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but not haughtily, nor tyrannically, sitting on high, but condescending to those being judged, he stands in their midst, becoming like them in the form of the man he has assumed. And from this point, he already reaches out, disciplining those who are about to be judged, and guarding them against falling into the punishment of the judgment, and to set them right beforehand and to be on guard through the reproofs brought to them. Therefore he says: How long will you judge unjustly, and accept the persons of sinners? Judge for the poor and the orphan. And the prophetic Spirit cried out similar things through Isaiah, saying: Learn to do good, seek judgment, judge for the orphan and vindicate the widow; and come, let us reason together, says the Lord. And if your sins are as scarlet, I will make them white as snow. But the word proclaims these things beforehand; but those who were honored with the title of gods, and were deemed worthy of so great a teaching, did not know, nor did they understand, they walk on in darkness. And these things might also be referred to the time of the first advent of our Savior, in which, entering into the synagogues of the Jewish nation, and passing into the midst of the rulers, he held his discourses with them, and brought reproofs upon them, testifying and warning about the judgment that was to come upon them. Thus, therefore, God was at that time standing in the congregation of gods, and in the midst judging the aforesaid gods; for instead of 'he judges,' Symmachus and Aquila have rendered it 'judging.' And see how he called those being judged 'gods', and did not hesitate to call them a congregation of gods, to the shaming of those who deny the divinity of the Savior. For if he did not hesitate to name 'gods' those who were being reproved and slandered for their wickedness, how is it not most just to glorify with the venerable honor of God the one who is the doer of so many wondrous works, who has received judgment 23.985 from the Father? This indeed the Savior himself put forward to shame the rulers of the Jews, using these very words. For when they said: It is not for a good work that we are stoning you, but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God; Jesus answered them: Is it not written in your law, 'I said, you are gods?' If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be broken—do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, 'You are blaspheming,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'? But if the Savior says, 'Is it not written in the law?' do not be surprised; since he teaches to accept every word of God, not only that through Moses, but also that spoken through the prophets, as a kind of royal law; so that one might reasonably say that the things proclaimed through the prophets are laws of God; and likewise that which is through the psalmody. Therefore, the Word of God himself, having taken the form of a servant, and having been found in appearance as a man, stood in the congregation of gods, and being in the midst of those who were named gods among men, judged them, when he said to them: The word that I have spoken to you will judge you. And it would be more fitting to interpret the present Scripture in this way, than to think that the God who is beyond all things, the Father himself, is introduced in these things standing among other gods. For it is not right to suppose that any are equal in honor to him, nor to bring him down to such a degree as to suppose him to be present and standing in the midst of men. But all these things would be fitting for the Christ of God; who, indeed, saying: How long will you judge unjustly, and accept the persons of sinners? would say these things not only to those with whom he spoke when he was present, but also to all who have received the authority to judge others. And he rightly blames those who hypocritically favor the persons of the rich, but oppress the poor; when it is necessary with the balance of justice

