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he needed a long life. And how would Ethiopians and kings of Tarshish and the isles be subjected to him, and all the kings of the earth worship him, and all the nations serve him? For because of all these things, he needed a sufficient life. Therefore, after all these things, the phrase "and he shall live" is well and necessarily added; the immortal and eternal life of the one prophesied being shown in this way. Next it is said: "And to him shall be given of the gold of Arabia." But instead of "of Arabia," the Hebrew scripture again has "Sheba"; and the other translators have used the same word. Figuratively, then, one might say this gold signifies the purest mind among men. And historically the oracle was fulfilled, when the magi from the east came and worshiped the Savior while he was a child, and offered to him gold and frankincense and myrrh. And perhaps the phrase, "he shall live," also refers to that time, when Herod, plotting against the infant Jesus, "sent and slew all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time which he had ascertained from the wise men." For then Joseph, being divinely warned, took Mary his wife and the child, and departed into Egypt. Therefore, this present prophecy, decreeing these things, foretold that "he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Arabia" which is from Sheba; as if it said more clearly "of the choice gold." For this Sheba and the nation of the Sabeans is said to be of Arabia which is called Felix; and from there it is recorded that choice gold, among other things, was brought to Solomon. And in another way, we see with our own eyes in the churches of Christ countless treasures of pure gold dedicated in his honor. Rightly, therefore, the word did not deign to overlook the mention of these things. And it adds next: "And they will pray concerning him continually; all the day long each one shall bless him." And it does not need many words to show how all who have believed in the Christ of God offer unceasing prayers "concerning him," that they might have him always with them, and becoming a helper to them all. And who would doubt that all the day long each one blesses him? For by night and by day, more than breathing, every soul of those who have genuinely believed in him, honoring and revering his name, blesses him, convinced that the blessing returns upon itself, according to the oracle spoken in the person of Christ himself: "Those who bless you are blessed, and those who curse you are cursed." Whence also the race of Christians grows and multiplies daily, because it partakes of the blessing from God, which it enjoys by unceasingly blessing his Christ, according to the scripture at hand which says: "All the day long they shall bless him;" And he presents the cause of these things, saying: "There shall be a support in the earth on the top of the mountains." Thus he signifies his Church, founded and established upon the unbreakable rock of his power, and lifted up and exalted, as if set on the tops of mountains, that is, of prophetic and apostolic words, on which the Church of our Savior is built. "His fruit shall be exalted above Lebanon, and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth." How the fruit of our prophesied Savior was exalted above Lebanon, you will understand by collecting the things said about Lebanon in the prophecies. For it is said in Isaiah: "Behold, the Lord of Sabaoth shall confound the glorious ones with might;" and next: "And Lebanon with its high ones shall fall." And it is also said in Zechariah: "Open your gates, O Lebanon, and let the fire devour your cedars." And it is also said in the 28th psalm: "He will break the cedars of Lebanon, and will make them fine like the calf of Lebanon." And it is explained

