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Therefore, by His goodness, God also gives a place of repentance even to those who have greatly erred, so that a recovery of virtue might occur. 18, 16. So Cain went out from the presence of God and dwelt in the land of Nain, opposite Eden. When we say that Cain went out from the presence of God, we do not understand it locally, but that every sinner is outside of God, since we also understand entering in to God in this way, as the psalm says: "Co[me] before him with exultation"; but one comes before God by leaving all external things behind, both sins and perceptible matters, and becoming another to the world, so that in this way he may become a partaker of the knowledge of God. So it is said here: "Cain went o[ut] fro[m] the pres- ence of God", and we do not say that there is some place in which God exists, from which Cain, being there, went out; for God is uncircumscri[bed] and not subject to places, even if a temple later ca[me to be], existing as a teach- ing of symbolic worship. So C[ain] went out, having made himself unworthy of the presence of God, having become henceforth unmindful of Him. Concerning such people it has been said: "God is not before him", and concerning the sons of Eli it is said: "The sons of Eli did not know the Lord"; for even if they were persis- tently at the temple, still in their disposition and deeds they were outside of Him. That Cain went out in this way, the following demonstrates: "And he dwelt" for it says "in the land of Nain, opposite Eden" "Shaking" for Nain is interpreted; for where 136 ought one who has departed from peaceful virtue to dwell, except in "shaking", an unstable and uncertain thing, which is wickedness? And "opposite" is also fitting; for wickedness is opposite to virtue. We remember, then, how when we were discussing the expulsion of Adam, we noted that He cast him out not after he had departed on his own, but while he still had a spark of longing for the life of the paradise of delight; for this reason He also settled him opposite these things, as if He Himself had arranged the dwelling. For to those who do not sin greatly, since virtue is not far away within them, a certain pretext is given that points to a swift return, giv- en by God, which is not said in Cain's case. For he was neither settled nor cast out, having sli- pped into evil with an eager desire; therefore he also dwells in "shaking", being incessantly agita- ted, since he desired th[i]s, whereas the virtuous is steadfast, because it has a strong sta[nce], so as to be able to stand even with God, ac[cor]ding to what was said: "But as for you, stand here with me", and by the [Sa]vior concerning those who would not taste death: "There are some of those standing here", who were his intimates. B[u]t Paul also, exhorting not to be