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to disobey is unlawful. For this reason it will also overtake you 2452 Therefore the prophecy is for the love of humankind concerning what will happen to you. For even in handing you over, I handed you over for your benefit, not as a man who looks to his own gain. For sometimes suffering instructs him whom reason has not instructed. Because of this I foretold the misfortunes of the enemies, turning you back from every side, by threat, and by fear, and by the experience of suffering, and by the power of prophecy, by the love of humankind for you, setting you free again, and punishing the enemies, and, because they blasphemed my divinity, ascribing the victory over you to their own gods, bestowing the glory of Him who is on those who are not. He called the place of bondage a furnace of poverty, in which it is necessary for those who are in bondage to also be poor. But through what he says, he shows that Israel sold himself, having given up his own sins in exchange for silver. For you do not endure this because of my weakness, I who orchestrated the events in Egypt for your freedom. But how does he say he has made new things, as some say, when Ecclesiastes says, 'And there is nothing new'? Therefore he speaks of the mystery of Christ as being greater than the visible creation, which Paul also calls hidden. Wherefore he says, 'Neither from the beginning did I open your ears.' For Christ opened the ears of the apostles so that they might also understand the Scriptures. But the ears are opened, when the mind is also. For it does not hear in vain. For I knew, he says, that you would deal treacherously, wherefore I also hid it, and 'from the womb you will be called a transgressor'; that is, by foreknowledge. Thus were the sinners estranged from the womb. And you would have suffered utter destruction, for having offered up my glory to demons, were it not for my own glory which was to be revealed for the salvation of the world. ibkbʹ. 9Hear me, Jacob, and Israel, whom I call. I am the first, and I am forever. And my hand laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand established the heaven. I will call them, and they will stand together, and all will be gathered, and will hear9, etc. Having first spoken these things to the accused, here he speaks to those of Israel who are acting rightly. Wherefore is added, 'whom I have called'. For which Symmachus says, 'my called one', but Aquila, 'my one to be called'. For from that one there were many called, but few chosen. However, not to the chosen is the discourse, but to the called. And he reminds them also of his own theology, calling himself without beginning. For what is older than the first, 2453 and consequently without end. For of whom there is no beginning, there is no end. Which the others, indicating this, have published, 'I am the first, and I am the last.' And it is said somewhere concerning the Only-Begotten, that 