65

Of the Priestly [Order]: Note, that it is a priestly tradition to know about the order of the minds.

Of illuminations: A proof of what was said, that the second are initiated by the first, from Zechariah the prophet.

To the untamed: To the savage. Having given over: Concerning those handed over to the Babylonian. In every way: See that God contrives all things in order to turn back those

wandering. He led back gently: The word 'gently' instead of 'humanely' or 'very and

greatly' understand. For it is common: That by a common name all the intelligible powers are called angels

are called. (14Ε_276> Of the subordinate: Of those of lower rank, of the second rank. Going before. Going before perhaps the prophet; and perhaps before the

greater angel came to him. Then from him the divine [revelation]: This he wants to show, that even in the angelic

orders the first announce to the second the will of God. And 'very fruitfully' instead of 'very much' from Ezekiel.

To answer: The Lord spoke well through the prophet Ezekiel, that the sinners should be separated from the righteous; for He appears to have done this also in the Gospels, when He separated the sheep from the goats. Behold, in this too the Old Testament agrees with the New.

He who [wore] the tunic reaching to the feet: Concerning the one clothed in the tunic reaching to the feet. Note that for the angel who was commanded to place the mark, there was a tunic reaching to the feet and a girdle around his loins, a form befitting a priest; but for the other angels, an axe in their hands, which signifies a certain punitive power, so that from this we may understand that with a view to what is to be accomplished the form of the angels is also shaped, which we ought to understand concerning the seraphim and cherubim and the other powers, that they have their form according to their own rank; for those who say the trisagion hymn are formed with many faces, the word signifying that their hymn is unceasing and great; so also understand concerning the things that follow.

The mark on the foreheads: Note, that from that he foretold the divine prefiguration, that the faithful place the life-giving seal upon their forehead and are saved from the destroyer; but then, angels in the form of priests were commanded to do this for the innocent; for the girdle and the tunic reaching to the feet signify the sacred form of priests; but now (14Ε_278> we, the faithful, impressing the seal of the cross upon our own foreheads, escape the enemy; behold also another likeness of the Old to the New. Note that these are the three triadic orders of the intelligible powers: the first triad, thrones, then cherubim, then seraphim; the second triad, dominions, powers, authorities; these are also called the middle ones; the third triad, principalities, archangels, angels; but by a common name all are angels.

Of good order: Concerning the good order of the second in relation to the higher ones. The most divine Gabriel: Note that Gabriel is not of the

higher powers, but of the subordinate ones. Of the hierarchy: Note, that an imitation of the mystical hierarchy above are the things done in the

Church today; for the priests also place the seal of the life-giving cross on those who approach the mystery, so that they may be separated from the unbelievers, and that they might escape the enemy; and besides, order is kept in the holy Church; for what the subdeacon is permitted to do, those below him do not do,

65

Ἱερατικῆς: Σημείωσαι, ὅτι ἱερατική παράδοσίς ἐστι τό περί τῆς τάξεως τῶν νοῶν εἰδέναι.

Ἐλλάμψεων: Ἀπόδειξις τοῦ ρηθέντος, ὅτι τά δεύτερα παρά τῶν πρώτων μυοῦνται, ἀπό Ζαχαρίου τοῦ προφήτου.

Ἀτιθάσσοις: Ἀνημέροις. Ἐκδεδωκυῖα: Περί τῶν παραδοθέντων τῷ Βαβυλωνίῳ. Τῇ παντοίᾳ: Ὅρα, ὅτι ὁ Θεός πάντα μηχανᾶται πρός τό ἐπιστρέψαι τούς

πλανωμένους. Ἐπιεικῶς ἐπανῆγεν: Τό 'ἐπιεικῶς' ἀντί τοῦ 'φιλανθρώπως' ἤ 'πάνυ καί

μεγάλως' νόησον. Κοινόν γάρ: Ὅτι κοινῷ ὀνόματι πᾶσαι αἱ δυνάμεις αἱ νοηταί ἄγγελοι

λέγονται. (14Ε_276> Ὑφειμένων: Ὑποβεβηκότων, δευτερευόντων. Προπορευόμενον. Προπορευόμενον τάχα τοῦ προφήτου· τάχα δέ πρό τοῦ τόν

μείζοντα ἄγγελον ἐλθεῖν ἐπ' αὐτόν. Εἶτα πρός αὐτοῦ τήν θείαν: Τοῦτο θέλει δεῖξαι, ὀτι καί ἐν τοῖς ἀγγελικοῖς

τάγμασιν οἱ πρῶτοι τοῖς δευτέροις διαγγέλλουσι τήν τοῦ Θεοῦ βουλήν. Κατακάρπως δέ ἀντί τοῦ πάνυ ἐκ τοῦ Ἰεζεκιήλ.

Ἀποκρίνεσθαι: Καλῶς εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος ἐν τῷ προφήτῃ Ἰεζεκιήλ, ὥστε χωρισθῆναι τῶν δικαίων τούς ἁμαρτωλούς· τοῦτο γάρ καί ἐν τοῖς Εὐαγγελίοις φαίνεται πεποιηκώς, ὅτε τά πρόβατα ἐκ τῶν ἐρίφων διεμέρισεν. Ἰδού συνᾴδει καί ἐν τούτῳ ἡ Παλαιά ∆ιαθήκη τῇ Νέᾳ.

Ὅς τόν ποδήρη: Περί τοῦ τόν ποδήρη ἐνδεδυκότος χιτῶνα. Σημείωσαι δέ, ὅτι τῷ μέν ἀγγέλῳ τῷ τό μέν σημεῖον ἐπιθεῖναι κελευσθέντι ποδήρης ἦν χιτών καί ζώνη περί τήν ὀσφύν, σχῆμα πρέπον ἱερεῖ· τοῖς δέ ἀγγέλοις ἄλλοις πέλεκυς ἐν ταῖς χερσίν, ὅπερ δηλοῖ τιμωρητικήν τινα δύναμιν, ὡς ἐκ τούτου νοεῖν ἡμᾶς, ὅτι πρός τό μέλλον ἀποτελεῖσθαι καί τό τῶν ἀγγέλων εἶδος σχηματίζεται, ὅπερ ἐννοῆσαι ὀφείλομεν περί τῶν σεραφίμ καί χερουβίμ καί τῶν ἄλλων δυνάμεων, ὅτι πρός τήν οἰκείαν τάξιν καί τό σχῆμα ἔχουσιν· οἱ γάρ τόν τρισάγιον ὕμνον λέγοντες πολυπρόσωποι σχηματίζονται, δηλοῦντος τοῦ λόγου, ὅτι ἀσίγητός ἐστι καί πολύς ὁ αὐτῶν ὕμνος· οὕτω καί περί τῶν ἑξῆς νόησον.

Τό σημεῖον εἰς τά μέτωπα: Σημείωσαι, ὅτι τήν θείαν προτύπωσιν ἐξ ἐκείνου προεμήνυσε, τό τούς πιστούς κατά τό μέτωπον τήν ζωοποιόν ἐπιτιθέναι σφραγῖδα καί περισώζεσθαι ἐκ τοῦ ὀλοθρευτοῦ· ἀλλά τότε μέν ἄγγελοι ἐν σχήματι ἱερέων τοῦτο ποιεῖν ἐκελεύσθησαν τοῖς ἀνευθύνοις· ἡ γάρ ζώνη καί ὁ ποδήρης χιτών τό ἱεροπρεπές τῶν ἱερέων δηλοῖ σχῆμα· νῦν δέ καί (14Ε_278> ἡμεῖς ἑαυτοῖς οἱ πιστοί τήν τοῦ σταυροῦ σφραγῖδα κατά τό μέτωπον ἐντυποῦντες, διαφεύγομεν τόν ἐχθρόν· ἰδού καί ἄλλη ὁμοίωσις Παλαῖας πρός τήν Νέαν. Σημείωσαι δέ, ὅτι αὐταί εἰσιν αἱ τρεῖς τριαδικαί τάξεις τῶν νοητῶν δυνάμεων· πρώτη τριάς, θρόνοι, εἶτα χερουβίμ, εἶτα σεραφίμ· δευτέρα τριάς, κυριότητες, δυνάμεις, ἐξουσίαι· αὗται καί μέσαι λέγονται· τρίτη τριάς, ἀρχαί, ἀρχάγγελοι, ἄγγελοι· κοινῷ δέ ὀνόματι πάντες ἄγγελοι.

Εὐταξίας: Περί εὐταξίας τῶν δευτέρων πρός τούς ἀνωτέρους. Τόν θειότατον Γαβριήλ: Σημείωσαι, ὅτι καί ὁ Γαβριήλ οὐκ ἔστι τῶν

ἀνωτέρων δυνάμεων, ἀλλά τῶν ὑφειμένων. Ἱεραρχίας: Σημείωσαι, ὅτι μίμημα τῆς ἄνω μυστικῆς ἱεραρχίας τά ἐν τῇ

Ἐκκλησίᾳ γινόμενα σήμερον· καί γάρ οἱ ἱερεῖς σφραγῖδα ἐπιτιθέασι τοῦ ζωοποιοῦ σταυροῦ τοῖς προσιοῦσι τῷ μυστηρίῳ, διά τό χωρισθῆναι αὐτούς τῶν ἀπίστων, καί ἵνα τόν ἐχθρόν διαφύγωσιν· ἄλλως τε καί τάξις φυλάττεται κατά τήν ἁγίαν Ἐκκλησίαν· ὅ γάρ ποιεῖν ἐπιτέτραπται ὁ ὑποδιάκονος, οὐ ποιοῦσιν οἱ ὑποδεέστεροι,