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preparing punishment. "Better is a handful with quietness, than both the hands full with travail and vexation of spirit." "A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked." But according to the spiritual sense, a handful is unwavering faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. But two handfuls is to serve both God and mammon, and to be reproached by the prophet saying, How long halt ye between two opinions? Therefore, the former is undoubtedly good. Otherwise: One handful is the immaterial monad; two handfuls, material things which are divided. And the dyad is unclean. For the unclean things entered the ark by twos. It is good, therefore, to pursue the monad, and to pass one's life according to virtue with quietness, that is, without vainglory; or to be distracted by the dyad, that is, by material things. Otherwise: Someone has considered man a handful, since God, taking dust from the earth, that is, grasping it, formed man. And woman is also a handful; for God, taking from the side of Adam, formed her. Therefore, he says, celibacy is better than the two handfuls, that is, the pair and marriage. For even if the second is not blameworthy, the first is praiseworthy and without toil. 93.529 "So I returned, and considered all the vanity under the sun." Casting the eye of the heart in a circle, he says, I saw nothing else done for the sake of things under the sun which is not vanity; and he means wicked works. "There is one, and there is not a second; yea, he hath neither child nor brother: yet is there no end of all his labour; neither is his eye satisfied with riches; neither saith he, For whom do I labour, and bereave my soul of good? This is also vanity, yea, it is a sore travail." Furthermore, he says, observing human affairs, I saw some who did not even have heirs according to law, and were insatiably disposed toward wealth, having an empty and insatiable eye. Then, having observed this, he introduces the person of this insatiable one coming to repentance and saying, And for whom do I labor, and bereave my soul of good? And to this labor he also adds vanity. Otherwise: According to the spiritual sense, There is one. He means the selfish man, who does not want to have a brother or a son. For to those who are willing, and live according to God, even if they do not have relatives according to the flesh, nevertheless all are brothers and sons to them; according to the saying, Be as a father unto the fatherless, and instead of a husband unto their mother. This one, therefore, who wishes to have neither a brother nor a son, through a wicked choice bereaves his soul of goodness, neither desiring the good things to come, nor doing anything good in life. Therefore, vanity is also added to