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but no longer also of the better spirit; for it is said that the spirit is given only to those who tread upon the earth. Wherever those who tread down the earthly mind might be, one might also say otherwise, that every race of both rational and irrational animals on earth is signified by what has been said. In addition to what has been said, the same Lord and God also speaks the following words to his Christ, saying: I, the Lord God, have called you in righteousness and I will take hold of your hand and I will strengthen you. And he speaks these things to his "servant" mentioned above, to whom he was said to "give his spirit," first he calls him in righteousness, making his calling according to his worth and in the most just way; then he promises to take hold of his hand and to strengthen him, and third, that he will grant him as a gift, like some great light, to all the nations, saying: and I have given you for a covenant of the race, for a light of the nations. For long ago, through Moses, he gave the old covenant to the people of the Jews; but here he says that he has gifted the one prophesied for a covenant of the human race and for a light of the nations. Rightly, therefore, since the Christ of God was himself the covenant, he did not publish a writing or a book as Moses did; for he himself was the covenant, since he was the first "mediator between God and men," but he is also given for a light of the nations, so that, being enlightened in him, the eyes of those who were long blind in their souls might be opened and they might look up and see clearly the knowledge of God, so as no longer to give the honor of God to stones and wood and inanimate matter. And since these very men were "bound fast by the chains of their own sins" and fettered in the darkness of evil, but were about to be deemed worthy of the remission of sins through the grace of Christ and to be released as if from prisons, and to be set free and delivered from the prison of the devil. For this reason what follows is added: to bring out from bonds those who are bound, and from the house of imprisonment those who sit in darkness. All these things the bountiful God promises to give through his Christ not to Israel nor to the nation of the Jews, but to all the nations together. And he adds: I am the Lord God, this is my name; I will not give my glory to another. And observe how, according to the other interpreters and according to the Hebrew reading itself, it is likewise said: I will not give my glory to another. But if "the oracles of the Lord are refined by fire" and one must not encounter them carelessly, it is worthwhile to note that it is not said: I will not give my glory to no one; for "to no one" would be the negation of everyone, but "not to give to another" shows that the permission has been given to one alone, that is, to the one being