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he persuaded, and freed from the gates of death. 19. "And they cried to the Lord in their affliction, and he saved them from their distresses." Then he teaches the manner of salvation. 20. "He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their corruptions." For God the Word, having become man, and having been sent as a man (for as God, he is uncircumscribed, and is present everywhere, and contains all things), healed the various wounds of souls, and strengthened corrupted thoughts. Thus he healed that sinful woman, and urged her to take courage; thus he strengthened the paralytic, saying, 80.1744 "Your sins are forgiven you." Thus he opened paradise to the thief, thus he made the tax collectors teachers of the world, thus he renews and cleanses those who approach holy baptism, and delivers them from the wounds of sin. 21, 22. "Let them confess to the Lord his mercies, and his wonders to the children of men. And let them sacrifice to him a sacrifice of praise, and declare his works with rejoicing." On behalf of all these things, he says, it is just to praise the philanthropic God, who has used such great mercy, and has granted to us a wondrous salvation. But it is necessary not only to know the divine wonders, but also to teach those who are ignorant, and to stir up all to hymnody. Indeed, it must be noted that here also he urged to offer to God a sacrifice of praise, and not the sacrifices of irrational animals. Therefore he casts out here also the worship according to the law. And Aquila called the sacrifice of praise a sacrifice of thanksgiving. 23, 24. "Those who go down to the sea in ships, doing business in many waters. They have seen the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep." The prophet has set these things forth parabolically. And he says this, that just as those who sail, and cross the great seas, see the divine mighty works in a special way, falling into harsh waves, but enjoying salvation beyond all human hope; so also the Jews, having fallen into those calamities, and having received their freedom, learned the divine power. And indeed all men, seeing the strange change of affairs, and the cessation of the former deceit, and the calm of souls, and the harbor of the resurrection, marvel at the provider of these things. 25, 20. "He spoke, and a stormy wind arose, and its waves were lifted up. They go up to the heavens, and go down to the abysses." And through these things he taught that by his nod, both grievous things happen, and pleasant things come to pass. "Their soul was wasted away in evils. [27] They were troubled, and were shaken like a drunken man; and all their wisdom was swallowed up." He continued in the figure; and he seems to speak about those who are sailing, but through these things he alludes to the various calamities of nature, which no one using human wisdom is able to resolve. For not even the helmsmen, being carried about hither and thither like drunken men, when the surge is present, bringing to bear all their skill, are able to overcome the dangers. 28-30. "And they cried to the Lord in their 80.1745 affliction, and he brought them out of their distresses. And he commanded the storm, and it became a breeze, and its waves were silent. And they were glad, because they were quiet." And to those who are sailing and calling upon him, he extends his own influence, and nods; and immediately the storm changes into a gentle breeze, and the sea is delivered from the squall, and those who wrestle with some grievous things find a change from their troubles through his grace. Thus the Jews were freed from that bitter slavery. "And he guided them to the harbor of his will." For at the same time he willed it, there was a release from evils, and instead of the surge the harbor appeared; and this is more fitting for us than for them. For he has brought us to anchor in the harbor of his will, having granted his divine knowledge.

