he connects, saying immediately: And a sparrow, and a gull. For I think these are insatiable, always collecting what falls in their way. Then he says, that the hawk and those like it, and the night-raven, and the cormorant, and the ibis, and the porphyrio, and the pelican, and the swan. And these would be listed among them, and those who are cruel and savagely plot against others, and who immoderately attack those they happen to be able to; 17.28 so that he himself endures not to refuse some danger and fear for his life. For the hawk indeed leaps terribly upon every weaker bird, and rushes against sparrows, and having caught them, destroys them. Indeed, the cormorant and ibis and porphyrio, and I would add also the pelican, prey upon fish, and make their destruction a delicacy. Such are all, as far as concerns the savagery of their ways, who consider it as nothing to destroy others for the sake of what is pleasant to themselves, who have pushed aside the law of brotherly love, and have offended against the ordinances of charity. CH. 10. Verse 19. And he takes away the words of the just. Verse 20. Justly you shall pursue what is just. Of the same, from the epistle to the presbyters Photius and Andrew. That is, after knowing and having been instructed in the principles of justice, you will pursue and seek what is just, being pure from all partiality; and in this way, being just, you will seek what is just, and being hedged about on all sides, and standing within the boundaries of justice. For many, by the very act of willing to be just, having their mind intoxicated by their own strict justice, have done injustice to justice. Whence also the wise Ecclesiastes, or rather the teacher of wisdom (for Christ is the true Ecclesiastes, the head of the Church, and the highest and hypostatic wisdom and word of God our Father), constraining what is beyond measure, even if it tends to the right, exhorts: Do not be overly just, and do not be excessively wise. CH. 19. Verse 21. Life for life, eye for eye. These things the law for the Israelites as being weak; but the Lord who legislated these things says to his disciples: You have heard that it was said: An eye for an eye, and so forth. But I say to you, do not resist the evil one. Of the same on the same. (These things are for the sensible and the worldly; but for the things we have sinned, God needs nothing. For He is the overseer and judge of all.) It should be noted, that of those invited to the wedding, the excuse was this: I have bought a field, and I have married a wife. CH. 20. Verse 5. What man is there who has built a new house, and has not dedicated it? On the same. A type, then, of one who does not endure to consider the present life a sojourning, is he who builds a house, and is diligently engaged in the labors concerning these things; and of the avaricious and covetous, he who plants a vineyard. And the man mad for women and 17.29 broken, and who has given his mind to the desires of the flesh, the betrothal of a wife would signify. For at the approach of the military herald's voice, they depart from the sacred and most warlike multitude. And what it was likely for such men caught up in these things to think and to say, this indeed the herald, anticipating them, proclaims. Or is it not true for them to think such things? Those who love are accustomed in persecutions to cherish being without trouble, and to follow after the zealous pursuits for the love of God, considering that, if anything should happen to them while struggling, they fall away from the desires for houses and possessions, and for the things held in honor among them. Verse 8. What man is there that is fearful and faint-hearted? Of the same. He who is occupied with earthly things, and builds houses, and plants vineyards, being overcome by the pleasures of the love of the flesh, will surely be cowardly and weak. Verse 10. And when you come near a city to fight against it. Similar to this: Into whatever city you enter, inquire who in it is worthy. And the phrase, with peace, is similar to the apostolic saying: that the servant of the Lord must not strive. Verse 13. And you shall smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword. Of the same. And the sword of the spirit would be the word of God. And the sword of the Spirit, which is the word

συνάπτει λέγων εὐθύς· Καὶ στρουθίον, καὶ λάρον. Ἄπληστα γὰρ οἶμαι ταυτὶ, τὸ παρεμ πῖπτον ἀεὶ συλλέγοντα. Εἶτά φησιν, ὅτι ἱέρακα καὶ τὰ ὅμοια αὐτῷ, καὶ νυκτικόρακα, καὶ καταρά κτην, καὶ ἴβιν, καὶ προσφορίονα, καὶ πελεκᾶνα, καὶ κύκνον. Καταγράψει δ' ἂν ἐφ' ἑαυτοῖς καὶ τάδε, καὶ τοὺς ὠμοὺς καὶ ἀγρίως ἑτέρους ἐπιβουλεύοντας, καὶ ἀσχέτως ἐπιφυομένους οἷς ἂν δύναιντο τυχόν· 17.28 ὡς καὶ αὐτὸν ὑποφέρει οὐ παραιτεῖσθαί τι τὸν ἐπὶ ζωῇ κίνδυνόν τε καὶ φόβον. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ ἱέραξ κατα θρώσκει τε δεινῶς παντὸς ἀσθενεστέρου πετεινοῦ, καὶ κατὰ στρουθίων ἵεται, καὶ διόλλυσι λαβών. Κα ταράκτης γε μὴν καὶ ἴβις καὶ πορφυρίων, προσθείην δ' ἂν ὅτι καὶ πελεκᾶνον, ἐπιβαίνονται τοῖς ἰχθύσι, καὶ τρυφὴν ποιοῦνται τὸν ἐκείνων ὄλεθρον. Τοιοῦτοι δὲ πάντες, ὅσον ἧκ' ἐς τρόπους ἀγριότητα, οἱ παρ' οὐδὲν ἡγούμενοι τὸ διολλύναι τινὰς διά γε τῶν σφίσιν αὐτοῖς ἡδὺ, οἱ τὸν τῆς φιλαλληλίας παρωσάμενοι νόμον, καὶ τοῖς τῆς ἀγάπης προσκε κρουκότες θεσμοῖς. ΚΕΦ. Ιʹ. Στίχ. ιθʹ. Καὶ ἐξαίρει λόγους δικαίων. Στίχ. κʹ. ∆ικαίως τὸ δίκαιον διώξῃ. Τοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐκ τῆς πρὸς Φώτιον καὶ Ἀνδρέαν πρεσ βυτέρους ἐπιστολῆς. Τουτέστιν, μετὰ τὸ γινώσκειν καὶ πεπαιδεῦσθαι τοὺς τῆς δικαιοσύνης λόγους, διώξεις καὶ ἐπιζητήσεις τὸ δίκαιον, καθαρεύων πάσης προσπαθείας· καὶ ταύτῃ τὸ δίκαιον δίκαιος ὢν ζητήσεις, καὶ πανταχόθεν περιπεφραγμένος, καὶ ἔσω τῶν ὅρων τῆς δικαιοσύ νης