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only, but also the name of his glory. And they do well everywhere to call him "Lord and God of our fathers," confessing themselves to be unworthy of this address. 53. "Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory, and praised and highly exalted for ever." They have an unforgetting memory of the divine temple, and being strict guardians of the law, they pray lawfully; as if to say: Looking upon that temple, where your glory was accustomed to appear, we offer this hymn to you; for even if it has been burned ten thousand times, it partakes of your holiness. And so that no one should suppose they are circumscribing the bodiless and limitless God to a place, they necessarily add: 54. "Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom, and highly exalted for ever." Then, showing what throne they mean, they immediately add: 55. "Blessed are you, who look into the depths, sitting upon the Cherubim, and greatly praised and highly exalted for ever." And since that temple also had the images of the Cherubim in the holy of holies, so that no harm might come from this to those who hear, and they might not think God is circumscribed, they provide a remedy for the hearer, saying: 5 6. "Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven, and greatly praised and highly exalted for ever." For you are everywhere, they say, and you fill all things, and you contain all creation. Having thus sung praises, they call all created nature to fellowship in their hymnody, not only the rational, but also the irrational and inanimate. 57. "For, they say, all you works of the Lord, bless the Lord, praise and highly exalt him for ever." And they do not content themselves with the common call alone, but they also summon each individually, and not only visible things, but also the invisible nature. 81.1337 58. "For, they say, you angels of the Lord, bless the Lord; praise and highly exalt him for ever." And so that I do not, by interpreting each one, extend my discourse to infinite length, they call to the choir both heaven and the waters that are above the heavens, and the powers that attend upon the divine throne. And they call also the sun, and the moon, and the other lights; and not only the things in heaven, but also the things that happen in the air, rain and dew, and winds; then the contrary qualities, cold and heat; then nature together with energy, fire and heat; for fire is the name of a nature, but heat is no longer a substance, but the energy of fire. And they call also dew, and snowfall, and ice, and cold, and frosts, and snows, and lightnings, and clouds, things kindred and of the same nature. Then nights and days, and the things that make them, light and darkness; for the former are names, the latter are things; "For God, it