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the composition of the glorious adornment, as it were both the material that adorns and the very contrivance of art. And since it is not possible for one to be so lifted up, nor to be puffed up by it, but when all are put together the arrogant disposition arises, the Lord threatens to take away even the composition of the adornment. And whatever the adornment is, such evidently is also the glory upon it; but the adornment is bodily and vain; therefore the glory upon it is also corruptible and insubstantial. 3.127 And the anklets and the bracelets and the braided ornaments. The whole enumerated adornment is the pursuit of a wanton woman, that is, of one who is luxurious and dissolute. Especially the anklets (being paronymous with luxury), perhaps placed around the arms. Bracelets are those things put forth on the ends of the hands for show. But sometimes the bracelets have also been taken in a good sense, as when the elder of the house adorned the holy Rebecca. For it was necessary for her who was about to dwell with the patriarch to be pre-instructed in the practical part of the soul by him who was wooing her. ∆For this reason he adorned her hands with golden bracelets, that is, with honorable deeds. ∆And their weight was ten gold pieces; because in ten chapters the whole observance of the law is summed up. And earrings, having a weight of a drachma each, because it was fitting for obedience to be adorned with faith in one God. Here, however, the bracelets are taken away, because of those being lifted up by the adornment of the bracelets, the word showing us in general that he who has become high-minded at being able to do better things is abandoned by the oversight that holds him. The braided ornament seems to be something woven together with the hair, in order to stimulate the color of the hair with its own good color. And let these things be considered petty by no one. For we are not more venerable than the Spirit, so as to disdain to investigate the words in the Scripture. For we have learned in the Song of Songs, that the braided ornament of the praised bride is also revered; for "Your head" (it says) "is like Carmel, and the braided ornament of your head is like purple." 3.128 And the earrings, and the rings. We have been taught that the use of earrings in the betrothal of Rebecca was praiseworthy, as a symbol that good teachings concerning the truth in intelligible things were about to be delivered to her when she came into the house of Abraham. But we have found them accused in many places. First, from the fact that, when they were about to go up to Bethel, the women were commanded by Jacob to take them off along with the foreign gods, as being an impediment from idolatry and from the use of earrings to ascending to the house of the Lord. For Bethel is interpreted as house of God. Then in Exodus, Aaron, having been pressed into sedition by the people to make an idol, chose the earrings as a suitable material for the construction of forbidden things. For "all the people" (it says) "took off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron, and he fashioned them into a molten calf." But Gideon also, taking the earrings from the people out of the spoils of the Ishmaelites, "Made them into an Ephod, and set it up in the city." "And all Israel played the harlot after it there, and it became a stumbling block to Gideon and to his house." And now these earrings are slandered because they help lift up the pride of the daughters of Zion. And the purple-bordered garments and the purple-centered garments. He slanders the adornment in the clothing of women who beautify themselves as excessive, sometimes weaving purple along the edges, and sometimes placing it in the middle. ∆Purple is a symbol of deceit, covering up the natural color, and showing forth its own bloom, like those who are bright on the surface, but in the depth overshadow what is evil. This is to be avoided, whether it occupies the extremities of life or the middle. ∆Therefore the word also rejects the purple-bordered garments. 3.129 And the mantles, those according to the house, and the transparent Laconian ones. An excess of profligacy and of unsparing luxury the word in

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σύνθεσιν τοῦ κόσμου τῆς δόξης, οἱονεὶ καὶ τὴν ὕλην τὴν κοσμοῦσαν καὶ αὐτὴν τὴν ἐκ τέχνης ἐπίνοιαν. Καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἑνὶ μὲν οὐκ ἔστιν ἐπαρ θῆναι τοσοῦτον, οὐδὲ φυσιωθῆναι ἐπ' αὐτῷ, ὁμοῦ δὲ πᾶσι συγκειμένοις τὸ ἀλαζονικὸν ἐπιγίνεται φρόνημα, καὶ τὴν σύνθεσιν τοῦ κόσμου ἀφαιρήσειν ὁ Κύριος ἀπειλεῖ. Ὁποῖος δὲ ὁ κόσμος, τοιαύτη δηλονότι καὶ ἡ ἐπ' αὐτῷ δόξα· σω ματικὸς δὲ ὁ κόσμος καὶ μάταιος· φθαρτὴ οὖν καὶ ἡ ἐπ' αὐτῷ δόξα καὶ ἀνυπόστατος. 3.127 Καὶ τοὺς χλιδῶνας καὶ τὰ ψέλλια καὶ τὰ ἐμπλόκια. Ὅλος μὲν ὁ κατηριθμημένος κόσμος χλιδώσης γυναικός ἐστιν ἐπιτήδευμα, τουτέστι τρυφώσης καὶ διακεχυμένης. Ἐξαιρέτως δὲ οἱ χλιδῶνες (παρώνυμοι ὄντες τῆς τρυφῆς) τάχα τοῖς βραχίοσι περικείμενοι. Ψέλλια δέ ἐστι τὰ τοῖς ἄκροις τῶν χειρῶν κατὰ τὸ προφανὲς προβαλλόμενα. Ἔστι δέ ποτε καὶ ἐπὶ καλοῦ παρειλημμένα τὰ ψέλλια, ὡς ὅτε τὴν ἁγίαν Ῥεβέκκαν ὁ πρεσβύτερος τῆς οἰκίας κατεκόσμει. Ἔδει γὰρ τὴν μέλλουσαν συνοικεῖν τῷ πατριάρχῃ, ὑπὸ τοῦ μνηστευομένου αὐτὴν τὸ πρακτικὸν τῆς ψυχῆς προπαι δευθῆναι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ψελλίοις χρυσοῖς κατεκόσμει τὰς χεῖ ρας, τουτέστι πράξεσι τιμίαις. ∆έκα δὲ χρυσίων