CHAP. XXVII. ----The meaning of the Lord's hardening Pharaoh's heart.

1. Nearly all readers of the Book of Exodus, both they who disbelieve, and they who say they believe it, are disturbed at the frequently occurring words, "The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh," 663 and "I will harden the heart of Pharaoh." 664 For among many other causes of men's disbelief we must include this, that things unworthy of God are spoken of God, and it is unworthy of God to bring about the hardening of any man's heart, and to effect the hardening in order that he who is hardened may disobey the will of Him who hardens. And they further ask, Is it not absurd for God to influence any one to disobey His will? That would be a clear proof that God did not wish Pharaoh to be obedient to His commands. And to ordinary believers it sounds very harsh to say, "The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh." For readers who are convinced that there is no other God but the Creator,665 think that God arbitrarily, as it were, has mercy on whom He will have mercy, and hardens whom He will,666 when there is no reason why one man should have mercy shown him by God, and another be hardened by Him. And others, better advised than these, say they look upon Scripture as containing many secrets, and that they do not on that account turn aside from the sound faith; and one of the secrets they hold to be the true 667 account of this portion of Scripture. Others, alleging that there is a God other than the Creator, will have Him to be just but not good, very foolishly and impiously going the length of severing righteousness from goodness, and supposing that it is possible for righteousness to exist in any one apart from goodness, and for goodness to be separated from righteousness. And although they say this, they nevertheless, in contradiction of their own conception of a righteous God, concede the point that He hardens the heart of Pharaoh, and makes him disobedient to Himself. For if He who giveth to every man his due, and bestoweth on those who have themselves been the cause of progress or deterioration, such things as He knoweth each one to be fitted to receive,----if He is just, how can that God be just Who was the cause of Pharaoh's sin? not absolutely the cause, indeed, but so far as they understand Him to have contributed to Pharaoh's becoming a most unrighteous man. For inasmuch as they refer the hardening of Pharaoh's heart to nothing worthy of the purpose of a just God, I fail to understand how, even on their own showing, they can make the hardener of Pharaoh's heart a just God. We must therefore press them in the exposition of the passage before us either to show how a just God hardens, or to pluck up courage and say that the Creator, because He hardens, is a wicked God. If they can find but scanty proofs that the just God is capable of hardening a man's heart, and dare not be so godless as to own that they charge the Creator with wickedness, let them take refuge in some other way of interpreting the words, "The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh," 668 and no longer contradict their own conception of a just God, because they think they understand the literal meaning. They will at last, perhaps, confess that they are at a loss to know what the Word is hinting at.

2. Away, then, with such conceptions of the Divine nature as we are investigating in the question before us. They are torn to shreds. But inasmuch as there are those who advance the plea of natural constitution, supposing some persons to have been created to perdition, and adduce these passages in support of their views, maintaining that their contention is clearly proved by the fact that Pharaoh's heart was hardened by the Lord, come, let us ask them a few questions. A man created to perdition would never be able to grow in goodness, because his original nature neutralises his efforts to attain to virtue. What need, then, was there for Pharaoh, who was, as you say, a son of perdition, to be hardened by God so that he should not let the people go? For you tell us that if he had not been hardened he would have let them go. Further, we should like an answer to another question: What would Pharaoh have done if he had not been hardened? If he had let them go, not being hardened, he had not a nature doomed to perdition. If he had not let them go, the hardening of his heart was superfluous; for he would just the same have refused to let them go, even if he had not been hardened. And what did God do to control his reason when he hardened him? And how is it that He blames him, saying, "Because thou disobeyest me, behold I will slay thy first-born." 669 Can it be that He who hardens, hardens one already hard. Clearly, the hard is not hardened, but the change is from softness to hardness; and softness of heart is, according to the Scripture, praiseworthy, as we have often observed. Let them, therefore, tell us whether Pharaoh turns from good to bad; further, whether God in blaming Pharaoh blames him without cause, or not without cause; if without cause, how is He any longer wise and just? if not without cause, Pharaoh was responsible for his sins of disobedience; and if he was responsible, he had not a nature doomed to perdition. We must certainly ask another question, because the Apostle, pushing his arguments to their full conclusion, says, "So then he hath mercy on whom he will, and whom he will he hardeneth. Thou wilt say then unto me, Why doth he still find fault? For who withstandeth his will? " 670 Who, we ask, is it that hardeneth and hath mercy? The hardening surely does not belong to one God, and the having mercy to a different one, if we follow the apostolic utterance, but both are attributed to the same God. Either, then, they who in Christ find mercy, belong to Him Who hardeneth Pharaoh's heart, and it is idle for our opponents to invent any other god than (as they allow Him to be) the good God, Who not only hath mercy but also hardens; or He would no longer be, as they suppose, even good.

3. We have advisedly gone into all these details at considerable length, in opposition to those who unwarrantably congratulate themselves on their understanding, and complain of our simplicity, in order to show that neither in their conceptions of God, nor in their doctrines of natures, does the Word when examined give them any support. For ourselves, we are for many reasons convinced, both as we study the sacred Scriptures, and as we contemplate the magnitude of the forces at work in creation, and the evidences of orderly design, that things visible and invisible, things temporal and things eternal, come from God the Creator, Who is to be regarded as one and the same with the Father of our Lord and Saviour, the good and just and wise God; and in handling the Scriptures we strive to keep that steadily in view, begging God our Saviour to show us all things pertaining to a good and just and wise God, for we suppose that the things we speak of cannot be regarded, at least by intelligent beings, as the result of chance, but that we must ask ourselves whether they are consistent with His goodness and justice and wisdom.

4. Something like this, then, we suppose to be the meaning of the words,"The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh." 671 The Word of God is a physician of the soul, and uses the most diverse, suitable, and seasonable methods of healing the sick; and of these methods of healing, some more, some less, give pain and torment to those who are under treatment; and the remedies, moreover, seem unsuitable, sometimes not; and, further, they act speedily or slowly; and are sometimes applied when the patients have had their fill of sin, or when, so to speak, they have only touched it. The whole of inspired Scripture abounds in proofs of each of these statements. For example, we read that remedies more or less sad were applied to the people in the course of what befell them, for the sake of punishment and correction, in wars of greater or less magnitude, and in famines of longer or shorter duration; and we have an instance of seemingly unsuitable treatment in the passage, "I will not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom, nor your brides when they commit adultery." 672 It may be that God leaves to themselves the souls that eagerly desire the sweets of bodily pleasure, until being satiated they abandon the objects of their longing; they are, as it were, sick of them, and not likely to fall quickly into the same snares, because they are disgusted and have been so far tormented. Souls are more slowly healed, because, if they were soon rid of their sufferings, they would think little of falling a second time into the same evils. The God who designed them knows all their different constitutions, and, for that He is an expert in the art of healing, it is for Him alone to say what is best to be done for each, and when.

5. In some bodily sicknesses, when the mischief is, as they say, deep-seated, the physician with the aid of certain drugs draws and forces the matter to the surface, producing severe inflammation and swelling, causing more pains than those which a patient had before he put himself under treatment----as is the practice in cases of Hydrophobia and similar diseases. So God also, I think, deals with secret, deep-seated mischief in the soul. The physician might say in one of his cases, "I will set up inflammation round about the injury, and will force certain parts to swell, so as to produce a bad abscess"; and when he speaks thus, one hearer will not blame a scientific expert but will even praise him for, as it were, threatening to produce these effects, while another hearer will blame him, and will allege that a man who makes a cure depend on inflammations and abscesses must be a quack; so it is, I think, when God says, "I will harden the heart of Pharaoh." 673 And seeing that these things are written, he that heareth them as the oracles of God, observing the dignity of the Speaker, accepts them, and every one who seeketh, findeth a way of showing even herein the goodness of God;674 for the people were through the numerous miracles more openly assured of safety; and, secondly, there was goodness as regards the Egyptians, as many as, amazed at what took place, intended to follow the Hebrews: for "a mixed multitude," says the historian, "of the Egyptians went out with them";675 and there was perhaps a deeper and more secret purpose of benefiting Pharaoh himself, when he shall no longer conceal the poison nor check the malady, but draw it forth to the light, and perhaps by his conduct put a stop to it: so that having gone through all the stages of the eruption of the wickedness within him, he may find the tree which bore the evil fruit less vigorous, perhaps at last withering away, when he is overwhelmed in the sea: not, as one might suppose, to perish altogether, but that he may cast away and be relieved of the burden of his sins, and, it may be, descend to Hades in peace, or in less warfare of the soul.

6. Readers, however, may hardly be convinced: they will suspect that there is something forced in our version of the matter, viz. that the hardening of Pharaoh's heart was for his good, and that everything we are told, right up to the overwhelming in the sea, was for his sake. Let us see, then, if we cannot remove this reluctance, and convince our readers of the truth of what we say. "Many are the scourges," says David, "of the wicked";676 and his son teaches that "God scourgeth every son whom he re-receiveth." 677 And elsewhere David in a prophetic promise concerning Christ and those who believe on Him, says, "If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments; if they profane my statutes, and keep not my commandments; then will I visit their transgressions with the rod, and their iniquities with scourges. But my mercy will I not utterly take from them." 678 So, then, it is a favour from the Lord that the transgressor is visited with a rod and the sinner with scourges. And so far as the sinner is not scourged, he is not yet brought under discipline and correction. And this is why God threatens, that if the sins of the inhabitants of Judah become great, He will no longer punish their daughters when they commit whoredom, nor their brides when they commit adultery.679 And elsewhere he says, "Because I have purged thee, and thou wast not purged, I will not again be furious over thee, nor again be jealous over thee." 680 So, then, there are sinners with whom God is not furious; if I may so speak, though He is angry, He is not furious.

7. We must also observe that the threats of the Prophets against the many end with "They shall know that I am the Lord";681 and not only the threats against the Israelites, but also those against the Egyptians and Assyrians and the other enemies of the people. And this familiar ending of many threats is found also in the Book of Exodus: "And all the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord":682 the usual sufferings being brought upon them for this very purpose, that they may know the Lord. And in the Maccabees something similar is said: "Now I beseech those that read this book, that they be not discouraged for these calamities, but that they judge those punishments not to be for destruction, but for a chastening of our nation. For it is a token of His great goodness, when wicked doers are not suffered any long time, but forthwith punished. For not as with other nations whom the Lord forbeareth to punish, till they be come to the fulness of their sins, so dealeth he with us; but though he punish with adversity he doth not forsake his own people." 683 If the incurring punishment for sins is a token of God's great goodness, I would have you consider whether Pharaoh, inasmuch as he was punished after the hardening of his heart, and chastised as well as his people, was not punished with good reason, and according to his own wickedness. And David, as it were imitating God, and having due regard to times and seasons, when he gives Solomon command concerning Joab, to chastise him for his offences against Abner the son of Ner, and to slay him for his errors, goes on to say, "And thou shalt bring down his hoar head in peace to the grave." 684 And it is clear, as the Jew 685 also told us, that Joab's resting in peace would be the result of his punishment, torment and punishment being no longer due to him after his discharge therefrom, for he had therein already received his deserts. And so we think that every threat and pain and punishment, things that come from God, are never inflicted to injure the sufferers, but always to do them good. And what are considered the severest terms we can apply to God, fury and anger, are called rebuking and chastening in the passage, "O Lord, rebuke me not in thy fury, nor chasten me in thine anger";686 where the suppliant begs that he may not need rebuke through God's fury, and chastening through God's anger, for some there were who would be rebuked in God's fury, and chastened in His anger.

8. But that we may the more readily assent to what has been said, we must make use of similar passages from the New Testament. The Saviour says, "I came to cast fire upon the earth; and what will I, if it is already kindled." 687 If the fire which He came to cast upon the earth had not been a saving fire, at all events a saving fire for men, the Son of the good God would not have said this. And then there is the case of Peter, who, when with the sword of his mouth he slew Ananias and Sapphira, because they sinned by lying,688 not to men but to the Lord, had in view not only the edification of such as seeing what was done would show more reverence towards the Faith of Christ, but also the welfare of the offenders visited with death. He wished them to depart from the body purified by their sudden and unexpected death; for they had some right on their side, inasmuch as they gave even the half of their possessions for the wants of the needy. And Paul also, though he pronounces the sentence of blindness on the companion of Sergius Paulus the Proconsul, endeavours through suffering to turn him from sin to godliness, for he says to him, "O full of all guile, and all villainy, thou son of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? And now thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season." 689 What "season" would it be, except such time as, having been punished and tormented for his sins, he would repent and become worthy of both ways seeing the sun?----with his bodily eyes, that the Divine power might be proclaimed in the restoration of his sight, and with the eyes of the soul, when, as a believer he would delight in godliness. Demas, too, and Hermogenes, whom Paul 690 delivered to Satan that they might learn not to blaspheme, experienced something like what we have spoken of. And the man at Corinth that had his father's wife was himself, also, delivered to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord.691 No wonder, then, if the treatment of Pharaoh, so that he was hardened and finally involved in such chastisements, is to be traced to the goodness of God. For the present let the foregoing, which we put down as it came into our head, suffice for the words, "And the Lord hardened Pharaoh's heart." 692 If any one with due regard to God's glory should discover better arguments, and such as have no tincture of impiety, and can support them with the evidence of the Divine Scriptures, we will gladly avail ourselves of them. 

Origen elsewhere discusses the same subject----

9. Among other considerations, I would further urge that possibly as physicians in the treatment of Hydrophobia, to prevent the poison from getting a hold within and killing the man, draw it to the surface, thus causing more acute suffering and inflammation: so God through His healing art draws out the secret mischief lurking in the depths of the soul, and makes it show itself, in order that He may afterwards induce a healthy state. This, I think, is the meaning of what we read in Deuteronomy: "And thou shalt remember all the way that the Lord thy God hath led thee these forty years in the wilderness, that He might humble thee, to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep His commandments, or no. And He humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that He might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every thing that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live." 693 Observe here that God humbles and tries, in order that what is in each man's heart may be known, inasmuch as it lies deep and is revealed through tribulations. And such is the declaration of the Lord to Job in storm and whirlwind: "Dost thou think that I have dealt with thee for any other purpose than that thou mayest appear righteous?" He did not say, "That thou mayest be righteous," but, "That thou mayest appear righteous.694 Righteous he was even before his trials, but God would have him show his righteousness by what befell him. 

Elsewhere in the same Commentaries on Exodus----

10. One of our friends to relieve the difficulty takes an illustration from daily life, and tells us how frequently it happens that masters who are kind and long-suffering towards their erring servants say, "I ruined you"; and "I spoiled you"; meaning to imply that their kindness and long-suffering seem to have occasioned worse behaviour. As then a sophistical reasoner may say that because the master speaks thus, he confesses that he has spoiled the servant; so, it may be urged, what God in His goodness does, having been made the occasion of Pharaoh's hardness, is described as having hardened Pharaoh's heart. And our friend will discover in the Apostle's own words the softer meaning he desires: "Or despisest thou the riches of His goodness, and forbearance, and long-suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up for thyself wrath in the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; who will render to every man according to his works." 695 Anyway, the same Apostle, in the same Epistle to the Romans, says, "What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much long-suffering vessels of wrath fitted unto destruction," 696 as if the long-suffering of God having endured the vessels of wrath, had, as it were, produced them. For if, because of His long-suffering He did not chastise the sinners but took pity on them, and if wickedness thereby abounded, He in a way by His long-suffering endured the vessels of wrath, and, so to speak, Himself made them vessels of wrath, and accordingly Himself hardened their heart. For when Pharaoh, although so many signs and wonders were wrought, is not persuaded, but after his strange experiences still resists, is he not certainly proved to be harder and more unbelieving, and does it not look as though the hardness and unbelief had arisen from the marvellous miracles? The passage in the Gospel is similar: "For judgment came I into this world";697 for the Saviour did not purpose to come for judgment, but His coming for judgment of those who after His marvellous works believed not on Him was a consequence of His coming; He, moreover, came for the fall of many;698 but He did not purpose when He came to make them fall for whose fall He came. 

And elsewhere----

11. So the marvellous things, to those who accept them and believe, as was the case with the mixed multitude of Egyptians who went out with the people, mean mercy; but to the unbelieving they bring hardness of heart. And, further, besides what has been said, we may adduce similar passages from the Gospel, which go to show that even the Saviour appears to have been the cause of evil to some people. "Woe unto thee. Chorazin! Woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which were done in you, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And thou, Capernaum," 699 and so on. The Saviour knew beforehand the unbelief of the dwellers at Chorazin and Bethsaida and Capernaum, and that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for them. Why, then, does He do His marvellous works in Chorazin and Bethsaida, though He sees that those works will make it more tolerable in the day of judgment for the people of Tyre and Sidon than for them?  

And again----

12. "And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Israel is my son, my first-born: and I have said unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me; and if thou refusest to let him go: behold, I will slay thy son, thy first-born." 700 Let me ask those persons who allege that this is the action of a just God, and suppose, according to the literal meaning of the words, that Pharaoh's heart was hardened, how He Who hardened the heart of Pharaoh that he might not let the people go, can be just, and at the same time threaten that unless Pharaoh will let them go, He will slay his first-born son? Being hard pressed they will confess that He must be a bad God. Then, again, they will be upset by other passages and forced to escape from their to the letter, inasmuch as the literal meaning, according to them, is inconsistent, with the justice of the Creator.701 And once they are compelled to investigate the matter, they will proceed so far that they will no longer accuse the Creator, but will allow that He is good. Let us then ask those who think they understand the words, "The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh," 702 whether they believe the above threats were uttered by God through the mouth of Moses inspired for the occasion, or whether there was no truth in them? If there was no truth in them, God according to them is neither just nor true, and on their own showing is not God at all; but if the words were truly spoken, I would have them consider whether God does not blame Pharaoh as a free agent when He says, "If thou wilt not let my people go";703 and in another place, "How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me?"704 For the question, "How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me?" is intended to shame Pharaoh, because, if he did not humble himself, it was not that he could not, but that he would not. And then there is what was said before by Moses to Pharaoh: "That thou mayest know that the earth is the Lord's. But as for thee and thy servants, I know that ye have not yet feared the Lord." 705 This shows that they will fear----a good argument against the heterodox, for it proves the goodness of God, and disproves their tenet of a man's being naturally doomed to perdition.

