and being lovers of the word, they considered that it was then the time for food and supposed that perhaps just as to Daniel in Babylon by the command of God a meal was brought forth by Habakkuk, and to Elijah on his journey food was given by an angel and by ravens, so also food was brought to Jesus. However, even if the disciples suspected it was about physical food, he himself makes clear about what kind of food he had announced to them. And I said it was his time for food for these reasons: it being the sixth hour of the day, Jesus, having sat down at the spring, spoke with the Samaritan woman, the disciples having gone away to buy food, so that one may then conjecture that it was the evening of the day. This time for food is for those who especially <not> primarily pursue food but the benefit of those who approach. 60 He calls Judea his own country, which for this reason he had also left. For in giving the reason for his arrival in Galilee the evangelist writes, that "A prophet in his own

country has no honor." 〚This testimony is brought forth <also> in the other gospels. For the savior says: "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and among his relatives and in his own house." Indeed, therefore, all those before his coming were dishonored in Jerusalem and Judea. For this is their land and country; so that

the Savior said in general:〛 "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets, and stones those sent to her." 61 And there is, he says, in Jerusalem and what follows. He did not judge it necessary to go about and heal whomever was sick, so as not to bear a reputation for self-love, but by healing one, through that one he makes himself manifest to all. For this reason he goes to the sheep pool, which has five porticoes; for after the four in a circle it had another in the middle. And it was called the sheep pool from the fact that the sheep brought for the feasts were gathered there, and from the fact that the entrails of the sacrificed sheep were washed in that water. For this reason, then, a great crowd of those afflicted with various illnesses had gathered in the place in the hope of a cure, as if the water itself certainly had some power, into which the entrails of those offered to God and sacrificed were thrown. And God, working with this supposition of theirs, at certain unknown times caused a stirring of the water to occur, which they, believing to be accomplished by some divine energy, thus by going down received their healing, with many not being healed at the same time, but the first one to go down enjoying the grace, so that the readiness of the cure might not diminish the miracle. But by being more vigilant and waiting for the stirring of the water with great disposition, they are thereby taught to have a proper mind also after the healing. Therefore, though there were many sick people, he did not heal them all, but showing his own power, he chose one who was afflicted by a most grievous suffering and who because of the length of time had no hope of salvation. For there was a paralytic among them afflicted by the disease for thirty-eight years. Going to this man, he did not immediately say: "Take up your mat and walk," but he begins his words to him with a certain sequence, which indeed he also did in the case of the Samaritan woman. 62 inx. But what spirit was not yet? expl. It was seen on none of the prophets, they worked miracles. 63 I think this was said for the demonstration that the spittle of Christ possessed a quality of healing power. Even if the blind man himself did not ask about receiving his sight, nevertheless he will be found praiseworthy in offering himself to Jesus as he anointed his eyes with mud, and in doing what was commanded without hesitation, even though Jesus had not said he would receive his sight. Perhaps the Lord's spittle was a symbol of the word as in the last words, than which to contain greater

καὶ φιλολογεῖς ὄντες, σκοπήσαντες ὅτι καιρὸς ἦν λοιπὸν τροφῆς ἐτόπα σαν μὴ ἄρα ὡς τῷ ∆ανιὴλ εἰς Βαβυλῶνα προστάξει θεοῦ ἄριστον προκεκόμιστο ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἀμβακούμ, καὶ τῷ Ἠλίᾳ ἐν τῇ ὁδοιπορίᾳ τροφὴ ἐδίδοτο ὑπ' ἀγγέλου καὶ ὑπὸ κοράκων, οὕτω καὶ τῷ Ἰησοῦ τροφὴ ἠνέχθη. ὅμως εἰ καὶ περὶ αἰσθητῆς τροφῆς οἱ μαθηταὶ ὑπε νόησαν, αὐτὸς φανεροποιεῖ περὶ ποίας τροφῆς ἀπήγγελκεν αὐτοῖς. εἶπον δὲ τὸν καιρὸν αὐτοῦ τροφῆς εἶναι ἐκ τῶνδε· ἕκτης ὥρας τῆς ἡμέρας οὔσης ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐν τῇ πηγῇ καθεσθεὶς διελέχθη τῇ Σαμαρεί τιδι, τῶν μαθητῶν ἐπὶ τῷ ἀγοράσαι τροφὰς ἀπεληλυθότων, ὡς λοιπὸν στοχαζόμενον εἰπεῖν ἑσπέραν τῆς ἡμέρας εἶναι. οὗτος δὲ τῆς τροφῆς ὁ καιρὸς τῶν μάλιστα <μὴ> προηγουμένως τροφὴν μεταδιώ κουσιν ἀλλὰ τὴν τῶν προσερχομένων ὠφέλειαν. 60 Πατρίδα αὐτοῦ τὴν Ἰουδαίαν καλεῖ, ἣν καὶ διὰ τοῦτο καταλέ λοιπε. τὴν γὰρ αἰτίαν τῆς ἐπὶ τὴν Γαλιλαίαν ἀφίξεως ἀποδιδοὺς ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς γράφει, ὅτι «Προφήτης ἐν τῇ ἰδίᾳ

πατρίδι τιμὴν οὐκ ἔχει». 〚φέρεται ἡ μαρτυρία αὕτη <καὶ> ἐν τοῖς ἑτέροις εὐαγγελίοις. φησὶ γὰρ ὁ σωτήρ· «Οὐκ ἔστι προφήτης ἄτιμος εἰ μὴ ἐν τῇ ἰδίᾳ πατρίδι «καὶ ἐν τοῖς συγγενέσι καὶ τῇ οἰκίᾳ αὐτοῦ». ἀμέλει γοῦν πάντες οἱ πρὸ τῆς ἐπιδημίας ἠτιμάσθησαν ἐν τῇ Ἱερουσαλὴμ καὶ Ἰουδαίᾳ. αὕτη γὰρ γῆ καὶ πατρὶς αὐτῶν· ὡς

