let us go out, we are not able to meet the bridegroom. The lamp of virginity is the illumination of knowledge; and the oil for the lamps is diligence in full knowledge, and the working of the commandments. For this preserves the light in us, 17.305 keeping the eye single, so that our whole body may be enlightened, according to the word of the Lord. Those, then, who have undertaken diligent zeal for the working of the commandments are wise; but the careless are foolish, having spent the fitting time on the pursuit of vain things. And the phrase, 'they were sleeping,' speaks of the sleep of death; and 'midnight' indicates the sudden and the unexpected, and at the same time the fearful. And for those who have risen up, the things they labored for are present; but for those who, due to their indifference concerning piety, bring nothing forward, the soul begins to be gloomy, and as it were to be extinguished, and to pass into madness, so that they think to gain from the virtue of others. Therefore they are rejected, when those ones say, 'Lest there not be enough for us and for you.' And those who sell the oil are the teachers, for the price of attendance, attention, love of learning, love of labor. Or those who sell are prophets, apostles, evangelists, through whom someone, having been made a disciple, works virtue. CH. 27. V. 11. And the governor questioned him, saying: Are you the king of the Jews? As one condemned for a public crime, Pilate questions him, saying: Are you the king of the Jews? He asks thus, seeking to mock, or doubting. But Jesus, gently, implying the 'yes,' as king of all men, said the phrase, 'You say so.' Since the high priest asked judicially, saying: 'Tell us if you are the king,' but Pilate declaratively. But see if the phrase, 'You have said so,' spoken to the high priest, does not convict his hidden hesitation; while the phrase, 'You say so,' to Pilate, confirms his declaration. For he was king of Israel, neither saying yes, so that he might not give a reasonable pretext for Pilate to condemn him. Because of their unchangeable nature, he does not even answer them. And he rightly did not answer Pilate, because he is uncertain whether he ought to defend himself against the unjust accusations, and because he is of two minds concerning them. For it was clear that if he had defended himself and presented himself as guilty of no crime, the judge would have released him, having found a way to declare good things concerning him. Wherefore the governor also marveled at him, how, being able to offer many defenses, he was silent. Therefore, as if wishing to release him, he was urging him to this; for that he was handed over out of envy was clear even to Pilate. And he does not simply marvel, but even greatly; perhaps because of his unchangeable and untroubled demeanor toward death, and in these circumstances the calmness of