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every rule and every authority and power; for he must reign until he has put all enemies under his feet.” Thus, having subjected the enemies and crushed their seed, with no enemy remaining, neither devil nor demon nor evil nor sin still existing, he will bring those who will be ruled by him in the new age to the Father “when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father,” according to the Apostle. And he stains his garments just as they are said to have become red, as in a vivid personification; just as also the blood of the enemies, concerning which he says: and I brought down their blood to the earth; for surely we should not understand sensible blood in connection with the opposing powers; should not these things, then, be taken figuratively? Then again, he mentions a day of retribution and a year of redemption, just as was said above concerning better things: “to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of retribution for our God.” For the whole new age has been named the acceptable year of the Lord, as it will have “the Lord as an everlasting light,” and it is also called the day of retribution. Wherefore he says: a day of retribution has come for them, and a year of redemption is at hand; for at the same time he will redeem his own, but “he will render” to others according to what was said by Moses: “and he will render justice to his enemies, and he will repay those who hate him.” Then he says: And I looked, and there was no one to help; and I took note, and there was no one to support; and my arm saved them. We will understand how the word is spoken if we consider how he alone “emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, and humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even death on a cross.” For what no one ever, neither men nor angels nor the divine powers, endured, he alone undertook for our salvation, for which reason to him alone the Father “bestowed the name that is above every name” and entrusted to him the judgment of all. And he, having received authority from the Father, delivered those worthy of salvation, and put to flight the adversaries and enemies. Wherefore he says: And my wrath came upon them, and I trod them down and brought their blood down to the earth, for which the other interpreters have rendered “their victory”; for since they previously seemed to be unsubmissive and yielding the victory to no one, he fittingly alludes to their defeat and humiliation by saying that he had brought their victory down to the earth. 2.54 The prophecy concerning the second coming of Christ has been described, and the discourse begins another subject, through which it declares the benefactions of God to the Jewish people. And from the person of the people it makes an accusation against it, showing through confession that their rejection and the final desolation of Jerusalem came about by a just judgment of God. Wherefore he says: I remembered the mercy of the Lord, and he adds: I will recount the virtues of the Lord, and indeed I will never consign to oblivion the wondrous benefactions of his mercy, but I will remember always both his mercy and his wonderful deeds, which he ever provided for us. even if sorrowful things came upon us in the end, and by the wrath of God upon the nation and the city of Jerusalem, when the temple in it was handed over to be raised up from its foundations. And instead of: in all things that he renders to us, Symmachus has said, concerning all things in which he benefited us; and again instead of: the Lord is a good judge for the house of Israel and what follows, Symmachus: the Lord out of the abundance of goodness for the house of Israel, who benefited them according to his compassions. All these things, therefore, he says, I will recall, counting the multitudes of his goodness, among which he also bestowed this greatest gift, deigning to name the people “his children,” if they “would not reject his grace.” Wherefore, according to Symmachus, it is said: Surely they are my people, sons who will not break the covenant. But he was refuting

