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of teaching, but they fall away into “old wives' fables” and into “traditions of men” containing nothing sound or beneficial. He rightly adds: and they weave a spider's web, comparing the rotten and worthless quality of their zeal to a spider's weaving. and he says, the one who is about to eat of their eggs, having crushed one, found it to be a wind-egg, and in it a basilisk; but what sort of eggs other than those about which it is said: they have broken asps' eggs. Therefore, those who are perfect in evil, having broken these eggs, received into themselves what had been brought to maturity, but the less perfect perish by eating them before they are broken and brought to maturity. Therefore, according to the other interpreters, it is said: he who eats of their eggs will die. But if some wise man were found who is able to crush them with a refuting and convicting argument, he would find in them what is empty and a wind-egg and foul-smelling and corrupting, and in all these things, wallowing and hidden, the most deadly of all serpents, even by its very gaze, I mean the basilisk, but according to Aquila: and that which is warmed is hatched into a viper, but according to Symmachus: and that which is rolled is broken and will be an asp, but according to Theodotion: that which is warmed is broken into an asp. Such are the eggs among those who are indicated, because they conceive trouble and bring forth iniquity. Then, since it was said before: and they weave a spider's web, he sets forth its meaning more broadly, saying: their web will not be for a garment, nor will they cover themselves with their works; having learned about the web from the prophet Isaiah himself who said in the preceding passages: "This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men," they handle "the traditions of the elders," having disregarded the law of God, weaving and stringing together "commandments of men" who turn away from the truth. Therefore he says: their web will not be for a garment, nor will they cover themselves with their works; for their works are works of iniquity. Those, therefore, who by divine words spoken by the Holy Spirit, "comparing spiritual things with spiritual," weave a divine tunic, but others, wasting their time uselessly on "Jewish fables," accomplish nothing more than to imitate the spider's web for the hunting of worthless souls, who are caught as if in snares in their fables. Then it is said in sequence: for their works are works of iniquity, and their feet run to evil, they are swift to shed blood; and their thoughts are the thoughts of foolish men. All these things they weave for themselves through their own web, imitating the spider and running to wickedness and becoming swift to shed innocent blood, according to the other interpreters. Therefore it was also said above to these same people: "for your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with sins, and your lips have spoken iniquity, and your tongue meditates injustice," but also, he says, destruction and misery are in their ways, and the way of peace they have not known. Therefore also the Savior wept over them, saying to Jerusalem: "If you, even you, had known the things that make for your peace. Because days will come upon you, and your enemies will cast up a bank about you and surround you and will dash your children to the ground." Therefore, they did not know the way of peace, but neither is judgment found in their ways, but all lack of judgment and injustice, and all their paths are crooked, and they do not know peace; for they did not receive the Prince of peace, about whom it is said: "for he himself is our peace." Therefore he bestowed this on his disciples, saying: "my peace I give to you, my peace I leave with you." But for all these reasons, he says, judgment has departed from them, and righteousness will not overtake them; and he speaks here of the judgment about which it was said above: "Behold my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom my soul is well pleased; he will bring forth judgment to the Gentiles."

