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sinning a second time and again interweaving other things with these. Therefore, according to Symmachus, it is said: Woe to those who drag iniquities as with a rope of vanity and sin as with a cart's strap. But these same ones, hearing the threats against them from both the old prophets and the Savior himself, disbelieved. Therefore they said: Let what he will do quickly draw near, that we may see, and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel come, that we may know. And here the Holy One of Israel signifies the only-begotten Word of God. 1.37 And these things are fitting for those who were first accused; for the same ones, perverting the sound word and blaspheming the light of the saving gospel, considering the sweet and nourishing words of our Savior to be bitter, conversely accepted the wicked and evil reasonings as good. And the darkness of error which possessed their souls they placed in the region of light, and the bitter and poisonous nature of wickedness they pursued as if it were some sweet pleasure. And you might see even now such children of the Jews turning away from the truth of the gospel, and pursuing "old wives' fables" and the darkness of ignorance. And by this choice "they denied the Christ of God," "but asked for Barabbas," placing their own portion with "robbers" and "evildoers." But also herding with atheistic and impious nations, they accept the idolaters, but they turn away from and persecute the sober and venerable people of Christ. 1.38 To the same ones these things might also be fitting, containing both a general threat to all those who seem wise but also refuting those who were accused throughout the whole prophecy; for not heeding the words of the Savior they used themselves as evil teachers for themselves as being prudent in their own sight and knowledgeable before themselves, then, as if being strong and very powerful among the people, they surrounded their own soul with drunkenness, being stupefied by the darkness of ignorance. And already they also "mixed" a deceptive drink for others, the so-called strong drink, which the other interpreters have called an intoxicant. And they did this "peddling the word of God." Therefore it was also said above to the same people: "Your tradesmen mix the wine with water." But these same ones, taking bribes, declared the impious man righteous, but the righteous man unrighteous. Therefore the Word threatens them with what follows, saying. 1.39 The things that will happen "before they come to be" the Word deliberately proclaims beforehand, having chosen to check wickedness by the fear of the threat; for it was likely that the listeners would be brought to their senses, having learned beforehand the things that would come upon them. To those who persistently sin he therefore says for this reason: for not because of some chance nor because of natural necessity nor because of fate, but because of the aforesaid wicked deeds these things will come upon you, since therefore you, "the vineyard of the Lord," have gathered not clusters nor good fruits, but "wood and hay and stubble" and have multiplied "your thorns." For this reason he says fittingly: In the manner that stubble will be burned by a coal of fire and will be consumed by a spreading flame, so the root of your wickedness will be as dust and as food for fire, but also your flower, the beauty, that is, of the body, and the glory of wealth and the comeliness of the whole nation, will very soon be scattered like dust. And he says these things will happen to them, because in addition to the things said before, they were not willing to accept the law of the Lord of Sabaoth, but also they provoked the oracle of the Holy One of Israel. And in these things observe how he does not accuse them of idolatry, but that they did not want the law of the Lord of Sabaoth; and what law, if not that about which it was said above: "For from Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem"? Since, therefore, they did not want the law of the new covenant, but

