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my.” As for this, he says, this city was founded, for the purpose of provoking me, so that for this reason I might destroy it, not wishing to see it. 93.693 “And they have turned their back to me.” This is a sign of complete insolence and contempt. “And I taught them.” Instead of, with all diligence. “Which I did not command them.” Let it be, he says. Though they were obliged to offer sacrifices to me, they offer them to demons; why do they also commit homicides? For I did not judge it holy for humans to be sacrificed even to myself. As not being content, then, he says, with their former sins, they also contrived this wickedness. “Behold, I will gather them,” God promises to bring back the sons of Israel from captivity; and at the same time He also foretells the coming of Christ, and the grace of the Spirit. “And they shall be my people.” This is common concerning all the faithful. “And I will give them another way.” The coming of the Lord. For he himself is the way. “And another heart.” The grace of the Spirit. Again he says to him; because the word was hard to believe. “And I will make a covenant.” The one concerning the resurrection from the dead. Which will not be changed. CHAPTER 33. “Thus says the Lord who makes the earth.” According to the creation from the beginning, making man from earth. “And forms it.” Re-forming it through the washing of regeneration. “To establish it.” Through the precious cross, since it lay cast down by sin. “The Lord is his name.” About whom the Apostle said: One Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things. “And cry to me.” Entreat me earnestly. “And I will tell you.” The things that have come to pass through the coming of Christ. “Of those who have been pulled down.” Although the Jews should have followed the Babylonian, since this was the judgment of God, having pulled down their houses, they made ramparts and bulwarks for fighting the Chaldeans. For this reason they are condemned to death. “Behold, I will bring up.” After the history, through the coming of Christ. “And I will make peace.” Through faith in me I grant them peace. “And to majesty.” For never has there been such majesty, as that through the incarnate coming of the Word of God. “And they shall be afraid.” Either the demons, at the good things that have happened to men, or even they who are well-treated, because they were formerly ignorant of such a Master. “The voice of the bridegroom.” Of the Word, the bridegroom of the soul, saying: Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 93.696 “The voice of those who say.” Of her who rejoices and says: My Lord and my God. “For I will turn back.” As were Abel, and Seth, and Enoch, and Noah, and Abraham, being justified by faith, and not by law. “Lodgings.” In