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they attacked insatiably, reaping the people. One might also call their greed a rod, they who would most gladly have suffered anything whatsoever rather than see the coming of Christ. Therefore the rod of the exactor has been scattered, they who, having been defeated, will demand back every garment gathered by deceit, and a cloak with a settlement. For since the devil has plundered the adornment of the soul, and its robe, and the tunic of virtue with his own powers, having shown it naked and unseemly, and did these things with guile and deceit against it? For this reason, he says, they will pay restitution; who, fearing the time of restitution, will wish, if they had been born, to be burnt by fire rather than to behold the Savior of all coming. For shuddering at him they said: "What have we to do with you, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?" But he says "of exchange" with an addition. For not only do we receive back what was taken from us, but we are also improved by the addition of faith in Christ. "For he has clothed me," he says, "with a garment of salvation and a tunic of gladness." And he says "gathered together" for "secretly taken away." But who this was, whom they shuddered at, he added: that a child is born to us, a son; and he is the same as Emmanuel, who is now called a son and a child. This is the third time he is called a son and a child in the present prophecy. For he said, "The Virgin shall bear a son, whom you shall call Emmanuel;" to which he added, "Before the child knows good or evil." And again, "The prophetess," he says, "bore a son." And he added, "Because before the child knows to call father and mother." 2005 And now a third time, that a child is born to us. Therefore, this son and child, given as a gift from God to us who believe, and born for our sake, not for his own, being one of many names, is here named messenger of great counsel. For he himself, having announced the great counsel hidden from the ages, which was not made known to other generations, revealed his own unsearchable riches among the Gentiles, that the Gentiles might be fellow heirs and a joint body of him whose government was upon his shoulder. This is the kingdom and the power in the cross, upon which having been lifted up he drew all to himself. For he indicates strength through the shoulder. For all our strength is in our shoulders and arms. For he is also called the arm of the Lord, according to the text: "And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" Therefore he ruled those in heaven through his own power. For he is the strength of God the Father. But some have said the cross, that he carried this upon his shoulder. And how he is the messenger of great counsel, John made clear, saying: "For he whom God has sent speaks the words of God." And the