Do you see where he's looking for help? Others, he says, plot intrigues, slanders, and calumnies; but I have recourse to an indestructible wall, to a secure anchor, to a serene harbor - to prayer, by means of which everything difficult for me is made easy and comfortable. Someone again suffers contempt and contempt from those who previously pleased him, and is abandoned by friends, and this grieves and disturbs his soul exceedingly; but he, too, if he wishes to come here, will hear the words of the same blessed (David): "My friends and sincere ones have departed from my plague, and my neighbors stand afar off. But those who seek my life set a snare, and those who wish me harm speak of [mine] destruction, and plot plots all day long" (Psalm 37:12-13). You see, David's enemies stretched out their plots to the very death, and declared a continuous war on him, the words "all the day" mean the same thing as all his life. What did David do when they plotted against him? "But I," he says, "am like a deaf man, I do not hear, and like a dumb man who does not open his mouth; And I became as a man that heareth not, nor hath an answer in his mouth" (v. 14, 15). Do you see the great power of wisdom, how he conquered (enemies) by contrary means? His enemies plotted, and he blocked his hearing so that he could not hear at all; they did not cease for a moment to sharpen their tongues, and to speak vainly, and flattery, and he tamed their fury with silence. Why did he behave this way? Why, at a time when his enemies contrived so much against him, did he act as if he were deaf and dumb, having neither hearing nor language? Hear what reason he himself gives for his wisdom: "For in thee, O Lord, I trust," v. 16. Since, he says, I have placed all my hope in You, I do not care in the least about what these (enemies) do. Your power can scatter everything, destroy all their intrigues and tricks, and prevent their plans from coming to fruition.

2. Do you see how it is possible here (in the Scriptures) to receive a cure corresponding to every misfortune that befalls human nature, to reject all the sorrows of life, and not to be crushed by any circumstances? Therefore, I beg you, come here more often, listen attentively to the reading of the Divine Scriptures, and not only when you are here, but also at home, take the holy books in your hands and diligently derive benefit from them for yourselves. Great indeed is the benefit that comes from them: first, from reading them, a language is formed; then, the soul is winged and becomes exalted, being illumined by the light of the Sun of righteousness, freeing itself at this very time (reading) from the impurity of vicious thoughts, and enjoying great peace and tranquility. As bodily food is for the maintenance of our strength, so is the reading (of the Scriptures) for the soul. It is spiritual food, which strengthens the mind and makes the soul strong, firm and wise, not allowing it to be carried away by irrational passions, on the contrary, still facilitating its flight and elevating it, so to speak, to heaven itself. Let us not, I beseech you, neglect such benefit, but let us also engage in attentive reading of the Divine Scriptures at home, and when we come here (to church), let us not waste our time on empty and useless talk, but for what we have come, we must direct all our attention and listen to what we read, in order to leave here with some gain.

And such is the spiritual teaching that it is offered to everyone in general and without any distinction, unless one surpasses his neighbor by intense attentiveness and ardent zeal. Therefore, if this is the benefit of the teaching offered here, then let us explain today's reading, and having benefited from it, let us thus return home.

"Noah began," says the Scripture, "to cultivate the land, and planted a vineyard; and he drank wine, and became drunk" (Gen. 9:20,21). See what benefit the very beginning of this reading can bring us. For when we hear that a righteous and perfect man, who has received the heavenly testimony of himself, has drunk wine and drunk, how can we, who are steeped in so many and different sins, not try with all our might to avoid destructive drunkenness? For the guilt is not the same in the fact that this righteous man was subjected to this vice, and that we fall into it. There are many circumstances that make him (the righteous man) worthy of apology. I say this, however, not in defense of drunkenness, but to explain that the righteous man sinned not through intemperance, but through ignorance. And that he did not suddenly come to the use of wine, listen to how the Scripture itself speaks of it and defends him with these words: "Noah began to till the land, and planted a vineyard; and he drank wine, and became drunk." This very expression, "began," already shows that he laid the foundation for the use of wine, and was subjected to intoxication through complete ignorance and ignorance of the measure of the use of wine. Moreover, it may be said that he, feeling great sorrow, wished to receive consolation from it, as the Most Wise One also says: "Give strong drink to the perishing, and wine to the grieved in soul" (Proverbs 31:6), thus showing that nothing can be so useful a cure for sorrow as the use of wine, so long as immoderation does not destroy the benefit derived from it. And that this righteous man was in sorrow and despondency, seeing himself in such a wilderness, and having before his eyes the prostrate corpses of men, and cattle, and beasts, and the earth, which had become a common sepulchre for all, who would argue against this? It is characteristic of prophets and all righteous people to grieve not only for those close to them, but also for other people. Whoever wants to remember will find that they all showed such compassion. Thus he will hear that Isaiah says: "Do not strive to comfort me in the ruin of the daughter of my people" (Isaiah 22:4); Jeremiah: "O who will give water to my head, and fountain of tears to my eyes!" (Jeremiah 9:1); Ezekiel: "O Lord God! wilt thou destroy all the remnant of Israel" (Ezekiel 9:8); that Daniel weeps and says, "He has made us worthless among all nations; Amos: "And the Lord was sorry for this" (Amos 7:3); Avvakum: "Why do you allow me to see wickedness and look at disasters?"; and in another place: "And thou dost leave men as fish in pestilence" (Hab. 1:3,14); he will also hear that the most blessed Moses says: "Forgive them their sin, and if not, blot me also out of Thy book" (Exodus 32:32); but he, when God promised to make him ruler of the most numerous people, said: "Leave me, ... and I will destroy them (these people), and I will make a great nation out of thee" (v. 10), but would rather remain the leader of the Jews. And the teacher of the universe, Blessed Paul, says: "I myself would be excommunicated from Christ for the sake of my brethren who are my kinsmen according to the flesh" (Romans 9:3).

3. Do you see how each of the righteous showed great compassion for their neighbors? Imagine the situation of this righteous man (Noah), and judge how much he must have suffered and been depressed with sorrow, looking at such an immeasurable wilderness, seeing how the very earth, which had previously been covered with so many plants and adorned with flowers, was suddenly as if shaved and became naked and desolate. And so, when he was burdened with great tribulation, he, wishing to give himself even a little consolation, turned to agriculture, as the Scripture says: "Noah began to cultivate the land, and planted a vineyard."

