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knowledge of God through the introduction of sin. "They became." Whether the priests, or even the others leading the people, no longer having those who offer anything to them. But in a spiritual sense, sin, like a burning heat, having dried up those who were about to advance in learning, the modes of teaching do not find pasture. "And they went." Being driven together, he says, into captivity; they no longer had strength. Or thus, they became weak, being unable to face and to resist sin. "Jerusalem remembered." They came to the remembrance, he says, of the days before her humiliation, 93.729 when they inhabited Jerusalem and had their offerings; or also thus: They came to the remembrance of their own sins, on account of which she went into captivity. "All her desirable things." According to the literal sense, the temple, the festivals, the sacrifices, the offerings, the sacred vessels. But in a spiritual sense: She remembered, he says, her desires, which having followed she became a captive. "Her enemies saw and laughed." For demons are accustomed, after casting down the soul, then also to laugh at it. "She has grievously sinned." Everyone who sins, it is clear that he works sin; but he is said to sin a sin, who sins knowingly. And it alludes to the Jews, that when the Lord who was proclaimed and expected by them had come, they crucified him. "All who honored her." According to the literal sense, the synagogue taken captive, but in a spiritual sense, the soul sick with sin, moved from its upright position. "They have humbled her." Either the demons, who formerly lifted her up when the synagogue sacrificed to them, whom she also later turned away from, or also the souls of the saints, who out of disposition love Jerusalem and glorify her when she does well, but turn away from her when she sins. "For they have seen her shame." For through the severe punishment her sins were uncovered and revealed, on account of which she also underwent the punishments. "And she herself groaning." The synagogue, no longer serving demons; and such a soul coming to its senses, and groaning, and in a way wishing to flee from its sins. "Her uncleanness is on her feet." Instead of, they are defiled. "She did not remember her end." If she had remembered, he says, that there is retribution, she would have humbled her pride, so that she might not fall under punishment; for the arrogant is humbled, but the humble is exalted. "Behold, O Lord." The holy one from that point makes the transgressions of the sinners his own, and offers supplication on their behalf. "The oppressor has stretched out his hand." According to the literal sense, first the Babylonian, and later also the Romans have taken the desirable vessels, and whatever was of value in Jerusalem. But in a spiritual sense, wickedness dared, he says, it spread itself over the