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being destroyed, but its energy being changed. Many other such wonders it is also possible to see in creation. Do not then, because it happens each year, and occurs before our eyes, consider the wonder to be small; for consider how great it is, that now snow appears, now water, and in a brief moment of time so many changes occur. For so that none of the foolish might reckon it by the natural energy of the elements, and simply consider these things to be the causes, but might know who it is that commands, he traces the reason for all these things back to His command, and says: He shall send out his word, and melt them; that is, His command; for the nature of the winds does not primarily work this, but the God who made the winds. But he brought forth his word upon the elements, and the changes in the elements, persuading the dense and insensible Jew from the things that happen each year to know the power of God, that it is also easy for Him to arrange all things concerning him, as He wishes, and to change from opposites to opposites. For just as when there is frost and unbearable ice, it is easy for Him to work a calm and dissolve all things; so also it is easier for Him to lead them, when they are in captivity and in wars, back to peace and to their own land, and to guide them to their former prosperity. Not only does it show this, but it also hints at another thing in a hidden way. What is this then? That just as these things, though often grievous, happen usefully and beneficially, so also the things concerning them have happened advantageously, and have worked much benefit. So that it might not grieve them further, it changed again to a calmer transformation. But what does he mean by the examples? For he did not say, Giving snow, only, but added, Like wool; nor, Scattering mist, but added, Like ashes; nor, Throwing 55.481 crystal, but added, Like morsels. It seems to me that from this he shows the ease and abundance of the one who works. Declaring his word to Jacob. Another, Exact statutes. Another, Commandments. His ordinances and judgments to Israel. He has not done so for every nation. Another, Like things. And his judgments he has not made known to them. See how again he moves the discourse from the universal to the particular, and to the special privileges of the Jews, wishing to stir them up to greater zeal. Beginning the psalm, therefore, he discussed things that are perceptible and benefit the body, such as security, prosperity, peace; but here he elevates the discourse to higher things, unfolding the word concerning the giving of the law, which is the greatest form of benefaction, to lead away from vice, to guide toward virtue, to enlighten the mind. Wherefore also Moses, turning this over and over, said: What nation is so great, to whom God is near them, as the Lord our God is in all things for which we call upon him? And David again: The Lord executes righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed. He made known his ways to Moses, his will to the children of Israel. And Jeremiah: This is our God; no other shall be accounted of in comparison to him. He has found out all the way of knowledge, and has given it unto Jacob his servant, and to Israel his beloved. But perhaps someone might say: And not having made it known to the rest of men, how does he punish them? For that he punishes both those before the law and those sinning everywhere in the world is clear from what Christ says: The queen of the south shall rise up, and shall condemn this generation. And again: The men of Nineveh shall rise up and shall condemn this generation. For surely it is said thus for this reason, that they too must give an account, and some are praised, while others are punished. But if what must be done was not clear to them, how were they to condemn these? And how again did he say, that The blood shall be avenged from the blood

