διδασκαλίας ἀρύονται· τοῖς δὲ τῆς πονηρᾶς ὑπολήψεως αἰγυπτιάζουσι διεφθορὸς αἷμα τὸ ὕδωρ γίνεται. Καὶ πολλάκις ἐπιχειρεῖ ὁ παρασοφισμὸς τῆς ἀπάτης καὶ τὸ τῶν Ἰσραηλιτῶν ποτὸν τῷ μολυσμῷ τοῦ ψεύδους αἷμα ποιῆσαι, τουτέστι τὸν ἡμέτερον λόγον, καὶ ἡμῖν δεῖξαι, μὴ τοιοῦτον ὄντα οἷόν ἐστιν. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἀχρειώσειε καθόλου τὸ ποτὸν, κἂν ἐκ τοῦ προχείρου δι' ἀπάτην περιφοινίξῃ τὸ εἶδος. Πίνει γὰρ ὁ Ἰσραηλίτης τὸ ἀληθινὸν ὕδωρ, οὐδὲ πρὸς τὸ εἶδος τῆς ἀπάτης ἐπιστρεφόμενος. 17.149 ΨΑΛ. Πʹ. Στίχ. βʹ. Ἀλαλάξατε τῷ Θεῷ Ἰακώβ. Θεὸν Ἰακὼβ τὸν Σωτῆρα καλοῦσι τὸν ἐν ἀνθρώπου

The LORD appeared to Jacob as a sign of the incarnation§16

16It appeared in visible form to Jacob as a sign of the incarnation that would come afterward.

They are commanded to shout a victory hymn to him, because he destroyed the one who held the power of death and delivered humanity from the dominion of demons.

Such a shout is indeed a triumphant hymn, and those who were freed from Babylon by the God who granted victory urge one another to sing it.

Furthermore, in a more ethical sense: let those who do good deeds see their fruits brought to the winepresses, and let them hear the call: Rejoice in God; but let the one who sins and seeks repentance and conversion not rejoice, but instead be grieved in accordance with God.

For godly grief produces repentance that leads to salvation and brings no regret.

And you, if God has helped you gather the fruits and bring them to the holy winepresses, do not forget God, for he has become your helper.

And if you find yourself at a loss for words worthy to offer to God in thanksgiving, cry out with a meaningful voice, with a heart that cries out, surpassing what can be signified, being at a loss for words, and speaking through that loss in ways that are beyond words.

For if you go beyond spoken expressions, if you surpass what is declared, if the things uttered by mouth can only be hymned by the mind alone, then impose your own movements upon the word for the one who is at a loss, especially since the word within you cannot be sustained by the mind in bearing the ineffable and divine things, and you will cry out to God Jacob as an imitator of the heel-grasping Jacob.

Psalm 150, verse 3: Praise him with the sound of the trumpet. Another says, through the sound of the horn. But this instrument is priestly.

For the priests used trumpets, reminding of the trumpets made at Sinai. Therefore, according to the spiritual discourse concerning the construction of trumpets, let a trumpet be constructed, so that in its sound

Let us praise God. I believe these are the trumpets that are indicated, as it is written: The trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised. There is a festival, the New Moon of the seventh month, which is a memorial of trumpets, since it is stated: In the new moon, with the trumpet.

