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to the Jews; Why do you think evil things? For even if they had these thoughts, they were not reasoning these things from wickedness, but from ignorance of what had been said. For this reason He does not speak to them rebukingly, but only corrects their thinking, and makes a defense for John; and shows that he has not fallen from his former opinion, nor has he changed. For he is not an easy and fickle man, but steadfast and firm, and not the kind of person to betray what was entrusted to him. And in establishing these things, He does not establish them immediately from His own declaration, but first from their testimony; not only by what they said, but also by what they did, showing that they bore witness to his steadfastness. Wherefore He says; What did you go out into the wilderness to see? As if He were saying; Why, leaving the cities and your houses, did you all come together into the wilderness? To see some pitiable and easy man? But that would not make sense. For that zeal does not show this, nor the fact that everyone ran together into the wilderness. For so great a multitude and so many cities would not have poured out then with such eagerness into the wilderness and to the Jordan river, unless you had expected to see someone great and 57.420 wonderful and more steadfast than a rock. For surely you did not go out to see a reed, shaken by the wind; for those who are easy, and readily turned about, and say one thing now, and another then, and stand for nothing, are most like this. And see how, setting aside all wickedness, He puts forward this which was most suspect to them at that time, and refutes the hypothesis of fickleness; But what did you go out to see? a man clothed in soft garments? Behold, those who wear soft things are in kings’ houses. What He is saying is this, that he was not fickle by nature; and this you yourselves showed by your zeal. Nor, moreover, could one say that, though he was steadfast, he afterwards became lax by being a slave to luxury. For some men are like this by nature, and others become so; for example, one is irascible by nature, while another, having fallen into a long illness, acquires this affliction. Again, some are easy and light-minded by nature, while others become this from being a slave to luxury and effeminacy. But John, He says, was neither of this sort by nature; for you did not go out to see a reed; nor, having given himself to luxury, did he lose the advantage which he had. For that he was not a slave to luxury, his clothing and the wilderness and the prison show. For if he had wished to wear soft things, he would not have lived in the wilderness, nor in the prison, but in the palace. For it was possible for him, by only keeping silent, to enjoy countless honors. For where Herod so respected him even when he rebuked him and was bound, much more would he have flattered him if he had kept silent. Therefore, having given proof by deed of his steadfastness and endurance, how could it be right for him to be suspected of such things? 2. And so, having characterized his manner of life from the place, and from his clothing, and from the crowd that ran to him, He then brings on the prophet as well. For having said, What did you go out? To see a prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet, He says; for this is he, of whom it is written; Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you. Having first set forth the testimony of the Jews, He then applies that of the prophets; or rather, first He sets forth the Jewish verdict, which would be the greatest proof, when the testimony comes from enemies; second, the life of the man; third, His own judgment; fourth, the prophet, silencing them from every side. Then, so that they might not say, What then, if he was of such a sort then, but now has changed? He brought on also the things that followed, the clothing, the prison, and with these, the prophecy. Then, having said that he is greater than a prophet, He also shows in what way he is greater. In what way, then, is he greater? By being near to the one who has come. For I send, 57.421 He says, my messenger before your face; that is, near you. For just as with kings, those who drive near the chariot, these are more glorious than the others; so also then is John

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πρὸς Ἰουδαίους· Τί ἐνθυμεῖσθε πονηρά; Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἐνενόησαν, οὐκ ἀπὸ πονηρίας ἐλογίζοντο ταῦτα, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν εἰρημένων ἀγνοίας. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὐδὲ ἐπιπληκτικῶς αὐτοῖς διαλέγεται, ἀλλὰ διορθοῦται αὐτῶν μόνον τὴν διάνοιαν, καὶ ἀπολογεῖται ὑπὲρ Ἰωάννου· καὶ δείκνυσιν ὅτι οὐ μετέπεσε τῆς προτέρας δόξης, οὐδὲ μεταβέβληται. Οὐδὲ γάρ ἐστιν εὔκολος ἄνθρωπος καὶ εὐρίπιστος, ἀλλὰ πεπηγὼς καὶ βέβαιος, καὶ οὐ τοιοῦτος, ὡς καὶ προδοῦναι τὰ ἐμπεπιστευμένα. Ταῦτα δὲ κατασκευάζων, οὐκ ἐκ τῆς οἰκείας ἀποφάσεως εὐθέως, ἀλλ' ἐκ τῆς ἐκείνων πρότερον ταῦτα κατασκευάζει μαρτυρίας· οὐ δι' ὧν εἶπον μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ δι' ὧν ἔπραξαν, δεικνὺς αὐτοὺς μαρτυροῦντας αὐτοῦ τῇ στεῤῥότητι. ∆ιό φησι· Τί ἐξήλθετε εἰς τὴν ἔρημον ἰδεῖν; Ὡσανεὶ ἔλεγε· ∆ιατί τὰς πόλεις ἀφέντες καὶ τὰς οἰκίας, συνήλθετε εἰς τὴν ἔρημον ἅπαντες; ἵνα οἰκτρόν τινα ἴδητε καὶ εὔκολον ἄνθρωπον; Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἂν ἔχοι λόγον. Οὐ γὰρ τοῦτο δείκνυσιν ἡ σπουδὴ ἐκείνη, καὶ τὸ πάντας συντρέχειν εἰς τὴν ἔρημον. Οὐ γὰρ ἂν δῆμος τοσοῦτος καὶ πόλεις τοσαῦται μετὰ τοσαύτης προθυμίας εἰς τὴν ἔρημον καὶ τὸν Ἰορδάνην ποταμὸν ἐξεχύθησαν τότε, εἰ μὴ μέγαν τινὰ καὶ 57.420 θαυμαστὸν καὶ πέτρας στεῤῥότερον ὄψεσθαι προσεδοκήσατε. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ κάλαμον ἐξήλθετε ἰδεῖν, ὑπὸ ἀνέμου σαλευόμενον· οἱ γὰρ εὔκολοι, καὶ ῥᾳδίως περιφερόμενοι, καὶ νῦν μὲν ταῦτα, νῦν δὲ ἐκεῖνα λέγοντες, καὶ ἐπὶ μηδενὸς ἑστῶτες, τούτῳ μάλιστα ἐοίκασι. Καὶ ὅρα πῶς πᾶσαν πονηρίαν ἀφεὶς, ταύτην τίθησι τὴν μάλιστα ὑφορμοῦσαν αὐτοῖς τότε, καὶ ἀναιρεῖ τὴν τῆς εὐκολίας ὑπόθεσιν· Ἀλλὰ τί ἐξήλθετε ἰδεῖν; ἄνθρωπον ἐν μαλακοῖς ἱματίοις ἠμφιεσμένον; Ἰδοὺ οἱ τὰ μαλακὰ φοροῦντες, ἐν τοῖς οἴκοις τῶν βασιλέων εἰσίν. Ὃ δὲ λέγει τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν, ὅτι οἴκοθεν οὐκ ἦν εὐρίπιστος· καὶ τοῦτο ἐδηλώσατε διὰ τῆς σπουδῆς ὑμεῖς. Οὐ μὴν οὐδὲ ἐκεῖνο ἔχοι τις ἂν εἰπεῖν, ὡς στεῤῥὸς μὲν ἦν, τρυφῇ δὲ δουλεύσας ὕστερον χαῦνος γέγονε. Τῶν γὰρ ἀνθρώπων οἱ μὲν οἴκοθέν εἰσι τοιοῦτοι, οἱ δὲ γίνονται· οἷον, ὁ μέν ἐστιν ὀργίλος φύσει, ὁ δὲ εἰς ἀῤῥωστίαν ἐμπεσὼν μακρὰν, τοῦτο κτᾶται τὸ νόσημα. Πάλιν εὔκολοι καὶ κοῦφοι οἱ μέν εἰσι φύσει, οἱ δὲ ἀπὸ τοῦ τρυφῇ δουλεύειν καὶ μαλακίζεσθαι τοῦτο γίνονται. Ἀλλ' ὁ Ἰωάννης, φησὶν, οὔτε φύσει τοιοῦτος ἦν· οὐδὲ γὰρ κάλαμον ἐξήλθετε ἰδεῖν· οὔτε τρυφῇ δοὺς ἑαυτὸν, ἀπώλεσεν ὅπερ εἶχε πλεονέκτημα. Ὅτι γὰρ οὐκ ἐδούλευσε τρυφῇ, δείκνυσιν ἡ στολὴ καὶ ἡ ἐρημία καὶ τὸ δεσμωτήριον. Εἰ γὰρ ἐβούλετο μαλακὰ φορεῖν, οὐκ ἂν τὴν ἔρημον ᾤκησεν, οὐκ ἂν τὸ δεσμωτήριον, ἀλλὰ τὰ βασίλεια. Ἐξῆν γὰρ αὐτῷ σιγήσαντι μόνον μυρίας ἀπολαῦσαι τιμῆς. Ὅπου γὰρ καὶ ἐλέγξαντα καὶ δεδεμένον οὕτως ᾐδεῖτο ὁ Ἡρώδης, πολλῷ μᾶλλον σιγήσαντα ἐκολάκευσεν ἄν. Ἔργῳ τοίνυν τῆς αὐτοῦ στεῤῥότητος παρασχὼν βάσανον καὶ τῆς καρτερίας, πῶς ἂν εἴη δίκαιος ἐπὶ τοιούτοις ὑποπτεύεσθαι; βʹ. Καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ τόπου τοίνυν, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἱματίων, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς συνδρομῆς τὸ ἦθος αὐτοῦ χαρακτηρίσας, ἐπάγει λοιπὸν καὶ τὸν προφήτην. Εἰπὼν γὰρ, Τί ἐξήλθετε; προφήτην ἰδεῖν; Ναὶ, λέγω ὑμῖν, καὶ περισσότερον προφήτου, φησίν· οὗτος γάρ ἐστι, περὶ οὗ γέγραπται· Ἰδοὺ ἀποστέλλω τὸν ἄγγελόν μου πρὸ προσώπου σου, ὃς κατασκευάσει τὴν ὁδόν σου ἔμπροσθέν σου. Πρότερον τὴν Ἰουδαίων μαρτυρίαν θεὶς, τότε τὴν τῶν προφητῶν ἐφαρμόζει· μᾶλλον δὲ πρῶτον μὲν τὴν ψῆφον τίθησι τὴν Ἰουδαϊκὴν, ἥπερ μεγίστη γένοιτ' ἂν ἀπόδειξις, ὅταν παρὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἡ μαρτυρία φέρηται· δεύτερον, τὸν βίον τὸν τοῦ ἀνδρός· τρίτον, τὴν ἑαυτοῦ κρίσιν· τέταρτον, τὸν προφήτην, πάντοθεν αὐτοὺς ἐπιστομίζων. Εἶτα ἵνα μὴ λέγωσι, Τί οὖν, εἰ τότε μὲν τοιοῦτος ἦν, νῦν δὲ μεταβέβληται; ἐπήγαγε καὶ τὰ μετὰ ταῦτα, τὰ ἱμάτια, τὸ δεσμωτήριον, καὶ μετὰ τούτων τὴν προφητείαν. Εἶτα εἰπὼν ὅτι μείζων προφήτου, δείκνυσι καὶ κατὰ τί μείζων. Κατὰ τί τοίνυν μείζων; Κατὰ τὸ ἐγγὺς εἶναι τοῦ παραγενομένου. Ἀπο 57.421 στέλλω γὰρ, φησὶ, τὸν ἄγγελόν μου πρὸ προσώπου σου· τουτέστιν, ἐγγύς σου. Καθάπερ γὰρ ἐπὶ τῶν βασιλέων οἱ ἐγγὺς τοῦ ὀχήματος ἐλαύνοντες, οὗτοι τῶν ἄλλων εἰσὶ λαμπρότεροι· οὕτω δὴ καὶ ὁ Ἰωάννης