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For 'hardness,' according to the divine Apostle, 'has come upon part of Israel, and to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies over their hearts.' But to the preachers of the word, the Lord commands next, saying: But you, gather the sons of Israel one by one. For even if they are not willing to come to the faith all at once (for it is a people that has no understanding), yet it is a desirable thing to gather a few one by one, to whom also Peter the great cried out: 'And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your rulers. Repent therefore, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of the Lord.....' CHAPTER 28. 22. 9Woe to the crown of pride, the mercenaries of Ephraim. The flower that has fallen from glory upon the top of the fertile mountain, those who are drunk without wine. Behold, a strong and hard one9, etc. ... to accept freedom, having been released from the types. 'For God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.' But the law is a bond, justifying no one, but somehow binding them fast for punishment. And David, eagerly advising to come to the grace that is through faith, says, 'Let us break their bonds, and cast away their yoke from us,' the burden from the law lying upon them, to which the teachers of the Jews subjected those under their authority. But prefer, he says, to these things the swift grace of faith, which is not according to the long periods of the letter, which was given to all the earth, while the law was given to the Jews alone. For Moses said: 'Hear, O Israel.' 2245 But Christ through the psalmist, 'Hear these things, all you nations.' But some say that the phrase, 'and may you not rejoice,' applies also to Israel, advising them not to persist in the pleasure of sins, nor to bind themselves with sins, but to shrink from the hearing of judgment; and that it also applies to the nations, that you should not rejoice at the punishment of the Israelites. For the instruments of vengeance will also cross over to you when you sin. 23-29. 9Give ear and hear my voice. Pay attention, and hear my words. Does the one plowing intend to plow all day? or to prepare the seed before working the land? Is it not when he levels its surface9, etc. To the crown of pride, which rejected the precious stone, he further exhorts them to offer their ears to the voice carried through the air, to obey what is said, and to understand what is said. Then he uses an example, teaching them that, as they are powerful, they will be powerfully tested. For they were rulers and priests, and teachers. For the time, he says, for plowing and for sowing is different. And the cleansing of the fruits after summer varies, some requiring a wagon and cutting wheels, as many as are harder than the others; while others are content with