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Scriptures. 2, 3. And he opened my mouth, and fed me this scroll. And he said to me, Son of man, your mouth shall eat, and your 81.844 belly shall be filled with this scroll that is given to you; and I ate it, and it was in my mouth as sweet honey. "How sweet," says the divine David, "are your words to my throat; more than honey to my mouth." But sweet, and very pleasant, also is the lamentation for sins; "For despondency," he says, "has taken hold of me because of sinners who forsake your law;" and, "I saw the foolish and was grieved, because they did not keep your words." And his son also exhorts, saying: "It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of laughter." Thus the eating of the scroll became like honey to the prophet, though it contained nothing pleasant or delightful, but lamentation, and song, and woe. But let no one suppose that the eating of the scroll was perceptible and bodily. For just as he beheld that vision spiritually, so also he partakes of this taste spiritually. 4-6. And he said to me: Son of man, go, enter the house of Israel, and speak my words to them. Because you are not sent to a people of deep lip or heavy tongue, but to the house of Israel. Nor to many peoples of another speech or another tongue, nor those of a difficult language, whose words you would not hear. Here he clearly shows the difference between the apostolic and prophetic labors. For the latter were entrusted with the care of one nation, coming from them, and having the same voice; but the former were entrusted with the inhabited world, and all the nations, according to the voice of the Lord: "For go," he says, "make disciples of all nations," who had countless and different tongues, and diverse customs, and contrary laws; but nevertheless, those entrusted with the many nations, and the different tongues, and the diverse ways, and the various laws, changed the inhabited world for the better; but those entrusted with that stubborn people endured much labor, yet did not reap fruits worthy of their labors; and the cause was not the laziness of the farmers, but the perversity of the farmed. For which reason the Master himself says: If I had even sent you to such people, they would have listened to you. (7.) But the house of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, because they are not willing to listen to me; for the whole house of Israel are contentious and hard-hearted. And through these things he showed the obedience of the nations, but the disobedience of Israel; and he also interpreted the, "If 81.845 perhaps they will listen," clearly teaching that he is not ignorant, but knows their disobedience precisely; and at the same time it signifies that this is from their disposition, and not from nature; "For the house," he says, "of Israel will not be willing to listen to you, because they are not willing to listen to me;" instead of, Do not be grieved at being disobeyed; for by contradicting me they oppose the words offered by you; and the cause of the contradiction is a contentious disposition, and the hardness of heart, and the insolence of their mind; but do not be afraid when sent to such people. 8, 9. For behold, I have made your face strong against their faces, and I will make your contention prevail against their contention. And it shall be always, I have made your face stronger than rock, do not be afraid of them, nor be dismayed at their faces, because it is a rebellious house. Knowing, he says, the wickedness of their disposition, banish all fear from your mind; for I will give you strength proportionate to their contradiction, and I will provide power commensurate with the labor, and I will make your forehead stronger than any rock, so that neither being treated insolently, nor being struck, nor enduring any other of the terrible things, you may flee the ministry of the word, and abandon the care of these people. 10, 11. And he said to me, Son of man, all the words that I have spoken with you, receive into your heart, and hear with your ears. And go, enter into the captivity to the sons of your people,

