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to hearken. For hearing through ears is more corporeal. 1828 At any rate, since among the Jews there were some who were lofty, such as prophets, and certain such men, even if rare; but the rest were all earthly and lowly, he called both. And perhaps he calls as witnesses those in whose presence the giving of the law took place, wishing to convict their transgression in the presence of the same ones. For "Gather to me," he says, "your tribe leaders, and your elders, the judges, and the scribes, that I may speak in their ears, and call heaven and earth to witness against them." Wherefore also Moses calls upon these as witnesses: "Give heed, O heaven, and I will speak; and let the earth hear the words of my mouth." And showing that these things would certainly come to pass, he added: For the Lord has spoken. "For since," it says, "God spoke, it also comes to be." As, therefore, the choosing of those in Israel became most notable, when all creation was moved against the Egyptians and the other enemies; so also he wills that their rejection be known to all. And again, since, having disregarded the law, they worshipped creation rather than the creator, worshipping the host of heaven and idols made of matter, he most fittingly alludes to their impiety in these things through the invocation. Wherefore God also says to one of the prophets: "Arise, and plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice. Hear, O hills, the judgment of the Lord, and you ravines, the foundations of the earth, for the Lord has a case against his people, and with Israel he will enter into judgment." For the judgment is not against mountains and hills, but against the very impiety that takes place in mountains and hills. In addition to these things, he provided them a goad to their memory. For heaven and earth, being continually seen, would drive out the forgetfulness of the observers, of what they did in their presence. It must be said that all hear; for the word is to men, whom he called sons. And since every man is composed of a heavenly soul and an earthly body, and has a kinship with both heaven and earth, He convicts sin in the presence of his most kindred things. 9I have begotten and exalted sons; but they have rejected me. [3] The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master's crib. But Israel does not know me, and my people do not understand.9. It would be fitting for God the Word to say concerning rational souls, "I have begotten and exalted sons." And He begot them in two ways: first, by bringing them out of non-existence into being; and second, by striving to show them better through virtue and doctrines; just as it is also said, "I have exalted." Thus also Paul is in travail with those in whom Christ must be formed. For he gave them the law, and sent prophets. Or "I have exalted" means, because he led them out of Egypt with glory, and accomplished so many wonders against their oppressors. 