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when they are hostile, he afflicts them, so that they may not become firm and unmovable in their hostility. For he does not cast them into affliction intending to destroy them, but so that, perceiving in what evils they are, they may cease from their hostile disposition. 143 Ps 17,39b The falling of the enemies under the feet of the holy one signifies nothing other than the subjection of the different ones. For just as it is wicked to stand in the worst condition, the beginning of salvation is to fall from it. For having fallen from it, one no longer resists, but yields and is subjected. 144 Ps 17,40b.41 You have bound the feet of all who rise up against me, not permitting them to press forward in wickedness. For having been hindered from the impulse toward evil, they will be under me, no longer considering me different, but their ruler and head, so that instead of hating, they may become loving; for inasmuch as they are such, you have destroyed them; for he destroys not their substance, but what has happened to them. For it is entirely fitting for the goodness of God to make evil disappear, but not the substance to which this has happened. 145 Ps 17,42 For he says to some: And if you make many prayers, I will not listen to you, because your hands, that is, your deeds, are murderous and full of blood. 146 Ps 17,43 These, about whom the discourse is, having grown coarse by minding earthly things and having become material, bearing the image of the man of dust, I will make thin through exhortations, admonitions, threats, and a laborious way of life, so that having become like dust before the face of the divine spirit, tropically called wind, all the dust-like nature scattered from them by the breath of the spirit may leave their subject-matter clean of all dust, to which being dust-like had happened. And they may also be voluntarily called to this, to whom the Lord says as to a whole city: Shake off your dust, O Jerusalem. And these same ones he also grinds fine as the mud of the streets, either the Lord or his imitator, the just man. And this mud, being ground fine, will be able to become an earthen vessel, useful in the great house in which there are vessels of gold and silver and of wood and of earthenware; but since the ones of gold and silver are for honor, and those of wood and earthenware are for dishonor, he who cleanses himself from these becomes a vessel of honor, sanctified and useful to the master, prepared for every good work, delivering those who were formerly mud of the streets, that is, the mire of pleasures and desires, from all the roughness that comes from the passions. He who says these things, producing smoothness in them by grinding them fine, will now make them earthen vessels, so that by their own free impulse they may cleanse themselves to become vessels for honor, of gold or of silver. For just as some, from being vessels of gold and silver, have made themselves earthen vessels (For the precious sons of Zion, valued in silver, how they have been regarded as earthen pots, the work of a potter's hands!), so from their own choice, from being earthen they will become gold or silver. 147 Ps 17,44-46 Since the name of knowledge has a twofold meaning, it indicates at one time to understand, and at another time for the knower to be united and mingled with what is known. According to the first meaning, God knows all, and not only the zealous. For to the wicked the Savior said: You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts; and in the prophet: Because I have known all your sins. But according to the second meaning, he is said to know only the righteous; For the Lord knew those who are his, but the wicked he did not know. as the Savior says to them: Depart from me, you workers of lawlessness, I never knew you. And so the people from the nations, not being known by the Savior when they served idols and demons and practiced every other wickedness, having changed through repentance, has come to serve Christ. And it is well said, Whom I did not know. For he did not say: A people whom I do not know has served me. For he who is still active in the things of wickedness is not known; but he who has ceased from his sins was not known before, but is known now.

