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of evils. For he adds: There is no man who repents of his wickedness. He does not say: They did not repent, but that, There is no 64.845 man. Another hyperbole again. Not to rise up is hard, but not so hard. But for all to lie prostrate, this is much harder. Not only does he not change, but he does not even accuse himself of his sins. Saying: What have I done? Or it must be understood thus: They will not speak thus; that is, so as to turn back; but in either case the same meaning stands well. The one running has ceased from his course, as a horse sweating in his neighing. He has compared them to a horse set apart for breeding. For the one, he says, grows weary of mounting, and stops from the work; but they did not cease from transgression. Or it must be understood thus: that just as a horse recently let loose for breeding mounts the females in a frenzy, not releasing himself from the matter for nothing; so also these showed such great zeal concerning evil; and as that one does not cease running at that time, so also these; so that he might say, They did not cut short their eagerness for evil. But of all things there is an end, he says, but these alone sin immortally, and have no satiety of evils; and yet those according to nature. There is no season for the things of desire perhaps. there is no satiety even for the things of desire, with nature growing weary, and no longer willing to work, but they wish to rest another. wanting to. But you do not. It is no longer dear to horses to run, but they sometimes seek rest as well, All things know change, but you do not, practicing evil things. *And the stork in the heaven knew her time; the turtledove, and the cicada, and the swallow of the field, the sparrows have kept the seasons for their way. By the comparison with the irrational animals he rebukes them. He calls the stork "asida." But the Hebrew does not have "cicada." But instead of "cicada," it has "crane." He took, then, things that appear in summer, and things that appear in winter. The swallow and the stork are accustomed to be seen in summer, but the turtledove and the crane in winter. What he wishes to say, then, is this, that irrational animals pursue their own benefit, and change to suitable places at different times. Some say it is a bird, but others a star. But my people have not known the judgments of the Lord. But the people did not pursue what was beneficial for itself. That is, my worship. Then after a little: *How will you say, We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us? That is, you place yourselves not only above the irrational animals, but also above all the nations, because of the instruction of the law. You who cannot even be compared to the irrational animals. For where it was necessary to be vainglorious, they confessed themselves to be wise, and to have the law of God. You see that confession is not enough, but there is need of demonstration through works; both wise in themselves, and having wisdom from the law. In vain was the measuring-line, false to the scribes. 