11

being judged and being distinguished throughout all the earth?" Regarding the literal sense, that he spoke against the false prophets, and was judged by the transgressors; but regarding the thought, because sin in many ways drags down goodness. "Neither did anyone benefit me." That the prophetic word delivered from none of the sin, so as to necessarily need the redemption through Christ. "My strength has failed among those who curse me." Among those who plot against me. "May it be, O Master, that they set a straight course." Would that, he says, they had set a straight course, and turned to you, as I again prayed for them, and asked good things for them, and this while they were my enemies and foes. "Will iron be known, and your strength a covering of bronze?" The word from God to the people. Even if you are strong, he says, like iron or bronze, I will overcome you. "And I will give your treasures as plunder in exchange for all your sins." What is 'in exchange'? In place of your sins I will give your wealth and your strength, since they trusted in these. "Know that I have received reproach for your sake." Quickly, do not delay. "And your word will be to me for gladness and joy of my heart." So that I may bring forth your oracles with joy, no longer being contradicted by them. 93.664 "Of those playing, etc." Of those working things worthy of ridicule. "My wound is grievous." Of Theodoretus [or Olympiodorus]. For is not my wound for their benefit? For what reason, then, do you permit them? "From where will I be healed?" Of Olympiodorus. [or Theodoretus.] He brings the word from humanity in common, being able to be healed from nowhere, except by our Savior alone. "Becoming, it has become to me as deceitful water, having no faithfulness." The deceit of the false prophets that also struck the people; or sin itself being unfaithful, and resembling water that drowns those who are taken. And deceitful water having no faithfulness is the baptisms of the heretics. "If you return, then I will restore you; and you shall stand before my face." For if, he says, you depart from sin, you will be as Adam from the beginning, being deemed worthy of my contemplation. "And if you bring out the precious from the worthless, you shall be as my mouth." If you bring out a precious word, that is, the confession of faith, from the one who was once worthless and faithless, and you prepare him to believe, you will be as the mouth of the Savior who said: O woman, great is your faith. "And they shall turn to you, but you shall not turn to them." Strive, he says, O prophet, to be such as to draw them to virtue, and not to be drawn down by their wickedness. CHAP. 10. "And you, do not take." The prophet is recorded as being a virgin, as he was commanded by God not to marry. "Do not enter into a company." Into