which are Churches; in which their shepherds give rest to the rational flocks. “In the cities.” After the history, understand the Churches; he calls the one from the Gentiles mountainous, on account of its former fruitlessness. “Sheep will yet pass by.” Of the one who visits, and does not neglect, but numbers and seeks out, lest any of the rational sheep be lost. CHAPTER 34. “Go to Zedekiah.” I am handing it over, says God, and the city will not be handed over by the power of the Babylonian. “And they shall mourn for you unto Hades.” He mocks Zedekiah, so that he might suppose a release from the enemies. But the oracle said, that not as a man in battle-array, but as a captive taken in the peaceful city of Babylon he will suffer the common death. But, they will mourn for you unto Hades, instead of, a bitter one, such as a king dying in captivity. “The word that came.” After the covenant concerning the release was written. “And you returned.” Those who had released them as free, again dragged them into slavery. “Whom you have sent away.” By choice, by will. For this is characteristic of freedom. “The calf which they made to serve it.” Instead of, because of the calf; that is, because of idolatry I will hand them over. He calls the Egyptian a calf, because of the god of the Egyptians, Apis. Therefore both them, he says, and the Egyptian whom they called for an alliance, I will hand over to the Babylonians. “And the power

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μου." Ὡς ἐπὶ τούτῳ, φησὶν, ἐστὶ κτισθεῖσα ἡ πόλις αὕτη, ἐπὶ τῶ παροργίζειν με, ἵνα διὰ τοῦτο ἀφανίσω αὐτὴν, μὴ θέλων αὐτὴν ὁρᾶν. 93.693 "Καὶ ἔστρεψαν πρός με νῶτον." Τοῦτο δεῖγμα τελείας ὕβρεως καὶ καταφρονήσεως. "Καὶ ἐδίδαξα αὐτούς." Ἀντὶ τοῦ, κατὰ πᾶσαν σπουδήν. "Ἃ οὐ συνέταξα αὐτοῖς." Ἔστω, φησίν. Ἐμοὶτὰς θυσίας προσφέρειν ὀφείλοντες, δαίμοσι προσφέρουσι· διατί καὶ ἀνθρωποκτονίας ἐργάζονται; ἀνθρώπους δὲ οὐδὲ ἐμαυτῷ θύεσθαι ὅσιον ἔκρινα. Ὡς οὐκ ἀρκούμενοι τοίνυν, φησὶ, τοῖς πρότερον ἁμαρτήμασι, καὶ τοῦτο ἐπεξεῦρον τὸ ἀτόπημα. "Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ συνάγω αὐτούς," Ἐπαγγέλλεται Θεὸς ἐπανάγειν ἐκ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἰσραήλ· ὁμοῦ δὲ καὶ προλέγει τὴν Χριστοῦ παρουσίαν, καὶ τὴν τοῦ Πνεύματος χάριν. "Καὶ ἔσονταί μοι εἰς λαόν." Τοῦτο κοινὸν περὶ πάντων πιστῶν. "Καὶ δώσω αὐτοῖς ὁδὸν ἑτέραν." Τὴν Κυρίου παρουσίαν. Αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστιν ἡ ὁδός. "Καὶ καρδίαν ἑτέραν." Τὴν τοῦ Πνεύματος χάριν. Πάλιν φησὶν πρὸς αὐτόν· ἐπειδὴ δύσπιστος ὁ λόγος ἦν. "Καὶ διαθήσομαι." Τὴν περὶ τῆς ἐκ νεκρῶν ἀναστάσεως. Ἥτις οὐκ ἀλλαγήσεται. ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΛΓʹ. "Οὕτως εἶπε Κύριος ποιῶν γῆν." Κατὰ τὴν ἐξ ἀρχῆς δημιουργίαν, ἀπὸ γῆς ποιῶν τὸν ἄνθρωπον. "Καὶ πλάσσων αὐτήν. Ἀναπλάσσων διὰ τοῦ λουτροῦ τῆς παλιγγενεσίας. "Τοῦ ἀνορθῶσαι αὐτήν." ∆ιὰ τοῦ τιμίου σταυροῦ, ἐπειδὴ ἔκειτο βεβλημένη ὑπὸ τῆς ἁμαρτίας. "Κύριος ὄνομα." Περὶ οὗ εἶπεν ὁ Ἀπόστολος· Εἶς Κύριος Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς, δι' οὗ τὰ πάντα. "Καὶ κράξον πρός με." Ἐκτενῶς δεήθητί μου. "Καὶ ἀπαγγελῶ σοι." Τὰ διὰ τῆς Χριστοῦ παρουσίας γεγενημένα. "Τῶν καθῃρημένων." ∆έον ἀκολουθῆσαι τοὺς Ἰουδαίους τῷ Βαβυλωνίῳ, ἐπειδὴ τοῦτο κρῖμα ἦν τοῦ Θεοῦ, καθελόντες τὰς οἰκίας αὐτῶν, χάρακας ἐποίησαν καὶ προμαχῶνας ἐπὶ τῷ μάχεσθαι τοῖς Χαλδαίοις. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο θανάτῳ καταδικάζονται. "Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἀνάγω." Μετὰ τὴν ἱστορίαν, διὰ τῆς Χριστοῦ παρουσίας. "Καὶ ποιήσω εἰρήνην." ∆ιὰ τὴν εἰς ἐμὲ πίστιν δωροῦμαι αὐτοῖς τὴν εἰρήνην. "Καὶ εἰς μεγαλειότητα." Οὐδέποτε γὰρ τοιαύτη μεγαλειότης γέγονεν, ὡς ἡ διὰ τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ Λόγου ἐνσάρκου παρουσίας. "Καὶ φοβηθήσονται." Ἢ οἱ δαίμονες ἐπὶ τοῖς γενομένοις ἀγαθοῖς τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, ἢ καὶ αὐτοὶ οἱ εὖ πάσχοντες, ἐφ' οἷς τοιοῦτον πρότερον ἠγνόησαν ∆εσπότην. "Φωνὴ νυμφίου." Τοῦ τῆς ψυχῆς νυμφίου Λόγου λέγοντος· ∆εῦτε πρός με, πάντες οἱ κοπιῶντες καὶ πεφορτισμένοι, κἀγὼ ἀναπαύσω ὑμᾶς. 93.696 "Φωνὴ λεγόντων." Τῆς εὐφραινομένης καὶ λεγούσης· Ὁ Κύριός μου καὶ ὁ Θεός μου. "Ὅτι ἐπιστρέψω." Καθὼς ἦν Ἄβελ, καὶ Σὴθ, καὶ Ἐνὼχ, καὶ Νῶε, καὶ Ἀβραὰμ, ἐκ πίστεως, καὶ οὐκ ἐκ νόμου δικαιούμενοι. "Καταλύματα." Ἐν αἷς Ἐκκλησίαι· ἐν αἷς οἱ τούτων ποιμένες διαναπαύουσι τὰ λογικὰ ποίμνια. "Ἐν πόλεσι." Μετὰ τὴν ἱστορίαν, τὰς Ἐκκλησίας νόει· ὀρεινὴν, διὰ τὴν ἐξ ἐθνῶν καλεῖ, διὰ τὸ πάλαι αὐτῆς ἄκαρπον. "Ἔτι παρελεύσεται πρόβατα." Τοῦ ἐπισκεπτομένου, καὶ μὴ ἀμελοῦντος, ἀλλὰ ἀριθμοῦντος καὶ ἐπιζητοῦντος, μή τι τῶν λογικῶν προβάτων ἀπώλετο. ΚΕΦΑΛ. Λ∆ʹ. "Βάδισον πρὸς Σεδεκίαν." Ἐμοῦ παραδιδόντος, φησὶν ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ οὐ τῇ δυνάμει τοῦ Βαβυλωνίου παραδοθήσεται ἡ πόλις. "Καὶ ἕως ᾅδου κόψονταί σε." Καταπαίζει τοῦ Σεδεκίου, ἵνα ἐκεῖνος ὑπονοήσῃ τὴν ἐκ τῶν πολεμίων ἄφεσιν. Ἔλεγε δὲ ὁ χρησμὸς, ὅτι οὐχ ὡς ἀνὴρ ἐν παρατάξει, ἀλλ' αἰχμάλωτος ληφθεὶς ἐν εἰρηνευούσῃ πόλει τῇ Βαβυλῶνι τὸν κοινὸν ὑποίσει θάνατον. Τὸ δὲ, ἕως ᾅδου κόψονταί σε, ἀντὶ τοῦ, πικρὸν οἷα βασιλέα ἐν αἰχμαλωσίᾳ ἀποθανόντα. "Ὁ λόγος ὁ γενόμενος." Μετὰ τὸ συγγράψασθαι τὴν περὶ τῆς ἀφέσεως διαθήκην. "Καὶ ὑπεστρέψατε." Οἱ ἀπολύσαντες αὐτοὺς ἐλευθέρους, πάλιν εἵλκυσαν αὐτοὺς εἰς δουλείαν. "Οὓς ἐξαπεστείλατε." Τῇ προαιρέσει, τῷ θελήματι. Τοῦτο γὰρ τῆς ἐλευθερίας ἴδιον. "Τὸν μόσχον ὃν ἐποίησαν ἐργάζεσθαι αὐτῷ." Ἀντὶ τοῦ, διὰ τὸν μόσχον· τουτέστι διὰ τὴν εἰδωλολατρείαν παραδώσω αὐτούς. Μόσχον καλεῖ τὸν Αἰγύπτιον, διὰ τὸν τῶν Αἰγυπτίων θεὸν τὸν Ἄπιν. Καὶ αὐτοὺς οὖν, φησὶ, καὶ Αἰγύπτιον ὃν εἰς συμμαχίαν ἐκάλεσαν, παραδώσω τοῖς Βαβυλωνίοις. "Καὶ δύναμις