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words, which it is not lawful for a man to speak. He who sends forth springs in the valleys; waters will pass between the mountains. Then he demonstrates their use. All the beasts of the field will drink; wild asses will satisfy their thirst. Upon them the birds of the air will dwell; from the midst of the rocks they will give their voice. And this is the greatest proof of divine providence, that it fulfills not only the need of men, but also of the irrational animals. For this reason, cutting through mountains, He fashioned a passage for the waters, so that not only men might have the streams of the springs in abundance, but also the kinds of land and airborne animals. But the phrase, "wild asses will satisfy their thirst," Symmachus thus interpreted, "A wild ass will quench its thirst." And concerning providence extending to these, the Savior said: Look at the birds of the air, for they do not sow, nor do they reap, nor do they gather into barns, and our heavenly Father feeds them. The beasts of the forest are called demons; but the beasts of the field [these of God], that is, of the world, he calls sinners; because just as the beasts in the field can become tame, so also can sinners be changed. Therefore they are also watered by the prophetic and apostolic waters. He called wild asses those who no longer carry sin as a burden, but have been freed from it; therefore he introduced them as thirsting for the spiritual waters. God alluded to these to Job: Who is it that let the wild ass go free? and who loosed its bonds? Watering the mountains from his upper chambers; from the fruit of your works the earth will be satisfied. For what reason are the mountains watered? Because even they need rains, where there are herbs and fruitless trees. For He not only prepares the nature of the waters to gush forth from below, but also brings irrigation from above through clouds. And he calls the air the upper chambers of God, as in one house of the entire world, the work of God; but speaking of the rain, because of the drawing up of waters from the sea. He who brings forth grass for the cattle, and green herb for the service of men, to bring forth bread from the earth. For the 55.649 grass grows, and nourishes the cattle that were made for the use of men. And the fruits are also nourished by the rains, and become ripe, and are offered to men. This he also said in another psalm: You will save men and cattle, Lord. Nevertheless, for the sake of man's need the cattle also enjoy this provision. For the earth, he says, being enriched, gives forth suitable foods for all upon it, wheat and wine and oil as choice food for man, the noble one and honored by God; the one for strength of heart, the other for gladness of soul, and oil to soften and brighten the body from laborious hardship. And caring for the sustenance of the others, to the grass-eating cattle he gave grass; and to those fit for the service of men because of their gentleness and strength, he assigned the green herb sown and cultivated by men, giving to the others that which grows on its own. However, both the green herb and the grass can be given to both. But he made no mention among these of beasts, nor of reptiles, because they use other food. For some eat earth, and others flesh. And wine gladdens the heart of man, to make his face cheerful with oil; and bread strengthens man's heart.

4. But Symmachus has said more clearly: Causing grass to spring up for the cattle, and green herb for the service of men, so as to bring forth food from the earth, and wine to gladden the heart of man; to make his face shine with oil, and bread to strengthen man's heart. For to this end, he says, the God of all continuously supplies the rains to the earth, so that all kinds of fruits may sprout; and with bread to strengthen

