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father of the orphans and judge of the widows.” But instead of, “To him who rides upon the west,” Symmachus has: “To him who is carried in the uninhabited place.” And he calls the land of foreign and alien nations uninhabited; which the Word is accustomed to name a desert in other places. And again, instead of, “of the judge of the widows,” Aquila translated, “judge of widows,” and Symmachus, “and one who pleads for widows.” And very precisely he calls him father of the orphans, but judge of the widows. For since not all widows are of the same disposition, by distinguishing those worthy of him and those who are not, he is established as their judge. But he would not likewise be a judge of orphans; for he provides for them equally, in the manner of a father. “God in his holy place, God makes the single-minded to dwell in a house.” Since the Word brought down the aforementioned Lord somewhere to a lowly state, saying that he rides upon the west, and is a father to orphans and a judge to widows, it necessarily returns to the theology concerning him, teaching, 23.689 that for certain economies he rides upon the aforementioned west for a short time; but his dwelling and the abode befitting him is not in the west, “but in a holy place;” or according to Aquila, “in his hallowed dwelling;” or according to Symmachus, “in his holy palaces.” For there is a place befitting and suitable to his divinity; nevertheless, being a lover of mankind, he descends from his own greatness, and condescends to the orphans and widows who dwell in the west. Wherefore it is also said elsewhere: “For behold, the Lord, the Lord, goes forth and will come down from his place.” But let us see what things he accomplishes, coming down from there and riding upon the west. “He makes to dwell, it says, the single-minded in a house.” And according to Symmachus, “He gives a house for monks to inhabit;” and according to Aquila, “He settles the only-begotten homeward;” but according to the fifth edition, “He makes the single-girded to dwell in a house.” And this was his first good deed; which indeed is also the greatest of his good deeds that he has granted to the race of men. At any rate, the first order of those advancing in Christ is that of the monks. But these are rare; wherefore according to Aquila they were named only-begotten, being likened to the only-begotten Son of God. But according to the Seventy, they happen to be single-minded, but not many-minded, nor at different times changing their own way, but accomplishing one alone, that which has reached the height of virtue. And the fifth edition named them single-girded, as being