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instead of: all. For by the sting of sin, that is, by death, all are wounded. 36, 26 behold, the strong one is great, and we shall not know him. For no one knows the things of God, except the spirit of God that is in him. 314 36, 26 the number of his ways is also infinite. But the number of his ways is also infinite to us and incomprehensible. 36, 27 But to him the drops of rain are numbered. For nothing escapes the knowledge of God, but he even knows the number of the raindrops. 36, 27 and they will be poured out with rain into a cloud. And the rain is not poured unmeasured, but numbered through the clouds. 36, 28 Old things will flow forth. For the melted things, the drippings, flow out from the clouds. For he calls these "old things" from the fact that old things are melted. Or he also says "old things" because from the beginning and from of old these things came to be so according to the divine arrangement. 36, 28 and he overshadowed clouds upon unutterable thunders. Storms happen in the air when cloudiness occurs. 36, 29-30 and if he understands the spreading of a cloud, the equal measure of his tent, behold, he stretches out his pleasure upon it. If it were given to men to come to an understanding, how, when a small cloud appears, the denseness of the clouds extends over the whole heaven—for he calls the heaven a tent, as Isaiah also says: who set up 315 the heaven as a vault and stretched it out as a tent to dwell in—and how upon this denseness he stretches out the pleasure—but hedo is interpreted as: his light, for so has Symmachus rendered it, and other copies have "bow" instead of hedo—if then a man understands how, when there is cloudiness, the sun's rays striking the rarity of the clouds create the bow, which among many is called a rainbow, about which Moses also said: behold, I set my bow in the cloud as a sign that a flood should not happen, he will marvel at the Creator's wisdom, how in the density of the clouds he works the useful need of rain for men, while in the rarity he makes the bow to appear, comforting those on the earth that he does not indeed flood them with the downpour, but holds back the unmeasured course of the waters according to his own promise. 36, 30-31 and he covered the roots of the sea; for no one knows, for in them he will judge peoples. Either he says this, that the bow reaches to the sea, or that God covered the roots of the sea. For no one knows by what the sea is supported or upon what its foundations are fixed; and the things supporting the foundations are called roots. And in these wonders God judges and punishes men by bringing on the sea, perhaps, or hail and such things. 36, 31 He will give food to the one who is strong. 316 Symmachus has rendered it _he will provide very much food_. According to the plain sense, then, he says that the need for rain produces strong and abundant food—instead of: an abundance of fruits. But according to the deeper meaning, the knowledge of God will be food for the one who is strong and able to know his wondrous works. 36, 32 upon his hands he covered light. In his own power; for the light has no place where it can be hidden. 36, 32 and he gave command concerning it to the one meeting it. Symmachus interpreted: _and he will command it so as to meet it_. For covering the light, he says, and making night, he commands it so as to meet, that he may say that both night and day succeed one another by his will. 36, 33 His friend will announce concerning him. Symmachus has rendered it: _Will he announce concerning this to another of his own?_ instead of: Does he take counsel with anyone concerning the creation of these things or communicate such †coverings† to another of his own? so that the reading is as a question. But it is also possible to understand it thus, that if God bestows the knowledge concerning these things on someone, he then calls this one his friend and no longer a servant, as the Savior also said to the disciples: You are my 317 friends. 36, 33 a possession also concerning injustice. Other copies have _the Lord's creation_, but Symmachus

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ἀντὶ τοῦ· πάντες. τῷ γὰρ κέντρῳ τῆς ἁμαρτίας, τουτέστι τῷ θανάτῳ, πάντες τιτρώσκονται. 36, 26 ἰδοὺ ὁ ἰσχυρὸς πολὺς καὶ οὐ γνωσόμεθα. οὐδεὶς γὰρ οἶδε τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ, εἰ μὴ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ θεοῦ τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ. 314 36, 26 ἀριθμὸς ὁδῶν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπέραντος. ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ ἀριθμὸς τῶν ὁδῶν αὐτοῦ ἀπέραντος ἡμῖν ἐστι καὶ ἀκατάληπτος. 36, 27 ἀριθμηταὶ δὲ αὐτῷ σταγόνες ὑετοῦ. τὴν μὲν θεοῦ γνῶσιν οὐδὲν ἐκφεύγει, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν ἀριθμὸν τῶν ὑετίων σταγόνων ἐπίσταται. 36, 27 καὶ ἐπιχυθήσονται ὑετῷ εἰς νεφέλην. καὶ οὐκ ἀμέτρως, ἀλλ' ἐναριθμίως διὰ τῶν νεφελῶν χέεται ὁ ὑετός. 36, 28 ῥυήσονται παλαιώματα. ἐκρέουσι δὲ ἐκ τῶν νεφελῶν τὰ τήγματα, οἱ σταλαγμοί. ταῦτα γὰρ λέγει παλαιώματα ἐκ τοῦ τὰ παλαιὰ τήκεσθαι. ἢ καὶ παλαιώματα λέγει διὰ τὸ ἐξ ἀρχῆς καὶ ἐκ παλαιοῦ ταῦτα οὕτω γενέσθαι κατὰ τὴν θείαν διάταξιν. 36, 28 ἐσκίασε δὲ νέφη ἐπὶ ἀμυθήτων βροντῶν. γίνονται οἱ χειμῶνες περὶ τὸν ἀέρα συννεφείας γενομένης. 36, 2930 καὶ ἐὰν συνῇ ἀπέκτασιν νεφέλης, ἰσότητα σκηνῆς αὐτοῦ, ἰδοὺ ἐκτείνει ἐπ' αὐτὴν ἡδώ. ἐὰν δοθῇ εἰς σύνεσιν ἐλθεῖν ἀνθρώποις, πῶς μικρᾶς προφανείσης νεφέλης περὶ ὅλον τὸν οὐρανὸν ἡ καταπύκνωσις ἐκτείνεται τῶν νεφῶνσκηνὴν γὰρ λέγει τὸν οὐρανόν, ὡς καὶ Ἠσαίας φησίν· ὁ στή 315 σας τὸν οὐρανὸν ὡς καμάραν καὶ διατείνας ὡς σκηνὴν κατοικεῖν, πῶς δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ ταύτης τῆς καταπυκνώσεως ἐκτείνει τὴν ἡδώἡδὼ δὲ ἑρμηνεύεται· φῶς αὐτοῦ, οὕτως γὰρ ὁ Σύμμαχος ἐκδέδωκεν, ἕτερα δὲ ἀντίγραφα ἀντὶ τοῦ ἡδὼ τόξον ἔχουσιν, ἐὰν οὖν συννοήσῃ ὁ ἄνθρωπος, πῶς συννεφείας οὔσης αἱ ἡλιακαὶ ἀκτῖνες εἰς τὴν τῶν νεφῶν ἀραίωσιν προσβάλλουσαι ποιοῦσι τὸ τόξον, ὃ παρὰ τοῖς πολλοῖς ἶρις καλεῖται, περὶ οὗ καὶ Μωυσῆς εἶπεν· ἰδοὺ τίθημι τὸ τόξον μου ἐν τῇ νεφέλῃ εἰς σημεῖον τοῦ μὴ γίνεσθαι κατακλυσμόν, θαυμάσεται τοῦ δημιουργοῦ τὴν σοφίαν, πῶς ἐν μὲν τῇ τῶν νεφῶν πυκνότητι τὴν ὠφέλιμον τοῦ ὑετοῦ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις χρείαν ἐργάζεται, ἐν δὲ τῇ ἀραιότητι φαίνεσθαι τὸ τόξον παρασκευάζει παραμυθούμενος τοὺς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ὅτι δῆτα οὐ τῇ ἐπομβρίᾳ τούτους κατακλύζει, ἀλλ' ἀνέχει τῶν ὑδάτων τὴν ἄμετρον φορὰν κατὰ τὴν οἰκείαν ἐπαγγελίαν. 36, 3031 καὶ ῥιζώματα τῆς θαλάσσης ἐκάλυψεν· οὐδεὶς γὰρ οἶδεν ἐν γὰρ αὐτοῖς κρινεῖ λαούς. ἢ τοῦτο λέγει, ὅτι τὸ τόξον μέχρι τῆς θαλάσσης διήκει, ἢ ὅτι ὁ θεὸς τὰ ῥιζώματα τῆς θαλάσσης ἐκάλυψεν. οὐδεὶς γὰρ οἶδεν, ὑπὸ τίνος βαστάζεται ἡ θάλασσα ἢ ἐπὶ τίνος οἱ κρίκοι αὐτῆς πεπήγασιν· ῥιζώματα δὲ καλοῦνται τὰ τοὺς κρίκους βαστάζοντα. ἐν δὲ τούτοις τοῖς θαυμασίοις κρίνει καὶ τιμωρεῖται τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ὁ θεὸς δι' ἐπαγωγῆς θαλάσσης τυχὸν ἢ χαλάζης καὶ τῶν τοιούτων. 36, 31 δώσει τροφὴν τῷ ἰσχύοντι. 316 ὁ Σύμμαχος _π_α_ρ_έ_ξ_ε_ι_ _τ_ρ_ο_φ_ὴ_ν_ _π_α_μ_π_ό_λ_λ_η_ν ἐκδέδωκεν. κατὰ μὲν οὖν τὸ πρόχειρον λέγει, ὅτι τροφὴν ἰσχυρὰν καὶ πολλήνἀντὶ τοῦ· καρπῶν ἀφθονίανἡ τῶν ὑετῶν ἐργάζεται χρεία. πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν τροφὴ ἔσται ἡ γνῶσις τοῦ θεοῦ τῷ ἰσχύοντι καὶ δυναμένῳ γνῶναι τὴν αὐτοῦ θαυματουργίαν. 36, 32 ἐπὶ χειρῶν ἐκάλυψε φῶς. ἐν τῇ ἑαυτοῦ δυνάμει· οὐ γὰρ ἔχει τόπον τό που κρυβῆναι τὸ φῶς. 36, 32 καὶ ἐνετείλατο περὶ αὐτῆς ἐν ἀπαντῶντι. ὁ Σύμμαχος· _κ_α_ὶ_ _ἐ_π_ι_τ_ά_ξ_ε_ι_ _α_ὐ_τ_ῷ_ _ὥ_σ_τ_ε_ _ἀ_π_α_ν_τ_ῆ_σ_α_ι ἡρμήνευσεν. καλύπτων γάρ, φησίν, τὸ φῶς καὶ νύκτα ἐργαζόμενος ἐντέλλεται αὐτῷ ὥστε ἀπαντῆσαι, ἵνα εἴπῃ, ὅτι καὶ ἡ νὺξ καὶ ἡ ἡμέρα τῷ αὐτοῦ βουλήματι ἀλλήλας διαδέχονται. 36, 33 ἀναγγελεῖ περὶ αὐτοῦ φίλον αὐτοῦ. ὁ Σύμμαχος· _ἀ_π_α_γ_γ_ε_λ_ε_ῖ_ _π_ε_ρ_ὶ_ _τ_ο_ύ_τ_ο_υ_ _ἑ_τ_έ_ρ_ῳ_ _α_ὑ_τ_ο_ῦ_; ἐκδέδωκεν, ἀντὶ τοῦ· μὴ περὶ τῆς τούτων δημιουργίας μετά τινος βουλεύεται ἢ ἑτέρῳ αὑτοῦ ἀνακοινοῦται τὰ τοιαῦτα † σκεπάσματα†; ἵνα κατ' ἐρώτησιν ᾖ ἡ ἀνάγνωσις. δυνατὸν δὲ καὶ οὕτω νοῆσαι, ὅτι ἐάν τινι ὁ θεὸς τὴν περὶ τούτων χαρίσηται γνῶσιν, τοῦτον λοιπὸν φίλον ἑαυτοῦ καλεῖ καὶ οὐκέτι δοῦλον, ὡς καὶ πρὸς τοὺς μαθητὰς ἔλεγεν ὁ σωτήρ· ὑμεῖς φίλοι 317 μού ἐστε. 36, 33 κτῆσις καὶ περὶ ἀδικίας. ἕτερα ἀντίγραφα _κ_υ_ρ_ί_ο_υ_ _κ_τ_ί_σ_ι_ς ἔχουσιν, ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος