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and foreseeing from afar the things to come. He teaches therefore through the things that have been said, that all of human nature, with its own rulers, is subject to the king of all, and that with so many gifts he has adorned the human race. 11. And the wings, he says, were stretched out from above for the four, two for each joined to one another, and two covered their bodies above. And through these things he makes clear that not all things are comprehensible even to the divine powers, but some are manifest, and others hidden; and that they do not transgress the established boundaries; but they stretch out two wings, delighting in the contemplation that has been granted; and with two they cover the body, accepting their ignorance of the hidden things, and not striving to learn what is not lawful to learn. 12. And each one went straight forward; wherever the spirit would go, they went, 81.828 and they did not turn. This signifies the complete obedience of the invisible powers, and that they did not forsake their appointed path. And the divine David teaches this same thing, saying: "Bless the Lord, all his angels, mighty in strength, who do his word, to hear the voice of his words." 13, 14. And in the midst of the living creatures, there was an appearance like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches moving back and forth among the living creatures, and the brightness of the fire, and out of the fire went forth lightning. And the living creatures ran and returned, as the appearance of bezeq. And Symmachus interpreted this as, "like the appearance of a flash of lightning." The vision is fearsome, and full of dread, and signifies a threat of punishment; for the coals of fire, and the moving torches, and the lightning sent forth from there, and the running of the living creatures to and fro, and the splendor emitted from their running, are indicative of the evils that are to come; for the blessed David also places this among punishments, saying now, "Hail and coals of fire;" and now, "Coals of fire will fall upon them;" and elsewhere, "He multiplied lightnings, and threw them into confusion;" and elsewhere, "Flash forth your lightning, and you will scatter them; send forth your arrows, and you will throw them into confusion." 15, 16. And I looked, and behold, one wheel on the earth beside the living creatures, for the four of them. And the appearance of the wheels, and their workmanship, was like the appearance of Tharsis. But according to Symmachus, "like the appearance of a hyacinth." -"And a likeness in the four, and their appearance, and their work was one." He saw one wheel following each of the living creatures, having the appearance of a hyacinth; and he said he had seen no difference among them, but that the four were exactly alike to each other. For their appearance, he says, and their work was one, as it were a wheel within a wheel. 