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of the Father, He has been called the unicorn. The voice of the Lord dividing the flame of fire. The flame of fire was indeed divided in the story of the three children in Babylon, when the furnace overflowed forty-nine cubits and set on fire all those round about; but being divided by the command of God, it received a breath within itself, providing the sweetest breath and refreshment to the children, as if in the shade of some plants, in a peaceful state. For it became, he says, as a dewy breeze whispering through. And it is much more wonderful for the nature of fire to be divided than for the Red Sea to be split into divisions. But nevertheless the voice of the Lord divides even the continuous and unified nature of fire. And although fire seems to be indivisible and inseparable to human thoughts, yet by the command of the Lord it is divided and separated. But I think that the fire prepared for the punishment of the devil and his angels is divided by the voice of the Lord, so that, since there are two powers in fire, the burning and the illuminating, the harsh and punishing part of the fire may remain for those worthy of being burned, while its illuminating and bright part may be allotted to the splendor of those who rejoice. Therefore, the voice of the Lord dividing a flame of fire and apportioning it, so that the fire of punishment may be without light, and the light of rest may remain unburning. The voice of the Lord shaking the desert. The shaking is administered to the desert by the Lord for its benefit, so that, changing from being a desert, it may become an inhabited land, and putting aside the reproach of childlessness, it may receive the praise of having many children (For the children of the desolate one are many, more than of her who has a husband), and being filled with the waters of the spirit, the former desert may become pools of water. And the Lord will shake the desert of Kadesh. Therefore, the Lord will not shake every desert, but that of Kadesh, that is, of sanctification; for Kadesh is interpreted as sanctification. The voice of the Lord perfecting hinds. What is said about the perfecting 29.300 of hinds, which the voice of the Lord accomplishes, must be rendered in a manner worthy of what precedes. Since, therefore, the hind happened to be so constituted as to be superior to the harm from reptiles, and even the flesh of the viper is a purgative for it, as those who have observed such things say, and all venomous creatures are taken as an image of the evil and opposing powers (the Lord saying: I have given you authority to tread upon serpents, and scorpions, and upon all the power of the enemy; and the psalm