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God shows that blessedness is in ways and in virtues. For he who is deprived of righteousness and judgment, even if he has some of the things mentioned, is very unprofitable. Wherefore he says: Cease from all unjudged opinion, pursuing what is just with a judged reasoning; that is, Keep the right judgments, or the divine judgments, namely the commandments. But it is necessary both to keep them in reasoning, and to do them in deed. Therefore he says: and do righteousness, promising as a reward salvation and mercy, or, according to the others, righteousness. But some say: Lest they think they are being called to the observance of the law which is in shadows and types, he says that salvation is near, and mercy, that is, Christ. For having had mercy on us, he saved us through remission. Thus also Habakkuk: "Yet a little while, and he who is coming will come, and will not delay." And he says "to be revealed," since the prophets foretold about him, but he was manifested in his own times. This David also said: "The Lord has made known his salvation in the sight of the nations. He has revealed his righteousness." On such hopes, therefore, he adds, Blessed is the man who does these things. He means judgment and righteousness, but not the one who boasts in bodily advantages, in noble birth and having many children. In agreement with these things John the Baptist said: "Bear therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and do not think to say, We have Abraham as our father." Likewise also the Savior: "If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham." But it is necessary, in addition to keeping [Sabbaths], also to hold fast to righteousness and judgment, and not to proceed to them as a secondary matter. For with these things the keeping of the Sabbaths is also praiseworthy, which is not simply in idleness, but in keeping the hands, that is, the actions, pure from wicked works. For thus must those who keep the Sabbath offer spiritual sacrifices. Then he comforts the proselytes and the eunuchs, as not being deprived of any of the great things of bodily noble birth and the begetting of children. For these things will not hinder them from obtaining the divine goods, if they live piously, keeping the Sabbath as they ought by doing what is right. For he who said at the beginning of the book, "Your new moons, and Sabbaths, and a great day I do not tolerate," does not want bare Sabbaths; but even if it was then necessary to observe the Sabbath bodily, on account of the command of the law, it was to be observed with judgment and righteousness. Therefore, the illegitimacy of his lineage will not harm the foreigner. For by pleasing the Lord he will be numbered into a holy nation and among the children of 2568 Abraham. "For not all who are from Israel, these are Israel," as Paul says. "Nor