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The wicked dwell in, they do not sojourn in the land. If you go to the left, I will go to the right; but if you go to the right, I will go to the left; and so on. Although the choice was made, having been conceded by the kindness of Abraham to Lot, it must be observed that the one who chose does not enjoy his choice, while the one who yielded has what was left behind as blessed. And God said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: Look up with your eyes, and see from the place where you now are, to the north and south, and east and sea, that all the land which you see, I will give it to you. The consolation from God follows those who practice virtue. But after yielding the choice to his kinsman, and that one had chosen the most beautiful and fertile region, God appeared to Abraham, encouraging him with consoling words and good promises, as if to say: You have disdained this least and perceptible land; I will give you the land of the meek in the land of the living. For look up with the eyes of the mind, and see from the place where you are now; and the place of the righteous is virtue, from which he eagerly awaits the things in hope, and expects the things laid up in the heavens. 12.113 For if this were not so, how much land was it likely that he could view with perceptible eyes? Or how far could he gaze, running his sight around and about? And they took all the cavalry of Sodom. The Sodomites are said to have cavalry, now first named, as they were wicked. And one of those who had been saved came and reported to Abram the sojourner. Abraham is called the sojourner, because from the land of the Chaldeans, having crossed Mesopotamia, he came into the parts of the Canaanites. And it is also interpreted by those around Aquila as Hebrew. And he said to him: Look up to heaven and count the stars, if you are able to number them; so shall your seed be. For he says that the offspring of the saint's soul, both in multitude and in brightness, since God cooperated, became so many and of such a kind. These represent the divine blessing. And he said: Lord God, by what shall I know that I will inherit it? and so on. It was not for the one who had believed a faith that was counted to him for righteousness to disbelieve, as one might think. But perhaps having believed before, he now also asks for knowledge concerning the things that had been believed. God does not command Abraham to sacrifice, but it is because the most ancient people confirmed their oaths by these things. But in the fourth generation they will return here; for the sins of the Amorites are not yet filled up to the present time. A granting of 400 years, so that on the one hand the seed of Abraham might be multiplied, and on the other hand the signs that occurred might take place. How then is it, 'The sins of the Amorites were not yet filled up'? To show that they are reasonably cast out on account of sin. For when he says, 'I repented,' he does