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and repented in ashes.”6 To which one might say: How then did they not happen, if indeed they would have repented, but they were performed there where they did not repent? And we would say that the Son of God is wisdom, who also did these things; for since he knew the hidden things, he knew that had they repented, they would not have made a genuine repentance; for this reason the mighty works were not done there. And it is fitting to say concerning them: for it is better for them not to have known the truth than having known it to turn back. Thus he did not perform the wonders for Tyre and Sidon; for their repentance was going to be unstable. But since these among whom they happened did not have the <movement> of soul known to the judge, which was in need of the demonstration of signs, for this reason 233 he performed them, so that these might be without excuse, while those might not be harmed more by being deemed worthy of something at the wrong time. But if this too was spoken hyperbolically by the Savior to shame those who had seen the signs and not repented—for this is also a didactic method—consider this as well. The long-suffering and goodness of the judge, therefore, is shown in awaiting the fulfillment of the sins of the Amorites, after rebuking and exhorting and everything that contributes to repentance, God bringing on the punishment, just as it also happened to Pharaoh; for often being rebuked and deemed worthy of forgiveness, he brought upon himself, through the hardness of his own heart, even the final condemnation. Ch. 17. And when the sun was toward its setting, a flame appeared, and behold, a smoking furnace and torches of fire, which passed between these divided pieces. The clear meaning of the saying may be presented thus. About sunset, as it was already proceeding, “a flame appeared”6 and “a smoking furnace”6 was seen “and torches of fire, which passed between the divided pieces,”6 both burning and illuminating the place for the patriarch to see the things that were happening and to show symbols more divinely, which it is necessary to investigate. And this too must be noted, that not only now when a covenant was being made did fire appear, but also through Moses the law is given upon fire; for they saw the fire, but not seeing the one speaking, they heard the things legislated. But what was hinted at through these things might be as follows. Since the law has both rewards and penalties, being given in the midst of the fire, it signified that to some it brings burning, but to others, illumination. For fire has a twofold power, illuminating and at the same time burning; the given law, therefore, burns its deserters, but illuminates its keepers. So also here torches and smoke appeared; and the smoke is an