93

it will not please him, and he will turn his anger away from him. But they called Mount Zion a desolate rock, as being small and unsown, and not sufficient for food, neither for those who dwell there, nor for those who graze. But a fledgling, when its mother has flown up in fear, is helpless for defense and unable to flee. Thus the souls nourished by the evil and unstable spirit, whenever they encounter the one who casts them out through good works and the invocation of the Savior, having been desolated with a good desolation, are more easily taken up for the upbringing in Christ that leads to perfection. Then, Arnon, take more counsel. For when the city of the Moabites had been sacked, the survivors relocated to Arnon, a most fortified city, to which he says: Consider how you will be able to save those who have fled to you for refuge. And in another way, with a certain character, it challenges the one that has formed an opinion about all the fabricated doctrines of philosophy to add still more to her counsel concerning these things, so that, having had her fill and having come to know their futility, she may come to the sound teaching. And from one place of Moab, it indicates to us the whole region of Arabia. Then it advises, 'Make a shelter of mourning for her.' For those who work grief over their sins, whether in their life or in their knowledge, so that some come to mourn in a blessed way, these make a shelter of mourning. For the word is to those who care for such people, so that by shutting out the deceit from those of other opinions, they may give space for the true light to shine in the hearts of those who believe in him, in addition to some of the penitents who have become enclosed to mourn, protecting themselves from outside company and spectacle. But literally, to Arnon, 'Yes,' he says, 'you have considered something humane.' Become a shelter for those overcome by unbearable mourning. For darkness has seized them at midday, as the fear of death has clouded their mind. Therefore he says, 'And they were driven out of their minds.' 'And if you save,' he says, 'those who have fled from war, still they are a very small remnant of the dead.' For you did not receive the fugitives at the beginning of the war. But they dwell with you after a very great destruction. But you expected that they too would be a shelter for you in 2105 times of need from the face of the pursuer, which is impossible. For your alliance has been taken away, and the ruler who tramples upon the earth has perished. For the leader of the Moabites who always shielded you with his own shield, accustomed to trampling down his opponents as if they were dust, has perished. Thus for the Moabites the hope of being able to prevail again has also perished. For the impious, he says, will be utterly destroyed from the