109

4. "He shall call the heaven from above, and the earth, that He may judge His people." And having made the legislation, He commanded the blessed Moses to gather the people, and to call heaven and earth to witness; which he also made the preface of this song: "Give ear, O heaven, and I will speak; and let the earth hear the words of my mouth." And He calls them to witness not as if these things were animate, but as being the creations that contain the others, for the fear of those who hear. Thus the blessed Abraham set the seven ewe lambs for a witness, and says, that "The well is mine." Thus the mound Jacob and Laban called a mound of witness. 5, 6. "Gather to Him His saints, those that have made a covenant with Him by sacrifice. And the heavens shall declare His righteousness: for God is judge." Through the aforementioned things, He showed His fearful judgment; but through these things, and those that follow, He teaches the imperfection of the worship according to the law, and that none of the offered victims is pleasing to God. And He calls saints, Moses, Aaron, Eleazar, Phinehas, and all those after them who ministered as priests according to the law. He commands them to be gathered, not in order to exact penalties, as if they had held contrary opinions; for the law is His, and obeying this each of the aforementioned offered sacrifices; but so that through those present He might show His own purpose, and having put an end to the teaching suitable for infants, might bring forward the perfect sufferings. And when these things happen, he says, the heavens will marvel at the justice of the verdict. And through the heavens He alluded to the heavenly powers. 7. "Hear, my people, and I will speak to you." And showing to which people He is speaking, He added: "O Israel, and I will testify against you." Then He shows His own lordship: "I am God, even your God." The one who freed you from Egyptian 80.1233 bondage, who granted you the way through the sea, who nourished you in the desert, who gave you that law. For do not think me another lawgiver seeing the difference of the laws. 8. "I will not reprove you for your sacrifices; for your burnt offerings are continually before me." I do not charge you, he says, with neglect of sacrifices; for you offer them continually; but I advise you not to define righteousness by them. 9-11. "I will take no bullocks out of your house, nor he goats out of your flocks. For every beast of the field is mine, the cattle on the mountains, and the oxen. I know all the birds of the air, and the beauty of the field is with me." I am, he says, both maker and master of all, of the land animals and of the birds that travel through the air. Do not, therefore, suppose you are fulfilling my need; for I have given being to these things, and I command the fruits to