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It was called Paneas; this was of the land of Israel, and the history of the Kingdoms testifies: from Dan and unto Beersheba; and it is from the north, and mount Ephraim is situated from Jerusalem; and from there the Babylonian made his march. And both this prophet and the fourth book of Kingdoms are witnesses; and they say that the men of Nebuchadnezzar led the captives away to Riblah of Hamath. And Riblah is a village of what is now called Emesa; so that it is clear that by "great Hamath" he means Emesa; and by the other Hamath, Epiphania; for thus it is called in the local tongue even to the present. Since, therefore, running from there they were expecting sorrows; 16, 17. Behold, hosts come from a land afar off, and they have raised their voice against the cities of Judah. As keepers of a field they were against her round about. For just as, he says, those who guard the seeds or the vines, carefully 81.532 guard these things, and prevent travelers from passing through them; so shall these besiege Jerusalem, and allow no one to escape. And both the prophet and the fourth book of Kingdoms teach that they even built a wall around it with four-foot stones, so that none of the inhabitants could run away. But you will suffer these things, he says, "Because you have neglected me, says the Lord." 18. Your ways and your practices have done these things to you; this is your wickedness, for it is bitter, for it has touched your very heart. You will endure what is worthy of what you have dared, and you will reap what you have sown. Having said these things in advance, the prophet grieves for them, and laments, and says that his belly has ached, and the senses of his heart; and he imitates a mother torn with grief over the destruction of her children. 19, 20. For my soul rages, he says, my heart is torn, I will not be silent; because my soul has heard the sound of the trumpet, the cry of war. And he calls for misery, and destruction. For these things the trumpet signifies, these evils it foretells; and it says also that the land suffers hardship, and the tent is torn, and the curtains are rent asunder; and through these things it hints at the destruction of the city. It explains also the multitude of those who flee, and in the person of God he says: 22. Because the leaders of my people have not known me, the sons are foolish, and not prudent. And lest they should be thought worthy of forgiveness as being foolish, he immediately added: "They are wise to do evil, but to do good they have not known." For this is indeed the most difficult thing, that they used their wisdom for nothing, just as drunkards use wine, and murderers use iron. 23-25. I looked upon the earth, and behold, nothing; and