Homilies on Ezekiel 319 Not all those in captivity, «led away to Babylon» by Nebuchadnezzar, came to «Babylon» because of sin. The multitude of the people, indeed, for sin, but the righteous among them, no, such as Daniel, Ananias, Azarias, Misael, this Ezekiel, Zechariah, Haggai, and the like. God, being good and punishing the sinners and delivering to captivity those who could not be in the holy land because of their sins—for opposites are incompatible—, sends prophets along with them, lest the sinners, having become captives, should become 320 completely without help. For if we suppose the sin of the sinners «led away to Babylon» and the righteous not being among them, no healing would have been for the sinners. This, therefore, is of unspeakable goodness. For he does not hand over sinners to unmitigated abandonment, but visits them through his saints, of whom he said, that «you are the light of this world, and the salt of the earth», not only concerning the Apostles, but also concerning those like them. 323 «the charioteer of these four living creatures» was not entirely «fire», but «from the loins downwards», and «from the loins and up to above, electrum». For the Word does not only have instruments of punishment, but also those through which he gives rest, and he punishes through the lower powers. For he did not see «fire» around the head, nor from «the loins upwards» was «the charioteer fire», but «from the loins downwards» he was «fire»; in order to show that those who are in generation need «fire». For «loin» is a symbol of generation. 327.20 Ezekiel bears a type of Christ in many ways and you may begin to see this in the introductions of the prophecy. «It came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month,» he says, «I was in the midst of the captivity by the river Chebar; and the heavens were opened». These things have also been written about Christ, when he was in this world, in this «captivity» at the Jordan, that «Jesus was beginning to be about thirty years of age», and that «the heavens were opened to him». The thirty years in the prophecy, according to the literal sense, is the time of the prophet's life, and it is the fifth year «of the captivity,» since they went down. But indeed according to his name Ezekiel also has a symbol 328 of Christ, which is interpreted "3strength of God"3. And this: «son of man» is an entryway for an anagogical interpretation of him who was called «son of man». 329 As if he says: «I,» who had nothing of captivity, «was in the midst of captivity» for the sake of the divine economy. So also Christ, not having been taken captive, was in the place of the captives, but for the sake of their redemption, just as the prophet was not «in the midst of the captivity» because of sin, but for healing. 336 «A great cloud in the lifting wind». When you have been benefited by «the lifting wind», which «lifted up» from you every evil thing existing in your soul, then 337 you will enjoy the «cloud» existing in «the lifting wind». And this «cloud» is akin to the «cloud» in the gospel, from which «came a voice saying»: «This is my beloved Son». Therefore, a «lifting wind», then a «great cloud in it», then a bright «light around it». Your evil has been «lifted up», a «cloud» has been given to you, so as to «rain rain upon the vineyard». «A flashing fire, and in the midst of it as the appearance of electrum». In two ways God «lifts up» evil things from us, by «spirit» and by «fire». If we become good and noble and are educated by the word, evil things are «lifted up» by «spirit» according to what is written: «but if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live». But if «the spirit» did not «lift up» the evil things from me, there is need, I think, of «the fire». 340.20 it is possible to see in each «living creature» the soul, and in each «face» its powers, the rational in the «man», the spirited in the «lion», the appetitive in the «calf», and in the «eagle» the helping power. For which reason he said these things neither «on the right» nor «from

Homiliae in Ezechielem 319 Οὐ πάντες οἱ ἐν αἰχμαλωσίᾳ «ἀπαχθέντες εἰς Βαβυλῶνα» διὰ τοῦ Ναβουχοδονόσορ, δι' ἁμαρτίας εἰς «Βαβυλῶνα» ἦλθον. Τὸ μὲν πλῆθος τοῦ λαοῦ δι' ἁμαρτίας, οἱ δὲ ἐν αὐτοῖς δίκαιοι οὔ, οἷον ∆ανιήλ, Ἀνανίας, Ἀζαρίας, Μισαήλ, Ἰεζεκιὴλ οὗτος, Ζαχαρίας, Ἀγγαῖος καὶ οἱ ὅμοιοι. Ἀγαθὸς ὢν ὁ Θεὸς καὶ κολάζων τοὺς ἁμαρτωλοὺς καὶ εἰς αἰχμαλωσίαν παραδιδοὺς τοὺς μὴ δυναμένους εἶναι ἐν τῇ ἁγίᾳ γῇ διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας-ἀσυνύπαρκτα γὰρ τἀναντία-, προφήτας ὁμοῦ πέμπει, μὴ τελέως ἀβοήθητοι γέ 320 νωνται οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ αἰχμάλωτοι γενόμενοι. Τῇ γὰρ ὑποθέσει τῆς ἁμαρτίας τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν «ἀπαχθέντων εἰς Βαβυλῶνα» καὶ δικαίων μὴ γενομένων παρ' αὐτοῖς θεραπεία οὐδεμία τοῖς ἁμαρτωλοῖς ἐγίνετο. Ἀφάτου οὖν ἀγαθότητος τοῦτο. Οὐ γὰρ ἀκράτῳ ἐγκαταλείψει παραδίδωσι τοὺς ἁμαρτωλούς, ἀλλ' ἐπισκέπτεται αὐτοὺς διὰ τῶν ἁγίων αὐτοῦ, περὶ ὧν εἶπεν, ὅτι «ὑμεῖς ἐστε τὸ φῶς τοῦ κόσμου τούτου, καὶ τὸ ἅλας τῆς γῆς», οὐ μόνον περὶ τῶν Ἀποστόλων, ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ τῶν ὁμοίων αὐτοῖς. 323 «ὁ ἡνίοχος τῶν τεσσάρων τούτων ζώων» οὐχ ὅλος ἦν «πῦρ», ἀλλ' «ἀπὸ ὀσφύος ἐπὶ τὰ κάτω», καὶ «ἀπὸ ὀσφύος καὶ ἕως ἄνω ἤλεκτρον». Οὐ γὰρ μόνα κολαστήρια ἔχει ὁ λόγος, ἀλλ' ἔχει καὶ δι' ὧν ἀναπαύει, κολάζει δὲ διὰ τῶν κάτω δυνάμεων. Οὐ γὰρ εἶδε «πῦρ» περὶ τὴν κεφαλήν, οὐδὲ «ἀπὸ τῆς ὀσφύος ἐπὶ τὰ ἄνω» «ἡνίοχος πῦρ» ἦν, ἀλλὰ «ἀπὸ τῆς ὀσφύος ἐπὶ τὰ κάτω» «πῦρ» ἦν· ἵνα δηλώσῃ, ὅτι οἱ ἐν γεννήσει τυγχάνοντες οὗτοι δέονται «πυρός». «Ὀσφὺς» γὰρ γεννήσεως σύμβολον. 327.20 Ὁ Ἰεζεκιὴλ τύπον φέρει τοῦ Χριστοῦ κατὰ πολλὰ καὶ ἄρξῃ θεωρεῖν τοῦτο ἐν τοῖς προοιμίοις τῆς προφητείας. «Ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ τριακοστῷ ἔτει, τετάρτῳ μηνί, πεμπτῇ τοῦ μηνός, κἀγὼ» φησιν «ἤμην ἐν μέσῳ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας ἐπὶ ποταμοῦ Χοβάρ· καὶ ἠνοίχθησαν οἱ οὐρανοί». Ταῦτα καὶ περὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ γέγραπται, ὅτε ἦν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ τούτῳ, ἐν «τῇ αἰχμαλωσίᾳ» ταύτῃ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰορδάνου, ὅτι «Ἰησοῦς ἦν ἀρχόμενος ὡσεὶ ἐτῶν τριάκοντα», καὶ ὅτι «ἠνοίχθησαν αὐτῷ οἱ οὐρανοί». Τὰ δὲ τριάκοντα ἔτη τὰ ἐν τῇ προφητείᾳ κατὰ τὸ αἰσθητόν ἐστιν ὁ χρόνος τῆς ζωῆς τοῦ προφήτου, «τῆς» δὲ «αἰχμαλωσίας», ἀφ' οὗ κατῆλθον, πέμπτον ἔτος. Ἀλλὰ μὴν κατὰ τὴν προσηγορίαν καὶ σύμβολον ἔχει 328 τοῦ Χριστοῦ ὁ Ἰεζεκιήλ, ὃς ἑρμηνεύεται "3κράτος Θεοῦ"3. Καὶ τό· «υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου» λακὸν εἰς ἀναγωγὴν τοῦ χρηματίσαντος «υἱοῦ ἀνθρώπου». 329 Οἱονεί φησιν· «ἐγὼ» ὁ μηδὲν αἰχμαλωσίας ἔχων «ἐν μέσῳ αἰχμαλωσίας ἤμην» δι' οἰκονομίαν. Οὕτω καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς οὐκ αἰχμαλωτισθεὶς ἦν ἐν τῷ τόπῳ τῶν αἰχμαλώτων, ἀλλὰ λυτρώσεως αὐτῶν χάριν, ὡς καὶ ὁ προφήτης οὐ δι' ἁμαρτίας «ἦν ἐν μέσῳ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας», ἀλλ' ἰατρείας. 336 «Νεφέλη μεγάλη ἐν τῷ ἐξαίροντι πνεύματι». Ὅταν ὠφεληθῇς ἐκ «τοῦ ἐξαίροντος πνεύματος», ὃ «ἐξῆρεν» ἀπὸ σοῦ πᾶν φαῦλον τὸ ἐνυπάρχον τῇ ψυχῇ σοῦ, τότε 337 ἀπολαύσεις τῆς «νεφέλης» τῆς ἐνυπαρχούσης ἐν «τῷ ἐξαίροντι πνεύματι». Καὶ ἔστιν αὕτη ἡ «νεφέλη» συγγενὴς τῆς ἐν τῷ εὐαγγελίῳ «νεφέλης», ἀφ' ἧς «ἦλθε φωνὴ λέγουσα»· «οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός». «Πνεῦμα» οὖν «ἐξαῖρον», εἶτα «νεφέλη μεγάλη ἐν αὐτῷ», εἶτά τι λαμπρὸν «φέγγος κύκλῳ αὐτοῦ». «Ἦρταί» σου τὸ φαῦλον, δέδοταί σοι «νεφέλη», ὥστε «βρέξαι ὑετὸν ἐπὶ τὸν ἀμπελῶνα». «Πῦρ ἐξαστράπτον καὶ ἐν μέσῳ αὐτοῦ ὡς ὅρασις ἠλέκτρου». ∆ιχῶς «ἐξαίρει» τὰ φαῦλα ἀφ' ἡμῶν ὁ Θεός, «πνεύματι» καὶ «πυρί». Ἐὰν καλοὶ καὶ ἀγαθοὶ γενώμεθα καὶ λόγῳ παιδευώμεθα, «πνεύματι» τὰ φαῦλα «ἐξαίρεται» κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον· «εἰ δὲ πνεύ- ματι τὰς πράξεις τοῦ σώματος θανατοῦτε, ζήσεσθε». Εἰ δὲ «τὸ πνεῦμα» οὐκ «ἐξῆρε» τὰ φαῦλα ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, χρεία, οἶμαι, «τοῦ πυρός». 340.20 ἔστιν ἰδεῖν ἐν ἑκάστῳ «ζώῳ» τὴν ψυχήν, ἐν ἑκάστῳ δὲ «προσώπῳ» τὰς δυνάμεις αὐτῆς, τὸ λογιστικὸν ἐν τῷ «ἀνθρώπῳ», τὸ θυμικὸν ἐν τῷ «λέοντι», τὸ ἐπιθυμητικὸν ἐν τῷ «μόσχῳ», ἐν δὲ τῷ «ἀετῷ» τὴν βοηθοῦσαν δύναμιν. Ὅθεν οὔτε «ἐκ δεξιῶν» ταῦτα εἶπεν οὔτε «ἐξ