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Such a voice shall be raised in the flocks of the Church. "For this reason I was roused." Because faithfully, he says, I the prophet received the vision, for this reason I beheld the events as present. "And my sleep." The manner of the resurrection. And it also denotes freedom from sin. The prophecy is also referred to the Lord: to the one who made death a sleep, and who beholds the multitude of the faithful, and who rejoices in the death that happened to him voluntarily. "Behold, days are coming." Perhaps he means the confusion of the heresies, and of those choosing beastly ways. For I indeed sow, laying claim to the wheat; but these the enemy sows over. But according to the idiom of Scripture, since what God allows men to do by their own choice, he is said to do himself, as in, He gave them over to dishonorable passions, not with God doing this, but with them choosing this; so also here it is written, I will sow the seed of a beast. Furthermore, it is also to be understood thus: Men are the wiser and more perfect, who hold the faith with reason and knowledge, but beasts are those who have run to the faith with simplicity and without prying. I therefore, he says, will plant both these and those in the Church. "But rather each one will die in his own sin." The sin of Adam, having passed through to the nation, came also upon those who had not sinned, as the Apostle said. Christ, therefore, having forgiven this through the washing of remission, the ancestral sin was cleansed, but each one is held accountable for his own sins. "And I will make a covenant with the house of Israel." A covenant, the evangelical one. The Apostle also used these things for proof that the legal worship was not cast out. "Giving, I will give." The reminders through the spirit. "If it be lifted up." Just as it is impossible, he says, for heaven to ascend higher, or for the earth to descend lower; so it is impossible for me to reject Israel; for the gifts of God are irrevocable, as the Apostle says. "If they should cease." The ordinances of the sun and moon, he says, cannot cease, nor can the race of Israel, which is now by grace, cease to be before me. "From the towers." From the grace of God; for thus is Hananeel interpreted. "To the gate." Until the consummation. For having reached to a corner, the wall is completed. "Of choice stones." He indicated the Church, composed of all the nations, being built of choice stones, of prophets, and apostles, and the saints in succession. "To the torrent." To the eastern clime, he says, the house that has been described will be a sanctuary to the Lord. And the horses of the East are the apostles. He indicated, therefore, that the Church is built from the grace of God and the holy apostles. For when the divine Scriptures are read, we are built up. CHAPTER 32. "And he will speak." Zedekiah to the Babylonian. "Thus he said." The purchase-deeds, he says, I prepared to be written; and perhaps at that time those buying also made notes on the purchase-deeds. So that those after these things might learn, so as not to be corrupted. For this reason in an earthen vessel, so that upon returning they might see that these things were foretold from above, so that not only the words, but also the events might bear witness. "Showing mercy." Because his mercy is manifold. "And repaying." From Adam until the coming of Christ, those who imitated the sins of the fathers fell under punishments, because the redemption of sin had not yet occurred. But after the coming of Christ, each one henceforth will also reap what he sows, because he is not similarly drawn to the transgression from a traditionally-handed-down way of life. "And among the earthborn." To the impious, to those who mind earthly things; or even to the Egyptians themselves who are from the earth itself. "And you have made." Until today, he says, renowned, or for the wonders of old. "I am the Lord." The one who is to judge all, and to give to each according to his deeds. "Because they were." For while for the most part the whole earth was then full of godless people; yet these alone are said to sin, because, having been instructed in the divine laws, they sinned with knowledge. "Because for the wrath

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ἀρθήσεται ἡ τοιαύτη φωνὴ ἐν τοῖς τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ποιμνίοις. "∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἐξηγέρθην." Ὅτι πιστῶς, φησὶν, ὁ προφήτης ἐδεξάμην τὸ ὅραμα, διὰ τοῦτο ὡς παρόντα τὰ πράγματα ἐθεασάμην. "Καὶ ὁ ὕπνος μου." Ὁ τῆς ἀναστάσεως τρόπος. ∆ηλοῖ δὲ καὶ τὴν ἐκ τῆς ἁμαρτίας ἐλευθερίαν. Ἀναφέρεται δὲ καὶ εἰς τὸν Κύριον ἡ προφητεία· τῷ τὸν θάνατον ὕπνον ἐργασαμένῳ, καὶ θεωροῦντι τῶν πιστῶν τὸ πλῆθος, καὶ χαίροντι ἐπὶ τῷ ἑκουσίως αὐτῷ γεγονότι θανάτῳ. "Ἰδοὺ ἡμέραι ἔρχονται." Ἴσως τὴν τῶν αἱρέσεων φύρσιν φησὶ, καὶ τῶν κτηνώδεις τρόπους αἱρουμένων. Ἐγὼ μὲν γὰρ σπερῶ, τοῦ σίτου ἀντιποιούμενος. τούτους δὲ ὁ ἐχθρὸς ἐπισπείρει. Κατὰ δὲ τὸ τῆς Γραφῆς ἰδίωμα, ἐπειδὴ ἃ συγχωρεῖ Θεὸς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους προαιρετικῶς ποιεῖν, αὐτὸς ποιεῖν λέγεται, ὡς τὸ, Παρέδωκεν αὐτοὺς εἰς πάθη ἀτιμίας, οὐ Θεοῦ τοῦτο ποιήσαντος, ἀλλ' αὐτῶν τοῦτο ἑλομένων· οὕτω καὶ ἐνταῦθα κεῖται τὸ, Σπερῶ σπέρμα κτήνους. Ἔτι [φορτ. Ἔστι] δὲ καὶ οὕτω νοῆσαι· Ἄνθρωποίεἰσιν οἱ σοφώτεροι καὶ τελειότεροι, οἱ μετὰ λόγου καὶ γνώσεως τὴν πίστιν κατέχοντες, κτήνη δὲ οἱ μετὰ ἁπλότητος καὶ ἀπεριέργως τῇ πίστει προσδεδραμηκότες. Ἐγὼ οὖν, φησὶ, καὶ τούτους κἀκείνους ἐν τῇ Ἐκκλησίᾳ καταφυτεύσω. "Ἀλλ' ἢ ἕκαστος ἐν τῇ ἑαυτοῦ ἁμαρτίᾳ ἀποθανεῖται." Ἡ τοῦ Ἀδὰμ ἁμαρτία διελθοῦσα εἰς τὸ ἔθνος, καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς μὴ ἁμαρτήσαντας, ἦλθεν, ὡς εἶπεν ὁ Ἀπόστολος. Χριστοῦ οὖν συγχωρήσαντος ταύτην διὰ τοῦ λουτροῦ τῆς ἀφέσεως, ἐκαθαρίσθη μὲν ἡ προπατορικὴ ἁμαρτία, ἕκαστος δὲ τῶν οἰκείων ἁμαρτημάτων ὑπέχει λόγον. "Καὶ διαθήσομαι τῷ οἴκῳ Ἰσραήλ." ∆ιαθήκην, τὴν εὐαγγελικήν. Τούτοις δὲ ἐχρήσατο καὶ ὁ Ἀπόστολος εἰς ἀπόδειξιν τοῦ [μὴ] ἐκβεβλῆσθαι τὴν νομικὴν λατρείαν. "∆ιδοὺς δώσω." Τὰς διὰ τοῦ πνεύματος ὑπομνήσεις. "Ἐὰν ὑψωθῇ." Ὡς ἀμήχανον, φησὶν, ἀνωτέρω τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀνελθεῖν, ἢ τὴν γῆν κατωτέρω κατελθεῖν· οὕτως ἀμήχανόν με ἀποδοκιμάσαι τὸν Ἰσραήλ· Ἀμε 93.692 ταμέλητα γὰρ τὰ χαρίσματα τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὥς φησιν ὁ Ἀπόστολος. "Ἐὰν παύσωνται." Οὐ δύνανται, φησὶν, [ἴσ. Οὐ δύνανται, φησὶ, μὴ εἶναι], οἱ ὅροι ἡλίου καὶ σελήνης, οὐδὲ τὸ γένος Ἰσραὴλ τὸ νῦν κατὰ χάριν [τοῦ] εἶναι ἔμπροσθέν μου. "Ἀπὸ πύργων." Ἀπὸ χάριτος Θεοῦ· οὕτως γὰρ ἑρμηνεύεται τὸ Ἀναμεήλ. "Ἕως τῆς πύλης." Ἕως τῆς συντελείας. Φθάσας γὰρ ἕως γωνίας, τελειοῦται ὁ τοῖχος. "Ἐξ ἐκλεκτῶν λίθων." Τὴν ἐκ πάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν συνισταμένην Ἐκκλησίαν ἐδήλωσεν, ἐκ λίθων ἐκλεκτῶν οἰκοδομουμένην, προφητῶν, καὶ ἀποστόλων, καὶ τῶν καθεξῆς ἁγίων. "Ἕως χειμάῤῥου." Ἕως, φησὶ, κλίματος ἀνατολικοῦ ὁ διαγραφεὶς οἶκος, ἔσται ἁγίασμα τῷ Κυρίῳ. Ἵπποι δὲ Ἀνατολῆς οἱ ἀπόστολοι. Ἐδήλωσεν οὖν, ὡςἀπὸ χάριτος Θεοῦ καὶ τῶν ἁγίων ἀποστόλων οἰκοδομεῖται ἡ Ἐκκλησία. Τῶν γὰρ θείων Γραφῶν ἀναγινωσκομένων οἰκοδομούμεθα. ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΛΒʹ. "Καὶ λαλήσει." Ὁ Σεδεκίας πρὸς τὸν Βαβυλώνιον. "Οὕτως εἶπε." Τὰ ὠνιακὰ, φησὶ, γραφῆναι παρεσκεύασα· ἴσως δὲ τότε καὶ ὠνούμενοι ὑπεσημειοῦντο ἐν τοῖς ὠνιακοῖς. Ἵνα καὶ οἱ μετὰ ταῦτα μάθωσιν ὥστε μὴ διαφθαρῆναι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἐν ἀγγείῳ ὀστρακίνῳ, ἵνα ἐπανελθόντες ἴδωσιν, ὅτι ἄνωθεν ταῦτα προελέγετο, ἵνα μὴ τὰ ῥήματα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ πράγματα μαρτυρήσῃ. "Ποιῶν ἔλεος." Ὅτι πολλαπλάσιόν ἐστι τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ. "Καὶ ἀποδιδούς." Ἀπὸ Ἀδὰμ ἕως τῆς παρουσίας Χριστοῦ οἱ μιμούμενοι τὰς ἁμαρτίας τῶν πατέρων, ταῖς τιμωρίαις ὑπέπιπτον, διὰ τὸ μήπω τὴν ἀπολύτρωσιν τῆς ἁμαρτίας γεγενῆσθαι. Μετὰ δὲ τὴν παρουσίαν τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ἕκαστος λοιπὸν ὃ σπείρῃ, καὶ θερίσει, διὰ τὸ μὴ ὁμοίως ἐκτείνεσθαι ἐκ πατροπαραδότου ἀναστροφῆς ἐπὶ [ἐπὶ υιδετυρ αβυνδαρε] τὴν παράβασιν. "Καὶ ἐν τοῖς γηγενέσι." Τοῖς ἀσεβέσι, τοῖς τὰ γήϊνα φρονοῦσιν· ἢ καὶ αὐτοῖς τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις τοῖς ἐξ αὐτῆς τῆς γῆς. "Καὶ ἐποίησας." Ἕως σήμερον, φησὶν, ὀνομαστὸς, ἢ ἐπὶ τοῖς πάλαι τεραστίοις. "Ἐγὼ Κύριος." Ὁ μέλλων πάντας κρίνειν, καὶ ἑκάστῳ ἀποδιδόναι κατὰ τὰς πράξεις. "Ὅτι ἦσαν." Ὡς μὲν ἐπὶ τὸ πολὺ πᾶσα μὲν ἡ γῆ τότε ἀθέων ἦν· μόνοι δὲ οὖτοι λέγονται ἁμαρτάνειν, ἐπειδὴ τοῖς θείοις νόμοις πεπαιδευμένοι ἐν γνώσει ἡμάρτανον. "Ὅτι ἐπὶ τὴν ὀργήν