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I mean certain men, and the universal comes from the grammarian, not from the man. "All the virtuous are just." I am not saying this, that "all men." So also here; not all who looked upon him mocked him—at least the apostles, looking upon him, did not mock—, but all those looking upon me thus as the scorn of the people, as a reproach; for the others did not look upon him thus. 8 They spoke with their lips, they shook their head. 29 If they had spoken from the heart, they would not have shaken their head. They spoke with many lips. And it is no wonder if they have said these things about him who suffered and was seen hanging. And God himself accuses them, saying: "This people honors me with their lips." Therefore, all those who rejoice in evil, when they rejoice over saints and just men, speak with their lips only. And indeed those who boasted against the savior did this: "Aha, you who would destroy the temple and build it in three days." eper ; the shaking of the head? —perhaps indeed also in the historical account; they did this mocking. But in many places the head signifies the mind. When anyone, therefore, speaks thus with his lips against the savior without having regarded him as he ought, he has a shaken mind, he has a agitated mind. And that the head signifies the mind: "I have given their ways upon their heads," and surely this head itself received nothing. "And you shall go out from here, and your hands upon your head; you say: I have not sinned; for behold, I am judged before you." And going forth from this life you will have your deeds upon your head. And further: "His trouble shall return upon his own head." But also in a praiseworthy sense: "The eyes of the wise man are in his head." And he who has become wise from being unwise does not have his eyes carried to another place. This, therefore, he says, that the discernment of the wise man is in his head which is Christ; for: "Christ is his head." 9 He hoped in the Lord, let him deliver him; let him save him, because he desires him. They say this, mocking. I said that also concerning the afflicted righteous, men are accustomed to say such things: "If he is desired by him, let him save him." And he will deliver him, not because they say this; for he is desired by him. He carries out his economy. He has come to fulfill the will of the Father; for "I have come down from heaven not to do my own will." If, therefore, he does the will of his Father, he desires him. 10 For you are he who drew me from the womb. And concerning the historical account something plausible might be said. Mary conceived "when the Holy Spirit came upon her and the power of the Most High overshadowed her." And just as God himself, the one who forms bodies in the belly—as he formed Jeremiah and this body in the womb of Mary. Since, therefore, the same chastity and purity was about the body, he himself drew him from the womb. He has not done this as a great thing, but just as having formed Adam he showed him to be a man, so having formed him he brought him forth. 