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the following. And David: "Let your hand be strengthened. Let your right hand be exalted," so spoken as the fulfiller of the Father's thoughts, so that he is properly the wisdom of God, making clear the fatherly thoughts in the works done by him. Therefore it is said in Proverbs: God founded the earth by wisdom. Therefore the hand is not as a part, but as perfect, through which he himself works, the power from him, being closest to him. How then, he says, do you worship the creature rather than the Creator? For that which is made is immeasurably subordinate to the glory of the maker, so that he who by worship brings this to an equal honor with the maker is impious. My right hand, therefore, he says, established the heaven, or, the heavens, according to the other interpreters, that is, the heavenly powers, concerning which he adds: I will call them, and they shall stand together. For they obey as they would a Master and they stand, 2456 coming together for the hearing of his words. In agreement with what was at the beginning: "Hear, O heaven, and give ear, O earth, for the Lord has spoken." If then the greater powers are so obedient with reverence to the maker, how shall we, being men, not much more take up the divine fear? And instead of, who announced these things to them, Symmachus said, who reported these things to them? Whom the Lord will love, he will do his will. But Aquila, who among men reported these things? The Lord loved him. For, he says, that the powers of the heavens, being called, obey by being present for the hearing of his words, the Lord himself reported, and because of his love for you he has made it manifest to you. That is, according to Aquila and Symmachus, The beloved of the Father and Only-begotten, himself reported to men, who also will effect the will of the Father, bringing on the aforementioned things against Babylon, when he will also work the freedom and the return of the people. But some say that, I will call them, and they shall stand together, was said concerning those of Israel. How gladly I would have inquired of them when they were gathered together, what other God foretold to them the calamity from the war, as I through my prophets declared the details; and despising my words, you awaited the experience of evils. What then is the benefit to you of divination from demons, which foreknew nothing of the things to come? But some say, he urges the proud among the gentiles to be present, and to understand, that no one foretold to them the things that would be after a time. But it was God himself who both foretold the difficult things, and called back those who were changing. Therefore he also foretold, turning them back with fear. Then he shows that, not bearing a grudge against them, but on the contrary loving what they wanted, he acted. For they wanted God to destroy the Chaldeans who were oppressing and attacking them, which indeed he has done, not repaying as to righteous men, but granting it out of goodness, loving them even though they had sinned. Therefore even before you suffered, I foretold their attack, so that by repenting you might make it of no effect. Them, while you were not obeying, I made to prosper against you, disciplining you for sinning unrepentantly. But some have said that Cyrus was made to prosper against the Chaldeans out of forbearance for the Hebrews, against whom they had shown their cruelty. These things, therefore, I will do in the future season. But you, having learned these things spoken not in secret, but with much boldness, come to me hastening; for also when the Father was planning these things, with him for us. And now the Father himself, and the Spirit of his holiness, has sent me for the accomplishment of the things appointed by him. And how did he not announce it beforehand not in secret, 2457 saying clearly through the prophets:"Thus says the Lord to my anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held," and what follows; And the taking of Babylon was not his work, but of my help. But in the meantime, they say, is the voice of Cyrus, the phrase, The Lord has sent me and his Spirit. And the phrase, And now, indicates that even if none of the events was announced beforehand by God, yet behold now even Cyrus himself has confessed to have been assisted in all things by God. For having learned that these things were said about him by the captives, and having read the

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τὰ ἑξῆς. Καὶ ὁ ∆αβίδ· "Κραταιωθήτω ἡ χείρ σου. Ὑψωθήτω ἡ δεξιά σου," οὕτω λεγόμενος ὡς πληρωτὴς τῶν τοῦ Πατέρος ἐννοιῶν, ὡς εἶναι κυρίως σοφίαν αὐτὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ, σαφηνίζουσαν τὰς πατρικὰς ἐννοίας ἐν τοῖς ὑπ' αὐτοῦ γινομένοις ἔργοις. ∆ιὸ λέγεται ἐν Παροιμίαις· Ὁ Θεὸς τῇ σοφίᾳ ἐθεμελίωσε τὴν γῆν. Οὐχ ὡς μέρος οὖν ἡ χεὶρ, ἀλλ' ὡς τελεία, δι' ἧς αὐτὸς ἐργάζεται, ἡ ἐξ αὐτοῦ δύναμις, ἐγγυτάτη οὖσα αὐτῷ. Πῶς οὖν, φησὶ, λατρεύεις τῇ κτίσει παρὰ τὸν Κτίσαντα; Τὸ γὰρ ποιηθὲν τὴν τοῦ ποιήσαντος ἀμέτρως ὑποκάθηται δόξαν, ὡς ἀσεβεῖν τὸν τῇ προσκυνήσει πρὸς ἴσην ἄγοντα τοῦτο τῷ πεποιηκότι τιμήν. Ἡ δεξιὰ τοίνυν μου, φησὶν, τὸν οὐρανὸν ἐστερέωσεν, ἢ, τοὺς οὐρανοὺς, κατὰ τοὺς ἄλλους ἑρμηνέας, δηλαδὴ τὰς οὐρανίους δυνάμεις, περὶ ὧν ἐπιφέρει· Καλέσω αὐτοὺ, καὶ στήσονται ἅμα. Πειθαρχοῦσι γὰρ ὡς ἂν ∆εσπότῃ ἑστᾶσί τε 2456 συνερχόμεναι τῶν λόγων αὐτοῦ πρὸς ἀκρόασιν. Σύμφωνον τῷ κατ' ἀρχάς· "Ἄκουε, οὐρανὲ, καὶ ἐνωτίζου, γῆ, ὅτι Κύριος ἐλάλησεν." Εἰ δὲ δυνάμεις αἱ κρείττους οὕτω σὺν εὐλαβείᾳ τῷ πεποιηκότι πειθήνιοι, ἡμεῖς ὄντες ἄνθρωποι πῶς οὐ μᾶλλον τὸν θεῖον ἀναλήψεσθε φόβον; Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ, τίς αὐτοῖς ἀνήγγειλεν ταῦτα, ὁ Σύμμαχος ἔφησεν, τίς αὐτοῖς ἀπήγγειλεν ταῦτα; Ὃν Κύριος ἀγαπήσει, ποιήσει τὸ θέλημα αὐτοῦ. Ὁ δὲ Ἀκύλας, τίς ἐν ἀνθρώποις ἀπήγγειλεν ταῦτα; Κύριος ἠγάπησεν αὐτόν. Ὅτι γὰρ, φησὶν, αἱ τῶν οὐρανῶν δυνάμεις καλούμεναι πρὸς τὴν τῶν αὐτοῦ λόγων ἀκρόασιν ὑπακούουσι παριστάμεναι, αὐτὸς ἀπήγγειλε Κύριος, καὶ διὰ τὴν ἀγάπην τὴν πρὸς σὲ φανερόν σοι πεποίηκεν. Ἤγουν κατὰ τὸν Ἀκύλαν καὶ Σύμμαχον, Ὁ ἀγαπητὸς τοῦ Πατέρος καὶ Μονογενὴς, αὐτὸς ἀπήγγειλεν ἀνθρώποις, ὃς καὶ τὸ θέλημα τοῦ Πατέρος ἐνεργήσει, τὰ προλεχθέντα κατὰ Βαβυλῶνος ἐπάξων, ὅτε καὶ τὴν ἐλευθερίαν καὶ τὴν ἐπάνοδον ἐργάσεται τοῦ λαοῦ. Τινὲς δὲ τὸ, Καλέσω αὐτοὺς, καὶ στήσονται ἅμα, περὶ τῶν ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ εἰρῆσθαί φασιν. Ὡς ἡδέως ἂν ἐπυθόμην συνηγμένων αὐτῶν, τίς ἄλλο αὐτοῖς Θεὸς τὴν ἐκ τοῦ πολέμου προμεμήνυκε συμφορὰν, ὡς ἐγὼ διὰ τῶν προφητῶν μου τὰ κατὰ μέρος ἐδήλωσα· καὶ τῶν ἐμῶν καταφρονήσαντες λόγων, τὴν τῶν κακῶν ἀνεμείνατε πεῖραν. Τίς οὖν ὑμῖν ἡ ὄνησις τῆς ἐκ δαιμόνων μαντείας οὐδὲν προεγνωκυίας τῶν ὕστερον; Τινὲς δέ φασι, τοὺς μέγα φρονοῦντας τῶν ἐθνικῶν παρεῖναι προτρέπεται, καὶ πρὸς νοῦν ἐκλαβεῖν, ὡς οὐδεὶς αὐτοῖς τὰ μετὰ χρόνους ἐσόμενα προὔλεγεν. Αὐτὸς δὲ ἦν ὁ Θεὸς ὁ καὶ προλέγων τὰ δυσχερῆ, καὶ μετατιθεμένων ἀνακαλούμενος. ∆ιὸ καὶ προὔλεγεν ἐπιστρέφων τῷ φόβῳ. Εἶτα δείκνυσιν, ὡς οὐ μνησικακῶν αὐτοῖς, ἀγαπῶν δὲ τοὐναντίον ἅπερ ἤθελον, ἔπραξε. Τοὺς γὰρ Χαλδαίους θλίβοντάς τε καὶ ἐπιτιθεμένους αὐτοῖς, τὸν Θεὸν ἠβούλοντο διαφθεῖραι, ὃ δὴ καὶ πεποίηκεν, οὐκ ἀνταποδιδοὺς ὡς δικαίοις, δι' ἀγαθότητα δὲ χαρισάμενος, καίπερ ἡμαρτηκότας ἀγαπῶν. ∆ιὸ καὶ πρὶν παθεῖν ὑμᾶς, προεῖπον ἐκείνων τὴν ἔφοδον, ἵνα μετανοήσαντες ἄπρακτον ταύτην ποιήσητε. Οὓς μὴ πειθομένων, εὐώδωσα καθ' ὑμῶν, παιδεύων ὑμᾶς ἀμετανόητα πλημμελήσαντας. Τινὲς δὲ τὸν Κῦρον εὐωδῶσθαι κατὰ Χαλδαίων εἰρήκασι φειδοῖ τῶν Ἑβραίων, καθ' ὧν ἐπεδείξαντο τὴν ὠμότητα. Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν κτὰ καιρὸν ποιήσω τὸν μέλλοντα. Ὑμεῖς δὲ ταῦτα μεμαθηκότες οὐκ ἐν κρυφῇ λαλούμενα, σὺν πολλῇ δὲ τῇ παῤῥησίᾳ, ἥκετε πρός με σπεύδοντες· καὶ γὰρ ὅτε ταῦτα ὁ Πατὴρ ἐβουλεύετο παρ' αὐτῷ ἡμῖν. Καὶ νῦν δὲ αὐτὸς ὁ Πατὴρ, καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα τῆς ἁγιωσύνης αὐτοῦ πρὸς κατόρθωσίν με τῶν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ διωρισμένων ἀπέστειλεν. Πῶς δὲ οὐκ ἐν κρυφῇ προαπήγγειλε, 2457 διὰ τῶν προφητῶν εἰπὼν ἐναργῶς·" Ὅτω λέγει Κύριος τῷ χριστῷ μου Κύρῳ, οὗ ἐκράτησα τῆς δεξιᾶς," καὶ τὰ ἐξῆς· Καὶ οὐκ αὐτοῦ ἦν ἔργον τῆς Βαβυλῶνος ἡ αἴρεσις, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἐμῆς ἀντιλήψεως. Μεταξὺ δὲ, φασὶν, ἐστὶ τοῦ Κύρου φωνὴ, τὸ, Κύριος ἀπέσταλκέ με καὶ τὸ Πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ. Τὸ δὲ, Καὶ νῦν, δηλοῖ ὡς εἰ καὶ μή τι τῶν συμβεβηκότων προαπηγγέλθη παρὰ Θεοῦ, ἀλλ' ἰδοὺ νῦν καὶ Κῦρος αὐτὸς ὡμολόγηκεν ὑπὸ Θεοῦ συνηργῆσθαι τῶν ὅλων. Ταῦτα γὰρ εἰρῆσθαι περὶ αὐτοῦ παρὰ τῶν αἰχμαλώτων μαθὼν, ἀναγνούς τε τὴν