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ῥήματα, ἃ οὐκ ἐξὸν ἀνθρώπῳ λαλῆσαι. Ὁ ἐξαποστέλλων πη γὰς ἐν φάραγξιν· ἀνὰ μέσον τῶν ὀρέων διελεύσεται ὕδατα. Εἶτα τὴν τούτων ἀποδείκνυσι χρείαν. Ποτιοῦσι πάντα τὰ θηρία τοῦ ἀγροῦ· προσδέξονται ὄναγροι εἰς δίψαν αὐτῶν. Ἐπ' αὐτὰ τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ κατασκηνώσουσιν· ἐκ μέσου τῶν πετρῶν δώσουσι φωνήν. Καὶ τοῦτο τῆς θείας προνοίας τεκμήριον μέγι στον, τὸ μὴ μόνον τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὴν χρείαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἀλόγων πληροῦν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ὄρη τεμὼν, παρόδου τοῖς ὕδασιν ἐτεκτήνατο, ὥστε μὴ μόνον ἀνθρώπους ἔχει ἀφθόνως τὰ νάματα τῶν πηγῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν χερσαία καὶ τῶν ἀεροπόρων ζώων τὰ γένη. Τὸ δὲ, Προσδέξοντι ὄναγροι εἰς δίψαν αὐτῶν, ὁ Σύμμαχος οὕτως ἡρμή νευσεν, Ἀνακτήσεται ὄναγρος δίψαν ἑαυτοῦ. Περὶ δὲ τῆς μέχρι τούτων προνοίας ἔλεγεν ὁ Σωτήρ· Ἐμβλέ ψατε εἰς τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, ὅτι οὐ σπείρουσιν οὐδὲ θερίζουσιν, οὐδὲν συνάγουσιν εἰς ἀποθήκας, καὶ ὁ Πατὴρ ἡμῶν ὁ οὐράνιος τρέφει αὐτά. Θηρία δὲ τοῦ δρυμοῦ οἱ δαίμονες ὀνομάζονται· θηρία δὲ τοῦ ἀγροῦ [ταῦτα Θεοῦ], τουτέστι τοῦ κόσμου, τοὺς ἁμαρ τωλοὺς καλεῖ· ἐπειδὴ καθάπερ τὰ ἐν ἀγρῷ θηρία χειροήθη γενέσθαι δύναται, οὕτω καὶ οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ μεταβληθῆναι. ∆ιόπερ καὶ ποτίζονται τοῖς προφητικοῖς καὶ ἀποστολικοῖς ὕδασιν. Ὀνάγρους δὲ τοὺς μηκέτι νωτοφοροῦντας τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ ἐκάλεσεν, ἐλευθερωθέντας δὲ αὐτῆς· διόπερ αὐτοὺς καὶ διψῶντας τῶν νοητῶν ὑδάτων εἰσήγαγε. Τού τους ὁ Θεὸς πρὸς τὸν Ἰὼβ ᾐνίξατο· Τίς ἐστιν ὁ ἀφεὶς ὄναγρον ἐλεύθερον; δεσμοὺς δὲ αὐτοῦ τίς ἔλυσε Ποτίζων ὄρη ἐκ τῶν ὑπερῴων αὐτοῦ· ἀπὸ καρποῦ τῶν ἔργων σου χορτασθήσεται ἡ γῆ. Τίνος ἕνεκεν τὰ ὄρη ποτίζεται; Ὅτι κἀκεῖνα δεῖται ὑετῶν, ἔνθα βοτάναι καὶ δένδρα ἄκαρπα. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον κάτωθεν ἀναβλύζειν παρασκευάζει τῶν ὑδάτων τὴν φύσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἄνωθεν διὰ νεφῶν τὴν ἀρδείαν προσφέρει. Ὑπερῷα δὲ Θεοῦ τὸν ἀέρα καλεῖ, καθάπερ ἐπὶ μιᾶς οἰκίας τοῦ παντὸς κόσμου, ἔργον Θεοῦ· τὸ δὲ λέγειν τὸν ὑετὸν, διὰ τὴν ἐκ τῆς θα λάσσης τῶν ὑδάτων ἀναγωγήν. Ὁ ἐξαποστέλλων χόρ τον τοῖς κτήνεσι, καὶ χλόην τῇ δουλείᾳ τῶν ἀνθρώ πων, τοῦ ἐξαγαγεῖν ἄρτον ἐκ τῆς γῆς. Φύεται γὰρ ἡ 55.649 πόα, καὶ διατρέφει τὰ κτήνη τὰ εἰς χρείαν ἀνθρώπων γεγενημένα. Τρέφονται δὲ καὶ οἱ καρποὶ διὰ τῶν ὑετῶν, καὶ ὥριμοι γίνονται, καὶ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις προσφέρονται. Τοῦτο καὶ ἐν ἑτέρῳ ἔφη ψαλμῷ· Ἀνθρώπους καὶ κτήνη σώσεις, Κύριε. Ἀλλ' ὅμως διὰ τὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων χρείαν καὶ τὰ κτήνη ταύτης ἀπολαύει τῆς προμηθείας. Πιαινομένη γὰρ, φησὶν, ἡ γῆ τοῖς ἐπ' αὐτῇ πᾶσιν ἀναδί δωσι τὰς ἐπιτηδείους τροφὰς, σῖτον μὲν καὶ οἶνον καὶ ἔλαιον τροφὴν ἐξαίρετον ἀνθρώπῳ, τῷ τε εὐγενεῖ καὶ τιμηθέντι παρὰ Θεοῦ· τὸν μὲν εἰς δύναμιν καρδίας, τὸν δὲ εἰς εὐφροσύνην ψυχῆς, ἔλαιον δὲ τῆς ἐπιπόνου σκληρ αγωγίας ἁπαλῦνόν τε καὶ φαιδρῦνον τὸ σῶμα. Καὶ τῆς δὲ τῶν ἄλλων φροντίζων διαμονῆς, τοῖς μὲν ποηφάγοις κτήνεσιν ἀπέδωκε χόρτον· τοῖς δὲ πρὸς ὑπηρεσίαν ἀν θρώπων ἐπιτηδείοις δι' ἡμερότητα καὶ ἰσχὺν, τὴν ὑπ' ἀνθρώπων σπαρεῖσαν καὶ γεωργηθεῖσαν ἀπένειμε χλόην, τοῖς ἄλλοις ἀποδοὺς τὴν αὐτομάτως βλαστάνουσαν. Πλὴν δύναται ἀμφοτέροις καὶ ἡ χλόη καὶ ὁ χόρτος δεδόσθαι. Οὔτε δὲ θηρίων ἐν τούτοις, οὔτε ἑρπετῶν ἐμνημόνευσε, διὰ τὸ ἑτέρᾳ κεχρῆσθαι ταῦτα τροφῇ. Τὰ μὲν γὰρ γῆν, τὰ δὲ σάρκας ἐσθίει. Καὶ οἶνος εὐφραίνει καρδίαν ἀν θρώπου, τοῦ ἱλαρῦναι πρόσωπον ἐν ἐλαίῳ· καὶ ἄρτος καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου στηρίζει.

δʹ. Σαφέστερον δὲ ὁ Σύμμαχος εἴρηκεν· Ἐκβλαστῶν χόρτον τοῖς κτήνεσι, καὶ χλόην τῇ δουλείᾳ τῶν ἀν θρώπων, εἰς τὸ ἐκφῦσαι τροφὴν ἀπὸ γῆς, καὶ οἶνον εὐφραίνειν καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου· στίλβειν πρόσωπον ἐν ἐλαίῳ, καὶ ἄρτον καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου στηρίζειν. Ἐπὶ τοῦτο γὰρ, φησὶν, ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς τῇ γῇ τοὺς ὑετοὺς διηνεκῶς χορηγεῖ, ὥστε τοὺς παντοδαποὺς βλα στῆσαι καρπούς· καὶ ἄρτῳ μὲν στηρίξαι