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of the Word naturally given to her. 3.105 With so many things having been arranged for the intensely suffering Gaza, Accaron also, being a kind of barrenness, for so it is interpreted, will suffer shame when her hope flies away. And since childbearing is understood in a twofold way according to its allegorical sense, one being that which comes from those able to say to God: “From your fear we have conceived in the womb and have been in travail and have brought forth.” This is praiseworthy, having the Bridegroom Word as its sower, whereas that which is composed by adulterers is blameworthy. Indeed, concerning such offspring and their mother it is said by the master of all: “I will not have mercy on her children, for they are children of fornication; their mother has committed fornication, she who bore them has brought shame.” 3.106 Since the succession of children is divided in two ways, it is a blessed thing to endure barrenness for her who bears destructively from invisible evil lovers; for this deprivation happens for a good purpose, as the seed from God takes its beginning, from which there will be a generation of saving offspring, so that at last the favored bride may be settled, having become the mother of many children, in the house of the husband concerning whom it is said thus in the Psalms: “He makes the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children”; and in another scripture, after barrenness, fair and many children are mentioned: “The barren has borne seven.” Concerning her, or rather to her, the prophet Isaiah cries: “Break forth and cry, you who are not in labor, for the children of the desolate are many more than of her who has a husband.” 3.107 The scriptures cited especially allude to the two callings, the one from the circumcision and the one from the Gentiles. For the one had the law as a husband, bearing children from it; but the other happened to be barren and desolate of children, when, being without God, she had no hope at all in the world, according to what was written by Paul concerning idolaters. This being so, when the true bridegroom came, the barren one became from him a mother of divine offspring, named seven on account of the incorruptibility and purity they possessed, since the mystical heptad has these virtues, nevertheless, the barren one bearing seven, and being settled by the husband as a mother of joyful children. 3.108 “She who has many children has grown weak,” her many children being so not so much in number as in commonness. For this is also indicated by the word, just as in the Gospel the many are said to be those who travel the broad way, which has destruction as its end. In this way also the sons of Israel, ruled by the tyrant of the spiritual Egypt, became many and “exceedingly common.” 3.109 The Apostle, separating himself and those entrusted with the same ministry as him from those thus called the many, writes: “We are not, as so many, peddling the word of the Lord.” In harmony with this contemplation is also that which is recited in a hymn by the psalmist: “Many will say to my soul,” and again: “Many are rising up against me.” 3.110 While the synagogue of the circumcision grew weak on account of the commonness of her children, despite having the law as a husband, she who was called from the Gentiles became a mother, despite being barren before, of the seven children who have been explained, “having been born again not of corruptible seed but of incorruptible, through the living and abiding word of God,” so that at last the children of the desolate are a multitude more than those of her who cohabits with the law, who is called a husband allegorically. 3.111 Since different children and their parentage have been revealed according to the divine instruction, it will be for the good for the soul that is ready to bear children of destruction to be made barren, it being destructive and harmful for her who is receptive to the seeds of the word of God to be made barren. Therefore it is fitting to pray against such barrenness, so that there might be a generation of refined and good children. 3.112 These things have been considered for the interpretation of Accaron, which is understood as barrenness, she being made barren so as to cast away her hope and

