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Both are true. For holiness was given from there, and the inscribed letters were productive of holiness and of strength. 3. Well then did he speak thus; for God showed great power through it, both once, and twice, and many times, such as when it was taken by the Azotians, when it brought down the idols, when it struck those who had taken it, when it stopped the plague upon its being returned, and through the other things which it worked there, it demonstrated its strength. What is, "Arise into your rest"? Establish us who are wandering, he says, and the ark which is being carried about, and at last, finally give it rest. Your priests will be clothed with righteousness. Another, "Let them be clothed about." Another, "Let them put on," which is especially clearer; for it is of one praying, not of one prophesying, and asking for the possession of virtue. And here he calls righteousness sanctification, priesthood, worship, sacrifices, offerings, and with these, a precise way of life, since this especially ought to be required from priests. And your holy ones will rejoice; these things having happened. See that he seeks not the building of a city, nor an abundance of provisions, nor any other prosperity, but the beauty of the temple, the resting of the ark, the complement of priests, sanctification, worship, the priesthood. Then, since they asked these things, but were themselves liable for many sins, he takes refuge again in his forefather, saying: "For the sake of David your servant, do not turn away the face of your anointed one." What is, "For the sake of David your servant"? Not only on account of his virtue, he says, nor because he showed such zeal for raising up the temple, but because you also made a covenant with him. "For the sake of David your servant, do not turn away the face of your anointed one." Of whom does he speak? Of the one then anointed and leading the people, and presiding over the people. "The Lord swore an oath to David in truth, and he will not turn back from it." "Of the fruit of your womb I will set upon your throne." For since he remembered David, and the virtue of the man, and his zeal for the temple, and told the ancient narratives, and deemed it worthy to appear in his former way of life, which has the greatest importance, he puts this forward, reading out the covenants of God. And what are these? "Of the fruit of your womb I will set upon your throne." But the covenants were not made simply, but with a certain stipulation. And what was the stipulation? Listen; for he adds: "If your sons keep my covenant, and these my testimonies which I will teach them, their sons also forever will sit upon your throne." God, having made these covenants, handed them the bond; and they in turn said, "All that the Lord has said, we will do and we will hear." Then, since he sees the one party has transgressed the covenants, he brings the discourse to the place, moving exhortatory words from every side, and saying: "For the Lord has chosen Zion, he has desired it for his dwelling." "This is my resting place forever and ever." "Here I will dwell, because I have desired it." That is, a man did not choose the place, but God voted for it, condescending to their weakness. What he says, then, is something like this: The one you desired, the one you chose, the one you voted for, the one you approved as suitable, do not let it fall away, nor be destroyed. For you said these things, that "I will dwell here." But these things were said with those covenants. Which ones indeed? "If your sons keep my covenant." "Blessing I will bless her provision." Another, "Her food supply." By provision he means the abundance of goods, the prosperity, and he prays that all things might flow to them as from springs. For the Jews of old had such a constitution, not feeling the physical necessities, if ever