And in Book II. of the Commentaries on the "Song of Songs "----

13. Observe further that the sun though white and shining seems to be the cause of a man's turning black, not because of what it does itself, but because of him who turns black.706 And so also, perhaps, the Lord hardens Pharaoh's heart, though the cause of this was connected with the king's making the lives of the Hebrews bitter with hard service, in clay and in brick, and in all the service, not on the mountains and hills, but in the plains.707 For becoming a material man through his own wickedness, and living a life in all things according to the flesh, just because he is fond of clay, he wishes to turn 708 the Hebrews also into clay, for his own reason is not purified from the clay; and just as clay is hardened by the sun, so his reason was hardened by the bright beams of Godhead visiting Israel. And that something like this is the interpretation of the passage, and that it is not the purpose of God's servant to write mere history, will be clear to any one who notices that when the children of Israel groaned they did not groan because of the brick, nor because of the clay, nor because of the straw, but because of the service; and their cry went up to God not because of the clay, but, we repeat, because of the service.709 Wherefore God also heard their groans, though He did not hear the groaning of such as cried to Him, not because of the service, but because of the clay and their earthly condition.  

[1] Εἰς τό: Ἐσκλήρυνε κύριος τὴν καρδίαν Φαραώ. “Ἐσκλήρυνε δὲ κύριος τὴν καρδίαν Φαραὼ, καὶ οὐκ ἠβουλήθη ἐξαποστεῖλαι αὐτούς.” Πολλάκις ἐν τῇ Ἐξόδῳ κείμενον τό: Ἐσκλήρυνε κύριος τὴν καρδίαν Φαραώ: καί: Ἐγὼ σκληρυνῶ τὴν καρδίαν Φαραώ: σχεδὸν πάντας τοὺς ἐντυγχάνοντας ταράσσει, τούς τε ἀπιστοῦντας αὐτῇ καὶ τοὺς πιστεύειν λέγοντας. τοῖς μὲν γὰρ ἀπιστοῦσι μετ' ἄλλων πολλῶν καὶ τοῦτο αἴτιον ἀπιστίας εἶναι δοκεῖ, ὅτι λέγεται περὶ θεοῦ τὰ ἀνάξια θεοῦ: ἀνάξιον δὲ θεοῦ τὸ ἐνεργεῖν σκλήρυνσιν περὶ καρδίαν οὑτινοσοῦν, καὶ ἐνεργεῖν σκλήρυνσιν ἐπὶ τῷ ἀπειθῆσαι τῷ βουλήματι τοῦ σκληρύνοντος τὸν σκληρυνόμενον: καὶ πῶς, φασὶν, οὐκ ἄτοπον τὸν θεὸν ἐνεργεῖν τινὰ ἐπὶ τῷ ἀπειθεῖν αὐτοῦ τῷ βουλήματι; δῆλον γὰρ ὅτι μὴ βουλομένου πειθόμενον ἔχειν οἷς προστάσσει τὸν Φαραώ. τοῖς δὲ πιστεύειν νομιζομένοις διαφωνία οὐχ ἡ τυχοῦσα γεγένηται διὰ τό: Ἐσκλήρυνε κύριος τὴν καρδίαν Φαραώ. οἱ μὲν γὰρ πειθόμενοι μὴ ἄλλον εἶναι θεὸν παρὰ τὸν δημιουργὸν φρονοῦσιν ὡς ἄρα κατὰ ἀποκλήρωσιν ὁ θεὸς ὃν θέλει ἐλεεῖ, ὃν δὲ θέλει σκληρύνει, αἰτίαν οὐκ ἔχοντος τοῦ τόνδε μὲν ἐλεεῖσθαι τόνδε δὲ σκληρύνεσθαι ὑπ' αὐτοῦ. ἕτεροι δὲ βέλτιον παρὰ τούτους φερόμενοί φασι πολλὰ καὶ ἄλλα κεκρύφθαι τῆς γραφῆς αὐτοῖς νοήματα, καὶ οὐ παρὰ τοῦτο τῆς ὑγιοῦς πίστεως τρέπεσθαι: ἓν δὲ τῶν ἀποκεκρυμμένων εἶναι καὶ τὸν περὶ ταύτης τῆς γραφῆς ὑγιῆ λόγον. οἱ δὲ ἕτερον θεὸν φάσκοντες παρὰ τὸν δημιουργὸν δίκαιον μὲν αὐτὸν εἶναι θέλουσι καὶ οὐκ ἀγαθὸν, σφόδρα ἰδιωτικῶς ἅμα καὶ ἀσεβῶς ἐνεχθέντες ἐν τῷ χωρίζειν δικαιοσύνην ἀγαθότητος, καὶ οἴεσθαι ὅτι οἷόν τέ ἐστι δικαιοσύνην εἶναι ἔν τινι χωρὶς ἀγαθότητος καὶ ἀγαθότητα δίχα δικαιοσύνης: ὅμως δὲ καὶ τοῦτο λέγοντες ἐναντία τῇ ἰδίᾳ ὑπολήψει περὶ δικαίου προσίενται θεοῦ σκληρύνειν τὴν καρδίαν Φαραὼ καὶ ἀπειθῆ αὐτὴν κατασκευάζειν ἑαυτῷ. εἰ γὰρ ὁ τὸ κατ' ἀξίαν ἑκάστῳ ἀπονέμων δίκαιος καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ἑαυτῶν αἰτίας κρείττοσιν ἢ χείροσι γεγενημένοις ἀποδιδοὺς ὧν ἐπιτήδειον ἕκαστον τυγχάνειν ἐπίσταται, πῶς δίκαιος ὁ ἁμαρτίας χείρονος αἴτιος γενόμενος τῷ Φαραώ; καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς αἴτιος, ἀλλ' ὅσον ἐφ' οἷς ἐκεῖνοι ἐξεδέξαντο συνεργήσας εἰς τὸ γενέσθαι αὐτὸν ἀδικώτατον. ἐπ' οὐδὲν γὰρ ἀναφέροντες ἄξιον προαιρέσεως δικαίου θεοῦ τὴν σκλήρυνσιν τῆς καρδίας Φαραὼ, οὐκ οἶδ' ὅπως δίκαιον θεὸν, κἂν καθ' ἃ διηγεῖσθαι βούλωνται, παραστῆσαι δύνανται τὸν σκληρύνοντα τὴν καρδίαν Φαραώ. ὅθεν θλιπτέον αὐτοὺς ἐν τοῖς κατὰ τὸν προκείμενον τόπον, ὅπως ἤτοι παραστήσωσι πῶς δίκαιος σκληρύνει, ἢ τολμήσωσιν εἰπεῖν ὅτι ἐπεὶ σκληρύνει πονηρὸς ὁ δημιουργός: ἢ μήτε εὐποροῦντες ἀποδείξεων πρὸς τὸ τὸν δίκαιον σκληρυντικὸν εἶναί τινος, μήτε τολμῶντες τὸ ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον ἀσεβὲς προέσθαι περὶ τοῦ κτίσαντος ὡς περὶ πονηροῦ, καταφύγωσιν ἐπὶ ἑτέραν ὁδὸν ἐξηγητικὴν τοῦ: Ἐσκλήρυνε κύριος τὴν καρδίαν Φαραώ: ἀποστάντες τοῦ, ἐκ τοῦ νομίζειν τὰ κατὰ τὰς λέξεις νοεῖν, τὰς ἰδίας ἀναιρεῖν περὶ δικαίου θεοῦ νοήσεις. τὸ δὲ τελευταῖον κἂν ἀπορεῖν ὅ τί ποτε ὁ λόγος ὑποβάλλει ὁμολογήσουσιν.
