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as Israel received the Law, or the Prophets, calling them to spiritual strength. This is signified by the last ones hired in the parable, to whom He said: Why have you stood here idle all day? And they said to him: Because no one has hired us. For only at the last did the Lord of the vineyard call them. Then he says: Behold, I am preparing your stones as carbuncle. Instead of which Symmachus says: Behold, I am setting your stones with antimony. And Aquila: Behold, I lay your stones in antimony. And Theodotion: I place in antimony. For just as a woman beautifying herself would use antimony; so will I arrange the stones of your building with comeliness. But perhaps the carbuncle in the Septuagint signifies the cleansing of the soul. For by a burning coal the lips of Isaiah were also cleansed. It means, therefore, that no stone of the building will be unclean, according to the text: "Holy stones are rolled upon the earth," which is said of the saints, from whom the city of God is composed. 2541 But some say that Jesus is called carbuncle, whom he said was laid in the foundations of Zion, in whom if anyone believes, he will not be put to shame. And Amos calls him adamant, saying: "I am setting adamant in the midst of my people Israel." And Zechariah says: "Behold, I am bringing upon my servant the Dayspring. Because the stone that I have given before the face of Jesus, upon the one stone are seven eyes." For Christ is the all-seeing one. This carbuncle, they say, is therefore the base and foundation of the city, and the apostles, approaching him and being themselves foundations, were called sapphires, signified also through the seventeenth psalm which says, "The springs of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were laid bare at your rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of your anger." For when those of Israel were rebuked for their audacity against Christ, the cleansing by water was seen; and the disciples of the Savior were also revealed. And the prophets are also called a foundation, as Paul says: "Built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets." And the sapphire has a heavenly color. And the citizenship of these, according to the Apostle, is in heaven. And according to Ezekiel, the place beneath the throne of God is also like sapphire. Thus, then, it is said because they bear the image of the heavenly one. But according to another interpretation, they say the carbuncles are the stones adorning the eyes of Christ's Bride, as with antimony—the holy martyrs tested by fire. And the battlements of the new Jerusalem are jasper, which according to Symmachus is Carthaginian, choice and transparent. By which are signified those in the Church who have fortified the faith with rational preparation, being like bulwarks and able to tear down every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God. And he says the gates are stones of crystal, representing the translucent and pure quality of the sound faith of those who have been entrusted with the first and introductory teaching. But Symmachus says, your gates, stones of carving. And Aquila, Stones of boring, somehow signifying in this way the variety of the elementary teaching. And choice stones, he says, is the enclosure, signifying those who with prayers fence in the great and splendid buildings of the city, signifying the multitudes of the other inhabitants. But we should understand all these things from the apostolic interpretation which says: "You are God's building. As a wise master builder I have laid a foundation." And again: "For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation, gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become manifest 2544 ." And again: "Built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone." And again: "In whom you all are being built as living stones." Of all these the prophet now says that they will be taught by God, who said: Do not call anyone teacher on earth. For one is your teacher in heaven. From whom also the disciples

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καθάπερ Ἰσραὴλ νόμον, ἢ προφήτας ἐδέξαντο, πρὸς εὐρωστίαν αὐτοὺς παρακαλοῦντας πνευματικήν. Ὅπερ διὰ τῶν ἐν τῇ παραβολῇ τελευταίων μισθωθέντων σημαίνεται, οἷς ἔφη· Τί ὧδε ἑστήκατε ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν ἀργοί; Οἱ δὲ πρὸς αὐτόν· Ὅτι μηδεὶς ἡμᾶς ἐμισθώσατο. Μόνος γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἐπ' ἐσχάτων ἐκάλεσεν ὁ τοῦ ἀμπελῶνος ∆εσπότης. Εἶτά φησιν· Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἑτοιμάζω σοι ἄνθρακα τοὺς λίθους σου. Ἀνθ' οὗ ὁ Σύμμαχος· Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ συντίθημι στίμει τοὺς λίθους σου. Ὁ δὲ Ἀκύλας· Ἰδοὺ κατακλίνω ἐν στίμει τοὺς λίθους σου. Θεοδοτίων δέ· Ἐμβάλλω ἐν στίμει. Ὡς γὰρ ἂν γυνὴ καλλωπιζομένη στιμίζοιτο· οὕτως εὐπρεπῶς τῆς σῆς οἰκοδομίας διαθήσω τοὺς λίθους. Μήποτε δὲ ὁ παρ' αὐτοῖς Ἑβδομήκοντα ἄνθραξ, τὸ καθάρσιον αἰνίττεται τῆς ψυχῆς. ∆ι' ἄνθρακος γὰρ καὶ Ἡσαΐου τὰ χείλη κεκάθαρτο. ∆ηλοῖ οὖν μηδένα τῆς οἰκοδομίας λίθον ὑπάρξειν ἀκάθαρτον, κατὰ τό· "Λίθοι ἅγιοι κυλίονται ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς," περὶ τῶν ἁγίων λεγόμενον, ἐξ ὧν ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ συνίσταται πόλις. 2541 Τινὲς δὲ τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἄνθρακα εἰρῆσθαί φασιν, ὃν ἔφησεν εἰς τὰ θεμέλια τεθεῖσθαι Σιὼν, εἰς ὃν εἴ τις πιστεύσειεν, οὐ μὴ καταισχυνθῇ. Ὁ δὲ Ἀμὼς ἀδάμαντα τοῦτον καλεῖ λέγων· "Ἐντάσσω ἀδάμαντα ἐν μέσῳ λαοῦ μου Ἰσραήλ." Ζαχαρίας δέ φησιν· "Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐπάγω ἐπὶ τὸν δοῦλόν μου ἀνατολήν. ∆ι' ὅτι ὁ λίθος ὃν ἔδωκα πρὸ προσώπου Ἰησοῦ, ἐπὶ τὸν λίθον τὸν ἕνα ἑπτὰ ὀφθαλμοί εἰσιν." Παντεπόπτης γὰρ ὁ Χριστός. Ὁ τοίνυν ἄνθραξ, φασὶν, οὗτος ὑποβάθρα τῆς πόλεως καὶ θεμέλιος, ᾧ ἐγγίζοντες οἱ ἀπόστολοι καὶ αὐτοὶ θεμέλιοι ὄντες, ἐῤῥέθησαν σάπφειροι δηλούμενοι καὶ διὰ τοῦ ἑπτακαιδεκάτου ψαλμοῦ λέγοντος, ὅτι "Ὤφθησαν αἱ πηγαὶ τῶν ὑδάτων, καὶ ἀνεκαλύφθη τὰ θεμέλια τῆς οἰκουμένης ἀπὸ ἐπιτιμήσεώς σου, Κύριε, ἀπὸ ἐμπνεύσεως πνεύματος ὀργῆς σου." Ἐπιτιμηθέντων γὰρ τῶν ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ διὰ τὰ τολμηθέντα κατὰ Χριστοῦ, ὤφθη μὲν ἡ δι' ὕδατος κάθαρσις· ἀνεδείχθησαν δὲ καὶ τοῦ Σωτῆρος οἱ μαθηταί. Καὶ οἱ προφῆται δὲ θεμέλιος λέγονται, Παύλου λέγοντος· "Ἐποικοδομηθέντες ἐπὶ τῷ θεμελίῳ τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ προφητῶν." Ἡ δὲ σάπφειρος οὐράνιον ἔχει τὸ χρῶμα. Καὶ τούτων δὲ τὸ πολίτευμα, κατὰ τὸν Ἀπόστολον, ἐν οὐρανοῖς ὑπάρχει. Κατὰ δὲ τὸν Ἰεζεκιὴλ, καὶ ὁ τόπος ὁ ὑποκάτω τοῦ θρόνου τοῦ Θεοῦ ὡς σάπφειρος. Οὕτω τοίνυν εἴρηται διὰ τὸ τὴν εἰκόνα τοῦ ἐπουρανίου φορεῖν. Ἄνθρακες δὲ καθ' ἑτέραν φασὶν ἐκδοχὴν οἱ κοσμοῦντες λίθοι ὥσπερ ἐν στίμει τοὺς τῆς Νύμφης τοῦ Χριστοῦ ὀφθαλμοὺς οἱ ἅγιοι μάρτυρες διὰ πυρὸς δεδοκιμασμένοι. Αἱ δὲ τῆς νέας Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐπάλξεις ἴασπις, ἡ καρχηδόνιος κατὰ Σύμμαχον ἐξαίρετος καὶ διαφανής. ∆ι' ὧν οἱ ἐν τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ σημαίνονται λογικῇ παρασκευῇ τὴν πίστιν ὠχυρωμένοι, ὥσπερ προμαχῶνες ὄντες καὶ δυνάμενοι πᾶν ὕψωμα καθαιρεῖν ἐπαιρόμενον κατὰ τῆς γνώσεως τοῦ Θεοῦ. Τὰς δὲ πύλας λίθους κρυστάλλου φησὶ, τὸ διαυγὲς καὶ καθαρὸν τῆς ὑγιοῦς πίστεως παριστῶν τῶν πεπιστευμένων τὴν διδασκαλίαν τὴν πρώτην καὶ εἰσαγωγικήν. Ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος, τὰς πύλας σου, φησὶ, λίθους γλυφῆς. Ὁ δὲ Ἀκύλας, Λίθους τρυπανισμοῦ τὸ ποικίλον τῆς στοιχειώδους διδασκαλίας ὧδέ πως αἰνιττόμενος. Ἐκλεκτοὶ δὲ λίθοι, φησὶν, ὁ περίβολος σημαίνων τοὺς ταῖς εὐχαῖς περιφράττοντας τὰ μεγάλα καὶ λαμπρὰ τῆς πόλεως οἰκοδομήματα, τὰ πλήθη τῶν λοιπῶν οἰκητόρων σημαίνοντα. Ταῦτα δὲ πάντα νοήσωμεν ἐξ ἑρμηνείας ἀποστολικῆς λεγούσης· "Θεοῦ οἰκοδομή ἐστε. Ὡς σοφὸς ἀρχιτέκτων θεμέλιον ἔθηκα." Καὶ πάλιν· "Θεμέλιον γὰρ ἄλλον οὐδεὶς δύναται θεῖναι παρὰ τὸν κείμενον, ὅς ἐστιν Ἰησοῦς Χριστός. Εἰ δέ τις ἐποικοδομεῖ ἐπὶ τὸν θεμέλιον τοῦτον, χρυσίον, ἀργύριον, λίθους τιμίους, ξύλα, χόρτον, καλάμην, ἑκάστου τὸ ἔργον φανερὸν γενήσε 2544 ται." Καὶ πάλιν· "Ἐποικοδομηθέντες ἐπὶ τῷ θεμελίῳ τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ προφητῶν, ὄντος ἀκρογωνιαίου αὐτοῦ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ." Καὶ πάλιν· "Ἐν οἷς πάντες οἰκοδομεῖσθε λίθοι ζῶντες." Οὓς δὴ νῦν πάντας ὁ προφήτης φησὶν ἔσεσθαι διδακτοὺς Θεοῦ τοῦ εἰπόντος· Μὴ καλέσητε διδάσκαλον ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Εἷς γάρ ἐστιν ὑμῶν διδάσκαλος ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς. Ἐξ οὗ καὶ οἱ μαθηταὶ