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when he has stood with thirty men, he attacks and overcomes them? And thus by Ecclesiastes, or rather by Esdras, problems were set before the king. And the first two have spoken well, but the second interpretation of the third prevailed; and it has been said that "truth conquers" and is strong. For though "women are strong" and such "wine" and the "king" and the other things, yet "truth is strongest." The "superior strength" of "truth" appeared, since those things interpreted by the others were strong. † they were contemptible having mentioned, but this one having mentioned † the greatness of "truth" was not apparent.

12,5c and the locust grows fat. In the apostolic writing this was said again, that where there is "law," there also is "transgression." If the gospel had not come into the midst, there would not be a great punishment for those not receiving it. For indeed it says that "this gospel of the kingdom must be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations," so that no one may take the excuse of not having heard. Therefore, when the aforementioned "almond tree blossoms," "the locust grows fat"; and the "locust" is understood as punishment: "What the caterpillar left, the locust has eaten." And it "grows fat" then, receiving much food; and its food are the people handed over to it. But it is also possible to take "the almond tree will blossom" in a moral sense. 358 The "almond," besides the edible part, has two coverings: a shell-like one and then a bitter one, the husk on the outside. The outer husk can be the body; for it is bitter, being disposed towards pleasures. But that shell-like husk is the soul, for it is vigorous and great; and inside, the edible part is the spirit. Therefore, when that prayer of the apostle who writes is fulfilled: "May the God of peace himself sanctify you, your whole spirit and soul and body," "the almond tree has blossomed"; for in "blossoming" it has these three things. A person "blossoms," therefore, when they advance in virtue, when they have their "body transformed" so as to become "conformed to the body" of Christ.

12,5de and the caper-berry is scattered, because man has gone to his eternal home. 12,5e The "eternal home" of "man" is the life after this. All the things that have been said come to pass; and "the doors are shut in the marketplace," and those called for this "rise up at the voice of a bird," and "the daughters of song are brought low." Those being in the "house" of the "age" are the "men." But this place around the earth is the "house" of this "evil age." All the things that have been said come to pass. Since, therefore, he "has gone into" another "age," "into the age of his own house," "into" the one after this, all things that reached this point are dissolved. It is also possible to take it this way, since "man" . . . . . . . . . . is according to the soul . . . .?. When all the things that have accrued to "man" are dissolved, the blameworthy things, the worthless things, he then "goes to" his own "house," having left that of this "age." A fitting "age" and "house" for the "man" who has been made "in the image and likeness of God" is a divine state, into which he "has gone" from this "age." Those things are dissolved, as if one were to say that fornication will have ceased. For "man has gone into" the place of incorruption. 12,5f and the mourners went about in the marketplace. Hence, "the caper-berry being scattered" and "the locust" multiplying, those who of old spoke for the salvation of men as it were mourn for them. Hence, "in the marketplace the mourners went about." You also have it said in the gospel by the Savior: "To what shall I compare this generation?" And he says: "It is like children sitting in the marketplaces, who call out to one another, saying: We played the flute for you, and you did not 359 dance; we sang a dirge for you, and you did not mourn.'" And he adds: "John came neither eating nor drinking." Behold the "mourning child"; for John is taken to represent all the ancient scripture and those who ministered it, but the son of man represents the

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συνστάντος τριάκοντα ἀνθρώ ποις ε᾿̣π̣ε´̣λ̣θῃ καὶ περιγένηται αὐτῶν; καὶ οὑ´̣τως ὑπ̣ὸ τοῦ Ἐκκλησιαστοῦ, μᾶλλον δ̣ὲ ὑπ̣ο`̣ τ̣ο̣ῦ Ἔσ-δρα προβλήματα προυβλ̣η´̣θησαν περὶ τὸν βασιλέα. καὶ εἰρήκασ̣ιν οι῾̣ πρότεροι δύο καλῶς, ἴσχυσεν δὲ ἡ δευτέρα ἑρμηνεία τοῦ τρίτου· καὶ εἴρηται̣ ὅτ̣ι "νικᾷ ἡ ἀλήθεια" καὶ ἰσχύει. εἰ γὰρ καὶ "ἰσχύουσιν αἱ γυναῖ κες" καὶ ὁ τοιοῦτος "οἶνος" καὶ ὁ "βασιλεὺς" καὶ τὰ ἄλλα, ἀλλὰ "ὑπερισχύει ἡ ἀλήθεια". ἡ "ὑπερίσχυ σις" τῆς "ἀληθείας" ἐφάνη ἐκείνων ἰσχυρῶν ὄντων τῶν ἑρμ̣η̣νευθε´̣ν̣των ὑπὸ τῶν ἄλλων. † εξευ̣τ̣ελης ησαν μνημονευκότες μνημονευκότες δὲ ουτος † τὸ μέγεθος τῆς "ἀληθείας" οὐκ ἐφαίνετο.

