60

he who refers the blessing given to the Church to the Lord will not sin. Therefore, "God has blessed you," that is, "He has filled your members and your body with His good29.400 things forever," that is, without end. Gird your sword upon your thigh, O mighty one. In your comeliness and in your beauty. We consider, therefore, that this is tropologically referred to the living Word of God, so as to be joined to the flesh, who is "living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." Because the thigh is a symbol of the power of generation. For these, it says, are the souls that came from the loins of Jacob. As, therefore, our Lord Jesus Christ is called life, and the way, and the bread, and the vine, and the true light, and countless other things; so also He is a sword, cutting through the passionate part of the soul, and putting to death the movements toward desire. Then, since the God-Logos is about to be joined to the weakness of the flesh, "O mighty one" is well added; because for God to be able to be born in human nature is proof of the greatest power. For the establishment of heaven and earth, and of the sea, and of the air, and the creation of the greatest elements, and whatever is conceived as supramundane, and whatever is subterranean, do not so much demonstrate the power of the God-Logos as does the economy concerning the Incarnation, and the condescension to the humble and weak nature of humanity. In your comeliness and in your beauty. The "comely" differs from the "beautiful"; because the "comely" is said of that which is completed at the appropriate time for its own prime; as comely is the grain, already ripe for harvest; and comely is the fruit of the vine, which has received its proper ripeness for its own perfection through the season of the year, and is fit for enjoyment; but beauty is the harmonious arrangement in the composition of the members, having grace blooming upon it. Gird, therefore, your sword upon your thigh, O mighty one. In your comeliness, that is, in the fullness of time; and in your beauty, in your divinity which is contemplated and perceived by the mind. For that is truly beautiful which surpasses all human comprehension and power, and is contemplated by the mind alone. And his disciples knew his beauty, to whom he explained the parables in private. And Peter and the sons of thunder saw his beauty on the mountain, outshining the brightness of the sun, and they were deemed worthy to receive with their eyes the prelude of his glorious coming. And "Bend your bow," it says, "and prosper, and reign," That is, having begun the care of men through the flesh, make that care intense and constant and never slacken29.401 ing. For this will provide a way and