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the saints are included in the utter destruction. And it is fitting to understand these things also concerning the universal judgment of God. "Behold, evils." After the events concerning the Babylonian, he also speaks of those concerning the consummation; For nation shall rise against nation. "And a whirlwind." A great confusion and disturbance in the last times of the age. "And they shall be." After the perceptible, also understand those wounded by sin. Cry aloud." Here he speaks of a cry not for the victory of the enemies, but for wailings. And shepherds are the leaders of the people. "The rams of the." Those preeminent among the people. "And you shall fall." Because he who slaughters will slaughter the well-fed. "Because he utterly destroyed." In the case of the Jews, the sacrifices and all the other laws; but in the universal sense, their ways of life. "He has forsaken." In the case of the Jews, the Lord has forsaken his own temple; but at the consummation, as a lion that has left its den, so Satan is permitted to go out against men. "Because it has become." Since men have become beast-like, and Satan is a wild beast, they are permitted to graze together as in a desert, because love has grown cold. CHAPTER 20. "Thus said the Lord: Stand in the court of the Lord’s house." God commands the prophet to testify to the Jews concerning the keeping of the divine laws, so that wrath may not come upon them. "And I will give the city for a curse." So that it may be accursed, and so that men may pray [εὔχωνται] for their enemies to suffer similar things. "And they heard." Do you see how they grow wild and are indignant? And yet for this very reason he ought not to have been killed. For if God commanded, one must obey. Does this saying grieve you, but to insult the one more honorable than the temple is not wicked, not impious? What was said stung them greatly. "And the assembly was called." The whole people of the elders of the surrounding land was gathered together. "And the mountain." The mountain, on which the temple is situated, into desolation. "But the hand of Ahikam." This Ahikam was one of the powerful men, protecting Jeremiah. CHAPTER 27. "Thus said the Lord: Make for yourself bonds." God commands the prophet to put collars on 93.681 his own neck, and to send these to the kings whom he mentions. "And the wild beasts." Here he says beasts of the field are the cattle suitable for agriculture. "If they are prophets." If the word is from God, understand it thus: If I sent them, may they be able to escape me, may they flee the wrath; but if the word is from the prophet, Let them come, he says, and be judged with me. CHAPTER 28. "Truly may the Lord do so." Instead of, May it be so, as you say, let it be. "They shall know." That is, the outcome of the events will show the truth of the words. "Go and say to Hananiah." For the refutation of impiety he serves the one commanding, suspecting no danger. For the saints take no account of this temporal life, when God commands; but Hananiah moved God to judgment by opposing. But the prophet seems to say other things than what was commanded. Speaking equivalently later, Peter says, Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit? Whence with the refutation, the threat of punishment, showing the justice of the retribution. Therefore the words from the prophet are from God; and the outcome bears witness to the prophecy. CHAPTER 29. "After Jeconiah had gone out." After Jeconiah was carried into captivity. "By the hand of Elasah." Through these men the letter was sent. "Thus said the Lord." Such is the beginning of the letter. Therefore, refuting their deceit, he says that the time of the captivity will be very long for them. And he commands to pray also for the enemies. For this, he says, will also be for your peace. So also Paul commands to pray for all who are in authority, that we may lead, he says, a quiet and peaceful life in all godliness and dignity. For he is the same God, who in the last days has spoken to us by a Son. How then is the Creator evil? Or how does this differ from what was said in the Gospel: Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you? Were they not then persecuted by [perhaps: the

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συμπαραλαμβάνονται οἱ ἅγιοι τῇ πανωλεθρίᾳ. Ταῦτα δὲ ἀρμόζει νοεῖν καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς καθολικῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ κρίσεως. "Ἰδοὺ κακά." Μετὰ τὰ ἐπὶ τοῦ Βαβυλωνίου γεγονότα, καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τῆς συντελείας φησίν· Ἐγερθήσεται γὰρ ἔθνος ἐπὶ ἔθνος. "Καὶ λαίλαψ." Σύγχυσις μεγάλη καὶ ταραχὴ ἐπ' ἐσχάτοις τοῖς τοῦ αἰῶνος καιροῖς. "Καὶ ἔσονται." Μετὰ τὸ αἰσθητὸν, καὶ τοὺς ὑπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας τετραυματισμένους νόει. Ἀλαλάξατε." Ἀλαλαγμὸν ἐνταῦθα οὐκ ἐπὶ νίκῃ τῶν πολεμίων, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ ταῖς οἰμωγαῖς φησιν. Ποιμένες δὲ οἱ ἡγούμενοι τοῦ λαοῦ. "Οἱ κριοὶ τῶν." Οἱ κατ' ἐξοχὴν ἐν τῷ λαῷ. "Καὶ πεσεῖσθε." Ἐπειδὴ ὁ σφάζων τὸ εὐτραφὲς σφάξει. "Ὅτι ὠλόθρει." Ἐπὶ μὲν Ἰουδαίων τὰς θυσίας,καὶ πάντα τὰ ἄλλα νόμιμα· ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ καθόλου τὰς διαγωγὰς αὐτῶν. "Ἐγκατέλιπεν." Ἐπὶ μὲν Ἰουδαίων ὁ Κύριοςτὸν ἑαυτοῦ ναὸν καταλέλοιπεν· ἐπὶ δὲ τῆς συντελείας, ὡς λέων καταλελοιπὼς κατάλυμα, οὕτως συγχωρεῖται ὁ Σατανᾶς ἐξελθεῖν κατὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων. "Ὅτι ἐγενήθη." Ἐπειδὴ οἱ ἄνθρωποι κτηνώδεις γεγόνασιν, ὁ δὲ Σατανᾶς ἐστι θηρίον, ὡς ἐν ἐρήμῳ συγχωροῦνται ἅμα νέμεσθαι, διὰ τὸ ψυγῆναι τὴν ἀγάπην. ΚΕΦΑΛ. Κʹ. "Οὕτως εἶπε Κύριος· Στῆθι ἐν αὐλῇ οἵκου Κυρίου." ∆ιαμαρτύρασθαι κελεύει Θεὸς τῷ προφήτῃ τοὺς Ἰουδαίους, ἐπὶ τῷ φυλάττειν τὰ θεῖα νόμιμα, ἵνα μὴ ἐπέλθῃ αὐτοῖς ἡ ὀργή. "Καὶ τὴν πόλιν δώσω εἰς κατάραν." Ἵνα ᾖ ἐπικατάρατος, καὶ τοὺς αὐτῶν δὲ ἐχθροὺς οἱ ἄνθρωποι ἵνα ἔχωνται [εὔχωνται] τὰ ὅμοια παθεῖν. "Καὶ ἤκουσαν." Ὁρᾷς, πῶς ἀγριαίνουσι καὶ ἀγανακτοῦσι; καὶ μὴν δι' αὐτὸ τοῦτο ἀναιρεθῆναι οὐκ ἐχρῆν. Εἰ γὰρ Θεὸς ἐπέταξε, πεισθῆναι δεῖ. Τοῦτο ὑμᾶς λυπεῖ τὸ ῥῆμα, τὸ δὲ τὸν τοῦ ναοῦ τιμιώτερον ἐνυβρίζειν, οὐ πονηρὸν, οὐκ ἀσεβές; Πάνυ αὐτοὺς ἔδακνε τὸ ῥηθέν. "Καὶ ἐξεκκλησιάσθη." Συνήχθη πᾶς ὁ λαὸς τῶν πρεσβυτέρων τῆς γῆς τῆς περιχώρου. "Καὶ τὸ ὄρος." Τὸ ὄρος, ἐφ' ᾧ κεῖται ὁ ναὸς, εἰς ἐρήμωσιν. "Πλὴν χεὶρ Ἀχεικάμ." Ἀχεικὰμ εἷς ἦν οὗτος τῶν δυνατῶν, προϊστάμενος Ἱερεμίου. ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΚΖʹ. "Οὕτως εἷπε Κύριος· Ποίησον σεαυτῷ δεσμούς." Κελεύει ὁ Θεὸς τῷ προφήτῃ κλοιοὺς ἐμβαλεῖν εἰς 93.681 τὸν τράχηλον ἑαυτοῦ, καὶ πέμψαι τούτους πρὸς τοὺς βασιλεῖς, ὧν μέμνηται. "Καὶ τὰ θηρία." Θηρία ἐνταῦθα ἀγροῦ, τὰ πρὸς γεωργίαν ἐπιτήδεια κτήνη φησίν. "Εἰ προφῆταί εἰσι." Εἰ μὲν ἐκ τοῦ Θεοῦ ὁ λόγος, οὕτω νόησον· Εἰ ἐγὼ αὐτοὺς ἀπέστειλα, δυνηθῶσι διαφυγεῖν με, φύγωσι τὴν ὀργήν· εἰ δὲ ἐκ τοῦ προφήτου ὁ λόγος, Ἔλθωσι, φησὶ, καὶ διακριθῶσι μετ' ἐμοῦ. ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΚΗʹ. "Ἀληθῶς οὕτω ποιήσαι Κύριος." Ἀντὶ τοῦ, Γένοιτο οὕτως, ὡς σὺ φὴς, γενέσθω. "Ἐπιγνώσονται." Τουτέστι, τὸ πέρας τῶν πραγμάτων δείξει τῶν λόγων τὴν ἀλήθειαν. "Βάδιζε καὶ εἰπὸν πρὸς Ἀνανίαν." Ἐπ' ἐλέγχῳ τῆς ἀσεβείας ὑπηρετεῖ τῷ προστάττοντι, μηδένα κίνδυνον ὑφορώμενος. Οὐδεὶς γὰρ λόγος τῆς προσκαίρου τοῖς ἁγίοις ζωῆς, ὅταν κελεύσῃ Θεός· τὸν δὲ Θεὸν εἰς δίκην ἐκίνησεν Ἀνανίας ἐναντιούμενος. Ἕτερα δὲ λέγειν ὁ προφήτης παρὰ τὰ προσταχθέντα δοκεῖ. Ἰσοδυναμοῦντα λέγων ἐσύστερον ὁ Πέτρος, Ἀνανία, φησὶ, διατί ἐπλήρωσεν ὁ Σατανᾶς τὴν καρδίαν σου ψεύσασθαι τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ ἄγιον; Ὅθεν σὺν τῷ ἐλέγχῳ, ἡ τῆς κολάσεως ἀπειλὴ, τὸ δίκαιον τῆς τιμωρίας ἐμφαίνουσα. Ἐκ Θεοῦ τοίνυν οἱ παρὰ τοῦ προφήτου λόγοι· καὶ μαρτυρεῖ τῆς προφητείας ἡ ἔκβασις. ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΚΘʹ. "Ὕστερον ἐξελθόντος Ἰεχονίου." Μετὰ τὸ ἀποικισθῆναι τὸν Ἰεχονίαν. "Ἐν χειρὶ Ἐλεάσαμ." ∆ιὰ τούτων ἐπέμφθη ἡ ἐπιστολή. "Οὕτως εἶπε Κύριος." Τοιαύτη τῆς ἐπιστολῆς ἡ ἀρχή. Ἀναιρῶν τοίνυν τὴν τούτων ἀπάτην, μακρότατον αὐτοῖς γενήσεσθαι λέγει τῆς ἀποικίας τὸν χρόνον. Κελεύει δὲ καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν πολεμίων προσεύχεσθαι. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἔσται, φησὶ, καὶ ὑπὲρ τῆς ὑμετέρας εἰρήνης. Οὕτω καὶ Παῦλος ὑπὲρ πάντων τῶν ἐν ὑπεροχῇ κελεύει προσεύχεσθαι, ἵνα ἤρεμον, φησὶν, καὶ ἡσύχιον βίον διάγωμεν ἐν πάσῃ εὐσεβείᾳ καὶ σεμνότητι. Ὁ αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστι Θεὸς, ὃς ἐπ' ἐσχάτων τῶν ἡμερῶν ἐλάλησεν ἡμῖν ἐν Υἱῷ. Πῶς οὖν πονηρὸς ὁ ∆ημιουργός; ἢ τί παραλλάττει τοῦτο τοῦ ἐν Εὐαγγελίῳ ῥηθέντος· Ἀγαπᾶτε τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ὑμῶν, καὶ προσεύχεσθε ὑπὲρ τῶν ἐπηρεαζόντων ὑμᾶς; Ἆρ' οὖν οὐκ ἐπηρεάσθησαν ἀπὸ [ἴσ. οἱ