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enjoying the food of manna, they were ungrateful; being commanded to take possession of the promised land, they put forward their fear; and they did countless other things besides these, which we will omit, not wishing to prolong the discourse. 42. "They did not remember his hand on the day when he redeemed them from the hand of the oppressor," They were not willing to take into their mind the former benefits, nor to consider the strength of God, by which they were delivered from the slavery of the Egyptians. Then he recounts the wonders that happened there. 43. "How he set his signs in Egypt, and his wonders in the field of Tanis." Tanis held the palace of Pharaoh. There the great Moses brought punishments upon the Egyptians. 44. "And he turned their rivers into blood, and their rain waters, so that they could not drink." For first he changed not only the river waters, but also those collected from rains, into the nature of blood, pressing the disobedient with thirst. 45, 46. "He sent upon them the dog-fly, and it devoured them, and the frog, and it destroyed them. And he gave their fruits to the blight, and their labors to the locust." Using the 80.1496 dog-fly and frogs as ministers of his wrath, he brought bitter pains upon them. And with blight and locust he destroyed the fruits of the earth. 47. "He killed their vine with hail, and their sycamore trees with frost." With blight and locust he consumed the fruit, and with hail and frost he killed the very roots of the trees. However, the other interpreters translated sycamines as sycomores. 48. "And he gave over their cattle to the hail, and their substance to the fire." But Symmachus thus: Of him who gave their cattle to pestilence, and their possessions to birds of prey. For having received a sudden end, they became a feast for the carnivorous birds. 49. "He sent upon them the fierceness of his anger: wrath, and indignation, and trouble, a sending of evil angels." Wrath, and indignation, and trouble, he called the bitter punishments; and evil angels, the ministers of punishment; calling evil not a wickedness of nature or of will, but the punishment of chastisement. Thus he calls the day of punishment an evil day. And Symmachus also indicated this; for instead of evil angels, he said angels that do harm. 50. "He made a path for his anger." Instead of, philanthropy did not prevent the punishment, but gave way to just discipline. This he also showed through the things that followed. "He did not spare their souls from death; and he shut up their cattle to death. [51.] And he struck every firstborn in the land of Egypt, the firstfruits of all their labor, in the tents of Ham." For seeing their obstinate mind, he brought punishments upon them unsparingly; first destruction to the cattle, and later an unexpected death to the firstborn. And he called Egypt the tents of Ham, since the son of Ham was Mizraim, and Mizraim is Egypt. 