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", except for those things that will be done for the soul, 233 such as reading, listening to the divine oracles, psalmody, sacred rites, and things similar to these. II How is one to understand, " Hear, O Israel, the Lord your God, the Lord is one "? We have often said that the names Lord and God are indicative of the divine nature, not of the division of persons; but the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are significant of the properties. But it was not possible for the precise theology to be offered to the imperfect Jews; for they would have made this an occasion for polytheism. For this reason, the divine name is expressed monadically in the Old [Testament]; nevertheless, it has the riddles of the Trinity. For " The Lord your God, the Lord is one, " both teaches the monadic nature of the essence, and indicates the number of persons; for he has placed 'God' once, but 'Lord' twice. III What is, " you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, " and so on. The Lord clearly taught us that " no one can serve two masters, " and so here we are taught not to divide our love between God and gold, between God and a wife, between God and children, but to dedicate the whole power of love to God the creator, and after the creator, to assign to each what is fitting, both to children and brothers 234 and friends, for to fulfill these things is also part of the love of God. " For he who loves me, he says, will fulfill my commandments ". And the commandments of God speak about these things. IV Why does the law command to swear by God? So that they may not swear by false-named gods. For he also said this through the prophet: " If you remove the names of the Baalim from your mouth and swear, 'As the Lord lives,' in truth ". And here too, having said, " You shall fear the Lord your God and him only shall you serve and to him you shall cleave, and by his name you shall swear, " he added: " You shall not go after other gods, from the gods of the nations which are round about you ". V How is one to understand, " You shall not tempt the Lord your God "? The Lord himself interpreted it in the holy gospels. For when the devil said, " Throw yourself down from above, " he said: " You shall not tempt the Lord your God ". He tempts God who does something rashly, without reason. VI Why does the law forbid intermarriage with neighboring foreigners? 235 The law does not need clarification; for it interprets itself. For it said, " because they will turn away your son from me, and he will serve other gods ". Necessarily, however, it also teaches them the reason for the divine care: " for not because you were more numerous, it says, than the nations did God choose you, but because of the piety of your ancestors and the promise made to them ". Then, showing his truth, he added: " for God is faithful, keeping covenant and mercy for those who love him, and for those who keep his commandments, to a thousand generations ". And since they were imperfect, and needed milky food and were not able to hear about eternal goods, he promises them fruitfulness, and fruitfulness of the land and well-being of flocks and herds, and health of body and victory in wars and all such things. Then again he reminded them of their way of life in the desert and taught its reasons: " For he afflicted you, he says, and made you hunger and fed you with manna, to announce to you that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God ". Through these things, however, we too are taught not to be discontent when we fall into certain difficulties, but to accept the divine economies, and to await the resolution of temptations, and it shows also the other benefactions: " Your garments did not wear out from you, your feet were not calloused, behold, for forty years. And you shall know in your heart, that as a man might discipline his son, so the Lord your God will discipline you and you will keep the commandments of the Lord 236 your God, to walk in his ways and to fear him ". After the temptation, the consolation; with the discipline, the refreshment; hunger and delicacy, the labor of the journey and

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", πλὴν ὅσα ποιηθήσεται ἐπὶ ψυχῇ 233 οἷον ἀνάγνωσις, θείων λογίων ἀκρόασις, ψαλμῳδίαι, ἱερουργίαι καὶ τὰ τούτοις προσόμοια. II Πῶς νοητέον τό, " ἄκουε Ἰσραήλ, Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου, Κύριος εἷς ἐστιν "; Πολλάκις εἰρήκαμεν, ὅτι τὸ ὄνομα τὸ Κύριος καὶ Θεὸς τῆς θείας φύσεως οὐ τῆς τῶν προσώπων διαιρέσεως δηλωτικά· ὁ δὲ πατὴρ καὶ ὁ υἱὸς καὶ τὸ ἅγιον πνεῦμα, τῶν ἰδιοτήτων σημαντικά. ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἀτελέσιν ἰουδαίοις τὴν ἀκριβῆ θεολογίαν προσενεχθῆναι οὐχ οἷόν τε ἦν· ταύτην γὰρ ἂν πολυθεΐας ἀφορμὴν ἐποιήσαντο. οὗ δὴ χάριν μοναδικῶς τὸ θεῖον ἐν τῇ παλαιᾷ προφέρεται ὄνομα· ἔχει δὲ ὅμως τὰ τῆς τριάδος αἰνίγματα. τὸ γὰρ " Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου Κύριος εἷς ἐστι ", καὶ τὸ τῆς οὐσίας διδάσκει μοναδικόν, καὶ παραδηλοῖ τῶν προσώπων τὸν ἀριθμόν· ἅπας γὰρ τὸ Θεός, δὶς δὲ τὸ Κύριος τέθεικεν. III Τί ἐστιν τό, " ἀγαπήσεις Κύριον τὸν Θεόν σου ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας σου ", καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Σαφῶς ἡμᾶς ὁ Κύριος ἐδίδαξεν, ὅτι " οὐδεὶς δύναται δυσὶ κυ ρίοις δουλεύειν ", καὶ ἐνταῦθα τοίνυν διδασκόμεθα μὴ μερίζειν τὴν ἀγάπην εἰς Θεὸν καὶ χρυσόν, εἰς Θεὸν καὶ γυναῖκα, εἰς Θεὸν καὶ παῖδας, ἀλλὰ πᾶσαν τῆς ἀγάπης τὴν δύναμιν ἀφιεροῦν τῷ πεποιηκότι Θεῷ, μετὰ δέ γε τὸν ποιητήν, ἀπονέμειν ἑκάστῳ τὰ πρόσφορα, καὶ παισὶ καὶ ἀδελ 234 φοῖς καὶ φίλοις, τῆς γὰρ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀγάπης καὶ τὸ ταῦτα πληροῦν. " ὁ ἀγαπῶν με, γάρ φησι, τὰς ἐντολάς μου πληρώσει ". αἱ δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐντολαὶ περὶ τούτων διαγορεύουσιν. IV Τί δήποτε κατὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ ὀμνύναι διαγορεύει ὁ νόμος; Ἵνα μὴ κατὰ τῶν ψευδωνύμων ὀμνύωσι θεῶν. τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ διὰ τοῦ προ φήτου ἔφη· " ἐὰν ἐξάρῃς τὰ ὀνόματα τῶν βααλεὶμ ἐκ τοῦ στόματός σου καὶ ὀμόσῃς, ζῇ Κύριος, μετὰ ἀληθείας ". καὶ ἐνταῦθα δὲ εἰρηκώς, " Κύριον τὸν Θεόν σου φοβηθήσῃ καὶ αὐτῷ μόνῳ λατρεύσεις καὶ πρὸς αὐτὸν κολληθήσῃ, καὶ τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ ὀμῇ ", ἐπήγαγεν· " οὐ πορεύσεσθε ὀπίσω θεῶν ἑτέ ρων ἀπὸ τῶν θεῶν τῶν ἐθνῶν τῶν περικύκλῳ ὑμῶν ". V Πῶς νοητέον τό, " οὐκ ἐκπειράσεις Κύριον τὸν Θεόν σου "; Ὁ Κύριος αὐτὸ ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς εὐαγγελίοις ἡρμήνευσε. τοῦ γὰρ διαβόλου εἰρηκότος, " βάλε σεαυτὸν ἄνωθεν κάτω ", εἶπεν· " οὐκ ἐκπειράσεις Κύριον τὸν Θεόν σου ". ἐκπειράζει δὲ τὸν Θεὸν ὁ δίχα λογισμοῦ ῥιψοκινδύνως τι πράττων. VI Τί δήποτε ἀπαγορεύει ὁ νόμος τὰς πρὸς τοὺς ὁμόρους ἀλλοφύλους ἐπι γαμβρίας; 235 Οὐ δεῖται σαφηνείας ὁ νόμος· ἑαυτὸν γὰρ ἑρμηνεύει. ἔφη γάρ, " ὅτι ἀποστήσουσι τὸν υἱόν σου ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, καὶ λατρεύ σει θεοῖς ἑτέροις ". ἀναγκαίως μέντοι καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν αὐτοὺς τῆς θείας διδάσκει κηδεμονίας· " οὐ γὰρ διὰ τὸ πλείους εἶναι, φησί, τῶν ἐθνῶν προέκρινεν ὑμᾶς ὁ Θεός, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν τῶν προγόνων εὐσέβειαν καὶ τὴν γεγενημέ νην πρὸς ἐκείνους ὑπόσχεσιν ". εἶτα τὸ ἀληθὲς αὐτοῦ δεικνύς, ἐπήγαγεν· " ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς πιστὸς φυλάσσων δια θήκην καὶ ἔλεον τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν αὐτόν, καὶ τοῖς φυλάσσουσι τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ, εἰς χιλίας γε νεάς ". καὶ ἐπειδὴ ἀτελεῖς ἦσαν, καὶ τροφῆς γαλακτώδους ἐδέοντο καὶ ἀκούειν περὶ τῶν αἰωνίων ἀγαθῶν οὐκ ἐδύναντο, ὑπισχνεῖται αὐτοῖς πολυγονίαν, καὶ γῆς εὐκαρπίαν καὶ ποιμνίων καὶ βουκολίων εὐεξίαν, καὶ σώματος ὑγείαν καὶ τὴν ἐν πολέμοις νίκην καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα. ἔπειτα πάλιν αὐτοὺς ἀνέμνησε τῆς ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ διαγωγῆς καὶ τὰς ταύτης αἰτίας ἐδί δαξεν· " ἐκάκωσε, γάρ φησι, καὶ ἐλιμαγχόνησέ σε καὶ ἐψώμισέ σε τὸ μάννα, ἵνα ἀναγγείλῃ σοι, ὅτι οὐκ ἐπ' ἄρτῳ μόνῳ ζήσεται ἄνθρωπος, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ παντὶ ῥήματι ἐκπορευομένῳ διὰ στόματος Θεοῦ ". διὰ μέντοι τούτων καὶ ἡμεῖς παιδευόμεθα μὴ δυσχεραίνειν δυσκολίαις τισὶ περιπεσόντες, ἀλλὰ στέργειν τὰς θείας οἰκονομίας, καὶ προσμένειν τὴν λύσιν τῶν πειρασμῶν, ἐπιδείκνυσι δὲ καὶ τὰς ἄλλας εὐεργεσίας· " τὰ ἱμάτιά σου οὐ κατετρίβη ἀπὸ σοῦ, οἱ πόδες σου οὐκ ἐτυλώθησαν, ἰδοὺ τεσσαράκοντα ἔτη. καὶ γνώσῃ τῇ καρδίᾳ σου, ὅτι ὡς εἴ τις παιδεύσαι ἄνθρωπος τὸν υἱὸν αὐτοῦ, οὕτως Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου παιδεύσει σε καὶ φυλάξῃ τὰς ἐντολὰς Κυρίου 236 τοῦ Θεοῦ σου, πορεύεσθαι ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτοῦ καὶ φοβεῖσθαι αὐτόν ". μετὰ τὸν πειρασμὸν ἡ παράκλησις· μετὰ τῆς παιδείας ἡ ψυχαγωγία· λιμὸς καὶ τρυφή, ὁδοιπορίας πόνος καὶ