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αὐτῶν ἀφανισθείσης, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἐνεργείας μεταβληθείσης. Πολλὰ ἕτερα τοιαῦτα θαύματα καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς κτίσεως ἔστιν ἰδεῖν. Μὴ οὖν, ἐπειδὴ καθ' ἕκαστον γίνεται ἐνιαυτὸν, καὶ ἐν ὄψεσιν ἡμῶν συμβαίνει, μικρὸν νομίσῃς τὸ θαῦμα· ἐπεὶ ἐννόησον ἡλίκον ἐστὶ, νῦν μὲν χιόνα φαίνεσθαι, νῦν δὲ ὕδωρ, καὶ ἐν βραχείᾳ καιροῦ ῥοπῇ τοσαύτας γίνεσθαι μεταβολάς. Ἵνα γὰρ μή τις τῶν ἀνοήτων λογίζηται τῇ φυσικῇ τῶν στοιχείων ἐνεργείᾳ, καὶ τούτων ἁπλῶς αἴτια ταῦτα νομίζῃ, ἀλλ' εἰδῇ τίς ἐστιν ὁ ἐπιτάττων, ἐπὶ τὸ πρόσταγμα αὐτοῦ πάντων τούτων ἀνάγει τὸν λόγον, καί φησιν· Ἐξαποστελεῖ τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ, καὶ τήξει αὐτά· τουτέστι, τὸ πρόσταγμα· οὐ γὰρ τῶν ἀνέμων ἡ φύσις προηγουμένως τοῦτο ἐργάζεται, ἀλλ' ὁ τοὺς ἀνέμους ποιήσας Θεός. Ἐξήγαγε δὲ ἐπὶ τὰ στοιχεῖα τὸν λόγον, καὶ τὰς ἐν τοῖς στοιχείοις μεταβολὰς, πείθων τὸν Ἰουδαῖον τὸν παχὺν καὶ ἀναίσθητον ἀπὸ τῶν καθ' ἕκαστον ἐνιαυτὸν γινομένων εἰδέναι τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν ἰσχὺν, ὅτι καὶ τὰ κατ' αὐτὸν ῥᾴδιον αὐτῷ διαθεῖναι πάντα, ὡς ἂν ἐθέλῃ, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐναντίων εἰς τὰ ἐναντία μεταβάλλειν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ κρυμοῦ γινομένου καὶ πάγου ἀνυποίστου, ῥᾴδιον αὐτῷ γαλήνην ἐργάσασθαι καὶ πάντα διαλῦσαι· οὕτω δὴ καὶ αὐτοὺς ἐν αἰχμαλωσίᾳ γενομένους καὶ ἐν πολέμοις εὐκολώτερον αὐτῷ πρὸς εἰρήνην καὶ τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἐπαναγαγεῖν, καὶ πρὸς τὴν προτέραν εὐημερίαν χειραγωγῆσαι. Οὐ τοῦτο δὲ μόνον δηλοῖ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἕτερον κεκρυμμένως αἰνίττεται. Ποῖον δὴ τοῦτο; Ὅτι καθάπερ ταῦτα καὶ λυποῦντα πολλάκις χρησίμως τε καὶ ὠφελίμως γίνεται, οὕτω καὶ τὰ κατ' αὐτοὺς συμφερόντως γέγονε, καὶ ἐργασάμενα πολλὴν τὴν ὠφέλειαν. Ἵνα μὴ ἐπὶ πλέον λυπήσῃ, πάλιν εἰς μεταβολὴν μετέστη τὴν εὐδιεινοτέραν. Τί δὲ αὐτῷ βούλεται καὶ τὰ παραδείγματα; Οὐ γὰρ εἶπε, ∆ιδόντος χιόνα, μόνον, ἀλλ' ἐπήγαγεν, Ὡσεὶ ἔριον· οὐδὲ, Ὁμίχλην πάσσοντος, ἀλλ' ἐπήγαγεν, Ὡσεὶ σποδόν· οὐδὲ, Βάλ 55.481 λοντος κρύσταλλον, ἀλλ' ἐπήγαγεν, Ὡσεὶ ψωμούς. Ἐμοὶ δοκεῖ κἀντεῦθεν τὴν εὐκολίαν τοῦ ἐργαζομένου δηλοῦν καὶ τὴν εὐπορίαν. Ὁ ἀπαγγέλλων τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ τῷ Ἰακώβ. Ἕτερος, Ἀκριβασμούς. ἌλλοςΠροστάγματα. ∆ικαιώματα καὶ κρίματα αὐτοῦ τῷ Ἰσραήλ. Οὐκ ἐποίησεν οὕτω παντὶ ἔθνει. Ἄλλος, Ὅμοια. Καὶ τὰ κρίματα αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἐδήλωσεν αὐτοῖς. Ὅρα πῶς πάλιν ἀπὸ τῶν καθολικῶν ἐπὶ τὰ μερικὰ μετάγει τὸν λόγον, καὶ τῶν Ἰουδαίων τὰ ἐξαίρετα, βουλόμενος διεγεῖραι αὐτοὺς πρὸς πλείονα σπουδήν. Ἀρχόμενος οὖν τοῦ ψαλμοῦ περὶ τῶν αἰσθητῶν διελέχθη καὶ σῶμα ὠφελούντων, οἷον ἀσφαλείας, εὐετηρίας, εἰρήνης· ἐνταῦθα δὲ ἐπὶ τὰ ὑψηλότερα ἀνάγει τὸν λόγον, τὸν περὶ τῆς νομοθεσίας λόγον ἀναπλῶν, ὅπερ μάλιστα εἶδος εὐεργεσίας, ἀπάγειν κακίας, χειραγωγεῖν πρὸς ἀρετὴν, φωτίζειν διάνοιαν. ∆ιὸ καὶ Μωϋσῆς ἄνω καὶ κάτω τοῦτο στρέφων ἔλεγε· Ποῖος ὡς οὗτος λαός; τὸ ἔθνος τὸ μέγα, ᾧ ἐστιν αὐτῷ Θεὸς ἐγγίζων αὐτοῖς, ὡς Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν, ἐπὶ πᾶσιν οἷς αὐτὸν ἐπικαλεσώμεθα; Καὶ ὁ ∆αυῒδ πάλιν· Ποιῶν ἐλεημοσύνας ὁ Κύριος, καὶ κρῖμα πᾶσι τοῖς ἀδικουμένοις. Ἐγνώρισε τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτοῦ τῷ Μωϋσεῖ, τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰσραὴλ τὰ θελήματα αὐτοῦ. Καὶ ὁ Ἰερεμίας· Οὗτος ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν· οὐ λογισθήσεται ἕτερος πρὸς αὐτόν. Ἐξεῦρε πᾶσαν ὁδὸν ἐπιστήμης, καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτὴν Ἰακὼβ τῷ παιδὶ αὐτοῦ, καὶ Ἰσραὴλ τῷ ἠγαπημένῳ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ. Ἀλλ' ἴσως εἴποι τις ἄν· Καὶ μὴ δηλώσας τοῖς λοιποῖς ἀνθρώποις, πῶς αὐτοὺς κολάζει; Ὅτι μὲν γὰρ κολάζει καὶ τοὺς πρὸ τοῦ νόμου καὶ τοὺς πανταχοῦ τῆς οἰκουμένης ἁμαρτάνοντας, δῆλον ἐξ ὧν ὁ Χριστός φησι· Βασίλισσα νότου ἀναστήσεται, καὶ κατακρινεῖ τὴν γενεὰν ταύτην. Καὶ πάλιν· Ἄνδρες Νινευῗται ἀναστήσονται καὶ κατακρινοῦσι τὴν γενεὰν ταύτην. Πάντως γὰρ διὰ τοῦτο οὕτως εἴρηται, ὡς κἀκείνων λόγον ὑπεχόντων, καὶ τῶν μὲν ἐπαινουμένων, τῶν δὲ κολαζομένων. Εἰ δὲ μὴ ἦν δῆλα αὐτοῖς τὰ πρακτέα, πῶς ἤμελλον κατακρίνειν τούτους; Πῶς δὲ πάλιν ἔλεγεν, ὅτι Τὸ αἷμα ἐκδικηθήσεται ἀπὸ τοῦ αἵματος