17, 18. They went toward their four parts, and they did not turn when they went, nor their rims. And they had height, and they were dreadful. Just as he says the living creatures were four-faced, the word indicating through these things the all-pervading oversight of God; so also he interprets the form of the wheels, as if it were, he says, a wheel within a wheel; and one could perceive this, by taking in one's mind two circles, and inserting the one into the 81.829 other crosswise; for such a figure, resting on the same base, allows for movement toward the four parts, the east, I say, and the west, both the north and the south. This therefore the blessed prophet says, As it were a wheel within a wheel, they went toward their four parts, and they did not turn when they went; for such a figure does not require turning; for moving from the same base toward each of the directions, it rushes easily. And this likewise signifies the everywhere-presence of God, these things having been seen in a more dense and bodily manner on account of human weakness; "And I saw them, and behold their rims were full of eyes all around the four of them." 19-21. And when the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them, and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up. Wherever the cloud was, there the spirit rushed to go;

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καὶ πόῤῥωθεν τὰ ἐσόμενα προορῶσα. ∆ιδάσκει τοίνυν διὰ τῶν εἰρη μένων, ὅτι πᾶσα τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἡ φύσις, μετὰ τῶν οἰκείων ἡγεμόνων, τῷ παμβασιλεῖ τῶν ὅλων ὑπόκει ται, καὶ ὅτι τοσούτοις χαρίσμασι τὸ ἀνθρώπινον κατεκόσμησε γένος. ιαʹ. Καὶ αἱ πτέρυγες, φησὶν, ἐκτεταμέναι ἄνωθεν τοῖς τέσσαρσιν, ἑκάστῳ δύο συνεζευγμέναι πρὸς ἀλλήλας, καὶ δύο ἐπεκάλυπτον ἐπάνω τοῦ σώμα τος αὐτῶν. ∆ηλοῖ δὲ διὰ τούτων, ὡς οὐδὲ ταῖς θείαις δυνάμεσι πάντα καταληπτὰ, ἀλλὰ τὰ μὲν δῆλα, τὰ δὲ κεκρυμμένα· καὶ ὅτι τοὺς κειμένους οὐχ ὑπερβαί νουσιν ὅρους· ἀλλὰ τὰς μὲν δύο πτέρυγας ἐκτείνουσι, τῇ δεδωρημένῃ ἐντρυφῶντες θεωρίᾳ· ταῖς δὲ δύο τὸ σῶμα συγκαλύπτουσι, στέργοντες τῶν κεκρυμμένων τὴν ἄγνοιαν, καὶ οὐ φιλονεικοῦντες μαθεῖν, ἃ μὴ θέμις μαθεῖν. βʹ. Καὶ ἕκαστον κατὰ πρόσωπον αὑτῶν ἐπορεύετο· οὗ ἂν ἦν τὸ πνεῦμα ἐπορεύοντο, 81.828 καὶ οὐκ ἐπέστρεφον. Τὴν ἐν ἅπασιν εὐπείθειαν τῶν ἀοράτων δυνάμεων σημαίνει, καὶ ὅτι τὴν τεταγμέ νην ὁδὸν οὐ κατελίμπανον. Ταυτὸ δὲ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ θεῖος ∆αβὶδ διδάσκει, λέγων· "Εὐλογεῖτε τὸν Κύριον, πάντες οἱ ἄγγελοι αὐτοῦ, δυνατοὶ ἰσχύϊ, ποιοῦντες τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ, τοῦ ἀκοῦσαι τῆς φωνῆς τῶν λόγων αὐτοῦ." ιγʹ, ιδʹ. Καὶ ἐν μέσῳ τῶν ζώων, ὡς ὅρασις ἀνθράκων πυρὸς καιομένων, ὡς ὄψις λαμπάδων συστρεφομένων ἀναμέσον τῶν ζώων, καὶ φέγγος τοῦ πυρὸς, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ πυρὸς ἐξεπορεύετο ἀστρα πή. Καὶ τὰ ζῶα ἔτρεχον, καὶ ἀνέκαμπτον, ὡς εἶδος τοῦ βεζέκ. Τοῦτο δὲ ὁ Σύμμαχος ἡρμήνευσεν, "ὡς εἶδος ἀκτῖνος ἀστραπῆς." Φοβερὰ ἡ θεωρία, καὶ φρίκης μεστὴ, καὶ τιμωρίας ἀπειλὴν προσημαίνουσα· οἱ γὰρ τοῦ πυρὸς ἄνθρακες, καὶ αἱ συστρεφόμεναι λαμπάδες, καὶ ἡ ἐκεῖθεν ἀφιεμένη ἀστραπὴ, καὶ ὁ τῇδε κἀκεῖσε τῶν ζώων δρόμος, καὶ ἐκ τῶν δρόμων ἐκπεμπομένη αἴγλη, τῶν ἐσομένων κακῶν ὑπάρχει δηλωτικά· ἐν γὰρ τιμωρίαις τοῦτο καὶ ὁ μακάριος τάττει ∆αβὶδ, νῦν μὲν λέγων, "Χάλαζα καὶ ἄν θρακες πυρός·" νῦν δὲ, "Πεσοῦνται ἐπ' αὐτοὺς ἄν θρακες πυρός·" ἑτέρωθι δὲ, "Ἀστραπὰς ἐπλήθυνε, καὶ συνετάραξεν αὐτούς·" καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ, "Ἄστραψον ἀστραπήν σου, καὶ σκορπιεῖς αὐτούς· ἐξαπόστειλον τὰ βέλη σου, καὶ συνταράξεις αὐτούς." ιεʹ, ι ϛʹ. Καὶ εἶδον, καὶ ἰδοὺ τροχὸς εἷς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἐχόμενος τῶν ζώων τοῖς τέσσαρσι. Καὶ τὸ εἶδος τῶν τροχῶν, καὶ ἡ ποίησις αὐτῶν, ὡς εἶδος Θαρσεῖς. Κατὰ δὲ τὸν Σύμμαχον, "ὡς ὅρασις ὑακίνθου." -"Καὶ ὁμοίωμα ἐν τοῖς τέσ σαρσι, καὶ ἡ ὅρασις αὐτῶν, καὶ τὸ ἔργον αὐτῶν ἕν." Ἐν ἑκάστῳ τῶν ζώων ἕνα τροχὸν ἑπόμενον ἐθεώρει εἶδος ὑακίνθου ἔχοντα· οὐδεμίαν δὲ διαφορὰν ἔφη ἐν αὐτοῖς τεθεᾶσθαι, ἀλλ' ἀκριβῶς ἀλλήλοις ἐοι κέναι τοὺς τέσσαρας. Ἡ ὅρασις γὰρ αὐτῶν, φησὶ, καὶ τὸ ἔργον αὐτῶν ἓν, καθὼς ἂν εἴη τροχὸς ἐν τροχῷ. ιζʹ, ιηʹ. Ἐπὶ τὰ τέσσαρα μέρη αὐτῶν ἐπορεύ οντο, καὶ οὐκ ἐπέστρεφον ἐν τῷ πορεύεσθαι αὐ τοὺς, οὐδὲ οἱ νῶτοι αὐτῶν. Καὶ ὕψος ἦν αὐ τοῖς, καὶ φοβεροὶ ἦσαν. Ὥσπερ τὰ ζῶα τετρα πρόσωπα λέγει, τὴν πάντοσε διήκουσαν ἐποψίαν τοῦ Θεοῦ διὰ τούτων τοῦ λόγου παραδηλοῦντος· οὕτως καὶ τῶν τροχῶν ἑρμηνεύει τὸ εἶδος, ὡς ἂν εἴη, φησὶ, τροχὸς ἐν τροχῷ· τοῦτο δ' ἄν τις κατιδεῖν δυνηθείη, δύο κύκλους τῷ λόγῳ παραλαβὼν, καὶ τὸν ἕτερον τῷ 81.829 ἑτέρῳ σταυροειδῶς ἐνείρας· τὸ γὰρ τοιοῦτον σχῆμα, καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς αὐτῆς κείμενον ἕδρας, τὴν ἐπὶ τὰ τέσ σαρα μέρη κίνησιν ἐπιδέχεται, ἑῷον, φημὶ, καὶ τὸ ἑσπέριον, τό τε βόρειον καὶ τὸ νότιον. Τοῦτο τοίνυν ὁ μακάριος προφήτης φησὶ, Καθὼς ἂν εἴη τροχὸς ἐν τροχῷ, ἐπὶ τὰ τέσσαρα μέρη αὐτῶν ἐπορεύοντο, καὶ οὐκ ἐπέστρεφον ἐν τῷ πορεύεσθαι αὐτούς· τὸ γὰρ τοιοῦτον σχῆμα οὐ δεῖται μεταστροφῆς· εἰς ἕκαστον γὰρ τῶν κλιμάτων ἀπὸ τῆς αὐτῆς ἕδρας κινούμενον ῥᾳδίως ὁρμᾷ. Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ ὡσαύτως τὴν πανταχοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ παρουσίαν σημαίνει, παχύτερον καὶ σωμα τικώτερον διὰ τὴν ἀνθρωπίνην ἀσθένειαν τούτων θεωρηθέντων· "Καὶ ἴδον αὐτοὺς, καὶ ἰδοὺ οἱ νῶτοι αὐτῶν πλήρεις ὀφθαλμῶν κυκλόθεν τοῖς τέσσαρσι." ιθʹ-καʹ. Καὶ ἐν τῷ πορεύεσθαι τὰ ζῶα, ἐπορεύ οντο οἱ τροχοὶ ἐχόμενοι αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐν τῷ ἐξαίρειν τὰ ζῶα ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς, ἐξῄροντο οἱ τροχοί. Οὗ ἂν ἦν ἡ νεφέλη, ἐκεῖ ὥρμα τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ πορεύε σθαι·