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of him." Again here, narrating the epiphany of God, he instills sufficient fear in the hearers. But nevertheless, we know neither a descent nor an ascent of the divine nature; for the Divine is uncircumscribed, present everywhere, containing all things. But through these things we are taught the difference of the economies. For sometimes he appears more gently to men; and sometimes more majestically. And there are times when, wishing to instill fear, he shows certain paradoxical and unaccustomed things. Therefore, 80.977 let us understand "He bowed the heavens, and came down," that he showed his own epiphany. But "darkness under his feet," the invisibility of his presence; "and the mounting upon the Cherubim," and "the flight on the wings," the swiftness of the epiphany; and, "He made darkness his hiding place," the unseeable nature of his being. And, "Around him was his tent," the light about him; wherefore also the blessed Paul said: "Who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light." "Dark water in clouds of the air. [13] From the brightness before him the clouds passed." For just as, he says, the air, becoming dark by the density of the clouds, sends forth the gleam of the lightning, so the God of all, being invisible, both sends forth the rays of the intelligible light, and with chastising fire he punishes those who live together in wickedness; for this he indicated by adding: "Hailstones and coals of fire. [14, 15] And the Lord thundered from heaven; and the most High gave his voice. He sent out arrows, and scattered them; and he multiplied lightnings, and threw them into confusion." These things have also often happened in our time; for in the wars that have recently occurred, he consumed with hail and fire the northern Barbarians who came against us, and the Persians who formerly campaigned from the east and expected to take our cities without bloodshed, he bound with these fetters, and prevented from advancing further; and some he sent to death, and others he sent out as messengers of what had happened. 16. "And the springs of the waters were seen; and the foundations of the world were uncovered; at your rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of your wrath." And this has happened in our time in many regions; for the earth, being moved, was split apart, and an immeasurable depth appeared in high mountains, and water was given in waterless places; and the ruler of all does these things, showing his punishing power to men, and teaching that he is able to bring total destruction upon all in an instant; but using his love for mankind, he postpones the punishment, and awaits repentance. 