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his height of the rocks. It indicates both the security and the height of the philosophical life, which one pursuing with bread and water in faith, having completed the present life, will have as the end of such an ascetic practice the vision of the king. Concerning whom he prophesied, beginning from, "Behold, a righteous king shall reign, and rulers shall rule with judgment." And they say it is likely that Christ was also spoken of in this way, in whom, like some cave or sheepfold, the Church is understood as having stability, according to: "And upon this rock I will build my Church," in which to those who dwell there Christ, the bread of life, is given from the Father, and the faithful water of divine baptism, from which comes all security for those who receive them. And they shall behold the king, the Lord, who, not yet having received the land of the meek, will see it from afar with the eyes of the mind from the present life, making the fear of God a practice. But some have understood "from afar" in reference to the lawless, that they will see the land of promise but will not be in it, but will have the burning fire, who will also be in fear of their own condemnation, having been cast far away from that land. Reproaching them because they obeyed evil teachers, he says: Where are those who know only the letter of the law? To whom the Savior said: "Woe to you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites." For where will these appear, he says, on the day of judgment, having flattered their students instead of giving good counsel? But Symmachus rendered it: He who numbers the perverted, the shameless people. You will not see a people of heavy lips, so as not to hear a dialect of a tongue. Calling shameless those who have been nourished by their teachings, who will not see the people heavy of lip, nor will they hear, being without understanding of a dialect of a tongue, concerning which he said: And the stammering tongues will quickly learn to speak peace. For if they had seen the one of deep voice, they would not have listened as a debased people. 2301 But some say "gathering together," because by the opinion of the teachers they turned together against Christ, crying out to Pilate and preferring Barabbas, having heard no good counsel, nor having learned from them that he is the one of deep voice. For he spoke in parables according to: "I will open my mouth in parables." But being without understanding, they did not discern the envy of the teachers. For they would not have listened, being debased. But some have explained the whole saying thus. That the coming plague upon the Assyrians not only those near them, but also those far off will learn of, and the impious of Jerusalem will be ashamed. But the prophet, they say, avoiding to speak of the evil deeds of the disobedient Jews, being material for fire, seeks another, who lives righteously, to speak, as if he would say to them that they are storing up wrath for themselves. And the phrase, stopping his ears, that he may not hear a judgment of blood, that is, not cooperating in murder. For he who has the aforementioned things, he says, will have a firm standing, enjoying divine goods. But it is fitting for those enlightened by the word, also to see the king of glory, having been delivered from worldly passion, and gazing upon the good things that are hoped for. For this is what seeing the land from afar means, in no way approaching earthly things. And historically it indicates Hezekiah who ruled Jerusalem after these things, who, having dedicated himself to God, became renowned, in whose time universal signs occurred, the turning back of the sun and the addition to the day. Seeing which, you will fear God, repenting of the things you were persuaded of by the scribes and ventriloquists who counseled concerning Egyptian aid, whom he calls "deep-voiced," as speaking indistinctly. For all these are a people of vanity, and debased, not leading the hearer to an understanding of what is necessary. 9Behold Zion the city, your eyes shall see our salvation, Jerusalem a rich city, tents which shall not be shaken, nor shall the stakes of her tent be moved for all time, nor shall her cords be broken, for the name of the Lord is great to you, a place it will be for you, rivers and

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πετρῶν τὸ ὕψος αὐτοῦ. Τοῦ φιλοσόφου δὲ βίου τὸ ἀσφαλές τε καὶ τὸ ὕψος δηλοῖ, ὅν τις μετιὼν ἄρτῳ καὶ ὕδατι μετὰ πίστεως τὴν παροῦσαν διανύσας ζωὴν, τέλος ἕξει τῆς τοιαύτης ἀσκήσεως τοῦ βασιλέως τὴν θέαν. Περὶ οὗ προεφήτευεν, ἀρξάμενος ἀπὸ τοῦ, "Ἰδοὺ βασιλεὺς δίκαιος βασιλεύσει καὶ ἄρχοντες μετὰ κρίσεως ἄρξουσιν." Εἰκὸς δέ φασι, καὶ Χριστὸν οὕτως εἰρῆσθαι, ἐν ᾧ, καθάπερ τι σπήλαιον ἢ προβάτων σηκὸς ἡ Ἐκκλησία νοεῖται τὸ πάγιον ἔχουσα, κατὰ τό· "Καὶ ἐπὶ ταύτῃ τῇ πέτρᾳ οἰκοδομήσω μου τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, ἣν τοῖς οἰκοῦσιν ἄρτος δίδοται ζωῆς ὁ Χριστὸς παρὰ τοῦ Πατέρος, καὶ πιστὸν ὕδωρ τὸ τοῦ θείου βαπτίσματος, ἐξ ὧν ἡ πᾶσα τοῖς λαβοῦσιν ἀσφάλεια. Καὶ τὸν βασιλέα κατόψονται Κύριον, οἳ καὶ μήπω λαβόντες τῶν πραέων τὴν γῆν, πόῤῥωθεν, αὐτὴν ὄμμασι διανοίας ἐκ τοῦ παρόντος ὄψονται βίου, τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸν φόβον διὰ μελέτης ποιούμενοι. Τινὲς δὲ περὶ τῶν ἀνόμων ἐξέλαβον τὸ πόῤῥωθεν, αὐτοὺς τὴν γῆν τῆς ἐπαγγελίας ἰδεῖν οὐκ ἐν αὐτῇ γενησομένους, τὸ δὲ καιόμενον ἔχοντας πῦρ, οἳ καὶ τῆς ἑαυτῶν κατακρίσεως ἐν φόβῳ γενήσονται μακρὰν ἀποῤῥιφέντες ἐκείνης τῆς γῆς. Οἷς ὀνειδίζων, ὅτι κακοῖς διδασκάλοις ἐπείθοντο, φησί· Ποῦ οἱ τὸ γράμμα μόνον εἰδότες τοῦ νόμου; Πρὸς οὓς ἔφασκεν ὁ Σωτήρ· "Οὐαὶ ὑμῖν, Γραμματεῖς καὶ Φαρισαῖοι ὑποκριταί." Ποῦ γὰρ οὗτοι φανήσονται, φησὶν, ἐν ἡμέρᾳ τῆς