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of it, thinking they say something about the nature of heaven or earth and sea, when even concerning these things they suppose a void, and speaking many things about Hades, that it is a place of souls and other things, and they stitch together accounts, the proof of which they cannot make manifest; for being without a share in the Holy Spirit, they do not have accurate knowledge concerning these things, of the saints who are "walking on earth and having their citizenship in heaven," so that one might say: "God has given me true knowledge of the things that are, to know the structure of the world and the activity of the elements, the beginning 301 and end and middle of times" and so on. But if he should demolish all things, who will say to him: What have you done? And this he says truly, even if not looking to the fitting purpose. "For who resists the will of God?" Similar to this: "Shall the thing formed say to him who formed it: Why have you made me thus?" But the phrase "if he should destroy all things" was spoken by him rashly. While it was possible to speak about administration, perhaps he is hinting to Job that even if you are in pain, you cannot say: What have you done? For it has happened justly; for you have sinned. Certainly, this does not confirm his opinion. For he himself knows the works of the lawless; and having seen unseemly things, he will not overlook them. It is clear, then, that he said the "if he should destroy" on account of him; for he knows, he says, the works of men, not overlooking their faults—showing the inescapability of God—and he sees them in the wicked. The saying is useful for the negligent. But a man otherwise swims in words, but a mortal born of a woman is like a wild ass. Comparing the sureness of the knowledge of God with the attempts of men, he says they swim in vain, comparing him to a wild ass, 302 thereby showing the extreme sluggishness of men toward the comprehension of judgments, using hyperbolic language. For domestic asses, being also near a city, have something from habit that is recognizable of the wild one, and because of its natural sluggishness and wildness and its being deprived of the habits of tame animals, to which he likens the human race in respect to the knowledge of judgments. This is confirmed also by the blessed David, personifying the ignorance of men concerning judgments in saying: "Behold, these are sinners and they prosper, for ever they have held wealth. And I said: In vain then have I justified my heart and washed my hands in innocency. And I have been scourged all the day long." And after these things he says: "I became brutish before you." Well said is the "before you"; for, as regards the knowledge of God, "I became brutish," he says. Then, to show that it was the person of men which he took up, he says: "But I am always with you," indicating that: by your fellowship and participation I know that I know. 303 Similar to "I became brutish before you" is "but I am irrational" and "I am earth and ashes." For if you have set your heart right, and you stretch out your hands to him, if there is any iniquity in your hands, put it far from you; and let not injustice lodge in your dwelling. As if introducing himself as a teacher, he apparently brings an exhortation to him, saying that even if you are very pure, so as to always raise your hands in prayer asking things from God, be ready also to cast off the remaining evil in you, but also let not injustice lodge in you. That is: even if somehow it happens that you begin to do wrong, let not the evil remain so as to lodge in your life. But he says these things, that moral virtue may also be suitable to the purity of the soul according to understanding. Similar to this is "lifting up holy hands without anger and argument." But he is somehow mistaken in thinking it possible to have a pure heart and unjust actions. But someone might say the opposite of this is possible, to have "righteous actions and not" a pure heart, affirming that the one 304 who gives alms to be seen by men, with the heart being defiled, the action appears equal.

