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of the gentiles and of the people from the circumcision to take the verse, the one from the circumcision having been humbled and the one from the gentiles having been exalted. 784 Ps 74,9 A contradiction seems to be signified by the cup being full of a mixture, with unmixed wine being in it. But "unmixed" is not opposed to "mixture"; for the word "akratos" (unmixed) is a homonym, signifying at one time the wine itself, such that it makes no difference to say "wine" or "unmixed", at another time it represents wine that is unmixed with water. And it represents a third meaning, when, a mixture having been made from wine and water with the wine prevailing, we call the mixture "unmixed". Therefore, the third meaning clarifies the present saying, with God mixing mercy and a good intention into the mixture for those being judged, so that the one being punished might not be punished worthily for what he did, since no one would withstand it if, observing the sins that have been committed, God brought on the judgment according to which the lawless one is punished. This cup in the hand of God is inclined from one to another because often the one to be punished for the evil things he did is justified out of repentance, and the one who seemed for a short time to be good, changes. However, although it inclines from this to that, he does not pour out the dregs on human beings, but on the sinners of the earth, that is, on the devil and the wicked demons. 785a Ps 74,10.11 When those who speak unjustly against God have been refuted and the following things have been accomplished, I give thanks for not being found liable for any of the charges; wherefore I also rejoice and will sing psalms forever to the God of the patriarch Jacob, who has given strength to me as to him to break all the horns of the sinners which they used against the weaker, being goring bulls. Who these are was declared in the phrase, "The assembly of bulls among the heifers of the peoples." But having said this he did not add, "And my horns will be exalted," but "Of the righteous one." This is customary for the saints on account of their inherent humility; and they teach that it is possible for every person who is in Christ the righteous one, who crushed the horns of the sinners, for his horn to be exalted. And it is also good to speak of the sinners in the plural, whose horns are crushed, but of the righteous one in the singular, whose horns are exalted. For every sinner is a multitude because the vices do not coexist with one another, as the virtues are found to follow one another because they are means. Therefore even if many people have righteousness (and this is virtue as a whole), they are called righteous in the singular.
786a Ps 75,2 To be known and the knowable are not the same, since that which is unknown is also knowable when it is capable of being known. Therefore, God being knowable in Judaea in the manner described, it follows that in Israel that inhabits Judaea his name is great, I mean, of the one who is knowable. 787a Ps 75,3.4 In every way we must drive away the disturbance of the passions and the war of vices, so that having the peace which surpasses all understanding we may become a place for God. For thus we will also be his dwelling place, proposing to be observers of truth and virtue; for his dwelling place happens to be in the Sion which has been rendered. The things that have been said will be referred to the holy church, being a place of God founded in peace and his dwelling place. For it says, "Sing psalms to the Lord who dwells in Sion." and since these things have been accomplished not by our own power but by the grace of God, the text, attributing the cause of peace to him, says, "There he broke the power of the bows, the shield and the sword and the war." For thus peace has come into being in which the place of God is, with the powers of the bows having been shattered, from which the evil one, sending his flaming arrows, used to cause passions and disordered movements, of which he was also the cause. along with the aforementioned bows also the related weapons and sword are shattered and along with
