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from] Jerusalem by the Babylonians? But nevertheless they pray for them. "And seek for peace." Pray, he says, for peace for the Babylonians, so that you also may have peace. Note that one must pray for the rulers, even if they are Greeks. "And I will establish." That is, You will see the truth of my words. "Because you said: The Lord has appointed prophets for us." There were false prophets also in Jerusalem 93.684 deceiving the people. And there were also in captivity deceiving those in the colony. "Against Ahab and against Zedekiah." These are said to be the elders against Susanna. "The Lord made you a priest." To Shemaiah God says, that I did not appoint you as a prophet, nor did I command you to write to Zephaniah against Jeremiah. "Behold, I will visit." The appointed time of the recall. The writing from Shemaiah himself. CHAPTER 30. "You will hear a voice of fear." That of the evangelical commands. "And there is no peace." For I have not come, says the Lord, to bring peace on earth, but a sword. "Ask." Ask, he says, the Scriptures, and learn from them if a male shall be born to you, that is, the Lord. For since through one man, Adam, the world came to sin, it is fitting that he prophesies about the second Adam, through whom is redemption. "And concerning fear." Naturally those who are afraid are wont to hold their loins. There will be, he says, a fear of the evangelical commands, through which fear he will have strength, and will be saved. "Because I have seen." For all shuddered at the precision of the evangelical commands, and being disturbed within by the shuddering they held their loins. But according to the meaning, he holds his loins who constrains his spermatic parts, and abstains from intercourse. "For great is the day." That of the time of the Lord's incarnation, and of the cross, and of the resurrection; for he calls his whole economy a day. "I have raised up a fracture." Since, he says, your wound is great, and no one was able to help you, but even your friends forgot you on account of your sin; and by friends of the soul you will understand the law, and the prophets, and holy angels. Since therefore, he says, no one was able to help you, I, through my own Son, who is David according to the flesh, will raise up your fracture. "Because the wound of an enemy." Since on account of your sins, he says, I abandoned you, through my own love for mankind I heal you. "For this reason all who eat you." Your enemies, he says, the demons, will devour their own flesh; and through these things he reveals the bitterness of the punishment against them. "Upon a multitude." They attacked, he says, the multitude of your sins. "And they shall be." Those who carry you around will be scattered. "For I will bring up." For the Word of God, having become man, healed humanity. "It is your prey." Because they scattered you 93.685 from God. Whoever wished, he says, hunted her, as not having a shepherd. "Thus said the Lord." The word indeed has a message of the return from Babylon; but it foretells the redemption of the nations through Christ. "And it will be built." According to the literal sense, the ruined Jerusalem; but according to the meaning, the Church. "And the people." He will live according to the laws; the one from the sensible captivity, according to the Mosaic laws; but the people of the Church, according to the evangelical laws. "And from them will come out singing." For the captives the word has a promise of joy. But by singing, he means those who praise God in the church; and by playing, those who mock the demons. "And the ruler." No longer, he says, will foreigners rule the people. Or also thus, For the rulers of the Jews have failed; he says that the one who formerly ruled, the devil of souls, will go out, that is, will depart from the people of the Church. CHAPTER 31. "I found one warm." Since the majority have died by sin, and lie cast out as in a desert; I found, he says, among those lying there one warm, that is, half-dead, having hope of repentance and life; and he means either Israel, or also anyone able to be saved. "The Lord from afar." He who is now from afar, later will be seen by him. "You shall yet take a timbrel." After the

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ἀπὸ] Ἱερουσαλὴμ ὑπὸ Βαβυλωνίων; ἁλλ' ὅμως προσεύχονται ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν. "Καὶ ζητήσατε εἰς εἰρήνην." Προσεύξασθε, φησὶν, εἰρήνην τοῖς Βαβυλωνίοις, ἵνα καὶ ὑμεῖς εἰρηνεύητε. Σημείωσαι, ὅτι δεῖ προσεύχεσθαι ὑπὲρ τῶν κρατούντων, κἂν Ἕλληνες ὦσιν. "Καὶ ἐπιστήσω." Τουτέστιν, Ὄψεσθε τῶν ἐμῶν λόγων τὴν ἀλήθειαν. "Ὅτι εἴπατε· Κατέστησεν ἡμῖν Κύριος προφήτας." Ψευδοπροφῆται ἦσαν καὶ ἐν τῇ Ἱερουσαλὴμ 93.684 ἀπατῶντες τὸν λαόν. Ἦσαν δὲ καὶ ἐν τῇ αἰχμαλωσίᾳ ἀπατῶντες τοὺς ἐν τῇ ἀποικίᾳ. "Ἐπὶ Ἀχιὰβ καὶ ἐπὶ Σεδεκίαν." Οὗτοι λέγονται οἱ κατὰ Σωσάνναν πρεσβύτεροι. "Κύριος ἔδωκέ σε ἱερέα." Πρὸς τὸν Σαμέα φησὶ ὁ Θεὸς, ὅτι Οὐκ ἐγώ σε κατέστησα εἰς προφήτην, οὐδὲ ἐγώ σοι ἐνετειλάμην γράψαι τῷ Σοφονίᾳ κατὰ Ἱερεμίου. "Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐπισκέψομαι." Ἡ προθεσμία τῆς ἀνακλήσεως. Τὸ γραφὲν παρ' αὐτοῦ τοῦ Σαμέα. ΚΕΦΑΛ. Λʹ. "Φωνὴν φόβου ἀκούσεσθε." Τὴν τῶν εὐαγγελικῶν προσταγμάτων. "Καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν εἰρήνη." Οὐ γὰρ ἦλθον, φησὶν ὁ Κύριος, βαλεῖν εἰρήνην ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, ἀλλὰ μάχαιραν. "Ἐρωτήσατε." Ἐρωτήσατε, φησὶ, τὰς Γραφὰς, καὶ μάθετε ἐξ αὐτῶν, εἰ γεννηθήσεται ὑμῖν ἄρσεν, τουτέστιν ὁ Κύριος. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ δι' ἑνὸς τοῦ Ἀδὰμ ὁ κόσμος ἐφ' ἁμαρτίαν ἦλθεν, εἰκότως περὶ τοῦ δευτέρου Ἀδὰμ προφητεύει, δι' οὗ ἡ ἀπολύτρωσις. "Καὶ περὶ φόβου." Φυσικῶς οἱ φοβούμενοι τὴν ὀσφὺν κρατεῖν πεφύκασιν. Φόβος οὖν, φησὶ, ἔσται τῶν εὐαγγελικῶν προσταγμάτων, δι' οὗ φόβου ἕξει τὴν ἰσχὺν, καὶ σωθήσεται. "∆ιότι ἑώρακα." Πάντες γὰρ ἔφριξαν τὴν ἀκρίβειαν τῶν εὐαγγελικῶν προσταγμάτων, καὶ ὑπὸ τῆς φρίκης τὰ ἐντὸς ταραττόμενοι τὰς ὀσφῦς ἐκράτησαν. Πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν, κρατεῖ ὀσφύος ὁ περισφίγγων τὰ σπερματικὰ, καὶ ἀπεχόμενος συνουσιασμοῦ. "Ὅτι μεγάλη ἡ ἡμέρα." Ἡ τοῦ χρόνου τῆς τοῦ Κυρίου ἐνανθρωπήσεως, καὶ τοῦ σταυροῦ, καὶ τῆς ἀναστάσεως· ὅλην γὰρ αὐτοῦ τὴν οἰκονομίαν ἡμέραν καλεῖ. "Ἀνέστησα σύντριμμα." Ἐπειδὴ, φησὶν, μεγάλη σου ἡ πληγὴ, καὶ οὐδείς σοι ἠδυνήθη ἐπαμῦναι, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ φίλοι σου ἐπελάθοντό σου διὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν σου· φίλους δὲ τῆς ψυχῆς νοήσεις τὸν νόμον, καὶ τοὺς προφήτας, καὶ ἁγίους ἀγγέλους. Ἐπειδὴ οὖν, φησὶν, οὐδείς σοι ἠδυνήθη ἐπαμῦναι, ἐγὼ διὰ τοῦ ἐμαυτοῦ Υἱοῦ, τοῦ κατὰ σάρκα ∆αβὶδ, ἀναστήσω σου τὸ σύντριμμα. "Ὅτι πληγὴν ἐχθροῦ." Ἐπειδὴ διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας σου, φησὶν, ἐγκατέλιπόν σε, διὰ τὴν ἐμαυτοῦ φιλανθρωπίαν ἰῶμαί σε. "∆ιὰ τοῦτο πάντες οἱ ἐσθίοντές σε." Οἱ ἐχθροί σου, φησὶ, δαίμονες τὰς ἑαυτῶν κατέδονται σάρκας· ἐμφαίνει δὲ διὰ τούτων τὸ πικρὸν τῆς κατ' αὐτῶν τιμωρίας. "Ἐπὶ πλῆθος." Συνεπέθεντο, φησὶ, τῷ πλήθει τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν σου. "Καὶ ἔσονται." Οἱ περιφέροντές σε σκορπισθήσονται. "Ὅτι ἀνάξω." Γεγονὼς γὰρ ἄνθρωπος ὁ τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγος ἰάσατο τὴν ἀνθρωπότητα. "Θήρευμα ὑμῶν ἐστιν." Ὅτι διεσκόρπισάν σε 93.685 ἀπὸ Θεοῦ. Ὁ βουλόμενος, φησὶν, ἐθήρευσεν αὐτὴν, ὡς μὴ ἔχουσαν ποιμένα. "Οὕτως εἶπε Κύριος." Ἔχει μὲν ὁ λόγος ἀγγελίαν τῆς ἐκ Βαβυλῶνος ἐπανόδου· προθεσπίζει δὲ τὴν διὰ Χριστοῦ ἀπολύτρωσιν τῶν ἐθνῶν. "Καὶ οἰκοδομηθήσεται." Πρὸς μὲν τὸ ῥητὸν, ἡ κατεστραμμένη Ἱερουσαλήμ· πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν, ἡ Ἐκκλησία. "Καὶ ὁ λαός." Κατὰ τὰ νόμιμα πολιτεύσεται· ὁ μὲν ἐκ τῆς αἰσθητῆς αἰχμαλωσίας, κατὰ τὰ Μωσαϊκά· ὁ δὲ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας λαὸς, κατὰ τὰ εὐαγγελικά. "Καὶ ἐξελεύσονται ἀπ' αὐτῶν ᾄδοντες." Τοῖς μὲν αἰχμαλώτοις ἐπαγγελίαν χαρᾶς ἔχει ὁ λόγος. Ἄδοντας δὲ, τοὺς Θεὸν ἐν τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ ὑμνολογοῦντάς φησι· παίζοντας δὲ, τοὺς τῶν δαιμόνων καταπαίζοντας. "Καὶ ὁ ἄρχων." Οὐκ ἔτι, φησὶν, ἀλλότριοι ἄρξουσι τοῦ λαοῦ. Ἢ καὶ οὕτως, Ἐξέλιπον γὰρ οἱ Ἰουδαίων ἄρχοντες· φησὶ ὅτι ὁ πάλαι ἄρχων διάβολος τῶν ψυχῶν ἐξελεύσεται, ἀντὶ τοῦ ἀποστήσεται τοῦ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας λαοῦ. ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΛΑʹ. "Εὗρον θερμόν." Ἐπειδὴ οἱ πλείονες ὑπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας τεθνήκασι, καὶ ὡς ἐν ἐρήμῳ κεῖνται ἐῤῥιμμένοι· εὗρον, φησὶν, ἐν τοῖς κειμένοις θερμὸν, τουτέστιν ἡμιθανῆ, ἐλπίδα ἔχοντα μετανοίας καὶ ζωῆς· φησὶ δὲ ἢ τὸν Ἰσραὴλ, ἢ καὶ πάντα δυνάμενον σώζεσθαι. "Κύριος πόῤῥωθεν." Ὁ νῦν πόῤῥωθεν, ὕστερον ὀφθήσεται αὐτῷ. "Ἔτι λήψῃ τύμπανον." Μετὰ τὴν