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they fled at the time of the passion, yet they were not without grief, the Gospel teaches. For when Peter is recorded as having wept bitterly, and the rest were gathered together and hiding in one house for fear of the Jews, they were not without grief. These things, therefore, would not be fittingly said about the company of the apostles, but about those who afflicted him, of whom he said: “Before you are all who afflict me.” For I was doing everything for their salvation, covering my soul in fasting, and using sackcloth as my clothing; but they did the opposite of these things, at one time reproaching and reviling my fasts, at another time singing against me in their drunken revelries, and everything rather than grieving with me. And I, grieving for them, was saddened; but they did not grieve with me, nor did they suffer with me; nor was any comforter from them found for my consolation. 23.749 But attempting all things against me, they put gall into my food, although I provided them with rich sustenance; and for me, when I was thirsty, they offered vinegar instead of a drink. And they mixed for me such gall as the prophetic word indicated when it said: “How have you turned to bitterness, you foreign vine?” And you will understand how our Savior is fed by hearing him say: “I was hungry, and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me to drink.” But if, instead of the fruits of nourishment from a pious life, someone offers bitter blasphemies against him, and interweaves godless and false doctrines with his teaching, this one puts gall into his food, and to him when thirsty gives the wine of apostasy, that which has been turned aside from the straight path. And Moses prophesied such things concerning the people of the Jews, prophetically crying out in the great song and saying: “For their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and their branch is of Gomorrah; their grape is a grape of gall, their cluster is of bitterness.” From this, the Spirit rightly finds fault with the same people through Isaiah, saying: “I waited for it to produce grapes, but it produced thorns;” And again: “I waited for it to do justice, but it did iniquity, and not righteousness, but a cry.” Therefore, by deeds and actions, by bitter word and life, they gave gall for the Savior's food, and for his thirst they gave him vinegar to drink. But since it was necessary for the word of the prophecy to be fulfilled also according to the history, at the time of his passion the evangelist records, saying: “After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, says: I thirst. A jar full of vinegar was set there. So they filled a sponge with vinegar with gall and, putting it on hyssop, brought it to his mouth. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar with the gall, he said: This Scripture is also fulfilled, and bowing his head, he gave up the spirit.” And since, bowing his head, he gave up the spirit after the fulfillment of the Scripture, it is fitting that in the psalm also he describes his own sufferings up to this point. Then from this point he prophesies what things will come upon them: “Let their table become a snare before them, and a recompense, and a stumbling block.” As is a certain custom, Scripture is wont to utter future things as if they were past; for instance, it just said, “They gave gall for my food,” instead of, they will give, “and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink;” instead of, they will give to drink. And elsewhere it is similarly said: “They divided my garments among themselves, and for my clothing they cast lots;” and again: “The kings of the earth stood by, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Christ.” For similarly these things also, which were about to happen, were proclaimed beforehand as if they had already passed. Thus also whatever is thought to be said imperatively or optatively, these things are also heard predictively in a prophetic manner; such as 23.752 are the things that follow. For, “Let their table become,” is to be heard instead of, “it will become;” and, “Let their be darkened

