1

 2

 3

 4

 5

 6

 7

 8

 9

 10

 11

 12

 13

 14

 15

 16

 17

 18

 19

 20

 21

 22

 23

 24

 25

 26

 27

 28

 29

 30

26

works; He who bears a grudge is a transgressor. He who remembers sins hates his neighbor. Therefore, he is a transgressor. An obedient man, being on his guard, will speak. [ξοδ. φ. 89 β.] That is, even if he is obedient, but is on his guard, he will be able to partake of boldness. Or thus: While the false witness transgresses, the one who is obedient to the law, being on his guard, will speak; An impious man stands with a shameless face. For sinning against 64.728 God, he shows shamelessness toward him with his face, having nothing reverent or composed; but the upright man is in the image of God; A horse is prepared for the day of battle; The uttered word must be called a horse, which must be prepared against heresies. For having done what is in our power, we are supplied with victory from God, who destroys the wisdom of the wise; or a horse, the mind; according to that: You will mount your horses. CHAP. 22. He who gives gifts obtains victory and honor. [ξοδ. φ. 91 α.] He calls the virtues of the soul the gifts of man, through which, conquering the devil, he presents himself as honorable to God, and snatches his own soul away from the demons who possessed it. Do the eyes of the Lord preserve perception? [ξοδ. φ. 91 β.] For on whom, he says, will I look, but on the one who is meek and quiet and trembles at my words? -But a transgressor makes words worthless. Do you see that it is characteristic of those people to accuse both providence and the state of affairs, being unwilling to abide by the laws? For if God wisely governs all things—for this is what "the eyes of the Lord preserve perception" means, perception being conduct according to law and life according to reason—how do some create genealogies, since they are transgressors? -See how he teaches rulers that the advantage of rule is to be placed neither in subjects, nor in fear, nor in punishments, but in the power and understanding of their own words. Then he does not entrust them with this alone, but also with the providence of God. And you, write them for yourself in a threefold way. [ξοδ. φ. 93 β.] The things spoken to you by me, says Wisdom, write in a threefold way on the tablet of your heart; for just as man is composed of body and soul and spirit, so also is Scripture of the body of the letter, from which the simpler person is benefited; which is called the ready interpretation. Of the soul, the allegorical meaning, which he who has ascended to a certain degree hears; of the spirit, the higher and spiritual contemplation, which the perfect both understand and speak; for example, in the case of the donkey tied in the village opposite, on which the Savior sat, first write down the literal meaning, then the allegorical meaning, that the Word, mounting the beastly nature, prepares it to move rationally. Then, according to spiritual contemplation, understand humanity, being taken from the place opposite paradise, so that bearing the image it might enter into paradise. Do not use force on a poor man. [ξοδ. φ. 94 β.] It is necessary not to use force on or dishonor any poor or beggarly or weak person. For the Lord seeks out all these things, and having judged righteously, he repays each according to their works. For he who has not afflicted, or wronged, or dishonored with words the aforementioned, has delivered himself from eternal punishments, and has kept 64.729 his own soul inviolate. Do not give yourself as a surety. [ξοδ. φ. 95 α.] Do not pledge without consideration; that is, do not undertake the affairs of others, lest something of what you have vouched for be found against you, the repayment of such a debt will surely pass to you, who are unable to repay, for no one is good for another's sake, but for his own. They will take the covering that is under your sides. The hope that covers your powers will be taken away, so that they are laid bare; for sides are powers. -The mountains of Zion, the sides of the north; those once powerful with the cold devil, have now become mountains of Zion, that is, the saints.

