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having sown this in me. "And my mother became for me." Why, he says, did it remain in that purpose, and the thought was dissolved, and I did not bring the will to action? "Why this? I went out." Sin has become the cause of pains and toils; and it also produces regret in the sinner. Therefore the discourse laments the turn of events. CHAPTER 21. "When king Zedekiah sent to him." Zedekiah, having been taken captive by the Babylonian, was again established by him to reign over Jerusalem, having given him oaths not to disregard him; but when he transgressed the agreements, the Babylonian campaigns against him again. "And the one who traffics." As not opposing the divine judgment, which justified their being handed over to the Babylonians. "And the soul shall be." Instead of, He will gain his soul." "Judge in the morning." The morning, instead of, repent quickly. 93.673 "And it shall be burned." He means the food, for the Babylonian took it also. CHAPTER 22. "And I will bring upon you." Since he next mentions cedars, signifying those in high station, he necessarily also spoke of an axe. "You have built." Understand upper rooms, the high things, those which are exalted against the knowledge of God. The one weaving for himself, he says, dogmas of false opinion. "You will not reign." You have emulated, he says, your father Ahaz, and you have striven to surpass him in impiety. "He shall be buried with the burial of a donkey." Instead of, The stomachs of carnivorous birds and dogs will become his tomb; so that he might say, that the tomb will be cast aside. But according to the sense, he who lives with irrationality and dies with it is buried with the burial of a donkey. "Because they were shattered." You will understand the lovers of Jerusalem to be both the demons, and you will understand them to be the false prophets, who, while seeming to love her, deceived her. "I spoke to you." The true prophets, whom you did not hear telling you your transgressions. "The wind will shepherd all your shepherds." Instead of, they will be for a scattering. "Dwelling in Lebanon." In the land of promise. "Nesting in the cedars." Trusting, and taking refuge in the mighty ones with you. "As I live, says the Lord." If, playing the hypocrite in this way, he dedicates himself to the worship of God, and performs good deeds, for this is what is on my right hand, I, God, knowing that he is playing for time, will not spare him. But a signet, he means a ring. And a ring in the hand of God is a good deed without a share of evil. Or also thus: If he should ascend into heaven fleeing, which is impossible, having dragged him from there I will hand him over to his enemies. "Earth, earth, hear" He calls the earth to witness, upon which he was committing injustices. CHAPTER 23. "And you have thrust out." From the godly way of life. "And I will establish." So that they may again reap divine doctrines. "And I will raise up." The