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promising. Thus he calls his own care. Therefore they were saying: You will not have gone through all the cities, until the Son of man comes; not indeed indicating another coming, but his own exhortation to endurance. For they would not have endured, not having strength from above. And knowing the hidden things, he stands by each according to his worth, giving the fitting reward. Thus also through Ezekiel, when they said, "Our strength is perished, our bones are dried up," encouraging them he says: As I am able to dry up the moist, so also the opposite. Which he also did in the case of Aaron's rod. And now, therefore, he says he will be present, if they become worthy. For this reason I also gave you a multitude of commandments, not so that by transgressing many, you might also be condemned for many things; but so that even if you should transgress the great ones, the observance of the lesser ones might provide you an occasion for salvation. For he is a lover of mankind, not condemning for what you transgress, but saving for the few things you do right. For he desires the life of the sinner rather than his death. Then I will seek you, he says, calling you holy. These things must also be taken to apply to each person's soul, not reading them as bare histories. For to each one who does right he will be present, forgiving the sins. CHAPTER 63. 1. 9Who is this that has come from Edom? redness of garments from Bozrah, thus beautiful in his robe, with force and strength. I speak righteousness and a judgment of salvation. Why are your garments red, and your clothing as from a treading of a full winepress, trodden down9, etc. Just as the Savior was said to give a reward to the pious (for he said, "And his reward is with him"); so he is prophesied to come as a terrible one to the impious, when, according to the Apostle, he will abolish every rule and authority. Among which is also the last thing to be abolished, death. But some, seeing him in a blood-stained, warlike form, at the strangeness of the sight, question one another. And since Bozrah and Edom are the country of foreigners and enemies of Israel, he reasonably alludes through them to the opposing powers, whose destruction he tropically likened to murderous blood. But knowing him to be gentle, then seeing him as if enraged, they seem not to recognize him. Therefore they also inquire. And he answers them: I speak righteousness, and a judgment of salvation, but according to Symmachus: I speak in righteous 2668 ness, I contend to save. For contending for those unjustly trampled down by the opposing powers, he was punishing the one, and freeing the other. Then a second question: Why are your garments red? to which he again answers. And instead of, "and of the nations," Symmachus gave, "and from the peoples," and instead of, "I brought down their blood to the earth," "And their victory-shout was sprinkled