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Symmachus said this more clearly: All those on earth will worship you, singing praises, they will sing to your name. These things are a prophecy of the present time, in which God of all is praised among all the nations; and the Lord Christ is called most high by all. 5. "Come and see the works of God; how terrible in his counsels, above the sons of men." Apply your mind, he says, and understand each of the things done by God, and marvel at his ineffable wisdom, by which the race of men is led towards piety. For thus Theodotion also understood it. "Terrible in his counsels above the sons of men;" but Symmachus, Terrible devices above the sons of men. For with terrible, he says, and wonderful devices, he has worked for the salvation of men. Then he narrates the things that happened long ago. 6. "He who turns the sea into dry land; in the river they will pass through on foot." The tense here is changed; for it spoke of past things as if they were future. 80.1365. But the others kept the tense. And Symmachus says thus, He changed the sea into dry land, they crossed the river on foot. For this is, he says, the God, who also grants salvation to us, who long ago divided both sea and river, and commanded our forefathers to pass through without danger. [And having granted the passage to the nations; which making through the regeneration of the font, they are refashioned; For just as there through the hand of the great Moses He split the Red Sea here and there, so also here through the hand of the priest He renews the people believing in Christ, but sinks the spiritual Pharaoh with his chariots, that is, the devil with his desires. You who are initiated know what I am saying.] "There we will rejoice in him." That is, by the Jordan; [As also those from the nations by the divine font; for then the Jordan was divided for the people, and now the Jordan, having received the Maker and Creator of all, procures the salvation of men; for the font entered on our behalf, our God and Savior has regenerated us all through water and the Spirit.] For having remembered this, and taught how their ancestors passed it, they added: "There we will rejoice in him." 7. "To him who rules by his own dominion forever." He has, he says, an indestructible power, and a boundless kingdom. "His eyes look upon the nations." And not only does he care for us; but he also provides for the whole world, and a little later will provide to all his own knowledge. Thus the Prophet having clearly proclaimed this, then having beheld with spiritual eyes those who contradict the preaching, he most vividly foretells both their unbelief and arrogance. "Let not those who provoke be exalted in themselves." Theodotion called these "those who turn aside"; but Aquila, "those who fall away." But Symmachus said more clearly: Let the disobedient not be exalted in themselves. And we see the fulfillment of this 80.1368 prophecy. For these three or four Greeks, who remained in impiety, think highly of themselves, as not having been carried away with the crowd. To these the prophetic word exhorts: "Let not those who provoke be exalted in themselves." For they provoke the just judge against themselves, and draw upon themselves just punishment. [Then the prophetic mind, having made clear the impending punishment for these, turns the discourse to another person.] 8. "Bless, O nations, our God, and make heard the voice of his praise." For `make heard`, Symmachus said, `make it be heard`. They remain exhorting the nations to stand apart from their ancestral nations, and to praise their God, and to teach his power to those who are ignorant. For he said, "Make heard," instead of, And teach others. 9. "Who has set my soul to life; and has not allowed my feet to be moved." For though he delivered me to impious men, he did not allow me to be turned aside and
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Τοῦτο σαφέστερον ὁ Σύμμαχος εἴρηκε· Πάντες οἱ ἐπὶ γῆς προσκυνήσουσί σε μελῳδοῦντες, ᾄσουσι τὸ ὄνομά σου. Πρόῤῥησις δὲ ταῦτα τοῦ παρόντος καιροῦ, καθ' ὃν ἐν ἅπασι τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ὁ τῶν ὅλων ὑμνεῖται Θεός· καὶ ὁ ∆εσπότης Χριστὸς ὕψιστος παρὰ πάντων καλεῖται. εʹ. "∆εῦτε, καὶ ἴδετε τὰ ἔργα τοῦ Θεοῦ· ὡς φοβερὸς ἐν βουλαῖς, ὑπὲρ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων." Ἐπιστήσατε, φησὶ, τὸν νοῦν, καὶ κατανοήσατε τῶν ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ γινομένων ἕκαστον, καὶ τὴν ἄῤῥητον αὐτοῦ σοφίαν θαυμάσατε, δι' ἧς τὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων γένος ποδηγεῖται πρὸς εὐσέβειαν. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ ὁ Θεοδοτίων νενόηκε. "Φοβερὸς ἐν βουλαῖς ὑπὲρ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων·" ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος, Φοβερὰ μηχανήματα ὑπὲρ υἱῶν ἀνθρώπων. Φοβεραῖς γὰρ, φησὶ, καὶ θαυ μασταῖς μηχαναῖς, ὑπὲρ τῆς τῶν ἀνθρώπων κέχρηται σωτηρίας. Εἶτα διηγεῖται τὰ πάλαι γινόμενα. ʹ. "Ὁ μεταστρέφων τὴν θάλασσαν εἰς ξηράν· ἐν ποταμῷ διελεύσονται ποδί." Ὁ χρόνος ἐνταῦθα ἐνήλλακται· τὰ γὰρ παρεληλυθότα ὡς ἐσόμενα εἶ 80.1365 πεν. Οἱ δὲ ἄλλοι τὸν χρόνον ἐφύλαξαν. Καί φη σιν ὁ Σύμμαχος οὕτως, Μετέβαλε θάλασσαν εἰς ξηρὰν, ποταμὸν διέβησαν ποδί. Οὗτος γάρ ἐστι, φησὶν, ὁ Θεὸς, ὁ καὶ ἡμῖν τὴν σωτηρίαν δωρούμε νος. ὁ πάλαι καὶ θάλασσαν καὶ ποταμὸν διαστή σας, καὶ τοὺς ἡμετέρους προγόνους ἀκινδύνως δια βῆναι κελεύσας. [Καὶ τοῖς ἔθνεσι χαρισάμενος τὴν πάροδον· ἣν ποιούμενοι διὰ τῆς τοῦ λουτροῦ παλιγ γενεσίας ἀναπλάττονται· Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐκεῖ διὰ τῆς χειρὸς τοῦ μεγάλου Μωϋσέως διέσχισεν ἔνθα καὶ ἔνθα τὴν Ἐρυθρὰν, οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα διὰ τῆς χειρὸς τοῦ ἱερέως τὸν μὲν πιστεύοντα Χριστῷ λαὸν ἀνακαι νίζει, τὸν δὲ νοητὸν Φαραὼ μετὰ τῶν ἁρμάτων, τουτ έστι τὸν διάβολον μετὰ τῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν, βυθίζει. Ἴστε οἱ μεμυημένοι τί λέγω.] "Ἐκεῖ εὐφρανθησόμεθα ἐπ' αὐτῷ." Τουτέστι παρὰ τὸν Ἰορδάνην· [̔Ως καὶ οἱ ἐξ ἐθνῶν παρὰ τὴν θείαν κολυμβήθραν· καὶ γὰρ τότε ὁ Ἰορδάνης διέστη τῷ λαῷ, καὶ νῦν ὁ Ἰορδάνης ὑποδεξάμενος τὸν τοῦ παντὸς Ποιητήν τε καὶ ∆ημιουργὸν τὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων σωτηρίαν περιποιεῖ ται· τὸ γὰρ ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ὑπεισελθὸν λουτρὸν, ὁ Θεὸς καὶ Σωτὴρ ἡμῶν ἅπαντας ἡμᾶς ἀνεγέννησε δι' ὕδατος καὶ Πνεύματος.] Τούτου γὰρ μνημονεύσαντες, καὶ διδάξαντες ὅπως αὐτὸν παρῆλθον οἱ πρόγονοι, ἐπ ήγαγον· "Ἐκεῖ εὐφρανθησόμεθα ἐπ' αὐτῷ." ζʹ. "Τῷ δεσπόζοντι ἐν τῇ δυναστείᾳ αὑτοῦ τοῦ αἰῶνος." Ἀνώλεθρον ἔχει, φησὶ, τὸ κράτος, καὶ τὴν βασιλείαν ἀπέραντον. "Οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὰ ἔθνη ἐπιβλέπουσιν." Οὐ μόνον δὲ ἡμῶν κήδεται· ἀλλὰ καὶ πάσης προμηθεῖται τῆς οἰκου μένης, καὶ πᾶσι μικρὸν ὕστερον παρέξει τὴν οἰκείαν ἐπίγνωσιν. Οὕτω τοῦτο σαφῶς ὁ Προφήτης θεσπίσας, εἶτα τοῖς πνευματικοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς τοὺς ἀντιλέγοντας τῷ κηρύγματι θεασάμενος, ἐναργῶς κομιδῆ καὶ τὴν ἐκείνων ἀπιστίαν τε καὶ ἀλαζονείαν προλέγει. "Οἱ παραπικραίνοντες μὴ ὑψούσθωσαν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς." Τούτους ὁ μὲν Θεοδοτίων ἐκκλίνοντας κέκλη κεν· ἀφισταμένους δὲ ὁ Ἀκύλας. Σαφέστερον δὲ ὁ Σύμμαχος εἴρηκεν· Οἱ ἀπειθεῖς μὴ ὑψούσθω σαν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς. Ὁρῶμεν δὲ καὶ τῆσδε τῆς 80.1368 προφητείας τὸ τέλος. Αὐτοὶ γὰρ οἱ τρεῖς ἣ τέττα ρες, οἱ τῇ ἀσεβείᾳ προσμείναντες Ἕλληνες, μέγα παρ' ἑαυτοῖς φρονοῦσιν, ὡς μὴ συναπαχθέντες τῷ πλήθει. Τούτοις ὁ προφητικὸς παρακελεύεται λό γος· "Οἱ παραπικραίνοντες μὴ ὑψούσθωσαν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς." Παραπικραίνουσι γὰρ καθ' ἑαυτῶν τὸν δίκαιον κριτὴν, καὶ τὴν δικαίαν κόλασιν ἐπισπῶν ται. [Εἶτα τούτοις τὴν ἐπικειμένην τιμωρίαν δή λην ποιήσας ὁ προφητικὸς νοῦς ἐφ' ἕτερον μετατί θησι τὸν λόγον, πρόσωπον.] ηʹ. "Εὐλογεῖτε, ἔθνη, τὸν Θεὸν ἡμῶν, καὶ ἀκουτί σατε τὴν φωνὴν τῆς αἰνέσεως αὐτοῦ." Τὸ ἀκου τίσατε, ἀκουτιστὴν ποιήσατε ὁ Σύμμαχος εἴρηκε. Μένουσι δὲ τὰ ἔθνη παρακαλοῦντες ἀπο στῆναι μὲν τῶν πατρῴων ἐθνῶν, τὸν δὲ αὐτῶν ὑμνῆσαι Θεὸν, καὶ τὴν τούτου δύναμιν τοὺς ἀγνοοῦν τας διδάξαι. Τοῦτο γὰρ εἶπεν, "Ἀκουτίσατε," ἀντὶ τοῦ, Καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους διδάξατε. θʹ. "Τοῦ θεμένου τὴν ψυχήν μου εἰς ζωήν· καὶ μὴ δόντος εἰς σάλον τοὺς πόδας μου." Παρα δοὺς γὰρ δυσσεβέσιν ἀνθρώποις, οὐκ εἴασέ με παρατραπῆναι καὶ