[2] Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἐσπαράχθω ἐξεταζόμενα περὶ θεοῦ ἐν τῷ προκειμένῳ προβλήματι. ἐπεὶ δὲ εἰς τὸν περὶ φύσεως τόπον οἱ ὑπολαμβάνοντές τινας ἐκ τῆς κατασκευῆς ἐπ' ἀπωλείᾳ γεγονέναι καὶ ταῦτα φέρουσι, λέγοντες δηλοῦσθαι ὃ διδάσκουσι διὰ τοῦ ἐσκληρύνθαι ὑπὸ κυρίου τὴν καρδίαν Φαραὼ, φέρε ταῦτα αὐτῶν πυνθανώμεθα: ὁ ἐπ' ἀπωλείᾳ κτισθεὶς οὐκ ἄν ποτε ποιῆσαί τι τῶν κρειττόνων δύναιτο, αὐτῆς τῆς ἐνυπαρχούσης φύσεως ἀντιπραττούσης αὐτῷ πρὸς τὰ καλά: τίς οὖν χρεία τὸν Φαραὼ ἀπωλείας, ὥς φατε, υἱὸν τυγχάνοντα σκληρύνεσθαι ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ, ἵνα μὴ ἀποστείλῃ τὸν λαόν; εἰ γὰρ μὴ ἐσκληρύνετο, ἀπέστειλεν ἄν. ἀποκρινέσθωσαν δὴ περὶ τούτου λέγοντες, τί ἂν ἐποίησεν ὁ Φαραὼ, εἰ μὴ ἐσκληρύνθη; εἰ μὲν γὰρ ἀπέλυε μὴ σκληρυνθεὶς, οὐχὶ φύσεως ἀπολλυμένης ἦν. εἰ δὲ μὴ ἀπέλυε, περισσὸν τὸ σκληρύνεσθαι αὐτοῦ τὴν καρδίαν: ὁμοίως γὰρ οὐκ ἀπέλυε καὶ μὴ σκληρυνθείς. τί δὲ ἐνεργῶν ὁ θεὸς περὶ τὸ ἡγεμονικὸν αὐτοῦ ἐσκλήρυνεν αὐτόν; καὶ πῶς αὐτὸν αἰτιᾶται λέγων: Ἀνθ' ὧν ἀπειθεῖς μοι, ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἀποκτενῶ τὰ πρωτότοκά σου; ἆρα γὰρ ὁ σκληρύνων σκληρὸν σκληρύνει; σαφὲς δ' ὅτι τὸ σκληρὸν οὐ σκληρύνεται, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ ἁπαλότητος εἰς σκληρότητα μεταβάλλει: ἁπαλότης δὲ καρδίας κατὰ τὴν γραφὴν ἐπαινετὴ, ὡς πολλαχοῦ τετηρήκαμεν. λεγέτωσαν τοιγαροῦν εἰ χρηστὸς ὁ Φαραὼ τυγχάνων γεγένηται πονηρός: ἀλλὰ καὶ ἤτοι αἰτιώμενος ὁ θεὸς τὸν Φαραὼ μάτην αἰτιᾶται ἢ οὐ μάτην: εἰ μὲν οὖν μάτην, πῶς ἔτι σοφὸς καὶ δίκαιος; εἰ δὲ μὴ μάτην, αἴτιος ἐτύγχανε τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων τῶν κατὰ τὴν ἀπείθειαν ὁ Φαραώ: καὶ εἰ αἴτιος, οὐ φύσεως ἦν ἀπολλυμένης. πευστέον μέντοι γε καὶ τοῦτο, διὰ τὸ καταχρώμενον τὸν ἀπόστολον τοῖς ἐντεῦθεν ῥητοῖς λέγειν: Ἄρ' οὖν ὃν θέλει ἐλεεῖ, ὃν δὲ θέλει σκληρύνει. ἐρεῖς οὖν μοι, τί ἔτι μέμφεται; τῷ γὰρ βουλήματι αὐτοῦ τίς ἀνθέστηκεν; τίς ὁ σκληρύνων καὶ ἐλεῶν; οὐ γὰρ δὴ ἑτέρου τὸ σκληρύνειν καὶ ἑτέρου τὸ ἐλεεῖν κατὰ τὴν ἀποστολικὴν φωνὴν, ἀλλὰ τοῦ αὐτοῦ. ἤτοι οὖν οἱ ἐν Χριστῷ ἐλεούμενοι τοῦ σκληρύνοντός εἰσι τὴν καρδίαν Φαραὼ, καὶ μάτην ἀναπλάσσεται αὐτοῖς ἕτερος θεὸς ἢ ὁ ἀγαθὸς κατ' αὐτοὺς θεὸς, οὐκ ἐλεήμων μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ σκληρύνων: ἢ καὶ οὐκέτ' ἂν εἴη, ὡς ὑπολαμβάνουσιν, ἀγαθός.
[3] Πάντα δὲ ταῦτα ἐπίτηδες ἐπὶ πλεῖον ἐξητάσαμεν πρὸς τοὺς ἀβασανίστως ἑαυτοῖς χαριζομένους τὸ νενοηκέναι καὶ ἐπιβαίνοντας τῇ ἁπλότητι τῶν ἡμετέρων ἐνιστάμενοι, καὶ δεικνύντες ὅτι οὔτε εἰς ἃ ὑπολαμβάνουσι περὶ θεοῦ, οὔτε εἰς ἃ δογματίζουσι περὶ φύσεων, συμβάλλεται αὐτοῖς ὡς οἴονται ὁ λόγος ὁ κατὰ τὸ ἐνεστηκὸς ἐξεταζόμενος ἀνάγνωσμα. ἡμεῖς δὲ πολλαχόθεν πειθόμενοι ἀπό τε τῶν ἱερῶν γραφῶν καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς ἐνεργείας τῆς κατὰ τὸ μέγεθος καὶ τάξεως τῶν δημιουργημάτων, παρὰ θεοῦ τοῦ κτίσαντος τὰ βλεπόμενα καὶ τὰ μὴ βλεπόμενα, τὰ πρόσκαιρα καὶ τὰ αἰώνια, ὡς ἑνὸς ὄντος καὶ τοῦ αὐτοῦ κατὰ πάντα τῷ πατρὶ τοῦ κυρίου καὶ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν, ἀγαθῷ θεῷ καὶ δικαίῳ καὶ σοφῷ: ἐπὶ τὸν σκοπὸν ἐκεῖνον τὰς γραφὰς ἄγειν ἀγωνιζόμεθα, τοῦ μὲν δεικνύναι πάντα ἀγαθοῦ θεοῦ καὶ δικαίου καὶ σοφοῦ, οὐδὲ κατὰ τὸ τυχὸν ὑπονοηθέντες ἂν τοῖς γε νοῦν ἔχουσιν ἀποπίπτειν, κατὰ δὲ τὸ ἐφαρμόζειν ἢ μὴ τῇ ἀγαθότητι αὐτοῦ καὶ δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ σοφίᾳ τὰ λεγόμενα, θεοῦ σωτῆρος δεόμενοι.
[4] Τοιαῦτα τοίνυν καὶ περὶ τοῦ: Ἐσκλήρυνε κύριος τὴν καρδίαν Φαραώ: ὑπονοοῦμεν. ἰατρός ἐστι ψυχῆς ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ, ὁδοῖς θεραπείας χρώμενος ποικιλωτάταις καὶ ἁρμοδίαις πρὸς τοὺς κακῶς ἔχοντας καὶ ἐπικαιροτάταις: τῶν δὲ τῆς θεραπείας ὁδῶν αἱ μέν εἰσιν ἐπὶ πλεῖον αἱ δὲ ἐπ' ἔλαττον πόνους καὶ βασάνους ἐμποιοῦσαι τοῖς εἰς ἴασιν ἀγομένοις: πάλιν τε αὖ βοηθήματα ὁτὲ μὲν ἀπεμφαινόντως γίνεται, ὁτὲ δὲ οὐχ οὕτως ἔχει: καὶ πάλιν τάχιον ἢ βράδιον: καὶ μετὰ τὸ ἐμφορηθῆναι τῆς ἁμαρτίας, ἢ μετὰ τὸ ὥσπερ εἰπεῖν μόνον ἅψασθαι αὐτῆς. μαρτυριῶν δὲ τῶν εἰς ἕκαστον πλήρης πᾶσα ἡ θεόπνευστος γραφή: σκυθρωποτέρων βοηθημάτων ἐπὶ πλεῖον ἢ ἐπ' ἔλαττον ἀναγεγραμμένων γεγονέναι τῷ λαῷ, κατὰ τὰ συμβεβηκότα αὐτῷ ὑπὲρ ἐπιστροφῆς καὶ διορθώσεως ἐν πολέμοις μείζοσιν ἢ ἐλάττοσι καὶ λιμοῖς πολυχρονιωτέροις ἢ ὀλιγοχρονιωτέροις: ἀπεμφαινόντων δὲ ἐν τῷ: Οὐκ ἐπισκέψομαι ἐπὶ τὰς θυγατέρας ὑμῶν ὅταν πορνεύσωσιν, καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς νύμφας ὑμῶν ὅταν μοιχεύσωσιν. τάχα γὰρ τὰς ἐπὶ πλεῖον ἐφιεμένας ψυχὰς τῶν σωματικῶν καὶ ἡδέων εἶναι νομιζομένων παρ' ἑαυταῖς ἐγκαταλείπει, ἕως κορεσθεῖσαι ἀποστραφῶσι τὰ ὧν ὀρέγονται, οἱονεὶ καὶ ἐμέσαι αὐτὰ βουλόμεναι καὶ οὐκ ἂν ἔτι ταχέως τοῖς αὐτοῖς, διὰ τὸ ὡς ἐπὶ πλεῖον ἐμπεφορῆσθαι αὐτὰς καὶ ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον βεβασανίσθαι, περιπεσούμεναι. βράδιον δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν θεραπείαν ἄγονται αἱ καταφρονήσουσαι ἂν τοῦ δεύτερον τοῖς αὐτοῖς περιπεσεῖν, διὰ τὸ τάχιον ἀπηλλάχθαι τῶν κακῶν. οἶδε δὲ ὁ τεχνίτης θεὸς τὰς διαθέσεις ἑκάστων καὶ, ὡς ἐπιβάλλει αὐτῷ μόνῳ, ἐπιστημόνως δυνάμενος τὰς θεραπείας προσάγειν, τί χρὴ καὶ πότε ἑκάστῳ ποιεῖν.
[5] Ὥσπερ δὲ ἐπί τινων σωματικῶν παθημάτων, εἰς βάθος ἵν' οὕτως εἴπω τοῦ κακοῦ κεχωρηκότος, ὁ ἰατρὸς διά τινων φαρμάκων εἰς τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν ἕλκει καὶ ἐπισπᾶται τὴν ὕλην, φλεγμονὰς χαλεπὰς ἐμποιῶν καὶ διοιδήσεις καὶ πόνους πλείονας ἢ οὓς εἶχέ τις πρὶν ἐπὶ τὸ θεραπευθῆναι ὁδεῦσαι: ὥσπερ ἔθος αὐτοῖς ποιεῖν ἐπὶ λυσσοδήκτων καὶ ἑτέρων τινῶν τὰ παραπλήσια τούτοις πεπονθότων: οὕτως οἶμαι καὶ τὸν θεὸν οἰκονομεῖν τὴν κρύφιον κακίαν εἰς τὸ βάθος κεχωρηκυῖαν τῆς ψυχῆς. καὶ ὥσπερ λέγοι ἂν ὁ ἰατρὸς ἐπὶ τοῦδέ τινος: ἐγὼ φλεγμονὰς ποιήσω περὶ τὸν τόπον τῆς ἀνέσεως, καὶ διοιδῆσαι ἀναγκάσω τάδε τινὰ τὰ μέρη, ὥστε ἀπόστημα χαλεπὸν ἐνεργάσασθαι: λέγοντος δὲ ταῦτα τοῦ ἰατροῦ, ὁ μὲν ἀκούων αὐτοῦ ἐπιστημονικώτερον οὐκ αἰτιάσεται ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπαινέσεται τὸν ταῦτα οἱονεὶ ἀπειλοῦντα ἐνεργάσασθαι, ὁ δέ τις ψέξει φάσκων ἀλλότριον τῆς τῶν ἰατρῶν ἐπαγγελίας ποιεῖν τὸν δέον ὑγιάζειν ἐπὶ φλεγμονὰς καὶ ἀποστήματα ἄγοντα: οὕτως οἶμαι καὶ τὸν θεὸν εἰρηκέναι τό: Ἐγὼ δὲ σκληρυνῶ τὴν καρδίαν Φαραώ. καὶ τούτων γεγραμμένων, ὁ μὲν ἀκούων ὡς θεοῦ λογίων τὸ μὲν ἀξίωμα τοῦ λέγοντος τηρῶν ἀποδέχεται, καὶ ζητῶν πᾶς εὑρίσκει καὶ ἐν τούτοις ἀγαθότητα τοῦ θεοῦ παραστῆσαι γινομένην: φανερώτερον μὲν ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ τοῦ λαοῦ, διὰ πλειόνων παραδόξων πιστοποιουμένου: καὶ δεύτερον περὶ τῶν Αἰγυπτίων, ὅσοι ἔμελλον καταπληττόμενοι τὰ γινόμενα ἀκολουθεῖν τοῖς Ἑβραίοις: Ἐπίμικτος γὰρ, φησὶ, λαὸς πολὺς τῶν Αἰγυπτίων συνεξῆλθεν αὐτοῖς: ἀπορρητότερον δὲ καὶ βαθύτερον τάχα καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ ὄφελος γενέσθαι αὐτῷ τῷ Φαραὼ, οὐκ ἔτι ἀποκρύπτοντι τὸν ἰὸν οὐδὲ τὴν ἕξιν συνέχοντι, ἀλλ' ἕλκοντι καὶ εἰς τοὐμφανὲς αὐτὸν ἄγοντι καὶ τάχα διὰ τοῦ πράττειν ἐκλύοντι, ἵνα πάντα τὰ τῆς ἐνυπαρχούσης κακίας ἐκβράσματα ἐπιτελέσας ἄτονον ὕστερον ἔχῃ τὸ τῶν κακῶν οἰστικὸν δένδρον, τάχα καὶ ξηραινόμενον ἐπὶ τέλει, ὅτε καταποντοῦται, οὐχ ὡς οἰηθείη ἄν τις ἐπὶ τῷ παντελῶς ἀπολέσθαι, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τῷ ἀποβαλόντα τὰ ἁμαρτήματα κουφισθῆναι, καὶ τάχα ἐν εἰρήνῃ ἢ μὴ ἐν τοσούτῳ πολέμῳ τῆς ψυχῆς εἰς ᾅδου καταβῆναι.
[6] Ἀλλ' εἰκὸς δυσπειθῶς ἕξειν τοὺς ἐντευξομένους, βίαιον ὑπολαμβάνοντας εἶναι τὸ λεγόμενον, ὡς ἄρα συμφέρον γεγόνοι τῷ Φαραὼ τὸ ἐσκληρύνθαι αὐτοῦ τὴν καρδίαν, καὶ ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ πάντα τὰ ἀναγεγραμμένα γεγονέναι μέχρι καὶ τῆς καταποντώσεως. ὅρα δὲ εἰ δυνάμεθα ἐντεῦθεν τὸ δυσπειθὲς περιελόντες πειθὼ ἐνεργάσασθαι περὶ τῶν εἰρημένων. Πολλαὶ αἱ μάστιγες, φησὶν ὁ Δαυεὶδ, τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν: ὁ δὲ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ διδάσκει ὅτι Μαστιγοῖ ὁ θεὸς πάντα υἱὸν ὃν παραδέχεται. ἔτι δὲ αὐτὸς ὁ Δαυεὶδ ἐπαγγελίαν προφητεύων τὴν περὶ Χριστοῦ καὶ τῶν εἰς αὐτὸν πιστευόντων φησίν: Ἐὰν ἐγκαταλείπωσιν οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ τὸν νόμον μου, καὶ τοῖς κρίμασί μου μὴ πορευθῶσιν: ἐὰν τὰ δικαιώματά μου βεβηλώσωσι, καὶ τὰς ἐντολάς μου μὴ φυλάξωσιν: ἐπισκέψομαι ἐν ῥάβδῳ τὰς ἀνομίας αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐν μάστιξιν τὰς ἀδικίας αὐτῶν: τὸ δὲ ἔλεός μου οὐ μὴ διασκεδάσω ἀπ' αὐτῶν. οὐκοῦν χάρις κυρίου ἐστὶ τὸν ἄνομον ἐπισκεφθῆναι ἐν ῥάβδῳ καὶ τὸν ἁμαρτωλὸν μάστιξι. καὶ ὅσον γε οὐ μαστιγοῦται ὁ ἁμαρτάνων, παιδεύσει καὶ διορθώσει οὐδέπω ὑπάγεται. διὸ καὶ ἀπειλεῖ ὁ θεὸς, ἐὰν μεγάλα γένηται τὰ ἁμαρτήματα τῶν τὴν Ἰουδαίαν οἰκούντων, μηκέτι ἐπισκέψασθαι ἐπὶ τὰς θυγατέρας αὐτῶν ὅταν πορνεύσωσιν, καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς νύμφας αὐτῶν ὅταν μοιχεύσωσιν. καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ φησίν: Ἀνθ' ὧν ἐκαθάρισά σε, καὶ οὐκ ἐκαθαρίσθης, οὐ θυμωθήσομαι ἐπὶ σοὶ ἔτι, οὐδὲ ζηλώσω ἐπὶ σοὶ ἔτι. οὐκοῦν οἷς οὐ θυμοῦται ἁμαρτάνουσιν, ἵν' οὕτως εἴπω, χολούμενος οὐ θυμοῦται.