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μακροβίου ζωῆς ἔδει αὐτῷ. Πῶς τε ὑποταγεῖεν αὐτῷ Αἰθίοπες καὶ βασιλεῖς Θαρσεῖς καὶ νῆσοι, προσκυνήσουσί τε αὐτῷ πάντες οἱ βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς, καὶ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη δουλεύσουσιν αὐτῷ; Τούτων γὰρ ἕνεκα πάντων διαρκοῦς αὐτῷ ζωῆς ἔδει. ∆ιὸ μετὰ ταῦτα πάντα καλῶς καὶ ἀναγκαίως ἐπενήνεκται τὸ, «καὶ ζήσεται·» τοῦτον δηλουμένης τὸν τρόπον τῆς τοῦ προφητευομένου ἀθανάτου καὶ αἰωνίου ζωῆς. Ἑξῆς δ' εἴρηται· «Καὶ δοθήσεται αὐτῷ ἐκ τοῦ χρυσίου τῆς Ἀραβίας.» Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ, «τῆς Ἀραβίας,» πάλιν ἡ Ἑβραϊκὴ γραφὴ τὸ «Σαβὰ» περιέχει· οἵ τε λοιποὶ ἑρμηνευταὶ τῇ ὁμοίᾳ κέχρηνται τῇ φωνῇ. Τροπικῶς μὲν οὖν εἴποι ἄν τις τὸ χρυσίον τοῦτο σημαίνειν τὸν ἐν ἀνθρώποις καθαρώτατον νοῦν. Καὶ κατὰ ἱστορίαν δὲ ἐπληροῦτο τὸ λόγιον, ὅτε οἱ ἐξ ἀνατολῆς μάγοι ἐλθόντες παῖδα ὄντα προσεκύνησαν τὸν Σωτῆρα, προσήνεγκάν τε αὐτῷ χρυσίον καὶ λίβανον καὶ σμύρναν. Μή ποτε δὲ καὶ τὸ, «ζήσεται,» εἰς ἐκεῖνον ἀναφέρεται τὸν χρόνον, καθ' ὃν Ἡρώδης, ἐπιβουλεύων νηπιάζοντι τῷ Ἰησοῦ, «πέμψας ἀνεῖλε πάντας τοὺς περὶ τὴν Βηθλεὲμ παῖδας ἀπὸ διετοῦς καὶ κατωτέρω, κατὰ τὸν χρόνον ὃν ἠκρίβωσε παρὰ τῶν μάγων.» Τότε γὰρ χρηματισθεὶς ὁ Ἰωσὴφ, παρέλαβε Μαρίαν τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ παιδίον, καὶ ἀνεχώρησεν εἰς Αἴγυπτον. ∆ιὸ ταῦτα θεσπίζουσα ἡ παροῦσα προφητεία προὔλεγεν, ὅτι «ζήσεται, καὶ δοθήσεται αὐτῷ ἐκ τοῦ χρυσίου τῆς Ἀραβίας» τοῦ ἀπὸ Σαβά· ὡσεὶ σαφέστερον ἔλεγε «τοῦ ἐκλεκτοῦ.» Ἡ γὰρ Σαβὰ αὕτη καὶ τὸ Σαβαϊτῶν ἔθνος λέγεται εἶναι τῆς Ἀραβίας τῆς καλουμένης Εὐδαίμονος· ἐντεῦθέν τε ἱστορεῖται τῷ Σολομῶνι φέρεσθαι μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων καὶ χρυσίον ἐκλεκτόν. Καὶ ἄλλως δὲ αὐτοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ὁρῶμεν ἐν ταῖς ἐκκλησίαις Χριστοῦ μυρία κειμήλια ἀπὸ χρυσίου καθαροῦ εἰς αὐτοῦ τε τιμὴν ἀφιερούμενα. Εἰκότως οὖν οὐδὲ τὴν τούτων μνήμην παριδεῖν ἠξίωσεν ὁ λόγος. Ἐπιλέγει δὲ ἑξῆς· «Καὶ προσεύξονται περὶ αὐτοῦ διηνεκῶς, διὰ πάσης ἡμέρας ἕκαστος εὐλογήσει αὐτόν.» Οὐ δεῖ δὲ πολλῶν λόγων εἰς τὸ παραστῆσαι ὅπως πάντες οἱ εἰς τὸν Χριστὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ πεπιστευκότες ἀδιαλείπτους ἀναφέρουσιν εὐχὰς «περὶ αὐτοῦ,» ὡς ἂν ἔχοιεν αὐτὸν αἰεὶ συνόντα, καὶ βοηθὸν αὐτοῖς πᾶσι γιγνόμενον. Ὡς δὲ διὰ πάσης ἡμέρας ἕκαστος εὐλογεῖ αὐτὸν, τίς ἂν ἀμφιβάλλοι; Νύκτωρ γοῦν καὶ μεθ' ἡμέραν πλεῖον τῆς ἀναπνοῆς πᾶσα ψυχὴ τῶν εἰς αὐτὸν γνησίως πεπιστευκότων, τὴν προσηγορίαν αὐτοῦ τιμῶσα καὶ σέβουσα εὐλογεῖ αὐτὸν, πεπεισμένη εἰς ἑαυτὴν ἀντιστρέφειν τὴν εὐλογίαν, ἀκολούθως λογίῳ εἰς αὐτοῦ πρόσωπον Χριστοῦ φήσαντι· «Οἱ εὐλογοῦντές σε εὐλόγηνται, καὶ οἱ καταρώμενοί σε κεκατήρανται.» Ὅθεν καὶ αὔξει ὁσημέραι καὶ πληθύει τὸ Χριστιανῶν γένος, διὰ τὸ μετέχειν τῆς ἐκ Θεοῦ εὐλογίας, ἧς ἀπολαύει διὰ τὸ ἀδια 23.816 λείπτως τὸν Χριστὸν αὐτοῦ εὐλογεῖν ἀκολούθως τῇ μετὰ χεῖρας γραφῇ φασκούσῃ· «Ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν εὐλογήσουσιν αὐτόν·» Καὶ τὸ τούτων αἴτιον παρίστησι λέγων· «Ἔσται στήριγμα ἐν τῇ γῇ ἐπ' ἄκρου τῶν ὀρέων.» Οὕτω δὲ σημαίνει τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν αὐτοῦ τεθεμελιωμένην καὶ ἐστηριγμένην ἐπὶ τὴν ἀῤῥαγῆ τῆς αὐτοῦ δυνάμεως πέτραν, ἐπηρμένην δὲ καὶ ὑψωμένην, ὡς ἂν ἐπὶ ἄκρα ὀρέων κειμένην, προφητικῶν δηλαδὴ καὶ ἀποστολικῶν λόγων, οἷς ἡ Ἐκκλησία τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἐποικοδομεῖται. «Ὑπεραρθήσεται ὑπὲρ τὸν Λίβανον ὁ καρπὸς αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐξανθήσουσιν ἐκ πόλεως ὡσεὶ χόρτος τῆς γῆς.» Ὅπως ὑπερήρθη τοῦ προφητευομένου Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ὁ καρπὸς ὑπὲρ τὸν Λίβανον νοήσεις τὰ περὶ τοῦ Λιβάνου ἐν προφητείαις λελεγμένα συναγαγών. Εἴρηται δὲ ἐν μὲν τῷ Ἡσαΐᾳ· «Ἰδοὺ δὴ Κύριος Σαβαὼθ συνταράσσει τοὺς εὐδόξους μετὰ ἰσχύος·» καὶ ἑξῆς· «Ὁ δὲ Λίβανος σὺν τοῖς ὑψηλοῖς πεσεῖται.» Λέλεκται δὲ καὶ ἐν Ζαχαρίᾳ· «∆ιάνοιξον, ὁ Λίβανος, τὰς πύλας σου, καὶ καταφαγέτω πῦρ τὰς κέδρους σου.» Εἴρηται δὲ καὶ ἐν κηʹ ψαλμῷ· «Συντρίψει τὰς κέδρους τοῦ Λιβάνου, καὶ λεπτυνεῖ αὐτὰς ὡς τὸν μόσχον τὸν Λίβανον.» Ἐπιλύεται δὲ