to the heaven, and its lights were not. I saw the mountains, and behold, they were trembling; and all the hills were troubled. I looked, and behold, there was no man, and all the birds of the heaven were startled. Those who fall into misfortunes are accustomed to suffer these things; for neither does the light seem to be light to them, nor the day day, nor pleasant things pleasant. All things have been changed for them into the opposite. 26. I saw, and behold, Carmel was a desert, and 81.533 all the cities were burned with fire from the face of the Lord, and from the face of his wrath they were destroyed. It is likely that Carmel itself was also ravaged in the assault of the enemies; but I think that Carmel here is tropically named for Jerusalem, on account of the multitude of its inhabitants. 27. Thus says the Lord: The whole land shall be desolate; but I will not make a full end. He means the whole land of Palestine; and he promises their restoration. Then he exhorts: 28. For these things let the earth mourn, and let the heaven above be dark, because I have spoken. For creation sings in harmony with the Creator. "I have set myself in array, and I will not repent." The phrase, "I will not repent," he has set down in a human way; for the Divine is without passion; instead of, I have resolved to punish. "I have rushed forth, and I will not turn back from it," that is, from the rush. And it teaches what this is: that because of the fear of both the horsemen and

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Πανεὰς ἐκαλεῖτο· αὕτη ἦν τῆς Ἰσραηλίτιδος γῆς, καὶ μαρτυρεῖ τῶν Βασιλειῶν ἡ ἱστορία· ἀπὸ ∆ὰν καὶ ἕως Βηρσαβεέ· ἀπὸ βοῤῥᾶ δὲ καὶ αὐτὴ, καὶ τὸ ὄρος τὸ Ἐφραῒμ τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ διάκειται· ἐκεῖθεν δὲ ὁ Βαβυλώνιος ἐποιήσατο τὴν πορείαν. Καὶ μάρτυς οὗτός τε ὁ προφήτης, καὶ τῶν Βασιλειῶν ἡ τετάρτη· λέγουσι δὲ ὡς τοὺς αἰχμαλώτους εἰς Ῥε βλαθὰ τῆς Ἐμὰθ ἀπήγαγον οἱ τοῦ Ναβουχοδονό σορ. Κώμη δέ ἐστιν ἡ Ῥεβλαθὰ τῆς νῦν καλουμέ νης Ἐμέσης· ὡς εἶναι δῆλον, ὅτι Ἐμὰθ τὴν μεγάλην τὴν Ἔμεσαν λέγει· τὴν δὲ ἄλλην Ἐμὰθ, τὴν Ἐπιφάνειαν· οὕτω γὰρ καὶ μέχρι τοῦ παρόντος τῇ ἐπιχωρίῳ καλεῖται φωνῇ. Ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν ἐκεῖθεν τρέχοντες τὰ λυπηρὰ προσεμένοντο· ιϛʹ, ιζʹ. Ἰδοὺ συστροφαὶ ἔρχονται ἐκ γῆς μα κρόθεν, καὶ ἔδωκαν ἐπὶ τὰς πόλεις Ἰούδα φωνὴν αὐτῶν. Ὡς φυλάσσοντες ἀγρὸν ἐγένοντο ἐπ' αὐ τὴν κυκλόθεν. Καθάπερ γὰρ, φησὶ, οἱ τὰ σπέρματα ἢ τὰς ἀμπέλους φυλάσσοντες, ἀκριβῶς 81.532 ταῦτα φυλάττουσι, καὶ τοὺς ὁδίτας δι' αὐτῶν παρ ιέναι κωλύουσιν· οὕτως οὗτοι τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ πο λιορκήσουσι, καὶ οὐδένα διαφυγεῖν συγχωρήσουσι. ∆ιδάσκει δὲ καὶ ὁ προφήτης, καὶ τῶν Βασιλειῶν ἡ τετάρτη, ὡς καὶ τεῖχος περιῳκοδόμησαν κύκλῳ ἀπὸ τετραπόδων λίθων, ὥστε