earth. But with a view to anagogical meaning, the light of midday seems to be brighter. Therefore, since the truth can be understood from the creation of the world, though illuminated from all sides by the wisdom of God, some have suffered from an ignorance of God, being in the darkness of things that have their noonday. These also were driven out of their minds like madmen, imagining insubstantial doctrines. For the interpretation of the noonday darkness is ecstasy. But 'Be not led astray,' he says, urging that we not be led by certain plausible words or doctrines, lest following their teachers we be cast down. 'For if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.' But did the one who gave the exposition before this not set forth from the beginning the 'Be not led astray,' because 'They did not flee to you at the beginning of the war?' After these things the philanthropic God speaks to the daughter of Zion concerning the Moabites who are about to sojourn with her after their conversion, having returned to their own master after their former flight. For they will be sheltered, he says, among you, persuaded to suffer nothing from the face of the pursuer. For those who were once allies will pursue Moab who has turned to God; for like a fledgling he has been taken away from the evil protection, freed from the former ruler, who perished through pride and tyranny, trampling all. And when he has been taken away, the prophecy introduces the good things that will be concerning the throne of David. And he calls 'ruler' the evil demon that lies in wait for the nation, or the ruler of the nation, such as

93

οὐκ ἀρέσει αὐτῷ, καὶ ἀποστρέψει τὸν θυμὸν αὐτοῦ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ. Πέτραν δὲ ἔρημον τὸ ὄρος ἐκάλουν Σιὼν, ὡς σμικρόν τε καὶ ἄσπορον, καὶ πρὸς τροφὴν οὐκ ἀρκοῦν, οὔτε τοῖς οἰκοῦσιν, οὔτε τοῖς νεμομένοις. Νεοσσὸς δὲ, τῆς μητρὸς ἀναπτάσης τῷ φόβῳ, ἀδρανὴς μὲν πρὸς ἄμυναν, ἀδύνατος δὲ πρὸς φυγήν. Οὕτως αἱ ὑπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ καὶ ἀστάτου πνεύματος ἐκτρεφόμεναι ψυχαὶ, ἐπειδ' ἂν ἐπιτύχωσι τοῦ δι' ἔργων ἀγαθῶν καὶ τῆς τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἐπικλήσεως αὐτὰς ἐκδιώκοντος, ἐρημωθεῖσαι τὴν καλὴν ἐρήμωσιν, εὐληπτότεραί εἰσι πρὸς τὴν ἐν Χριστῷ ἀνατροφὴν τὴν ἄγουσαν εἰς τελείωσιν. Ἔπειτα δὲ, Ἀρνὼν πλείονα βουλεύου. Πεπορθημένης γὰρ τῆς Μωαβιτῶν πόλεως, οἱ διαφυγόντες μετεφοίτησαν εἰς Ἀρνὼν πόλιν ὀχυρωτάτην, πρὸς ἥν φησι· Σκόπει πῶς δυνήσῃ διασῶσαι τοὺς πρὸς σὲ καταφυγόντας. Καὶ ἄλλως δὲ μετά τινος ἤθους προκαλεῖται τὴν περὶ πάντων τῶν κατὰ φιλοσοφίαν πεπλασμένων δογμάτων δοξάσασαν ἔτι προστιθέναι τῇ περὶ τούτων βουλῇ, ὡς ἂν κόρον λαβοῦσα καὶ γνοῦσα τὸ τούτων ἀνόνητον, προσέλθῃ τῇ ὑγιαινούσῃ διδασκαλίᾳ. Ἀπὸ ἑνὸς δὲ χωρίου τῆς Μωαβίτιδος ὅλον ἡμῖν ἐνδείκνυται τὸν τόπον τῆς Ἀραβίας. Εἶτα παραινεῖ, Ποιεῖτε σκέπην πένθους αὐτῇ. Οἱ γὰρ ἐπὶ τοῖς ἡμαρτημένοις, εἴτε κατὰ τὸν βίον, εἴτε κατὰ τὴν γνῶσιν ἐνεργαζόμενοι λύπην, ὥστε τινὰς ἐλθεῖν ἐπὶ τὸ μακαρίως πενθεῖν, οὖτοι ποιοῦσι σκέπην πένθους. Πρὸς γὰρ τοὺς τῶν τοιούτων ἐπιμελομένους ὁ λόγος, ἵν' ἐν τῷ ἀποκλεῖσαι τὴν ἐκ τῶν ἑτεροδοξούντων ἀπάτην, χώραν τῷ ἀληθινῷ δῶσι φωτὶ ταῖς καρδίαις ἐλλάμψαι τῶν εἰς αὐτὸν πιστευόντων, πρὸς τῷ καὶ τῶν μετανοούντων τινὰς κατακλείστους γεγονότας πενθεῖν περισκέποντας ἑαυτοὺς ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν ἔξωθεν ὁμιλίας καὶ θέας. Πρὸς δὲ λέξιν, πρὸς τὴν Ἀρνὼν, Ναὶ, φησὶν, ἐσκέψω τι φιλάνθρωπον. Σκέπη γενοῦ τοῖς ἀφορήτῳ πένθει κατειλημμένοις. Σκοτία γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἐν μεσημβρίᾳ κατείληφε, τὸν νοῦν αὐτοῖς τοῦ περὶ θανάτου φόβου θολώσαντος. ∆ιό φησι, Καὶ ἐξέστησαν. Εἰ δὲ καὶ σώσεις, φησὶ, τοὺς ἀπὸ πολέμου φυγόντας, ἀλλὰ τῶν τεθνηκότων ἐλάχιστον τυγχάνουσι λείψανον. Οὐ γὰρ ἐν ἀρχῇ τοῦ πολέμου τοὺς φυγάδας ἐδέξω. Μετὰ πλείστην δέ σοι παροικοῦσιν ἀπώλειαν. Σὺ δὲ προσεδόκας ὅτι καὶ αὐτοὶ ἔσονταί σοι σκέπη κατὰ 2105 καιροὺς ἀπὸ προσώπου διώκοντος, ὅπερ ἀδύνατον. Ἤρθη γὰρ ἡ συμμαχία σου, καὶ ὁ ἄρχων ἀπώλετο ὁ καταπατῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Ὁ γὰρ ἀεί σοι συνασπίσας τῶν Μωαβιτῶν ἡγούμενος, ὥσπερ τινὰ χοῦν καταπατεῖν εἰωθὼς τοὺς ἀνθεστηκότας, ἀπόλωλεν. Οὕτω τοῖς Μωαβίταις προσαπώλετο καὶ ἡ τοῦ δύνασθαι κρατῆσαι πάλιν ἐλπίς. Οἱ γὰρ ἀσεβεῖς ὁλόριζοι, φησὶν, ἐκ γῆς ὀλοῦνται. Πρὸς ἀναγωγῆς δὲ νοῦν, δοκεῖ τῆς μεσημβρίας τὸ φῶς εἶναι λαμπρότερον. Τῆς οὖν ἀληθείας ἀπὸ κτίσεως κόσμου νοεῖσθαι δυναμένης, πανταχόθεν ὑπὸ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ σοφίας περιλαμπόμενοι, Θεοῦ τινες ἐνόσησαν ἄγνοιαν, ὄντες ἐν σκοτίᾳ τῶν πραγμάτων τὴν μεσημβρίαν ἐχόντων. Οἳ καὶ δίκην μεμηνότων ἐξέστησαν, ἀνυπόστατα φαντασιούμενοι δόγματα. Ἑρμηνεία γὰρ τοῦ μεσημβρινοῦ σκότους ἔκστασις. Μὴ ἀχθῇς δὲ, φησὶ, προτρέπων μὴ πιθανοῖς τισιν ἄγεσθαι λόγοις ἢ δόγμασι, μὴ τοῖς τούτων διδασκάλοις ἀκολουθοῦντες κατακρημνισθῶμεν. "Τυφλὸς γὰρ τυφλὸν ἐὰν ὁδηγῇ, ἀμφότεροι εἰς βόθυνον πεσοῦνται." Τὸ δὲ, Μὴ ἀχθῇς, μὴ ἐξ ἀρχῆς παρέθετο ὁ τὴν πρὸ ταύτης φήσας ἐξήγησιν, ὅτι Μὴ ἐν ἀρχῇ πρὸς σὲ τοῦ πολέμου κατέφυγον. Μετὰ ταῦτα τῇ θυγατρὶ Σιὼν ὁ φιλάνθρωπος λέγει Θεὸς περὶ τῶν μετὰ τὴν ἐπιστροφὴν μελλόντων αὐτῇ παροικῆσαι Μωαβιτῶν μετὰ τὴν πάλαι φυγὴν πρὸς τὸν ἴδιον ἐπανηκόντων δεσπότην. Σκεπασθήσονται γὰρ, φησὶ, παρ' ὑμῖν πεισόμενοι μηδὲν ἀπὸ προσώπου διώκοντος. Οἱ γάρ ποτε συμμαχοῦντες διώξουσι Μωὰβ πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν ἐπιστρέψαντα· καθάπερ γὰρ νεοσσὸς τῆς πονηρᾶς προστασίας ἀφῄρηται, τοῦ πρὶν ἄρχοντος ἐλευθερωθεὶς, ὃς ἀπώλετο δι' ὑπερηφανίαν καὶ τυραννίδα πάντας πατῶν. Ἐφ' ᾧ ἀρθέντι ἐπάγει ἡ προφητεία τὰ ἐσόμενα ἀγαθὰ περὶ τοῦ θρόνου ∆αβίδ. Ἄρχοντα δὲ καλεῖ, τὸν τῷ ἔθνει πονηρὸν ἐφεδρεύοντα δαίμονα, ἢ τὸν ἄρχοντα τοῦ ἔθνους, οἷος