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Are the sins committed seven, or is the sin one, but the punishments for the one are seven? Scripture, therefore, always limits the number for the forgiveness of sins to seven. "For how many times," he says, "shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? (It is Peter speaking to the Lord). Up to seven times?" Then the Lord's answer: "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven." For the Lord did not move to another number, but having multiplied the seven, in it He set the limit of forgiveness. And after seven years the Hebrew was released from slavery. And seven weeks of years made the renowned jubilee in ancient times, in which the land kept sabbath, there was a remission of debts, release from slavery, and, as it were, a new life was established from above, with the old in a way receiving its consummation in the number seven. These are types of this age which, cycling through the seven days, passes us by, in which the atonements for lesser sins take place, according to the philanthropic care of the good Master, so that we might not be handed over to the endless age for punishment. The sevenfold then is because of the kinship with this world, since worldly people ought to be harmed most of all by those things for whose sake they chose to be wicked. But as for things avenged, whether you speak of the sins committed by Cain, you will find seven; or whether of the things decreed for him by the judge, and so you will not miss the meaning. So, among the things dared by Cain, the first sin is envy at Abel's being preferred; second, deceit with which he spoke to his brother, saying, "Let us go out to the field"; third, murder, an addition to the evil; fourth, that it was the murder of a brother, a greater intensification; fifth, that Cain was also the first murderer, leaving an evil example for life; sixth, the offense that he caused grief to his parents; seventh, that he lied to God; for when asked, "Where is Abel your brother?" he said, "I do not know." Therefore seven vengeances were set aside in Cain's being killed. For since the Lord had said "Cursed is the ground, which opened to receive your brother's blood," and, "You will be a groaning and trembling wanderer on the earth," Cain says, "If you cast me out today from the earth, and from your face I shall be hidden, and I shall be a groaning and trembling wanderer on the earth, and everyone who finds me will kill me." To this the Lord says, "Not so; whoever kills Cain will set aside seven vengeances." For since Cain thought he was vulnerable to everyone, because he did not have security from the earth (for the earth was cursed because of him) and was bereft of help from God, who was angry with him for the murder, so that no