243

of God. 9.14.4 And since it was obscurely stated by the Seventy, "Then they will be manifest who are sealing the law, so that they do not learn, and he will say, I will wait for God who has turned his face away from the house of Jacob, and I will trust in him," Symmachus published it more clearly, saying, "Bind the testimony, seal the law in my decrees, and I will look for the Lord who hides his face from the house of Jacob, and I will wait for him," 9.14.5 and Aquila also himself published it in this way: "Bind the testimony, seal the law among my disciples, and I will await God who hides his face from the house of Jacob, and I will wait patiently for him." Therefore, the apostles of our Savior are taught to do these things. To whom he says next: "Behold, I and the children whom God has given me. And it shall be for signs and wonders in Israel from the Lord of Sabaoth, who dwells on Mount Zion." 9.14.6 And the Lord of Sabaoth, the Word of God, having dwelt in the man he had assumed, and having made his sojourns "on Mount Zion," and having performed signs and wonders, together with his disciples and all those from among all the former idolaters who have believed in him, he exhorts them no longer to fear in any way the superstitious error; but if the idolaters from the nations should disturb them or even compel them to seek "the ventriloquists" and the oracles of demons as something wonderful and in no way inferior to the prophetic way of life of divine and God-loving men, he teaches them that they should answer and say: "Why do they seek the dead concerning the living? For he has given a law for help," and what follows this; 9.14.7 for it is superfluous for those who have once received the law and saving commandments for the help and care of their own life to busy themselves with oracles that are worked through demonic deceit. 9.15.1 From the same. "Jacob my servant, I will help him; Israel my chosen one, my soul has accepted him; he will bring forth judgment to the nations; he will not cry out nor lift up his voice, nor will his voice be heard outside. He will not break a bruised reed, and a smoking flax he will not quench, but he will bring forth judgment to truth. He will shine forth and will not be broken, until he establishes judgment on the earth; and in his name will the nations hope. Thus says the Lord God who made the heaven and fixed it, who established the earth and the things in it, and gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk on it. I, the Lord your God, have called you in righteousness, and I will take hold of your hand and will strengthen you, and I have given you as a covenant of a people, as a light to the nations, to open the eyes of the blind, and to bring out from bonds those who are bound and from the prison house those who sit in darkness." 9.15.2 And the evangelist mentions this passage, when "the Pharisees went out and took counsel" against our Savior, "how they might destroy him," because he healed the sick on the Sabbath. For at that time, as it says, Jesus, "knowing" the plot against him, "withdrew from there, and great crowds followed him, and he healed them all, and warned them that they should not make him known." 9.15.3 To which he adds, saying: And all these things happened—that is, his withdrawing and avoiding those who plotted against him and striving to be unnoticed in the wonders he performed and enjoining those who were healed not to make him known—"that what was spoken through the prophet might be fulfilled, saying, Behold, my servant, in whom I am well pleased, my beloved, whom my soul has chosen; I will put my spirit upon him, and he will proclaim judgment to the nations. He will not quarrel nor cry out, nor will anyone hear his voice in the streets. He will not break a bruised reed, and a smoldering wick he will not quench, until he brings forth judgment to victory, and in his name the nations will hope." 9.15.4 Observe carefully, in what way Matthew, having said "Behold, the servant