upon my garments." And as having alone received judgment from the Father, he says he has trodden the winepress alone; thus he calls the exaction of sins. And Jeremiah in Lamentations says: The Lord has trodden the winepress for the virgin daughter of Judah. For these things I weep. And just as a winepress is the reckoning of sins together; so the fruits gathered from the good vine become winepresses pleasing to God, for which hymns in the Psalms are called "for the winepresses." And having abolished all evil, and the demons that begat it, he will bring those who are ruled under him in the new age to the Father, when he will also deliver the kingdom to God the Father, according to the Apostle. And abiding by the metaphor of blood, his garments are said to be stained. For what kind of blood is there for incorporeal powers? Then again he mentions a day of retribution and a year of redemption, as was said in the case of the more excellent things, "To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of retribution." Wherefore he has now added "and a year of redemption," for at the same time he will save some, and give retribution to others, as Moses says: "And he will render vengeance to his enemies, and will repay those that hate him." Then he says: I looked, and there was no helper. And I considered, and no one took part. And my arm rescued them. For he alone emptied himself, taking the form of a servant. And the up to

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ἐπαγγελλόμενος. Οὕτω δὲ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ κηδεμονίαν καλεῖ. Τοιγαροῦν ἔλεγον· Οὐ μὴ τελέσητε τὰς πόλεις, ἕως ἂν ἔλθῃ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου· οὐ δήπου ἄλλην παρουσίαν δηλῶν, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἑαυτοῦ πρὸς καρτερίαν παράκλησιν. Οὐ γὰρ ἂν ἤνεγκαν, μὴ τὴν ἰσχὺν τὴν ἄνωθεν ἔχοντες. Τὰ κρυπτὰ δὲ εἰδὼς, πρὸς τὴν ἀξίαν ἑκάστῳ παρίσταται, μισθὸν διδοὺς τὸν προσήκοντα. Οὕτω καὶ δι' Ἰεζεκιὴλ λεγόντων αὐτῶν· "Ἀπόλωλεν ἡ ἰσχὺς ἡμῶν, ἐξηράνθη τὰ ὀστᾶ ἡμῶν," παραθαῤῥύνων φησίν· Ὡς ὑγρὰ ξηρᾶναι δύναμαι, οὕτω καὶ τοὐναντίον. Ὃ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς ῥάβδου πεποίηκεν Ἀαρών. Καὶ νῦν οὖν παρέσεσθαί φησιν, ἐὰν ἄξιοι γένωνται. ∆ι' αὐτὸ γὰρ παρέσχον καὶ πλῆθος ὑμῖν ἐντολῶν, οὐχ ἵνα πολλὰς παραβαίνοντες, πολλὰ καὶ καταδικάζησθε· ἀλλ' ἵνα κἂν τὰς μεγάλας ὑπερβῆτε, τῶν ἐλαττόνων ἡ φυλακὴ πρόφασιν ὑμῖν σωτηρίας παράσχῃ. Φιλάνθρωπος γὰρ, οὐ καταδικάζων ἐξ ὧν παραβαίνετε, ἀλλὰ σώζων ἐξ ὀλίγων ὧν κατορθοῦτε. Τοῦ γὰρ ἁμαρτωλοῦ τὴν ζωὴν βούλεται μᾶλλον, ἤπερ τὸν θάνατον. Τότε ζητήσω, φησὶν, ὑμᾶς, ἁγίους καλῶν. Ταῦτα δὲ καὶ εἰς τὴν ἑκάστου ληπτέον ψυχὴν, μὴ ὡς ψιλὰς ἱστορίας ἀναγινώσκοντας. Ἑκάστῳ γὰρ κατορθοῦντι παρέσται συγχωρῶν τὰ ἡμαρτημένα. ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΞΓʹ. αʹ. 9Τίς οὗτος ὁ παραγενόμενος ἐξ Ἐδώμ; ἐρύθημα ἱματίων ἐκ Βόσορ, οὕτως ὡραῖος ἐν στολῇ, βία μετὰ ἰσχύος. Ἐγὼ διαλέγομαι δικαιοσύνην καὶ κρίσιν σωτηρίου. ∆ιὰ τί σου ἐρυθρὰ τὰ ἱματία, καὶ τὰ ἐνδύματά σου ὡς ἀπὸ πατήματος ληνοῦ πλήρους, καταπεπατημένησ9, κ.