§20.5τεθραυσμένον, καὶ ταῖς τῆς σαρκὸς ἐπιθυμίαις ἐπιδόντα τὸν νοῦν, κατασημαίνειεν ἂν γυναικὸς μνηστεῖαι.
Betrothal to a woman would signify one who is broken-spirited and has surrendered his mind to the desires of the flesh.
Προσιόντι (49) γὰρ τῇ τοῦ στρατοκήρυκος φωνῇ, τῆς ἱερᾶς καὶ μαχιμωτάτης ἀποχωροῦσι πληθύος.
For as they approach (49) at the sound of the military herald's voice, they withdraw from the sacred and most warlike multitude.
Ἃ δὲ ἦν εἰκὸς τοὺς τοιούσδε συνειλημμένους ἐννοεῖν τε καὶ λέγειν, ταῦτα δὴ φθάσας ὁ κῆρυξ ἀναφωνεῖ.
And what was natural for those caught in such things to think and say, the herald proclaims beforehand.
Ἢ οὐκ ἀληθὲς τούτοις (50) τὰ τοιαῦτα νομίζειν;
Or is it not true that they (50) think such things?
Εἰώθασι φιλοῦντες ἐν διωγμοῖς τὸ ἀφερέπονον ἀγαπᾷν, καὶ ταῖς ὑπὲρ τῆς εἰς Θεὸν ἀγάπης κατακολουθεῖν σπουδαῖς, ἐννοοῦντες, ὅτι, εἴ τι γένοιτο παθεῖν ἀγωνιζομένους, οἴκων τε καὶ κτήσεων, καὶ τῶν παρὰ σφίσιν τετιμημένων ἐκπίπτουσιν ἐπιθυμιῶν.
Those who are accustomed to love freedom from toil in times of persecution, and to follow the zeal for the love of God, tend to think that if they should happen to suffer anything while struggling, they will fall away from their homes, possessions, and the desires prized among them.
§20.8(51) Στίχ. η΄.
(51) Verse 8.
Τίς ὁ ἄνθρωπος ὁ φοβούμενος καὶ δειλὸς τῇ καρδίᾳ; Τοῦ αὐτοῦ.
"What man is there that is fearful and faint-hearted?" By the same author.
Ὁ τοῖς γτΐνοις ἐγκείμενος, καὶ οἰκίας οἰκοδομῶν, καὶ φυτεύων ἀμπελῶνας, ταῖς τῆς φιλοσαρκίας ἡδοναῖς ἡττώμενος, ἔσται που πάντως δειλός(52) τε καὶ ἄναλκις.
One who is devoted to earthly things, building houses and planting vineyards, being defeated by the pleasures of the love of the flesh, will surely be in every way cowardly (52) and weak.
§20.10Στίχ. ι΄.
Verse 10.
Ἐὰν δὲ προσέλθῃς πρὸς πόλιν ἐκπολεμῆσαι αὐτήν. Ὅμοιον τοῦ· Εἰς ἣν δὲ πάλιν εἰσέλθητε, ἐξετάζετε (53), τίς ἐξ αὐτῶν ἄξιός ἐστιν. Τὸ δὲ, μετʼ εἰρήνης, ὅμοιον τῷ ἀποστολικῷ· ὅτι Δοῦλον Κυρίου οὐ δεῖ μάχεσθαι. §20.13Στίχ. ιγ΄.
"And if you draw near to a city to fight against it." This is similar to: "And into whatever city you enter, inquire (53) who in it is worthy." And "with peace" is similar to the apostolic saying: "For a servant of the Lord must not fight." Verse 13.
Καὶ πατάξεις πᾶν ἀρσετικὸν αὐτῆς ἐν φόνῳ μαχαίρας. Τοῦ αὐτοῦ.
"And you shall smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword." By the same author.
Μάχαιρα δὲ τοῦ πνεύματος εἴη ἂν ὁ λόγος τοῦ Θεοῦ.
And the sword of the spirit would be the word of God.
Καὶ τὴν μάχαιραν δὲ τοῦ πνεύματος (54), ὅ ἐστι ῥῆμα Θεοῦ, ᾧτινι οἱ θεσπέσιοι μαθηταὶ ἀπέκτεινον ἅπαν ἀρσενικὸν τῆς ἀντικειμένης δυνάμεως, ὡς Σίμωνα καὶ Ἐλύμαν τοὺς μάγους, καὶ τὰ ἰσχυρὰ δὲ αὐτῶν κατέλυον δόγματα· περιεποιοῦντο δὲ τὰς γυναῖκας, καὶ δυναμένας εἰπεῖν ψυχάς· Διὰ τὸν φόβον σου, Κύριε, ἐν γαστρὶ ἐλάβομεν ἕως ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς· καὶ τὰ νήπια δὲ ὡσαύτως, οἷς καὶ Παῦλος γράφει· Τεκνία, μὴ ταῖς φρεσὶν νήπιοι γίνεσθε, ἀλλὰ τῇ κακίᾳ νηπιαζετε. Καὶ κτήνη δὲ, φησὶ, περιποιήσατε.
And with the sword of the spirit (54), which is the word of God, the divine disciples killed every male element of the opposing power, such as Simon and Elymas the magicians, and destroyed their strong doctrines; but they preserved the women, namely, the souls capable of saying: "Because of your fear, O Lord, we have conceived in our womb on the earth"; and likewise the infants, to whom Paul also writes: "Little children, do not be infants in your minds, but in malice be babes." And "preserve the cattle," he says.
Δίκαιος γὰρ οἰκτείρει ψυχὰς πηνῶν αὐτοῦ· τοὺς ἀλογωτέρους διὰ τῶν κτηνῶν αἰνιττόμενος.
"For a righteous man pities the souls of his beasts," intimating by the cattle those who are more irrational.
Κτῆνος ἦν καὶ ὁ Κορνήλιος, κατὰ τὴν ὀπτασίαν τὴν περὶ τῶν τετραπόδων φανεῖσαν τῷ Πέτρῳ.
Cornelius also was a beast, according to the vision of four-legged animals shown to Peter.