64.848 For nothing, he says, they received an inheritance, and were simply honored with precedence; they made neither themselves nor others wise; teaching among them is a name only. Therefore, in vain was the false measuring-line to the Scribes. He often calls the measurement of the land a "measuring-line," so that it might indicate the land which they inherited, as when it says: Measuring-lines have fallen to me in my best parts. But he wishes to say, that, To you it became in vain, and to us who teach, the inheritance of the land; that is, Not even from enjoying my good things have you become better. But the Hebrew says thus: In vain to you did the teaching become for the Scribes. That is, You have profited nothing by teaching others. Therefore I will give their wives to others. which is the most precious possession of all. And their fields to the heirs. He calls the enemies "heirs." Just as those who have inherited hold securely and firmly, so also do these. Why then do you give to those? for piety? By no means, but for these perhaps. their punishment and chastisement; since also in the case of the

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τῶν κακῶν. Ἐπάγει γοῦν· Οὐκ ἔστιν ἄνθρωπος ὁ μετανοῶν ἀπὸ τῆς κακίας αὐτοῦ. Οὐ λέγει· Οὐ μετενόησαν, ἀλλ' ὅτι Οὐκ ἔστιν ἄν 64.845 θρωπος. Ἑτέρα πάλιν ὑπερβολή. Τὸ μὲν μὴ ἀναστῆναι, χαλεπὸν, ἀλλ' οὐχ οὕτως. Τὸ δὲ πάντας κεῖσθαι, τοῦτο πολλῷ χαλεπώτερον. Οὐ μόνον οὐ μεταβάλλεται, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ κατηγορεῖ τῶν ἡμαρτημένων αὐτῷ. Λέγων· Τί ἐποίησα; Ἢ οὕτω νοητέον· Οὐχ οὕτως λαλήσουσι· τουτέστιν ὥστε ἐπιστρέψαι· ἐν ἑκατέρῳ δὲ εὖ στήκει ἡ αὐτὴ ἔννοια. ∆ιέλιπεν ὁ τρέχων ὑπὸ τοῦ δρόμου αὐτοῦ, ὡς ἵππος κάθιδρος ἐν χρεμετισμῷ αὐτοῦ. Παρείκασεν αὐτοὺς ἵππῳ εἰς ὀχείαν ἀποτεταγμένῳ. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ, φησὶ, κάμνει ἐπιβαίνων, καὶ ἵσταται τοῦ ἔργου· οἱ δὲ οὐ διέλιπον τῆς παρανομίας. Ἢ οὕτω νοητέον· ὅτι ὥσπερ ὁ ἵππος ἄρτι εἰς ὀχείαν ἀφεθεὶς μαινόμενος ἐπιβαίνει ταῖς θηλείαις, οὐ δωρεὰν ἑαυτὸν ἀνιεὶς τοῦ πράγματος· οὕτω καὶ οὗτοι τοσαύτην σπουδὴν ἐνεδείξαντο περὶ τὸ κακόν· καὶ ὡς ἐκεῖνος οὐ διαλιμπάνει ἐν ἐκείνῳ τῷ καιρῷ τρέχων, οὕτω καὶ οὗτοι· ἵνα εἴπῃ, Οὐ διέκοψαν τὴν περὶ τὸ κακὸν προθυμίαν. Ἀλλὰ πάντων μὲν ἔστι πέρας, φησὶν, οὗτοι δὲ ἁμαρτάνουσι μόνοι ἀθάνατα, καὶ κόρον οὐκ ἔχουσι τῶν κακῶν· καίτοιγε τῶν κατὰ φύσιν. Οὐ καιρός ἐστι τῶν ἐν ἐπιθυμίᾳ ἴσ. κόρος οὐκ ἔστι καὶ τῶν ἐν ἐπιθ., καμνούσης τῆς φύσεως, καὶ οὐκ ἐθελούσης λοιπὸν