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a hemisphere suspended like an arch, urges all to marvel and to consider of how much power is the one who established the heaven, and to reckon that he did not establish it idly, but like a tent spread out from above over all things within heaven, and for those beyond heaven, a divine dwelling is spread beneath. And just as, discoursing on nature, he called the element of the earth a circle, so he likened the hemisphere above the earth to the arch of a vault, comparing the expanse of the heaven to a stretched-out tent; and just as he took thought for the tent, so also for those dwelling within the tent. Therefore at various times and seasons he appoints rulers for the men living on the earth, having provided rulers suitable for the ruled. Wherefore he adds: giving rulers to rule as nothing, and he calls mortal life "nothing," or he also teaches that the earth itself is as nothing, saying next: and he made the earth as nothing. Then to these things he adds: For they shall not plant, nor shall they sow, nor shall their root take root in the earth. All these things are said concerning those who ruled and were tyrants upon the earth at various times, as they will come to such an end. But such are they, he says, but to whom have you likened me, the God of all, and I shall be exalted? said the holy one. Lift up your eyes on high and see: Who has shown all these things? For it is not possible to count them out nor to speak of them in detail, but it is enough to see with the eyes "the sizes and the beauties," and the harmony and the motion of the universe, and from the sight of these things to marvel at "the creator of all," and to know and recognize the one who through times and through generations brings forth his own adornment in order and number as from some storehouses and treasures, or, according to the other interpreters: his host. Therefore he is named Lord Sabaoth, which is interpreted Lord of hosts; for angelic hosts, as if subjected under a great king, administer his entire world, and no one but he alone knows their names, who also honored them with natural and suitable names. Thus, indeed, what are the particular designations of the divine spirits and archangels and the incorporeal powers ministering to God beyond heaven are incomprehensible and unknown to us. Therefore, being called by name by him alone, they obey, so that from his great glory and surpassing strength none of those called disobeys, but all minister to his nod. 2.19 After the theology that has been rendered, the word rebukes those who think that God does not watch over their actions, as many also among the former people supposed. Therefore he addresses