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ἀνέπεισε, καὶ τῶν τοῦ θανάτου πυλῶν ἠλευθέρωσε. ιθʹ. "Καὶ ἐκέκραξαν πρὸς Κύριον ἐν τῷ θλίβε σθαι αὐτοὺς, καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἀναγκῶν αὐτῶν ἔσωσεν αὐ τούς." Εἶτα διδάσκει τῆς σωτηρίας τὸν τρόπον. κʹ. "Ἀπέστειλε τὸν λόγον αὑτοῦ, καὶ ἰάσατο αὐ τοὺς, καὶ ἐῤῥύσατο αὐτοὺς ἐκ τῶν διαφθορῶν αὐτῶν." Ὁ γὰρ Θεὸς Λόγος ἐνανθρωπήσας, καὶ ἀποσταλεὶς, ὡς ἄνθρωπος (ὡς γὰρ Θεὸς, ἀπερίγραφος, καὶ παν ταχοῦ πάρεστι, καὶ περιέχει τὰ σύμπαντα), τὰ παν τοδαπὰ τῶν ψυχῶν ἰάσατο τραύματα, καὶ τοὺς δια φθαρέντας ἀνέῤῥωσε λογισμούς. Οὕτω τὴν ἁμαρ τωλὸν ἐκείνην ἰάσατο γυναῖκα, καὶ θαῤῥεῖν παρεγ γύησεν· οὕτω τὸν παρειμένον ἐστήριξεν εἰρηκὼς, 80.1744 "Ἀφέωνταί σοι αἱ ἁμαρτίαι σου." Οὕτως ἀνέῳξε τῷ λῃστῇ τὸν παράδεισον, οὕτω τοὺς τελώνας διδα σκάλους τῆς οἰκουμένης ἀπέφηνεν, οὕτω τοὺς παν αγίῳ προσιόντας βαπτίσματι νεουργεῖ καὶ καθαί ρει, καὶ τῶν τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἀπαλλάττει τραυμάτων. καʹ, κβʹ. "Ἐξομολογησάσθωσαν τῷ Κυρίῳ τὰ ἐλέη αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὰ θαυμάσια αὐτοῦ τοῖς υἱοῖς τῶν ἀνθρώπων. Καὶ θυσάτωσαν αὐτῷ θυσίαν αἰνέσεως, καὶ ἐξαγγειλάτωσαν τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ ἐν ἀγαλλιάσει." Ὑπὲρ δὴ τούτων ἁπάντων ὑμνεῖν, φησὶ, δίκαιον, τὸν φιλάνθρωπον Θεὸν, ἐλέῳ τοσούτῳ χρησάμενον, καὶ τὴν παράδοξον ἡμῖν δωρησάμενον σωτηρίαν. Χρὴ δὲ μὴ μόνους εἰδέναι τὰς θείας θαυματουργίας, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἀγνοοῦντας διδάσκειν, καὶ πάντας διεγείρειν εἰς ὑμνῳδίαν. Ἐπισημήνασθαι μέν τοι δεῖ, ὡς αἰνέσεως θυσίαν καὶ ἐνταῦθα προσενεγκεῖν τῷ Θεῷ παρεγγύησε, καὶ οὐ τῶν ἀλόγων τὰ θύματα. Τοιγαροῦν ἐκβάλλει καὶ ἐνταῦθα τὴν κατὰ νόμον λα τρείαν. Τὴν δὲ τῆς αἰνέσεως θυσίαν ὁ Ἀκύλας θυσίαν εὐχαριστίας προσηγόρευσεν. κγʹ, κδʹ. "Οἱ καταβαίνοντες εἰς θάλασσαν ἐν πλοίοις, ποιοῦντες ἐργασίαν ἐν ὕδασι πολλοῖς. Αὐ τοὶ εἶδον τὰ ἔργα Κυρίου, καὶ τὰ θαυμασία αὐτοῦ ἐν τῷ βυθῷ." Παραβολικῶς ταῦτα τέθεικεν ὁ προ φήτης. Λέγει δὲ τοῦτο, ὅτι καθάπερ οἱ ναυτιλλόμενοι, καὶ τὰ μεγάλα διαπερῶντες πελάγη, διαφερόντως