165

sea. It seems to me, therefore, to take the sea to mean the bitter temptations that befall those who are tempted. For such is the meaning of, I came into the depths of the sea. Therefore, the athlete does not flee circumstances, nor does he cross the sea, but he goes straight to these things and overcomes every temptation. But those (in order not to be persecuted) who conform to the Gentiles, and in order not to struggle and labor against bodily appetites, yielding to pleasures, these have crossed the sea. After this it is said: Therefore they will weep, like the weeping of Jazer, for the vine of Sebama. Perhaps, then, the weeping of Jazer is the weeping of strength, which the strong weep blessedly, groaning indeed at their sojourning in this life, and being burdened by it, but longing in soul and fainting for the courts of the Lord. Or perhaps, as strength withered by disease is wept for, because it is no longer present to the one who once possessed it, so also will the weeping for the vine of Sebama be, as for one that has withered and is about to be given over to the fire. 16.313 After this it is said to the Moabitess: Heshbon and Elealeh have cut down your trees. Therefore, Heshbon and Elealeh cut down the trees of the Moabitess. But what is also indicated by these things, let us, as far as possible, set forth. Heshbon is interpreted, thoughts; and Elealeh, God's ascent. Therefore, a foreign vine is cut down, and as many trees as the heavenly Father has not planted, and the plantation of the heterodox is overthrown by right reasonings and by the ascent that lifts us up to God through good works. Blessed, then, is the man whose help is from you; your ascents are in his heart. Therefore, the one who has in his heart the ascents of God and takes care of his own reasonings will be able to overthrow the doctrines of the heterodox, which are badly planted and bear fruit for destruction. Then he says, that Upon your harvest and upon your vintage I will tread, and all things will fall down. For since the grain which it harvests and the wine which it gathers are contrary to the bread that strengthens man's heart, and the wine that gladdens man's heart, God, being good, treads upon them, not allowing them to become food or drink for those who, through ignorance of the harm from them, partake indiscriminately. Therefore, Upon your harvest and upon your vintage I will tread, and all things will fall. This can also edify us with respect to the body, that many, having the collection of the fruits in their hands, by some sudden blow (from hail, or from some other plague) lost what they expected, on account of the ungrateful and covetous nature of men, God not having allowed it to come to them for enjoyment. 16.314 And gladness and joy will be taken away from the vineyards; and they will not be glad, and they will not tread wine in the wine presses; for it has ceased. Gladness and joy, therefore, were taken from the vineyards. The kingdom of God was taken away from Israel and was given to a nation that produces its fruits. But the text can also be understood in a bodily sense, that all gladness is taken away from those who are suddenly deprived of the hopes based on the harvest of their crops. Or, since we have said that the vine is the false word, it can be understood that the gladness arising in the deceived from all falsely called knowledge, as from a vine cultivating an illusion of gladness, but not truth, is taken away, so that there are no longer any who are deceived. For no longer will those who formerly admired them rejoice at the things that have been refuted, nor will those who have been taught the harm that follows for those who drink from it cultivate the Moabite grape. And perhaps the wine presses are souls that receive wicked teaching. 16.315 Therefore my belly shall sound like a harp for Moab, and my inwards like a wall which you renewed, and it shall be to your shame. And Moab grew weary at the high places and will enter into the

165

θάλασσαν. ∆οκεῖ τοίνυν μοι τὴν θάλασσαν λαμβάνειν εἰς τοὺς πειρασμοῦς πικροὺς, τυγχάνοντας τοῖς πειραζομένοις. Τοιοῦ τον γάρ ἐστι τὸ Ἦλθον εἰς τὰ βάθη τῆς θαλάσσης. Οὐκοῦν ὁ μὲν ἀθλητὴς οὐ φεύγει τὰς περιστάσεις, οὐδὲ διαβαίνει τὴν θάλασσαν, ἀλλ' ὁμόσε χωρεῖ τούτοις καὶ ὑπέρχεται παντὶ πειρασμῷ. Οἱ δὲ (ὑπὲρ τοῦ μὴ διώκεσθαι) τοῖς ἔθνεσι συμ περιφερόμενοι, καὶ ὑπὲρ τοῦ μὴ ἀγωνίζεσθαι καὶ πονεῖν κατὰ τῶν σωματικῶν ὀρέξεων, ἐνδιδόντες πρὸς τὰς ἡδονὰς, οὗτοι διέβησαν τὴν θάλασσαν. Μετὰ τοῦτο λέγεται· ∆ιὰ τοῦτο κλαύσονται, ὡς τὸν κλαυθμὸν Ἰαζὴρ, ἄμπελον Σεβαμά. Μήποτε οὖν κλαυθμὸς Ἰαζὴρ τῆς ἰσχύος ἐστὶ κλαυθμὸς, ὃν κλαίουσι μακαριστῶς οἱ ἰσχυροὶ, στενάζοντες μὲν τῇ εἰς τὸν βίον παροικίᾳ, καὶ βαρυνόμενοι ἐπ' αὐτῇ, ποθοῦντες δὲ τῇ ψυχῇ καὶ ἐκλείποντες εἰς τὰς αὐλὰς τοῦ Κυρίου. Ἢ μήποτε ὡς κλαίεται ἰσχὺς ὑπὸ νόσου μαρανθεῖσα, παρὰ τὸ μὴ παρεῖναι τῷ ποτε αὐτὴν κεκτημένῳ, οὕτω καὶ ὁ κλαυθμὸς τῆς ἀμπέλου Σεβαμὰ γενήσεται, ὡς ἀπομαρανθείσης καὶ πυρὶ μελλούσης παρα δίδοσθαι. 16.313 Μετὰ τοῦτο πρὸς τὴν Μωαβῖτιν λέγεται· Τὰ δέν δρα σου κατέβαλεν Ἐσεβὼν καὶ Ἐλεαλή. Οὐκοῦν τὰ δένδρα τῆς Μωαβίτιδος ἡ Ἐσεβὼν καὶ Ἐλεαλὴ κατέβαλε. Τί δὲ καὶ ἀπὸ τούτων δηλοῦται, φέρε, κατὰ τὸ δυνατὸν, παραστήσωμεν. Ἑρμηνεύεται ἡ μὲν Ἐσεβὼν, λογισμοί· ἡ δὲ Ἐλεαλὴ, Θεοῦ ἀνάβασις. Καταβάλλεται οὖν ἄμπε λος ἀλλοτρία καὶ δένδρα ὅσα οὐκ ἐφύτευσεν ὁ Πατὴρ ὁ οὐρά νιος, καὶ ἀνατρέπεται ἡ φυτεία τῶν ἑτεροδόξων ὑπὸ λογισμῶν ὀρθῶν καὶ τῆς ἀνόδου, τῆς πρὸς Θεὸν ὑψούσης ἡμᾶς δι' ἔργων ἀγαθῶν. Μακάριος οὖν ἀνὴρ, οὗ ἐστιν ἀντίληψις αὐτοῦ παρὰ σοί· ἀναβάσεις σου ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ. Ὁ οὖν ἔχων ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτοῦ τὰς τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀναβάσεις καὶ τῶν ἑαυτοῦ λογισμῶν ἐπιμέλειαν ποιούμενος, δυνατὸς ἔσται τὰ τῶν ἑτε ροδόξων καταστρέφεσθαι δόγματα, κακῶς πεφυτευμένα καὶ ἐπ' ὀλέθρῳ καρποφοροῦντα. Ἔπειτά φησιν, ὅτι Ἐπὶ τῷ θερισμῷ σου καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ τρυγητῷ σου καταπατήσω, καὶ πάντα καταπεσοῦνται. Ἐπει δὴ γὰρ ὃν θερίζει σῖτον καὶ ὃν τρυγᾷ οἶνον, ἐναντίως ἔχουσι τῷ ἄρτῳ, τῷ στηρίζοντι καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου, καὶ οἴνῳ, τῷ εὐφραίνοντι καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου ὡς ἀγαθὸς ὁ Θεὸς πατεῖ, οὐκ ἐῶν γενέσθαι τροφὴν ἢ ποτὸν τοῖς δι' ἄγνοιαν τῆς παρ' αὐτῶν βλάβης ἀδιακρίτως προσφερομένοις. Ἐπὶ οὖν Τῷ θερισμῷ σου καὶ τῷ τρυγητῷ σου καταπατήσω, καὶ πάντα πεσοῦνται. ∆ύναται τοῦτο καὶ πρὸς τὸ σωματικὸν οἰκοδομεῖν ἡμᾶς, ὅτι πολλοὶ ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν ἔχοντες τὴν συλλογὴν τῶν καρπῶν, ἀθρόᾳ τινὶ πληγῇ (ἐκ χαλάζης, ἢ ἐξ ἄλλης τινὸς μάστιγος) ἀπώλεσαν τὰ προσδοκώμενα, διὰ τὸ ἀχάριστον καὶ πλεονεκτικὸν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, οὐκ ἐάσαν τος τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰς ἀπόλαυσιν αὐτοῖς ἀφικέσθαι. 16.314 Καὶ ἀρθήσεται εὐφροσύνη καὶ ἀγαλλίαμα ἐκ τῶν ἀμπελώνων· καὶ οὐ μὴ εὐφρανθήσονται, καὶ οὐ μὴ πατή σουσιν οἶνον εἰς τὰ ὑπολήνια· πέπαυται γάρ. Ἤρθη μὲν οὖν εὐφροσύνη καὶ ἀγαλλίαμα ἐκ τῶν ἀμπε λώνων. Ἀφῃρέθη ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ἡ βασιλεία τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἐδόθη ἔθνει, ποιοῦντι τοὺς καρποὺς αὐτοῦ. ∆ύναται δὲ καὶ κατὰ τὸ σωματικὸν νοεῖσθαι ἡ λέξις, ὅτι αἴρεται πᾶσα εὐφρο σύνη τῶν ἀθρόως ἀφαιρουμένων τὰς ἐπὶ τῇ συγκομιδῇ τῶν γεωργουμένων ἐλπίδας. Ἢ, ἐπειδὴ ἄμπελον εἴπαμεν τὸν ψευδῆ λόγον, δύναται δὲ νοηθῆναι, ὅτι ἡ ἀπὸ πάσης ψευδω νύμου γνώσεως ἐγγινομένη τοῖς ἠπατημένοις εὐφροσύνη, ὡς ἀπὸ ἀμπέλου γεωργούσης φαντασίαν εὐφροσύνης, οὐχὶ δὲ ἀλήθειαν ἀφαιρεῖται, ὡς μηκέτι εἶναι τοὺς ἀπατωμένους. Οὐκέτι γὰρ εὐφρανθήσονται ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐλεγχθεῖσιν οἱ πρότερον αὐτὰ θαυμάζοντες, οὐδὲ γεωργήσουσι Μωαβιτικὴν σταφυλὴν οἱ διδαχθέντες τὴν ἀπ' αὐτῆς ἀκολουθοῦσαν τοῖς πίνουσι βλά βην. Τάχα δὲ καὶ ὑπολήνιά εἰσιν δεχόμεναι τὴν μοχθηρὰν διδασκαλίαν ψυχαί. 16.315 ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἡ κοιλία μου ἐπὶ Μωὰβ ὡς κιθάρα ἠχή σει, καὶ τὰ ἐντός μου ὡσεὶ τεῖχος ὃ ἐνεκαίνισας, καὶ ἔσται εἰς τὸ ἐντραπῆναί σε. Καὶ ἐκοπίασε Μωὰβ ἐπὶ τοῖς βωμοῖς καὶ εἰσελεύσεται εἰς τὰ