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that things acquired with labor are both beloved and precious. And nature for this reason shows dreams to be unclear, God training the mind, so that at times there is need of divine grace for discernment, since our own thoughts are not sufficient for the hunt for truth. For this reason Joseph and Daniel interpret these things. At the same time, also through constant study, the divine oracles are impressed upon the soul, and become more venerable. For it is necessary for one's whole life to learn both by knowledge and by action. As Moses, having learned the wisdom of the Egyptians for forty years, on the pretext of shepherding went into the deserts, devoted himself to the contemplation 1821 of beings, and not wishing to be sent for the care of men, not even then being devoted to action alone, but often returning to contemplation, as when they turned to the making of the calf. Such was Elijah, fleeing the crowd of human affairs. If, therefore, for the saints the acquisition of truth came about through labor, and after countless retreats Elijah was deemed worthy of God, how is it likely for us to enter upon greater things without a struggle and with unwashed feet? But it is necessary for those who encounter the words to have common and worthy reasons concerning God. For Scripture speaks in a human way to human beings. So that even if Scripture speaks of God as being angry, or grieving, or repenting, it is fitting to seek the intention of the word, harmonizing it with the appropriate concepts concerning God. And of the prophecies, since they are about future things, the times are recorded from the kings. Since the state of affairs among the Jews was then about other things, but things that had not even come to mind were going to happen after long periods of time; so that it might be known how long before things spoken, which had not even entered the mind, would come to be after long periods of time; so that it might be known how long before they were spoken and after how long they came to pass. And that, When weakness abounded, power superabounded. For nearly most of them coincided with one another in time. Hosea in the days of Uzziah, and in the days of Jeroboam. Micah in the days of Jotham and Ahaz. Zephaniah in the days of Josiah son of Amon. But now the kings set forth are Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah; and it shows that he did not see the oracles against Judah and Jerusalem in the time of only one king, but in the time of the four. For you would find him in each reign rebuking the Jews, and foretelling the things concerning them that lay in the future, until the end of the Book, so that the whole subject is, as he says, a vision against Judah and Jerusalem, which the Holy Spirit showed him as in a mirror. And