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has he seen his own rank?” 5.20.3 and again: “Or did you take clay of the earth and form a living being, and make it speak upon the earth? Did you take away the light from the impious, and shatter the arm of the proud? Have you come to the spring of the sea, and walked in the footsteps of the abyss? Do the gates of death open to you in fear, and did the gatekeepers of Hades cower when they saw you?” 5.20.4 And at the end of the whole oracle, Job answers the Lord, saying: “Hear me now, O Lord, that I too may speak; I will ask you, and you teach me. By the hearing of the ear I heard of you before, but now my eye has seen you; therefore I have held myself vile and have wasted away; and I have considered myself earth and ashes.” 5.20.5 That the preceding words, then, belong to the Lord the Creator, is easy to discern not only from what has been set forth but also from what appears to you. But that the words “Have you come to the spring of the sea, and walked in the footsteps of the abyss”? and “Do the gates of death open to you in fear, and did the gatekeepers of Hades cower when they saw you”? prophesy the descent of our Savior into Hades, we will demonstrate at the appropriate time, noting this much for now, that it is more fitting to attribute the matters in this passage to God the Word than to the God of all. 5.20.6 So then Job, in sequence, similarly to the fathers, testifies that he had seen with his own eyes this very one, the Lord who in the beginning spoke to him “through the storm and clouds,” saying: “But hear me, O Lord, that I too may speak; I will ask you, and you teach me. By the hearing of the ear I heard of you before, but now my eye has seen you. Therefore I have held myself vile and have wasted away; and I have considered myself earth and ashes.” 5.20.7 For how could a soul clothed in flesh and mortal eyes behold the highest God, the one beyond all things, the immutable and unbegotten substance, unless we should say that here too God the Word clearly appeared, descending from his own greatness, the one who is variously shown to be Lord, as it is possible to learn also from the oracles themselves, through which the Lord again, addressing Job concerning the devil as concerning a dragon, attempted: “Do you not fear that he has been prepared for me?” 5.20.8 For to which Lord is it fitting to think that the dragon has been prepared, if not to God the Word and our Savior? Who long ago overthrew the ruler of this age who was besieging the human race, “having loosed the pains of death,” which he himself also shows, saying: “Have you come to the spring of the sea, and walked in the footsteps of the abyss? Do the gates of death open to you in fear, and did the gatekeepers of Hades cower when they saw you?” 5.20.9 And he fittingly delivers these oracles to Job after the great temptation and contest which he endured, teaching him that he had struggled on behalf of a part, while the greater and more powerful war and contest had been reserved for the Lord himself at the time of his coming unto death. 