a course for the preaching, and will subject all to your kingdom. But let us not be surprised that "Prosper" is spoken in the imperative, because of the custom of Scripture always forming optatives in this way. For "Thy will be done" is used instead of "may thy will be done"; and, "Thy kingdom come," instead of "may thy kingdom come." Because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and your right hand shall lead you wondrously. Again the text is similarly structured, as if the Lord receives these things as a reward, to prosper and to reign, for the sake of truth, and meekness, and righteousness. But one must understand it thus: because human affairs have been perverted by falsehood, in order that you might sow the truth, reign among the men who are ruled by sin; for you are the truth. And, "Because of meekness," so that by your example all might be led to gentleness and kindness. Wherefore the Lord also said: "Learn from me, for I am meek and lowly in heart." And he gave proof of his meekness in his very works: when reviled, he was silent; when scourged, he endured. And your right hand shall lead you wondrously. Not a pillar of cloud, nor a light of fire, but your right hand itself. Your arrows are sharpened, migh

60

τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ διδομένην εὐλογίαν ἐπὶ τὸν Κύριον ὁ ἀναφέρων οὐχ ἁμαρτήσει. Τὸ οὖν, Εὐλόγησέ σε ὁ Θεὸς, τουτέστι, Τὰ μέλη τὰ σὰ καὶ τὸ σῶμα τὸ σὸν ἐπλήρωσε τῶν παρ' ἑαυτοῦ ἀγα29.400 θῶν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, τουτέστιν, εἰς τὸ ἀπέραντον. Περίζωσαι τὴν ῥομφαίαν σου ἐπὶ τὸν μηρόν σου, δυνατέ. Τῇ ὡραιότητί σου καὶ τῷ κάλλει σου. Ἡγούμεθα τοίνυν τροπικῶς ἀναφέρεσθαι εἰς τὸν ζῶντα τοῦ Θεοῦ λόγον, ὥστε συνάπτεσθαι τῇ σαρκὶ, ὅς ἐστιν Ἐνεργὴς καὶ τομώτερος ὑπὲρ πᾶσαν μά χαιραν δίστομον, καὶ διικνούμενος ἄχρι μερισμοῦ ψυχῆς τε καὶ πνεύματος, ἁρμῶν τε καὶ μυελῶν, καὶ κριτικὸς ἐνθυμήσεων καὶ ἐννοιῶν καρδίας. ∆ιότι ὁ μηρὸς σύμβολόν ἐστι τῆς κατὰ τὴν γένεσιν ἐνεργείας. Αὗται γὰρ, φησὶν, αἱ ψυχαὶ αἱ ἐξελθοῦ σαι ἐκ τῶν μηρῶν Ἰακώβ. Ὡς οὖν ζωή ἐστι, καὶ ὁδὸς, καὶ ἄρτος, καὶ ἄμπελος, καὶ ἀληθινὸν φῶς, καὶ ἄλλα μυρία ὁ Κύριος ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς ὀνομάζε ται· οὕτω καὶ μάχαιρα διατέμνουσα τὸ παθητικὸν μέρος τῆς ψυχῆς, καὶ νεκροῦσα τὰ πρὸς ἐπιθυμίαν κινήματα. Εἶτα, ἐπειδὴ μέλλει τῇ ἀσθενείᾳ συνάπτε σθαι τῆς σαρκὸς ὁ Θεὸς Λόγος, καλῶς πρόσκειται τὸ, ∆υνατέ· διότι μεγίστης ἀπόδειξιν δυνάμεως ἔχει τὸ δυνηθῆναι Θεὸν ἐν ἀνθρώπου φύσει γενέσθαι. Οὐ γὰρ τοσοῦτον οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς σύστασις, καὶ θαλάσσης, καὶ ἀέρος, καὶ τῶν μεγίστων στοιχείων ἡ γένεσις, καὶ εἴ τι ὑπερκόσμιον νοεῖται, καὶ εἴ τι κα ταχθόνιον, τὴν δύναμιν παρίστησι τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου, ὅσον ἡ περὶ τὴν ἐνανθρώπησιν οἰκονομία, καὶ ἡ πρὸς τὸ ταπεινὸν καὶ ἀσθενὲς τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος συγκα τάβασις. Τῇ ὡραιότητί σου καὶ τῷ κάλλει σου. Τὸ ὡραῖον τοῦ κάλλους διαφέρει· ὅτι τὸ μὲν ὡραῖον λέγεται τὸ συμπεπληρωμένον εἰς τὸν ἐπιτή δειον καιρὸν πρὸς τὴν οἰκείαν ἀκμήν· ὡς ὡραῖος ὁ σῖτος, ὁ ὥριμος ἤδη πρὸς θερισμόν· καὶ ὡραῖος ὁ καρπὸς τῆς ἀμπέλου, ὁ τὴν οἰκείαν πέψιν εἰς τε λείωσιν ἑαυτοῦ διὰ τῆς τοῦ ἔτους ὥρας ἀπολαβὼν, καὶ ἐπιτήδειος εἰς ἀπόλαυσιν· κάλλος δέ ἐστι τὸ ἐν τῇ συνθέσει τῶν μελῶν εὐάρμοστον ἐπανθοῦσαν αὐτῷ τὴν χάριν ἔχον. Περίζωσαι οὖν τὴν ῥομφαίαν σου ἐπὶ τὸν μηρόν σου, δυνατέ. Τῇ ὡραιότητί σου, τουτέστιν, ἐν τῷ πληρώματι τῶν καιρῶν· καὶ τῷ κάλλει σου, τῇ θεωρητῇ καὶ νοητῇ θεότητι. Ἐκεῖνο γὰρ τὸ ὄντως καλὸν, τὸ κατάληψιν πᾶσαν ἀνθρωπίνην καὶ δύναμιν ὑπερβαῖνον, καὶ διανοίᾳ μόνῃ θεωρητόν. Καὶ ἐγνώριζον αὐτοῦ τὸ κάλλος οἱ μαθη ταὶ, οἷς ἐπέλυε τὰς παραβολὰς κατ' ἰδίαν. Εἶδον δὲ αὐτοῦ τὸ κάλλος Πέτρος καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ τῆς βροντῆς ἐν τῷ ὄρει, ὑπερλάμπον τὴν τοῦ ἡλίου λαμπρότητα, καὶ τὰ προοίμια τῆς ἐνδόξου αὐτοῦ παρουσίας ὀφθαλ μοῖς λαβεῖν κατηξιώθησαν. Καὶ Ἔντεινον, φησὶ, καὶ κατευοδοῦ, καὶ βασίλευε, Τουτέστιν, Ἀρξάμενος τῆς τῶν ἀνθρώπων διὰ σαρκὸς ἐπιμε λείας, σύντονον καὶ διαρκῆ καὶ μηδέποτε ὑπεκλυομέ 29.401 νην ποιοῦ τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν. Τοῦτο γὰρ ὁδὸν καὶ δρό μον παρέξει τῷ κηρύγματι, καὶ πάντας ὑποτάξει τῇ βασιλείᾳ σου. Μὴ ξενιζέτω δὲ ἡμᾶς τὸ προστατικῶς λέγεσθαι τὸ, Κατευοδοῦ, διὰ τὴν συνήθειαν τῆς Γραφῆς οὕτως ἀεὶ σχηματιζούσης τὰ εὐκτικά. Γενη θήτω γὰρ τὸ θέλημά σου, ἀντὶ τοῦ, γενηθείη· καὶ, Ἐλθέτω ἡ βασιλεία σου, ἀντὶ τοῦ, ἔλθοι. Ἕνεκεν ἀληθείας καὶ πραότητος καὶ δικαιο σύνης· καὶ ὁδηγήσει σε θαυμαστῶς ἡ δεξιά σου. Πάλιν ὁ λόγος ὁμοίως ἐσχημάτισται, ὡσπερεὶ μισθὸν ταῦτα λαμβάνοντος τοῦ Κυρίου, τὸ κατευοδοῦσθαι καὶ βασιλεύειν, ὑπὲρ ἀληθείας, καὶ πραότητος, καὶ δικαιοσύνης. ∆εῖ δὲ οὕτω νοεῖν· ὅτι ἐπειδὴ τῷ ψεύδει προδιέστραπται τὰ ἀνθρώπινα, ἵνα ἐπισπείρῃς τὴν ἀλήθειαν, βασίλευε ἐν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τοῖς βασι λευομένοις ὑπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας· σὺ γὰρ εἶ ἡ ἀλήθεια. Καὶ, Ἕνεκεν πραότητος, ἵνα τῷ κατὰ σὲ ὑποδεί-γματι πάντες εἰς ἐπιείκειαν καὶ χρηστότητα προαχθῶ σι. ∆ιὸ καὶ ὁ Κύριος ἔλεγε· Μάθετε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, ὅτι πρᾶός εἰμι καὶ ταπεινὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ. Καὶ ἀπό δειξιν παρείχετο τῆς πραότητος ἐπ' αὐτῶν τῶν ἔργων· λοιδορούμενος, ἐσιώπα· μαστιζόμενος, ἠνεί χετο. Καὶ ὁδηγήσει σε θαυμαστῶς ἡ δεξιά σου. Οὐχὶ στῦλος νεφέλης, οὐδὲ φωτισμὸς πυρὸς, ἀλλ' αὐτὴ ἡ δεξιά σου. Τὰ βέλῃ σου ἠκονημένα, δυ