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ancient of his works, may God rejoice, the joy of God not being a passion (for the divine is impassible) but an acceptance of those who have achieved perfect virtue. 1000 Ps 103,32 But if you wish to understand these things spiritually, that when God looks down, according to "Look upon me," and "The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous," for this one earthly things no longer stand but, spinning in darkness, tremble, so as to be cast away and the material state pass away. And God, touching the evil powers, called mountains because of their pride, makes them smoke, already sending into them the kindling of punishment by fire. 1001 Ps 103,33.34a I will sing to the Lord, with the song having its existence not in voice but in thoughts; and I will sing psalms to God also in perfect deeds, as long as I have an existence in which I partake of him who exists before the ages and who said, "I am who I am." And conversing on things acceptable and pleasing to God I will say, "May my meditation be sweet to him." For so he also, accepting the church, says in the Song of Songs, "Your voice is sweet."

1002 Ps 104,4b Just as according to the history Samuel, ministering continually in the tent of

testimony, saw the face of God, so those who have continually and without interruption given themselves to the examination of the dogmas of the truth and the practice of the virtues always seek the face of God, wishing to see him with a pure mind. And the face of God is the character of his substance, being the image of the invisible God; wherefore he who sees him immediately sees God. 1003 Ps 104,5b And by his mouth you would understand his word, who, in the manner of a lawgiver and a precise teacher, has given you judged instructions and precepts. 1004 Ps 104,6.7 Calling those from Abraham servants of God because of the lineage of the race from Abraham, and those from Jacob chosen because they are His and named after him, and an election from the nations then taken to be God's own inheritance, and their own Lord and their own God, God, nevertheless he says the providential judgment is for all men. 1005 Ps 104,8b The number of a thousand generations is not spoken of according to quantity but because of its affinity to unity, just as in "Thousands of the flourishing," and also "The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver." 1006 Ps 104,10a Because of whom they too would say, "We have become partakers of Christ," since we were deemed worthy of the epiphany of the son of God; for that he is the Christ who also spoke to them, the Savior himself also teaches in what he says, "Abraham your father rejoiced that he might see my day, and he saw it and was glad." When did he see it except when, having looked up with his eyes, he saw God standing by him at the oak of Mamre? For then the scripture says, "God appeared to Abraham." Therefore these things, even if another, it was necessary to be proclaimed to the nations by those who were appointed here to do this. 1007 Ps 104,12a He said "small" instead of "few." For "small" is used for size, while "few" is applied to things that are numbered. 1008a Ps 104,18.19 They humbled his feet alone in fetters, his soul not being bound but having been outside the iron. For as many as are surrounded by bonds and bear the circumstance ignobly have their soul bent by the iron. But he endured this not forever. For he defines the end of the circumstance, saying that it held sway until the word of God came to pass; according to which, being summoned from the prison, he was appointed guardian and nourisher of all, the oracle of the Lord having inflamed him to be fervent in spirit and to have it kindled with the divine light, after which it is also possible to keep the exhortation that says, "Do not quench the Spirit." 1009a Ps 104,20.21 And Joseph himself knows this teaching; wherefore he said to those responsible, "It was not you who sent me here; for you plotted for evil, but God for

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ἀρχαῖον τῶν εργων αὐτοῦ εὐφραίνοιτο θεός, τῆς θεοῦ εὐφροσύνης οὐκ εὐπαθείας ουσης (ἀπαθὲς γὰρ τὸ θεῖον) ἀλλ' ἀποδοχῆς τῶν τελείαν ἀρετὴν κατορθωσάντων. 1000 Ps 103,32 Εἰ δέ σοι βούλεται πνευματικῶς εχειν ταῦτα, ὡς αν ἐπιβλέπῃ θεὸς κατὰ τὸ ̓Επίβλεψον ἐπ' ἐμέ, καὶ ̓Οφθαλμοὶ κυρίου ἐπὶ δικαίους, τούτῳ οὐχ εστηκεν ετι τὰ γήινα ἀλλὰ σκοτοδινῶντα τρέμει, ὡς ἀποβληθῆναι καὶ παρελθεῖν τὴν ὑλικὴν εξιν. ̓Εφαπτόμενος δὲ ὁ θεὸς καὶ τῶν πονηρῶν δυνάμεων διὰ τὴν ὑπερηφανίαν ὀρῶν καλουμένων, καπνίζει αὐτάς, ἐναύσματι ηδη αὐτὰς ἐνιεὶς τῆς διὰ πυρὸς κολάσεως. 1001 Ps 103,33.34a Αισω τῷ κυρίῳ, τοῦ ᾳσματος οὐκ ἐν φωνῇ ἀλλ' ἐν νοήσεσι τὴν υπαρξιν εχοντος· ψαλῶ δὲ καὶ ἐν πράξεσι τελείαις τῷ θεῷ, εως ὑπάρχω υπαρξιν εχων καθ' ην μετέχω τοῦ ὑπάρχοντος πρὸ τῶν αἰώνων καὶ εἰπόντος ̓Εγώ εἰμι ὁ ων. Εὐπρόσδεκτα δὲ καὶ ἀρέσκοντα τῷ θεῷ διαλεγόμενος ἐρῶ ̔Ηδυνθείη αὐτῷ ἡ διαλογή μου. ουτω γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς τὴν ἐκκλησίαν ἀποδεξάμενός φησιν ἐν τῷ Αισματι τῶν ᾀσμάτων ̔Η φωνή σου ἡδεῖα.

