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having shown the creation of the heavens, and of the luminaries he makes mention, which came to be on the fourth day, and says that the creation of the moon came to be for the teaching of the seasons. For its changes prepare time to be measured. For it makes the measure of the month, in so many days waxing and waning. But here he calls the moon the synagogue of the Jews, which he established until the times of the law and the prophets; and the sun, Christ; for so also Malachi said of him; The sun of righteousness will rise for you who fear the name of the Lord, and healing in his wings, who knew his own setting. For he knew the time in which it was necessary to dispense the passion; so that before this came, he would say, The hour has not yet come for the Son of Man to be glorified. The sun knew its setting. Not being animate, nor using reason, but journeying according to the divine limit, it thus makes the day by appearing, and the night by being hidden, and it runs its course, and keeps its measures. You made darkness, and it became night. Its use is also necessary, and while by the withdrawal of the light it is formed, it provides rest to men. And he clearly speaks of the time of the cross. For then darkness came from the sixth hour until the ninth, which has been taken for a whole night on account of the three-day mystery of the resurrection. In it all the beasts of the forest will roam. Young lions roaring to seize and to seek their food from God.

5. For the night brings about rest for men, but provides freedom for the beasts, so as to fill their hungry stomachs. And the phrase, "To seek their food from God," means that to these also divine providence provides what is needed. For to ask from God belongs to rational beings; but to seek, also to irrational ones. But nevertheless, to these also God provides the necessary food. But by beasts of the forest and young lions he means the demons, who at the time of the Lord's cross were roaring, thinking then to have a time for prey. For they saw Judas having betrayed, Peter denying, the other apostles scattered. They roared, therefore, to seize and to seek their food from God; first to seize; but not succeeding in the seizure, to seek. For they do not hesitate out of shamelessness to ask for the righteous from God for temptations. Or did not the devil ask for Job? And he asked for the apostles also from Christ, so that the Lord said; Simon, Simon, how many times has Satan asked to sift you, like the wheat? But I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail. The sun rose, and they were gathered together, and they will lie down in their lairs. When the sun rises, these indeed withdraw to their own dens; but men, having put away the labor of the day before yesterday, eagerly again spend the day at their tasks. For when Christ 55.651 rose, they withdrew. But Symmachus, instead of "They were gathered together," wrote "They will withdraw." And where did they withdraw? Into their own lairs, where they lie lurking like reptiles. Man will go forth to his work, and to his labor until the evening. Appropriately; since the resurrection of Christ has given courage to those who are truly men, and has urged them until evening, that is, the end of life, to work their own work, that is, virtue. For God has set this for us as a work. How magnificent are your works, O Lord; in wisdom you have made them all. Having considered each of the things spoken, the prophet, and having learned the great care of God, sent up a hymn in the midst of his narrative, saying that all the works of God are wonderful and exceedingly admirable and full of wisdom. For he found even the night, which is slandered by some impious people, to be most useful, and that fruitless trees bring another use

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τῶν οὐρανῶν ὑποδείξας τὴν ποίησιν, καὶ τῶν φω στήρων ποιεῖται τὴν μνήμην, ἃ κατὰ τὴν τετάρτην ἡμέραν ἐγένετο, καὶ λέγει τὴν τῆς σελήνης δημιουργίαν διὰ τὴν τῶν καιρῶν γεγενῆσθαι διδασκαλίαν. Αἱ γὰρ αὐτῆς ἀλλοιώ σεις μετρεῖσθαι τὸν χρόνον παρασκευάζουσι. Τοῦ γὰρ μηνὸς τὸ μέτρον αὕτη ποιεῖ, ἐν τοσαύταις ἡμέραις αὔ ξουσά τε καὶ φθίνουσα. Σελήνην δὲ ἐνταῦθα τὴν τῶν Ἰου δαίων λέγει συναγωγὴν, ἥντινα μέχρι καιρῶν νόμου καὶ τῶν προφητῶν ἔθετο· ἥλιον δὲ τὸν Χριστόν· οὕτω γὰρ αὐτὸν καὶ Μαλαχίας ἔλεγεν· Ἀνατελεῖ ὑμῖν τοῖς φο βουμένοις τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου ἥλιος δικαιοσύνης, καὶ ἴασις ἐν ταῖς πτέρυξιν αὐτοῦ, ὅστις ἔγνω τὴν ἑαυτοῦ δύσιν. Τὸν γὰρ καιρὸν, καθ' ὃν ἔδει τὸ πάθος οἰκονομῆ σαι, ἐγίνωσκεν· ὥστε πρὶν ἐλθεῖν τοῦτον, ἔλεγεν, Οὔπω ἥκει ἡ ὥρα, ἵνα δοξασθῇ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου. Ὁ ἥλιος ἔγνω τὴν δύσιν αὐτοῦ. Οὐκ ἔμψυχος ὢν, οὐδὲ λόγῳ χρώμενος, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὸν θεῖον ὅρον ὁδεύων, οὕτω ποιεῖ τὴν ἡμέραν φαινόμενος, καὶ τὴν νύκτα κρυπτόμε νος, καὶ τὸν αὑτοῦ δρόμον τρέχει, καὶ τὰ μέτρα φυλάτ τει. Ἔθου σκότος, καὶ ἐγένετο νύξ. Ἀναγκαία καὶ ταύτης χρεία, καὶ τῇ μὲν τοῦ φωτὸς ὑποχωρήσει συν ισταμένη, ἀνάπαυλαν δὲ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις παρεχομένη. Σαφῶς δὲ τὸν σταυροῦ λέγει καιρόν. Τότε γὰρ σκότος ἀπὸ ἕκτης ὥρας ἕως ἐννάτης ἐγένετο, ὅπερ εἰς ὁλόκλη ρον νύκτα ἕνεκα τοῦ τριημέρου τῆς ἀναστάσεως παρεί ληπται μυστηρίου. Ἐν αὐτῇ διελεύσεται πάντα τὰ θηρία τοῦ δρυμοῦ. Σκύμνοι ὠρυόμενοι τοῦ ἁρπάσαι καὶ ζη τῆσαι παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ βρῶσιν αὐτοῖς.

