107
dying." For he who has endured the sweats for the sake of piety and righteousness, and undertaken the labors for eternal goods, has imperishable life as the fruit of his labors; and he will not share in the eternal corruption and everlasting punishment with the wise of the world, whom the apostolic word calls fools. "The foolish and the senseless shall perish together." For these, he says, who are called wise, having found no benefit from their wisdom, will pay the same penalty of destruction as the ignorant. For thus Symmachus translated: Together the witless and the ignorant shall perish. And he calls 'witless' the one called wise, as one who did not wish to understand what is needful; and 'ignorant' the one uninitiated in wisdom, but who nevertheless lived in wickedness. "And they will leave their wealth to others. [12] And their tombs are their houses for ever; their dwellings to generation and generation." And stripped not only of wisdom, but also of power, and of all their abundance, they will receive 80.1225 the end of their life, being sent from their splendid houses to their tombs, and compelled to dwell in these forever. "They have called their lands after their own names." And yet, he says, their possessions are named after their names. For it is the house of so-and-so, and the field of so-and-so, and the servant of so-and-so; but with the ownership, the naming of names is changed. For just as others became lords of what was left behind by them, so also will there be a change of names. For again from these the names will be given. Through all these things the word teaches us not to trust in present things, but to take care for the things to come. 13. "And man being in honor did not understand; he is compared to the senseless beasts, and is become like them." And he says the cause of this senselessness is our not wanting to understand our own honor, and the worth given to us by God, but instead to embrace a brutish and beastly life. 14. "This their way is a stumbling block to them." And they fell into irrationality, having had a most evil way from the beginning, and having turned aside to wicked deeds. For he called their deeds a 'way'. "And after this they will approve in their mouth." But they will use repentance after their departure from here, gaining no profit from it thereafter. 15. "Like sheep they are laid in Hades, death shall be their shepherd." This Symmachus translated more clearly: 'Like sheep they have appointed themselves for Hades, death will pasture them'; for they brought the punishments upon themselves, and chose death over life. "And the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their help shall grow old in Hades, they have been cast out from their glory." But those who are now wronged and despised