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<and you sitting,> but <you sitting and we> are perishing. But to sit upon a throne is to judge. For this reason he sees him thus sitting upon a throne high and lifted up; or this signifies one thing, and that another. For the throne was high, that is, great and exceeding tall; and lifted up, that is, also appearing at an ineffable and exalted height. And the house was full of his glory. What house? tell me. The temple. For since he delivered oracles from there, fittingly also in this wondrous vision he appears sitting there. But here by glory he means brightness, an ineffable light; which being unable to explain in words, he called glory, and not simply glory, but the glory of God. And Seraphim stood round about him. Who does he say these Seraphim are? Incorporeal powers of the choirs above, whose excellence and blessedness it is possible to see even from their name. For in the Hebrew language "fiery mouths" is the interpretation of "Seraphim." What then do we learn from this? The purity of their substance, their vigilance, their wakefulness, their swiftness, their activity, their spotlessness. Thus, at any rate, the prophet David too, wishing to show us the unimpeded ministry of the powers above and the swift and exceedingly active nature of their service, said: He who makes his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire; indicating to us through these elements the swift, the light, the active. Such are these powers also, praising the Master with pure mouths, having this as their perpetual task, offering up praises, an unceasing ministry. Their dignity is also shown by their being near the throne. For just as with earthly kings, those who are of greater dignity stand beside the royal throne itself; so indeed also these powers, because of their surpassing excellence, encircle the throne above, unceasingly enjoying the ineffable blessedness and delighting in the blessed portion of this ministry. Six wings to the one, and six wings to the other. And with two they covered their faces, and with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew. And they cried one to another and said: Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of Sabaoth. The whole earth is full of His glory. What do these pinions mean for us, and what do the wings signify to us? For indeed those incorporeal powers have no pinions; but again through grosser forms the prophet reveals to us certain ineffable things, condescending to the weakness of the hearers of that time, yet even through this condescension showing us with precision concepts that surpass all understanding.

6.3 What, then, do the wings signify? The high and sublime nature of these powers. Thus also Gabriel appears flying and descending from the heavens, so that you may learn his swiftness and lightness. And why do you marvel if he has used these words for the ministering powers, when indeed even for the God of all he did not shrink from employing this condescension? For wishing to show His either incorporeal nature or the swiftness of His omnipresence, David says: Who walks upon the wings of the winds. And yet winds do not have wings, nor does He walk upon wings. For how could He who is everywhere present? But as I said before, condescending to the weakness of the hearers, from things that are possible he was leading up their understanding. And again, wishing to show His help and the security that comes from it, he uses the same words, saying thus: In the shadow of your wings you will shelter me. Here, however, the prophet does not signify to us only what is sublime and light through these wings, but also something else that is awesome. For he shows that even if what was seen was a condescension, as indeed it was, not even the powers above were able to attain to this measure. For the covering of their feet and faces and backs was the act of beings struck with awe, trembling [at the lightning], unable to bear the lightning flashing from the throne. For this reason,