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ἀμφότερα δὲ ἀληθῆ. Καὶ γὰρ ἡ ἁγιωσύνη ἐκεῖθεν ἐδίδοτο, καὶ ἁγιωσύνης ἦν ποιητικὰ τὰ γράμματα τὰ ἐπικείμενα, καὶ ἰσχύος. γʹ. Καλῶς οὖν οὕτως εἶπε· πολλὴν γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς ἐνεδείξατο δι' αὐτῆς δύναμιν, καὶ ἅπαξ, καὶ δὶς, καὶ πολλάκις, οἷον ὅτε ἐλήφθη παρὰ τῶν Ἀζωτίων, ὅτε τὰ εἴδωλα κατήνεγκεν, ὅτε ἔπληξε τοὺς εἰληφότας, ὅτε ἔστησε τὴν πληγὴν ἀποδοθείσης αὐτῆς, καὶ διὰ τῶν ἄλλων δὲ, δι' ὧν αὐτόθι εἰργάζετο, τὴν ἰσχὺν ἐπεδείκνυτο τὴν ἑαυτοῦ. Τί δέ ἐστιν, Ἀνάστηθι εἰς τὴν ἀνάπαυσίν σου; Στῆσον ἡμᾶς ἀλωμένους, φησὶ, καὶ τὴν κιβωτὸν περιφερομένην, καὶ ὀψὲ γοῦν ποτε ἀνάπαυσον αὐτήν. Οἱ ἱερεῖς σου ἐνδύσονται δικαιοσύνην. Ἕτερος, Ἀμφιεσθήτωσαν. Ἄλλος,Ἐνδυσάσθωσαν, ὅπερ μάλιστά ἐστι σαφέστερον· εὐχομένου γάρ ἐστιν, οὐχὶ προφητεύοντος, καὶ αἰτοῦντος τὴν τῆς ἀρετῆς κτῆσιν. ∆ικαιοσύνην δὲ ἐνταῦθά φησι τὴν ἁγιαστίαν, τὴν ἱερωσύνην, τὴν λατρείαν, τὰς θυσίας, τὰς προσφορὰς, καὶ μετὰ τούτων τὴν ἀκριβῆ πολιτείαν, ἐπειδὴ μάλιστα καὶ παρὰ ἱερέων ταύτην ἀπαιτεῖσθαι χρή. Καὶ οἱ ὅσιοί σου ἀγγαλλιάσονται· τούτων γενομένων. Ὅρα αὐτὸν οὐ πόλεως ζητοῦντα οἰκοδομὴν, οὐκ ἀφθονίαν ὠνίων, οὐ τὴν ἄλλην εὐπραγίαν, ἀλλὰ τὴν εὐπρέπειαν τοῦ ναοῦ, τὴν τῆς κιβωτοῦ κατάπαυσιν, τὸ τῶν ἱερέων πλήρωμα, τὴν ἁγιαστίαν, τὴν λατρείαν, τὴν ἱερωσύνην. Εἶτα ἐπειδὴ ταῦτα ᾔτησαν, αὐτοὶ δὲ ὑπεύθυνοι ἁμαρτήμασιν ἦσαν πολλοῖς, ἐπὶ τὸν πρόγονον καταφεύγει πάλιν λέγων· Ἕνεκεν ∆αυῒδ τοῦ δούλου σου μὴ ἀποστρέψῃς τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ κριστοῦ σου. Τί ἐστιν, Ἕνεκεν ∆αυῒδ τοῦ δούλου σου; Οὐ διὰ τὴν ἀρετὴν ἐκείνου μόνον, φησὶν, οὐδ' ὅτι τοσαύτην σπουδὴν ἐποιήσατο πρὸς τὸ τὸν ναὸν ἀνα 55.383 στῆσαι, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ συνθήκας ἔθου πρὸς αὐτόν. Ἕνεκεν ∆αυῒδ τοῦ δούλου σου μὴ ἀποστρέψῃς τὸ πρόσωπον τοῦ κριστοῦ σου. Τίνος φησί; Τοῦ τότε χρισθέντος καὶ δημαγωγοῦντος, καὶ προεστῶτος τοῦ λαοῦ. Ὤμοσε Κύριος τοῦ ∆αυῒδ ἀλήθειαν, καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀθετήσει αὐτήν. Ἐκ καρποῦ τῆς κοιλίας σου θήσομαι ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου σου. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐμνήσθη τοῦ ∆αυῒδ, καὶ τῆς ἀρετῆς τοῦ ἀνδρὸς, καὶ τῆς σπουδῆς τῆς πρὸς τὸν ναὸν, καὶ τὰ παλαιὰ διηγήματα εἶπε, καὶ ἠξίωσεν ἐπὶ τῆς προτέρας αὐτοῦ φανῆναι πολιτείας, ὅπερ μέγιστον ἔχει κεφάλαιον, τοῦτο προβάλλεται, τὰς συνθήκας ἀναγινώσκων τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ποῖαι δὲ αὗταί εἰσιν; Ἐκ καρποῦ τῆς κοιλίας σου θήσομαι ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου σου. Ἀλλ' οὐχ ἁπλῶς αἱ συνθῆκαι ἐγένοντο, ἀλλὰ μετὰ διορισμοῦ τινος. Τίς δὲ ἦν ὁ διορισμός; Ἄκουε· ἐπάγει γάρ· Ἐὰν φυλάξωνται οἱ υἱοί σου τὴν διαθήκην μου, καὶ τὰ μαρτύριά μου ταῦτα. ἃ διδάξω αὐτοὺς, καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτῶν ἕως τοῦ αἰῶνος καθιοῦνται ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου σου. Ταύτας τὰς συνθήκας θέμενος ὁ Θεὸς, αὐτοῖς ἐνεχείρισε τὸ χειρόγραφον· κἀκεῖνοι πάλιν ἔλεγον, Πάντα ὅσα εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος ποιήσομεν καὶ ἀκουσόμεθα. Εἶτα ἐπειδὴ ὁρᾷ τὸ ἓν μέρος παραβεβηκὸς τὰς συνθήκας, ἐπὶ τὸν τόπον ἄγει τὸν λόγον, πανταχόθεν κινῶν λόγους παρακλητικοὺς, καὶ λέγων· Ὅτι ἐξελέξατο Κύριος τὴν Σιὼν, ᾑρετίσατο αὐτὴν εἰς κατοικίαν ἑαυτῷ. Αὕτη ἡ κατάπαυσίς μου εἰς αἰῶνα αἰῶνος. Ὧδε κατοικήσω, ὅτι ᾑρετισάμην αὐτήν. Τουτέστιν, οὐκ ἄνθρωπος τὸν τόπον ἐξελέξατο, ἀλλ' ὁ Θεὸς αὐτὸν ἐψηφίσατο, συγκαταβαίνων αὐτῶν τῇ ἀσθενείᾳ. Ὃ οὖν λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· ὃν εἵλου, ὃν ἐξελέξω, ὃν ἐψηφίσω, ὃν ἐδοκίμασας ἐπιτήδειον εἶναι, μὴ ἀφῇς διαῤῥυῆναι, μηδὲ ἀπολέσθαι. Ταῦτα γὰρ ἔλεγες, ὅτι Κατοικήσω ἐνταῦθα. Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα ἐλέγετο μετὰ τῶν συνθηκῶν ἐκείνων. Ποίων δὴ τούτων; Ἐὰν φυλάξωνται οἱ υἱοί σου τὴν διαθήκην μου. Τὴν θήραν αὐτῆς εὐλογῶν εὐλογήσω. Ἕτερος, Τὸν ἐπισιτισμόν. Θήραν λέγει τῶν ὠνίων τὴν ἀφθονίαν, τὴν εὐετηρίαν, καὶ εὔχεται πάντα αὐτοῖς ὡς ἀπὸ πηγῶν ἐπιῤῥεῖν. Καὶ γὰρ τοιαύτην εἶχον πολιτείαν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι τὸ παλαιὸν, οὐκ αἰσθανομένην τῶν φυσικῶν ἀναγκῶν, εἴ ποτε