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Likewise David as a melodist said: "O God, let us sing a new song to you"; as a lawgiver: "Turn away from evil and do good"; as one foretelling the future he cried: "The God of gods shall be seen in Zion." But he did not omit the historical narrative either, having recounted in many psalms many of the things that sensibly happened for the Israelites and against the Egyptians and Pharaoh. 1.30 But what the spiritual horses behind the man mounted on a red horse accomplished, let us see in the following words of the present prophet. 1.31Zach. I, 9: And I said: What are these, Lord? and the angel who spoke in me said to me: I will show you what these are. 1.32 The prophet himself says to the angel speaking in him: "What are these, Lord?" The angel speaking in him is either the angel set over the prophecy, or according to another concept the Savior himself, about whom the prophet says: "His name is called the angel of great counsel." But the teacher speaks in the hearer when he is partaken of by him or is in him by disposition. 1.33 A testimony of the former is this: "But Christ lives in me," and also: "Of Christ speaking in me." With this understanding the psalmist also said: "I will hear what the Lord God will speak in me," and Habakkuk: "I will keep watch to see what the Lord will speak in me." Of the latter: "Priests, speak to the heart of Jerusalem," not every teacher speaking to the heart of the hearers, but the one who disposes the mind of the learners according to the understanding and quality of the lessons. 1.34 For there are those who do only this, buzzing in the ear, not benefiting the mind of those being instructed; and one who speaks in someone also speaks to him, not everyone who strikes the ear speaks in the heart. 1.35 Zach. I, 10: And the man standing among the mountains answered and said to me: These are they whom the Lord has sent to patrol the earth. 1.36 Someone might ask why, when the prophet had seen the coming horses, red, dappled, ash-colored, white, the angel speaking in him promises to show him the things that were seen. Perhaps, then, since there is a twofold vision concerning the same things, a more introductory one and a transcendent one, to the one who has known the introductory showing, the divine instructor promises the more perfect one, since he who has had the revelation has received a perfect love. 1.37 The man standing between the two said mountains answered: "These are they whom the Lord has sent to patrol the earth." 