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to undertake service. Therefore Paul also calls the economy a ministry, saying: "For if the ministry of condemnation is glory, much more does the ministry of righteousness abound in glory." And again, he is justified, either by our being justified, or by those who killed him being enslaved as a demonstration of the unjust condemnation against him. But who are those justified through him he went on to say: And he himself will bear their sins; or according to Symmachus, And he himself will bear their impieties. For having taken it upon himself, he stripped us of the tunic of sin; wherefore also, He has served many, that is, the nations. For Israel was one nation; but those from the nations are ten thousand times more, whom he also inherits, having made them his own inheritance, and saying: "The Lord said to me: You are my Son. Today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for your possession." And of the strong he divided the spoils; that is, having snatched away from the opposing powers, and having made his own spoils those who were enslaved by them; which spoils he distributed to his own disciples, establishing various Churches from them. Wherefore he said beforehand: "He shall rejoice before you, as those who rejoice in the harvest, and in the manner of those who divide spoils." And he is able to do these things, for which he was delivered over to death, having received as it were a reward from the Father, to save and inherit those who were perishing. For because of his suffering, he raises up with himself his own, and overcomes those who are alien, raising up with himself those who suffer with him, and humbling those who rise up against him. But some have said the strong are the apostles, and those who are altogether powerful in Christ, to whom, since they have conquered Satan, he distributes spoils, the provisions of spiritual gifts. For to one is given [through] the Spirit the word of wisdom, to another the word of knowledge, and things kindred to these. But how was he numbered with the transgressors, except by the robbers being crucified with him, which Mark also points out? CHAPTER 54. 1-17. 9Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear. Break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor, for the children of the desolate one are more than of her who has a husband. For the Lord said: Enlarge the place of your tent, and the skins of your courts, pitch them, do not spare; lengthen your cords 2533 and strengthen your stakes still more to the right and to the left, stretch them out, and your seed shall inherit the nations, and you shall inhabit the desolate cities9, etc. Having spoken of the Savior's birth, and