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those who have pleased you from generation to generation; that is, since we once came to be called your inheritance, even if we do not serve through obedience. And also because of the tribes of your inheritance, which amounts to the same thing. That is, turn us back to those who please you in form, so that on the pretext of the worthy we too may be able to obtain a small portion in the holy mountain promised by you. For Scripture is accustomed to call the Church a holy mountain, of which those from Israel have become a small part, on account of the remnant, from the infinite multitude of the Gentiles who believed. It is likely that they also ask to inherit a small part in the city above. But some say that when the Assyrians had taken their land, and settled the Cuthaeans in their place, who were also nicknamed Samaritans from the place, only two and a half tribes were left, which held a small part. The prophet asks that what they seemed to have be preserved for them, as a reminder of the good will towards their race from the beginning, which being taken away, so that we would not be your people, nor called your portion, that is, as from the beginning, when we were sojourning in Egypt, having no prophets, no priests, no kings, nor any of your gifts, before Moses was sent to us. For then we were not called yours. And now we have come to the same end, having fallen under the feet of the devil, and given over to worldly desires. For making these 2680 bricks we serve evil spirits. Which also happens now. The Savior illustrates this when speaking of the spirit that went out, and returned with seven others more wicked, when he said that the last state is worse than the first: So shall it be with this generation. Therefore, what has now been said prophetically is referred to the time after the visitation, when on account of their actions against Christ they have been overlooked, as when God did not rule over them. But Symmachus rendered the whole saying thus: We have become as from of old, over whom you will not have authority, nor has your name been called upon them, nor having torn the heavens did you come down from your presence. Mountains flowed down as from the burning of a fire. The sea melted; the waters were troubled. For such, he says, we have become, as though we had never experienced your wonders, which you showed in the time of Moses. But according to the Seventy: We have become as from the beginning. Yet we know that if you are willing to open the heaven, as God, trembling will seize the mountains from you; that is, the opposing powers, those that exalt themselves against the knowledge of you. And you will confound the nations, those that do not know you. For it is a custom for the prophets to ask that the wrath against sinful Israel be sent away to the foreigners. For also in the Psalms he says: "Pour out your wrath upon the nations that do not know you, and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon your name." CHAP. 64. 