5.21.1 From the 90th Psalm. “Because you, Lord, are my hope; you have made the Most High your refuge. No evils will come upon you, and no scourge will draw near to your tent; because he will command his angels concerning you; on their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone. You will tread on the asp and the basilisk, and you will trample the lion and the dragon.” 5.21.2 The devil used these words in the temptation against our Savior. See, then, in what manner the psalm speaks to the Lord himself: “Because you, Lord, are my hope, you have made the Most High your refuge.” For you yourself, it says, my hope, O Lord, have made God himself, the Most High who is greater than you and over all and your father, your refuge, on whose account “no evils will come upon you,” upon you, my Lord, “and no scourge will draw near to your tent”; 5.21.3 for even if impious men should attempt to scourge you in your incarnation or even deliver you to death, yet the scourge from God will not draw near to your tent, that is, your body, which he clearly put on when he became incarnate for us. Following these things, you will apply to him the things signified through the whole psalm, which we also according to

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ἐπεῖδεν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ τάξιν;» 5.20.3 καὶ πάλιν· «ἢ σὺ λαβὼν γῆς πηλὸν ἔπλασας ζῷον, καὶ λαλητὸν αὐτὸ ἔθου ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς; ἀφεῖλες δὲ ἀπὸ ἀσεβῶν τὸ φῶς, βραχίονα δ' ὑπερηφάνων συνέτριψας; ἦλθες δὲ ἐπὶ πηγὴν θαλάσσης, ἐν δὲ ἴχνεσιν ἀβύσσου περιεπάτησας; ἀνοίγονται δέ σοι φόβῳ πύλαι θανάτου, πυλωροὶ δὲ ᾅδου ἰδόντες σε ἔπτηξαν;» 5.20.4 καὶ ἐπὶ τέλει τοῦ παντὸς χρησμοῦ ἀποκρίνεται Ἰὼβ τῷ κυρίῳ λέγων· «ἄκουσον δή μου, κύριε, ἵνα κἀγὼ λαλήσω· ἐρωτήσω δέ σε, σὺ δέ με δίδαξον. ἀκοὴν μὲν ὠτὸς ἤκουόν σου τὸ πρότερον, νῦν δὲ ὁ ὀφθαλμός μου ἑώρακέν σε· διὸ ἐφαύλισα ἐμαυτὸν καὶ ἐτάκην· ἥγημαι δὲ ἐμαυτὸν γῆν καὶ σποδόν». 5.20.5 Ὅτι μὲν οὖν κυρίου τοῦ δημιουργοῦ τυγχάνουσιν αἱ προκείμεναι φωναί, οὐκ ἐκ τῶν προτεθέντων μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐκ τῶν σοι φαινομένων διαγνῶναι ῥᾴδιον. ὅτι δὲ τὸ «ἦλθες ἐπὶ πηγὴν θαλάσσης, ἐν δὲ ἴχνεσιν ἀβύσσου περιεπάτησας»; καὶ τὸ «ἀνοίγονται δέ σοι φόβῳ πύλαι θανάτου, πυλωροὶ δὲ ᾅδου ἰδόντες σε ἔπτηξαν»; τὴν εἰς ᾅδου κάθοδον τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν θεσπίζει κατὰ τὸν προσήκοντα καιρὸν ἀποδείξομεν, τοσοῦτον νῦν ἐπισημηνάμενοι, ὡς μᾶλλον τῷ θεῷ λόγῳ ἤπερ τῷ θεῷ τῶν ὅλων τὰ κατὰ τὸν τόπον ἀνατιθέναι προσήκει. 