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the cause of all things; which is of a monad having been moved. But when the dyad has been transcended, it has been said that the divine nature is seen outside of composition. But when the triad has been defined on account of its perfection, it has been said that being itself is not outside of wisdom and life; which having understood we defined wisdom as the Son and Word of God, life as the Holy Spirit, since also our soul, created according to the image of God, is seen in these three things, in mind and word and spirit.

14Α_162 QUESTION 106 What does the saying in Ezra, "terrify them in the law of the Lord," mean? RESPONSE "Terrify" is said instead of "astound them," not from the

promised good things, but from the threatened terrible things; for this is servile and fitting for Jews.

QUESTION 107 From the 'Moralia' of Saint Basil on the first psalm; «that just as

in a common hospital of souls all men, let each of us select the remedy for his own passion; 'a remedy,' for it says, 'will make great sins to cease.'». For what reason did the teacher here not follow Scripture? For it gave the remedy as letting go the evil thought that has entered and not accepting it, but he gave the word in terms of healing.

RESPONSE Since every beginning also has an end, and every utterance something implied, and

every activity a result, often the more precise of the teachers make the beginning of their own discourse from the results, just as the teacher also did here; for the end of letting go and not accepting the evil is healing and health.

QUESTION 108 From the same; «Prophets, therefore, teach some things 14Α_164 and other things

historians, and the law others, and another is the form of proverbial exhortation.». RESPONSE Prophets teach prognostic things, but historians the of good things

remembrance and narration, and the law the knowledge of good and evil; but the form of proverbial exhortation provides counsel of judgement, that is, it lays down the ways of what is to be done.

QUESTION 109 From the same; «and where has one of those who are utterly brutalized by anger, whenever

he begins to be charmed by the psalm, he has straightaway departed, having put to sleep the savagery of his soul by the melody.».

RESPONSE Not concerning one who simply psalms but concerning one who knows how to psalm, said the

teacher; for thus also Elisha sought from the kings a young man who knew how to psalm, that is, one who understands and is able through the medium of the text to convey and impress the inherent meaning upon the soul. For such a one is able not only to put anger to sleep but also to cast out demons, that is, not only to quench the passions of the flesh but also to drive away the demons who stir them up, like the great David who cast out the evil spirit from Saul.

QUESTION 110 Of the same; «a weapon in nocturnal fears, a rest from daily labors.». 14Α_166 RESPONSE

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αἰτία τῶν ὅλων· ὅπερ ἐστὶν μονάδος κινηθείσης. ∆υάδος δὲ ὑπερβαθείσης λέλεκται ὅτι συνθέσεως ἔξω καθορᾶται ἡ θεία φύσις. Τριάδος δὲ ὁρισθείσης διὰ τὸ τέλειον εἴρηται ὅτι αὐτὸ τὸ ὂν οὐκ ἔξω σοφίας καὶ ζωῆς ἐστιν· ὅπερ νοήσαντες ὡρίσαμεν σοφίαν τὸν Υἱὸν καὶ Λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ, ζωὴν τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, ἐπειδὴ καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ ἡμῶν, κατ᾽ εἰκόνα Θεοῦ κτισθεῖσα, ἐν τοῖς τρισὶ τούτοις καθορᾶται, ἐν νῷ καὶ λόγῳ καὶ πνεύματι.

14Α_162 ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ 106 Τί σημαίνει τὸ ἐν τῷ Ἔσδρᾳ λεγόμενον "φοβέρισον αὐτοὺς ἐν νόμῳ Κυρίου"; ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ Τὸ φοβέρισον εἴρηται ἀντὶ τοῦ "κατάπληξον αὐτούς", οὐκ ἐκ τῶν

ἐπηγγελμένων ἀγαθῶν, ἀλλ᾽ ἐκ τῶν ἠπειλημένων φοβερῶν· δουλικὸν γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ Ἰουδαίοις ἁρμόδιον.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ 107 Ἐκ τῶν 'Ἠθικῶν' τοῦ ἁγίου Βασιλείου εἰς τὸν πρῶτον ψαλμόν· «ἵνα ὥσπερ