τ.λ. Ὥσπερ μισθὸν ὁ Σωτὴρ ἐλέγετο τοῖς εὐσεβοῦσιν ἀποδιδόναι (ἔφη γάρ· Καὶ ὁ μισθὸς αὐτοῦ μετ' αὐτοῦ)· οὕτως τοῖς ἀσεβέσι φοβερὸς ἥξειν θεσπίζεται, ὅτε, κατὰ τὸν Ἀπόστολον, καταργήσῃ πᾶσαν ἀρχὴν καὶ ἐξουσίαν. Ἐν οἷς ἐστι καὶ τὸ ἔσχατον καταργεῖσθαι τὸν θάνατον. Ὁρῶντες δὲ αὐτόν τινες ἐν σχήματι καθῃμαγμένον πολεμικῷ, πρὸς τὸ ξένον τῆς θέας ἐρωτῶσιν ἀλλήλους. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ Βόσορ καὶ Ἐδὼμ, τῆς τῶν ἀλλοφύλων χώρας καὶ πολεμίων τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, εἰκότως διὰ τούτων τὰς ἀντικειμένας δυνάμεις αἰνίττεται, ὧν τὴν ἀναίρεσιν τροπικῶς αἵματι παρείκασε φονικῷ. Εἰδότες δὲ αὐτὸν ἥμερον, εἶθ' ὥσπερ τεθυμωμένον ὁρῶντες, ἐοίκασιν αὐτὸν μὴ γινώσκειν. ∆ιὸ καὶ πυνθάνονται. Ὁ δὲ πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἀποκρίνεται· Ἐγὼ διαλέγομαι δικαιοσύνην, καὶ κρίσιν σωτηρίου, κατὰ δὲ Σύμμαχον· Ἐγὼ λαλῶ ἐν δικαιοσύ 2668 νῃ, ὑπερμαχῶ εἰς τὸ σῶσαι. Ὑπερμαχῶν γὰρ τῶν ἀδίκως ὑπὸ τῶν ἀντικειμένων δυνάμεων καταπατουμένων, τὰς μὲν μετῄει, τοὺς δὲ ἠλευθέρου. Εἶτα δευτέρα πεῦσις· ∆ιὰ τί σου ἐρυθρὰ τὰ ἱμάτια; πρὸς ὃ πάλιν ἀποκρίνεται. Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ, καὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν, ὁ Σύμμαχος, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν λαῶν ἐξέδωκεν, καὶ ἀντὶ τοῦ, Κατήγαγον τὸ αἷμα αὐτῶν εἰς γῆν, Καὶ ἐῤῥαντίσθη τὸ ἐπινίκιον αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τὰ ἱμάτιά μου. Ὡς δὲ μόνος τὴν κρίσιν λαβὼν παρὰ τοῦ Πατέρος, μόνος πεπατηκέναι φησὶ ληνὸν, οὕτω δὲ καλεῖ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων τὴν ἔκπραξιν. Καὶ Ἱερεμίας δὲ ἐν Θρήνοις φησί· Ληνὸν ἐπάτησε Κύριος παρθένῳ θυγατρὶ Ἰούδα. Ἐπὶ τούτοις ἐγὼ κλαίω. Ὥςπερ δὲ ληνὸς ἡ ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων εὔθυνα· οὕτω τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς ἀγαθῆς ἀμπέλου τρυγομένων καρπῶν ληνοὶ Θεῷ ἀρέσκουσαι γίνονται, ἐφ' αἷς ὕμνοι ἐν Ψαλμοῖς ἐπιλήνιοι λέγονται. Καταργήσας δὲ πᾶσαν κακίαν, καὶ τοὺς αὐτὴν γεννήσαντας δαίμονας, τοὺς ὑπ' αὐτῷ βασιλευομένους ἐν τῷ καινῷ αἰῶνι προσάξει τῷ Πατέρι, ὅτε καὶ παραδώσει τὴν βασιλείαν τῷ Θεῷ καὶ Πατέρι, κατὰ τὸν Ἀπόστολον. Ἐμμένων δὲ τῇ μεταφορᾷ τοῦ αἵματος, τὰ ἱμάτια μεμολύνθαι λέγεται. Ποῖον γὰρ ἐπὶ ἀσωμάτων δυνάμεων αἷμα; Εἶτα πάλιν ἡμέρας ἀνταποδώσεως καὶ ἐνιαυτοῦ λυτρώσεως μέμνηται, ὡς ἐπὶ τῶν χρηστοτέρων ἐλέγετο, Κηρύξαι ἐνιαυτὸν Κυρίου δεκτὸν, καὶ ἡμέραν ἀνταποδόσεως. ∆ιὸ νῦν προσέθηκε καὶ ἐνιαυτὸς λυτρώσεως, ὁμοῦ γὰρ τοὺς μὲν σώσει, τοῖς δὲ ἀνταποδώσει, καθά φησι Μωσῆς· "Καὶ ἀνταποδώσει δίκην τοῖς ἐχθροῖς, καὶ τοῖς μισοῦσιν αὐτὸν ἀνταποδώσει." Εἶτά φησιν· Ἐπέβλεψα, καὶ οὐκ ἦν ὁ βοηθῶν. Καὶ προσενόησα, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἀντελαμβάνετο. Καὶ ἐῤῥύσατο αὐτοὺς ὁ βραχίων μου. Μόνος γὰρ ἐκένωσεν ἑαυτὸν, μορφὴν δούλου λαβών. Καὶ τὸν μέχρι