5.20.6 ὁ γοῦν Ἰὼβ ἑξῆς ὁμοίως τοῖς πατράσιν αὐτὸν δὴ τοῦτον τὸν ἐν ἀρχαῖς «διὰ λαίλαπος καὶ νεφῶν» χρηματίζοντα αὐτῷ κύριον αὐτοψίᾳ τεθεωρηκέναι μαρτυρεῖ, λέγων· «ἄκουσον δέ μου, κύριε, ἵνα κἀγὼ λαλήσω· ἐρωτήσω δέ σε, σὺ δέ με δίδαξον. ἀκοὴν μὲν ὠτὸς ἤκουόν σου τὸ πρότερον, νῦν δὲ ὁ ὀφθαλμός μου ἑώρακέν σε. διὸ ἐφαύλισα ἐμαυτὸν καὶ ἐτάκην· ἥγημαι δὲ ἐμαυτὸν γῆν καὶ σποδόν». 5.20.7 πῶς δ' ἂν τὸν ἀνωτάτω θεόν, τὸν τῶν ὅλων ἐπέκεινα, τὴν ἄτρεπτον καὶ ἀγέννητον οὐσίαν, σάρκα περιβεβλημένη ψυχὴ καὶ ὀφθαλμοὶ θνητῶν θεάσαιντο, εἰ μὴ ἄρα σαφῶς κἀνταῦθα ὑποβαίνοντα τοῦ οἰκείου μεγέθους τὸν θεὸν λόγον, τὸν διαφόρως ἀποδεικνύμενον κύριον, εἴποιμεν ἂν παρίστασθαι, ὡς ἔστιν καὶ ἐξ αὐτῶν τῶν χρησμῶν μαθεῖν, δι' ὧν αὖθις ὁ κύριος, πρὸς τὸν Ἰὼβ τὰ περὶ τοῦ διαβόλου ὡς περὶ δράκοντος διιών, ἐπεχείρει· «οὐ δέδοικας ὅτι ἡτοίμασταί μοι;» 5.20.8 δράκοντα γὰρ ἡτοιμάσθαι ποίῳ κυρίῳ προσήκει νομίζειν ἢ τῷ θεῷ λόγῳ καὶ σωτῆρι ἡμῶν; ὃς τὸν ἄρχοντα τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου πάλαι πρότερον πολιορκοῦντα τὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένος καθεῖλεν, «λύσας τὰς ὠδῖνας τοῦ θανάτου», ὃ καὶ αὐτὸς παρίστησιν φήσας· «ἦλθες δὲ ἐπὶ πηγὴν θαλάσσης, ἐν δὲ ἴχνεσιν ἀβύσσου περιεπάτησας; ἀνοίγονται δέ σοι φόβῳ πύλαι θανάτου, πυλωροὶ δὲ ᾅδου ἰδόντες σε ἔπτηξαν;» 5.20.9 ταῦτα δὲ εἰκότως πρὸς τὸν Ἰὼβ χρηματίζει μετὰ τὸν μέγαν πειρασμὸν ὃν ὑπέμεινε καὶ ἀγῶνα, διδάσκων αὐτὸν ὅτι ὑπὲρ μέρους ἠγώνισται, τοῦ μείζονος καὶ κραταιοτέρου πολέμου καὶ ἀγῶνος αὐτῷ τῷ κυρίῳ πεφυλαγμένου κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τῆς εἰς τὸν θάνατον αὐτοῦ παρουσίας. 5.21.1 Ἀπὸ τοῦ ʹ Ψαλμοῦ. «Ὅτι σύ, κύριε, ἐλπίς μου· τὸν ὕψιστον ἔθου καταφυγήν σου. οὐ προσελεύσεται πρός σε κακά, καὶ μάστιξ οὐκ ἐγγιεῖ τῷ σκηνώματί σου· ὅτι τοῖς ἀγγέλοις αὐτοῦ ἐντελεῖται περὶ σοῦ· ἐπὶ χειρῶν ἀροῦσί σε, μή ποτε προσκόψῃς πρὸς λίθον τὸν πόδα σου. ἐπὶ ἀσπίδα καὶ βασιλίσκον ἐπιβήσῃ, καὶ καταπατήσεις λέοντα καὶ δράκοντα.» 5.21.2 Ταύταις ὁ διάβολος ἐν τῷ κατὰ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν πειρασμῷ κέχρηται ταῖς λέξεσιν. ὅρα δὴ οὖν τίνα τρόπον ὁ ψαλμὸς πρὸς αὐτὸν τὸν κύριόν φησι· «ὅτι σύ, κύριε, ἐλπίς μου, τὸν ὕψιστον ἔθου καταφυγήν σου». σὺ γὰρ αὐτός, φησίν, ἡ ἐμὴ ἐλπίς, ὦ κύριε, μείζονα σαυτοῦ τὸν θεὸν αὐτὸν τὸν ὕψιστον καὶ ἐπὶ πάντων καὶ σαυτοῦ πατέρα καταφυγὴν ἔθου, δι' ὃν «οὐ προσελεύσεται πρὸς σὲ κακά», πρὸς σὲ τὸν ἐμὸν κύριον, «καὶ μάστιξ οὐκ ἐγγιεῖ τῷ σκηνώματί σου»· 5.21.3 κἂν γὰρ ἀσεβεῖς ἄνδρες ἐπιχειρήσωσιν ἐνανθρωπήσαντά σε μαστίζειν κἂν τῷ θανάτῳ παραδιδόναι, ἀλλ' οὔτι γε ἡ ἐκ θεοῦ μάστιξ τῷ σῷ προσεγγιεῖ σκηνώματι, τοῦτ' ἔστιν σώματι, ὃ δηλονότι δι' ἡμᾶς ἐνανθρωπήσας περιβέβληται. τούτοις ἀκολούθως ἐφαρμόσεις αὐτῷ τὰ δι' ὅλου τοῦ ψαλμοῦ δηλούμενα, ἃ καὶ αὐτοὶ κατὰ