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Jesse, holding the type of our Lord Jesus Christ. It says therefore that in the age to come the priestly word flourishes, delivering perfect lessons to the worthy. But while the just are in these things, he says, the locust grows fat; that is, punishment receives sinners as food, and in a way grows fat. For the locust bears a symbol of punishment; for through it God punished the Egyptians. And when these things are thus done, and the just are then flourishing, but the sinners are being punished, the caper-berry is scattered and vanishes, being something bitter, and a symbol of painful sin. For evil, being non-existent, will certainly proceed to non-existence. "Because man went to his eternal home." Woe is me, says David, that my sojourning 93.620 is prolonged. Calling this present life not a dwelling, but a sojourning. Then therefore, he says, man, having departed from this sojourning, goes to his eternal home, the age to come. "And the mourners go about the streets." Then also the sinners in this life weep and mourn. But this life was called a marketplace, because of the transactions in it. "Before the silver cord is snapped." The discourse is to the one being admonished. Strive, he says, O young man, to appease the judge by good works, before wealth is overturned, and the cord of avarice, which binds with all sins; for the love of money is the root of all evils. Before, therefore, this life passes away, in which is the deceit of money and the love of avarice, prepare your works for your departure. "And the golden bowl is broken." Anthemion, either the flower, and the beauty of gold, or also the case, in which we are accustomed to deposit gold. Before, therefore, he says, the things here pass away, pursue virtue. Otherwise: In many places of Scripture the divine word is called silver; but we take gold to be the mind; and the anthemion of gold to be the ruling principle in us. Before, therefore, he says, the teaching word ceases, which like a three-ply cord, or scourge, drives out the passions in us, through which you are able to cleanse the ruling principle in you; that is, while you are in this life, take great care of yourself. "And the pitcher is shattered at the spring." Here he philosophizes concerning the human mixture. For lest anyone should think that the body, when dissolved, proceeds to non-existence, he teaches its permanence through a symbol. For just as when a pitcher is shattered at the spring, the water is not lost, but goes to its own spring; and again whenever one wishes, one draws it out; so also the body, when dissolved, returns to its own spring (the earth), being ready to be composed again, whenever He who formed it in the beginning wishes. Otherwise, the water of the