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being true light, sees you being light, in your light we will see you being light; for "he who has seen the Son has seen the Father." And "he is the image of the invisible God," showing the one of whom he is the image, and "he is the character of God's substance," revealing the substance of God. Therefore, "in your light we shall see light." But if this were also said to the Son, in your luminous instruction and teaching we shall see you being light. Of which it says: "Extend, O God, your mercy to those who know you," it speaks of that knowledge, about which it is said: "And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God." These who have knowledge are loved by God. But God "shows mercy to thousands of those who love" him. We take "unto thousands" thus: this number has a kinship with the unit. Those, therefore, who draw near to the one God, consequently also becoming one spirit with him, consequently become thousands and myriads. But this is said according to this: "The chariot of God is ten thousandfold, thousands of prosperous ones"; for not even so do we take a thousand, ten times a hundred, but on account of its affinity with the unit. And mercy comes to them. If, then, the mercy of God extends to a thousand, so that it is said: "for his mercy endures forever," it rightly says here: "Extend your mercy to those who know you." In another way he has mercy on those who approach by way of repentance, those who ask for forgiveness of sins. He has mercy on those who know him so that they may be confirmed and may ascend to the end that is above all. 11 And your righteousness to the upright in heart. And the upright in heart and the pure in heart are the same. It is a good thing, then, for the pure in heart to see God; for "blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." 12 Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of sinners shake me. Let not "the foot of pride" step on my mind, that is, let not the way of pride be in me; for often members are spoken of, both of the best ways and of the worst. At any rate, it is said in proverbs: "But the feet of folly bring those who use it down to Hades after death." As many as walk according to folly, using the feet of folly, are brought down to Hades. As, then, there are feet of folly, so also of pride. Therefore, "let not the foot of pride come against me," may the way of pride not be in my soul and in my mind. "Nor let the hand of sinners shake me." And the hand is often said to be action, as when it says: "thorns grow in the hand of a drunkard," shameful desires, licentious pleasures. 13 There the workers of iniquity have fallen. Where the foot of pride and the hand of the sinner are, "the workers of iniquity have fallen." Nature did not lead them to the fall, but the working and practice of iniquity. 13 They were cast out and will not be able to stand. For since they brought themselves down to the foot of pride, and are given over to the hand of the sinner, which they chose to have, this giving over is called their casting out. And God, doing good, casts them out, so that they may not be able to stand in evil. Not of nature, therefore, or of any external force casting him down, but his own work being iniquity and wickedness. Therefore He casts him out, that he may not remain, that he may not have a fixed standing in it. And one must explain the scriptures more fully. But the truly wise in God does this. Nevertheless, if they are not explained so, but in a lesser way, neither their greatness nor that of the Giver is shown. The Jews, at any rate, taking them at face value and in a human way, are said "not to understand either what they say or the things about which they make confident assertions." 245 9 because those who do evil will be utterly destroyed. ---------------- ----------- ----------------------------- to be destroyed, but they are destroyed insofar as they are wicked, so that they may no longer be such. But it also signifies punishment. But punishment

