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while they are speaking, I will say, What is it? which indeed was also fulfilled in the Acts of the Apostles; "many signs and wonders" were being worked, with God present with them, and as they worked such things, the conversion of the foreign nations followed. And those who were formerly rapacious and savage, so as to be compared to wolves, having changed to what is tame, were herded with lambs and oxen, so as to partake of one and the same rational food from the divine readings, while those who were in no way different from a lion in their manners, no longer resembling flesh-eating or raw-devouring beasts, like oxen they too ate the grass from the inspired teaching. And the man who long before was serpentine and full of venom, having spit out the evil within himself, will eat bread, using rational and human food, instead of the earth which he formerly ate. Thus these beasts will be tamed, so as to wrong no one nor harm anyone in the mountain of God, in which they too will have their dwelling because of the change of their manners. But it is fitting to say to the Jews, who expect these things to happen more physically in the earthly Jerusalem, first that in these things no mention of good things is made concerning them, but rather rebukes and reproaches and accusations of their impieties. Then what is the necessity for lions and wolves and snakes to be in the holy mountain and in Jerusalem itself? And what need will these provide for those at that time? What promise worthy of God is it, that in the holy mountain of God snakes and lions and wolves should dwell with the blessed, but clearly these things refer to the manners of men. Then, since he mentioned his holy mountain, he necessarily adds, saying: Thus says the Lord: Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what kind of house will you build for me? says the Lord; and what is the place of my rest? For my hand has made all these things, and all these things are mine, says the Lord. Through which he clearly rejects the earthly Jerusalem, indicating that not even on the physical mountain will the promises be given to the worthy. Thus also it was said through the preceding words: "for there will be a new heaven and a new earth, and they will not remember the former things, nor will they come upon their heart." If indeed "the heaven will be new and the earth new" and no longer does memory of "the former things" follow, if there will be no memory of either a physical mountain or an earthly Jerusalem, then fittingly, therefore, for the overthrow of the Jewish supposition, he introduced this: what kind of house will you build for me? says the Lord; and what is the place of my rest? For my hand has made all these things, and all these things are mine. Why then is it necessary to expect a house of God on earth? And why again to suppose the earthly Jerusalem? For if "the heaven will be new and the earth new," it follows to imagine Jerusalem also to be such, that there will no longer be memory of any "former" thing. Clearly indeed the present word introduces a "new heaven" and a "new earth" and a "new people" and a "new name" and Jerusalem, similarly also gates and temples newly built. To which is added: "and they will not remember the former things, nor will they come upon their heart." And since the children of the Jews took great care about offering sacrifices through the slaughter of animals, these things too God shakes off and turns away from, saying that he accepts the one who is pious and humble in soul and sincerely dedicated to him, but shuns the libations through sacrifices. Therefore he says: On whom shall I look, but on the one who is humble and quiet and trembles at my words? But the lawless one who sacrifices a calf is as one who kills a dog. But according to the Hebrew reading and the other interpreters, the phrase "But the lawless one" is not present, but with this removed, it simply adds: He who slaughters a calf is as he who strikes a man; and he who sacrifices one from the flock is as he who breaks a dog's neck; he who offers an oblation is as he who offers swine's blood; he who makes a memorial