ἐν κοινῷ τῶν ψυχῶν ἰατρείῳ πάντες ἄνθρωποι, ἕκαστος τὸ ἴαμα τοῦ οἰκείου πάθους ἐκλεγώμεθα· 'ἴαμα', γάρ φησιν, 'καταπαύσῃ ἁμαρτίας μεγάλας'». Τίνος χάριν ὁ διδάσκαλος ἐνταῦθα οὐ τῇ Γραφῇ ἠκολούθησεν; ἐκείνη γὰρ τὸ ἴαμα τὸ ἐᾶσαι τὸν ἐπεισελθόντα πονηρὸν λογισμὸν καὶ μὴ παραδέξασθαι ἐξέδωκεν, αὐτὸς δὲ ἐπὶ τῆς ἰάσεως τὴν λέξιν ἐξέδωκεν.

ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ Ἐπειδὴ πᾶσα ἀρχὴ καὶ τέλος ἔχει, καὶ πᾶσα ῥῆσις ἀνθυπακουόμενον, καὶ

πᾶσα ἐνέργεια ἀποτέλεσμα, πολλάκις οἱ ἀκριβέστεροι τῶν διδασκάλων ἐκ τῶν ἀποτελεσμάτων τὴν ἀρχὴν τοῦ ἰδίου λόγου ποιοῦνται, καθάπερ καὶ ἐνταῦθα ὁ διδάσκαλος ἐχρήσατο· καὶ γὰρ τέλος τοῦ ἐᾶσαι καὶ μὴ παραδέξασθαι τὸ κακὸν ἴασίς ἐστιν καὶ ὑγεία.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ 108 Ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ· «ἄλλα μὲν οὖν προφῆται παιδεύουσιν 14Α_164 καὶ ἄλλα

ἱστορικοί, καὶ ὁ νόμος ἕτερα, καὶ ἄλλο τὸ εἶδος τῆς παροιμιακῆς παραινέσεως». ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ Προφῆται μὲν παιδεύουσιν τὰ προγνωστικά, ἱστορικοὶ δὲ τὴν τῶν καλῶν

ἀνάμνησιν καὶ παράθεσιν, ὁ δὲ νόμος τὴν τοῦ καλοῦ καὶ κακοῦ εἴδησιν· τὸ δὲ εἶδος τῆς παροιμιακῆς παραινέσεως συμβουλὴν γνώμης παρέχεται, τουτέστιν τοὺς τρόπους τῶν πρακτέων ὑποτίθεται.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ 109 Ἐκ τοῦ αὐτοῦ· «καὶ πού τις τῶν σφόδρα ἐκτεθηριωμένων ὑπὸ θυμοῦ, ἐπειδὰν

ἄρξηται τῷ ψαλμῷ κατεπᾴδεσθαι, ἀπῆλθεν εὐθὺς τὸ ἀγριαῖνον τῆς ψυχῆς τῇ μελῳδίᾳ κατακοιμήσας».

ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ Οὐ περὶ τοῦ ἁπλῶς ψάλλοντος ἀλλὰ περὶ τοῦ εἰδότος ψάλλειν εἶπεν ὁ

διδάσκαλος· οὕτω γὰρ καὶ Ἐλισσαῖος παρὰ τῶν βασιλέων ἐπεζήτησεν νεανίσκον εἰδότα ψάλλειν, τουτέστιν νοοῦντα καὶ δυνάμενον διὰ τῆς τοῦ ῥητοῦ μεσιτείας τὴν ἐγκειμένην διάνοιαν πρὸς τὴν ψυχὴν διαβιβάσαι καὶ ἐντυπῶσαι. Ὁ τοιοῦτος γὰρ οὐ μόνον κατακοιμῆσαι δύναται τὸν θυμὸν ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκδιῶξαι δαίμονας, τουτέστιν οὐ μόνον τὰ πάθη τῆς σαρκὸς σβέσαι ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς διεγείροντας ταῦτα δαίμονας ἀποδιῶξαι, κατὰ τὸν μέγαν ∆αβὶδ τὸ πονηρὸν πνεῦμα τοῦ Σαοὺλ ἐκδιώκοντα.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ 110 Τοῦ αὐτοῦ· «ὅπλον ἐν φόβοις νυκτερινοῖς, ἀνάπαυσις κόπων ἡμερινῶν». 14Α_166 ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