pitcher being poured out into the spring is not lost, but is with the fullness that is in the spring. When therefore that which is in part is done away, according to the Apostle, then that which is perfect comes. The partial knowledge, therefore, which is now in us, then having received perfection, is as the water of a pitcher in a whole spring, having received the part, that is to say, perfection. "And the wheel runs down to the cistern." According to a different reading, he expressed the same meaning. For the wheel to run down 93.621 to the cistern is for the wheel to be broken, and to fall into the cistern, with the jar of water. And he calls the wheel that which is placed over the cistern, through which they perform the drawing up. And likewise here too the water is poured out upon the cistern. Otherwise: This life is called a wheel, because it moves and revolves, according to that: The voice of your thunder was in the wheel. Before, therefore, he says, this revolving wheel, that is, life, rolls us down into the cistern, let us take thought for our own salvation. And Hades was named the cistern, according to that: You have saved me from the lowest cistern, and from those who go down into the pit. "And the dust return to the earth as it was." For the body is resolved into its kindred element, according to that, You are earth, and to earth you shall return. "And the spirit return to God who gave it." If the spirit is said to be with the soul, the

45

Ἰεσσαὶ, τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τύπον ἐπέχουσα. Φησὶ οὖν ὅτι ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι αἰῶνι ὁ ἱερατικὸς ἀνθεῖ λόγος, τὰ τέλεια μαθήματα τοῖς ἀξίοις παραδιδούς. Τῶν δὲ δικαίων ἐν τούτοις ὄντων, φησὶ, ἡ ἀκρὶς παχύνεται· ἀντὶ τοῦ, τροφὴν ἡ κόλασις δέχεται τοὺς ἁμαρτωλοὺς, καὶ τρόπον τινὰ παχύνεται. Ἡ γὰρ ἀκρὶς κολάσεως φέρει σύμβολον· διὰ γὰρ ταύτης ὁ Θεὸς τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους ἐκόλασε. Τούτων δὲ οὕτως πραττομένων, καὶ τῶν μὲν δικαίων ἀνθούντων τότε, κολαζομένων δὲ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν, διασκεδάννυται καὶ ἐξαφανίζεται ἡ κάππαρις, πικρά τις οὖσα, καὶ σύμβολον τῆς ὀδυνηρᾶς ἁμαρτίας. Ἡ γὰρ κακία ἀνύπαρκτος οὖσα, καὶ εἰς ἀνυπαρξίαν πάντως χωρήσει. "Ὅτι ἐπορεύθη ὁ ἄνθρωπος εἰς οἶκον αἰῶνος αὐτοῦ." Οἴμοι, φησὶν ὁ ∆αυῒδ, ὅτι ἡ παροικία μου 93.620 ἐμακρύνθη. οὐκ οἴκησιν, ἀλλὰ παροικίαν τὸν ἐνεστῶτα βίον λέγων. Τότε οὖν, φησὶ, μεταστὰς ἐκ τῆσδε τῆς παροικίας ὁ ἄνθρωπος, εἰς τὸν αἰώνιον αὐτοῦ οἶκον, τὸν αἰῶνα τὸν μέλλοντα, πορεύεται. "Καὶ ἐκύκλωσαν ἐν ἀγορᾷ οἱ κοπτόμενοι." Τότε καὶ οἱ ἐν τῷδε τῷ βίῳ ἁμαρτωλοὶ κλαίουσι καὶ κόπτονται. Ἀγορὰ δὲ ὅδε ὁ βίος ἐλέχθη, διὰ τὰ ἐν αὐτῷ συναλλάγματα. "Ἕως οὗ μὴ ἀνατραπῇ σχοινίον τοῦ ἀργυρίου." Πρὸς τὸν παραινούμενον ὁ λόγος. Σπούδασον, φησὶ, ὦ νεανίσκε, ἀγαθοεργίᾳ μειλίξασθαι τὸν κριτὴν, πρὶν ἀνατραπῆναι τὸν πλοῦτον, καὶ τὸ τῆς φιλαργυρίας σχοινίον, τὸ πάσαις ἁμαρτίαις καταδεσμεῦον· ῥίζα γὰρ πάντων τῶν κακῶν ἡ φιλαργυρία. Πρὶν οὖν τόνδε τὸν βίον παρελθεῖν, ἐν ᾧ χρημάτων ἀπάτη, καὶ φιλαργυρίας ἔρως, εὐτρέπισόν σου τὰ ἔργα πρὸς τὴν ἔξοδον. "Καὶ συντριβῇ τὸ ἀνθέμιον τοῦ χρυσίου." Ἀνθέμιον, ἢ τὸ ἄνθος, καὶ ἡ ὡραιότης τοῦ χρυσίου, ἢ καὶ ἡ θήκη, ἐν ᾗ πεφύκαμεν ἀποτίθεσθαι τὸ χρυσίον. Πρὶν οὖν, φησὶ, τὰ τῇδε παρέλθῃ πράγματα, μέτελθε τὴν ἀρετήν. Ἄλλως· Ἀργύριον πολλαχοῦ τῆς Γραφῆς ὁ θεῖος εἴρηται λόγος· χρυσὸν δὲ ἐκλαμβάνομεν τὸν νοῦν· ἀνθέμιον δὲ χρυσίου τὸ ἐν ἡμῖν ἡγεμονικόν. Πρὶν οὖν, φησὶ, παύσηται ὁ λόγος ὁ διδασκαλικὸς, ὁ δίκην τριπλόκου σχοινίου, ἤτοι φραγελλίου τὰ ἐν ἡμῖν ἀπελαύνων πάθη, δι' οὖ δύνῃ καθᾶραι τὸ ἐν σοὶ ἡγεμονικόν· ἀντὶ τοῦ, ἕως εἷ ἐν τῷδε τῷ βίῳ, πολλὴν σαυτοῦ ποίησον ἐπιμέλειαν. "Καὶ συντριβῇ ἡ ὑδρία ἐπὶ τῆς πηγῆς." Ἐνταῦθα φιλοσοφεῖ περὶ τοῦ ἀνθρωπίνου φυράματος. Ἵνα γὰρ μή τις νομίσῃ εἰς ἀνυπαρξίαν χωρεῖν τὸ σῶμα διαλυόμενον, διὰ συμβόλου διδάσκει τὴν αὐτοῦ παραμονήν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὑδρίας πρὸς τῇ πηγῇ συντριβομένης, τὸ ὕδωρ οὐκ ἀπόλλυται, ἀλλ' εἰς τὴν ἑαυτοῦ πηγὴν ἔρχεται· καὶ πάλιν ὅταν τις ἐθέλῃ, τοῦτο ἐξαντλεῖ· οὕτω καὶ τὸ σῶμα διαλυόμενον ἐπὶ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ πηγὴν (τὴν γῆν) ἐπάνεισιν, ἕτοιμον ὂν πάλιν συστῆναι, ὅταν ὁ τὴν ἀρχὴν αὐτὸ διαπλάσας βούληται. Ἄλλως τὸ τῆς ὑδρίας ὕδωρ εἰς τὴν πηγὴν ἐκχεόμενον οὐκ ἀπόλλυται, ἀλλὰ μετὰ τοῦ πληρώματός ἐστι τοῦ ἐν τῇ πηγῇ. Ὅταν οὖν ἐκ τοῦ μέρους καταργηθῇ, κατὰ τὸν Ἀπόστολον, τότε τὸ τέλειον ἔρχεται. Ἡ οὖν μερικὴ γνῶσις ἡ νῦν ἐν ἡμῖν οὖσα, τότε τὴν τελειότητα προσλαβοῦσα, ὡς ὕδωρ ἐστὶ ὑδρίας ἐν ὅλῃ πηγῇ, τὸ μέρος προσλαβοῦσα, ἤγουν τὴν τελειότητα. "Καὶ συντροχάσῃ ὁ τροχὸς ἐπὶ τὸν λάκκον." Κατὰ ἑτερολεξίαν τὸ αὐτὸ νόημα ἔφησε. Συντροχάσαι 93.621 γάρ ἐστι τὸν τροχὸν ἐπὶ τὸν λάκκον, τὸ κλασθῆναι τὸν τροχὸν, καὶ πεσεῖν ἐν τῷ λάκκῳ, μετὰ τοῦ κεραμίου τοῦ ὕδατος. Τροχὸν δὲ λέγει τὸν ἐπικείμενον τῷ λάκκῳ, δι' οὗ ποιοῦνται τὴν ἀνίμησιν. Ὁμοίως δὲ κἀνταῦθα τὸ ὕδωρ ἐπὶ τὸν λάκκον ἐκχεῖται. Ἄλλως· Τροχὸς ὅδε ὁ βίος καλεῖται, διὰ τὸ κινεῖσθαι, καὶ κυλίεσθαι, κατὰ τό· Φωνὴ τῆς βροντῆς ἐν τῷ τροχῷ. Πρὶν οὖν, φησὶ, κυλιόμενος οὗτος ὁ τροχὸς, ἀντὶ τοῦ, ὁ βίος, ἀποκυλίσῃ ἡμᾶς εἰς τὸν λάκκον, τῆς ἑαυτῶν σωτηρίας φροντίσωμεν. Λάκκος δὲ ὁ ᾅδης ὠνομάσθη, κατὰ τό· Ἔσωσάς με ἐκ λάκκου κατωτάτου, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν καταβαινόντων εἰς λάκκον. "Καὶ ἐπιστρέψῃ ὁ χοῦς εἰς τὴν γῆν, ὡς ἦν." Πρὸς γὰρ τὸ συγγενὲς στοιχεῖον ἀναλύεται τὸ σῶμα, κατὰ τὸ, Γῆ εἶ, καὶ εἰς γῆν ἀπελεύσῃ. "Καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα ἐπιστρέψῃ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν, ὃς ἔδωκεν αὐτό." Τὸ πνεῦμα εἰ μὲν λέγοιτο μετὰ ψυχῆς, τὸ