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ἐπὶ δευτέροις πλημμελοῦντες καὶ τούτοις πάλιν ἕτερα συμπλέκοντες. διὸ κατὰ τὸν Σύμμαχον εἴρηται· οὐαὶ οἱ ἕλκοντες τὰς ἀνομίας ὡς σχοινίῳ ματαιότητος καὶ ὡς βρόχῳ τῆς ἁμάξης τὴν ἁμαρτίαν. οἱ δ' αὐτοὶ οὗτοι τὰς κατ' αὐτῶν ἀπειλὰς τῶν τε παλαιῶν προφητῶν καὶ αὐτοῦ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἀκροώμενοι ἠπίστουν. διὸ ἔλεγον· Τὸ τάχος ἐγγισάτω ἃ ποιήσει, ἵνα ἴδωμεν, καὶ ἐλθέτω ἡ βουλὴ τοῦ ἁγίου Ἰσραήλ, ἵνα γνῶμεν. ἅγιον δὲ Ἰσραὴλ κἀνταῦθα τὸν μονογενῆ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγον σημαίνει. 1.37 Καὶ ταῦτα τοῖς τὰ πρῶτα κατηγορηθεῖσιν ἁρμόζει· οἱ γὰρ αὐτοὶ τὸν ὑγιῆ διαστρέφοντες λόγον καὶ τὸ φῶς τοῦ σωτηρίου εὐαγγελίου βλασφημοῦντες, πικρούς τε εἶναι τοὺς γλυκεῖς καὶ τροφίμους τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν λόγους ἡγούμενοι, ἀνάπαλιν τούτοις τοὺς μοχθηροὺς καὶ πονηροὺς λογισμοὺς ὡς ἀγαθοὺς ἀπεδέχοντο. καὶ τὸ σκότος τῆς πλάνης τὸ συνέχον αὐτῶν τὰς ψυχὰς ἐν χώρᾳ φωτὸς ἐτίθεντο, τῆς τε κακίας τὴν πικρίαν καὶ δηλητήριον φύσιν, ὥσπερ τινὰ γλυκεῖαν ἡδονὴν μετεδίωκον. ἴδοις δ' ἂν εἰσέτι καὶ νῦν τοιούτους τοὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων παῖδας τὴν μὲν ἀλήθειαν τοῦ εὐαγγελίου ἀποστρεφομένους, «τοὺς δὲ γραώδεις μύθους» καὶ τὸ τῆς ἀγνοίας σκότος μεταδιώκοντας. ταύτῃ δὲ τῇ προαιρέσει «ἠρνήσαντο μὲν τὸν Χριστὸν τοῦ θεοῦ», «ᾐτήσαντο δὲ τὸν Βαραββᾶν», μετὰ «λῃστῶν» καὶ «κακούργων» τὴν αὐτῶν θέμενοι μερίδα. ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀθέοις καὶ ἀσεβέσιν ἔθνεσιν συναγελαζόμενοι, τοὺς μὲν εἰδωλολάτρας ἀποδέχονται, τὸν δὲ σώφρονα καὶ σεμνὸν τοῦ Χριστοῦ λαὸν ἀποστρέφονται καὶ διώκουσιν. 1.38 Τοῖς αὐτοῖς ἁρμόζοι ἂν καὶ ταῦτα περιέχοντα μὲν καὶ γενικὴν πρὸς ἅπαντας τοὺς δοκητισόφους ἀπειλὴν οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπελέγχοντα τοὺς δι' ὅλης τῆς προφητείας κατηγορηθέντας· μὴ γὰρ προσέχοντες τοῖς τοῦ σωτῆρος λόγοις κακοῖς διδασκάλοις αὐτοὶ ἑαυτοῖς ἐχρήσαντο ὡς συνετοὶ ἐν ἑαυτοῖς καὶ ἐνώπιον ἑαυτῶν ἐπιστήμονες, ἔπειτα ὥσπερ ἰσχύοντες καὶ πολλὰ δυνάμενοι ἐν τῷ λαῷ, μέθῃ μὲν τὴν ἑαυτῶν ψυχὴν περιέβαλλον τῷ τῆς ἀγνοίας σκότῳ καρούμενοι. ἤδη δὲ καὶ ἑτέροις ποτὸν δεδολωμένον «ἐκίρνων» τὸ καλούμενον σίκερα, ὅπερ οἱ λοιποὶ ἑρμηνευταὶ μέθυσμα ὠνομάκασιν. καὶ τοῦτ' ἔπραττον «καπηλεύοντες τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ». διὸ καὶ ἀνωτέρω πρὸς τοὺς αὐτοὺς ἐλέγετο· «οἱ κάπηλοί σου μίσγουσιν τὸν οἶνον ὕδατι». οἱ δ' αὐτοὶ οὗτοι δωροδοκοῦντες τὸν μὲν ἀσεβῆ δίκαιον ἀπέφαινον, ἄδικον δὲ τὸν δίκαιον. διὸ τὰ ἑξῆς ἐπιφερόμενα ὁ λόγος αὐτοῖς ἀπειλεῖ λέγων. 1.39 Τὰ συμβησόμενα «πρὶν γενέσθαι» ἐπίτηδες ὁ λόγος προαναφωνεῖ τῷ τῆς ἀπειλῆς φόβῳ τὴν κακίαν ἀναστέλλειν προῃρημένος· εἰκὸς γὰρ ἦν σωφρονισθήσεσθαι τοὺς ἀκροωμένους προμαθόντας τὰ ἐπελευσόμενα. τοῖς ἐπιμόνως ἁμαρτάνουσίν φησιν οὖν διὰ τοῦτο· οὐ γὰρ διά τινα συντυχίαν οὐδὲ δι' ἀνάγκην φυσικὴν οὐδὲ διὰ τὴν εἱμαρμένην, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὰ προλεχθέντα ἀτοπήματα τάδε ὑμῖν καὶ τάδε ἐπελεύσεται, ἐπεὶ τοίνυν ὑμεῖς «ὁ ἀμπελὼν κυρίου», οὐ βότρυς οὐδὲ καρποὺς ἀγαθούς, «ξύλα δὲ καὶ χόρτον καὶ καλάμην» συνηγάγετε καὶ «τὰς ἀκάνθας ὑμῶν» ἐπληθύνατε. τούτου χάριν λέγει εἰκότως· ὃν τρόπον καυθήσεται καλάμη ὑπὸ ἄνθρακος πυρὸς καὶ συγκαυθήσεται ὑπὸ φλογὸς ἀνειμένης οὕτως ἡ τῆς κακίας ὑμῶν ῥίζα ὡς χνοῦς καὶ ὡς ἀπόβρωμα πυρὸς ἔσται, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ἄνθος ὑμῶν ὡραιότης, δηλαδὴ τοῦ σώματος, καὶ ἡ τοῦ πλούτου δόξα καὶ ἡ τοῦ παντὸς ἔθνους εὐπρέπεια, ὅσον οὐδέπω κονιορτοῦ δίκην διασκεδασθήσεται. ταῦτα δέ φησιν αὐτοῖς ἔσεσθαι, ἐπειδὴ πρὸς τοῖς προλεχθεῖσιν τὸν νόμον κυρίου σαβαὼθ οὐκ ἠθέλησαν παραδέξασθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ λόγιον τοῦ ἁγίου Ἰσραὴλ παρώξυναν. καὶ ἐν τούτοις δὲ θέα ὡς οὐκ εἰδωλολατρίας αὐτῶν κατηγορεῖ, ἀλλ' ὅτι μὴ τὸν νόμον κυρίου σαβαὼθ ἐθέλησαν· ποῖον δὲ νόμον ἢ περὶ οὗ ἀνωτέρω εἴρηται· «ἐκ γὰρ Σιὼν ἐξελεύσεται νόμος καὶ λόγος κυρίου ἐξ Ἰερουσαλήμ»; ἐπεὶ τοίνυν οὐκ ἠβουλήθησαν τὸν νόμον τῆς καινῆς διαθήκης, ἀλλὰ