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διδασκαλίας, ἐκπίπτουσι δὲ εἰς «γραώδεις μύθους» καὶ εἰς «παραδόσεις ἀνθρώπων» οὐδὲν ὑγιὲς οὐδὲ ὠφέλιμον περιεχούσας. εἰκότως ἐπιλέγει· καὶ ἱστὸν ἀράχνης ὑφαίνουσι, τὸ σαθρὸν καὶ ἄτιμον τῆς τοιαύτης αὐτῶν σπουδῆς τῷ τῆς ἀράχνης ὑφάσματι παραβάλλων. καὶ ὁ μέλλων φησὶν τῶν ᾠῶν αὐτῶν φαγεῖν συντρίψας οὔριον εὗρε, καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ βασιλίσκον· ποίων δὲ ᾠῶν ἢ περὶ ὧν εἴρηται τό· ᾠὰ ἀσπίδων ἔρρηξαν. οἱ μὲν οὖν ἐν κακίᾳ τέλειοι διαρρήξαντες τουτωνὶ τῶν ᾠῶν τὰ τελεσφορηθέντα εἰς ἑαυτοὺς ὑπεδέξαντο, οἱ δὲ ἀτελέστεροι πρὶν διαρραγῆναι καὶ τελεσφορηθῆναι ἐμφαγόντες αὐτῶν ἀπόλλυνται. διὸ κατὰ τοὺς λοιποὺς ἑρμηνευτὰς εἴρηται· ὁ ἐσθίων ἐκ τῶν ᾠῶν αὐτῶν ἀποθανεῖται. εἰ δέ τις εὑρεθείη συνετὸς ἀνὴρ ὁ συντρίβειν αὐτὰ δυνάμενος ἀνατρεπτικῷ καὶ ἐλεγκτικῷ λόγῳ, οὗτος εὕροι ἂν τὸ ἐν αὐτοῖς ἀνεμιαῖον καὶ οὔριον καὶ δυσῶδες καὶ φθοριμαῖον καὶ ἐν τούτοις ἅπασιν ἰλυσπώμενον καὶ ἐγκρυπτόμενον τὸ πάντων ἑρπετῶν καὶ ἐξ αὐτοῦ βλέμματος θανατοποιόν, τὸν βασιλίσκον λέγω, κατὰ δὲ τὸν Ἀκύλαν· καὶ τὸ θαλφθὲν ἐσχίσθη ἔχιδνα, κατὰ δὲ τὸν Σύμμαχον· τὸ δὲ συνεστραμμένον ἀπορραγὲν ἔσται ἀσπίς, κατὰ δὲ τὸν Θεοδοτίωνα· τὸ θαλφθὲν ἐρράγη ἀσπίς. τοιαῦτα δὲ τὰ παρὰ τοῖς δηλουμένοις ᾠά, ὅτι κύουσι πόνον καὶ τίκτουσιν ἀνομίαν. Εἶτ' ἐπειδὴ προείρητο· καὶ ἱστὸν ἀράχνης ὑφαίνουσι, πλατύτερον τὴν τούτου διάνοιαν ἐκτίθεται φάσκων· ὁ ἱστὸς αὐτῶν οὐκ ἔσται εἰς ἱμάτιον, οὐδὲ μὴ περιβάλωνται ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων αὐτῶν· ἱστὸν παρ' αὐτοῦ μαθὼν τοῦ προφήτου Ἠσαΐου φήσαντος διὰ τῶν ἔμπροσθεν· «ὁ λαὸς οὗτος τοῖς χείλεσί με τιμᾷ, ἡ δὲ καρδία αὐτῶν πόρρω ἀπέχει ἀπ' ἐμοῦ· μάτην δὲ σέβονταί με διδάσκοντες διδασκαλίας ἐντάλματα ἀνθρώπων», «τὰς παραδόσεις τῶν πρεσβυτέρων» αὐτῶν περιέποντες τὸν νόμον τοῦ θεοῦ παρεώρων ὑφαίνοντες καὶ συνείροντες «ἐντολὰς ἀνθρώπων» ἀποστρεφομένων τὴν ἀλήθειαν. διό φησιν· ὁ ἱστὸς αὐτῶν οὐκ ἔσται εἰς ἱμάτιον, οὐδὲ μὴ περιβάλωνται ἀπὸ τῶν ἔργων αὐτῶν· τὰ γὰρ ἔργα αὐτῶν