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the word, who through persuasive speech, while seeming to introduce nourishing teaching, reap destruction for themselves. "Their lots will not profit them." The pastoral lots will in no way profit the shepherds. "Be ashamed of your boasting." Boasting, he says, is worthy of shame and reproach before God. "For thus says the Lord concerning all the evil neighbors." Evil neighbors are those who corrupt the divine word, who also cause diversions, channeling away the divine teaching. "Behold, I am pulling them away." I will pull up, he says, the saved of my people from the land of the evil neighbors; that is, from idolatry and false teaching. And he says Judah is the confessing and saved people, whom he promises to cast out from the evil land. "And it shall be, after I have cast them out, I will return, and have mercy on them." And on them too, he says, I will have mercy on the gentiles, bestowing on them the remission of the holy font. "And it shall be ..., to swear by my name." So that they may no longer have idols as their oath, but the Lord Christ. CHAPTER 13. "Go and get yourself a linen loincloth." A linen loincloth, that which can be washed many times; it signifies those who have been forgiven many times, and have not repented. "And I went. And behold it was ruined, which not." The water ruined the loincloth; and water is sin, being wet and flowing, and rendering useless those who use it. "Those who are not willing to obey my words, and have gone after other gods." It is an outrage against God, to offer his worship to idols. "And you will say to this people: Every wineskin will be filled with wine." He compares them to wineskins, either because they are empty and have only the form of men, or because if they were willing, they are able also again to receive divine teachings, those of the faith in Christ. "Behold, I am filling the priests with drunkenness." With the punishment of unrighteousness. "Give glory to your Lord before it grows dark." Your Lord Jesus Christ is light; while you have, he says, the light, believe in it. "And before your feet stumble." 93.657 Dark mountains are the evil powers, and the diabolical energies. Before, therefore, the boldness of the devil, he says, believe in the light. "And you will wait for light, and there is the shadow of death, and they will be put into darkness." For false teachings, while promising light, happen to be procurers of death. "The soul will weep secretly." Either the word is to the teachers, that being ashamed of those whom you deceived, you weep secretly; or also to the captives, that such will be your captivity, whether spiritual or physical, as not even to dare to show it openly. "The cities which are to the south were shut up." The polities according to piety, which are opposed to the spiritual