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those who use them being called war; For the Lord is the one who shatters wars. 788a Ps 75,5-7 And the holy men, contemplating the eternal mountains, that is, the unseen and eternal things, from which God variously illuminates with the light of the knowledge of Christ, before the advent through prophets and Moses, and after it through apostles and evangelists, so that those who are enlightened become light, as Paul says: ‘The God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God.’ He added “wondrously” to “illuminates” because while others profess knowledge and thereby illuminate, God, more paradoxically leading to knowledge and wisdom through revelations and visions, wondrously illuminates from the aforementioned mountains. And if, scripture being of Judaea as has been said, its mountains are the lofty contemplations and the dogmas of piety, from these too God wondrously illuminates those who come to the knowledge of truth. And in many places of scripture, the intelligible mountains are also the angels, from whom again God illuminates, sending them for ministry on behalf of those who are to inherit salvation. To each of the editions will fit, “Approach the eternal mountains,” commanded by God to those who long for piety, while the prudent are benefited from the virtue present in them. For good understanding is for all who practice it. The foolish are disturbed by passions and evil, and at times also by deceivers both sensible and invisible, according to, “Their foolish heart was darkened.” For to be darkened and to be disturbed are the same thing; for each indicates ignorance, the mind being darkened in both cases. But he is called the God of Jacob, the ascetic and brave and just man, for the rebuke of the one who through his own laziness falls away from these things, being made liable to penalties.† It has been said by some that the bodies are the chariots and horses of souls. Having mounted these horses in a pleasure-loving way, they receive the beginning of sleeping, being dragged down into a blameworthy sleep, unlike those who discipline the body and bring it into subjection while sitting on the horses with knowledge. It is possible, at any rate, to see in scripture the rider for the most part named in a blameworthy sense, as also in Zechariah the prophet, the threat of God: “And I will strike every horse with confusion, and its rider with madness;” and in Moses, “Horse and rider he has thrown into the sea”— and the horseman taken in a praiseworthy sense; for Elisha said to Elijah, “Father, the chariot of Israel and its horseman;” and to the Savior it is proclaimed, “Mount your horses, and your riding is salvation.” 789a Ps 75,8 None of the poor is able to stand against God when he is angry, who instills fear in those being judged by overlooking nothing, inasmuch as he is the knower of hearts. For those who have their case before him as judge say, “If you, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?” But even if no one will be able to withstand his wrath since he is terrible, nevertheless he himself judges with mercy because of his inherent goodness; for, “I will sing of mercy and judgment to you, O Lord.” From heaven he makes judgment heard, judging by the principle of providence so that each may come to be for his own benefit. That in the prophecy of Amos agrees with the preceding, which has it thus: “The Lord who makes judgment in the height and has set righteousness on the earth.” For inasmuch as he is in heaven, he makes every judgment in the height; and inasmuch as he makes judgment heard from heaven, sending it to those on earth, he has set righteousness on earth, which is the end of judgments. 790a Ps 75,11 The thought is the hidden part of man. He who has this pure will gratefully confess to God. Then he will celebrate by doing what is beneficial, and he will be able to think true things. But if “He will confess” also means the declaration of sins, the meaning of the passage will be as follows: Since one who wishes to be perfectly holy must be pure not only in actions and words, he must also confess concerning the briefest thought, reproaching himself. this

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αὐτοῖς οἱ χρώμενοι πόλεμος καλούμενοι· Συντρίβων γὰρ πολέμους ὁ κύριός ἐστιν. 788a Ps 75,5-7 Καὶ οἱ αγιοι δὲ ανδρες ορη αἰώνια σκοποῦντες, λοιπὸν τὰ μὴ βλεπόμενα καὶ αἰώνια, ἀφ' ων φωτίζει θεὸς διαφόρως τὸ φῶς τῆς γνώσεως τοῦ Χριστοῦ, πρὸ μὲν τῆς ἐπιδημίας διὰ προφητῶν καὶ Μωυσέως, μετὰ δὲ ταύτην δι' ἀποστόλων καὶ εὐαγγελιστῶν ὡς τοὺς φωτιζομένους γίνεσθαι φῶς, λέγοντος Παύλου ̔Ο θεὸς ὁ εἰπὼν ̓Εκ σκότους φῶς λάμψαι ελαμψεν ἐν ταῖς καρδίαιςἡμῶν πρὸς φωτισμὸν τῆς γνώσεως τῆς δόξης τοῦ θεοῦ. Τὸ θαυμαστῶς δὲ τῷ φωτίζειν προσέθηκεν, οτι τῶν αλλων γνῶσιν ἐπαγγελλομένων καὶ ταύτῃ φωτίζειν θεὸς παραδοξότερον εἰς γνῶσιν καὶ σοφίαν αγων δι' ἀποκαλύψεών τε καὶ ὀπτασιῶν φωτίζει θαυμαστῶς ἀπὸ τῶν εἰρημένων ὀρῶν. εἰ δὲ καὶ ̓Ιουδαίας ουσης, ὡς ειρηται τῆς γραφῆς, ορη ταύτης αἱ ὑψηλαὶ θεωρίαι καὶ τὰ δόγματα τῆς θεοσεβείας, καὶ ἀπὸ τούτων θαυμαστῶς φωτίζει θεὸς τοὺς ἐρχομένους εἰς ἐπίγνωσιν ἀληθείας. πολλαχοῦ δὲ τῆς γραφῆς ορη νοητὰ καὶ οἱ αγγελοι ἀφ' ων πάλιν φωτίζει θεὸς ἀποστέλλων αὐτοὺς εἰς διακονίαν διὰ τοὺς μέλλοντας