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δὲ οὐκ ἐπηρμένως, οὐδὲ τυραννικῶς, ἐν ὕψει τε προκαθεζόμενος, ἀλλὰ συγκαταβαίνων τοῖς κρινομένοις, μέσος αὐτῶν ἵσταται, ὁμοιούμενος αὐτοῖς τῷ σχήματι δι' οὗ ἀνείληφεν ἀνθρώπου. Ἐντεῦθέν τε ἤδη προλαβὼν ἀποτείνεται σωφρονίζων τοὺς μέλλοντας κρίνεσθαι, καὶ προφυλαττόμενος αὐτοὺς πρὸς τὸ μὴ περιπεσεῖν τῇ τῆς κρίσεως τιμωρίᾳ, προκατορθῶσαι δὲ καὶ προφυλάξασθαι διὰ τῶν προσαγομένων αὐτοῖς ἐλέγχων. ∆ιὸ φάσκει· Ἕως πότε κρίνετε ἀδικίαν, καὶ πρόσωπα ἁμαρτωλῶν λαμβάνετε; Κρίνατε πτωχῷ καὶ ὀρφανῷ. Τὰ ὅμοια δὲ τούτοις καὶ διὰ Ἡσαΐου τὸ προφητικὸν Πνεῦμα κέκραγε λέγον· Μάθετε καλὸν ποιεῖν, ἐκζητήσατε κρίσιν, κρίνατε ὀρφανῷ καὶ δικαιώσατε χήρᾳ· καὶ δεῦτε, καὶ διαλεχθῶμεν, λέγει Κύριος. Καὶ ἐὰν ὦσιν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι ὑμῶν ὡς φοινικοῦν, ὡς χιόνα λευκανῶ. Ἀλλὰ ταῦτα μὲν ὁ λόγος προδιαστέλλεται· οἱ δὲ τῇ τῶν θεῶν ἐπηγορίᾳ τιμηθέντες, καὶ τοσαύτης διδασκαλίας ἀξιωθέντες, οὐκ ἔγνωσαν, οὐδὲ συνῆκαν, ἐν σκότει διαπορεύονται. Ταῦτα δὲ καὶ εἰς τὸν καιρὸν τῆς πρώτης τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἐπιδημίας ἀναφέροιτο ἂν, καθ' ὃν ἐν ταῖς συναγωγαῖς παραβάλλων τοῦ Ἰουδαίων ἔθνους, καὶ μέσος τῶν ἀρχόντων παριὼν, τὰς πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἐποιεῖτο διαλέξεις, ἐλέγχους τε αὐτοῖς ἐπῆγε, μαρτυρόμενος καὶ διαστελλόμενος τὰ περὶ τῆς μελλούσης αὐτοὺς διαλήψεσθαι κρίσεως. Οὕτως οὖν ὁ Θεὸς ἦν κατ' ἐκεῖνο καιροῦ ἑστὼς ἐν συναγωγῇ θεῶν, ἐν μέσῳ τε τοὺς προλεχθέντας κρίνων θεούς· ἀντὶ γὰρ τοῦ, διακρίνει, ὁ Σύμμαχος καὶ ὁ Ἀκύλας, κρίνων, ἐκδεδώκασι. Καὶ ὅρα ὅπως θεοὺς ὠνόμασε τοὺς κρινομένους, καὶ θεῶν συναγωγὴν οὐκ ὤκνησεν ἀποκαλέσαι, εἰς δυσώπησιν τῶν ἀρνουμένων τοῦ Σωτῆρος τὴν θεότητα. Εἰ γὰρ τοὺς ἐλεγχομένους καὶ ἐπὶ κακίᾳ διαβαλλομένους οὐκ ὤκνει θεοὺς ὀνομάζειν, τὸν τῶν τοσούτων παραδόξων ἔργων ποιητὴν, τὸν τὴν κρίσιν 23.985 παρὰ τοῦ Πατρὸς εἰληφότα, πῶς οὐ δικαιότατον τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ σεβασμίῳ τιμῇ σεμνύνειν; Τοῦτό τοι καὶ αὐτὸς ὁ Σωτὴρ δυσωπητικῶς πρὸς αὐτοὺς τοὺς Ἰουδαίων ἄρχοντας προὔτεινεν, αὐταῖς δὲ ταύταις κεχρημένος ταῖς παρούσαις λέξεσιν. Εἰρηκότων γὰρ αὐτῶν· Περὶ καλοῦ ἔργου οὐ λιθάζομέν σε, ἀλλὰ περὶ βλασφημίας, ὅτι σὺ, ἄνθρωπος ὢν, ποιεῖς σεαυτὸν Θεόν· ἀνταπεκρίθη αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Οὐκ ἔστι γεγραμμένον ἐν τῷ νόμῳ ὑμῶν, ὅτι, Ἐγὼ εἶπα· Θεοί ἐστε; Εἰ ἐκείνους εἶπε θεοὺς, πρὸς οὓς ὁ λόγος ἐγένετο τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ οὐ δύναται λυθῆναι ἡ Γραφὴ, ὃν ὁ Πατὴρ ἡγίασε καὶ ἀπέστειλεν εἰς τὸν κόσμον, ὑμεῖς λέγετε, ὅτι βλασφημεῖ, ὅτι εἶπον· Υἱὸς Θεοῦ εἰμι. Εἰ δὲ λέγοι ὁ Σωτὴρ, ὅτι, Οὐκ ἔστι γεγραμμένον ἐν τῷ νόμῳ; μὴ θαυμάσῃς· ἐπεὶ πάντα λόγον Θεοῦ, οὐ μόνον τὸν διὰ Μωσέως, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν διὰ τῶν προφητῶν λελεγμένον, ὥσπερ τινὰ βασιλικὸν νόμον ἀποδέχεσθαι διδάσκει· ὥστε καὶ τὰ διὰ τῶν προφητῶν παρηγγελμένα εὐλόγως ἄν τινα εἶναι φάναι νόμους Θεοῦ· καὶ τὸ διὰ τῆς ψαλμῳδίας ὁμοίως. Αὐτὸς οὖν ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος, μορφὴν δούλου λαβὼν, καὶ σχήματι εὑρεθεὶς ὡς ἄνθρωπος, ἔστη ἐν συναγωγῇ θεῶν, καὶ μέσος τῶν ἐν ἀνθρώποις ὠνομασθέντων θεῶν γεγονὼς, ἔκρινεν αὐτοὺς, ὁπηνίκα πρὸς αὐτοὺς ἔλεγεν· Ὁ λόγος ὃν ἐλάλησα πρὸς ὑμᾶς, αὐτὸς ὑμᾶς κρίνει. Καὶ μᾶλλον οὕτω πρέποι ἂν ἐκδέχεσθαι τὴν παροῦσαν Γραφὴν, ἢ νομίζειν τὸν ἐπέκεινα τῶν ὅλων Θεὸν, αὐτὸν τὸν Πατέρα, ἐν τούτοις εἰσάγεσθαι μεταξὺ θεῶν ἑτέρων ἑστῶτα. Οὔτε γὰρ ἰσοτίμους αὐτῷ τινας εἶναι ὑπονοεῖν θέμις, οὔτε αὐτὸν εἰς τοσοῦτον καταγαγεῖν, ὡς μέσον ἀνθρώπων παρεῖναι καὶ ἑστάναι ὑποτίθεσθαι. Ταῦτα δὲ πάντα ἂν ἁρμόζοι τῷ Χριστῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ· ὃς δὴ φάσκων· Ἕως πότε κρίνετε ἀδικίαν, καὶ πρόσωπα ἁμαρτωλῶν λαμβάνετε; οὐ πρὸς ἐκείνους μόνους οἷς παρὼν ὡμίλει, ἀλλὰ καὶ πρὸς πάντας εἴποι ἂν ταῦτα, τοὺς τὴν ἐξουσίαν τοῦ κρίνειν ἑτέρους εἰληφότας. Μέμφεται δὲ εἰκότως τοὺς καθυποκρινομένους μὲν τὰ τῶν πλουσίων πρόσωπα, καταπονοῦντας δὲ τοὺς πένητας· δέον τῷ τῆς δικαιοσύνης ζυγῷ