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changing towards the other side. 770 Ps 72,22b.23a Well is it said, "I became like a beast before you." For in comparison to the father of wisdom and god of knowledge, all created beings are ignorant, according to what was said by Moses, when he saw the divine Word, "I am without reason (alogos)"; for how could not even the most eloquent be found without reason in comparison with the Word? For this reason it was said again by the same Moses, "I am not eloquent, neither yesterday nor the day before, nor since you have spoken to your servant; for I am slow of speech and of a slow tongue." For he did not simply say that he was slow of speech and of a slow tongue and that he was not eloquent before ** for he was eloquent ** but after ** "since you have spoken to your servant" *** For this reason also Abraham said to the creator, "Since I have begun to speak to the Lord, I who am but earth and ashes," which he did not know before he spoke to God. It is shown through "I became," that he was not disturbed by sin among men, but that he does not see these things in the same way, as he brings them about by his own wise providence. But it is not for just anyone to say, "I am continually with you," but only for one who has virtue and piety in an ordered and even manner, [not] for one who succeeds only at intervals. 771 Ps 72,27.28 Since God is not in a place, no one is spatially distant from him, but in relation and disposition, the unjust and wicked being understood as far from the just and good and cause of all things; and since drawing near to him by the assumption of virtue saves the one who approaches, to stand away from him by having wickedness and impiety brings destruction. To be far from God is the same as to sin. Therefore it is rightly said that "Behold, those who remove themselves will perish," not those who have removed themselves, because those who have sinned are not destroyed if they put an end to their sinning through repentance. For this reason also, "He who commits sin," not "he who has committed sin," "is a slave of it." While many have set in motion long and numerous arguments concerning the substance of the good, the wise man presented its existence through brevity, saying that the good is properly to cling to God and to place one's hope in him. And it has already been said that the gates of Sion are virtues and introductions to perfection, and every soul that has come to be according to it and near it is called a daughter of Sion. 772a Ps 73,1b He asks what is the cause of having fallen subject to those standing around, so that by preventing it they might have the things that depart with it and the things present for its sake. God pushes away the sinner, after that one first cast himself off; "For him who comes to me I will by no means cast out," said the Lord.

773a Ps 73,1c Do not think of the anger and wrath of God according to our way; away with the

absurdity. For there is no human passion in God, but through the words spoken he hints at the exceeding aversion which he says the sheep of his pasture endure. And the pasture of God is the oracles of the spirit, such as the law and the prophets, in which, just as a shepherd [pastures] sheep, he pastures the just. 774a Ps 73,13.14 For a higher contemplation, the sea is taken to be the whole life of men. This, in his own power, God made strong, so as to lead it from a great storm and most violent surge to fair weather and calm, so that those who tread upon it may walk as through dry land, according to what was said, "Who turns the sea into dry land." Therefore the Savior crushed the many heads of many dragons, but also the many heads of one, upon the water, the water being understood as wickedness or the unstable and troubled affairs of life. For in such water the dragons operate harmfully, and the one who is superior to them, about whom it is written that he is king of all things in the waters and that he dwells in the sea. For "this sea is great and wide;" showing the turmoil of affairs and wickedness, it says, "In it swim small animals with great," and ships pass through it "to play with the dragon in it, which was formed for this." Therefore, the many dragons whose heads are crushed are the