leaders of the churches. "Nor will they be terrified." The Jews have nothing to say to this. For after the return from Babylon they have become complete emigrants from the land. Doubtful [unambiguous] therefore is this prophecy concerning Christ. "Behold, the days are coming." Our Lord Jesus Christ, from the Father before the ages, and from David according to the flesh. "In the days ... shall be saved." Judah, the Jew who is one 93.676 inwardly; he who receives circumcision in the spirit, the spiritual Israel, who through Christ has acquired a mind that sees God. "Josedec." Josedec is interpreted, Io is righteous, that is, our righteousness; or Io, who is and will be, Josedec; and because of the homonymy of the son of Josedec, who led the sons of Israel from the captivity. For often Scripture also judges things from names; as in the case of Melchizedek, which is interpreted king of peace. Among the prophets, since the Son of God, the Lord of the prophets, also deigned to be called a prophet, inasmuch as he became man, according to the oracle through Moses saying, A prophet will the Lord your God raise up for you like me; you will listen to him in all things. "My heart was broken." The prophet was terrified, having beheld in a riddle the mystery concerning Christ. "Because from the face." Of the false prophets and false teachers. "They were dried up." The teachings, because of

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ταύτην μοι ἐγκατασπείρας. "Καὶ ἐγένετό μοι ἡ μήτηρ μου." Ἵνα τί, φησὶν, ἐν αὐτῇ προθέσει ἐναπέμεινε, καὶ διελύθη ὁ λογισμὸς, καὶ μὴ εἰς ἔργον ἤνεγκα τὸ βούλημα; "Ἵνα τί τοῦτο; Ἐξῆλθον." Ἡ ἁμαρτία τῶν πόνων καὶ τῶν μόχθων αἰτία γέγονε· ποιεῖ δὲ καὶ μετάμελον τῷ ἁμαρτάνοντι. Ὀδύρεται οὖν τὴν τροπὴν ὁ λόγος. ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΚΑʹ. "Ὅτε ἀπέστειλε πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ βασιλεὺς Σεδεκίας." Ὁ Σεδεκίας αἰχμάλωτος γεγονὼς ὑπὸ τοῦ Βαβυλωνίου, πάλιν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ κατεστάθη βασιλεύειν τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ, ὅρκους αὐτῷ δεδωκὼς, μὴ ἀθετήσειν αὐτόν· παραβάντος δὲ αὐτοῦ τὰς συνθήκας, πάλιν ἐπιστρατεύει ὁ Βαβυλώνιος. "Καὶ ὁ ἐμπορευόμενος." Ὡς μὴ ἀντιταττόμενος τῷ θείῳ κρίματι, τῷ δικαιώσαντι παραδοθῆναι αὐτοὺς τοῖς Βαβυλωνίοις. "Καὶ ἔσται ἡ ψυχή." Ἀντὶ τοῦ, Κερδανεῖ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ." "Κρίνατε πρωΐ." Τὸ πρωῒ, ἀντὶ τοῦ, ταχέως μετανοήσατε. 93.673 "Καὶ καυθήσεται." Τὴν τροφήν φησιν, εἶλε γὰρ καὶ αὐτὴν ὁ Βαβυλώνιος. ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΚΒʹ. "Καὶ ἐπάξω ἐπὶ σέ." Ἐπειδὴ κέδρων ἑξῆς μνημονεύει, σημαίνων τοὺς ἐν ὑπεροχῇ, ἀναγκαίως καὶ πέλεκυν εἶπεν. "Ὠκοδόμησας." Ὑπερῷα νόει, τὰ ὑψώματα, τὰ ἐπαιρόμενα κατὰ τῆς γνώσεως τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ὁ ὑφαίνων οὖν, φησὶν, ἑαυτῷ ψευδοδοξίας δόγματα. "Μὴ βασιλεύσεις." Ἐζήλωσας, φησὶ, τὸν πατέρα σου Ἄχαζ, καὶ ἐσπούδασας νικῆσαι αὐτὸν ἐν ἀσεβείᾳ. "Ταφὴν ὅνου