by them will, before long, have authority over them. For, stripped of all their former prosperity, they will be given over to death. And the Lord's parable agrees with these things, showing Lazarus in the bosom of Abraham; but the arrogant rich man bitterly punished, and becoming a suppliant of the poor man 80.1228; thus having gone through their end, he offers supplication to God. But he who used these words asks not to endure the same end as they; but says thus: 10. "But God will redeem my soul from the hand of Hades, when He receives me." After this, for those living together in poverty, and worn down by the arrogance of the rich, he introduces a proposal and counsel. 17, 18. "Fear not when a man becomes rich, or when the glory of his house is increased. For in his dying he shall take nothing, nor shall his glory descend with him." Do not consider present prosperity as something great, he says; for conspicuous wealth is not lasting. For those who on account of this raise their eyebrows and puff out their cheeks, a little later, having left everything behind, will be handed over to death. 19. "For his soul shall be blessed in his life." While he is alive, he says, some call blessed the man who boasts in his wealth; but when he is dead, they call him thrice-wretched. "He will give thanks
107
ἀποθνήσκοντας." Ὁ γὰρ τοὺς ὑπὲρ εὐ σεβείας καὶ δικαιοσύνης ὑπομείνας ἱδρῶτας, καὶ τοὺς ὑπὲρ αἰωνίων ἀγαθῶν ἀναδεξάμενος πόνους, τὴν ἀνώλεθρον ἔχει ζωὴν τῶν πόνων καρπόν· καὶ τοῖς τοῦ κόσμου σοφοῖς, οὓς μωροὺς ὁ ἀποστολικὸς ὀνομάζει λόγος, οὐ κοινωνήσει τῆς αἰωνίου φθορᾶς, καὶ τῆς ἀεὶ τιμωρίας. "Ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ἄφρων καὶ ἄνους ἀπολοῦνται." Οὗτοι γὰρ, φησὶν, οἱ καλού μενοι σοφοὶ, οὐδεμίαν ἐκ τῆς σοφίας ὠφέλειαν εὑρά μενοι, τὸν αὐτὸν τοῖς ἀμαθέσι τίσουσιν ὄλεθρον. Οὕτω γὰρ ὁ Σύμμαχος ἡρμήνευσεν· Ὁμοῦ ἀνόητος καὶ ἀμαθὴς ἀπολοῦνται. Καὶ καλεῖ μὲν ἀνόη τον τὸν καλούμενον σοφὸν, ὡς συνεῖναι τὸ δέον οὐκ ἐθελήσαντα· ἀμαθῆ δὲ τὸν τῆς μὲν σοφίας ἀμύητον, κακίᾳ δὲ ὅμως συζήσαντα. "Καὶ καταλείψουσιν ἀλλοτρίοις τὸν πλοῦτον αὐ τῶν. [ιβʹ] Καὶ οἱ τάφοι αὐτῶν οἰκίαι αὐτῶν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα· σκηνώματα αὐτῶν εἰς γενεὰν καὶ γενεάν." Οὐ μόνης δὲ τῆς σοφίας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῆς δυναστείας, καὶ τῆς περιουσίας γυμνωθέντες ἁπάσης, δέξονται 80.1225 τοῦ βίου τὸ τέλος, ἀπὸ τῶν περιφανῶν οἰκιῶν τοῖς τάφοις παραπεμπόμενοι, καὶ ταύτας οἰκεῖν δι' αἰῶνος ἀναγκαζόμενοι. "Ἐπεκαλέσαντο τὰ ὀνόματα αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τῶν γαιῶν." Καὶ μὴν, φησὶν, ἀπὸ τῶν ὀνομάτων αὐτῶν τὰ κτήματα αὐτῶν προσ ηγόρευται. Τοῦ δεῖνος γὰρ ἡ οἰκία, καὶ τοῦ δεῖνος ὁ ἀγρὸς, καὶ τοῦ δεῖνος ὁ οἰκέτης· ἀλλὰ σὺν τῇ δεσποτείᾳ ἡ τῶν ὀνομάτων ἀμείβεται προσηγορία. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἕτεροι κύριοι τῶν ὑπ' ἐκείνων κατα λειφθέντων ἐγένοντο, οὕτω γενήσεται καὶ τῶν ὀνο μάτων ἐναλλαγή. Πάλιν γὰρ ἐκ τούτων αἱ προσηγο ρίαι τεθήσονται. ∆ιὰ πάντων δὲ ἡμᾶς ὁ λόγος διδάσκει, μὴ θαῤῥεῖν τοῖς παροῦσιν, ἀλλὰ τῶν μελλόντων ἐπιμελεῖσθαι. ιγʹ. "Καὶ ἄνθρωπος ἐν τιμῇ ὢν οὐ συνῆκε· παρασυνεβλήθη τοῖς κτήνεσι τοῖς ἀνοήτοις, καὶ ὡμοιώθη αὐτοῖς." Ταύτης δέ φησιν αἴτιον τῆς ἀνοίας, τὸ μὴ θελῆσαι συνιέναι ἡμᾶς τὴν οἰκείαν τιμὴν, καὶ τὴν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ δοθεῖσαν ἡμῖν ἀξίαν, ἀλλὰ τὸν κτηνώδη καὶ θηριώδη βίον ἀσπάσασθαι. ιδʹ. "Αὕτη ἡ ὁδὸς αὐτῶν σκάνδαλον αὐτοῖς." Εἰς δὲ τὴν ἀλογίαν ἐξέπεσον, κάκιστον ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἐσχηκότες τρόπον, καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς πονηρὰς ἐκκλίναντες πράξεις. Ὁδὸν γὰρ τὰς πράξεις ὠνόμασεν. "Καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτῶν εὐδοκήσουσιν." Μεταμελείᾳ δὲ χρήσονται μετὰ τὴν ἐντεῦθεν ἐκδη μίαν, οὐδὲν ἐκ ταύτης λοιπὸν ποριζόμενοι κέρδος. ιεʹ. "Ὡς πρόβατα ἐν ᾅδῃ ἔθεντο, θάνατος ποιμανεῖ αὐτούς." Τοῦτο σαφέστερον ὁ Σύμμαχος ἡρμήνευσεν· Ὡς πρόβατα ᾅδου ἔταξαν ἑαυτοὺς, θάνατος νεμήσει αὐτούς· αὐτοὶ γὰρ ἑαυτοῖς τὰς κολάσεις προὐξένησαν, καὶ τὸν θάνατον προείλοντο τῆς ζωῆς. "Καὶ κατακυριεύσουσιν αὐτῶν οἱ εὐθεῖς τὸ πρωΐ· καὶ ἡ βοήθεια αὐτῶν παλαιωθήσεται ἐν τῷ ᾅδῃ, ἐκ τῆς δόξης αὑτῶν ἐξώσθησαν." Οἱ δὲ νῦν ὑπ' αὐτῶν ἀδικούμενοι καὶ καταφρονούμενοι, τὴν κατ' αὐτοὺς οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν σχήσουσιν ἐξουσίαν. Πάσης γὰρ τῆς προτέρας εὐημερίας γεγυμνωμένοι τῷ θανάτῳ παραδοθήσονται. Συνᾴδει δὲ τούτοις καὶ ἡ τοῦ Κυρίου παραβολὴ, τὸν μὲν Λάζαρον ἐν τοῖς κόλποις δεικνῦσα τοῦ Ἀβραάμ· τὸν δὲ ἀλαζόνα πλούσιον πικρῶς κολαζόμενον, καὶ τοῦ πένητος 80.1228 ἱκέτην γινόμενον· οὕτω τὸ ἐκείνων τέλος δι εξελθὼν, ἱκετείαν τῷ Θεῷ προσφέρει. Ὁ τούτοις δὲ χρησάμενος τοῖς λόγοις, μὴ τὴν αὐτὴν ἐκείνοις τελευτὴν ὑπομεῖναι αἰτεῖ· φησὶ δὲ οὕτως· ιʹ. "Πλὴν ὁ Θεὸς λυτρώσεται τὴν ψυχήν μου ἐκ χειρὸς ᾅδου, ὅταν λαμβάνῃ με." Μετὰ ταῦτα τοῖς πενίᾳ συμβιοτεύουσι, καὶ διὰ τὴν τῶν πλουσίων τρυχομένοις ἀλαζονείαν, εἰσήγησιν εἰσφέρει καὶ συμβουλήν. ιζʹ, ιηʹ. "Μὴ φοβοῦ ὅταν πλουτήσῃ ἄνθρωπος, ἢ ὅταν πληθυνθῇ ἡ δόξα τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ. Ὅτι οὐκ ἐν τῷ ἀποθνήσκειν αὐτὸν λήψεται τὰ πάντα, οὐδὲ συγ καταβήσεται αὐτῷ ἡ δόξα αὐτοῦ." Μὴ μέγα τι, φησὶ, νόμιζε τὴν παροῦσαν εὐημερίαν· οὐ μόνιμος γὰρ ὁ περίβλεπτος πλοῦτος. Οἱ γὰρ ἐπὶ τούτῳ τὰς ὀφρῦς ἀνασπῶντες, καὶ τὰς γνάθους φυσῶντες, μικρὸν ὕστερον τὰ πάντα καταλείψαντες, τῷ θανάτῳ παραδοθήσονται. ιθʹ. "Ὅτι ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτοῦ ἐν ζωῇ αὐτοῦ εὐλογη θήσεται." Ζῶντα, φησὶ, τὸν πλούτῳ κομῶντά τινες μακαρίζουσιν· ἀποθανόντα μέντοι τρισάθλιον ὀνομάζουσιν. "Ἐξομολογήσεταί