[7] Παρατηρητέον δὲ καὶ ἐν ταῖς προφητικαῖς ἀπειλαῖς ἐπὶ τοῖς πολλοῖς, ὅτι ἐπιλέγεται τό: Γνώσονται ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι κύριος: καὶ ἀπειλαῖς οὐ μόνον Ἰσραηλιτικαῖς, ἀλλὰ καὶ Αἰγυπτίοις καὶ Ἀσσυρίοις καὶ ἑτέρων ἐχθρῶν τοῦ λαοῦ. τοῦτο δὲ τὸ ἐπὶ τέλει πολλῶν νομιζομένων ἀπειλῶν καὶ ἐν τῇ Ἐξόδῳ ἀναγέγραπται: Καὶ γνώσονται γὰρ, φησὶ, πάντες οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι κύριος: ὡς διὰ τοῦτο τῶν νομιζομένων χαλεπῶν ἐπαγομένων αὐτοῖς, ἵνα γνῶσι τὸν κύριον. ἐν δὲ τοῖς Μακκαβαϊκοῖς τοιοῦτόν τι λέγεται: Παρακαλῶ δὲ τοὺς ἐντυγχάνοντας τῇδε τῇ βίβλῳ μὴ συστέλλεσθαι διὰ τὰς συμφορὰς, νομίζειν δὲ τὰ γινόμενα μὴ πρὸς ὄλεθρον ἀλλὰ πρὸς παιδείαν τοῦ γένους ἡμῶν εἶναι: καὶ γὰρ τὸ μὴ πολὺν χρόνον ἐᾶσθαι δυσσεβοῦντας, ἀλλ' εὐθέως περιπίπτειν ἐπιτιμίοις, μεγάλης εὐεργεσίας σημεῖόν ἐστι: οὐ γὰρ καθάπερ ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἐθνῶν ἀναμένει μακροθυμῶν ὁ δεσπότης, ἕως εἰς τέλος ἀφιεμένων αὐτῶν τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ὕστερον αὐτοὺς ἐκδικῇ, οὕτως καὶ ἐφ' ἡμῶν ἔκρινεν: παιδεύων δὲ μετὰ συμφορᾶς οὐκ ἐγκαταλείπει τὸν ἑαυτοῦ λαόν. εἰ γὰρ τὸ ὑποπίπτειν ἐπιτιμίοις διὰ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα μεγάλης εὐεργεσίας ἐστὶ σημεῖον, ἐπιτιμώμενος καὶ ὁ Φαραὼ μετὰ τὸ ἐσκληρύνθαι αὐτοῦ τὴν καρδίαν, καὶ κολαζόμενος ἅμα τῷ λαῷ αὐτοῦ, ὅρα εἰ μὴ οὐ μάτην ἐπιτετίμηται μηδὲ ἐπὶ τῷ ἰδίῳ κακῷ. οἱονεὶ δὲ μιμητὴς θεοῦ γινόμενος κατὰ τὸ ἐπιβάλλον τοῖς καιροῖς ὁ Δαυεὶδ ἐντέλλεται περὶ τοῦ Ἰωὰβ τῷ Σολομῶντι κολάσαι αὐτὸν διὰ τὰ ἡμαρτημένα εἰς Ἀβεννὴρ υἱὸν Νὴρ, καὶ ἀποκτεῖναι διὰ τὰ ἐπταισμένα: εἶτα ἐπιφέρει: Καὶ κατάξεις αὐτοῦ τὴν πολιὰν ἐν εἰρήνῃ εἰς ᾅδου. δῆλον δὲ ὅτι, ὡς καὶ ὁ Ἑβραῖος ἡμῖν ἀπήγγειλε, τὸ διὰ τοῦ κολασθῆναι αὐτὸν ἐν εἰρήνῃ κοιμηθήσεσθαι, οὐκ ἔτι ὀφειλομένης αὐτῷ βασάνου καὶ κολάσεως, διὰ τὸ ἐντεῦθεν ἤδη ἀπειληφέναι αὐτὸν, μετὰ τὴν ἐντεῦθεν ἀπαλλαγήν. οὕτω δ' ἡμεῖς καὶ πᾶσαν ἀπειλὴν καὶ πόνον καὶ κόλασιν τὰ προσαγόμενα ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ νοοῦμεν γίνεσθαι οὐδέποτε κατὰ τῶν πασχόντων, ἀλλ' ἀεὶ ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν. καὶ τὰ χαλεπώτατα γοῦν νομιζόμενα θεῷ προσάπτεσθαι τῶν ὀνομάτων, θυμὸς καὶ ὀργὴ, ἐλέγχειν καὶ παιδεύειν λέγεται ἐν τῷ: Κύριε, μὴ τῷ θυμῷ σου ἐλέγξῃς με, μηδὲ τῇ ὀργῇ σου παιδεύσῃς με: τοῦ ταῦτα εὐχομένου δεομένου μὴ δεηθῆναι ἐλέγχου τοῦ διὰ θυμοῦ θεοῦ καὶ παιδεύσεως τῆς διὰ τῆς ὀργῆς αὐτοῦ, ὥς τινων ἐλεγχθησομένων τῷ θυμῷ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ παιδευθησομένων τῇ ὀργῇ αὐτοῦ.
[8] Ἵνα δὲ μᾶλλον προσιώμεθα τὰ λεγόμενα, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς καινῆς διαθήκης παραπλησίοις ῥητοῖς χρηστέον, τοῦ μὲν σωτῆρος λέγοντος: Πῦρ ἦλθον βαλεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, καὶ εἴθε ἤδη ἐκάη: οὐκ ἂν γὰρ, μὴ σωτηρίου ὄντος τοῦ πυρὸς ὃ ἦλθε βαλεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, καὶ ἀνθρώποις γε σωτηρίου, ἔλεγε ταῦτα ὁ τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ θεοῦ υἱός. ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ Πέτρος ἀνελὼν τῷ λόγῳ τὸν Ἀνανίαν καὶ τὴν Σάπφειραν, ἁμαρτήσαντας ἐν τῷ ψεύδεσθαι οὐκ ἀνθρώποις ἀλλὰ τῷ κυρίῳ, οὐ μόνον πεφροντικὼς τῆς οἰκοδομῆς τῆς τῶν ἐκ τοῦ ὁρᾷν τὸ γεγενημένον εὐλαβεστέρων ἐσομένων εἰς τὴν Χριστοῦ πίστιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἀποθνησκόντων: βουλόμενος αὐτοὺς κεκαθαρμένους τῷ αἰφνιδίῳ θανάτῳ καὶ παρὰ προσδοκίαν ἀπαλλάξαι τοῦ σώματος, ἔχοντάς τι καὶ δικαιώσεως, ἐπεὶ κἂν τὸ ἥμισυ τῶν ὑπαρχόντων δεδώκασιν εἰς τὴν χρείαν τῶν δεομένων. καὶ Παῦλος δὲ τὸν σὺν τῷ ἀνθυπάτῳ Σεργίῳ Παύλῳ τῷ λόγῳ τυφλῶν διὰ τῶν πόνων ἐπιστρέφει εἰς τὴν θεοσέβειαν, λέγων αὐτῷ: Ὦ πλήρης παντὸς δόλου καὶ πάσης ῥᾳδιουργίας, υἱὲ διαβόλου, ἐχθρὲ πάσης δικαιοσύνης, οὐ παύσῃ διαστρέφων τὰς ὁδοὺς κυρίου τὰς εὐθείας; καὶ νῦν ἔσῃ τυφλὸς, μὴ βλέπων τὸν ἥλιον ἄχρι καιροῦ. ποίου γὰρ καιροῦ, ἢ τοῦ ὅτε ἐπιπληχθεὶς καὶ βασανισθεὶς διὰ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα ἔμελλε μετανοῶν ἄξιος γενέσθαι ἀμφοτέρως τὸν ἥλιον ἰδεῖν: καὶ κατὰ σῶμα, ἵνα ἐξαγγέληται ἡ θεία δύναμις ἐπὶ τῇ ἀποκαταστάσει τῆς ὄψεως αὐτοῦ: καὶ κατὰ ψυχὴν, ὅτε ἔμελλεν ὡς πιστεύων ὄνασθαι τῆς θεοσεβείας; ἀλλὰ καὶ Δημᾶς καὶ Ἑρμογένης, οὓς παρέδωκε τῷ Σατανᾷ ἵνα παιδευθῶσι μὴ βλασφημεῖν, παραπλήσιόν τι πεπόνθασι τοῖς προειρημένοις. καὶ ὁ ἐν Κορίνθῳ τὴν γυναῖκα τοῦ πατρὸς ἐσχηκὼς καὶ αὐτὸς παραδίδοται τῷ Σατανᾷ εἰς ὄλεθρον τῆς σαρκὸς, ἵνα τὸ πνεῦμα σωθῇ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ κυρίου. οὐ θαυμαστὸν οὖν εἰ καὶ τὰ περὶ τὸν Φαραὼ τὸν σκληρυνόμενον καὶ ἐπὶ τέλει τοιαύταις κολάσεσι περιβαλλόμενον ἀπὸ ἀγαθότητος οἰκονομεῖται θεοῦ. ταῦτα δὲ ἡμῖν ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος, ὡς ὑπέπεσεν, εἰρήσθω περὶ τοῦ: Ἐσκλήρυνε δὲ κύριος τὴν καρδίαν Φαραώ. ἐὰν δέ τις τὸ πρὸς θεὸν εὐσεβὲς τηρῶν κρείττονα καὶ μηδαμῶς ἀσεβείας ἐφαπτόμενα εὑρίσκῃ, μετὰ μαρτυριῶν τῶν ἀπὸ τῶν θείων γραφῶν, ἐκείνοις μᾶλλον χρηστέον.