grow from the earth. For by "beauty of the field" he means the various fruits of the earth. For since from the land animals were offered oxen, and goats, and sheep; and from the birds, doves and turtledoves; and from the fruits, fine flour, and wine, and oil, and the sweet savors of incense; He necessarily mentioned all things, in order to put an end to all such worship. Then, ironically: 12. "If I were hungry, I would not tell you; for the world is mine, and the fullness thereof." If, he says, I should need food, I do not need your provision. For I am the maker and master of all creation together. Then He teaches the impassibility of His own nature. 13. "Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?" Thus having shown their foolishness, and having taught that on account of their infantile understanding, He long ago legislated for them to offer those sacrifices, He opens beforehand the new covenant, and legislates the sacrifice that is pleasing to Him. 14, 15. "Offer to God a sacrifice of praise, and pay your vows to the Most High. And call upon me in the day of your trouble, and I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me." In due time also He revealed the honorable number of the Holy Trinity, and joined it to the new covenant; for with this we also received the knowledge of the Holy Trinity. And He divided the matters, not in order to divide the energies of the undivided and Holy Trinity, but in order to

109

δʹ. "Προσκαλέσεται τὸν οὐρανὸν ἄνω, καὶ τὴν γῆν, τοῦ διακρῖναι τὸν λαὸν αὑτοῦ." Καὶ τὴν νομοθε σίαν ποιησάμενος, τῷ μακαρίῳ προσέταξε Μωσῇ συναγαγεῖν τὸν λαὸν, καὶ διαμαρτύρασθαι τὸν οὐρα νὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν· ὅπερ καὶ τῆς ᾠδῆς τοῦτο προοί μιον ἐποιήσατο· "Πρόσεχε, οὐρανὲ, καὶ λαλήσω, καὶ ἀκουέτω γῆ ῥήματα ἐκ στόματός μου." Καλεῖ δὲ εἰς μαρτυρίαν οὐχ ὡς ἔμψυχα ταῦτα, ἀλλ' ὡς τῶν ἄλλων περιεκτικὰ ποιημάτων, εἰς φόβον τῶν ἀκουόντων. Οὕτως ὁ μακάριος Ἀβραὰμ τὰς ἑπτὰ ἀμνάδας ἔστησεν εἰς μαρτύριον, καί φησιν, ὅτι "Ἐμόν ἐστι τὸ φρέαρ." Οὕτω τὸν βουνὸν ὁ Ἰακὼβ καὶ ὁ Λάβαν βουνὸν μαρτυρίας ἐκάλε σεν. εʹ, ʹ. Συναγάγετε αὐτῷ τοὺς ὁσίους αὐτοῦ, τοὺς διατιθεμένους τὴν διαθήκην αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ θυ σίαις. Καὶ ἀναγγελοῦσιν οἱ οὐρανοὶ τὴν δικαιοσύνην αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς κριτής ἐστι." ∆ιὰ μὲν τῶν προειρημένων τὸ φοβερὸν αὐτοῦ κριτήριον ἔδειξε· διὰ δὲ τούτων, καὶ τῶν ἑξῆς, διδάσκει τὸ ἀτελὲς τῆς κατὰ νόμον λατρείας, καὶ ὅτι τῶν προσφερομέ νων ἱερείων Θεῷ θυμῆρες οὐδέν. Ὁσίους δὲ καλεῖ, τὸν Μωσέα, τὸν Ἀαρὼν, τὸν Ἐλεάζαρον, τὸν Φινεὲς, καὶ τοὺς μετ' αὐτοὺς ἅπαντας κατὰ νόμον ἱερατεύσαντας. Συναχθῆναι δὲ αὐτοὺς κελεύει, οὐχ ἵνα δίκας εἰσπράξηται, οἷα δὴ ἐναντία πεφρονη κότας· αὐτοῦ γὰρ ὁ νόμος, καὶ τούτῳ πειθόμενος τῶν προειρημένων ἕκαστος τὰς θυσίας προσέφερεν· ἀλλ' ἵνα