12,5c καὶ παχυνθῇ ἡ ἀκρι´̣ς. ἐν τῷ ἀποστολικῷ ἐλέγετο πάλιν τοῦτο ὅτι ὅπου "νό μος", ἐκεῖ καὶ ἡ "πα̣ράβασις". εἰ μὴ ἐληλυθὸς ἦν εἰς μέσον τὸ εὐαγγέλιον, οὐκ ἐγ̣ίνετο μεγάλ̣η τιμωρία κα τὰ τῶν μὴ παραλαμβανόντων αὐτό. αὐτίκα γοῦν λέγει ὅτι δεῖ "κηρυχθῆναι τὸ εὐαγγέλιον τοῦτο τῆς βασιλεί ας ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ κόσμῳ εἰς μαρτύριον πᾶσιν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν", ὅπως μηδεὶς πρόφασιν ἕλῃ τὸ ἀνήκοον. ὅταν οὖν "ἀνθήσει" τὸ προειρημένον "ἀμύγδαλον", "παχύνεται ἡ ἀκρίς"· ἡ "ἀκρὶς" δὲ ἀντὶ κολάσεως παρα λαμβάνεται· "τὰ κατάλοιπα τῆς κάμπης κατέφαγεν ἡ ἀκρίς". "παχύνεται" δὲ τότε πολλὴν τροφὴν δεχομένη· τροφὴ δὲ αὐτῆς εἰσιν οἱ παραδιδόμενοι αὐτῇ ἄνθρωποι. δυνατὸν δὲ καὶ εἰς ἦθος λαβεῖν τὸ "ἀνθήσει τὸ ἀμύγδαλον". 358 τὸ "ἀμύγδαλον" ἔξω τοῦ ἐδωδίμου δύο περιβολὰς ἔχει· ὀστρακώδη καὶ ἔπειτα πικρά, τὸ λέπος τὸ ἔξωθεν. δύναται τὸ ἔξω λέπος εἶναι τὸ σῶμα· πικρὸν γάρ ἐστιν, ἐπιτρεπῶς ἔχον πρὸς ἡδονάς. τὸ δὲ ὀστρακῶδες ἐκεῖνο λέπος ἡ ψυχή, εὔτονος γὰρ καὶ μεγάλη· ἔνδον δὲ τὸ ἐ δώδιμον τὸ πνεῦμα. ὅταν οὖν πληρωθῇ ἐκεῖνο τὸ τῆς ἐπευχῆς τοῦ ἀποστόλου γράφοντος· "ὁ δὲ τῆς εἰρήνης θεὸς ἁγιάσα̣ι ὑμᾶς, ὁλόκληρον ὑμῶν τὸ πνεῦμα καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ καὶ τὸ σῶμα", "ἤνθησεν τὸ ἀμύγδαλον"· ἐν τῷ "ἀνθεῖν" γὰρ ἔχει τὰ τρία ταῦτα. "ἀνθεῖ" τοίνυν ὁ ἄνθρωπος, ὅτε προκόπτει ἐν ἀρετ̣ῇ, ὁ´̣τ̣ε "μετασχηματιζόμενον" ἔχει "τὸ σῶμα" ὥσ τε "σύνμορφον" γενέσθαι "τῷ σώματι" τοῦ Χριστοῦ.

