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saying. But instead of, for I will not be angry with you 2248 forever. Nor will the voice of my bitterness trample you down, Theodotion and Symmachus translated. But he who threshes will not thresh it to the end, nor will the wheel of his cart crush it, nor will he make it fine with his hoofs. That is, When the wheel of the cart has gone over the grain making it fine, along with the straw around it and the hoofs of the oxen making it fine, it will not destroy the grain itself; just as punishment does not destroy the substance of souls. Which the Seventy, understanding this, translated, For I will not be angry with you forever. That is, I do not punish for the destruction of substance, just as the wheel of a cart does not destroy the grain, but makes it clean. But these things, he says, all of which are like wonders to those who do not understand, not a man spoke, but God declared. But if you are able to find comfort against the counsel of God, you have exalted this vain thing. But according to Symmachus, And this indeed went forth from the Lord of hosts long ago, he glorified counsel, he magnified salvation. And some have explained the whole passage thus. The person of Christ has been introduced for the persuasion of the evangelical proclamations, leading Israel on, to which, he says, there is need of much attention, and one must not listen carelessly, but be on guard against this, and after these things again to cling to the legal worship. For according to the divine Apostle, "You have been severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace." And again, attention indicates finding Christ prefigured even in the shadows of the law. For I am not commanding things alien to the law, if it is understood spiritually. "For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me." For on the pretext of keeping the law, as though being pious, they persecuted Jesus, as one teaching things alien to it. Therefore he says, will the plowman plow all day, showing that the mind of idolaters is like thorny ground, and it needs the word, like a catechetical plow opening it up, so that it might be prepared for the seed from above, and be able to bear fruit. This happened to the sons of Israel when they came out of Egypt, and received the law as a plow. So that it might break up the hardened ground of their soul. Therefore, when the plowing has ceased, it is necessary to receive the evangelical seed, and when the types have ceased, to receive the truth. But the farmer, they say, even if he levels the ground, does not immediately cast in the harder seeds. But he begins with the smaller ones, through these first training the ground. For this is the skillful way of farming in your lands. So then the law, having leveled the ground, sowed in you the weak shadows of the truth, like cumin and black cumin. Which indeed by themselves are not at all edible, 2249 but become useful in combination with other things, barley and wheat, that is, the bread made from them. Thus must the law also be brought into accord with the spiritual teaching. For since it is otherwise ineffective for the cleansing of sins, the shadow has been removed, and the life-giving judgment has been brought in, that is Christ justifying by a concise faith, which the long periods of the law could not do. And for the one who believes, as the Lord is the judge commanding what must be done, the things of spiritual joy also follow. And again he holds to the example as useful, showing how a moderate punishment pursued those who were negligent of the laws; although saying, "This people honors me with their lips," and the things that follow, yet he punished philanthropically, as if black cumin were cleaned with a rod. And if the law were kept, he says, it is useless by itself, needing the combination with bread. And making clear the aforementioned philanthropy, he added: For I will not be angry with you forever. Nor in this way will the punishment from me pursue you, so as to become a thing trodden underfoot by those in anger. Therefore he also calls it a wonder and worthy of amazement, that Israel, being in so many transgressions, is shown mercy. Wherefore he says, Take hold of good counsel, accusing them because a vain consolation is a great thing

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εἰπών. Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ, οὐ γὰρ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἐγὼ ὑμῖν 2248 ὀργισθήσομαι. Οὐδὲ φωνὴ τῆς πικρίας μοῦ καταπατήσει ὑμᾶς, Θεοδοτίων καὶ Σύμμαχος ἐξέδωκαν. Ἁλλ' οὐκ εἰς τέλος ἀλοῶν ἀλοήσει αὐτὸν, οὐδὲ ταράξει τροχὸς ἀμάξης αὐτοῦ, οὐ δὲ ταῖς ὁπλαῖς αὐτοῦ λεπτυνεῖ αὐτόν. Τοῦτ' ἔστιν, Ἐπειδ' ἂν ὁ τῆς ἁμάξης τροχὸς περιέλθῃ τὸν σῖτον λεπτύνων, τὴν περὶ αὐτὸν καλάμην ὁμοῦ καὶ τῶν βοῶν ταῖς ὁπλαῖς αὐτὴν λεπτυνόντων, αὐτὸν οὐκ ἀφανίσει τὸν σῖτον· ὥσπερ οὖν οὐδὲ τῶν ψυχῶν τὴν οὐσίαν ἡ κόλασις. Ὅπερ οἱ ἑβδομήκοντα νοοῦντες ἐξέδωκαν, Οὐ γὰρ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἐγὼ ὑμῖν ὀργισθήσομαι. Τοῦτ' ἔστιν οὐ πρὸς ἀπώλειαν οὐσίας κολάζω, καθάπερ οὐ δὲ τροχὸς ἁμάξης ἀφανίζει τὸν σῖτον, ἀλλὰ καθαρὸν ἀπεργάζεται. Ταῦτα δέ φησι, πάντα ὥσπερ εἰ τέρατα τοῖς μὴ νοοῦσιν ὑπάρχοντα οὐκ ἄνθρωπος ἔφη, ἀλλὰ Θεὸς ἀπεφήνατο. Εἰ δὲ πρὸς Θεοῦ βουλὴν δύνασθε παραμυθίαν εὑρεῖν, ματαίαν ταύτην ὑψώσατε. Κατὰ δὲ Σύμμαχον, Καί γε τοῦτο παρὰ Κυρίου δυνάμεων ἐξῆλθεν πάλαι, ἐδόξασε βουλὴν, ἐμεγάλυνε σωτηρίαν. Τὴν δὲ πᾶσαν ῥῆσιν οὕτω τινὲς ἐξηγήσαντο. Χριστοῦ παρενήνεκται πρόσωπον πρὸς πειθὼ τῶν εὐαγγελικῶν κηρυγμάτων τὸν Ἰσραὴλ ἐπαγόμενον, πρὸς ἃ, φησὶ, προσοχῆς χρεία