effect 234 and as it were a consequence of an ignited fire, but also a flame occurred earlier. We say, therefore, that in such a difficulty, for the one distinguishing what must be done, there is need for illumination from God and of fear, which is signified by the furnace, so that all things may be accomplished according to the right reason. Ch. 18-19. On that day the Lord God made a covenant with Abram, saying: To your seed I will give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, the Kenites, and so forth. When the torches had passed through the divided pieces, the covenant was confirmed, with God saying: “To your seed I will give this land,”6 and he also describes the extent of the land. But according to what has been previously explained, one must understand the land in an allegorical sense as being given to the seed which is according to the holy spirit. This land the Savior also promises to those who have achieved meekness. This is a fitting promise for the true children and not for all by succession; “For” not “the children of the flesh are these the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted for a seed”; for he who does his works is his child. And well also “from the river to the river”; for the fitting promise to the seed of the holy one is virtue, which is in the midst of transient things, the transient things not being parts of it, but its boundaries; outside

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καὶ σποδῷ μετε- νόησαν"6. Πρὸς ὃ λέγοι τις ἄν· Πῶς οὖν οὐκ ἐγένοντο, εἴ γε μετενόουν, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖ ἐπετελέσθησαν ἔνθα οὐ μετενόη- σαν; Καὶ λέγοιμεν ὅτι σοφία ἐστὶν ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὃς καὶ ταῦτα ἐποίησεν· ἐπεὶ γὰρ τὰ κρυπτὰ ἐπιστάμενος ἐγίνωσκεν ὅτι μετανοήσαντες οὐ γνησ̣ίαν ἐποιοῦντο μετά- νοιαν, διὰ τοῦτο ἐκεῖ οὐκ ἐγένοντο αἱ δυνάμεις. Καὶ ἔστιν περὶ αὐτῶν οἰκεῖον εἰπεῖν· κρεῖσσον γὰρ αὐτοῖς μὴ ἐπεγνωσκέναι τὴν ἀλήθειαν ἢ ἐπιγνοῦσιν ἀνακᾶμψαι εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω. Οὕτως οὐ πεποίηκεν Τύρῳ καὶ Σιδόνι τὰ παράδοξα· ἔμελλεν γὰρ αὐτοῖς εὐμετάπτωτος εἶναι ἡ μετάνοια. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὗτοι παρ' οἷς ἐγένοντο <τὸ> κίνη<μα> οὐ<κ> εἶχον ψυχῆς γνωριζόμενον τῷ κριτῇ, ὅπερ ἔχρῃζεν τῆς τῶν σημείων ἐπιδείξεως, διὰ τοῦτο 233 ἐποίησεν, ἵνα οὗτοι μὲν ἀναπολόγητοι ὦσιν, ἐκεῖνοι δὲ μὴ πλέον βλάβωσιν ἀκαίρως τινὸς ἀξιούμενοι. Εἰ δὲ καὶ τοῦτο ὑπερβολικῶς εἴρηται πρὸς τοῦ Σωτῆρος πρὸς ἐντροπὴν τῶν θεασαμένων τὰ σημεῖα καὶ μὴ μετανοησάντων, -καὶ γὰρ οὗτος ὁ τρόπος διδασκαλικὸς ὑπάρχει, -συνεπι- σκέψαι. ῾Η̣ μακροθυμία οὖν καὶ ἀγαθότης τοῦ κριτοῦ δείκνυται τῷ ἀπεκδέχεσθαι τὴν ἀναπλήρωσιν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν τῶν Ἀμορραίων, μετὰ τὸ ἐλέγξαι καὶ προτρέψασθαι καὶ ὅσα συντελεῖ μετάγνωσιν