his face; or he also marveled at his superhuman long-suffering. Since the Jews had recently become subject to the Romans, it is likely they thought that what was granted to them as a favor was permitted at the feast. And Saul, by conceding Jonathan to the people, indicates a similar thing for them previously. But 17.308 thinking that they would ask for the innocent one, rather than the one guilty of countless crimes, Pilate said this, as if they were just people. For he knew that they had no clear proof against him. And having come across some very old manuscripts, I found that Barabbas himself was also called Jesus. Thus, at any rate, Pilate's question went there: Whom do you want me to release to you of the two? Jesus Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ? For as it seems, 'Barabbas' was the patronymic of the robber, which is interpreted 'son of the teacher.' The composite name Bar-rabban therefore means 'son of our teacher.' And of what teacher, then, must we consider the notorious robber to be the son, if not of the man of blood, the murderer from the beginning, whom those who have learned from him to commit murder choose even to this day, rather than the one who gives life to men, our Lord Jesus Christ? While being judged by Pilate, he gave a divine warning to his wife, so that by his silence she might be struck by his courage, and by the divine warning she might know that he judges not a man, but God. But for this reason he himself did not see it: either so that he might not keep silent about the dream, or because he would not be believed, or because he was unworthy, or so that hearing what his wife suffered, he might feel sympathy. For not

ἐξέλθωμεν, τὸν νυμ φίον ἀπαντῆσαι οὐ δυνάμεθα. Λαμπάδα τῆς παρ θενίας ὁ τῆς γνώσεως φωτισμός· ἔλαιον δὲ εἰς τὰς λαμπάδας ἡ ἐν ἐπιγνώσει σπουδὴ, καὶ τῶν ἐντολῶν ἐργασία. Αὕτη γὰρ τὸ ἐν ἡμῖν διαφυλάττει φῶς, 17.305 ἁπλοῦν τὸν ὀφθαλμὸν διατηροῦσα, ὥστε φωτίζεσθαι ὅλον ἡμῶν τὸ σῶμα, κατὰ τὸν τοῦ Κυρίου λόγον. Αἱ μὲν οὖν λαβοῦσαι τὴν ἐπιμελῆ σπουδὴν πρὸς τὴν τῶν ἐντολῶν ἐργασίαν φρόνιμοι· αἱ δὲ ἀμελεῖς μωραὶ, τὸν προσήκοντα καιρὸν ἀναλώσασαι εἰς τὴν τῶν μα ταίων σπουδήν. Τὸ δὲ, ἐκάθευδον, τὴν κοίμησιν τοῦ θανάτου λέγει· τὸ μεσονύκτιον δὲ, τὸ αἰφνί διον δηλοῖ καὶ τὸ ἀπροσδόκητον, ἅμα καὶ τὸ φοβερόν. Καὶ ταῖς μὲν ἐξαναστάσαις πάρεστιν ἃ ἐπόνεσαν· τὴν δὲ ῥᾳθυμίαν περὶ τὴν εὐσέβειαν μηδὲν ἐπιφε ρομένων ἄρχεται στυγνάζειν ἡ ψυχὴ, καὶ οἱονεὶ κατα σβέννυσθαι, καὶ εἰς παραφροσύνην χωρεῖν, ὥστε οἰη θῆναι αὐτὰς διὰ τῆς ἑτέρων ἀρετῆς. ∆ιὸ ἀποδοκιμά ζονται, λεγόντων ἐκείνων, Μήποτε οὐκ ἀρκέσει ἡμῖν καὶ ὑμῖν. Πωλοῦσι δὲ τὸ ἔλαιον οἱ διδάσκοντες μι σθοῦ προσεδρείᾳ, προσοχῆς, φιλομαθίας, φιλοπονίας. Ἢ πωλοῦντές εἰσι προφῆται, ἀπόστολοι, εὐαγγελι σταὶ, δι' ὧν τις μαθητευθεὶς τὴν ἀρετὴν ἐργάζεται. ΚΕΦ. ΚΖʹ. Στίχ. ιαʹ. Καὶ ἐπηρώτησεν αὐτὸν ὁ ἡγεμὼν, λέ γων· Σὺ εἶ ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων; Ὡς ἐπὶ δημοσίῳ ἐγκλήματι κατακριθέντα αὐτὸν ἐρωτᾷ Πιλάτος λέγων· Σὺ εἶ ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰου δαίων; Ζητεῖ μυκτηρίζων, ἢ ἀμφιβάλλων οὕτως ἐρωτᾷ. Ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς ἠρέμα, ὑπαινιττόμενος τὸ ναὶ, ὡς πάντων ἀνθρώπων βασιλεὺς, ἔφη τὸ, Σὺ λέγεις. Ἐπεὶ ὁ μὲν ἀρχιερεὺς δικαστικῶς ἠρώτα λέγων· Εἰπὲ ἡμῖν εἰ σὺ εἶ ὁ βασιλεὺς, Πιλάτος δὲ ἀποφαντικῶς. Ὅρα δὲ εἰ μὴ τὸ μὲν, Σὺ εἶπας, τῷ ἀρχιερεῖ λεγόμενον, τὸν δισταγμὸν αὐτοῦ λεληθότα ἐλέγχει· τὸ δὲ, Σὺ λέγεις, τῷ Πιλάτῳ, τὴν ἀπόφασιν αὐτοῦ κυροῖ. Ἦν γὰρ βασιλεὺς τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, μήτε εἰπὼν ναὶ, ἵνα μὴ δῷ εὔλογον ἀφορμὴν τῷ Πιλάτῳ καταδικάζειν. ∆ιὰ τὸ ἀμετάτρεπτον αὐτῶν οὐδὲ αὐτοῖς ἀντιφθέγγεται. Καλῶς δὲ οὐδὲ τῷ Πιλάτῳ ἀπεκρίθη, ὅτι ἀμφιβάλλει εἰ χρὴ αὐτὸν πρὸς τὰς ἀδίκους κατηγορίας ἀπολογεῖσθαι, καὶ ὅτι διχογνωμῶν ἐστι περὶ αὐτῶν. ∆ῆλον γὰρ ἦν, ὅτι, εἰ ἀπελογήσατο καὶ παρέστησεν ἑαυτὸν οὐδενὶ ἔνοχον ἐγκλήματος, ἀπέλυσεν ἂν ὁ δικαστὴς αὐτὸν, λαβὼν ὁδὸν τοῦ χρηστὰ περὶ αὐτοῦ ἀποφήνασθαι. Ὅθεν καὶ ὁ ἡγεμὼν ἐθαύμαζεν αὐτὸν, πῶς, δυνάμενος εἰπεῖν πολλὰς ἀπολογίας, ἐσιώπα. ∆ιὸ καὶ ὡς θέλων αὐτὸν ἀπολῦσαι, εἰς τοῦτο αὐτὸν προετρέπετο· ὅτι γὰρ φθόνῳ παρεδόθη, καὶ Πιλάτῳ δῆλον ἦν. Οὐχ ἁπλῶς δὲ θαυμάζει, ἀλλὰ καὶ λίαν· τάχα μὲν διὰ τὸ ἄτρεπτον καὶ ἀτάραχον αὐτοῦ πρὸς θάνατον, καὶ ἐν τούτοις γαληνὸν τοῦ προσώπου· ἢ καὶ τὴν ὑπὲρ ἄνθρωπον αὐτοῦ μακροθυμίαν ἐθαύμαζεν. Εἰκὸς ἄρτι ὑποσπόνδων γενομένων Ῥωμαίοις Ἰουδαίων, τὸ κεχαρισμένον αὐτοῖς ᾤοντο ἐν τῇ ἑορτῇ συγχωρεῖσθαι. Καὶ Σαοὺλ δὲ, συγχωρήσας τῷ λαῷ τὸν Ἰωνάθαν, δηλοῖ πρὶν αὐτοῖς καὶ τοιοῦτον. Ὡς νο 17.308 μίζων δὲ, ὅτι τὸν ἀναίτιον, ἢ τὸν μυρίοις ἐγκλήμασιν ὑπαίτιον αἰτήσονται, εἶπε τοῦτο ὁ Πιλάτος, ὡς δικαίοις οὖσιν. Ἤδει γὰρ, ὅτι οὐδὲν σαφῆ ἔλεγχον εἶχον κατ' αὐτοῦ. Παλαιοῖς δὲ πάνυ ἀντιγράφοις ἐντυχὼν, εὗρον καὶ αὐτὸν τὸν Βαραββᾶν Ἰησοῦν λεγόμενον. Οὕτως γοῦν εἶχεν ἡ τοῦ Πιλάτου πεῦσις ἐκεῖ· Τίνα θέλετε ἀπὸ τῶν δύο ἀπολύσω ὑμῖν; Ἰησοῦν τὸν Βαραββᾶν, ἢ Ἰησοῦν τὸν λεγόμενον Χριστόν; Ὡς γὰρ ἔοικε, πατρωνυμία ἦν τοῦ λῃστοῦ ὁ Βαραββᾶς, ὅπερ ἑρμηνεύεται διδασκάλου υἱός. Συντιθέμενον οὖν τὸ τοῦ Βαραμβᾶν ὄνομα σημαίνει υἱὸς τοῦ διδασκάλου ἡμῶν. Καὶ τίνος ἄρα διδασκάλου υἱὸν χρὴ νομίζειν τὸν ἐπίσημον λῃστὴν, ἢ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς αἱμάτων, τοῦ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἀνθρωποκτόνου, ὃν καὶ μέχρι τῆς δεῦρο μᾶλλον αἱροῦνται οἱ μαθόντες παρ' αὐτοῦ ἀνθρωποκτονεῖν, ἢ τὸν ζωοποιοῦντα τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν; Κρινόμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ Πιλάτου, ἐχρημάτιζε τῇ τούτου γυναικὶ, ἵνα τῇ μὲν σιωπῇ τὴν ἀνδρείαν καταπλαγῇ, τῷ δὲ χρηματισμῷ γνῷ, ὅτι οὐκ ἄνθρωπον, ἀλλὰ Θεὸν κρίνει. ∆ιὰ δὲ τοῦτο αὐτὸς οὐκ εἶδεν ἢ ἵνα μὴ σιωπήσῃ τῷ ὄναρ, ἢ ὅτι οὐκ ἐπιστεύετο, ἢ ὅτι ἀνάξιος ἦν, ἢ ἵνα ἀκούσας ἃ ὑπέμεινεν ἡ γυνὴ, συμπαθήσῃ. Οὐ γὰρ