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being offered. But you have need of understanding to know those things about him, as many as bring no blame when offered. For what is truly fitting for him in praise is too great to be discovered by human nature; but for us it is desirable enough not even to find what is necessary to know about him, but to be associated with none of the unseemly things; which indeed we understood in the praise of David, as divine praise being fitting only for such a one. The same seems to me to be known also concerning prayer, when we hear, a prayer of David, as it is necessary for our life also to strive to be according to his, so that we may acquire the confidence to pray. So also the prayer of the poor man when he is discouraged and pours out his supplication before the Lord. For we have great need of the ascent according to God, that we may understand of what things we are poor; for we would not come to desire true goods, if we did not perceive our own poverty in such things. But the tone of the prayer becomes somehow animate and heartfelt, when we know of what things we are poor and are discouraged by the delay of the things we long for; and so our supplication is poured out through the eyes, using tears instead of words. Thus 5.79 you will understand also the Prayer of Moses the man of God, as it is not possible to approach God through prayer otherwise, unless one departs from this world and becomes a man of God alone.

CHAPTER 4

The inscription "for those who shall be changed" seems to me to have this meaning,

that only the divine nature is beyond change and alteration; for it has nothing for which it might use change, being entirely incapable of evil, and unable to be changed to the better; for there is nothing to which it will receive alteration; for it does not have what is better than itself, to which it will change. But we humans, being in a state of change and alteration in both respects through the altering energy, become either worse or better; worse, when we fall away from the participation of good things, and better again, when we happen to be altered to the better. Since, therefore, we were brought together with evil through change, we have need of the good alteration, so that through it the change to the better might happen for us; and this is clear from the context of the things written for those who will be changed; for the word not only advises that one must be changed, but also suggests a certain manner, how such a thing might be accomplished, showing forth the change to the better through certain examples. And the text of the inscription is as follows: For the end, 5.80 for those who will be changed, for a pillar-inscription for David, for instruction, when he burned Mesopotamia of Syria and Syria of Zobah, and Joab returned and smote the valley of salt, twelve thousand. For it would be clear through the things said, that the word contains some teaching and counsel by saying that For a pillar-inscription for David for instruction. For instruction would not have been added, if the word were not looking towards teaching; and For a pillar-inscription indicates the need to have the word indelible and engraved in the memory, so that the memorial part of the soul is a pillar, and the engravings on the pillar are the examples of good things. And these were the heroic deeds of the chief commander of the force of David, through which a twofold suffering comes upon the enemies, some being consumed by fire, and others being brought to destruction by a blow. For the Syria between the rivers is consumed by fire and the neighboring part of the Syrians, and likewise also the valley of salt is slaughtered in many thousands; but to set out the historical sequence with accuracy would be lengthy and superfluous at the same time. For what more would be gained by us if we were to learn the exposition of the events in sequence? but to what does it lead of the

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ἀνατιθέμενα. σοὶ δὲ χρεία συνέσεως τοῦ ἐκεῖνα περὶ αὐτοῦ γινώσκειν, ὅσα μὴ μῶμον φέρει προσ φερόμενα. τὸ μὲν γὰρ ὄντως αὐτῷ πρέπον εἰς ἔπαινον κρεῖττόν ἐστιν ἢ ὥστε ὑπὸ ἀνθρωπίνης φύσεως εὑρεθῆναι· ἡμῖν δὲ τοσοῦτον ἀγαπητὸν οὐδὲ τὸ δέον περὶ αὐτοῦ γινώσκειν εὑρεῖν, ἀλλὰ τὸ μηδενὶ τῶν ἀπεμφαινόντων συνενεχθῆναι· ὅπερ δὴ ἐπὶ τῆς αἰνέσεως τοῦ ∆αβὶδ ἐνοήσαμεν, ὡς τῷ τοιούτῳ μόνῳ πρεπούσης τῆς θείας αἰνέσεως. ταὐτόν μοι δοκεῖ καὶ περὶ τῆς προσευχῆς γινώσκειν, ὅταν ἀκούσωμεν, προσευχὴ τοῦ ∆αβίδ, ὡς δέον καὶ τὸν ἡμέτερον βίον κατὰ τὸν ἐκείνου σπουδάζειν εἶναι, ἵνα τοῦ προσεύχεσθαι τὴν παρρησίαν κτησώμεθα. οὕτω καὶ τὸ προσευχὴ τῷ πτωχῷ ὅταν ἀκηδιάσῃ καὶ ἐναντίον κυρίου ἐκχέῃ τὴν δέησιν αὐτοῦ. πολλὴ γὰρ ἡμῖν χρεία τῆς κατὰ θεὸν ἀναβάσεως, ἵνα νοήσωμεν τίνων πτωχεύομεν· οὐ γὰρ ἂν εἰς ἐπιθυμίαν ἔλθοιμεν τῶν ἀληθινῶν ἀγαθῶν, εἰ μὴ τὴν ἐν τοῖς τοιούτοις ἑαυτῶν πτωχείαν κατανοήσαιμεν. ἀλλ' ἔμψυχός τις γίνε καὶ ἐνδιάθετος τῆς προσευχῆς ὁ τόνος, ὅταν γνῶμεν τίνων πτωχεύομεν καὶ πρὸς τὴν ἀναβολὴν τῶν ποθουμένων ἀκηδιάσωμεν· καὶ οὕτως ἐκχεῖται ἡ δέησις ἡμῶν διὰ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν ἀντὶ ῥημάτων χρωμένη τοῖς δάκρυσιν. οὕτω 5.79 νοήσεις καὶ τὸ Προσευχὴ τῷ Μωυσεῖ ἀνθρώπῳ τοῦ θεοῦ, ὡς οὐκ ἐνὸν ἄλλως προσελθεῖν διὰ προσευχῆς τῷ θεῷ, εἰ μή τις τοῦ κόσμου τούτου ἀποστὰς θεοῦ μόνου γένοιτο ἄνθρωπος.

ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ ∆ʹ

Ἡ δὲ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀλλοιωθησομένων ἐπιγραφὴ τοῦτόν μοι δοκεῖ τὸν νοῦν

ἔχειν, ὅτι μόνη κρείττων ἐστὶ τροπῆς τε καὶ ἀλλοιώσεως ἡ θεία φύσις· οὐ γὰρ ἔχει πρὸς ὅ τι χρήσεται τῇ τροπῇ, τοῦ μὲν κακοῦ ἀνεπίδεκτος οὖσα καθόλου, πρὸς δὲ τὸ κρεῖττον τραπῆναι μὴ δυναμένη· οὐκ ἔστι γὰρ πρὸς ὅ τι δέξεται τὴν ἀλλοίωσιν· οὐ γὰρ ἔχει τὸ ἑαυτῆς κρεῖττον, πρὸς ὃ μεταβήσεται. ἡμεῖς δὲ οἱ ἄνθρωποι ἐν τροπῇ τε καὶ ἀλλοιώσει κείμενοι κατ' ἀμφότερα διὰ τῆς ἀλλοιωτικῆς ἐνεργείας ἢ χείρους ἢ βελτίους γινόμεθα· χείρους μέν, ὅταν τῆς μετουσίας τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀπορρέωμεν, ἀμείνους δὲ πάλιν, ὅταν πρὸς τὸ κρεῖττον ἀλλοιούμενοι τύχωμεν. ἐπεὶ οὖν τῷ κακῷ διὰ τῆς τροπῆς συνηνέχθημεν, χρεία τῆς ἀγαθῆς ἡμῖν ἀλλοιώσεως, ὡς ἂν διὰ ταύτης γένοιτο ἡμῖν ἡ πρὸς τὸ κρεῖττον μεταβολή· καὶ τοῦτο δῆλόν ἐστιν ἐκ τῆς συμφράσεως τῶν τοῖς ἀλλοιωθησομένοις συγγεγραμμέ νων· οὐ γὰρ μόνον τὸ δεῖν ἀλλοιωθῆναι συμβουλεύει ὁ λόγος, ἀλλὰ καὶ τρόπον τινὰ ὑποτίθεται, ὅπως ἂν τὸ τοιοῦτον κατορθωθείη, δι' ὑποδειγμάτων τινῶν τὴν πρὸς τὸ κρεῖττον μεταβολὴν προδεικνύων. Ἔχει δὲ ἡ λέξις τῆς ἐπιγραφῆς οὕτως· Εἰς τὸ τέλος 5.80 ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀλλοιωθησομένων εἰς στηλογραφίαν τῷ ∆αβὶδ εἰς διδαχήν, ὁπότε ἐνεπύρισε τὴν Μεσοποταμίαν Συρίας καὶ τὴν Συρίαν Σωβὰ καὶ ἐπέστρεψεν Ἰωὰβ καὶ ἐπάταξε τὴν φάραγγα τῶν ἁλῶν δώδεκα χιλιάδας. δῆλον γὰρ ἂν εἴη διὰ τῶν εἰρημένων, ὅτι διδασκαλίαν τινὰ καὶ συμβουλὴν περιέχει ὁ λόγος εἰπὼν ὅτι Εἰς στηλογραφίαν τῷ ∆αβὶδ εἰς διδαχήν. οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἡ διδαχὴ προσέκειτο, μὴ πρὸς διδασκα λίαν τοῦ λόγου βλέποντος· ἡ δὲ Εἰς στηλογραφίαν τὸ δεῖν ἀνεξάλειπτόν τε καὶ ἐντετυπωμένον ἔχειν τῇ μνήμῃ τὸν λόγον ἐνδείκνυται, ὡς εἶναι στήλην μὲν τὸ μνημονικὸν τῆς ψυχῆς, τὰ δὲ ἐπὶ τῆς στήλης χαράγματα τὰ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ὑποδείγματα. ταῦτα δὲ ἦν ἡ τοῦ ἀρχιστρατήγου τῆς δυνάμεως τοῦ ∆αβὶδ ἀριστεία, δι' ὧν διπλοῦν γίνεται κατὰ τῶν πολεμίων τὸ πάθος, τῶν μὲν πυρὶ δαπανηθέντων, τῶν δὲ διὰ πληγῆς ἐν ἀφανισμῷ γενομένων. ἡ μὲν γὰρ μέση τῶν ποταμῶν Συρία διὰ τοῦ πυρὸς ἀναλίσκεται καὶ τὸ πρόσχωρον αὐτοῖς μέρος τῶν Σύρων, ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ ἡ φάραγξ τῶν ἁλῶν ἐν πολλαῖς χιλιάσι καταφονεύεται· ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν δι' ἀκριβείας τὴν ἱστορικὴν ἀκολουθίαν ἐκθέσθαι μακρὸν ἂν εἴη καὶ περιττὸν ἅμα. τί γὰρ ἂν γένοιτο πλέον ἡμῖν δι' ἀκολούθου τὴν ἔκθεσιν τῶν γεγονότων μαθοῦσιν; ἀλλὰ πρὸς τί φέρει τῆς