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me." Behold the power 255 28 and the seed of the wicked shall be utterly destroyed. ------------- -------------- ----------------------------- is impiety. But it is directed against God. "Seed" instead of "the offspring of the wicked". And "seed" can also mean, for example, the disposition of the wicked. But it is utterly destroyed for a good purpose. So that it might not bring forth anything still remaining, the seed is utterly destroyed. 29 The righteous shall inherit the earth, and shall dwell upon it for ever and ever. Upon the aforementioned land. 30-31 The mouth of the righteous will meditate on wisdom, and his tongue speaks judgment; his law is in his heart, and his steps shall not be tripped. The mouth of the righteous speaks wisdom. When the wise man is enlightened, he utters luminous words; for it is said: "The wisdom of a man will enlighten his face." He who speaks this wisdom has an enlightened face of the mind; for "the discourse of the pious is always wisdom." And again, he who speaks, who is persuaded by the one who says: "Open your mouth for the word of God," saying: "I opened my mouth and drew in the Spirit," speaks wisdom. "The mouth," therefore, "of the righteous will meditate on wisdom." He always meditates on wise things, not only the theorems of piety, but also the wise things of action. "His tongue speaks judgment." He utters everything with discernment, an "idle word" is not uttered; for he knows that "by one's own words one is justified, and by one's own words one is condemned." For this reason he speaks with discernment. And just as the thoughts of the righteous are judgments—for "the thoughts of the righteous are judgments"; they do not simply have scattered thoughts, but discerning and examined and well-regulated ones—. from such judgments a discerning word is also brought forth. And for this reason "the tongue of the righteous speaks judgment." For if he speaks what he thinks, and he thinks discerning and examined thoughts, his word is also of this kind. And finally he gives the reason: "his law" is not in his ears alone, but "in his heart." For "God gives his laws into the heart and writes them on the mind." Therefore, since his heart is filled with the law of God, for this reason he both meditates on wisdom and speaks judgment. And when this has been established and accomplished, "his steps are not tripped." He walks straight ahead, he does not stumble; so to speak, he has winged feet. But he who has winged feet does not slip, does not stumble. So the wise man is shod with "the preparation of the gospel of peace." "The preparation of the gospel" becomes footwear for the feet of the righteous; for these shoes are winged, bearing one upward. Indeed, God also says to the soul: "I shod you with hyacinth." He did not permit another to put on this sandal, but he himself shod it. And the hyacinth tends to imitate the color of the aether. Therefore, I shod you with an ethereal sandal. 32 The sinner watches the righteous and seeks to put him to death. He watches not in order to imitate him. Paul writes to the men in Christ: "considering one another to provoke unto love and good works" and the rest. They consider them, in order to imitate them; for "obey them that have the rule over you," "who have spoken unto you the word of God, whose faith follow, considering the end of their conduct." Here, to consider is praiseworthy. But the sinner watches the righteous, not to imitate him, not to accept him, but to put him to death. And the sinner puts the righteous to death in both ways; if he turns him away from righteousness, he puts him to death, or he puts him to death by treacherously bringing death upon him, as the elders intended to do against Susanna. 33 and will not abandon him into his hands, nor condemn him when he is judged. Even if he should attack, he will not abandon him into his hands. But we were speaking of a distinction of the word of abandonment. even if Naboth was slain

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με". ἰδοὺ τὴν κράτησιν 255 28 καὶ σπέρμα ἀσεβῶν ἐξολεθρευθήσεται. ------------- -------------- ----------------------------- ἐστὶν ἡ ἀσέβεια. εἰς θεὸν δέ ἐστιν γινομένη. τὸ "σπέρμα" ἀντὶ τοῦ "τὰ γεννήματα τῶν ἀσεβῶν". δύναται δὲ καὶ τὸ "σπέρμα" οἷον ἡ διάθεσις τῶν ἀσεβῶν. ἐξολεθρεύεται δὲ συμφερόντως. ἵνα μη´̣ τινα προεν̣έγκῃ ἔτι μένοντα, σπέρμα ἐξολεθρεύεται. 29 δίκαιοι κληρονομήσουσιν γῆν καὶ κατασκηνώσουσιν εἰς αἰῶνα αἰῶνος ἐπ' αὐτῆς. ἐπὶ τῆς γ̣ῆς τῆς εἰρημένης. 30-31 στόμα δικαίου μελετήσει σοφίαν, καὶ ἡ γλῶσσα αὐτοῦ λαλεῖ κρίσιν· ὁ νόμος αὐτοῦ ἐν καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ, καὶ οὐχ ὑποσκελισθήσεται τὰ διαβήματα αὐτοῦ. λαλεῖ σοφίαν τὸ στόμα τοῦ δικαίου. ὅταν πεφωτισμένος ᾖ ὁ σοφός̣, φωτεινοὺς προφέρει λόγους· εἴρηται γάρ· "σοφία ἀνθρώπου φωτιεῖ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ". ὁ ταύτην λαλῶν τὴν σοφίαν πεφωτισμ̣ένον ἔχει τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ νοῦ· "διήγησις" γὰρ "εὐσεβοῦς διὰ παντὸς σοφία". καὶ πάλιν ὁ λέγων ὁ πειθόμενος τῷ λέγοντι ὅτι· "ἄνοιξον στόμα σου λόγῳ θεοῦ", λέγων· "τὸ στόμα μου ἤνοιξα καὶ εἵλκυσα πνεῦμα", σοφίαν λαλεῖ. "στόμα" οὖν "δικαίου μελετήσει σοφίαν". ἀεὶ τὰ σοφὰ μελετᾷ, οὐ μ̣όνον τὰ θεωρήματα τῆς εὐσεβείας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ τῆς πράξεως σοφά. "ἡ γλῶσσα αὐτοῦ λαλει῀̣ κρίσιν". κεκριμένως πάντα φθέγγε̣τ̣ται, "ἀργὸν ῥῆμα" οὐ προφέρεται· οἶδεν γάρ, ὅτι "ἐκ τῶν λόγων ἑαυτοῦ δικαιοῦταί τις, καὶ ἐκ τῶν λόγ̣ων αὐτοῦ καταδικάζεται". διὰ τοῦτο κεκριμένως φθέγγεται. καὶ ὥσπερ οἱ λογισμοὶ τοῦ δικαίου κρίματά εἰσιν- "λογισμοὶ" γὰρ "δικαίων κρίματα"· οὐκ ἔχουσιν ἁπλῶς λογισμοὺς ῥεριμμένους, ἀλλὰ κεκριμένους καὶ ἐξητασμένους καὶ κεκ̣ανονισμένους-. ἀπὸ τῶν τοιούτων κριμάτων καὶ λόγος κε κριμένος προφέρεται. καὶ διὰ τοῦτο "ἡ γλῶσσα τοῦ δικαίου λαλεῖ κρίσιν". εἰ γὰρ ἃ λογίζεται, ταῦτα λαλεῖ, λογίζεται δὲ κεκριμένους καὶ ἐξητασμένους λογισμούς, καὶ ὁ λόγος αὐτοῦ τοιοῦτός ἐστιν. καὶ λοιπὸν τὴν αἰτίαν ἀποδίδωσιν· "ὁ νόμος αὐτοῦ" οὐκ ἐν τοῖς ὠσίν ἐστιν μόνοις, ἀλλ' "ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ". "δίδωσιν" γὰρ "ὁ θεὸς νόμους αὐτοῦ εἰς καρδίαν καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν διάνοιαν ἐπιγράφει αὐτούς". οὗ οὖν πεπλήρωται ἡ καρδία αὐτοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ νόμου, διὰ τοῦτο καὶ σοφίαν μελετᾷ καὶ κρίσιν λαλεῖ. τούτου δὲ ὑπαρχθέντος καὶ κατορθωθέντος "οὐχ ὑποσκελίζεται τὰ διαβήματα αὐτοῦ". κατ' εὐθὺ βαίνει, οὐ προσκόπτει, ἵν' οὕτως εἴπω, ὑποπτέρους ἔχει πόδας. ὁ δὲ ὑποπτέρους ἔχων πόδας οὐκ ὀλισθαίνει, οὐ διαπταίει. ὑποδέδεται γοῦν ὁ σοφὸς "τὴν ἑτοιμασίαν τοῦ εὐαγγελίου τῆς εἰρήνης". "ἡ ἑτοιμασία τοῦ εὐαγγελίου" ὑπ̣οδήματα γίνεται τῶν ποδῶν τοῦ δικαίου· ταύτα γὰρ τὰ ὑποδήματα ὑπόπτερά εἰσιν ἄνω φέροντα. λέγει γοῦν καὶ ὁ θεὸς̣ τῇ ψυχῇ· "ὑπέδησά σε ὑάκινθον". οὐκ ἄλλῳ τοῦτο τὸ ὑπόδημα περιθεῖναι ἐπέτρεψεν, ἀλλ' αὐτὸς αὐτὸ ὑπέδησεν. φιλεῖ δὲ ὁ ὑάκινθος μιμεῖσθαι τοῦ αἰθέρος τὸ χρῶμα. αἰθέριον οὖν ὑπόδημα ὑπέδησά σε. 32 κατανοεῖ ὁ ἁμαρτωλὸς τὸν δίκαιον καὶ ζητεῖ τοῦ θανατῶσαι αὐτόν. κατανοεῖ οὐχ ἵνα μιμήσηται αὐτόν. Παῦλος γράφει τοῖς ἐν Χριστῷ ἀνθρώποις· "κατανοοῦντες αὐτοὺς εἰς παροξυνμὸν ἀγάπης καὶ καλῶν ἔργων" καὶ τἆλλα. κατανοοῦσιν, ἵνα μιμήσωνται αὐτούς· "πείθεσθε" γὰρ "τοῖς ἡγουμένοις ὑμῶν", "οἵτινες ἐλάλησαν ὑμῖν τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ, ὧν ἀναθεωροῦντες τὴν ἔκβασιν τῆς ἀναστροφῆς μιμεῖσθε τὴν πίστιν". ὧδε τὸ κατανοεῖν ἐπαινετόν ἐστιν. ὁ δὲ ἁμ̣αρτωλὸς κατανοεῖ τὸν δίκαιον, οὐχ ἵνα μιμήσηται, οὐχ ἵνα ἀποδέξηται, ἀλλ' ἵνα θανατώσῃ. ἀμφοτέρως δὲ θανατοῖ ὁ ἁμαρτωλὸς τὸν δίκαιον· ἐὰν ἀποστήσῃ αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῆς δικαιοσύνης, θανατοῖ αὐτόν, ἢ θανατοῖ αὐτὸν ἐπιβουλευτικῶς ἐπιφέρων κατ' αὐτοῦ θάνατον, ὡς διενόησαν ποιεῖν κατὰ Σωσάννης οἱ πρεσβύτεροι. 33 καὶ οὐ μὴ ἐνκαταλείψει αὐτὸν εἰς τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ οὐδὲ μὴ καταδικάσει αὐτόν, ὅταν κρίνηται αὐτῷ. κἂν ἐπιθῆται, οὐκ ἐνκαταλείψει αὐτὸν εἰς τὰς χεῖρας αὐτοῦ. ἐλέγομεν δὲ διαφορὰν τῆς λέξεως τῆς ἐνκαταλείψεως. εἰ καὶ ἀνῃρέθη ὁ Ναβουθὲμ