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the Father will repay him, for he emptied himself, becoming obedient to him unto death. And what will he repay him but the nations 90 for an inheritance, and for his possession the ends of the earth; that when the fullness of the nations comes in, then all Israel will be saved, and all the things in the psalm might be applied to Christ, containing the things concerning his incarnation, during which he was plotted against. Ps. Psalm 143. -14. In the psalm at hand it is said, Lord, bow the heavens and come down, but in the 17th, and he bowed the heavens and came down. We have therefore noted the saying there, and doing the same here we have supposed these things to be said about the Word of God. For having bowed the heavens by emptying himself of the heavenly glory and that in the form of God, he came down to the lower parts of the earth through the economy which he undertook for the salvation of men; whence before the cited saying, the word says in wonder: Lord what is man that you have been made known to him, or the son of man that you take account of him? For to this end the Word of God, having bowed the so-called heavens, came down, that having become man he might be known to the race of men, being previously unknown to it; and he did not despise, counting as nothing, the one who became the son of man, that is, every rational soul made in the image of God; and you might understand the rest of the psalm by taking it spiritually. 91 Ps. Psalm 147. -15. And the saying, he who sends his word to the earth, his word will run with speed, it seemed good to note, as the scripture teaches here also that the Word of God is a subsistent reality, being other than the Father who sends him; but see how what follows is added, his word will run with speed; which it is also possible to see fulfilled after the coming of Christ, his teaching having spread in a very short time, and in not many years prevailing in all the earth, even to the ends of the world. Ps. Psalm 148. -10. And what is said here, Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he spoke and they came to be, he commanded and they were created, we have selected among the testimonies concerning the Word of God who was in the beginning with God, having learned that the Word of God is also called his name, according to a certain appellation from the concepts about him; therefore after having said before, Praise the Lord, these things and these things the Spirit consequently exhorts to praise after the Father, adding his name, as he himself spoke and they came to be, he commanded and they were created. The one therefore who commands and enjoins would be the God and Father of all, and the one who serves is the Word of God, ministering to the Father's will for the creation of created things. It should be observed 92 that also in the 32nd psalm the saying, he spoke and they came to be, he commanded and they were created, is found word for word; but there it is said concerning the earth and those who inhabit the world, while here it is concerning those in the heavens and the so-called in the highest, both angels and powers, and also the sun and moon and stars and all the things enumerated in order, the divine scripture teaching us in these things that through the Word, according to the holy apostle, all things were created, both those in the heavens and those on the earth; whether visible or invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created through him and in him; and without him was not anything made that was made. So much then from the Psalms; and since the discourse has received a moderate and sufficient outline, we will make selections from another starting point, from the remaining Stichera and in order from the prophets. 93 These things are in the 3rd volume of the prophetic selections concerning Christ. First chapter; from the Proverbs. Concerning the Word of God as wisdom subsisting essentially and created by God before the ages, being other than him, and with him taking care of all things. (sic). Concerning Christ as son

34

