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he descends transitively (for these things are of bodies or of those clothed in a body), but in the way that he is said to dwell in the heavens; For existing in the form of God, he descended, taking the form of a servant, with not a single local change happening with respect to him. 114 Ps 17,11 And he mounted upon cherubim and flew. the word cherubim is translated as a multitude of knowledge; where there is therefore much knowledge, or rather the most pure. Mounting from there, through elevated and lofty understanding he flies. but it must not be despaired that some kind of immortal living beings, having contained the fullest knowledge, are signified by this name. and so, mounting upon these rational living beings, God soars through the sharpest understanding. He flew on the wings of the winds. If what is said is taken to mean the perceptible winds, he will say that God, according to his providential reason, mounting the wings of the winds, that is, by their soaring, leads them where he himself wishes; For he is the one bringing forth winds from their treasuries. But if one were to take "winds" to mean wise men, who are raised up in spirit and who send forth breaths like winds, on their wings too God, mounting, soars everywhere; and their wings are their superior and high-flying thoughts. And the apostle Paul also spoke of winds of teaching, saying concerning the heterodox: By every wind of teaching, in human cunning, in craftiness, with a view to the systematizing of deceit. Therefore, just as in the case of blameworthy teachers there would be winds upon whose wings ride the spirits that deceive the people, so too, riding upon the wings of every wind of true teaching, God breathes where he wishes. And this is what "to fly on the wings of the winds" means. 115 Ps 17,12ab Primarily and truly God is light unapproachable, inhabiting the Son who is the true light, and the Holy Spirit which happens to be the substance of knowledge and wisdom, just as of this light it is said, And the light is with him. But in a secondary sense; on account of the incomprehensibility of his essence, he is said to have made darkness his hiding place. For what is unclear and incomprehensible on account of the depth of the matter is called darkness. for in this way both he will understand a parable and a dark saying has been said as darkness; and God reveals deep things out of darkness, making manifest and clarifying things hidden by obscurity and incomprehensibility. Round about him was his tabernacle. Just as it is not possible to see one who is contained by a tent without having entered it, so also it is not possible to see God, who is surrounded by obscurity and incomprehensibility, without breaking inside the curtain of incomprehensibility. For example, it is said concerning Moses that He entered into the darkness where God was; for having fixed his mind on the conception of God and his creation and providence, he knew that God was contained within these things, so that, by opening this tent around him a little, he might see from the one in the image the one of whom he is the image, and from the creation and providence the Creator and Provider. 116 Ps 17,12c.13a In many places of scripture we find the clouds taken allegorically. For having called the house of Israel a vineyard, we find the clouds receiving commands to rain on it no longer are none other than the prophets. For among them is no longer Thus says the Lord, and The word of the Lord came to me; up to these clouds the truth shines. At any rate, these clouds, flowing a rain of spiritual words upon souls, are not of earth but of air; for having renounced earthly things and no longer thinking of them, being raised up and lifted up by their own virtue and by the active spirit, they are of the air. The water in them, therefore, before it received outcome and clarity from Jesus, is said to be dark because it is difficult for the many to behold. But when the law and the prophets are fulfilled, God having spoken in the Son in the last days, From the far-shining brightness (that is, his brilliant shining) before him, they will come together, clouds manifest and very clear

