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having abolished;” and clarifying what the middle wall is, he adds: “abolishing the law of commandments in ordinances,” having removed the middle wall of the Mosaic law, which kept us Gentiles from the piety according to God, because it was not possible for all the nations, even if they wished, to live according to Moses.

7. As we have therefore established in the Evangelical Demonstrations, he set forth for all the way of life according to the Gospel, having made the genesis of the first way of piety more perfect and more brilliant, along with the fact that he carried with his hand the testimony that he himself was first. For the life delivered to all the nations through the saving Gospel was that which even before Moses stretched forth its hand, and demonstrated the practice through the first men beloved of God; and this was he who, as Zarah, laid down the first rising of the divine way of life among men. And he has become the same, beginning and end, first and last, a small rising and again a final one that shone upon all men. But it is also fitting to add to what has been said that the book of the generation of Jesus Christ does not introduce the one being genealogized as being born from the first of the two, I mean Zarah, but from the second, Phares; since he was born according to the flesh from the tribe and seed of the second; not only being born of a woman, but also becoming under the law, that he might redeem those under the law, according to the Apostle's testimony concerning this as well.

8. Why was the wife of Uriah mentioned in the genealogy by the

evangelist.

1. By simply saying, “David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias,” this book of the generation of Jesus Christ seems to declare some such thing, evangelizing that the litanies and supplications of David were just about to proceed to their end. For it contains the economy of Jesus Christ, the Savior and physician of all, through whom alone there was hope for David also to be absolved of the sin concerning Uriah and his wife, and to be freed from imprisonment in death. For David himself, prophesying in the Psalms of this Jesus Christ's coming even unto death, through which David's soul was also to be redeemed, revealed the things concerning the Savior's descent there, and the things concerning his own salvation, through what he said: “O Lord, thou hast brought up my soul from hades: thou hast saved me from them that go down into the pit.” And this: “Who lifts me up from the gates of death.” And this: “Thou wilt not leave my soul in hades.” And this: “Having turned, thou hast quickened me, and brought me up again from the depths of the earth.” Who then was it that descended and brought him up from the depths? And who was it that saved him from them that go down into the pit? But it is this one, for whom the wonderful evangelist writes the book of the generation, evangelizing to us all, along with the other good things, also those concerning David.

2. But I think that David fell into this fall because of this one saying, which he uttered in the twenty-ninth 22.913 psalm: “And in my prosperity I said, I shall never be moved.” For to be high-minded and to utter such a word that he would never be moved, but would remain unchangeable and impassive in his prosperity, was arrogant and proud, and not like, “Except the Lord build the house, they labored in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.” Therefore, being in the prosperity of the good things from God, and having advanced greatly in virtue, he dared to say, “I shall not

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λύσας·» καὶ τί τὸ μεσότοιχον διασαφῶν, ἐπιλέγει· «τὸν νόμον τῶν ἐντολῶν ἐν δόγμασι καταργήσας» ἐκποδὼν μεταστησάμενος τὸ μεσότοιχον τοῦ Μωϋσέως νόμου, ὅπερ ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἐξ ἐθνῶν τῆς κατὰ Θεὸν ἀπείργει εὐσεβείας, διὰ τὸ μηδὲ βουλομένοις δυνατὸν εἶναι πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθνεσι κατὰ Μωϋσέα πολιτεύσασθαι.

ζʹ. Ὥσπερ οὖν συνεστήσαμεν ἐν ταῖς Εὐαγγελικαῖς ἀποδείξεσι, τὴν κατὰ τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον τοῖς πᾶσι προεβάλετο πολιτείαν, τοῦ πρώτου τῆς εὐσεβείας τρόπου τελείαν καὶ λαμπροτέραν τὴν γένεσιν πεποιημένου, μετὰ τοῦ τῇ χειρὶ συνεπάγεσθαι τὸ μαρτύριον τοῦ πρῶτον αὐτὸν γεγονέναι· ὁ γοῦν διὰ τοῦ σωτηρίου Εὐαγγελίου πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθνεσι παραδοθεὶς βίος, οὗτος ἦν ἐκεῖνος ὁ καὶ πρὸ Μωϋσέως τὴν χεῖρα προτείνας, καὶ τὴν πρᾶξιν διὰ τῶν πρώτων θεοφιλῶν ἀνδρῶν ἐπιδεδειγμένος· οὗτός τε οὗτος ἦν ὁ Ζαρᾶ τῆς ἐνθέου πολιτείας τὴν πρώτην ἐν ἀνθρώποις ἀνατολὴν καταβεβλημένος· γέγονέ τε ὁ αὐτὸς, ἀρχὴ καὶ τέλος, πρῶτός τε καὶ ὕστατος, ἀνατολή τε μικρὰ καὶ ὑστάτη πάλιν εἰς πάντας ἐκλάμψασα ἀνθρώπους. Πλὴν ἀλλὰ κἀκεῖνο προσήκει τοῖς εἰρημένοις ἐπιθεῖναι, ὡς ἡ βίβλος τῆς γενέσεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ οὐκ ἀπὸ τοῦ τῶν δυοῖν πρώτου, λέγω δὲ τοῦ Ζαρᾶ, τὸν γενεαλογούμενον φῦναι εἰσάγει, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τοῦ δευτέρου τοῦ Φαρές· ἐπεὶ γέγονε κατὰ σάρκα ἐκ φυλῆς καὶ σπέρματος τοῦ δευτέρου· οὐ μόνον γεννώμενος ἐκ γυναικὸς, ἀλλὰ καὶ γενόμενος ὑπὸ νόμον, ἵνα καὶ τοὺς ὑπὸ νόμον ἐξαγοράσῃ, κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Ἀποστόλου καὶ περὶ τούτου μαρτυρίαν.