10 My hope from my mother's breasts. While still nursing I showed you, that you are my hope, by calling the magi—for while still an infant he despoiled magic—. In receiving milk I was not being childish like the other infants igno30rant of God, but I had you as my hope. 11 Upon you I was cast from the womb. He who committed no sin nor had deceit in his heart, who "before he knew to call father and mother" took "the power of Damascus and the spoils of Samaria," who "before he chose evil" selected "the good"; for this shows that he neither committed nor knew sin. All men after the choice of evil things select the good. This one, before choosing evil things, selected the good. And this is for him to be sinless, not to have known sin, because not even in his childhood did he sin those things which are not very difficult, but nevertheless exist before virtue. This might also be said concerning every saint who into life through

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ἀνθρώπους τινὰς λέγω, καὶ τὸ καθόλου ἐκ τοῦ γραμματικοῦ γέγονεν, οὐκ ἐκ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου. "πάντες οἱ σπουδαῖοι δίκαιοι". οὐ τοῦτο λέγω ὅτι "πάντες οἱ ἄνθρωποι". οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα· οὐ πάντες οἱ θεωροῦντες αὐτὸν ἐξεμυκτήρισαν αὐτόν-οἱ ἀπόστολοι γοῦν θεωροῦντες οὐκ ἐξεμυκτήρισαν-, ἀλλὰ πάντες οἱ οὕτω με θεωροῦντες ὡς ἐξουθένημα λαοῦ, ὡς ὄνειδος· οἱ γὰρ ἄλλοι οὐχ οὕτως αὐτὸν ἐθεώρουν. 8 ἐλάλησαν ἐν χείλεσιν, ἐκίνησαν κεφαλήν. 29 εἰ λελαλήκεισαν ἀπὸ καρδίας, οὐκ ἂν ἐκίνουν τὴν κεφαλήν. ἐν χείλεσιν πολλοῖς ἐλάλησαν. καὶ οὐ θαυμαστόν, εἰ περὶ τοῦ πεπονθότος καὶ ὁρωμένου κρεμαμένου ταῦτα εἰρήκασιν. καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ θεὸς αἰτιᾶται αὐτοὺς λέγων· "ὁ λαὸς οὗτος τοῖς χείλεσίν με τιμᾷ". πάντες οὖν οἱ ἐπιχαιρέκακοι ὅτε ἁγίοις καὶ δικαίοις ἐπιχαίρουσιν, χείλεσιν μόνοις λαλοῦσιν. καὶ οἱ ἐπὶ τοῦ σωτῆρος γοῦν μεγαλορημονοῦντες τοῦτο ἐποίουν· "οὐὰ ὁ καταλύων τὸν ναὸν καὶ ἐν τρισὶν ἡμέραις οἰκοδομῶν αὐτόν". ἐπερ · τὸ κινεῖν κεφαλήν; -ἴσως μὲν καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ἱστορίας· ἐπικερτομοῦντες ἐποίουν τοῦτο. πολλαχοῦ δὲ σημαίνει ἡ κεφαλὴ τὸν νοῦν. ὅταν τις τοίνυν οὕτως ἐν χείλεσιν κατὰ τοῦ σωτῆρος λέγῃ μὴ θεωρήσας αὐτὸν ὡς δεῖ, σαλευόμενον ἔχει τὸν νοῦν, κλονούμενον ἔχει τὸν νοῦν. ὅτι δὲ σημαίνει τὸν νοῦν ἡ κεφαλή· "τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτῶν ἔδωκα εἰς κεφαλάς", καὶ οὐ δήπου ἡ κεφαλὴ αὕτη ἔσχεν τι. "καὶ ἐντεῦθεν ἐξελεύσῃ, καὶ αἱ χεῖρές σου ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς σου· λέγεις· οὐχ ἥμαρτον· ἰδοὺ γὰρ ἐγὼ κρίνομαι πρὸς σέ". καὶ τούτου τοῦ ζῆν ἐξελευσόμενος ἕξεις τὰς πράξεις σου ἐπὶ τῆς κεφαλῆς σου. καὶ ἔτι· "ἐπιστρέψει ὁ πόνος αὐτοῦ εἰς κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ". ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπαινετῶς· "τοῦ σοφοῦ οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ ἐν κεφαλῇ αὐτοῦ". καὶ ὁ ἐκ μὴ σοφοῦ σοφὸς γεγενημένος οὐκ ἔχει μεταφερομένους τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς εἰς ἕτερον τόπον. τοῦτο οὖν λέγει, ὅτι τὸ διορατικὸν τοῦ σοφοῦ ἐν τῇ κεφαλῇ αὐτοῦ ἐστιν κατὰ Χριστόν· τὸ γάρ· "κεφαλὴ αὐτοῦ ἐστιν ὁ Χριστός". 9 ἤλπισεν ἐπὶ κύριον, ῥυσάσθω αὐτόν· σωσάτω αὐτόν, ὅτι θέλει αὐτόν. χλευάζοντες λέγουσιν. εἶπον ὅτι καὶ περὶ τῶν θλιβομένων δικαίων εἰώθασιν οἱ ἄνθρωποι τοιαῦτα λέγειν· "εἰ θελητὸς αὐτῷ ἐστιν, σωσάτω αὐτόν". καὶ ῥύσεται αὐτόν, οὐχ ὅτι ἐκεῖνοι τοῦτο λέγουσιν· θελητὸς γὰρ αὐτῷ ἐστιν. αὐτοῦ οἰκονομίας ἐκτελεῖ. ἐλήλυθεν πληρῶσαι τὸ βούλημα τοῦ πατρός· "καταβέβηκα" γὰρ "ἀπὸ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ οὐχ ἵνα ποιῶ τὸ θέλημα τὸ ἐμόν". εἰ τοίνυν τὸ θέλημα τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ ποιεῖ, θέλει αὐτόν. 10 ὅτι σὺ εἶ ὁ ἐκσπάσας με ἐκ γαστρός. καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ἱστορίας ῥηθείη ἄν τι πιθανόν. ἡ Μαρία συνείληφεν "τοῦ πνεύματος τοῦ ἁγίου ἐπελθόντος ἐπ' αὐτὴν καὶ τῆς δυνάμεως τοῦ ὑψίστου ἐπισκιασάσης αὐτήν". καὶ ὥσπερ αὐτὸς ὁ θεὸς̣ ὁ πλάττων ἐν τῇ κοιλίᾳ τὰ σώματα-ὡς τὸν Ἰηρεμίαν ἔπλασεν καὶ τὸ σῶμα τοῦτο ἐν τῇ ὑστέρ̣ᾳ̣ τῆς Μαρίας. ἐπεὶ τοίνυν ἡ αὐτὴ περὶ τὸ σῶμα ἦν ἁγνεία καὶ καθαρότης, αὐτὸς ἐξέσπασεν αὐτὸν ἐκ μήτρας. οὐ μέγα τοῦτο πεποίηκεν, ἀλλ' ὥσπερ πλάσας τὸν Ἀδὰμ ἔδειξεν αὐτὸν ἄνθρωπον, οὕτω πλάσας αὐτὸν ἐξήγαγεν αὐτόν. 10 ἡ ἐλπίς μου ἀπὸ μαστῶν τῆς μητρός μου. ἔτι θηλάζων ἔδειξά σε, ὅτι ἐλπίς μου εἶ, καλέσας τοὺς μάγους-ἔτι γὰρ νήπιος ὢν ἐσκύλευσεν τὴν μαγείαν-. ἐν τῷ δέχεσθαι γάλα οὐκ ἤμη̣ν νηπιάζων ὡς τὰ ἄλλα βρέφη ἀγνο30 ῶν θεόν, ἀλλὰ ἐλπίδα σὲ εἶχον. 11 ἐπὶ σὲ ἐπερίφην ἐκ μήτρας. ὁ ἁμαρτίαν μὴ ποιήσας μηδὲ δόλον σχὼν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ, ὁ "πρὶν γνῶναι καλεῖν πατέρα καὶ μητέρα" λαβὼν "δύναμιν ∆αμασκοῦ καὶ σκῦλα Σαμαρείας", ὁ "πρὶν προελέσθαι πονηρὰ" ἐκλεξάμενος "τὸ ἀγαθόν"· τοῦτο γὰρ δείκνυσιν ὅτι ἁμαρτίαν οὔτε ἐποίησεν οὔτε ἔγνω. πάντες ἄνθρωποι μετὰ τὴν αἵρεσιν τῶν πονηρῶν ἐκλέγονται τὸ ἀγαθόν. οὗτος πρὶν προελέσθαι πονηρὰ ἐξελέγη τὸ ἀγαθόν. καὶ τοῦτό ἐστιν τὸ ἀναμάρτητον αὐτὸν εἶναι, τὸ μὴ ἐγνωκέναι ἁμαρτίαν, ὅτι οὐδὲ κατὰ τὴν παιδικὴν ἡλικίαν ἐκεῖνα ἥμαρτεν, ἃ οὔκ εἰσιν πάνυ χαλεπά, ὅμως δὲ πρὸ ἀρετῆς προυφίστανται. ῥηθείη ἂν καὶ περὶ παντὸς ἁγίου τοῦτο τοῦ εἰς τὸν βίον δι'