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the prophet makes his discourse into a question; and he reveals, I think, the ascent of the Lord into the heavens. And he has imitated the form of a psalm; for there too some ask likewise: "Who is this king of glory?" not because the heavenly powers were ignorant of the one ascending, but through question and answer teaching us more precisely the nature of the one who was taken up. So also here some ask: Who is this that comes from Edom? They call Edom the red land, and Bosor the flesh; and they marvel that in an earthly and fleshly garment the beauty of the one clothed is ineffable and so great as to compel those who see him to love. Of this beauty the blessed David also makes mention; for he says, "Fair in beauty beyond the sons of men." That Edom is interpreted as ruddy, is clear from the bride crying out in the Song of Songs. "My kinsman is ruddy and white." The nature is twofold; wherefore he calls the inaccessible light of the Godhead white, and the human form ruddy. I speak of righteousness and a judgment of salvation. To those who marvel at his beauty he has given this answer: I, he says, will teach you the manner of the salvation that has been justly wrought. Then they ask again: 2Why are your garments red, and your clothing like one who treads the winepress? 3Full of what has been trodden. He calls his humanity his robe and garment; and from his side "came out blood and water" according to the testimony of the evangelist. And he calls the winepress the destruction of the enemies; for just as in the winepresses all the grape clusters are pressed out, so also the Lord completely destroyed the devil and all his host. Therefore, he teaches those who asked what they wished to learn: I have trodden the winepress alone, and of the nations there is no man with me; and I trod them down in my fury and crushed them in my anger, and I brought down their blood to the earth. And he says that his garments were sprinkled by the victory over the enemies. 4For a day of recompense has come to them, and a year of redemption is at hand. For it is time both for them to pay the penalty for what they have dared and for those unjustly enslaved by them to obtain freedom. 5And I looked, and there was no helper; and I took thought, and no one gave assistance; and my own arm saved me. This the divine apostle also said: "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." So also here the Lord said that there was no helper and no one gave assistance—for he did not have the righteousness of men cooperating with him—, but my arm was sufficient to destroy the enemies. And he calls the power of righteousness an arm; for he kept even the nature he had assumed spotless and free from sin. And my fury itself sustained me, 6and I trod them down in my anger and made them drunk in my fury and brought down their blood to the earth. Instead of "blood," the Three Interpreters have put "strife." Having used a just anger against them, he says, I delivered them to utter destruction; and as if seized by some deep sleep in their calamity they lie motionless, being trodden by the captives of the spear. Therefore, having enjoyed this good deed and having been delivered from that bitter slavery, let us praise the author of these things |180 a|. For he, having undertaken the war on our behalf, gave us the gift of victory and of peace, which may we enjoy to the end by the grace of the one who has conquered, with whom to the Father be the glory, with the all-holy Spirit, now and forever and unto the ages of ages. Amen. 20 VOLUME 20 7I remembered the mercy of the Lord, I will call to mind the virtues, the praise of the Lord for all that he bestows on us. Having prophesied the ineffable philanthropy of the Lord and having foretold the salvation that came through the incarnation, he very reasonably added: I remembered the mercy of the Lord. For the grace of the incarnation is of mercy and philanthropy. However, Aquila translated "virtues" as "hymns," and Theodotion and Symmachus as "praises"; and Symmachus

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λόγον εἰς ἐρώτησιν ὁ προφήτης· μηνύει δὲ ὡς οἶμαι τὴν εἰς οὐρανοὺς ἄνοδον τοῦ δεσπότου. Καὶ τὸ ψαλμικὸν μεμίμηται σχῆμα· καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖ ὁμοίως ἐρωτῶσί τινες· «Τίς ἐστιν οὗτος ὁ βασιλεὺς τῆς δόξης;» οὐκ ἐπειδὴ ἠγνόουν αἱ ἐπουράνιαι δυνάμεις τὸν ἀνιόντα, ἀλλὰ διὰ τῆς ἐρωτήσεως καὶ ἀποκρίσεως ἡμᾶς ἀκριβέστερον ἐκδιδάσκουσαι τοῦ ἀναληφ θέντος τὴν φύσιν. Οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα πυνθάνονταί τινες· Τίς οὗτος ὁ παραγενόμενος ἐξ Ἐδώμ; Ἐδὼμ δὲ τὴνἐρυθρὰν ὀνομάζουσι γῆν, Βοσὸρ δὲ τὴν σάρκα· θαυμάζουσι δὲ ὅτι ἐν γηίνῃ καὶ σαρκίνῃ στολῇ ἄρρητον τοῦ περιβε βλη μένου τὸ κάλλος καὶ τοσοῦτον ὡς βιάζεσθαι τοὺς ὁρῶντας εἰς ἔρωτα. Τούτου τοῦ κάλλους καὶ ὁ μακάριος μέμ νηται ∆αυίδ· «Ὡραῖος» γάρ φησι «κάλλει παρὰ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων.» Ὅτι Ἐδὼμ τὸ πυρρὸν ἑρμηνεύεται, ἄ ντικρυς τῆς νύμφης ἐν τῷ Ἄισματι τῶν Ἀισμάτων βοώσης. «Ὁ ἀδελφιδός μου πυρρὸς καὶ λευκός». ∆ι πλῆ ἡ φύσις· διὸ λευκὸν μὲν καλεῖ τὸ ἀπρόσιτον τῆς θεότητος φῶς, πυρρὸν δὲ τὸ ἀνθρώπειον εἶδος. Ἐγὼ διαλέγομαι δικαιοσύνην καὶ κρίσιν σωτηρίου. Τοῖς θαυμάζουσιν αὐτοῦ τὸ κάλλος ταύτην δέδωκε τὴν ἀπό κρισιν· Ἐγώ φησι διδάξω ὑμᾶς τῆς δικαίως γεγενημένης σωτηρίας τὸν τρόπον. Εἶτα πάλιν ἐρωτῶσιν · 2Ἵνα τί σου ἐρυθρὰ τὰ ἱμάτια καὶ τὰ ἐνδύματά σου ὡς πάτημα τοῦ ληνοῦ; 