57

to all debtors, no longer remembering any of the ways the one who wronged you has sinned against you. 2.153 The brother being understood in two ways, the one being of the same kin according to the flesh, and the other having been born of God who also bore you, it is fitting to bear no malice from the heart towards either. 2.154Zach. VII, 11-12: And they refused to pay attention, and they turned a rebellious back, and they made their ears heavy so as not to hear, and they set their heart to be disobedient so as not to hear my law and the words which the Lord Almighty sent in his Spirit by the hand of the former prophets. 2.155 Since God had given a divine law to the people of the Hebrews, an exhortation was offered by the one who gave it in the seventy-seventh Psalm thus: "Give heed, my people, to my law." The one who follows this exhortation "meditates on the law of the Lord day and night," according to the things philosophized in the first Psalm, which the hierophant Moses had previously decreed, speaking from the person of God: 2.156 "All these words that I command you today shall be in your heart and in your soul, and you shall speak of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way, when you lie down and when you rise up, and you shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be movable", or "immovable"-for the scripture is transmitted in both ways,-"before your eyes." 2.157 For one who thus keeps the given commandment, it follows that he pays attention and obeys the legislation. For how will he disobey while paying attention, the one who has the holy words in his heart and soul, so as to speak of them while at home and walking on the road, while lying down and rising up? Or does not the one who says to the master of all things utter them while lying down: "If I remembered you on my bed, in the morning watches I meditated on you"? 2.158 But also the one who2.158 rises up does the same thing, holding in memory the oracles of God, so as to speak freely to God: "O God, my God, to you I rise early." The prophet Isaiah, having this same zeal, said: "From the night my spirit rises early to you, O God." Consider if it has the same meaning also that which is proclaimed thus: "At midnight I arose to give thanks to you." 2.159 The one who is so zealously disposed toward the words of God, having changed them into deeds, binds them upon his practical power, allegorically called the hand, so that thus having them before his eyes, he may behold the beauty of their meaning, having them as movable or immovable,-for I said there are two readings of the word. But the words and the sayings completed from them are moved before the eyes of the heart when we act according to what has been legislated. 2.160 Or are not the words bound on the hand movable, being understood and practiced, while the other reading, which says "immovable," indicates the permanence and firmness of what has been decreed before the face of the eyes, in accordance with the prophetic word which has it thus: "The word of the Lord remains forever," and with the word of the psalmist: "All his commandments are sure, established for ever and ever." According to this understanding, "the words of Jesus will not pass away, even if heaven and earth pass away." 2.161 He who is secured by all the things contemplated, having the words of the Lord in his heart and soul, and speaking of them while at home and walking on the road, and lying down and rising up, will in no way be inattentive or disobedient, nor again will he "turn a rebellious back." 2.162 But how the one who refuses to pay attention will turn a rebellious back must be considered. 2.163 This happens when someone becomes so worthless that there are said to him in a most rebuking manner the things in the forty-ninth Psalm beginning from this point: "To the sinner God said: Why do you declare my statutes and take up my covenant in your mouth? But you hated instruction and