because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children." "But the children of the promise are counted for the seed, and the promise to Abraham was not given only to those from him, but also to all those through faith." For thus was Abraham justified. But neither will childlessness harm the pious eunuch, even if having many children has been given the rank of a blessing when the time calls for it. Therefore, instead of many children, he promises to give them in his house, and in his wall, a renowned place; or according to the other interpreters: A hand and a name better than sons and daughters. And a name, he says, an everlasting name I will give them which will not be cut off, such as was given to Jacob, and made him Israel, a man who sees God. For this is what the name signifies, which also became a deed. And if, according to the word of the Savior, they have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven, since there are many mansions in the Father's house, and there is a city of God, the heavenly Jerusalem; it follows that a place is given to them there in the wall of this city; that is, also of the Church on earth, in which men excel who are brought up in purity and holiness, and who consider the glory in the Lord on account of these things better than having many children, and who keep his Sabbaths, that is, Christ's, which are true and not shadowy. And he promises to bring the foreigners who do the same things into his holy mountain, and to receive sacrifices from them, that is, those through prayers and praise, or even the bodily ones, if the word is about those before the coming. For his house for all

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δείκνυσι Θεὸς ἐν τρόποις εἶναι καὶ ταῖς ἀρεταῖς τὸ μακάριον. Ὁ γὰρ ἐστερημένος δικαιοσύνης καὶ κρίσεως, κἄν τι τῶν εἰρημένων ἔχῃ, λίαν ἐστὶν ἀνόνητος. Ὅθεν φησί· Πάσης ἀκρίτου παύσασθε γνώμης, κεκριμένῳ λογισμῷ μετιόντες τὸ δίκαιον· ἤγουν, Τὰ ὀρθὰ φυλάττετε κρίματα, ἢ τὰ θεῖα κρίματα, δηλονότι τὰς ἐντολάς. ∆εῖ δὲ καὶ λογισμῷ φυλάττειν, καὶ ἔργῳ ποιεῖν. ∆ιό φησι· καὶ ποιεῖτε δικαιοσύνην, μισθὸν ἐπαγγειλάμενος τὸ σωτήριον καὶ τὸ ἔλεος, ἢ, κατὰ τοὺς λοιποὺς, τὴν δικαιοσύνην. Τινὲς δέ φασιν· Ἵνα μὴ νομίσωσιν ἐπὶ τὴν τοῦ νόμου τήρησιν τὴν ἐν σκιαῖς καὶ τύποις παρακαλεῖσθαι, ἐγγὺς εἶναι, φησὶ, τὸ σωτήριον, καὶ τὸ ἔλεος, τοῦτ' ἔστι Χριστόν. Ἐλεήσας γὰρ ἡμᾶς, διὰ τῆς ἀφέσεως ἔσωσεν. Οὕτω καὶ Ἀμβακούμ· "Ἔτι μικρὸν, καὶ ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἥξει, καὶ οὐ χρονιεῖ." Ἀποκαλυφθῆναι δέ φησιν, ἐπειδὴ προὔλεγον μὲν οἱ προφῆται περὶ αὐτοῦ, ἐν ἰδίοις δὲ καιροῖς ἐφανερώθη. Τοῦτο καὶ ∆αβὶδ ἔλεγεν· "Ἐγνώρισε Κύριος τὸ σωτήριον αὐτοῦ ἐναντίον τῶν ἐθνῶν. Ἀπεκάλυψε τὴν δικαιοσύνην αὐτοῦ." Ἐπὶ τοιαύταις οὖν ἐλπίσιν ἐπιλέγει, Μακάριος ἀνὴρ ὁ ποιῶν ταῦτα. Τὴν κρίσιν λέγει καὶ τὴν δικαιοσύνην, ἀλλ' οὐχ ὁ προτερήμασι κομπάζων σωματικοῖς, εὐγενείᾳ τε καὶ πολυπαιδίᾳ. Συνῳδὰ τούτοις ἔλεγεν Ἰωάννης ὁ Βαπτιστής· "Ποιήσατε οὖν