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to be in need of another. Cursed is every man who will make a carved or molten thing, the work of a craftsman’s hands. 2.83 And man bowed down, and a male was brought low. I think these things were said indignantly, as he could not bear the fall of men from their dignity. Man (he says) bowed down to the idol in worship, the most honorable of living things on earth, the one ranked with the Angels among rational beings, the one honored with the image of God, the one who through the power of reason invented the arts. Having understood the things on the earth, the powers of plants and roots and fruits, having dared the sea, the nature of the air, the origin of winds, the position of stars, their movements, distances, conjunctions; the ordering of the earth, the cities, the laws, the strategies, the arts necessary for life and those for beautification and display, this one fell down before an idol, as if needing salvation from it, the ensouled from the soulless, the rational from the senseless. The one who has taken beasts under his hand, to whom all irrational things are subjected into servitude (through God who subjected them to us, who in this gave us what is according to the image, in having dominion over the things in the water as well as those on land) this one, not to one of the irrational animals that excel in strength, but to the likeness of one of the irrational animals, or even of some unseemly woman, or of a most shameful man, does not even dare to stand as an equal, but fearing, and having bowed to the earth, being worthy not even to look up to heaven ... because of the sin against the heavenly one. 2.84 And man bowed down, and a male was brought low. An intensification of the evil, that a male, the more ruling, the more perfect in thought, the more powerful in actions, this one having forgotten his own dignity, was brought low under the idol. He who is the image and glory of God, who has Christ as his head, was brought low under the idol; and this, a male. This is the most grievous part of the misfortune. For if it were a child, if a woman, there would have been some pardon, for the one because of his age, for the other because of her natural weakness. But now a male was brought low, which surpasses all excess of shame. And I will not forgive them. Oh, the things threatened! Surely this is not on account of eternal punishment: I will not forgive them? For as long as they practiced divination, as long as they multiplied foreign children among themselves, as long as they were frantic for silver, as long as they equipped cavalry, there was hope and expectation of relief; but since they have fallen into idolatry, the last of evils, and not perceiving their own dignity, they render honors equal to God to an idol, I will not forgive. And this the Good One works for their benefit. For since relief is an occasion for