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54. And behold, one of those with Jesus, stretching out his hand, drew his sword, and striking the servant of the high priest, cut off his ear. Then Jesus says to him: Return your sword to its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Or do you think that I cannot call upon the Father, and He will at once present to me more than twelve legions of angels? How then would the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must happen this way, Who was this one who cut off the ear? John says, that it was Peter. For the act was characteristic of his fervor. But that is worth asking, for what reason were they carrying swords? For that they were carrying them is clear not only from this, but also from what they said when asked, that "There are two here." But for what reason did Christ also permit them to have them? For Luke also says this, that He said to them: When I sent you without a money-pouch and a bag and sandals, did you lack anything? And when they said, 'Nothing,' He said to them: But now let the one who has a money-pouch take it, and a bag; and the one who has not, let him sell his cloak, and buy a sword. And when they said that "There are two swords here," He said to them, "It is enough." For what reason then did He allow them to have them? To convince them that He would be betrayed. For this reason He says to them, "Let him buy a sword;" not that they should arm themselves—far from it—but by this indicating the betrayal. And for what reason does He also say 'a bag'? He was teaching them henceforth to be sober and watchful, and to use much and their own diligence. For in the beginning, since they were inexperienced, He cherished them with much power; but henceforth, as if leading nestlings out of the nest, He commands them to also use their own wings. Then, so that they might not think that He allows them this through weakness, commanding them also to do their part, He reminds them of the former things, saying: "When I sent you without a money-pouch, did you lack anything?" so that through both they might learn His strength, both through the things in which He provided, and through the things in which He now gently leaves them. But from where were those swords there? They had come from the supper and the table. It is likely then that also s 58.752 words were there on account of the lamb; and that these men, having heard that some were coming against Him, took them for assistance, as if intending to fight for their Master; which was only their own idea. Wherefore Peter is also rebuked for using it, and with a strong threat. For he defended against the servant who came, fervently indeed, yet not defending himself, but doing this for the Master. However, Christ did not allow any harm to be done. For He both healed him, and displayed a great miracle, sufficient to show both His gentleness and His power, and the disciple's affection and meekness; for the one acted affectionately, and the other obediently. For having