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the evening; not finding another, more accurate image of swiftness among perceptible things, he said that God is borne on the wings of the winds, thereby indicating that He is present everywhere. And we find also that the God of all things appeared to the sons of Israel in a cloud; and in the tabernacle He made His own appearance through a cloud. And indeed, when Solomon was dedicating the house, a cloud covered the house; and the Lord Christ on the mountain showed to the three apostles a bright cloud around Him; and as He was being taken up, a bright cloud received Him out of their sight. δʹ. "Who makes his angels spirits; and his ministers a flaming fire." He showed that He is the creator not only of visible things, but also of invisible things; and He called them both spirits and fire, teaching through both their power and their speed. For the nature of the spirit is swift, and the energy of fire is strong. And the God of all things, using angels as ministers, both 80.1697 benefits the worthy and punishes His adversaries. For this reason He also mentioned fire, signifying the punishing energy. εʹ. "Who lays the foundations of the earth upon its own stability." But Aquila and Symmachus, upon its own seat. "It shall not be moved for ever and ever." For having established it upon itself, He has given it immobility, and it will remain in this manner, for as long as He Himself wills. Thus also He says elsewhere, Hanging the earth upon nothing. ʹ. "The deep as a garment is his covering." He has put "his" instead of "its." For thus also Aquila and Theodotion have interpreted it: You have covered it with the deep as with a garment. Holy Scripture calls the watery substance the abyss. Thus also at the beginning of creation the blessed Moses said: "But the earth was invisible and unformed, and darkness was upon the face of the deep." Since, therefore, the earth is surrounded on all sides by waters, and the great and vast seas are its boundary, and many other things cut through its middle, he fittingly said that the deep lies upon the earth like a garment. "The waters shall stand upon the mountains. [ζʹ, ηʹ.] At thy rebuke they shall flee; at the voice of thy thunder they shall be afraid. Mountains ascend, and plains descend, to the place which thou hast founded for them." Through all these things he teaches that God's providence is over creation. For because of this, the sea, imitating the peaks of the mountains with its waves, does not inundate the mainland; but just as we have been terrified by the thunder, so it fears the established boundary. And the phrase, "The waters shall stand upon the mountains," means, As a mountain it stands; and the phrase, "Mountains ascend," means, As mountains. θʹ. "Thou hast set a bound which it shall not pass: neither shall they turn again to cover the earth." The sea is ashamed of the sand, and