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But they do not rejoice in these things primarily; for their primary joy is another, the spiritual one. But neither, he says, did they have an endless increase of their possessions. Perhaps, therefore, for this reason the sheep and the camels and 264 the rest were confined to a specific number, as the surplus was always being sold and distributed to the poor. For even if he was rich by divine grace, yet he cut off immoderate desire, since indeed he did not even rejoice in his possessions as primary goods. 31, 26 Do I not see the sun shining and being eclipsed, and the moon waning? For it is not up to them. And he did these things, reasoning that: If the sun is eclipsed and night follows day, and the moon ceases by divine command, what profit is there, even if I become rich? For if these great elements cease, wealth must by all means depart from us, either our money leaving us according to God's will, or we changing our life and passing these things on to others. 31, 27-28 And if my heart was secretly deceived, and if I laid my hand on my mouth and kissed it, may this then be reckoned to me as the greatest iniquity, because I have been false to the Lord most high. Many people, often praising their own deeds, kiss their own hand. So he says: If I trusted in my own power and in my own deeds and not in God, I have been false to the truth; for our help is not from ourselves, but from divine grace. If therefore, being deceived, I have suffered any such thing, let this be reckoned to me as equal to a great iniquity. And by the word "secretly" he seems to signify that he did not suffer such a thing even by being carried away. But others have understood it thus: If I worshiped the sun and moon, being deceived by their lights, and did not consider that they are also eclipsed 265 and serve masterful commands, but in wonder at them kissed my own hand, may it be reckoned to me as the greatest iniquity. But I think the first interpretation is better. 31, 29-30 And if I rejoiced at the fall of my enemies, and my heart said, "Well done!", then may my ear hear my curse, and may I be rumored about while being abused by my people. He said "well done" as a mocking adverb, as the psalmist also says: I said, "Well done, well done, our eyes have seen." If ever, therefore, I rejoiced exceedingly at the fall of enemies, may I also hear others cursing me and, being abused, may I be rumored about as having received in return for what I did. 31, 31 And if my maidservants often said: "Who will give us to be filled with his flesh?" because I was so kind. Nor, he says, was I burdensome to my maidservants, so that because of my cruelty they, having become savage, would desire to taste my flesh. But quite the contrary, I was exceedingly kind to them. But others have interpreted it thus: I was, he says, so exceedingly kind and sweet to my maidservants that, if it were possible even to be filled with my very flesh, they would have gladly done this. 31, 32 But no stranger lodged outside, and my door was opened to everyone who came. This is a mark of Abrahamic and hospitable nobility. 