a feast of gladness or also of mourning. "They shall not cut themselves." Scratchings, lacerations. "And a voice." He speaks of the complete removal of joy. Babylon is more northerly in relation to Jerusalem; therefore he speaks historically of the perceptible Babylon, or also of the intelligible captivity of souls. "Behold, I am sending." He means the apostles. "I am sending the many." The presidents of the Churches. From the diabolical energies. "And they shall hunt." Of the demons, or also of the ways of wickedness. "And upon every." Of the unseen and incomprehensible energies of wickedness. "And I will repay." If indeed against the demons, both of them and the double punishment brought upon them, because they both made men depart from the true God, and they deified themselves; but if against the men 93.665 who sin after knowledge, for which reason they are punished doubly. "Among the carcasses." Among the dead works of sin; and the law also abhors carcasses. "To you the nations." To the Lord Jesus, concerning whom it is written: And in him the nations will hope. "If he will make." That of the incarnation. "And I will make known." It is the Father who is speaking concerning the Only-Begotten. CHAP. 17. "Cursed." Upon himself, or also upon some other; or also he who considers the Savior Christ to be a mere man, and not God incarnate. "And he will establish." And he was trusting in his power. "And

11

δικαζόμενον καὶ διακρινόμενον πάσῃ τῇ γῇ;" Πρὸς μὲν ῥητὸν, ὅτι τοῖς ψευδοπροφήταις ἀντέλεγε, καὶ πρὸς τοὺς παρανομοῦντας ἐδικάζετο· πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν, διὰ τὸ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν πολυμερῶς περισύρειν τὴν ἀγαθότητα. "Οὔτε ὠφέλησέν με οὐδείς." Ὅτι οὐδὲν ὁ προφητικὸς λόγος τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἀπήλλαξεν, ὡς ἐξ ἀνάγκης δεῖσθαι τῆς διὰ Χριστοῦ ἀπολυτρώσεως. "Ἡ ἰσχύς μου ἐξέλιπεν ἐν τοῖς καταρωμένοις με." Τοῖς ἐπιβουλεύουσί μοι. "Γένοιτο, ∆έσποτα, κατευθυνόντων αὐτῶν." Εἴθε, φησὶ, κατηύθυναν, καὶ ἐπέστρεψαν πρὸς σὲ, ὡς πάλιν ἐδεόμην ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν, καὶ ᾔτουν αὑτοῖς ἀγαθὰ, καὶ ταῦτα ἐχθρῶν μοι ὄντων αὐτῶν, καὶ πολεμίων. "Εἰ γνωσθήσεται σίδηρος, καὶ περιβόλαιον χαλκοῦ ἡ ἰσχύς σου;" Ἐκ Θεοῦ πρὸς τὸν λαὸν ὁ λόγος. Κἂν ἰσχυρὸς ᾖς, φησὶν, ὡς σίδηρος ἢ χαλκὸς, περιέσομαί σου. "Καὶ τοὺς θησαυρούς σου εἰς προνομὴν δώσω ἀντάλλαγμα διὰ πάσας τὰς ἁμαρτίας σου." Τί ἐστιν ἀντάλλαγμα; Ἀντὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν σου δώσω τὰ χρήματά σου καὶ τὴν ἰσχύν σου, ἐπειδὴ αὐτοῖς ἐθάῤῥουν. "Γνῶθι ὡς ἔλαβον περὶ σοῦ ὀνειδισμόν." Ταχὺ, μὴ βραδύνῃς. "Καὶ ἔσται ὁ λόγος σου ἐμοὶ εἰς εὐφροσύνην καὶ χαρὰν καρδίας μου." Ἵνα μετὰ χαρᾶς προφέρω τὰ σὰ λόγια, μηκέτι ὑπ' αὐτῶν ἀντιλεγόμενος. 93.664 "Παιζόντων, κ.τ.