τὰς θείας μεγαλουργίας ὁρῶσι, κλύδωσι μὲν χαλε ποῖς περιπίπτοντες, παρὰ πᾶσαν δὲ ἀνθρωπίνην ἐλ πίδα τῆς σωτηρίας ἀπολαύοντες· οὕτω καὶ Ἰουδαῖοι ταῖς συμφοραῖς ἐκείναις περιπεσόντες, καὶ τὴν ἐλευθερίαν ἀπειληφότες, τὴν θείαν κατέμαθον δύ ναμιν. Καὶ μὲν δὴ καὶ πάντες ἄνθρωποι τὴν ξένην τῶν πραγμάτων ὁρῶντες μεταβολὴν, καὶ τῆς προ τέρας ἀπάτης τὴν παῦλαν, καὶ τῶν ψυχῶν τὴν γα λήνην, καὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως τὸν λιμένα, τὸν τούτων θαυμάζουσι χορηγόν. κεʹ, κʹ. "Εἶπε, καὶ ἔστη πνεῦμα καταιγίδος, καὶ ὑψώθη τὰ κύματα αὐτῆς. Ἀναβαίνουσιν ἕως τῶν οὐρανῶν, καὶ καταβαίνουσιν ἕως τῶν ἀβύσσων." Καὶ διὰ τούτων ἐδίδαξεν, ὡς αὐτοῦ νεύοντος, καὶ τὰ λυπηρὰ γίγνεται, καὶ τὰ θυμήρη προσγίνεται. "Ἡ ψυχὴ αὐτῶν ἐν κακοῖς ἐτήκετο. [κζʹ] Ἐταράχθησαν, καὶ ἐσαλεύθησαν, ὡς ὁ μεθύων· καὶ πᾶσα ἡ σοφία αὐτῶν κατεπόθη." Ἐπέμεινε τῇ τροπῇ· καὶ δοκεῖ μὲν περὶ τῶν ναυτιλλομένων λέγειν· αἰ νίττεται δὲ διὰ τούτων τὰς παντοδαπὰς τῆς φύσεως συμφοράς· ἃς οὐδεὶς ἀνθρωπίνῃ σοφίᾳ χρώμενος ἱκανὸς διαλῦσαι. Οὐδὲ γὰρ οἱ κυβερνῆται, τῇδε κἀ κεῖσε μεθυόντων δίκην περιφερόμενοι, ὅτ' ἂν ὑπ άρχῃ τὸ κλυδώνιον, πᾶσαν εἰσφέροντες τὴν τέχνην, περιγενέσθαι δύνανται τῶν δεινῶν. κηʹ-λʹ. "Καὶ ἐκέκραξαν πρὸς Κύριον ἐν τῷ θλί 80.1745 βεσθαι αὐτοὺς, καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἀναγκῶν αὐτῶν ἐξήγαγεν αὐτούς. Καὶ ἐπέταξε τῇ καταιγίδι, καὶ ἔστη εἰς αὖραν, καὶ ἐσίγησαν τὰ κύματα αὐτῆς. Καὶ εὐφράν θησαν, ὅτι ἡσύχασαν." Κἀκείνοις δὲ τοῖς πλέουσιν ἐπικαλουμένοις τὴν οἰκείαν ῥοπὴν ὀρέγει, καὶ νεύει· καὶ παραχρῆμα εἰς αὖραν πραεῖαν ἡ καταιγὶς μεταβάλλεται, καὶ τῆς ζάλης τὸ πέλαγος ἀπαλλάτ τεται, καὶ οἱ λυπηροῖς τισι προσπαλαίοντες διὰ τῆς αὐτοῦ χάριτος μεταβολὴν εὑρίσκουσι τῶν κακῶν. Οὕτως Ἰουδαῖοι τῆς πικρᾶς δουλείας ἐκείνης ἠλευθερώθησαν. "Καὶ ὡδήγησεν αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ λιμένα θε λήματος αὑτοῦ." Ἅμα γὰρ ἠθέλησε, καὶ λύσις ἐγένετο τῶν κακῶν, καὶ ἀντὶ τοῦ κλύδωνος ὁ λιμὴν ἀνεφάνη· καὶ τοῦτο δὲ μᾶλλον ἡμῖν, ἢ ἐκείνοις ἁρ μόδιον. Ἡμᾶς γὰρ εἰς τὸν τοῦ θελήματος αὑτοῦ λιμένα καθώρμισεν, τὴν θείαν αὑτοῦ δωρησάμενος γνῶσιν.