266 31, 33-34 And if, having sinned willingly, I hid my sin, for I was not turned aside by the confusion of the multitude from confessing before him. He was not conscious of any willing transgression in himself, so perfectly did he practice the life of virtue. But since, being a man, it was not possible not to transgress unwillingly—for "who can understand his errors?" says the psalmist—he would heal the sin, once it was known, by repentance and confession, not being ashamed to declare what was done not according to the right reason. 31, 34-35 And if I also allowed a helpless person to go out my door with an empty bosom, who will grant me a hearer? He seems to be saying that if I had come to judgment and had a hearer, as far as human judgment is concerned, I would not have suffered any of the terrible things. But to me he seems to be seeking intelligent listeners who are able to comprehend the summit of the way of life which he has explained. For he did not say these things being lifted up by his own achievements, but leaving for us a model of how one ought to live. For these things were written beforehand for our instruction, the Holy Spirit having so ordained. And "with an empty bosom"

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ἀλλ' οὐ πρωτοτύπως ἐπὶ τούτοις χαίρουσιν· ἑτέρα γὰρ αὐτῶν ἐστιν ἡ πρωτότυπος χαρά, ἡ πνευματική. ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἀπέραντον, φησίν, ἔσχον τῆς κτήσεως τὴν ἐπίδοσιν. ἴσως τοιγαροῦν διὰ τοῦτο ἀριθμῷ αὐτῷ ἦσαν περικλειόμενα τά τε πρόβατα καὶ οἱ κάμηλοι καὶ 264 τὰ λοιπὰ ὡς τῶν περιττῶν ἀεὶ πιπρασκομένων καὶ τοῖς πένησι διαδιδομένων. εἰ γὰρ καὶ πλούσιος ἦν κατὰ θείαν χάριν, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἄμετρον ἐπιθυμίαν ἐνέκοπτεν, ὅπουγε οὐδὲ τοῖς οὖσιν ὡς πρωτοτύποις ἀγαθοῖς ἔχαιρεν. 31, 26 ἦ οὐχ ὁρῶ μὲν ἥλιον τὸν ἐπιφαύσκοντα καὶ ἐκλείποντα, σελήνην δὲ φθίνουσαν; οὐ γὰρ ἐπ' αὐτοῖς ἐστιν. ταῦτα δὲ ἔπραττε διαλογιζόμενος ὅτι· εἰ ὁ ἥλιος ἐκλείπει καὶ νὺξ ἡμέραν διαδέχεται, ἡ δὲ σελήνη λήγει κατὰ θείαν πρόσταξιν, ποία ὠφέλεια, κἂν πλουτήσω; εἰ γὰρ τὰ μεγάλα στοιχεῖα ταῦτα λήγουσιν, δεῖ πάντως τὸν πλοῦτον ἐξ ἡμῶν ἀπελθεῖν ἢ τῶν χρημάτων ἡμᾶς καταλιμπανόντων κατὰ θεοῦ βουλὴν ἢ ἡμῶν τὸν βίον μεταλλαττόντων καὶ εἰς ἑτέρους ταῦτα παραπεμπόντων. 