26

ἐργάζεται· Ὃς μνησικακεῖ, παράνομος. Ὁ μεμνημένος τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων, μισεῖ τὸν πλησίον. Οὐκοῦν παράνομος. Ἀνὴρ ὑπήκοος φυλασσόμενος λαλήσει. [ξοδ. φ. 89 β.] Τουτέστι κἂν ὑπήκοος ᾖ, φυλάσσεται δὲ, δυνήσεται μετέχειν παῤῥησίας. Ἢ οὕτως· Παρανομοῦντος τοῦ ψευδομάρτυρος, ὁ τῷ νόμῳ καταπειθὴς φυλασσόμενος λαλήσει· Ἀσεβὴς ἀνὴρ ἀναιδῶς ὑφίσταται προσώπῳ. Ἁμαρτάνων γὰρ εἰς 64.728 Θεὸν, τὴν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀναίδειαν τῷ προσώπῳ δηλοῖ, μηδὲν ἔχων εὐλαβὲς ἢ κατεσταλμένον· ὁ δὲ εὐθὴς, κατ' εἰκόνα ἐστὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ· Ἵππος ἑτοιμάζεται εἰς ἡμέραν πολέμου· Ἵππον λεκτέον τὸν προφορικὸν λόγον, ὃν ἑτοιμαστέον πρὸς τὰς αἱρέσεις. Τὸ εἰς ἡμᾶς γὰρ ἧκον ποιήσαντες, νίκην παρὰ Θεοῦ χορηγούμεθα, τοῦ ἀπολλύντος τὴν σοφίαν τῶν σοφῶν· ἢ ἵππον, τὸν νοῦν· κατὰ τό· Ἐπιβήσῃ ἐπὶ τοὺς ἵππους σου. ΚΕΦ. ΚΒʹ. Νίκην καὶ τιμὴν περιποιεῖται ὁ δῶρα δούς. [ξοδ. φ. 91 α.] ∆ῶρα τοῦ ἀνθρώπου τὰς τῆς ψυχῆς ἀρετὰς ὀνομάζει, δι' ὧν νικῶν τὸν διάβολον, τίμιον ἑαυτὸν παρέχει τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ ἀφαιρεῖται τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχὴν ἀπὸ τῶν κτησαμένων αὐτὴν δαιμόνων. Οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ Κυρίου διατηροῦσι αἴσθησιν; [ξοδ. φ. 91 β.] Ἐπὶ τίνα γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐπιβλέψω, ἀλλ' ἢ ἐπὶ τὸν πρᾶον καὶ ἡσύχιον καὶ τρέμοντά μου τοὺς λόγους; -Φαυλίζει δὲ λόγους παράνομος. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι ἐκείνων ἔστι καὶ τῆς προνοίας κατηγορεῖν, καὶ τῆς τῶν πραγμάτων καταστάσεως, οὐκ ἐθελόντων ἐμμένειν τοῖς νόμοις; Εἰ γὰρ σοφῶς πάντα ὁ Θεὸς διοικεῖ, τοῦτο γάρ ἐστιν, οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ Κυρίου τηροῦσιν αἴσθησιν, αἴσθησιν δὲ τὴν κατὰ νόμον ἀγωγὴν, καὶ τὴν κατὰ λόγον ζωὴν, πῶς τινὲς γενεαλογοῦσιν, ἐπειδὴ παράνομοί εἰσιν; -Ὅρα πῶς παιδεύει τοὺς ἄρχοντας τὸ πλέον τῆς ἀρχῆς, μήτε ἐν τοῖς ὑπακούουσιν, μήτε ἐν φόβῳ μήτε ἐν τιμωρίαις τίθεσθαι, ἀλλ' ἐν τῇ τῶν οἰκείων λόγων δυνάμει καὶ συνέσει. Εἶτα οὐκ ἀπὸ τούτου μόνον αὐτοὺς ἐπιτρέπει, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς προνοίας τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ. Καὶ σὺ δὲ ἀπόγραψαι αὐτὰ σεαυτῷ τρισσῶς. [ξοδ. φ. 93 β.] Τὰ παρ' ἐμοῦ σοι λεγόμενα, φησὶν ἡ Σοφία, τρισσῶς ἀπόγραψαι ἐν τῷ πλάτει τῆς καρδίας σου· ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ ἄνθρωπος συνέστηκεν ἐκ σώματος καὶ ψυχῆς καὶ πνεύματος, οὕτως καὶ ἡ Γραφὴ τοῦ σώματος τῆς λέξεως, ἀφ' ἧς ὁ ἁπλούστερος ὠφελεῖται· ἥτις λέγεται πρόχειρος ἐκδοχή. Ἐκ ψυχῆς, τῆς ἀναγωγῆς, ἧς ἀκούει ὁ ἐπὶ ποσὸν ἀναβεβηκώς· ἐκ πνεύματος, τῆς ὑψηλοτέρας καὶ πνευματικῆς θεωρίας, ἣν οἱ τέλειοι νοοῦσί τε καὶ λέγουσιν· οἷον ἐπὶ τῆς ὄνου τῆς εἰς ἀντικρὺ κώμην δεδεμένης, ᾗ ἐπεκάθισεν ὁ Σωτὴρ, πρῶτον μὲν ἀπογράφου τὸ ῥητὸν, εἶτα τὴν ἀναγωγὴν, ὅτι τῷ κτηνώδει τρόπῳ ἐπιβὰς ὁ λόγος, λογικῶς αὐτὸν κινεῖσθαι παρασκευάζει. Εἶτα κατὰ πνευματικὴν θεωρίαν, τὴν ἀνθρωπότητα νόει, παραλαμβανομένην ἐκ τοῦ κατ' ἀντικρὺ τόπου τοῦ παραδείσου, ἵνα ἀγαλματοφοροῦσα εἰς τὸν παράδεισον εἰσέλθῃ. Μὴ ἀποβιάζου πένητα. [ξοδ. φ. 94 β.] ∆εῖ μηδένα πένητα ἢ πτωχὸν ἢ ἀσθενῆ ἀποβιάζεσθαι ἢ ἀτιμάζειν. Ὁ γὰρ Κύριος ἐκζητεῖ ταῦτα πάντα, καὶ κρίνας δικαίως ἀνταποδίδωσιν ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν. Ὁ γὰρ μὴ θλίψας, ἢ ἀδικήσας, ἢ λόγοις ἀτιμάσας τοὺς προειρημένους, ἑαυτὸν ἐῤῥύσατο αἰωνίων κολάσεων, καὶ ἄσυλον ἐφύ 64.729 λαξε τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχήν. Μὴ δίδου σεαυτὸν εἰς ἐγγύην. [ξοδ. φ. 95 α.] Μὴ ἀπερισκέπτως ἐγγυῶ· ἤτοι μὴ ἀναδέχου πράξεις ἀλλοτρίας, μὴ εὑρεθῇ τί σοι ὧν ἐμαρτύρησας, πάντως ἐπὶ σὲ ἡ τοῦ τοιούτου χρέους ἀπότισις μεταβήσεται, ἀδυνάτως ἔχοντα πρὸς ἀπότισιν, οὐδεὶς γὰρ ὑπὲρ ἄλλου ἀγαθὸς, ἀλλ' ἑαυτῷ. Λήψονται τὸ στρῶμα τὸ ὑπὸ τὰς πλευράς σου. Ἀφαιρεθήσῃ τὴν σκέπουσαν ἐλπίδα τὰς δυνάμεις σου, ὥστε αὐτὰς γυμνωθῆναι· πλευραὶ γὰρ δυνάμεις. -Ὄρη Σιὼν τὰ πλευρὰ τοῦ βοῤῥᾶ· οἱ ποτὲ δυνατοὶ παρὰ τῷ ψυχρῷ διαβόλῳ, νῦν ὄρη Σιὼν ἐγένοντο, οἱ ἅγιοι δηλονότι.