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they minister to divine commands. The divine Apostle says thus: "Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth for service for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?" And again: "For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast," and what follows. He calls it bread of heaven as having been brought from above. For the divine Scripture also calls the birds that travel through the air fowls of heaven. "He sent them provision to the full." To satiety, he says, he gave them of this food. Then he also recounts the provision of meats. 80.1492 26, 27. "He brought a south wind from heaven; and by his power he led in a southwest wind. And he rained flesh upon them as dust; and winged fowl as the sand of the seas." For by the winds having driven together from all sides the kind of those birds, he commanded them to fly down beside their tents, granting them an effortless hunt. 28-30. And it fell in the midst of their camp, round about their tents. And they ate and were exceedingly filled; and he brought them their desire. They were not deprived of their desire." They enjoyed, he says, what they desired, and they sated their gluttony; but yet they paid the penalty for their greed. "While the food was still in their mouth, [31] And the wrath of God came upon them, and slew among the most of them, and fettered the chosen men of Israel." For since, having had much experience of the divine power, they did not believe God was able to supply the food, he also brought on the chastisement, teaching that he is capable of doing both, of providing good things and of inflicting punishments. But nevertheless, they persisted no less in sinning. For he added this: 32, 33. "In all these things they sinned still, and did not believe in his wondrous works. And their days were consumed in vanity, and their years with haste." Sinning, he says, and transgressing, and taking no thought for the things that could profit, but being devoted to vain and unprofitable practices, and pursuing these things with all haste, they departed this life. 34, 35. "When he slew them, then they sought him, and they returned, and rose early to God. And they remembered that God is their helper, and the most high God is their redeemer." Not in vain did the loving Master bring fetters upon them; for from this they reaped no small benefit. For while enjoying good things, they were not aware; but being punished, they approached asking for divine loving-kindness. 30, 37. "And they loved him with their mouth; and with their tongue they lied to him. But their heart was not right with him; neither were they faithful in his covenant." They promised to love him, using false words. 