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living with you. 14 as a neighbor, as our brother, thus I was well-pleasing. This says that: no one has a reason to be angry with me, no one takes from me cause to be hostile to me; for toward each one I was thus as a neighbor, as a brother, and thus I was well-pleasing through mutual love, love of companions, love of brothers. 14 as one mourning and of a sad countenance, so I was humbled. "so I was humbled" because of them. Those whom I thought to be neighbors and brothers, were gathered against me, they warred against me, as at the beginning of this psalm: "Judge, O Lord, those who wrong me, fight against those who fight against me." Next it says: "to me they spoke peaceful things but with anger they devised deceits." For this reason, as one mourning them and as one of a sad countenance over them, so I was humbled; for if they had provided me with things that cause joy, I would have been exalted, I would have rejoiced, I would have been gladdened from cheerfulness. How is it "so I was humbled"? -if someone has a beloved and longed-for son and sees him suffering from a fever, he is humbled, since he sees him suffering in a way he did not wish him to live. Since, therefore, I was providing occasions for virtue as having them as neighbors and brothers, but they showed themselves to be enemies and adversaries, I was humbled over them when I should have been rejoicing over them. What do you think about Paul concerning Hymenaeus and Alexander, was he not humbled seeing them shipwrecked concerning the faith? Was he not formerly so toward them, did he not love them, did he not give them occasions for blessedness? But if the things spoken are from the person of the Savior, he can say these things about Judas and about the whole people of the Hebrews. 15 and against me they rejoiced and were gathered together. Do you want to know that to be downcast over sinners is a humiliation? Paul writes to the Corinthians; stirring them up to repentance he says: "lest somehow when I come I find you and my God humiliate me." The holy one is exalted, when he sees those who are helped by him becoming better. And a father is exalted, rejoicing and being glad over his children. If they had preserved toward me the love which I preserved for them, I would not have been humbled, but would even have been exalted having them as like-minded, having them as partners. "and against me they rejoiced and were gathered together." But I was so disposed toward them from my inmost heart; but they on the contrary being gathered together against me rejoiced or having rejoiced were gathered together against me, in order that they might bring upon me something more evil and grievous. 