here Judah signifies the nation of the Jews, or the land itself. And Jerusalem, the city, or the worship then in it according to the law; of which he foretold the destruction, and the new commonwealth of Christ. For the Jews were driven out because they disobeyed the constant exhortations; but the Gentiles were called, having ceased from the error of idols. And being about to speak visions against Egypt, and Damascus, and Babylon, and to mention very many others, he has put all these things in second place. But he made his beginning from those dedicated to God, according to what was said: "Begin from my holy ones." And, "The mighty shall be mightily tested." And, "From whom much is given, much will be required." For having received very many benefits from God, they became unworthy of them. And he vehemently attacks both rulers and followers, by divine assistance scorning all danger and fear. The book, therefore, is one. But it was spoken 1824 in parts over different and long intervals of time. And it is difficult to fit the times to the words, and to assign the polity to the deeds of each reign. Indeed, the time of the aforementioned kings amounts to fifty years in all, in which the word encompassed the prophecy. And they say that, as the prophet proclaimed the words from God, certain ones were present, the so-called recorders, noting down the things said, both in the house of God and at the gates. For there they made their speeches, on account of the crowds coming in. After then the

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ὅτι τὰ πόνου κτηθέντα, ἀγαπητά τε καὶ τίμια. Καὶ ἡ φύσις δὲ τοὺς ὀνείρους διὰ τοῦτο δείκνυσιν ἀσαφεῖς, Θεοῦ γυμνάζοντος τὴν διάνοιαν, ὡς ἔσθ' ὅτε δεῖσθαι θείου χαρίσματος πρὸς διάκρισιν, τῶν ἡμετέρων ἐννοιῶν οὐκ ἀρκουσῶν τῆς ἀληθείας πρὸς θήραν. ∆ιὸ ταῦτα κρίνουσιν Ἰωσήφ τε καὶ ∆ανιήλ. Ἅμα δὲ καὶ διὰ τῆς συνεχοῦς μελέτης ἐντυποῦται τὰ θεῖα λόγια τῇ ψυχῇ, καὶ σεμνότερα καθίσταται. ∆εῖ γὰρ τὸν πάντα· βίον μαθεῖν καὶ γνώσει καὶ πράξει. Ὡς ὁ Μωϋσῆς ἐπ' ἔτη τεσσαράκοντα τὴν τῶν Αἰγυπτίων σοφίαν μαθὼν, προφάσει τῆς ποιμενικῆς εἰς τὰς ἐρήμους ἰὼν, τῇ θεω 1821 ρίᾳ τῶν ὄντων ἐσχόλαζεν, καὶ μὴ βουληθεὶς πρὸς ἐπιμέλειαν ἀνθρώπων ἐκπέμπεται, μηδὲ τότε μόνῃ τῇ πράξει προσκείμενος, ἐπανιὼν δὲ πρὸς ἐποπτείαν πολλάκις, ὅτε καὶ πρὸς τὴν μοσχοποιίαν ἐτράποντο. Τοιοῦτος Ἠλίας τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων ἀποδιδράσκων τὸν ὄχλον. Εἰ τοίνυν τοῖς ἁγίοις πόνῳ προσεγίνετο τῆς ἀληθείας ἡ κτῆσις, καὶ μετὰ μυρίας ἀναχωρήσεις Ἠλίας ἠξίωτο τοῦ Θεοῦ, πῶς εἰκὸς ἡμᾶς ἀκονιτὶ καὶ ποσὶν ἀνίπτοις ἐμβατεύειν τοῖς κρείττοσι; ∆εῖ δὲ τὰς κοινὰς καὶ ἀξιολόγους αἰτίας ἔχειν περὶ Θεοῦ ταῖς λέξεσιν ἐντυγχάνοντας. Ἀνθρώποις γὰρ οὖσιν ἀνθρωπίνως ἡ Γραφὴ διαλέγεται. Ὥστε κἂν ὀργιζόμενον, ἢ λυπούμενον, ἢ μεταμελόμενον λέγῃ τὸν Θεὸν ἡ Γραφὴ, ζητεῖν προσήκει τὸ τῆς λέξεως