3Πλήρης καταπεπατημένης. Στολὴν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἱμάτιον τὴν ἀνθρω πότητα προσαγορεύει· ἀπὸ δὲ τῆς πλευρᾶς αὐτοῦ «ἐξῆλθεν αἷμα καὶ ὕδωρ» κατὰ τὴν τοῦ εὐαγγελιστοῦ μαρτυρίαν. Ληνὸν δὲ ὀνομάζει τὴν τῶν πολεμίων κατάλυσιν· καθάπερ γὰρ ἐν ταῖς ληνοῖς ἅπαντες οἱ βότρυες ἀποθλίβονται, οὕτω καὶ τὸν διάβολον καὶ πᾶσαν αὐτοῦ τὴν φάλαγγα παντελῶς ὁ δεσπότης κατέλυσεν. ∆ιδάσκει τοίνυν τοὺς ἐρομένους ὅπερ μαθεῖν ἐβουλήθησαν· Ληνὸν ἐπάτησα μονώτατος, καὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν οὐκ ἔστιν ἀνὴρ μετ' ἐμοῦ· καὶ κατεπάτησα αὐτοὺς ἐν τῷ θυμῷ μου καὶ κατέθλασα αὐτοὺς ἐν τῇ ὀργῇ μου καὶ κατήγαγον τὸ αἷμα αὐτῶν εἰς γῆν. Καὶ κατερ ράνθαι λέγει τὰ ἱμάτια τῷ κατανικήματι τῶν ἐχθρῶν. 4Ἡμέρα γὰρ ἀνταποδόσεως ἦλθεν αὐτοῖς καὶ ἐνιαυτὸς λυτρώσεως πάρεστιν. Καιρὸς γάρ ἐστι καὶ τούτους δοῦναι ὧν ἐτόλμησαν δίκας καὶ τοὺς ἀδίκως αὐτοῖς δεδουλευκότας ἐλευθερίας τυχεῖν. 5Καὶ ἐπέβλεψα, καὶ οὐκ ἦν ὁ βοηθῶν· καὶ προσενόησα, καὶ οὐθεὶς ἀντελαμβάνετο· καὶ ἐρρύσατό με ὁ βραχίων μου. Τοῦτο καὶ ὁ θεῖος ἀπόστολος ἔφη· «Πάντες γὰρ ἥμαρτον καὶ ὑστεροῦνται τῆς δόξης τοῦ θεοῦ.» Οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα ὁ κύριος ἔφη ὅτι οὐδεὶς ἦν ὁ βοηθῶν καὶ οὐδεὶς ἀντελαμβάνετο-οὐ γὰρ εἶχε συνερ γοῦσαν τὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων δικαιοσύνην-, ἤρκεσε δὲ ὁ ἐμὸς βραχίων τοῦ καταλῦ σαι τοὺς πολεμίους. Βραχίονα δὲ καλεῖ τῆς δικαιοσύνης τὴν δύναμιν· ἀκηλίδωτον γὰρ καὶ ἁμ αρτίας ἐλευθέραν διεφύλαξε καὶ ἣν ἀνέλαβε φύσιν. Καὶ ὁ θυμός μου αὐτὸς ὑπέστη, 6καὶ κατεπάτησα αὐτοὺς ἐν τῇ ὀργῇ μου καὶ ἐμέθυσα αὐτοὺς ἐν τῷ θυμῷ μου καὶ κατήγαγον τὸ αἷμα αὐτῶν εἰς τὴν γῆν. Ἀντὶ τοῦ αἵματος οἱ Τρεῖς Ἑρμηνευταὶ «τὸ νεῖκος» τεθείκασιν. ∆ικαίᾳ χρησά μενός φησι κατ' αὐτῶν ὀργῇ πανωλεθρίᾳ παρέδωκα· καὶ οἷόν τινι κάρῳ τῇ συμφορᾷ κατε χόμενοι ἀκίνητοι κεῖνται ὑπὸ τῶν δορυαλώτων πατούμενοι. Ταύτης τοίνυν τῆς εὐεργεσίας ἀπολα ύσαντες καὶ τῆς πικρᾶς ἐκείνης ἀπαλλαγέντες δουλείας τὸν τούτων αἴτιον |180 a| ἀνυμνήσωμεν. Αὐτὸς γὰρ τὸν ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἀναδεξάμενος πόλεμον ἡμῖν ἔ δωκ ε τῆς νίκης καὶ τῆς εἰ ρήνης τὸ δῶρον, ὧν εἰς τὸ τέλος ἀπολαύοιμεν χάριτι τοῦ νενικηκότος, μεθ' οὗ τῷ πατρὶ ἡ δόξα σὺν τῷ πανα γίῳ πνεύματι νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. 20 ΤΟΜΟΣ Κʹ 7Τὸν ἔλεον κυρίου ἐμνήσθην, τὰς ἀρετὰς ἀναμνήσω, τὴν αἴνεσιν κυρίου ἐπὶ πᾶσιν οἷς ἡμῖν ἀνταποδίδωσιν. Τὴν ἄφατον τοῦ δεςπότου προθεσπίσας φιλανθρωπίαν καὶ τὴν διὰ τῆς ἐνανθρωπήσεως γεγενημένην σωτηρίαν προαγορεύσας μάλα εἰκότως ἐπήγαγεν· τὸν ἔλεον κυρίου ἐμνήσθην. Ἐλέου γὰρ καὶ φιλανθρωπίας ἡ τῆς ἐνανθρωπήσεως χάρις. Τὰς μέντοι ἀρετὰς ὁ μὲν Ἀκύλας «ὑμνήσεις», ὁ δὲ Θεοδοτίων καὶ ὁ Σύμμαχος «αἰνέσεις» ἡρμήνευσαν· τὸ δὲ ἀνταποδίδωσιν ὁ Σύμμαχος