243

τοῦ θεοῦ. 9.14.4 ἀσαφῶς δὲ παρὰ τοῖς ἑβδομήκοντα εἰρημένου «τότε φανεροὶ ἔσονται οἱ σφραγιζόμενοι τὸν νόμον τοῦ μὴ μαθεῖν, καὶ ἐρεῖ, μενῶ τὸν θεὸν τὸν ἀποστρέψαντα τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ οἴκου Ἰακώβ, καὶ πεποιθὼς ἔσομαι ἐπ' αὐτῷ», σαφέστερον ὁ Σύμμαχος ἐξέδωκεν, εἰπών· «δῆσον μαρτύριον, σφράγισον νόμον ἐν τοῖς διατάγμασίν μου, καὶ προσδοκήσω τὸν κύριον τὸν κρύβοντα τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ οἴκου Ἰακώβ, καὶ ἀναμενῶ αὐτὸν», 9.14.5 καὶ ὁ Ἀκύλας δὲ τοῦτον καὶ αὐτὸς ἐξέδωκεν τὸν τρόπον· «ἔνδησον μαρτύριον, σφράγισον νόμον ἐν διδακτοῖς μου, καὶ προσδέξομαι τὸν θεὸν τὸν ἀποκρύβοντα τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ οἴκου Ἰακώβ, καὶ ὑπομενῶ αὐτόν». ταῦτα δ' οὖν οἱ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἀπόστολοι διδάσκονται ποιεῖν. οἷς ἑξῆς ἐπιλέγει· «ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ καὶ τὰ παιδία, ἅ μοι ἔδωκεν ὁ θεός. καὶ ἔσται εἰς σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα ἐν τῷ Ἰσραὴλ παρὰ κυρίου Σαβαώθ, ὃς κατοικεῖ ἐν τῷ ὄρει Σιών». 9.14.6 κατοικήσας δὲ ὁ κύριος Σαβαώθ, ὁ τοῦ θεοῦ λόγος, ἐν ᾧ ἀνείληφεν ἀνθρώπῳ, καὶ τὰς διατριβὰς πεποιημένος «ἐν τῷ ὄρει Σιών», σημεῖά τε καὶ τέρατα διαπραξάμενος, ὁμοῦ τοῖς αὐτοῦ μαθηταῖς καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς εἰς αὐτὸν πεπιστευκόσιν ἐξ ἁπάντων τῶν πρὶν εἰδωλολατρῶν παρακελεύεται μηκέτι δεδιέναι κατὰ μηδένα τρόπον τὴν δεισιδαίμονα πλάνην· ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ παρασαλεύοιεν αὐτοὺς ἢ καὶ ἀναγκάζοιεν οἱ ἐξ ἐθνῶν εἰδωλολάτραι ζητεῖν «τοὺς ἐγγαστριμύθους» καὶ τὰ τῶν δαιμόνων μαντεῖα ὡς θαυμάσια καὶ κατ' οὐδὲν λείποντα τῆς τῶν θείων καὶ θεοφιλῶν ἀνδρῶν προφητικῆς διαίτης, αὐτοὺς δεῖν ἀποκρίνεσθαι καὶ λέγειν διδάσκει· «τί ἐκζητοῦσι περὶ τῶν ζώντων τοὺς νεκρούς; νόμον γὰρ εἰς βοήθειαν δέδωκεν», καὶ τὰ τούτοις ἀκόλουθα· 9.14.7 τοὺς γὰρ ἅπαξ νόμον εἰληφότας καὶ σωτηρίους ἐντολὰς ἐπὶ βοηθείᾳ καὶ θεραπείᾳ τοῦ ἰδίου βίου περιττὸν μαντείας πολυπραγμονεῖν διὰ τῆς δαιμονικῆς ἀπάτης ἐνεργουμένας. 9.15.1 Ἀπὸ τοῦ αὐτοῦ. «Ἰακὼβ ὁ παῖς μου, ἀντιλήψομαι αὐτοῦ· Ἰσραὴλ ὁ ἐκλεκτός μου, προσεδέξατο αὐτὸν ἡ ψυχή μου· κρίσιν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἐξοίσει· οὐ κεκράξεται οὐδὲ ἀνήσει, οὐδὲ ἀκουσθήσεται ἔξω ἡ φωνὴ αὐτοῦ. κάλαμον συντετριμμένον οὐ κατεάξει, καὶ λίνον καπνιζόμενον οὐ σβέσει, ἀλλ' εἰς ἀλήθειαν ἐξοίσει κρίσιν. ἀναλάμψει καὶ οὐ θραυσθήσεται, ἕως ἂν θῇ ἐπὶ γῆς κρίσιν· καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ ἔθνη ἐλπιοῦσιν. οὕτως λέγει κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὁ ποιήσας τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ πήξας αὐτόν, ὁ στερεώσας τὴν γῆν καὶ τὰ ἐν αὐτῇ, καὶ διδοὺς πνοὴν τῷ λαῷ τῷ ἐπ' αὐτῆς καὶ πνεῦμα τοῖς πατοῦσιν αὐτήν. ἐγὼ κύριος ὁ θεός σου ἐκάλεσά σε ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ, καὶ κρατήσω τῆς χειρός σου καὶ ἐνισχύσω σε, καὶ ἔδωκά σε εἰς διαθήκην γένους, εἰς φῶς ἐθνῶν, ἀνοῖξαι ὀφθαλμοὺς τυφλῶν, καὶ ἐξαγαγεῖν ἐκ δεσμῶν δεδεμένους καὶ ἐξ οἴκου φυλακῆς καθημένους ἐν σκότει.» 9.15.2 Καὶ ταύτης ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς μνημονεύει τῆς λέξεως, ὅτε «ἐξελθόντες οἱ Φαρισαῖοι συμβούλιον ἔλαβον» κατὰ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν, «ὅπως αὐτὸν ἀπολέσωσιν», ἐπειδὴ τοῖς σάββασιν τοὺς κάμνοντας ἐθεράπευεν. τὸ τηνικαῦτα γάρ, ὥς φησιν, «γνοὺς» ὁ Ἰησοῦς τὴν κατ' αὐτοῦ συσκευὴν «ἀνεχώρησεν ἐκεῖθεν, καὶ ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῷ ὄχλοι πολλοί, καὶ ἐθεράπευσεν αὐτοὺς πάντας, καὶ ἐπετίμησεν αὐτοῖς, ἵνα μὴ φανερὸν αὐτὸν ποιήσωσιν.» 9.15.3 οἷς ἐπιφέρει λέγων· καὶ ταῦτα πάντα γέγονεν τουτέστιν τὸ ἀναχωρεῖν αὐτὸν καὶ τὸ ἐκκλίνειν τοὺς ἐπιβούλους καὶ τὸ λανθάνειν σπουδάζειν ἐν οἷς ἔπραξεν παραδόξοις καὶ τὸ παρεγγυᾶν τοῖς θεραπευομένοις μὴ φανερὸν αὐτὸν ποιεῖν, «ἵνα πληρωθῇ τὸ ῥηθὲν διὰ τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος, ἰδοὺ ὁ παῖς μου, εἰς ὃν εὐδόκησα, ὁ ἀγαπητός μου, ὃν ᾑρέτισεν ἡ ψυχή μου· θήσω τὸ πνεῦμά μου ἐπ' αὐτόν, καὶ κρίσιν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἀπαγγελεῖ. οὐκ ἐρίσει οὐδὲ κραυγάσει, οὐδὲ ἀκούσεταί τις ἐν ταῖς πλατείαις τὴν φωνὴν αὐτοῦ. κάλαμον συντετριμμένον οὐ κατεάξει, καὶ λίνον τυφόμενον οὐ σβέσει, ἕως ἂν ἐκβάλῃ εἰς νῖκος τὴν κρίσιν, καὶ ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ ἔθνη ἐλπιοῦσιν.» 9.15.4 τήρει δὲ ἐπιμελῶς, τίνα τρόπον ὁ Ματθαῖος, εἰπὼν «ἰδοὺ ὁ παῖς