μηδένα διαδράναι τῶν ἐν οικούντων. Ταῦτα δὲ πείσῃ, φησὶν, "Ὅτι ἐμοῦ ἠμέλησας, λέγει Κύριος." ιηʹ. Αἱ ὁδοί σου καὶ τὰ ἐπιτηδεύματά σου ἐποίησάν σοι ταῦτα· αὕτη ἡ κακία σου, ὅτι πι κρὰ, ὅτι ἥψατο ἕως τῆς καρδίας σου. Ἄξια ὧν ἐτόλμησας ὑπομενεῖς, καὶ θερίσεις ἃ ἔσπαρκας. Ταῦτα προειπὼν ὁ προφήτης ὑπὲρ ἐκείνων ὀδυνᾶται, καὶ ἀποδύρεται, καὶ λέγει τὴν κοιλίαν ἠλγηκέναι, καὶ τὰ τῆς καρδίας αἰσθητήρια· καὶ μιμεῖται μητέρα σπαρασσομένην ἐπὶ τέκνων ὀλέθρῳ. ιθʹ, κʹ. Μαιμάσσει γὰρ, φησὶν, ἡ ψυχή μου, σπα ράσσεται ἡ καρδία μου, οὐ σιωπήσομαι· ὅτι φωνὴν σάλπιγγος ἤκουσεν ἡ ψυχή μου, κραυ γὴν πολέμου. Καὶ ταλαιπωρίαν, καὶ συντριμ μὸν ἐπικαλεῖται. Ταῦτα γὰρ ἡ σάλπιγξ σημαί νει, ταῦτα προδηλοῖ τὰ κακά· λέγει δὲ καὶ τὴν γῆν ταλαιπωρῆσαι, καὶ τὴν σκηνὴν διαῤῥαγῆναι, καὶ τὰς δέῤῥεις διασπασθῆναι· διὰ δὲ τούτων τῆς πόλεως αἰνίττεται τὴν κατάλυσιν. Ἐξηγεῖται καὶ τῶν φευ γόντων τὸ πλῆθος, καὶ ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ Θεοῦ φησι· κβʹ. ∆ιότι οἱ ἡγούμενοι τοῦ λαοῦ μου ἐμὲ οὐκ ᾔδεισαν, οἱ υἱοὶ ἄφρονές εἰσι, καὶ οὐ συνετοί. Καὶ ἵνα μὴ νομισθῶσιν ἄξιοι εἶναι συγγνώμης ὡς ἄφρονες, εὐθὺς ἐπήγαγεν· "Σοφοί εἰσι τοῦ κακο ποιῆσαι, τὸ δὲ καλῶς ποιῆσαι οὐκ ἔγνωσαν." Τοῦτο γὰρ δὴ τὸ παγχάλεπον, ὅτι εἰς οὐδὲν ἐχρήσαντο τῇ φρονήσει, καθάπερ οἱ μέθυσοι τῷ οἴνῳ, καὶ τῷ σι δήρῳ οἱ ἀνδροφόνοι. κγʹ-κεʹ. Ἐπέβλεψα εἰς τὴν γῆν, καὶ ἰδοὺ οὐ δέν· καὶ εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν, καὶ οὐκ ἦν τὰ φῶτα αὐτοῦ. Εἶδον τὰ ὄρη, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἦν τρέμοντα· καὶ πάντας τοὺς βουνοὺς ταρασσομένους. Ἐπ έβλεψα, καὶ ἰδοὺ οὐχ ὑπῆρχεν ἄνθρωπος, καὶ πάντα τὰ πετεινὰ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἐπτοεῖτο. Ταῦτα πάσχειν εἰώθασιν οἱ συμφοραῖς περιπίπτοντες· οὔτε γὰρ τὸ φῶς αὐτοῖς φῶς εἶναι δοκεῖ, οὔτε ἡ ἡμέρα ἡμέρα, οὔτε τὰ ἡδέα ἡδέα. Πάντα εἰς τοὐναντίον αὐτοῖς μεταβέβληται. κϛʹ. Εἶδον, καὶ ἰδοὺ ὁ Κάρμηλος ἔρημος, καὶ 81.533 πᾶσαι αἱ πόλεις ἐμπεπρησμέναι πυρὶ ἀπὸ προσ ώπου Κυρίου, καὶ ἀπὸ προσώπου τῆς ὀργῆς αὐτοῦ ἠφανίσθησαν. Εἰκὸς μὲν καὶ αὐτὸν δῃωθῆ ναι τὸν Κάρμηλον, ἐν τῇ τῶν πολεμίων ἐφόδῳ· ἐγὼ δὲ οἶμαι Κάρμηλον ἐνταῦθα τροπικῶς τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ ὀνομάζεσθαι, διὰ τὸ πλῆθος τῶν ἐνοικούντων. κζʹ. Τάδε λέγει Κύριος· Ἔρημος ἔσται πᾶσα ἡ γῆ· συντέλειαν δὲ οὐ μὴ ποιήσω. Πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν τὴν Παλαιστίνην λέγει· ὑπισχνεῖται δὲ τὴν ἀνάκλησιν. Εἶτα παρακελεύεται· κηʹ. Ἐπὶ τούτοις πενθείτω ἡ γῆ, συσκοτα σάτω ὁ οὐρανὸς ἄνωθεν, διότι ἐλάλησα. Συν ᾴδει γὰρ ἡ κτίσις τῷ Ποιητῇ. "Παρατέταγμαι, καὶ οὐ μετανοήσω." Τὸ, "Οὐ μετανοήσω," ἀνθρωπίνως τέθεικεν· ἀπαθὲς γὰρ τὸ Θεῖον· ἀντὶ τοῦ, Ἐδοκίμασα τιμωρήσασθαι. "Ὥρμησα, καὶ οὐκ ἀποστρέψω ἀπ' αὐτῆς," τουτέστι, τῆς ὁρμῆς. ∆ιδάσκει δὲ τίς αὕτη· ὅτι διὰ τὸ δέος τῶν τε ἱππέων καὶ