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He foretells the coming of the all-holy Spirit, which happened on the day of Pentecost, on which they themselves received the grace of the diversity of tongues. He says, therefore, that at that time, in which he divides the kingdom of the world for them, and commands one to rule over these nations, and another over those, he will make them brilliant, and show them to be like snow; and he foretells the place in which these things will happen. For he named Jerusalem Salmon; for in that place the choir of the apostles, abiding there, enjoyed the grace of the all-holy Spirit. ιʹ. "A mountain of God, a rich mountain, a curdled mountain, a rich mountain." Those whom he called living creatures, and evangelists, and kings, he also names a mountain. Thus also the Lord said in the holy Gospels: "A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden;" thus also Isaiah cries out: "In the last days the mountain of the Lord shall be manifest." He calls it rich and curdled, as providing much nourishment to the flocks grazing on it, and having received much richness from divine grace. ιζʹ. "Why do you suppose, O curdled mountains? The mountain which God was pleased to dwell in." But Aquila has it thus: Why do you contend, O high-peaked mountains, for the mountain which God desired to sit upon it? The prophetic word is directed to the Jews, and to the lawless assemblies of the heretics; who call themselves Churches; and he says, Why do you boastfully contend and compare yourselves 80.1388 to the mountain which God has declared his dwelling-place, "For the Lord will dwell there forever." For not as among you, O Jews, did he dwell for a certain stated time, so will he also abide in this one; but in this he will have an eternal dwelling. For this is what "forever" indicates. ιηʹ. "The chariot of God is ten thousandfold, thousands of flourishing ones." For not as among you, O Jews, did he have a few saints, on whom he rode, and with whom he communed, so will he have now. For ten thousand times more than those are the ones worthy of the divine mounting. And the new inheritance has thousands and myriads beyond number of those who are flourishing, and bearing fruit of piety to God, who are guided and deemed worthy of crowns, and who hasten to the prize of the upward call. "The Lord is among them, in Sinai, in the holy place." He who appeared on Sinai, he says, to our forefathers, he himself also drives these. For that one is not other, and this one other. "For the same is Lord of all, rich to all who call upon him." Thus the prophetic word, having shown him descending, and dissolving the phalanx of the enemies, shows him ascending, and bestowing freedom on those who were formerly captives. ιθʹ. "You