solitary and girded in and of themselves. And such are all who achieve the solitary and pure life, of whom the first were the disciples of our Savior, to whom it was said: “Acquire no gold, nor silver in your belts, no bag for your journey, nor sandals, nor a staff.” For in saying that they must not acquire gold or silver in their belts, he presents them as girded. And so also the Apostle exhorts us all, saying: “Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth.” And those eating the Passover were commanded to have their loins girded. This, then, is the first thing the one prophesied of accomplishes, having come among those who dwell in the west. For having set apart from the aforementioned orphans and the indicated widows an exceptional and most honorable order for himself, that of the single-minded, he makes them dwell in a house, that is, in his Church, deeming them worthy to remain and dwell in it. And after these he accomplishes a second work, for the common good and reaching to many, “leading out the fettered in courage;” for by his own courage he leads out those formerly fettered by the chains of sins. But instead of, “in courage, unto release,” Symmachus translated, saying: “He leads out the bound unto release.” And you will understand this also from the prophecy in Isaiah, which speaks in the person of the Lord himself: “Behold, I have given you for

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πατρὸς τῶν ὀρφανῶν καὶ κριτοῦ τῶν χηρῶν.» Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ, «Τῷ ἐπιβεβηκότι ἐπὶ δυσμῶν,» ὁ Σύμμαχος· «Τῷ ἐποχουμένῳ ἐν τῇ ἀοικήτῳ.» Ἀοίκητον δὲ καλεῖ τὴν τῶν ἀλλογενῶν καὶ ἀλλοφύλων ἐθνῶν χώραν· ἣν ἔρημον ὀνομάζειν ἐν ἑτέροις εἴωθεν ὁ λόγος. Καὶ πάλιν ἀντὶ, «τοῦ κριτοῦ τῶν χηρῶν,» ὁ μὲν Ἀκύλας, «δικαστοῦ χηρῶν,» ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος, «καὶ ὑπερδικοῦντος χηρῶν,» ἡρμήνευσαν. Σφόδρα δὲ ἀκριβῶς ὀρφανῶν μὲν αὐτὸν πατέρα ἀποκαλεῖ, χηρῶν δὲ κριτήν. Ἐπεὶ γὰρ μὴ πᾶσαι χῆραι τῆς ἴσης ὑπάρχουσι προαιρέσεως, διακρίνων τὰς ἀξίας αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰς μὴ τοιαύτας, κριτὴς αὐτῶν καθίσταται. Οὐ μὴν καὶ ὀρφανῶν ὁμοίως γένοιτ' ἂν κριτής· ἐξ ἴσου γὰρ τούτων πατρὸς δίκην προνοεῖ. «Ὁ Θεὸς ἐν τόπῳ ἁγίῳ αὐτοῦ, ὁ Θεὸς κατοικίζει μονοτρόπους ἐν οἴκῳ.» Ἐπειδὴ τὸν προδηλωθέντα Κύριον κάτω που ἐπὶ τὸ ταπεινὸν κατήγαγεν ὁ λόγος, ἐπιβεβηκέναι ἐπὶ δυσμῶν φήσας αὐτὸν, ὀρφανῶν τε εἶναι πατέρα καὶ χηρῶν κριτὴν, ἀναγκαίως ἐπανέρχεται ἐπὶ τὴν περὶ αὐτοῦ θεολογίαν, διδάσκων, 23.689 ὅτι ταῖς μὲν προλεχθείσαις δυσμαῖς διά τινας οἰκονομίας πρὸς βραχὺν ἐπιβαίνει χρόνον· τό γε μὴν οἰκητήριον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἡ πρέπουσα αὐτῷ διατριβὴ οὐκ ἐν δυσμαῖς ἐστιν, «ἀλλ' ἐν τόπῳ ἁγίῳ·» ἢ κατὰ τὸν Ἀκύλαν, «ἐν οἰκητηρίῳ ἡγιασμένῳ αὐτοῦ·» ἢ κατὰ τὸν Σύμμαχον, «ἐν βασιλείοις ἁγίοις αὐτοῦ.» Ἔστι μὲν γὰρ αὐτῷ τόπος ἐμπρέπων καὶ ἁρμόζων τῇ αὐτοῦ θεότητι· ὅμως δ' οὖν, φιλάνθρωπος ὢν, τοῦ οἰκείου μεγέθους ὑποκαταβαίνει, συγκαταβαίνει τε τοῖς ἐν δυσμαῖς οἰκοῦσιν ὀρφανοῖς καὶ χήραις. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ εἴρηται· «Ὅτι ἰδοὺ Κύριος Κύριος ἐκπορεύεται καὶ καταβήσεται ἐκ τοῦ τόπου αὐτοῦ.» Κατιὼν δὲ ἐνθένδε καὶ ἐπιβαίνων ἐπὶ δυσμὰς, ὁποῖα διαπράττεται θεασώμεθα. «Κατοικίζει, φησὶ, μονοτρόπους ἐν οἴκῳ.» Κατὰ δὲ τὸν Σύμμαχον, «∆ίδωσιν οἰκεῖν μοναχοῖς οἰκίαν·» καὶ κατὰ τὸν Ἀκύλαν, «Καθίζει μονογενεῖς οἴκονδε·» κατὰ δὲ τὴν πέμπτην ἔκδοσιν, «Κατοικίζει μονοζώνους ἐν οἴκῳ.» Καὶ τοῦτ' ἦν τὸ πρῶτον αὐτοῦ κατόρθωμα· ὃ δὴ καὶ μέγιστον τῶν αὐτοῦ κατορθωμάτων τῷ τῶν ἀνθρώπων δεδώρηται γένει. Τὸ γοῦν πρῶτον τάγμα τῶν ἐν Χριστῷ προκοπτόντων τὸ τῶν μοναχῶν τυγχάνει. Σπάνιοι δέ εἰσιν οὗτοι· διὸ κατὰ τὸν Ἀκύλαν μονογενεῖς ὠνομάσθησαν ἀφωμοιωμένοι τῷ μονογενεῖ Υἱῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Κατὰ δὲ τοὺς Ἑβδομήκοντα μονότροποι τυγχάνουσιν, ἀλλ' οὐ πολύτροποι, οὐδὲ ἄλλοτε ἄλλως τὸν ἑαυτῶν μεταβάλλοντες τρόπον, ἕνα δὲ μόνον κατορθοῦντες, τὸν εἰς ἄκρον ἥκοντα ἀρετῆς. Μονοζώνους δὲ αὐτοὺς ἡ πέμπτη ἔκδοσις ὠνόμασεν, ὡς ἂν μονήρεις καὶ καθ' ἑαυτοὺς ἀνεζωσμένους. Τοιοῦτοι δὲ πάντες εἰσὶν οἱ τὸν μονήρη καὶ ἁγνὸν κατορθοῦντες βίον, ὧν πρῶτοι γεγόνασιν οἱ τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν μαθηταὶ, οἷς εἴρητο· «Μὴ κτήσησθε χρυσὸν, μηδὲ ἄργυρον εἰς τὰς ζώνας ὑμῶν, μὴ πήραν εἰς ὁδὸν, μηδὲ ὑποδήματα, μηδὲ ῥάβδον.» Ἐν γὰρ τῷ λέγειν μὴ δεῖν κτήσασθαι χρυσὸν μηδὲ ἄργυρον εἰς τὰς ζώνας ἀνεζωσμένους αὐτοὺς εἰσάγει. Οὕτω δὲ καὶ πᾶσιν ἡμῖν ὁ Ἀπόστολος παρακελεύεται λέγων· «Στῆτε οὖν περιζωσάμενοι τὴν ὀσφὺν ὑμῶν ἐν ἀληθείᾳ.» Καὶ οἱ τὸ Πάσχα δὲ ἐσθίοντες ἐκελεύοντο τὰς ὀσφῦς ἔχειν περιεζωσμένας. Τοῦτο δὴ οὖν πρῶτον κατορθοῖ τοῖς ἐν δυσμαῖς οἰκοῦσιν ἐπιδημήσας ὁ θεσπιζόμενος. Ἀπὸ γὰρ τῶν προλεχθέντων ὀρφανῶν καὶ τῶν δηλωθεισῶν χηρῶν ἀφορίσας, ἐξαίρετον καὶ τιμιώτατον ἑαυτῷ τάγμα τὸ τῶν μονοτρόπων κατοικίζει αὐτοὺς ἐν οἴκῳ, δηλαδὴ ἐν τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ αὐτοῦ, παραμένειν καὶ κατοικεῖν ἐν αὐτῇ καταξιῶν αὐτούς. Μετὰ δὲ τούτους δεύτερον ἔργον κοινωφελὲς καὶ εἰς πολλοὺς διαβαῖνον κατορθοῖ, «ἐξάγων πεπεδημένους ἐν ἀνδρείᾳ·» τῇ γὰρ ἑαυτοῦ ἀνδρείᾳ ἐξάγει τοὺς πρότερον σειραῖς ἁμαρτιῶν πεπεδημένους. Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ, «ἐν ἀνδρείᾳ, εἰς ἀπόλυσιν,» ἡρμήνευσεν ὁ Σύμμαχος, εἰπών· «Ἐξάγει δεδεμένους εἰς ἀπόλυσιν.» Νοήσεις δὲ καὶ τοῦτο ἐκ τῆς λεγούσης ἐν Ἡσαΐᾳ προφητείας εἰς αὐτοῦ πρόσωπον τοῦ Κυρίου· «Ἰδοὺ δέδωκά σε εἰς