ἀνταποδῷ αὐτῷ ὁ Πατὴρ, ἀνθ' ὧν ἐκένωσεν ἑαυτὸν, ὑπήκοος αὐτῷ γενόμενος μέχρι θανάτου. Τίνα δὲ ἀνταποδῷ αὐτῷ ἢ τὰ ἔθνη 90 κληρονομίαν, καὶ τὴν κατάσχεσιν αὐτοῦ τὰ πέρατα τῆς γῆς· ἵν' ὅταν τὸ πλήρωμα τῶν ἐθνῶν εἰσέλθῃ, τότε καὶ ὁ πᾶς Ἰσραὴλ σωθῇ, καὶ ὅλα δὲ τὰ ἐν τῷ ψαλμῷ ἐφαρμόσαι ἂν τῷ Χριστῷ, τὰ κατὰ τὴν ἐνανθρώπησιν αὐτοῦ, καθ' ἣν ἐπεβουλεύθη, περιέχοντα. Ψ. Ψαλμοῦ ρμγʹ. -Ι∆ʹ. Ἐν μὲν τῷ μετὰ χεῖρας ψαλμῷ λέγεται, κύριε, κλῖνον οὐρανοὺς καὶ κατάβηθι, ἐν δὲ τῷ ιζʹ, καὶ ἔκλινεν οὐρανοὺς καὶ κατέβη. Ἐσημειωσάμεθα μὲν οὖν κἀκεῖ καὶ τὸ ῥητὸν, καὶ ἐνταῦθα δὲ ταυτὸν ποιοῦντες περὶ τοῦ Λόγου τοῦ Θεοῦ ταῦτα λέγεσθαι ὑπειλήφαμεν. Κλίνας γὰρ οὐρανοὺς τῷ κενῶσαι ἑαυτὸν τῆς ἐπουρανίου καὶ ἐν μορφῇ Θεοῦ δόξης, εἰς τὰ κατώτερα τῆς γῆς κατελήλυθεν δι' ἣν ἀνεδέξατο ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀνθρώπων σωτηρίας οἰκονομίαν· ὅθεν πρὸ τοῦ ἐκτεθέντος ῥητοῦ ἀποθαυμάσας ὁ λόγος φησί· Κύριε τί ἐστιν ἄνθρωπος ὅτι ἐγνώσθης αὐτῷ, ἢ υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου ὅτι λογίζῃ αὐτόν; Εἰς τοῦτο γὰρ κλίνας τοὺς λεγομένους οὐρανοὺς κατελήλυθεν ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος, ὡς ἂν γνωσθείη ἐνανθρωπήσας τῷ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένει πρότερον ἀγνοούμενος αὐτῷ· καὶ οὐ περιεφρόνησεν παρ' οὐδὲν ἡγησάμενος τὸν γενόμενον υἱὸν ἀνθρώπου, τοῦτ' ἔστι πᾶσαν τὴν λογικὴν καὶ κατ' εἰκόνα Θεοῦ γενομένην ψυχήν· καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ δὲ τοῦ ψαλμοῦ πνευματικῶς ἐκλαμβάνων νοήσειας. 91 Ψ. Ψαλμοῦ ρμζʹ. -ΙΕʹ. Καὶ τὸ, ὁ ἀποστέλλων τὸ λόγιον αὐτοῦ τῇ γῇ, ἕως τάχους δραμεῖται ὁ λόγος αὐτοῦ, παρασημειώσασθαι ἔδοξεν, ὡς διδασκούσης καὶ ἐνταῦθα τῆς γραφῆς ὡς ἄρα ὑπόστατόν τι πρᾶγμα ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος τυγχάνει, ἕτερος ὢν παρὰ τὸν ἀποστέλλοντα αὐτῷ Πατέρα· ὅρα δὲ πῶς ἑξῆς ἐπιφέρεται τὸ, ἕως τάχους δραμεῖται ὁ λόγος αὐτοῦ· ὃ καὶ αὐτὸ πεπληρωμένον ἔστιν ἰδεῖν μετὰ τὴν Χριστοῦ παρουσίαν, οὕτω ἐν σφόδρα βραχεῖ χρόνῳ διαδραμούσης, καὶ εἰς πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ἐν οὐ πολλοῖς ἔτεσι μέχρι καὶ τῶν περάτων τῆς οἰκουμένης κεκρατηκυίας αὐτοῦ τῆς διδαχῆς. Ψ. Ψαλμοῦ ρμηʹ. -Ιʹ. Καὶ τὸ ἐνθάδε λεγόμενον, Αἰνεσάτωσαν τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου, ὅτι αὐτὸς εἶπεν καὶ ἐγενήθησαν, αὐτὸς ἐνετείλατο καὶ ἐκτίσθησαν, ἐν τοῖς περὶ τοῦ ἐν ἀρχῇ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν Θεοῦ Λόγου μαρτυρίοις ἀνελεξάμεθα, τὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγον, καὶ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ χρηματίζειν μεμαθηκότες κατὰ τίνα προσηγορίαν τῶν περὶ αὐτοῦ ἐπινοιῶν· μετὰ γοῦν τὸ προειπεῖν, Αἰνεῖτε τὸν Κύριον, τάδε καὶ τάδε ἀκολούθως παρακελεύεται τὸ Πνεῦμα αἰνεῖν μετὰ τὸν Πατέρα, τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ἐπιλέγων, ὡς ἄρα αὐτὸς εἶπεν καὶ ἐγενήθησαν, αὐτὸς ἐνετείλατο καὶ ἐκτίσθησαν. Ὁ μὲν οὖν προστάττων καὶ ἐντελλόμενος εἴη ἂν ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς καὶ Πατὴρ, ὁ δ' ὑπουργῶν ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος ἐξυπηρετούμενος τῷ πατρικῷ θελήματι πρὸς τὴν τῶν γενητῶν δημιουργίαν. Τηρητέον 92 δ' ὅτι καὶ ἐν λβʹ ψαλμῷ κατὰ λέξιν ἐμφέρεται τὸ, αὐτὸς εἶπεν καὶ ἐγενήθησαν, αὐτὸς ἐνετείλατο καὶ ἐκτίσθησαν· ἀλλ' ἐκεῖ μὲν περὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ τῶν κατοικούντων τὴν οἰκουμένην εἴρηται, ἐνθάδε δὲ περὶ τῶν ἐν οὐρανοῖς καὶ τῶν λεγομένων ἐν ὑψίστοις ἀγγέλων τε καὶ δυνάμεων, ἔτι τε ἡλίου καὶ σελήνης καὶ ἄστρων καὶ πάντων τῶν ἑξῆς συγκατειλεγμένων, διδασκούσης ἡμᾶς τῆς θείας ἐν τούτοις γραφῆς, ὡς ἄρα διὰ τοῦ Λόγου κατὰ τὸν ἱερὸν ἀπόστολον ἐκτίσθη τὰ πάντα τά τε ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς· εἴτε ὅρατα εἴτε ἀόρατα, εἴτε θρόνοι, εἴτε κυριότητες, εἴτε ἀρχαὶ, εἴτε ἐξουσίαι· τὰ πάντα δι' αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ ἔκτισται· καὶ χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδὲ ἕν. Τοσαῦτα μὲν δὴ τὰ ἀπὸ τῶν Ψαλμῶν· μετρίαν δὲ καὶ αὐτάρκη τοῦ λόγου περιγραφὴν εἰληφότος, ἐξ ἑτέρας ἀρχῆς τὰς ἀπὸ τῶν λοιπῶν στιχηρῶν καὶ ἑξῆς τὰς ἀπὸ τῶν προφητῶν ἐκλογὰς ποιησόμεθα. 93 Τάδε ἔνεστιν ἐν τῶι γʹ τόμωι τῶν περὶ τοῦ χριστοῦ προφητικῶν ἐκλογῶν. Πρῶτον κεφάλαιον· ἀπὸ τῶν παροιμιῶν. Περὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου ὡς περὶ σοφίας οὐσιωδῶς ὑπεστώσης καὶ πρὸ τῶν αἰώνων ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ κτισθείσης ἑτέρας τε παρ' αὐτὸν οὔσης, καὶ σὺν αὐτῷ τῶν ὅλων ἐπιμελόμενος. ̣(sic).̣ Περὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ὡς περὶ υἱοῦ