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“Let the peoples confess to you, O God.” Which was the greatest wonder, that the Jews, though taught by their fathers to worship the God of all, were continually turned aside to the error of idolatry; while all the peoples throughout the whole world, who had been in error for a long age, would come to such a change, as not only to recognize you, the God over all, but also to receive the knowledge of confessing to you in the twofold manner described; and that this might at last happen, hasten the things of the prophecy, so that we may become eyewitnesses of the eternal promises. The preceding words must be understood as also able to be spoken from the person of the prophets; so that the things before the *diapsalma* are fitting for the person of the apostles, and the things after the *diapsalma* for the choir of the prophets, who desired to see what we see, and did not see it, according to the saving voice. After these things it is said: “The earth has given its fruit;” or according to Symmachus: “The earth will give its produce.” For truly the natural fruit of the earth is to know the God over all, and for those permitted to dwell in it to send up to him the confessions and thanksgivings that are due. For the element of the earth was created for this, for those who spend their time in it to offer the fruits of piety; but because of the transgression of the first man it was said: “Cursed is the ground in your works. In sorrow you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you.” But this was not the natural fruit of the earth, but a prediction of the unnatural wickedness that was to spring up in it. For the thorns and thistles came into being unnaturally through the transgression not only of the first man, but also of the impious after him; since in the beginning, when God said: “Let the earth bring forth grass, 23.677 the herb that yields seed according to its kind and according to its likeness, and the fruit tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind on the earth;” nowhere was there mention of thorns or thistles; nor would the earth have brought these forth, if the consequences of disobedience had not followed upon man. Therefore, thorns and thistles grew as images of the wickedness that later befell men. Whence, that these might perish, the Savior came to cast fire upon the earth. And indeed, as the saving word, like a fire, destroys the thorns and thistles, the soul, renewed from wickedness, renders its fitting and appropriate fruit. Therefore all peoples confess; and the nations are guided upon the earth. And consequently, it is added: “The earth has given its fruit. May God, our God, bless us; may God bless us. And let all the ends of the earth fear him.” Whether the apostles of our Savior, or the ancient prophets of God (for what is said applies to either order), they pray to receive the blessing from God, the meaning of which we have also presented above, showing how “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it,” was fulfilled spiritually in them. For it is possible to perceive from the deed that the whole earth has been filled with their succession. And the Churches of our Savior established throughout the whole world, and the countless peoples in each, show forth the results of their blessing. Fittingly for them is the phrase, “our God,” in “May God, our God, bless us;” as if they possessed the mark of their God as an inheritance. But next they add indefinitely, saying, “May God bless us;” as being the God no longer of them alone, but of all those who will be saved through them. And after everything, they seal the conclusion of the whole prophecy, saying: “And let all the ends of the earth fear him.” For since “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” necessarily as an introduction to

