indeed, 'he said to them: I 28.23.207 am he,' [of power] they went backward and fell to the ground.” Then after this, because he wished to undertake the economy of the passion, he asked them again: “Whom do you seek? And they said: Jesus the 28.23.208 Nazarene.” And a little after: “The cohort and the tribune and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus” willingly, “and they bound him,” offering himself to the bonds; for if he did not wish to suffer, he would have said again, “I am he”; and so many would have gone 28.23.209 backward and all would have fallen to the ground. Just as through such things he teaches us in persecutions and plots against us to withdraw, so in other places you would find him withdrawing also from the things considered to be good in the world, so that through these things too he might teach us to flee the 28.23.210 dignities in the world and the preeminences in it. For Jesus once, “perceiving that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, withdrew to the mountain”; but not with his disciples, but alone, not giving even them an occasion, who loved him and would have wished with those who wanted to make him king, so that he might then become their king in a worldly sense as well. 28.24.211 These things pertain to the literal meaning and the teaching about withdrawal from the letter of the Gospel. But as for the allegorical sense, such things might be said, that Jesus formerly walked openly among the Jews when the word of God was active among them through the prophets; for the open speech of Jesus was, “Thus says the Lord”; but now Jesus no longer walks openly among the Jews, but he departed from there, and the word of God is not among the Jews, and having departed from there (I mean from the Jews) he came to the country near the wilderness, about which it is said: “More are the children of the desolate than of her who has a husband,” and to whom it was said: “Rejoice, 28.24.212 you barren who do not bear; break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor.” And the city near the wilderness is Ephraim, to which Jesus came, no longer 28.24.213 walking openly among the Jews. And Ephraim is interpreted as "7fruitfulness"7, being the brother of Manasseh, the elder people "7from forgetfulness"7 28.24.214. For after the people "7from forgetfulness"7 was left behind, the "7fruitfulness"7 from the Gentiles was born, when God “turned” the rivers in Israel “into a desert and springs” of “water” there “into thirsty ground” and “their fruitful land into a salt waste, because of the wickedness of those who dwell in it”; but from the Gentiles “he turned a desert into pools 28.24.215 of water,” and “their parched land into springs of water.” And 28.24.215 he settled the hungry there, and they founded a city for habitation, the church; where he sowed fields according to the seed that fell on the good and noble ground