ἐργάζεσθαι, ἀλλ' ἀναπαύσασθαι βούλονται ἄλλ. βουλομένης. Ὑμεῖς δὲ οὐχί. Οὐκέτι ἵππων φίλον τὸ τρέχειν, ἀλλὰ ζητοῦσί ποτε καὶ ἀνάπαυσιν, Πάντα μεταβολὴν οἶδεν, ὑμεῖς δὲ οὐχὶ, τὰ κακὰ πράττοντες. *Καὶ ἡ ἀσίδα ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ ἔγνω τὸν καιρὸν αὐτῆς· τρυγὼν, καὶ τέτιξ, καὶ χελιδὼν ἀγροῦ, στρουθία ἐφύλαξαν καιροὺς εἰς ὁδὸν αὐτῶν. Τῇ πρὸς τὰ ἄλογα παραθέσει καθάπτεται αὐτῶν. Ἀσίδαν μὲν λέγει τὸν πελαργόν. Τὸ δὲ Ἑβραϊκὸν τέττιγα οὐκ ἔχει. Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ τέττιγα, γέρανον ἔχει. Ἔλαβεν οὖν τὰ μὲν ἐν θέρει, τὰ δὲ ἐν χειμῶνι φαινόμενα. Χελιδὼν δὲ καὶ πελαργὸς ἐν θέρει εἰώθασι δείκνυσθαι, τρυγὼν δὲ καὶ γέρανος ἐν χειμῶνι. Ὃ τοίνυν βούλεται εἰπεῖν τοῦτό ἐστιν ὅτι τὰ μὲν ἄλογα τὴν ἑαυτῶν ὠφέλειαν μεταδιώκει, καὶ τοὺς ἐπιτηδείους τόπους ἄλλοτε ἀλλαχοῦ ἀμείβει. Τινὲς ὄρνιθά φασιν, τινὲς δὲ ἄστρον. Ὁ δὲ λαός μου οὐκ ἔγνω τὰ κρίμα τὰ Κυρίου. Τὸ δὲ ἐπωφελὲς ἑαυτῷ ὁ λαὸς οὐ μετεδίωξε. Τουτέστι τὴν ἐμὴν λατρείαν. Εἶτα μετ' ὀλίγον· *Πῶς ἐρεῖτε, ὅτι Σοφοί ἐσμεν ἡμεῖς, καὶ νόμος Κυρίου ἐστὶ μεθ' ἡμῶν; Τουτέστιν, Οὐ μόνον τῶν ἀλόγων ἑαυτοὺς ὑπερτίθετε, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν, διὰ τὴν τοῦ νόμου παιδαγωγίαν. Οἵγε οὐδὲ πρὸς τὰ ἄλογα συγκρίνεσθαι δύνασθε. Ἔνθα γὰρ κενοδοξῆσαι ἔδει, καὶ σοφοὺς ὡμολόγουν εἶναι ἑαυτοὺς, καὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸν νόμον ἔχειν. Ὁρᾷς ὅτι οὐκ ἀρκεῖ ὁμολογία, ἀλλὰ τῆς δι' ἔργων ἐπιδείξεως χρεία· καὶ σοφοὶ οἴκοθεν, καὶ σοφίαν τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου ἔχοντες. Εἰς μάτην ἐγενήθη σχοῖνος, ψευδὴς γραμματεῦσιν. 64.848 Εἰκῆ, φησὶ, κληρονομίαν ἔλαβον, καὶ προεδρίᾳ ἁπλῶς ἐτιμήθησαν· οὔτε ἑαυτοὺς, οὔτε τοὺς ἄλλους ἐσόφισαν· ὄνομα μόνον ἐστὶν ἡ διδασκαλία παρ' αὐτοῖς. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο εἰς μάτην ἐγενήθη σχοῖνος ψευδὴς Γραμματεῦσιν. Σχοῖνον μὲν πολλαχοῦ καλεῖ τῆς γῆς τὴν διαμέτρησιν, ἵνα τὴν γῆν, ἣν κατεκληρονόμησαν μηνύσῃ, ὡς ὅταν λέγῃ· Σχοινία ἐπέπεσόν μοι ἐν τοῖς κρατίστοις μου. Βούλεται δὲ εἰπεῖν, ὅτι Εἰς μάταιον ὑμῖν ἐγένετο, καὶ ἡμῖν τοῖς διδάσκουσιν ἡ κληρονομία τῆς γῆς· τουτέστιν, Οὐδὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀπολαύειν τῶν παρ' ἐμοῦ καλῶν ἀμείνους γεγόνατε. Ὁ δὲ Ἑβραῖος οὕτω φησίν· Εἰς μάτην ὑμῖν ἐγένετο ἡ διδασκαλία τοῖς Γραμματεῦσι. Τουτέστιν, Οὐδὲν ὠφελήθητε ἑτέρους διδάσκοντες. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο δώσω τὰς γυναῖκας αὐτῶν ἑτέροις. Ὃ πάντων κτῆμά ἐστι τιμιώτερον. Καὶ τοὺς ἀγροὺς αὐτῶν τοῖς κληρονόμοις. Κληρονόμους τοὺς πολεμίους καλεῖ. Καθάπερ οἱ κληρονομήσαντες ἀσφαλῶς κατέχουσι καὶ βεβαίως, οὕτως καὶ οὗτοι. Τί οὖν ἐκείνοις δίδως; δι' εὐσέβειαν; Οὐδαμῶς, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τούτοις ἴσ. τὴν τούτων κόλασιν καὶ τιμωρίαν· ἐπεὶ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν