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to them alone, but to all the nations to preach the grace of the Savior, to whom they prophesy the will of God and knowledge; so that they no longer place their hopes in those formerly considered their gods, but in 23.636 their only one who has become Savior. “Preparing the mountains in his strength, girded in power.” Instead of, “preparing mountains, you established mountains,” Symmachus translated. The Word will bring forth the theologies concerning the aforementioned Savior. For you are, it says, the hope of all the ends of the earth, who has worked these and these great things by your own power. First you prepared the mountains in your strength, girding yourself with power; then you troubled the depth of the sea, and quieted the sound of its waves; then through these things you troubled the nations. And when these things happened, the inhabitants of the ends of the earth were greatly benefited. For they knew you, and they feared because of your signs, so that they no longer set any other hope before their eyes than you. Therefore it was said above: “The hope of all the ends of the earth.” For these who inhabit the ends of the earth are prophesied in the preceding words to fear God because of his signs by the oracle that said: “And those who inhabit the ends of the earth will be afraid because of your signs.” But what were the signs, which when the inhabitants of the ends of the earth saw they feared God and hoped in him, he taught beforehand, saying: “Preparing the mountains in his strength, girded in power, who troubles the depth of the sea, the sounds of its waves.” Who will withstand? “The nations will be troubled.” Seeing these things, the inhabitants of the ends of the earth feared because of his signs. And through these things is revealed the humbling of the evil spirits of old who exalted themselves against the knowledge of God and the destruction of the diabolical array, that is, of principalities and powers, and world-rulers and spiritual forces of wickedness; which of old ruled over the nations inhabiting the earth, and both stirred up and troubled the sea of human life, so as to send forth the glory of gods among all who inhabit the element of the earth. But all these things have been destroyed and overturned through the saving theophany. And another prophet prophesies things similar to these, saying: “Hear, all you peoples who dwell in it; and God will be a witness to you, the Lord from his holy house. Because behold, the Lord will come down from his place; and he will tread, the Lord upon the high places of the earth. And the mountains will be crushed beneath him; and the valleys will melt like wax before a