λ." Καταγέλωτος ἄξια ἐργαζομένων. "Ἡ πληγή μου στερεά." Θεοδωρίτου [ἄλ. Ὀλυμπιοδώρου]. Μὴ γὰρ εἰς ὠφέλειαν αὐτῶν ἡ ἐμὴ πληγή; Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν συγχωρεῖς αὐτούς; "Πόθεν ἰαθήσομαι;" Ὀλυμπιοδώρου. [ἄλ. Θεοδωρήτου.] Ἀπὸ κοινοῦ τῆς ἀνθρωπότητος φέρει τὸν λόγον, οὐδαμόθεν δυναμένης ἰαθῆναι, εἰ μὴ ὑπὸ μόνου τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν. "Γινομένη ἐγενήθη μοι ὡς ὕδωρ ψευδὲς, οὐκ ἔχον πίστιν." Ἡ τῶν ψευδοπροφητῶν ἀπάτη ἡ καὶ πλήξασα τὸν λαόν· ἢ αὐτὴ ἡ ἁμαρτία ἄπιστος οὖσα, καὶ ἐοικυῖα ὕδατι ἀποπνίγοντι τοὺς ἀπολαμβανομένους. Ἔστι δὲ ψευδὲς ὕδωρ οὐκ ἔχον πίστιν τὰ τῶν αἱρετικῶν βαπτίσματα. "Ἐὰν ἐπιστρέψῃς, καὶ ἀποκαταστήσω σε· καὶ πρὸ προσώπου μου στήσῃ." Ἐὰν γὰρ, φησὶν, ἀποστῇς τῆς ἁμαρτίας, ἔσῃ ὡς ἀπ' ἀρχῆς ὁ Ἀδὰμ, τῆς ἐμῆς θεωρίας ἀξιούμενος. "Καὶ ἐὰν ἐξαγάγῃς τίμιον ἀπὸ ἀναξίου, ὡς τὸ στόμα μου ἔσῃ." Ἐὰν ἐξαγάγῃς ῥῆμα τίμιον, τουτέστι τὸ τῆς πίστεως ὁμολόγημα, ἀπὸ τοῦ ποτε ἀναξίου καὶ ἀπίστου, καὶ παρασκευάσῃς αὐτὸν πιστεῦσαι, ὡς στόμα ἔσῃ τοῦ εἰπόντος Σωτῆρος· Ὦ γύναι, μεγάλη σου ἡ πίστις. "Καὶ ἀναστρέψουσιν αὐτοὶ πρὸς σὲ, καὶ σὺ οὐκ ἀποστρέψεις πρὸς αὐτούς." Σπούδασον, φησὶν, ὧ προφῆτα, τοιοῦτος εἶναι, ὡς ἕλκειν αὐτοὺς πρὸς ἀρετὴν, καὶ μὴ ὑπὸ τῆς αὐτῶν κακίας καθέλκεσθαι. ΚΕΦΑΛ. Ιʹ. "Καὶ σὺ μὴ λάβῃς." Ἱστορεῖται ὁ προφήτης παρθένος εἶναι, ὡς ὑπὸ Θεοῦ κελευσθεὶς μὴ γῆμαι. "Μὴ εἰσέλθῃς εἰς θίασον." Εἰς ἑστίασιν εὐφροσύνης ἢ καὶ πένθους. "Οὐ μὴ κόψονται." Ἀμυχὰς, κατατρύσματα. "Καὶ φωνήν." Τὴν τελείαν ἀφαίρεσιν τῆς χαρᾶς φησι. Βορειοτέρα ἐστὶν ἡ Βαβυλὼν ὡς πρὸς τὴν Ἱερουσαλήμ· τῆς οὖν αἰσθητῆς Βαβυλῶνός φησι καθ' ἱστορίαν, ἢ καὶ τῆς νοητῆς τῶν ψυχῶν αἰχμαλωσίας. "Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἀποστέλλω." Τοὺς ἀποστόλους λέγει. "Ἀποστέλλω τοὺς πολλούς." Τοὺς προέδρους τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν. Ἐκ τῶν διαβολικῶν ἐνεργειῶν. "Καὶ θηρεύσωσιν." Τῶν δαιμόνων, ἢ καὶ τῶν τῆς κακίας τρόπων. "Καὶ ἐπάνω παντός." Τῶν ἀφανῶν καὶ δυσκατανοήτων τῆς κακίας ἐνεργειῶν. "Καὶ ἀνταποδώσω." Εἰ μὲν κατὰ τῶν δαιμόνων, καὶ αὐτῶν καὶ ἡ ἐπιφερομένη διπλῆ τιμωρία, ὅτι καὶ ἀπέστησαν τοῦ ἀληθοῦς Θεοῦ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους, καὶ ἑαυτοὺς ἐθεοποίησαν· εἰ δὲ κατὰ τῶν ἀνθρώ 93.665 πων μετὰ τὴν γνῶσιν ἁμαρτανόντων, διὸ διπλοῦν τιμωροῦνται. "Ἐν τοῖς θνησιμαίοις." Ἐν τοῖς νεκροῖς τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἔργοις· βδελύττεται δὲ καὶ τὰ θνησιμαῖα ὁ νόμος. "Πρὸς σὲ ἔθνη." Πρὸς τὸν Κύριον Ἰησοῦν, περὶ οὗ γέγραπται· Καὶ ἐπ' αὐτῷ ἔθνη ἐλπιοῦσιν. "Εἰ ποιήσει." Τὸ τῆς ἐνανθρωπήσεως. "Καὶ γνωριῶ." Ὁ Πατήρ ἐστιν ὁ λέγων περὶ τοῦ Μονογενοῦς. ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΙΖʹ. "Ἐπικατάρατος." Ἐφ' ἑαυτὸν, ἢ καὶ ἕτερόν τινα· ἢ καὶ ὁ νομίζων ψιλὸν ἄνθρωπον εἶναι τὸν Σωτῆρα Χριστὸν, καὶ μὴ Θεὸν ἐνανθρωπήσαντα. "Καὶ στηρίσει." Καὶ πεποιθὼς ᾖ ἐπὶ τῇ δυνάμει αὐτοῦ. "Καὶ