1

 2

 3

 4

 5

 6

 7

 8

 9

 10

 11

 12

 13

 14

 15

 16

 17

 18

 19

 20

 21

 22

 23

 24

 25

 26

 27

 28

 29

 30

 31

 32

 33

 34

 35

 36

 37

 38

 39

 40

 41

 42

 43

 44

 45

 46

 47

 48

 49

 50

 51

 52

 53

 54

 55

 56

 57

 58

 59

 60

 61

 62

 63

 64

 65

 66

 67

 68

 69

 70

 71

 72

 73

 74

 75

 76

 77

 78

 79

 80

 81

 82

 83

 84

 85

 86

 87

 88

 89

 90

 91

 92

 93

 94

 95

 96

 97

 98

 99

 100

 101

 102

 103

 104

 105

 106

 107

 108

 109

 110

 111

 112

 113

 114

 115

 116

 117

 118

 119

 120

 121

 122

 123

 124

 125

 126

 127

 128

 129

 130

 131

 132

 133

 134

 135

 136

 137

 138

 139

 140

 141

 142

 143

 144

 145

 146

 147

 148

 149

 150

 151

 152

 153

 154

 155

 156

 157

 158

 159

 160

 161

 162

 163

 164

 165

 166

 167

 168

 169

 170

 171

 172

 173

 174

 175

 176

 177

 178

 179

 180

 181

 182

 183

 184

 185

 186

 187

 188

 189

 190

 191

 192

 193

 194

 195

 196

 197

 198

 199

 200

 201

 202

 203

 204

 205

 206

 207

 208

 209

 210

 211

 212

 213

 214

 215

 216

 217

 218

 219

 220

 221

 222

 223

 224

 225

 226

 227

 228

 229

 230

 231

 232

 233

 234

 235

 236

 237

 238

 239

 240

 241

 242

 243

 244

 245

 246

 247

 248

 249

 250

 251

 252

 253

 254

 255

 256

 257

 258

 259

 260

 261

 262

 263

 264

 265

 266

 267

 268

 269

 270

 271

 272

 273

 274

 275

 276

 277

 278

227

you will understand it in accordance with what was said to the one being enlightened: *And the glory of God has risen upon you.* 1059 Ps 112,5-9 And through the preceding words we learn that the God of all provides, concerning whom, who is incomparable with all created things, the holy one says: *Who is like the Lord our God?* For no one is like him, since he alone is both creator and provider of all things. But he says these things not separating the Son from the Father or the Father from the Son; for the Godhead is one, and the Son is not another god and the Father another. For in Isaiah it is said to the Father: *In you is God, and there is no god besides you; for you are God, and we did not know*. For if in the Son there is another God besides him, how does he then add, *And there is no god besides you?* And immediately, *For you are God, and we did not know, the God of Israel, the savior*. Therefore, even if "Who is like the Lord our God" was about the Father, the Son is not excluded; but even if it is about the savior, the Father is not separated, because the Godhead of the Father and the Son is one. Who then, he says, is like the Lord our God, who dwells on high and looks upon the humble things? For in relation to God all things are humble, being created things, works, not only those on earth but also those in the heavens. And he sees these humble things with providence. Indeed, seeing a poor man cast upon the earth and a needy man on the dunghill, he raised them up, and lifted them from the evils of poverty and destitution surrounding them, and not only to the point of raising and lifting them up, but indeed extending his goodness to seat them with princes, making them of equal honor with them. And he will seat them not with ordinary princes but with the princes of his people. and a woman who was formerly childless because of barrenness, he will make to dwell in a house, having become a rejoicing mother with many children. This can also be said about the people from the nations, concerning whom is the prophecy: *Therefore the poor people will bless you*. Therefore this poor and needy people, having raised them from lowly matters and from the dunghill of Hellenic abominations, he will seat with the princes of Israel, who is his people. And the apostles are princes of the Hebrew people, whom we said are seated on twelve thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel. And the barren church from the nations, who was at first childless, he calls to gladness, saying: *Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear, break forth and shout, you who are not in labor, for the children of the desolate one are more than of her who has a husband*. For truly the church from the nations has become one with many and beautiful children, more so than the synagogue of the Jews, which has the law for a husband. And each soul, being childless because of barrenness, is made to dwell by God in a house, the church of the living God, a mother of works, teachings, thoughts, and words, so as to rejoice together with the offspring she has had from the Word of God who dwells with her. And these things also happened according to the history of the scripture. For instance, Anna the mother of Samuel is said to be settled in a house as a mother rejoicing in her children, having become a mother of six children in all. And concerning Sarah and Rebecca and Elizabeth and before her, the one who became the mother of Samson, one might reasonably say concerning each of them that "he settled her as a mother of children, rejoicing."

