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“Having girded your loins with truth” was well interpreted by Gregory, surnamed the Theologian, saying "perhaps as the contemplative part constricting the appetitive part". And “having put on the breastplate of righteousness” is because righteousness is a state that renders what is equal, and it is necessary that the three powers of the soul within us be in equilibrium, and through these the four general virtues are constituted in equal power—for this is righteousness. And through prudence, the rational part, being moved toward the consideration of existing things, like a breastplate of chainmail, binds reason with reason; likewise, joining together in the one the different principles of temperance and the rest, one must secure oneself against being wounded by the arrows sent by the enemy. One must understand the shield of faith as the dying of Jesus that is carried about in the body; for the shield, being made of wood and hide, signifies to us the mystery of the cross and the dying in the body; for to those possessing these things, they become a shield of faith.

“Having shod your feet in preparation for the Gospel of peace” must be understood thus: since we have supposed “the Gospel of peace” to be the gift of dispassion, therefore the Apostle exhorts one who has not yet attained it to have the foundations of the soul shod with the deadness of the body, in preparation for such a gift; for thus one remains unstruck by the thorn of the passions and unwounded by the serpents and scorpions, that is, evil thoughts. The "helmet 14Α_086 of salvation" is hope; for since the sensible helmet is the casque, being constructed of bronze, and bronze is sturdy and gleaming and does not admit of diminishment, and the head signifies faith, one must understand that what secures faith is hope; for this, being firm and undiminished, does not allow faith to be overlooked. For it hopes all things and does not depart from trust in God, but even if it seems, like Job, to be despised by the many like poison, yet within, such a person is gleaming and bright, gladdened by hope.

The "sword of the Spirit" is discernment, "which divides the better from the worse"; the Apostle commands us to always have this in our hands, that is, to always wield it, having it active through practice; for just as a sword of iron, when always wielded, is fearsome to its opponents, but if it is laid aside and lies idle, it is consumed by rust, so also discernment, if it is not joined with practice, is unprofitable and useless and is consumed by vice.

QUESTION 49 What is signified by Doeg the Syrian who slew the three hundred and fifty priests? RESPONSE

Doeg the Syrian is the 'proud thought' or 'the swell of the passions,' according to the interpretation of the name. And it is fitting that such a one pastures the mules of Saul, the state barren of virtue. And he is opposed to David, to the thought of humility, 14Α_088 I say; for David, according to one interpretation of his name, is interpreted as 'despised.' He slays the priests of Nob, that is, the divine and propitiatory thoughts seated in virtue—for Nob is interpreted as 'a seating'—and three hundred and fifty because by approaching God's creation, which came to be in six days, through the senses, we glorify its Creator, marveling at him through the scientific knowledge of our thoughts; and six times fifty makes the number three hundred; and again, by fulfilling the ten commandments of the law through the senses, we complete the fifty. The thoughts

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Τὸ «περιζωσάμενοι τὴν ὀσφὺν ὑμῶν ἐν ἀληθείᾳ» καλῶς ὁ τῆς θεολογίας ἐπώνυμος ἑρμήνευσε Γρηγόριος, φάσκων "μήποτε ὡς τὸ ἐπιθυμητικὸν τοῦ θεωρητικοῦ περισφίγγοντος". Τὸ δὲ «ἐνδυσάμενοι τὸν θώρακα τῆς δικαιοσύνης» ἐστὶν ἐπειδὴ ἡ δικαιοσύνη ἕξις ἀπονεμητικὴ τοῦ ἴσου ἐστίν, δεῖ δὲ τὰς ἐν ἡμῖν τῆς ψυχῆς τρεῖς δυνάμεις ἰσοστατεῖν καὶ διὰ τούτων τὰς τέσσαρας γενικὰς ἀρετὰς ἰσοκρατῶς συνίστασθαι τοῦτο γὰρ δικαιοσύνη καὶ διὰ μὲν τῆς φρονήσεως τὸ λογικὸν κινούμενον πρὸς τὴν τῶν ὄντων ἐπίσκεψιν δίκην ἁλυσιδωτοῦ θώρακος λόγον ἀποδεσμεῖ λόγῳ· ὡσαύτως καὶ σωφροσύνης καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν τοὺς διαφόρους λόγους ἐν τῷ ἑνὶ συνάπτοντα χρὴ κατασφαλίζειν ἑαυτὸν πρὸς τὸ μὴ τιτρώσκεσθαι ὑπὸ τῶν πεμπομένων ὑπὸ τοῦ ἐχθροῦ βελῶν. Θυρεὸν δὲ πίστεως δεῖ νοεῖν τὴν ἐν τῷ σώματι περιφερομένην τοῦ Ἰησοῦ νέκρωσιν· ἐκ ξύλου γὰρ καὶ βύρσης κατεσκευασμένος ὁ θυρεὸς τὸ τοῦ σταυροῦ μυστήριον ἡμῖν ὑπαινίσσεται καὶ τὴν ἐν τῷ σώματι νέκρωσιν· τοῖς γὰρ κεκτημένοις ταῦτα θυρεὸς πίστεως γίνονται.