this. "Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour." He praises the concord of the two, which comes about for good; for this also receives a reward from God. And the Savior sent out the apostles, who were in good concord, by twos. But God divided those who agreed evilly in the building of the tower. But according to the spiritual sense: Good is the agreement of soul and body for what is excellent; it too receives a reward from God. But how are two better than one? If the body is chaste, but the soul is vainglorious, the chastity of the body is vain. And conversely, if the soul is humble-minded, but the body commits fornication, the humility is vain. For if one part sins, either soul or body, the other is necessarily included. "Good, therefore, is the agreement of the two, for the rewarded reason of virtue, because if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up." Those who agree for a good purpose are a help to one another. For even if one, as a man, overlooks something necessary, he will have the other to correct it. But the phrase, when they fall, 93.532 means not both at the same time, but sometimes this one, and sometimes that one. "Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?" From what happens physically he teaches something spiritual. For those sleeping as a pair more than the one alone

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τιμωρίαν εὐτρεπίζων. "Ἀγαθὸν πλήρωμα δρακὸς μετ' ἀναπαύσεως, ὑπὲρ πλήρωμα δύο δρακῶν μετὰ μόχθου καὶ προαιρέσεως πνεύματος." "Κρεῖσσον ὀλίγον τῷ δικαίῳ ὑπὲρ πλοῦτον ἁμαρτωλῶν πολύν." Πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν, δρὰξ ἡ ἀνελλιπὴς πίστις, ἡ εἰς τὸν Κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν. ∆ύο δὲ δράκες, τὸ καὶ Θεῷ δουλεύειν καὶ μαμμωνᾷ, καὶ ὀνειδίζεσθαι ὑπὸ τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος, Ἕως πότε χωλανεῖτε ἐπ' ἀμφοτέραις ἰγνύαις; Ἀγαθὸν οὖν ἀναμφιβόλως τὸ πρότερον. Ἄλλως· ∆ρὰξ μία ἡ ἑνὰς ἡ ἄϋλος· δράκες δύο, τὰ ὑλικὰ τὰ τεμνόμενα. Καὶ ἀκάθαρτον δὲ ἡ δυάς. Τὰ γὰρ ἀκάθαρτα δύο εἰσῄεσαν εἰς τὴν κιβωτόν. Ἀγαθὸν οὖν τὸ μεταδιώκειν τὴν ἑνάδα, καὶ τὸν κατ' ἀρετὴν τρίβειν βίον μετὰ ἀναπαύσεως, τουτέστι, ἀκενοδόξως· ἢ περὶ τὴν δύαδα, τουτέστι τὰ ὑλικὰ, περισπᾶσθαι. Ἄλλως· ∆ράκα τις ἐθεώρησε τὸν ἄνδρα, ἐπειδὴ λαβὼν ὁ Θεὸς χοῦν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς, τουτέστι δραξάμενος, ἔπλασε τὸν ἄνθρωπον. ∆ρὰξ δὲ καὶ ἡ γυνή· ἀπὸ τῆς πλευρᾶς γὰρ τοῦ Ἀδὰμ δραξάμενος ὁ Θεὸς ταύτην ἔπλασε. Ἀγαθὴ τοίνυν, φησὶ, ἐστὶν ἡ ἀγαμία ὑπὲρ τὰς δύο δράκας, τουτέστι τὴν συζυγίαν καὶ τὸν γάμον. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ τὸ δεύτερον οὐ ψεκτὸν, ἀλλὰ τὸ πρότερον ἐπαινετὸν καὶ ἀνεπίμοχθον. 