1829 And he also showed fatherly providence for them; for example, giving bread from heaven, and a table in the wilderness. He calls them sons, therefore, both as intelligent creatures, and as having received more care than others, when it became, "The Lord’s portion is his people Jacob, the lot of their inheritance is Israel." Wherefore he also deemed them worthy of this address, even if they became unworthy of it. Wherefore also they had the address of sons figuratively. For the true adoption belongs to those: "To whom he gave power to become children of God, who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, but of God;" just as, for contrast, Israel is called firstborn, but not only-begotten; therefore let not the Jews be proud, hearing, "Israel is my firstborn son;" since also Cain, being firstborn, was cursed, while Abel was admired. And Ishmael was firstborn, but not heir; and Esau was firstborn, but was hated. "For Jacob I loved," he says, "but Esau I hated." And Reuben was firstborn, but was rejected from the promise concerning Christ, Judah being preferred. God therefore, for His part, both begets and exalts, and gives to the worthy to say, "Our Father who art in heaven." But those of Israel rejected him, not fearing him as God, nor honoring him as father. For they rendered worship to idols, saying "To the piece of wood: You are my God

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ἐνωτίζεσθαι. Σωματικώτε 1828 ρον γὰρ τὸ δι' ὤτων ἀκούειν. Ἡ γοῦν ἐπειδὴ καὶ ἐν τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ἦσάν τινες ὑψηλοὶ, οἷον προφῆται, καὶ τοιοῦτοί τινες, εἰ καὶ σπάνιοι· τὸ δὲ λοιπὸν ἅπαν γεῶδες καὶ ταπεινὸν, ἀμφοτέρους ἐκάλεσεν. Τάχα δὲ καλεῖ μάρτυρας, ἐφ' ὧν ἡ τοῦ νόμου δόσις ἐγένετο, τὴν παρανομίαν ἐπὶ τῶν αὐτῶν διελέγξαι βουλόμενος. Ἐκκλησιάσατε γὰρ, φησὶ, πρός με τοὺς φυλάρχους ὑμῶν, καὶ τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους ὑμῶν, τοὺς κριτὰς, καὶ τοὺς γραμματοεισαγωγεῖς, ἵνα λαλήσω εἰς τὰ ὦτα αὐτῶν, καὶ διαμαρτύρωμαι αὐτοῖς τόν τε οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν." ∆ιὸ καὶ Μωϋσῆς ἐπικαλεῖται τούτους ὡς μάρτυρας· "Πρόσεχε, οὐρανὲ, καὶ λαλήσω· καὶ ἀκουέτω γῆ ῥήματα ἐκ στόματός μου." Τὸ δὲ πάντως ἐκβήσεσθαι ταῦτα δηλῶν, ἐπήνεγκεν· Ὅτι Κύριος ἐλάλησεν. "Ἐπεὶ γὰρ, φησὶν, Θεὸς ἔφη, καὶ γίνεται." Ὡς τοίνυν ἐπισημοτάτη γέγονεν ἡ πρόσληψις τῶν ἐν Ἰσραὴλ, πάσης κατ' Αἰγυπτίων καὶ τῶν ἄλλων πολεμίων κινηθείσης τῆς κτίσεως· οὕτω καὶ τὴν ἀποβολὴν πᾶσιν ἐθέλει γνωρίζεσθαι. Καὶ πάλιν, ἐπεὶ παριδόντες τὸν νόμον ἐλάτρευσαν τῇ κτίσει παρὰ τὸν κτίσαντα, στρατιὰν οὐρανοῦ καὶ τὰ ἐξ ὕλης προσκυνήσαντες εἴδωλα, οἰκονομικώτατα τὴν ἐν τούτοις αὐτῶν ἀσέβειαν ὑπαινίττεται διὰ τῆς ἐπικλήσεως. ∆ιὸ καὶ πρὸς ἕνα φησὶ τῶν προφητῶν ὁ Θεός· "Ἀνάστηθι, καὶ κρίθητι πρὸς τὰ ὄρη, καὶ ἀκουσάτωσαν οἱ βουνοὶ φωνῆς σου. Ἀκούσατε, οἱ βουνοὶ, τὴν κρίσιν τοῦ Κυρίου, καὶ φάραγγες, θεμέλια τῆς γῆς, ὅτι κρίσις τῷ Κυρίῳ πρὸς τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ μετὰ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ διελεγχθήσεται." Οὐ γὰρ πρὸς ὄρη καὶ βουνοὺς ἡ κρίσις, πρὸς αὐτὴν δὲ τὴν ἀσέβειαν τὴν ἐν ὄρεσι καὶ βουνοῖς. Πρὸς δὲ τούτοις κέντρον μνήμης παρέσχεν αὐτοῖς. Οὐρανὸς γὰρ καὶ γῆ διὰ παντὸς θεωρούμενα τὴν τῶν ὁρώντων λήθην ἐξέκρουεν, ἐφ' ὧν αὐτοὺς ἐποιήσαντο. Ἐπὶ πάντων ἀκούειν λεκτέον· πρὸς ἀνθρώπους γὰρ ὁ λόγος, οὓς ἐκάλεσεν υἱούς. Καὶ ἐπεὶ πᾶς ἄνθρωπος ἐκ ψυχῆς οὐρανίας καὶ σώματος γηΐνου συνέστηκε, καὶ συγγένειαν ἔχει πρὸς οὐρανόν τε καὶ γῆν, ἐπὶ τῶν οἰκειοτάτων αὐτοῦ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐλέγχει. 9Υἱοὺς ἐγέννησα καὶ ὕψωσα· αὐτοὶ δέ με ἠθέτησαν. [γʹ.] Ἔγνω βοῦς τὸν κτησάμενον, καὶ ὄνος τὴν φάτνην τοῦ κυρίου αὐτοῦ. Ἰσραὴλ δέ με οὐκ ἔγνω, καὶ ὁ λαός μου οὐ συνῆκεν9. Τῷ Θεῷ Λόγῳ πρέποι ἂν τὸ περὶ ψυχῶν εἰπεῖν λογικῶν, Υἱοὺς ἐγέννησα, καὶ ὕψωσα. Ἐγέννησε δὲ κατ' ἀμφότερα· τοῦτο μὲν, ἐκ τοῦ μὴ ὄντος εἰς τὸ εἶναι παραγαγών· τοῦτο δὲ, κατ' ἀρετὴν καὶ δόγματα σπουδάσας ἀποδεῖξαι βελτίονας· καθὼς καὶ τὸ ὕψωσα λέγεται. Οὕτω καὶ Παῦλος ὠδίνει τοὺς ἐν οἷς δεῖ μορφωθῆναι Χριστόν. Νόμον γὰρ αὐτοῖς παρέσχε, καὶ προφήτας ἀπέστειλεν. Ἢ τὸ ὕψωσα, διὰ τὸ ἐξαγαγεῖν αὐτοὺς μετὰ δόξης Αἰ 1829 γύπτου, καὶ τοσαῦτα κατὰ τῶν λυπούντων ἐπιτελέσαι παράδοξα. Καὶ πατρικὴν δὲ πρόνοιαν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἐπεδείξατο· οἷον, ἄρτον ἐξ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ τράπεζαν ἐν ἐρήμῳ διδούς. Υἱοὺς οὖν αὐτοὺς, καὶ ὡς κτίσματα καλεῖ νοερὰ, καὶ ὡς πλείονος παρὰ τοὺς ἅλλους τυχόντας κηδεμονίας, ὅτε ἐγενήθη "Μερὶς Κυρίου λαὸς αὐτοῦ Ἰακὼβ, σχοίνισμα κληρονομίας αὐτῶν Ἰσραήλ. ∆ιόπερ αὐτοὺς καὶ τῆς προσηγορίας ταύτης ἠξίωσεν, εἰ καὶ ἀνάξιοι ταύτης ἐγένοντο. ∆ιὸ καὶ τὴν υἱῶν προσηγορίαν ἔσχον εἰκονικήν. Ἡ γὰρ ἀληθὴς υἱοθεσία ἐκείνων ἐστίν. "Οἷς ἔδωκεν ἐξουσίαν υἱοῖς Θεοῦ γενέσθαι, οἳ οὐκ ἐξ αἱμάτων, οὐδὲ ἐκ θελήματος σαρκὸς, ἀλλ' ἐκ Θεοῦ ἐγενήθησαν·" ὡς πρὸς ἀντιδιαστολὴν πρωτότοκος Ἰσραὴλ, ἀλλ' οὐ μονογενὴς εἴρηται· μὴ τοίνυν Ἰουδαῖοι φρονείτωσαν ἀκούοντες, Υἱὸς πρωτότοκός μου Ἰσραήλ· ἐπεὶ καὶ Κάϊν πρωτότοκος ὢν κατηράθη, θαυμασθέντος τοῦ Ἄβελ. Καὶ Ἰσμαὴλ πρωτότοκος, ἀλλ' οὐ κληρονόμος· καὶ Ἡσαῦ πρωτότοκος, ἀλλ' ἐμισήθη. "Τὸν Ἰακὼβ γὰρ ἠγάπησα, φησὶν, τὸν δὲ Ἡσαῦ ἐμίσησα." Καὶ Ῥουβὴν πρωτότοκος, ἀλλ' ἀπεβλήθη, εἰς τὴν περὶ Χριστοῦ ἐπαγγελίαν, Ἰούδα προτιμηθέντος. Θεὸς μὲν οὖν, τὸ ἐπ' αὐτῷ, καὶ γεννᾷ καὶ ὑψοῖ, καὶ δίδωσι τοῖς ἀξίοις εἰπεῖν, "Πάτερ ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς." Οἱ δὲ ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ ἠθέτησαν αὐτὸν, οὐ φοβηθέντες ὡς Θεὸν, οὐχ ὡς πατέρα τιμήσαντες. Τὸ γὰρ σέβας τοῖς εἰδώλοις ἀπένειμαν, λέγοντες "Τῷ ξύλῳ· Θεός μου εἶ