57

πᾶσι τοῖς ὀφείλουσιν, μηδενὸς ἔτι μνημονεύων ὧν εἰς σὲ ἥμαρτεν ὁ ἀδικήσας σε. 2.153 Τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ διχῶς νοουμένου, τοῦ μὲν κατὰ σάρκα ὁμογνησίου ὄντος, τοῦ δὲ ἐκ Θεοῦ γεγεννημένου τοῦ καί σε γεννήσαντος, πρὸς ἑκάτερον ἀμνησικακεῖν ἀπὸ καρδίας προσήκει. 2.154Zach. VII, 11-12: Καὶ ἠπείθησαν τοῦ προσέχειν, καὶ ἔδωκαν νῶτον παραφρονοῦντα, καὶ τὰ ὦτα αὐτῶν ἐβάρυναν τοῦ μὴ εἰσακούειν, καὶ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτῶν ἔταξαν ἀπειθῆ τοῦ μὴ εἰσακούειν τοῦ νόμου μου καὶ τοὺς λόγους οὓς ἐξαπέστειλεν Κύριος παντοκράτωρ ἐν Πνεύματι αὐτοῦ ἐν χερσὶν τῶν προφητῶν τῶν ἔμπροσθεν. 2.155 Τοῦ Θεοῦ θεῖον νόμον δεδωκότος τῷ λαῷ τῶν Ἑβραίων, προτροπὴ ὑπὸ τοῦ δεδωκότος αὐτὸν προσηνέχθη ἐν ἑβδομηκοστῷ καὶ ἑβδόμῳ Ψαλμῷ οὕτως· «Πρόσεχε, λαός μου, τὸν νόμον μου.» Ὁ ταύτῃ ἀκολουθῶν τῇ παραινέσει «ἡμέρας καὶ νυκτὸς μελετᾷ τὸν τοῦ Κυρίου νόμον», κατὰ τὰ ἐν πρώτῳ Ψαλμῷ φιλοσοφούμενα, ἃ πρότερον ὁ ἱεροφάντης Μωϋσῆς ἐθέσπισεν εἰπὼν ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ Θεοῦ· 2.156 «Ἔσται πάντα τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα ὅσα ἐγὼ ἐντέλλομαί σοι σήμερον ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ σου καὶ ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ σου, καὶ λαλήσεις ἐν αὐτοῖς καθήμενος ἐν οἴκῳ καὶ πορευόμενος ἐν ὁδῷ, κοιταζόμενος καὶ διανιστάμενος, καὶ ἀφάψεις αὐτὰ σημεῖον ἐπὶ τῆς χειρός σου, καὶ ἔσται σαλευτά», ἢ «ἀσάλευτα»-ἑκατέρως γὰρ ἡ γραφὴ φέρεται, -»πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν σου». 2.157 Τῷ οὕτω τηροῦντι τὴν δοθεῖσαν ἐντολήν, ἕπεται τὸ προσέχειν καὶ πείθεσθαι τῇ νομοθεσίᾳ. Πῶς γὰρ ἀπειθήσει ἐν τῷ προσέχειν ὁ ἐν καρδίᾳ καὶ ψυχῇ ἔχων τὰ ἅγια ῥήματα, ὡς λαλεῖν ἐν αὐτοῖς οἴκοι μὲν ὄντα καὶ βαδίζοντα ἐν ὁδῷ, κοιταζόμενον καὶ διανιστάμενον; Ἢ οὐ προφέρει αὐτὰ κοιταζόμενος ὁ φάσκων τῷ δεσπότῃ τῶν ἁπάντων· «Εἰ ἐμνημόνευόν σου ἐπὶ τῆς στρωμνῆς μου ἐν τοῖς ὄρθροις ἐμελέτων εἰς σέ»; 2.158 Ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ δια2.158 νιστάμενος τὸ αὐτὸ ποιεῖ, διὰ μνήμης ἔχων τὰ Θεοῦ λόγια, ὡς παρρησιάζεσθαι πρὸς τὸν Θεόν· «Ὁ Θεός, ὁ Θεός μου πρὸς σὲ ὀρθρίζω.» Ταύτην τὴν σπουδὴν καὶ ὁ προφήτης Ἠσαΐας ἔχων εἶπεν· «Ἐκ νυκτὸς ὀρθρίζει τὸ πνεῦμά μου πρὸς σέ, ὁ Θεός.» Ἐπίστησον εἰ τὴν αὐτὴν ἔχει νόησιν καὶ τὸ οὕτω ἀπαγγελλόμενον· «Μεσονύκτιον ἐξηγειρόμην τοῦ ἐξομολογεῖσθαί σοι.» 2.159 Ὁ οὕτω σπουδαίως διατεθεὶς πρὸς τοὺς Θεοῦ λόγους, εἰς ἔργα μεταβαλὼν αὐτούς, ἀφάπτει αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ τῆς πρακτικῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ, χειρὸς ἀλληγορικῶς καλουμένης, ἵν' οὕτω πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτοῦ ἔχων, θεωρῇ τὸ κάλλος τῆς νοήσεως αὐτῶν, σαλευτοὺς ἢ ἀσαλεύτους ἔχων, -εἶπον γὰρ δύο γραφὰς εἶναι τῆς λέξεως. Σαλεύονται δὲ πρὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν τῆς καρδίας τὰ ῥήματα καὶ οἱ ἐξ αὐτῶν συμπληρούμενοι λόγοι ὅταν ἐνεργῶμεν κατὰ τὰ νομοθετηθέντα. 2.160 Ἢ οὐ σαλευτὰ τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς χειρὸς ἀπαφθέντα ῥήματα νοούμενα καὶ πραττόμενα, δηλούσης τῆς ἑτέρας γραφῆς τῆς ἀσάλευτα λεγούσης πρὸ προσώπου τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν τὰ νομοθετηθέντα τὸ μόνιμόν τε καὶ βέβαιον τῶν θεσπισθέντων, συμφώνως τῷ προφητικῷ τῷ ὧδε ἔχοντι· «Τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦ Κυρίου μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα», καὶ τῇ τοῦ ψαλμῳδοῦ λέξει· «Πισταὶ πᾶσαι αἱ ἐντολαὶ αὐτοῦ, ἐστεριγμέναι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος.» Κατὰ ταύτην τὴν νόησιν «οὐ παρέρχονται οἱ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ λόγοι, κἂν παρέλθῃ ὁ οὐρανὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ». 2.161 Ὁ διὰ πάντων τῶν τεθεωρημένων ἠσφαλισμένος, ἔχων τὰ ῥήματα τοῦ Κυρίου ἐν καρδίᾳ καὶ ψυχῇ, λαλῶν τε ἐν αὐτοῖς οἴκοι μὲν ὢν καὶ ἐν ὁδῷ πορευόμενος, κοιταζόμενός τε καὶ διανιστάμενος, οὐδαμῶς ἀπροσεκτήσει ἢ ἀπειθήσει, οὐδ' αὖ «δώσει νῶτον παραφρονοῦντα». 2.162 Πῶς δὲ ὁ ἀπειθῶν τοῦ προσέχειν δώσει νῶτον παραφρονοῦντα ἐπιστατέον. 2.163 Γίνεται τοῦτο ὅταν τις τοσοῦτον φαῦλος γένηται ὡς ἐλεγκτικώτατα λεχθῆναι πρὸς αὐτὸν τὰ ἐν τεσσαρακοστῷ ἐνάτῳ Ψαλμῷ ἔνθεν ἀρχόμενα· «Τῷ ἁμαρτωλῷ εἶπεν ὁ Θεός· Ἵνα τί διηγῇ τὰ δικαιώματά μου καὶ ἀναλαμβάνεις τὴν διαθήκην μου διὰ στόματός σου; Σὺ δὲ ἐμίσησας παιδείαν καὶ