heard, "Put your sword into its sheath," he was immediately persuaded, and after this nowhere does this. But another says, that they also asked, "Shall we strike?" but He Himself forbade it, and healed that man, and rebuked the disciple, and threatened, in order to persuade. For all who take the sword, He says, will die by the sword. And He adds a reason, saying: Or do you think that I cannot call upon my Father, and He will present to me more than twelve legions of angels? But that the Scriptures might be fulfilled. By these things He quenched their anger, showing that this was also according to the Scriptures. For this reason He also prayed there, that they might bear what happened gently, learning that it was happening again according to the will of God. And with these two things He consoled them, with the punishment of those who plotted against them—For all who take, He says, the sword, will perish by the sword—and by the fact that He did not endure these things unwillingly: For I can, He says, call upon my Father. And why did He not say: Or do you think that I am not able to destroy them all? Because He was more persuasive in saying this; for they did not yet have the proper opinion concerning Him. And a little before He had said, that "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death;" and, "Father, let this cup pass from Me;" and He appeared in agony and sweating, and being strengthened by an angel. Since, therefore, He had shown many human things, it did not seem plausible to say, if He had said,

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Π∆ʹ. Καὶ ἰδοὺ εἷς τῶν μετὰ Ἰησοῦ, ἐκτείνας τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ, ἀπέσπασε τὴν μάχαιραν αὐτοῦ, καὶ πατά ξας τὸν δοῦλον τοῦ ἀρχιερέως, ἀφεῖλεν αὐτοῦ τὸ ὠτίον. Τότε λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· Ἀπόστρεψον τὴν μάχαιραν εἰς τὸν τόπον αὐτῆς· πάντες γὰρ οἱ λαβόντες μάχαιραν, ἐν μαχαίρᾳ ἀπολοῦνται. Ἢ δοκεῖς ὅτι οὐ δύναμαι παρακαλέσαι τὸν Πατέρα, καὶ παραστήσει μοι ἄρτι πλείους ἢ δώδεκα λεγεῶ νας ἀγγέλων; Πῶς οὖν πληρωθῶσιν αἱ Γραφαὶ, ὅτι οὕτω δεῖ γενέσθαι, Τίς ἦν ὁ εἷς οὗτος ὁ τὸ ὠτίον κόψας; Ἰωάννης φησὶν, ὅτι ὁ Πέτρος. Τῆς γὰρ αὐτοῦ θερμότητος ἦν τὸ πρᾶγμα. Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνο ἄξιον ζητῆσαι, τίνος ἕνεκεν μαχαίρας ἐβάσταζον; Ὅτι γὰρ ἐβάσταζον, οὐκ ἐντεῦθεν δῆλον μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐξ ὧν ἐρωτηθέντες εἶπον, ὅτι Εἰσὶν ὧδε δύο. Τίνος δὲ ἕνεκεν καὶ ἐπέτρεψεν αὐτοῖς ὁ Χριστὸς ἔχειν; Καὶ γὰρ τοῦτό φησιν ὁ Λουκᾶς, ὅτι εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Ὅτε ἀπέστειλα ὑμᾶς ἄτερ βαλαντίου καὶ πήρας καὶ ὑποδημάτων, μή τινος ὑστερήσατε; Καὶ ἐπειδὴ εἶπον, Οὐδενὸς, εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· Ἀλλὰ νῦν ὁ ἔχων βαλάντιον, ἀράτω, καὶ πήραν· καὶ ὁ μὴ ἔχων, πωλησάτω τὸ ἱμάτιον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀγορασάτω μάχαιραν. Καὶ ἐπειδὴ εἶπον, ὅτι Εἰσὶ μάχαιραι ὧδε δύο, εἶπεν αὐτοῖς, Ἱκανόν ἐστι. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν εἴασεν ἔχειν; Πιστούμενος αὐτοὺς, ὅτι παραδοθήσεται. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο λέγει αὐτοῖς, Ἀγορασάτω μάχαιραν· οὐχ ἵνα ὁπλίσωνται· ἄπαγε· ἀλλὰ διὰ τούτου τὴν παράδοσιν δηλῶν. Καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν καὶ πήραν φησίν; Ἐπαίδευεν αὐτοὺς λοιπὸν νήφειν καὶ ἐγρηγορέναι, καὶ πολλῇ καὶ οἰκείᾳ κεχρῆσθαι σπουδῇ. Ἐν ἀρχῇ μὲν γὰρ ὡς ἀπείρους ὄντας πολλῇ ἔθαλπε τῇ δυνάμει· λοιπὸν δὲ ὥσπερ νεοττοὺς καλιᾶς ἐξαγαγὼν κελεύει καὶ τοῖς οἰκείοις κεχρῆσθαι πτεροῖς. Εἶτα ἵνα μὴ νομίσωσιν, ὅτι δι' ἀσθένειαν αὐτοὺς ἐᾷ, κελεύων καὶ αὐτοὺς τὰ παρ' ἑαυτῶν ἐνεργεῖν, ὑπομιμνήσκει τῶν προτέρων, λέγων· Ὅτε ἀπέστειλα ὑμᾶς χωρὶς βαλαντίου, μή τινος ὑστερήσατε; ἵνα δι' ἀμφοτέρων μάθωσιν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἰσχὺν, καὶ δι' ὧν προέστη, καὶ δι' ὧν ἐγκαταλιμπάνει νῦν ἠρέμα. Ἀλλὰ πόθεν ἦσαν ἐκεῖ μάχαιραι; Ἀπὸ δείπνου ἦσαν καὶ τραπέζης ἐξεληλυθότες. Εἰκὸς οὖν καὶ μα 58.752 χαίρας εἶναι ἐκεῖ διὰ τὸ ἀρνίον· τούτους δὲ ἀκούσαντας, ὅτι ἥξουσί τινες ἐπ' αὐτὸν, λαβεῖν εἰς βοήθειαν, ὡς πολεμήσοντας ὑπὲρ τοῦ ∆ιδασκάλου· ὃ τῆς ἐκείνων γνώμης ἦν μόνον. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἐπιτιμᾶται Πέτρος αὐτῇ χρησάμενος, καὶ μετὰ σφοδρᾶς τῆς ἀπειλῆς. Καὶ γὰρ ἠμύνατο τὸν οἰκέτην ἐλθόντα, θερμῶς μὲν, πλὴν οὐχ ἑαυτῷ ἀμύνων, ἀλλ' ὑπὲρ τοῦ ∆ιδασκάλου τοῦτο ποιῶν. Οὐ μὴν ἀφῆκέ τινα γενέσθαι βλάβην ὁ Χριστός. Καὶ γὰρ ἰάσατο αὐτὸν, καὶ θαῦμα μέγα ἐπεδείξατο, ἱκανὸν καὶ τὴν ἐπιείκειαν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὴν δύναμιν ἐμφῆναι, καὶ τὴν τοῦ μαθητοῦ φιλοστοργίαν τε καὶ πραότητα· καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνο φιλοστόργως, καὶ τοῦτο πειθηνίως. Ἀκούσας γὰρ, Βάλε τὴν μάχαιράν σου εἰς τὴν θήκην αὐτῆς, εὐθέως ἐπείσθη, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα οὐδαμοῦ τοῦτο ποιεῖ. Ἕτερος δέ φησιν, ὅτι καὶ ἠρώτησαν, Εἰ πατάξομεν· αὐτὸς δὲ ἐκώλυσε, καὶ ἰάσατο ἐκεῖνον, καὶ τῷ μαθητῇ ἐπετίμησε, καὶ ἠπείλησεν, ἵνα πείσῃ. Πάντες γὰρ οἱ λαβόντες μάχαιραν, φησὶν, ἐν μαχαίρᾳ ἀποθανοῦνται. Καὶ λογισμὸν προστίθησι, λέγων· Ἢ δοκεῖτε, ὅτι οὐ δύναμαι παρακαλέσαι τὸν Πατέρα μου, καὶ παραστήσει μοι πλείους ἢ δώδεκα λεγεῶνας ἀγγέλων; Ἀλλ' ἵνα πληρωθῶσιν αἱ Γραφαί. ∆ιὰ τούτων τὸν θυμὸν αὐτῶν ἔσβεσε, δεικνὺς ὅτι καὶ ταῖς Γραφαῖς τοῦτο δοκεῖ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο κἀκεῖ ηὔξατο, ἵνα πράως ἐνέγκωσι τὸ συμβὰν, μαθόντες ὅτι κατὰ Θεοῦ πάλιν γίνεται γνώμην. Καὶ δύο τούτοις αὐτοὺς παρεμυθήσατο, τῇ τε τιμωρίᾳ τῶν ἐπιβουλευόντων· Πάντες γὰρ οἱ λαβόντες, φησὶ, μάχαιραν, ἐν μαχαίρᾳ ἀπολοῦνται· καὶ τῷ μὴ ἄκων ταῦτα ὑπομεῖναι· ∆ύναμαι γὰρ, φησὶ, παρακαλέσαι τὸν Πατέρα μου. Καὶ διατί οὐκ εἶπεν· Ἢ δοκεῖτε, ὅτι οὐ δύναμαι ἐγὼ πάντας αὐτοὺς ἀπολέσαι; Ὅτι πιθανώτερος μᾶλλον ἦν τοῦτο λέγων· οὐδέπω γὰρ τὴν προσήκουσαν περὶ αὐτοῦ δόξαν εἶχον. Καὶ πρὸ μικροῦ δὲ ἦν εἰρηκὼς, ὅτι Περίλυπός ἐστιν ἡ ψυχή μου ἕως θανάτου· καὶ, Πάτερ, παρελθέτω ἀπ' ἐμοῦ τὸ ποτήριον· καὶ ἀγωνιῶν ἐφάνη καὶ ἱδρῶν, καὶ ὑπὸ ἀγγέλου ἐνισχυόμενος. Ἐπεὶ οὖν πολλὰ τὰ ἀνθρώπινα ἐπεδείξατο, οὐκ ἐδόκει πιθανὰ λέγειν, εἴγε εἰρήκει,