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μεταβάλλουσα πρὸς θάτερα. 770 Ps 72,22b.23a Καλῶς τὸ Κτηνώδης ἐγενόμην παρὰ σοί. ὡς γὰρ πρὸς τὸν πατέρα τῆς σοφίας καὶ θεὸν τῆς γνώσεως πάντες οἱ γενητοὶ ἀγνοοῦντές εἰσιν, κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον ὑπὸ Μωυσέως, οτε ειδεν τὸν θεὸν λόγον, ̓Εγὼ αλογός εἰμι· πῶς γὰρ οὐ συγκρίσει λόγου καὶ ὁ λογιώτατος αλογος εὑρίσκετο; ταύτῃ ειρηται πάλιν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ Μωυσέως Οὐ εἰμι ἱκανὸς πρὸ τῆς χθὲς καὶ τρίτης ἀφ' ου ηρξω λαλεῖν τῷ θεράποντί σου· ἰσχνόφωνος καὶ βραδύγλωσσος ἐγώ εἰμι. οὐ γὰρ ἁπλῶς ειπεν ἰσχνόφωνον καὶ βραδύγλωσσον καὶ τὸ μὴ ἱκανὸν ειναι ἑαυτῷ πρὶν ** λόγιος γὰρ ** ἀλλὰ μετὰ ** τοῦ ̓Αφ' ου ηρξω λαλεῖν τῷ θεράποντί σου *** Ταύτῃ καὶ ὁ ̓Αβραὰμ πρὸς τὸν κτίστην ειπεν ̓Επεὶ ἠρξάμην λαλεῖν πρὸς τὸν κύριον, ἐγὼ δέ εἰμι γῆ καὶ σποδός, οπερ ἠγνόει πρὶν λαλῆσαι θεῷ Παρίσταται δὲ διὰ τοῦ ̓Εγενήθην, ὡς οὐδ' ἁμαρτίαν ἐταράττετο ἐπὶ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, ἀλλ' οτι οὐχ ουτως αὐτὰ θεωρεῖ ὡς ἐπιφέρων αὐτὰ τῇ αὐτοῦ σοφῇ προνοίᾳ. οὐ τοῦ τυχόντος δ' εστι τὸ εἰπεῖν ̓Εγὼ διαπαντὸς μετὰ σοῦ, η μόνου τοῦ τεταγμένως καὶ ὁμαλῶς ἀρετὴν καὶ εὐσέβειαν εχοντος τοῦ ἐκ διαστημάτων κατορθοῦντος. 771 Ps 72,27.28 ̓Επεὶ μὴ ἐν τόπῳ ὁ θεὸς, τοπικῶς οὐδεὶς αὐτοῦ διίσταται, ἀλλὰ σχέσει καὶ διαθέσει τοῦ ἀδίκου καὶ πονηροῦ μακρὰν νοουμένου τοῦ δικαίου καὶ ἀγαθοῦ καὶ πάντων αἰτίου· καὶ ἐπεὶ τὸ ἐγγίζειν αὐτῷ ἀρετῆς ἀναλήψει σῴζει τὸν πλησιάζοντα, τὸ ἀφίστασθαι αὐτοῦ τῷ κακίαν καὶ ἀσεβείαν ἐσχηκέναι ἀπώλειαν φέρει. ταὐτὸν τὸ μακρύνεσθαι θεοῦ τῷ ἁμαρτάνειν. εἰκότως ουν ειρηται οτι ̓Ιδοὺ οἱ μακρύνοντες ἑαυτοὺς ἀπολοῦνται, οὐχ οἱ μακρύναντες τῷ μὴ τοὺς ἡμαρτηκότας ἀπόλλυσθαι τῷ ἁμαρτάνειν τέλος ἐπιβάλλοντας διὰ μετανοίας. ταύτῃ καὶ ̔Ο ποιῶν ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁ ποιήσας τὴν ἁμαρτίαν δοῦλός ἐστιν αὐτῆς. Πολλῶν κινησάντων μακροὺς καὶ πλείονας λόγους περὶ τῆς τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ οὐσίας, διὰ βραχυλογίας ὁ σοφὸς παρέστησεν αὐτοῦ τὴν υπαρξιν, εἰπὼν κυρίως ἀγαθὸν ειναι τὸ προσκολλᾶσθαι τῷ θεῷ καὶ ἐπ' αὐτῷ τίθεσθαι τὴν ἐλπίδα. ειρηται δὲ ηδη ὡς ἀρεταὶ καὶ εἰς τὴν τελειότητα εἰσαγωγαὶ αἱ πύλαι τῆς Σιών εἰσιν, θυγάτηρ δὲ Σιὼν πᾶσα γινομένη ἡ γενηθεῖσα κατ' αὐτὴν καὶ πρὸς αὐτῇ ψυχὴ χρηματίζουσα. 772a Ps 73,1b Πυνθάνεται τίς ἡ αἰτία τοῦ ὑποπεσεῖν τοῖς περιεστηκόσι, ινα κωλύσαντες αὐτὴν συναπερχόμενα σχῶσι καὶ τὰ αὐτῆς ενεκα παρόντα. ̓Απωθεῖται ὁ θεὸς τὸν ἁμαρτάνοντα, ἐκείνου πρότερον ἀποσχοινίσαντος ἑαυτόν· Τὸν γὰρ ἐρχόμενον πρός με οὐ μὴ ἐκβάλλω εξω, ειπεν ὁ κύριος.

773a Ps 73,1c ̓Οργὴν τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ θυμὸν μὴ καθ' ἡμᾶς νόμιζε· απαγε τῆς

ἀτοπίας. περὶ γὰρ τὸν θεὸν οὐδὲν πάθος ἀνθρώπινον ἀλλὰ τὴν ὑπερβάλλουσαν ἀποστροφὴν διὰ τῶν εἰρημένων αἰνίττεται λέξεων ην ὑπομένειν φησὶ πρόβατα νομῆς αὐτοῦ. νομὴ δὲ τοῦ θεοῦ τὰ λόγια τοῦ πνεύματος, νόμος οιον καὶ προφῆται, ἐν οις καθάπερ ποιμὴν πρόβατα τοὺς δικαίους νέμει. 774a Ps 73,13.14 Πρὸς θεωρίαν ἀνηγμένην θάλασσα πᾶς ὁ τῶν ἀνθρώπων βίος λαμβάνεται. τοῦτον ἐν τῇ δυνάμει ἑαυτοῦ ὁ θεὸς ἐκραταίωσεν ὡς ἐκ πλείονος χειμῶνος καὶ σφοδροτάτης ζάλης εἰς εὐδίαν καὶ γαλήνην ἀγαγεῖν, ιν' οἱ πατοῦντες αὐτὴν ὡς διὰ ξηρᾶς βαδίζωσι κατὰ τὰ λεχθέντα ̔Ο μεταστρέφων τὴν θάλασσαν εἰς ξηράν. πλειόνων ουν δρακόντων πολλὰς κεφαλὰς ἀλλὰ καὶ ἑνὸς πολλὰς κεφαλὰς συνέθλασεν ἐπὶ τοῦ υδατος ὁ σωτήρ, υδατος νοουμένου τῆς κακίας η τῶν ἀστάτων καὶ τεταραγμένων πραγμάτων τοῦ βίου. ἐν τῷ τοιούτῳ γὰρ υδατι ἐνεργοῦσι βλαπτικῶς οἱ δράκοντες, καὶ ὁ τούτων ὑπερέχων εις περὶ ου γέγραπται ὡς βασιλεὺς ειη πάντων τῶν ἐν τοῖς υδασι καὶ ὡς ἐν θαλάσσῃ διατρίβει. Αυτη γὰρ ἡ θάλασσα ἡ μεγάλη καὶ εὐρύχωρος· δεικνὺς τὴν ταραχὴν τῶν πραγμάτων καὶ τὴν κακίαν λέγει ̓Εν ταύτῃ ζῷα μικρὰ μετὰ μεγάλων ἐννήχεται καὶ διαπορεύεται πλοῖα ἐπὶ τῷ ἐμπαίζειν τῷ ἐν αὐτῇ δράκοντι εἰς τοῦτο πεπλασμένῳ. Πλείονες ουν δράκοντες ων συντρίβονται αἱ κεφαλαὶ οἱ