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living barbarians, both the more rational and the more civilized, and quick and winged in mind, continued to live under his authority. 10. "Therefore I saw, he says, in a vision of the night upon my bed, and behold a Watcher and a Holy One came down from heaven." He calls the one who is awake a Watcher; for this is what it is interpreted in the Greek tongue. He calls the angel one who is awake, in order to signify his incorporeality; for he who is clothed in a body is a slave to sleep; but he who is superior to sleep is free from a body. I saw therefore, he says, an angel, having an incorporeal nature, who came down from heaven. 81.1361 11. "And he cried with might, and said thus: Cut down the tree, and lop off its branches, and shake off its leaves and scatter its fruit." And he sees the angel who had descended from heaven, that he might learn that the Master of all himself had made the decision against him. And he is also taught who gave him the kingdom, and who takes the kingdom away; for he sees the tree being cut down, and the branches being separated, that is, the governors, and the generals, and the satraps, and those entrusted with any other leadership by him; and the leaves being shaken off, the glory with which he was clothed flowing away and withering like leaves; and the fruit being scattered; for when the king fell into that misfortune, those who demanded tribute then fearlessly diverted the profit to themselves. "Let the beasts, he says, be moved from under it, and the birds from its branches." For those forced to serve against their will, finding an opportunity in the king's change, ceased to obey. 12. "Nevertheless leave the stump of its roots in the earth; and in a bond, he says, of iron and bronze, and in the grass outside, and he shall lodge in the dew of heaven." For having fallen into madness, and derangement, and the disease of frenzy, and being insane, and raving, and raging against all, he was necessarily bound with chains; but nevertheless these were not sufficient to hold him inside; but escaping he spent his time in desolate places, suffering in the open air, and eating grass like cattle. For this he signifies by saying: "And his portion is with the beasts; in the grass of the earth is his heart; it shall be changed from that of men. (13.) And the heart of a beast will be given to him, and seven times shall pass over him." And this shows the long-suffering of God; for he limits the punishment to a short time, awaiting the repentance that will be born from the chastisement. Then he shows that what was said will be incontrovertible. 14. "By the decree, he says, of the Watcher is the sentence, and the demand by the word of the Holy Ones." The word, he says, is true; for it was a holy angel who spoke, a watcher, incorporeal. And these things, he says, were said, and they happen, not in vain, but "That the living may know that the Most High is Lord of the kingdom of men, and he will give it to whomsoever he chooses, and he will raise up over it the basest of men." These things, he says, the angel said, that for this reason the things concerning the tree will happen, so that through this all may learn that there is one 81.1364 God, Master and King, who establishes kings upon the earth, and entrusts the kingdom to whomsoever he wishes. For showing his own authority, sometimes even the most insignificant, and the one thought to be nothing, he declares king, and he prepares those who are in the greatest dignities to obey him. Thus having completed the narration of the dream, he says to Daniel: 15. "This is the dream I, Nebuchadnezzar the king, have seen; and you, Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation opposite;" instead of, truly and accurately; "for all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to declare its interpretation to me, but you are able." And showing the reason, "Because, he says, a holy Spirit of God is in you." For they use human reasoning, but you learn the hidden things from God. 10. "Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was silent for about one hour, and his thoughts troubled him." For human weakness had to be shown, and then

34

ζῶντες βάρβαροι, οἵ τε λογικώτεροι καὶ ἡμερώτεροι, καὶ ὀξεῖς καὶ πτηνοὶ τὴν διάνοιαν, ὑπὸ τὴν τούτου ἐξουσίαν βιο τεύοντες διετέλουν. ιʹ. "Ἐθεώρουν τοίνυν, φησὶν, ἐν ὁράματι τῆς νυκτὸς ἐπὶ τῆς κοίτης μου, καὶ ἰδοὺ εἲρ καὶ ἅγιος ἀπ' οὐρανοῦ κατέβη." Εἲρ καλεῖ τὸν ἐγρηγορότα· τοῦτο γὰρ ἑρμηνεύεται τῇ Ἑλλάδι φωνῇ. Ἐγρηγορότα δὲ καλεῖ τὸν ἄγγελον, ἵνα τούτου σημήνῃ τὸ ἀσώματον· ὁ γὰρ σῶμα περικείμενος ὕπνῳ δουλεύει· ὁ δὲ ὕπνου κρείττων σώματος ἐλεύθερος. Εἶδον τοί νυν, φησὶν, ἄγγελον, ἀσώματον ἔχοντα φύσιν, ὃς ἀπ' οὐρανοῦ κατέβη. 81.1361 ιαʹ. "Καὶ ἐφώνησεν ἐν ἰσχύϊ, καὶ οὕτως εἶπεν· Ἐκκόψατε τὸ δένδρον, καὶ ἐκτίλατε τοὺς κλάδους αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐκτινάξατε τὰ φύλλα αὐτοῦ καὶ διασκορ πίσατε τὸν καρπὸν αὐτοῦ." Καὶ βλέπει μὲν τὸν ἄγγελον ἀπ' οὐρανοῦ καταβεβηκότα, ἵνα μάθῃ, ὡς αὐτὸς ὁ τῶν ὅλων ∆εσπότης τὴν κατ' αὐτοῦ ἀπόφα σιν ἐποιήσατο. ∆ιδάσκεται δὲ καὶ τίς ὁ δεδωκὼς αὐτῷ τὴν βασιλείαν, καὶ ἀποτιθέμενος τὴν βασιλείαν· ὁρᾷ γὰρ τὸ μὲν δένδρον ἐκτεμνόμενον, τοὺς δὲ κλά δους χωριζομένους, τουτέστι, τοὺς ὑπάρχους, καὶ τοὺς στρατηγοὺς, καὶ σατράπας, καὶ τοὺς ἄλλην τινὰ ἡγεμονίαν παρ' αὐτοῦ πεπιστευμένους· τὰ δὲ φύλλα ἐκτινασσόμενα ἣν περιεβέβλητο δόξαν δίκην φύλλων ἐκρέουσάν τε καὶ μαραινομένην· τὸν δὲ καρπὸν διασκορπιζόμενον· τοῦ γὰρ βασιλέως ἐκείνῃ περιπεσόντος τῇ συμφορᾷ, οἱ τὸν δασμὸν ἀπαιτοῦντες εἰς ἑαυτοὺς λοιπὸν ἀδεῶς τὸ κέρδος παρέπεμπον. "Σαλευθήτω, φησὶ, τὰ θηρία ὑπο κάτωθεν αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὰ ὄρνεα ἀπὸ τῶν κλάδων αὐτοῦ." Οἱ γὰρ παρὰ γνώμην δουλεύειν ἠναγκασμένοι, ἀφορ μὴν εὑρόντες τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως μεταβολὴν, τοῦ ὑπ ακούειν ἀπέστησαν. ιβʹ. "Πλὴν τὴν φυὴν τῶν ῥιζῶν αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ γῇ ἐάσατε· καὶ ἐν δεσμῷ, φησὶ, σιδηρῷ καὶ χαλκῷ, καὶ ἐν τῇ χλόῃ τῇ ἔξω, καὶ ἐν τῇ δρόσῳ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ αὐ λισθήσεται." Ὡς γὰρ φρενοβλαβείᾳ, καὶ παρα πληξίᾳ, καὶ φρενίτιδι νόσῳ περιπεσὼν, καὶ μεμη νὼς, καὶ κορυβαντιῶν, καὶ κατὰ πάντων λυττῶν, ἀναγκαίως δεσμὰ περιέκειτο· ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδὲ ταῦτα ἦν ἱκανὰ ἔνδον αὐτὸν κατέχειν· ἀλλὰ δραπετεύων ἐν ἐρήμοις διέτριβεν, ὑπαίθριος ταλαιπωρῶν, καὶ κτηνῶν δίκην τὴν πόαν σιτούμενος. Τοῦτο γὰρ ση μαίνει εἰρηκώς· "Καὶ μετὰ τῶν θηρίων ἡ μερὶς αὐτοῦ· ἐν τῷ χόρτῳ τῆς γῆς ἡ καρδία αὐτοῦ· ἀπὸ τῶν ἀν θρώπων ἀλλοιωθήσεται. (ιγʹ.) Καὶ καρδία θηρίου δοθή σεται αὐτῷ, καὶ ἑπτὰ καιροὶ ἀλλαγήσονται ἐπ' αὐ τόν." Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ μακροθυμίαν δη λοῖ· χρόνῳ γὰρ βραχεῖ τὴν τιμωρίαν περιορίζει, ἀναμένων τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς παιδείας τεχθησομένην μετα μέλειαν. Εἶτα δείκνυσιν, ὡς ἀναντιῤῥήτως ἔσται τὰ εἰρημένα. ιδʹ. "∆ιὰ συγκρίματος, φησὶν, εἲρ ὁ λόγος, καὶ ῥῆμα ἁγίων τὸ ἐπερώτημα." Ἀψευδὴς, φησὶν, ὁ λόγος· ἄγγελος γὰρ ἅγιος ὁ εἰρηκὼς, ἐγρηγορὼς, ἀσώματος. Εἴρηται δὲ ταῦτα, φησὶ, καὶ γίνεται, οὐ μάτην, ἀλλ' "Ἵνα γνῶσιν οἱ ζῶντες, ὅτι κυριεύει ὁ Ὕψιστος τῆς βασιλείας τῶν ἀνθρώπων, καὶ ᾧ ἐὰν δόξῃ, δώσει αὐτὴν, καὶ ἐξουθένημα ἀνθρώ που ἀναστήσει ἐπ' αὐτήν." Ταῦτα, φησὶν, ὁ ἄγ γελος ἔφη, ὅτι τούτου χάριν τὰ κατὰ τὸ δένδρον γε νήσεται, ἵνα διὰ τούτου μάθωσιν ἅπαντες, ἕνα εἶναι 81.1364 Θεὸν ∆εσπότην καὶ βασιλέα, τοὺς ἐπὶ γῆς καθ ιστῶντα βασιλέας, καὶ ἐγχειρίζοντα, ᾧ ἐὰν θέλῃ, τὴν βασιλείαν. ∆εικνὺς γὰρ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ἐξουσίαν, καὶ τὸν εὐτελέστατον ἔστιν ὅτε, καὶ οὐδὲν εἶναι νομιζό μενον, ἀποφαίνει βασιλέα, καὶ τοὺς ἐν τοῖς μεγίστοις ὄντας ἀξιώμασιν ὑπακούειν αὐτῷ παρασκευάζει. Οὕτω πληρώσας τὸ τοῦ ἐνυπνίου διήγημα, φησὶ πρὸς τὸν ∆ανιήλ· ιεʹ. "Τοῦτο τὸ ἐνύπνιον εἶδον ἐγὼ Ναβουχοδο νόσορ ὁ βασιλεύς· καὶ σὺ, Βαλτάσαρ, τὸ σύγκριμα εἰπὲ κατέναντι·" ἀντὶ τοῦ, ἀληθῶς καὶ ἀκριβῶς· "ὅτι πάντες οἱ σοφοὶ τῆς βασιλείας μου οὐ δύνανται τὸ σύγκριμα αὐτοῦ δηλῶσαί μοι, σὺ δὲ δύνασαι." Καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν δεικνὺς, "Ὅτι, φησὶ, Πνεῦμα Θεοῦ ἅγιον ἐν σοί." Οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἀνθρωπίνοις κέχρηνται λογισμοῖς, σὺ δὲ παρὰ Θεοῦ μανθάνεις τὰ κεκρυμ μένα. ιʹ. "Τότε ∆ανιὴλ, οὗ τὸ ὄνομα Βαλτάσαρ, ἀπ ηνεώθη ὡσεὶ ὥραν μίαν, καὶ οἱ διαλογισμοὶ αὐτοῦ συνετάρασσον αὐτόν." Ἔδει γὰρ δειχθῆναι τὴν ἀν θρωπίνην ἀσθένειαν, καὶ τότε