have ascended on high, you have led captivity captive." The ascension signifies the descension; and the Apostle is a witness, saying: "Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens." He led captivity captive, having taken back those who had formerly been made captives; and as it were, having taken them captive in turn, and having bestowed freedom upon them. "You have received gifts among men." The Apostle has said "gave"; but both have happened. For receiving faith from those who approach, he bestows grace. [For so the choir of the apostles, having believed that he is God from God, was shown to be an heir of the kingdom of heaven; so myriads of the prize-winners and of those who lived a venerable life in the commonwealth were glorified, making their speeches for God.] "Even for the rebellious to dwell there." Aquila interpreted this more clearly, "although rebellious to dwell there." You did not look, he says, upon their former disobedience; but seeing them contradicting, you persisted in doing good, until you made them a dwelling-place of your own. 80.1389 κʹ. "Blessed be the Lord God; blessed be the Lord day by day." Rightly the Prophet moved his tongue to hymnody. You are always, he says, just to be hymned, having used such great philanthropy. "The God of our salvation will prosper us." He who [works] our salvation for us, he says,

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Προλέγει δὲ τοῦ παναγίου Πνεύματος τὴν ἐπιφοίτη σιν, τὴν κατὰ τὴν ἡμέραν τῆς Πεντηκοστῆς γενομέ νην, καθ' ἣν αὐτοὶ τῆς τῶν γλωσσῶν διαφορᾶς τὴν χάριν ἐδέξαντο. Λέγει τοίνυν, ὡς κατ' ἐκεῖνον τὸν καιρὸν, ἐν ᾧ τὴν τῆς οἰκουμένης αὐτοῖς διαιρεῖ βα σιλείαν, καὶ τῷ μὲν τούτων τῶν ἐθνῶν, τῷ δὲ ἐκείνων προστάττειν κελεύει, λαμπρυνεῖ αὐτοὺς, καὶ χιόνι δείξει παραπλησίους· προλέγει δὲ καὶ τὸν τόπον, ἐν ᾧ ταῦτα γενήσεται. Σελμὼν γὰρ τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ ὠνόμασεν· ἐν ἐκείνῃ γὰρ διάγων ὁ τῶν ἀποστόλων χορὸς, τῆς τοῦ παναγίου Πνεύματος ἀπ ήλαυσε χάριτος. ιʹ. "Ὄρος τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὄρος πῖον, ὄρος τετυρω μένον, ὄρος πῖον." Οὓς ἐκάλεσε ζῶα, καὶ εὐαγ γελιστὰς, καὶ βασιλεῖς, καὶ ὄρος ὀνομάζει. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ Κύριος ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς Εὐαγγελίοις ἔφη· "Οὐ δύναται πόλις κρυβῆναι ἐπάνω ὄρους κειμένη·" οὕτω καὶ ὁ Ἡσαΐας βοᾷ· "Ἔσται ἐν ταῖς ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις ἐμφανὲς τὸ ὄρος Κυρίου." Πῖον δὲ αὐτὸ καὶ τετυρωμένον καλεῖ, ὡς πολλὴν τροφὴν ταῖς ἐν αὐτῷ νεμομέναις ἀγέλαις παρέχον, καὶ πολλὴν ὑπὸ τῆς θείας χάριτος δεξάμενον τὴν πιό τητα. ιζʹ. "Ἱνατί ὑπολαμβάνετε ὄρη τετυρωμένα; τὸ ὄρος ὃ εὐδόκησεν ὁ Θεὸς κατοικεῖν ἐν αὐτῷ." Ὁ δὲ Ἀκύλας οὕτως· Εἰς τί ἐρίζετε, ὄρη ὠφρυωμένα, τὸ ὄρος ὃ ἐπεθύμησε