raging up to that point, as if hindered by the divine boundary as by a bridle, it is checked again, and goes backward. ιʹ. "Who sends forth springs in the valleys; between the midst of the mountains the waters shall pass through." Then he shows their use. ιαʹ, ιβʹ. "They will give drink to all the beasts of the field: the wild asses shall take them for their thirst. Upon them the birds of the heaven shall dwell, from the midst of the rocks they will give forth their voice." And this is a very great proof of divine Providence, that it fulfills the need not only of men, but also of irrational animals. 80.1700 For this reason, cutting through mountains, He contrived passages for the waters; so that not only men might have the streams of the springs in abundance; but also the kinds of land and airborne animals. And the phrase, "The wild asses shall take them for their thirst," Symmachus interpreted thus, The wild ass will quench his thirst. ιγʹ. "Watering the mountains from his chambers: the earth shall be satisfied with the fruit of thy works." For not only from below does He cause the nature of the waters to spring forth and prepare it; but from above He offers irrigation through clouds. Then He shows the benefit from this. ιδʹ. "Who causes grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of men, to bring forth bread from the earth." For the grass grows, and nourishes the cattle, which are for the use of men

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τὴν ἑσπέραν· οὐχ εὑρὼν ἑτέραν ἀκριβεστέραν ἐν τοῖς αἰσθητοῖς ὀξύ τητος εἰκόνα, ἐπὶ πτερύγων ἀνέμων ἔφη τὸν Θεὸν ἐποχεῖσθαι, πανταχοῦ αὐτὸν παρεῖναι διὰ τούτων παραδηλῶν. Εὑρίσκομεν δὲ καὶ τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰσραὴλ ἐν νεφέλῃ τὸν τῶν ὅλων ἐπιφανέντα Θεόν· καὶ ἐν τῇ σκηνῇ διὰ νεφέλης τὴν οἰκείαν ποιησάμενον ἐπιφά νειαν. Καὶ μέντοι τοῦ Σολομῶντος τὸν οἶκον ἐγκαι νίζοντος, νεφέλη τὸν οἶκον ἐκάλυψε· καὶ ὁ ∆εσπότης Χριστὸς ἐν τῷ ὄρει τοῖς τρισὶν ἀποστόλοις φωτεινὴν περὶ αὐτὸν νεφέλην ὑπέδειξε· καὶ ἀναλαμβανόμενον νεφέλη φωτεινὴ ὑπέλαβεν ἀπὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐ τῶν. δʹ. "Ὁ ποιῶν τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὑτοῦ πνεύματα· καὶ τοὺς λειτουργοὺς αὑτοῦ πῦρ φλέγον." Ἔδειξεν οὐ τῶν ὁρατῶν αὐτὸν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἀοράτων δημιουργόν· τοὺς δὲ αὐτοὺς καὶ πνεύματα, καὶ πῦρ προσηγόρευσε, τὸ δυνατὸν καὶ τὸ ταχὺ δι' ἑκα τέρων διδάσκων. Ὀξεῖα μὲν γὰρ τοῦ πνεύματος ἡ φύσις, ἰσχυρὰ δὲ τοῦ πυρὸς ἡ ἐνέργεια. Ἀγγέλοις δὲ χρώμενος ὑπουργοῖς ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς, καὶ εὐερ 80.1697 γετεῖ τοὺς ἀξίους, καὶ κολάζει τοὺς ἐναντίους. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ πυρὸς ἐμνημόνευσε, τὴν κολαστικὴν ση μαίνων ἐνέργειαν. εʹ. "Ὁ θεμελιῶν τὴν γῆν ἐπὶ τὴν ἀσφάλειαν αὑτῆς." Ὁ δὲ Ἀκύλας, καὶ ὁ Σύμμαχος, ἐπὶ τῆς ἕδρας αὐτῆς. "Οὐ κλιθήσεται εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος." Αὐτὴν γὰρ ἐφ' ἑαυτὴν ἑδράσας, δέδωκεν αὐτῇ τὸ ἀκίνητον, καὶ τοῦτον διαμενεῖ τὸν τρόπον, ἐφ' ὅσον ἂν αὐτὸς ἐθελήσει. Οὕτω καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ φησι, Κρεμνῶν γῆν ἐπ' οὐδενός. ʹ. "Ἄβυσσος ὡς ἱμάτιον τὸ περιβόλαιον αὐ τοῦ." Τὸ αὐτοῦ ἀντὶ τοῦ αὐτῆς τέθεικεν. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ ὁ Ἀκύλας καὶ ὁ Θεοδοτίων ἡρμήνευσαν· Ἄβυσσον ὡσεὶ ἔνδυμα περιέβαλες αὐτήν. Ἄβυσσον δὲ καλεῖ τὴν ὑγρὰν οὐσίαν ἡ θεία Γραφή. Οὕτω καὶ ἐν ἀρχῇ τῆς κτίσεως ὁ μακάριος ἔφη Μωσῆς· "Ἡ δὲ γῆ ἦν ἀόρατος καὶ ἀκατασκεύαστος, καὶ σκότος ἐπάνω τῆς ἀβύσσου." Ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν παν ταχόθεν ὕδασιν ἡ γῆ περιέχεται, καὶ τὰ μεγάλα μὲν καὶ ἄπλωτα πελάγη ταύτης ἐστὶ τέρμα, μέσην δὲ αὐτὴν διατέμνει ἕτερα ἄττα πλείονα, εἰκότως ἔφη τὴν ἄβυσσον καθάπερ ἱμάτιον ἐπικεῖσθαι τῇ γῇ. "Ἐπὶ τῶν ὀρέων στήσονται ὕδατα. [ζʹ, ηʹ.] Ἀπὸ ἐπιτιμήσεώς σου φεύξονται· ἀπὸ φωνῆς βροντῆς σου δειλιάσουσιν. Ἀναβαίνουσιν ὄρη, καὶ καταβαί νουσι πεδία, εἰς τὸν τόπον ὃν ἐθεμελίωσας αὐτοῖς." ∆ιὰ πάντων διδάσκει τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν προμήθειαν ἐφ εστῶσαν τῇ κτίσει. Τούτου χάριν γὰρ τὰς τῶν ὀρῶν κορυφὰς ἡ θάλαττα μιμουμένη τοῖς κύμασιν, οὐκ ἐπικλύζει τὴν ἤπειρον· ἀλλὰ καθάπερ ἡμεῖς τὴν βροντὴν κατεπτήχαμεν, οὕτως ἐκείνη τὸν κείμενον δέδιεν ὅρον. Τὸ δὲ, "Ἐπὶ τῶν ὁρέων στήσονται ὕδα τα," ἀντὶ τοῦ, Ὡς ὄρος ἕστηκε· τὸ δὲ, "Ἀναβαί-νουσιν ὄρη," ἀντὶ τοῦ, Ὡς ὄρη. θʹ. "Ὅριον ἔθου, ὃ οὐ παρελεύσεται· οὐδὲ ἐπιστρέψουσι καλύψαι τὴν γῆν." Αἰσχύνεται μὲν τὴν ψάμμον ἡ θάλασσα, καὶ μέχρις ἐκείνης λυτ τῶσα, καθάπερ χαλινῷ τῷ ὅρῳ τῷ θείῳ κωλυομένη, ἀναχαιτίζεται πάλιν, καὶ εἰς τοὐπίσω χωρεῖ. ιʹ. "Ὁ ἐξαποστέλλων πηγὰς ἐν φάραγξιν, ἀνα μέσον τῶν ὀρέων διελεύσονται ὕδατα." Εἶτα τὴν τούτων ὑποδείκνυσι χρείαν. ιαʹ, ιβʹ. "Ποτιοῦσι πάντα τὰ θηρία τοῦ ἀγροῦ· προσ δέξονται ὄναγροι εἰς δίψαν αὐτῶν. Ἐπ' αὐτὰ τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ κατασκηνώσει, ἐκ μέσου τῶν πετρῶν δώσουσι φωνήν." Καὶ τοῦτο τῆς θείας Προνοίας τεκμήριον μέγιστον, τὸ μὴ μόνον τῶν ἀν θρώπων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν ἀλόγων τὴν χρείαν πλη 80.1700 ροῦν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ὄρη τέμνων παρόδους τοῖς ὕδασιν ἐτεκτήνατο· ὥστε μὴ μόνον ἀνθρώπους ἔχειν ἀφ θόνως τὰ νάματα τῶν πηγῶν· ἀλλὰ καὶ τῶν χερ σαίων, καὶ τῶν ἀεροπόρων ζώων τὰ γένη. Τὸ δὲ, "Προσδέξονται ὄναγροι εἰς δίψαν αὐτῶν." ὁ Σύμ μαχος οὕτως ἡρμήνευσεν, Ἀνακτήσεται ὄναγρος δίψαν αὑτοῦ. ιγʹ. "Ποτίζων ὄρη ἐκ τῶν ὑπερῴων αὑτοῦ· ἀπὸ καρποῦ τῶν ἔργων σου χορτασθήσεται ἡ γῆ." Οὐ γὰρ μόνον κάτωθεν ἀναβλύζει, καὶ παρασκευάζει τῶν ὑδάτων τὴν φύσιν· ἀλλ' ἄνωθεν διὰ νεφῶν τὴν ἀρδείαν προσφέρει. Εἶτα τὴν ἐντεῦθεν ὑποδεί κνυσιν ὠφέλειαν. ιδʹ. "Ὁ ἐξανατέλλων χόρτον τοῖς κτήνεσι· καὶ χλόην τῇ δουλείᾳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων, τοῦ ἐξαγαγεῖν ἄρτον ἐκ τῆς γῆς." Φύεται γὰρ ἡ πόα, καὶ διατρέ φει τὰ κτήνη, τὰ εἰς χρείαν ἀνθρώπων