says, called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night." For even if darkness is a shadow, and not a substance, it is an accidental thing, and productive of night. And since they mentioned dew and snowfall, they necessarily also point out their sources; "For, they said, bless, lightnings and clouds;" the one giving birth, the others foretelling the birth-pangs. "For, says the prophet, he made lightnings for the rain." Having thus mentioned the things in heaven and in the air, and having exhorted each one to sing praise, they transfer the exhortation of the hymn to the common mother, the earth, and they say: 74. "Let the earth bless the Lord, let it praise and highly exalt him for ever." Then by division: 75. "Bless the Lord, you mountains and hills." Then her birth-pangs: 7 6. "Bless the Lord, all that grows on the earth." Then the irrigation which they need: "Bless the Lord, you springs." And since the sea and the rivers are also of the lower portion, they necessarily made mention of these also; and they also mention the creatures of the sea. 79. "For, it says, bless the Lord, you whales, and all that moves in the waters." After these things they call the birds, and the beasts, and the cattle, and last of all human nature, the order of the cosmogony

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μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ ὄνομα τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ. Καλῶς δὲ πανταχοῦ "Κύριον καὶ Θεὸν τῶν πατέρων" ἀποκαλοῦσι, σφᾶς αὐτοὺς ἀναξίους εἶναι ταυτησὶ τῆς προσηγορίας ὁμολογοῦντες. νγʹ. "Εὐλογημένος εἶ ἐν τῷ ναῷ τῆς ἁγίας δόξης σου, καὶ ὑπεραινετὸς, καὶ ὑπερένδοξος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας." Ἄληστον ἔχουσι τοῦ θείου νεὼ τὴν μνήμην, καὶ ἀκριβεῖς ὄντες τοῦ νόμου φύλακες, ἐννόμως προσεύχονται· ἀντὶ τοῦ· Εἰς ἐκεῖνον ἀποβλέποντες τὸν νεὼ, ἔνθα σου ἡ δόξα ἐπιφαίνεσθαι εἰώθει, τοῦτόν σοι τὸν ὕμνον προσφέρομεν· εἰ γὰρ καὶ μυ ριάκις ἐμπέπρησται, τῆς σῆς ἁγιωσύνης μετέχει. Καὶ ἵνα μή τις ὑπολάβῃ περιγράφειν αὐτοὺς τόπῳ τὸν ἀσώματόν τε καὶ ἀπεριόριστον Θεὸν, ἀναγκαίως ἐπάγουσιν· νδʹ. "Εὐλογητὸς εἶ ἐπὶ θρόνου τῆς βασιλείας σου, καὶ ὑπερυψούμενος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας." Εἶτα δεικνύντες τίνα θρόνον καλοῦσιν, εὐθὺς ἐπιφέ ρουσιν· νεʹ. "Εὐλογητὸς εἶ, ὁ βλέπων ἀβύσσους, καθ ήμενος ἐπὶ Χερουβὶμ, καὶ ὑπερύμνητος, καὶ ὑπερ υψούμενος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας." Καὶ ἐπειδὴ καὶ ὁ νεὼς ἐκεῖνος εἶχε τῶν Χερουβὶμ τὰς εἰκόνας ἐν τοῖς ἁγίοις τῶν ἁγίων, ὡς ἂν μηδεμία τοῖς ἀκούουσιν ἐν τεῦθεν γένηται βλάβη, καὶ περιγεγράφθαι νομίσωσι τὸν Θεὸν, θεραπεύουσι τὸν ἀκροατὴν, λέγοντες· ν ϛʹ. "Εὐλογητὸς εἶ ἐν τῷ στερεώματι τοῦ οὐ ρανοῦ, καὶ ὑπερύμνητος, καὶ ὑπερυψούμενος εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας." Πανταχοῦ γὰρ, φασὶν, εἶ, καὶ τὰ σύμπαντα πληροῖς, καὶ πᾶσαν