βούλημα ταῖς περὶ Θεοῦ προσηκούσαις ἐννοίαις ἁρμόττον. Τῶν δὲ προφητειῶν, ἐπειδὴ περὶ μελλόντων εἰσὶν, οἱ ἀπὸ τῶν βασιλέων προγράφονται χρόνοι. Ἐπεὶ περὶ ἑτέρους ἦν ἡ τότε κατάστασις τῶν παρ' Ἰουδαίοις πραγμάτων, ἤμελλεν δὲ τὰ μηδὲ πρὸς νοῦν ἐλθόντα μακροῖς ὕστερον χρόνοις γενήσεσθαι· ὡς ἂν γνωσθῇ πρὸ πόσου χρόνου ῥηθέντα μηδὲ πρὸς νοῦν ἐλθόντα μακροῖς ὕστερον χρόνοις γενήσεσθαι· ὡς ἂν γνωσθῇ πρὸ πόσου χρόνου ῥηθέντα μετὰ πόσον ἀπήντηκεν. Καὶ ὅτι, Ὅτε πεπλεόνακεν ἡ ἀσθένεια, ὑπερεπερίσσευσεν ἡ δύναμις. Σχεδὸν γὰρ οἱ πλεῖστοι συνέδραμον ἀλλήλοις κατὰ τὸν χρόνον. Ὠσηὲ ἐν ἡμέραις Ὀζίου, καὶ ἐν ἡμέραις Ἱεροβοάμ. Μιχαίας ἐν ἡμέραις Ἰωὰβ καὶ Ἀχάζ. Σοφονίας ἐνἡμέραις Ἰωσίου υἱοῦ Ἀμώς. Πρόκεινται δὲ νῦν βασιλεῖς, Ὀζίας, Ἰωὰς, Ἀχὰζ, Ἐζεκίας· καὶ δείκνυσιοὐκ ἐφ' ἐνὸς μόνου βασιλέως, ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν τεσσάρων, ἑωρακέναι τὰ κατὰ τῆς Ἰουδαίας καὶ τῆς Ἰερουσαλὴμ θεσπιζόμενα. Εὕροις γὰρ ἂν αὐτὸν ἐφ' ἑκάστης βασιλείας τοὺς Ἰουδαίους ἐλέγχοντα, προλέγοντά τε τὰ κατ' αὐτῶν μετὰ χρόνους κείμενα, μέχρι τέλους τῆς Βίβλου, ὡς εἶναι τὴν πᾶσαν ὑπόθεσιν, ὥς φησι, κατὰ τῆς Ἰουδαίας καὶ τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ ὅρασιν, ἣν ὡς ἐν κατόπτρῳ παρέδειξεν αὐτῷ τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον. Ἰουδαίαν δὲ τὸ Ἰουδαίων ἔθνος ἐνταῦθα δηλοῖ, ἢ τὴν χώραν αὐτήν. Ἱερουσαλὴμ δὲ τὴν πόλιν, ἢ τὴν ἐν αὐτῇ τότε κατὰ τὸν νόμον λατρείαν· ὧν τὴν καθαίρεσιν, καὶ τὴν καινὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ πολιτείαν προέδειξεν. Ἀπηλάθησαν γὰρ Ἰουδαῖοι διὰ τὸ ταῖς συνεχέσιν ἀπειθεῖν προτροπαῖς· ἐκλήθη δὲ τὰ ἔθνη τῆς τῶν εἰδώλων πλάνης παυσάμενα. Μέλλων δὲ ὁράσεις κατ' Αἰγύπτου, καὶ ∆αμασκοῦ, καὶ Βαβυλῶνος εἰπεῖν, καὶ πλείστων ἅλλων μεμνῆσθαι, ταῦτα μὲν ἐν δευτέρῳ πάντα πεποίηται. Ἐκ δὲ τῶν ἀφιερωμένων Θεῷ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐποιήσατο, κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον· "Ἀπὸ τῶν ἁγίων μου ἄρξασθε." Καὶ, "∆υνατοὶ δυνατῶς ἐτασθήσονται." Καὶ, "Οἷς τὸ πολὺ δέδοται, τὸ πολὺ ἀπαιτηθήσονται." Πλείστας γὰρ ἐκ Θεοῦ λαβόντες εὐεργεσίας, ἀνάξιοι τούτων ἐγένοντο. Καὶ σφοδρῶς ἐπιφέρεται ἄρχουσί τε καὶ ἑπομένοις, παραστήματι θείῳ παντὸς κινδύνου καὶ δέους ὑπερορῶν. Μία μὲν οὖν ἡ βίβλος. Εἴρηται δὲ 1824 κατὰ μέρος ἐν διαφόροις καὶ μακροῖς καιρῶν διαστήμασι. Καὶ δυσχερὲς τοῖς λόγοις ἐφαρμόσαι τοὺς χρόνους, καὶ ταῖς κατὰ βασιλείαν πράξεσιν ἀποδιδόναι τὴν πολιτείαν. Ἐφ' ὅλοις γοῦν ἔτεσιν ὁ τῶν προκειμένων βασιλέων ἀπαρτίζεται χρόνος πεντήκοντα, ᾧ περιέκλεισε τὴν προφητείαν ὁ λόγος. Φασὶ δὲ, ὡς τοῦ προφήτου τοὺς παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ λόγους κηρύττοντος παρῆσάν τινες οἱ λεγόμενοι ὑπομνηματογράφοι τὰ λεγόμενα σημειούμενοι, ἔν τε τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἐν ταῖς πύλαις. Ἐκεῖ γὰρ τοὺς λόγους ἐποιοῦντο, διὰ τὰ ἐπεισιόντα πλήθη. Μετὰ γοῦν τὴν