north. "Judah has been carried away captive, they completed a perfect captivity." Along with the physical, he understands that he has departed from the morals according to piety. "Lift up your eyes, Jerusalem." That is, understand. "What will you say when they visit you?" When the physical or also the spiritual enemies stand over you. "And you taught them lessons against yourself for a beginning." For if we do not give ourselves over to sin, it does not rule over us. "Your heels." Your ways and your pursuits are earthly. "Will an Ethiopian change." He compares sin from long habit to a natural thing, in order to show that the grace of the washing of regeneration is necessary. "And your neighing." Through the neighing, he signifies the desire for intercourse with the female. This therefore he says, that both in consent and in the act itself you have worked sin. "On the hills and in the fields I have seen your abominations." Instead of, in many ways. However, on these they sacrificed. CHAPTER 14. "Judah has mourned." After the physical, the knowledge of piety. "And her gates were emptied." The introductions and teachings not having those who are taught. "And they were darkened upon the earth." For with wickedness prevailing, virtue is covered. "And the cry of Jerusalem

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ὁ λόγος, οἵτινες διὰ τῆς πιθανολογίας, τρόφιμον δοκοῦντες εἰσηγεῖσθαι διδασκαλίαν, ὄλεθρον ἑαυτοῖς ἀποθερίζουσιν. "Οἱ κλῆροι αὐτῶν οὐκ ὠφελήσουσιν αὐτούς." Τοὺς ποιμένας οὐδὲν οἱ ποιμαντικοὶ ὠφελήσουσι κλῆροι. "Αἰσχύνθητε ἀπὸ καυχήσεως ὑμῶν." Αἰσχύνης, φησὶ, καὶ ὀνειδισμοῦ ἀξία ἐστὶν ἡ καύχησις παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ. "Ὅτι τάδε λέγει Κύριος περὶ πάντων τῶν γειτόνων τῶν πονηρῶν." Γείτονες πονηροὶ οἱ τὸν θεῖον λόγον παραχαράττοντες, οἵτινες καὶ διεκβολὰς ἐργάζονται, παροχετεύοντες τὴν θείαν διδασκαλίαν. "Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἀποσπῶ αὐτούς." Ἀνασπῶ, φησὶ, τοὺς σωζομένους τοῦ λαοῦ μου ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς τῶν πονηρῶν γειτόνων· τουτέστι, τῆς εἰδωλολατρείας καὶ ψευδοῦς διδασκαλίας. Ἰούδαν δέ φησι τὸν ἐξομολογούμενον καὶ σωζόμενον λαὸν, ὃν καὶ ἐκβαλεῖν ὑπισχνεῖται ἀπὸ τῆς πονηρᾶς γῆς. "Καὶ ἔσται, μετὰ τὸ ἐκβαλεῖν με αὐτοὺς, ἀναστρέψω, καὶ ἐλεήσω αὐτούς." Καὶ αὐτοὺς δὲ, φησὶν, ἐλεήσω τοὺς ἐθνικοὺς, τὴν τοῦ ἁγίου λουτροῦ ἄφεσιν χαριζόμενος αὐτοῖς. "Καὶ ἔσται ..., τοῦ ὀμνύειν τῷ ὀνόματί μου." Ἵνα μηκέτι τὰ εἴδωλα, ἀλλὰ τὸν ∆εσπότην Χριστὸν ὅρκιον ἔχωσιν. ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΙΓʹ. "Βάδισον καὶ κτῆσαι σεαυτῷ περίζωμα λινοῦν." Περίζωμα λινοῦν τὸ πολλάκις πλύνεσθαι δυνάμενον· σημαίνει δὲ τοὺς πολλάκις συγχωρηθέντας, καὶ μὴ μετανοήσαντας. "Καὶ ἐπορεύθην. Καὶ ἰδοὺ διεφθαρμένον ἦν, ὃ οὐ." Τὸ ὕδωρ διέφθειρε τὸ περίζωμα· ὕδωρ δὲ ἡ ἁμαρτία, κάθυγρος οὖσα, καὶ διαῤῥέουσα, καὶ τοὺς αὐτῇ χρωμένους ἀχρείους ἀπεργαζομένη. "Τοὺς μὴ βουλομένους ὑπακούειν τῶν λόγων μου, καὶ πορευθέντας ὀπίσω θεῶν ἀλλοτρίων." Ὕβρις εἰς Θεὸν, τὸ τὴν αὐτοῦ προσκύνησιν εἰδώλοις προσφέρειν. "Καὶ ἐρεῖς πρὸς τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον· Πᾶς ἀσκὸς πληρωθήσεται οἴνου." Ἀσκοῖς αὐτοὺς παρεικάζει, ἢ διὰ τὸ διάκενον καὶ σχῆμα μόνον ἔχειν ἀνθρώπων, ἢ ὅτι εἰ βουληθεῖεν, δύνανται καὶ αὖθις δέξασθαι θεῖα μαθήματα τὰ τῆς εἰς Χριστὸν πίστεως. "Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ πληρῶ τοὺς ἱερεῖς μεθύσματι." Τῇ τιμωρίᾳ τῆς ἀδικήσεως. "∆ότε τῷ Κυρίῳ ὑμῶν δόξαν πρὸ τοῦ συσκοτάσαι." Ὁ Κύριος ὑμῶν Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς φῶς ἐστιν· Ἕως οὖν ἔχετε, φησὶ, τὸ φῶς, πιστεύσατε εἰς αὐτό. "Καὶ πρὸ τοῦ προσκόψαι τοὺς πόδας ὑμῶν." 93.657 Ὅρη σκοτεινὰ αἱ πονηραὶ δυνάμεις, καὶ αἱ διαβολικαὶ ἐνέργειαι. Πρὸ τῆς οὖν παῤῥησίας τοῦ διαβόλου, φησὶ, πιστεύσατε εἰς τὸ φῶς. "Καὶ ἀναμενεῖτε εἰς φῶς, καὶ ἐκεῖ σκιὰ θανάτου, καὶ τεθήσονται εἰς σκότος." Αἱ γὰρ ψευδεῖς διδασκαλίαι φῶς ὑπισχνούμεναι, θανάτου τυγχάνουσι πρόξενοι. "Κεκρυμμένως κλαύσεται ἡ ψυχή." Ἢ πρὸς τοὺς διδασκάλους ὁ λόγος, ὅτι Αἰσχυνόμενοι οὓς ἠπατήσατε, κεκρυμμένως κλαύσατε· ἢ καὶ πρὸς τοὺς αἰχμαλώτους, ὅτι Τοιαύτη ὑμῶν ἔσται ἡ αἰχμαλωσία, εἴτε νοητὴ, εἴτε αἰσθητὴ, ὡς μηδὲ τολμᾷν φανερῶς δεικνύειν. "Πόλεις αἳ πρὸς νότον συνεκλείσθησαν." Αἱ κατ' εὐσέβειαν πολιτεῖαι, αἱ ἀντικείμεναι τῷ νοουμένῳ βοῤῥᾷ. "Ἀπῳκίσθη Ἰούδας, συνετέλεσαν ἀποικίαν τελείαν." Μετὰ τῶν αἰσθητῶν νοεῖ, ὅτι τῶν κατ' εὐσέβειαν ἠθῶν μετέστη. "Ἀνάλαβε τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς σου, Ἱερουσαλήμ." Τοῦτ' ἔστι, κατανόησον. "Τί ἐρεῖς ὅταν ἐπισκέπτωνταί σε;" Ὅταν ἐφιστῶσί σοι οἱ αἰσθητοὶ, ἢ καὶ νοητοὶ πολέμιοι. "Καὶ σὺ ἐδίδαξας αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ σὲ μαθήματα εἰς ἀρχήν." Ἐὰν μὴ γὰρ ἐκδῶμεν ἑαυτοὺς τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ, οὐκ ἄρχει ἡμῶν. "Τὰς πτέρνας σου." Αἱ ὁδοί σου, καὶ τὰ ἐπιτηδεύματα γήϊνα. "Εἰ ἀλλάξεται Αἰθίοψ." Φυσικῷ πράγματι παρεικάζει, τὴν ἐκ πολλῆς συνηθείας ἁμαρτίαν, ἵνα δείξῃ ἀναγκαίαν εἶναι τὴν χάριν τοῦ λουτροῦ τῆς παλιγγενεσίας. "Καὶ ὁ χρεμετισμός σου." ∆ιὰ τοῦ χρεμετισμοῦ, σημαίνει, τὴν πρὸς τὴν θήλειαν μίξεως τὴν ἔφεσιν. Τοῦτο οὖν φησιν, ὅτι Καὶ ἐν συγκαταθέσει, καὶ ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ πράξει τὴν ἁμαρτίαν εἰργάσασθε. "Ἐπὶ βουνῶν, καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἀγροῖς ἑώρακα τὰ βδελύγματά σου." Ἀντὶ τοῦ, κατὰ πολλοὺς τρόπους. Πλὴν ἐπὶ τούτων ἔθυον. ΚΕΦΑΛ. Ι∆ʹ. "Ἐπένθησεν ἡ Ἰουδαία." Μετὰ τὸ αἰσθητὸν ἡ γνῶσις τῆς εὐσεβείας. "Καὶ αἱ πύλαι αὐτῆς ἐκενώθησαν." Αἱ εἰσαγωγαὶ καὶ διδασκαλίαι οὐκ ἔχουσαι τοὺς διδασκομένους. "Καὶ ἐσκοτώθησαν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς." Τῆς γὰρ κακίας ἐπικρατούσης ἡ ἀρετὴ καλύπτεται. "Καὶ ἡ κραυγὴ τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