again promising to the prophet, that You shall tread upon the asp and the basilisk); it is necessary, when we hear the name of hind in Scripture, to draw the meaning toward the better image. For the high mountains are for the hinds; and, The hind longs for the springs of waters. Since, therefore, every righteous man has his abode in high places, Pressing on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call, and runs up to the drinkable springs, seeking the first principles of theology. The hind with the breath of its mouth draws out the lurking venomous creatures, and with the force of its breath brings them out from their lairs. Therefore, just as the holy man is called an eagle because of his soaring, and because he is raised high above the earth; and as a sheep because of his gentleness and his sharing what he has; and a ram because of his leadership; and a dove because of his harmlessness; so also a hind because of its opposition to evil things. Wherefore also Solomon says: Let a hind of friendship, and a foal of your graces, converse with you; teaching us that the aforesaid hinds are suitable for the teaching of theology. The voice of the Lord perfecting hinds. Therefore, when we see some man of God, perfect and complete, let us pursue the benefit from his conversation. For where a hind is present, all the evil of reptiles is put to flight. For venomous creatures do not bear the scent of the animal, seeing that they even retreat when its horns are used as incense. And

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τὴν τοῦ Πατρὸς, μονόκερως προσηγόρευται. Φωνὴ Κυρίου διακόπτοντος φλόγα πυρός. ∆ιεκόπη μὲν καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἱστορίαν τῶν παίδων τῶν τριῶν ἐν τῇ Βαβυλωνίᾳ ἡ φλὸξ τοῦ πυρὸς, ὅτε ὑπερεξεχύθη μὲν τεσσαρακονταεννέα πήχεις ἡ κάμι νος, ἐνεπύριζε δὲ τοὺς κύκλῳ πάντας· διακοπεῖσα δὲ τῷ προστάγματι τοῦ Θεοῦ, πνεῦμα ἐδέξατο ἐν ἑαυ τῇ, ἡδίστην ἀναπνοὴν καὶ ἀνάψυξιν, ὥσπερ ἐν σκιᾷ τινι φυτῶν, ἐν εἰρηνικῇ καταστάσει παρεχομένη τοῖς παισίν. Ἐγένετο γὰρ, φησὶν, ὡσεὶ πνεῦμα δρόσου διασυρίζον. Καὶ θαυμαστότερόν γε πολλῷ πυ ρὸς φύσιν διακοπῆναι, ἢ καταδιαιρεθῆναι τὴν Ἐρυ θρὰν θάλασσαν εἰς διαιρέσεις. Ἀλλ' ὅμως ἡ φωνὴ τοῦ Κυρίου καὶ τὸ συνεχὲς τῇ φύσει καὶ ἡνωμένον τοῦ πυρὸς διακόπτει. Καίτοι ἄτμητον καὶ ἀδιαίρετον ἐπινοίαις ἀνθρωπίναις τὸ πῦρ εἶναι δοκεῖ, ἀλλ' ὅμως προστάγματι Κυρίου διακόπτεται καὶ διίσταται. Οἶμαι δὲ, ὅτι τὸ πῦρ τὸ ἡτοιμασμένον εἰς κόλασιν τῷ διαβόλῳ καὶ τοῖς ἀγγέλοις αὐτοῦ διακόπτεται τῇ φω νῇ τοῦ Κυρίου· ἵνα, ἐπειδὴ δύο εἰσὶν ἐν τῷ πυρὶ δυνά μεις, ἥ τε καυστικὴ καὶ ἡ φωτιστικὴ, τὸ μὲν δριμὺ καὶ κολαστικὸν τοῦ πυρὸς τοῖς ἀξίοις τῆς καύ σεως προσαπομείνῃ, τὸ δὲ φωτιστικὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ λαμπρὸν τῇ φαιδρότητι τῶν εὐφραινομένων ἀποκλη ρωθῇ. Φωνὴ οὖν Κυρίου διακόπτοντος φλόγα πυρὸς καὶ μερίζοντος, ὡς ἀλαμπὲς μὲν εἶναι τὸ πῦρ τῆς κολάσεως, ἄκαυστον δὲ τὸ φῶς τῆς ἀναπαύσεως ἀπο μεῖναι. Φωνὴ Κυρίου συσσείοντος ἔρημον. Ἐπ' εὐεργεσίᾳ τῆς ἐρήμου ὁ συσσεισμὸς αὐτῇ παρὰ τοῦ Κυρίου οἰκονομεῖται, ἵνα, μεταβαλοῦσα ἀπὸ τοῦ ἔρη μος εἶναι, γένηται γῆ κατοικουμένη, καὶ ἀποθεμένη τὸ τῆς ἀτεκνίας ὄνειδος, τῆς πολυπαιδίας λάβῃ τὸν ἔπαινον (Πολλὰ γὰρ τὰ τέκνα τῆς ἐρήμου, μᾶλλον ἢ τῆς ἐχούσης τὸν ἄνδρα), καὶ τῶν ὑδάτων τοῦ πνεύματος πληρωθεῖσα, γένηται ἡ πρὸ τούτου ἔρημος εἰς λίμνας ὑδάτων. Καὶ συσσείσει Κύριος τὴν ἔρη μον Κάδης. Οὐ πᾶσαν οὖν ἔρημον ὁ Κύριος συσσεί σει, ἀλλὰ τὴν Κάδης, τουτέστι, τὸν ἁγιασμόν· Κάδης γὰρ ἁγιασμὸς ἑρμηνεύεται. Φωνὴ Κυρίου καταρτιζομένη ἐλάφους. Ὁμότιμα χρὴ τοῖς προ29.300 άγουσιν ἀποδοθῆναι καὶ τὰ περὶ τοῦ καταρτι σμοῦ τῶν ἐλάφων, ὃν ἡ φωνὴ τοῦ Κυρίου ἐνεργεῖ. Ἐπεὶ τοίνυν ἡ ἔλαφος τοιαύτης ἔτυχε τῆς κατα σκευῆς ὡς κρείττων εἶναι τῆς ἐκ τῶν ἑρπετῶν βλάβης, ἀλλὰ καὶ καθαρτήριον αὐτῇ ἐστιν, ὥς φασιν οἱ τὰ τοιαῦτα τετηρηκότες, τὸ τῆς ἐχίδνης βρῶμα, πάντα δὲ τὰ ἰοβόλα πρὸς τὴν τῶν πονηρῶν καὶ ἀντι κειμένων δυνάμεων εἰκόνα λαμβάνεται (τοῦ Κυ ρίου λέγοντος· ∆έδωκα ὑμῖν τὴν ἐξουσίαν πατεῖν ἐπάνω ὄφεων, καὶ σκορπίων, καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσαν τὴν δύναμιν τοῦ ἐχθροῦ· καὶ τοῦ ψαλμοῦ πάλιν ἐπαγ γελλομένου τῷ προφήτῃ, ὅτι Ἐπὶ ἀσπίδα καὶ βασι λίσκον ἐπιβήσῃ)· ἀνάγκη, ὅταν ἐλάφου ὄνομα ἀκούω μεν ἐν τῇ Γραφῇ, πρὸς τὴν βελτίονα εἰκόνα τὸν λόγον ἕλκειν. Ὄρη γὰρ τὰ ὑψηλὰ ταῖς ἐλάφοις· καὶ, Ἐπιποθεῖ ἡ ἔλαφος ἐπὶ τὰς πηγὰς τῶν ὑδάτων. Ἐπεὶ οὖν καὶ πᾶς δίκαιος ἐν ὑψηλοῖς ἔχει τὴν δια τριβὴν, Κατὰ σκοπὸν διώκων ἐπὶ τὸ βραβεῖον τῆς ἄνω κλήσεως, καὶ πρὸς τὰς ποτίμους πηγὰς ἀνατρέχει, τὰς πρώτας ἀρχὰς τῆς θεολογίας ἀναζη τῶν. Ἕλκει δὲ ἡ ἔλαφος τῇ ἀναπνοῇ τοῦ στόματος τὰ φωλεύοντα τῶν ἰοβόλων, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν καταδύσεων ἐξ άγει τῇ βίᾳ τοῦ πνεύματος. Ὥσπερ οὖν ἀετὸς λέγεται ὁ ἅγιος διὰ τὸ μετεωροπόρον, καὶ διὰ τὸ διηρμένον ἀπὸ γῆς ἐπὶ πλεῖον· καὶ ὡς πρόβατον διὰ τὸ ἥμερον καὶ μεταδοτικὸν ὧν ἔχει· καὶ κριὸς διὰ τὸ ἡγεμονικόν· καὶ περιστερὰ διὰ τὸ ἄκακον· οὕτω καὶ ἔλαφος διὰ τὴν πρὸς τὰ πονηρὰ ἐναντίωσιν. ∆ιὸ καὶ ὁ Σολομών φησιν· Ἔλαφος φιλίας, καὶ πῶλος σῶν χαρίτων ὁμιλείτω σοι· διδάσκων ἡμᾶς τοὺς προει ρημένους ἐλάφους ἐπιτηδείους εἶναι πρὸς θεολογίας διδασκαλίαν. Φωνὴ Κυρίου καταρτιζομένη ἐλάφους. Ὅταν οὖν ἴδωμέν τινα ἅνθρωπον Θεοῦ τέλειον καὶ κατηρτι σμένον, τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς ὁμιλίας αὐτοῦ ὠφέλειαν μετα διώκωμεν. Ὅπου γὰρ ἐλάφου παρουσία, φυγαδεύεται πᾶσα τῶν ἑρπετῶν ἡ κακία. Οὐ γὰρ φέρει τὴν ὀσμὴν τοῦ ζώου τὰ ἰοβόλα, ὅπου γε καὶ τοῖς κέρασιν αὐτῶν ὑποθυμιωμένοις ὑποχωρεῖ. Καὶ