'He is the first and the last.' Which he clarified by saying, 'I was living and became dead.' For he himself is the beginning of life, and the last, since he emptied himself, taking the form of a servant. At the same time he also brings them to remembrance of the honor and glory given to them. For he has called them out of all the nations to his own intimacy, according to, 'When the Most High divided the nations.' and what follows. And again; 'And the Lord has chosen you from all the nations to be his people.' Therefore it was necessary for him not to depart from God and be added to demons and worship creation rather than the Creator. Nevertheless, even so, pitying them, he calls them to a state of well-being, crying out, 'Hear me'; at any rate, deeming it right for them now to be persuaded, and to surely receive the gifts from him. For according to Paul, though they ought to be teachers because of the time, they again have need of one to teach them what are the basic principles of the oracles of God. And the eternal, and what truly is, he presents by, 'I am', in harmony with; 'I am who I am,' declaring his nature, and thus also his character, to be unchanging. For being the same, from goodness I have my mark. through which I also brought all things into being, distinguishing myself from the gods that are not, about whom it is said; 'Let the gods who did not make heaven and earth perish.' And since he adds, 'My hand founded the earth,' some have said this is the person of the Father, whose hand the Only-Begotten is called in the Scriptures; For Moses says; 'Your right hand, O Lord, has been glorified in strength,' and

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ἀπειθῆσαι παράνομον. ∆ι' αὐτὸ γάρ σε καὶ φθάσει 2452 Οὐκοῦν διὰ φιλανθρωπίαν τῶν σοὶ συμβησομένων ἡ πρόῤῥησις. Καὶ παραδιδούς σε γὰρ, ἐπ' ὠφελείᾳ παρέδωκα, οὐχ ὡς ἄν τις ἀνὴρ πρὸς ἴδιον κέρδος ὁρῶν. Παιδεύει γὰρ ἔσθ' ὅτε πάθος, ὃν οὐκ ἐπαίδευσε λόγος. ∆ι' ὅσοι καὶ τῶν πολεμίων τὰς συμφορὰς προηγόρευσα, πανταχόθεν ἐπιστρέφων, ἀπειλῆς, καὶ φόβῳ, καὶ πάθους πείρᾳ, καὶ δυνάμει προαγορεύσεως, τῇ περὶ σὲ φιλανθρωπίᾳ σέ τε πάλιν ἐλευθερῶν, καὶ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς τιμωρούμενος, καὶ, ὅτι τὴν ἐμὴν ἐβλασφήμουν θεότητα, τὴν καθ' ὑμῶν νίκην τοῖς ἰδίοις θεοῖς ἐπιγράφοντες, τὴν τοῦ ὄντος τοῖς οὐκ οὖσι χαριζόμενοι δόξαν. Κάμινον δὲ πτωχείας, τὸν τόπον τῆς δουλείας ἐκάλεσεν, ἐν ᾧ τοῖς δουλεύουσιν καὶ πτωχεύειν ἀνάγκη. ∆ι' ὧν δὲ λέγει, δείκνυσι τὸν Ἰσραὴλ ἑαυτὸν πεπρακότα, ἀντ' ἀργυρίου. τὰς ἑαυτοῦ προέμενον ἁμαρτίας. Οὐ δι' ἐμὴν γὰρ ὑπομένεις ἀσθένειαν τοῦ τὰ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ πρὸς τὴν σὴν ἐλευθερίαν δραματουργήσαντος. Πῶς δὲ λέγει πεποιηκέναι, καθά φασί τινες, καινὰ, τοῦ Ἐκκλησιασ[τικ]οῦ λέγοντος, Καὶ οὐδὲν καινόν; Τὸ Χριστοῦ τοίνυν λέγει μυστήριον μεῖζον τῆς ὁρωμένης ὑπάρχον κτίσεως, ὃ καὶ ἀ̓ποκεκρυμμένον ὁ Παῦλος καλεῖ. ∆ιό φησιν, Οὔτε ἐξ ἀρχῆς ἤνοιξά σου τὰ ὦτα. Τῶν γὰρ ἀποστόλων Χριστὸς ἤνοιξε τὰ ὦτα πρὸς τὸ καὶ συνιέναι τὰς Γραφάς. Ἀνοίγεται δὲ τὰ ὦτα, ὅτε καὶ νοῦς. Οὐ γὰρ μάτην ἀκούει. Ἔγνων γὰρ, φησὶν, ὅτι ἀθετήσεις, διὸ καὶ ἔκρυψα, καὶ ἄνομος ἐκ κοιλίας κληθήσῃ· δηλαδὴ, τῇ προγνώσει. Οὕτως ἀπηλλοτριώθησαν οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ ἀπὸ μήτρας. Ἔπαθες δ' ἂν καὶ πανωλεθρίαν, ἀνθ' ὧν μου τὴν δόξαν ἀνέθηκας δαίμοσιν, εἰ μὴ δι' αὐτήν μου τὴν δόξαν φανησομένην ἐπὶ σωτηρίᾳ τοῦ κόσμου. ιβκβʹ. 