Selecta in ezechielem

 Of jesus the savior god having gone forth. if then they might hear, or be terrified. similar to this doubtful expression is the one in jeremiah: perha

 Of israel. but neither are they slow of speech for their tongue, that is, their speech, does not have weight and a certain elegance but they are lig

 He sat in their midst. but when he is about to see the glory of the lord, he rises up and goes out into the plain, with only the breadth of the plain

 The iniquities of the house of israel. and who took up the iniquities of the sons of israel, being two in number, both that against god and that again

 But it is not proper for god to effect these things. for thus also the teacher of the hebrews explained the passage: i will honor those who honor me,

 Those who have emulated the mere practical are said to be glens but those who are humbler in soul than all are called ravines. and your precincts sha

 Someone might say, the temple-keepers under 13.789 the priests and the house of israel those from the 12 tribes and those who fear the lord are fore

 To him, so that he became worthy even of being laid up in the holy of holies in the tent of testimony. that there is a vision for all the multitude. f

 His observance. and when they are not capable of giving counsel, nor do they preside to consider what is necessary for the common good, it must be sai

 Written for the evil ones, and to have transferred the sacred weekly cycle from the holy things to the idols, so that they might receive a kind of sta

 Theodotion have placed alongside, preserving, as i think, the hebrew word for i do not think that among the greeks the word 'kasto' means to have a w

 The houses are built. the meaning of the present text is this: these men, he says, say, seeing the city newly built after the previous captivity, that

 He answers them through the prophet, as they are in need of repentance, saying: repent and turn away, and so forth. land, which if it sins. it is the

 They will enter, it is said. these bring out sons and daughters. this must be read as a question: if noah and daniel and job will not suffice for thos

 Incense. incense and oil is the prayer sent up to god from the mind with knowledge, in which god delights. and you spread your legs to everyone passin

 Is of the vine, so also we, if we follow as the natural impulses draw us in our earliest years, are eating unripe grapes. of the same. the unripe grap

 By his most wicked doctrines laying waste the land and those who dwell in it. these lions, therefore, are a symbol of the kings of jerusalem in a tang

 To those before us i mean those outside the flesh. for besides having its own historical account, such as that which occurred among us men, it also h

 The egyptians must be punished from the first to the last. all who inhabit egypt, or rather, who are, will be punished in it.

those who have emulated the mere practical are said to be glens; but those who are humbler in soul than all are called ravines. And your precincts shall be destroyed. To all those who propose to examine the things of knowledge and to live according to the law, and are able either to advance only a little towards knowledge, or seek nothing more than the practical and are content with the introductory word and with small works, the Word says this: Behold, I bring a sword upon you, and your high places shall be destroyed, since in such things pride and ambition and a certain conceit can be found. But it is a good thing for puffing up and conceit, which are the high places, to be destroyed and to vanish. And this rational sword shatters all the altars which we build contrary to reason, thinking it necessary to offer rational worship to God, and the shrines which we think we are constructing for the divine word; which the divine word now calls precincts. And to their eyes which commit fornication. To this must be applied the saying: Whoever looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart; and that which is found in Daniel concerning the lawless elders in the case of Susanna: But the lawless men commanded her to be unveiled (for she was veiled), that they might be filled with her beauty. And with the spiritual eyes he commits fornication who has turned away from gazing on the beauty of the word of truth. 13.788 I have not spoken for nothing. I think that the so-called evils, which are constitutive and are now apportioned to the worthy, not happening in vain, is this: I have not spoken all these things to them for nothing. For something is accomplished by these things happening, as those who suffer them are benefited and turn back. But if any persist in sin even after the punishments, the prophetic word says through Jeremiah: In vain have I struck your children; you did not receive correction. For it is likely that there too the children who are struck are the works of wickedness, being the offspring of the evil soul, and when these are sometimes destroyed and struck, wickedness remains no less; for often, when the works are hindered, wickedness is also weakened. Clap your hand and stamp your foot. As far as the literal sense goes, the prophet is commanded, because of the multitude of the people's abominations, to express indignation not only with his voice, but also with a certain posture of the body, so that his hands might clap in astonishment at their many sins; and his foot might strike the ground more forcefully so as to make a sound. But Symmachus, paraphrasing "And I said, Aha," has rendered it: I mourned and was indignant. And so we too will have to imitate the prophet and express indignation, being angry at the sins committed, and to show abhorrence, as in no way approving of things that happen contrary to right reason. And perhaps we clap our hands by not cooperating with sinners; and we are said to stamp with our foot by not journeying with them; and we say "Aha" with indignation, consenting to no abomination in word or deed. CH. 7 Thus says the Lord Adonai to the land of Israel. I think, since the prophecy concerning the coming end is spoken to the land of Israel, that the wings of the earth are the most discerning and high-soaring of all those on the earth. And they themselves, on account of the body, might be said to be in some way from the earth; and Israel would be the wings of the earth and those taught to live according to the divine law; for from these wings of the earth we have heard wonders, as Isaiah says: Lord, from the wings of the earth we have heard wonders; of those, so to speak, who are wingless on the earth, not knowing how to speak wonders; for how are they not wings of the earth who are naturally able to grow wings like eagles? And the four wings are said to be the four general orders into which it is divided: first and preeminent above all, the house of Aaron; next to this, the house of Levi; and third, Israel; and over all, as distinct from these, those who fear the Lord. For the house of Israel hoped in the Lord; he is their helper and defender. And in another psalm, besides these, the house of Levi is named; and the house of Aaron are the priests, and the house of Levi, as if

