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But at some point, when it has abandoned its old ways, it becomes worthy of being sanctified. In general, however, both the characters of animals and the species of plants are taken to represent the diversity of human choices. 2.91 And upon every oak of Bashan. A mention of another plant, to indicate a human life threatened with falling under judgment. For hard and stubborn characters, disposed oppositionally and contentiously to everything, even common custom likens to an oak. And this tree bears fruit, but it is food for swine. For this reason he called it a tree of shame; for they translate Bashan as shame. Therefore, for those whose glory of fruit-bearing is shame, upon them too will be the day of the Lord. And indeed we find idolatry called shame, as in the third book of Kings Elijah says to Ahab: And now send and gather to me all Israel to Mount Carmel, and the prophets of shame and the prophets of the groves, four hundred men, who eat at Jezebel's table. Since therefore, 'Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire,' the day of the Lord is threatened as something terrible also to the trees of shame. For this reason also the king of Bashan was named Og. And Og is interpreted as 'partition,' as the works of shame block for us the way of salvation. For fornicators and adulterers and the effeminate and sodomites and all workers of shame are ruled by Og, who effects the separation from God; whom the Lord shatters for the freedom of those who are held captive. For give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, to him who struck down great kings and killed mighty kings, Sihon and Og. 2.92 And upon every mountain and upon every hill and upon every high tower. Just as mountains have a difference from hills in size, but in other respects are the same as each other, so also the opposing powers are like each other in choice, but differ in the magnitude of their wrongdoings. Rightly, therefore, will the day of the Lord of Sabaoth also come against these. But what does 'And upon every tower' mean? The tower is a high watch-place, suitable for the defense of a city and for knowing of enemy assaults. Such a thing has also been given to us, the mind, a guardian of good things, a foreseer of those who plot against us. This one must not, in itself or through earthly things, endeavor the ascent to heaven; for the Lord descends to it when it has fallen down because of its pride and shatters its accord with evil for its benefit and salvation. Concerning the building of this, the Lord commands us to sit down and count whether we have what is needed for its completion, as the very context of the Gospel shows. The