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λόγου φυσικῶς αὐτῇ δεδομένην. 3.105 Τοσούτων οἰκονομηθέντων τῇ σφοδρῶς ὀδυνωμένῃ Γάζῃ, καὶ ἡ Ἀκκαρώ, στείρωσίς τις οὖσα, οὕτω γὰρ ἑρμηνεύεται, αἰσχύνην ὀφλήσει διαπετούσης τῆς ἐλπίδος αὐτῆς. Καὶ ἐπεὶ διττῶς παιδοποιΐα νοεῖται κατ' ἀναγωγήν, ἣ μέν τις γινομένη ἀπὸ τῶν δυναμένων εἰπεῖν πρὸς τὸν Θεόν· «Ἀπὸ τοῦ φόβου σου ἐν γαστρὶ ἐλάβομεν καὶ ὠδινήσαμεν καὶ ἐτέκαμεν.» Ἐπαινετὴ δὲ αὕτη σπορέα ἔχουσα τὸν νυμφίον Λόγον, ψεκτῆς οὔσης τῆς ἀπὸ μοιχῶν συνισταμένης. Περὶ τῆς τοιαύτης γοῦν γονῆς λέγεται καὶ τῆς μητρὸς αὐτῆς ὑπὸ τοῦ δεσπότου τῶν ὅλων· «Τὰ τέκνα αὐτῆς οὐκ ἐλεήσω διότι τέκνα πορνείας ἐστίν· ἐπόρνευσεν ἡ μήτηρ αὐτῶν, κατῄσχυνεν ἡ τεκοῦσα αὐτά.» 3.106 ∆ιχῶς διαιρεθείσης τῆς τέκνων διαδοχῆς, μακάριον ὑπάρχει στείρωσιν ὑπομεῖναι τὴν ὀλεθρίως τίκτουσαν ἀπὸ τῶν ἀοράτων πονηρῶν ἐραστῶν· πρὸς ἀγαθοῦ γὰρ γίνεται ἡ στέρησις αὕτη, ἀρχὴν λαμβανούσης τῆς ἐκ Θεοῦ σπορᾶς, ἐξ ἧς σωτηριωδῶν ἔσται γενημάτων γενεά, ὡς λοιπὸν τὴν εὐεργετηθεῖσαν νύμφην κατοικίζεσθαι πολύπαιδα γεγενημένην ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς περὶ οὗ ἐν Ψαλμοῖς εἴρηται οὕτως· «Τῷ κατοικίζοντι στεῖραν ἐν οἴκῳ, μητέρα τέκνων εὐφραινομένην»· καὶ ἐν ἄλλῃ γραφῇ μετὰ στείρωσιν εὐπαιδία καὶ πολυπαιδία φέρεται· «Στεῖρα ἔτεκεν ἑπτά.» Περὶ ταύτης, μᾶλλον δὲ πρὸς αὐτὴν ὁ προφήτης Ἠσαΐας βοᾷ· «Ῥῆξον καὶ βόησον ἡ οὐκ ὠδίνουσα, ὅτι πολλὰ τὰ τέκνα τῆς ἐρήμου μᾶλλον ἢ τῆς ἐχούσης τὸν ἄνδρα.» 3.107 Αἰνίττονται δὲ μάλιστα αἱ παραληφθεῖσαι γραφαὶ τὰς δύο κλήσεις, τήν τε ἐκ τῆς περιτομῆς καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ ἐθνῶν. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἄνδρα τὸν νόμον εἶχεν, ἐξ αὐτοῦ τεκνοῦσα· ἡ δὲ στεῖρα καὶ παίδων ἔρημος ἐτύγχανεν, ὅτε, ἄθεος οὖσα, ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ἐλπίδα οὐδ' ὅλως εἶχεν, κατὰ τὰ Παύλῳ γραφέντα περὶ τῶν εἰδωλολατρῶν. Τούτων ὧδε ἐχόντων, ἐπιδημήσαντος τοῦ ἀληθινοῦ νυμφίου, ἡ μὲν στεῖρα ἐξ αὐτοῦ μήτηρ γέγονεν θείων γενημάτων, ἑπτὰ ὠνομασμένων διὰ προσοῦσαν ἀφθαρσίαν τε καὶ ἁγνείαν, ταύτας τὰς ἀρετὰς ἐχούσης τῆς μυστικῆς ἑβδομάδος, ὅμως τῆς στείρας ἑπτὰ τεκούσης, κατοικισθείσης τε ὑπὸ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς εὐφραινομένων τέκνων μητρός. 3.108 «Ἡ πολλὴ ἐν τέκνοις ἠσθένησεν», πολλῶν τῶν τέκνων αὐτῆς γεγενημένων οὐ τοσοῦτον ἀριθμῷ ὅσον χυδαιότητι. ∆ηλοῦται γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο ἐκ τῆς λέξεως καθὼς ἐν τῷ Εὐαγγελίῳ πολλοὶ εἶναι λέγονται οἱ τὴν εὐρύχωρον ὁδὸν ὁδεύοντες, τέλος ἔχουσαν ἀπώλειαν. Τούτῳ τῷ τρόπῳ καὶ οἱ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ υἱοὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ τυράννου τῆς νοητῆς Αἰγύπτου ἀρχόμενοι, πολλοὶ καὶ «χυδαῖοι σφόδρα» γεγένηνται. 3.109 Τῶν οὕτω λεγομένων πολλῶν ἀφορίζων ἑαυτὸν ὁ Ἀπόστολος καὶ τοὺς τὴν αὐτὴν αὐτῷ διακονίαν πεπιστευμένους, γράφει· «Οὐκ ἐσμὲν ὡς οἱ πολλοὶ καπηλεύοντες τὸν λόγον τοῦ Κυρίου.» Ταύτῃ τῇ θεωρίᾳ συνᾴδει καὶ τὸ ἐν ὕμν̣ῳ ἀπαγγελλόμενον ὑπὸ τοῦ ψαλμῳδοῦ· «Πολλοὶ ἐροῦσιν τῇ ψυχῇ μου», καὶ ἔτι· «Πολλοὶ ἐπανίστανται ἐπ' ἐμέ.» 3.110 Τῆς τῶν ἐκ περιτομῆς συναγωγῆς ἀσθενησάσης διὰ τὴν χυδαιότητα τῶν τέκνων, καίπερ ἐχούσης ἄνδρα τὸν νόμον, ἡ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν κληθεῖσα μήτηρ γέγονεν, καίπερ οὖσα στεῖρα πρότερον, τῶν σαφηνισθέντων ἑπτὰ τέκνων «ἀναγεννηθέντων οὐκ ἐκ σπορᾶς φθαρτῆς ἀλλὰ ἀφθάρτου διὰ ζῶντος λόγου Θεοῦ καὶ μένοντος», ὡς λοιπὸν πλῆθος εἶναι τέκνων τῆς ἐρήμου μᾶλλον ἢ τῆς συμβιούσης νόμῳ, ἀνδρὶ κατ' ἀλληγορίαν καλουμένῳ. 3.111 ∆ιαφόρων τέκνων καὶ γονῆς αὐτῶν φανείσης κατὰ τὴν θείαν παίδευσιν, πρὸς ἀγαθοῦ ἔσται στειρωθῆναι τὴν ἑτοίμως ἔχουσαν ψυχὴν πρὸς τὸ τίκτειν ἀπωλείας τέκνα, ὀλεθρίου καὶ ἐπιβλαβοῦς ὄντος τοῦ στειρωθῆναι τὴν εὐσύλληπτον ἀπὸ τῶν σπερμάτων τοῦ Θεοῦ λόγου. ∆ιὸ τὴν τοιαύτην στείρωσιν ἀπεύχεσθαι προσήκει, ἵνα ἀστείων καὶ ἀγαθῶν τέκνων ὑπαρχθῇ γενεά. 3.112 Ταῦτα τεθεώρηται εἰς τὴν ἑρμηνείαν τῆς Ἀκκαρὼ εἰς στείρωσιν μεταλαμβανομένης, στειρωθείσης αὐτῆς ὡς ἀποβαλεῖν τὴν ἐλπίδα καὶ