licentiousness, I will not forgive them, so that affliction at least may provide them the necessity of remembering God. So it is not a harmful threat, but a saving instruction not to be forgiven. For I will not let you go (he says), nor will I ever forsake you. 2.85 And now enter into the rocks and hide in the earth from the face of the fear of the Lord and from the glory of his strength, when he arises to crush the earth. This is another exhortation to the house of Jacob, exhorting to what is expedient. For just as, Come and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, Come and let us walk in the light of the Lord, so also now, Enter into the rocks and hide in the earth from the face of the fear of the Lord. Is there anyone so slanderous of Scripture as to think that it advises some to flee from the face of the fear of the Lord, having hidden themselves in the hollows of the rocks? But: Where shall I go (he says) from your spirit, and from your face where shall I flee? If I ascend into heaven, you are there. And again the Lord: If they hide themselves on Carmel, from there I will take them; if they flee into the sea, there I will command the serpent, and it will bite them. How then did he advise to put forward the rock as a shelter from the face of the fear of the Lord? But perhaps he means one deliverance from the evils, as many as he enumerated before, to enter into the shelter of the rock, that is, into the firmament

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ἐπιδεηθῆναι ἑτέρου. Ἐπικατάρατος δὲ πᾶς ἄνθρωπος, ὅστις ποιήσει γλυπτὸν ἢ χωνευτὸν, ἔργον χειρῶν τεχνίτου. 2.83 Καὶ ἔκυψεν ἄνθρωπος καὶ ἐταπεινώθη ἀνήρ. Σχετλιαστικῶς ἡγοῦμαι ταῦτα εἰρῆσθαι, οὐ φέροντος τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὴν τῆς ἀξίας κατάπτωσιν. Ὑπέκυψε (φησὶ) τῷ εἰ δώλῳ ὁ ἄνθρωπος εἰς προσκύνησιν, τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς ζώων τὸ τι μιώτατον, τὸ μετὰ Ἀγγέλους ἐν λογικοῖς τεταγμένον, ὁ τῇ εἰκόνι τοῦ Θεοῦ τετιμημένος, ὁ τῇ τοῦ λόγου δυνάμει τέχνας ἐξευρών. Τὰ ἐν τῇ γῇ ἐπιγνοὺς, φυτῶν καὶ ῥιζῶν καὶ καρπῶν δυνάμεις, θαλάσσης κατατολμήσας, ἀέρος φύσιν, ἀνέμων γένεσιν, ἀστέρων θέσιν, κινήσεις τούτων, ἀποστήματα, συνδρομάς· τὴν ἐπὶ γῆς διακόσμησιν, τὰς πόλεις, τοὺς νό μους, τὰς στρατηγίας, τῶν τεχνῶν τάς τε πρὸς τὸ ζῆν ἀναγκαίας καὶ τὰς πρὸς καλλωπισμὸν καὶ ἐπίδειξιν, οὗτος ὑπέπεσεν εἰδώλῳ, ὡς τῆς παρ' αὐτοῦ δεόμενος σωτηρίας, ὁ ἔμψυχος τοῦ ἀψύχου, ὁ λογικὸς τοῦ ἀναισθήτου. Ὁ θηρία ὑπὸ χεῖρα λαβὼν, ᾧ πάντα ὑποτέτακται εἰς δουλείαν τὰ ἄλογα (διὰ τὸν ὑποτάξαντα ἡμῖν Θεὸν, ὃς ἐν τούτῳ ἔδωκεν ἡμῖν τὸ κατ' εἰκόνα, ἐν τῷ κατακυριεύειν τῶν τε ἐνύδρων ὁμοῦ καὶ τῶν χερσαίων) οὗτος οὐχ ἑνὶ τῶν ἀλόγων τῶν ἐν ἰσχύϊ διαφερόντων, ἀλλὰ μιμήματι ζώου ἑνὸς τῶν ἀλόγων, ἤπου καὶ γυναικός τινος ἀσχήμονος, ἢ ἀνδρὸς αἰ σχίστου, οὐδὲ παρεστάναι τολμᾷ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἴσου, ἀλλὰ φοβού μενος, καὶ εἰς τὴν γῆν κεκυφὼς, ἄξιος ὢν μηδὲ ἀνανεύειν πρὸς τὸν οὐρανὸν ... διὰ τὴν εἰς τὸν οὐράνιον ἁμαρτίαν. 