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φῶς ὄντα ἀληθινόν, ὁρᾷ σὲ φῶς ὑπάρχοντα, ἐν τῷ σῷ φωτὶ ὀψόμεθα σὲ φῶς ὄντα· "ὁ" γὰρ "ἑωρακὼς τὸν υἱὸν ἑώρακεν τὸν πατέρα". καὶ "εἰκὼν τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ἀοράτου ἐστὶν" δεικνύουσα τὸν οὗ ἐστιν εἰκών, καὶ "χαρακτήρ ἐστιν τῆς θεοῦ ὑποστάσεως" φανερῶν τὴν ὑπόστασιν τοῦ θεοῦ. "ἐν τῷ" οὖν "φωτί σου ὀψόμεθα φῶς". εἰ δὲ καὶ πρὸς τὸν υἱὸν λέγοιτο τοῦτο, ἐν τῇ φωτεινῇ σου παιδεύσει καὶ διδασκαλίᾳ ὀψόμεθα σὲ ὄντα φῶς. οὗ λέγει· "παράτεινον, ὁ θεός, τὸ ἔλεός σου τοῖς γιγνώςκουσίν σε", γνῶσιν̣ ἐκείνην λέγει, περὶ ἧς λέγεται· "αὕτη δέ ἐστιν ἡ αἰώνιος ζωή, ἵνα γιγνώσκουσίν σε τὸν μόνον ἀληθινὸν θεόν". οὗτοι οἱ γνῶσιν ἔχοντες ἀγαπῶνται ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ. "ποιεῖ" δὲ ὁ θεὸς "ἔλεος εἰς χιλιάδας τοῖς ἀγαπῶσιν" αὐτόν. τὸ "εἰς χιλιάδας" οὕτω λαμβάνομεν· ὁ ἀριθμὸς ἔχει οὗτος συνγένειαν πρὸς τὴν μονάδα. οἱ πλησιάζοντες οὖν τῷ θεῷ τῷ ἑνὶ ἀκολούθως καὶ ἓν πνεῦμα πρὸς αὐτὸν γινόμενοι, ἀκολούθως χιλιάδες καὶ μυριάδες γίνονται. ἀλλὰ τοῦτο λέγεται κατὰ τοῦτο· "τὸ ἅρμα τοῦ θεοῦ μυριοπλάσιον, χιλιάδες εὐθηνούντων"· οὐδὲ γὰρ οὕτως λαμβάνομεν χιλιάδα, τὴν δεκάκις ἑκατόν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν οἰκειότητα τὴν πρὸς τὴν μονάδα. καὶ γίνεται ἔλεος εἰς αὐτούς. εἰ οὖν παρατείνει εἰς χιλιάδα ἡ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐλεημοσύνη, ὡς λέγεσθαι· "ὅτι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ", εἰκότως λέγει ἐνταῦθα· "παράτεινον τὸ ἔλεός σου τοῖς γιγνώσκουσίν σε". ἄλλως ἐλεᾷ τοὺς προσερχομένους μετανοίας τρόπῳ, τοὺς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν αἰτοῦντας. ἐλεᾷ τοὺς γιγνώσκοντας αὐτὸν ὥστε βεβαιωθῆναι καὶ εἰς τὸ τέλος τὸ ὑπὲρ πάντα ἀνελθεῖν. 11 καὶ τὴν δικαιοσύνην σου τοῖς εὐθέσι τῇ καρδίᾳ. εὐθεῖς δὲ καρδίᾳ καὶ καθαροὶ καρδίᾳ οἱ αὐτοί. ἐστὶν ἀγαθὸν οὖν τῶν καθαρῶν τῇ καρδίᾳν τὸ βλέπειν τὸν θεόν· "μακάριοι" γὰρ "οἱ καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ, ὅτι αὐτοὶ τὸν θεὸν ὄψονται". 12 μὴ ἐλθάτω μοι ποὺς ὑπερηφανίας, καὶ χεὶρ ἁμαρτωλῶν μὴ σαλεύσῃ με. μὴ ἐπιβῇ τῇ διανοίᾳ μου "ὑπερηφανίας πούς", τουτέστιν, μὴ πορεία τῆς ὑπερηφανίας ἐν ἐμοὶ γένηται· λέγονται γὰρ πολλάκις μέλη καὶ τῶν ο῾̣δῶν τῶν βελτίστων καὶ τῶν χειρίστων. ἐν παροιμίαις γοῦν λέγεται· "τῆς δὲ ἀφροσύνης οἱ πόδες κατάγουσιν τοὺς χρωμένους αὐτῇ μετὰ θανάτου εἰς τὸν ᾅδην". ὅσοι κατὰ ἀφροσύνην πορεύονται τοῖς ποσὶν τῆς ἀφροσύνης χ̣ρ̣ώμενοι, εἰς τὸν ᾅδην καταβιβάζονται. ὥσπερ οὖν εἰσιν ἀφροσύνης πόδες, οὕτω καὶ ὑπερηφανίας. "μὴ ἐλθάτω" οὖν "μοι ποὺς ὑπερηφανίας", μὴ πορεία τῆς ὑπερηφανίας ἐν τῇ ψυχῇ μου καὶ τῇ διανοίᾳ. "μηδὲ χεὶρ ἁμαρτωλῶν σαλεύσῃ με". χεὶρ δὲ ἡ πρᾶξις πολλάκις εἴρηται, ὡς ἐὰν λέγῃ· "ἄκανθαι φύονται ἐν χειρὶ τοῦ μεθύσου", αἱ αἰσχραὶ ἐπιθυμία̣ι̣, αἱ ἀκόλαστοι ἡδοναί. 13 ἐκεῖ ἔπεσαν οἱ ἐργαζόμενοι τὴν ἀνομίαν. ἔνθα ὁ ποὺς τῆς ὑπερηφανίας κ̣αὶ ἡ χεὶρ τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ, "ἔπεσαν οἱ τὴν ἀνομίαν ἐργαζόμενοι". οὐ φύσις αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸ πτῶμα ἤγαγεν, ἀλλ' ἐνέργεια καὶ ἐργασία ἀνομίας. 13 ἐξώσθησαν καὶ οὐ μὴ δύνωνται στῆναι. ἐπεὶ γὰρ αὐτοὶ ἑαυτοὺς κατεβίβασαν εἰς τὸν πόδα τῆς ὑπερηφανίας, καὶ τῇ χειρὶ τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ παραδίδονται, ἣν εἵλαντο ἔχειν, καὶ ἡ παράδοσις αὕτη ἔξωσις αὐτῶν λέγεται. καὶ εὐεργετῶν ὁ θεὸς ἐξωθεῖ αὐτούς, ἵνα μὴ δυνηθῶσιν στῆναι ἐν τῷ κακῷ. οὐ φύσεως οὖν ἤ τινος βίας ἔξωθεν καταβαλλούσης αὐτόν, ἀλλ' ἡ ἐργασία αὐτοῦ οὖσα ἀνομία καὶ κακία. ἐξωθεῖ οὖν αὐτόν, ἵνα̣ μὴ παραμένῃ, ἵνα μὴ ἀκινήτως ἔχῃ στάσιν ἐν αὐτῇ. καὶ μειζόνως μὲν σαφηνίζειν δεῖ τὰς γραφάς. ποιεῖ δὲ τοῦτο ὁ ἀληθῶς θεόσοφος. ὅμως, εἰ μὴ οὕτως σαφηνίζοιντο, ἀλλ' ὑποδεεστέρως, οὐδὲ αὐτῶν τ̣ὸ μέγεθος δείκνυται οὐδὲ τοῦ δεδωκότος. Ἰουδαῖοι γοῦν κατὰ τὸ πρόχειρον καὶ τὸ ἀνθρώπινον ἐκλαμβάνοντες αὐτὰς λέγονται "μὴ νοεῖν μηδὲ ἃ λέγουσιν μηδὲ περὶ ὧν διαβεβαιοῦνται". 245 9 ὅτι οἱ πονηρευόμενοι ἐξολεθρευθήσονται. ---------------- ----------- ----------------------------- καταστραφῆναι, ἀλλ' ὀλεθρεύονται ᾗ πονηροί εἰσιν, ἵνα μηκέτι ὦσιν̣ τοιοῦτοι. σημαίνει δὲ καὶ τὴν κόλασιν. ἡ κόλασις δὲ