and produced a hundredfold, and he planted vineyards; for the disciples of the Lord are branches, who also “yielded a fruitful harvest; and he blessed them and they multiplied 28.24.216 greatly.” But not even the more irrational among them did the Lord who saves humans and beasts count as small; for it is written: 28.24.217 “And he did not let their cattle decrease.” And the Jews indeed “were diminished and brought low [and] through oppression, trouble, and sorrow; and contempt was poured out upon” the “princes” on account of Abraham, “and 28.24.218 he made them wander in a trackless waste and not on a road.” But after them God “helped the poor people from the Gentiles out of poverty and made their families like a flock,” whom the upright angels will see and “will be 28.24.219 glad, and all iniquity will shut its mouth.” To these things, mystically prophesied in the one hundred and sixth Psalm, is added: “Who is wise and will keep these things, and will understand the mercies of the 28.24.220 Lord?” For as the Lord has mercy on those from the Gentiles, the wise man 28.24.221 will keep these things, understanding the mercies of the Lord. Therefore Jesus no longer “walks openly among the Jews, but departed from there into ‘the country’ of the whole world, ‘near the wilderness’ of the church, to Ephraim the city called "7fruit-bearing,"7 and there

μὲν «εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Ἐγώ 28.23.207 «εἰμι, [δυνάμεως] ἀπῆλθον εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω καὶ ἔπεσον χαμαί». εἶτα μετὰ τοῦτο, ὅτι ἐβουλήθη ἀναδέξασθαι τὴν ἐν τῷ πάθει οἰκονομίαν, πάλιν ἠρώτησεν αὐτούς· «Τίνα ζητεῖτε; οἱ δὲ εἶπον· Ἰησοῦν τὸν Να 28.23.208 «ζωραῖον». καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· «Ἡ σπεῖρα καὶ ὁ χιλίαρχος καὶ οἱ ὑπη «ρέται τῶν Ἰουδαίων συνέλαβον τὸν Ἰησοῦν» ἑκόντα, «καὶ ἔδησαν «αὐτὸν» παρέχοντα ἑαυτὸν τοῖς δεσμοῖς· εἰ γὰρ μὴ ἐβούλετο παθεῖν, εἶπεν ἂν πάλιν· «Ἐγώ εἰμι»· καὶ ἀπῆλθον ἂν οἱ τοσοῦτοι εἰς τὰ 28.23.209 ὀπίσω καὶ πάντες ἔπεσον ἂν χαμαί. ὥσπερ δὲ διὰ τῶν τοιούτων διδάσκει ἡμᾶς ἐν διωγμοῖς καὶ ταῖς καθ' ἡμῶν ἐπιβουλαῖς ἀναχω ρεῖν, οὕτως ἐν ἄλλοις εὕροις ἂν καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν νομιζομένων εἶναι ἐν κόσμῳ καλῶν ἀναχωροῦντα, ἵνα καὶ διὰ τούτων διδάξῃ φεύγειν τὰ 28.23.210 ἐν κόσμῳ ἀξιώματα καὶ τὰς ἐν αὐτῷ ὑπεροχάς. Ἰησοῦς γάρ ποτε «γνοὺς ὅτι μέλλουσιν ἔρχεσθαι καὶ ἁρπάζειν αὐτόν, ἵνα ποιήσωσιν «βασιλέα, ἀνεχώρησεν εἰς τὸ ὄρος»· ἀλλ' οὐ μετὰ τῶν μαθητῶν, ἀλλὰ μόνος, μὴ παρέχων μηδὲ τούτοις ἀφορμὴν φιλοῦσιν αὐτὸν καὶ βουληθεῖσιν ἂν μετὰ τῶν θελόντων ποιῆσαι αὐτὸν βασιλέα, ἵν' ἤδη γένηται καὶ κοσμικῶς αὐτῶν βασιλεύς. 