Savior says to the apostles: "But I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from the Father I have made known to you." And Symmachus rendered it: And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty. And Aquila: Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty. And Theodotion, Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty. For they all, instead of the Septuagint's "God," rendered it "Mighty," as if being cautious about applying the name of God to a child being born. But the Seventy, having looked intently at the things said about him in a manner befitting God, fittingly interpreted the Hebrew El as God. Since he is called Prince of Peace, and Prince of the age to come, and to have endless peace. And Scripture has often used El for God. For where it says, And they will pray in you, because God is in you. Instead of God, the Hebrew has El; And again where it is said, "For you are God and we did not know;" again El appears. And again where it is said: "I am God, and there is no other." El is instead of God. Therefore even now El Gibbor is fittingly interpreted as Mighty God. Since also he who was born of the virgin, Emmanuel, having El, is interpreted by the others as well as, God with us. But that 2008 even now El means God, he himself makes clear as he proceeds. For he says, "And they will trust in the holy God of Israel in truth,

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ἐπετίθεσαν ἀπλείστως καλαμώμενοι τὸν λαόν. Λέγοι δ' ἂν καὶ ῥάβδον τὴν τούτων πλεονεξίαν, οἱ καὶ ἥδιστα πᾶν ὁτιοῦν ἂν ἔπαθον ἤπερ τὴν ἐπιδημίαν εἶδον Χριστοῦ. ∆ιεσκέδασται τοίνυν τοῦ ἀπαιτοῦντος ἡ ῥάβδος, οἳ καὶ ἡττηθέντες πᾶσαν στολὴν ἐπισυνηγμένην δόλῳ, καὶ ἱμάτιον μετὰ καταλλαγῆς ἀπαιτήσουσιν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τὸν κόσμον τῆς ψυχῆς, καὶ τὴν στολὴν αὐτῆς, τόν τε τῆς ἀρετῆς χιτῶνα μετὰ τῶν ἰδίων δυνάμεων σεσύληκεν ὁ διάβολος, γυμνὴν ἀποδείξας αὐτὴν καὶ ἀσχήμονα, καὶ ταῦτα δόλῳ καὶ ἀπάτῃ τῇ πρὸς αὐτὴν ἐποιήσατο; τούτου χάριν, φησὶν, ἀποτίσουσιν· οἱ καὶ τὸν καιρὸν δεδιότες τῆς ἀποτίσεως, ἐθελήσουσιν, εἰ ἐγενήθησαν, πυρίκαυστοι μᾶλλον, ἢ τὸν Σωτῆρα τῶν ὅλων ἐπιδημοῦντα θεάσασθαι. Τοῦτον γὰρ φρίττοντες ἔλεγον· "Τί ἡμῖν καὶ σὺ, Υἱὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἦλθες πρὸ καιροῦ βασανίσαι ἡμᾶς." Τὸ δὲ μεταλλαγῆς μετὰ προσθήκης φησίν. Οὐ γὰρ ἅπερ ἀφῃρήμεθα μόνον ἀπολαμβάνομεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῇ προσθήκῃ τῆς εἰς Χριστὸν πίστεως βελτιούμεθα. "Ἐνέδυσε γάρ με, φησὶν, ἱμάτιον σωτηρίου καὶ χιτῶνα εὐφροσύνης." Ἐπισυνηγμένην δέ φησιν λαθραίως ἀφαιρεθεῖσαν. Τίς δὲ ἦν οὗτος, ὃν ἔφριττον, ἐπήνεγκεν· ὅτι παιδίον ἐγεννήθη ἡμῖν υἱός· ὁ αὐτὸς δὲ τῷ Ἐμμανουὴλ, ὁ νῦν υἱὸς καὶ παιδίον λεγόμενος. Τρίτον τοῦτο υἱὸς ἐν τῇ νῦν προφητείᾳ καὶ παιδίον ῥηθείς. Ἔλεγεν γὰρ, "Ἡ Παρθένος τέξεται υἱὸν, ὃν καλέσεις Ἐμμανουήλ·" ᾧ ἐπήγαγεν, "Πρὶν ἢ γνῶναι τὸ παιδίον ἀγαθὸν ἢ κακόν." Καὶ πάλιν, "Ἡ προφῆτις, φησὶν, ἔτεκεν υἱόν." Καὶ ἐπήνεγκεν, "∆ιότι πρὶν ἣ γνῶναι τὸ παιδίον καλεῖν πατέρα καὶ μητέρα." 