καρποὺς ἀξίους τῆς μετανοίας, καὶ μὴ δόξητε λέγειν, Πατέρα ἔχομεν τὸν Ἀβραάμ." Ὁμοίως καὶ ὁ Σωτήρ· "Εἰ τέκνα τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ ἦτε, τὰ ἔργα τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ ἐποιεῖτε ἄν." ∆εῖ δὲ πρὸς τῷ φυλάττειν [Σάββατα], καὶ ἀντέχεσθαι τῆς δικαιοσύνης, καὶ κρίσεως, καὶ μὴ παρέργως ἐπ' αὐτὰ χωρεῖν. Μετὰ τούτων γὰρ καὶ ἡ φυλακὴ τῶν Σαββάτων ἐπαινετὴ, ἥτις ἐστὶν οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἐν ἀργίᾳ, ἀλλ' ἐν τῷ τὰς χεῖρας, τοῦτ' ἔστι τὰς πράξεις καθαρὰς ἀτόπων ἔργων τηρεῖν. Οὕτω γὰρ δεῖ Σαββατίζοντας θυσίας προσάγειν πνευματικάς. Εἶτα παραμυθεῖται τοὺς προσηλύτους καὶ τοὺς εὐνούχους, ὡς οὐδενὸς τῶν μεγάλων ἐστερημένους σωματικῆς εὐγενείας καὶ παίδων γονῆς. Οὐ γὰρ ἐμποδίσει ταῦτα τῶν θείων τυχεῖν ἀγαθῶν, εἰ ζῷεν θεοσεβῶς, τῷ δικαιοπραγεῖν ὡς δεῖ Σαββατίζοντες. Οὐ γὰρ ψιλὰ θέλει τὰ Σάββατα ὁ κατ' ἀρχὰς εἰπὼν τοῦ βιβλίου· "Τὰς νουμηνίας ὑμῶν, καὶ τὰ Σάββατα, καὶ ἡμέραν μεγάλην οὐκ ἀνέχομαι·" ἀλλ' εἰ καὶ ἔδει τότε σωματικῶς τηρεῖσθαι, διὰ τὴν παραγγελίαν τοῦ νόμου τὸ Σάββατον, μετὰ κρίσεως καὶ δικαιοσύνης ἦν τηρητέον. Οὐκ ἄρα παραβλάψει τὸν ἀλλογενῆ τὸ νόθον τοῦ γένους. Ἀρέσκων γὰρ Κυρίῳ εἰς ἔθνος ἅγιον καὶ ἐν τέκνοις τελέσει τοῦ 2568 Ἀβραάμ. "Οὐ γὰρ πάντες οἱ ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ, οὗτοι Ἰσραὴλ," ὡς ὁ Παῦλός φησιν. Οὐδ' ὅτι εἰ εἶ σπέρμα Ἀβραὰμ, πάντως καὶ τέκνα." Ἀλλὰ τὰ τέκνα τῆς ἐπαγγελίας λογίζεται εἰς σπέρμα, καὶ ἡ ἐπαγγελία δὲ τῷ Ἀβραὰμ οὐκ ἐπὶ μόνοις δέδοται τοῖς ἐξ αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς διὰ πίστεως." Ἐδικαιώθη γὰρ οὕτως Ἀβραάμ. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τὸν εὐνοῦχον θεοσεβοῦντα παραβλάψει τὸ ἄγονον, εἰ καὶ ἡ πολυπαιδία καιροῦ καλοῦντος ἐν εὐλογίας δέδοται τάξει. Ἀντὶ τῆς οὖν πολυτεκνίας δώσειν αὐτοῖς ἐπαγγέλλεται ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ, καὶ ἐν τῷ τείχει αὐτοῦ, τόπον ὀνομαστόν· ἢ κατὰ τοὺς λοιποὺς ἑρμηνευτάς· Χεῖρα καὶ ὄνομα βέλτιον υἱῶν καὶ θυγατέρων. Καὶ ὄνομα δὲ, φησὶν, αἰώνιον δώσω αὐτοῖς ὃ οὐκ ἐξαρθήσεται, ὁποῖον ἦν τὸ δοθὲν Ἰακὼβ, καὶ ποιῆσαν αὐτὸν Ἰσραὴλ, ἄνθρωπον θεωρὸν Θεοῦ. Τοῦτο γὰρ σημαίνει τὸ ὄνομα, ὃ καὶ γέγονεν ἔργον. Εἰ δὲ καὶ, κατὰ τὸν λόγον τοῦ Σωτῆρος, εὐνούχισαν ἑαυτοὺς διὰ τὴν βασιλείαν τῶν οὐρανῶν, ἐπειδὴ πολλαὶ μοναὶ παρὰ τῷ Πατέρι, καὶ ἔστι πόλις Θεοῦ Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐπουράνιος· ἀκόλουθον ἐκεῖ δίδοσθαι τόπον αὐτοῖς ἐν τῷ τείχει ταύτης τῆς πόλεως· ἤγουν καὶ τῆς ἐπὶ γῆς Ἐκκλησίας, ἐν ᾗ διαπρέπουσιν ἄνδρες ἁγνείᾳ καὶ σεμνότητι σύντροφοι, καὶ πολυπαιδίας κρείττω τὴν ἐπὶ τούτοις ἐν Κυρίῳ δόξαν ἡγούμενοι καὶ φυλάττοντες τὰ Σάββατα αὐτοῦ, δηλονότι Χριστοῦ, ἀληθῆ καὶ οὐ σκιώδη τυγχάνοντα. Τὰ αὐτὰ δὲ πράττοντας καὶ τοὺς ἀλλογενεῖς εἰσάξειν εἰς ὄρος ἅγιον αὐτοῦ ἐπαγγέλλεται, δέξεσθαί τε παρ' αὐτῶν θυσίας, δηλαδὴ τὰς δι' εὐχῶν καὶ αἰνέσεως, ἢ καὶ τὰς σωματικὰς, εἰ περὶ τῶν πρὸ τῆς παρουσίας ὁ λόγος. Τὸν γὰρ οἶκον αὐτοῦ πᾶσιν