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evil to me for good, and hatred for my love. Set a sinner over him, and let the devil stand at his right hand. When he is judged, may he come forth condemned, and may his prayer become sin. Let his days be few, and let another take his office.” 10.3.2 And a trustworthy witness of the reference of the foregoing to the traitor Judas is the apostle Peter, after the ascension of our Savior, when all the apostles were gathered together with many other brethren, standing in their midst and saying these things: “Men, brethren, it was necessary for the scripture to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit foretold by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus, for he was numbered among us, and obtained the lot of this ministry. 10.3.3 Now this man purchased a field with the reward of his iniquity, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle, and all his entrails gushed out. And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that that field was called in their own language Akeldama, which is, Field of Blood. For it is written in the book of Psalms, ‘Let his habitation become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it,’ and, ‘Let another take his office.’” 10.3.4 Peter, then, having said these things, proposes that it is necessary to receive another in place of Judas into the missing number of the twelve apostles, so that the prophecy might be fulfilled, at which time when lots were cast, “the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the twelve apostles.” These things having been thus accomplished, it would be consistent to consider the person speaking in the psalm to be none other than our Savior, who, anticipating the prayer sent up to the Father by him at the time of the passion, deigned to have it recorded through the Holy Spirit, prophesying what was about to happen concerning him. 10.3.5 Therefore he says: “O God, do not be silent about my praise,” entreating that the teaching delivered by him to his disciples and the praise of the new covenant not be silenced, but also that it remain for the whole age to come in life. 10.3.6 “But the mouth of the sinner and the mouth of the deceitful” could properly be said of Judas, who went to the chief priests and said to them, “What are you willing to give me, and I will deliver him to you?” And they weighed out for him thirty staters. And from that time he sought an opportunity to betray him to them.” 10.3.7 Having, then, arranged such things against him, he was one of those afterwards reclining with him at the Passover supper, when our Savior himself “was reclining with the twelve, and as they were eating he said, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, that one of you will betray me.’ 10.3.8 And being exceedingly sorrowful, they each began to say, ‘Is it I, Lord?’” Among them was also Judas, who, opening his mouth full of all deceit and irony, answered and “said, ‘Is it I, Rabbi?’” A deceitful mouth, indeed, by which he indicated the sign to those plotting against our Savior, saying, “The one I shall kiss, he is the one; seize him.” 10.3.9 And having said this, he fulfilled the deceit in deed, when “coming to Jesus he said to him, ‘Hail, Rabbi,’ and kissed him. But Jesus said to him, ‘Friend, for what you have come?’ And again, “Judas, are you betraying the Son of Man with a kiss?” On account of these things, then, anticipating, he says through the psalm: “For the mouth of the sinner and the mouth of the deceitful one have been opened against me, they have spoken against me with a deceitful tongue; and with words of hatred they have surrounded me, and they have fought against me without a cause,” where he makes mention of Judas and of the rest who plotted against him. 10.3.10 The gospel, then, says that while our Savior was “still speaking” to his disciples, “behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and elders of the people.” 10.3.11 To whom the Lord also said: “Have you come out as against a robber with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I sat with you in the

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ἐμοῦ κακὰ ἀντὶ ἀγαθῶν καὶ μῖσος ἀντὶ τῆς ἀγαπήσεώς μου. κατάστησον ἐπ' αὐτὸν ἁμαρτωλόν, καὶ διάβολος στήτω ἐκ δεξιῶν αὐτοῦ· ἐν τῷ κρίνεσθαι αὐτὸν ἐξέλθοι καταδεδικασμένος, καὶ ἡ προσευχὴ αὐτοῦ γενηθήτω εἰς ἁμαρτίαν. γενηθήτωσαν αἱ ἡμέραι αὐτοῦ ὀλίγαι, καὶ τὴν ἐπισκοπὴν αὐτοῦ λαβέτω ἕτερος.» 10.3.2 Καὶ τῆς τῶν προκειμένων ἐπὶ τὸν προδότην Ἰούδαν ἀναφορᾶς ἐχέγγυος μάρτυς ὁ ἀπόστολος Πέτρος, μετὰ τὴν τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἀνάληψιν συνηγμένων τῶν ἀποστόλων πάντων σὺν καὶ ἄλλοις πλείοσιν ἀδελφοῖς, μέσος ἀναστὰς καὶ ταῦτα φήσας· «ἄνδρες ἀδελφοί, ἔδει πληρωθῆναι τὴν γραφήν, ἣν προεῖπεν τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον διὰ στόματος ∆αβὶδ περὶ Ἰούδα τοῦ γενομένου ὁδηγοῦ τοῖς συλλαβοῦσιν Ἰησοῦν, ὅτι κατηριθμημένος ἦν ἐν ἡμῖν, καὶ ἔλαχεν τὸν κλῆρον τῆς διακονίας ταύτης. 10.3.3 οὗτος μὲν οὖν ἐκτήσατο χωρίον ἐκ μισθοῦ τῆς ἀδικίας αὐτοῦ, καὶ πρηνὴς γενόμενος ἐλάκησεν μέσος, καὶ ἐξεχύθη πάντα τὰ σπλάγχνα αὐτοῦ· καὶ γνωστὸν ἐγένετο πᾶσι τοῖς κατοικοῦσιν Ἱερουσαλήμ, ὥστε κληθῆναι τὸ χωρίον ἐκεῖνο τῇ ἰδίᾳ διαλέκτῳ αὐτῶν Ἀκελδαμάχ, ὅ ἐστι χωρίον αἵματος. γέγραπται γὰρ ἐν βίβλῳ ψαλμῶν, γενηθήτω ἡ ἔπαυλις αὐτοῦ ἔρημος, καὶ μὴ ἔστω ὁ κατοικῶν ἐν αὐτῇ, καὶ τὴν ἐπισκοπὴν αὐτοῦ λαβέτω ἕτερος.» 10.3.4 ταῦτα γοῦν ὁ Πέτρος εἰπὼν ὑποτίθεται ἕτερον ἀντὶ τοῦ Ἰούδα δεῖν παραλαβεῖν εἰς τὸν λείποντα τῶν δώδεκα ἀποστόλων ἀριθμόν, ὅπως πληρωθῇ τὸ τῆς προφητείας, ὅτε κλήρου γενομένου «ἔπεσεν ὁ κλῆρος ἐπὶ Ματθίαν, καὶ συγκατεψηφίσθη μετὰ τῶν δώδεκα ἀποστόλων». τούτων οὕτως ἐκτελεσθέντων, ἀκόλουθον ἂν εἴη τὸ λέγον ἐν τῷ ψαλμῷ πρόσωπον οὐχ ἕτερον ἡγεῖσθαι τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν, ὃς τῷ πατρὶ τὴν ἀναπεμφθεῖσαν αὐτῷ παρὰ τὸν τοῦ πάθους καιρὸν εὐχὴν τῆς διὰ τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος ἀναγραφῆς προλαβὼν κατηξίωσεν, τὸ μέλλον περὶ αὐτοῦ συμβήσεσθαι θεσπίσας. 10.3.5 φησὶν οὖν· «ὁ θεός, τὴν αἴνεσίν μου μὴ παρασιωπήσῃς», τὴν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ παραδοθεῖσαν τοῖς αὐτοῦ μαθηταῖς διδασκαλίαν καὶ τῆς καινῆς διαθήκης τὴν αἴνεσιν παρακαλῶν μὴ κατασιγασθῆναι, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἰς τὸν ἑξῆς ἅπαντα αἰῶνα παραμεῖναι τῷ βίῳ. 10.3.6 «Στόμα δὲ ἁμαρτωλοῦ καὶ στόμα δολίου» κυρίως ἂν λεχθείη τὸ τοῦ Ἰούδα, ὃς πορευθεὶς πρὸς τοὺς ἀρχιερεῖς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· «τί θέλετέ μοι δοῦναι, κἀγὼ ὑμῖν παραδώσω αὐτόν; οἱ δὲ ἔστησαν αὐτῷ τριάκοντα στατῆρας. καὶ ἀπὸ τότε ἐζήτει εὐκαιρίαν, ἵνα αὐτὸν παραδῷ αὐτοῖς». 10.3.7 τοιαῦτα γοῦν κατ' αὐτοῦ συνθέμενος, εἷς ἦν τῶν μετὰ ταῦτα σὺν αὐτῷ ἀνακειμένων ἐν τῷ τοῦ πάσχα συμποσίῳ, ὅτε καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ σωτὴρ ἡμῶν «ἀνέκειτο μετὰ τῶν δώδεκα, ἐσθιόντων τε αὐτῶν εἶπεν· ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ὅτι εἷς ἐξ ὑμῶν παραδώσει με. 10.3.8 καὶ λυπούμενοι σφόδρα ἤρξαντο λέγειν ἕκαστος αὐτῶν, μή τι ἐγώ εἰμι, κύριε;» ἐν οἷς ἦν καὶ Ἰούδας, ὃς τὸ πλῆρες παντὸς δόλου καὶ εἰρωνείας ἀνοίξας στόμα ἀποκριθεὶς «εἶπεν, μή τι ἐγώ εἰμι Ῥαββί;» δόλιον δὴ στόμα, δι' οὗ τὸ σημεῖον τοῖς ἐπιβούλοις τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἐδήλου, λέγων· «ὃν ἐὰν φιλήσω, αὐτός ἐστιν, κρατήσατε αὐτόν». 10.3.9 ὃ καὶ εἰπὼν ἔργῳ τὸν δόλον ἀπεπλήρου, ὅτε «προσελθὼν τῷ Ἰησοῦ εἶπεν αὐτῷ, χαῖρε Ῥαββί, καὶ κατεφίλησεν αὐτόν. ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτῷ, ἑταῖρε, ἐφ' ᾧ πάρει;» καὶ πάλιν· «Ἰούδα, φιλήματι τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδίδως;» τούτων δ' οὖν ἕνεκα προλαβὼν διὰ τοῦ ψαλμοῦ φησιν· «ὅτι στόμα ἁμαρτωλοῦ καὶ στόμα δολίου ἐπ' ἐμὲ ἠνοίχθη, ἐλάλησαν κατ' ἐμοῦ γλώσσῃ δολίᾳ· καὶ λόγοις μίσους ἐκύκλωσάν με, καὶ ἐπολέμησάν με δωρεάν», ἔνθα μετὰ τοῦ Ἰούδα καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν τῶν ἐπιβουλευσάντων αὐτῷ μνημονεύει. 10.3.10 λέγει δ' οὖν τὸ εὐαγγέλιον, ὡς ἄρα τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν «ἔτι» τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ μαθηταῖς «λαλοῦντος, ἰδοὺ Ἰούδας εἷς τῶν δώδεκα ἦλθεν, καὶ μετ' αὐτοῦ ὄχλος πολὺς μετὰ μαχαιρῶν καὶ ξύλων ἀπὸ τῶν ἀρχιερέων καὶ πρεσβυτέρων τοῦ λαοῦ». 10.3.11 οἷς καὶ εἶπεν ὁ κύριος· «ὡς ἐπὶ λῃστὴν ἐξήλθετε μετὰ μαχαιρῶν καὶ ξύλων συλλαβεῖν με; καθ' ἡμέραν πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐκαθεζόμην ἐν τῷ