But here it is appropriate to ask: was it only he who invented this plant (grapes), or was it produced at the very beginning? It must be thought that it was created at the very beginning, on the sixth day, when "God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good" (Gen. 1:31), since God, it is said, "rested on the seventh day from all His works which He had done" (Gen. 2:2), only the use of this plant was not known. If this plant and its fruit had been known to people at the very beginning, then of course Abel, when offering sacrifices, would have poured out wine. But since at that time they did not yet know the use of this fruit, they did not use this plant. And (Noah), having given himself up to the art of agriculture and practicing it with great diligence, perhaps also tasted the fruit of the vine, squeezed the bunches and, having made wine, consumed it. But since he himself had not tasted it before, and had not seen anyone else partake of it, he did not know to what extent it was necessary to use it and how to take it, and through ignorance he fell into intoxication. On the other hand, since the use of meat had already been introduced among men, the use of wine was also to be introduced. Behold, then, how the world, little by little, is being organized, and everyone, according to the wisdom God has placed in his nature, becomes at the beginning the inventor of some art, and in this way artificial inventions are brought into life. Thus, one invented agriculture, another after him shepherding, another cattle breeding, another music, another the art of forging copper, and this righteous man invented the art of cultivating grapes, according to the inspiration of his innate wisdom. "Noah began," says the Scripture, "to cultivate the land, and planted a vineyard; and he drank wine, and became drunk." See how this remedy for sorrow, an aid for the maintenance of health, when it went beyond the limits of moderation through ignorance, not only did not bring Noah any benefit, but also harmed his condition. But perhaps someone will say: why was this plant, which produces so much evil, introduced into use among people? Do not speak, beloved, so thoughtlessly. And that it is not from wine that pernicious vices come, but from a corrupt will, and that the benefit that comes from wine is destroyed by immoderation, this (the Scriptures) shows you, when he speaks of the beginning of the use of wine after the flood, so that you may know that human nature, even before the use of wine, came to the utmost corruption, and she committed a great multitude of sins, when wine was not yet known. Therefore, when you see the use of wine, do not attribute all evil to the guilt, but to the will, which is corrupt and has deviated to impiety. On the other hand, think, man, about the use for which the wine has become useful, and tremble. With its help, the grace-filled mystery of our salvation is performed. The initiates know what I am talking about. "Noah began," it is said, "to cultivate the land, and planted a vineyard; and he drank wine, and became drunk, and [lay] naked in his tent" (v. 21). Drunkenness is a bad thing, beloved, a bad deed; it can dull the senses and darken the mind. It makes a man who is rational and has received dominion over everything as if dead and inactive, and makes him lie down, as if bound by some insoluble bonds; or rather, it makes him worse and dead. For the latter is equally inactive in relation to good and evil, and the former is inactive in relation to good, but more active in relation to evil, and becomes an object of ridicule for all, for wife, for children, and for the slaves themselves. His friends, seeing his humiliation, shut themselves up and are ashamed, and his enemies rejoice, laugh and swear at him, as if to say: Is he worthy to breathe air? They call him a beast, an unclean animal, and other even more contemptible names. And indeed, drunks are worse than people returning from war, whose hands are stained with blood, and who are dragged out in a disorderly crowd. These, perhaps, are still glorified by others for their trophies, for their victories, for their wounds and defeats (of their enemies); but they are despised by all, called wretched, and wished them innumerable evils. In fact, can there be anything more miserable than a person who is given over to drunkenness, who fills himself with wine every day and loses his mind? That is why the Most Wise One gives the following instruction: "The chief necessities of life are water and bread, and clothing, and a house covering nakedness" (Sir. 30:24), so that if anyone happens to fall into intoxication, such a person should not go out of the house and show himself to no one, but be covered by his household and not become an object of ridicule and contempt for everyone. "Noah began," it is said, "to cultivate the land, and planted a vineyard; and he drank wine, and became drunk."

4. The name of rapture, beloved, in the Holy Scriptures does not always mean intoxication, but also satiety. That is why it can be said of this righteous man that he did not fall into ecstasy through intemperance, but it happened to him from satiety. Thus David says: "They are satisfied with the fat of Thy house" (Psalm 35:9), i.e. they will be satisfied. Meanwhile, those who indulge in drunkenness never feel full, but the more they pour wine into themselves, the more they are inflamed with thirst, so that the use (of wine) serves to increase their thirst, and although the feeling of pleasure is already lost in them, yet the thirst (for wine), having become unquenchable, plunges these prisoners of drunkenness into the very abyss of intoxication. "Noah began," says the Scripture, "to cultivate the land, and planted a vineyard; and he drank wine, and became drunk, and [lay] naked in his tent." Mind you, it didn't happen to him anywhere outside, but in his own house. The Holy Scriptures meant that (this happened) "in his tent," so that from what follows you would see the extremity of the wickedness of the one who uncovered nakedness (Noah). "And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw his father's nakedness, and went out and told his two brethren" (v. 22). If there had been others, perhaps he would have revealed to them the shame of his father: such was the wickedness of this son. Therefore, in order that you may know that he was already corrupted in soul before and from the earliest times, the Scriptures do not simply say that "Ham saw... the nakedness of his father," but how? "And Ham the father of Canaan saw." Why, tell me, does it mention the name of his son here too? In order that you may know that he was a lustful and intemperate man, and by the same (depraved) will, by which he did not abstain from procreation under such circumstances, and now he has offended a parent. "And when he went out," it was said, "he told his two brothers." Note here, beloved, that the beginning of sin lies not in nature, but in the disposition of the soul and in free will. Behold, all the sons of Noah are of the same nature, and brothers among themselves, had the same father, were born of the same mother, were brought up with the same care, and in spite of this, they showed different dispositions, one turned away to evil, and the others showed due respect to the father. Perhaps, telling about what had happened, he still mocked and mocked at the shame of his father, not heeding the wise one, who says: "The glory of a man is from the honor of his father" (Sir. 3:11). But his brothers did not do so, and how? Hearing of this, it is said, "And this and Japheth took the garment, and putting it on their shoulders, they went backwards, and covered their father's nakedness; their countenances were turned back, and they did not see the nakedness of their father" (v. 23). Do you see the modesty of these sons? He divulged it, and they did not even want to see, but walked with their faces turned back, so that, coming closer, they covered their father's nakedness. See also how they were still meek in their great modesty. They do not reproach or amaze their brother, but when they hear (his story), they are concerned only about one thing, how to quickly correct what has happened and do what was required for the honor of the parent. "Their faces," it is said, "were turned back, and they did not see the nakedness of their father." Great is the reverence of these sons for their father: they, as the Scripture shows, not only covered (their father's nakedness), but did not even want to see it. Let us come to our senses by these (two) examples, and from both we will derive benefit for ourselves: let us imitate the latter (Shem and Japheth), and refrain from imitating the first (Ham).

And what punishment awaits those who give occasion (to this sin), everyone knows. Let us, I beseech you, avoid the shamelessness of Ham, and let us imitate the chastity of these humble sons, which they showed in relation to the nakedness of their father, and in this way let us cover up the sins of the brethren, not in order to dispose them to negligence, but, on the contrary, in order to motivate them more strongly to a speedy liberation from the infection of sin and return to the path of virtue. Indeed, for an attentive person, the absence of witnesses to his sins facilitates correction; On the contrary, when the soul loses its shame and sees that its crimes are known to all, it will not soon decide to reform, but, as it were, having fallen into a deep swamp and being carried away by a multitude of waves lower and lower, it will no longer be able to float up, it will finally fall into despair and lose hope for correction.

5. Therefore, I beseech you, let us neither reveal the sins of our neighbors ourselves, nor when we learn about them from others, seek to see their nakedness, but, like the good sons mentioned above, let us cover it, and try to correct the fallen soul by exhortations and advices, reminding it of the greatness of God's love for mankind, of His boundless goodness and boundless mercy, so that we may be counted worthy of greater things than those (the sons of Noah), blessing from the God of all things, "who wills that all men should be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:4), and does not want "the death of the wicked ... that he should turn from his ways and live" (Ezekiel 18:23). "And they did not see," it is said, "the nakedness of their father." See how in such ancient times, guided only by the natural law, they already fulfilled what was later established in the law written for the instruction of the human race. The law said: "Honour thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee" (Exodus 20:12), and again: "Whosoever curses his father or his mother shall be put to death" (Exodus 21:17); And they have already done the same thing in practice. Do you see how nature has a sufficient teacher (virtue) even before (the law)?

"Noah asleep," says the Scripture, "from his wine, and knew what his least son had done to him" (Gen. 9:24). "I overslept," it said. Let those who spend all their time in feasting hear how great is the harm of intoxication, and let them flee from this infection. "Overslept," it is said. What does it mean: "Overslept"? What we usually say about those who are possessed when they come to their senses, namely, that so-and-so has come to his senses and freed himself from the power of the demon, is also said by the Scriptures. Indeed, drunkenness is a self-willed demon, which, worse than a real demon, darkens the mind and deprives the possessed by it of all modesty. When we see a possessed person, we often feel sorry for him, sympathize with him, and show deep compassion for him; but when we see a drunken man, we do the opposite: we are indignant, angry, and utter a thousand reproaches.

And I say this not in order to condemn the righteous. There were many circumstances that justified him, and among other things, the fact that afterwards he did not fall into such a state, and this serves as indisputable proof that he committed his former sin not through carelessness, but through ignorance. In fact, if he had allowed this out of carelessness, then, of course, another time he would have been carried away by the same passion; But this did not happen to him. If he were to fall into the same state again, the Scriptures would not be silent about it, but would inform us, because the only object and the only purpose of the divine Scripture is not to omit a single event (from the life of the righteous), but to give us a true idea of everything. Nor does it keep silent about the virtues of the righteous out of envy, nor does it cover up their sins out of partiality, but presents everything to us, so that we may have before us an example and a lesson, and if we fall into any sin through carelessness, then we should be careful not to commit the same sin again. It is not so criminal to sin as to become fossilized in sin. See, therefore, not that the righteous man (Noah) was drunk, but that he was no longer subjected to it. And consider how some people exhaust themselves every day, and almost, one might say, die in drunkenness; and if they come to their senses, then even then they do not flee from this infection, but again take up the same thing, as if for some important matter. Think also that this righteous man, if, through inexperience and ignorance of the measure of use, he drank wine, then, as a righteous man who had many virtues, he was able to cover up (with his virtues) an accidental sin; And if we, with the multitude of other passions that possess us, still indulge in drunkenness, in what, tell me, shall we find an excuse for ourselves? Who will show us condescension when we are not taught even by experience itself? "Noah slept asleep," it is said, "from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done to him." How did he know this? Perhaps the brothers told the story, not in order to accuse the brother, but in order to explain the matter how it happened, so that Ham would receive the medicine corresponding to his illness. "And (Noah) knew," it is said, "what his younger son had done to him." What does it mean: "What did he do"? That is, what a great and unpardonable sin (Ham committed). In fact, consider that when he saw the shame (of his father) in the house, instead of covering it up, he went out of the house and divulged about it, subjected his father to ridicule and reproach as much as he could, and wanted to make his brothers accomplices in his abominable act; And then, as he ought to have done, if he had already made up his mind to announce to his brothers, to call them into the house and there to tell them about his nakedness, he went out and announced his nakedness, so that if many other people happened to be there, he would have made them witnesses of his father's shame. That is why it is said: "What have you done", i.e. you have insulted your father, you have forgotten the respect that children are obliged to pay to your parents, you have discovered the sin (of your father), you wanted to carry away your brothers and make them accomplices in your insolence. "What did his younger son do to him?" Ham, of course, was not the youngest; he was second and older than Japheth. But, even if he was older than him in age, he turned out to be younger in his liking, and his audacity put him inferior (his younger brother). Since he did not want to remain within his borders, he lost the honor granted to him by nature, and as he lost by his evil will what he had by nature, so Japheth, what he did not have by nature, he gained by good will.

6. Do you see how there is nothing in the divine Scripture that has been said without purpose and by chance? "What did his younger son do to him," it is said, "and said, 'Cursed is Canaan; he shall be the servant of his brethren" (v. 25). Here we come to a question that is repeated everywhere. From many you can hear the following words: Why is it that when the father has sinned and uncovered his nakedness, the son is cursed? So, I beg you, listen attentively and accept from me the solution of this (question). I will say what the grace of God inspires me for your benefit. "And he said, Cursed is Canaan; he shall be a servant of servants to his brethren." Not without purpose and not in vain did the Scriptures mention the son (Ham), but for some hidden reason. Noah wanted to punish Ham for his crime and the insult inflicted on him, and at the same time not to violate the blessing already given by God: "God blessed," it is said, "Noah and his sons," when they came out of the ark (Gen. 9:1). So, so that it does not seem that he is cursing the one who has already received a blessing from God, Noah leaves the offender himself for the time being, and puts a curse on his son. True, some will say, it is clear from this that Noah did not curse Ham because he received a blessing from God: but why is the son punished for the sin of the father? And this is not without reason. In fact, Ham suffered punishment and felt torment no less than his son. You know, of course, how often fathers are ready to endure punishment for their children, and how much more painful it is for them to see their children suffer than to suffer themselves. Thus, this was done (i.e. his son was punished instead of Ham) so that the father, out of natural love for his son, would suffer the most grievous sorrow, and the blessing of God would remain inviolable, and the son who was cursed would be punished for his own sins, because, although he is now subject to a curse for the sin of his father, he was probably punished for his own sins as well. He was cursed not only for the sin of his father, but no doubt also so that in him (the son) the father would suffer a greater punishment. That neither fathers are punished for their children, nor children for their fathers, but each is punished for his sins, is spoken of by the prophets in many places. Thus, for example, they say: "The fathers ate sour grapes, but the children's teeth are set on edge" (Jeremiah 31:29); again: "The soul that sinneth, it shall die" (Ezekiel 18:20), and again: "Fathers shall not be punished with death for their children, and children shall not be punished with death for their fathers" (Deuteronomy 24:16). And so, I beseech you, none of you, not knowing the purpose of the divine Scriptures, presume not to condemn what is written in them, but gratefully receive its words, marvel at the accuracy of the divine Scriptures, and reflect on what a great evil sin is. In fact, a brother born of the same matter, who came from the same womb, was made a slave by sin, and, having deprived him of his freedom, brought him into subjection. This is where slavery began. Up to that time there had been no such effeminacy and such luxury among men that one needed the service of others, but each served himself, all were in equal honor, and there was no inequality. And as sin appeared, it violated freedom, and degraded the dignity bestowed upon men by nature, and introduced slavery, so that it might be a constant lesson and suggestion to the human race to flee from the slavery of sin and strive for the freedom of virtue. Therefore, if the slave and the master want to benefit from it continually, let the slave think that he has become a slave, because Ham has shown such audacity, and the master, on his part, let him imagine that submission and slavery have arisen from nothing else than the fact that he (Ham) has shown an evil will and has lost his equal honor with his brothers.

7. However, if we are attentive, then all this, which appeared in life because of the sins of our first parents, will not be able to harm us in the least, but will remain only a name. Thus, the first man was condemned to death for a crime and began a life of sorrow and labor, and Ham introduced slavery. But the Lord Christ, who came (to earth), made all this be only one name, if we so desired. In fact, even now death is no longer death, but only bears the name of death, or rather, its very name has been destroyed: we no longer call it death, but rest and sleep. Thus Christ Himself said: "Lazarus our friend fell asleep" (John 11:11); and Paul in his Epistle to the Thessalonians says: "But I will not leave you, brethren, ignorant of those who are asleep" (about the departed - 1 Thess. 4:13). In the same way, slavery is now one name: a slave is he who commits sin. And that Christ, when He came to earth, destroyed this (slavery) also, and left only its name, or, rather, destroyed the name itself, Listen to Paul, who says: "Those who have the faithful as lords must not treat them carelessly, because they are brethren" (1 Timothy 6:2). You see how virtue has only just appeared, it has brought into fraternal kinship those who were hitherto bound by the name of slavery. "He (Ham) shall be the servant of servants," it is said, "with his brethren." Thou hast not availed, he says, of due honour, thou hast not endured the happiness of being equal in dignity (with thy brethren), wherefore I wish that thou mayest come to thy senses by obedience. The same thing happened to his wife at first. And she had equal honor with her husband, but since she did not make good use of the honor bestowed upon her, she lost her power and heard: "Thy desire is for thy husband, and he shall rule over thee" (Gen. 3:16). You did not know how to use power well, so learn to obey well rather than govern badly. In the same way, Ham is now condemned for his own admonition, and suffers punishment in his son, so that it may be known to you that if he himself was already old, the punishment will pass on to his son; and this made his life sorrowful and painful, from the thought that, even after his death, his son should be punished for his transgression. However, his son was also corrupt in himself, and all his descendants were corrupt and deviated to wickedness; about this, listen to what the Scripture says with a curse: "Your father is the Amorite, and your mother is a Hittite" (Ezekiel 16:3); and in another place with a reproach: "The tribe of Canaan, and not of Judah!" (Dan. 13:56). But having learned what punishment was inflicted on the one who uncovered his father's nakedness, it is necessary to hear what rewards are awarded to those who showed such respect and reverence to the father. "He said," it is said (Noah), "Blessed be the Lord God of Shem; And Canaan shall be his servant" (Gen. 9:26). This, perhaps, someone will say, does not mean to bless Shem. On the contrary, here Noah gave him the highest blessing. In fact, when God is glorified and blessed by men, then He usually bestows His most abundant blessing on those for whose sake He Himself is blessed. Therefore, Noah, having blessed God, as it were, obliged Him to a greater blessing and obtained a greater reward for Shem than if he had blessed him on his own. As when God is blessed for us, He vouchsafes us His great blessing, so, on the contrary, when others blaspheme Him because of us, then we are all the more condemned because we have given occasion for it. Let us try, I beseech you, to live in such a way and to manifest such progress in virtue that those who look at us will lift up songs of blessing to the Lord God. He, the good and loving of mankind, desires to be glorified through us, not because He Himself receives from it any increase in His own glory - He lacks nothing - but so that we may give Him the opportunity to vouchsafe us great mercies. "Blessed be the Lord God of Shem; And Canaan shall be his servant." Do you see how he (Noah) inflicts (on Ham) the punishment of his father, which is more admonition than punishment? After all, he was a father, and a child-loving father; and he wanted not so much to inflict a fitting punishment as to stop the further spread of evil. For this reason, he says, I condemn you to slavery, that you may have a constant and indelible reminder (of your sin). Then he says: "May God spread Japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem; And Canaan shall be his servant" (v. 27). And this again is the greatest blessing, in which, perhaps, lies a certain hidden treasure. "Let the God of Japheth spread," he says. It will not be mistaken to say that the blessings of this righteous man are prophecy. For if his father gave him such a name (Noah), not without purpose and not in vain, but in order to foretell the future flood by this name, how much more did this righteous man himself not without purpose and not in vain pronounce his blessings. By means of these blessings, spoken to Shem and Japheth, he seems to me to have foretold the calling of the two nations, namely, through Shem, the Jews, since from him came the patriarch Abraham and the people of Judah, and through Japheth, the calling of the Gentiles. So, this is the prophecy contained in this blessing: "May God spread Japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem." This, indeed, as we see, was fulfilled in the Gentiles. With the word, "Let him extend," he pointed to all the Gentiles, and with the words, "Let him dwell in the tents of Shem" (he made sense) that the Gentiles had availed themselves of all that was intended and prepared for the Jews. "Canaan shall be his servant."

8. You see what rewards Shem and Japheth received for their modesty, and what disgrace Ham brought upon himself by his audacity. Let us keep this constantly in our minds, so that we may be imitators and zealots of the former, and avoid the ill will and extreme audacity of the latter. "And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years. And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years, and he died" (v. 28, 29). Do not think that the Divine Scriptures noticed this without purpose, but even from this see the abstinence of the righteous man, how he, although he enjoyed peace and abundance, and lived so many years after leaving the ark, nevertheless all this time abstained from childbearing. The Scriptures do not mention that he had other children besides these three. From this again conclude about the great intemperance of Ham, who was not taught by the example of his father, who showed such abstinence, but acted contrary to his father in everything. For this reason all his descendants were justly condemned to slavery, so that their evil inclinations might be curbed. Then the divine Scripture tells about the children of the sons (of Noah), and says: Ham begat Cush; further: "Cush begat Nimrod also: this one began to be strong on the earth. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord" (Gen. 10:6-9). Some say that the words, "before the Lord," mean against the Lord, but I do not think that the divine Scriptures wish to express this, but that Neurod was a strong and courageous man. The expression "before the Lord (God)" can also mean either that this person was raised up by God, received a blessing from Him, or that through him God was to be glorified, who produced and manifested such a man on earth. But this man, too, imitating his progenitor, and not making proper use of natural advantages, invented another kind of slavery, and himself conceived the idea of becoming a ruler and ruler; and it would not be so if there were no ruled. However, this state of subordinates seems to me rather freedom. And here is the heaviest slavery, when those who boast of freedom fawn on their freedom! See also what covetousness does; See how the bodily power does not remain within its own limits, but always pursues the greater and seeks glory. (Neurod) did not subdue people to himself in order to take care of their safety; no, he also built cities in order to dominate his enemies. "Out of this land," it is said, "came Assyria, and built Nineveh" (v. 11). Note here, among other things, that the impiety of our ancestors does not upset our nature at all. These Ninevites, who by their repentance deserved the mercy of God and rejected the sentence of the Lord (pronounced on them), had as their progenitor first Ham, this offender of his father, and then Neurod, a cruel and proud man, from whom Assyria came. Perhaps among them there were others, pampered and voluptuous, who led a vicious and intemperate life, and gave themselves up to drunkenness, ridicule, jokes, and ridicule. But since the Ninevites wanted to show sincere repentance, the impiety of their ancestors did not harm them; on the contrary, they have gained such favor from above that even to this day they are glorified for their feat of repentance.