ἔργα ἀνομίας. οἱ μὲν οὖν διὰ λόγων θείων τῶν ἐξ ἁγίου πνεύματος λελαλημένων «πνευματικὰ πνευματικοῖς συγκρίνοντες» χιτῶνα θεῖον ὑφαίνουσιν, οἱ δ' εἰς ἄχρηστον «ταῖς Ἰουδαϊκαῖς μυθολογίαις» κατατρίβοντες πλέον οὐδὲν ἢ τὸν τῆς ἀράχνης ζηλοῦσιν ἱστὸν ἐπὶ θήρα ψυχῶν εὐτελῶν τῶν ἁλισκομένων ὥσπερ ἐν βρόχοις ἐν ταῖς μυθολογίαις αὐτῶν. εἶθ' ἑξῆς εἴρηται· τὰ γὰρ ἔργα αὐτῶν ἔργα ἀνομίας, οἱ δὲ πόδες αὐτῶν εἰς κακίαν τρέχουσι ταχινοὶ ἐκχέαι αἷμα· καὶ οἱ διαλογισμοὶ αὐτῶν διαλογισμοὶ ἀφρόνων. ταῦτα πάντα ἐξυφαίνουσιν ἑαυτοῖς διὰ τοῦ οἰκείου ἱστοῦ τὴν ἀράχνην ἀπομιμούμενοι καὶ τρέχοντες ἐπὶ πονηρίαν καὶ ταχεῖς γινόμενοι εἰς τὸ ἐκχέειν αἷμα ἀναίτιον κατὰ τοὺς λοιποὺς ἑρμηνευτάς. διὸ καὶ ἀνωτέρω ἐλέγετο πρὸς τοὺς αὐτούς· «αἱ γὰρ χεῖρες ὑμῶν μεμολυμμέναι αἵματι καὶ οἱ δάκτυλοι ὑμῶν ἐν ἁμαρτίαις, τὰ δὲ χείλη ὑμῶν ἐλάλησεν ἀνομίαν, καὶ ἡ γλῶσσα ὑμῶν ἀδικίαν μελετᾷ», ἀλλὰ καὶ σύντριμμα καὶ ταλαιπωρία φησὶν ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτῶν, καὶ ὁδὸν εἰρήνης οὐκ ἔγνωσαν. διὸ καὶ ἀπεκλαύσατο αὐτοὺς ὁ σωτὴρ εἰπὼν πρὸς τὴν Ἰερουσαλήμ· «εἰ ᾔδεις καί γε σὺ τὰ πρὸς εἰρήνην σου. ὅτι ἥξουσιν ἡμέραι ἐπὶ σοὶ καὶ περιβαλοῦσί σε οἱ ἐχθροί σου χάρακα καὶ κυκλώσουσί σε καὶ τὰ τέκνα σου ἐδαφιοῦσιν». οὐκ ἔγνωσαν οὖν ὁδὸν εἰρήνης, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ κρίσις ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτῶν εὕρηται, ἀκρισία δὲ πᾶσα καὶ ἀδικία, πᾶσαί τε αἱ τρίβοι αὐτῶν διεστραμμέναι, καὶ οὐκ οἴδασιν εἰρήνην· οὐ γὰρ παρεδέξαντο τὸν τῆς εἰρήνης πρύτανιν, περὶ οὗ εἴρηται· «αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστιν ἡ εἰρήνη ἡμῶν». διὸ τοῖς αὐτοῦ μαθηταῖς ταύτην προεξένει λέγων· «εἰρήνην τὴν ἐμὴν δίδωμι ὑμῖν, εἰρήνην τὴν ἐμὴν ἀφίημι ὑμῖν». Ἀλλὰ γὰρ τούτων ἕνεκεν ἁπάντων ἀπέστη φησὶν ἡ κρίσις ἀπ' αὐτῶν, καὶ οὐ μὴ καταλάβῃ αὐτοὺς δικαιοσύνη· κρίσιν δὲ λέγει ἐνταῦθα, περὶ ἧς ἀνωτέρω εἴρηται· «ἰδοὺ ὁ παῖς μου ὃν ᾑρέτισα, ὁ ἀγαπητός μου ὃν ἠγάπησεν ἡ ψυχή μου· κρίσιν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἐξοίσει».