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whose rational flocks are fed. "And their strength." He says, they were not as strong as they had planned. For they wished, if they were able, to do even worse things. "And in my house." For in the divine temple they set up idols, as Ezekiel also saw. "Therefore let their way become." Since they placed themselves outside the light, they walk in darkness and gloom. "Because they frustrate his vision?" They offer vain and demonic visions as if they were true. "For who will be in the council?" Not only, he says, did they prophesy falsely, but also slandering the true prophets, they would say: They are lying. For who has drawn near to God, so as to hear his words? "And until he should establish it from the undertaking." Until, he says, God brings into effect the plan he has appointed, that is, what he willed. "And if they had stood in my counsel." Instead of, If they had drawn near to me; or thus: If they had received the substance of prophecy from me, that is, if they had been made wise by me, they would have turned my people from their wicked practices. "The prophet in whom is the dream." Since there are also dreams from God, he again makes the outcomes a sign of false and true dreams, because dreams from God always come true, but those from demons, not always. The saying, therefore, is fitting for both kinds of prophets, both the true and the false. "What is the chaff to the wheat?" Chaff is food for fire, the word of the false prophets; but wheat bestows life-giving power to man, the word of the true prophet. For what fellowship has falsehood with truth? 93.677 "Behold, are not the words." That is, effective and powerful. "And slumbering their slumber." That is, not partaking of sobriety. "What is the burden of the Lord." A burden is wrath with anger, from the stronger taking the weaker and dashing him down. A burden is also called a divine oracle. "And I will punish that man." It is used instead of, I will punish. "And the burden of the Lord." The wrath, he says, is prepared for man from their own mouth; for God is without wrath, since he is also without passion; for this reason he commands not to say "the burden of the Lord." For God is not angered, but we prepare the wrath for ourselves. CHAP. 24. "The Lord showed me two baskets." You will understand this more properly concerning the freedom [perhaps, coming] of Christ. "And I will set my eyes." Note that God's setting his eyes is used for both, good and evil; for also above he said: I will set my eyes for evil. CHAP. 25. "In the thirteenth year of Josiah." For twenty-three years, he says, I earnestly bear witness to you to abstain from idolatry, and you have not listened; therefore I will deliver you to the Chaldeans for seventy years. "And I spoke to you, rising early." The "rising early," instead of, with haste; as now the remaining time, with the wrath approaching. "A family from the North." The Babylonians. "The scent of ointment." He declared the complete destruction of their splendor, and of all joy and prosperity. "Thus said the Lord... take the cup." The cup is used for vengeance. "And I gave to drink." Instead of, I received full assurance that the punishment would certainly befall them. "And every one with hair cut all around his face." That is, those having a form of godliness but walking according to their own wills. "And all the mixed multitude." After the history, understand those not belonging to the faith. "And it shall be, when they do not wish to receive the cup." Since there are some who do not receive the divine discipline with gratitude. "For in a city." The city, he says, upon which my name was called, I punish when it sins; how much more those who do not know me? "From the dwelling place." It is clear, that of heaven. "Upon the place." In his own place, where he gives oracles. The worthy, he says, of being saved, to whom God might give an oracle, will answer, entreating that it be given 93.680 to them, until they bear fruit perfectly; for he calls those who bear fruit, grape-gatherers. "Destruction has come." For not

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ὧν τὰ λογικὰ τρέφονται ποίμνια. "Καὶ ἡ ἰσχὺς αὐτῶν." Οὐ τοσοῦτον, φησὶν, ἴσχυσαν, ὅσον καὶ ἐβουλεύσαντο. Ἐβούλοντο γὰρ εἰ ἠδύναντο καὶ χείρονα ποιεῖν. "Καὶ ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ μου." Ἐν γὰρ τῷ θείῳ ναῷ εἴδωλα ἀπέθεντο, ὡς καὶ Ἰεζεκιὴλ ἐθεώρησεν. "∆ιὰ τοῦτο γενέσθω ἡ ὁδὸς αὐτῶν." Ἐπειδὴ τοῦ φωτὸς ἔξω ἑαυτοὺς κατέστησαν, ἐν σκοτίᾳ καὶ γνόφῳ πορεύονται. "Ὅτι ματαιοῦσιν ἑαυτοῦ ὅρασιν;" Τὰς ματαίας καὶ δαιμονικὰς ὁράσεις ὡς ἀληθεῖς προσφέρουσι. "Ὅτι τίς ἔσται ἐν ὑποστήματι;" Οὐ μόνον, φησὶ, ψευδῆ προεφήτευον, ἀλλὰ καὶ διαβάλλοντες τοὺς ἀληθεῖς προφήτας, ἔλεγον· Ψεύδονται. Τίς γὰρ ἐπλησίασε τῷ Θεῷ, ἵνα καὶ ἀκούσῃ τῶν λόγων αὐτοῦ; "Καὶ ἕως ἂν στήσῃ αὐτὸ ἀπὸ ἐγχειρήματος." Ἕως ἂν, φησὶν, ὃ προεχειρίσατο βούλευμα ὁ Θεὸς, τουτέστιν, ὃ ἠθέλησεν, εἰς ἔργον ἀγάγῃ. "Καὶ εἰ ἔστησαν ἐν τῇ ὑποστάσει μου." Ἀντὶ τοῦ, Εἰ ἐπλησίασάν μοι· ἢ οὕτως· Εἰ τὴν ὑπόστασιν τῆς προφητείας παρ' ἐμοῦ ἔσχον, τουτέστι, εἰ παρ' ἐμοῦ ἦσαν σοφισθέντες, τὸν λαόν μου ἀπέστρεφον ἂν ἀπὸ τῶν πονηρῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων αὐτῶν. "Ὁ προφήτης ἐν ᾧ τὸ ἐνύπνιόν ἐστι." Ἐπειδή εἰσι καὶ ἐκ Θεοῦ ἐνύπνια, δεῖγμα πάλιν ποιεῖται τῶν ψευδῶν καὶ ἀληθινῶν ἐνυπνίων τὰ ἀποτελέσματα, ὅτι τὰ μὲν ἐκ Θεοῦ ἐνύπνια, πάντως ἀληθεύει, τὰ δὲ ἐκ δαιμόνων, οὐ πάντως. Πρὸς ἑκατέρους οὖν τοὺς προφήτας ἁρμόζει ὁ λόγος, τούς τε ἀληθεῖς, καὶ ψευδεῖς. "Τί τὸ ἄχυρον πρὸς τὸν σῖτον;" Ἄχυρον τροφὴ πυρὸς, τῶν ψευδοπροφητῶν ὁ λόγος· σῖτος δὲ ἀνθρώπῳ ζωτικὴν χαρίζεται δύναμιν, ὁ λόγος τοῦ ἀληθοῦς προφήτου. Ποία γὰρ κοινωνία τῷ ψεύδει πρὸς τὴν ἀλήθειαν; 93.677 "Οὐκ ἰδοὺ οἱ λόγοι." Τουτέστιν, ἐνεργεῖς καὶ δυνατοί. "Καὶ νυστάζοντας νυσταγμὸν αὐτῶν." Τουτέστι, νήψεως μὴ μετέχοντες. "Τί τὸ λῆμμα Κυρίου." Λῆμμα ὀργὴ μετὰ θυμοῦ, ἐκ τοῦ τὸν ἰσχυρότερον λαβόντα τὸν ἀσθενέστερον καταῤῥηγνύναι. Καλεῖται δὲ λῆμμα, καὶ ὁ χρηματισμός. "Καὶ ἐκδικήσω τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἐκεῖνον." Ἀντὶ τοῦ, τιμωρήσομαι, κεῖται. "Καὶ λῆμμα Κυρίου." Ἡ ὀργὴ, φησὶ, τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ ἐκ τοῦ αὐτῶν στόματος κατασκευάζεται· ὁ γὰρ Θεὸς ἀόργητός ἐστιν, ἐπεὶ καὶ ἀπαθής· διὰ τοῦτο κελεύει, μὴ λέγεσθαι λῆμμα Κυρίου. Οὐ γὰρ Θεὸς ὀργίζεται, ἀλλ' ἑαυτοῖς τὴν ὀργὴν κατασκευάζομεν. ΚΕΦΑΛ. Κ∆ʹ. "Ἔδειξέ μοι Κύριος δύο καλάθους." Οἰκειότερον ἐπὶ τῆς τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐλευθερίας [ἴσ. ἐλεύσεως] νοήσεις τοῦτο. "Καὶ στηριῶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς." Σημείωσαι, ὅτι τὸ στηρίζειν τὸν Θεὸν τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς, ἐπὶ ἀμφοτέρων κεῖται, ἀγαθοῦ καὶ κακοῦ· καὶ γὰρ ἐν τοῖς ἀνωτέρω εἶπε· Στηριῶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς μου εἰς κακά. ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΚΕʹ. "Ἐν τρισκαιδεκάτῳ ἔτει Ἰωσία." Εἴκοσι καὶ τρία ἔτη, φησὶ, σπουδαίως διαμαρτύρομαι ὑμᾶς ἀπέχεσθαι τῆς εἰδωλολατρείας, καὶ οὐκ ἠκούσατε· διὸ παραδώσω ὑμᾶς τοῖς Χαλδαίοις ἑβδομήκοντα ἔτη. "Καὶ ἐλάλησα πρὸς ὑμᾶς ὀρθρίζων." Τὸ ὀρθρίζων, ἀντὶ τοῦ, μετὰ σπουδῆς· ὡς ἤδη λοιπὸν τοῦ χρόνου, τῆς ὀργῆς πλησιάζοντος. "Πατριὰν ἀπὸ Βοῤῥᾶ." Τοὺς Βαβυλωνίους. "Ὀσμὴν μύρου." Τὸν τέλειον τῆς λαμπρότητος αὐτῶν, καὶ πάσης χαρᾶς καὶ εὐημερίας ἀφανισμὸν ἐδήλωσεν. "Οὕτως εἶπε Κύριος ... λάβε τὸ ποτήριον." Τὸ ποτήριον ἐπὶ ἐκδικήσεως κεῖται. "Καὶ ἐπότισα." Ἀντὶ τοῦ πληροφορίαν ἐδεξάμην, ὅτι πάντως ἔσται αὐτοῖς ἡ τιμωρία. "Καὶ πάντα περικεκαρμένον κατὰ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ." Τουτέστι, τοὺς μόρφωσιν εὐσεβείας ἔχοντας τοῖς δὲ οἰκείοις θελήμασι πορευομένους. "Καὶ πάντας τοὺς συμμίκτους." Μετὰ τὴν ἱστορίαν, τοὺς μὴ οἰκείους τῆς πίστεως νόει. "Καὶ ἔσται, ὅταν μὴ βούλωνται δέξασθαι τὸ ποτήριον." Ἐπειδή εἰσί τινες μὴ εὐχαρίστως δεχόμενοι τὴν θείαν παιδείαν. "Ὅτι ἐν πόλει." Τὴν πόλιν, φησὶν, ἐφ' ἣν ὠνομάσθη τὸ ὅνομά μου, ἁμαρτάνουσαν τιμωροῦμαι· πόσῳ μᾶλλον τοὺς μὴ εἰδότας με; "Ὑπὸ τοῦ οἰκητηρίου." ∆ῆλον δὲ, ὅτι τοῦ οὐρανοῦ. "Ἐπὶ τοῦ τόπου." Ἐν τῷ τόπῳ ἑαυτοῦ, ᾧ χρηματίζει. Οἱ ἄξιοι, φησὶ, τοῦ σώζεσθαι, οἷς ἂν χρηματίσῃ Θεὸς, ἀποκριθήσονται, παρακαλοῦντες ἐνδο 93.680 θῆναι αὐτοῖς, ἕως ὅτε τελείως καρποφορήσωσι· τρυγῶντας γάρ φησι τοὺς καρποφοροῦντας. "Ἥκει ὄλεθρος." Οὐ γὰρ