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arrogance. And the tongue of Zacharias was disciplined not from another cause, but through the sin of his soul. Since, therefore, for the Jews also, being well-bodied and vigorous and priding themselves in these advantages became a cause of folly, He pulled up the root of arrogance, admonishing them and making them better and giving greater things than He was taking away from them. For what harm is it for the body to be weak, when from this the soul is disciplined? Then, so that they might not think the suffering that occurred was of the weakness of nature, the prophet proclaimed them beforehand and did not stop the threat with the men, but also extended the punishment to the female sex, since both natures were corrupted, and proceeding because of the excess of absurdity he addresses the women themselves, accusing them of crimes which were overturning the city itself from its foundations. For this reason indeed he surrounds them also with pestilence; for he seems to me to allude to a pestilence when he says: I will take away the strong man and the strong woman; or some other bodily weakness, not even yielding to the skills of physicians. For such are the plagues of God. The strength of bread and the strength of water. The punishment is most harsh when it does not take away the substance itself, but the power that comes from it, so that they are punished by the sight, never being filled, and from this perceive that the wrath was sent from God. Giant and strong man. Scripture is always accustomed to call the strong man a giant, or the one surpassing the many in the proportion of his limbs. For even in the creation when it says: These were the giants, the men of renown, it does not say these things relating that some other race had come into being, but alludes to those who are strong and robust and vigorous. And the man of war and the judge. The punishment is unbearable and the things spoken are proof of utter destruction, and, with the walls and towers standing, could surrender the city with all its men to the enemy. For the safety of cities is not in stones and timbers and surrounding walls, but in the wisdom of those inhabiting the city, who, when they are present, even when there are enemies, fortify it more safely than all else; but when they are absent, even with no one troubling it, they render it more miserable than one besieged.

3.2 So that through these things the prophet taught both them and all who hear no small doctrine of philosophy, persuading them never to trust in the size of a city, nor in ditches and engines of war, but in the virtue of good men. Frightening them, therefore, he says that he will strip it of its safety, not only by snatching away those who know how to make war, but also those who know how to judge, who contribute no less than the warriors to cities, both by establishing peace well and by often repelling advancing wars. For since these also continually spring from the root of sins, it is possible for the guardians of the laws and those who preside over justice with exactness, by checking the greater number of sins, to do away with the cause of war as well. For what reason, then, does God tear them away? Because when they were present, they did not use them for what was necessary. For just as His saving teachings brought great benefit to those who listened, but when addressing the Jews, he concealed the things said in obscurity, since they did not pay attention to what was said; so indeed also these His great gifts that bring us great salvation He often removes from their midst, when those who receive them do not wish to profit from them. And a prophet and a diviner. And it is no small form of wrath for prophecies to cease. When, at any rate, God turned away from the people of the Jews on account of the sins of the sons of Eli and the great wickedness of the multitude, prophecy ceased; For the word was precious, it says, and there was no distinct vision. Precious, that is, rare. And in the time of Uzziah this same thing happened; for they reaped no small benefits from this as well, if they were willing. For to learn the things from God and to prepare for the terrible things to come and to inquire about the unknown and when to attack

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ἀλαζονείαν. Καὶ τοῦ Ζαχαρίου δὲ ἡ γλῶττα οὐχ ἑτέρωθεν ἐπαιδεύθη, ἀλλ' ἢ διὰ τὴν τῆς ψυχῆς ἁμαρτίαν. Ἐπεὶ οὖν καὶ τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις τὸ εὐσωματεῖν καὶ σφριγᾷν καὶ τούτοις κομᾷν τοῖς πλεονεκτήμασιν ἀπονοίας ὑπόθεσις ἐγίνετο, ὑπέσυρε τῆς ἀλαζονείας τὴν ῥίζαν, νουθετῶν αὐτοὺς καὶ βελτίους ποιῶν καὶ μείζονα διδούς, ἢ ἀφαιρούμενος ἐξ αὐτῶν. Ποῖον γὰρ βλάβος τὸ σῶμα ἀσθενεῖν, ὅταν ἐντεῦθεν παιδεύηται ἡ ψυχή; Εἶτα ἵνα μὴ νομίσωσι φύσεως ἀσθενείας εἶναι τὸ γενόμενον πάθος, προανεφώνησεν αὐτὰ ὁ προφήτης καὶ οὐ μέχρι τῶν ἀνδρῶν ἔστησε τὴν ἀπειλήν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ γυναικεῖον γένος διεβίβασε τὴν τιμωρίαν, ἐπειδὴ καὶ ἑκατέρα ἡ φύσις διέφθαρτο, καὶ προϊὼν διὰ τὴν ὑπερβολὴν τῆς ἀτοπίας καὶ πρὸς αὐτὰς ἀποτείνεται τὰς γυναῖκας, ἐγκαλῶν αὐταῖς ἐγκλήματα, ἃ τὴν πόλιν αὐτὴν ἐκ βάθρων ἀνέτρεπεν. ∆ιὰ δὴ τοῦτο καὶ αὐτὰς τῷ λοιμῷ περιβάλλει· ἢ γὰρ λοιμὸν αἰνίττεσθαί μοι δοκεῖ λέγων· Ἀφελῶ ἰσχύοντα καὶ ἰσχύουσαν· ἢ ἄλλην τινὰ σωματικὴν ἀσθένειαν, οὐδὲ ἰατρῶν εἴκουσαν τέχναις. Τοιαῦται γὰρ αἱ τοῦ Θεοῦ πληγαί. Ἰσχὺν ἄρτου καὶ ἰσχὺν ὕδατος. Χαλεπωτάτη ἡ τιμωρία, ὅταν μὴ αὐτὴν ἀναιρῇ τὴν οὐσίαν, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἐξ αὐτῆς ἐγγινομένην δύναμιν, ὥστε καὶ τῇ ὄψει κολάζεσθαι μηδέποτε ἐμπιπλαμένους καὶ αὐτόθεν συνορᾶν, ὅτι θεήλατος ἦν ἡ ὀργή. Γίγαντα καὶ ἰσχύοντα. Γίγαντα ἀεὶ ἡ Γραφὴ τὸν ἰσχυρὸν λέγειν εἴωθεν, ἢ τὸν ὑπερέχοντα τῶν πολλῶν τῇ τῶν μελῶν ἀναλογίᾳ. Καὶ γὰρ ἐν τῇ κτίσει ὅταν λέγῃ· Οὗτοι ἦσαν οἱ γίγαντες, οἱ ἄνθρωποι οἱ ὀνομαστοί, οὐκ ἄλλο τι γένος γεγενῆσθαι διηγουμένη ταῦτά φησιν, ἀλλὰ τοὺς ἰσχυροὺς καὶ εὐρώστους καὶ σφριγῶντας ἡμῖν αἰνίττεται. Καὶ ἄνθρωπον πολεμιστὴν καὶ δικαστήν. Ἀφόρητος ἡ τιμωρία καὶ ἐσχάτης ἀπωλείας ἀπόδειξις τὰ εἰρημένα, καί, τῶν τειχῶν ἑστώτων καὶ τῶν πύργων, αὔτανδρον τοῖς πολεμίοις τὴν πόλιν παραδιδόναι δύναιτ' ἄν. Ἀσφάλεια γὰρ πόλεων οὐκ ἐν λίθοις καὶ ξύλοις καὶ περιβόλοις, ἀλλ' ἐν τῇ συνέσει τῶν τὴν πόλιν οἰκούντων, οἳ ἡνίκα μὲν ἂν ὦσι, καὶ πολεμίων ὄντων, ἀσφαλέστερον ἁπάντων αὐτὴν τειχίζουσιν· ἡνίκα δὲ ἂν ἀπῶσι, καὶ μηδενὸς ἐνοχλοῦντος, τῆς πολιορκουμένης ἀθλιωτέραν αὐτὴν ἀποφαίνουσιν.

3.2 Ὥστε κἀκείνους καὶ τοὺς ἀκούοντας ἅπαντας οὐ μικρὸν φιλοσοφίας δόγμα διὰ τούτων ὁ προφήτης ἐπαίδευσε, πείθων μηδέποτε μεγέθει πόλεως θαρρεῖν, μηδὲ τάφροις καὶ μηχανήμασιν, ἀλλ' ἀνδρῶν ἐπιεικῶν ἀρετῇ. Φοβῶν τοίνυν αὐτούς φησιν, ὅτι ἐρημώσει τῆς ἀσφαλείας αὐτήν, οὐ τοὺς πολεμεῖν εἰδότας ἀναρπάζων μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς δικάζειν ἐπισταμένους, οἳ τῶν πολεμούντων οὐκ ἔλαττον συντελοῦσι ταῖς πόλεσιν, εἰρήνην τε εὖ διατιθέντες καὶ πολέμους πολλάκις ἐπιόντας ἀποκρουόμενοι. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ καὶ οὗτοι συνεχῶς ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων φύονται ῥίζης, δυνατὸν τοὺς τῶν νόμων φύλακας καὶ τοῦ δικαίου μετὰ ἀκριβείας προϊσταμένους, τὰ πλείονα τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ἀναστέλλοντας ἀναιρεῖν καὶ τοῦ πολέμου τὴν ὑπόθεσιν. Τίνος οὖν ἕνεκεν ὁ Θεὸς αὐτοὺς ἀνασπᾷ; Ἐπειδὴ παροῦσιν αὐτοῖς οὐκ εἰς δέον ἐκέχρηντο. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τὰ σωτήρια αὐτοῦ διδάγματα πολλὴν ἔφερον τοῖς ἀκροωμένοις τὴν ὠφέλειαν, ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν Ἰουδαίων δημηγορῶν, ἀσαφείᾳ τὰ λεγόμενα ἔκρυπτεν, ἐπειδὴ μὴ προσεῖχον τοῖς λεγομένοις· οὕτω δὴ καὶ τὰ δῶρα αὐτοῦ τὰ μεγάλα ταῦτα καὶ σωτηρίαν ἡμῖν πολλὴν κομίζοντα ἐκ μέσου πολλάκις ἀναιρεῖ, ὅταν οἱ λαμβάνοντες μηδὲν ἀπ' αὐτῶν βουληθῶσι καρπώσασθαι. Καὶ προφήτην καὶ στοχαστήν. Οὐ μικρὸν δὲ ὀργῆς εἶδος καὶ τὸ τὰς προφητείας ἐπιλιπεῖν. Ὅτε γοῦν τὸν τῶν Ἰουδαίων δῆμον διὰ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα τῶν τοῦ Ἠλὶ παίδων ὁ Θεὸς ἀπεστράφη καὶ τὴν πολλὴν τοῦ πλήθους κακίαν, ἐπέλιπεν ἡ προφητεία· Ῥῆμα γὰρ τίμιον, φησίν, ἦν, καὶ οὐκ ἦν ὅρασις διαστέλλουσα. Τίμιον, τουτέστι, σπάνιον. Καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ὀζίου τὸ αὐτὸ τοῦτο γέγονεν· οὐ γὰρ μικρὰ καὶ ἐντεῦθεν ἐκαρποῦντο, εἴ γε ἐβούλοντο. Τὸ γὰρ μανθάνειν τὰ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ πρὸς τὰ μέλλοντα παρασκευάζεσθαι δεινὰ καὶ ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀδήλων πυνθάνεσθαι καὶ πότε μὲν ἐπιθέσθαι