help was left for him from either earth or heaven, "It shall be," he says, "that everyone who finds me will kill me." The word refutes his error, saying, "Not so," that is, you shall not be killed. For death is a gain to those who are being punished, bringing release from painful things. But your life will be prolonged, so that in proportion to the sins committed the punishments may be measured out. Since that which is avenged is understood in two ways, both the sin for which there is vengeance and the manner of punishment through which there is vengeance, let us see if seven modes of torment were brought upon the one who had done evil. 260.4 The seven sins of Cain, then, the discourse has enumerated above. But now we ask if there are seven things brought upon him for punishment, and we say so, after the Lord's question, "Where is Abel your brother?" which the philanthropic Master put forth, not wishing to learn, but providing him an occasion for repentance, as the words themselves show. For when he denied it, He made a swift refutation, saying, "The voice of your brother's blood cries to me." So the question "Where is Abel your brother?" gave him an occasion for awareness of his sin, it was not a cause of instruction for God. For if he had not received God's attention, he would have had an excuse as one who was abandoned and having received no occasion for repentance. But now the... appeared

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τὰ ἁμαρτη θέντα ἑπτά ἐστιν ἢ ἓν μὲν τὸ ἁμάρτημα, ἑπτὰ δὲ ἐπὶ τῷ ἑνὶ αἱ κολάσεις; Ἀεὶ μὲν οὖν ἡ Γραφὴ τὸν τῆς ἀφέσεως τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἀριθμὸν ἐν τοῖς ἑπτὰ περιορίζει. «Ποσά κις γάρ, φησίν, ἁμαρτήσει εἰς ἐμὲ ὁ ἀδελφὸς καὶ ἀφήσω αὐτῷ (Ὁ Πέτρος ἐστὶ λέγων τῷ Κυρίῳ); Ἕως ἑπτάκις;» Εἶτα ἀπόκρισις τοῦ Κυρίου· «Οὐ λέγω σοι ἕως ἑπτάκις, ἀλλ' ἕως ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἑπτά». Οὐ γὰρ ἐπ' ἄλλον ἀριθμὸν μετέβη ὁ Κύριος, ἀλλὰ τὸν ἑπτὰ πολυπλασιάσας ἐν αὐτῷ τὸν ὅρον ἔθετο τῆς ἀφέσεως. Καὶ δι' ἑπτὰ μὲν ἐτῶν ὁ Ἑβραῖος ἀπελύετο τῆς δουλείας. Ἑπτὰ δὲ ἑβδομάδες ἐτῶν τὸν ὀνομαστὸν ἰωβηλαῖον ἐποίουν ἐν τοῖς πάλαι, ἐν ᾧ ἐσαβ βάτιζε μὲν ἡ γῆ, χρεῶν δὲ ἦσαν ἀποκοπαί, δουλείας ἀπαλ λαγὴ καὶ οἱονεὶ νέος ἄνωθεν καθίστατο βίος, ἐν τῷ ἑβδομα τικῷ ἀριθμῷ τοῦ παλαιοῦ τρόπον τινὰ τὴν συντέλειαν δεχομένου. Ταῦτα δὲ τύποι τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου ὃς διὰ τῶν ἑπτὰ ἡμερῶν ἀνακυκλούμενος ἡμᾶς παρατρέχει, ἐν ᾧ γίνον ται αἱ τῶν μετριωτέρων ἁμαρτημάτων ἐκτίσεις, κατὰ τὴν φιλάνθρωπον ἐπιμέλειαν τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ ∆εσπότου, ὡς μὴ τῷ ἀπεράντῳ αἰῶνι παραδοθῆναι ἡμᾶς εἰς κόλασιν. Τὸ μὲν οὖν ἑπτάκις διὰ τὴν πρὸς τὸν κόσμον τοῦτον συγγένειαν, ὡς τῶν φιλοκόσμων ἀνθρώπων ἀπ' αὐτῶν ὀφειλόντων μάλιστα ζημιοῦσθαι ὧν ἕνεκεν εἵλοντο