ἱστάμενος. Πολλοὶ γὰρ αὐτὸ τὸ ἐθέλειν δί καιοι εἶναι, μεθυσθέντες τὸν νοῦν διὰ τῆς δικαιο σύνης ἀκριβοῦς αὐτῶν, δικαιοσύνης τὴν δικαιοσύνην ἠδίκησαν. Ὅθεν καὶ ὁ συνετὸς Ἐκκλησιαστὴς, μᾶλλον δὲ ὁ τῆς συνέσεως παιδευτὴς (Χριστὸς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ ἀληθὴς Ἐκκλησιαστὴς, τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἡ κεφαλὴ, καὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ Πατρὸς ἡμῶν ἡ ἀνωτάτω καὶ ἐνυπό στατος σοφία καὶ λόγος), ἄγχων τὸ πέρα μέτρου, κἂν ἐπὶ τὰ δεξιὰ φέρηται, παραινεῖ· Μὴ γίνου δί καιος πολὺ, καὶ μὴ σοφίζων περισσά. ΚΕΦ. ΙΘʹ. Στίχ. καʹ. Ψυχὴν ἀντὶ ψυχῆς, ὀφθαλμὸν ἀντὶ ὀφθαλμοῦ. Ταῦτα μὲν ὁ νόμος ὡς ἀσθενεῖς τοὺς Ἰσραηλίτας· ὁ δὲ Κύριος ὁ ταῦτα νομοθετήσας τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ μα θηταῖς φησιν· Ἠκούσατε, ὅτι ἐῤῥήθη· Ὀφθαλμὸν ἀντὶ ὀφθαλμοῦ, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν, μὴ ἀντιστῆναι τῷ πονηρῷ. Τοῦ αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸ αὐτό. (Ταῦτα μὲν ἐπὶ αἰσθητοῦ καὶ τῶν κατὰ κόσμον· ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν ἡμαρ τημένων ἡμῖν οὐδενὸς δεῖται ὁ Θεός. Αὐτὸς γὰρ ἐπό πτης ἁπάντων καὶ κριτής.) Σημειωτέον, ὅτι καὶ τῶν βεβλημένων εἰς τὸν γάμον παραίτησις ἦν τό· Ἀγρὸν ἠγόρασα, καὶ γυναῖκας ἔγημα. ΚΕΦ. Κʹ. Στίχ. εʹ. Τίς ὁ ἄνθρωπος ὁ οἰκοδομήσας οἰκίαν καινὴν, καὶ οὐκ ἐνεκαίνισεν αὐτήν; Εἰς τὸ αὐτό. Τύπος οὖν ἄρα τοῦ παροικίαν ἡ γεῖσθαι μὴ ἀνεχομένου τὴν παροῦσαν ζωὴν, ὁ οἰκίαν οἰκοδομῶν, καὶ ταῖς περὶ ταῦτα φιλεργασίαις σπου δαίως ἐγκείμενος· τοῦ δὲ φιλοκτήμονος καὶ φιλοκερ δοῦς, ὁ ἀμπελῶνα φυτεύων. Τὸν δὲ γυναικομανῆ καὶ 17.29 τεθραυσμένον, καὶ ταῖς τῆς σαρκὸς ἐπιθυμίαις ἐπι δόντα τὸν νοῦν, κατασημαίνειεν ἂν γυναικὸς μνηστεῖαι. Προσιόντι γὰρ τῇ τοῦ στρατοκήρυκος φωνῇ, τῆς ἱερᾶς καὶ μαχιμωτάτης ἀποχωροῦσι πληθύος. Ἃ δὲ ἦν εἰκὸς τοὺς τοιούσδε συνειλημμένους ἐννοεῖν τε καὶ λέγειν, ταῦτα δὴ φθάσας ὁ κῆρυξ ἀναφωνεῖ. Ἢ οὐκ ἀληθὲς τούτοις τὰ τοιαῦτα νομίζειν; Εἰώθα σι φιλοῦντες ἐν διωγμοῖς τὸ ἀφερέπονον ἀγαπᾷν, καὶ ταῖς ὑπὲρ τῆς εἰς Θεὸν ἀγάπης κατακολουθεῖν σπου δαῖς, ἐννοοῦντες, ὅτι, εἴ τι γένοιτο παθεῖν ἀγωνι ζομένους, οἴκων τε καὶ κτήσεων, καὶ τῶν παρὰ σφί σιν τετιμημένων ἐκπίπτουσιν ἐπιθυμιῶν. Στίχ. ηʹ. Τίς ὁ ἄνθρωπος ὁ φοβούμενος καὶ δειλὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ; Τοῦ αὐτοῦ. Ὁ τοῖς γηΐνοις ἐγκείμενος, καὶ οἰ κίας οἰκοδομῶν, καὶ φυτεύων ἀμπελῶνας, ταῖς τῆς φιλοσαρκίας ἡδοναῖς ἡττώμενος, ἔσται που πάντως δειλός τε καὶ ἄναλκις. Στίχ. ιʹ. Ἐὰν δὲ προσέλθῃς πρὸς πόλιν ἐκπολε μῆσαι αὐτήν. Ὅμοιον τοῦ· Εἰς ἣν δὲ πόλιν εἰσέλθητε, ἐξετά ζετε, τίς ἐξ αὐτῶν ἄξιός ἐστιν. Τὸ δὲ, μετ' εἰρήνης, ὅμοιον τῷ ἀποστολικῷ· ὅτι ∆οῦλον Κυ ρίου οὐ δεῖ μάχεσθαι. Στίχ. ιγʹ. Καὶ πατάξεις πᾶν ἀρσενικὸν αὐτῆς ἐν φόνῳ μαχαίρας. Τοῦ αὐτοῦ. Μάχαιρα δὲ τοῦ πνεύματος εἴη ἂν ὁ λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ. Καὶ τὴν μάχαιραν δὲ τοῦ πνεύματος, ὅ ἐστι ῥῆμα