31, 2728 καὶ εἰ ἠπατήθη λάθρᾳ ἡ καρδία μου, εἰ δὲ καὶ χεῖρά μου ἐπιθεὶς ἐπὶ στόματί μου ἐφίλησα, καὶ τοῦτό μοι ἄρα ἀνομία ἡ μεγίστη λογισθείη, ὅτι ἐψευσάμην ἔναντι κυρίου τοῦ ὑψίστου. πολλοὶ πολλάκις τὰς οἰκείας ἐπαινοῦντες πράξεις τὴν ἰδίαν καταφιλοῦσι χεῖρα. φησὶν οὖν ὅτι· εἰ ἐπὶ τῇ ἐμῇ δυναστείᾳ καὶ ταῖς ἐμαῖς πράξεσιν ἐθάρρησα καὶ μὴ ἐπὶ τῷ θεῷ, ἐψευσάμην τὸ ἀληθές· οὐ γὰρ ἐξ ἡμῶν ἡ ἡμετέρα βοήθεια, ἀλλ' ἐκ τῆς θείας χάριτος. εἰ οὖν ἀπατηθεὶς πέπονθά τι τοιοῦτον, λογιζέσθω μοι τοῦτο εἰς ἀνομίας μεγάλης ἰσότητα. διὰ δὲ τοῦ λάθρᾳ ἔοικε σημαίνειν, ὅτι οὐδὲ κατὰ συναρπαγὴν τοιοῦτόν τι πέπονθεν. ἄλλοι δὲ οὕτως ἐξειλήφασιν· εἰ προσεκύνησα ἡλίῳ καὶ σελήνῃ ἀπατηθεὶς τοῖς αὐτῶν φέγγεσι καὶ μὴ ἐλογισάμην, ὅτι καὶ ἐκλείπουσι 265 καὶ δεσποτικοῖς προστάγμασιν ὑπηρετοῦνται, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τῷ τούτων θαύματι τὴν ἐμὴν κατεφίλησα χεῖρα, ἀνομία μοι ἡ μεγίστη λογισθείη. ἄμεινον δὲ οἶμαι τὸ πρῶτον. 31, 2930 εἰ δὲ καὶ ἐπιχαρὴς ἐγενόμην πτώματι ἐχθρῶν μου καὶ εἶπεν ἡ καρδία μου· εὖγε, ἀκούσαι ἄρα τὸ οὖς μου τὴν κατάραν μου, θρυληθείην δὲ {καὶ} ἄρα ὑπὸ λαοῦ μου κακούμενος. τὸ εὖγε εἶπε γελαστικὸν ἐπίρρημα, ὡς καὶ ὁ ψαλμῳδὸς λέγει· εἶπον· εὖγε εὖγε, εἶδον οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ ἡμῶν. εἴ ποτε οὖν περιεχάρην πτώμασιν ἐχθρῶν, ἀκούσαιμι κἀγὼ ἑτέρων καταρωμένων με καὶ κακούμενος θρυληθείην ὡς πρὸς ἃ ἔπραξα ἀπειληφώς. 31, 31 εἰ δὲ καὶ πολλάκις εἶπον αἱ θεράπαιναί μου· τίς ἂν δώῃ ἡμῖν τῶν σαρκῶν αὐτοῦ πλησθῆναι; λίαν μου χρηστοῦ ὄντος. οὐδὲ ἐπαχθής, φησίν, ταῖς θεραπαίναις γέγονα, ὡς διὰ τὴν ἐμὴν ὠμότητα καὶ αὐτὰς ἐξαγριωθείσας τῶν ἐμῶν ἐπιθυμεῖν ἀπογεύσασθαι σαρκῶν. τὸ δὲ ἐναντίον ἅπαν καὶ λίαν αὐταῖς χρηστὸς ἐγενόμην. ἕτεροι δὲ οὕτως ἑρμήνευσαν· οὕτως, φησίν, ἤμην λίαν ταῖς θεραπαίναις χρηστὸς καὶ γλυκύς, ὡς, εἰ οἷόντε ἦν καὶ αὐτῶν τῶν σαρκῶν μου ἐμφορηθῆναι, ἡδέως ἂν τοῦτο ἐποίουν. 31, 32 ἔξω δὲ οὐκ ηὐλίζετο ξένος, ἡ δὲ θύρα μου παντὶ ἐλθόντι ἠνέῳκτο. τοῦτο τῆς Ἀβραμιαίας καὶ φιλοξένου εὐγενείας ἐπίσημον. 266 31, 3334 εἰ δὲ καὶ ἁμαρτὼν ἑκουσίως ἔκρυψα τὴν ἁμαρτίαν μου, οὐ γὰρ διετράπην πολυοχλίαν πλήθους τοῦ μὴ ἐξαγορεῦσαι ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ. ἑκούσιον μὲν οὐδὲν ἑαυτῷ συνῄδει πλημμέλημα, οὕτως ἄκρως τὸν κατ' ἀρετὴν ἐξήσκει βίον. ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἄνθρωπον ὄντα οὐκ ἦν μὴ ἄκοντα παραπίπτεινπαραπτώματα γὰρ τίς συνήσει; φησὶν ὁ μελωδός, μετανοίᾳ καὶ ἐξομολογήσει ἐξιᾶτο γνωσθὲν τὸ ἁμάρτημα οὐκ αἰσχυνόμενος τὸ μὴ κατὰ τὸν ὀρθὸν λόγον πεπραγμένον ἐξαγορεύειν. 31, 3435 εἰ δὲ καὶ εἴασα ἀδύνατον ἐξελθεῖν τὴν θύραν μου κόλπῳ κενῷ, τίς δώῃ ἀκούοντά μου; δοκεῖ μὲν λέγειν, ὅτι εἰ εἰς κρίσιν ἦλθον καὶ εἶχον τὸν ἀκούοντα, ὅσον ἐπ' ἀνθρωπίνῳ κρίματι, οὐδὲν ἂν ὑπέμενον τῶν δεινῶν. ἐμοὶ δὲ δοκεῖ ἀκροατὰς ἐπιζητεῖν συνετοὺς δυναμένους χωρῆσαι τὴν ἀκρότητα τῆς πολιτείας, ἧς ἐξηγήσατο. οὐ γὰρ ταῦτα εἶπεν ἐπαιρόμενος ἐπὶ τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ κατορθώμασιν, ἀλλ' ἡμῖν καταλιμπάνων ὑπογραμμόν, ὅπως βιῶναι χρή. προεγράφη γὰρ ταῦτα εἰς νουθεσίαν ἡμετέραν, οὕτω τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος οἰκονομήσαντος. τὸ δὲ κόλπῳ κενῷ