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καταβαίνει μεταβατικῶς (ταῦτα γὰρ σωμάτων η σῶμα περικειμένων), ἀλλὰ καθ' ο οἰκεῖν λέγεται τοὺς οὐρανούς· ̓Εν μορφῇ γὰρ θεοῦ ὑπάρχων, μορφὴν δούλου λαβὼν κατελήλυθεν, οὐδὲ μιᾶς περὶ αὐτὸν τοπικῆς μεταβολῆς γινομένης. 114 Ps 17,11 Καὶ ἐπέβη ἐπὶ χερουβεὶμ καὶ ἐπετάσθη. ἡ χερουβεὶμ φωνὴ εἰς πληθυσμὸν γνώσεως μεταλαμβάνεται· ενθα ουν πολλὴ γνῶσις, μᾶλλον δὲ ἀκραιφνεστάτη. ἐκεῖθεν ἐπιβαίνων διὰ τῆς ἐπῃρημένης καὶ μετεώρου νοήσεως πέταται. οὐκ ἀπογνωστέον δὲ καί τι ειδος ἀθανάτων ζῴων πληρεστάτην κεχωρηκέναι γνῶσιν τῷδε τῷ ὀνόματι σημαίνεσθαι. καὶ τούτοις ουν τοῖς λογικοῖς ζῴοις ἐπιβὰς ὁ θεὸς ιπταται διὰ τῆς ὀξυτάτης νοήσεως. ̓Επετάσθη ἐπὶ πτερύγων ἀνέμων. εἰ μὲν ἐπὶ τῶν αἰσθητῶν ἀνέμων ἐκλήψεται τὸ λεγόμενον, ἐρεῖ τὸν θεὸν κατὰ τὸν προνοητικὸν αὐτοῦ λόγον ἐπιβάντα τῶν πτερύγων τῶν ἀνέμων, τουτέστι τῷ μετεωρισμῷ αὐτῶν αγειν αὐτοὺς ῃ αὐτὸς βούλεται· ̓Εξάγων γάρ ἐστιν ἀνέμους ἐκ θησαυρῶν αὐτῶν. εἰ δὲ τοὺς πνεύματι μετεωριζομένους καὶ δίκην ἀνέμων πνόας ἐκπέμποντας σοφοὺς ανδρας ἐκλάβοι τις ἀνέμους, καὶ τούτων ταῖς πτέρυξιν ὁ θεὸς ἐπιβαίνων ιπταται πανταχοῦ· πτέρυγες δὲ αὐτῶν αἱ ὑπέρτεροι καὶ ὑψιπετεῖς νοήσεις. καὶ ἀνέμους δὲ διδασκαλίας ειπεν ὁ ἀπόστολος Παῦλος, περὶ ἑτεροδόξων λέγων Παντὶ ἀνέμῳ διδασκαλίας ἐν τῇ κυβείᾳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ἐν πανουργίᾳ πρὸς τὴν μεθοδείαν τῆς πλάνης. ωσπερ ουν ἐπὶ ψεκτῶν διδασκάλων ειεν ανεμοι ων ταῖς πτέρυξιν ἐπιβαίνει τὰ λαοπλανᾶ πνεύματα, ουτως ταῖς πτέρυξιν παντὸς ἀνέμου ἀληθοῦς διδασκαλίας ἐπιβαίνων ὁ θεὸς οπου βούλεται πνεῖ. καὶ τοῦτό ἐστιν τὸ πετασθῆναι ἐπὶ πτερύγων ἀνέμων. 115 Ps 17,12ab Προηγουμένως καὶ ἀληθῶς οἰκῶν ὁ θεός ἐστιν φῶς ἀπρόσιτον τὸν υἱὸν ος ἐστιν φῶς ἀληθινόν, καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ αγιον τυγχάνον γνώσεως καὶ σοφίας υπαρξις, ωσπερ τούτου τοῦ φωτὸς λέγεσθαι Καὶ τὸ φῶς μετ' αὐτοῦ ἐστιν. κατὰ δεύτερον δὲ λόγον· διὰ τὴν περὶ τὴν οὐσίαν αὐτοῦ ἀκαταληψίαν σκότος λέγεται τεθεικέναι ἀποκρυφὴν αὐτοῦ. τὸ γὰρ ἀσαφὲς καὶ ἀκατάληπτον διὰ τὸ περὶ τὸ πρᾶγμα βάθος σκότος λέγεται. ταύτῃ γὰρ καὶ σκότος ειρηται τὸ Νοήσει τε παραβολὴν καὶ σκοτεινὸν λόγον· καὶ ̓Ανακαλύπτων ὁ θεὸς βαθέα ἐκ σκότους, φανερῶν καὶ σαφηνίζων τὰ ὑπὸ ἀσαφείας καὶ δυσκαταληψίας κρυπτόμενα. Κύκλῳ αὐτοῦ σκηνὴ αὐτοῦ. ωσπερ τὸν ὑπὸ σκηνῆς περιεχόμενον οὐκ εστιν θεάσασθαι μὴ εἰσελθόντα ἐν αὐτῇ, ουτως καὶ τὸν θεὸν ὑπὸ ἀσαφείας καὶ δυσκαταληψίας κυκλούμενον οὐκ εστιν ἰδεῖν μὴ εἰσβάλλοντα ενδον τοῦ τῆς δυσκαταληψίας περιπετάσματος. αὐτίκα γοῦν περὶ Μωυσέως ειρηται ὡς αρα Εἰσῆλθεν εἰς τὸν γνόφον ου ην ὁ θεός· ἐπιστήσας γὰρ τῇ περὶ θεοῦ ἐννοίᾳ καὶ δημιουργίᾳ καὶ προνοίᾳ αὐτοῦ, εγνω εισω τούτων περιέχεσθαι τὸν θεόν, ὡς, ὀλίγον διοίξαντα ταύτην τὴν περὶ αὐτὸν σκηνήν, ἐκ τοῦ κατ' εἰκόνα τὸν ου ἡ εἰκὼν καὶ ἐκ τῆς δημιουργίας καὶ προνοίας τὸν δημιουργὸν καὶ προνοητὴν θεωρῆσαι. 116 Ps 17,12c.13a ̓Εν πολλοῖς τόποις τῆς γραφῆς τὰς νεφέλας ἀλληγορικῶς φερομένας εὑρίσκομεν. τὸν γὰρ οικον τοῦ ̓Ισραὴλ ἀμπελῶνα εἰπών, νεφέλας ἐντολὰς λαμβανούσας μὴκ' ετι βρέχειν αὐτόν, οὐκ αλλας η τοὺς προφήτας εὑρίσκομεν. οὐκ ετι γοῦν παρ' ἐκείνοις τὸ Τάδε λέγει κύριος, καὶ τὸ ̓Εγένετο λόγος κυρίου πρός με· μέχρι τούτων τῶν νεφελῶν ἡ ἀλήθεια λάμπει. αυται γοῦν αἱ νεφέλαι ψυχαῖς ῥέουσαι πνευματικῶν λόγων ὑετὸν οὐ γῆς ἀλλ' ἀέρος εἰσίν· τοῖς γὰρ ἐπιγείοις ἀποταξάμεναι καὶ μηκέτ' αὐτὰ φρονοῦσαι, μετεωριζόμεναι καὶ ἐπαιρόμεναι ὑπὸ τῆς σφῶν ἀρετῆς καὶ τοῦ ἐνεργοῦντος πνεύματος ἀέρος εἰσίν. τὸ ἐν αὐταῖς ουν υδωρ, πρὶν ὑπὸ ̓Ιησοῦ ἐκβάσεως καὶ σαφηνείας τυχεῖν, διὰ τὸ τοῖς πολλοῖς δυσθεώρητον σκοτεινὸν ειναι λέγεται. οτ' αν δὲ λαλήσαντος τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν τῷ υἱῷ ἐπ' ἐσχάτων τῶν ἡμερῶν πληρωθῶσιν ὁ νόμος καὶ οἱ προφῆται, ̓Απὸ τῆς τηλαυγήσεως (τουτέστιν ἐπιλάμψεως αὐτοῦ) ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ συνελεύσονται, νεφέλαι φανεραὶ καὶ ἀρίδηλοι