24

288 He steals knowledge not who takes that of the one who came before, but who purloins from falsely named knowledge. For indeed all who have believed in Christ, receiving teachings from the holy prophets and apostles, are not called thieves of others' teachings, but rather heirs of paternal wealth. 289 30, 10 do not hand over a servant into the hands of a master, lest he curse you and you be destroyed A mind that has fled from wickedness, do not hand over again to wickedness, since "everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin." And sin is now called the devil who works sin.

290 24, 25 but those who reprove will appear better; and upon them will come a good blessing The good blessing is the intelligible blessing, which is contrasted with the sensible blessing. 291 24, 27.1-2 prepare your works for the departure and make ready for the field Our Lord in the gospels called the world a field; but Solomon has now called the contemplation of the world a field. But the field in the gospels belongs to man, who is composed of soul and body, for it is sensible; but the field signified here belongs to the mind alone, being intelligible and composed of the principles of this world, into which pure hearts enter. 292 24, 27.3-4 and walk after me and you will build up your house "For a house is built with wisdom"; "but into a malicious soul wisdom will not enter." 293 24, 31 if you abandon it, it will be laid waste and all overgrown with weeds and becomes deserted; and its stone fences are torn down A fence is the dispassion of the rational soul, composed of the practical virtues.

294 30, 17 the eye that mocks a father and despises the old age of a mother, may the ravens from the valleys pluck it out and the young of eagles devour it These ravens mystically nourish the just, but they punish the unjust by gouging out the eyes of injustice, because they mocked the father and God of all and dishonored the ancient knowledge that bore them. And he called those who gouge out the eyes of the impious man ravens; but those who devour him whole he named eagles, because the former have been entrusted with the partial purification, and the latter with the universal.

295 30, 31.2 and a he-goat leading a flock of goats If the kids are the unclean ones placed on the left by the savior, and the he-goat leads them, perhaps the he-goat now signifies the devil. 296 31, 5 lest when they drink they forget wisdom and are not able to judge the weak rightly They may not be able to teach rightly. 297 31, 6 give strong drink to those in sorrow 31, 7 and wine to drink for those in pain, that they may forget their poverty and remember their toils no more He who is intoxicated from the fatness of the Lord's house forgets his pains. 298 31, 9 open your mouth and judge justly; and plead the cause of the poor and weak He calls poor the one deprived of knowledge, and weak the one who is impure.

299 25, 2 the glory of God conceals a matter; but the glory of a king honors commands He called the one having the glory of God the glory of God, and the one having the glory of the heavenly king he named the glory of a king. For they hide the word of God in themselves, so that they may not sin, and they honor the commandments, by which they do them. And we have often noted this, that they are named from their virtues and

24

288 Οὗτος κλέπτει γνῶσιν οὐχ ὁ τὴν τοῦ προλαβόντος λαμβάνων, ἀλλ' ὁ ἐκ τῆς ψευδωνύμου ὑφαιρούμενος γνώσεως. Καὶ γὰρ πάντες οἱ πεπιστευκότες Χριστῷ ἀπὸ τῶν ἁγίων προφητῶν καὶ ἀποστόλων λαμβάνοντες θεωρήματα οὐ λέγονται κλέπται ἀλλοτρίων θεωρημάτων, ἀλλὰ μᾶλλον κληρονόμοι πατρῴων χρημάτων. 289 30, 10 μὴ παραδῷς οἰκέτην εἰς χεῖρας δεσπότου, μήποτε καταράσηταί σε καὶ ἀφανισθῇς Φυγόντα νοῦν τὴν κακίαν μὴ πάλιν παραδῷς τῇ κακίᾳ, εἴπερ «πᾶς ὁ ποιῶν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν δοῦλός ἐστι τῆς ἁμαρτίας». Ἁμαρτία δὲ νῦν ὀνομάζεται ὁ ἐνεργῶν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν διάβολος.

290 24, 25 οἱ δὲ ἐλέγχοντες βελτίους φανοῦνται· ἐπ' αὐτοὺς δὲ ἥξει εὐλογία

ἀγαθή Ἡ εὐλογία ἡ ἀγαθὴ ἡ νοητή ἐστιν εὐλογία, ἥτις ἀντιδιαιρεῖται πρὸς τὴν αἰσθητὴν εὐλογίαν. 291 24, 27.1-2 ἑτοίμαζε εἰς τὴν ἔξοδον τὰ ἔργα σου καὶ παρασκευάζου εἰς τὸν ἀγρόν Ὁ μὲν κύριος ἡμῶν ἐν τοῖς εὐαγγελίοις ἀγρὸν τὸν κόσμον ὠνόμασεν· ὁ δὲ Σολομὼν ἀγρὸν νῦν εἴρηκεν τὴν θεωρίαν τοῦ κόσμου. Ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν ἐν τοῖς εὐαγγελίοις ἀγρὸς τοῦ συνεστῶτος ἐκ ψυχῆς καὶ σώματος ἀνθρώπου ἐστίν· αἰσθητὸς γάρ ἐστιν· ὁ δὲ ἐνταῦθα δηλούμενος ἀγρὸς τοῦ νοῦ μόνου ἐστίν, νοητὸς ὢν καὶ συνεστὼς ἐκ τῶν λόγων τούτου τοῦ κόσμου, εἰς ὃν καρδίαι εἰσβαίνουσι καθαραί. 292 24, 27.3-4 καὶ πορεύου κατόπισθέν μου καὶ ἀνοικοδομήσεις τὸν οἶκόν σου «Μετὰ γὰρ σοφίας οἰκοδομεῖται οἶκος»· «εἰς δὲ κακότεχνον ψυχὴν οὐκ εἰσελεύσεται σοφία.» 293 24, 31 ἐὰν ἀφῇς αὐτόν, χερσωθήσεται καὶ χορτομανήσει ὅλος καὶ γίνεται ἐκλελειμένος· οἱ δὲ φραγμοὶ τῶν λίθων αὐτοῦ κατασκάπτονται Φραγμός ἐστιν ἀπάθεια ψυχῆς λογικῆς ἐκ τῶν πρακτικῶν ἀρετῶν συνεστῶσα.

294 30, 17 ὀφθαλμὸν καταγελῶντα πατρὸς καὶ ἀτιμάζοντα γῆρας μητρὸς

ἐκκόψαισαν αὐτὸν κόρακες ἐκ τῶν φαράγγων καὶ καταφάγοισαν αὐτὸν νεοσσοὶ ἀετῶν Οὗτοι οἱ κόρακες τοὺς μὲν δικαίους τρέφουσι μυστικῶς, τοὺς δὲ ἀδίκους κολάζουσι τοὺς τῆς ἀδικίας ὀφθαλμοὺς ἐξορύττοντες, διότι τοῦ πάντων πατρὸς καὶ θεοῦ κατεγέλασαν καὶ τὴν γεννῶσαν αὐτοὺς ἀρχαίαν γνῶσιν ἠτίμασαν. Καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἐξορύσσοντας τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς τοῦ ἀσεβοῦς κόρακας εἶπεν· τοὺς δὲ ὅλον αὐτὸν κατεσθίοντας ὠνόμασεν ἀετούς, διὰ τὸ τοὺς μὲν τὴν μερικήν, τοὺς δὲ τὴν καθόλου κάθαρσιν πεπιστεῦσθαι.

295 30, 31.2 καὶ τράγος ἡγούμενος αἰπολίου Εἰ ἔριφοί εἰσιν οἱ ἀκάθαρτοι ἐξ

ἀριστερῶν ὑπὸ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἱστάμενοι, ὁ δὲ τράγος ἡγεῖται τούτων, μήποτε ὁ τράγος νῦν τὸν διάβολον σημαίνει. 296 31, 5 ἵνα μὴ πιόντες ἐπιλάθωνται τῆς σοφίας καὶ ὀρθὰ κρίνειν οὐ μὴ δύνωνται τοὺς ἀσθενεῖς Οὐ μὴ δύνωνται ὀρθῶς διδάσκειν. 297 31, 6 δίδοτε μέθην τοῖς ἐν λύπαις 31, 7 καὶ οἶνον πίνειν τοῖς ἐν ὀδύναις, ἵνα ἐπιλάθωνται τῆς πενίας καὶ τῶν πόνων μὴ μνησθῶσιν ἔτι Ὁ μεθυσθεὶς ἀπὸ τῆς πιότητος τοῦ οἴκου κυρίου ἐπιλανθάνεται τῶν ὀδυνῶν. 298 31, 9 ἄνοιγε σὸν στόμα καὶ κρῖνε δικαίως· διάκρινε δὲ πένητα καὶ ἀσθενῆ Πένητα λέγει τὸν ἐστερημένον τῆς γνώσεως, ἀσθενῆ δὲ τὸν ἀκάθαρτον.

299 25, 2 δόξα θεοῦ κρύπτει λόγον· δόξα δὲ βασιλέως τιμᾷ προστάγματα Τὸν

ἔχοντα τὴν δόξαν τοῦ θεοῦ δόξαν εἶπεν θεοῦ καὶ τὸν ἔχοντα τὴν δόξαν τοῦ ἐπουρανίου βασιλέως δόξαν βασιλέως ὠνόμασεν. Οὗτοι γὰρ κρύπτουσι τὸν τοῦ θεοῦ λόγον ἐν ἑαυτοῖς, ὅπως ἂν μὴ ἁμάρτωσι καὶ τιμῶσι τὰ προστάγματα, δι' ὧν ποιοῦσιν αὐτά. Πολλάκις δὲ τοῦτο παρεσημειωσάμεθα ὅτι ἀπὸ τῶν ἀρετῶν ὀνομάζονται καὶ