2005 Καὶ νῦν τρίτον, ὅτι παιδίον ἐγεννήθη ἡμῖν. Ὁ οὖν, υἱὸς οὗτος καὶ τὸ παιδίον ὁ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ δῶρον ἡμῖν τοῖς πεπιστευκόσι δοθεὶς, καὶ δι' ἡμᾶς οὐ δι' αὐτὸν γεννηθεὶς, πολυώνυμός τις ὢν, μεγάλης βουλῆς ἄγγελος ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος ὠνόμασται. Αὐτὸς γὰρ ὁ τὴν μεγάλην βουλὴν τὴν ἀποκεκρυμμένην ἀπὸ τῶν αἰώνων, τὴν ἑτέραις γενεαῖς μὴ φανερωθεῖσαν ἀγγείλας, ἐφανέρωσεν τὸν ἀνεξιχνίαστον ἑαυτοῦ πλοῦτον ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, εἶναι τὰ ἔθνη συγκληρονόμα καὶ σύσσωμα οὗ ἡ ἀρχὴ ἐγενήθη ἐπὶ τοῦ ὤμου αὐτοῦ. Τοῦτ' ἔστιν ἡ βασιλεία καὶ ἡ δυνάμις ἐν τῷ σταυρῷ, ἐφ' οὗπερ ὑψωθεὶς πάντας εἴλκυσε πρὸς ἑαυτόν. Τὴν γὰρ ἰσχὺν διὰ τοῦ ὤμου δηλοῖ. Πᾶσα γὰρ ἡμῶν ἡ ἰσχὺς ἐν ὤμοις τε καὶ βραχίοσιν. Εἴρηται γὰρ καὶ βραχίων Κυρίου, κατὰ τό· "Καὶ ὁ βραχίων Κυρίου τίνι ἀπεκαλύφθη;" ἦρξε τοίνυν τοῖς ἐπ' οὐρανῶν διὰ τῆς ἰδίας δυνάμεως. Ἰσχὺς γάρ ἐστι τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ Πατρός. Τινὲς δὲ τὸν σταυρὸν ἔφασαν, ὅτι τοῦτον ἦρεν ἐπὶ τοῦ ὤμου. πῶς δὲ μεγάλης βουλῆς ἄγγελός ἐστιν, Ἰωάννης ἐδήλωσεν λέγων· "Ὃν γὰρ ἀπέστειλεν ὁ Θεὸς, τὰ ῥήματα τοῦ Θεοῦ λαλεῖ." Καὶ τοῖς ἀποστόλοις φησὶν ὁ Σωτήρ· "Ὑμᾶς δὲ εἴρηκα φίλους, ὅτι πάντα ἃ ἤκουσα παρὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐγνώρισα ὑμῖν." Ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος ἐξέδωκεν· Καὶ κληθήσεται ὄνομα αὐτοῦ παραδοξασμὸς, βουλευτικὸς, ἰσχυρός. Ὁ δὲ Ἀκύλας· Θαυμαστὸς, συμβουλεύων, ἰσχυρός. Ὁ δὲ Θεοδοτίων, θαυμαστὸς, συμβουλεύων, ἰσχυρός. Συμφώνως γὰρ πάντες τῷ παρὰ τοῖς Ἑβδομήκοντα Θεὸς, ἐξέδωκαν ἰσχυρὸς, ὥσπερ εὐλαβηθέντες ἐπὶ παιδίου γεννωμένου τάξαι τοῦ Θεοῦ τοὔνομα. Οἱ δὲ Ἑβδομήκοντα τοῖς θεοπρεπῶς περὶ αὐτοῦ λεγομένοις ἐνατενίσαντες, τὸ παρὰ τοῖς Ἑβραίοις Ἢλ, Θεὸν εἰκότως ἑρμήνευσαν. Εἴπερ ἄρχων εἰρήνης, εἴρηται καὶ ἄρχων τοῦ μέλλοντος αἰῶνος, καὶ τὴν εἰρήνην ἔχειν ἀπέραντον. Τὸ δὲ Ἢλ ἐπὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ πολλάκις παρείληφεν ἡ Γραφή. Καὶ γὰρ ἔνθα φησὶ, Καὶ ἐν σοὶ προσεύξονται, ὅτι ἐν σοὶ Θεός ἐστιν. Ἀντὶ τοῦ Θεὸς, τὸ Ἑβραικὸν Ἢλ ἔχει· Καὶ πάλιν ἐν τῷ λέγεσθαι, "Σὺ γὰρ εἶ ὁ Θεὸς καὶ οὐκ ᾔδειμεν·" πάλιν τὸ Ἢλ ἐμφέρεται. Καὶ πάλιν ἐν οἷς εἴρηται· "Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἄλλος." Τὸ Ἤλ ἐστιν ἀντὶ τοῦ, Θεός. Οὐκοῦν καὶ νῦν τὸ Ἢλ γιββὼρ, Θεὸς ἰσχυρὸς εἰκότως ἑρμηνεύεται. Ἐπὶ καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ ἐκ τῆς παρθένου γενόμενος Ἐμμανουὴλ τὸ Ἢλ ἔχων, μεθ' ἡμῶν ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ παρὰ τῶν ἄλλων ἑρμηνεύεται. Ὅτι δὲ 2008 καὶ νῦν τὸ Ἢλ ἐπὶ τοῦ Θεὸς, αὐτὸς δηλοῖ προϊών. Λέγει γὰρ, "Καὶ ἔσονται πεποιθότες ἐπὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἅγιον Ἰσραὴλ τῇ ἀληθείᾳ,