πονηρεύεσθαι. Ἐκδικούμενα δέ, εἴτε τὰ παρὰ τῷ Κάϊν ἡμαρτημένα λέγοις, εὑρήσεις ἑπτά· εἴτε τὰ παρὰ τοῦ κριτοῦ ἐπ' αὐτῷ ὁρισθέντα, καὶ οὕτως οὐκ ἀποτεύξει τῆς ἐννοίας. Ἐν μὲν οὖν τοῖς παρὰ τοῦ Κάϊν τετολμημένοις πρῶτον ἁμάρτημα φθόνος ἐπὶ τῇ προτιμήσει τοῦ Ἄβελ· δεύτερον δόλος μεθ' οὗ διελέχθη τῷ ἀδελφῷ εἰπών; «∆ιέλθωμεν εἰς τὸ πεδίον»· τρίτον φόνος, προσθήκη τοῦ κακοῦ· τέταρτον ὅτι καὶ ἀδελφοῦ φόνος, μείζων ἡ ἐπίτασις· πέμπτον ὅτι καὶ πρῶτος φονεὺς ὁ Κάϊν πονηρὸν ὑπόδειγμα τῷ βίῳ καταλιπών· ἕκτον ἀδίκημα ὅτι γονεῦσι πένθος ἐνεποίησεν· ἕβδομον ὅτι Θεὸν ἐψεύσατο· ἐρωτηθεὶς γὰρ «Ποῦ Ἄβελ ὁ ἀδελφός σου;» εἶπεν· «Οὐκ οἶδα». Ἑπτὰ οὖν τὰ ἐκδικούμενα παρελύετο ἐν τῷ ἀναιρε θῆναι τὸν Κάϊν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος ὅτι «Ἐπικατάρατος ἡ γῆ, ἣ ἔχανε δέξασθαι τὸ αἷμα τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου», καὶ «Στένων καὶ τρέμων ἔσῃ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς», ὁ Κάϊν φησίν· «Εἰ ἐκβάλλεις με σήμερον ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ προσώ που σου κρυβήσομαι καὶ ἔσομαι στένων καὶ τρέμων ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ πᾶς ὁ εὑρίσκων με ἀποκτενεῖ με». Πρὸς δὴ τοῦτο ὁ Κύριός φησιν· «Οὐχ οὕτω· πᾶς ὁ ἀποκτείνας Κάϊν ἑπτὰ ἐκδικούμενα παραλύσει». Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐνόμισεν εὐάλωτος εἶναι παντὶ ὁ Κάϊν, διὰ τὸ τὴν ἐκ τῆς γῆς ἀσφάλειαν μὴ ἔχειν (ἐπικατάρατος γὰρ ἡ γῆ ἀπ' αὐτοῦ) καὶ τῆς ἀπὸ Θεοῦ βοηθείας ἠρημῶσθαι, ὀργισθέντος αὐτῷ ἐπὶ τῷ φόνῳ, ὡς οὔτε ἀπὸ γῆς οὔτε ἀπ' οὐρανοῦ ἀντιλήψεως αὐτῷ λειπο μένης· «Ἔσται, φησί, πᾶς ὁ εὑρίσκων με ἀποκτενεῖ με». Ἐλέγχει αὐτοῦ τὸ σφάλμα ὁ λόγος λέγων· «Οὐχ οὕτω», τουτέστιν οὐκ ἀναιρεθήσῃ. Κέρδος γὰρ τοῖς κολαζομένοις ὁ θάνατος ἀπαλλαγὴν φέρων τῶν λυπηρῶν. Ἀλλὰ παραταθήσῃ τῷ βίῳ, ἵνα κατ' ἀξίαν τῶν ἡμαρτημένων ἀντιμετρηθῇ τὰ κολαστήρια. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ τὸ ἐκδικούμενον διχῶς νοεῖται, τό τε ἁμαρτηθὲν ἐφ' ᾧ ἡ ἐκδίκησις καὶ ὁ τρόπος τῆς κολάσεως δι' οὗ ἡ ἐκδίκησις, ἴδωμεν εἰ ἑπτὰ τρόποι βασανιστηρίων ἐπηνέχθησαν τῷ πονηρευσαμένῳ. 260.4 Τὰ μὲν οὖν ἑπτὰ ἁμαρτήματα τοῦ Κάϊν ἐν τοῖς κατό πιν ὁ λόγος ἀπηριθμήσατο. Νῦν δὲ ζητοῦμεν εἰ ἑπτά ἐστιν αὐτῷ τὰ εἰς κόλασιν ἐπαγόμενα, καὶ φαμὲν οὕτως, μετὰ τὴν πεῦσιν τοῦ Κυρίου· «Ποῦ Ἄβελ ὁ ἀδελφός σου;» ἣν οὐχὶ μαθεῖν βουλόμενος, ἀλλὰ μετανοίας αὐτῷ ἀφορμὴν παρεχόμενος, ὁ φιλάνθρωπος ∆εσπότης προσήγαγεν, ὡς δηλοῖ αὐτὰ τὰ ῥήματα. Ἀρνησαμένου γὰρ αὐτοῦ ταχὺν ποιεῖται τὸν ἔλεγχον εἰπών· «Φωνὴ αἵματος τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου βοᾷ πρός με». Ὥστε τὸ «Ποῦ Ἄβελ ὁ ἀδελφός σου;» ἐκείνῳ ἀφορμὴν ἐδίδου τῆς συναισθήσεως τοῦ ἡμαρτημένου, οὐ τῷ Θεῷ ἐγίνετο διδασκαλίας πρόξενον. Εἰ γὰρ μὴ ἔτυχεν ἐπισκοπῆς Θεοῦ, εἶχεν ἂν πρόφασιν ὡς ἐγκαταλελειμμένος καὶ οὐδεμίαν λαβὼν ἀφορμὴν εἰς μετάνοιαν. Νῦν δὲ ἐπε φάνη ὁ