15 scourges were gathered against me, and I did not know. The zeal of those who rejoice in evil. I said in the preceding readings from one of the psalms, that the same afflictions are scourges for some, but contests for others, when this was set forth: "many are the scourges of the sinner." Scourges here can also be called wicked powers. "they were gathered together, and I did not know"; this which was said is similar in manner to: "when the evil one turned away from me, I did not know." The evil one drew near; I gave him no place, being persuaded by the apostolic opinion which says: "give no place to the devil." I have not been tried by him. One of the ancient philosophers is said to have been scourged, in order that 218 he might speak against his own city, in order that he might accuse his fellow citizens. Fearing lest even unwillingly he should speak out anything, he bit his own tongue and cut it and threw it to the one forcing him. That man was not able to say "I did not know"; for he came very near to knowing, if he had not from another source provided for his safety. But the holy one, no. Isaiah was sawn with a wooden saw. And see the malevolence of Manasseh the apostate, the idolater. And since the idol which he himself had set up fell when Isaiah looked at it, and certain other things, he appointed accusers and they brought two charges against him; one was this, that: "3While Moses says 'no one has seen my face and will live', this man says that 'he saw the Lord of Sabaoth sitting on a throne'"3. But if they had paid close attention, they would have known his slander. He did not say at all nor did he see his face. it was veiled

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συνβιοῦσα μετὰ σοῦ. 14 ὡς πλησίον, ὡς ἀδελφὸν ἡμέτερον, οὕτως εὐηρέστουν. τοῦτο λέγει ὅτι· οὐδεὶς ἔχει πρόφασιν τοῦ ὀργίζεσθαί μοι, οὐδεὶς ἀπ' ἐμοῦ αἰτίαν λαμβάνει τοῦ ε᾿̣χ̣θραίνειν μοι· πρὸς ἕκαστον γὰρ οὕτως ἤμην ὡς πλησίον, ὡς ἀδελφός, καὶ οὕτως εὐηρέστουν διὰ φιλαλληλίας, φιλεταιρίας, φιλαδελφίας. 14 ὡς πενθῶν καὶ σκυθρωπάζων, οὕτως ἐταπεινούμην. "οὕτως ἐταπεινούμην" δι' ἐκείνους. οὓς ἐδόκουν πλησίον καὶ ἀδελφοὺς εἶναι, κατ' ἐμοῦ συνήγοντο, ἐπολέμουν με, ὡς ἐν ἀρχῇ τοῦ ψαλμοῦ τόυ· "δίκασον, κύριε, τοὺς ἀδικοῦντάς με, πολέμησον τοὺς πολεμοῦντάς με". ἑξῆς λέγει· "ἐμοὶ μὲν εἰρηνικὰ ἐλάλουν καὶ ἐπ' ὀργῇ δόλους διελογίζοντο". διὰ τοῦτο ὡς πενθῶν αὐτοὺς καὶ ὡς σκυθρωπάζων ἐπ' αὐτοῖς, οὕτως ἐταπεινούμην· εἰ μὲν γὰρ παρεῖχόν μοι τὰ εὐφραίνοντα, ὑψούμην, ἔχαιρον, ἐγανούμην ἀπὸ ἱλαρότητος. ἐπερ · τὸ "οὕτως ἐταπεινούμην"; -ἐὰν ἔχῃ τις υἱὸν στεργόμενον καὶ ποθούμενον καὶ ἴδῃ αὐτὸν πυρέττοντα, ταπεινοῦται, ἐπεὶ οὐχ ὃν ἤθελεν οὕτω διάγειν, οὕτως ὁρᾷ κακούμενον. ἐπεὶ τοίνυν ἐγὼ παρεῖχον ἀρετῆς ἀφορμὰς ὡς πρὸς πλησίον καὶ ἀδελφοὺς ἔχων, αὐτοὶ δὲ ἐχθροὶ καὶ πολέμιοι ἀνεδείκνυντο, ἐταπεινούμην ἐπ' αὐτοῖς δέον χαίρειν με ἐπ' αὐτοῖς. τί νομίζεις τὸν Παῦλον περὶ Ὑμεναίου καὶ Ἀλεξάνδρου, οὐκ ἐταπεινοῦτο ὁρῶν αὐτοὺς περὶ τὴν πίστιν ναυαγοῦντας; μὴ πρότερον οὕτως ἦν πρὸς αὐτούς, οὐκ ἠγάπα, οὐκ ἀφορμὰς ἐδίδου πρὸς μακαριότητα; ἐὰν δὲ ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ σωτῆρος ᾖν τὰ λεγόμενα, δύναται περὶ τοῦ Ἰούδα ταῦτα λέγειν καὶ περὶ ὅλου τοῦ λαοῦ τῶν Ἑβραίων. 15 καὶ κατ' ἐμοῦ εὐφράνθησαν καὶ συνήχθησαν. θέλεις δὲ γνῶναι, ὅτι τὸ ἐπὶ ἁμαρτ̣ωλῶν κατηφεῖν ταπείνωσίς ἐστιν; Παῦλος γράφει Κορινθίοις· διεγείρων αὐτοὺς εἰς μετάνοιαν λέγει· "μή πως ἐλθὼν εὕρω ὑμᾶς καὶ ταπεινώσῃ με ὁ θεός μου". ὑψοῦται ὁ ἅγιος, ὅταν ἴδῃ τοὺς ὠφελουμένους παρ' αὐτοῦ βελτιουμένους. καὶ πατὴρ ἐπὶ τέκνοις γηθῶν καὶ εὐφραινόμενος ὑψοῦται. εἰ ἔσῳζον τ̣ὴν ἀγάπην ἣν ἔσῳζον πρὸς αὐτούς, πρὸς ἐμέ, οὐκ ἐταπεινούμην, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑψούμην ἔχων ὁμοίους, ἔχων μετόχους. "καὶ κατ' ἐμοῦ εὐφράνθησαν καὶ συνήχθησαν". ἐγὼ δὲ οὕτω πρὸς αὐτοὺς διεκείμην ἀπὸ σπλάγχνων ἰδ̣ι̣ω´̣τ̣ατος· αὐτοὶ δὲ ἐκ τοῦ ἐναντίου κατ' ἐμοῦ συναχθέντες εὐφραίνοντο ἢ εὐφρανθέντες κατ' ἐμοῦ συνήχθησαν, ἵνα πλέον τι κακὸν καὶ ἀνιαρὸν ἐπαγάγωσίν μοι. 15 συνήχθησαν ἐπ' ἐμὲ μάστιγες, καὶ οὐκ ἔγνων. ἐπιχαιρεκάκων ἡ σπουδή. εἶπον ἐν τοῖς προλαβοῦσιν ἀναγνώσμασιν ἀφ' ἑνὸς τῶν ψαλμῶν, ὅτι αἱ αὐταὶ κακώσεις τοῖς μὲν μάστιγές εἰσιν, τοῖς δὲ ἀγῶνες, ὅτε προέκειτο τό· "πολλαὶ αἱ μάστιγες τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ". δύνανται μάστιγες ἐνταῦθα καὶ πονηραὶ δυνάμεις λέγεσθαι. "συνήχθησαν, καὶ οὐκ ἔγνων"· ὁμοιότροπον δέ ἐστιν τοῦτο τὸ λεχθὲν τῷ· "ἐκκλίνοντος ἀπ' ἐμοῦ τοῦ πονηροῦ οὐκ ἐγίγνωσκον". ἠ´̣ν̣γγιζεν ὁ πονηρός· τόπον αὐτῷ οὐ παρεῖχον πεισθεὶς τῇ γνώμῃ τῇ ἀποστολικῇ τῇ λεγούσῃ· "μὴ δίδοτε τόπον τῷ διαβόλῳ". οὐ πεπείραμαι αὐτοῦ. εἷς τῶν ἀρχαίων φιλοσόφων λέγεται ὅτι ἐμαστίζετο, ἵνα 218 κατείπῃ τῆς πόλεως ἑαυτοῦ, ἵνα κατηγορήσῃ τῶν συνπολιτῶν. εὐλαβούμενος μὴ κἂν ἄκων ἐκλαλήσῃ τι, ἔδακεν τὴν γλῶσσαν ἑαυτοῦ καὶ ἔτεμεν καὶ ἔριψεν τῷ βιαζομένῳ. ἐκεῖνος οὐκ ἠδύνατο εἰπεῖν "οὐκ ἔγνων"· μικροῦ δεῖν γὰρ ἔγνω, εἰ μὴ ἄλλοθεν τὴν ἀσφάλειαν ἐπορίσατο. ὁ δὲ ἅγιος οὐχί. ὁ Ἰσαίας πρίονι ξυλίνῳ ἐπρίσθη. καὶ ὅρα γε τὸ κακόηθες τοῦ Μανασὴ τοῦ ἀποστάτου, τοῦ εἰδωλολατρήσαντος. καὶ ἐπεὶ τὸ εἴδωλον κατέπεσεν ὃ ἔστησεν αὐτὸς τοῦ Ἰσαία βλέψαντος εἰς αὐτὸ καὶ ἄλλα τινά, προεστήσατο κατηγόρους καὶ δύο ἐνκλήματα αὐτῷ προσηγίοχαν· ἓν μὲν τοῦτο, ὅτι· "3Μωυσέως λέγοντος ὅτι "οὐδεὶς εἶδεν τὸ πρόσωπόν μου καὶ ζήσεται", οὗτος λέγει ὅτι "εἶδεν τὸν κύριον σαβαὼθ καθήμενον ἐπὶ θρόνου""3. εἰ δὲ ἀκριβῶς ἐπέστανον, ἐγίγνωσκον τὴν συκοφαντίαν αὐτοῦ. οὐκ εἶπεν ὅλως οὐδὲ εἶδεν αὐτοῦ τὸ πρόσωπον. συνκεκαλυμμένον αὐτὸ