καθόλου τὸν σωτῆρα εἰπεῖν·〛 «Ἱερου «σαλήμ, Ἱερουσαλήμ, ἡ ἀποκτέννουσα τοὺς προφήτας, καὶ λιθοβο «λοῦσα τοὺς ἀπεσταλμένους πρὸς αὐτήν». 61 Ἔστι δέ , φησίν, ἐν τοῖς Ἱεροσολύμοις καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Τὸ μὲν περιιέναι καὶ τοὺς ὁποιδήποτε ὄντας τῶν ἀρρώστων θεραπεύειν οὐκ ἀναγκαῖον ἔκρινεν, ὥστε μὴ φιλαυτίας ἀπενέγκασθαι δόξαν, ἕνα δὲ θεραπεύσας δι' ἐκείνου καταφανῆ τοῖς πᾶσιν ἑαυτὸν καθίστησι. ταύ της ἕνεκα τῆς αἰτίας ἄπεισι μὲν ἐπὶ τὴν προβατικὴν κολυμβήθραν, ἔχουσαν πέντε στοάς· μετὰ γὰρ τὰς ἐν κύκλῳ τεσσάρας μέσην εἶχεν ἑτέραν. προβατικὴ δὲ κολυμβήθρα ἐλέγετο ἀπὸ τοῦ τὰ προσαγόμενα πρόβατα ταῖς ἑορταῖς ἐκεῖ συναθροίζεσθαι, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ θυομένων τῶν προβάτων ἐν ἐκείνῳ πλύνεσθαι τῷ ὕδατι τὰ ἔγκατα. ἐντεῦθεν γοῦν καὶ πολὺ πλῆθος τῶν διαφόροις ἀρρωστήμασι κατεχομένων ἐν τῷ τόπῳ συνείλεκτο ἐπὶ θεραπείας ἐλπίδι, ὡς ἂν τοῦ ὕδατος αὐτοῦ δυναμέ νου τι πάντως, ἐν ᾧπερ τῶν προσαγομένων τῷ θεῷ καὶ θυομένων ἐνεβάλλετο τὰ ἔγκατα. ταύτῃ δὲ αὐτῶν τῇ ὑπολήψει καὶ ὁ θεὸς συνεργῶν κατά τινας ἀδήλους καιροὺς κίνησιν τοῦ ὕδατος γίνεσθαι παρεσκεύαζεν, ἣν ὡς κατά τινα θείαν ἐνέργειαν ἀποτελεῖσθαι πιστεύ οντες, οὕτω κατιόντες τὴν θεραπείαν ἐκομίζοντο, πολλῶν μὲν κατὰ ταὐτὸν οὐ θεραπευομένων, τοῦ δὲ πρώτου καταβάντος τῆς χάριτος ἀπολαύοντος, ἵνα μὴ τὸ πρόχειρον τῆς θεραπείας ἐλαττώσῃ τὸ θαῦμα. μειζόνως δὲ νήφοντες καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς διαθέσεως τὴν τοῦ ὕδατος κίνησιν ἀναμένοντες, ἐντεῦθεν παιδεύονται τὸν προσήκοντα καὶ μετὰ τὴν θεραπείαν ἔχειν λογισμόν. πολλῶν τοίνυν ὄντων τῶν ἀρρώστων πάντας μὲν οὐκ ἐθεράπευσεν, δεικνὺς δὲ τὴν οἰκείαν δύναμιν ἕνα ἐπελέξατο τὸν βαρυτέρῳ μάλιστα κατεχόμενον πάθει καὶ τῷ μήκει τοῦ χρόνου τὴν σωτηρίαν ἀνέλπιστον ἔχοντα. παράλυτος γὰρ ἦν ἐν αὐτοῖς ἐπὶ τριάκοντα καὶ ὀκτὼ ἔτεσι τῷ πάθει κατεχόμενος. πρὸς τοῦτον ἀπελθὼν οὐκ εὐθὺς εἶπεν· «Ἆρον τὸν κράββατόν σου καὶ πε «ριπάτει», ἀλλ' ἀπό τινος ἀκολουθίας τῶν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἄρχεται λό γων. ὅπερ δὴ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς Σαμαρείτιδος πεποίηκε. 62 ινξ. Ποῖον δὲ πνεῦμα οὔπω ἦν; εχπλ. ἐπ' οὐδενὸς ὤφθη τῶν προ φητῶν, ἐθαυματούργουν. 63 Νομίζω τοῦτο λελέχθαι πρὸς παράστασιν τοῦ ποιότητα δυνά μεως ἰατρικῆς ἐσχηκέναι τὸν σίελον τοῦ χριστοῦ. εἰ καὶ μὴ αὐτὸς δὲ ὁ τυφλὸς περὶ τῆς ἀναβλέψεως παρεκάλεσεν, ὅμως εὑρεθήσεται ἐπαινετὸς ἐν τῷ παρέχειν ἑαυτὸν τῷ Ἰησοῦ ἐπιχρίοντι πηλῷ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτοῦ, καὶ τῷ ἀδιστάκτως ποιῆσαι τὸ προστεταγμένον, οὐδὲ εἰρηκότος αὐτὸν ἀναβλέψειν τοῦ Ἰησοῦ. μήποτε δὲ ὁ τοῦ κυρίου σίελος σύμβολον ἦν λόγου ὡς ἐν λόγοις ἐσχάτου, οὗ μείζονα χωρῆσαι