fire because of the impiety of Jacob; all these things and because of the sin of the house of Israel.” But also in the 17th psalm, which contains the descent of the same Lord from heaven to earth, it is said: “And the earth was shaken and became trembling, and the foundations of the mountains were troubled and were shaken, because the Lord was angry with them.” And by these things is signified the descent of the Lord, that is, of God the Word; then upon his descent to men, the destruction and humbling and scattering of the unseen and invisible powers that were formerly lifted up on high, and honored among all the nations. 23.637 Therefore also in the text at hand it is said: “Preparing the mountains in his strength, girded in power.” For girded with power, by his own strength, he has not yet completely destroyed the aforesaid mountains; but he prepared them for punishment, for the time being having set them apart and removed them from their tyranny over men; but also the depth of the sea he has quieted by his own power. Therefore it is said: “Troubling the depth of the sea, the sounds of its waves.” And instead of “he who troubles,” Aquila translated “suppressing;” and Theodotion, “calming,” and the fifth edition, “he who calms.” So Aquila says: “Suppressing the sound of the sea, the noise of its waves and the multitude of the tribes.” For just as the aforesaid mountains for their future

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μόνοις αὐτοῖς, πᾶσι δὲ τοῖς ἔθνεσι τὴν τοῦ Σωτῆρος χάριν εὐαγγελίζεσθαι, οἷς γνώμην Θεοῦ καὶ ἐπιστήμην θεσπίζουσιν· ὡς μηκέτι τὰς ἐλπίδας ἀναρτᾷν ἐπὶ τοὺς πάλαι νομιζομένους αὐτῶν θεοὺς, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ 23.636 μόνον τὸν αὐτῶν γενόμενον Σωτῆρα. «Ἑτοιμάζων ὄρη ἐν τῇ ἰσχύϊ αὐτοῦ, περιεζωσμένος ἐν δυναστεία.» Ἀντὶ τοῦ, «ἑτοιμάζων ὄρη, ἥδρασας ὄρη,» ὁ Σύμμαχος ἡρμήνευσεν. Ἐπάξει δὲ ὁ λόγος τὰς περὶ τοῦ προλεχθέντος Σωτῆρος θεολογίας. Σὺ γὰρ εἶ, φησὶν, ἡ ἐλπὶς πάντων τῶν περάτων τῆς γῆς ὁ τάδε καὶ τάδε τῇ σαυτοῦ δυνάμει μεγαλουργήσας. Πρῶτον μὲν ἡτοίμασας ὄρη ἐν τῇ ἰσχύϊ σου περιζωσάμενος δυναστείαν· εἶτα συνετάραξας τὸ κύτος τῆς θαλάσσης, καὶ τῶν κυμάτων αὐτῆς τὸ ἦχος ἐπράϋνας· εἶτα διὰ τούτων ἐτάραξας ἔθνη. Τούτων δὲ γενομένων, τὰ μεγάλα ὠφελήθησαν οἱ κατοικοῦντες τὰ πέρατα. Ἔγνωσαν γάρ σε, καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν ἀπὸ τῶν σημείων σου, ὡς μηκέτι λοιπὸν ἄλλην τινὰ ἐλπίδα πρὸ ὀφθαλμῶν τίθεσθαι ἢ σέ. ∆ιὸ ἀνωτέρω ἐλέγετο· «Ἡ ἐλπὶς πάντων τῶν περάτων τῆς γῆς.» Οὗτοι γὰρ οἱ τὰ πέρατα τῆς γῆς οἰκοῦντες ἐν τοῖς προκειμένοις φοβηθήσεσθαι τὸν Θεὸν ἀπὸ τῶν σημείων αὐτοῦ θεσπίζονται ὑπὸ τοῦ φήσαντος λογίου· «Καὶ φοβηθήσονται οἱ κατοικοῦντες τὰ πέρατα ἀπὸ τῶν σημείων σου.» Ποῖα δὲ ἦν τὰ σημεῖα, ἅπερ θεασάμενοι οἱ κατοικοῦντες τὰ πέρατα ἐφοβήθησαν τὸν Θεὸν καὶ εἰς αὐτὸν ἤλπισαν, προεδίδαξεν εἰπών· «Ἑτοιμάζων ὄρη ἐν τῇ ἰσχύϊ αὐτοῦ, περιεζωσμένος ἐν δυναστείᾳ, ὁ συνταράσσων τὸ κύτος τῆς θαλάσσης, ἤχους κυμάτων αὐτῆς.» Τίς ὑποστήσεται; «Ταραχθήσονται ἔθνη.» Ταῦτα θεασάμενοι οἱ κατοικοῦντες τὰ πέρατα, ἐφοβήθησαν ἀπὸ τῶν σημείων αὐτοῦ. ∆ηλοῦται δὲ διὰ τούτων ἡ τῶν πάλαι ἐπαιρομένων κατὰ τῆς γνώσεως τοῦ Θεοῦ πονηρῶν πνευμάτων ταπείνωσις καὶ ἡ καθαίρεσις τῆς διαβολικῆς παρατάξεως, ἀρχῶν δηλαδὴ καὶ ἐξουσιῶν, καὶ κοσμοκρατόρων καὶ πνευματικῶν τῆς πονηρίας· ἅτινα πάλαι μὲν κατεκράτει τῶν ἐπὶ γῆς οἰκούντων ἐθνῶν, συνεκύκα τε καὶ συνετάραττε τὴν τοῦ ἀνθρωπείου βίου θάλασσαν, ὡς θεῶν δόξαν ἀποστέλλειν παρὰ πᾶσι τοῖς τὸ τῆς γῆς οἰκοῦσι στοιχεῖον. Καθῄρηται δὲ πάντα καὶ ἀνατέτραπται διὰ τῆς σωτηρίου θεοφανείας. Τὰ ὅμοια δὲ τούτοις καὶ ἄλλος προφήτης ὧδε θεσπίζει λέγων· «Ἀκούσατε, λαοὶ πάντες οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐν αὐτῇ· καὶ ἔσται ὁ Θεὸς ὑμῖν εἰς μαρτύριον, Κύριος ἐξ οἴκου ἁγίου αὐτοῦ. ∆ιότι ἰδοὺ Κύριος καταβήσεται ἐκ τοῦ τόπου αὐτοῦ· καὶ ἐπιβήσεται, Κύριος ἐπὶ τὰ ὕψη τῆς γῆς. Καὶ συντριβήσεται τὰ ὄρη ὑποκάτωθεν αὐτοῦ· καὶ αἱ κοιλάδες τακήσονται ὡς κηρὸς ἀπὸ προσώπου πυρὸς δι' ἀσέβειαν Ἰακώβ· ταῦτα πάντα καὶ δι' ἁμαρτίαν οἴκου Ἰσραήλ.» Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν τῷ ιζʹ ψαλμῷ, τὴν ἐξ οὐρανῶν ἐπὶ γῆς κατάβασιν τοῦ αὐτοῦ Κυρίου περιέχοντι λέλεκται· «Καὶ ἐσαλεύθη καὶ ἔντρομος ἐγενήθη ἡ γῆ, καὶ τὰ θεμέλια τῶν ὀρέων ἐταράχθησαν καὶ ἐσαλεύθησαν, ὅτι ὠργίσθη αὐτοῖς ὁ Κύριος.» Σημαίνεται δὲ διὰ τούτων κάθοδος τοῦ Κυρίου, δηλαδὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου· εἶτ' ἐπὶ τῇ εἰς ἀνθρώπους καθόδῳ αὐτοῦ τῶν ἀφανῶν καὶ ἀοράτων δυνάμεων τῶν πάλαι εἰς ὕψος ἐπηρμένων, καὶ παρὰ πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθνεσι τετιμημένων καθαίρεσις καὶ ταπείνωσις καὶ σκεδασμός. 23.637 ∆ιὸ καὶ ἐν τοῖς μετὰ χεῖρας εἴρηται· «Ἑτοιμάζων ὄρη ἐν τῇ ἰσχύϊ αὐτοῦ, περιεζωσμένος ἐν δυναστείᾳ.» ∆υναστείᾳ γὰρ περιεζωσμένος, τῇ αὐτοῦ ἰσχύϊ, τὰ προλεχθέντα ὄρη οὔπω μὲν εἰς τὸ παντελὲς ἀπώλεσεν· ἡτοίμασε δὲ εἰς τιμωρίαν τέως ἀφορίσας αὐτὰ καὶ ἀποστήσας τῆς κατὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων τυραννίδος· ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ κύτος τῆς θαλάσσης τῇ ἑαυτοῦ δυναστείᾳ κατέπαυσε. ∆ιὸ λέλεκται· «Συνταράσσων τὸ κύτος τῆς θαλάσσης, ἤχους κυμάτων αὐτῆς.» Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ, «ὁ συνταράσσων,» ὁ μὲν Ἀκύλας, «καταστέλλων·» ὁ δὲ Θεοδοτίων, «καταπραΰνων,» καὶ ἡ πέμπτη ἔκδοσις, «ὁ καταπραΰνων,» ἡρμήνευσαν. Λέγει δ' οὖν ὁ Ἀκύλας· «Καταστέλλων ἦχον θαλάσσης, θόρυβον κυμάτων αὐτῆς καὶ ὄχλον φυλῶν.» Ὥσπερ γὰρ τὰ προλεχθέντα ὄρη εἰς τὴν μέλλουσαν αὐτὰ