52. "And he took away his people like sheep; and he led them like a flock in the wilderness." Having thus disciplined them, he led his own people into the wilderness; imitating a shepherd, leading the flock. 53. "And he guided them in hope, and they were not afraid." For having given many pledges of his own power, he commanded them to trust in him, and not to be afraid. This came from the God of all; 80.1497 but they were not willing to trust in the power of God. "And the sea covered their enemies." For the same sea provided a path for these, but buried those in the waves. 54. "And he brought them into the mountain of his sanctuary, this mountain which his right hand acquired." Therefore having freed them from there, he gave them the land which he had promised; for through mount Zion he indicated the whole land. "And he cast out nations from before them, and made them inherit by a line of inheritance." For having freed that land from its ancient inhabitants, to these according to the promises he gave its
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μάννα τροφῆς ἀπολαύοντες, ἠχαρίστησαν· ἀπολα βεῖν τὴν ἐπηγγελμένην κελευσθέντες γῆν, τὸ δέος προὐβάλλοντο· καὶ ἄλλα μυρία πρὸς τούτοις εἰργά σαντο, ἅπερ μηκύνειν οὐκ ἐθέλοντες τὸν λόγον παραλείψομεν. μβʹ. "Οὐκ ἐμνήσθησαν τῆς χειρὸς αὐτοῦ ἡμέρας ἧς ἐλυτρώσατο αὐτοὺς ἐκ χειρὸς θλίβοντος," Οὐκ ἐβουλήθησαν λαβεῖν εἰς διάνοιαν τὰς προτέρας εὐερ γεσίας, οὐδὲ λογίσασθαι τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν ἰσχὺν, δι' ἧς ἀπηλλάγησαν τῆς Αἰγυπτίων δουλείας. Εἶτα διέξεισι τὰς ἐκεῖ γεγενημένας θαυματουργίας. μγʹ. "Ὡς ἔθετο ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ τὰ σημεῖα αὑτοῦ, καὶ τὰ τέρατα αὑτοῦ ἐν πεδίῳ Τάνεως." Ἡ Τάνις εἶχε τοῦ Φαραὼ τὰ βασίλεια. Ἐκεῖ δὲ τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις τὰς τιμωρίας ὁ μέγας ἐπήγαγε Μωσῆς. μδʹ. "Καὶ μετέστρεψεν εἰς αἷμα τοὺς ποταμοὺς αὐτῶν, καὶ τὰ ὀμβρήματα αὐτῶν, ὅπως μὴ πίωσιν." Πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ οὐ τὰ ποτάμια μόνον ὕδατα, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ἐξ ὑετῶν συνιστάμενα μετέβαλεν εἰς αἵματος φύσιν, τῷ δίψει πιέζων τοὺς ἀντιλέ γοντας. μεʹ, μʹ. "Ἐξαπέστειλεν εἰς αὐτοὺς κυνόμυιαν, καὶ κατέφαγεν αὐτοὺς, καὶ βάτραχον, καὶ διέφθει ρεν αὐτούς. Καὶ ἔδωκε τῇ ἐρυσίβῃ τοὺς καρποὺς αὐτῶν, καὶ τοὺς πόνους αὐτῶν τῇ ἀκρίδι." Κυνο 80.1496 μυίᾳ δὲ καὶ βατράχοις ὑπουργοῖς τῆς ὀργῆς χρησά μενος, πικρὰς αὐτοῖς τὰς ὀδύνας ἐπήγαγεν. Ἐρυ σίβῃ δὲ καὶ ἀκρίδι τῆς γῆς διέφθειρε τοὺς καρπούς. μζʹ. "Ἀπέκτεινεν ἐν χαλάζῃ τὴν ἄμπελον αὐ τῶν, καὶ τὰς συκαμίνους αὐτῶν ἐν τῇ πάχνῃ." Ἐρυσίβῃ μὲν καὶ ἀκρίδι τὸν καρπὸν κατηνάλωσε, χαλάζῃ δὲ καὶ πάχνῃ καὶ αὐτὰς τὰς ῥίζας τῶν δένδρων ἐνέκρωσε. Τὰς μέντοι συκαμίνους οἱ ἄλλοι ἑρμηνευταὶ συκομόρους ἡρμήνευσαν. μηʹ. "Καὶ παρέδωκεν εἰς χάλαζαν τὰ κτήνη αὐτῶν, καὶ τὴν ὕπαρξιν αὐτῶν τῷ πυρί." Ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος οὕτως· Τοῦ ἐκδόντος λοιμῷ τὰ κτήνη αὐτῶν, καὶ τὰ κτήματα αὐτῶν οἰωνοῖς. Ἀθρόαν γὰρ δεξάμενα τελευτὴν, θοίνη τῶν σαρκοβόρων ὀρνί θων ἐγένετο. μθʹ. "Ἐξαπέστειλεν εἰς αὐτοὺς ὀργὴν θυμοῦ αὑτοῦ· θυμὸν, καὶ ὀργὴν, καὶ θλῖψιν, ἀποστολὴν δι' ἀγγέλων πονηρῶν." Θυμὸν, καὶ ὀργὴν, καὶ θλῖψιν, τὰς πικρὰς τιμωρίας ἐκάλεσεν· ἀγγέλους δὲ πονηροὺς, τῆς τιμωρίας τοὺς ὑπουργούς· οὔτε φύσεως, οὔτε προαιρέσεως μοχθηρίαν, τὴν πονηρίαν καλῶν, ἀλλὰ τὴν τῆς κολάσεως τιμωρίαν. Οὕτω πονηρὰν ἡμέραν τὴν τῆς τιμωρίας ἡμέραν καλεῖ. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ὁ Σύμμαχος παρεδήλωσεν· ἀντὶ γὰρ ἀγγέλων πονηρῶν, ἀγγέλων κακούντων εἴρηκεν. νʹ. "Ὡδοποίησε τρίβον τῇ ὀργῇ αὑτοῦ." Ἀντὶ τοῦ, οὐκ ἐκώλυσεν ἡ φιλανθρωπία τὴν τιμωρίαν, ἀλλ' ἔδωκε χώραν τῇ δικαίᾳ παιδείᾳ. Τοῦτο καὶ διὰ τῶν ἐπαγομένων ἐδήλωσεν. "Οὐκ ἐφείσατο ἀπὸ θανάτου τῶν ψυχῶν αὐτῶν· καὶ τὰ κτήνη αὐτῶν εἰς θάνατον συνέκλεισε. [ναʹ.] Καὶ ἐπάταξε πᾶν πρωτότοκον ἐν γῇ Αἰγύπτῳ, ἀπαρ χὴν παντὸς πόνου αὐτῶν. ἐν τοῖς σκηνώμασι Χάμ." Θεασάμενος γὰρ αὐτῶν τὴν ἀντίτυπον γνώμην, ἀφειδῶς αὐτοῖς τὰς τιμωρίας ἐπήγαγε· πρῶτον μὲν τοῖς κτήνεσιν ὄλεθρον, ὕστερον δὲ τοῖς πρωτοτόκοις θάνατον ἐπάγων ἀπροσδόκητον. Σκηνώ ματα δὲ Χὰμ, τὴν Αἴγυπτον προσηγόρευσεν, ἐπειδὴ τοῦ Χὰμ υἱὸς ὁ Μεσρὲμ, Μεσρὲμ δὲ ἡ Αἴγυ πτος. νβʹ. "Καὶ ἀπῆρεν ὡς πρόβατα τὸν λαὸν αὑτοῦ· καὶ ἀνήγαγεν αὐτοὺς ὡσεὶ ποίμνιον ἐν ἐρήμῳ." Οὕτως ἐκείνους παιδεύσας, ἐπὶ τὴν ἔρημον ἤγαγε τὸν οἰκεῖον λαόν· ποιμένα μιμούμενος, τῆς ποίμνης ἡγούμενον. νγʹ. "Καὶ ὡδήγησεν αὐτοὺς ἐπ' ἐλπίδι, καὶ οὐκ ἐδειλίασαν." Πολλὰ γὰρ ἐνέγγυα τῆς οἰκείας δυνάμεως δεδωκὼς, θαῤῥεῖν αὐτῷ, καὶ μὴ δεδιέναι προσέταξε. Τοῦτο δὲ παρὰ μὲν τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων 80.1497 ἐγένετο· ἐκεῖνοι δὲ τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ Θεοῦ θαῤῥεῖν οὐκ ἠβούλοντο. "Καὶ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς αὐτῶν ἐκάλυψε θάλασσα." Ἡ γὰρ αὐτὴ θάλασσα τούτοις μὲν παρ έσχεν ὁδὸν, ἐκείνους δὲ τοῖς κύμασιν ἔχωσε. νδʹ. "Καὶ εἰσήγαγεν αὐτοὺς εἰς ὄρος ἁγιάσματος αὑτοῦ, ὄρος τοῦτο ὃ ἐκτήσατο ἡ δεξιὰ αὐτοῦ." Ἐκεῖ θεν τοίνυν ἐλευθερώσας, ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς ἣν ἐπηγ γείλατο γῆν· διὰ γὰρ τοῦ Σιὼν ὄρους πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν παρεδήλωσε. "Καὶ ἐξέβαλεν ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτῶν ἔθνη, καὶ ἐκληροδότησεν αὐτοὺς ἐν σχοινίῳ κληροδοσίας." Τῶν γὰρ παλαιῶν οἰκητόρων τὴν γῆν ἐκείνην ἐλευθερώσας, τούτοις κατὰ τὰς ὑπο σχέσεις τὴν ταύτης δέδωκε