life, and the cause of his death, and that he will inherit many, he consequently turned his discourse to these very ones, and the Church from them, which was long barren and desolate, such as were the souls of the Gentiles. For it had none of them who through virtue and piety was numbered among the children of God. For they were without God, and having no hope, according to the voice of Paul. But now, as to one who has received seed, and is about to give birth, he commands her to cry out, just as midwives do to women in labor so that they may give birth easily as the passages are widened. But instead of 'break forth and cry aloud,' Symmachus has said 'sing praise.' But Aquila, 'be cheerful in exultation and shout for joy.' And Theodotion, 'Break forth with gladness and rejoice.' And instead of 'desolate,' Symmachus said 'made unseen'; for she was made unseen and desolate, not yet possessing the heavenly Bridegroom. And he says the cause of the gladness is the future fruitfulness, through which she was to overcome the Synagogue of the Jews, being from all the nations, while that one was composed of one nation. Whom God brought near to a spiritual relationship through Moses, and showed her to be a mother of many children. But she became childless on account of Christ, although, according to Jeremiah, she was rich in children. And she gave a bill of divorce to God who marveled: "How the faithful city Zion has become a harlot?" For he himself did not give it, saying: "What is this bill of divorce of our mother? By which I sent her away? But

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δουλείαν ἀναδέξασθαι. Τοιγαροῦν καὶ Παῦλος διάκονον τὴν οἰκονομίαν καλεῖ λέγων· "Εἰ γὰρ τῇ διακονίᾳ τῆς κατακρίσεως, δόξα, πολλῷ μᾶλλον διαφέρει ἡ διακονία τῆς δικαιοσύνης ἐν δόξῃ." ∆ικαιοῦται δὲ πάλιν, ἡμῶν ἢ δικαιουμένων, ἢ τῶν ἀνελόντων αὐτὸν ἠνδραποδισμένων εἰς ἔνδειξιν τῆς ἀδίκου κατ' αὐτοῦ κατακρίσεως. Τίνες δὲ οἱ δικαιούμενοι δι' αὐτοῦ ἐπενήνοχε λέγων· Καὶ τὰς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῶν αὐτὸς ἀνοίσει· ἢ κατὰ Σύμμαχον, Καὶ τὰς ἀσεβείας αὐτῶν αὐτὸς ὑπενέγκει. Εἰς ἑαυτὸν γὰρ ἀναλαβὼν ἀπέδυσεν ἡμᾶς τὸν τῆς ἁμαρτίας χιτῶνα· διὸ καὶ, ∆εδούλευκε πολλοῖς, τοῦτ' ἔστι τοῖς ἔθνεσιν. Ἓν γὰρ ἦν ἔθνος Ἰσραήλ· οἱ δὲ ἐξ ἐθνῶν μυριοπλάσιοι, οὓς καὶ κληρονομεῖ κλῆρον ποιησάμενος ἴδιον, καὶ λέγων· "Κύριος εἶπεν πρός με· Υἱός μου εἶ σύ. Ἐγὼ σήμερον γεγέννηκά σε. Αἴτησαι παρ' ἐμοῦ καὶ δώσω σοι ἔθνη τὴν κληρονομίαν σου, καὶ τὴν κατάσχεσίν σου τὰ πέρατα τῆς γῆς." Τῶν δὲ ἰσχυρῶν ἐμέρισε σκύλα· δηλαδὴ τῶν ἀντικειμένων δυνάμεων ἐξαρπάσας, καὶ ἴδια σκύλα τοὺς ὑπ' ἐκείνων ἠνδραποδισμένους πεποιηκώς· ἅπερ σκύλα τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ διένειμε μαθηταῖς διαφόρους ἐξ αὐτῶν συστησάμενος Ἐκκλησίας. ∆ιὸ προὔ λεγεν· "Εὐφρανθήσεται ἐνώπιόν σου, ὡς οἱ εὐφραινόμενοι ἐν ἀμητῷ, καὶ ὃν τρόπον οἱ διαιρούμενοι σκύλα." ∆υνατὸς δὲ ταῦτα ποιεῖν, ἀνθ' ὧν παρεδόθη εἰς θάνατον, μισθὸν ὥσπερ λαβὼν παρὰ τοῦ Πατέρος, τὸ σώζειν καὶ κληρονομεῖν τοὺς ἀπολλυμένους. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τὸ παθεῖν, ἀνίστησι μὲν σὺν ἑαυτῷ τοὺς οἰκείους, κατακρατεῖ δὲ τῶν ἀλλοτρίων, τοὺς μὲν συμπάσχοντας συνανιστὰς, τοὺς δὲ ἐπαναστάντας ταπεινῶν. Τινὲς δὲ ἰσχυροὺς τοὺς ἀποστόλους εἰρήκασι, καὶ τοὺς καθάπαξ ἐν Χριστῷ δυνατοὺς, οἷς ἅτε νενικηκόσι τὸν Σατανᾶν διαδίδωσι σκύλα, τῶν πνευματικῶν χαρισμάτων τὰς χορηγίας. Ὧ μὲν γὰρ δίδοται [διὰ] τοῦ Πνεύματος λόγος σοφίας, ἄλλῳ λόγος γνώσεως, καὶ τὰ τούτοις ἀδελφά. Πῶς δὲ μετὰ ἀνόμων ἐλογίσθη, ἀλλ' ἢ συσταυρουμένων αὐτῷ τῶν λῃστῶν, ὃ δὴ καὶ Μάρκος ἐπισημαίνεται; ΚΕΦΑΛ. Ν∆ʹ. αʹιζʹ. 9Εὐφράνθητι, στεῖρα ἡ οὐ τίκτουσα. Ῥῆξον καὶ βόησον, ἡ οὐκ ὠδίνουσα, ὅτι πολλὰ τὰ τέκνα τῆς ἐρήμου μᾶλλον, ἢ τῆς ἐχούσης τὸν ἄνδρα. Εἷπε γὰρ Κύριος· Πλάτυνον τὸν τόπον τῆς σκηνῆς σου, καὶ τὰς δέρεις τῶν αὐλαιῶν σου πῆξον, μὴ φείσῃ· μάκρυνον τὰ σχοινίσματά 2533 σου, καὶ τοὺς πασσάλους σου κατίσχυσον ἔτι εἰς τὰ δεξιὰ, καὶ τὰ ἀριστερὰ ἐκπέτασον, καὶ τὸ σπέρμα σου ἔθνη κληρονομήσει, καὶ πόλεις ἠρημωμένας κατοικιεῖσ9, κ.τ.λ. Εἰπὼν τοῦ Σωτῆρος τὴν γένεσιν, καὶ τὸν βίον, καὶ τοῦ θανάτου τὴν αἰτίαν, ὅτι τε κληρονομήσει πολλοὺς, πρὸς αὐτοὺς τούτους ἀκολούθως τὸν λόγον μετήνεγκε, καὶ τὴν ἐξ αὐτῶν Ἐκκλησίαν πάλαι οὖσαν ἄγονόν τε καὶ ἔρημον, ὁποῖαι ἦσαν τῶν ἐθνικῶν αἱ ψυχαί. Οὐ γὰρ εἶχεν αὐτῶν τινα δι' ἀρετῆς καὶ θεοσεβείας καταταττόμενον εἰς τέκνα Θεοῦ. Ἦσαν γὰρ ἄθεοι, καὶ ἐλπίδα μὴ ἔχοντες, κατὰ τὴν Παύλου φωνήν. Νῦν δὲ ὡς δεξαμένῃ σπόρον, καὶ μελλούσῃ τεκεῖν, βοᾷν ἐγκελεύεται, καθὰ ταῖς κυούσαις αἱ μαῖαι πρὸς τὸ ῥᾳδίως τεκεῖν εὐρυνομένων τῶν πόρων. Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ ῥῆξον καὶ βόησον, Σύμμαχος μὲν κελάδει αἴνεσιν εἴρηκεν. Ὁ δὲ Ἀκύλας, ἱλάρυνον ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει καὶ χρεμέτισον. Ὁ δὲ Θεοδοτίων, Ῥῆξον εὐφροσύνην καὶ τέρπου. Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ ἐρήμου ἠφανισμένης ἔφησε Σύμμαχος· Ἦν γὰρ ἠφανισμένη καὶ ἔρημος, μήπω τὸν ἐπουράνιον κεκτημένη Νυμφίον. Τὴν δὲ τῆς εὐφροσύνης αἰτίαν, τὴν πολυγονίαν λέγει τὴν μέλλουσαν, δι' ἧς ἤμελλε νικᾷν τὴν Ἰουδαίων Συναγωγὴν, ἐκ πάντων οὖσα τῶν ἐθνῶν, τὴν ἐξ ἑνὸς ἔθνους συνισταμένην. Ἣν διὰ Μωσέως πρὸς οἰκειότητα πνευματικὴν ὁ Θεὸς προσηγάγετο, καὶ πολλῶν ἀπέφηνε τέκνων μητέρα. Ἀλλ' ἠτεκνώθη διὰ Χριστὸν, καίτοι, κατὰ τὸν Ἱερεμίαν, ἐν τέκνοις οὖσα πολλή. Καὶ βιβλίον ἀποστασίου δέδωκε τῷ Θεῷ θαυμάζοντι· "Πῶς ἐγένετο πόρνη πόλις πιστὴ Σιών;" Αὐτὸς γὰρ οὐ δέδωκεν εἰπών· "Ποῖον τοῦτο βιβλίον ἀποστασίου τῆς μητέρος ἡμῶν; Ὧ ἐξαπέστειλα αὐτήν; Ἀλλ'