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«Ἐξομολογησάσθωσάν σοι λαοὶ, ὁ Θεός.» Ὃ δὴ μέγιστον ἦν θαῦμα, ὅτι Ἰουδαῖοι μὲν, ἐκ πατέρων τὸν τῶν ὅλων Θεὸν σέβειν δεδιδαγμένοι, συνεχῶς ἐξετραχηλίζοντο ἐπὶ τὴν πλάνην τῆς εἰδωλολατρείας· λαοὶ δὲ πάντες οἱ καθ' ὅλης τῆς οἰκουμένης ἐκ τοῦ μακροῦ αἰῶνος πεπλανημένοι εἰς τοσαύτην ἥξουσι μεταβολὴν, ὡς μὴ μόνον ἐπιγνῶναί σε τὸν ἐπὶ πάντων Θεὸν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπιστήμην ἀναλαβεῖν τοῦ ἐξομολογεῖσθαί σοι κατὰ τὸν ἀποδοθέντα διττὸν τρόπον· ὅπερ ἵνα γένηται ἤδη ποτὲ, τάχυνον τὰ τῆς προφητείας, ἵνα αὐτόπται τῶν αἰωνίων ἐπαγγελιῶν γενοίμεθα. Ἀκουστέον δὲ τῶν προκειμένων ὡς δυναμένων καὶ ἐκ προσώπου τῶν προφητῶν λέγεσθαι· ὥστ' εἶναι τὰ μὲν πρὸ τοῦ διαψάλματος, ἁρμόζοντα τῷ προσώπῳ τῶν ἀποστόλων, τὰ δὲ μετὰ τὸ διάψαλμα, τῷ χορῷ τῶν προφητῶν, οἵτινες ἐπεθύμουν ἰδεῖν ἃ ἡμεῖς βλέπομεν, καὶ οὐκ εἶδον κατὰ τὴν σωτήριον φωνήν. Ἑξῆς τούτοις εἴρηται· «Γῆ ἔδωκε τὸν καρπὸν αὐτῆς·» ἢ κατὰ τὸν Σύμμαχον· «Γῆ δώσει τὴν φορὰν αὐτῆς.» Καρπὸς γὰρ ὡς ἀληθῶς ὁ κατὰ φύσιν τῆς γῆς ἐστι τὸ γνωρίζειν τὸν ἐπὶ πάντων Θεὸν, καὶ τὰς ὀφειλομένας αὐτῷ ἐξομολογήσεις καὶ εὐχαριστίας ἀναπέμπειν τοὺς οἰκεῖν αὐτὴν ἐπιτραπέντας. Ἐπὶ τοῦτο μὲν γὰρ κατεσκεύασται τὸ τῆς γῆς στοιχεῖον, ἐπὶ τὸ τοὺς ἐν αὐτῇ τὰς διατριβὰς ποιουμένους εὐσεβείας προσφέρειν καρπούς· διὰ δὲ τὴν τοῦ πρώτου ἀνδρὸς παράβασιν ἐλέχθη· «Ἐπικατάρατος ἡ γῆ ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις σου. Ἐν λύπαις φάγῃ αὐτὴν πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς ζωῆς σου· ἀκάνθας καὶ τριβόλους ἀνατελεῖ σοι.» Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἦν οὗτος ὁ κατὰ φύσιν καρπὸς τῆς γῆς· πρόῤῥησις δὲ τῆς μελλούσης φύειν ἐν αὐτῇ παρὰ φύσιν κακίας. Παρὰ φύσιν γὰρ αἱ ἄκανθαι καὶ τρίβολοι διὰ τὴν παράβασιν ὑποστᾶσαι οὐ μόνον τοῦ πρώτου ἀνθρώπου, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν μετ' αὐτὸν ἠσεβηκότων· ἐπεὶ κατ' ἀρχὰς, ὅτε εἶπεν ὁ Θεός· «Βλαστησάτω ἡ γῆ βοτάνην 23.677 χόρτου· σπεῖρον σπέρμα κατὰ γένος καὶ καθ' ὁμοιότητα, καὶ ξύλον κάρπιμον ποιοῦν καρπὸν, οὗ τὸ σπέρμα αὐτοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ κατὰ γένος ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς·» οὐδαμῆ μνήμη γέγονεν ἀκανθῶν οὐδὲ τριβόλων· οὐδ' ἂν ἔφυσε ταῦτα ἡ γῆ, εἰ μὴ τὰ τῆς παρακοῆς ἐπηκολούθησεν ἀνθρώπῳ. Τῆς γοῦν ὕστερον ἐπισυμβάσης ἀνθρώποις κακίας εἰκόνες ἐφύησαν ἄκανθαι καὶ τρίβολοι. Ὅθεν ἵνα ταῦτα ἀπόληται, πῦρ ἦλθε βαλεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ὁ Σωτήρ. Καὶ δὴ τοῦ σωτηρίου λόγου δίκην πυρὸς τὰς ἀκάνθας καὶ τοὺς τριβόλους ἀφανίζοντος, νεωθεῖσα τῆς κακίας ἡ ψυχὴ, τὸν προσήκοντα αὐτῇ καὶ κατάλληλον καρπὸν ἀποδίδωσι. ∆ιόπερ λαοὶ μὲν πάντες ἐξομολογοῦνται· ἔθνη δὲ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ὁδηγοῦνται. Τούτοις τε ἀκολούθως, ἐπενήνεκται τό· «Γῆ ἔδωκε τὸν καρπὸν αὐτῆς. Εὐλογήσαι ἡμᾶς ὁ Θεὸς, ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, εὐλογήσαι ἡμᾶς ὁ Θεός. Καὶ φοβηθήτωσαν αὐτὸν πάντα τὰ πέρατα τῆς γῆς.» Εἴτε οἱ ἀπόστολοι τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν, εἴτε οἱ παλαιοὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ προφῆται (ἑκατέρῳ γὰρ τάγματι ἐφαρμόζει τὰ λεγόμενα), εὔχονται τῆς παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ εὐλογίας τυχεῖν, ἧς καὶ ἀνωτέρω τὴν διάνοιαν παρεστήσαμεν, δεικνύντες ὅπως τὸ, «Αὐξάνεσθε καὶ πληθύνεσθε καὶ πληρώσατε τὴν γῆν, καὶ κατακυριεύσατε αὐτῆς,» ἐπὶ τούτων ἐπληροῦτο πνευματικῶς. Πάρεστι γοῦν ἔργῳ παραλαβεῖν, ὡς ἡ σύμπασα γῆ τῆς ἐκείνων διαδοχῆς ἐπληρώθη. Αἵ τε καθ' ὅλης τῆς οἰκουμένης ἱδρυθεῖσαι τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν Ἐκκλησίαι, καὶ οἱ καθ' ἑκάστην μυρίανδροι λαοὶ τῆς εὐλογίας αὐτῶν ἐμφαίνουσι τὰ ἀποτελέσματα. Πρεπόντως δὲ αὐτοῖς τὸ, «Ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν,» ἐν τῷ, «Εὐλογήσαι ἡμᾶς ὁ Θεὸς, ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν·» ὡς ἂν πάτριον κεκτημένοι τὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ αὐτῶν γνώρισμα. Ἀλλ' ἑξῆς ἐπισυνάπτουσιν ἀορίστως λέγοντες τὸ, «Εὐλογήσαι ἡμᾶς ὁ Θεός·» ὡς μηκέτι μόνων αὐτῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάντων τῶν δι' αὐτῶν σωθησομένων Θεὸν ὄντα. Καὶ μετὰ πάντα τὸ συμπέρασμα τῆς ὅλης προφητείας ἐπισφραγίζονται λέγοντες· «Καὶ φοβηθήτωσαν αὐτὸν πάντα τὰ πέρατα τῆς γῆς.» Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ «ἀρχὴ σοφίας φόβος Κυρίου,» ἀναγκαίως ὥσπερ εἰσαγωγὴν τῆς