9Ἄκουέ μου, Ἰακὼβ, καὶ Ἰσραὴλ, ὃνἐγὼ καλῶ. Ἐγώ εἰμι πρῶτος, καὶ ἐγώ εἰμι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. Καὶ ἡ χείρ μου ἐθεμελίωσε γῆν, καὶ ἡ δεξιά μου ἐστερέωσε τὸν οὐρανόν. Καλέσω αὐτοὺς, καὶ στήσονται ἅμα, καὶ συναχθήσονται πάντες, καὶ ἀκούσονται9, κ.τ.λ. Τὰς πρῶτα τοῖς διαβεβλημένοις εἰπὼν, ἐνταῦθα τοῖς κατορθοῦσιν ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ διαλέγεται. ∆ιὸ πρόσκειται τὸ, ὃν ἐκάλεσα. Ἀν' οὗ Σύμμαχος μὲν, ὁ κλητός μου, Ἀκύλας δὲ, κλητέ μου, φασίν. Ἦσαν γὰρ ἐξ ἐκείνου πολλοὶ κλητοὶ, ὀλίγοι δὲ ἐκλεκτοί. Πλὴν οὐκ ἐκλεκτοὶ, πρὸς οὓ ὁ λόγος, ἀλλὰ κλητοί. Ὑπομιμνήσκει δὲ αὐτοὺς καὶ τῆς ἑαυτοῦ θεολογίας, ἄναρχον ἑαυτὸν λέγων. Τὸ γὰρ τοῦ πρώτου πρεσβύ 2453 τερον, καὶ ἀτελεύτητον ἀκολούθως. Οὗ γὰρ οὐκ ἔστιν ἀρχὴ, οὐδὲ τέλος. Ὅπερ οἱ λοιποὶ δηλοῦντες ἐξέδωκαν, Ἐγὼ πρῶτος, καὶ ἐγὼ ἔσχατος. Εἴρηται δέ που περὶ τοῦ Μονογενοῦς, ὅτι "Αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ πρῶτος καὶ ὁ ἔσχατος." Ὃ διεσάφησεν εἰπὼν, Ἔζων καὶ ἐγενόμην νεκρός. Ἀρχὴ γάρ ἐστι ζωῆς ὁ αὐτὸς, καὶ ἔσχατος, ἐπεὶ ἐκένωσεν ἑαυτὸν μορφὴν δούλου λαβών. Ἅμα δὲ καὶ εἰς ἀνάμνησιν αὐτοὺς ἀναφέρει τῆς δοθείσης αὐτοῖς τιμῆς τε καὶ δόξης. Πρὸς οἰκειότητα γὰρ τὴν αὑτοῦ κέκληκεν αὐτοὺς ἐκ πάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν, κατὰ τὸ, "Ὅτε διεμέριζεν ὁ Ὕψιστος ἔθνη." καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Καὶ πάλιν· "Καί σε ἐξελέξατο Κύριος ἐκ πάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν εἶναι αὐτοῦ λαόν." Ἐχρῆν οὖν αὐτὸν μὴ ἀποστῆναι Θεοῦ καὶ προστεθῆναι δαίμοσι καὶ λατρεύειν τῇ κτίσει παρὰ τὸν Κτίσαντα. Πλὴν καὶ οὕτως οἰκτείρων αὐτοὺς καλεῖ πρὸς εὐπάθειαν τὸ, Ἄκουέ μου, βοῶν· νῦν γοῦν ἀξιῶν πεισθῆναι, καὶ τῶν ἐξ αὐτοῦ βεβαίως τυχεῖν δωρεῶν. Κατὰ γὰρ τὸν Παῦλον, ὀφείλοντες εἶναι διδάσκαλοι διὰ τὸν χρόνον, πάλιν ἐσχήκασι χρείαν τοῦ διδάσκοντος αὐτοὺς τίνα τὰ στοιχεῖα τῆς ἀρχῆς τῶν λογίων τοῦ Θεοῦ. Τὸ δὲ ἀΐδιον, καὶ ὄντως ὂν, παρίστησι τὸ, Ἐγώ εἰμι, συμφώνως τῳ· "Ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὢν," ὡς τὴν φύσιν, οὕτω καὶ τὸ ἦθος ἀκίνητον εἶναι δηλῶν. Ὁ αὐτὸς γὰρ ὢν, ἐξ ἀγαθότητος ἔχω τὸ γνώρισμα. δι' ἢν καὶ πάντα πρὸς τὸ εἶναι παρήγαγον, ἀντιδιαστέλλων πρὸς τοὺς οὐκ ὄντας θεοὺς, περὶ ὧν λέγεται· "Θεοὶ οἳ τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν οὐκ ἐποίησαν, ἀπολέσθωσαν." Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἐπάγει, Ἡ χείρ μου ἐθεμελίωσε τὴν γῆν, τοῦ Πατέρος τινὲς τὸ πρόσωπον ἔφασαν, οὗ χεὶρ ὁ Μονογενὴς ἐν ταῖς Γραφαῖς ὀνομάζεται· Μωσῆς γάρ φησιν· "Ἡ δεξιά σου χεὶρ, Κύριε, δεδόξασται ἐν ἰσχύϊ," καὶ