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ἐθνῶν καὶ ἐκ περιτομῆς λαοῦ λαβεῖν τὸν στίχον, ταπεινωθέντος τοῦ ἐκ περιτομῆς καὶ ὑψωθέντος τοῦ ἀπὸ ἐθνῶν. 784 Ps 74,9 ̓Εναντίωμα δοκεῖ σημαίνεσθαι ἐκ τοῦ πλῆρες ειναι τὸ ποτήριον κεράσματος, ἀκράτου οινου οντος ἐν αὐτῷ. οὐκ ἀντίκειται δὲ τὸ ακρατον τῷ κεράσματι· ἡ γὰρ ακρατος φωνὴ ὁμώνυμος, δηλοῦσα ποτὲ αὐτὸν τὸν οινον ὡς μὴ διαφέρειν οινον η ακρατον εἰπεῖν, αλλοτε παριστᾷ τὸν ἀμιγῶς εχοντα πρὸς υδωρ οινον. παριστᾷ δὲ καὶ τρίτον σημαινόμενον, οταν κράματος γενομένου ἐξ οινου καὶ υδατος ἐπικρατοῦντος τοῦ οινου ακρατον λέγωμεν τὸ κρᾶμα. τὸ τρίτον τοίνυν σημαινόμενον δηλοῖ τὸ προκείμενον ῥητόν, τοῦ θεοῦ καταμιγνῦντος τῷ κράματι τῷ πρὸς τοὺς κρινομένους ελεον καὶ χρηστὴν πρόθεσιν ωστε μὴ ἐπαξίως τιμωρηθῆναι οις εδρασεν ὁ κολαζόμενος, οὐδενὸς αν ὑφισταμένου εἰ τὰς γενομένας ἁμαρτίας παρατηρούμενος ὁ θεὸς ἐπήγαγε τὸ κρίμα καθὸ κολάζεται ὁ ἠνομικώς. Τοῦτο τὸ ποτήριον ἐν τῇ χειρὶ τοῦ θεοῦ κλίνεται ἐξ αλλου εἰς αλλο τῷ πολλάκις τὸν κολαστέον δι' α ἐποίησεν κακὰ ἐκ μετανοίας δικαιοῦσθαι καὶ τὸν δόξαντα πρὸς ὀλίγον ειναι ἀγαθὸν μεταπίπτειν. πλὴν εἰ καὶ κλίνει ἐκ τούτου εἰς τοῦτο, οὐκ ἐκχεῖ εἰς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ὁ τρυγίας ἀλλ' εἰς τοὺς ἁμαρτωλοὺς τῆς γῆς εις τε τὸν διάβολον καὶ τοὺς ἀλιτηρίους δαίμονας. 785a Ps 74,10.11 ̓Ελεγχθέντων τῶν κατὰ τοῦ θεοῦ αδικα λαλούντων καὶ τῶν ἑπομένων τελεσθέντων, ἐγὼ εὐχαριστῶ μὴ ὑπεύθυνος εὑρεθείς τινι τῶν ἐγκληθέντων· οθεν καὶ ἀγαλλιῶ καὶ ψαλῶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τῷ θεῷ τοῦ πατριάρχου ̓Ιακὼβ ἰσχὺν δεδωκότι μοι ὡς ἐκείνῳ ἐπὶ τῷ συγκλάσαι πάντα τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν τὰ κέρατα οις ἐχρῶντο κατὰ τῶν ἀσθενεστέρων τυγχάνοντες ταῦροι κερατισταί. τίνες δὲ ουτοι ἐδηλώθη ἐν τῷ ̔Η συναγωγὴ τῶν ταύρων ἐν ταῖς δαμάλεσι τῶν λαῶν. εἰπὼν δὲ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐπήνεγκεν Καὶ ὑψωθήσεται τὰ κέρατά μου, ἀλλὰ Τοῦ δικαίου. σύνηθες τοῦτο τοῖς ἁγίοις διὰ προσοῦσαν ἀτυφίαν· καὶ διδάσκουσιν ὡς ὑπάρξαι παντὶ ἀνθρώπῳ ἐν Χριστῷ οντι δικαίῳ συντρίψαντι τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν τὰ κέρατα τὸ ὑψωθῆναι τὸ κέρας αὐτοῦ. Ευ δὲ καὶ τὸ φάναι πληθυντικῶς μὲν τοὺς ἁμαρτωλοὺς ων τὰ κέρατα συντρίβεται, ἑνικῶς δὲ τὸν δίκαιον ου ὑψοῦται τὰ κέρατα. πλῆθος γὰρ πᾶς ἁμαρτωλὸς τῷ μὴ συνυπάρχειν ἀλλήλαις τὰς κακίας ωσπερ τὰς ἀρετὰς ἀντακολουθούσας ἀλλήλαις εὑρίσκεσθαι διὰ τὸ ειναι μεσότητας. καν τοίνυν πολλοὶ ανθρωποι δικαιοσύνην εχωσιν (αυτη δέ ἐστιν ἡ καθόλου ἀρετή), ἑνικῶς δίκαιος καλοῦνται.
786a Ps 75,2 Οὐ ταὐτὸν τὸ γινώσκεσθαι καὶ τὸ γνωστόν, γνωστοῦ οντος καὶ
τοῦ ἀγνοουμένου οταν γνωσθῆναι δυνατῶς εχῃ. οντος τοιγαροῦν τρόπῳ τῷ λεχθέντι ἐν τῇ ̓Ιουδαίᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ γνωστοῦ, ἀκολούθως ἐν τῷ οἰκοῦντι τὴν ̓Ιουδαίαν ̓Ισραὴλ μέγα ἐστὶ τὸ ονομα αὐτοῦ, φημὶ δὲ τοῦ γνωστοῦ. 787a Ps 75,3.4 Παντὶ τρόπῳ ἀποδιωκτέον τὴν τῶν παθῶν ταραχὴν καὶ τὸν τῶν κακιῶν πόλεμον, ιν' εἰρήνην τὴν ὑπερέχουσαν πάντα νοῦν εχοντες τόπος γενώμεθα θεοῦ. ουτω γὰρ καὶ κατοικητήριον αὐτοῦ ἐσόμεθα, σκοπευτικοὶ τῆς ἀληθείας καὶ ἀρετῆς προθέμενοι ειναι· τὸ γὰρ κατοικητήριον αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ ἀποδοθείσῃ Σιὼν τυγχάνει. ̓Αναχθήσεται τὰ εἰρημένα εἰς τὴν ἁγίαν ἐκκλησίαν ουσαν τόπον θεοῦ ἐν εἰρήνῃ ἱδρυμένην καὶ τὸ κατοικητήριον αὐτοῦ. Ψάλατε γάρ φησι τῷ κυρίῳ τῷ κατοικοῦντι ἐν Σιών. καὶ ἐπεὶ μὴ ἐκ δυνάμεως ἡμῶν ἀλλὰ χάριτι θεοῦ κατώρθωται ταῦτα, αὐτῷ τὴν αἰτίαν τῆς εἰρήνης ἀναφέρων ὁ λόγος φησὶν ̓Εκεῖ συνέτριψεν τὰ κράτη τῶν τόξων, οπλον καὶ ῥομφαίαν καὶ πόλεμον. ουτω γὰρ εἰρήνη ὑπῆρκται ἐν ῃ ὁ τόπος τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστιν, συντριβέντων τῶν κρατούντων τῶν τόξων ἀφ' ων ὁ πονηρὸς πέμπων τὰ πεπυρωμένα βέλη αὐτοῦ ἐνεποίει πάθη καὶ ατακτα κινήματα, ων καὶ αιτιος ην. σὺν τοῖς εἰρημένοις τόξοις καὶ τὰ συγγενῆ οπλα καὶ ῥομφαία συντρίβεται καὶ σὺν