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ἐχθραινόντων ἐκθλίβει αὐτούς, οπως μὴ βέβαιοι καὶ ἀμετακίνητοι ἐν τῇ εχθρᾳ γένωνται. οὐ γὰρ ἀπολέσαι αὐτοὺς προελόμενος θλίψει περιβαλεῖ, ἀλλ' ιν' αἰσθηθέντες οι κακῶν εἰσιν παύσωνται τῆς φιλέχθρου προαιρέσεως. 143 Ps 17,39b Τὸ πεσεῖν τοῦς ἐχθροὺς ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας τοῦ ἁγίου οὐκ αλλο τι σημαίνει η ὑποταγὴν τῶν διαφόρων. ὡς γὰρ φαῦλον τὸ ἑστάναι ἐν τῇ χειρίστῃ εξει, ἀρχὴ σωτηρίας τὸ πεσεῖν ἀπ' αὐτῆς. πεσὼν γάρ τις ἀπ' αὐτῆς οὐκ ετι ἀντιτείνει, ἀλλ' εικει καὶ ὑποτάσσεται. 144 Ps 17,40b.41 Πάντας τοὺς ἐπανισταμένους ἐπ' ἐμὲ συνεπόδισας, οὐκ ἐπιτρέπων αὐτοῖς εμπροσθεν τῆς κακίας ἐλαύνειν. κωλυθέντες γὰρ τῆς ἐπὶ τὸ κακὸν ὁρμῆς ὑποκάτω μου γενήσονται, οὐκ ετι διάφορόν με λογιζόμενοι ἀλλ' αρχοντα καὶ κεφαλὴν αὐτῶν, ιν' ἀντὶ μισούντων φιλοῦντες γένωνται· ῃ γὰρ τοιοῦτοί εἰσιν, ἐξωλότρευσας· οὐ γὰρ τὴν οὐσίαν αὐτῶν ἀλλὰ τὸ συμβὰν αὐτοῖς ἐξολοτρεύει. πάνυ γὰρ ἁρμόζει τῇ ἀγαθότητι τοῦ θεοῦ τὸ κακὸν ἀφανίζειν ἀλλ' οὐ τὴν οὐσίαν ῃ συμβέβηκεν τοῦτο. 145 Ps 17,42 Φησὶν γὰρ πρός τινας· Καὶ ἐὰν πληθύνητε τὴν δέησιν, οὐκ εἰσακούσομαι ὑμῶν, τῷ τὰς χεῖρας ὑμῶν, τουτέστι τὰς πράξεις, φονικὰς καὶ πλήρεις αιματος ειναι. 146 Ps 17,43 Τούτους τοὺς περὶ ων ὁ λόγος παχυνθέντας τῷ τὰ ἐπίγεια φρονεῖν καὶ ὑλικοὺς γεγενημένους, φοροῦντας τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ χοϊκοῦ, λεπτυνῶ διὰ προτροπῶν, νουθεσιῶν, ἀπειλῶν, ἐπιπόνου ἀγωγῆς, ιν' ὡς χοῦς γεγενημένοι κατὰ πρόσωπον τοῦ θείου πνεύματος, ἀνέμου τροπικῶς ὀνομαζομένου, απαν τὸ χοϊκὸν διαριφὲν ὑπ' αὐτῶν ὑπὸ τῆς πνοῆς τοῦ πνεύματος καθαρὸν παντὸς χοῦ τὸ ὑποκείμενον αὐτῶν ἐάσῃ, ῳ συμβεβήκει χοϊκῷ ειναι. ειεν δὲ καὶ ἑκουσίως ἐπὶ τοῦτο καλούμενοι, οις φησιν ὡς πρὸς ολην πόλιν ὁ κύριος· ̓Εκτίναξαι τὸν χοῦν σου, ̔Ιερουσαλήμ. Αὐτοὺς δὲ τούτους καὶ ὡς πηλὸν πλατειῶν λεανεῖ, ητοι ὁ κύριος η ὁ μιμητὴς αὐτοῦ δίκαιος. λεαινόμενος δὲ ουτος ὁ πηλὸς δυνήσεται αγγος ὀστράκινον γενέσθαι, χρησιμεύων ἐν τῇ μεγάλῃ οἰκίᾳ ἐν ῃ χρυσᾶ καὶ ἀργυρᾶ καὶ ξύλινα καὶ ὀστράκινα σκεύη ἐστίν· ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ τὰ μὲν χρυσᾶ καὶ ἀργυρᾶ εἰς τιμήν, τὰ δὲ ξύλινα καὶ ὀστράκινα εἰς ἀτιμίαν ἐστίν, ὁ ἐκκαθαίρων ἑαυτὸν ἀπὸ τούτων γίνεται σκεῦος τιμῆς ἡγιασμένον καὶ ευχρηστον τῷ δεσπότῃ εἰς πᾶν εργον ἀγαθὸν ἡτοιμασμένον, τοὺς οντας τέως πηλὸν πλατειῶν, τουτέστι βόρβορον ἡδονῶν καὶ ἐπιθυμιῶν, ἀπαλλάττων πάσης τραχύτητος τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν παθῶν. ὁ ταῦτα λέγων, ὁμαλότητα διὰ τοῦ λεαίνειν ἐμποιῶν αὐτοῖς, αρτι αὐτοὺς σκεύη ὀστράκινα ποιήσει, ιν' αὐθαιρέτῳ ὁρμῇ ἑαυτοὺς ἐκκαθάρωσιν ὡς εἰς τιμὴν σκεύη γεγενῆσθαι χρυσέα η ἀργυρέα. ὡς γὰρ ἑαυτούς τινες ἐκ χρυσῶν καὶ ἀργυρῶν σκεύη ὀστράκινα γεγόνασιν (Υἱοὶ γὰρ Σιὼν οἱ τίμιοι ἐπηρμένοι ἀργυρίῳ πῶς ἐλογίσθησαν εἰς ἀγγεῖα ὀστράκινα εργα χειρῶν κεράμεως;), ουτως ἐξ οἰκείας προαιρέσεως ἐξ ὀστρακίνων χρυσᾶ η ἀργυρᾶ γενήσονται. 147 Ps 17,44-46 ∆ιττοῦ δὲ τοῦ τῆς γνώσεως ὀνόματος σημαινομένου δηλοῖ ὁτὲ μὲν τὸ ἐπίστασθαι, ὁτὲ δὲ τὸ ἡνῶσθαι καὶ ἀνακεκρᾶσθαι τὸν γινώσκοντα τῷ γινωσκομένῳ. κατὰ τὸ πρότερον σημαινόμενον πάντας γινώσκει ὁ θεός, καὶ οὐ τοὺς σπουδαίους μόνους. πρὸς γὰρ τοὺς φαύλους ὁ σωτὴρ ειπεν· ̔Υμεῖς ἐστε οἱ δικαιοῦντες ἑαυτοὺς εμπροσθεν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, ὁ δὲ θεὸς γινώσκει τὰς καρδίας ὑμῶν· καὶ ἐν τῷ προφήτῃ· ∆ιότι εγνων πάσας τὰς ἁμαρτίας ὑμῶν. κατὰ δὲ τὸ δεύτερον σημαινόμενον μόνους τοὺς δικαίους εἰδέναι λέγεται· Εγνω γὰρ κύριος τοὺς οντας αὐτοῦ, τοὺς δὲ φαύλους ἠγνόει. ῃ φησιν πρὸς αὐτοὺς ὁ σωτήρ· ̓Αποχωρεῖτε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ ἐργάται ἀνομίας, οὐδέποτε εγνων ὑμᾶς. καὶ ὁ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν ουν λαὸς μὴ γινωσκόμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ σωτῆρος, οτε ειδωλα καὶ δαιμόνια ἐθεράπευεν καὶ τὴν αλλην απασαν επραττεν κακίαν, μεταβαλὼν διὰ μετανοίας δουλεύειν τῷ Χριστῷ προσελήλυθεν. Ευ δὲ καὶ τὸ εἰπεῖν Ον οὐκ εγνων. οὐ γὰρ ειπεν· Λαὸς ον οὐ γινώσκω ἐδούλευσέν μοι. ὁ γὰρ ετι τὰ τῆς κακίας ἐνεργῶν οὐ γινώσκεται· ὁ δὲ παυσάμενος τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων οὐκ ἐγνώσθη μὲν πρότερον, γινώσκεται δὲ νῦν.