addressed. And this was the one to whom it was said: I have called you in righteousness and I will take hold of your hand and I will strengthen you and I have given you for a covenant of the race, for a light of the nations. Since, therefore, he says, I have given you my glory, it is proper to know that I would not also share it with another. And what the glory of him who says these things was, he taught beforehand, saying: I am the Lord God, this is my name; the name, therefore, by which he is glorified as Lord and God of all, he says I will not give to another, but only to you, whom I have gifted for a light of the nations. Whence, in accordance with the promise, the Christ of God is also proclaimed Lord and God among all the nations, the Father having graciously granted this glory to him alone. And he adds next: nor will I give my virtues to graven images, or according to Aquila: and my praise to graven images, but according to Symmachus: nor my praise to graven images. And through these words, I think, he teaches all the nations to praise no god from among those formerly considered gods by them; but to glorify only the Christ of God and "the Father who sent him." On whose account Christ himself is also alone spoken of as God, since the God over all gifted His glory and His virtues to him alone and to no other. After these things it is said: behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things which I announce, before announcing

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οὐκέτι δὲ καὶ τοῦ κρείττονος πνεύματος· μόνοις γὰρ τοῖς καταπατοῦσι τὴν γῆν δίδοσθαι τὸ πνεῦμα εἴρηται. ὅποι δ' ἂν εἶεν οἱ τὸ γεῶδες φρόνημα καταπατοῦντες, εἴποι δ' ἄν τις καὶ ἄλλως πᾶν γένος δηλοῦσθαι τῶν τε λογικῶν ἐπὶ γῆς ζῴων καὶ ἀλόγων διὰ τῶν προκειμένων. Πρὸς δὲ τοῖς λεχθεῖσιν ἔτι καὶ τὰ ἐπιλεγόμενα ὁ αὐτὸς κύριος καὶ θεὸς τῷ Χριστῷ αὐτοῦ προσφωνεῖ λέγων· ἐγὼ κύριος ὁ θεὸς ἐκάλεσά σε ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ κρατήσω τῆς χειρός σου καὶ ἐνισχύσω σε. προσφωνεῖ δὲ ταῦτα τῷ ἀνωτέρω λεχθέντι «παιδὶ» αὐτοῦ, ᾧ «τὸ ἑαυτοῦ πνεῦμα δώσειν» ἐλέγετο, πρῶτον δὲ αὐτὸν ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ καλεῖ κατ' ἀξίαν τὴν κλῆσιν αὐτοῦ καὶ κατὰ τὸ δικαιότατον ποιούμενος· ἔπειτα κρατήσειν τῆς χειρὸς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐνισχῦσαι αὐτὸν καὶ τρίτον χαριεῖσθαι αὐτὸν δῶρον ὥσπερ τι φῶς μέγα πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἐπαγγέλλεται λέγων· καὶ ἔδωκά σε εἰς διαθήκην γένους, εἰς φῶς ἐθνῶν. πάλαι οὖν διὰ Μωσέως τὴν παλαιὰν διαθήκην τῷ Ἰουδαίων ἐδίδου λαῷ· ἐνταῦθα δὲ τὸν προφητευόμενον εἰς διαθήκην τοῦ γένους τῶν ἀνθρώπων καὶ εἰς φῶς ἐθνῶν δωρήσασθαί φησιν. εἰκότως ἄρα ἐπειδήπερ αὐτὸς ἦν ἡ διαθήκη ὁ Χριστὸς τοῦ θεοῦ οὐδὲ γραφὴν οὐδὲ βιβλίον ἐξέδωκεν ὁμοίως Μωσεῖ· αὐτὸς γὰρ ἦν ἡ διαθήκη, ἅτε πρῶτος «μεσίτης» ὑπάρχων «θεοῦ καὶ ἀνθρώπων», ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς φῶς ἐθνῶν