Τὸ δὲ «ὑποδησάμενοι τοὺς πόδας ἐν ἑτοιμασίᾳ τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου τῆς εἰρήνης» οὕτως χρὴ νοεῖν· ἐπειδὴ «Εὐαγγέλιον εἰρήνης» τὸ χάρισμα τῆς ἀπαθείας εἶναι ὑπενοήσαμεν, τῷ οὖν μήπω εἰς αὐτὸ καταντήσαντι ὁ Ἀπόστολος παρακελεύεται πρὸς ἑτοιμασίαν τοῦ τοιούτου χαρίσματος τὰς βάσεις τῆς ψυχῆς τῇ νεκρότητι τοῦ σώματος ὑποδεδέσθαι· οὕτως γὰρ ὑπὸ τῆς ἀκάνθης τῶν παθῶν ἄπληκτος διαμένει καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν ὄφεων καὶ σκορπίων, τῶν πονηρῶν φημι λογισμῶν, ἄτρωτος. «Περικεφαλαία» 14Α_086 δὲ «σωτηρίου» ἐστὶν ἡ ἐλπίς· ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἡ αἰσθητὴ περικεφαλαία ἐστὶν ἡ κάσσις, ἐκ χαλκοῦ ἔχουσα τὴν κατασκευήν, ὁ δὲ χαλκὸς στιβαρὸς καὶ στίλβων καὶ μὴ δεχόμενος μείωσίν ἐστιν, ἡ δὲ κεφαλὴ τὴν πίστιν δηλοῖ, δεῖ νοεῖν ὅτι ἡ κατασφαλιζομένη τὴν πίστιν ἐστὶν ἡ ἐλπίς· αὕτη γὰρ στερρὰ καὶ ἀμείωτος οὖσα, οὐκ ἐᾷ τὴν πίστιν παραβλέπεσθαι. Πάντα γὰρ ἐλπίζει καὶ οὐκ ἐξίσταται τῆς περὶ Θεὸν πεποιθήσεως, ἀλλ᾽ εἰ καὶ δοξάζει κατὰ τὸν Ἰὼβ τοῖς πολλοῖς ἰοῦ δίκην ἐξουδενοῦσθαι, ἀλλ᾽ ἔνδον ὁ τοιοῦτος στίλβων ἐστὶν καὶ φαιδρός, τῇ ἐλπίδι γαννύμενος.

Ἡ δὲ «μάχαιρα τοῦ Πνεύματός» ἐστιν ἡ διάκρισις «ἡ διαιροῦσα τὸ κρεῖττον ἀπὸ τοῦ χείρονος»· ταύτην δὲ μετὰ χεῖρας ἔχειν ἀεὶ ὁ Ἀπόστολος παραγγέλλει, τουτέστιν διὰ τῆς πράξεως ἀεὶ ταύτην ἐνεργὸν ἔχοντας μεταχειρίζεσθαι· ὡς γὰρ ἡ ἐκ σιδήρου μάχαιρα ἀεὶ χειριζομένη φοβερὰ τοῖς ὑπεναντίοις ἐστίν, εἰ δὲ ἀποτεθῇ καὶ ἀργήσει, τῷ ἰῷ δαπανᾶται, οὕτως καὶ ἡ διάκρισις εἰ μὴ συνῆπται τῇ πράξει, ἀνόνητός ἐστιν καὶ ἄχρηστος καὶ ὑπὸ τῆς κακίας δαπανᾶται.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ 49 Τί σημαίνει ∆ωὴκ ὁ Σύρος ὁ φονεύσας τοὺς τριακοσίους πεντήκοντα ἱερεῖς; ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ

∆ωὴκ ὁ Σύρος ὁ 'ὑπερήφανός' ἐστιν 'λογισμὸς' ἢ 'τὸ τῶν παθῶν σάλος' κατὰ τὴν τοῦ ὀνόματος ἑρμηνείαν. Καὶ εἰκότως τὰς ἡμιόνους βόσκει ὁ τοιοῦτος Σαούλ, τὴν ἄγονον τῆς ἀρετῆς ἕξιν. Καὶ ἀντίκειται τῷ ∆αυΐδ, τῷ λογισμῷ τῆς ταπεινώσεώς 14Α_088 φημι· ∆αβὶδ γὰρ κατὰ μίαν τοῦ ὀνόματος αὐτοῦ ἑρμηνείαν 'ἐξουδενωμένος' ἑρμηνεύεται. Οὗτος φονεύει τοὺς ἱερεῖς Νόμβα, τουτέστιν τοὺς ἐνκαθημένους τῇ ἀρετῇ θείους καὶ ἱλαστικοὺς λογισμούς Νόμβα γὰρ 'ἐγκαθισμὸς' ἑρμηνεύεται , τριακοσίους δὲ πεντήκοντα ἐπειδὴ διὰ τῶν αἰσθήσεων προσβάλλοντες τῇ κτίσει τοῦ Θεοῦ τῇ ἐν ἓξ ἡμέραις γεγενημένῃ, τὸν ταύτης δημιουργὸν ὑπερθαυμάζοντες δοξάζομεν διὰ τῆς τῶν λογισμῶν ἐπιστημονικῆς γνώσεως· ἑξάκις δὲ πεντήκοντα ποιεῖ τὸν τριακόσια ἀριθμόν· πάλιν δὲ τὰς δέκα ἐντολὰς τοῦ νόμου διὰ τῶν αἰσθήσεων ἐκπληροῦντες ἀποτελοῦμεν τὸν πεντήκοντα. Τοὺς λογισμοὺς