εʹ. Ἡ γὰρ νὺξ τοῖς μὲν ἀνθρώποις ἀνάπαυλαν πραγμα τεύεται, ἄδειαν δὲ τοῖς θηρίοις παρέχει, ὥστε τὰς πεινώσας ἐμπλῆσαι γαστέρας. Τὸ δὲ, Ζητῆσαι παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ βρῶσιν αὐτοῖς, ἀντὶ τοῦ, καὶ τούτοις ἡ θεία πρόνοια παρέχει τὴν χρείαν. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ αἰτεῖν, λογικῶν· τὸ δὲ ζητεῖν, καὶ τῶν ἀλόγων. Ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ τούτοις ὁ Θεὸς τὴν ἀναγκαίαν παρέχει τροφήν. Θηρία δὲ τοῦ δρυμοῦ καὶ σκύμνους τοὺς δαίμονάς φη σιν, οἵτινες ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τοῦ ∆εσποτικοῦ σταυροῦ ὠρύοντο, νομίζοντες τότε θήρας ἔχειν καιρόν. Ἔβλεπον γὰρ Ἰούδαν προδεδωκότα, τὸν Πέτρον ἀρνούμενον, τοὺς λοιποὺς ἀποστόλους σκορπισθέντας. Ὠρύοντο τοίνυν ἁρπάσαι καὶ ζητῆσαι παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ βρῶσιν αὐτοῖς· πρότερον ἁρπά σαι· οὐκ ἐπιτυχόντες δὲ τῆς ἁρπαγῆς, ζητῆσαι. Οὐδὲ γὰρ ὀκνοῦσι παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ὑπὸ ἀναιδείας τοὺς δικαίους ἐξαιτεῖν εἰς πειρατήρια. Ἢ οὐχὶ τὸν Ἰὼβ ἐξῄτησεν ὁ διάβολος; Ἐξῄτησε δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἀποστόλους παρὰ Χρι στοῦ, ὥστε τὸν Κύριον λέγειν· Σίμων, Σίμων, ποσάκις ἐξῄτησεν ὁ Σατανᾶς σινιάσαι σε, ὡς τὸν σῖτον; Ἐγὼ δὲ ἐδεήθην περὶ σοῦ, ἵνα μὴ ἐκλίπῃ ἡ πίστις σου. Ἀνέτειλεν ὁ ἥλιος, καὶ συνήχθησαν, καὶ εἰς τὰς μάνδρας αὐτῶν κοιτασθήσονται. Ἡλίου ἀνίσχον τος τὰ μὲν εἰς τὰς οἰκείας καταδύσεις χωρεῖ· οἱ δὲ ἄνθρωποι τὸν πρὸ τῆς χθὲς ἡμέρας ἀποθέμενοι πόνον, προθύμως πάλιν ἐπὶ τοῖς ἔργοις διημερεύουσιν. Ἀνα 55.651 στάντος γὰρ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ὑπεχώρησαν. Ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος ἀντὶ τοῦ Συνήχθησαν, Ὑποχωρήσουσιν ἔγραψε. Ποῦ δὲ ὑπεχώρησαν; Εἰς τὰς ἑαυτῶν μάνδρας, ἔνθα κοιτά ζονται ἑρπετῶν δίκην φωλεύοντες. Ἐξελεύσεται ἄν θρωπος ἐπὶ τὸ ἔργον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν ἐργασίαν αὐτοῦ ἕως ἑσπέρας. Εἰκότως· ἐπειδὴ τὸ θαῤῥεῖν τοῖς ὄντως ἀνθρώποις δέδωκεν ἡ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἀνάστασις, καὶ προέτρεψε μέχρις ἑσπέρας, δηλαδὴ τῆς τοῦ βίου συντελείας, τὸ οἰκεῖον ἔργον ἐργάζεσθαι, τουτέστι τὴν ἀρετήν. Ταύτην γὰρ ἡμῖν ὁ Θεὸς εἰς ἐργασίαν ἔθετο. Ὡς ἐμεγαλύνθη τὰ ἔργα σου, Κύριε· πάντα ἐν σοφίᾳ ἐποίησας. Ἕκαστον τῶν εἰρημένων λογισάμενος ὁ προ φήτης, καὶ τὴν πολλὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ κηδεμονίαν καταμα θὼν, ἐν μέσῳ τῆς διηγήσεως τὸν ὕμνον ἀνέπεμψε, θαυ μαστὰ καὶ λίαν ἀξιάγαστα καὶ σοφίας μεστὰ φήσας εἶναι πάντα τοῦ Θεοῦ τὰ ποιήματα. Εὗρε γὰρ καὶ τὴν ὑπό τινων δυσσεβῶν διαβαλλομένην νύκτα σφόδρα χρη σιμωτάτην, καὶ τὰ ἄκαρπα ξύλα χρείαν ἑτέραν εἰσφέ