word therefore wants the high-minded and arrogant mind, which scorns all and counts itself blessed, to fear the day of the Lord. And upon every high wall. Again, a wall is a bulwark made for the defense of cities, and for repelling the attacks of enemies. Thus there are also certain arguments, some of which, from truth itself, surround us, preserving the inviolability of the saving doctrines; but others, from outside ingenuity, are devised for the fortification of falsehood and the protection of vanity. For the power of dialectic is a wall for doctrines, not allowing them to be easily plundered and easily captured by those who wish to do so. For this reason the walls of Jerusalem are inscribed upon the hands of the Lord; but those of Jericho are torn down by Joshua, dissolved by a voice alone. Above, therefore, only high things are denounced; but here also things that have some strength along with height, the plausibility in demonstrative methods that has been greatly strengthened and exalted, the Prophet speaking tropically of a high wall, and affirming that it will be torn down on the day of the Lord. 2.93 And upon every ship of the sea. These are riddles set forth for the exercise of our mind, so that we may not hear the Scripture idly, in order that

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ποτὲ δὲ, ὅταν καταλιποῦσα τὰ ἀρχαῖα, ἀξία τοῦ ἁγιάζεσθαι γένηται. Καθόλου μέντοι καὶ τὰ τῶν ζώων ἤθη καὶ τὰ τῶν φυτῶν εἴδη εἰς τὸ ποικίλον τῆς προαιρέσεως τῶν ἀνθρώπων λαμβάνεται. 2.91 Καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶν δένδρον βαλάνου Βασάν. Ἄλλου φυτοῦ μνήμη, πρὸς ἔνδειξιν ἀνθρωπείου βίου ὑποπε σεῖν ἀπειλουμένου τῇ κρίσει. Τὰ γὰρ σκληρὰ ἤθη καὶ δύ σεικτα, ἀντιτύπως πρὸς πάντα καὶ ἀντιβατικῶς διακείμενα, καὶ ἡ κοινὴ συνήθεια δρυῒ παριεκάζει. Φέρει δὲ τὸ δένδρον τοῦ το καρπὸν, ἀλλὰ χοίρων τροφήν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο δένδρον αἰσχύνης ὠνόμασε· τὸ γὰρ Βασὰν εἰς τὴν αἰσχύνην μεταλαμβάνουσιν. Ὧν οὖν ἡ δόξα τῆς καρποφορίας αἰσχύνη ἐστὶ, καὶ ἐπὶ τούτοις ἔσται ἡ ἡμέρα τοῦ Κυρίου. Καὶ δὴ καὶ τὴν εἰδωλολατρείαν αἰσχύνην εὕρομεν λεγο μένην, ὡς ἐν τῇ τρίτῃ τῶν Βασιλειῶν Ἠλίας λέγει πρὸς τὸν Ἀχαάβ· Καὶ νῦν ἀπόστειλον καὶ συνάθροισον πρός με πάντα Ἰσραὴλ εἰς ὄρος τὸ Καρμήλιον, καὶ τοὺς προφήτας τῆς αἰσχύνης καὶ τοὺς προφήτας τῶν ἀλσῶν, τετρακοσίους ἄνδρας, ἐσθίοντας τράπεζαν Ἰεζάβελ. Ἐπεὶ οὖν Πᾶν δένδρον μὴ ποιοῦν καρπὸν καλὸν, ἐκκόπτεται καὶ εἰς πῦρ βάλλεται, ἡ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμέρα καὶ τοῖς δένδροις τῆς αἰσχύνης ὡς φο βερὰ ἀπειλεῖται. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ βασιλεὺς τῆς Βασὰν Ὢγ προσηγόρευται. Ὢγ δὲ ἑρμηνεύεται διάφραξις, ὡς τῶν ἔργων τῆς αἰσχύνης τὴν ὁδὸν ἡμῖν τῆς σωτηρίας ἀπο φρασσόντων. Πόρνοι γὰρ καὶ μοιχοὶ καὶ μαλακοὶ καὶ ἀρσε νοκοῖται καὶ πάντες τῆς αἰσχύνης ἐργάται, ὑπὸ τοῦ Ὢγ βασιλεύοντος, τοῦ τὴν ἀπὸ Θεοῦ διακοπὴν ἐνεργοῦντος· ὃν συντρίβει ὁ Κύριος ἐπ' ἐλευθερίᾳ τῶν κρατουμένων. Ἐξομο λογεῖσθε γὰρ τῷ Κυρίῳ, ὅτι χρηστὸς, τῷ πατάξαντι βασιλεῖς μεγάλους καὶ ἀποκτείναντι βασιλεῖς κραταιοὺς, τὸν Σηὼν καὶ τὸν Ὤγ. 2.92 Καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶν ὄρος καὶ ἐπὶ πάντα βουνὸν καὶ ἐπὶ πάντα πύργον ὑψηλόν. Ὥσπερ τὰ ὄρη πρὸς τοὺς βουνοὺς τὴν κατὰ μέγεθος ἔχει διαφορὰν, τῷ δὲ λοιπῷ τὰ αὐτὰ ἀλλήλοις ἐστίν, οὕτω καὶ αἱ ἐναντίαι δυνάμεις τῇ μὲν προαιρέσει ἀλλήλαις ἐοί κασι, τῷ δὲ μεγέθει τῶν ἀδικημάτων, διενηνόχασιν. Εἰ κότως οὖν καὶ κατὰ τούτων ἡ ἡμέρα Κυρίου Σαβαὼθ ἐν στήσεται. Τί δὲ βούλεται τὸ Καὶ ἐπὶ πάντα πύργον; Ὁ πύργος ἐστὶν ὑψηλὸν σκοπευτήριον πρὸς φυλακὴν πό λεως καὶ γνῶσιν ἐφόδων πολεμικῶν ἐπιτήδειον. Τοιοῦτος ἡμῖν δέδοται καὶ ὁ νοῦς, φυλακτικὸς τῶν ἀγαθῶν, προορα τικὸς τῶν ἐπιβούλων. Τοῦτον οὐ χρὴ ἐν ἑαυτῷ οὐδὲ διὰ τῶν γηΐνων τὴν εἰς οὐρανὸν ἄνοδον πραγματεύεσθαι· κατα βαίνει γὰρ ὁ Κύριος πρὸς αὐτὸν κάτω πεσόντα διὰ τὸ φρό νημα καὶ τὴν πρὸς τὸ κακὸν αὐτοῦ συμφωνίαν διασπᾷ ἐπ' εὐεργεσίᾳ καὶ σωτηρίᾳ. Περὶ τῆς τούτου οἰκοδομῆς κε λεύει ἡμᾶς ὁ Κύριος καθίσαντας ψηφίσαι, εἰ ἔχομεν τὰ πρὸς ἀπαρτισμὸν, ὡς δηλοῖ αὐτὴ ἡ σύμφρασις τοῦ Εὐαγγελίου. Τὸν οὖν ὑψηλόφρονα νοῦν καὶ ὑπέρογκον καὶ πάντας ἐξευτελίζοντα καὶ ἑαυτὸν μακαρίζοντα, φοβεῖσθαι ὁ λόγος τὴν ἡμέραν Κυρίου βούλεται. Καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶν τεῖχος ὑψηλόν. Πάλιν τεῖχος ἔρυμά ἐστι πρὸς φυλακὴν πόλεων πεποιημένον, καὶ τὰς προσβολὰς τῶν πολεμίων ἀποκρουόμενον. Οὕτως εἰσί τινες καὶ λό γοι, οἱ μὲν ἐκ τῆς ἀληθείας αὐτῆς περικείμενοι ἡμῖν, τὸ ἀκαθαίρετον τῶν σωτηρίων δογμάτων διατηροῦντες· οἱ δὲ ἐκ τῆς ἔξωθεν ἐποινοίας πρὸς ὀχύρωσιν ψεύδους καὶ φυλακὴν ματαιότητος ἐπιτετηδευμένοι. Ἡ γὰρ τῆς διαλεκτικῆς δύναμις τεῖχός ἐστι τοῖς δόγμασιν, οὐκ ἐῶσα αὐτὰ εὐδιάρπαστα εἶναι καὶ εὐάλωτα τοῖς βουλομένοις. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο τὰ μὲν τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ τείχη ἀνάγραπτά ἐστιν ἐπὶ τῶν χειρῶν τοῦ Κυρίου· τὰ δὲ Ἱεριχοῦντος ὑπὸ Ἰησοῦ καθαιρεῖται, φωνῇ μόνῃ διαλυόμενα. Ἄνω μὲν οὖν μόνα τὰ ὑψηλὰ κατηγορεῖται· ἐνταῦθα δὲ καὶ τὰ ἰσχύν τινα μετὰ τοῦ ὕψους ἔχοντα, τὴν ἐν ταῖς ἀποδεικτικαῖς μεθόδοις πιθανότητα ἐπὶ πολὺ κραταιωθεῖσαν καὶ ὑψωθεῖσαν, τεῖχος ὑψηλὸν τροπικῶς λέγοντος τοῦ Προφήτου, καὶ καθαιρε θήσεσθαι αὐτὸ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ Κυρίου διαβεβαιουμένου. 2.93 Καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶν πλοῖον θαλάσσης. Αἰνίγματά ἐστι πρὸς τὴν γυμνασίαν τοῦ νοῦ ἡμῶν προ βεβλημένα, μὴ ἀργῶς ἀκούωμεν τῆς Γραφῆς, ἵνα