ψιλὸν τὸ πρακτέον ἐζηλωκότας λέγεσθαι νάπας· τοὺς δὲ πάντων ταπει νοτέρους τὰς ψυχὰς ὀνομάζεσθαι φάραγγας. Καὶ ἐξαρθῇ τὰ τεμένη ὑμῶν. Πᾶσι τοῖς προτιθε μένοις τὰ τῆς γνώσεως ἐξετάζειν καὶ βιοῦν κατὰ τὸν νόμον, καὶ ἢ ὀλίγον τι ὡς πρὸς τὴν γνῶσιν διαβαίνειν δυναμένοις μόνον, ἢ πλέον τοῦ πρακτικοῦ μηδὲν ζη τοῦσι καὶ ἀρκουμένοις τῷ τῆς εἰσαγωγῆς λόγῳ καὶ ἔργοις βραχέσι φησὶν ὁ λόγος τό· Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐπάγω ἐφ' ὑμᾶς ῥομφαίαν, καὶ ἐξολοθρευθήσεται τὰ ὑψηλὰ ὑμῶν, ἅτε ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις δυναμένου εὑρί σκεσθαι τῦφον καὶ φιλοδοξίαν καὶ οἴησίν τινα. Καλὸν δὲ τὸ ἐξολοθρευθῆναι καὶ ἀφανισθῆναι φυσίωσιν καὶ οἴησιν, ἅπερ ἐστὶ τὰ ὑψηλά. Αὐτὴ δὲ ἡ λογικὴ ῥομ φαία, ὅσα παρὰ τὸν λόγον οἰκοδομοῦμεν τὰ θυσιαστή ρια οἰόμενοι δεῖν τῷ Θεῷ τὴν λογικὴν λατρείαν, συν τρίβει αὐτὰ, καὶ τὰ ἱδρύματα ἃ νομίζομεν κατα σκευάζειν τῷ θείῳ λόγῳ· ἅπερ τεμένη νῦν ὀνομάζει ὁ θεῖος λόγος. Καὶ τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς αὐτῶν τοῖς ἐκπορνεύουσι. Προσεφαρμοστέον τούτῳ τό· Ὃς ἂν ἐμβλέψῃ γυναῖκα πρὸς τὸ ἐπιθυμῆσαι αὐτῆς, ἤδη ἐμοίχευσεν αὐτὴν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ· καὶ τὸ ἐν τῷ ∆ανιὴλ κείμενον περὶ τῶν παρανόμων πρεσβυτέρων ἐπὶ Σω σάννης· Οἱ δὲ παράνομοι ἐκέλευσαν ἀνακαλυφθῆ ναι αὐτὴν (ἦν γὰρ κατακεκαλυμμένη), ὅπως ἐμπλησθῶσι τοῦ κάλλους αὐτῆς. Καὶ τοῖς νοητοῖς δὲ ὀφθαλμοῖς πορνεύει ὁ ἀποστὰς τοῦ ἐνορᾷν τῷ κάλ λει τοῦ τῆς ἀληθείας λόγου. 13.788 Οὐκ εἰς δωρεὰν λελάληκα. Οἴομαι τὸ μὴ μάτην συμβαίνειν τὰ ἐπιμεριζόμενα τοῖς ἀξίοις συστατικὰ νῦν λεγόμενα κακὰ, τοῦτ' εἶναι τό· Οὐκ εἰς δωρεὰν λελάληκα αὐτοῖς ἅπαντα ταῦτα. Ἀνύεται γάρ τι ἀπὸ τοῦ τάδε γίνεσθαι ὠφελουμένων τῶν πασχόντων αὐτὰ καὶ ἐπιστρεφόντων. Ἐὰν δὲ καὶ μετὰ τὰς κο λάσεις ἐπιμένωσί τινες τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ, φησὶ διὰ Ἱερε μίου ὁ προφητικὸς λόγος· Μάτην ἐπάταξα τὰ τέκνα ὑμῶν· παιδείαν οὐκ ἐδέξασθε. Εἰκὸς γὰρ κἀκεῖ τὰ πατασσόμενα τέκνα τὰ ἔργα εἶναι τῆς κακίας, γεννή ματα ὄντα τῆς μοχθηρᾶς ψυχῆς, ὧν ἔσθ' ὅτε λυομέ νων καὶ πατασσομένων, οὐχ ἧττον μένει ἡ κακία· πολλάκις γὰρ, τῶν ἔργων ἐμποδιζομένων, καὶ ἡ κα κία ὑπεκλύεται. Κρότησον τῇ χειρὶ καὶ ψόφησον τῷ ποδί. Ὅσον ἐπὶ τῇ λέξει κελεύεται ὁ προφήτης διὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν βδελυγμάτων τοῦ λαοῦ σχετλιάσαι οὐ μόνον τῇ φωνῇ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῇ ποιᾷ καταστάσει τοῦ σώματος, ἵνα αἱ μὲν χεῖρες αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τῇ ἐκπλήξει τῇ ἐπὶ τὰ πολλὰ ἁμαρτήματα κροτήσωσιν· ὁ δὲ ποῦς σφοδρότε ρον τύψῃ τὸ ἔδαφος ὡς ἦχον ἀποτελεσθῆναι. Τὸ δὲ, Καὶ εἶπον, Εὖγε, παραφράζων ὁ Σύμμαχος πεποίη κεν· Ἐπένθησα καὶ ἐσχετλίασα. Καὶ ἡμᾶς οὖν δεήσει μιμουμένους τὸν προφήτην καὶ σχετλιάζειν ἀγανακτοῦντας ἐπὶ τοῖς ἁμαρτανομένοις, καὶ ἀφο σιοῦσθαι ὡς οὐδαμοῦ εὐδοκοῦντας τοῖς γινομένοις παρὰ τὸν ὀρθὸν λόγον. Τάχα δὲ καὶ κροτοῦμεν τῇ χειρὶ μὴ συμπράττοντες τοῖς ἁμαρτάνουσι· ψοφεῖν δὲ λεγόμεθα τῷ ποδὶ, μὴ συμπορευόμενοι αὐτοῖς· καὶ λέγομεν σχετλιάζοντες τὸ Εὖγε, οὐδενὶ βδελύγματι λόγῳ ἢ ἔργῳ συγκατατιθέμενοι. ΚΕΦ. Ζʹ Τάδε λέγει Ἀδωναῒ Κύριος τῇ γῇ Ἰσραήλ. Ἡγοῦμαι, ἐπείπερ ἡ προφητεία τῇ γῇ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ λέ γεται ἡ περὶ τοῦ ἥκοντος πέρατος, ὅτι αἱ πτέρυγες τῆς γῆς οἱ διορατικώτατοί εἰσι καὶ μετεωροπόροι παρὰ πάν τας τοὺς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Καὶ αὐτοὶ διὰ τὸ σῶμα λεχθη σόμενοι ἂν εἶέν πως ἐκ τῆς γῆς· καὶ εἴη ἂν ὁ Ἰσραὴλ αἱ πτέρυγες τῆς γῆς καὶ οἱ κατὰ τὸν θεῖον νόμον βιοῦν δεδιδαγμένοι· ἀπὸ τούτων γὰρ τῶν πτερύγων τῆς γῆς τέρατα ἠκούσαμεν, καθώς φησιν Ἡσαΐας· Κύριε, ἀπὸ τῶν πτερύγων τῆς γῆς τέρατα ἠκού σαμεν· τῶν, ἵν' οὕτως εἴπω, ἀπτέρων τῆς γῆς τέ ρατα λέγειν οὐκ ἐπισταμένων· πῶς γὰρ οὐ πτέρυγες τῆς γῆς οἱ πεφυκότες πτεροφυεῖν ὡς ἀετοί; Τέσσα ρες δὲ πτέρυγες λέγονται τὰ γενικὰ τέσσαρα τάγμα τα, εἰς ἃ διαιρεῖται, πρῶτον μὲν καὶ πάντων ὑπερέ χων ὁ οἶκος Ἀαρὼν, ἑξῆς δὲ τούτῳ ὁ οἶκος Λευΐ· καὶ τρίτον ὁ Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσιν ὡς ἕτεροι παρὰ τούτους οἱ φοβούμενοι τὸν Κύριον. Οἶκος γὰρ Ἰσραὴλ ἤλπισεν ἐπὶ Κύριον· βοηθὸς καὶ ὑπερασπιστὴς αὐτῶν ἐστιν. Ἐν ἄλλῳ δὲ ψαλμῷ παρὰ τούτους ὀνο μάζεται οἶκος Λευΐ· καὶ εἰσὶν οἱ μὲν οἶκος Ἀαρὼν οἱ ἱερεῖς, οἱ δὲ οἶκος Λευῒ, ὡς ἂν