[9] καὶ ἐν ἄλλοις περὶ τοῦ αὐτοῦ: Ἔτι δὲ ἐφίστημι ἐν τοῖς κατὰ τὸν τόπον μήποτε, ὥσπερ οἱ ἰατροὶ τῶν λυσσοδήκτων τὸν ἰὸν ἐπισπώμενοι εἰς τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν, ἵνα μὴ ἔνδον νεμόμενος διαφθείρῃ τὸν ἄνθρωπον, χαλεπωτέρας ἐμποιοῦσι διαθέσεις καὶ φλεγμονάς: οὕτως ὁ θεὸς τὴν ἐγκρυπτομένην καὶ ἐμφωλεύουσαν τοῖς βάθεσι τῆς ψυχῆς κακίαν, διὰ τῆς αὐτοῦ ἰατρικῆς ἐπισπᾶται ἐπὶ τὰ ἔξω, ὥστε φανερὰν αὐτὴν καὶ ἐναργεστέραν γενέσθαι, ἵνα μετὰ τοῦτο τὴν ἑξῆς ἐπαγάγῃ θεραπείαν. τοιαῦτα δὲ ἡγοῦμαι καὶ τὰ ἐν Δευτερονομίῳ ῥητὰ, τοῦτον ἔχοντα τὸν τρόπον: Καὶ μνησθήσῃ πᾶσαν τὴν ὁδὸν ἣν διήγαγέν σε κύριος ὁ θεός σου τοῦτο τεσσαρακοστὸν ἔτος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, ὅπως κακώσῃ σε καὶ πειράσῃ σε, καὶ διαγνωσθῇ τὰ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ σου, εἰ φυλάξῃ τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ ἢ οὔ. καὶ ἐκάκωσέν σε καὶ ἐλιμαγχόνησέν σε, καὶ ἐψώμισέν σε τὸ μάννα ὃ οὐκ ᾔδεις σὺ καὶ οὐκ ᾔδεισαν οἱ πατέρες σου: ἵνα ἀναγγείλῃ σοι ὅτι οὐκ ἐπ' ἄρτῳ μόνῳ ζήσεται ἄνθρωπος, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ παντὶ ῥήματι ἐκπορευομένῳ διὰ στόματος θεοῦ ζήσεται ὁ ἄνθρωπος. τήρει δὲ ἐν τούτοις ὅτι κακοῖ ὁ θεὸς καὶ ἐκπειράζει, ἵνα διαγνωσθῇ τὰ ἐν τῇ ἑκάστου καρδίᾳ, ὡς ὄντα μὲν ἐναποκείμενα δὲ τῷ βάθει καὶ εἰς φανερὸν διὰ τῶν κακώσεων ἐρχόμενα. τοιοῦτόν ἐστι καὶ τὸ ἐν τῷ Ἰὼβ ὑπὸ τοῦ κυρίου διὰ λαίλαπος καὶ νεφῶν ἀπαγγελλόμενον πρὸς τὸν Ἰὼβ οὕτως: Οἴει δέ με ἄλλως σοι κεχρηματικέναι ἢ ἵνα ἀναφανῇς δίκαιος; οὔτε γὰρ εἶπε: ἵνα γένῃ δίκαιος: ἀλλ': ἵνα ἀναφανῇς: τοιοῦτος ὢν μὲν καὶ πρὸ τῶν πειρασμῶν, ἀναφανῇς δὲ ἐν τοῖς συμβεβηκόσιν.
[10] καὶ πάλιν ἐν ἄλλῳ τόπῳ ἐν ταῖς αὐταῖς εἰς τὴν Ἔξοδον σημειώσεσιν: Ἔλεγε δέ τις τῶν καθ' ἡμᾶς, ἀπὸ τῆς συνηθείας τὸ ζητούμενον παραμυθούμενος, ὅτι πολλάκις οἱ χρηστοὶ κύριοι μακροθυμοῦντες ἐπὶ τοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας τῶν οἰκετῶν λέγειν εἰώθασι τό: Ἐγώ σε ἀπώλεσα: καί: Ἐγώ σε πονηρὸν ἐποίησα: μετὰ ἤθους ἐμφαίνοντες ὅτι ἡ χρηστότης αὐτῶν καὶ ἡ μακροθυμία πρόφασις δοκεῖ γεγονέναι τῆς ἐπὶ πλεῖον πονηρίας. ὥσπερ οὖν τούτων λεγομένων συκοφαντῶν τις δύναται λέγειν, ὅτι ὡμολόγησεν ὁ δεσπότης πονηρὸν πεποιηκέναι τὸν οἰκέτην: οὕτω τὰ ὑπὸ τῆς ἀγαθότητος τοῦ θεοῦ πρόφασις γενόμενα τῆς σκληρότητος τοῦ Φαραὼ ἐσκληρυκέναι ἀναγέγραπται τὴν καρδίαν Φαραώ. παραμυθήσεται δὲ οὗτος ἐξ ἀποστολικῶν ῥητῶν ὃ νενόηκεν εἰπεῖν: Ἢ τοῦ πλούτου τῆς χρηστότητος αὐτοῦ καὶ τῆς ἀνοχῆς καὶ τῆς μακροθυμίας καταφρονεῖς, ἀγνοῶν ὅτι τὸ χρηστὸν τοῦ θεοῦ εἰς μετάνοιάν σε ἄγει; κατὰ δὲ τὴν σκληρότητά σου καὶ ἀμετανόητον καρδίαν θησαυρίζεις σεαυτῷ ὀργὴν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ὀργῆς καὶ ἀποκαλύψεως καὶ δικαιοκρισίας τοῦ θεοῦ, ὃς ἀποδώσει ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ. ὁ αὐτὸς γοῦν ἀπόστολος ἐν τῇ αὐτῇ ἐπιστολῇ τῇ πρὸς Ῥωμαίους φησίν: Εἰ δὲ θέλων ὁ θεὸς ἐνδείξασθαι τὴν ὀργὴν καὶ γνωρίσαι τὸ δυνατὸν αὐτοῦ ἤνεγκεν ἐν πολλῇ μακροθυμίᾳ σκεύη ὀργῆς κατηρτισμένα εἰς ἀπώλειαν: ὡς τῆς μακροθυμίας τοῦ θεοῦ ἐνηνοχυίας τὰ σκεύη τῆς ὀργῆς καὶ οἱονεὶ γεγεννηκυίας. εἰ γὰρ παρὰ τὸ μακροθυμεῖν αὐτὸν οὐ κολάζοντα τοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας ἀλλ' ἐλεοῦντα ἐπλεόνασε τῇ χύσει τῆς κακίας, αὐτός πως ἤνεγκε τῇ ἑαυτοῦ μακροθυμίᾳ τὰ σκεύη τῆς ὀργῆς, καὶ, ἵν' οὕτως εἴπω, αὐτὸς αὐτὰ πεποίηκε σκεύη ὀργῆς, καὶ κατὰ τοῦτο αὐτὸς ἐσκλήρυνε τὴν καρδίαν αὐτῶν. ὅτε γὰρ σημείων τοσούτων καὶ τεράτων γινομένων οὐ πείθεται ὁ Φαραὼ, ἀλλὰ μετὰ τηλικαῦτα ἀνθίσταται, πῶς οὐ σκληρότερος καὶ ἀπιστότερος ὢν ἐλέγχεται, τῆς σκληρότητος καὶ τῆς ἀπιστίας δοκούσης ἐκ τῶν τεραστίων δυνάμεων γεγονέναι; ὅμοιον δὲ καὶ τὸ ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ: Εἰς κρίμα ἐγὼ εἰς τὸν κόσμον τοῦτον ἦλθον: οὐ γὰρ προέθετο ὁ σωτὴρ εἰς κρίμα ἐλθεῖν, ἀλλ' ἠκολούθησε τῷ ἐληλυθέναι αὐτὸν τὸ εἰς κρίμα αὐτὸν ἐληλυθέναι τῶν μετὰ τὰ τεράστια οὐ πεπιστευκότων αὐτῷ: ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς πτῶσιν πολλῶν παρεγένετο: οὐ προθέμενος ὅτε παρεγίνετο ποιῆσαι πεσεῖν τούτους, ὧν εἰς πτῶσιν ἐλήλυθεν.