2.84 Καὶ ἔκυψεν ἄνθρωπος καὶ ἐταπεινώθη ἀνήρ. Ἐπίτασις τοῦ κακοῦ, ἄνδρα τὸν ἀρχικώτερον, τὸν τελειό τερον ἐν τῇ νοήσει, δυνατώτερον ἐν ταῖς πράξεσι, τοῦτον τοῦ ἰδίου ἀξιώματος ἐπιλαθόμενον ταπεινωθῆναι ὑπὸ τὸ εἴδωλον. Ὁ εἰκὼν καὶ δόξα Θεοῦ ὑπάρχων, ὁ κεφαλὴν ἔχων ἑαυτοῦ τὸν Χριστὸν, ἐταπεινώθη ὑπὸ τὸ εἴδωλον· καὶ ταῦτα ἀνήρ. Τοῦτό ἐστι τῆς συμφορᾶς τὸ χαλεπώτατον. Εἰ γὰρ παιδίον, εἰ γὰρ γυνὴ, ἦν ἄν τις τῷ μὲν ἐκ τῆς ἡλικίας, τῇ δὲ ἐκ τῆς κατὰ φύσιν ἀσθενείας, συγγνώμη. Νῦν δὲ ἀνὴρ ἐταπεινώθη, ὃ πᾶσαν ὑπεραίρει αἰσχύνης ὑπερβολήν. Καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀνήσω αὐτούς. Ὢ τῶν ἀπειλουμένων. Ἆρα μὴ διὰ τὴν αἰωνίαν κόλασιν ταῦτα· Οὐ μὴ ἀνήσω αὐ τούς; Ἕως γὰρ ἐκληδονίζοντο, ἕως ἀλλότρια τέκνα ἐπλή θυναν παρ' ἑαυτοῖς, ἕως ἐπτόηντο εἰς ἀργύριον, ἕως ἱππι κὸν ἐξηρτύοντο, ἦν ἐλπὶς καὶ ἀνέσεως προσδοκία· ἐπειδὴ δὲ εἰς τὴν εἰδωλολατρείαν, τὸ ἔσχατον τῶν κακῶν ἐκπε πτώκασι, καὶ τοῦ ἰδίου ἀξιώματος μὴ αἰσθανόμενοι, τῷ εἰδώλῳ τὰς ἰσοθέους τιμὰς ἀπονέμουσιν, Οὐ μὴ ἀνήσω. Καὶ τοῦτο ἐπ' εὐεργεσίᾳ ὁ Ἀγαθὸς ἐνεργεῖ. Ἐπεὶ γὰρ ἡ ἄνεσις ἀκολασίας ἐστὶν ἀφορμὴ, Οὐ μὴ ἀνήσω αὐτούς, ἵνα ἡ θλίψις γοῦν ἀνάγκην αὐτοῖς τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ μνήμης παράσχῃ. Ὥστε οὐκ ἀπειλὴ βλαβερὰ, ἀλλὰ παιδαγωγία σωτήριος τὸ μὴ ἀνεθῆναι. Οὐ μὴ γάρ σε ἀνῶ (φησὶν) οὐδ' οὐ μή σε ἐγκαταλίπω. 2.85 Καὶ νῦν εἰσέλθετε εἰς τὰς πέτρας καὶ κρύπτεσθε εἰς τὴν γῆν ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ φόβου Κυρίου καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς δόξης ἰσχύος αὐτοῦ, ὅταν ἀναστῇ θραῦσαι τὴν γῆν. Ἄλλη παράκλησις αὕτη πρὸς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ Ἰακὼβ ἐπὶ τὸ συμφέρον παρακαλοῦσα. Ὡς γὰρ ∆εῦτε καὶ ἀναβῶμεν εἰς τὸ ὄρος τοῦ Κυρίου, ∆εῦτε καὶ πορευθῶμεν τῷ φωτὶ Κυρίου, οὕτω καὶ τὸ νῦν Εἰσέλθετε εἰς τὰς πέτρας καὶ κρύπτεσθε εἰς τὴν γῆν ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ φόβου Κυρίου. Ἆρά τίς ἐστιν οὕ τω συκοφάντης τῆς Γραφῆς, ὥστε οἴεσθαι, συμβουλεύειν φεύ γειν τινὰς ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ φόβου Κυρίου, ἐν ταῖς κοιλότησι τῶν πετρῶν ἑαυτοὺς κατακρύψαντας; Ἀλλά· Ποῦ πορευθῶ (φησὶν) ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεύματός σου, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ προσώπου σου ποῦ φύγω; Ἐὰν ἀναβῶ εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, σὺ ἐκεῖ εἶ. Καὶ πάλιν ὁ Κύριος· Ἐὰν κατακρυβῶσιν εἰς τὸν Κάρμηλον, ἐκεῖ θεν λήψομαι αὐτούς· ἐὰν φύγωσιν εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν, ἐκεῖ ἐντελοῦμαι τῷ δράκοντι, καὶ δήξεται αὐτούς. Πῶς οὖν σκέπην ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ φόβου Κυρίου συνεβούλευσε προβαλέσθαι τὴν πέτραν; Ἀλλὰ μήποτε μίαν λέγει τῶν κακῶν ἀπαλλαγὴν, ὅσα ἐν τοῖς κατόπιν ἀπηριθμήσατο, τὸ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὴν σκέπην τῆς πέτρας, τουτέστιν εἰς τὸ στερέωμα