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heals by laying on His hand. But yet none of these things made them gentle; but while the man was healed, they became worse because of this man's health. For He wished to heal them before healing him, and set in motion countless methods of healing, both by what He did before and by what He said; but since they were now incurably sick, He proceeded to the work. Then He says to the man: Stretch out your hand. And he stretched it out, and it was restored, whole as the other. What then of them? They go out, he says, and take counsel, that they might destroy Him. For the Pharisees, he says, went out and took counsel against Him, how they might destroy Him. Though wronged in no way, they tried to kill Him. 2. So great an evil is envy. For it wars not only against strangers, but also always against its own. But Mark says that they plotted this with the Herodians. What then did the gentle and meek one do? Having learned these things, He withdrew. But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, withdrew, it says, from there. Where, then, are those who say that signs ought to have been done? For by these things He showed that an ungrateful soul is not persuaded even by this, and He made it clear that they also accused the disciples in vain. This, however, one must observe, that they are especially enraged at the good deeds done for their neighbors; and when they see someone freed from either sickness or evil, then they both accuse and become savage. For when He was about to save the prostitute, they slandered Him; and when He ate with tax collectors; and now again, since they saw the hand restored. But consider, I pray, how He does not cease from His care for the sick, and soothes their envy. And great crowds followed Him, and He healed them all; and He warned those who were healed, that they should not make Him known to anyone. For the crowds everywhere both marvel and follow; but those men do not desist from their wickedness. Then, so that you may not be disturbed by what is happening, and by the strangeness of their madness, he also introduces the prophet proclaiming these things beforehand. For so great was the accuracy of the prophets, that they did not omit even these things, but prophesied both His ways and His movements, and the intention with which He did these things; so that you may learn that they spoke all things by the Spirit. For if it is impossible to know the secrets of men, much more was it impossible to learn the purpose of Christ, unless the Spirit had revealed it. What then does the prophet say? He added, therefore: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: Behold my Servant, whom I have chosen, my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon 57.441 Him, and He will declare judgment to the Gentiles. He will not strive, nor cry out, nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets; a bruised reed He will not break, and a smoldering wick He will not quench, until He sends forth His judgment to victory; and in His name the Gentiles will hope. It praises His meekness and His unspeakable power, and opens a great and effective door to the Gentiles, and foretells the evils that will befall the Jews, and shows His concord with the Father. For behold, He says, my Servant, whom I have chosen, my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased. And if He has chosen, He does not break the law as one opposing it, nor as an enemy of the Lawgiver, but as one of like mind and doing the same things. Then, proclaiming His meekness, he says: He will not strive, nor cry out. For He wished to heal them in their presence; but since they rejected Him, He did not even contend for this. And showing both His strength and their weakness, he says: A bruised reed He will not break. For it was easy to break them all like a reed; and not just a reed, but one already bruised. And a smoldering wick He will not quench. Here he represents their kindled wrath, and His power, which was sufficient to destroy their wrath, and to quench it with all ease; whence His great forbearance is shown. What then? Will these things always be? and will he endure to the end those who plot such things and

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ἐπιτιθεὶς θεραπεύει. Ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐδὲν αὐτοὺς τούτων ἐποίει πράους· ἀλλ' ὁ μὲν ἄνθρωπος ἐθεραπεύετο, ἐκεῖνοι δὲ διὰ τῆς ὑγείας τῆς τούτου χείρους ἐγένοντο. Αὐτὸς μὲν γὰρ ἐβούλετο πρὸ ἐκείνου θεραπεῦσαι ἐκείνους, καὶ μυρίους ἐκίνησε τρόπους ἰατρείας, καὶ δι' ὧν ἔμπροσθεν ἐποίησε, καὶ δι' ὧν εἶπεν· ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἀνίατα λοιπὸν ἐνόσουν, ἐπὶ τὸ ἔργον ἐχώρησε. Τότε λέγει τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ· Ἔκτεινον τὴν χεῖρά σου. Καὶ ἐξέτεινε, καὶ ἀποκατεστάθη ὑγιὴς, ὡς ἡ ἄλλη. Τί οὖν ἐκεῖνοι; Ἐξέρχονται, φησὶ, καὶ συμβουλεύονται, ἵνα ἀνέλωσιν αὐτόν. Οἱ γὰρ Φαρισαῖοι, φησὶν, ἐξελθόντες συμβούλιον ἔλαβον κατ' αὐτοῦ, ὅπως αὐτὸν ἀπολέσωσιν. Οὐδὲν ἀδικηθέντες ἀνελεῖν ἐπεχείρουν. βʹ. Τοσοῦτον ἡ βασκανία κακόν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ τοῖς ἀλλοτρίοις μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς οἰκείοις ἀεὶ πολεμεῖ. Ὁ δὲ Μάρκος φησὶν, ὅτι μετὰ τῶν Ἡρωδιανῶν τοῦτο ἐβουλεύσαντο. Τί οὖν ὁ ἥμερος καὶ πρᾶος; Ἀνεχώρησε ταῦτα μαθών. Ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς γνοὺς τὰς ἐνθυμήσεις αὐτῶν, ἀνεχώρησε, φησὶν, ἐκεῖθεν. Ποῦ τοίνυν εἰσὶν οἱ λέγοντες, ὅτι σημεῖα γίνεσθαι ἔδει; ∆ιὰ γὰρ τούτων ἔδειξεν, ὅτι ἡ ἀγνώμων ψυχὴ οὐδὲ ἐντεῦθεν πείθεται, καὶ ἐδήλωσεν ὅτι καὶ τοῖς μαθηταῖς εἰκῆ ἐνεκάλουν. Ἐκεῖνο μέντοι παρατηρεῖν χρὴ, ὅτι μάλιστα πρὸς τὰς τῶν πλησίον ἀγριαίνουσιν εὐεργεσίας· καὶ ὅταν ἴδωσί τινα ἢ νοσήματος ἢ κακίας ἀπαλλαττόμενον, τότε καὶ ἐγκαλοῦσι καὶ ἐκθηριοῦνται. Καὶ γὰρ ὅτε τὴν πόρνην σώζειν ἔμελλε, διέβαλλον αὐτόν· καὶ ὅτε μετὰ τελωνῶν ἔφαγε· καὶ νῦν πάλιν, ἐπειδὴ τὴν χεῖρα ἀποκατασταθεῖσαν εἶδον. Σὺ δέ μοι σκόπει, πῶς οὐδὲ τῆς πρὸς τοὺς ἀῤῥώστους κηδεμονίας ἀφίσταται, καὶ τὸν ἐκείνων παραμυθεῖται φθόνον. Καὶ ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῷ ὄχλοι πολλοὶ, καὶ ἐθεράπευσεν αὐτοὺς πάντας· καὶ ἐπετίμησε τοῖς θεραπευθεῖσιν, ἵνα μηδενὶ φανερὸν αὐτὸν ποιήσωσιν. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ ὄχλοι πανταχοῦ καὶ θαυμάζουσι καὶ ἀκολουθοῦσιν· ἐκεῖνοι δὲ τῆς πονηρίας οὐκ ἀφίστανται. Εἶτα ἵνα μὴ θορυβηθῇς ἐπὶ τοῖς γινομένοις, καὶ τῷ παραδόξῳ τῆς ἐκείνων μανίας, εἰσάγει καὶ τὸν προφήτην ταῦτα προαναφωνοῦντα. Τοσαύτη γὰρ ἦν τῶν προφητῶν ἡ ἀκρίβεια, ὡς μηδὲ ταῦτα παραλιπεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰς μεταβάσεις προφητεύειν, καὶ τὴν γνώμην μεθ' ἧς ταῦτα ἐποίει· ἵνα μάθῃς, ὅτι πάντα Πνεύματι ἐφθέγγοντο. Εἰ γὰρ τὰ ἀνθρώπων ἀπόῤῥητα ἀμήχανον εἰδέναι, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τοῦ Χριστοῦ τὸν σκοπὸν ἀδύνατον ἦν μαθεῖν, μὴ τοῦ Πνεύματος ἀποκαλύψαντος. Τί οὖν ὁ προφήτης φησίν; Ἐπήγαγε γοῦν· Ὅπως πληρωθῇ τὸ ῥηθὲν ὑπὸ Ἡσαΐου τοῦ προφήτου λέγοντος· Ἰδοὺ ὁ Παῖς μου, ὃν ᾑρέτισα, ὁ ἀγαπητός μου, εἰς ὃν εὐδόκησεν ἡ ψυχή μου. Θήσω τὸ Πνεῦμά μου ἐπ' 57.441 αὐτὸν, καὶ κρίσιν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἀναγγελεῖ. Οὐκ ἐρίσει, οὐδὲ κραυγάσει, οὐδὲ ἀκούσει τις ἐν ταῖς πλατείαις τὴν φωνὴν αὐτοῦ· κάλαμον συντετριμμένον οὐ κατεάξει, καὶ λίνον τυφόμενον οὐ σβέσει, ἕως ἂν ἐκβάλῃ εἰς νῖκος τὴν κρίσιν αὐτοῦ· καὶ τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ ἔθνη ἐλπιοῦσι. Τὴν πραότητα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν δύναμιν τὴν ἄφατον ἀνυμνεῖ, καὶ θύραν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἀνοίγνυσι μεγάλην καὶ ἐνεργῆ, καὶ τὰ καταληψόμενα τοὺς Ἰουδαίους προλέγει κακὰ, καὶ δείκνυσιν αὐτοῦ τὴν ὁμόνοιαν τὴν πρὸς τὸν Πατέρα. Ἰδοὺ γὰρ, φησὶν, ὁ Παῖς μου, ὃν ᾑρέτισα, ὁ ἀγαπητός μου, εἰς ὃν εὐδόκησεν ἡ ψυχή μου. Εἰ δὲ ᾑρέτισεν, οὐχ ὡς ἐναντιούμενος λύει τὸν νόμον, οὐδὲ ὡς ἐχθρὸς ὢν τοῦ Νομοθέτου, ἀλλ' ὡς ὁμογνώμων καὶ τὰ αὐτὰ πράττων. Εἶτα τὴν πραότητα αὐτοῦ ἀνακηρύττων, φησίν· Οὐκ ἐρίσει, οὐδὲ κραυγάσει. Αὐτὸς μὲν γὰρ ἐβούλετο θεραπεύειν ἐπ' αὐτῶν· ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἀπεκρούοντο, οὐδὲ πρὸς τοῦτο ἀντέτεινε. Καὶ δεικνὺς καὶ τὴν αὐτοῦ ἰσχὺν καὶ τὴν ἐκείνων ἀσθένειαν, φησί· Κάλαμον συντετριμμένον οὐ κατεάξει. Καὶ γὰρ ἦν ῥᾴδιον ἅπαντας αὐτοὺς ὥσπερ κάλαμον διακλάσαι· καὶ οὐδὲ ἁπλῶς κάλαμον, ἀλλ' ἤδη συντριβέντα. Καὶ λίνον τυφόμενον οὐ σβέσει. Ἐνταῦθα καὶ τὸν ἐκείνων θυμὸν τὸν ἀναπτόμενον παρίστησι, καὶ τὴν τούτου ἰσχὺν ἱκανὴν οὖσαν καταλῦσαι τὸν θυμὸν αὐτῶν, καὶ κατασβέσαι μετ' εὐκολίας ἁπάσης· ὅθεν ἡ πολλὴ ἐπιείκεια δείκνυται. Τί οὖν; ἀεὶ ταῦτα ἔσται; καὶ οἴσει διὰ τέλους τοιαῦτα ἐπιβουλεύοντας καὶ