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Γραφάς. βʹ, γʹ. Καὶ διήνοιξε τὸ στόμα μου, καὶ ἐψώ μισέ με τὴν κεφαλίδα ταύτην. Καὶ εἶπε πρός με, Υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου, τὸ στόμα σου φάγεται, καὶ ἡ 81.844 κοιλία σου πλησθήσεται τῆς κεφαλίδος ταύτης τῆς δεδομένης εἰς σέ· καὶ ἔφαγον αὐτὴν, καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ στόματί μου, ὡς μέλι γλυκάζον. "Ὡς γλυκέα," φησὶν ὁ θεῖος ∆αβὶδ, "τῷ λάρυγγί μου τὰ λόγιά σου· ὑπὲρ μέλι τῷ στόματί μου." Γλυκὺς δὲ, καὶ λίαν ἡδὺς, καὶ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ὁ θρῆνος· "Ἀθυμία γὰρ, φησὶ, κατέσχε με ἀπὸ ἁμαρ τωλῶν τῶν ἐγκαταλιμπανόντων τὸν νόμον σου·" καὶ, "Ἴδον ἀσυνετοῦντας καὶ ἐξετηκόμην, ὅτι τὰ λόγιά σου οὐκ ἐφυλάξαντο." Καὶ ὁ τούτου δὲ υἱὸς παραινεῖ λέγων· "Ἀγαθὸν πορευθῆναι εἰς οἶκον πένθους, ἢ πορευθῆναι εἰς οἶκον γέλωτος." Οὕτως ἐγένετο τῷ προφήτῃ μέλιτι ἐμφερὴς τῆς κεφαλίδος ἡ βρῶ σις, οὐδὲν μὲν ἐχούσης τερπνὸν ἢ θυμῆρες, θρῆνον δὲ, καὶ μέλος, καὶ οὐαί. Μηδεὶς δὲ αἰσθητὴν καὶ σωματικὴν ὑπολάβῃ τῆς κεφαλίδος τὴν βρῶσιν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐκείνην τὴν θεωρίαν πνευματικῶς ἐθεά σατο, οὕτως καὶ ταύτης πνευματικῶς μεταλαμβάνει τῆς γεύσεως. δʹ- ϛʹ. Καὶ εἶπε πρός με· Υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου, βάδιζε, εἴσελθε εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ λάλησον τοὺς λόγους μου πρὸς αὐτούς. ∆ιότι οὐ πρὸς λαὸν βαθύχειλον ἢ βαρύγλωσσον σὺ ἐξαπο στέλλῃ, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ Ἰσραήλ. Οὐδὲ πρὸς λαοὺς πολλοὺς ἀλλοφώνους ἢ ἀλ λογλώσσους, οὐδὲ στιβαροὺς τῇ γλώσσῃ ὄντας, ὧν οὐχὶ ἀκούσῃ τοὺς λόγους. Ἐνταῦθα σαφῶς δείκνυσι τῶν ἀποστολικῶν πόνων καὶ προφητικῶν τὸ διάφορον. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἑνὸς ἔθνους τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν ἐπιστεύθησαν, ἐξ αὐτῶν ὁρμώμενοι, καὶ τὴν αὐτὴν φωνὴν ἔχοντες· οἱ δὲ τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐνεχειρίσθη σαν, καὶ ἅπαντα τὰ ἔθνη, κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Κυρίου φωνήν· "Πορευθέντες γὰρ, φησὶ, μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, οἳ μυρίας εἶχον καὶ διαφόρους γλώττας, ἤθη δὲ ποικίλα, καὶ νόμους ἐναντίους· ἀλλ' ὅμως οἱ τὰ πολλὰ ἔθνη, καὶ τὰς διαφόρους γλώττας, καὶ τοὺς ποικίλους τρόπους, καὶ τοὺς παντοδαποὺς ἐγχειρισθέντες νόμους, τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐπὶ τὸ κρεῖττον μετέβαλον· οἱ δὲ τὸν δυσήνιον ἐκεῖ νον ἐγχειρισθέντες λαὸν, πολὺν μὲν ὑπέμειναν τὸν πόνον, οὐκ ἀξίους δὲ τῶν πόνων ἐδρέψαντο τοὺς καρπούς· αἰτία δὲ οὐχ ἡ τῶν γεωργῶν ῥᾳθυμία, ἀλλὰ τῶν γεωργουμένων ἡ δυστροπία. Οὗ χάριν καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ ∆εσπότης φησίν· Εἰ καὶ πρὸς τοιούτους ἐξαπέστειλά σε, οὗτοι ἂν εἰσήκουσάν σου. (ζʹ.) Ὁ δὲ οἶκος Ἰσραὴλ οὐ μὴ θελήσουσιν ἀκοῦσαί σου, διότι οὐ βούλονται εἰσακούειν μου· ὅτι πᾶς οἶκος Ἰσραὴλ φιλόνεικοί εἰσι, καὶ σκληροκάρδιοι. ∆ιὰ δὲ τού των ἔδειξε, τῶν μὲν ἐθνῶν τὸ εὐπειθὲς, τοῦ δὲ Ἰσ ραὴλ τὸ δυσήκοον· ἡρμήνευσε δὲ καὶ τὸ, "Ἐὰν 81.845 ἄρα ἀκούσωσι," σαφῶς διδάξας, ὡς οὐκ ἀγνοεῖ, ἀλλ' ἀκριβῶς οἶδεν αὐτῶν τὴν ἀπείθειαν· σημαίνει δὲ κατὰ ταυτὸν, ὡς ἀπὸ γνώμης, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐκ φύσεως αὕτη· "Ὁ γὰρ οἶκος, φησὶν, Ἰσραὴλ οὐ μὴ θελήσουσιν ἀκοῦσαί σου, διότι οὐ βούλονται εἰσακούειν μου·" ἀντὶ τοῦ, Μὴ ἀλγήσῃς παρακουόμενος· ἐμοὶ γὰρ ἀντιλέγοντες τοῖς ὑπὸ σοῦ προσφερομένοις ἀντι πίπτουσι λόγοις· αἰτία δὲ τῆς ἀντιλογίας ἡ φιλό νεικος γνώμη, καὶ ἡ τῆς καρδίας ἀντιτυπία, καὶ τοῦ φρονήματος ἡ θρασύτης· ἀλλὰ μὴ δείσῃς πρὸς τοιούτους ἀποστελλόμενος. ηʹ, θʹ. Ἰδοὺ γὰρ δέδωκα τὸ πρόσωπόν σου δυνατὸν κατέναντι τῶν προσώπων αὐτῶν, καὶ τὸ νεῖκός σου κατισχύσω κατέναντι τοῦ νείκους αὐτῶν. Καὶ ἔσται διαπαντὸς, κραταιότερον πέτρας δέδωκα τὸ πρόσωπόν σου, μὴ φοβηθῇς ἀπ' αὐτῶν, μηδὲ πτοηθῇς ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτῶν, διότι οἶκος παραπικραίνων ἐστί. Εἰδὼς, φησὶν, αὐτῶν τὴν πονηρίαν τῆς γνώμης, πάντα φόβον ἐκ τῆς διανοίας ἐξόρισον· δώσω γάρ σοι ἰσχὺν ἀναλο γοῦσαν τῇ ἐκείνων ἀντιλογίᾳ, καὶ σύμμετρον τῷ πόνῳ παρέξω τὴν δύναμιν, καὶ πάσης πέτρας κρα ταιότερόν σου καταστήσω τὸ μέτωπον, ἵνα μήτε παροινούμενος, μήτε τυπτόμενος, μήτε ἄλλο τι τῶν δεινῶν ὑπομένων, φύγῃς τὴν τοῦ λόγου διακονίαν, καὶ τὴν τούτων ἐπιμέλειαν καταλίπῃς. ιʹ, ιαʹ. Καὶ εἶπε πρός με, Υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου, πάντας τοὺς λόγους, οὓς λελάληκα μετὰ σοῦ, λάβε εἰς τὴν καρδίαν σου, καὶ τοῖς ὠσί σου ἄκουε. Καὶ βάδιζε, εἴσελθε εἰς τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν πρὸς τοὺς υἱοὺς τοῦ λαοῦ σου,