not say what he suffers, nor does he suffer what he says, but he indicates the absurdity of what has happened. And after a little: Then there were long ago righteous men in Palestine, Melchizedek and many others. For he was not simply a priest if there were not those who obeyed. Therefore 'not yet filled up' instead of, 'A holy one has not yet departed from among them'; they are not yet filled up and perfected in sins. For ten righteous men save the city; and at that time there were not a few. They will afflict them four hundred years. Why then does the Apostle say there are 30 extra years, for both the covenant which he made with Abraham, and the journey from Egypt in the desert, and the giving of the law? The things here do not conflict with the things written in Exodus. For there it is said, After 430 years the host of the Lord went out from Egypt; but here he says after 400. But it must be noted that it was not said that they went out when the 12.116 400 years were completed, but 'after 400 years', which also implies the 30. And her mistress was dishonored in her sight. It was deliberately not clarified by whom, so that we, by seeking, might find that virtue is naturally dishonored when it begets the preliminary studies; not entirely by Abraham, but either by the handmaid, or by those who rejoice in the offspring before the birth of the better things

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φαῦλοι κατοικοῦσιν, οὐ παροικοῦσι τὴν γῆν. Εἰ σὺ εἰς ἀριστερὰ, ἐγὼ εἰς δεξιά· εἰ δὲ σὺ εἰς δεξιὰ, ἐγὼ εἰς ἀριστερά· καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Εἰ καὶ ἡ ἐκλογὴ γέγονε συγχωρηθεῖσα ἀπὸ τῆς ἐπιεικείας τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ τῷ Λώτ· παρατηρητέον, ὅτι ὁ μὲν ἐκλεξάμενος οὐκ ἀπολαύει τῆς αὐτοῦ ἐκλογῆς, ὁ δὲ παραχωρήσας εὐλογημένον ἔχει τὸ καταλελειμ μένον. Ὁ δὲ Θεὸς εἶπε πρὸς Ἀβρὰμ, μετὰ τὸ διαχωρισθῆναι τὸν Λὼτ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ· Ἀνάβλεψον τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς σου, καὶ ἴδε ἀπὸ τοῦ τόπου οὗ νῦν σὺ εἶ, πρὸς βοῤῥᾶν καὶ λίβα, καὶ ἀνατολὰς καὶ θά λασσαν, ὅτι πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν, ἣν σὺ ὁρᾷς, σοὶ δώσω αὐτήν. Ἕπεται τοῖς κατορθοῦσι τὴν ἀρε τὴν ἡ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ παράκλησις. Μετὰ δὲ παραχω ρῆσαι τῷ ἀδελφῷ τὴν αἵρεσιν, κἀκεῖνον τὸ κάλλιστον καὶ εὐφορώτατον ἐκλέξασθαι χωρίον, ἐπεφάνη ὁ Θεὸς τῷ Ἀβραὰμ, λόγοις παρακλητικοῖς καὶ χρησταῖς ὑποσχέσεσιν αὐτὸν ψυχαγωγῶν, μονονουχὶ λέγων· Γῆς ταύτης κατεφρόνησας τῆς ἐλαχίστης καὶ αἰσθητῆς· ἐγώ σοι δώσω τῶν πραέων τὴν γῆν τὴν ἐν χώρᾳ τῶν ζώντων. Ἀνάβλεψον γὰρ τοῖς τῆς διανοίας ὄμμασι, καὶ ἴδε ἀπὸ τοῦ τόπου, οὗ σὺ εἶ νῦν· τόπος δὲ τοῦ δικαίου ἡ ἀρετὴ, ἀφ' ἧς τὰ ἐν ἐλπίσι καραδοκεῖ, καὶ τὰ ἀποκείμενα ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς ἀπεκδέ 12.113 χεται. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ τοῦτο ἦν, πόσην εἰκὸς ἦν αὐ τὸν γῆν θεωρεῖν αἰσθητοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς; ἢ ἕως τίνος ἀτενίσαι ἠδύνατο κύκλῳ περιθέων καὶ περιάγων τὴν ὄψιν; Ἔλαβον δὲ τὴν ἵππον πᾶσαν τὴν Σοδό μων. Ἵππον Σοδομῖται νῦν πρῶτον ὠνομασμένην ὡς φαῦλοι ἔχειν λέγονται. Παραγενόμενος δὲ τῶν ἀνασωθέντων τις, ἀπήγ γειλεν Ἀβρὰμ τῷ περάτῃ. Περάτης καλεῖται ὁ Ἀβραὰμ, ἐπειδὴ ἀπὸ τῆς Χαλδαίων χώρας δια περάσας τὴν Μεσοποταμίαν ἦλθεν εἰς τὰ μέρη τῶν Χαναναίων. Ἑρμηνεύεται δὲ καὶ τοῖς περὶ Ἀκύλαν Ἑβραῖος. Καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Ἀνάβλεψον εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ ἀρίθμησον τοὺς ἀστέρας, εἰ δυνήσῃ ἐξα ριθμῆσαι αὐτούς· οὕτως ἔσται τὸ σπέρμα σου. Τὰ γὰρ γεννήματά φησι τῆς ψυχῆς τοῦ ἁγίου, καὶ πλήθει καὶ λαμπρότητι, ἅτε Θεοῦ συνεργήσαντος, τοσαῦτα καὶ τοιαῦτα γενέσθαι. Αὐτὰ παρίστησι τὴν θείαν εὐλογίαν. Εἶπε δέ· ∆έσποτα Κύριε, κατὰ τί γνώσομαι, ὅτι κληρονομήσω αὐτήν; καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Οὐκ ἦν κατὰ τὸν πιστεύσαντα πίστιν λελογισμένην αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην ἀπιστεῖν, ὡς ἄν τις οἰηθείη. Ἀλλὰ μήποτε πιστεύσας πρότερον, νῦν καὶ γνῶσιν αἰτεῖ τὴν περὶ τῶν πεπιστευμένων. Οὐ νομοθετεῖ δὲ τῷ Ἀβραὰμ θύειν ὁ Θεὸς, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ οἱ παλαιότατοι τὰς ὁρκωμοσίας διὰ τούτων ἐβε βαίουν. Τετάρτῃ δὲ γενεᾷ ἀποστραφήσονται ὧδε· οὔπω γὰρ ἀναπεπλήρωνται αἱ ἁμαρτίαι τῶν Ἀμοῤῥαίων ἕως τοῦ νῦν. Ἐτῶν υʹ δόσις, εἰς τὸ πληθυνθῆ ναι μὲν τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ τὸ σπέρμα, γενέσθαι δὲ τὰ γε νόμενα σημεῖα. Πῶς οὖν τὸ, Οὔπω ἀνεπληρώθησαν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι τῶν Ἀμοῤῥαίων; ἵνα δείξῃ, ὅτι εὐλό γως ἐκβάλλονται δι' ἁμαρτίας. Καὶ γὰρ ὅταν λέγει, Μετεμελήθην, οὐ τοῦτο λέγει ὃ πάσχει, οὔτε τοῦτο πάσχει ὃ λέγει, ἀλλὰ τὴν τοῦ γενομένου ἀτοπίαν παρ ίστησιν. Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· Ἔπειτα ἦσαν πάλαι ἐν μὲν Παλαιστίνῃ δίκαιοι, ὁ Μελχισεδὲκ καὶ ἄλλοι πολλοί. Οὐ γὰρ ἦν ἁπλῶς ἱερεὺς μὴ ὄντων τῶν πει θομένων. Οὔπω οὖν ἀναπεπλήρωνται ἀντὶ τοῦ, Οὔπω ἐκλέλοιπεν ὅσιος ἐξ αὐτῶν· οὔπω πεπλή ρωνται, καὶ τετελειωμένοι εἰσὶν ἁμαρτίαις. ∆έκα γὰρ δίκαιοι ῥύονται τὴν πόλιν· τότε δὲ οὐκ ὀλίγοι ἦσαν. Ταπεινώσουσιν αὐτοὺς τετρακόσια ἔτη. ∆ιὰ τί δὲ περισσὰ ἔτη λέγει ὁ Ἀπόστολος λʹ, τά τε τῆς ∆ιαθήκης, ἣν ἐποιήσατο μετὰ τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ, καὶ τῆς ἐξ Αἰγύπτου πορείας ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, καὶ τῆς τοῦ νόμου δόσεως; Οὐ μάχεται τὰ ἐνταῦθα τοῖς ἐν τῇ Ἐξόδῳ γεγραμμένοις. Ἐκεῖ γὰρ εἴρηται, Μετὰ υλʹ ἔτη ἐξῆλθεν ἡ δύναμις Κυρίου ἐκ τῆς Αἰγύπτου· ἐνταῦθα δὲ μετὰ υʹ φησίν. Ἀλλ' ἐπιστῆσαι δεῖ, ὅτι οὐκ ἐῤῥέθη, ὡς πληρωθέντων τῶν 12.116 υʹ ἐτῶν ἐξῆλθον, ἀλλὰ μετὰ υʹ ἔτη, ὅπερ ἐμφαίνει καὶ τὰ λʹ. Καὶ ἠτιμάσθη ἡ κυρία αὐτῆς ἐναντίον αὐτῆς. Ἐπίτηδες οὐκ ἐσαφηνίσθη τὸ ὑπὸ τίνος, ἵνα ἡμεῖς ζητήσαντες εὕρωμεν, ὅτι πέφυκεν ἀτιμάζεσθαι ἀρετὴ, ἡνίκα τὰ προπαιδεύματα γεννήσῃ· οὐ πάντως ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ, ἀλλ' ἤτοι ὑπὸ τῆς παιδίσκης, ἢ τῶν χαιρόντων πρὸ τῆς γενέσεως τῶν κρειττόνων τοῖς γεννήμασιν