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as one hands over a deposit in a mystery. Therefore the prophet also called them wonderful, and an ancient counsel. For not as the old law spoken through angels was given to Israel alone, but Christ is the expectation of the nations; according to that which says: "And in him shall the nations hope." The prophet, he says, kept the same character; for as if consoling those from Israel, he also spoke of the destruction of the other nations passing through, showing through all things the providence of God. For those from Israel were neglectful, seeing God pressing upon them with continuous refutations and corrections, not thinking these to be proofs of God's love for mankind, but a pledge of their own destruction, while believing the nations lived in freedom, as if they were not under God. For not even were they exacted a penalty for their trespasses. So also now through the more gentle things He has declared his care for all. For the prophet did not go about announcing these things to the nations; but he was instructing the Jews about the things that would happen after many years, confirming them by the things that were about to happen at the hands of the Assyrians. And how the nations, being impious from the beginning, will obtain these things, he presents them as having fled through Christ from the death of idolatry, for which one might have wept over them, having impiety as a reproach. And the tear was of those who out of love for mankind were bewailing the destruction of so many souls caused by the devil, who 2212 is also called death. As far as it concerned men, therefore, they were perishing; but the love of God for mankind took away their reproach of the insolent slavery to the devil. You might say, and very opportunely, that with the tradition of the mystery, the word concerning the resurrection of the dead has also been brought in. Therefore we also confess a resurrection of the flesh at the time of baptism, and how death, having run down through Adam upon the race of men, provided us occasions for lamentations and tears. But the three-day resurrection of the Savior provided an escape from this, he having become the firstborn from the dead and the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. And the things after these, that is, we ourselves, will follow the firstfruits and the first, whom, having torn the sackcloth, He girded with gladness, so as to tread upon death. "Where is your victory, O death? Where is your sting, O Hades? Now the sting of death is sin." Therefore every tear has been taken from us, since because of the hope of the resurrection we do not grieve excessively, as do the rest who have no hope. And he calls death the reproach of the people, as having its origin from our transgression; or also sin, through which corruption has come forth. But since