ἐπάγοντος τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν κόλασιν, καθὰ καὶ τῷ Φαραὼ γεγένηται· πολλάκις γὰρ ἐπιτι- μώμενος καὶ συγχωρήσεως ἀξιούμενος ἐπήγαγεν ἑαυτῷ διὰ τὴν σκληροκαρδίαν ἑαυτοῦ καὶ τὴν τελευταίαν κατάκρισιν. χῃ, 17. Ἐπεὶ δὲ ἐγένετο ὁ ἥλιος πρὸς δυσμαῖς, φλὸξ ἐγένετο, καὶ ἰδοὺ κλίβανος καπνιζόμενος καὶ λαμπάδες πυρός, αἳ διῆλθον ἀνάμεσον τῶν διχοτομημάτων τούτων. Τὸ σαφὲς τοῦ ῥητοῦ οὕτως ἂν παρασταίη. Περὶ δυσμὰς τοῦ ἡλίου ἤδη χωροῦντος "6φλὸξ ἐγένετο"6 καὶ "6κλίβανος καπνιζόμενος"6 ἐφαίνετο "6καὶ λαμπάδες πυρός, αἳ διῆλθον ἀνάμεσον τῶν διχοτομημάτων"6, ἀμφο- τέραι καίουσαι καὶ φωτίζουσαι τὸν τόπον πρὸς τὸ ὁρᾶν τὸν πατριάρχην τὰ γινόμενα καὶ σύμβολα ἐπιδεικνύναι θειότερον, ἅπερ ἀναγκαῖον διεραυνήσασθαι. Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ σημειωτέον, ὅτι οὐ νῦν μόνον διαθήκης γινομένης πῦρ ἐφάνη, ἀλλὰ καὶ διὰ Μωσέως ὁ νόμος ἐπὶ πυρὶ δίδοται· ἐώρων γὰρ τὸ πῦρ, τὸν λαλοῦντα οὐ θεωροῦντες ἤκουον τὰ νομοθετηθέντα. Ἃ δὲ ᾐνίττετο διὰ τούτων εἴη ἂν τοιαῦτα. Ἐπεὶ ὁ νόμος ἆθλα καὶ ἐπίτιμα ἔχει, ἐμμέσῳ τοῦ πυρὸς δοθεὶς ἐδήλου ὅτι τοῖς μὲν καῦσιν ἐπιφέρει, τοῖς δὲ φωτισμόν. ∆ιττὴν γὰρ ἔχει δύναμιν τὸ πῦρ, φωτίζον ἅμα καὶ καῖον· ὁ δοθεὶς οὖν νόμος τοὺς μὲν λιποτάκτας αὐτοῦ καίει, τοὺς δὲ φύλακας αὐτοῦ φωτίζει. Οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα λαμπάδες καὶ καπνὸς̣ ἐφαίνοντο· ἔστι δὲ ὁ καπνὸς ἀπο- 234 τέλεσμα καὶ ὡς παρακολούθημα πυρὸς ἐξαφθέντος, ἀλλὰ καὶ φλὸξ προτέρα ἐγίνετο. Λέγομεν οὖν ὡς ἐν τοιαύτῃ δυσχωρίᾳ τῷ διαιροῦντι τὰ πρακτέα καὶ μὴ φωτισμοῦ δεῖ τοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ φόβου, ὅσπερ διὰ τοῦ κλιβάνου δηλοῦται, ἵνα ἅπαντα κατὰ τὸν ὀρθὸν ἐπιτελῆται λόγον. χῃ, 18- 19. Ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ διέθετο Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς τῷ Ἀβρὰμ διαθήκην λέγων· Τῷ σπέρματί σου δώσω τὴν γῆν ταύτην ἀπὸ τοῦ ποταμοῦ Αι᾿̣γύπτου ἕως τοῦ ποταμοῦ τοῦ μεγάλου ποταμοῦ Εὐφράτου, τοὺς Καιναίους, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Τῶν λαμπάδων διελθουσῶν τὰ διχοτομήματα, ἐβεβα̣ιοῦτο ἡ διαθήκη, λέγοντος τοῦ Θεοῦ· "6Τῷ σπέρματί σου δώσω τὴν γῆν ταύτην"6, διαγράφει δὲ καὶ τὸ διάστημα τῆς γῆς. ∆εῖ δὲ κατὰ τὰ προαποδοθέντα ἀνάγοντα̣ γ̣ῆν ἐννοεῖν τῷ σπέρματι διδομένην τῷ κατὰ πνεῦμα τοῦ ἁγίου. <Ταύ>την καὶ ὁ Σωτὴρ τοῖς πραότητα κατορθώσασιν κατεπαγγέλλεται. Αὕτη πρέπουσα ἐπαγγελία τοῖς τέκνοις τοῖς ἀληθέσι καὶ οὐ τοῖς ἐκ διαδοχῆς πᾶσιν· "6Οὐ"6 γὰρ "6τὰ τέκνα τῆς σαρκὸς ταῦτα τέκνα τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἀλλὰ τὰ τέκνα τῆς ἐπαγγελίας λογίζεται εἰς σπέρμα"6· ὁ γὰρ ποιῶν αὐτοῦ τὰ ἔργα τέκνον αὐτοῦ ἐστ̣ι̣ν. Εὖ δὲ καὶ τὸ "6ἀπὸ τοῦ ποταμοῦ ἕως τοῦ ποταμοῦ"6· ἡ γὰρ πρέπουσα ἐπαγγελία τῷ σπέρματι τοῦ ἁγίου ἡ ἀρετή ἐστιν, ἥτις μέση τῶν ῥευστῶν πραγμάτων ἐστίν, οὐκ ὄντων αὐτῆς μερῶν τῶν ῥευστῶν πραγμάτων, ἀλλ' ὅρων αὐτῶν· ἔξω