12,5de καὶ διασχεδασθῇ ἡ κάππαρις, ὅτι ἐπορεύθη ὁ ἄνθρωπος εἰς οἶκον αἰῶνος αὐτοῦ. ̣12,5ε̣ ὁ "οἶκος τοῦ αἰῶνος" τοῦ "ἀνθρώπου" ἡ μετὰ ταῦτα ζωή ἐστιν. πάντα τὰ εἰρημέν̣α γίνεται· καὶ "κλείονται ἐν τῇ ἀγορᾷ αἱ θύραι", καὶ "ἀνίσταν ται εἰς φω̣νὴν τοῦ στρουθίου" οἱ εἰς τοῦτο κα λούμενοι, καὶ "ταπεινοῦνται αἱ θυγατέρες τοῦ ᾄσμα τος". οἱ ὀ´̣ντ̣ες ἐν τῷ "οἴκῳ" τοῦ "αἰῶνός" εἰσιν οἱ "ἄνθρωποι". ὁ περὶ γῆν δὲ τόπος οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ τούτου τοῦ "αἰῶνος τοῦ πονηροῦ" "οἶκος". τὰ εἰ ρημένα πάντα γίνεται. ἐπεὶ οὖν "ἐπορεύθη εἰς" ἕτερον "αἰῶνα", αφ"εἰς" τὸν τοῦ "οἴκου ἑαυτοῦ αἰῶνα", "εἰς" τὸν μετὰ ταῦτα, λύεται ὅλα τὰ ὧδε φθάσαντα. δυνατὸν καὶ οὕτως αὐτὸ λαβεῖν, ἐπεὶ ὁ "ἄνθρω πο̣ς" ·········· ε᾿̣σ̣τιν κατὰ τὴν ψυχη····?. ὅταν λυθῇ πάντα τὰ προσγενάμενα τῷ "ἀνθρώπῳ", τὰ ψεκ τά, τὰ φαῦλα, "εἰς" τὸν ἑαυτοῦ λοιπὸν "οἶκον πορεύ εται" ἀφεὶς τὸν τοῦ "αἰῶνος" τούτου. "αἰὼν" δὲ κατάλληλος καὶ "οἶκός" ἐστιν τῷ "ἀνθρώ πῳ" τῷ "κατ' εἰκόνα καὶ ὁμοίωσιν θεοῦ" γεγονότι θεία κατάστασις, ἐν ᾗ "ἐπορεύθη" ἀπὸ τοῦ "αἰῶνος" τού του. ἐκεῖνα λύεται, ὡς ἐὰν λέγῃ τις ὅτι πεπαύσεται πορνεία. "ἐπορεύθη" γὰρ ὁ "ἄνθρωπος εἰς" τὸν τῆς ἀφθαρσίας χῶρον. 12,5φ καὶ ἐκύκλωσαν ἐν ἀγορᾷ οἱ κοπ τόμενοι. λοιπὸν "διασχεδασθείσης τῆς καππάρεως" καὶ "τῆς ἀ κρίδος" πληθυνούσης οἱ πάλαι ἀγορεύοντες ὑπὲρ σωτηρί ας τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὥσπερ θρηνοῦσιν αὐτούς. λοιπὸν "ἐν τῇ ἀγορᾷ οἱ κοπτόμενοι ἐκύκλωσαν". ἔχεις καὶ ἐν εὐαγγελίῳ λεγόμενον ὑπὸ τοῦ ςωτῆ ρος· "τίνι ὁμοιώσω τὴν γενεὰν ταύτην;" καὶ λέγει· "ὁ μοία ἐστὶν παιδίοις ἐν ἀγορᾷ καθημένοις, ἃ προσφωνεῖ ἕτερα πρὸς ἕτερα λέγοντες· ηὐλήσαμεν ὑμῖν καὶ οὐκ ὠρ 359 χήσασθε, ἐθρηνήσαμεν ὑμῖν καὶ οὐκ ἐκόψασθε". καὶ ἐπι φέρει· "ἦλθεν Ἰωάννης μήτ̣ε ἐσθίων μήτε πίνων". ἰδοὺ τὸ "θρηνοῦν παιδίον"· ὁ γὰρ Ἰωάννης εἰς πᾶσαν τὴν πα λαιὰν γραφὴν καὶ τοὺς διακονήσαντας αὐτὴν λαμβάνεται, ὁ δὲ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου εἰς τὸ