καὶ διὰ τῶν παρόντων τὸν οἰκεῖον δείξῃ σκοπὸν, καὶ τὴν νηπίοις ἁρμόττουσαν καταπαύσας διδασκαλίαν, τὰ τέλεια προσενέγκῃ παθήματα. Τού των δὲ, φησὶ, γινομένων, θαυμάσουσιν οἱ οὐρανοὶ τῆς ψήφου τὸ δίκαιον. ∆ιὰ δὲ τῶν οὐρανῶν τὰς οὐρα νίους δυνάμεις ᾐνίξατο. ζʹ. "Ἄκουσον, λαός μου, καὶ λαλήσω σοι." Καὶ δεικνὺς πρὸς ποῖον λαὸν διαλέγεται, ἐπήγαγεν· "Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ διαμαρτύρομαί σοι." Εἶτα τὴν οἰκείαν δείκνυσι δεσποτείαν· "Ὁ Θεὸς, ὁ Θεός σού εἰμι ἐγώ." Ὁ τῆς Αἰγυπτιακῆς σε δουλείας ἐλευ 80.1233 θερώσας, ὁ τὴν διὰ τῆς θαλάττης ὁδὸν δωρησάμε νος, ὁ ἐν ἐρήμῳ διαθρέψας, ὁ τὸν νόμον ἐκεῖνόν σοι δεδωκώς. Μὴ γὰρ δὴ ἄλλον με νομοθέτην νομί σῃς τῶν νόμων ὁρῶν τὸ διάφορον. ηʹ. "Οὐκ ἐπὶ ταῖς θυσίαις σου ἐλέγξω σε· τὰ δὲ ὁλοκαυτώματά σου ἐνώπιόν μού ἐστι διαπαντός." Οὐκ ἀμέλειάν σοι, φησὶ, θυσιῶν ἐγκαλῶ· προσφέρεις γὰρ ταύτας διηνεκῶς· ἀλλὰ μὴ ταύταις ὁρίσασθαι τὴν δικαιοσύνην παρεγγυῶμαι. θʹ-ιαʹ. "Οὐ δέξομαι ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου σου μόσχους, οὐδὲ ἐκ τῶν ποιμνίων σου χιμάρους. Ὅτι ἐμά ἐστι πάντα τὰ θηρία τοῦ ἀγροῦ, κτήνη ἐν τοῖς ὄρεσι, καὶ βόες. Ἔγνωκα πάντα τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ ὡραιότης ἀγροῦ μετ' ἐμοῦ ἐστιν." Πάντων εἰμὶ, φησὶ, καὶ ποιητὴς, καὶ δεσπότης, καὶ τῶν χερσαίων ζώων, καὶ τῶν ἀεροπόρων ὀρνί θων. Μὴ τοίνυν ἡγοῦ τὴν ἐμὴν χρείαν πληροῦν· ἐγὼ γὰρ καὶ τούτοις τὸ εἶναι δέδωκα, καὶ τοὺς ἀπὸ γῆς φύεσθαι κελεύω καρπούς. Ὡραιότητα γὰρ ἀγροῦ τοὺς παντοδαποὺς καρποὺς τῆς γῆς λέγει. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἀπὸ τῶν χερσαίων προσεφέροντο ζώων βόες, καὶ τράγοι, καὶ πρόβατα· καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν πετει νῶν περιστεραὶ καὶ τρυγόνες· καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν καρπῶν, σεμίδαλις, καὶ οἶνος, καὶ ἔλαιον, καὶ τὰ τῶν ἀτμῶν ἡδύσματα· ἀναγκαίως ἁπάντων ἐμνημόνευσεν, ἵνα πᾶσαν τὴν τοιαύτην καταπαύσῃ λατρείαν. Εἶτα εἰρωνικῶς· ιβʹ. "Ἐὰν πεινάσω, οὐ μή σοι εἴπω· ἐμὴ γάρ ἐστιν ἡ οἰκουμένη, καὶ τὸ πλήρωμα αὐτῆς." Ἐὰν, φησὶ, δεηθῶ τροφῆς, οὐ τῆς σῆς δέομαι χορηγίας. Πάσης γὰρ ὁμοῦ τῆς κτίσεως ποιητής εἰμι καὶ δεσπότης. Εἶτα τῆς οἰκείας φύσεως τὴν ἀπάθειαν διδάσκει. ιγʹ. "Μὴ φάγομαι κρέα ταύρων, ἢ αἷμα τράγων πίομαι;" Οὕτως ἐκείνων τὸ ἀνόητον δείξας, καὶ διδάξας ὡς τῆς νηπίας ἕνεκα διανοίας, ἐκείνας αὐτοῖς τὰς θυσίας πάλαι προσφέρειν ἐνομοθέτησε, τὴν καινὴν προανοίγνυσι διαθήκην, καὶ τὴν ἀρέσκου σαν αὐτῷ θυσίαν νομοθετεῖ. ιδʹ, ιεʹ. "Θῦσον τῷ Θεῷ θυσίαν αἰνέσεως, καὶ ἀπόδος τῷ Ὑψίστῳ τὰς εὐχάς σου. Καὶ ἐπικάλεσαί με ἐν ἡμέρᾳ θλίψεώς σου, καὶ ἐξελοῦμαί σε, καὶ δοξάσεις με." Εἰς καιρὸν καὶ τῆς ἁγίας Τριάδος ἀπεκά λυψε τὸν τίμιον ἀριθμὸν, καὶ τῇ καινῇ διαθήκῃ συν έζευξεν· μετὰ γὰρ ταύτης καὶ τὴν τῆς ἁγίας Τριά δος ἐδεξάμεθα γνῶσιν. ∆ιεῖλε δὲ τὰ πράγματα, οὐχ ἵνα τῆς ἀδιαιρέτου καὶ ἁγίας Τριάδος τὰς ἐνεργείας διέλῃ, ἀλλ' ἵνα