ταφήσεται." Ἀντὶ τοῦ, Τάφος αὐτῷ γενήσονται αἱ τῶν σαρκοφάγων ὀρνίθων καὶ κυνῶν γαστέρες· ἵνα εἴποι, ὅτι ὁ τάφος παραῤῥιφήσεται. Πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν, ταφὴν ὄνου θάπτεται ὁ ἀλογίᾳ συζῶν καὶ ταύτῃ συναποθνήσκων. "Ὅτι συνετρίβησαν." Ἐραστὰς τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμνοήσεις μὲν καὶ τοὺς δαίμονας, νοήσεις δὲ καὶ τοὺς ψευδοπροφήτας, οἵτινες δοκοῦντες αὐτῆς ἐρᾷν, ἠπάτων αὐτήν. "Ἐλάλησα πρὸς σέ." Οἱ ἀληθεῖς προφῆται, ὧν οὐκ ἤκουσας λεγόντων σοι τὰ σὰ παραπτώματα. "Πάντας τοὺς ποιμένας σου ποιμανεῖ ἄνεμος." Ἀντὶ τοῦ, εἰς διασκορπισμὸν ἔσονται. "Κατοικοῦσα ἐν τῷ Λιβάνῳ." Ἐν τῇ γῇ τῆς ἐπαγγελίας. "Ἐννοσσεύουσα ἐν ταῖς κέδροις." Πιστεύουσα, καὶ καταφεύγουσα τοῖς παρὰ σοὶ δυνατοῖς. "Ζῶ ἐγὼ, λέγει Κύριος." Ἐὰν οὕτως ὑποκρινόμενος ἀπαρτήσῃ ἑαυτὸν εἰς θεοσέβειαν, καὶ ἀγαθὰς ἐργάσηται πράξεις, τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι τὸ ἐπὶ τῆς χειρὸς τῆς δεξιᾶς μου, ἐγὼ ὁ Θεὸς εἰδὼς, ὅτι τὸν καιρὸν ὑποκρίνεται, οὐ φείσομαι αὐτοῦ. Ἀποσφράγισμα δὲ, δακτύλιον φησί. ∆ακτύλιον δὲ ἐν χειρὶ Θεοῦ, πρᾶξις ἀγαθὴ κακῶν ἀμέτοχος. Ἢ καὶ οὕτως· Ἐὰν εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀναβῇ φεύγων, ὅπερ ἀμήχανον, ἐκεῖθεν αὐτὸν ἐκσπάσας παραδώσω τοῖς πολεμίοις. "Γῆ, γῆ, ἄκουσον" Τὴν γῆν μαρτύρεται, ἐφ' ἢν τὰς ἀδικίας ἐποιεῖτο. ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΚΓʹ. "Καὶ ἐξώσατε." Ἐκ τῆς θεοσεβοῦς πολιτείας. "Καὶ καταστήσω." Εἰς τὸ πάλιν τὰ θεῖα δρέπεσθαι δόγματα. "Καὶ ἀναστήσω." Τοὺς τῶν ἐκκλησιῶν προέδρους. "Οὐδὲ πτοηθήσονται." Ἰουδαῖοι οὐδὲν ἔχουσι πρὸς τοῦτο λέγειν. Μετὰ γὰρ τὴν ἐκ Βαβυλῶνος ἐπάνοδον τελείως τῆς γῆς μετανάσται γεγόνασιν. Ἀμφίβολος [ἀναμφίβολος] οὖν αὕτη ἡ προφητεία περὶ Χριστοῦ. "Ἰδοὺ ἡμέραι ἔρχονται." Τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν, τὸν πρὸ αἰώνων ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς, καὶ ἐκ ∆αβὶδ κατὰ σάρκα. "Ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ... σωθήσεται." Ἰούδας, ὁ κατὰ 93.676 τὸ κρυπτὸν Ἰουδαῖος· ὁ τὴν ἐν πνεύματι λαμβάνων περιτομὴν, Ἰσραὴλ ὁ πνευματικὸς, ὁ διὰ Χριστὸν νοῦν κτησάμενος ὁρῶντα Θεόν. "Ἰωσεδέκ." Ἰωσεδὲκ ἑρμηνεύεται, Ἰωὰ δίκαιος,τουτέστι δικαιοσύνη ἡμῶν· ἢ Ἰωὰ, ὢν καὶ ἐσόμενος, Ἰωσεδέκ· καὶ διὰ τὴν ὁμωνυμίαν υἱοῦ τοῦ Ἰωσεδὲκ, τοῦ ἡγησαμένου τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ ἀπὸ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας. Πολλάκις γὰρ ἡ Γραφὴ καὶ ἀπὸ ὀνομάτων τὰ πράγματα κρίνει· ὡς ἐπὶ τοῦ Μελχισεδὲκ, ὃς ἑρμηνεύεται βασιλεὺς εἰρήνης. Ἐν τοῖς προφήταις ἐπειδὴ καὶ προφήτης ἠξίωσε κληθῆναι, καθὸ γέγονεν ἅνθρωπος, ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ Υἱὸς, ὁ τῶν προφητῶν ∆εσπότης, κατὰ τὸν διὰ Μωσέως χρησμὸν λέγοντα, Προφήτην ὑμῖν ἀναστήσει Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ὑμῶν ὡς ἐμέ· κατὰ πάντα αὐτοῦ ἀκούσεσθε. "Συνετρίβη ἡ καρδία μου." Ἐπτοήθη ὁ προφήτης, ἐν αἰνίγματι τὸ κατὰ Χριστὸν θεωρήσας μυστήριον. "Ὅτι ἀπὸ προσώπου." Τῶν ψευδοπροφητῶν καὶ ψευδοδιδασκάλων. "Ἐξηράνθησαν." Αἱ διδασκαλίαι, δι'