only rods, those which are weaker. So also the word of God, cultivating souls, at one time renews them with teaching, breaking up hidden thoughts. Whence he also says: 'Break up fallow ground for yourselves, and do not sow among thorns.' But when the surface of the land, as it were, has been leveled, all thorny wickedness having been overturned, then he casts down the appropriate seeds for the subjects, both greater and smaller. For there are varieties of gifts. But when the harvest is at hand (and Christ taught that this signifies the consummation), then he will demand fruits worthy of the seeds. But of those not providing them, those who received small things will be exacted a moderate penalty, but those who received great things, the greatest, just as those deemed worthy of great things, priests, who have become a crown of pride and mercenaries of Ephraim, so as to pervert the people and reject the chosen stone. But the phrase, 'and he will instruct with the judgment of God,' or according to Symmachus, 'and his God will instruct him for judgment,' shows how a farmer, by natural teaching given from God, will judge the matters concerning the different cleansing of the fruits. But instead of, 'but cumin will be eaten with bread,' Symmachus says: 'But cumin with a staff, and bread will be threshed.' The word 'bread' instead of 'wheat'

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"Πώρωσις" γὰρ, κατὰ τὸν θεῖον Ἀπόστολον, "ἀπὸ μέρους γέγονε τῷ Ἰσραήλ, καὶ ἄχρι σήμερον ἡνίκα ἀναγινώσκηται Μωσῆς, κάλυμμα ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτῶν κεῖται." Τοῖς δὲ τοῦ λόγου κήρυξιν ἑξῆς προστάττει λέγων ὁ Κύριος· Ὑμεῖς δὲ συναγάγετε κατὰ ἕνα τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἰσραήλ. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ μὴ βούλωνται ἀθρόως προσιέναι τῇ πίστει (λαὸς γὰρ οὐκ ἔχων ἐστὶ σύνεσιν), ἀλλ' οὖν ἀγαπητὸν βραχεῖς τινας καθ' ἕνα συναγαγεῖν, οἷς καὶ Πέτρος ὁ μέγας ἐβόα· "Καὶ νῦν, ἀδελφοὶ, οἶδα ὅτι κατὰ ἄγνοιαν ἐπράξατε καθὰ καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες ὑμῶν. Μετανοήσατε οὖν καὶ βαπτισθήτω ἕκαστος ὑμῶν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ Κυρίου ....." ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΚΗʹ. ακβʹ. 9Οὐαὶ τῷ στεφάνῳ τῆς ὕβρεως, οἱ μισθωτοὶ Ἐφραΐμ. Τὸ ἄνθος τὸ ἐκπεσὸν ἐκ τῆς δόξης ἐπὶ τῆς κορυφῆς τοῦ ὄρους τοῦ παχέος, οἱ μεθύοντες ἄνευ οἴνου. Ἰδοὺ ἰσχυρὸν καὶ σκληρόν9, κ.τ.λ. ... ἐλευθερίαν προσίεσθαι τῶν τύπων ἀφεμένους. "Πνεῦμα γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ τοὺς προσκυνοῦντας αὐτὸν ἐν πνεύματι καὶ ἀληθείᾳ, δεῖ προσκυνεῖν." ∆εσμὸς δὲ ὁ νόμος δικαιῶν μὲν οὐδένα, κατασφίγγων δέ πως εἰς κόλασιν. Καὶ ∆αβὶδ δὲ προθύμως συμβουλεύων ἐπὶ τὴν χάριν ἰέναι τὴν διὰ πίστεως, "∆ιαῤῥήξωμεν, φησὶ, τοὺς δεσμοὺς αὐτῶν, καὶ ἀποῤῥίψωμεν ἀφ' ἡμῶν τὸν ζυγὸν αὐτῶν," τὸ ἐκ νόμου βάρος αὐτοῖς ἐπικείμενον, ᾧ τοὺς ὑπὸ χεῖρας οἱ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ὑπῆγον διδάσκαλοι. Προτιμήσατε δὲ, φησὶ, τούτων τὴν σύντομον τῆς πίστεως χάριν, οὐ κατὰ τὰς μακρὰς οὖσαν περιόδους τοῦ γράμματος, ἥτις ἐδόθη πάσῃ τῇ γῇ, μόνοις δοθέντος Ἰουδαίοις τοῦ νόμου. Μωσῆς μὲν γὰρ ἔλεγεν· "Ἄκουε, Ἰσραήλ." 2245 Ὁ Χριστὸς δὲ διὰ τοῦ ψάλλοντος, "Ἀκούσατε ταῦτα, πάντα τὰ ἔθνη." Τινὲς δέ φασι τὸ, καὶ ὑμεῖς μὴ εὐφρανθείητε, ἁρμόττειν μὲν καὶ πρὸς τὸν Ἰσραὴλ μὴ ἐπιμένειν τῇ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἡδονῇ παραινοῦν, μηδὲ δεσμεῖν ἑαυτοὺς ἁμαρτήμασιν, πρὸς δὲ τὴν τῆς κρίσεως ἀκοὴν ὑποστέλλεσθαι· ἁρμόττειν δὲ καὶ πρὸς τὰ ἔθνη, ὡς οὐδὲ χαίρειν ὑμᾶς ἐπὶ τῇ τῶν Ἰσραηλιτῶν τιμωρίᾳ. ∆ιαβήσεται γὰρ καὶ εἰς ὑμᾶς τὰ τῆς τίσεως ἁμαρτάνοντας. κγκθʹ. 9Ἐνωτίζεσθε καὶ ἀκούετε τῆς φωνῆς μου. Προσέχετε, καὶ ἀκούετε τοὺς λόγους μου, μὴ ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν μέλλει ὁ ἀροτριῶν ἀροτριᾷν; ἢ σπόρον προετοιμάσαι, πρὶν ἐργάσασθαι τὴν γῆν; οὐχ ὅταν ὁμαλίσῃ τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτῆσ9, κ.τ.λ. Τῷ στεφάνῳ τῆς ὕβρεως, τῷ τὸν ἔντιμον ἀποδοκιμάσαντι λίθον, ἔτι παρακελεύεται τὰ μὲν ὦτα παρέχειν τῇ δι' ἀέρος φερομένῃ φωνῇ, πειθαρχεῖν δὲ τοῖς λεγομένοις, καὶ κατανοεῖν τὰ λεγόμενα. Εἶθ' ὑποδείγματι κέχρηται, διδάσκων αὐτοὺς, ὡς ὄντες δυνατοὶ δυνατῶς ἐτασθήσονται. Ἄρχοντες γὰρ ἦσαν καὶ ἱερεῖς, καὶ διδάσκαλοι. Καιρὸς γὰρ, φησὶν, ἀρότρου καὶ σπόρου διάφορος. Καὶ παραλλάττει τῶν καρπῶν μετὰ θέρος ἡ κάθαρσις, τῶν μὲν ἀμάξης δεομένων, καὶ τεμνόντων τροχῶν ὅσοι τῶν ἄλλων ἁδρότεροι· τῶν δὲ μόναις ἀρκουμένων ῥάβδοις οἵπερ εἰσὶν ἀσθενέστεροι. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ λόγος γεωργῶν τὰς ψυχὰς, ἐν καιρῷ μὲν αὐτὰς διδασκαλίᾳ νεοῖ, ἀναῤῥηγνύση τοὺς λανθάνοντας λογισμούς. Ὅθεν δὲ καί φησιν· "Νεώσατε ἑαυτοῖς νεώματα, καὶ μὴ σπείρηται ἐπ' ἀκάνθαις." Ἐπειδ' ἂν δὲ τὸ οἱονεὶ πρόσωπον ὁμαλισθείη τῆς γῆς, πάσης ἀκανθώδους ἀνατραπείσης κακίας, τηνικαῦτα τοῖς ὑποκειμένοις κατάλληλα καταβάλλει τὰ σπέρματα, μείζω τε καὶ βραχύτερα. ∆ιαιρέσεις γὰρ χαρισμάτων εἰσίν. Παρόντος δὲ τοῦ θερισμοῦ (συντέλειαν δὲ τοῦτον δηλοῦν ἐδίδαξεν ὁ Χριστὸς), τότε τοὺς ἀξίους τῶν σπερμάτων ἀπαιτήσει καρπούς. Τῶν δὲ μὴ παρεχόντων, οἱ μὲν τὰ σμικρὰ λαβόντες, μετρίαν, οἱ δὲ τὰ μεγάλα, μεγίστην εἰσπραχθήσονται δίκην, ὥσπερ οἱ μεγάλων ἀξιωθέντες, ἱερεῖς, καὶ γεγονότες στέφανος ὕβρεως μισθωτοί τε Ἐφραΐμ, ὡς διαστρέψαι μὲν τὸν λαὸν, ἀποδοκιμάσαι δὲ λίθον τὸν ἐκλεκτόν. Τὸ δὲ, καὶ παιδεύσῃ κρίματι Θεοῦ, ἢ κατὰ Σύμμαχον, καὶ παιδεύσει αὐτὸν εἰς κρῖμα ὁ Θεὸς αὐτοῦ παρίστησιν ὡς φυσικῇ διδασκαλίᾳ γεωργὸς, καὶ δοθείσῃ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ, τὰ περὶ τῆς διαφόρου τῶν καρπῶν κρινεῖ καθάρσεως. Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ, τὸ δὲ κύμινον μετὰ ἄρτου βρωθήσεται, Σύμμαχός φησιν· Κύμινον δὲ ἐν βακτηρίᾳ, ἄρτος δὲ λεπτοκοπηθήσεται. Τὸ ἄρτος ἀντὶ τοῦ σῖτος