17. "He sent from on high, and took me; he received me from many waters." And teaching what he tropically calls waters, he added: 80.980 18. "He will deliver me from my mighty enemies, and from those who hate me, for they were stronger than I." Manifestly, he says, he showed his care for me to my enemies; for he said this, having spoken, "He sent from on high, and took me;" which means, He has persuaded all that he provided aid to me from heaven. And he deemed me worthy of this providence, having seen the strength of my enemies. "For they were stronger than I," he says. 19. "They came upon me in the day of my affliction." Here he seems to me to allude to the rebellion of Absalom, which occurred after the sin. For affliction, which Symmachus calls hardship of the soul, he says is the weakness through which the sin occurred. "And the Lord became my support. [20] And he brought me out into a broad place." When I was pushed, he says, and thrown down, God supported me, and made the narrow place a wide place, granting life instead of expected death; and this he also says in another psalm: "Being pushed, I was overturned so as to fall, and the Lord helped me." "He will deliver me, because he delighted in me." And I hope that also in the time to come he will deem me worthy of the same help, and I will be stronger than my enemies, even if they have the greatest power. 21-23. "And the Lord will reward me according to my righteousness; and according to the cleanness of my hands

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αὐτοῦ." Πάλιν ἐνταῦθα τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν διηγούμενος, ἱκανὸν τοῖς ἀκροαταῖς ἐν τίθησι δέος. Ἀλλ' ὅμως, οὔτε κατάβασιν, οὔτε ἀνά βασιν τῆς θείας ἡμεῖς ἐπιστάμεθα φύσεως· ἀπερί γραφον γὰρ τὸ Θεῖον, πανταχοῦ παρὸν, περιέχον τὰ πάντα. Τὸ διάφορον δὲ τῶν οἰκονομιῶν διὰ τού των ἐκπαιδευόμεθα. Ποτὲ μὲν γὰρ προσηνέστερον ἐπιφαίνεται τοῖς ἀνθρώποις· ποτὲ δὲ μεγαλοπρε πέστερον. Ἔστι δ' ὅτε καὶ φόβον ἐνθεῖναι βουλόμε νος, παράδοξά τινα δείκνυσι καὶ ἀήθη. Τὸ τοίνυν, 80.977 "Ἔκλινεν οὐρανοὺς, καὶ κατέβη," νοήσωμεν ὅτι τὴν οἰκείαν ἐπιφάνειαν ἔδειξεν. Γνόφον δὲ "ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας," τὸ τῆς παρουσίας ἀόρατον· "τὴν δὲ, τῶν Χερουβὶμ ἐπίβασιν," καὶ "τὴν τῶν ἀνέμων πτῆσιν," τὸ τῆς ἐπιφανείας ὀξύ· τὸ δὲ, "Ἔθετο σκότος ἀποκρυφὴν αὐτοῦ," τὸ τῆς φύσεως ἀθεώρη τον. Τὸ δὲ, "Κύκλῳ αὐτοῦ ἡ σκηνὴ αὐτοῦ," τὸ περὶ αὐτὸν φῶς· διὸ καὶ ὁ μακάριος ἔφη Παῦ λος· "Ὁ μόνος ἔχων ἀθανασίαν, φῶς οἰκῶν ἀπρό σιτον." "Σκοτεινὸν ὕδωρ ἐν νεφέλαις ἀέρων. [ιγʹ.] Ἀπὸ τῆς τηλαυγήσεως ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ αἱ νεφέλαι διῆλ θον." Καθάπερ γὰρ, φησὶ, τῇ πυκνότητι τῶν νε φῶν ζοφώδης γινόμενος ὁ ἀὴρ τῆς ἀστραπῆς ἐκπέμπει τὴν αἴγλην, οὕτως ἀόρατος ὢν ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς, καὶ τοῦ νοεροῦ φωτὸς τὰς ἀκτῖνας ἀφίησι, καὶ τῷ κολαστικῷ πυρὶ κολάζει τοὺς πο νηρίᾳ συζῶντας· τοῦτο γὰρ παρεδήλωσεν ἐπαγα γών· "Χάλαζαι καὶ ἄνθρακες πυρός. [ιδʹ, ιεʹ.] Καὶ ἐβρόντησεν ἐξ οὐρανοῦ ὁ Κύριος· καὶ ὁ ὕψιστος ἔδωκεν φωνὴν αὐτοῦ. Ἀπέστειλε βέλη, καὶ ἐσκόρ πισεν αὐτούς· καὶ ἀστραπὰς ἐπλήθυνε, καὶ συν ετάραξεν αὐτούς." Ταῦτα καὶ ἐφ' ἡμῶν πολλάκις ἐγένετο· ἐν γὰρ τοῖς ἔναγχος γεγενημένοις πολέ μοις, καὶ τοὺς ἀρκτῴους Βαρβάρους ἐπελθόντας ἡμῖν χαλάζῃ καὶ πυρὶ κατηνάλωσεν, καὶ τοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς ἕω πρώην ἐπιστρατεύσαντας Πέρσας, καὶ ἀναι μωτὶ τὰς ἡμετέρας πόλεις παραλαβεῖν προσδοκή σαντας, ταύταις ἐπέδησε ταῖς πέδαις, καὶ πε ραιτέρω προβῆναι κεκώλυκε· καὶ τοὺς μὲν θανάτῳ παρέπεμψε, τοὺς δὲ τῶν γεγενημένων ἀγγέλους ἐξ έπεμψεν. ιʹ. "Καὶ ὤφθησαν αἱ πηγαὶ τῶν ὑδάτων· καὶ ἀνεκαλύφθησαν τὰ θεμέλια τῆς οἰκουμένης· ἀπὸ ἐπιτιμήσεώς σου, Κύριε, ἀπὸ ἐμπνεύσεως πνεύματος ὀργῆς σου." Καὶ τοῦτο ἐφ' ἡμῶν ἐν πολλοῖς γεγέ νηται κλίμασι· διέστη γὰρ ἡ γῆ κινηθεῖσα, καὶ βά θος ἄμετρον ἐν ὑψηλοῖς ὄρεσιν ἀνεφάνη, καὶ ὕδωρ ἐν ἀνύδροις ἐδόθη χωρίοις· ποιεῖ δὲ ταῦτα ὁ τῶν ὅλων πρύτανις, τὴν τιμωρητικὴν αὑτοῦ δύναμιν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἐπιδεικνὺς, καὶ διδάσκων ὡς δύ ναται μὲν ἐν ἀκαρεῖ πᾶσι πανωλεθρίαν ἐπενεγ κεῖν· φιλανθρωπίᾳ δὲ χρώμενος, ἀναβάλλεται τὴν τιμωρίαν, καὶ προσμένει τὴν μεταμέλειαν. ιζʹ. "Ἐξαπέστειλεν ἐξ ὕψους, καὶ ἔλαβέ με· προσ ελάβετό με ἀπὸ ὑδάτων πολλῶν." Καὶ διδάσκων τί καλεῖ τροπικῶς ὕδατα, ἐπήγαγεν· 80.980 ιηʹ. "Ῥύσεταί με ἐξ ἐχθρῶν μου δυνατῶν, καὶ ἐκ τῶν μισούντων με, ὅτι ἐστερεώθησαν ὑπὲρ ἐμέ." Προφανῶς, φησὶ, τὴν περὶ ἐμὲ κηδεμονίαν τοῖς ἐμοῖς ἔδειξε πολεμίοις· τοῦτο γὰρ εἶπεν εἰρηκὼς, "Ἐξ απέστειλεν ἐξ ὕψους, καὶ ἔλαβέ με·" ἀντὶ τοῦ, Πέ πεικεν ἅπαντας ὡς οὐρανόθεν μοι τὴν ἐπικουρίαν παρέσχε. Ταύτης δέ με τῆς προμηθείας ἠξίωσε, τὸ τῶν πολεμίων ἰσχυρὸν θεασάμενος. "Ἐστερώθησαν γὰρ ὑπὲρ ἐμὲ," φησίν. ιθʹ. "Προέφθασάν με ἐν ἡμέρᾳ κακώσεώς μου." Ἐνταῦθα αἰνίττεσθαί μοι δοκεῖ τὴν τοῦ Ἀβεσσαλὼμ ἐπανάστασιν, μετὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν γεγενημένην. Κάκωσιν γὰρ, ἣν ὁ Σύμμαχος ταλαιπωρίαν καλεῖ τῆς ψυχῆς λέγει τὴν ἀσθένειαν, δι' ἣν ἡ ἁμαρτία γεγένηται. "Καὶ ἐγένετο Κύριος ἀντιστήριγμά μου. [κʹ.] Καὶ ἐξήγαγέ με εἰς πλατυσμόν." Ὠθούμενόν με, φησὶ, καὶ καταβαλλόμενον ὑπήρεισεν ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ τὴν στενοχωρίαν εὐρυχωρίαν εἰργάσατο, ἀντὶ τοῦ προσδοκωμένου θανάτου τὴν ζωὴν χαρισάμενος· τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἐν ἑτέρῳ λέγει ψαλμῷ· "Ὠσθεὶς ἀνε τράπην τοῦ πεσεῖν, καὶ ὁ Κύριος ἀντελάβετό μου." "Ῥύσεταί με, ὅτι ἠθέλησέ με." Ἐλπίζω δὲ, ὅτι καὶ εἰς τὸν ἔπειτα χρόνον τῆς αὐτῆς ἀξιώσει με βοηθείας, καὶ κρείττων ἔσομαι τῶν δυσμενῶν, κἂν μάλιστα πλείστην ἔχωσι δύναμιν. καʹ-κγʹ. "Καὶ ἀνταποδώσει μοι Κύριος κατὰ τὴν δικαιοσύνην μου· καὶ κατὰ τὴν καθαριότητα τῶν χει ρῶν μου