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He addresses them as rulers of Sodom and people of Gomorrah beyond the wickedness of the rulers, because Sodom was, as it were, the metropolis of wickedness, and the rulers surpassed this very thing in an excess of wickedness. But why rulers of Sodom? Either because just as they rejected Lot who was judging righteously, when he strove to rescue those who were guests with him, saying, "You came in to sojourn, not also to judge a judgment," so also these rejected the righteous Judge, crying out, "Crucify, crucify; away with such a one from the earth." But here the depravity is much greater; for the former were licentious toward strangers who had done no wrong; but the latter, toward the One who had exceedingly benefited them with great things; and the former toward strangers, but the latter, the One who came to His own; and the former toward Angels, but the latter toward God. For this reason they are justly deemed worthy of the title of rulers of the Sodomites. But nevertheless God, doing good to these, calls them to the hearing of his beneficial words, and the people ruled by them and called the people of Gomorrah from their wicked teachings, he turns to the attention of the law, commanding the more quick-witted to hear, but the unwise to give heed, or to give ear, which others have published. And as great as the difference of word from law, so great is that of hearing from giving ear; for the law is a rule of things just and unjust, commanding what must be done, and forbidding what must not be done, which the many observe, even if they are ignorant of the benefit in it; but the word is also an explanation of the cause, according to which certain things are ordained. And especially our word, which expounds the law loftily and spiritually, is more honorable than the mere observance according to the letter. And how does hearing differ from giving ear? Because hearing belongs to the intellect, as the Lord makes clear, stirring up to listen with understanding to the meaning of what is said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear;" but giving ear is to place the mere sound in the ears. Wherefore also the people in Exodus say, "All that God shall say, we will do and we will hear." (And yet it would have been more logical to say, "let us hear and let us do"). But doing is for everyone of the dullest intellect, such as to keep the Sabbath bodily and to abstain from foods and to be circumcised on the eighth day and to be seen in the temple three times a year; but to attend to the meanings of these things, is for the one who is already perfect and has advanced far in knowledge. And they say that this was one cause that moved those of that time to plot against the Prophet. But were the rulers of Sodom so called because they ruled over wicked people, or because they were wicked? For it is possible for a ruler of evil men to be himself free from the wickedness of those he rules. But if nothing had been said about the people, perhaps the doubt would have had some place; but now that the people have been named the people of Gomorrah, the people being less blameworthy than their rulers, the word indicates this because Sodom presides over the Pentapolis, and itself holds, as it were, the magistracies of wickedness, and has been deemed worthy of preeminence in all evils. But history has not handed down rulers of Sodom, except for the defeated kings; however, because of the bold rebuke of these wrongdoers, the Apostle says concerning Isaiah, "He is bold and says." And one who abides in sound doctrines and an irreproachable life will someday use these words against rulers of Churches who live lawlessly, and a people that is turning aside and behaving unprofitably. 1.24 What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the Lord. One of the things that ought to be heard by the rulers and observed by the people is, "What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?" The sacrifices of the impious are an abomination to the Lord. How then do you hope to find some redemption for your souls through sacrifices offered in multitude without noteworthy repentance? For God is propitiated not by the blood of animals, nor by slaughters on altars, but by a contrite heart. For a sacrifice to God

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ἄρχοντας αὐτοὺς Σοδόμων καὶ λαὸν Γομόῤῥας προσ αγορεύει ὑπὲρ τὴν κακίαν τὴν τῶν ἀρχόντων, διὰ τὸ οἱονεὶ μητρόπολιν μὲν εἶναι τῆς πονηρίας τὰ Σόδομα, ταύτης δὲ αὐτῆς κατὰ κακίας ὑπερβολὴν ὑπερέχειν τοὺς ἄρχοντας. ∆ιὰ τί δὲ ἄρχοντες Σοδόμων; Ἢ διότι καθάπερ ἐκεῖνοι παρητοῦντο τὸν τὰ δίκαια κρίνοντα Λὼτ, ὅτε ἐξαιρεῖσθαι τοὺς παρ' αὐτῷ ἐπιξενωθέντας ἐσπούδαζε, λέγοντες· Εἰσῆλθες παροικεῖν, μὴ καὶ κρίσιν κρίνειν, οὕτω καὶ οὗτοι τὸν δίκαιον Κριτὴν παρῃτοῦντο, κράζοντες· Σταυροῦ, σταυροῦ· αἶρε ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς τὸν τοιοῦτον. Πολλῷ δὲ μείζων ἐνταῦθα ἡ μοχθη ρία· οἱ μὲν γὰρ εἰς ξένους καὶ μηδὲν ἠδικηκότας ἠσέλ γαινον· οἱ δὲ εἰς Τὸν τὰ μεγάλα αὐτοὺς καθ' ὑπερβολὴν εὐεργετήσαντα· κἀκεῖνοι μὲν εἰς ξένους, οὗτοι δὲ Τὸν εἰς τὰ ἴδια ἐλθόντα· κἀκεῖνοι μὲν εἰς Ἀγγέλους, οὗτοι δὲ εἰς τὸν Θεόν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο δικαίως τῆς τῶν Σοδομιτικῶν ἀρχόντων προσηγορίας ἠξίωνται. Ἀλλ' ὅμως τούτους εὐεργετῶν ὁ Θεὸς εἰς τὴν τῶν ὠφελί μων αὐτοῦ λόγων ἀκοὴν προκαλεῖται, τὸν δὲ ὑπὸ τούτων ἀρ χόμενον λαὸν καὶ ἐκ τῶν πονηρῶν διδαγμάτων Γομόῤῥας λαὸν χρηματίζοντα, εἰς τὴν τοῦ νόμου προσοχὴν ἐπιστρέφει, τοῖς μὲν ἐντρεχεστέροις τὸ ἀκοῦσαι προστάσσων, τοῖς δὲ ἀσυνέτοις τὸ προσέχειν, ἢ τὸ ἐνωτίζεσθαι, ὅπερ ἕτεροι ἐκδεδώκασιν. Ὅση δὲ λόγου πρὸς νόμον διαφορὰ, τοσαύτη καὶ τοῦ ἀκούειν πρὸς τὸ ἐνωτίζεσθαι· ὁ μὲν γὰρ νόμος κανὼν δικαίων ἐστὶ καὶ ἀδίκων, προστακτικὸς μὲν ὧν ποιητέον, ἀπαγορευτικὸς δὲ ὧν οὐ ποιητέον, οὗ φυλακτικός ἐστιν ὁ πολὺς, κἂν τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ ὠφέλιμον ἀγνοῇ· ὁ δὲ λόγος καὶ τῆς αἰτίας ἐστὶν ἀπο δοτικὸς, καθ' ἣν τάδε τινὰ διατέτακται. Καὶ μάλιστα ὁ καθ' ἡμᾶς λόγος, ὑψηλῶς τὸν νόμον καὶ πνευματικῶς ἐξηγού μενος, τιμιώτερός ἐστι τῆς ψιλῆς κατὰ τὸ γράμμα παρατη ρήσεως. Τί δὲ τὸ ἀκούειν τοῦ ἐνωτίζεσθαι διαφέρει; Ὅτι τὸ μὲν ἀκούειν διανοίας ἐστὶν, ὡς δηλοῖ ὁ Κύριος, διεγείρων εἰς τὸ συνετῶς κατακούειν τοῦ βουλήματος τῶν λεγομένων, Ὁ ἔχων ὦτα ἀκούειν, ἀκουέτω· τὸ δὲ ἐνωτίζεσθαι, ψιλὸν τὸν ἦχον ἐντίθεσθαι τοῖς ὠσί. ∆ιὸ καὶ ὁ λαὸς ἐν τῇ Ἐξόδῳ φησί· Πάντα, ὅσα ἐὰν εἴπῃ ὁ Θεὸς, ποιήσομεν καὶ ἀκουσό μεθα. (Καίτοιγε ἀκολουθότερον ἦν εἰπεῖν, ἀκουσώμεθα καὶ ποιήσωμεν). Ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν ποιῆσαι παντός ἐστι τοῦ παχυτά του τὴν διάνοιαν, οἷον τηρῆσαι σωματικῶς τὸ σάββατον καὶ ἀπέχεσθαι βρωμάτων καὶ περιτεμεῖν τῇ ὀγδόῃ καὶ τὸ τρὶς τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ ὀφθῆναι ἐν τῷ ναῷ· τοῖς δὲ λόγοις τούτων ἐπιβαλεῖν, τοῦ τελείου ἤδη καὶ ἐπὶ πολὺ διαβεβηκότος τῇ γνώσει. Φασὶ δὲ μίαν ταύτην αἰτίαν εἶναι, τὴν κινήσασαν εἰς τὴν κατὰ τοῦ Προφήτου ἐπιβουλὴν τοὺς τότε. Οἱ δὲ ἄρχοντες Σοδόμων πότερον διὰ τὸ πονηρῶν ἀρχεῖν προσηγορεύθησαν, ἢ διὰ τὸ πονηροὶ εἶναι; ∆ύναται γάρ τις κακῶν ἄρχων αὐτὸς ἀπηλλάχθαι τῆς κακίας τῶν ἀρχομένων. Ἀλλ' εἰ μὲν περὶ τοῦ λαοῦ ἀπεσιωπήθη, τυχὸν ἂν εἶχέ τινα χώραν ἡ ἀμφιβολία· νῦν δὲ τῷ λαὸς Γομόῤῥας ὁ λαὸς ὠνο μάσθαι, τὸ ἧττον ψεκτὸν τοῦ λαοῦ παρὰ τοὺς ἄρχοντας αὐ τῶν, τοῦ λόγου δηλοῦντος διὰ τὸ προκαθέζεσθαι τὰ Σόδομα τῆς πενταπόλεως, καὶ αὐτὴν ἔχειν τὰ οἱονεὶ ἀρχεῖα τῆς πο νηρίας, καὶ τῆς ἐν πᾶσι κακοῖς ὑπεροχῆς ἠξιῶσθαι. Ἄρ χοντας δὲ Σοδόμων ἡ ἱστορία οὐ παραδέδωκε, πλὴν τῶν βασιλέων τῶν ἡττηθέντων· διὰ μέντοι τὸν πεπαῤῥησιασμένον τούτων τῶν ἀδικούντων ἔλεγχον, ὁ Ἀπόστολός φησι περὶ τοῦ Ἡσαΐου· Ἀποτολμᾷ καὶ λέγει. Χρήσεται δέ ποτε τούτοις ὁ ἐν δόγμασιν ὑγιέσι καὶ ἀνεπιλήπτῳ βίῳ τυγχά νων πρὸς ἄρχοντας Ἐκκλησιῶν παρανόμως βιοῦντας, καὶ λαὸν ἐκκλίνοντα καὶ ἀχρείως πολιτευόμενον. 1.24 Τί μοι πλῆθος τῶν θυσιῶν ὑμῶν; λέγει Κύριος. Ἕν τῶν ὀφειλόντων ἀκουσθῆναι παρὰ τῶν ἀρχόντων καὶ παρὰ τοῦ λαοῦ φυλαχθῆναι, τὸ Τί μοι πλῆθος τῶν θυσιῶν ὑμῶν; Θυσίαι ἀσεβῶν βδέλυγμα Κυρίῳ. Πῶς δὲ διὰ θυσιῶν τῶν ἐν πλήθει προσαγομένων ἄνευ ἀξιολόγου μετανοίας ἐλπί ζετε εὑρήσειν τινὰ ἀπολύτρωσιν ταῖς ψυχαῖς ὑμῶν; Οὐ γὰρ ἐν αἵματι ζώων, οὐδὲ ἐν σφαγαῖς ἐπιβωμίοις, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ καρδίᾳ συντετριμμένῃ Θεὸς ἱλάσκεται. Θυσία γὰρ τῷ Θεῷ