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giving themselves over to those teachings. For this is the ascent of God, the lifting up to the heights of pride. And Jahaz. Although it seems to be a command that has been given, yet in truth it is not a command; but a certain fashioning of a life of exactness, for the plausibility and acceptance of the wicked teachings suggested by the wicked mind. For this reason it is said in what follows: All arms are cut off, so that if any wicked teacher, deceiving the souls of his followers with false opinions, but seeming to attend to a more exact life, those who have repented for having given themselves over to such a teacher might cut off their own arms, that is, the practical form of their way of life. And they shave off his hair, as it were, and will alienate it from their own body, because the rulers of the body of the Churches are in the place of a head. And so now Jahaz has cried out, because the exactness shown in one's way of life is a bait for the plausibility of the truth. This, then, is the cause of wailing with lamentation, that Heshbon and Elealeh have cried out as far as Jahaz. 15.298 For this reason the loins of the Moabitess cry out. The loins are often taken for the generative organs. For he was still in the loins of his father (that is, Levi in Abraham) when Melchizedek met him. And: Let your loins be girded. We understand that it alludes to restraining the appetites that serve for procreation. The grief, therefore, that is upon the Moabitess, becoming the cause of a temperate life, cries out at the cry of Heshbon and Elealeh and Jahaz. Her soul (it says) will know. The discourse now shows the progress of those who have done the aforesaid things in repentance, And the heart of the Moabitess cries out in herself as far as Zoar. This is Zoar, where Lot, having come out from Sodom, was able to arrive. For the angels wished him to go up to the mountain and said to him, "Save your own soul. Do not look behind you, nor stay in all the surrounding country. Escape to the mountain, lest you be swept away." But he said, "I pray, Lord, let not the evils overtake me and I die. Behold, this city is near for me to flee there. Is it not a small one? And my soul shall live." For this reason the name of the city was called Zoar, that is, small. The heart of the Moabitess therefore cries out as far as Zoar, which is already situated on the borders of Palestine. Therefore, indicating a strong and vigorous repentance, or a heavy lamentation from the blow of the evil things done by her, the discourse suggests to us the distance, how far the cry of Moab is heard. Repentance calls one first to cry out in himself and to crush his own heart; then also, for the sake of becoming a good example to others, to make himself heard, and to publicize the manner