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αὐτῆς οἰομένους λέγειν τι περὶ οὐρανοῦ φύσεως ἢ γῆς καὶ θαλάττης, ὅταν καὶ περὶ τούτων κενὸν ὑποτίθενται καὶ περὶ ᾅδου πολλὰ λέγοντες, ὅτι τε ψυχῶν ἐστιν χωρίον καὶ ἄλλα, καὶ ῥάπτουσιν λόγους, ὧν τὴν ἀπόδ»ε»ιξιν φανερὰν καταστῆσαι οὐ δύνανται· ἀμέτοχοι γὰρ ὄντες πνεύματος ἁγίου τὴν περὶ τούτων ἀκριβῆ γνῶσιν οὐκ ἔχουσιν τῶν ἁγίων "ἐπὶ γῆς περιπατούντων καὶ ἐν οὐρανῷ ἐχόντων τὸ πολίτευμα", ὥστ' ἂν εἰπεῖν· "ὁ θεὸς δέδωκέ»ν» μοι τῶν ὄντων γνῶσιν ἀψευδῆ, εἰδέναι σύστασιν κόσμου καὶ ἐνέργειαν στοιχείων, ἀρχὴν 301 καὶ τέλος καὶ μεσότητα χρόνων" καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. ἐὰν δὲ κατασκάψῃ τὰ πάντα, τίς ἐρεῖ αὐτῷ· τί ἐποίησας; καὶ τοῦτο ἀληθῶς λέγει, εἰ καὶ πρὸς τὸν σκοπὸν μὴ βλέπων τὸν πρέποντα. "τίς γὰρ ἀνθίσταται τῷ βουλήματι τοῦ θεοῦ;" ὅμοιον τούτῳ· "μὴ ἐρεῖ τὸ πλάσμα τῷ πλάσαντι· τί με ἐποίησας οὕτω;" θρασέως δὲ αὐτῷ εἴρη ται τὸ "ἐὰν καταστρέψῃ τὰ πάντα". ἐξὸν δὲ περὶ διοικήσεως εἰπεῖν, ἴσως δὲ αἰνιττόμενος τῷ Ἰώβ, ὅτι εἰ καὶ ἀλγεῖς, ἀλλ' οὐ δύνασαι εἰπεῖν· τί ἐποίησας; δικαίως γὰρ γέγονεν· ἥμαρτες γάρ. ἀμέλει, το̣υ῀̣τ̣ο οὐ π̣ιστου῀̣ται αὐτοῦ τὴν διάλημψιν. αὐτὸς γὰρ οἶδεν ἔργα ἀνόμων· ἰδὼν δὲ ἄτοπα, οὐ παρόψεται. σαφὲς δή, ὅτι δι' αὐτὸν εἶπεν τὸ "ἐὰν δὲ καταστρέψῃ"· οἶδεν γάρ, φησίν, τὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἔργα μὴ παρορῶν τὰ πταίσματα-δ»ε»ικνὺς τοῦ θεοῦ τὸ ἀναπόδραστον-ὁρᾷ δὲ αὐτὰ ἐν τοῖς φαύλοις. χρήσιμον πρὸς τοὺς ἀμελεῖς τὸ ῥητόν. ἄνθρωπος δὲ ἄλλως νήχεται λόγοις, βροτὸς δὲ γυναικὸς γεννητὸς ἴσα ὄνῳ ἐρημίτῃ. τὸ τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ τῆς γνώσεως ἀσφαλὲς παραβάλλων ταῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐπιβολαῖς νήχεσθαι αὐτοὺς ματαίως φησὶν ἐρημίτῃ αὐτὸν ὄνῳ 302 παραβάλλων, διὰ τούτου παριστῶν τὸ σφόδρα τῶν ἀνθρώπων νωθὲς πρὸς τὴν κατάλημψιν τῶν κριμάτων ὑπερβολικῷ χρώμενος τῷ λόγῳ. οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἐθάδες ὄνοι καὶ περὶ πόλιν ὄντες ἔχουσί τι ἐκ τῆς συνηθείας ἐπιγνωστικὸν τοῦ ἐρημίτου καὶ διὰ τὸ φύσει νωθὲς καὶ τὸ ἄγριον καὶ τὰ τῆς συνηθείας τῶν ἡμέρων ἀφῃρημένου, ᾧ παρεικάζει τὸ ἀνθρώπινον γένος εἰς τὴν τῶν κριμάτων γνῶσιν. τοῦτο βεβαιοῦται καὶ ἐκ τοῦ μακαρίου ∆αυὶδ προσωποποιουμένου τὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων περὶ κρίματα ἄγνοιαν ἐν τῷ λέγειν· "ἰδού, οὗτοι ἁμαρτωλοὶ καὶ εὐθηνοῦνται, εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα κατέσχον πλούτου. καὶ εἶπα· ἄρα ματαίως ἐδικαίωσα τὴν καρδίαν μου καὶ ἐνιψάμην ἐν ἀθῴοις τὰς χεῖράς μου. καὶ ἐγενόμην μεμαστιγμένος ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν." καὶ μετὰ ταῦτά φησιν· "κτηνώδης «ἐγενήθην» παρὰ σοί." εὖ δὲ τὸ "παρὰ σοί"· ὡς γὰρ πρὸς τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ γνῶσιν κτηνώδης, φησίν, ἐγενόμην. εἶτα ἵνα δ»ε»ίξῃ, ὅτι ἀνθρώπων πρόσωπον ἦν, ὃ ἀνέλαβεν, φησίν· "ἐ γὼ δὲ διὰ παντὸς μετὰ σοῦ", δηλῶν ὅτι· τῇ σῇ μετουσίᾳ καὶ μετοχῇ ὅτι γιγνώ303 σκω, οἶδα. τῷ "κτηνώδης ἐγενόμην παρὰ σοὶ" ὅμοιον τὸ "ἐγὼ δὲ ἄλογός εἰμι" καὶ τὸ "ἐγώ εἰμι γῆ καὶ σποδός". εἰ γὰρ σὺ καθαρὰν ἔθου τὴν καρδίαν σου, ὑπτιάζεις δὲ χεῖρας πρὸς αὐτόν, εἰ ἄνομόν τι ἐστὶν ἐν χερσίν σου, πόρρω ποίησον αὐτὸ ἀπὸ σοῦ· ἀδικία δὲ ἐν διαίτῃ σου μὴ αὐλισθήτω. καθάπερ διδάσκαλον ἑαυτὸν εἰσάγων προτροπὴν δῆθεν αὐτῷ προσάγει λέγων, ὅτι εἰ καὶ σφόδρα καθαρὸς εἶ οὕτως, ὡς ἀεὶ εἰς εὐχὴν τὰς χεῖρας ἀνατείνειν αἰτοῦντα τὰ ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ, εὐτρεπὴς ἔσο καὶ τὸ ὑπολειπόμενον ἐν σοὶ φαῦλον ἀπώσασθαι, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀδικία ἐν σοὶ μὴ αὐλιζέσθω. ὅ ἐστιν· κἄν πως γένηταί σε ἐν ἀρχῇ τοῦ ἀδικεῖν γενέσθαι, ἀλλὰ μὴ παραμενέτω ἡ κακία ὡς αὐλίζεσθαι ἐν τῷ βίῳ τῷ σῷ. ταῦτα δέ φησιν, ὅτι κατάλληλος τῇ τῆς ψυχῆς καθαρότητι τῇ κατὰ σύνεσιν ἔστω καὶ ἡ ἠθικὴ ἀρετή. τούτῳ ὅμοι ον τὸ "ἐπαίροντες ὁσίους χεῖρας χωρὶς ὀργῆς καὶ διαλογισμοῦ." διασφάλλεται δέ πως οἰόμενος μὲν δυνατὸν εἶναι καθαρὰν ἔχειν καρδίαν καὶ πράξεις ἀδίκους. τούτου δὲ τὸ ἐναντίον λέγοι ἄν τις δυνατὸν εἶναι «πράξεις δικαίας καὶ μὴ» καθαρὰν ἔχειν καρδίαν φάσκων τὸν 304 ἐλεημοσύνην ποιοῦντα πρὸς τὸ θεαθῆναι τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τῆς καρδίας ῥερυπωμένης τὴν πρᾶξιν φαίνεσθαι ἴσην.