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my soul. What did you remember, tell me? That I shall pass through in the place of the wonderful tabernacle, even to the house of God. That is, that I was passing through the choirs, the festivals, that worship. Our feet were standing in your courts, O Jerusalem. Another, I was glad when they said to me: We have come into the house of the Lord. Our feet stood in your courts, O Jerusalem. Have you seen the excess of pleasure? As though enjoying the things themselves, they rejoiced even at the very words, 55.348 embracing with much longing the house of prayer and the city. Thus God is always accustomed to do. For when we have good things and are not sensible of them, He casts them out of our hands, so that what enjoyment did not do, deprivation might do; which they themselves have also suffered, clinging to the city, clinging to the temple, giving Him much thanks for having received back their fatherland. Jerusalem, being built as a city. Another, The one built as a city. Either, then, according to the Seventy, this is it, that Jerusalem will be built as a city, the word indicating the time before it was built; or according to the other interpreter, We have received back Jerusalem, The one built as a city, showing the things that happened after the captivity. For since at that time there was much desolation and ruins everywhere in the city, the towers having been thrown down, the walls cast down, and only remnants of the ancient fatherland remained, having returned and seen the desolation, they recall that old prosperity, and they recount its praises, saying, that The brilliant and illustrious city, having an assembly, and rulers, and kings, and high priests, and boasting in much adornment, has now been clothed in this dejected form. And that this is so, hear what follows: Jerusalem, being built as a city. For then it was not yet a city. It is clear also from what he adds, saying: Whose participation is in the same. For he speaks of its well-ordered state of buildings, and its security, and its density, and that it had no deserted space in the middle, but was dense on all sides, perfected, well-ordered, being continuous and connected thus before the captivity. Wherefore also a certain interpreter says, indicating this, Having a connection. Then after this he also states another praise of it: For there the tribes went up, the tribes of the Lord, a testimony for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord. For by this especially was the city adorned; not so much by its size and its buildings, as by everyone gathering there, whether some council, or an assembly was taking place, or a deliberation on some matters was proposed. For since the temple was there, and every sanctification was performed, and priests, and Levites, and the palace, and the inner sanctuaries, and the vestibules, and sacrifices, and an altar, and feasts, and festivals, and prayers, and hearings, and, simply put, the form of the commonwealth was organized there, the tribes had to gather there especially three times a year on the solemn and public feasts, at Passover, at Pentecost, at the Feast of Tabernacles. For it was not permitted elsewhere. Stating, therefore, its praise, he says: There the tribes went up. And another, There the scepters went up. And not simply, Tribes, but, Tribes of the Lord. All the tribes were the Lord's, but it was not permitted for them even so to perform these things in their own fatherland, but by this the metropolis was honored, gathering and drawing everyone to itself. 2. And this was done for the sake of the knowledge of God, so that 55.349 wandering everywhere they might not have occasions and ways out to the worship of idols. For this reason He commanded to sacrifice there, to pray there, to have a festival there, walling off their erring mind by the narrowness of the place, and restraining and checking it upon