κρίσεως, ἀντὶ συμβουλῆς ἀγαθῆς τοὺς μαθητὰς κολακεύσαντες; Ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος ἐξέδωκεν· Ὁ ἀριθμῶν τοὺς ἐκτετραμμένους, τὸ λαὸν τὸν ἀναιδῆ. Οὐκ ὄψει λαὸν βαρὺν χείλεσιν, ὥστε μὴ ἀκούειν διάλεκτον γλώσσης. Ἀναιδεῖς καλῶν τοὺς ταῖς αὐτῶν διδασκαλίαις ἐκτεθραμμένους, οἳ οὐκ ὄψονται τὸν βαρὺν λαὸν τοῖς χείλεσιν, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ ἀκούσουσιν, ἀσύνετοι ὄντες διαλέκτου γλώττης, περὶ ἧς ἔφασκε· Καὶ αἱ γλῶσσαι αἱ ψελλίζουσαι ταχὺ μαθήσονται λαλεῖν εἰρήνην. Εἰ γὰρ εἶδον τὸν βαθύφωνον, οὐκ ἂν ἤκουσαν λαὸς πεφαυλισμένος. 2301 Τινὲς δὲ συστρεφομένους φασὶν, ἐπειδὴ γνώμῃ τῶν διδασκάλων ἐπὶ Χριστὸν συνεστράφησαν καταβοῶντες πρὸς Πιλάτον καὶ τὸν Βαραββὰν τοῦ προτιμήσαντες μηδεμιᾶς ἀγαθῆς ἀκούσαντες συμβουλῆς, μηδὲ μαθόντες παρ' αὐτῶν ὡς αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ βαθύφωνος. ∆ιὰ παραβολῶν γὰρ ἐλάλει κατὰ τό· "Ἀνοίξω ἐν παραβολαῖς τὸ στόμα μου." Ἀσύνετοι δὲ ὄντες τὸν τῶν διδασκάλων οὐ διέκρινον φθόνον. Οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἤκουσαν πεφαυλισμένοι. Τὸ δὲ ῥητὸν ὅλον οὕτω τινὲς ἐξηγήσαντο. Ὡς τὴν μέλλουσαν Ἀσσυρίοις πληγὴν οὐχ οἱ πλησίον μόνον αὐτῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ πόῤῥω μαθήσονται, καὶ οἱ τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἀσεβεῖς αἰσχυνθήσονται. Φεύγων δὲ, φασὶν, ὁ προφήτης τὰ ἔργα τὰ πονηρὰ τῶν ἀπειθῶν Ἰουδαίων εἰπεῖν, ὕλην ὄντα πυρὸς, ἕτερον ζητεῖ τὸν ἐροῦντα δικαίως πολιτευόμενον, ὡς ἂν εἴποι πρὸς αὐτοὺς, ὡς ὀργὴν ἑαυτοῖς θησαυρίζουσι. Τὸ δὲ, βαρύνων τὰ ὦτα, ἵνα μὴ ἀκούσῃ κρίσιν αἵματος, τοῦτ' ἔστι πρὸς φόνον μὴ συνεργῶν. Ὁ γὰρ ἔχων τὰ εἰρημένα φησὶν, στάσιν ἕξει βεβαίαν τῶν θείων ἀγαθῶν ἀπολαύων. Τοὺς δὲ φωτισθέντας ὑπὸ τοῦ λόγου, καὶ τὸν βασιλέα τῆς δόξης βλέπειν ἀκόλουθον ἀπαλλαγέντας μὲν τῆς κοσμικῆς προσπαθείας, ἀγαθοῖς δὲ τοῖς ἐλπισθεῖσιν ἐνατενίζοντας. Τοῦτο γὰρ δηλοῖ τὸ τὴν γῆν ἰδεῖν πόῤῥωθεν, τοῖς γηΐνοις μηδαμῶς πλησιάζοντας. Μηνύει δὲ καὶ καθ' ἱστορίαν τὸν ἄρξαντα μετὰ ταῦτα τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ Ἐζεκίαν, ὃς ἀναθεὶς ἑαυτὸν τῷ Θεῷ γέγονεν εὐκλεὴς, ἐφ' οὗ σημεῖα γέγονεν οἰκουμενικὰ, ἀναποδισμὸς ἡλίου καὶ τῆς ἡμέρας προσθήκη. Ἃ ἰδόντες φοβηθήσεσθε τὸν Θεὸν μεταγνόντες ἐφ' οἷς ἐπείσθητε τοῖς συμβουλεύσασι περὶ τῆς Αἰγυπτιακῆς βοηθείας γραμματεῦσι καὶ τοῖς ἐγγαστριμύθοις, οὓς καλεῖ βαθυφώνους, ὡς ἄσημα φθεγγομένους. Οὗτοι γὰρ πάντες ματαιότητός εἰσι λαὸς, καὶ πεφαυλισμένοι, πρὸς κατανόησιν τῶν δεόντων οὐκ ἄγοντες τὸν ἀκροατήν. 9Ἰδοὺ Σιὼν ἡ πόλις, τὸ σωτήριον ἡμῶν οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου ὄψονται, Ἱερουσαλὴμ πόλις πλουσία, σκηναὶ αἳ οὐ μὴ σεισθῶσιν, οὐδὲ μὴ κινηθῶσιν οἱ πάσσαλοι τῆς σκηνῆς αὐτῆς εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα χρόνον, οὐδὲ τὰ σχοινία αὐτῆς οὐ μὴ διαῤῥαγῶσιν, ὅτι τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου μέγα ὑμῖν, τόπος ὑμῖν ἔσται, ποταμοὶ καὶ