carried about by every unw[ort]hy teaching, writes: "Stand firm, therefore, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage"; and the psalmist also says in thanksgiving: "You set my feet upon a rock"; but concerning the wicked, as they are always worn down by evils, it is said: "The shaking of their feet shall not cease". For it is a great sin to be always moved in evil, which the word, not wanting to be in Zion, says: "Stand yourself, Zion"; having this, the blessed David, so that he might not fall from it, sang: "And let not the hand of sinners move me", that is: may the deeds of the sinner, the devil, not 137 cause me to depart from virtue. 18, 17. And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. And he was building a city, and he named the city after the name of his son, Enoch. Some ask from where Cain got a wife, since there were no others than Adam and Eve, from which the malicious introduce brother-sister marriage. But they ought to understand that brother-sister marriage is not introduced from this. For if, there being other women, he had used his sister, the argument would be plausible; but if, there being no one else, this happened for the establishment of the succession, where is there room for brother-sister marriage, since it was not possible to receive someone for union from elsewhere? There is also a discussion raised among the Stoics that, if it should happen that a conflagration of the

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οὖν καὶ ἀγαθότητι ὁ Θεὸς καὶ τοῖς μεγάλα σφαλλομένοις τόπον μετανοίας δίδωσιν, ἵνα πάλιν ἀνάλη<μ>ψις τῆς ἀρετῆς γένηται. ιῃ, 16. Ἐξῆλθεν οὖν Κάιν ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ ᾤκησεν ἐν γῇ Ναῒν κατέναντι Ἐδέμ. Τὸ ἐξελθεῖν τὸν Κάιν ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ Θεοῦ οὐ τοπικῶς ἐκλαμβάνοντές φαμεν ὅτι πᾶς ἁμαρτάνων ἔξω Θεοῦ γίνεται, ἐπεὶ καὶ τὸ εἰσελθεῖν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν οὕτω νοοῦμεν, λέγοντος τοῦ ψαλμοῦ· "6Εἰ[σ]έλθατε ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει"6· εἰσέρχεται δέ τις ἐνώπιον Θεοῦ τὰ ἔξω πάντα καταλιπών, ἁμαρτήματά τε καὶ τὰ αἰσθητὰ πράγματα, καὶ ἄλλος τοῦ κόσμου γινόμενος, ἵν' οὕτως τῆς περὶ Θεοῦ γνώσεως μέτοχος γένηται. Λέγεται οὖν ἐνταῦθα· "6Ἐξῆλθεν Κάιν ἀπ̣[ὸ] προσώ- που Θεοῦ"6, καὶ οὐ λέγομεν ὅτι τόπος τίς ἐστιν, ἐν ᾧ ὁ Θεὸς ὑπάρχει, ἐν ᾧ Κάιν ὑπάρχων ἐξῆλθεν· ἀπερίγραφ[ος] γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς καὶ τόποις οὐχ ὑποκείμενος, εἰ καὶ ναὸς ὕστερον γέγο[νεν], συμβολικῆς λατρείας ὑπάρχων διδα- σκαλία. Ἐξῆλθεν οὖ[ν] Κάιν, ἀνάξιον ἑαυτὸν καταστήσας τοῦ προσώπου τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀνεννόητος λοιπὸν αὐτοῦ γεγενη- μένος. Περὶ τῶν τοιούτων εἴρηται· "6Οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ Θεὸς ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ"6, καὶ περὶ τῶν υἱῶν Ἠλὶ λέγεται· "6Υἱοὶ Ἠλὶ οὐκ εἰδότες τὸν Κύριον"6· καὶ γὰρ εἰ προσεκαρ- τέρουν τῷ ναῷ, ἀλλὰ τῇ διαθέσει καὶ τοῖς ἔργοις ἔξω ἐτύγχανον αὐτοῦ. Ὅτι δὲ Κάιν οὕτως ἐξῆλθεν, τὸ ἐπιφερόμενον παρί- στησιν· "6Καὶ ᾤκησεν"6 γάρ φησιν "6ἐν γῇ Ναῒν κατέναντι Ἐδέμ"6 "3Σάλος"3 γὰρ ἡ Ναῒν ἑρμηνεύεται· ποῦ γὰρ 136 ἔδει τὸν ἀποστάντα τῆς εἰρηνικῆς ἀρετῆς οἰκεῖν ἢ ἐν τῇ "3σάλῳ"3, ἀστάτῳ πράγματι καὶ ἀβεβαίῳ, ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἡ κακία; Εὖ δὲ καὶ τὸ κατέναντι· ἐναντία γὰρ τῇ ἀρετῇ ἡ κακία. Μεμνήμεθα τοίνυν ὡς, ὅτε διελαμβάνομεν περὶ τῆς ἐκβολῆς τοῦ Ἀδάμ, ἐσημειωσάμεθα ὅτι ἐκβέβληκεν αὐτὸν οὐκ ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ ἐξελθόντα, ἀλλὰ ἔτι ἔχοντα ἔναυσμα πόθου τῆς διατριβῆς τοῦ παρ<α>δείσου τῆς τρυφῆς· διὸ καὶ κατέναντι τούτων αὐτὸν κατῴκισεν, οἷον αὐτὸς καὶ τὴν οἴκησιν οἰκονομήσας. Τοῖς γὰρ μὴ μεγάλα ἁμαρτάνουσιν, ἐπεὶ οὐ πόρρω ἡ ἀρετὴ ἐνυπάρχει, δίδοταί τις πρόφασις ταχεῖαν τὴν ὑποστροφὴν ὑποδεικνύουσα, πρὸς Θεοῦ διδο- μένη, ὅπερ ἐπὶ τοῦ Κάιν οὐκ εἴρηται. Οὔτε γὰρ κατῴκισται οὐδὲ ἐκβέβληται, προθύμῳ πόθῳ πρὸς τὸ κακὸν ἀπολι- σθήσας· διόπερ καὶ "3σάλον"3 οἰκεῖ, ἀδιαστάτως ταρατ- τόμενος, ἐπεὶ [τ]οῦτο ἐπόθησεν, τοῦ ἐναρέτου βεβαίου ὑπάρχοντος, διὰ [τὸ στ]άσιν ἔχειν ἰσχυράν, ὡς καὶ μετὰ Θεοῦ στῆναι δύνασθαι [κα]τὰ τὸ εἰρημένον· "6Σὺ δὲ αὐτοῦ στῆθι μετ' ἐμοῦ"6, καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ [Σ]ωτῆρος περὶ τῶν θανάτου μὴ γευομένων· "6Εἰσί τινες τῶν ὧδε ἑστηκότων"6, οἵτινες ἦσαν οἱ γνώριμοι αὐτοῦ. Ἀ[λ]λὰ καὶ Παῦλος προτρέπων μὴ περιφέρεσθαι παντὶ ἀνα[ξί]ῳ διδασκαλίας γράφει· "6Στήκετε οὖν καὶ μὴ πάλιν ζυγῷ δουλείας ἐνέχεσθε"6· καὶ ὁ ψαλμῳδὸς δὲ εὐχαριστητικῶς φησιν· "6Ἔστησας ἐπὶ πέτραν τοὺς πόδας μου"6· περὶ δὲ τῶν φαύλων ὡς ἀεὶ ἐπιτριβομένων ἐν κακοῖς εἴρηται· "6Οὐ μὴ στῇ"6 ὁ σάλος τῶν ποδῶν αὐτῶν. Μέγα γὰρ ἁμάρτημα ἀεὶ ἐν τῷ κακῷ κινεῖσθαι, ὅπερ μὴ βουλόμενος ἐν τῇ Σιὼν εἶναί φησιν ὁ λόγος· "6Στῆσον σεαυτὴν Σιών"6· ὅπερ ἔχων ὁ μακάριος ∆αυίδ, ἵνα μὴ αὐτοῦ ἐκπέσῃ, ἔψαλλεν· "6Καὶ χεὶρ ἁμαρτωλῶν μὴ σαλεύσαι με"6, ὅ ἐστιν· πράξεις ἁμαρτωλοῦ, τοῦ διαβόλου, μὴ 137 ἀποστήσῃ με ἀπὸ ἀρετῆς. ιῃ, 17. Καὶ ἔγνω Κάιν τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ, καὶ συλλαβοῦσα ἔτεκεν τὸν Ἑνώχ. Καὶ ἦν οἰκοδομῶν πόλιν, καὶ ἐπωνόμασεν τὴν πόλιν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ Ἑνώχ. Ζητοῦσί τινες πόθεν ἔσχεν γυναῖκα ὁ Κάιν, οὐκ ὄντων ἄλλων ἢ τοῦ Ἀδὰμ καὶ τῆς Εὕας, ἐξ οὗ οἱ κακοῦργοι ἀδελφογαμίαν εἰσάγουσιν. Ἔδει δ' αὐτοὺς ἐννοεῖν ὡς οὐκ ἐκ τούτου ἀδελφογαμία εἰσάγεται. Εἰ μὲν γάρ, ἀλλῶν οὐσῶν, ἐκέχρητο τῇ ἀδελφῇ, πιθανὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος· εἰ δέ, μηδένος ὑπάρχοντος, πρὸς σύστασιν τῆς διαδοχῆς τοῦτο γέγονεν, ποῦ χώραν ἔχει ἀδελφογαμία, <οὐχ> οἵου τε ὄντος ἑτέρωθεν δέξασθαι πρὸς συζυγίαν; Φέρεται καὶ λόγος παρὰ τοῖς Στωϊκοῖς ζητούμενος ὡς, εἰ συμβαίη ἐκπύρωσιν γενέσθαι τοῦ