80.1493 For their thought contradicted their words, devising things contrary to the divine laws, and not enduring to believe the divine oracles. 38. "But he is merciful, and will make atonement for their sins, and will not destroy. "But yet he, using his own goodness, did not endure to give them over to complete destruction." And he will abundantly turn away his anger, and will not kindle all his wrath." But Symmachus thus: And he repeatedly turned away his anger, and did not stir up all his wrath. He did not bring upon them, he says, a punishment worthy of their transgressions. 39. "And he remembered that they are flesh, a spirit that passes away, and does not return." For he knew the weakness of their nature; and that not long after they would receive the end of life. 40, 41. "How often they provoked him in the wilderness; they angered him in a waterless land. And they turned back and tempted God, and provoked the Holy One of Israel." Through all these things he teaches the divine long-suffering. It is possible to learn each of these things more accurately from the history. For at one time they deified the calf; at another they were initiated to Baal-peor. At another time they plotted tyranny against the great Moses; of the

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θείοις νεύμασιν ὑπουργοῦσι. Λέγει δὲ οὕτως ὁ θεῖος Ἀπό στολος· "Οὐχὶ πάντες εἰσὶ λειτουργικὰ πνεύματα, εἰς διακονίαν ἀποστελλόμενα διὰ τοὺς μέλλοντας κλη ρονομεῖν σωτηρίαν;" Καὶ πάλιν· "Εἰ γὰρ ὁ δι' ἀγ γέλων λαληθεὶς λόγος ἐγένετο βέβαιος," καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Ἄρτον δὲ οὐρανοῦ ὡς ἄνωθεν ἐνεχθέντα καλεῖ. Καὶ τοὺς ἀεροπόρους γὰρ ὄρνιθας πετεινὰ οὐρανοῦ ἡ θεία προσαγορεύει Γραφή. "Ἐπισιτισμὸν ἀπέστειλεν αὐτοῖς, εἰς πλησμονήν." Εἰς κόρον, φησὶ, ταύτης μετέδωκεν αὐτοῖς τῆς τροφῆς. Εἶτα καὶ τὴν τῶν κρεῶν διέξεισι χορηγίαν. 80.1492 κʹ, κζʹ. "Ἀπῆρε νότον ἐξ οὐρανοῦ· καὶ ἐπ ήγαγεν ἐν τῇ δυνάμει αὑτοῦ λίβα. Καὶ ἔβρεξεν ἐπ' αὐτοὺς ὡσεὶ χνοῦν σάρκας· καὶ ὡσεὶ ἄμμον θαλασσῶν, πετεινὰ πτερωτά." ∆ιὰ γὰρ τῶν ἀνέμων συνελάσας πανταχόθεν τῶν ὀρνίθων ἐκείνων τὸ γένος, καταπτῆναι προσέταξε παρὰ τὰς τούτων σκηνὰς, αὐτόματον αὐτοῖς χαρισάμενος θήραν. κηʹ-λʹ. Καὶ ἔπεσεν εἰς μέσον τῆς παρεμβολῆς αὐτῶν, κύκλῳ τῶν σκηνωμάτων αὐτῶν. Καὶ ἔφα γον καὶ ἐνεπλήσθησαν σφόδρα· καὶ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν αὐτῶν ἤνεγκεν αὐτοῖς. Οὐκ ἐστερήθησαν ἀπὸ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας αὐτῶν." Ἀπήλαυσαν, φησὶν, ὧν ὠρέ χθησαν, καὶ τὴν γαστριμαργίαν ἐνέπλησαν· ἀλλ' ὅμως τῆς ἀπληστίας εἰσεπράχθησαν δίκας. "Ἔτι τῆς βρώσεως οὔσης ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτῶν, [λαʹ] Καὶ ὀργὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀνέβη ἐπ' αὐτοὺς, καὶ ἀπέκτεινεν ἐν τοῖς πλείοσιν αὐτῶν, καὶ τοὺς ἐκλε κτοὺς τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ συνεπόδισεν." Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ πεῖραν πολλὴν λαβόντες τῆς θείας δυνάμεως, οὐκ ἐπίστευσαν δύνασθαι τὸν Θεὸν χορηγῆσαι τὴν τροφὴν, καὶ τὴν παιδείαν ἐπήγαγε, διδάσκων ὡς ἀμφότερα ποιεῖν ἱκανὸς, καὶ τὰ ἀγαθὰ παρέχειν, καὶ τὰς τιμωρίας ἐπάγειν. Ἀλλ' ὅμως, οὐδὲν ἧττον ἐπέμειναν πλημμελοῦντες. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἐπήγαγεν· λβʹ, λγʹ. "Ἐν πᾶσι τούτοις ἥμαρτον ἔτι, καὶ οὐκ ἐπίστευσαν ἐν τοῖς θαυμασίοις αὐτοῦ. Καὶ ἐξέλι πον ἐν ματαιότητι αἱ ἡμέραι αὐτῶν· καὶ τὰ ἔτη αὐτῶν μετὰ σπουδῆς." Ἁμαρτάνοντες, φησὶ, καὶ πλημμελοῦντες, καὶ τῶν μὲν ὠφελεῖν δυναμένων οὐδεμίαν ποιούμενοι πρόνοιαν, τοῖς δὲ ματαίοις καὶ ἀκερδέσι προστετηκότες ἐπιτηδεύμασι, καὶ μετὰ πάσης ταῦτα μετιόντες σπουδῆς, τὸν βίον ὑπεξ ῆλθον. λδʹ, λεʹ. "Ὅτ' ἂν ἀπέκτεινεν αὐτοὺς, τότε ἐξεζή τουν αὐτὸν, καὶ ἐπέστρεφον, καὶ ὤρθριζον πρὸς τὸν Θεόν. Καὶ ἐμνήσθησαν ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς βοηθὸς αὐτῶν ἐστι, καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ὁ ὕψιστος λυτρωτὴς αὐτῶν ἐστι." Οὐ μάτην δὲ αὐτοῖς ὁ φιλάνθρωπος ∆εσπότης τὰς πέδας ἐπήγαγεν· ὠφέλειαν γὰρ ἐντεῦθεν οὐ σμι κρὰν ἐκαρποῦντο. Ἀπολαύοντες μὲν γὰρ τῶν ἀγαθῶν, οὐκ ᾐσθάνοντο· κολαζόμενοι δὲ, τὴν θείαν προσῄεσαν αἰτοῦντες φιλανθρωπίαν. λʹ, λζʹ. "Καὶ ἠγάπησαν αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτῶν· καὶ τῇ γλώσσῃ αὐτῶν ἐψεύσαντο αὐτῷ. Ἡ δὲ καρδία αὐτῶν οὐκ εὐθεῖα μετ' αὐτοῦ· οὐδὲ ἐπιστώθησαν ἐν τῇ διαθήκῃ αὐτοῦ." Ἀγαπᾷν δὲ αὐτὸν ὑπισχνοῦντο ψευδέσι χρώμενοι λόγοις. 80.1493 Ἀντεφθέγγετο γὰρ τοῖς λόγοις ὁ λογισμὸς, ἐναντία τοῖς θείοις βουλευόμενος νόμοις, καὶ πι στεύειν τοῖς θείοις λογίοις οὐκ ἀνεχόμενος. ληʹ. "Αὐτὸς δέ ἐστιν οἰκτίρμων, καὶ ἱλάσεται ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις αὐτῶν, καὶ οὐ διαφθερεῖ. "Ἀλλ' ὅμως αὐτὸς, τῇ οἰκείᾳ χρώμενος ἀγαθότητι, οὐκ ἠνέσχετο αὐτοὺς παντελεῖ παραδοῦναι φθορᾷ." Καὶ πληθυνεῖ τοῦ ἀποστρέψαι τὸν θυμὸν αὑτοῦ, καὶ οὐχὶ ἐκκαύσει πᾶσαν τὴν ὀργὴν αὑτοῦ." Ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος οὕτως· Καὶ ἐπὶ πολὺ ἀπέστρεψε τὴν ὀργὴν αὑτοῦ, καὶ οὐ διήγειρεν ὅλον τὸν θυμὸν αὑτοῦ. Οὐκ ἀξίαν αὐτοῖς, φησὶ, τῶν πεπλημμελημένων τιμωρίαν ἐπήγαγεν. λθʹ. "Καὶ ἐμνήσθη ὅτι σάρξ εἰσι, πνεῦμα πορευό μενον, καὶ οὐκ ἐπιστρέφον." Ἤδει γὰρ αὐτῶν τῆς φύσεως τὴν ἀσθένειαν· καὶ ὅτι οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν δέξονται τοῦ βίου τὸ πέρας. μʹ, μαʹ. "Ποσάκις παρεπίκραναν αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ· παρώργισαν αὐτὸν ἐν γῇ ἀνύδρῳ. Καὶ ἐπ έστρεψαν καὶ ἐπείρασαν τὸν Θεὸν, καὶ τὸν ἅγιον τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ παρώξυναν." ∆ιὰ τούτων ἁπάντων τὴν θείαν διδάσκει μακροθυμίαν. Ἀκριβέστερον δὲ τούτων ἕκαστον ἐκ τῆς ἱστορίας καταμαθεῖν δυνατόν. Ποτὲ μὲν γὰρ τὸν μόσχον ἐθεοποίησαν· ποτὲ δὲ τῷ Βεελφεγὼρ ἐτελέσθησαν. Ἄλλοτε τὴν κατὰ τοῦ μεγάλου Μωσοῦ ἐμελέτησαν τυραννίδα· τῆς τοῦ