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was it made for a purpose? The earth, on the one hand, providing a dwelling for man, and plants, and animals for his use. And the stars of heaven, on the other hand, now carrying torches for him; and now again, in harmonious motion, able to make signs and times. And in addition to the other good things, I also raised up for my 2424 people a king, or Cyrus, saying, whose ways, he says, are straight. Or according to Symmachus, and I will make all his ways straight. And this one will build my city. For in effect he himself built it by permitting those who wished to go up, and by letting them do this with gifts. Or Zerubbabel, who traced his lineage from David, who, having led those who went up, built the temple. About whom he says: "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house, and his hands shall finish it." But it might be more appropriately taken to refer to Christ, who also says: "But I was appointed king by him on Zion his holy mountain." Whose ways are truly straight. And he himself built the true city, saying: "Upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hades shall not prevail against it." Which is composed of living stones, and is indestructible, and stretching from east to west has also freed from the slavery of demons, and this freely, according to, "By grace you have been saved." For the historical accounts concerning Cyrus, or Zerubbabel, were symbols of the true things. For upon Christ the saying, Thus says the Lord to my anointed, Cyrus, will more fittingly apply. For according to the literal wording, Cyrus was neither Christ of the Lord, being a Persian, nor did he build the city, except for the beginning of the foundations. Then it remained desolate until the reign of Darius. And what follows will also apply more to Christ than to Zerubbabel and Cyrus, in which it says Egypt has labored, signifying by this those who long ago were enslaved to demons through idolatry. And to you, the prophesied king, every barbarian nation will cross over. For Saba is an Ethiopian nation, whose queen came to Solomon. And as a good end to these things, it foretells the worship of Christ, who was both God, and had God in himself, which the worshippers were formerly ignorant of. And he is also the Savior of Israel. For the name Jesus signifies this. And as these worship, their opponents are put to shame, both from the circumcision and Gentiles who at times persecuted the Church. For having diminished nothing, they increased it. But Theodotion rendered: But in you he is strong, and there is no other besides him. And Aquila said, strong. And instead of: we did not know, Theodotion and Symmachus have, chief. But Aquila, being hidden; signifying the hidden nature of the theology of Christ. And following the prophecy about Christ, he also makes mention of his disciples. For they were the Israel that is being saved, through whom he renewed the islands as Churches, to whom will also apply the saying, Shall not be ashamed, 2425 having accomplished so great a work throughout the whole world? But some have interpreted it thus from the beginning: He gives the reason for which he became man, saying: I am the one who created you. And the "I am" represents the true existence, and the life that truly is. And I created you for incorruptibility, not having made death, and I have shown no creature on earth similar; for you alone, like a potter with his own hands, I formed, having honored you with my image in addition to the creation of the body. Concerning which he also said to Job: "Did you take and form a creature, and place it speaking upon the earth?" And David also says: "You have made him a little lower than the angels." Then he reproaches those of Israel who accuse him of the release from the types of the law for a transition to truth. For they said, "If this man were from God, he would not break the Sabbath." For one plows, he says, not merely for the sake of plowing; but expecting fruits from the seeds that are sown. And so I plowed you, like land overrun with wood because of idolatry, with the law of Moses, preparing for my Son the sowing of the good seeds. Why then do you cherish the plowing law forever, when it is the time of the re-creation through water and spirit? towards

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πρὸς χρείαν ἐγένετο; Γῆ μὲν οἴκησιν ἀνθρώπῳ, καὶ φυτὰ, καὶ ζῶα πρὸς τὴν αὐτοῦ χρῆσιν, παρέχουσα. Οὐρανοῦ δὲ ἄστρα νῦν μὲν αὐτῷ δᾳδουχοῦντα· νῦν δὲ πάλιν ἐν ἁρμονίῳ κινήσει σημεῖα καὶ χρόνους ἀποτελέσαι δυνάμενα. Πρὸς δὲ τοῖς ἄλλοις καλοῖς, Ἤγειρα καὶ διὰ τὸν ἐμὸν 2424 λαὸν βασιλέα, ἢ Κῦρον, λέγων, οὗ, φησὶν, αἱ ὁδοὶ εὐθεῖαι. Ἢ κατὰ Σύμμαχον, καὶ πάσας τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτοῦ εὐθυνῶ. Καὶ οὗτος οἰκοδομήσει τὴν πόλιν μου. ∆υνάμει γὰρ αὐτὸς αὐτὸν ᾠκοδόμησεν ἐπιτρέψας τοῖς ἐθέλουσιν ἀνιέναι, καὶ τοῦτο ποιεῖν μετὰ δώρων τούτους ἀφείς. Ἢ Ζοροβάβελ ἐκ ∆αβὶδ ἕλκοντα τὴν γονὴν, ὃς ἡγησάμενος τῶν ἀνελθόντων ᾠκοδόμησε τὸν ναόν. Περὶ οὗ φησιν· "Αἱ χεῖρες Ζοροβάβελ ἐθεμελίωσαν τὸν οἶκον τοῦτον, καὶ αἱ χεῖρες αὐτοῦ ἐπιτελέσουσιν αὐτόν." Οἰκειότερον δ' ἂν ἐπὶ Χριστοῦ λαμβάνοιτο, ὃς καί φησιν· "Ἐγὼ δὲ κατεστάθην βασιλεὺς ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ Σιὼν ὄρος τὸ ἅγιον αὐτοῦ." Οὗπερ ἀληθῶς αἱ ὁδοὶ εὐθεῖαι. Καὶ τὴν ἀληθινὴν αὐτὸς ᾠκοδόμησε πόλιν, λέγων· "Ἐπὶ τὴν πέτραν οἰκοδομήσω μου τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ πύλαι ᾅδου οὐ κατισχύσουσιν αὐτῆς." Ἥτις ἐκ λίθων συνέστηκε ζώντων, ἀκαθαίρετός τε, καὶ ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν εἰς δυσμὰς παρατείνουσα ἠλευθέρωσέν τε τῆς ἐκ διαμόνων δουλείας, καὶ ταῦτα προῖκα, κατὰ τὸ, "Χάριτί ἐστε σεσωσμένοι." Τὰ γὰρ κατὰ Κῦρον, ἢ Ζοροβάβελ ἱστορικὰ, σύμβολα τῶν ἀληθῶν ὑπῆρχεν. Ἑπὶ Χριστοῦ γὰρ μᾶλλον ἁρμόσει τὸ, Τάδε λέγει Κύριος τῷ χριστῷ μου Κύρω. Κατὰ γὰρ τὴν πρόχειρον λέξιν, οὔτε Χριστὸς Κυρίους, Πέρσης ὢν ὑπῆρχεν ὁ Κῦρος, οὔτε τὴν πόλιν ᾠκοδόμησεν, πλὴν τῆς τῶν θεμελίων ἀρχῆς. Εἶτα διέμεινεν ἔρημος μέχρι τῆς βασιλείας ∆αρείου. Καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς δὲ μᾶλλον τῷ Χριστῷ ἤπερ Ζοροβάβελ ἁρμόσει καὶ κύρῳ, ἐν οἷς Αἴγυπτόν φησι κεκοπιακέναι, δι' αὐτῆς δηλῶν τοὺς ὅσοι πάλαι διὰ τῆς εἰδωλολατρείας ἦσαν δεδουλωμένοι τοῖς δαίμοσιν. Ἐπὶ δὲ σὲ τὸν προφητευόμενον βασιλέα καὶ πᾶν ἔθνος διαβήσεται βάρβαρον. Σαβὰ γὰρ ἔθνος Αἰθιοπικὸν, οὗπερ ἡ βασίλισσα πρὸς Σολομὼν παρεγένετο. Τέλος δὲ τούτοις ἀγαθὸν τὴν Χριστοῦ προαγορεύει προσκύνησιν, ὃς καὶ Θεὸς ἦν, καὶ Θεὸν εἶχεν ἐν αὑτῷ, ὅπερ οἱ προσκυνοῦντες ἠγνόουν τὸ πρότερον. Αὐτὸς δὲ καὶ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ὁ Σωτήρ. Τὸ γὰρ Ἰησοῦς ὄνομα τοῦτο δηλοῖ. Τούτων δὲ προσκυνούντων οἱ ἀντικείμενοι καταισχύνονται ἐκ περιτομῆς τε καὶ ἐθνικοὶ κατὰ καιροὺς τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν διώξαντες. Μηδὲν γὰρ μειώσαντες ηὔξησαν. Ὁ δὲ Θεοδοτίων ἐξέδωκεν· Πλὴν ἐν σοὶ ἰσχυρὸς, καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἔτι πλὴν αὐτοῦ. Καὶ Ἀκύλας, ἰσχυρὸς. ἔφησεν. Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ· οὐκᾔδειμεν, ὁ μὲν Θεοδοτίων καὶ Σύμμαχος, κορυφαῖος. Ὁ δὲ Ἀκύλας, ἀποκρυπτόμενος· τὸ ἀπόκρυφον τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ θεολογίας ἐμφήναντες. Ἀκολούθως δὲ τῇ περὶ Χριστοῦ προφητείᾳ καὶ τῶν αὐτοῦ μέμνηται μαθητῶν. Αὐτοὶ γὰρ ἦσαν Ἰσραὴλ ὁ σωζόμενος, δι' ὧν τὰς νήσους ἀνεκαίνισεν Ἐκκλησίας, οἷς ἁρμόσει καὶ τὸ, Οὐκ αἰσχυνθήσονται 2425 τοσοῦτον ἔργον πανταχοῦ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἀνύσασιν; Τινὲς δὲ οὕτως ἄνωθεν ἐξηγήσαντο· Τὴν αἰτίαν δίδωσι δι' ἣν ἐνηνθρώπισε λέγων· Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ κτίσας σε. Τὸ δὲ εἰμὶ, τὴν ἀληθῆ παρέστησεν ὕπαρξιν, καὶ τὴν ὄντως οὖσαν ζωήν. Ἔκτισα δέ σε ἐπ' ἀφθαρσίᾳ, θάνατον μὴ ποιήσας, οὐδέν τε ζῶον ἐπὶ γῆς ἀπέδειξα παραπλήσιον· σὲ γὰρ μόνον ὡς κεραμεὺς χερσὶν ἰδίαις διέπλασα τῇ ἐμῇ τιμήσας εἰκόνι πρὸς τῇ πλάσει τοῦ σώματος. Περὶ οὗ καὶ πρὸς Ἰὼβ ἔφασκεν· "Ἦ σὺ λαβὼν ἔπλασας ζῶον, καὶ λαλητὸν αὐτὸ ἔθου ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς;" Καὶ ∆αβὶδ δέ φησιν· "Ἠλάττωσας αὐτὸν βραχύ τι παρ' ἀγγέλους." Εἶτα τοῖς ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ ἐγκαλοῦσιν αὐτῷ τὴν ἐκ τῶν νομικῶν τύπων ἀπαλλαγὴν πρὸς ἀληθείας μετάθεσιν, ὀνειδίζει. Ἔλεγον γὰρ, "Εἰ ἦν οὗτος παρὰ Θεοῦ ὁ ἄνθρωπος, οὐκ ἔλυε τὸ Σάββατον." Ἀροτριᾷ γάρ τις, φησὶν, οὐχ ἵνα μόνον ἀροτριάσῃ· ἐκ δὲ τῶν καταβαλλομένων σπερμάτων καρποὺς προσδεχόμενος. Κἀγὼ τοίνυν ὑμᾶς, ὡς γῆν ὑλομανοῦσαν διὰ τὴν εἰδωλολατρείαν, τῷ Μωσέως ἠροτρίασα νόμῳ, τῷ ἐμῷ προευτρεπίζων Υἱῷ τὴν τῶν ἀγαθῶν σπερμάτων καταβολήν. Τί οὖν διὰ παντὸς τὸν ἀρότην στέργετε νόμον, ὅτε καιρὸς τῆς δι' ὕδατος καὶ πνεύματος ἀναπλάσεως; πρὸς