1060 Ps 113,1.2 And as for the meaning; a mind seeing God, being of the supplanter

of the things opposed to the truth, departing from the house of Egypt so as to no longer act like an Egyptian nor be encompassed by Egyptian superstitions, had a merciful God who sanctifies the genuinely confessing soul, when he will also have dominion and like a king will rule the discerning faculty; for Judah is confession, and Israel is interpreted as a mind seeing God. Therefore it is fitting first to confess, so that one might become a sanctuary of God, being constructed as his house and holy temple, so that, thus being perfected through the contemplation of the truth, he might be shown to be Israel, having come under God's

227

ἀκολούθως ἐκλήψῃ τῷ λεχθέντι πρὸς τὸν φωτιζόμενον Καὶ ἡ δόξα τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπὶ σὲ ἀνατέταλκεν. 1059 Ps 112,5-9 Καὶ διὰ τῶν προκειμένων λέξεων προνοοῦντα τὸν πάντων θεὸν μανθάνομεν, περὶ ου ἀσυγκρίτως πρὸς πάντα τὰ γενητὰ εχοντος ὁ αγιός φησιν Τίς ὡς κύριος ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν; οὐδεὶς γάρ ἐστι κατ' αὐτόν, ἐπείπερ μόνος αὐτὸς καὶ ποιητὴς καὶ προνοητὴς ἁπάντων ἐστί. ταῦτα δέ φησιν οὐκ ἀπομερίζων τοῦ πατρὸς τὸν υἱὸν η τοῦ υἱοῦ τὸν πατέρα· μία γὰρ ἡ θεότης, καὶ οὐκ αλλος θεὸς ὁ υἱὸς καὶ αλλος ὁ πατήρ ἐστιν. ἐν ̔Ησαΐᾳ γοῦν πρὸς τὸν πατέρα λέγεται ̓Εν σοὶ ὁ θεός ἐστι, καὶ οὐκ εστι θεὸς πλὴν σοῦ· σὺ γὰρ ει ὁ θεός, καὶ οὐκ ῃδειμεν. εἰ γὰρ ἐν υἱῷ θεός ἐστιν αλλος ων παρ' αὐτόν, πῶς ἑξῆς ἐπιφέρει Καὶ οὐκ εστι θεὸς πλήν σου; καὶ εὐθὺς Σὺ γὰρ ει ὁ θεός, καὶ οὐκ ῃδειμεν, ὁ θεὸς τοῦ ̓Ισραὴλ σωτήρ. διὸ καν περὶ τοῦ πατρὸς ην τὸ Τίς ὡς κύριος ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν, οὐκ ἀπεσχοίνισται ὁ υἱός· ἀλλὰ καν περὶ τοῦ σωτῆρος, οὐ διέστηκεν ὁ πατὴρ τῷ μίαν ειναι πατρὸς καὶ υἱοῦ θεότητα. Τίς ουν φησιν ὡς κύριος ὁ θεὸς ἡμῶν ὁ ἐν ὑψηλοῖς κατοικῶν καὶ τὰ ταπεινὰ ἐφορῶν; ὡς πρὸς θεὸν γὰρ πάντα ταπεινὰ κτίσματα ποιήματα οντα, οὐ τὰ ἐπὶ γῆς μόνον ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. ὁρᾷ δὲ ταῦτα τὰ ταπεινὰ προνοητικῶς. ̓Αμέλει γοῦν πτωχὸν ὁρῶν ἐπὶ γῆς ῥιφέντα καὶ ἐπὶ κοπρίας πένητα ηγειρε, καὶ ἀνέστησεν αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ περιεστηκότων ἐκ πενίας καὶ πτωχείας κακῶν, καὶ οὐ μέχρι τοῦ ἐγεῖραι καὶ ἀναστῆσαι, ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἐπιτείνων τὴν ἀγαθότητα καθίσαι αὐτοὺς μετὰ ἀρχόντων, ἰσοτίμους αὐτοὺς αὐτοῖς παρασκευάζων. καθίσει δὲ αὐτοὺς οὐ μετὰ ἁπλῶν ἀρχόντων ἀλλὰ τῶν ἀρχόντων τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ. καὶ εὐφραινομένην γυναῖκα τὴν πρότερον διὰ στειρότητα ατεκνον ουσαν ἐν οικῳ κατοικήσει μητέρα γεγενημένην ἐπὶ πολυπαιδίᾳ. ∆ύναται καὶ περὶ τοῦ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν λαοῦ λέγεσθαι ὑπὲρ ου προφητεία ∆ιὰ τοῦτο εὐλογήσει σε ὁ λαὸς ὁ πτωχός. τοῦτον τοιγαροῦν τὸν πτωχὸν καὶ πένητα λαὸν ἀπὸ τῶν χαμαιζήλων πραγμάτων ἐγείρας καὶ τῆς κοπρίας τῶν ̔Ελληνικῶν μυσαγμάτων καθίσει μετὰ τῶν ἀρχόντων τοῦ ̓Ισραὴλ οντος αὐτοῦ λαοῦ. εἰσὶ δὲ οἱ ἀπόστολοι αρχοντες τοῦ ̔Εβραίου λαοῦ, ους ειπομεν καθιζομένους ἐπὶ δώδεκα θρόνους ἐπὶ τῷ κρίνειν τὰς δώδεκα φυλὰς τοῦ ̓Ισραήλ. καὶ στεῖραν δὲ τὴν ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν ἐκκλησίαν, ατεκνον ουσαν τὸ πρῶτον, εἰς εὐφροσύνην καλεῖ λέγων Εὐφράνθητι, στεῖρα ἡ οὐ τίκτουσα, ῥῆξον καὶ βόησον, ἡ οὐκ ὠδίνουσα, οτι πολλὰ τὰ τέκνα τῆς ἐρήμου μᾶλλον η τῆς ἐχούσης τὸν ανδρα. ἀληθῶς γὰρ πολύπαις καὶ καλλίπαις ἡ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν ἐκκλησία γεγένηται ὑπὲρ τὴν εχουσαν τὸν ανδρα νόμον ̓Ιουδαίων συναγωγήν. ἑκάστη δὲ ψυχὴ διὰ στειρότητα απαις ουσα κατοικίζεται ὑπὸ θεοῦ ἐν οικῳ τῇ τοῦ ζῶντος θεοῦ ἐκκλησίᾳ, μήτηρ εργων μαθημάτων νοημάτων τε καὶ λόγων ἐπὶ τῷ εὐφραίνεσθαι αμα οις εσχε γεννήμασιν ἀπὸ τοῦ συνοικοῦντος αὐτῇ θεοῦ λόγου. Συνέβη δὲ ταῦτα καὶ κατὰ τὴν τῆς γραφῆς ἱστορίαν. Αννα γοῦν ἡ μήτηρ Σαμουὴλ κατοικεῖσθαι ἐν οικῳ μήτηρ λέγεται τέκνων εὐφραινομένη, ολων εξ τέκνων γεναμένη μήτηρ. καὶ περὶ τῆς Σάρρας καὶ ̔Ρεβέκκας ̓Ελισάβετ τε καὶ πρὸ ταύτης τῆς μητρὸς γεναμένης τοῦ Σαμψὼν λέγοι τις εὐλόγως περὶ ἑκάστης αὐτῶν οτι κατῴκισεν αὐτὴν μητέρα τέκνων εὐφραινομένην.