ὁ Θεὸς τοῦ καθίσαι ἐπ' αὐ τό; Πρὸς Ἰουδαίους ὁ προφητικὸς ἀποτείνεται λό γος, καὶ πρὸς τοὺς παρανόμους τῶν αἱρετῶν συλ λόγους· οἳ Ἐκκλησίας σφᾶς ἑαυτοὺς ὀνομάζουσι· καί φησι, Τί ποτε ἐρίζειν καὶ παρισοῦσθαι ἀλα 80.1388 ζονεύεσθε τῷ ὄρει, ὃ οἰκητήριον ἀπέφηνεν ὁ Θεός, "Καὶ γὰρ ὁ Κύριος κατασκηνώσει εἰς τέλος." Οὐ γὰρ ὡς παρ' ὑμῖν, ὦ Ἰουδαῖοι, ῥητόν τινα ᾤκησε χρόνον, οὕτως καὶ ἐν τούτῳ διάξει· ἀλλ' αἰώνιον ἐν τούτῳ σχήσει τὴν οἴκησιν. Τοῦτο γὰρ δηλοῖ τὸ, εἰς τέλος. ιηʹ. "Τὸ ἅρμα τοῦ Θεοῦ, μυριοπλάσιον χιλιάδες εὐθηνούντων." Οὐ γὰρ ὡς παρ' ὑμῖν, ὦ Ἰου δαῖοι, ὀλίγους ἔσχεν ἁγίους, ὧν ἐπέβη, καὶ οἷς ἐκοι νώνησεν, οὕτω καὶ νῦν σχήσει. Μυριοπλάσιοι γὰρ ἐκείνων, οἱ τῆς θείας ἐπιβάσεως ἄξιοι. Καὶ ἀριθμοῦ κρείττους χιλιάδας καὶ μυριάδας εὐθηνούντων, καὶ καρποφορούντων τῷ Θεῷ τὴν εὐσέβειαν, ἡ νέα ἔχει κληρονομία, ἰθυνομένας καὶ τῶν στεφάνων ἀξιου μένας, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ βραβεῖον τῆς ἄνω κλήσεως ἐπει γομένας. "Κύριος ἐν αὐτοῖς, ἐν Σιναῒ, ἐν τῷ ἁγίῳ" Ὁ ἐν τῷ Σινᾷ, φησὶ, τοῖς ἡμετέροις προγόνοις ἐπι φανεὶς, αὐτὸς καὶ τούτους ἡνιοχεῖ. Οὐ γὰρ ἄλλος ἐκεῖνος, καὶ ἄλλος οὗτος. "Ὁ γὰρ αὐτὸς Κύριος πάντων, πλουτῶν εἰς πάντας τοὺς ἐπικαλουμένους αὐτόν." Οὕτω δείξας ὁ προφητικὸς λόγος κατα βεβηκότα, καὶ καταλύσαντα τῶν πολεμίων τὸ στίφος, δείκνυσιν αὐτὸν ἀνιόντα, καὶ τοῖς πάλαι αἰχμαλώ τοις τὴν ἐλευθερίαν δωρούμενον. ιθʹ. "Ἀνέβης εἰς ὕψος, ᾐχμαλώτευσας αἰχμαλω σίαν." Ἡ ἀνάβασις δηλοῖ τὴν κατάβασιν· καὶ μάρτυς ὁ Ἀπόστολος λέγων· "Τὸ δὲ ἀνέβη, τί ἐστιν, εἰ μὴ ὅτι καὶ κατέβη πρῶτον εἰς τὰ κατώτερα μέρη τῆς γῆς; Ὁ καταβὰς, αὐτός ἐστι καὶ ὁ ἀναβὰς ὑπεράνω πάντων τῶν οὐρανῶν." Ἠχμαλώτευσε δὲ αἰχμαλωσίαν, τοὺς πάλαι γεγενημένους αἰχμαλώτους ἀπολαβών· καὶ οἱονεὶ ἀνταιχμαλωτίσας, καὶ τὴν ἐλευθερίαν αὐτοῖς δωρησάμενος. "Ἔλαβες δόματα ἐν ἀνθρώποις." Ὁ Ἀπόστολος ἔδωκεν εἴρηκεν· ἀμφότερα δὲ γεγένηνται. Λαμβάνων γὰρ παρὰ τῶν προσιόντων τὴν πίστιν, δωρεῖται τὴν χάριν. [Οὕτω γὰρ ὁ τῶν ἀποστόλων πιστεύσας χορὸς, ὅτι Θεὸς ἐκ Θεοῦ ὑπάρχει, τῆς τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείας κληρονόμος ἀνεδείχθη· οὕτω μυριάδες τῶν ἀθλοφό ρων καὶ τῶν ἐπὶ πολιτείᾳ σεμνῶς βιοτευσάντων ὑπὲρ Θεοῦ ποιούμενοι τοὺς λόγους ἐδοξάσθησαν.] "Καὶ γὰρ ἀπειθοῦντας τοῦ κατασκηνῶσαι." Τοῦτο σαφέστε ρον ὁ Ἀκύλας ἡρμήνευσε, καίπερ ἀπειθεῖς τοῦ κατα σκηνῶσαι. Οὐκ ἀπέβλεψας, φησὶν, εἰς τὴν προτέ ραν αὐτῶν ἀπείθειαν· ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀντιλέγοντας ὁρῶν, ἐπέμεινας εὐεργετῶν, ἕως αὐτοὺς οἰκητήριον οἰκεῖον ἀπέφῃνας. 80.1389 κʹ. "Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς εὐλογητός· εὐλογητὸς Κύριος ἡμέραν καθ' ἡμέραν." Εἰκότως ὁ Προφήτης εἰς ὑμνῳδίαν τὴν γλῶτταν ἐκίνησεν. Ἀεὶ, φησὶν, ὑμνεῖ σθαι δίκαιος εἶ, τοσαύτῃ φιλανθρωπίᾳ χρησάμενος. "Κατευοδώσει ἡμῖν ὁ Θεὸς τῶν σωτηρίων ἡμῶν." Ὁ τὴν σωτηρίαν ἡμῖν, φησὶ,