soul, and darkened its desirable knowledge of God. "For she has seen the nations." God commanded the Moabites and Ammonites not to enter the assembly of the Lord; therefore when Jerusalem was laid waste, these also entered into the temple. But in a spiritual sense, certain unclean thoughts entered into the inner sanctuary of the soul. 93.732 "Seeking bread." Either the physical bread on account of the siege, or the nourishing word of the soul. "They have given their desirable things." In the siege they gave anything of choice for the purchase of food, so that they might only live, and nourish the fainting soul. Or also thus: having betrayed the desirable knowledge of God, they wished to hear something from the false prophets, by which to recover from their own despair. "All you who..." While Jerusalem was standing, the travelers often walked through its midst, and rested in it. Therefore, when it was razed, they passed by outside of it. Therefore he says: Wayfarers who pass me by on the outside, my word is to you; have compassion on me for so great a wound. But in a spiritual sense he says: You who do not walk the straight and lawful way, beholding my pain, return to the knowledge of God. "Having spoken in me." Threatening with a reproof of truth; and when also with the

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θεογνωσία διὰ τὴν τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἐπαγωγήν. "Ἐγένοντο." Εἴτε οἱ ἱερεῖς, εἴτε καὶ οἱ ἄλλως ἡγούμενοι τοῦ λαοῦ, οὐκέτι ἔχοντες τοὺς προσφέροντάς τι αὐτοῖς. Πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν, τῆς ἁμαρτίας δίκην καύσωνος, τοὺς ἐν τῇ μαθήσει προκόπτειν μέλλοντας ἀποξηρανάσης, οἱ διδασκαλικοὶ τρόποι οὐχ εὑρίσκουσι νομήν. "Καὶ ἐπορεύοντο." Συνελαυνόμενοι, φησὶν, εἰς τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν· οὐκέτι ἴσχυσαν. Ἢ καὶ οὕτως, ἠσθένησαν, ἀντωπῆσαι καὶ ἀντιστῆναι τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ μὴ δυνηθέντες. "Ἐμνήσθη Ἱερουσαλήμ." Εἰς ἀνάμνησιν, φησὶν, ἦλθον τῶν πρὸ τῆς ταπεινώσεως αὐτῆς ἡμερῶν, 93.729 τῶν ὅτε ᾤκουν τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ, καὶ εἶχον τὰς προσφοράς· ἢ καὶ οὕτως· Εἰς ἀνάμνησιν ἦλθον τῶν οἰκείων ἁμαρτημάτων, δι' ἃ γέγονεν εἰς αἰχμαλωσίαν. "Πάντα τὰ ἐπιθυμήματα." Πρὸς μὲν τὸ ῥητὸν, ὁ ναὸς, αἱ πανηγύρεις, αἱ θυσίαι, αἱ προσφοραὶ, τὰ ἱερὰ σκεύη. Πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν· Ἀνεμνήσθη, φησὶ, τῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν αὐτῆς, αἷς ἐξακολουθήσασα γέγονεν αἰχμάλωτος. "Ἰδόντες οἱ ἐχθροὶ αὐτῆς ἐγέλασαν." Πεφύκασι γὰρ οἱ δαίμονες μετὰ τὸ καταβαλεῖν τὴν ψυχὴν, τότε καὶ ἐπιγελᾷν αὐτῇ. "Ἁμαρτίαν ἥμαρτεν." Πᾶς μὲν ὁ ἁμαρτάνων δῆλον ὅτι τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ἐργάζεται· ἁμαρτίαν δὲ ἁμαρτάνειν λέγεται, ὁ ἐν γνώσει ἁμαρτάνων. Αἰνίττεται δὲ τοὺς Ἰουδαίους, ὅτι τὸν προκηρυττόμενον, καὶ προσδοκώμενον ὑπ' αὐτῶν Κύριον, παραγεγονότα