ὁλκὴ αὐ τῶν· διότι ἐν δέκα κεφαλαίοις ἡ πᾶσα τήρησις τοῦ νόμου συμπεραιοῦται. Καὶ ἐνώτια, ἀνὰ δραχμὴν ὁλκῆς ἔχοντα, ὅτι τὴν ὑπακοὴν τῇ εἰς ἕνα Θεὸν πίστει προσῆκε κεκοσμῆ σθαι. Ἐνταῦθα μέντοι περιαιρεῖται τὰ ψέλλια, διὰ τὰς ἐπαι ρομένας τῷ κόσμῳ τῶν ψελλίων, καθόλου ἡμῖν ἐνδεικνυ μένου τοῦ λόγου, ὅτι ὁ ἐπὶ τῷ δεδυνῆσθαι τὰ κρείττονα ὑψηλοφρονήσας ἐγκαταλείπεται ὑπὸ τῆς συνεχούσης αὐτὸν ἐπισκοπῆς. Τὸ δὲ ἐμπλόκιον ἔοικέ τι εἶναι συγκαταπλεκό μενον ταῖς θριξὶν, εἰς τὸ τῇ παρ' ἑαυτοῦ εὐχροίᾳ διεγεῖραι τῶν τριχῶν τὴν χρόαν. Καὶ μηδενὶ ταῦτα μικροπρεπῆ νο μιζέσθω. Οὐ γὰρ σεμνότεροι τοῦ Πνεύματος ἡμεῖς, ὡς ἀπαξιοῦν τὰς ἐν τῇ Γραφῇ λέξεις διερευνᾶσθαι. Μεμαθή καμεν γὰρ ἐν τοῖς Ἄσμασι, τῆς ἐπαινουμένης νύμφης καὶ τὸ ἐμπλόκιον σεμνυνόμενον· Κεφαλὴ γάρ σου (φησὶν) ὡς ὁ Κάρμηλος καὶ ἐμπλόκιον κεφαλῆς σου ὡς πορφύρα. 3.128 Καὶ τὰ ἐνώτια, καὶ τοὺς δακτυλίους. Ἐπαινετὴν μὲν τὴν χρῆσιν ἐνωτίων ἐν τῇ μνηστείᾳ τῆς Ῥε βέκκας ἐδιδάχθημεν, σύμβολον τοῦ ἀγαθὰ μέλλειν αὐτῇ δι δάγματα περὶ τῆς ἐν τοῖς νοητοῖς ἀληθείας, ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ γενομένῃ παραδοθήσεσθαι. Κατηγορούμενα δὲ αὐ τὰ πολλαχοῦ κατειλήφαμεν. Πρῶτον μὲν ἐκ τοῦ, ὅτε ἀναβαί νειν ἔμελλον εἰς Βεθὴλ, προσταχθῆναι παρὰ τοῦ Ἰακὼβ τὰς γυναῖκας περιελέσθαι αὐτὰ μετὰ τῶν θεῶν ἀλλοτρίων, ὡς ἐμποδίου ὄντος ἐκ τῆς εἰδωλολατρείας καὶ τῆς τῶν ἐνω τίων χρήσεως πρὸς τὸ ἀνελθεῖν εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ Κυρίου. Βεθὴλ γὰρ οἶκος Θεοῦ ἑρμηνεύεται. Ἔπειτα ἐν τῇ Ἐξόδῳκαταστασιασθεὶς ὑπὸ τοῦ λαοῦ ὁ Ἀαρὼν εἰς τὸ ποιῆσαι εἴδωλον, ὡς ἐπιτηδείαν ὕλην εἰς κατασκευὴν τῶν ἀπηγο ρευμένων, τὰ ἐνώτια ἐξελέξατο. Περιείλαντο γὰρ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς (φησὶ) τὰ ἐνώτια τὰ χρυσᾶ, τὰ ἐν τοῖς ὠσὶν αὐτῶν, καὶ ἤνεγκαν πρὸς Ἀαρὼν, καὶ ἔπλασεν αὐτὰ μόσχον χωνευ τόν. Ἀλλὰ καὶ Γεδεὼν, ἐκ τῶν σκύλων τῶν Ἰσμαηλιτικῶν λαβὼν τὰ ἐνώτια παρὰ τοῦ λαοῦ, Ἐποίησεν αὐτὰ εἰς Ἐφούδ, καὶ ἔστησεν αὐτὸ ἐν τῇ πόλει. Καὶ ἐξεπόρνευσε πᾶς Ἰσραὴλ ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ ἐκεῖ, καὶ ἐγένετο τῷ Γεδεὼν καὶ τῷ οἴκῳ αὐ τοῦ εἰς σκάνδαλον. Καὶ ταῦτα νῦν τὰ ἐνώτια διὰ τὸ συν επαίρειν τὸ φρόνημα τῶν θυγατέρων Σιὼν διαβέβληται. Καὶ τὰ περιπόρφυρα καὶ τὰ μεσοπόρφυρα. Τὸν ἐν τῇ ἐσθῆτι κόσμον τῶν καλλωπιζομένων γυναικῶν ὡς περίεργον δια βάλλει, πορφύραν ποτὲ μὲν κατὰ τὰ ἄκρα παρυφαινόντων, ποτὲ δὲ κατὰ τὸ μέσον αὐτὴν ἐντιθέντων. ∆όλου δὲ σύμβολον ἡ πορφύρα, τὴν κατὰ φύσιν χρόαν ἐπικαλύπτουσα, καὶ τὸ οἰκεῖον ἄνθος προφαίνουσα κατὰ τοὺς ἐν ἐπιφανείᾳ φαιδροὺς, ἐν δὲ τῷ βάθει τὸ κακὸν συσκιάζοντας. Ὅπερ κἂν τὰ ἄκρα τοῦ βίου, κἂν τὸ μέσον ἐπέχῃ, φευκτόν. ∆ιόπερ καὶ τὰ περι πόρφυρα παραιτεῖται ὁ λόγος. 3.129 Καὶ τὰ ἐπιβλήματα, τὰ κατὰ τὴν οἰκίαν καὶ τὰ διαφανῆ Λακωνικά. Ὑπερβολὴν ἀσωτίας καὶ τρυφῆς ἀφειδοῦς ὁ λόγος ἐμ