the mystery of the resurrection is unbelievable to many, being truly paradoxical, he says, that The mouth of the Lord has spoken. Or rather, since it was very unbelievable that error would be destroyed from among the nations, he fittingly added this. But if a remnant of idolatry is still preserved, it is not at all surprising. For it had to be shown from what the Redeemer freed us, when long ago men offered their children as a sacrifice to demons. And our part was thus also shown to be from our free will. But the phrase 'on the mountain,' according to the other interpreters, presents a different meaning. For Symmachus clearly rendered it thus: He will overwhelm in this mountain the face of the ruler who rules over all the nations, and the appointed usage against all the nations, he will cause death to be swallowed up completely. And the Lord God will wipe away every tear from every face, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken. With which Aquila and Theodotion rendered in agreement, showing that when the Lord shall make the feast on the aforementioned mountain for the nations, having deemed them worthy to partake of His ineffable mysteries, at that time having overwhelmed the face of the ruler, He would cause the one who had ruled over all the nations to disappear, that is, of death, now called a ruler, but by the Apostle a king, who says death reigned from Adam until Moses. Since, therefore, death is abolished as the last enemy, it is fittingly

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ὥσπερ τις παρακαταθήκην ἐν μυστηρίῳ παραδίδωσι. ∆ιὸ καὶ θαυμαστὰ, καὶ βουλὴν ἀρχαίαν ἔλεγεν ὁ προφήτης αὐτά. Οὐ γὰρ ὥσπερ ὁ πάλαι νόμος δι' ἀγγέλων λαληθεὶς ἐδόθη μόνῳ τῷ Ἰσραὴλ, ἀλλὰ Χριστὸς τῶν ἐθνῶν ἡ προσδοκία· κατὰ τό· "Καὶ ἐπ' αὐτῷ ἔθνη ἐλπιοῦσιν." Τὸ δὲ αὐτὸ, φησὶν, ἦθος ὁ προφήτης ἐφύλαξεν· ὡς γὰρ παραμυθούμενος τοὺς ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ἐθνῶν ἔλεγε τὴν ἀπώλειαν διικνουμένων, διὰ πάντων τοῦ Θεοῦ δεικνύων τὴν πρόνοιαν. Ὠλιγώρουν γὰρ οἱ ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ, συνεχέσιν ἐλέγχοις καὶ παιδείαις ὁρῶντες αὐτοῖς ἐπικείμενον τὸν Θεὸν, οὐ φιλανθρωπίας Θεοῦ ταῦτα δοκοῦντες τεκμήρια, τῆς δὲ ἰδίας ἀπωλείας ἐνθήκην ἐν ἐλευθερίᾳ διάγειν τὰ ἔθνη νομίζοντες, ὡς ἂν μὴ ὄντα ὑπὸ Θεόν. Μηδὲ γὰρ δίκην αὐτοὺς ἐφ' οἷς ἐπλημμέλουν εἰσπράττεσθαι. Οὔτω καὶ νῦν διὰ τῶν χρηστοτέρων τὴν εἰς ἅπαντας κηδεμονίαν ἐδήλωσεν. Οὐ γὰρ τοῖς ἔθνεσι ταῦτα περινοστῶν ὁ προφήτης ἀπήγγελλεν· ἀλλὰ τοὺς Ἰουδαίους ἐπαίδευε τὰ μετὰ πλείστους γενησόμενα χρόνους, πιστούμενος αὐτὰ διὰ τῶν ὅσον οὔπω γενησομένων ὑπ' Ἀσσυρίων. Πῶς δὲ τεύξεται τούτων τὰ ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἀσεβοῦντα, παρίστησιν ἔθνη διὰ Χριστοῦ φυγόντα τῆς εἰδωλολατρείας τὸν θάνατον, ἐφ' ᾧ ἂν αὐτά τις ἐδάκρυσεν ὄνειδος ἔχοντα τὴν ἀσέβειαν. Ἦν δὲ τὸ δάκρυον τῶν διὰ φιλανθρωπίαν τὴν τῶν τοσούτων ψυχῶν