ἐσταύρωσαν. "Πάντες οἱ δοξάζοντες αὐτήν." Πρὸς μὲν ῥητὸν, ἡ συναγωγὴ αἰχμαλωτισθεῖσα, πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν, ἡ ἁμαρτίᾳ νοσοῦσα ψυχὴ, τῆς ὀρθῆς στάσεως παρακινηθεῖσα. "Ἐταπείνωσαν αὐτήν." Ἢ οἱ δαίμονες, οἱ πρώην αὐτὴν ἀναπτεροῦντες, ὅτε αὐτοῖς ἔθυεν ἡ συναγωγὴ, οὓς καὶ ὕστερον ἀπεστράφη, ἢ καὶ αἱ τῶν ἁγίων ψυχαὶ, αἱ ἐκ διαθέσεως ἀγαπῶσαι τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ, καὶ δοξάζουσαι αὐτὴν εὐπράττουσαν, ἁμαρτάνουσαν δὲ ἀποστρεφόμεναι. "Εἶδον γὰρ τὴν ἀσχημοσύνην αὐτῆς." ∆ιὰ γὰρ τῆς σφοδρᾶς τιμωρίας ἀνεκαλύφθησαν καὶ ἐφανερώθησαν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι, δι' ἃς καὶ τὰς τιμωρίας ὑπέστη. "Καίγε αὐτὴ στενάζουσα." Ἡ μὲν συναγωγὴ οὐκέτι δουλεύουσα δαίμοσιν· ἡ δὲ τοιαύτη ψυχὴ εἰς συναίσθησιν ἐρχομένη, καὶ στενάζουσα, καὶ τρόπον τινὰ βουλομένη ἀποποδίζειν ἐκ τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων. "Ἀκαθαρσία αὐτῆς πρὸ ποδῶν αὐτῆς." Ἀντὶ τοῦ, μεμολυσμέναι εἰσίν. "Οὐκ ἐμνήσθη ἔσχατα αὐτῆς." Εἰ ἐμνήσθη, φησὶν, ὅτι ἐστὶν ἀνταπόδοσις, εἶχεν ἑαυτῆς ταπεινώσειν τὴν ὑπερηφανίαν, ἵνα μὴ πέσῃ ὑπὸ τὴν τιμωρίαν· ὁ μὲν γὰρ ὑπέρογκος ταπεινοῦται, ὁ δὲ ταπεινὸς ὑψοῦται. "Ἴδε, Κύριος." Οἰκειοποιεῖται ὁ ἅγιος ἐκεῖθεν τῶν ἁμαρτανόντων τὰ πλημμελήματα, καὶ τὴν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν προσάγει δέησιν. "Χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ἐξεπέτασε θλίβων." Πρὸς μὲν τὸ ῥητὸν, πρότερος ὁ Βαβυλώνιος, ὕστερον δὲ καὶ οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι τὰ ἐπιθυμητὰ σκεύη, καὶ ὅσα ἦν ἀξιόλογα ἐν τῇ Ἱερουσαλὴμ εἰλήφασιν. Πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν, ἐτόλμησε, φησὶν, ἡ κακία, ἐφήπλωσεν ἑαυτὴν κατὰ τῆς ψυχῆς, καὶ ἐπεσκότισεν αὐτῆς τὴν ἐπιθυμητὴν θεογνωσίαν. "Εἶδε γὰρ ἔθνη." Ἐκέλευσεν ὁ Θεὸς Μωαβίτας καὶ Ἀμμανίτας μὴ εἰς ἐκκλησίαν Κυρίου εἰσιέναι· ἐρημωθείσης οὖν τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ, εἰσῆλθον καὶ οὗτοι εἰς τὸν ναόν. Πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν, ἀκάθαρτοί τινες λογισμοὶ εἰς τὸ ἄδυτον τῆς ψυχῆς ἐχώρησαν. 93.732 "Ζητοῦντες ἄρτον." Ἣ τὸν αἰσθητὸν διὰ τὴν πολιορκίαν. ἢ τὸν τρόφιμον τῆς ψυχῆς λόγον. "Ἔδωκαν τὰ ἐπιθυμήματα." Ἐν τῇ πολιορκίᾳ πᾶν εἴ τι ἐκλεκτὸν παρεῖχον εἰς ὠνὴν βρωμάτων, ἵνα κἂν μόνον ζήσωσιν, καὶ θρέψωσι τὴν ἐκλείπουσαν ψυχήν. Ἢ καὶ οὕτως· τὴν ἐπιθυμητὴν θεογνωσίαν προδεδωκότες, ἤθελόν τι ἀκούειν παρὰ τῶν ψευδοπροφητῶν, ἐφ' ᾧ τὴν ἑαυτῶν ἀθυμίαν ἀνακτᾶσθαι. "Οἱ πρὸς ὑμᾶς πάντες." Ἑστώσης τῆς Ἰερουσαλὴμ, διὰ μέσης ἐβάδιζον οἱ ὁδοιπόροι πολλάκις, καὶ διαναπαυόμενοι ἐν αὐτῇ. Κατασκαφείσης οὖν αὐτῆς, ἔξωθεν αὐτῆς παρήρχοντο. Φησὶν οὖν, ὅτι Ὁδῖται οἱ ἔξωθέν με παρατρέχοντες, πρὸς ὑμᾶς μοι ὁ λόγος· συμπαθήσατέ μοι ἐπὶ τῷ τηλικούτῳ τραύματι. Πρὸς δὲ διάνοιάν φησιν· Οἱ μὴ τὴν εὐθεῖαν καὶ ἔννομον βαδίζοντες ὁδὸν, τὸ ἐμὸν ἄλγημα θεωροῦντες, ἐπιστρέψατε εἰς θεογνωσίαν. "Φθεγξάμενος ἐν ἐμοί." Ἀπειλήσας ἐλεγμῷ ἀληθείας· καὶ ὅτε δὲ τῇ