Likewise, what has been said now about the word "morning." Woe to him who, having risen from the darkness and night of ignorance, from the first age, as soon as reason shines in him, barely awakens from sleep, and is already "chasing away strong drink"! And those who are overcome by the passions, some remain in the rapture of passion, while others, having purified their minds, gaze upon the beauty of the visible and think about the persons (υποστασεις) and the essences of the mental world (των νοητων). For the visible, attentive examination is needed, therefore "looking," and the mental requires an inquiring mind, which is why it is said "thinking." However, first it is necessary to look at the works of the Lord, and only then to move on to thinking about them. Such was the one who said of himself: "For this is to give me the knowledge of things that are not false, to know the composition of the world and the action of the elements, the beginning and the end and the middle of times, the returns of changes and changes of times, the circles and stars of the arrangements, the nature of animals and the wrath of beasts, the strength and thoughts of men of the winds, the difference of the years and the power of the roots" (Wis. 7:17-20).

(13) "For my people were captive, because they did not know the Lord, and there were many dead for the sake of hunger and thirst for water."

Historically, this can be interpreted about the time of the last siege of the Jews, when some were taken into captivity, and others perished from hunger and thirst. The reason why they endured this is also obvious, namely, that they did not know the Lord who had come to them. Therefore, the exhortation contained in these words can be applied to us as well. I say this because those who "persecute" drunkenness, who drink wine while playing forbidden musical instruments, who occupy their eyes with indecent spectacles, and do not want to "behold the works of the Lord," as lovers of pleasure rather than God-loving, become captives and subordinates of the opposers. But they "had a multitude of the dead for the sake of famine" and for lack of water. For "dead" are "sins" (cf. Eph. 2:1) who do not eat the food befitting souls, and neither dead are those who are "brought up in the water of rest" (cf. Psalm 22:2), who do not even try to drink of the water of which the Lord says to the Samaritan woman: "Whoever drinks of the water which I will give him shall not thirst for ever" (John 4:14). For you hear: "there was a multitude of the dead" not only "famine", but also "thirst for water", because they drank the same water that the Samaritan woman also drank, for it is said: "He who drinks of this water shall thirst" (John 4:13), but they did not drink "water flowing into eternal life" (John 4:14). And this leads us to seek knowledge. For if through the ignorance of the Lord they become captives, then we should be zealous for the gift of knowledge.

But perhaps true deadness occurs in the souls of the inattentive not from the "famine" of bread and not from the "thirst" for this sensual water, but from the famine of "hearing the word of the Lord" (Amos 8:11). For "man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Matt. 4:4). For this reason "the Lord shall not kill the souls of the righteous with hunger" (cf. Proverbs 10:3), and "the youngest shall not be old, and hath not seen the righteous, begging bread below his seed" (Psalm 36:25), and "the sons of marriage, until the bridegroom is with them, cannot fast" (cf. Mk. 2:19). And where there is hunger and thirst, there is deadness. Therefore, in order that we may not die of hunger, let us seek the most heavenly bread, and that we may not faint with thirst, let us seek that water of which the Lord said: "Drink of the water which I will give him, and he shall never thirst."

(14) "And enlarge your soul in hell and open your mouth until you cease, and the glory and the greatness and the riches and their destroyers will come down, and rejoice in it." (15) "And man will humble himself, and man will be dishonored, and the eyes of those who look high will be humbled."

Presenting to us the multitude of those who are perishing, the Prophet said that hell has enlarged its mouth. As it is said of animals that greedily grasp food because of great hunger and expand their mouths stretched out to food, so, says the Prophet, it is said of hell that he will enlarge his mouth. But perhaps this word shows that the abode of hell is a place in the interior of the earth, walled everywhere and not bright, and that in these dungeons there is an mouth, through which descend souls condemned to torment; and it, because of the multitude of those who are perishing, in order to receive all, has become enlarged. For hell is not an animal or a force, according to the fables of the pagans, placed over the dead. For this reason, those who, "because they do not know the Lord, have been taken captive" and are exhausted by hunger and thirst for spiritual food, descend into hell, together with the glorious, and the great, and the rich, and the destroyers. Three threats are proclaimed to sinners: captivity, deadness, and descent into hell. For "captivity" is called the fall from the previous life through the deception of the enemy, who has distracted us from the bliss of paradise, "deadness" is alienation from the life-giving commandment, and "descent into hell" is excommunication from God for the increase of sin and for disposition contrary to good. Just as the righteous have already been resurrected with Christ and placed "in heaven" (cf. Ephesians 1:20), so the unrighteous are already called captive, and dead, and descended into hell, because of mortal sins. But the Prophet enumerated various hosts of those who descend into hell: first, he named the "glorious," perhaps these are people who, enjoying a certain good reputation, have absolutely no testimony in life corresponding to their apparent appearance; then come the "greatnesses," who by some power and authority prevail over the many, and the "riches," who have unjustly acquired a great multitude of possessions, or have an insatiable desire for more; and finally, their "destroyers," who, like a pernicious disease that spreads through communication, corrupt those who approach them, and are justly called destroyers, either for unsuitable teaching or for encouragement to sin. "And rejoice," it is said, "in him." This, perhaps, is a Jew in the flesh, rejoicing over earthly Jerusalem and not raising his eyes to the blessedness that is prepared for the saints of God. Note, then, that "in it" is said according to common usage, as it is often the custom to ascribe to private houses the privileges of those who live in them. Such is the following saying: "His foundations are on the mountains of the saints" (Psalm 86:2). Therefore "rejoice in it" will descend into hell.