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ψυχήν μου. Τί ἐμνήσθης, εἰπέ μοι; Ὅτι διελεύσομαι ἐν τόπῳ σκηνῆς θαυμαστῆς ἕως τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ Θεοῦ. Τουτέστιν, ὅτι ∆ιηρχόμην τὰς χορείας, τὰς πανηγύρεις, τὴν λατρείαν ἐκείνην. Ἑστῶτες ἦσαν οἱ πόδες ἡμῶν ἐν ταῖς αὐλαῖς σου, Ἱερουσαλήμ. Ἕτερος, Εὐφράνθην εἰπόντων μοι· Εἰς τὸν οἶκον Κυρίου ἤλθομεν Ἔστησαν οἱ πόδες ἡμῶν ἐν ταῖς αὐλαῖς σου, Ἱερουσαλήμ. Εἶδες ἡδονῆς ὑπερβολήν; Ὡς τῶν πραγμάτων ἀπολαύοντες αὐτῶν, καὶ πρὸς τὰ ῥήματα 55.348 αὐτὰ ἔχαιρον, πολλῷ τῷ πόθῳ περιπλεκόμενοι τὸν εὐκτήριον οἶκον καὶ τὴν πόλιν. Οὕτως ὁ Θεὸς ἀεὶ ποιεῖν εἴωθεν. Ὅταν γὰρ ἔχοντες τὰ ἀγαθὰ μὴ αἰσθανώμεθα, ἐκβάλλει αὐτὰ τῶν χειρῶν τῶν ἡμετέρων, ἵν' ὅπερ οὐκ ἐποίησεν ἡ ἀπόλαυσις, τοῦτο ποιήσῃ ἡ στέρησις· ὅπερ οὖν καὶ αὐτοὶ πεπόνθασιν ἀντεχόμενοι τῆς πόλεως, ἀντεχόμενοι τοῦ ναοῦ, εἰδότες αὐτῷ χάριν πολλὴν ὑπὲρ ὧν τὴν πατρίδα ἀπέλαβον. Ἱερουσαλὴμ οἰκοδομουμένη ὡς πόλις. Ἕτερος, Τὴν ᾠκοδομημένην ὡς πόλιν. Ἢ τοίνυν κατὰ τοὺς Ἑβδομήκοντα τοῦτό ἐστιν, ὅτι οἰκοδομηθήσεται ἡ Ἱερουσαλὴμ ὡς πόλις, τὸν πρὸ τοῦ οἰκοδομηθῆναι χρόνον δηλοῦντος τοῦ λόγου· ἢ κατὰ τὸν ἕτερον ἑρμηνευτὴν, Ἀπελάβομεν τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ, Τὴν ᾠκοδομημένην ὡς πόλιν, τὰ μετὰ τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν γενόμενα ἐμφαίνοντα. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τότε ἐρημία πολλὴ πανταχοῦ τῆς πόλεως ἦν καὶ ἐρείπια, τῶν πύργων καταβεβλημένων, τῶν τειχῶν ἐῤῥιμμένων, καὶ λείψανα μόνον ἔμενε τῆς ἀρχαίας πατρίδος, ἐπανελθόντες, καὶ ἰδόντες τὴν ἐρημίαν, ἀνακαλοῦνται τὴν παλαιὰν ἐκείνην εὐημερίαν, καὶ τὰ ἐγκώμια αὐτῆς διηγοῦνται, λέγοντες, ὅτι Ἡ λαμπρὰ καὶ περιφανὴς, καὶ ἔχουσα ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ ἄρχοντας, καὶ βασιλεῖς, καὶ ἀρχιερεῖς, καὶ πολλῷ κομῶσα τῷ κόσμῳ, τὸ κατηφὲς τοῦτο σχῆμα περιβέβληται νῦν. Καὶ ὅτι τοῦτό ἐστιν, ἄκουσον τῶν ἑξῆς· Ἱερουσαλὴμ οἰκοδομουμένη ὡς πόλις. Τότε γὰρ οὔπω πόλις ἦν. ∆ῆλον καὶ ἐξ οὗ ἐπάγει, λέγων· Ἧς ἡ μετοχὴ αὐτῆς ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό. Τὸ γὰρ συγκεκροτημένον αὐτῆς λέγει τῶν οἰκοδομῶν, καὶ τὸ ἀσφαλὲς, καὶ τὸ πεπυκνωμένον, καὶ ὅτι οὐδὲν ἔρημον εἶχε κατὰ τὸ μέσον, ἀλλὰ πάντοθεν ἦν πεπυκνωμένη, ἀπηρτισμένη, συγκεκροτημένη, συνεχής τις οὖσα καὶ συνημμένη οὕτω πρὸ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας. ∆ιὸ καί τις ἑρμηνευτής φησι, τοῦτο δηλῶν, Συνάφειαν ἔχουσα. Εἶτα μετὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἕτερον ἐγκώμιον αὐτῆς φησιν· Ἐκεῖ γὰρ ἀνέβησαν αἱ φυλαὶ, φυλαὶ Κυρίου, μαρτύριον τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, τοῦ ἐξομολογήσασθαι τῷ ὀνόματι Κυρίου. Τούτῳ γὰρ μάλιστα ἐκοσμεῖτο ἡ πόλις· οὐχ οὕτω τῷ μεγέθει καὶ τοῖς οἰκοδομήμασιν, ὡς τῷ πάντας ἐκεῖ συλλέγεσθαι, εἴτε βουλή τις, εἴτε ἐκκλησία ἐγίνετο, εἴτε περί τινων σκέψις ἦν προκειμένη. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὁ ναὸς αὐτόθι ἦν, καὶ ἡ ἁγιαστία πᾶσα ἐπετελεῖτο, καὶ ἱερεῖς, καὶ Λευῖται, καὶ τὸ ἀνάκτορον, καὶ τὰ ἄδυτα, καὶ τὰ προπύλαια, καὶ θυσίαι, καὶ βωμὸς, καὶ ἑορταὶ, καὶ πανηγύρεις, καὶ εὐχαὶ, καὶ ἀκροάσεις, καὶ ἁπλῶς εἰπεῖν τῆς πολιτείας τὸ σχῆμα ἐκεῖ συγκεκροτημένον ἦν, ἔδει τὰς φυλὰς ἐκεῖ συλλέγεσθαι μάλιστα τρίτον τοῦ ἐνιαυτοῦ ἐν ταῖς ἐπισήμοις καὶ δημοτελέσιν ἑορταῖς, ἐν τῷ Πάσχα, ἐν τῇ Πεντηκοστῇ, ἐν τῇ Σκηνοπηγίᾳ. Οὐ γὰρ ἐξῆν ἀλλαχοῦ. Λέγων τοίνυν αὐτῆς τὸ ἐγκώμιον, φησίν· Ἐκεῖ ἀνέβησαν αἱ φυλαί. Καὶ ἕτερος, Ἐκεῖ ἀνέβησαν σκῆπτρα. Καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς, Φυλαὶ, ἀλλὰ, Φυλαὶ Κυρίου. Πᾶσαι αἱ φυλαὶ ἦσαν Κυρίου, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐξῆν αὐταῖς οὐδὲ οὕτως ἐν τῇ οἰκείᾳ πατρίδι ταῦτα ἐπιτελεῖν, ἀλλὰ τούτῳ τετίμητο ἡ μητρόπολις, πάντας συνάγουσα καὶ ἕλκουσα πρὸς ἑαυτήν. βʹ. Τοῦτο δὲ ἐγίνετο εἰς θεογνωσίας ὑπόθεσιν, ἵνα μὴ 55.349 πανταχοῦ πλανώμενοι ἀφορμὰς ἔχωσι καὶ ἐξόδους ἐπὶ τὴν τῶν εἰδώλων θεραπείαν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἐκεῖ θύεσθαι, ἐκεῖ εὔχεσθαι, ἐκεῖ πανήγυριν ἔχειν ἐκέλευσε, τῇ στενοχωρίᾳ τοῦ τόπου τὴν πεπλανημένην αὐτῶν διάνοιαν ἀποτειχίζων, ἀναστέλλων τε καὶ ἀναχαιτίζων ἐπὶ