of his repentance. For she is a three-year-old heifer, that is, she is perfect in age. For the three-year-old heifer already has the power to give birth and to submit her neck to the yoke. Therefore, to show that it is a characteristic of those who are able to turn back to be perfected in human age, and to have reason, able to submit to the yoke of truth, he has spoken of a three-year-old heifer. For he who has not yet through age possessed perfection among men, nor has a completed mind, but is incomplete on account of his smallness, is not required to perform the works of repentance. Therefore also in Genesis, when Abraham was seeking a sign from God and saying, "O Lord GOD, how shall I know that I will inherit the land?" God said, "Take for me a three-year-old heifer and a three-year-old ram," choosing in the three years the perfection of the animals and their fitness for procreation. But he did not define the turtledove and the pigeon by time, because these animals begin to procreate immediately. 15.299 And at the ascent of Luhith they will go up weeping. The beginning of gladness is to weep well, and of ascent and progress to things above, the sorrow that is according to God. Therefore the Apostle also rejoices because of those who are sorrowful,

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ἐκείνοις τοῖς μαθήμασιν ἑαυτοὺς ἐπιδιδόντες. Τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι, Θεοῦ ἀνά βασις, ἡ ἐπὶ τὰ ὕψη τῆς ὑπερηφανίας ἔπαρσις. Καὶ Ἰασσά. Εἰ καὶ δοκεῖ γεγονυῖα ἐντολὴ εἶναι, ἀλλὰ κατὰ ἀλήθειαν οὐκ ἐντολή· σχηματισμὸς δέ τις περὶ βίον ἀκριβείας, πρὸς πιθα νότητα καὶ παραδοχὴν τῶν πονηρῶν, ἀπὸ τοῦ πονηροῦ φρονή ματος ὑποβαλλομένων διδαγμάτων. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἐν τοῖς κατόπιν εἴρηται· Πάντες βραχίονες κατατετμημένοι, ἵνα εἴ τις πο νηρὸς διδάσκαλος ἐν ψευδοδοξίαις ἐξαπατῶν τὰς ψυχὰς τῶν ἑπομένων, βίῳ δὲ δοκῶν προσέχειν ἀκριβεστέρῳ, οἱ μετα μεληθέντες ἐπὶ τῷ τοιούτῳ διδασκάλῳ ἑαυτοὺς ἐπιδεδωκέ ναι, κατακόψωσιν ἑαυτῶν μὲν τοὺς βραχίονας, τουτέστι τὸ πρακτικὸν εἶδος τῆς πολιτείας. Ἀποκείρονται δὲ αὐτοῦ οἱονεὶ κόμην καὶ ἀλλοτριώσουσι τοῦ ἑαυτῶν σώματος, διότι ἀντὶ κεφαλῆς εἰσιν οἱ προεστῶτες τοῦ σώματος τῶν Ἐκκλη σιῶν. Καὶ νῦν τοίνυν Ἰασσὰ κέκραγεν, ὅτι δέλεάρ ἐστι πρὸς τὴν τῆς ἀληθείας πιθανότητα ἡ κατὰ τὴν πολιτείαν ἐπιδεικνυ μένη ἀκρίβεια. Τοῦτο οὖν ἐστι τὸ αἴτιον τοῦ ὀλολύζειν μετὰ κλαυθμοῦ, ὅτι κέκραγεν Ἐσεβὼν καὶ Ἐλεαλὴ ἕως Ἰασσά. 15.298 ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἡ ὀσφὺς τῆς Μωαβίτιδος βοᾷ. Ἡ ὀσφὺς πολλαχοῦ ἀντὶ τῶν γεννητικῶν λαμβάνεται. Ἔτι γὰρ ἐν τῇ ὀσφύϊ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ ἦν (δηλονότι ὁ Λευὶ τοῦ Ἀβραάμ) ὅτε συνήντησεν αὐτῷ Μελχισεδέκ. Καί· Ἔστωσαν αἱ ὀσφύες ὑμῶν περιεζωσμέναι. Νοοῦμεν, ὅτι αἰνίσσεται συ στεῖλαι τὰς εἰς γέννησιν ὑπουργούσας ὀρέξεις. Τὸ οὖν πένθος τὸ ἐπικείμενον τῇ Μωαβίτιδι, αἴτιον γινόμενον τοῦ σώφρονος βίου, βοᾷ ἐπὶ τῇ κραυγῇ τῆς Ἐσεβὼν καὶ Ἐλεαλὴ καὶ Ἰασσά. Ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτῆς (φησὶ) γνώσεται. Ἤδη προκοπὴντῶν τὰ προειρημένα ἐπὶ τῇ μετανοίᾳ πεποιηκότων ὁ λόγος ἐμφαίνει, Καὶ Ἡ καρδία τῆς Μωαβίτιδος βοᾷ ἐν ἑαυτῇ ἕως Σηγώρ. Ἔστι δὲ ἡ Σηγὼρ αὕτη, ἔνθα Λὼτ, ἀπὸ Σοδόμων ἐξελθὼν, φθάσαι δεδύνηται. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ Ἄγγελοι ἐβούλοντο εἰς τὸ ὄρος ἀναβαίνειν καὶ εἶπον αὐτῷ· Σῶζε τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ψυχήν. Μὴ περιβλέψῃς εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω, μηδὲ στῇς ἐν πάσῃ τῇ περιχώρῳ. Εἰς τὸ ὄρος σώζου, μήποτε συμπαραληφθῇς. Ὁ δὲ εἶπε· ∆έομαι, Κύριε, μὴ καταλάβῃ με τὰ κακὰ καὶ ἀποθάνω. Ἰδοὺ ἡ πόλις αὕτη ἐγγὺς, τοῦ καταφυγεῖν με ἐκεῖ. Οὐ μικρά ἐστι; Καὶ ζήσεται ἡ ψυχή μου. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἐκλήθη τὸ ὄνομα τῆς πόλεως, Σηγώρ, τουτέστι μικρά. Βοᾷ οὖν ἡ καρδία τῆς Μωαβίτιδος ἕως Σηγὼρ, ἥτις ἐπὶ τοῖς ὁρίοις ἤδη κεῖται τῆς Παλαιστίνης. Τὴν οὖν ἰσχυρὰν καὶ εὔτονον μετάνοιαν, ἢ τὸν βαρὺν θρῆνον, τὸν ἀπὸ τῆς πληγῆς τῶν κακῶς αὐτῇ πεπραγμένων, ἐνδεικνύμενος ὁ λόγος τὸ διάστημα ἡμῖν ὑποφαίνει, μέχρι τίνος ἀκουστὴ γίνεται ἡ βοὴ τῆς Μωάβ. Καλεῖ δὲ ἡ μετάνοια, τὸ πρότερον ἐν ἑαυτῷ τινα βοῆσαι καὶ ἑαυτοῦ συντρίψαι τὴν καρδίαν· ἔπειτα καὶ ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἄλλοις ἀγαθὸν γενέσθαι ὑπόδειγμα, ἐξάκουστον ἑαυτοῦ κατασκευάσαι, καὶ δημοσιεῦσαι τὸν τρόπον τῆς μετανοίας. ∆άμαλις γὰρ τριετής ἐστι, τουτέστι τελεία ἐστὶ καθ' ἡλι κίαν. Ἡ γὰρ τριετὴς δάμαλις ἤδη τοῦ γεννᾷν δύναμιν ἔχει καὶ τοῦ ὑπέχειν τὸν τράχηλον τῷ ζυγῷ. Ἵνα οὖν δείξῃ ἴδιον τῶν δυναμένων ἐπιστρέφειν τὸ τετελειῶσθαι μὲν κατὰ τὴν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἡλικίαν, ἔχειν δὲ τὸν λόγον, δυνάμενον ὑποβαίνειν τῷ ζυγῷ τῆς ἀληθείας, εἴρηκε δάμαλιν τριετῆ. Ὁ γὰρ μήπω διὰ τῆς ἡλικίας τὸ ἐν ἀνθρώποις τέλειον ἐσχηκὼς, μηδὲ τὸν νοῦν ἀπηρτισμένον ἔχων, ἀλλ' ἀτελής ἐστι διὰ σμικρότητα, οὐδὲ ἀπαιτεῖται τὰ ἔργα τῆς μετανοίας. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἐν τῇ Γε νέσει, τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ ζητοῦντος σημεῖον παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ λέγοντος· ∆έσποτα Κύριε, κατὰ τί γνώσομαι, ὅτι κληρονο μήσω τὴν γῆν; εἶπεν ὁ Θεός· Λάβε μοι δάμαλιν τριετί ζουσαν καὶ κριὸν τριετίζοντα, ἐν τοῖς τρισὶν ἔτεσι τὸ τέ λειον τῶν ζώων καὶ τὸ πρὸς γέννησιν ἐπιτήδειον ἐκλεγό μενος. Τρυγόνα δὲ καὶ περιστερὰν χρόνῳ οὐ περιέγραψε, διὰ τὸ εὐθὺς τὰ ζῶα ταῦτα τῆς γεννήσεως ἄρχεσθαι. 15.299 Ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς ἀναβάσεως τῆς Λουὶθ κλαίοντες ἀνα βήσονται. Ἀρχὴ εὐφροσύνης ἐστὶ τὸ κλαίειν καλῶς, καὶ ἀναβά σεως καὶ προκοπῆς τῆς ἐπὶ τὰ ἄνω, ἡ κατὰ Θεὸν γινο μένη λύπη. ∆ιὸ καὶ ὁ Ἀπόστολος εὐφραίνεται ἀπὸ τῶν λυπουμένων,