κληρονομεῖν σωτηρίαν. ἑκάστῃ δὲ τῶν ἐκδόσεων ἁρμόσει τὸ ̓Εγγίσατε ορεσιν αἰωνίοις, ὑπὸ θεοῦ τοῖς ποθοῦσιν εὐσέβειαν προσταττόμενον, τῶν μέντοι συνετῶν ἐκ τῆς παρούσης αὐτοῖς ἀρετῆς ὠφελουμένων. Σύνεσις γὰρ ἀγαθὴ πᾶσιν τοῖς ποιοῦσιν αὐτήν. οἱ ἀσύνετοι ὑπὸ παθῶν τε καὶ κακίας ταράττονται, ἐσθότε καὶ ὑπὸ ἀπατεώνων αἰσθητῶν καὶ ἀοράτων, κατὰ τὸ ̓Εσκοτίσθη ἡ ἀσύνετος αὐτῶν καρδία. ταὐτὸν γὰρ τὸ σκοτισθῆναι καὶ ταραχθῆναι· δηλοῖ γὰρ ἑκάτερον αγνοιαν, ἐπ' ἀμφοτέρων σκοτιζομένου τοῦ νοῦ. Θεὸς δὲ λέγεται ̓Ιακὼβ τοῦ ἀσκητικοῦ καὶ ἀνδρείου καὶ δικαίου πρὸς ελεγχον τοῦ διὰ ῥαθυμίαν ἰδίαν τούτων ἐκπίπτοντος ὑπευθύνου ἐπιτιμίοις καθισταμένου.† Ειρηταί τισιν ὡς ὀχήματα καὶ ιπποι τῶν ψυχῶν τὰ σώματα. ἐν τούτοις τοῖς ιπποις ἐπιβᾶσαι φιληδόνως ἀρχὴν τοῦ καθεύδειν δέχονται, καθελκόμενοι εἰς υπνον ψεκτὸν τῶν ὑποπιαζόντων τὸ σῶμα καὶ δουλαγωγούντων σὺν ἐπιστήμῃ τοῖς ιπποις ἐπικαθημένων. εστι γοῦν ἰδεῖν ἐν τῇ γραφῇ τὸν ἐπιβάτην ὡς ἐπὶ τὸ πλεῖστον ψεκτῶς ὠνομασμένον, ὡς καὶ ἐν Ζαχαρίᾳ τῷ προφήτῃ ἀπειλὴ θεοῦ· Καὶ πατάξω πάντα ιππον ἐν ἐκστάσει καὶ τὸν ἐπιβάτην ἐν παραφρονήσει· καὶ παρὰ Μωυσῇ Ιππον καὶ ἀναβάτην ερριψεν εἰς θάλασσαν- καὶ ἱππέα ἐπαινετῶς παραλαμβανόμενον· ειπε γοῦν πρὸς τὸν ̓Ηλίαν ̓Ελισσαῖος Πάτερ, αρμα ̓Ισραὴλ καὶ ἱππεὺς αὐτοῦ· καὶ πρὸς τὸν σωτῆρα ἀπαγγέλλεται ̓Επίβηθι ἐπὶ τοὺς ιππους σου, καὶ ἡ ἱππασία σου σωτηρία. 789a Ps 75,8 Οὐδεὶς οιός τέ ἐστιν τῶν πενήτων ὀργιζομένῳ θεῷ ἀντιστῆναι φόβον ἐμποιοῦντι τοῖς κρινομένοις τῷ μηδὲν παρορᾶν οσον ἐπὶ τῷ καρδιογνώστην ειναι. φασὶν γοῦν οἱ τὸν λόγον πρὸς αὐτὸν ὡς πρὸς κριτὴν εχοντες ̓Εὰν ἀνομίας παρατηρήσῃ, κύριε κύριε, τίς ὑποστήσεται; Πλὴν εἰ καὶ μηδεὶς ἀντιστῆναι τῇ ὀργῇ αὐτοῦ δυνήσεται οντος φοβεροῦ, ἀλλ' ουν αὐτὸς διὰ προσοῦσαν ἀγαθότητα σὺν ἐλέει καὶ κρίνει· Ελεος γὰρ καὶ κρίσιν ᾳσομαί σοι, κύριε. ̓Εξ οὐρανοῦ ἀκουτίζει κρίμα κρίνων τῷ προνοίας λόγῳ πρὸς τὸ εκαστον ὑπὸ ιδιον συμφέρον γενέσθαι. συνᾴδει τῷ προκειμένῳ τὸ ἐν προφητείᾳ τοῦ ̓Αμὼς ουτως εχων· Κύριος ποιῶν εἰς υψος κρίμα καὶ δικαιοσύνην εἰς γῆν εθηκεν. καθὸ γὰρ ἐν οὐρανῷ ἐστιν, ἐν υψει ποιεῖ πᾶν κρίμα· καθὸ δὲ ἀκουτίζει ἐξ οὐρανοῦ κρίσιν ἐκπέμπων αὐτὴν τοῖς ἐπὶ γῆς, δικαιοσύνην εἰς γῆν εθηκεν ουσαν τέλος τῶν κριμάτων. 790a Ps 75,11 ̓Ενθύμιόν ἐστι τὸ κρυπτὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου. ὁ τοῦτο καθαρεῦον εχων εὐχαρίστως ἐξομολογήσεται τῷ θεῷ. τότε ἑορτάσει ἐν τῷ πράττειν τὰ ὠφελοῦντα, καὶ φρονεῖν τἀληθῆ δυνήσεται. εἰ δὲ καὶ τὸ ̓Εξομολογήσεται τὴν ἐπὶ ἁμαρτήμασιν ἐξαγόρευσιν δηλοῖ, νόησις τοῦ προκειμένου εσται τοιαύτη· ἐπεὶ οὐκ ἐν μόναις πράξεσι καὶ λόγοις καθαρεύειν δεῖ τὸν θέλοντα ειναι τελείως αγιον, καὶ περὶ ἐνθυμήματος βραχυτάτου ἐξομολογεῖσθαι δεῖ κακίζοντα ἑαυτόν. τοῦτο