"And a man shall humble himself," says the Prophet, "and a man shall be dishonored." He must endure humiliation not so much by place as by will. For the righteous are exalted by heavenly wisdom, but the wicked are humbled by his sympathy with the things below. And an ordinary person who exalts himself only by the advantages common to his nature, and yet does not live in accordance with the abilities that were given to him in the first dispensation, such a person "humbles himself"; but whoever has already made some progress and is worthy to be called a man, but has weakened and given himself over to passions, he will be "dishonored." Therefore, "a man will humble himself," and "a man will be dishonored"; the former because he did not preserve what was common, and the latter because, having turned to the worst, he had lost even that good which he had acquired for himself by asceticism. A person humbles himself; "For the eyes of the Lord are exalted, but man is humble" (Isaiah 2:11); but a man will be dishonored, as he who despises God by transgressing the commandments, for he who despises Him will be dishonored, as we hear those who say to the Lord in the First Book of Kings: "Those who glorify Me will be glorified, and those who despise Me will be dishonored" (1 Samuel 2:30). Therefore the husband will be dishonored by his own sin, because sin causes dishonor. For it is said: "These shall arise into eternal life, but they shall be reproach and everlasting shame" (Dan. 12:2). Honor is the reward of distinction, and distinction is the reward of virtue; and honor and distinction are given to the saints, and the contrary to the wicked, because God vouchsafes honor to the worthy, since He Himself is truly honorable and willingly gives honor. Therefore the dishonored cannot give honor. And everyone is dishonored by the shameful passions open to all creation.

"And the eyes," it is said, "those who look high shall humble themselves." Whoever, having ascended to the heights of his thoughts, has seen Him Who has shown all this, has "high-looking eyes," because he raises his thought above all bodily things. But if after this, through a false opinion and a strong addiction to material things, he became incapable of great contemplations, and completely gave himself up to bodily pleasure, then it is justly said that he humbles himself.

(16) "And the Lord of hosts will be lifted up in judgment."

That is, through the righteous recompense for what has been said above, the Lord God is lifted up in judgment, so that the glory of God includes, among other things, the judgment of the wicked, carried out by the Judge according to the merit of the works. For this reason the height of the Lord's mind and power is seen in judgment. Just as those who consider wisdom in the constitution of the heavenly bodies, from the position, motion, and mutual relationship of the stars, comprehend the greatness of God's mind, so that they can say: "His understanding is innumerable" (Psalm 146:5), so those who look at the laws of judgment will be no less amazed at wisdom and understanding in judgment, and at the fact that everyone, even the slightest, will be rewarded according to his dignity. Thus, perhaps, with every good deed we exalt God, He is exalted by our chastity, and He is exalted by our justice. And since we succeed in all this with God's help, when God, having lifted us up, stands upright, supporting and strengthening us with His assistance, then we say: "I will lift Thee, O Lord, as Thou hast lifted me up" (Psalm 29:2). But God's exaltations are numerous: there is exaltation by knowledge and understanding, and there is exaltation by the depiction of His majesty and the contemplation of His judgments. For this reason it is said of the righteous man that "the exaltation of God is in his throat" (cf. Psalm 149:6). Then, since the constancy of activity is established by the correctness of contemplation, it is added: "And the swords are sharp for both sides in their hands," that is, the teachings by which the passions of the soul are cut off and eradicated. Also, since the Lord of hosts means the Lord of hosts, the armies that serve Him at the time of judgment will then exalt and glorify Him for a righteous and infallible judgment. In a similar way, I conclude that during the Lord's judgment with men (for "the Lord Himself will come to judgment" with the people [cf. Isaiah 3:14]) "the Lord alone will be exalted" (Isaiah 2:11), because no one will be justified before Him. For who, having examined all the blessings of Him who created us, and the various dispensations concerning the whole human race in general, can repay with something equal and worthy for that which has come to him from the gift of the Lord? For this reason the saints are perplexed, saying: "What shall I repay the Lord for all that I have repaid?" (Psalm 115:3).

"And the Holy God shall be glorified in righteousness."

The ascension in judgment is followed by the glorification of the Holy One in righteousness. But those who have beheld Him ascending in judgments also comprehend the glory of His righteousness.

(17) "And the plundered will fend like youths, and the deserts of the captive lambs will devour."

The people, led into captivity, "because they do not know the Lord" and because they have sinned against God by giving themselves over to drunkenness, will feed like a flock of oxen. And these were taken captive and plundered during their captivity. It is evident that when we are defeated in battle by opposing forces, then, captured by them, we are plundered as booty after victory. And when we have been plundered, we no longer take for our food anything peculiar to rational beings, but, carried away by irrational movements, we must spend this life like the "youths" in the wilderness. Therefore he did not say "like the youngsters," but like the "youths," because the young women go in flocks, and the youngsters, being disliked by irritability to one another, graze separately from one another. Since, after the captivity, as probably, many things fell into desolation, because the inhabitants were carried away by enemies, the Prophet says: "And the deserts of the captive lambs will devour." For it is known from history that those prisoners were kept in Babylonia who, after the invasion of Nebuchadnezzar, were brought out of Judea. Thus, the Prophet says that in the country belonging to the captives and those held captive, lambs will feed from great devastation, because there are no remnants of the former population in it, and, due to the desolation, thick and soft grass grows.