28.24.211 Ταῦτα μὲν εἰς τὸ ῥητὸν καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ εὐαγγε λικοῦ γράμματος περὶ ἀναχωρήσεως διδασκαλίαν. εἰς δὲ τὴν ἀνα γωγὴν λεχθείη ἂν τοιαῦτα, ὅτι Ἰησοῦς πάλαι μὲν παρρησίᾳ τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις περιεπάτει ὅτε ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ διὰ προφητῶν αὐτοῖς ἐνεπολιτεύετο· Ἰησοῦ γὰρ ἦν παρρησία ἡ «Τάδε λέγει κύριος»· ἀλλὰ νῦν οὐκέτι παρρησίᾳ ἐν τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις Ἰησοῦς περιπατεῖ, ἀλλὰ ἀπῆλθεν ἐκεῖθεν, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν θεοῦ λόγος ἐν Ἰουδαίοις, καὶ ἀπελθὼν ἐκεῖθεν (λέγω δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν Ἰουδαίων) εἰς τὴν ἐγγὺς τῆς ἐρήμου ἦλθεν χώραν, περὶ ἧς λέγεται· «Πολλὰ τὰ τέκνα τῆς ἐρήμου μᾶλλον «ἢ τῆς ἐχούσης τὸν ἄνδρα», καὶ πρὸς ἣν εἴρηται· «Εὐφράνθητι 28.24.212 «στεῖρα ἡ οὐ τίκτουσα· ῥῆξον καὶ βόησον ἡ οὐκ ὠδίνουσα». ἔστιν δὲ ἡ ἐγγὺς τῆς ἐρήμου πόλις Ἐφραΐμ, εἰς ἣν ἦλθεν Ἰησοῦς, οὐκέτι 28.24.213 παρρησίᾳ περιπατῶν ἐν τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις. ἑρμηνεύεται δὲ Ἐφραῒμ "7καρποφορία"7, ἀδελφὸς ὢν Μανασσῆ, πρεσβυτέρου τοῦ "7ἀπὸ λήθης"7 28.24.214 λαοῦ. μετὰ γὰρ τὸν "7ἀπὸ λήθης"7 λαὸν καταλειφθέντα γεγέννηται ἡ ἐξ ἐθνῶν "7καρποφορία"7, ὅτε ποταμοὺς μὲν τοὺς ἐν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ «ἔθετο» ὁ θεὸς «εἰς ἔρημον καὶ διεξόδους» τῶν ἐκεῖ «ὑδάτων εἰς «δίψαν» καὶ «γῆν αὐτῶν καρποφόρον εἰς ἅλμην, ἀπὸ κακίας τῶν «κατοικούντων ἐν αὐτῇ»· ἀπὸ δὲ τῶν ἐθνῶν «ἔρημον ἔθετο εἰς λίμνας 28.24.215 «ὑδάτων», καὶ «γῆν ἄνυδρον αὐτῶν γῆν εἰς διεξόδους ὑδάτων». καὶ 28.24.215 κατῴκισεν ἐκεῖ πεινῶντας, καὶ συνεστήσαντο πόλιν κατοικεσίας, τὴν ἐκκλησίαν· ἔνθα ἔσπειρεν ἀγροὺς κατὰ τὸν πεσόντα σπόρον ἐπὶ τὴν καλὴν καὶ ἀγαθὴν γῆν καὶ ποιοῦσαν ἑκατονταπλασίονα, καὶ ἐφύ τευσεν ἀμπελῶνας· κλήματα γάρ εἰσιν οἱ κυρίου μαθηταί, οἵτινες καὶ «ἐποίησαν καρπὸν γεννήματος· καὶ εὐλόγησεν αὐτοὺς καὶ ἐπλη 28.24.216 «θύνθησαν σφόδρα». ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τοὺς ἐν τούτοις ἀλογωτέρους μικροὺς εἶναι ἐλογίσατο ὁ ἀνθρώπους καὶ κτήνη σώζων κύριος· γέγραπται 28.24.217 γάρ· «Καὶ τὰ κτήνη αὐτῶν οὐκ ἐσμίκρυνεν». καὶ οἱ μὲν Ἰουδαῖοι «ὠλιγώθησαν καὶ ἐκακώθησαν [καὶ] ἀπὸ θλίψεως κακῶν καὶ ὀδύνης· «καὶ ἐξεχύθη ἐξουδένωσις ἐπὶ» τοὺς διὰ τὸν Ἀβραὰμ «ἄρχοντας, καὶ 28.24.218 «ἐπλάνησεν αὐτοὺς ἐν ἀβάτῳ καὶ οὐχὶ ἐν ὁδῷ». μετ' ἐκείνους δὲ ὁ θεὸς «ἐβοήθησεν τῷ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν πένητι λαῷ ἐκ πτωχείας καὶ «ἔθετο ὡς πρόβατα πατριάν», οὓς ὄψονται εὐθεῖς ἄγγελοι καὶ «εὐ 28.24.219 «φρανθήσονται, καὶ πᾶσα ἀνομία ἐμφράξει τὸ στόμα αὐτῆς». τού τοις δὲ μυστικῶς προφητευομένοις ἐν ἑκατοστῷ ἕκτῳ Ψαλμῷ ἐπι φέρεται· «Τίς σοφὸς καὶ φυλάξει ταῦτα, καὶ συνήσουσιν τὰ ἐλέη τοῦ 28.24.220 «κυρίου;» ἐλεοῦντος γὰρ τοῦ κυρίου τοὺς ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν ὁ σοφὸς 28.24.221 ταῦτα φυλάξει, συνιεὶς τὰ ἐλέη τοῦ κυρίου. οὐκοῦν Ἰησοῦς οὐκέτι «παρρησίᾳ περιπατεῖ ἐν τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις, ἀλλὰ ἀπῆλθεν ἐκεῖθεν εἰς «τὴν χώραν» τοῦ ὅλου κόσμου, «ἐγγὺς τῆς ἐρήμου» ἐκκλησίας, εἰς Ἐφραῒμ τὴν "7καρποφοροῦσαν"7 λεγομένην πόλιν, κἀκεῖ