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λαλούντων αὐτῶν ἐρῶ Τί ἐστιν; ἃ δὴ καὶ ἐπληροῦτο ἐπὶ τῶν πράξεων τῶν ἀποστόλων· «πολλὰ σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα» ἐνηργεῖτο τοῦ θεοῦ αὐτοῖς παρεστῶτος, ὧν τοιαῦτα ἐνεργούντων ἀκολούθως ἡ τῶν ἀλλοφύλων ἐθνῶν ἐγίνετο ἐπιστροφή. καὶ οἱ μὲν πρότερον ἁρπακτικοὶ καὶ θηριώδεις ὡς λύκοις παραβάλλεσθαι μεταβαλόντες ἐπὶ τὸ ἥμερον ἀρνίοις καὶ βουσὶ συνηγελάζοντο ὡς μιᾶς καὶ τῆς αὐτῆς μεταλαμβάνειν τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν θείων ἀναγνωσμάτων λογικῆς τροφῆς, οἱ δὲ τοῖς τρόποις λέοντος οὐδὲν διαφέροντες οὐκέτι σαρκοφάγοις οὐδὲ ὠμοβόροις θηρσὶν ἐοικότες δίκην βοῶν καὶ αὐτοὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς ἐνθέου διδασκαλίας πόαν ἤσθιον. καὶ ὁ πάλαι δὲ πρότερον ὀφιώδης καὶ ἰοῦ μεστὸς ἀνὴρ ἀποπτύσας τὴν ἐν ἑαυτῷ κακίαν ἄρτον φάγεται τροφῇ λογικῇ καὶ ἀνθρωπίνῃ χρώμενος, ἀνθ' ἧς ἤσθιε πρότερον γῆς. οὕτω δὲ οἱ θῆρες οὗτοι ἐξημερωθήσονται ὡς μηδένα ἀδικεῖν μηδὲ λυμαίνεσθαί τινα ἐν τῷ ὄρει τοῦ θεοῦ, ἐν ᾧ καὶ αὐτοὶ τὰς διατριβὰς ἕξουσι διὰ τὴν τῶν τρόπων μεταβολήν. ἄξιον δὲ πρὸς Ἰουδαίους σωματικώτερον ταῦτα ἐπὶ τῆς κάτω Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἔσεσθαι, προσδοκῶντας εἰπεῖν πρῶτον ὅτι οὐδεμία ἐν τούτοις ἀγαθῶν μνήμη περὶ αὐτῶν φέρεται, ἀλλ' ἔλεγχοι καὶ ὀνειδισμοὶ καὶ τῶν ἀσεβημάτων αὐτῶν κατηγορίαι. ἔπειτα τί τὸ ἀναγκαῖον ἐν τῷ ὄρει τῷ ἁγίῳ καὶ ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ Ἰερουσαλὴμ λέοντας εἶναι καὶ λύκους καὶ ὄφεις; ποίαν δὲ ταῦτα παρέξει χρείαν τοῖς τότε τί δὲ θεοῦ ἄξιον ἐπαγγελίας, ἵνα ἐν τῷ ὄρει τῷ ἁγίῳ τοῦ θεοῦ ὄφεις καὶ λέοντες καὶ λύκοι τοῖς μακαρίοις συνδιατρίβωσιν, ἀλλὰ σαφῶς ταῦτα ἐπὶ τρόπους ἀναφέρεται ἀνθρώπων. Εἶτ' ἐπειδὴ ὄρους ἁγίου αὐτοῦ ἐμνημόνευσεν, ἀναγκαίως ἐπισυνάπτει λέγων· Οὕτως λέγει κύριος Ὁ οὐρανός μοι θρόνος, καὶ ἡ γῆ ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν μου· ποῖον οἶκον οἰκοδομήσετέ μοι; λέγει κύριος· καὶ ποῖος τόπος τῆς καταπαύσεώς μου; πάντα γὰρ ταῦτα ἡ χείρ μου ἐποίησε, καὶ ἔστιν ἐμὰ ταῦτα πάντα, λέγει κύριος. δι' ὧν τὴν ἐπὶ γῆς Ἰερουσαλὴμ σαφῶς παραιτεῖται, σημαίνων ὡς οὐδ' ἐπὶ τοῦ σωματικοῦ ὄρους αἱ ἐπαγγελίαι τοῖς ἀξίοις ἀποδοθήσονται. οὕτω καὶ διὰ τῶν ἔμπροσθεν ἐλέγετο· «ἔσται γὰρ ὁ οὐρανὸς καινὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ καινή, οὐδ' οὐ μὴ μνησθῶσι τῶν προτέρων, οὐδ' οὐ μὴ ἐπέλθῃ αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν». εἰ δὴ «ὁ οὐρανὸς ἔσται καινὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ καινὴ» καὶ οὐκέτι μνήμη «τῶν προτέρων» ἕπεται, εἰ μήτε ὄρους σωματικοῦ μήτε ἐπιγείου Ἰερουσαλὴμ μνήμην γενήσεσθαι, τότε εὐκαίρως τοίνυν ἐπ' ἀνατροπῇ τῆς Ἰουδαϊκῆς ὑπολήψεως ἐπήνεγκε τό· ποῖον οἶκον οἰκοδομήσετέ μοι; λέγει κύριος· καὶ ποῖος τόπος τῆς καταπαύσεώς μου; πάντα γὰρ ταῦτα ἐποίησεν ἡ χείρ μου, καὶ ἔστιν ἐμὰ ταῦτα πάντα. τί οὖν δεῖ ἐπὶ γῆς προσδοκᾶν οἶκον θεοῦ; τί δὲ πάλιν τὴν κάτω Ἰερουσαλὴμ ὑπολαμβάνειν; εἰ «γὰρ ἔσται ὁ οὐρανὸς καινὸς καὶ ἡ γῆ καινή», ἀκόλουθόν ἐστι καὶ τὴν Ἰερουσαλὴμ τοιαύτην εἶναι φαντάζεσθαι, ὡς μηκέτι μνήμην πάσης «προτέρας» ἔσεσθαι. σαφῶς δὴ ὁ παρὼν λόγος «καινὸν οὐρανὸν» εἰσάγει καὶ «γῆν καινὴν» καὶ «λαὸν καινὸν» καὶ «ὄνομα καινὸν» καὶ Ἰερουσαλήμ, ὁμοίως καὶ θύρας καὶ νέως κατεσκευασμένους. οἷς ἐπιλέγεται· «καὶ οὐ μὴ μνησθῶσι τῶν προτέρων, οὐδ' οὐ μὴ ἐπέλθῃ αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν». καὶ ἐπειδὴ Ἰουδαίων παῖδες περὶ τὸ θυσίας προσφέρειν τὰς διὰ ζῴων σφαγῆς πολλὴν εἰσῆγον φροντίδα, καὶ ταῦτα ἀποσείεται καὶ ἀποστρέφεται ὁ θεὸς τὸν μὲν εὐλαβῆ καὶ ταπεινὸν τὴν ψυχὴν εἰλικρινῶς τε ἀνακείμενον αὐτῷ ἀποδέχεσθαι λέγων, τὰς δὲ διὰ θυσιῶν σπονδὰς ἐκτρέπεσθαι. διό φησιν· ἐπὶ τίνα ἐπιβλέψω ἀλλ' ἢ ἐπὶ τὸν ταπεινὸν καὶ ἡσύχιον καὶ τρέμοντά μου τοὺς λόγους; ὁ δὲ ἄνομος ὁ θύων μόσχον ὡς ἀποκτέννων κύνα. κατὰ δὲ τὴν Ἑβραϊκὴν ἀνάγνωσιν καὶ τοὺς λοιποὺς ἑρμηνευτὰς οὐκ ἐμφέρεται τό· ὁ δὲ ἄνομος, ἀλλὰ τούτου περιῃρημένου ἁπλῶς ἐπάγεται· ὁ σφάζων μόσχον ὡς ὁ τύπτων ἄνδρα καὶ θύων τὸ ἐκ ποιμνίου ὡς τραχηλοκοπῶν κύνα, ἀναφέρων προσφορὰν ὡς αἷμα χοίρου, ἀναμιμνῄσκων