1060 Ps 113,1.2 Πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν· ὁρῶν θεὸν νοῦς τυγχάνων τοῦ πτερνιστοῦ

τῶν ἀντικειμένων τῇ ἀληθείᾳ οικου τῆς Αἰγύπτου ἀναχωρῶν ἐπὶ τῷ μηκέτ' Αἰγυπτιάζειν μηδὲ τῶν Αἰγυπτιακῶν δεισιδαιμονιῶν περιέχεσθαι ιλεω θεὸν εσχε τὸν ἁγιάζοντα τὴν ὁμολογουμένην γνησίως ψυχήν, οτε καὶ ἐξουσιάσει καὶ οια βασιλεὺς κρατήσει τοῦ διορατικοῦ· ̓Ιουδαία γὰρ ἐξομολόγησις, ̓Ισραὴλ δὲ νοῦς ὁρῶν θεὸν ἑρμηνεύεται. πρότερον μὲν ουν ἐξομολογήσασθαι προσήκει, ιν' εἰς ἁγίασμά τις θεοῦ γεγένηται οικος καὶ αγιος ναὸς αὐτοῦ κατασκευαζόμενος, ιν' ουτως τελειωθεὶς διὰ θεωρίας τῆς ἀληθείας ̓Ισραὴλ ἀποδειχθῇ γενόμενος ὑπὸ τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