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ἔφυγον κατὰ τὸν τοῦ πάθους καιρὸν, ὅμως δ' ἐκτὸς λύπης οὐκ ἦσαν, διδάσκει τὸ Εὐαγγέλιον. Ὅτε γὰρ Πέτρος ἀναγέγραπται ἀποκλαυσάμενος πικρῶς, οἵ τε λοιποὶ συνηγμένοι καὶ ὑφ' ἕνα κρυπταζόμενοι οἶκον διὰ τὸν φόβον τῶν Ἰουδαίων, οὐκ ἕξω λύπης ὑπῆρχον. Οὐκ ἂν οὖν ἁρμόσειε ταῦτα περὶ τοῦ χοροῦ τῶν ἀποστόλων λέγεσθαι, ἀλλὰ περὶ τῶν θλιβόντων αὐτὸν, περὶ ὧν ἔλεγεν· «Ἐναντίον σοῦ πάντες οἱ θλίβοντές με.» Ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ πάντα ὑπὲρ τῆς αὐτῶν σωτηρίας ἐποίουν, καλύπτων ἐν νηστείᾳ τὴν ψυχήν μου, σάκκῳ τε ἐνδύματι χρώμενος· οἱ δὲ τὰ ἐναντία τούτοις ἔπραττον, τοτὲ μὲν ὀνειδίζοντες καὶ διασύροντες τὰς ἐμὰς νηστείας, τοτὲ δὲ ἐν ταῖς παροινίαις αὐτῶν κατ' ἐμοῦ ψάλλοντες, καὶ πάντα μᾶλλον ἢ συλλυπούμενοι. Κἀγὼ μὲν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἀλγῶν ἐλυπούμην· οἱ δὲ οὐ συνήλγουν μοι, οὐδὲ συνέπασχον· ἀλλ' οὐδὲ παράκλητός τις αὐτῶν εἰς ἐμὴν παραμυθίαν εὕρηται. 23.749 Πάντα δὲ τὰ κατ' ἐμοῦ ἐγχειροῦντες, εἰς μὲν τὸ βρῶμά μου χολὴν ἔβαλλον, καίτοι τροφὰς αὐτοῖς ἐμοῦ πλουσίας παρεχομένου· διψῶντι δέ μοι ὄξος ἀντὶ ποτοῦ προσέφερον. Τοιαύτην δέ μοι ἐκίρνων χολὴν ὁποίαν ἐδήλου ὁ προφητικὸς λόγος εἰπών· «Πῶς ἐστράφης εἰς πικρίαν, ἡ ἄμπελος ἡ ἀλλοτρία;» Νοήσεις δὲ ὅπως τρέφεται ὁ Σωτὴρ ἡμῶν ἐπακούων αὐτοῦ λέγοντος· «Ἐπείνων, καὶ ἐδώκατέ μοι φαγεῖν· ἐδίψων, καὶ ἐποτίσατέ με.» Εἰ δὲ ἀντὶ τροφίμων καρπῶν τῶν διὰ εὐσεβοῦς βίου πικράς τις προσφέροι κατ' αὐτοῦ βλασφημίας, τῇ τε διδασκαλίᾳ αὐτοῦ παρεμπλέκοι ἄθεα καὶ ψευδῆ δόγματα, οὗτος εἰς τὸ βρῶμα αὐτοῦ χολὴν ἐμβάλλει, καὶ διψῶντι οἶνον ἐκτροπίαν τὸν ἐκ τῆς εὐθείας ὁδοῦ παρατετραμμένον δίδωσιν. Τοιαῦτα δὲ ἐθέσπιζε περὶ τοῦ Ἰουδαίων λαοῦ Μωϋσῆς ἐν μεγάλῃ ᾠδῇ προφητικῶς ἀναφωνῶν καὶ λέγων· «Ἐκ γὰρ ἀμπέλου Σοδόμων ἡ ἄμπελος αὐτῶν, καὶ ἡ κληματὶς αὐτῶν ἐκ Γομόῤῥας· ἡ σταφυλὴ αὐτῶν σταφυλὴ χολῆς, βότρυς πικρίας αὐτῶν.» Ἔνθεν εἰκότως τοῖς αὐτοῖς καὶ διὰ Ἡσαΐου καταμέμφεται τὸ Πνεῦμα λέγον· «Ἔμεινα ἵνα ποιήσῃ σταφυλὴν, ἐποίησε δὲ ἀκάνθας·» Καὶ πάλιν· «Ἔμεινα ἵνα ποιήσῃ κρίσιν, ἐποίησε δὲ ἀνομίαν, καὶ οὐ δικαιοσύνην, ἀλλὰ κραυγήν.» Ἔργοις τοιγαροῦν καὶ πράξεσι, πικρῷ τε λόγῳ καὶ βίῳ ἔδωκαν εἰς τὸ βρῶμα τοῦ Σωτῆρος χολὴν, καὶ εἰς τὴν δίψαν αὐτοῦ ἐπότισαν αὐτὸν ὄξος. Ἐπεὶ δὲ ἔδει καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἱστορίαν τὸν τῆς προφητείας ἀποπληρωθῆναι λόγον, κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦ πάθους αὐτοῦ ἱστορεῖ ὁ εὐαγγελιστὴς λέγων· «Μετὰ τοῦτο εἰδὼς ὁ Ἰησοῦς, ὅτι πάντα τετέλεσται ἤδη, ἵνα πληρωθῇ ἡ Γραφὴ, λέγει· ∆ιψῶ. Λεκάνη ἔκειτο ὄξους μεστή. Σπόγγον οὖν μεστὸν ποιήσαντες ὄξους μετὰ χολῆς καὶ ὑσσώπῳ περιθέντες προσήνεγκαν αὐτοῦ τῷ στόματι. Ὅτε οὖν ἔλαβεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς τὸ ὄξος μετὰ τῆς χολῆς, εἶπε· Τετέλεσται καὶ αὕτη ἡ Γραφή, Καὶ κλίνας τὴν κεφαλὴν, ἀφῆκε τὸ πνεῦμα.» Καὶ ἐπειδὴ κλίνας τὴν κεφαλὴν παρέδωκε τὸ πνεῦμα μετὰ τὴν συμπλήρωσιν τῆς Γραφῆς, εἰκότως καὶ ἐν τῷ ψαλμῷ μέχρι τούτου τὰ ἑαυτοῦ περιγράφει πάθη. Εἶτ' ἐντεῦθεν ὁποῖα μετελεύσεται αὐτοὺς θεσπίζει· «Γενηθήτω ἡ τράπεζα αὐτῶν ἐνώπιον αὐτῶν εἰς παγίδα, καὶ εἰς ἀνταπόδοσιν καὶ εἰς σκάνδαλον.» Ὥσπερ κατά τινα συνήθειαν, τὰ μέλλοντα ὡς παρῳχηκότα προφέρεσθαι εἴωθεν ἡ Γραφή· ἀρτίως γοῦν ἔλεγε τὸ, «Ἔδωκαν εἰς τὸ βρῶμά μου χολὴν,» ἀντὶ τοῦ, δώσουσι, «καὶ εἰς τὴν δίψαν μου ἐπότισάν με ὄξος·» ἀντὶ τοῦ, ποτίσουσι. Καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ δὲ ὁμοίως εἴρηται· «∆ιεμερίσαντο τὰ ἱμάτιά μου ἑαυτοῖς, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν ἱματισμόν μου ἔβαλον κλῆρον·» καὶ πάλιν· «Παρέστησαν οἱ βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς, καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες συνήχθησαν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ, κατὰ τοῦ Κυρίου καὶ κατὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ αὐτοῦ.» Ὁμοίως γὰρ καὶ ταῦτα μέλλοντα γίγνεσθαι ὡς ἤδη παρῳχηκότα προανεφωνεῖτο. Οὕτω καὶ ὅσα νομίζεται προστακτικῶς ἢ εὐκτικῶς λέγεσθαι, καὶ ταῦτα προφητικῷ τρόπῳ προαγορευτικῶς ἐξακούεται· οἷά 23.752 ἐστι τὰ μετὰ χεῖρας. Τὸ γὰρ, «Γενηθήτω ἡ τράπεζα αὐτῶν,» ἀκουστέον ἀντὶ τοῦ, «γενήσεται·» καὶ τὸ, «Σκοτισθήτωσαν οἱ