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perfect, Japheth enlargement or beauty, but Ham bold or rash or heat or extension. What other offspring befitted the just man as perfection and enlargement and 166 beauty, all of which are characteristics of virtue? For beauty joined with enlargement puts one outside the broad way, which leads to destruction; but if Ham is interpreted as bold or rash or heat or extension, these might be taken as censure fitting to his character as the worthless son, but in relation to the perfect man they are used with serious intent; for the virtuous man is most forceful, since even the violent take the kingdom by force; but such a one is also bold against the opposing powers, according to the blessed Paul who says: "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood" and what follows; and he is rash just as he is bold, not acquiring rashness for evil, but attaining virtue, being fervent and burning in the Spirit, from which he also departs from human things. 91, 11-12. And the earth was corrupt before the Lord, and the earth was filled with iniquity. And the Lord God saw the earth, and it was corrupt, because all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth. The corruption of the earth does not signify the destruction into non-being of so beautiful an element, but the excess of the sins of men, calling men "earth" by way of metonymy, just as the psalmist also says: "Let all the earth worship you and sing to you", and again "Sing to the Lord, all the earth"; for when it says "The heaven and the earth were finished", this element is signified, and "Let the earth bring forth". So great did the wickedness of men become, who are called earth, that God saw it, He who because of His great goodness overlooks even great offenses; 167 for it is said: "If you, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?" Therefore He does not bring wrath each day, but when the measure of sins is full, as was said in the prophet Jonah: "The cry of their wickedness has come up to God", and concerning Sodom: "The cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and their sins are very grievous", just as here is the same thing: "And the earth was filled with iniquity" and the rest. He sees, not as being previously ignorant, but revealing His supervisory power for vengeance, as in "And God saw the earth, and it was corrupt". And he calls both wickedness and the punishment for it "corruption," as Scripture often shows in what was said by Paul: "If anyone destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him"; for he who sins through licentiousness, causing the destruction of the temple of God, is found under punishment and is destroyed, punishment now being signified by corruption. Corruption is also being given over to a debased mind; for this is the final punishment. But one must not think according to the Manichaeans that the formless matter left behind while circling about causes the corruption of the earth; for this would make men blameless, if that which could not be ordered by God were causing the ruin; but the depravity of character is signified by the corruption of the earth, as has been said before, with men having corrupted the way of God, which they had received to prosper toward blessedness. Such are those who have heard the words of Jesus and have not done them. And if "flesh" also signifies man, as has been said in many places, it must be considered whether "All flesh had corrupted its 168 way" signifies that each person was turned away from his own judgment. That "flesh" is used for "man" is clear from "I will pour out my spirit on all flesh", and "He himself will judge all flesh". Therefore all those of Noah's generation, having become earthly and carnal, each perverted "his way", which he had received; for thus the way is called his by receiving it, and God's by being given by Him. Therefore they corrupted their own way or the way of God; for it is possible in both ways. 91, 13. And said the