Greek · §16

σχήματι ὀφθέντα τῷ Ἰακὼβ εἰς δήλωσιν τῆς μετὰ ταῦτα ἐνανθρωπήσεως. Ἀλαλάζειν δὲ προστάττουσι νικητήριον ὕμνον ἀναπέμποντες αὐτῷ, ὡς καταλύσαντι τὸν τὸ κράτος ἔχοντα τοῦ θανάτου, ὡς ἐκ τῆς τῶν δαιμόνων καταδυναστείας ῥυσαμένῳ. Ἀλαλαγμὸς γάρ ἐστιν ὕμνος ἐπινίκιος, ὃν καὶ οἱ ἐκ Βαβυλῶνος ἀνασωθέντες τῷ τὴν νίκην δωρησαμένῳ Θεῷ ἀλλήλοις ὑφῆναι παρακελεύονται. Ἠθικώτερον δέ· ὧν μὲν κατορθούντων οἱ καρποὶ ἐπὶ τὰς ληνοὺς ἔρχονται, ἀκουέτωσαν τοῦ· Ἀγαλλιᾶσθε τῷ Θεῷ· ὁ δὲ ἁμαρτὼν καὶ δεόμενος μετανοίας καὶ ἐπιστροφῆς μὴ ἀγαλλιάσθω, ἀλλὰ λυπηθήτω κατὰ Θεόν. Ἡ γὰρ κατὰ Θεὸν λύπη μετάνοιαν εἰς σωτηρίαν ἀμεταμέλητον κατεργάζεται. Καὶ σὺ, ἐὰν βοηθηθεὶς ὑπὸ Θεοῦ τὴν συγκομιδὴν ἐποιήσω τῶν καρπῶν ἐπὶ τὰς ἁγίας ληνοὺς, μὴ ἐπιλανθάνου τοῦ Θεοῦ, καθὸ βοηθός σου γίνεται. Κἂν ἀπορῇς λόγων τῶν κατ' ἀξίαν ἀποδοθησομένων τῷ Θεῷ ἐν εὐχαριστίᾳ, ἀλάλαζε εὐσήμῳ φωνῇ, καρδίας κεκραγυίας ὑπερβαινούσης τὰ σημαινόμενα ἀπορούσης λέξεως, καὶ διὰ τὴν ἀπορίαν τῶν λέξεων ἀπόῤῥητα καὶ ἄῤῥητα λαλούσης. Ἐὰν γὰρ ἀναβῇς τὰ λεκτὰ, ἐὰν ὑπερβῇς τὰ ἀπαγγελλόμενα, τὰ διὰ στόματος φωνούμενα, καὶ μόνῳ νῷ δυνηθῇς ὑμνεῖν τὸν Θεὸν, τῷ ἀποροῦντι ἐπιθεῖναι τὰ ἑαυτοῦ κινήματα τῷ λόγῳ, παρὰ τὸ τὸν λόγον τὸν ἐν σοὶ μὴ δύνασθαι βαστάζειν τοῦ νοῦ τὰ ἀπόῤῥητα καὶ τὰ θεῖα, ἀλαλάξεις τῷ Θεῷ Ἰακὼβ, ὡς μιμητὴς τοῦ πτερνιστοῦ Ἰακώβ. ΨΑΛ. ΡΝʹ. Στίχ. γʹ. Αἰνεῖτε αὐτὸν ἐν ἤχῳ σάλπιγγος. Ἄλλος φησὶ, διὰ ἤχου κερατίνης. Ἱερατικὸν δὲ τοῦτο τὸ ὄργανον. Οἱ ἱερεῖς γὰρ ἐχρῶντο ταῖς σάλπιγξι, τῶν ἐν Σινᾶ γενομένων σαλπίγγων ἀναμιμνήσκοντες. Κατὰ γοῦν τὸν πνευματικὸν περὶ σαλπίγγων κατασκευῆς λόγον, κατασκευαστέον σάλπιγγα, ἵνα ἐν ἤχῳ αὐτῆς αἰνέσωμεν τὸν Θεόν. Τοιαῦται δ', οἶμαι, σάλπιγγες δηλοῦνται καὶ ἐν τῷ· Σαλπίσει, καὶ οἱ νεκροὶ ἐγερθήσονται. Ἔστι δὲ ἑορτὴ Νουμηνία ἑβδόμου μηνὸς, μνημόσυνον σαλπίγγων, καθὸ λέγεται· Ἐν νεομηνίᾳ, σάλπιγγι.

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