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<καὶ σὺ καθήμενος,> ἀλλὰ <σὺ καθήμενος καὶ ἡμεῖς> ἀπολλύμενοι. Τὸ δὲ ἐπὶ θρόνου καθῆσθαι τὸ κρίνειν ἐστί. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο αὐτὸν οὕτως ὁρᾷ καθήμενον ἐπὶ θρόνου ὑψηλοῦ καὶ ἐπῃρμένου ἢ ἕτερον μὲν τοῦτο, ἕτερον δὲ ἐκεῖνο αἰνίττεται. Καὶ γὰρ ὑψηλὸς ἦν ὁ θρόνος, τουτέστι, μέγας καὶ ὑπερμήκης· καὶ ἐπῃρμένος, τουτέστι, καὶ ἐν ὕψει φαινόμενος ἀφάτῳ καὶ μετέωρος. Καὶ πλήρης ὁ οἶκος τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ. Ποῖος οἶκος; εἰπέ μοι. Ὁ ναός. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐκεῖθεν ἔχρα εἰκότως καὶ ἐν τῇ ὄψει τῇ θαυμασίᾳ ταύτῃ ἐκεῖ καθήμενος φαίνεται. ∆όξαν δὲ ἐνταῦθά φησι λαμπρότητα, φῶς ἀπόρρητον· ὅπερ ἑρμηνεῦσαι τῷ λόγῳ μὴ δυνάμενος, δόξαν ἐκάλεσε καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς δόξαν, ἀλλὰ Θεοῦ δόξαν. Καὶ Σεραφὶμ εἱστήκεισαν κύκλῳ αὐτοῦ. Τίνα λέγει ταῦτα τὰ Σεραφίμ; ∆υνάμεις ἀσώματοι τῶν ἄνω δήμων, ὧν τὴν ἀρετὴν καὶ τὴν μακαριότητα καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς προσηγορίας ἔστιν ἰδεῖν. Τῇ γὰρ Ἑβραίων γλώττῃ ἔμπυρα στόματα ἑρμηνεύεται τὰ Σεραφίμ. Τί οὖν ἐκ τούτου μανθάνομεν; Τὸ καθαρὸν τῆς οὐσίας, τὸ ἄγρυπνον, τὸ διεγηγερμένον, τὸ γοργόν, τὸ ἐνεργητικόν, τὸ ἀκηλίδωτον. Οὕτω γοῦν καὶ ὁ προφήτης ∆αυῒδ τῶν ἄνω δυνάμεων τὴν ἀπαραπόδιστον διακονίαν βουλόμενος ἡμῖν ἐνδείξασθαι καὶ τὸ ταχὺ τῆς ὑπηρεσίας καὶ σφόδρα ἐνεργές, ἔλεγεν· Ὁ ποιῶν τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ πνεύματα καὶ τοὺς λειτουργοὺς αὐτοῦ πυρὸς φλόγα· τὸ ταχύ, τὸ κοῦφον, τὸ δραστήριον ἡμῖν διὰ τῶν στοιχείων τούτων ἐνδεικνύμενος. Τοιαῦτα καὶ αἱ δυνάμεις αὗται, καθαροῖς στόμασιν ἀνυμνοῦσαι τὸν ∆εσπότην, ἔργον τοῦτο ἔχουσαι διηνεκῶς, εὐφημίας ἀναφέρουσαι, λειτουργίαν ἀδιάλειπτον. ∆είκνυσι δὲ αὐτῶν τὸ ἀξίωμα καὶ τὸ πλησίον εἶναι τοῦ θρόνου. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν βασιλέων τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς οἱ ἐν μείζοσιν ἀξιώμασιν ὄντες, παρ' αὐτὸν ἑστήκασι τὸν θρόνον τὸν βασιλικόν· οὕτω δὴ καὶ αὗται αἱ δυνάμεις διὰ τὴν ὑπερβάλλουσαν ἀρετὴν τὸν ἄνω θρόνον κυκλοῦσι, τῆς ἀπορρήτου μακαριότητος ἀπολαύουσαι διηνεκῶς καὶ ἐντρυφῶσαι τῇ μακαρίᾳ λήξει τῆς λειτουργίας ταύτης. Ἓξ πτέρυγες τῷ ἑνὶ καὶ ἓξ πτέρυγες τῷ ἑνί. Καὶ ταῖς μὲν δυσὶ κατεκάλυπτον τὰ πρόσωπα ἑαυτῶν, ταῖς δὲ δυσὶ κατεκάλυπτον τοὺς πόδας ἑαυτῶν, καὶ ταῖς δυσὶν ἐπέταντο. Καὶ ἐκέκραγον ἕτερος πρὸς τὸν ἕτερον καὶ ἔλεγον· ἅγιος, ἅγιος, ἅγιος, Κύριος Σαβαώθ. Πλήρης πᾶσα ἡ γῆ τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ. Τί βούλεται ἡμῖν ταῦτα τὰ πτερὰ καὶ τί αἰνίττονται ἡμῖν αἱ πτέρυγες; Οὐ γὰρ δὴ πτερὰ ἐπὶ τὰς ἀσωμάτους δυνάμεις ἐκείνας· ἀλλὰ πάλιν διὰ παχυτέρων σχημάτων ἀπόρρητά τινα ἡμῖν ὁ προφήτης παραδηλοῖ, συγκαταβαίνων μὲν τῇ ἀσθενείᾳ τῶν τότε ἀκροωμένων, ὅμως δὲ καὶ διὰ τῆς συγκαταβάσεως πᾶσαν διάνοιαν ὑπερβαίνοντα νοήματα μετὰ ἀκριβείας ἡμῖν ἐνδεικνύμενος.

6.3 Τί οὖν αἰνίττονται αἱ πτέρυγες; Τὸ ὑψηλὸν καὶ μετάρσιον τῶν δυνάμεων τούτων. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ Γαβριὴλ πετόμενος καὶ ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν καταβαίνων φαίνεται, ἵνα μάθῃς τὸ ταχὺ καὶ κοῦφον. Καὶ τί θαυμάζεις, εἰ ἐπὶ τῶν λειτουργικῶν δυνάμεων ταύταις ταῖς λέξεσι κέχρηται, ὅπου γε καὶ ἐπ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ τῶν ὅλων Θεοῦ οὐ παρῃτήσατο ταύτην μεταχειρίσασθαι τὴν συγκατάβασιν; Βουλόμενος γὰρ αὐτοῦ δεῖξαι ἢ τὸ ἀσώματον ἢ τὸ ταχὺ τῆς πανταχοῦ παρουσίας, φησὶν ὁ ∆αυΐδ· Ὁ περιπατῶν ἐπὶ πτερύγων ἀνέμων. Καίτοι γε οὔτε ἄνεμοι πτέρυγας ἔχουσιν, οὔτε αὐτὸς ἐπὶ πτερύγων περιπατεῖ. Πῶς γὰρ ὁ πανταχοῦ παρών; Ἀλλ' ὅπερ ἔφθην εἰπών, τῇ ἀσθενείᾳ τῶν ἀκουόντων συγκαταβαίνων, ἀπὸ τῶν ἐγχωρούντων ἀνῆγεν αὐτῶν τὴν διάνοιαν. Καὶ πάλιν τὴν βοήθειαν αὐτοῦ βουλόμενος καὶ τὴν ἐκ ταύτης ἀσφάλειαν ἐνδείξασθαι, ταῖς αὐταῖς κέχρηται λέξεσιν, οὕτω λέγων· Ἐν σκέπῃ τῶν πτερύγων σου σκεπάσεις με. Ἐνταῦθα μέντοι οὐ τὸ μετάρσιον καὶ κοῦφον ἡμῖν αἰνίττεται μόνον ὁ προφήτης διὰ τῶν πτερύγων τούτων, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἕτερόν τι φρικῶδες. ∆είκνυσι γὰρ ὅτι εἰ καὶ συγκατάβασις ἦν τὸ ὁρώμενον, ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ ἦν, οὐδὲ αἱ ἄνω δυνάμεις πρὸς τὸ μέτρον τοῦτο χωρῆσαι ἠδύναντο. Τὸ γὰρ καλύπτειν τοὺς πόδας καὶ τὰ πρόσωπα καὶ τὰ νῶτα, ἐκπληττομένων ἦν, τρεμουσῶν [τὴν ἀστραπήν], οὐ φερουσῶν τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ θρόνου πηδῶσαν ἀστραπήν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο,