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proclaims and makes clear. The prophet, wishing to show here the magnitude of the evils, says, "They have announced and have shown," that is, with great exaggeration, with great boldness they committed evil deeds, neither being ashamed, nor covering them up, but making wickedness a practice. Woe to their soul, for they have devised an evil counsel against themselves, saying: let us bind the just one, for he is useless to us. An intensification of wickedness, when they not only sin, nor only sin with boldness, but when they also drive away those who are able to correct such things. For just as those seized with frenzy have often beaten the physician, so too these, by casting out the just, produced this greatest sign of being incurably sick. For such is virtue; even by only appearing, it is enough to grieve the one living in wickedness. Such is wickedness; even without being reproved, it often resents the very presence of those choosing to live in decency. And here the accusation is twofold, both the binding of the just man and the binding of him as useless. When, therefore, someone not only does not accept beneficial things, but even considers them harmful, what pretext for correction is then left? Wherefore also the prophet, seeing them run aground to the uttermost, begins again from lamentations, not from accusation and charges, saying: Woe to their soul; and what follows with much understanding: For they have devised an evil counsel against themselves. And yet the things done seem to be dared against the just one; but if one were to examine closely, the counsel turns not against the one who suffers, but against those who do it. Here we learn that the good man, even if he suffers ten thousand terrible things, will in no way be harmed by those who do them; but the schemers, these are rather the ones who thrust the sword against themselves, just as these people did. For they did not harm the just man by binding him, but they placed themselves in greater darkness and desolation, by taking the lamp out of the way. Therefore they shall eat the produce of their own works. For such is wickedness; it has the punishment in itself. Which is what he also says here, that is: they will enjoy their fruits, placing themselves in greater desolation and preparing many precipices. Woe to the lawless one; for evil will befall him according to the works of his hands. Do you see that the measures and beginnings of the punishment always come from us? For this reason indeed the prophet again laments and grieves and is cut to the heart, because the Jews plotted against themselves and ruined their own salvation more grievously than any enemy; than which what could be more wretched? My people, your exactors glean you. This is characteristic of an excellent teacher, to vary his speech and neither make it only harsh, nor only gentle, but to handle now this, now that form, so that great benefit may come from the mixture. For this reason indeed the prophet not only makes accusations, but also laments, which is more serious than the charges, yet provides less pain; and this is the wonderful thing, that in a deeper incision the pain is gentler. And not only does he lament, but he also heals, and again stirs up another wonderful manner of teaching. What then is this? To not rebuke all under one head, but to separate the people from the rulers and to turn the charges onto their heads. For so great is the profit of this kind of speech, that Moses also did it with greater exaggeration. For this one, while all were responsible for the charges, turns his speech upon the rulers; but Moses, finding that it was especially the people at that time who had committed that transgression, and that Aaron was not worthy of so great an accusation, letting go those who were very responsible, turns the accusation upon the one not so responsible, giving to the conscience of these others, by the charges against that one, a reason to condemn themselves to a greater punishment; which indeed also happened. For he no longer needed other words to the people, but those bare words spoken to Aaron were sufficient for so many thousands, as for one man,

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καταγγέλλει καὶ δῆλα ποιεῖ. Βουλόμενος ὁ προφήτης ἐνταῦθα δείξασθαι τὸ μέγεθος τῶν κακῶν, φησίν, Ἀνήγγειλαν καὶ ἐνεφάνισαν, τουτέστι, μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ὑπερβολῆς, μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς παρρησίας τὰ κακὰ ἔπραττον, οὐδὲ αἰσχυνόμενοι, οὐδὲ ἐγκαλυπτόμενοι, ἀλλὰ μελέτην τὴν πονηρίαν ποιούμενοι. Οὐαὶ τῇ ψυχῇ αὐτῶν, διότι βεβούλευνται βουλὴν πονηρὰν καθ' ἑαυτῶν, εἰπόντες· δήσωμεν τὸν δίκαιον, ὅτι δύσχρηστος ἡμῖν ἐστιν. Ἐπίτασις πονηρίας, ὅταν μὴ μόνον ἁμαρτάνωσι, μηδὲ μόνον μετὰ παρρησίας ἁμαρτάνωσιν, ἀλλ' ὅταν καὶ τοὺς δυναμένους τὰ τοιαῦτα διορθοῦν ἀπελαύνωσιν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ οἱ φρενίτιδι κατεχόμενοι τὸν ἰατρὸν πολλάκις συνέκοψαν, οὕτω δὴ καὶ οὗτοι τοῦ νοσεῖν ἀνίατα μέγιστον δεῖγμα τοῦτο ἐξέφερον τὸ τοὺς δικαίους ἐκβάλλειν. Τοιοῦτον γὰρ ἡ ἀρετή· καὶ φαινομένη μόνον, ἀρκεῖ λυπῆσαι τὸν ἐν κακίᾳ ζῶντα. Τοιοῦτον ἡ κακία· οὐδὲ ἐλεγχομένη, πολλάκις καὶ τὴν παρουσίαν αὐτὴν βαρύνεται τῶν ἐν ἐπιεικείᾳ ζῆν προαιρουμένων. ∆ιπλῆ δὲ ἐνταῦθα ἡ κατηγορία, καὶ τὸ δεσμεῖν τὸν δίκαιον καὶ τὸ ὡς ἄχρηστον δεσμεῖν. Ὅταν οὖν τις τὰ ὠφελοῦντα μὴ μόνον μὴ προσιῆται, ἀλλὰ καὶ βλαβερὰ αὐτὰ νομίζῃ εἶναι, ποία λείπεται λοιπὸν διορθώσεως πρόφασις; ∆ιὸ καὶ ὁ προφήτης ἰδὼν εἰς ἔσχατον ἐξοκείλαντας, ἀπὸ θρήνων ἄρχεται πάλιν, οὐκ ἀπὸ κατηγορίας καὶ ἐγκλημάτων, λέγων· Οὐαὶ τῇ ψυχῇ αὐτῶν· καὶ τὸ ἑξῆς μετὰ πολλῆς συνέσεως· Ὅτι βεβούλευνται βουλὴν πονηρὰν καθ' ἑαυτῶν. Καίτοι τὰ γενόμενα δοκεῖ κατὰ τοῦ δικαίου τολμᾶσθαι· ἀλλ' εἴ τις ἀκριβῶς ἐξετάσειεν, οὐ κατὰ τοῦ πάσχοντος, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τῶν ποιούντων ἡ βουλὴ τρέπεται. Ἐνταῦθα μανθάνομεν ὅτι ὁ μὲν καλός, κἂν μυρία πάσχῃ δεινά, οὐδὲν βεβλάψεται παρὰ τῶν ποιούντων· οἱ δὲ ἐπιβουλεύοντες, οὗτοι μᾶλλόν εἰσιν οἱ καθ' ἑαυτῶν τὸ ξίφος ὠθοῦντες, καθάπερ καὶ οὗτοι. Τὸν μὲν γὰρ δίκαιον οὐδὲν ἔβλαπτον δεσμοῦντες, ἑαυτοὺς δὲ ἐν πλείονι ζόφῳ καὶ ἐρημίᾳ καθίστων, τὸν λύχνον ἐκποδὼν ἀπάγοντες. Τοίνυν τὰ γεννήματα τῶν ἔργων αὐτῶν φάγονται. Τοιοῦτον γὰρ ἡ κακία· αὐτὴ ἐν ἑαυτῇ τὴν τιμωρίαν ἔχει. Ὃ καὶ ἐνταῦθά φησι, τοῦτ' ἔστιν· ἀπολαύσονται τῶν καρπῶν αὐτῶν, ἐν πλείονι καθιστῶντες ἑαυτοὺς ἐρημίᾳ καὶ πολλοὺς κατασκευάζοντες τοὺς κρημνούς. Οὐαὶ τῷ ἀνόμῳ· πονηρὰ γὰρ συμβήσεται αὐτῷ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν αὐτοῦ. Ὁρᾷς παρ' ἡμῶν τὰ μέτρα τῆς τιμωρίας ἀεὶ καὶ τὰς ἀρχὰς γινομένας; ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο πάλιν ὁ προφήτης θρηνεῖ καὶ ὀδύρεται καὶ διακόπτεται, ὅτι αὐτοὶ ἑαυτοὺς ἐπεβούλευον οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι καὶ πολεμίου παντὸς χαλεπώτερον τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἐλυμήναντο σωτηρίαν· οὗ τί γένοιτ' ἂν ἀθλιώτερον; Λαός μου, οἱ πράκτορες ὑμῶν καλαμῶνται ὑμᾶς. Τοῦτο ἀρίστου διδασκάλου, ποικίλλειν τὸν λόγον καὶ μήτε τραχύνειν μόνον, μήτε προσηνῆ ποιεῖν μόνον, ἀλλὰ νῦν μὲν τοῦτο, νῦν δὲ ἐκεῖνο μεταχειρίζειν τὸ εἶδος, ὥστε πολλὴν ἐκ τῆς μίξεως γενέσθαι τὴν ὠφέλειαν. ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ προφήτης οὐκ ἐγκαλεῖ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ θρηνεῖ, ὃ βαρύτερον μὲν ἔστι τῶν ἐγκλημάτων, ἐλάττονα δὲ παρέχει τὴν ὀδύνην· καὶ τὸ θαυμαστὸν τοῦτο, ὅτι ἐν βαθυτέρᾳ τῇ τομῇ προσηνεστέρα ἡ ἀλγηδών. Καὶ οὐ θρηνεῖ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ θεραπεύει, καὶ ἕτερον πάλιν θαυμαστὸν διδασκαλίας ἀνακινεῖ τρόπον. Ποῖον δὴ τοῦτον; Τὸ μὴ πᾶσιν ὑφ' ἓν ἐπιτιμᾷν, ἀλλὰ ἀποσχίσαι τὸν δῆμον τῶν ἀρχόντων καὶ εἰς τὴν ἐκείνων περιτρέψαι κεφαλὴν τὰ ἐγκλήματα. Τοσοῦτον γάρ ἐστι τούτου τοῦ εἴδους τὸ κέρδος, ὡς τὸν Μωϋσέα καὶ μετὰ πλείονος αὐτὸ ποιῆσαι τῆς ὑπερβολῆς. Οὗτος μὲν γάρ, πάντων ὄντων ὑπευθύνων τοῖς ἐγκλήμασιν, ἐπὶ τοὺς ἄρχοντας τρέπει τὸν λόγον· ὁ δὲ Μωϋσῆς εὑρὼν τὸν δῆμον τότε μάλιστα ὄντα τὸν τὴν παρανομίαν ἐργασάμενον ἐκείνην, τὸν δὲ Ἀαρὼν οὐ τοσαύτης ὄντα κατηγορίας ἄξιον, ἀφεὶς τοὺς σφόδρα ὑπευθύνους, ἐπὶ τὸν οὐχ οὕτως ὑπεύθυνον τρέπει τὴν κατηγορίαν, τοῖς ἐγκλήμασι τοῖς κατ' ἐκείνου διδοὺς τῷ συνειδότι τούτων μείζονα ἑαυτῶν καταψηφίσασθαι τιμωρίαν· ὃ δὴ καὶ ἐγένετο. Οὐ γὰρ ἐδεήθη λοιπὸν λόγων πρὸς τὸν δῆμον ἑτέρων, ἀλλ' ἤρκεσε τὰ ψιλὰ ἐκεῖνα ῥήματα τὰ πρὸς τὸν Ἀαρὼν εἰρημένα χιλιάδας τοσαύτας, ὡς ἕνα ἄνθρωπον,