πολλῆς, καὶ ῥᾳθύμως ἀκούειν οὐ δεῖ, φυλάττεσθαι δὲ τὸ, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα πάλιν τῆς νομικῆς λατρείας ἀντέχεσθαι. Κατὰ τὸν θεῖον Ἀπόστολον γὰρ, "Κατηργήθητε ἀπὸ Χριστοῦ, οἵτινες ἐν νόμῳ δικαιοῦσθε, τῆς χάριτος ἐξεπέσετε." ∆ηλοῖ δὲ πάλιν ἡ προσοχὴ, τὸ κἀν ταῖς τοῦ νόμου σκιαῖς τὸν Χριστὸν εὑρίσκειν τυπούμενον. Οὐ γὰρ ἀλλότρια παραγγέλλω τοῦ νόμου, εἴγε νοοῖτο πνευματικῶς. "Εἰ γὰρ ἐπιστεύετε Μωσεῖ, ἐπιστεύετε ἂν ἐμοί. Περὶ γὰρ ἐμοῦ ἐκεῖνος γέγραφε." Προφάσει γὰρ τῆς τοῦ νόμου φυλακῆς, ὡς εὐσεβοῦντες δῆθεν ἐδίωκον Ἰησοῦν, ὡς ἀλλότρια ταύτης διδάσκοντα. ∆ιό φησι, μὴ ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν ἀροτριάσει ὁ ἀροτριῶν, δηλῶν ὡς ἀκανθώδει γῇ παρέοικε τῶν εἰδωλολατρούντων ὁ νοῦς, καὶ δεῖται λόγου, κατηχητικοῦ ἀρότρου δίκην αὐτὸν ἀναπτύσσοντος, ὡς ἂν εὐτρεπισθείη πρὸς τὸν σπόρον τὸν ἄνωθεν, καὶ καρποφορῆσαι δυνήσηται. Τοῦτο γέγονε τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰσραὴλ ἐξελθοῦσι μὲν Αἰγύπτου, τὸν δὲ νόμον δεξαμένοις ὡς ἄροτρον. Ὡς ἂν κατεσκληκυῖαν αὐτῶν τῆς ψυχῆς ἀνατέμῃ τὴν γῆν. ∆εῖ τοίνυν τοῦ ἀρότρου παυσαμένου, τὸν εὐαγγελικὸν ὑποδέχεσθαι σπόρον, καὶ παυσαμένων τῶν τύπων, δέξασθαι τὴν ἀλήθειαν. Ὁ δὲ γεωργὸς, φασὶ, κἂν ὁμαλίσῃ τὴν γῆν, οὐκ εὐθὺς καταβάλλει σπέρματα στερεώτερα. Τῶν δὲ σμικροτέρων κατάρχεται, διὰ τούτων πρῶτον γυμνάζων τὴν γῆν. Οὗτος γὰρ ἐν τοῖς σοῖς ὁρίοις τεχνικὸς τῆς γεωργίας ὁ τρόπος. Οὕτως οὖν ὁ νόμος ὁμαλίσας τὴν γῆν, τὰς ἀσθενεῖς σοι σκιὰς τῆς ἀληθείας ἐνέσπειρεν, οἰονεὶ κύμινον, καὶ μελάνθιον. Ἃ δὴ καθ' ἑαυτὰ παντελῶς οὐκ ἔστιν ἐδώδιμα, 2249 τῇ δὲ πρὸς ἕτερα γίνεται χρήσιμα συμπλοκῇ, κριθὴν καὶ σῖτον, τοῦτ' ἔστι, τὸν ἐκ τούτων ἄρτον γινόμενον. Οὕτω δεῖ τῇ πνευματικῇ διδασκαλίᾳ καὶ τὸν νόμον συμφέρεσθαι. Ἄλλως γὰρ ἀδρανοῦς ὄντος πρὸς ἁμαρτιῶν ἀποκάθαρσιν, ἀποκεκίνηται μὲν ἡ σκιὰ, τὸ δὲ ζωοποιὸν εἰσκεκόμισται κρῖμα, τοῦτ' ἔστι Χριστὸς συντετμημένη πίστει δικαιῶν, ὃ ποιεῖν οὐκ εἶχον αἱ μακραὶ τοῦ νόμου περίοδοι. Τῷ δὲ πιστεύοντι, καθάπερ κριτῇ τῷ Κυρίῳ τὰ πρακτέα προστάττοντι, καὶ τὰ τῆς πνευματικῆς εὐφροσύνης ἀκολουθεῖ. Ὡς χρησίμου δὲ πάλιν ἀντέχεται τοῦ παραδείγματος, δεικνὺς ὡς μετρία δίκη ῥᾳθυμοῦντας τοὺς νόμους μετήρχετο· καίτοι λέγων, "Ὁ λαὸς οὗτος τοῖς χείλεσί με τιμᾷ," καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τούτοις, καὶ ὅμως φιλανθρώπως ἐκόλαζεν, ὡσανεὶ ῥάβδῳ καθαρθείη μελάνθιον. Εἰ καὶ τηροῖτο δὲ, φησὶν, ὁ νόμος, καθ' ἑαυτὸν ἄχρηστος τῆς τοῦ ἄρτου δεόμενος συμπλοκῆς. Σαφῆ δὲ ποιῶν τὴν εἰρημένην φιλανθρωπίαν, ἐπήνεγκεν· Οὐ γὰρ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ὑμῖν ὀργισθήσομαι. Οὐδ' οὕτως ὑμᾶς ἡ ἐξ ἐμοῦ μέτεισι δίκη, ὡς καταπάτημα γενέσθαι τοῖς ἐξ ὀργῆς. ∆ιὸ καὶ τέρας καλεῖ καὶ θαύματος ἄξιον, τὸ ἐν τοσούτοις ὄντα παραπτώμασιν ἐλεεῖσθαι τὸν Ἰσραήλ. Ὅθεν φησὶ, Βουλῆς ἀγαθῆς ἐπιλάβεσθε, καταιτιώμενος ὅτι ματαίαν παράκλησιν μέγα τι