δίδοται, ὅπως ἐν αὐτῷ φωτιζόμενοι τῶν πάλαι τὰς ψυχὰς τυφλῶν οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ διανοίγωνται καὶ ἀναβλέπωσι διορῶντες τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ γνῶσιν ὡς μηκέτι λίθοις καὶ ξύλοις καὶ ἀψύχων ὕλῃ τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ τιμὴν ἀπονέμειν. ἐπειδὴ δὲ αὐτοὶ οὗτοι «σειραῖς τῶν ἰδίων ἁμαρτιῶν ἦσαν κατεσφιγμένοι» ἐν σκότῳ δὲ κακίας πεπεδημένοι, ἔμελλον δὲ διὰ τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ χάριτος ἁμαρτιῶν ἀφέσεως καταξιοῦσθαι καὶ ὥσπερ ἐκ δεσμωτηρίων ἀπολύεσθαι, ἐλευθεροῦσθαί τε καὶ ἀπαλλάττεσθαι τῆς τοῦ διαβόλου εἱρκτῆς. τούτου χάριν ἐπιφέρεται ἑξῆς τό· ἐξαγαγεῖν ἐκ δεσμῶν δεδεμένους καὶ ἐξ οἴκου φυλακῆς καθημένους ἐν σκότει. ταῦτα πάντα διὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ αὐτοῦ ὁ μεγαλόδωρος θεὸς οὐ τῷ Ἰσραὴλ οὐδὲ τῷ Ἰουδαίων ἔθνει, πᾶσι δὲ ἀθρόως τοῖς ἔθνεσι δώσειν ἐπαγγέλλεται. Καὶ ἐπιλέγει· ἐγὼ κύριος ὁ θεός, τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ ὄνομά μου· τὴν δόξαν μου ἑτέρῳ οὐ δώσω. καὶ τήρει, ὅπως κατὰ τοὺς λοιποὺς ἑρμηνευτὰς καὶ κατ' αὐτὴν τὴν Ἑβραϊκὴν ἀνάγνωσιν ὁμοίως εἴρηται τό· τὴν δόξαν μου ἑτέρῳ οὐ δώσω. εἰ δὲ «τὰ λόγια κυρίου πεπυρωμένα» ἐστι καὶ χρὴ μὴ παρέργως ἐντυγχάνειν αὐτοῖς, ἐπιστῆσαι ἄξιον ὡς οὐκ εἴρηται· τὴν δόξαν μου οὐδενὶ δώσω· τὸ μὲν γὰρ οὐδενὶ ἀναιρετικὸν ἦν παντός, τὸ δὲ ἑτέρῳ μὴ δώσειν ἑνὶ μόνῳ τὴν συγχώρησιν γεγενῆσθαι ἐμφαίνει, δηλαδὴ τῷ προσφωνουμένῳ. οὗτος δὲ ἦν πρὸς ὃν ἐλέγετο· ἐκάλεσά σε ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ καὶ κρατήσω τῆς χειρός σου καὶ ἐνισχύσω σε καὶ ἔδωκά σε εἰς διαθήκην γένους, εἰς φῶς ἐθνῶν. ἐπεὶ τοίνυν σοὶ δέδωκά φησι τὴν ἐμὴν δόξαν, εἰδέναι προσήκει ὡς οὐκ ἂν καὶ ἑτέρῳ μεταδῴην ταύτης, τίς δὲ ἦν ἡ δόξα τοῦ ταῦτα λέγοντος, προεδίδαξεν εἰπών· ἐγὼ κύριος ὁ θεός, τοῦτό ἐστι τὸ ὄνομά μου· τὸ ὄνομα τοίνυν, δι' οὗ δοξάζεται ὡς κύριος καὶ θεὸς τῶν ὅλων, ἑτέρῳ φησὶν οὐ δώσω, ἀλλ' ἢ σοὶ μόνῳ, ὃν εἰς φῶς ἐθνῶν ἐδωρησάμην. ὅθεν ἀκολούθως τῇ ἐπαγγελίᾳ καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς τοῦ θεοῦ παρὰ πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθνεσι κύριος καὶ θεὸς ἀναγορεύεται τοῦ πατρὸς μόνῳ αὐτῷ ταύτην χαρισαμένου τὴν δόξαν. ἐπιλέγει δὲ ἑξῆς· οὐδὲ τὰς ἀρετάς μου δώσω τοῖς γλυπτοῖς, ἢ κατὰ τὸν Ἀκύλαν· καὶ τὴν ὕμνησίν μου τοῖς γλυπτοῖς, κατὰ δὲ τὸν Σύμμαχον· οὐδὲ τὸν ἔπαινόν μου τοῖς γλυπτοῖς. διὰ τούτων δὲ οἶμαι τῶν λόγων πάντα τὰ ἔθνη παιδεύειν μηδένα μὲν θεὸν ὑμνεῖν τῶν πάλαι νομιζομένων αὐτοῖς θεῶν· μόνον δὲ τὸν Χριστὸν τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ «τὸν πέμψαντα αὐτὸν πατέρα» δοξάζειν. δι' ὃν καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Χριστὸς θεολογεῖται μόνος, ἐπειδήπερ μόνῳ αὐτῷ καὶ οὐδ' ἄλλῳ τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰς ἀρετὰς αὐτοῦ ὁ ἐπὶ πάντων θεὸς ἐδωρήσατο. Τούτοις ἑξῆς εἴρηται· τὰ ἀπ' ἀρχῆς ἰδοὺ ἥκασι, καὶ καινὰ ἃ ἐγὼ ἀναγγέλλω, πρὸ τοῦ ἀναγγεῖλαι