them, saying: Why do you reason these things within yourself and dare to say, that your way has escaped God's notice, and you are not subject to judgment because he is ignorant of the things done by you? Then have you not heard the theology spoken before, and how nothing escapes his notice? For it was said just now: From much glory and in the might of strength, nothing has escaped your notice. How then do you deceive yourself, saying: My way is hidden from God, and my God has taken away my judgment and departed. Hear, therefore, in response to these things, if you were previously heedless or if you did not know nor understand the things often said to you, learn now, at least, that the eternal God, he who has comprehended all things, this one himself rules not only the things in heaven, but also the things on earth. And he is the one who has prepared the ends of the earth; therefore you yourself will not be able to escape his notice while reasoning such impious and godless things. And instead of: he will not hunger nor will he grow weary, Symmachus has rendered it: he was not faint nor did he hunger, and the others similarly. Just as, therefore, there is nothing weak with him nor human, so there is no finding out of his knowledge. Incomprehensible and unattainable is the wisdom with him, through which "he governs all things," so indeed does he also care for each thing individually and in part

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ἡμισφαίριον καμάρας δίκην ἐπαιωρημένον τοῖς πᾶσιν ἀποθαυμάζειν καὶ τὸν συστησάμενον τὸν οὐρανὸν ἐννοῆσαι ὁπόσης ἐστὶ δυνάμεως παρορμᾷ, λογίσασθαί τε ὡς οὐκ ἀργῶς αὐτὸν ὑπεστήσατο, σκηνῆς δὲ δίκην ἄνωθεν μὲν ἐφηπλωμένον κατὰ τῶν εἴσω οὐρανοῦ πάντων, τοῖς δ' ἐπέκεινα οὐρανοῦ θεῖον ὑπεστρῶσθαι ἐνδιαίτημα. ὥσπερ δὲ γῦρον τὸ τῆς γῆς ὠνόμασε στοιχεῖον φυσιολογήσας, οὕτω τὸ ὑπὲρ γῆς ἡμισφαίριον ἁψῖδι καμάρας ὡμοίωσε τὸ ἅπλωμα τοῦ οὐρανοῦ παραβάλλων σκηνῇ διατεταμένῃ· ὥσπερ δὲ τῆς σκηνῆς προὐνόησεν, οὕτω καὶ τῶν εἴσω τῆς σκηνῆς οἰκούντων. διόπερ κατὰ χρόνους καὶ καιροὺς τοῖς ἐν τῇ γῇ βιοῦσιν ἀνθρώποις ἄρχοντας ἐφίστησι προνοησάμενος ἀρχόντων τοῖς ἀρχομένοις καταλλήλων. διὸ ἐπιλέγει· διδοὺς ἄρχοντας εἰς οὐδὲν ἄρχειν, οὐδὲν δὲ ὀνομάζει τὸν θνητὸν βίον» ἢ καὶ τὴν γῆν αὐτὴν ὥσπερ οὐδὲν διδάσκει φάσκων ἑξῆς· τὴν δὲ γῆν εἰς οὐδὲν ἐποίησεν. εἶτα τούτοις ἐπιφέρει· οὐ γὰρ μὴ φυτεύσουσιν οὐδὲ μὴ σπείρουσιν, οὐδὲ μὴ ῥιζωθῇ εἰς τὴν γῆν ἡ ῥίζα αὐτῶν. πάντα ταῦτα περὶ τῶν κατὰ τοὺς καιροὺς ἀρξάντων καὶ τυραννησάντων ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς εἴρηται ὡς εἰς τοιοῦτο περιστησομένων τέλος. Ἀλλ' οἱ μέν φησι τοιοῦτοι, ἐμὲ δὲ τὸν τῶν ὅλων θεὸν τίνι ὡμοιώσατε καὶ ὑψωθήσομαι; εἶπεν ὁ ἅγιος. ἀναβλέψατε εἰς τὸ ὕψος τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς ὑμῶν καὶ ἴδετε· τίς κατέδειξε ταῦτα πάντα; οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐξαριθμήσασθαι δυνατὸν οὐδὲ κατὰ μέρος ἐξειπεῖν, ἀρκεῖ δὲ ὀφθαλμοῖς ὁρᾶν «τὰ μεγέθη καὶ τὰ κάλλη», τήν τε ἁρμονίαν καὶ τὴν κίνησιν τοῦ παντός, ἔκ τε τῆς τούτων θέας «τὸν πάντων γενεσιουργὸν» ἀποθαυμάζειν, εἰδέναι τε καὶ γνωρίζειν τὸν κατὰ χρόνους καὶ κατὰ γενεὰς ὥσπερ ἀπό τινων ταμείων καὶ θησαυρῶν αὐτοῦ προφέροντα ἐν τάξει καὶ ἀριθμῷ τὸν ἑαυτοῦ κόσμον, ἢ κατὰ τοὺς λοιποὺς ἑρμηνευτάς· τὴν στρατιὰν αὐτοῦ. διόπερ κύριος σαβαὼθ ὠνόμασται, ὅπερ ἑρμηνεύεται κύριος στρατιῶν· στρατιαὶ γὰρ ἀγγελικαὶ ὡς ὑπὸ μεγάλῳ βασιλεῖ ὑποτεταγμέναι τὸν σύμπαντα αὐτοῦ διοικοῦσι κόσμον, ὧν καὶ τὰς ἐπωνυμίας οὐδὲ εἷς ἢ μόνος αὐτὸς γινώσκει, ὁ καὶ φυσικοῖς καὶ καταλλήλοις αὐτοὺς ὀνόμασι τιμήσας. οὕτω γοῦν καὶ θείων πνευμάτων καὶ ἀρχαγγέλων καὶ τῶν ἐπέκεινα δὲ οὐρανοῦ θεοῦ λειτουργῶν ἀσωμάτων δυνάμεων ἰδιάζουσαι, τίνες εἰσὶν ἐπηγορίαι ἡμῖν ἀκατάληπτοι καὶ ἄγνωστοι. διὸ καὶ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ μόνου καλούμεναι ἐπ' ὀνόματος ὑπακούουσιν ὡς ἀπὸ πολλῆς αὐτοῦ δόξης καὶ ἐξυπερβαλλούσης ἰσχύος μηδένα τῶν καλουμένων ἀπειθεῖν, πάντας δὲ ἐξυπηρετεῖσθαι αὐτοῦ τῷ νεύματι. 2.19 Μετὰ τὴν ἀποδοθεῖσαν θεολογίαν ἐπιπλήττει ὁ λόγος τοῖς νομίζουσι μὴ ἐφορᾶν τὸν θεὸν ταῖς αὐτῶν πράξεσιν, οἷα πολλοὶ καὶ ἐν τῷ προτέρῳ λαῷ ὑπελάμβανον. διὸ πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἀποτείνεται λέγων· ∆ιὰ τί παρὰ σεαυτῷ ταῦτα λογίζῃ καὶ λέγειν τολμᾷς, ὡς τὸν θεὸν ἡ σὴ ὁδὸς ἔλαθε, καὶ οὐχ ὑπόκεισαι κρίσει διὰ τὸ ἀγνοεῖν αὐτὸν τὰ ὑπὸ σοῦ δρώμενα; εἶτ' οὐκ ἤκουσας τῆς προλεχθείσης θεολογίας καὶ ὡς οὐδὲν αὐτὸν λανθάνει, ἐλέγετο οὖν ἀρτίως· ἀπὸ πολλῆς δόξης καὶ ἐν κράτει ἰσχύος οὐδέν σε ἔλαθε. πῶς οὖν σαυτὸν ἀπατᾷς λέγων· Ἀπεκρύβη ἡ ὁδός μου ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ ὁ θεός μου τὴν κρίσιν μου ἀφεῖλε καὶ ἀπέστη. ἄκουε τοίνυν πρὸς ταῦτα, εἰ μὴ καὶ πρότερον ἀνηκόως ἦσθα ἢ εἰ μὴ ἔγνως μηδὲ συνῆκας τὰ πολλάκις σοὶ λελεγμένα, νῦν γοῦν μάνθανε, ὡς ὁ θεὸς ὁ αἰώνιος ὁ τὰ πάντα περιειληφὼς οὗτος αὐτὸς οὐ μόνον τῶν κατ' οὐρανόν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς κρατεῖ. αὐτὸς δὲ ἐστὶν ὁ κατασκευάσας τὰ ἄκρα τῆς γῆς· διὸ οὐδὲ σὺ αὐτὸς λανθάνειν αὐτὸν δυνήσῃ τοιαῦτα δυσσεβῆ καὶ ἄθεα λογιζόμενος. ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ· οὐ πεινάσει οὐδὲ κοπιάσει, ὁ Σύμμαχος οὐκ ἐξελύθη οὐδὲ ἐπείνασεν ἐξέδωκε, καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ παραπλησίως. ὥσπερ τοίνυν οὐδὲν ἀσθενὲς παρ' αὐτῷ οὐδὲ ἀνθρώπινον, οὕτως οὐκ ἔστιν ἐξεύρεσις τῆς γνώσεως αὐτοῦ. ἀκατάληπτός τε καὶ ἀνέφικτος ἡ παρ' αὐτῷ τυγχάνει σοφία, δι' ἧς «τὰ σύμπαντα διοικεῖ», οὕτως δ' οὖν αὐτῷ μέλει καὶ τῶν καθ' ἕκαστον καὶ κατὰ μέρος