12. 9If you open the heaven, trembling will seize the mountains from you, and they will melt, as wax melts from fire. And fire will burn up the adversaries, and the name of the Lord will be manifest among the adversaries9, etc. And now he says: If you open the heaven with the descent of wrath, as in the time of the flood (for the cataracts of heaven were opened), your name will be manifest among the adversaries, as when he sent fire upon the Sodomites, and afflicted Pharaoh with many plagues. Therefore, through wrath against them, not through that against us, may you manifest your glory. But these present things are indicative that the people did not suffer such things through the weakness of God, but were abandoned on account of sins alone. For so great is the power of God, as to rule over heaven and the things under it. Whence from of old we have not heard who is another such God, nor have we seen a maker of such works; for no one has ever seen God; and, No one will see my face and live. But he is known from what he makes and does. "For his invisible attributes," he says, "from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood through the things that are made." And perhaps he also alludes to Christ, who also appeared on Sinai through the glory that was manifest to all. For he says, As all the people saw the 2681 glory of the Lord. But to those who wait for you, that is, those who hope in you, he lavishes his mercy. It will follow

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κατὰ γενεὰν εὐαρεστήσαντάς σοι· ἤγουν ἐπειδὴ ἅπαξ ἐφθάσαμεν κλῆρος ὀνομάζεσθαι σὸς, εἰ καὶ μὴ δι' εὐπειθείας δουλεύομεν. Ἔτι δὲ καὶ διὰ τὰς φυλὰς τῆς κληρονομίας σου, ὅπερ εἰς ταὐτὸν τείνει. Ἤγουν τοὺς κατ' εἶδος εὐαρεστοῦντάς σοι ἐπίστρεψον ἡμᾶς, ἵνα προφάσει τῶν ἀξίων δυνηθῶμεν καὶ ἡμεῖς μικρᾶς μερίδος τυχεῖν ἐν τῷ ἐπηγγελμένῳ ὑπὸ σοῦ ὄρει ἁγίῳ. Φίλον δὲ τῇ Γραφῇ ὄρος ἅγιον τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν καλεῖν, ἧς γεγόνασι βραχύ τι μέρος οἱ ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ, διὰ τὸ κατάλειμμα, τοῦ ἐξ ἐθνῶν ἀπείρου πλήθους πιστεύσαντος. Εἰκὸς δὲ αὐτοὺς αἰτεῖν καὶ ἐν τῇ ἄνω πόλει βραχύ τι μέρος κληρονομεῖν. Τινὲς δέ φασιν, τῶν Ἀσσυρίων τὴν γῆν αὐτῶν ἐσχηκότων, ἀντοικισάντων τε τοὺς Γοθοαίους, οἳ καὶ Σαμαρεῖται τῷ τόπῳ παρωνομάσθησαν, περιλειφθῆναι δύο ἥμισυ μόνον φυλὰς, αἳ βραχύ τι μέρος κατεῖχον. Ὁ προφήτης αἰτεῖ ὅπερ ἔχειν ἐδόκουν, αὐτοῖς φυλαχθῆναι πρὸς μνήμην τῆς ἐξ ἀρχῆς εἰς τὸ γένος αὐτῶν εὐμενείας, ἧσπερ ἀρθείσης, ὡς μὴ λαὸς ἐσόμεθα σὸς, μηδὲ μερίς σου χρηματίσαντες, ἤγουν ὡς τὸ ἀπ' ἀρχῆς, ὅτε τὴν ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ διατριβὴν ἐποιούμεθα, οὐ προφήτας, οὐχ ἱερέας, οὐ βασιλεῖς ἐσχηκότες, οὐδὲ τῶν σῶν χαρισμάτων οὐδὲν, πρὶν ἡμῖν ἀποσταλῆναι τὸν Μωσέα. Τότε γὰρ οὐκ ἐλεγόμεθα σοί. Καὶ νῦν δὲ εἰς τὸ αὐτὸ περιέστημεν τέλος, ὑπὸ πόδας πεσόντες τοὺς διαβολικοὺς, καὶ κοσμικαῖς ἐκδοθέντες ἐπιθυμίαις. Ταύτας γὰρ 2680 πλινθοποιοῦντες ἐλατρεύομεν πνεύμασι πονηροῖς. Ὃ καὶ νῦν γίνεται. Τοῦτο δὲ παρίστησιν ὁ Σωτὴρ περὶ τοῦ ἐξελθόντος πνεύματος λέγων, καὶ ὑποστρέψαντος μεθ' ἑτέρων πονηροτέρων ζʹ, ὅτε τὰ ἔσχατα χείρονα τῶν πρώτων εἰπών· Οὕτως ἔσται τῇ γενεᾷ ταύτῃ. Οὐκοῦν τὰ νῦν εἰρημένα προφητικῶς ἐπὶ τὸν καιρὸν τὸν μετὰ τὴν ἐπιδημίαν ἀνάγεται, ὅτε διὰ τὰ κατὰ Χριστοῦ παρεώρανται, ὡς ὅτε τούτων οὐκ ἦρχε Θεός. Ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος τὴν ὅλην οὕτως ἐξέδωκε ῥῆσιν· Ἐγενήθημεν ὡς ἀπ' αἰῶνος, ὧν οὐκ ἐξουσιάσεις, οὐδὲ ἐπεκλήθη τὸ ὄνομά σου αὐτοῖς, οὐδὲ ῥήξας οὐρανοὺς κατέβης ἀπὸ προσώπου σου. Ὄρη κατέῤῥευσεν ὡς ἔκκαυσις πυρός. Ἐτάκη θάλασσα· ὕδατα ἐπτοήθησαν. Τοιοῦτοι γὰρ, φησὶ, γεγόναμεν, ὡς μηδὲ πώποτε τῶν σῶν πειραθέντες θαυμάτων, ἅπερ ἔδειξας ἐπὶ Μωσέως. Κατὰ δὲ τοὺς Ἑβδομήκοντα· Γεγόναμεν ὡς τὸ ἀπαρχῆς. Πλὴν ἴσμεν, ὡς ἐὰν θελήσῃς ἀνοῖξαι τὸν οὐρανὸν, ὡς Θεὸς, τρόμος λήψεται ἀπὸ σοῦ ὄρη· τὰς ἀντικειμένας δηλονότι δυνάμεις, τὰς ἐπαιρομένας κατὰ τῆς γνώσεώς σου. Καὶ τὰ ἔθνη δὲ, τὰ μὴ εἰδότα σε, ταράξεις. Ἔθος δὲ τοῖς προφήταις τὴν κατὰ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ἡμαρτηκότος ὀργὴν εἰς τοὺς ἀλλοφύλους αἰτεῖν ἀποπέμπεσθαι. Καὶ ἐν Ψαλμοῖς γάρ φησιν· "Ἔκχεον τὴν ὀργήν σου ἐπὶ τὰ ἔθνη τὰ μὴ γινώσκοντά σε, καὶ ἐπὶ βασιλείας, αἳ τὸ ὄνομά σου οὐκ ἐπεκαλέσαντο." ΚΕΦΑΛ. Ξ∆ʹ. αιβʹ. 9Ἐὰν ἀνοίξῃς τὸν οὐρανὸν, τρόμος λήψεται ἀπὸ σοῦ ὄρη, καὶ τακήσονται, ὡς κηρὸς ἀπὸ πυρὸς τήκεται. Καὶ κατακαύσει πῦρ τοὺς ὑπεναντίους, καὶ φανερὸν ἔσται τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου ἐν τοῖς ὑπεναντίοισ9, κ.τ.λ. Καὶ νῦν δέ φησιν· Ἐὰν ἀνοίξῃς τὸν οὐρανὸν τῇ καθόδῳ τῆς ὀργῆς, ὡς ἐν καιρῷ τοῦ κατακλυσμοῦ (ἀνεῴχθησαν γὰρ οἱ καταράκται τοῦ οὐρανοῦ), ἔσται σου φανερὸν τὸ ὄνομα ἐν τοῖς ὑπεναντίοις, ὡς ὅτε Σοδομίταις ἠφίει τὸ πῦρ, καὶ πληγαῖς πολλαῖς ᾐκίσατο Φαραώ. ∆ιὰ τῆς οὖν κατ' ἐκείνων ὀργῆς, μὴ διὰ τῆς καθ' ἡμῶν, φανερώσῃς τὴν σεαυτοῦ δόξαν. Τὰ δὲ παρόντα ταῦτα, παραστατικὰ τοῦ μὴ δι' ἀσθένειαν τοῦ Θεοῦ τοιαῦτα παθεῖν τὸν λαὸν, διὰ δὲ μόνας ἁμαρτίας ἐγκαταλελεῖφθαι. Τοσαύτη γὰρ ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ δύναμις, ὡς οὐρανοῦ καὶ τῶν ὑπὸ τούτου κρατεῖν. Ὅθεν ἀπ' αἰῶνος οὐκ ἠκούσαμεν τίς ἕτερος τοιοῦτος Θεὸς, οὐδὲ τοιούτων ἔργων τεθεάμεθα ποιητήν· Θεὸν μὲν γὰρ οὐδεὶς ἑώρακε πώποτε· καὶ, Οὐδεὶς ὄψεταί μου τὸ πρόσωπον καὶ ζήσεται. Ἀφ' ὧν δὲ ποιεῖ καὶ πράττει γνωρίζεται. "Τὰ γὰρ ἀόρατα αὐτοῦ, φησὶν, ἀπὸ κτίσεως κόσμου τοῖς ποιήμασι νοούμενα καθορᾶται." Καὶ τὸν Χριστὸν δὲ ἵσως αἰνίττεται τὸν καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Σινᾶ φανέντα διὰ τῆς ἐμφαινομένης πᾶσι δόξης. Φησὶ γὰρ, Ὡς ἑώρα πᾶς ὁ λαὸς τὴν 2681 δόξαν Κυρίου. Τοῖς δὲ ὑπομένουσί σε, τοῦτ' ἔστι τοῖς ἐλπίζουσιν ἐπὶ σὲ, ἐπιδαψιλεύει τὸν ἔλεον. Ἕψεται