1.38 According to a second contemplation, the people from the Hebrews and the gentiles are two shady mountains, standing in the midst of whom the already interpreted man initiates the prophet into who are the ones sent to patrol the earth. And they are the best teachers from among men and angels, as was recently said. 1.39 Not in vain is it added that they were sent by the Lord to patrol the earth, since not all who profess to teach or patrol are sent by the Lord. At any rate, the devil, "patrolling the earth," as he himself said, in order to test Job and the other athletes of God, does this by his own most evil choice, but not being commissioned by God. 1.40 And what do the ones sent say they have seen in their patrolling, but that all the earth is inhabited and is at rest, as the following phrase, which is so, presents. 1.41Zach. I, 11: And they answered the angel of the Lord who stood among the mountains, and said: We have patrolled all the earth, and behold, all the earth is inhabited and is at rest. 1.42 Since not every angel is of the Lord, as those who left the heavenly dwelling are no longer his, it is fitting that those patrolling answer the angel of the Lord that all the earth is inhabited and is at rest. But that the apostates, even if they are simply called angels, are not named of the Lord, is further clearly shown from the scriptures, where on the one hand: "The

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Ὡσαύτως ὁ ∆αυὶδ ὡς μελῳδὸς ἔφασκεν· «Ὁ Θεός, ᾠδὴν καινὴν ᾄσωμέν σοι»· ὡς νομοθέτης· «Ἔκκλινον ἀπὸ κακοῦ καὶ ποίησον ἀγαθόν»· ὡς προθεσπίζων τὰ μέλλοντα ἐβόα· «Ὀφθήσεται ὁ Θεὸς τῶν θεῶν ἐν Σιών.» Οὐ παρῆκεν δὲ οὐδὲ τὸ ἱστορικὸν διήγημα, πολλὰ τῶν αἰσθητῶς γεναμένων ὑπὲρ τῶν Ἰσραηλιτῶν καὶ κατὰ τῶν Αἰγυπτίων καὶ τοῦ Φαραὼ διεξεληλυθὼς ἐν πλείοσιν ψαλμοῖς. 1.30 Τί δὲ οἱ ὀπίσω τοῦ ἀνδρὸς τοῦ ἐπιβεβηκότος ἐπὶ ἵππον πυρρὸν οἱ πνευματικοὶ ἵπποι εἰργάσαντο, ἐν ταῖς ἑξῆς λέξεσιν τοῦ ἐκκειμένου προφήτου ἴδωμεν. 1.31Zach. I, 9: Καὶ εἶπα· Τί οὗτοι, Κύριε; καὶ εἶπεν πρός με ἄγγελος ὁ λαλῶν ἐν ἐμοί· Ἐγὼ δείξω σοι τί ἐστιν ταῦτα. 1.32 Φησὶν αὐτὸς ὁ προφήτης τῷ ἀγγέλῳ τῷ ἐν αὐτῷ λαλοῦντι· «Τί οὗτοι, Κύριε;» Ἄγγελος δὲ ὁ ἐν αὐτῷ λαλῶν ἤτοι ὁ ἐφεστὼς τῇ προφητείᾳ ἄγγελός ἐστιν, ἢ κατὰ ἄλλην ἐπίνοιαν αὐτὸς ὁ Σωτήρ, περὶ οὗ ὁ προφήτης φησίν· «Καλεῖται τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ μεγάλης βουλῆς ἄγγελος.» Λαλεῖ δὲ ἐν τῷ ἀκροατῇ ὁ διδάσκαλος ὅτε μετέχεται ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ἢ κατὰ διάθεσίν ἐστιν ἐν αὐτῷ. 1.33 Μαρτύριον τοῦ προτέρου τό· «Ζῇ δὲ ἐν ἐμοὶ Χριστός», καὶ ἔτι· «Τοῦ ἐν ἐμοὶ λαλοῦντος Χριστοῦ.» Ταύτῃ τῇ νοήσει καὶ ὁ ὑμνῳδὸς ἔφη· «Ἀκούσομαι τί λαλήσει ἐν ἐμοὶ Κύριος ὁ Θεός», καὶ ὁ Ἁμβακούμ· «Ἀποσκοπεύσω τοῦ ἰδεῖντί λαλήσει Κύριος ἐν ἐμοί.» Τοῦ δ' ὑστέρου· «Ἱερείς, λαλήσατε εἰς τὴν καρδίαν Ἰερουσαλήμ», οὐ παντὸς διδασκάλου εἰς τὴν καρδίαν λαλοῦντος τῶν ἀκροωμένων, ἀλλὰ τοῦ διατιθέντος τὴν διάνοιαν τῶν μανθανόντων κατὰ νόησιν καὶ ποιότητα τῶν μαθημάτων. 