περιέχεις τὴν κτίσιν. Οὕτως ὑμνήσαντες καλοῦσιν ἅπασαν τὴν γενητὴν φύσιν εἰς κοινωνίαν τῆς ὑμνῳδίας, οὐ μόνον τὴν λο γικὴν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ἄλογόν τε καὶ ἄψυχον. νζʹ. "Εὐλογεῖτε γὰρ, φασὶ, πάντα τὰ ἔργα Κυρίου, τὸν Κύριον, ὑμνεῖτε καὶ ὑπερυψοῦτε αὐτὸν εἰς πάντας τοὺς αἰῶνας." Καὶ οὐκ ἀνέχονται τῆς κοι νῆς κλήσεως μόνης, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἰδίᾳ ἕκαστον συγκα λοῦσιν, καὶ οὐ μόνον τὰ ὁρώμενα, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ἀό ρατον φύσιν. 81.1337 νηʹ. "Εὐλογεῖτε γὰρ, φασὶν, ἄγγελοι Κυρίου, τὸν Κύριον· ὑμνεῖτε καὶ ὑπερυψοῦτε αὐτὸν εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας." Καὶ ἵνα μὴ, καθ' ἕκαστον ἑρμηνεύων, εἰς μῆκος ἄπειρον ἐκτείνω τὸν λόγον, καλοῦσιν εἰς τὴν χορείαν, καὶ οὐρανὸν, καὶ τὰ ὕδατα τὰ ὑπεράνω τῶν οὐρανῶν, καὶ τὰς δυνάμεις τὰς τὸν θεῖον θρόνον περιπολούσας. Καλοῦσι δὲ καὶ ἥλιον, καὶ σελήνην, καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους φωστῆρας· καὶ οὐ μόνον τὰ κατ' οὐ ρανὸν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ἐν τῷ ἀέρι γινόμενα, ὄμβρον καὶ δρόσον, καὶ πνεύματα· εἶτα τὰς ἐναντίας ποιότητας, ψύχος καὶ καῦμα· εἶτα φύσιν ὁμοῦ καὶ ἐνέργειαν, πῦρ καὶ καῦμα· τὸ μὲν γὰρ πῦρ φύσεως ὄνομα, τὸ δὲ καῦμα οὐκέτι οὐσία, ἀλλὰ πυρὸς ἐνέργεια. Καλοῦσι δὲ καὶ δρόσον, καὶ νιφετὸν, καὶ πάγον, καὶ ψύχος, καὶ πάχνας, καὶ χιόνας, καὶ ἀστραπὰς, καὶ νεφέ λας, τὰ συγγενῆ καὶ ὁμόφυλα. Εἶτα νύκτας καὶ ἡμέρας, καὶ τὰ τούτων ποιητικὰ, φῶς καὶ σκότος· τὰ μὲν γὰρ ὀνόματα, τὰ δὲ πράγματα· "Ἐκάλεσε γὰρ, φησὶν, ὁ Θεὸς τὸ φῶς ἡμέραν, καὶ τὸ σκότος ἐκάλεσε νύκτα." Εἰ γὰρ καὶ σκιὰ τὸ σκότος ἐστὶ, καὶ οὐκ οὐσία, ἀλλὰ πρᾶγμά ἐστι συμβεβηκὸς, καὶ τῆς νυκτὸς ποιητικόν. Καὶ ἐπειδὴ δρόσου καὶ νιφετοῦ ἐμνημόνευσαν, ἀναγκαίως δεικνύουσι καὶ τὰς τούτων πηγάς· "Εὐλογεῖτε γὰρ, ἔλεγον, ἀστραπαὶ καὶ νε φέλαι·" αἱ μὲν τίκτουσαι, αἱ δὲ τὰς ὠδῖνας προμη νύουσαι. "Ἀστραπὰς γὰρ, φησὶν ὁ προφήτης, εἰς ὑετὸν ἐποίησεν." Οὕτω μνημονεύσαντες τῶν κατ' οὐρανὸν καὶ ἀέρα, καὶ ἑκάστῳ ὑμνεῖν παρακελευσά μενοι, ἐπὶ τὴν κοινὴν μητέρα τὴν γῆν τοῦ ὕμνου μεταφέρουσι τὴν παρακέλευσιν, καί φασιν· οδʹ. "Εὐλογείτω ἡ γῆ τὸν Κύριον, ὑμνείτω καὶ ὑπερυψούτω αὐτὸν εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας." Εἶτα κατὰ διαίρεσιν· οεʹ. "Εὐλογεῖτε, ὄρη καὶ βουνοὶ, τὸν Κύριον." Ἔπειτα τὰς ταύτης ὠδῖνας· ο ϛʹ. "Εὐλογεῖτε, πάντα τὰ φυόμενα ἐν τῇ γῇ, τὸν Κύριον." Εἶτα τὴν ἀρδείαν ἧς δέονται· "Εὐλογεῖτε, αἱ πηγαὶ, τὸν Κύριον." Καὶ ἐπειδὴ τῆς κάτω μοί ρας ἐστὶ καὶ ἡ θάλασσα, καὶ οἱ ποταμοὶ, ἀναγ καίως καὶ τούτων ἐποιήσαντο τὴν μνήμην· μνη μονεύουσι δὲ καὶ τῶν τῆς θαλάττης τροφίμων. οθʹ. "Εὐλογεῖτε γὰρ, φησὶ, κήτη, καὶ πάντα τὰ κινούμενα ἐν τοῖς ὕδασι, τὸν Κύριον." Μετὰ ταῦτα τὰ πετεινὰ καλοῦσι, καὶ τὰ θηρία, καὶ τὰ κτήνη, καὶ ἔσχατον ἁπάντων τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὴν φύσιν, τῆς κοσμογονίας τὴν τάξιν