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πᾶσαν ἀρχὴν καὶ πᾶσαν ἐξουσίαν καὶ δύναμιν· δεῖ γὰρ αὐτὸν βασιλεύειν ἄχρις οὗ θῇ πάντας ἐχθροὺς ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ». οὕτω δ' οὖν ὑποτάξας τοὺς ἐχθροὺς καὶ καταθλάσας αὐτῶν τὸ σπέρμα μηδενὸς ἐχθροῦ λοιπὸν ὑφεστῶτος μηδὲ διαβόλου μηδὲ δαίμονος μηδὲ κακίας μηδὲ ἁμαρτίας ἔτ' οὔσης τοὺς ὑπ' αὐτῷ βασιλευθησομένους ἐν τῷ καινῷ αἰῶνι προσάξει τῷ πατρὶ «ὅτε καὶ παραδώσει τὴν βασιλείαν τῷ θεῷ καὶ πατρὶ» κατὰ τὸν Ἀπόστολον. μολύνει δὲ τὰ ἐνδύματα αὐτοῦ ὥσπερ ἐρυθρὰ γενέσθαι αὐτὰ λέγεται ὡς ἐν προσωποποιΐᾳ ἐμφαντικῶς· ὥσπερ καὶ τὸ αἷμα τῶν ἐχθρῶν, περὶ οὗ φησι· καὶ κατήγαγον τὸ αἷμα αὐτῶν εἰς γῆν· οὐ γὰρ δὴ αἰσθητὸν αἷμα νοητέον εἶναι περὶ τὰς ἀντικειμένας δυνάμεις, μὴ ἄρα τροπικῶς ἐκδεκτέον καὶ ταῦτα; Εἶτα πάλιν ἡμέρας ἀνταποδόσεως καὶ ἐνιαυτοῦ λυτρώσεως μέμνηται, ὥσπερ καὶ ἀνωτέρω ἐπὶ τῶν χρηστοτέρων ἐλέγετο· «κηρύξαι ἐνιαυτὸν κυρίου δεκτὸν καὶ ἡμέραν ἀνταποδόσεως τῷ θεῷ ἡμῶν». ὁ γὰρ νέος αἰὼν ὁ σύμπας ἐνιαυτὸς κυρίου δεκτὸς ὠνόμασται, ὡς ἂν αὐτὸν ἕξων «τὸν κύριον φῶς αἰώνιον», ὁ δ' αὐτὸς καὶ ἡμέρα ἀνταποδόσεως κέκληται. διό φησιν· ἡμέρα ἀνταποδόσεως ἦλθεν αὐτοῖς, καὶ ἐνιαυτὸς λυτρώσεως πάρεστιν· ἐν ταὐτῷ γὰρ τοὺς μὲν οἰκείους λυτρώσεται, τοῖς δ' «ἀνταποδώσει» κατὰ τὸ εἰρημένον παρὰ Μωσεῖ· «καὶ ἀνταποδώσει δίκην τοῖς ἐχθροῖς καὶ τοῖς μισοῦσιν ἀνταποδώσει». Εἶτά φησι· καὶ ἐπέβλεψα, καὶ οὐκ ἦν ὁ βοηθῶν· καὶ προσενόησα, καὶ οὐθεὶς ἀντελαμβάνετο· καὶ ἐρρύσατο αὐτοὺς ὁ βραχίων μου. νοήσομεν δὲ πῶς ὁ λόγος εἴρηται ἐπιστήσαντες ὡς μόνος αὐτὸς «ἐκένωσεν ἑαυτὸν μορφὴν δούλου λαβὼν καὶ ἐταπείνωσεν ἑαυτὸν ὑπήκοος γενόμενος μέχρι θανάτου, θανάτου δὲ σταυροῦ». ἃ γὰρ οὐδεὶς πώποτε ἀνθρώπων οὐδὲ ἀγγέλων οὐδὲ τῶν θείων δυνάμεων ὑπέστη, μόνος αὐτὸς ὑπὲρ τῆς ἡμετέρας ἀνεδέξατο σωτηρίας, διὸ καὶ μόνῳ αὐτῷ ὁ πατὴρ «ἐχαρίσατο τὸ ὄνομα τὸ ὑπὲρ πᾶν ὄνομα» καὶ τὴν κατὰ πάντων κρίσιν ἐνεχείρισεν. ὁ δὲ τὴν παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς λαβὼν ἐξουσίαν τοὺς μὲν ἐρρύετο τοὺς σωτηρίας ἀξίους, τοὺς δὲ πολεμίους καὶ ἐχθροὺς ἐτροποῦτο. διό φησι· καὶ ὁ θυμός μου ἐπέστη, καὶ κατεπάτησα αὐτοὺς καὶ κατήγαγον τὸ αἷμα αὐτῶν εἰς τὴν γῆν, ἀνθ' οὗ οἱ λοιποὶ ἑρμηνευταὶ τὸ νῖκος αὐτῶν ἐκδεδώκασιν· ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐδόκουν τὸ πρότερον ἀνυπότακτοί τινες εἶναι καὶ μηδενὶ παραχωροῦντες τῆς νίκης, εἰκότως τὴν ἧτταν καὶ τὴν ταπείνωσιν αὐτῶν αἰνιττόμενος φάσκει εἰς γῆν κατενηνοχέναι τὸ νῖκος αὐτῶν. 2.54 Ἡ μὲν περὶ τῆς δευτέρας τοῦ Χριστοῦ παρουσίας προφητεία περιγέγραπται, ἑτέρας δ' ὑποθέσεως κατάρχεται ὁ λόγος, δι' ἧς ἐξαγορεύει μὲν τὰς τοῦ θεοῦ εἰς τὸν Ἰουδαίων λαὸν εὐεργεσίας. ἐκ προσώπου δὲ τοῦ λαοῦ κατηγορίαν αὐτοῦ ποιεῖται παριστὰς διὰ τῆς ἐξομολογήσεως τὴν ἀποβολὴν αὐτῶν καὶ τὴν ἐσχάτην τῆς Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἐρημίαν δικαίᾳ κρίσει τοῦ θεοῦ γεγονέναι. διό φησι· Τὸν ἔλεον κυρίου ἐμνήσθην, καὶ ἐπιφέρει· τὰς ἀρετὰς κυρίου ἀναμνήσω, οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰς παραδόξους εὐεργεσίας τοῦ ἐλέους αὐτοῦ οὔποτε λήθῃ παραδώσω, μεμνήσομαι δὲ διὰ παντὸς ἐγὼ καὶ τοῦ ἐλέους καὶ τῶν θαυμασίων αὐτοῦ, ὧν πώποτε ἡμῖν παρέσχεν. εἰ καὶ σκυθρωπὰ μετῆλθεν ἡμᾶς ἐπὶ τέλει καὶ τῇ ὀργῇ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τὸ ἔθνος καὶ ἡ πόλις Ἰερουσαλήμ, ὅτε ἐν αὐτῇ νεὼς παρεδόθη ἕως ἐκ βάθρων ἀρθῆναι αὐτά. ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ· ἐν πᾶσιν, οἷς ἀποδίδωσιν ἡμῖν, ὁ Σύμμαχος περὶ πάντων, ὧν εὐηργέτησεν ἡμᾶς εἴρηκε, καὶ πάλιν ἀντὶ τοῦ· κύριος κριτὴς ἀγαθὸς τῷ οἴκῳ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ τῶν ἑξῆς, ὁ Σύμμαχος· κύριος ἐκ πλήθους ἀγαθωσύνης τῷ οἴκῳ Ἰσραήλ, ὃς εὐηργέτησεν αὐτοὺς κατὰ τοὺς οἰκτιρμοὺς αὐτοῦ. ταῦτα τοίνυν πάντα φησὶν ἀναμνήσω τὰ πλήθη καταριθμούμενος τῆς ἀγαθωσύνης αὐτοῦ, ἐν οἷς καὶ τοῦτο μέγιστον ἐδωρήσατο χάρισμα καταξιώσας «τέκνα ἑαυτοῦ» ὀνομάσαι τὸν λαόν, εἰ «μὴ ἀθετοῖεν τὴν αὐτοῦ χάριν». διὸ κατὰ τὸν Σύμμαχον εἴρηται· πλὴν λαός μού εἰσιν, υἱοὶ οὐκ ἀσυνθηκοῦντες. ἀπήλεγχεν δὲ