1002 Ps 104,4b Ωσπερ κατὰ τὴν ἱστορίαν διηνεκῶς Σαμουὴλ ἐν τῇ σκηνῇ τοῦ

μαρτυρίου λειτουργῶν ἑώρα τὸ τοῦ θεοῦ πρόσωπον, ουτως οἱ συνεχῶς καὶ ἀδιαστάτως ἐξετάσει δογμάτων τῆς ἀληθείας καὶ πράξει τῶν ἀρετῶν ἐπιδεδωκότες σφᾶς διαπαντὸς ζητοῦσι τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ θεοῦ, ἰδεῖν αὐτὸν νῷ καθαρῷ βουλόμενοι. πρόσωπον δὲ θεοῦ ὁ χαρακτὴρ τῆς ὑποστάσεώς ἐστι, τυγχάνων εἰκὼν τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ἀοράτου· διὸ καὶ ὁ ὁρῶν αὐτὸν εὐθὺς ὁρᾷ τὸν θεόν. 1003 Ps 104,5b Στόμα δὲ αὐτοῦ τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ νοήσαις, ος καὶ νομοθέτου καὶ ἀκριβοῦς παιδευτοῦ δίκην κεκριμένα παιδεύματα καὶ παραγγέλματα ὑμῖν δέδωκε. 1004 Ps 104,6.7 ∆ούλους εἰπὼν τοῦ θεοῦ τοὺς ἐξ ̓Αβραὰμ διὰ τὴν ἐξ ̓Αβραὰμ καταγωγὴν τοῦ γένους καὶ ἐκλεκτοὺς τοὺς ἐκ ̓Ιακὼβ διὰ τὸ Αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπωνύμους ειναι αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐκλογὴν ἐκ τῶν ἐθνῶν τότε προσληφθέντας εἰς κλῆρον ιδιον θεοῦ καὶ αὐτῶν κύριον καὶ θεὸν ιδιον τὸν θεόν, ομως κατὰ πάντας ἀνθρώπους ειναί φησι τὴν κρίσιν τὴν προνοητικήν. 1005 Ps 104,8b ̔Ο τῶν χιλίων γενεῶν ἀριθμὸς οὐ κατὰ πλήθους ειρηται ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν πρὸς μονάδα οἰκείωσιν, ωσπερ καὶ ἐν τῷ Χιλιάδες εὐθηνούντων, καὶ ετι ̓Αγαθόν μοι ὁ νόμος τοῦ στόματός σου ὑπὲρ χιλιάδας χρυσίου καὶ ἀργυρίου. 1006 Ps 104,10a ∆ι' ον ειπον αν καὶ αὐτοὶ Μέτοχοι Χριστοῦ γεγόναμεν, ατε ἀξιωθέντες τῆς τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπιφανείας· αὐτὸν γὰρ ειναι τὸν Χριστὸν τὸν καὶ αὐτοῖς λελαληκότα καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ σωτὴρ διδάσκει ἐν οις φησιν ̓Αβραὰμ ὁ πατὴρ ὑμῶν ἠγαλλιάσατο ινα ιδῃ τὴν ἡμέραν τὴν ἐμήν, καὶ ειδεν καὶ ἐχάρη. πότε ειδεν η οτε ἀναβλέψας τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ειδεν ἐπιστάντα τὸν θεὸν αὐτῷ πρὸς τῇ δρυῒ τῇ Μαμβρῇ; τότε γάρ φησιν ἡ γραφὴ Ωφθη ὁ θεὸς ̓Αβραάμ. καὶ ταῦτα ουν, εἰ καὶετερον, ἀναγκαῖα ην ἀπαγγελθῆναι τοῖς εθνεσιν ὑπὸ τῶν ἐνταῦθα προστεταγμένων τοῦτο ποιεῖν. 1007 Ps 104,12a Τὸ Βραχεῖς ἀντὶ ὀλίγων ειπεν. τὸ γὰρ βραχὺ ἐπὶ μεγέθους κεῖται, τὸ δὲ ὀλίγους ἐπὶ ἀριθμητῶν τάττεται. 1008a Ps 104,18.19 Τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ μόνους ἐταπείνωσαν, ἐν πέδαις τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ οὐ συνδεθείσης ἀλλ' εξω τοῦ σιδήρου γεγενημένης. οσοι γὰρ δεσμοῖς περιβαλλόμενοι ἀγεννῶς τὴν περίστασιν φέρουσιν, καμφθεῖσαν ὑπὸ τοῦ σιδήρου τὴν ψυχὴν εχουσι. τοῦτο δὲ ὑπέμεινεν οὐκ εἰς απαν. περιορίζει γὰρ τῆς περιστάσεως τὸ τέλος, εἰπὼν αὐτὴν κεκρατηκέναι μέχρις ου διῆλθεν ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγος· καθ' ον ἐκ τοῦ δεσμωτηρίου μετασταλεὶς κηδεμὼν καὶ τροφεὺς πάντων κεχειροτόνητο, τοῦ λογίου τοῦ κυρίου πυρώσαντος ἐπὶ τῷ ζέειν τῷ πνεύματι καὶ ἐξημμένον αὐτὸ εχειν τῷ θείῳ φωτί, μεθ' ο καὶ τηρεῖν δυνατὸν παραίνεσιν λέγουσαν Τὸ πνεῦμα μὴ σβέννυτε. 1009a Ps 104,20.21 Καὶ αὐτὸς δὲ ̓Ιωσὴφ οιδεν τοῦτο τὸ δόγμα· διὸ πρὸς τοὺς αἰτίους εφη Οὐχ ὑμεῖς ἀπεστάλκατέ με ωδε· ὑμεῖς μὲν γὰρ εἰς κακὸν ἐβουλεύσασθε, ὁ δὲ θεὸς εἰς