[11] καὶ μεθ' ἕτερα: Οὕτως τὰ τεράστια γινόμενα τοῖς μὲν δεχομένοις καὶ πιστεύουσιν, ὥσπερ τοῖς ἐπιμίκτοις Αἰγυπτίοις τοῖς συνεληλυθόσι τῷ λαῷ, ἔλεος ἦν: τοῖς δὲ ἀπειθοῦσι σκληρότητα ταῖς καρδίαις αὐτῶν ἐπιφέρει. καὶ ἐκ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου δὲ ἔτι παρὰ τὰ εἰρημένα ἔστι τὰ ὅμοια παραθέσθαι, περὶ τοῦ καὶ τὸν σωτῆρα κακῶν αἴτιον δοκεῖν γεγονέναι τισίν: Οὐαί σοι, Χοραζίν: οὐαί σοι, Βηθσαϊδά: ὅτι εἰ ἐν Τύρῳ καὶ Σιδῶνι ἐγένετο τὰ σημεῖα τὰ γενόμενα ἐν ὑμῖν, πάλαι ἂν ἐν σάκκῳ καὶ σποδῷ καθήμενοι μετενόησαν. πλὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, Τύρῳ καὶ Σιδῶνι ἀνεκτότερον ἔσται ἢ ὑμῖν. καὶ σὺ, φησὶν, Καπερναούμ: καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. προγνώστης γὰρ ὢν ὁ σωτὴρ τῆς ἀπιστίας τῶν ἐν Χοραζὶν καὶ τῶν ἐν Βηθσαϊδὰ καὶ τῶν ἐν Καπερναοὺμ, καὶ ὅτι ἀνεκτότερον γίνεται γῇ Σοδόμων ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κρίσεως ἢ ἐκείνοις, διὰ τί τὰ τεράστια ἐπετέλει ἐν Χοραζὶν καὶ ἐν Βηθσαϊδὰ, ὁρῶν ὅτι διὰ ταῦτα ἀνεκτότερον γίνεται ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κρίσεως Τυρίοις καὶ Σιδωνίοις ἢ τούτοις;
[12] καὶ μεθ' ἕτερα: Σὺ δὲ ἐρεῖς τῷ Φαραώ: τάδε λέγει κύριος: υἱὸς πρωτότοκός μου Ἰσραήλ: εἶπα δέ σοι: ἐξαπόστειλον τὸν λαόν μου ἵνα μοι λατρεύσῃ: εἰ δὲ μὴ βούλει ἐξαποστεῖλαι αὐτὸν, ὅρα οὖν, ἐγὼ ἀποκτενῶ τὸν υἱόν σου τὸν πρωτότοκον. λεκτέον οὖν τοῖς φάσκουσι δικαίου ταῦτα εἶναι θεοῦ, καὶ ὑπολαμβάνουσι κατὰ τὸ πρόχειρον τῆς λέξεως ἐσκληρύνθαι τὴν καρδίαν Φαραώ: πῶς δίκαιος ὁ σκληρύνας τε τὴν καρδίαν τοῦ βασιλέως ἵνα μὴ ἐξαποστείλῃ τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀπειλῶν εἰ μὴ ἀπολύσει ἀποκτεῖναι τὸν πρωτότοκον αὐτοῦ υἱόν; θλιβόμενοι γὰρ πονηρὸν αὐτὸν ὁμολογήσουσιν. εἶτα πάλιν ἀπὸ ἑτέρων ἀνατραπήσονται καὶ συναχθήσονται εἰς τὸ μὴ τῇ προχείρῳ λέξει δουλεύειν, οὐ δυναμένῃ κατ' αὐτοὺς σῶσαι τὸ δίκαιον τοῦ δημιουργοῦ. ἅπαξ δὲ ἐὰν συναναγκασθῶσι βεβιασμένως ταῦτα ἐξετάζειν, ἀναβήσονται ἐπὶ τὸ μηκέτι κατηγορεῖν τοῦ δημιουργοῦ ἀλλὰ φάσκειν αὐτὸν εἶναι ἀγαθόν. πευστέον οὖν τῶν οἰομένων νενοηκέναι τό: Ἐσκλήρυνε κύριος τὴν καρδίαν Φαραώ: πότερον ἀληθῶς ταῦτα λέγεσθαι πιστεύουσιν ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ διὰ Μωσέως ἐνθουσιῶντος ἢ ψευδῶς. εἰ μὲν γὰρ ψευδῶς, οὔτε δίκαιος ἔτι κατ' αὐτοὺς ὁ θεὸς οὔτε ἀληθὴς, καὶ ὅσον ἐπὶ τούτοις οὐδὲ θεός: εἰ δ' ἀληθῶς, κατανοείτωσαν εἰ μὴ ὡς αὐτεξούσιον αἰτιᾶται λέγων: Εἰ δὲ μὴ βούλει ἐξαποστεῖλαι αὐτόν: καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ: Ἕως τίνος οὐ βούλει ἐντραπῆναί με; τὸ γάρ: Ἕως τίνος οὐ βούλει ἐντραπῆναί με; δυσωπητικῶς λέγεται πρὸς τὸν Φαραὼ, ὡς οὐκ ἐντρεπόμενον οὐ παρὰ τὸ μὴ δύνασθαι ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὸ μὴ βούλεσθαι. καὶ τὸ λεγόμενον δὲ ἀνωτέρω παρὰ Μωσέως πρὸς Φαραώ: Ἵνα γνῷς ὅτι τοῦ κυρίου ἡ γῆ: καὶ σὺ καὶ οἱ θεράποντές σου ἐπίσταμαι ὅτι οὐδέποτε πεφόβησθε τὸν κύριον: δηλοῖ ὅτι φοβηθήσονται: ὅπερ ἁρμόζει πρὸς τοὺς ἑτεροδόξους περί τε ἀγαθότητος θεοῦ καὶ τοῦ μὴ εἶναι ἀπολλυμένην φύσιν.
[13] καὶ πάλιν ἐκ τοῦ δευτέρου τόμου τῶν εἰς τὸ ᾆσμα. Πρόσχες δὲ καὶ τούτοις εἰς τὸν τόπον, ὅτι ὁ ἥλιος λευκὸς καὶ λαμπρὸς ὢν δοκεῖ τὴν αἰτίαν ἔχειν τοῦ μελανοῦν, οὐ παρ' ἑαυτὸν, ἀλλὰ παρὰ τὸν ὡς ἀποδεδώκαμεν μελανούμενον. οὕτω δὲ μήποτε καὶ σκληρύνει κύριος τὴν καρδίαν Φαραὼ, τῆς αἰτίας τούτου οὔσης περὶ αὐτὸν κατοδυνῶντα τὴν τῶν Ἑβραίων ζωὴν ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις τοῖς σκληροῖς, τῷ πηλῷ καὶ τῇ πλινθείᾳ, καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς ἔργοις, οὐχὶ τοῖς ἐν ὄρεσι καὶ βουνοῖς, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἐν τοῖς πεδίοις. ὑλικὸς γάρ τις ἀπὸ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ κακίας γεγενημένος, καὶ κατὰ σάρκα κατὰ πάντα ζῶν, πηλῷ φίλος τυγχάνων βούλεται καὶ τοὺς Ἑβραίους πηλοποιεῖν, τὸ ἡγεμονικὸν ἔχων οὐ καθαρὸν πηλοῦ: ὅπερ, ὡς πηλὸς ὑπὸ ἡλίου σκληρύνεται, οὕτως ὑπὸ τῶν αὐγῶν τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπισκοπουσῶν τὸν Ἰσραὴλ ἐσκληρύνθη. ὅτι δὲ τοιαῦτά ἐστιν ἐν τοῖς κατὰ τὸν τόπον, καὶ οὐχ ἱστορίαν ψιλὴν πρόκειται ἀναγράφειν τῷ θεράποντι, δῆλον ἔσται τῷ συνορῶντι ὅτι, ἡνίκα κατεστέναξαν οἱ υἱοὶ Ἰσραὴλ, οὔτε ἀπὸ τῆς πλινθείας οὔτε ἀπὸ τοῦ πηλοῦ οὔτε ἀπὸ τῶν ἀχύρων κατεστέναξαν, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων: καὶ ἀνέβη αὐτῶν ἡ βοὴ πρὸς θεὸν οὐκ ἀπὸ πηλοῦ, ἀλλὰ πάλιν ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων. διὸ καὶ εἰσήκουσεν ὁ θεὸς τῶν στεναγμῶν αὐτῶν: οὐκ εἰσακούων στεναγμοῦ τῶν οὐκ ἀπὸ ἔργων βοώντων πρὸς αὐτὸν, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ πηλοῦ καὶ τῶν γηΐνων πράξεων.