ἀποκλαιομένων ἀπώλειαν ὑπὸ τοῦ διαβόλου γεγενημένην, ὃς 2212 καὶ θάνατος εἴρηται. Ὅσον μὲν οὖν ἧκεν εἰς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, ἀπώλοντο· ἡ δὲ τοῦ Θεοῦ φιλανθρωπία τὸν ὀνειδισμὸν αὐτῶν τῆς ἐφυβρίστου δουλείας τοῦ διαβόλου ἀφείλετο. Εἴποις δ' ἂν, καὶ ὡς ἐπὶ καιροῦ πάνυ, τῇ τοῦ μυστηρίου παραδόσει καὶ ὁ περὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως τῶν νεκρῶν συνεισκεκόμισται λόγος. ∆ιὸ καὶ σαρκὸς ἀνάστασιν ἐν τῷ τοῦ βαπτίσματος ὁμολογοῦμεν καιρῷ, καὶ ὡς διὰ τοῦ Ἀδὰμ καταδραμὼν τοῦ γένους τῶν ἀνθρώπων ὁ θάνατος, θρήνων ἡμῖν ὑποθέσεις καὶ δακρύων παρέσχετο. Τούτου δὲ φυγὴν ἡ τριήμερος παρέσχε τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἀνάστασις πρωτοτόκου γεγονότος ἐκ τῶν νεκρῶν καὶ ἀπαρχῆς τῶν κεκοιμημένων. Ἕψεται δὲ τῇ ἀπαρχῇ καὶ πρώτῳ τὰ μετὰ ταῦτα, τοῦτ' ἔστιν ἡμεῖς, οὓς διαῤῥήξας τὸν σάκκον περιέζωσεν εὐφροσύνην, ὡς ἐπεμβαίνειν τῷ θανάτῳ. "Ποῦ ἡ νίκη σου, θάνατε; Ποῦ τὸ κέντρον σου, ᾅδη; Τὸ δὲ κέντρον τοῦ θανάτου ἡ ἁμαρτία." Πᾶν οὖν ἡμῶν ἀφῄρηται δάκρυον, διὰ τὴν ἐλπίδα τῆς ἀναστάσεως οὐ λυπουμένων ἀμέτρως, ὡς καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ οἱ μὴ ἔχοντες ἐλπίδα. Ὄνειδος δέ φησι τοῦ λαοῦ τὸν θάνατον, ὡς ἐκ τῆς ἡμῶν παραβάσεως ἐσχηκότα τὴν γένεσιν· ἢ καὶ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, δι' ἧς ἐκβέβηκεν ἡ φθορά. Ἀλλ' ἐπεὶ πολλοῖς ἄπιστον τῆς ἀναστάσεως τὸ μυστήριον, ὄντως ὑπάρχον παράδοξον, φησὶν, ὅτι Τὸ στόμα Κυρίου ἐλάλησεν. Ἤγουν ἐπειδὴ λίαν ἦν ἄπιστον, ἐκ τῶν ἐθνῶν ἀπολεῖσθαι τὴν πλάνην, εἰκότως τοῦτο προσέθηκεν. Εἰ δὲ τῆς εἰδωλολατρείας ἔτι σώζεται λείψανον, θαυμαστὸν οὐδέν. Ἔδει γὰρ δείκνυσθαι τίνων ἡμᾶς ὁ Λυτρωτὴς ἠλευθέρωσε πάλαι τῶν ἀνθρώπων θυσίαν τὰ τέκνα προσαγόντων τοῖς δαίμοσι. Καὶ τὸ ἐφ' ἡμῖν δὲ οὕτως ἐκ τῆς αὐτεξουσίου γνώμης ἐδείκνυτο. Τὸ δὲ ἐπὶ τὸ ὄρος, κατὰ τοὺς λοιποὺς ἑρμηνευτὰς διάνοιαν ἑτέραν παρίστησι. Σαφῶς γὰρ οὕτως ἐξέδωκε Σύμμαχος· Καταποντιεῖ ἐν τῷ ὄρει τούτῳ πρόσωπον τοῦ ἐξουσιαστοῦ τοῦ ἐξουσιάζοντος πάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν, καὶ ἡ χρῆσις ἡ κεκριμένη κατὰ πάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν, καταποθῆναι ποιήσει τὸν θάνατον εἰς τέλος. Καὶ ἐξαλείψει Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἀπὸ προσώπου πᾶν δάκρυον καὶ τὸ ὄνειδος τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ περιελεῖ ἀπὸ πάσης τῆς γῆς, ὅτι Κύριος ἐλάλησεν. Οἷς Ἀκύλας καὶ Θεοδοτίων συμφώνως ἐξέδωκαν, δηλοῦντες ὡς ὅτ' ἂν τὸ συμπόσιον ἐν ὄρει τῷ προειρημένῳ ποιήσει τοῖς ἔθνεσι Κύριος, μετασχεῖν ἀξιώσας τῶν ἀῤῥήτων αὐτοῦ μυστηρίων, τὸ τηνικαῦτα τοῦ ἐξουσιαστοῦ τὸ πρόσωπον καταποντίσας, ἀφανὲς γενέσθαι ποιήσειεν τοῦ ἐξουσιάσαντος πάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν, τοῦτ' ἔστι τοῦ θανάτου νῦν μὲν ἐξουσιαστοῦ ῥηθέντος, παρὰ δὲ τῷ Ἀποστόλῳ βασιλέως, ἐβασίλευσε λέγοντος ὁ θάνατος ἀπὸ Ἀδὰμ μέχρι Μωσέως. Ἐπεὶ τοίνυν ἔσχατος ἐχθρὸς καταργεῖται ὁ θάνατος, εἰκότως