93.529 "Καὶ ἐπέστρεψα ἐγὼ, καὶ εἶδον ματαιότητα ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον." Ἐν κύκλῳ, φησὶ, περιφέρων τὸν τῆς καρδίας ὀφθαλμὸν, οὐδὲν ἕτερον εἶδον πραττόμενον τῶν ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον χάριν, ὃ μὴ ματαιότης ἐστί· λέγει δὲ τὰ ἔργα τὰ πονηρά. "Ἔστιν εἷς, καὶ οὐκ ἔστι δεύτερος, καί γε υἱὸς, καί γε ἀδελφὸς, οὐκ ἕστι πέρας τῷ παντὶ μόχθῳ αὐτοῦ· καί γε ὀφθαλμὸς αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἐμπίπλαται πλούτου· καὶ τίνι ἐγὼ μοχθῶ, καὶ στερίσκω τὴν ψυχήν μου ἀπὸ ἀγαθοσύνης; καί γε τοῦτο ματαιότης, καὶ περισπασμὸς πονηρός ἐστι." Ἔτι, φησὶ, περισκοπῶν τὰ ἀνθρώπινα, εἶδόν τινας μηδὲ τοὺς ἐκ νόμου κληρονόμους ἔχοντας, καὶ ἀκορέστως περὶ πλοῦτον διακειμένους, ὀφθαλμὸν ἔχοντας διάκενον καὶ ἄπληστον. Εἶτα τοῦτο θεωρήσας, εἰσάγει τὸ τοῦ ἀπλήστου τούτου πρόσωπον ἐν μετανοίᾳ γινόμενον, καὶ φάσκον, Καὶ τίνι ἐγὼ μοχθῶ, καὶ στερίσκω τὴν ψυχήν μου ἀπὸ ἀγαθοσύνης; Ἐπιφέρει δὲ καὶ τούτῳ τῷ μόχθῳ τὸ μάταιον. Ἄλλως· Κατὰ διάνοιαν, Ἔστιν εἶς. Ἕνα φησὶ τὸν φίλαυτον, τὸν μὴ θέλοντα ἔχειν τινὰ ἀδελφὸν, ἢ υἱόν. Τοῖς γὰρ βουλομένοις, καὶ κατὰ Θεὸν ζῶσι, κἂν μὴ κατὰ σάρκα προσγενεῖς τυγχάνωσιν, ἀλλ' οὖν πάντες εἰσὶν αὐτοῖς ἀδελφοὶ καὶ υἱοί· κατὰ τὸ, Γίνου ὀρφανοῖς ὡς πατὴρ, καὶ ἀντὶ ἀνδρὸς τῇ μητρὶ αὐτῶν. Οὗτος οὖν ὁ εἶς, ὃς μηδένα θέλων ἔχειν ἢ ἀδελφὸν, ἢ υἱὸν, διὰ μοχθηρὰν προαίρεσιν στερίσκει τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ ἀγαθοσύνης, μήτε τῶν μελλόντων τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐφιέμενος, μήτε τι πράττων ἐν βίῳ ἀγαθόν. Πρόσκειται τοίνυν καὶ τούτῳ τὸ μάταιον. "Ἀγαθοὶ οἱ δύο ὑπὲρ τὸν ἕνα, οἷς ἐστιν αὐτοῖς μισθὸς ἀγαθὸς ἐν μόχθῳ αὐτῶν." Ἐπαινεῖ τῶν δύο τὴν ὁμόνοιαν, τὴν ἐπ' ἀγαθῷ γινομένην· αὕτη γὰρ καὶ ἔμμισθος τυγχάνει παρὰ Θεῷ. Καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἀποστόλους καλῶς ὁμονοοῦντας δύο ἀπέστελλεν ὁ Σωτήρ. Τοὺς δὲ ἐν τῇ πυργοποιΐᾳ κακῶς συμφωνήσαντας διεῖλεν ὁ Θεός. Πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν· Ἀγαθὴ ἡ ἐπὶ καλῷ συμφωνία ψυχῆς καὶ σώματος· ἢ καὶ ἔμμισθος παρὰ Θεῷ. Πῶς δὲ ἀγαθοὶ οἱ δύο ὑπὲρ τὸν ἕνα; Ἐὰν τὸ σῶμα σωφρονῇ, κενοδοξῇ δὲ ἡ ψυχὴ, ματαία τοῦ σώματος ἡ σωφροσύνη. Καὶ ἔμπαλιν, Ἐὰν ἡ ψυχὴ ταπεινοφρονῇ, πορνεύῃ δὲ τὸ σῶμα, ματαία ἡ ταπεινοφροσύνη. Ἑνὸς γὰρ μέρους ἁμαρτάνοντος, ψυχῆς ἢ σώματος, ἀναγκαίως καὶ τὸ ἕτερον συμπεριλαμβάνεται. "Ἀγαθὴ οὖν τῶν δύο ἡ συμφωνία, εἰς τὸν ἔμμισθον τῆς ἀρετῆς λόγον, ὅτι ἐὰν πέσωσιν, ὁ εἷς ἐγερεῖ τὸν μέτοχον αὐτοῦ. Καὶ οὐαὶ τῷ ἑνὶ ὅταν πέσῃ, καὶ μὴ ᾖ δεύτερος τοῦ ἐγεῖραι αὐτόν." Οἱ ἐπ' ἀγαθῷ συμφωνοῦντες, ἀλλήλοις τυγχάνουσι βοήθεια. Κἂν γὰρ ὁ εἷς ὡς ἄνθρωπος παρίδῃ τι τῶν δεόντων, ἕξει τὸν ἕτερον ἐπανορθούμενον. Τὸ δὲ, ὅταν πέσωσιν, 93.532 οὐκ ἄμφω κατὰ τὸν αὐτὸν καιρὸν, ἀλλὰ ποτὲ μὲν οὗτος, ποτὲ δὲ ἐκεῖνος. "Καί γε ἐὰν κοιμηθῶσιν οἱ δύο, καὶ θέρμη αὐτοῖς, καὶ ὁ εἷς πῶς θερμανθῇ;" Ἐκ τοῦ σωματικῶς συμβαίνοντος πνευματικόν τι διδάσκει. Οἱ γὰρ κατὰ συζυγίαν καθεύδοντες μᾶλλον τοῦ μόνου