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hindering. Thou hast given us like sheep for eating, and among the nations thou hast scattered us. Another says, Thou hast winnowed us. What is, Like sheep for eating? Making us easy to attack, showing us to be of no account. For there are also sheep for possession, those suitable for breeding; but others, on account of old age or barrenness, are useful only for eating. And indeed what is more grievous, to be divided among the nations, which was for them heavier than all things, to not even be able to keep the law with exactness there, and to have fallen from their ancestral way of life. And not even into one nation, but everywhere, he says, and we are ready for one thing only, to suffer evil things, but to defend ourselves or to raise our hands in opposition we do not even have the strength. For this the image of the sheep shows. Thou didst sell thy people without a price. Another says, In non-existence. Another, Of non-existence. And there was no multitude in our exchanges. Another says: And you did not make their price great. But what he says is of this sort; for the saying seems to be very obscure, but pay attention, so that you may sing the psalm with understanding. What then 55.178 is being said? It represents their worthlessness and nothingness. As being worthy of nothing, as cheap and easily despised, so you have let us be. And this he says from human custom. For it is our custom to give things that are without honor and worthless even without a price; but those things for which we have great regard, even if we sell them, we sell them for a great price; but those for which we have no great regard, these we even offer for free. For example, some have sold their ungrateful servants for half the price, and others have sold them having received nothing. But if to yield for a lesser price shows the worthlessness of the one being sold; to receive not even a price, but without a price, does so much more. This therefore he says: Just as if some man should part with his own things without a price, so also you have let us be as without honor, you have despised us exceedingly. This at any rate he also shows in the following phrase, saying: "And there was no multitude in our exchanges;" that is, in our purchase. Wherefore also another says, In our valuation; that is, in our sale. For a price is an exchange; for we often give a servant, and we receive silver or gold. Thou madest us a reproach to our neighbours, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us. Another says, A spectacle to those round about us. Thou madest us a byword among the nations. This is a grievous punishment and unbearable, especially to be reproached by the ungodly, to suffer these things from enemies, and to be surrounded by those who trample upon them, and to be clothed on all sides by those who reproach. And what is a byword? A tale, a reproach. For some of those round about were defiled and senseless, not only not pitying, but also reproaching, which indeed especially stung them. And here it seems to me he speaks of the Arabs, those living as their neighbors. A shaking of the head among the peoples. Another says, A displacement. But the Hebrew, Manoud. Either he says this, that You have displaced us, or through the gesture of the head's movement of one who greatly rejoices, he indicates their drunken insolence. All the day long my disgrace is before me. Another says: My unseemliness. And the shame of my face hath covered me, from the voice of the reproacher and slanderer. Another says, And of the blasphemer. From the face of the enemy and persecutor. These things stung them more than the punishments. For since they always and continually enjoyed prosperity, and prevailed over their enemies, the mouths of all were then opened, when they had fallen and been tripped up, and they could not even look up, but endured a continual punishment. All these things have come upon us, and we have not forgotten thee, and we have not dealt unjustly in thy covenant. Another, Nor have we been false to thy agreement. Contrary to the others, he says, we have come. For they were tripped up even before the terrible things; but we, he says, even after the terrible things stand having an unwavering mind. And they say these things being hopeful

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κωλύοντος. Ἔδωκας ἡμᾶς ὡς πρόβατα βρώσεως, καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσι διέσπειρας ἡμᾶς. Ἄλλος φησὶν, Ἐλίκμησας ἡμᾶς. Τί ἐστιν, Ὡς πρόβατα βρώσεως; Εὐεπιχειρήτους ποιήσας, εὐτελεῖς δείξας. Ἔστι γὰρ καὶ πρόβατα κτήσεως, τὰ πρὸς γονὴν ἐπιτήδεια· τὰ δὲ, διὰ τὸ γῆρας ἢ τὸ ἄγονον, εἰς βρῶσιν μόνον ἐστὶ χρήσιμα. Καὶ τὸ δὴ χαλεπώτερον, τὸ καὶ εἰς τὰ ἔθνη διαιρεθῆναι, ὃ πάντων αὐτοῖς βαρύτερον ἦν, τὸ μηδὲ τὸν νόμον δύνασθαι μετὰ ἀκριβείας φυλάττειν ἐκεῖ, καὶ τῆς πατρῴας ἐκπεπτωκέναι πολιτείας. Καὶ οὐδὲ εἰς ἓν ἔθνος, ἀλλὰ πανταχοῦ, φησὶ, καὶ πρὸς ἓν μόνον ἐσμὲν ἕτοιμοι, τὸ πάσχειν κακῶς, ἀμύνεσθαι δὲ ἢ ἀνταίρειν χεῖρας οὐδὲ ἰσχύομεν. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἡ τῶν προβάτων εἰκὼν δηλοῖ. Ἀπέδου τὸν λαόν σου ἄνευ τιμῆς. Ἄλλος φησὶν, Ἐν οὐχ ὑπάρξει. Ἄλλος,Οὐχ ὑπάρξεως. Καὶ οὐκ ἦν πλῆθος ἐν τοῖς ἀλλάγμασιν ἡμῶν. Ἄλλος φησί· Καὶ οὐ πολλὴν ἐποίησας τὴν τιμὴν αὐτῶν. Ὃ δὲ λέγει τοιοῦτόν ἐστι· καὶ γὰρ σφόδρα ἀσαφὲς εἶναι δοκεῖ τὸ ῥητὸν, ἀλλὰ προσέχετε, ἵνα μετὰ συνέσεως ψάλλητε. Τί οὖν 55.178 ἐστι τὸ λεγόμενον; Τὸ εὐτελὲς αὐτῶν καὶ οὐδαμινὸν παρίστησιν. Ὡς οὐδενὸς ὄντας ἀξίους, ὡς εὐώνους καὶ εὐκαταφρονήτους, οὕτως ἡμᾶς εἴασας. Καὶ τοῦτο ἀπὸ τῆς συνηθείας τῆς ἀνθρωπίνης φησίν. Ἔθος γὰρ ἡμῖν τὰ ἄτιμα καὶ τὰ εὐτελῆ καὶ ἄνευ τιμῆς διδόναι· ὧν δὲ πολὺς ἡμῖν ὁ λόγος, κἂν ἀποδώμεθα, πολλῆς ἀποδιδόμεθα τιμῆς· ὧν δὲ οὐ πολὺς λόγος ἡμῖν, ταῦτα καὶ δωρεὰν παρέχομεν. Τῶν γοῦν οἰκετῶν τοὺς ἀγνώμονας οἱ μὲν τὰς ἡμισείας τῆς τιμῆς, οἱ δὲ τούτους ἀπέδοντο μὴ λαβόντες μηδέν. Εἰ δὲ τὸ ἐλάττονος παραχωρῆσαι τιμῆς δείκνυσι τὴν εὐτέλειαν τοῦ πιπρασκομένου· τὸ μηδὲ τιμῆς λαβεῖν, ἀλλ' ἄνευ τιμῆς, πολλῷ μᾶλλον. Τοῦτο οὖν φησιν· Ὥσπερ ἂν εἴ τις ἄνθρωπος ἄνευ τιμῆς ἐκσταίη τῶν αὑτοῦ, οὕτω καὶ αὐτὸς ὡς ἀτίμους ἡμᾶς εἴασας, κατεφρόνησας ἡμῶν σφόδρα. Τοῦτο γοῦν καὶ ἐν τῇ ἐπαγωγῇ δηλοῖ εἰπών· Καὶ οὐκ ἦν πλῆθος ἐν τοῖς ἀλλάγμασιν ἡμῶν· τουτέστιν, ἐν τῇ ὠνῇ ἡμῶν. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἕτερός φησιν, Ἐν τῇ τιμήσει ἡμῶν· τουτέστιν, ἐν τῇ πράσει ἡμῶν. Ἡ γὰρ τιμὴ ἄλλαγμά ἐστι· δίδομεν γὰρ οἰκέτην πολλάκις, καὶ λαμβάνομεν ἀργύριον ἢ χρυσίον. Ἔθου ἡμᾶς ὀνειδισμὸν τοῖς γείτοσιν ἡμῶν, μυκτηρισμὸν καὶ χλευασμὸν τοῖς κύκλῳ ἡμῶν. Ἄλλος λέγει, Πομπὴν τοῖς κύκλῳ ἡμῶν. Ἔθου ἡμᾶς εἰς παραβολὴν ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσι. Χαλεπὴ αὕτη τιμωρία καὶ ἀφόρητος, μάλιστα τὸ παρὰ τῶν ἀσεβῶν ὀνειδίζεσθαι, τὸ παρ' ἐχθρῶν ταῦτα πάσχειν, καὶ κύκλῳ περικεῖσθαι τοὺς ἐπεμβαίνοντας αὐτοῖς, καὶ πανταχόθεν αὐτοὺς περιβεβλῆσθαι ὑπὸ τῶν ὀνειδιζόντων. Τί δέ ἐστι παραβολή; ∆ιήγημα, ὄνειδος. Καὶ γὰρ μιαροί τινες καὶ ἀναίσθητοι ἦσαν οἱ κύκλῳ, οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἐλεοῦντες, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὀνειδίζοντες, ὃ δὴ μάλιστα αὐτοὺς ἔδακνεν. Ἐνταῦθα δέ μοι τοὺς Ἄραβας λέγειν δοκεῖ, τοὺς ἐκ γειτόνων αὐτοῖς οἰκοῦντας. Κίνησιν κεφαλῆς ἐν τοῖς λαοῖς. Ἄλλος φησὶ, Μετακίνημα. Ὁ δὲ Ἑβραῖος, Μανούδ. Ἢτοῦτό φησιν, ὅτι Μετεκίνησας ἡμᾶς, ἢ διὰ τοῦ σχήματος τῆς κινήσεως τῆς κεφαλῆς τοῦ σφόδρα ἐφηδομένου τὴν παροινίαν ἐνδείκνυται. Ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν ἡ ἐντροπή μου κατεναντίον μου ἐστί. Ἄλλος φησίν· Ἡ ἀσχημοσύνη μου. Καὶ ἡ αἰσχύνη τοῦ προσώπου μου ἐκάλυψέ με, ἀπὸ φωνῆς ὀνειδίζοντος καὶ καταλαλοῦντος. Ἄλλος φησὶ, Καὶ βλασφημοῦντος. Ἀπὸ προσώπου ἐχθροῦ καὶ ἐκδιώκοντος. Ταῦτα τῶν τιμωριῶν μᾶλλον αὐτοὺς ἔδακνεν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἀεὶ καὶ συνεχῶς εὐημερίας ἀπήλαυον, καὶ τῶν πολεμίων ἐκράτουν, τὰ πάντων τότε ἠνοίχθη στόματα, πεσόντων αὐτῶν καὶ ὑποσκελισθέντων, καὶ οὐδὲ ἀνακῦψαι εἶχον, ἀλλὰ διηνεκῆ τιμωρίαν ὑπέμενον. Ταῦτα πάντα ἦλθεν ἐφ' ἡμᾶς, καὶ οὐκ ἐπελαθόμεθά σου, καὶ οὐκ ἠδικήσαμεν ἐν διαθήκῃ σου. Ἄλλος, Οὐδὲ παρελογισάμεθα τὴν συνθήκην σου. Ἀπεναντίας τοῖς ἄλλοις, φησὶν, ἡμεῖς ἤλθομεν. Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν γὰρ καὶ πρὸ τῶν δεινῶν ὑπεσκελίσθησαν· ἡμεῖς δὲ, φησὶ, καὶ μετὰ τὰ δεινὰ ἑστήκαμεν ἀπερίτρεπτον τὴν γνώμην ἔχοντες. Ταῦτα δὲ λέγουσιν εὐέλπιδας