Ηʹ. ∆ιὰ τί τῆς τοῦ Οὐρίου γυναικὸς ἐμνήσθη ἐπὶ τῆς γενεαλογίας ὁ

εὐαγγελιστής.

αʹ. Μονονουχὶ διὰ τοῦ φάναι, «∆αβὶδ ὁ βασιλεὺς ἐγέννησε τὸν Σολομῶνα ἐκ τῆς τοῦ Οὐρίου,» τοιοῦτόν τι ἔοικε δηλοῦν ἡ βίβλος αὕτη τῆς Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ γενέσεως, τὰς λιτανείας καὶ τὰς ἱκεσίας τοῦ ∆αβὶδ ὅσον οὔπω προχωρήσειν εἰς τέλος εὐαγγελίζεται· περιέχει γοῦν τὴν οἰκονομίαν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ Σωτῆρος τῶν ὅλων καὶ ἰατροῦ, δι' οὗ μόνου ἐλπὶς ἦν καὶ τῷ ∆αβὶδ τῆς κατὰ τὸν Οὐρίαν καὶ τὴν τούτου γυναῖκα ἁμαρτίας ἀπολυθήσεσθαι, καὶ τῆς ἐν τῷ θανάτῳ καθείρξεως ἐλευθερωθήσεσθαι· τούτου γοῦν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τὴν μέχρι θανάτου παρουσίαν, δι' ἧς ἤμελλε καὶ ἡ τοῦ ∆αβὶδ ἀπολυτροῦσθαι ψυχὴ, θεσπίζων ἐν τοῖς Ψαλμοῖς αὐτὸς ὁ ∆αβὶδ, τὰ περὶ τῆς ἐκεῖσε καθόδου τοῦ Σωτῆρος, τά τε περὶ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ σωτηρίας ἐδήλου δι' ὧν ἔφασκε· «Κύριε, ἀνήγαγες ἐξ ᾅδου τὴν ψυχήν μου, ἔσωσάς με ἀπὸ τῶν καταβαινόντων εἰς λάκκον.» Καὶ τό· «Ὁ ὑψῶν με ἐκ τῶν πυλῶν τοῦ θανάτου.» Καὶ τό· «Οὐκ ἐγκαταλείψεις τὴν ψυχήν μου εἰς ᾅδην.» Καὶ τό· «Ἐπιστρέψας ἐζωοποίησάς με, καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἀβύσσων τῆς γῆς πάλιν ἀνήγαγές με.» Τίς δ' ἦν ὁ καταβὰς καὶ ἀναγαγὼν αὐτὸν ἐκ τῶν ἀβύσσων; τίς δ' ὁ σώσας αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῶν καταβαινόντων εἰς λάκκον; ἀλλ' οὗτος ᾧ τῆς γενέσεως τὴν βίβλον ὁ θαυμάσιος εὐαγγελιστὴς ἀναγράφει, μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων καὶ τὰ περὶ τοῦ ∆αβὶδ ἀγαθὰ πᾶσιν ἡμῖν εὐαγγελιζόμενος.

βʹ. Οἶμαι δὲ τούτῳ τῷ πτώματι περιπεσεῖν τὸν ∆αβὶδ διὰ μίαν ταύτην φωνὴν, ἣν ἐν τῷ εἰκοστῷ καὶ 22.913 ἐννάτῳ προήκατο ψαλμῷ· «Ἐγὼ δὲ εἶπα ἐν τῇ εὐθηνίᾳ μου, Οὐ μὴ σαλευθῶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα·» τὸ γὰρ μέγα φρονῆσαι καὶ τοιοῦτον προΐεσθαι ῥῆμα ὅτι οὐκ ἄν ποτε σαλευθῇ, μένοι δὲ ἄτρεπτος καὶ ἀπαθὴς ἐν τῇ εὐθηνίᾳ αὐτοῦ, ὑπέρογκον ἦν καὶ ὑπερήφανον, καὶ οὐχ ὅμοιον τῷ «Ἐὰν μὴ Κύριος οἰκοδομήσῃ οἶκον, εἰς μάτην ἐκοπίασαν οἱ οἰκοδομοῦντες αὐτόν· ἐὰν μὴ Κύριος φυλάξῃ πόλιν, εἰς μάτην ἠγρύπνησεν ὁ φυλάσσων αὐτήν·» ἐν εὐθηνίᾳ οὖν τῶν παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ ἀγαθῶν γενόμενος, καὶ ἐπὶ μέγα προκόψας ἀρετῆς, ἐτόλμησε φάναι, «οὐ μὴ