to point with his finger at him who was present and to say: Behold the Lamb of God. The all-holy Virgin knew, that he was not the child of Joseph, but in their presence she approved of her own betrothed because of the suspicion of the Jews, who thought he had been born of fornication. More simply, then, it might be said that the Holy Spirit honored him with the title of father and the rest ..., lest it should have left them behind. But the Lord, refraining from giving a human answer, gives a divine one, indicating that he was God incarnate. Or you will understand it thus: that the mountains and hills, the opposing powers, were humbled by the coming of Christ; but the valleys, the people, have been filled with good works. And all crooked things have been made straight. For each of us was crooked. Therefore, in the coming of Christ which took place in the soul, the crooked things are made straight. And again, our life was rough, and our speech uneven; but when the Lord came, he made all things smooth. CHAP. 3. V. 1. In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar. Therefore, concerning the prophetic word preached only among the Jews, the kingdom of Judea alone is recorded. For it says, the vision which Isaiah saw in the days of Uzziah and Jotham and Ahaz, who reigned over Judah. But concerning the mystery of the 17.332 Gospel which was to be preached in the whole world, the reign of Tiberius Caesar is recorded, who was considered to be the king of the whole world. And if only those from the Gentiles were to be saved, and salvation was shut off to all the sons of Israel, it would have been sufficient to mention only Tiberius. But since it is necessary that those from Galilee and Ituraea and Trachonitis also believe, for this reason these kingdoms, or tetrarchies, are recorded. But the word of God never came upon any of the prophets in the wilderness, except now only, for some mystical contemplation. For since the children of the desolate were to be many more, that is, of the Church from the Gentiles, than of her who has a husband, I mean the law of the Jewish synagogue. But to say that, The word of God came to John, that is, a command. V. 3. And he came into all the country about the Jordan. Where ought the Baptist to go about, but into the country about the Jordan, so that, if anyone wished to repent, he might immediately have easy access to the river? and Jordan is interpreted as descending. For truly descending is the river of God, the true water, the saving water. V. 7. They say that the viper, in conceiving, kills the male from whom it conceives; whose seed, growing, kills the one who conceived it, and thus it comes forth into the light, having ruptured its mother’s womb, as if a punishment for the destroyed father ........ Such also are the Jews, destroying their spiritual fathers and teachers with their hands. It has been spoken of more fully concerning these things in Matthew. CHAP. 4. V. 9. And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple. See how maliciously through the use of the Scriptures he wishes to cast down the glory of the Lord, as if he needed angelic help, as if he were about to stumble, if angels did not help him. For the use of the psalm is not spoken of Christ. For the master of angels does not need angels. But I say the opposite to you, O devil, if Jesus does not help the angels, they stumble. And for this reason you have fallen from heaven, because you thought yourself to be self-sufficient, and not to need the help of Jesus. And that you may know that the things written have not been said about Jesus, but that these things are referred to a righteous man, listen: For it is written, He that dwelleth in the help of the Most High shall abide in the shelter of the God of heaven. This is more fitting for a righteous man than for the Son of God; and again: A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand, and so on, which things are also referred to the righteous man. V. 40. Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases, brought 17.333 them unto him. And he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them. And they brought these at sunset, that is, after day

δακτύλῳ δεικνύειν παρ όντα καὶ λέγειν· Ἴδε ὁ Ἀμνὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἤδει μὲν ἡ παναγία Παρθένος, μὴ τέκνον αὐτὸν εἶναι τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ, ἀλλ' εἰς πρόσωπα τούτων τὸν ἑαυ τῆς ἐγκρίνει μνηστῆρα διὰ τὴν τῶν Ἰουδαίων ὑπ οψίαν, οἰομένων αὐτὸν ἐκ πορνείας γεγεννῆσθαι. Ἁπλούστερον μὲν οὖν λέγοιτο ἂν, ὅτι ἐτίμησεν αὐ τὸν τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον τῇ τοῦ πατρὸς προσηγορίᾳ καὶ τὰ λοιπά ..., μήπως αὐτοὺς καταλέλοι πεν. Ὁ δὲ Κύριος, ἀφεὶς ἀνθρωπίνην δοῦναι ἀπό κρισιν, θείαν δίδωσι, παρεμφαίνων, ὅτι Θεὸς εἴη σεσαρκωμένος. Ἢ τοίνυν οὕτω νοήσεις· ὅτι ὄρη μὲν καὶ βουνοὶ αἱ ἀντικείμεναι δυνάμεις διὰ τῆς Χριστοῦ ἐπιδημίας ἐταπεινώθησαν· αἱ δὲ φάραγγες οἱ ἄνθρωποι πε πλήρωνται ἐπ' ἔργοις ἀγαθοῖς. Γεγένηται δὲ πάντα σκολιὰ εἰς εὐθεῖαν. Ἕκαστος γὰρ ἡμῶν σκολιὸς ἦν. Ἐν μὲν τοίνυν τῇ Χριστοῦ ἐπιδημίᾳ τῇ γενομένῃ εἰς τὴν ψυχὴν γίνεται τὰ σκολιὰ εἰς εὐθεῖαν. Καὶ πάλιν τραχὺς ἦν ἡμῶν ὁ βίος, καὶ ὁ λόγος ἀνώμαλος· ἐλθὼν δὲ ὁ Κύριος, λεῖα πάντα πεποίηκε. ΚΕΦ. Γʹ. Στίχ. αʹ. Ἐν ἔτει πέντε καὶ δεκάτῳ τῆς ἡγεμο νίας Τιβερίου Καίσαρος. Ἐπὶ μὲν οὖν τῷ παρὰ Ἰουδαίοις μόνοις κηρυσσο μένῳ λόγῳ προφητικῷ βασιλεία μόνον Ἰουδαίας ἀνα γράφεται. Ὅρασις γὰρ, φησὶν, ἣν εἶδεν ὁ Ἡσαΐας ἐν ἡμέραις Ὀζίου καὶ Ἰωάθαν καὶ Ἀχὰζ, οἳ ἐβασίλευσαν τῆς Ἰούδα. Ἐπὶ δὲ τῷ μυστηρίῳ τοῦ 17.332 Εὐαγγελίου μέλλοντι ἐν ὅλῳ κόσμῳ κηρύσσεσθαι ἡγε μονία Τιβερίου Καίσαρος ἀναγράφεται, ὃς ἐδόκει ὅλου τοῦ κόσμου εἶναι βασιλεύς. Καὶ εἰ μὲν οἱ ἀπὸ ἐθνῶν μόνοι ἤμελλον σώζεσθαι, παντὶ δὲ ἀπεκέκλει στο ἡ σωτηρία τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ, ἤρκει τὸ μνη σθῆναι μόνον Τιβερίου. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ δεῖ καὶ τοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς Γαλιλαίας καὶ Ἰτουραίας καὶ Τραχωνίτιδος πι στεύειν, διὰ τοῦτο ἀναγράφονται αὗται αἱ βασιλεῖαι, ἤτοι τετραρχίαι. Οὐδέποτε δὲ γέγονε ῥῆμα Θεοῦ ἐπί τινα τῶν προφητῶν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, εἰ μὴ νῦν μόνον διά τινα μυστικὴν θεωρίαν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἔμελλε πολλὰ τὰ τέκνα τῆς ἐρήμου μᾶλλον εἶναι, τουτ έστι τῆς ἐξ ἐθνῶν Ἐκκλησίας, ἤπερ τῆς ἐχούσης τὸν ἄνδρα, τὸν νόμον τῆς Ἰουδαίων συναγωγῆς φημι. Τὸ δὲ εἰπεῖν, ὅτι Ἐγένετο ῥῆμα Θεοῦ πρὸς Ἰωάννην, τουτέστι πρόσταγμα. Στίχ. γʹ. Καὶ ἦλθεν εἰς πᾶσαν τὴν περίχωρον τοῦ Ἰορδάνου. Ποῦ ἔδει τὸν Βαπτιστὴν περιέρχεσθαι ἢ εἰς τὴν περίχωρον τοῦ Ἰορδάνου, ἵνα, ἐάν τις βούλοιτο με τανοεῖν, εὐθέως εὐπορήσῃ τοῦ ποταμοῦ; ἑρμηνεύεται δὲ Ἰορδάνης καταβαίνων. Καταβαίνων γάρ ἐστιν ἀληθῶς ὁ ποταμὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, τὸ ὕδωρ τὸ ἀληθινὸν, τὸ ὕδωρ τὸ σωτήριον. Στίχ. ζʹ. Φασὶ δὲ τὴν ἔχιδναν ἐν τῷ συλλαμβάνειν ἀναι ρεῖν τὸν ἐξ οὗ συλλαμβάνει ἄῤῥενα· οὗ ἡ σπορὰ αὐ ξάνουσα, τὴν συλλαβοῦσαν ἀναιρεῖ καὶ οὕτως εἰς φῶς ἐξέρχεται, διαῤῥήξασα τῆς μητρὸς τὴν γαστέρα, ποι νὴν ὥσπερ τοῦ διαφθαρέντος πατρός ........ Τοι οῦτοι καὶ οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι, τοὺς πνευματικοὺς αὐτῶν πα τέρας καὶ διδασκάλους διαφθείροντες χερσίν. Εἴρηται περὶ τούτων ἐν τῷ Ματθαίῳ πλατύτερον. ΚΕΦ. ∆ʹ. Στίχ. θʹ. Καὶ ἤγαγεν αὐτὸν εἰς Ἱερουσαλὴμ, καὶ ἔστησεν αὐτὸν ἐπὶ τὸ πτερύγιον τοῦ ἱεροῦ. Ὅρα δὲ πῶς κακούργως διὰ τῆς χρήσεως τῶν Γραφῶν θέλει καθελεῖν τὴν δόξαν Κυρίου, ὡς δεομέ νου ἀγγελικῆς βοηθείας, ὡς μέλλοντος προσκόπτειν, εἰ μὴ ἄγγελοι αὐτῷ βοηθεῖεν. Οὐ γὰρ περὶ τοῦ Χρι στοῦ εἴρηται ἡ χρῆσις τοῦ ψαλμοῦ. Οὐ γὰρ δεῖται ἀγγέλων ὁ τῶν ἀγγέλων δεσπότης. Ἐγὼ δὲ τὸ ἀνά παλίν φημι πρὸς σὲ, ὦ διάβολε, εἰ μὴ Ἰησοῦς βοη θήσει τοῖς ἀγγέλοις, προσκόπτουσι. Καὶ σὺ διὰ τοῦτο πέπτωκας ἐξ οὐρανοῦ, ἐπειδὴ αὐτάρκη ἐνόμισας ἑαυτὸν εἶναι, καὶ μὴ δεῖσθαι τῆς τοῦ Ἰησοῦ βοηθείας. Ἵνα δὲ γνῷς μὴ περὶ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ λελέχθαι τὰ ἀναγεγραμμένα, ἀλλ' εἰς δίκαιον ἄνδρα ταῦτα ἀναφέ ρεσθαι, ἄκουε· Γέγραπται γάρ· Ὁ κατοικῶν ἐν βοηθείᾳ τοῦ Ὑψίστου, ἐν σκέπει τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ αὐλισθήσεται. Τοῦτο δικαίῳ μᾶλλον ἁρ μόζει ἢ τῷ Υἱῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ· καὶ αὖθις· Πεσεῖται ἐκ τοῦ κλίτους σου χιλιὰς, καὶ μυριὰς, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς, ἃ καὶ αὐτὰ ἐπὶ τὸν δίκαιον ἀνάγεται. Στίχ. μʹ. ∆ύναντος δὲ τοῦ ἡλίου, πάντες ὅσοι εἶχον ἀσθενοῦντας νόσοις ποικίλαις, ἤγαγον 17.333 αὐτοὺς πρὸς αὐτόν. Ὁ δὲ ἐνὶ ἑκάστῳ αὐτῶν τὰς χεῖρας ἐπιθεὶς, ἐθεράπευσεν αὐτούς. Περὶ δυσμὰς δὲ τούτους προσῆγον, ἤτοι μεθ' ἡμέ