1.34 Εἰσὶ γὰρ αὐτὸ τοῦτο μόνον ποιοῦντες, βομβοῦντες τὴν ἀκοήν, οὐκ ὠφελοῦντες τὴν διάνοιαν τῶν παιδευομένων· καὶ ὃ μὲν ἔν τινι λαλῶν καὶ λαλεῖ αὐτῷ, οὐ παντὸς τοῦ κρούοντος τὴν ἀκοὴν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ λαλοῦντος. 1.35 Zach. I, 10: Καὶ ἀπεκρίθη ὁ ἀνὴρ ὁ ἐφεστηκὼς ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν ὀρέων καὶ εἶπεν πρός με· Οὗτοί εἰσιν οὓς ἐξαπέσταλκεν Κύριος τοῦ περιοδεῦσαι τὴν γῆν. 1.36 Ζητήσειεν ἄν τις τί δήπουθεν, ἑωρακότος τοῦ προφήτου τοὺς ἐρχομένους ἵππους πυρρούς, ποικίλους, ψαρούς, λευκούς, ὁ ἄγγελος ὁ λαλῶν ἐν αὐτῷ ὑπισχνεῖται δείξειν αὐτῷ τὰ ὀφθέντα. Μήποτ' οὖν, ἐπεί ἐστιν περὶ τῶν αὐτῶν διττὴ θέα, εἰσαγωγικωτέρα καὶ ὑπεραναβεβηκυῖα, τῷ ἐγνωκότι τὴν εἰσαγωγικὴν δεῖξιν, τὴν τελειοτέραν ὑπισχνεῖται ὁ θεῖος παιδευτής, τοῦ τὴν ἀποκάλυψιν ἐσχηκότος τέλειον ἔρωτα δεξαμένου. 1.37 Ὁ ἀνὴρ ὁ ἑστὼς ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν εἰρημένων ὀρέων δύο ἀπεκρίνατο· «Οὗτοί εἰσιν οὓς ἐξαπέστειλεν Κύριος περιοδεῦσαι τὴν γῆν.» 1.38 Κατὰ δευτέραν θεωρίαν κατάσκια ὄρη δύο ὁ ἀπὸ Ἑβραίων καὶ ἐθνῶν λαὸς τυγχάνουσιν, ὧν ἐν μέσῳ ἑστὼς ὁ ἤδη ἡρμηνευμένος ἀνὴρ μυσταγωγεῖ τὸν προφήτην τίνες εἰσὶν οἱ ἀπεσταλμένοι περιοδεῦσαι τὴν γῆν. ∆ιδάσκαλοι δέ εἰσιν ἄριστοι ἐξ ἀνθρώπων καὶ ἀγγέλων ὡς ἔναγχος εἴρηται. 1.39 Οὐ μάτην δὲ πρόσκειται τὸ ἀπεστάλθαι αὐτοὺς τοῦ περιοδεῦσαι τὴν γῆν ὑπὸ τοῦ Κυρίου, οὐ πάντων τῶν διδάσκειν ἐπαγγελλομένων ἢ περιοδευόντων ὑπὸ Κυρίου ἀποσταλέντων. «Περιοδεύων γοῦν τὴν γῆν» ὁ διάβολος, ὡς αὐτὸς ἔφη, ἐπὶ τῷ ἐξετάσασθαι τὸν Ἰὼβ καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους Θεοῦ ἀθλητάς, ἰδίᾳ κακίστῃ προαιρέσει τοῦτο ποιεῖ, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐγχειρισθεὶς ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ. 1.40 Τί δέ φασιν οἱ ἀποσταλέντες τεθεάσθαι ἐν τῷ περιοδεῦσαι, ἢ ὅτι πᾶσα ἡ γῆ κατοικεῖται καὶ ἡσυχάζει, ὡς ἡ ἑξῆς παρίστησιν λέξις οὕτως ἔχουσα. 1.41Zach. I, 11: Καὶ ἀπεκρίθησαν τῷ ἀγγέλῳ Κυρίου τῷ ἐφεστῶτι ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν ὀρέων, καὶ εἶπαν· Περιωδεύκαμεν πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν καὶ ἰδοὺ πᾶσα ἡ γῆ κατοικεῖται καὶ ἡσυχάζει. 1.42 Ἐπεὶ μὴ πᾶς ἄγγελος τοῦ Κυρίου ἐστίν, οὐκέτ' αὐτοῦ τυγχανόντων τῶν ἀπολιπόντων τὸ οὐράνιον οἰκητήριον, εἰκότως τῷ ἀγγέλῳ Κυρίου ἀποκρίνονται οἱ περιοδεύοντες ὡς πᾶσα ἡ γῆ κατοικεῖται καὶ ἡσυχάζει. Ὅτι δὲ οἱ ἀποστάται, κἂν ἁπλῶς ἄγγελοι καλῶνται, ἀλλ' οὐ τοῦ Κυρίου χρηματίζουσι, ἔτι σαφῶς ἐκ τῶν γραφῶν δηλοῦται, ὅπου μέν· «Ὁ