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τέλειος, Ἰάφετ πλατυσμὸς ἢ καλλονή, Χὰμ δὲ τολμηρὸς ἢ προπετὴς ἢ θέρμη ἢ ἔκτασις. Ποῖα δὲ ἄλλα γεννήματα τῷ δικαίῳ ἥρμοζεν ὡς ἡ τελειότης πλατυσμός τε καὶ 166 καλλονή, ἅπερ ἅπαντα τῆς ἀρετῆς ἐστιν γνωρίσματα; Καλλονὴ γὰρ μετὰ πλατυσμοῦ συναπτομένη ἔξω ποιεῖ τῆς πλατείας ὁδοῦ, ἥτις ἐπὶ τὴν ἀπώλειαν ἄγει· εἰ δ' ὅτι ὁ Χὰμ ἑρμηνεύεται τολμηρὸς ἢ προπετὴς ἢ θέρμη ἢ ἔκτασις, εἴη μὲν ὡς πρὸς τὸν φαῦλον υἱὸν ἐπὶ ψόγου λαμβανόμενα οἴκεια τῷ ἐκείνου τρόπῳ, ὡς δὲ πρὸς τὸν τέλειον τῇ χρήσει σπουδαίως εἴλημπται· ἀβιαστικώτατον γὰρ ὁ ἐνάρετος, ἐπεὶ καὶ βιασταὶ τὴν βασιλείαν ἁρπάζουσιν· ἀλλὰ καὶ τολμηρὸς ὁ τοιοῦτος κατὰ τῶν ἐναντίων δυνάμεων κατὰ Παῦλον τὸν μακάριον λέγοντα· "6Οὐκ ἔστιν ἡμῖν ἡ πάλη πρὸς αἷμα καὶ σάρκα"6 καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς· προπετὴς δὲ οὗτος ὡς καὶ τολμηρός, τὴν προπέτειαν οὐκ ἐπὶ κακῷ κτώμενος, ἀλλ' ἐπιτυχὼν ἐπ' ἀρετὴν θερμὸς καὶ ζέων τῷ Πνεύματι τυγχάνων, ἐξ οὗ καὶ τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων ἐξίσταται. ῃι, 11-12. Ἐφθάρη δὲ ἡ γῆ ἐναντίον τοῦ Κυρίου καὶ ἐπλήσθη ἡ γῆ ἀδικίας. Καὶ εἶδεν Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς τὴν γῆν, καὶ ἦν κατεφθαρμένη, ὅτι κατέφθειρεν πᾶσα σὰρξ τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Φθο̣ρα`̣ν γῆς οὐ τὴν εἰς τὸ μὴ εἶναι ἀπώλειαν τοῦ οὕτω καλοῦ στοιχείου δηλοῖ, ἀλλὰ τὴν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν τῶν ἀνθρώ- πων ὑπερβολήν, γῆν τοὺς ἀνθρώπους μετωνυμικῷ τρόπῳ καλῶν, καθὰ καὶ ὁ ψαλμῳδός φησιν· "6Πᾶσα ἡ γῆ προσκυνησάτωσάν σοι καὶ ψαλλάτωσάν σοι"6, καὶ πάλιν "6Ἄισατε τῷ Κυρίῳ πᾶσα ἡ γῆ"6· ὅταν γὰρ λέγηται "6Συνετελέσθη ὁ οὐρανὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ"6, τὸ στοιχεῖον τοῦτο σημαίνεται, καὶ "6Βλαστησάτω ἡ γῆ"6. Τοσαύτη δὲ ἡ κακία τῶν ἀνθρώπων γεγένηται, οἵτινες γῆκαλοῦνται, ὡς Θεὸν ἰδεῖν αὐτὴν τὸν διὰ πολλὴν ἀγαθότητα παρορῶντα καὶ τὰ μεγάλα τῶν πταισμάτων· 167 εἴρηται γάρ· "6Ἐὰν ἀνομίας παρατηρήσῃ Κύριε, Κύριε τίς ὑποστήσεται;"6 Οὐκ ὀργὴν οὖν ἐπάγει καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν, ἐπειδὰν δὲ τὰ μέτρια τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων γένηται, ὡς λεχθῆναι καθάπερ ἐν τῷ προφήτῃ Ἰωνᾴ· "6Ἀνέβη ἡ κραυγὴ τῆς κακίας πρὸς τὸν Θεόν"6, καὶ περὶ Σοδόμων· "6Κραυγὴ Σοδόμων καὶ Γομόρων πεπλήθυνται, καὶ αἱ ἁμαρτίαι αὐτῶν μεγάλαι σφόδρα"6, ὡς καὶ ἐνταῦθα τὸ ὅμοιον· "6Καὶ ἐπλήσθη ἡ γῆ ἀδικίας"6 τό τε λοιπόν. Ὁρᾷ οὐ πρότερον ἀγνοῶν, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἐπὶ ἐκδικίας ἐποπτικὴν δύναμιν δηλῶν, καθὰ ἐν τῷ "6Καὶ εἶδεν ὁ Θεὸς τὴν γῆν, καὶ ἦν κατεφθαρμένη"6. Φθορὰν δὲ τὴν κακίαν καλεῖ καὶ τὴν ἐπ' αὐτῇ τιμωρίαν, οὕτω πολλάκις τῆς γραφῆς δηλούσης ἐν τῷ ὑπὸ Παύλου εἰρημένῳ· "6Εἴ τις τὸν ναὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ φθείρει, φθερεῖ τοῦτον ὁ Θεός"6· ὁ γὰρ δι' ἀκολασίας ἁμαρτάνων φθορὰν τοῦ ναοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐργαζόμενος ὑπὸ κόλασιν εὑρισκόμενος φθείρεται, τῆς κολάσεως τὰ νῦν ὑπὸ τῆς φθορᾶς δηλουμένης. Φθορὰ δέ ἐστιν καὶ τὸ εἰς ἀδόκιμον παραδοθῆναι νοῦν· ἐσχάτη γὰρ αὕτη τιμωρία. Οὐ δεῖ δὲ κατὰ τοὺς Μανιχαίους οἴεσθαι ὅτι ἡ ἄποιος ὕλη περιλειφθεῖσα ἐν τῷ περιπολεῖν φθορὰν τῆς γῆς ἐργάζεται· τοῦτο γὰρ ἀμέμπτους ἐποίει τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, εἰ τὸ μὴ δυνηθὲν διακοσμηθῆναι πρὸς Θεοῦ τὴν λύμην εἰργάζετο· ἀλλὰ τρόπων μοχθηρία διὰ τῆς φθορᾶς τῆς γῆς δηλοῦται, καθὰ καὶ προείρηται, τῶν ἀνθρώπων διαφ- θειράντων τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἣν ἐπὶ τῷ εὐοδεύειν ἐπὶ μακαριότητα εἰλήφεσαν. Τοιοῦτοί εἰσιν οἱ ἀκούσαντες τοὺς Ἰησοῦ λόγους καὶ μὴ ποιήσαντες. Εἰ δὲ καὶ σάρκα τὸν ἄνθρωπον, ὡς πολλαχοῦ εἴρηται, δηλοῖ, σκοπητέον μὴ τὸ "6Κατέφθειρεν πᾶσα σὰρξ τὴν 168 ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ"6 δηλοῖ ὡς ἕκαστος ἄνθρωπος διεστράφη ἀπὸ τῆς οἰκείας γνώμης. Ὅτι δὲ ἡ σὰρξ ἀντὶ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου λέγεται, σαφὲς ἐκ τοῦ "6Ἐκχέω ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεύματός μου ἐπὶ πᾶσαν σάρκα"6, καὶ "6Κρίνεται αὐτὸς πρὸς πᾶσαν σάρκα"6. Ὅλοι οὖν οἱ κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Νῶε γενεὰν γήϊνοι καὶ σάρκινοι γεγενημένοι διέστρεψαν "6τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ"6 ἕκαστος, ἣν παρείληφεν· οὕτω γὰρ τῷ μὲν δεδέχθαι αὐτοῦ, τῷ δὲ δεδόσθαι Θεοῦ ἡ ὁδὸς λέγεται. Κατέφθειραν οὖν τὴν ἑαυτῶν ὁδὸν ἢ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ· ἀμφοτέρως γὰρ οἷόν τε. ῃι, 13. Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