23

this one like a river?" The Babylonian. "And the day." After the history, understand the coming of Christ, when the enemies of God, the demons, were completely condemned. "Go up, Gilead." Gilead has the resin, which is a medicine for wounds. What he says is this: Gilead promised to defend the Egyptian; and it was captured first. Therefore, he says, you who promise to help others, help yourself. He calls Egypt a virgin, as then for the first time she was shamefully defeated by enemies, and as one might say, violated; and he names the surrounding region the daughter of Egypt. "They fell together." Pharaoh Necho with his subjects; or also Gilead with Egypt. "What the Lord spoke." God is said to speak by the hand of the prophets, because all that the prophets heard to do, they did. For action is by the hand. Or also because all things revealed by God were put into action by the prophets. "Proclaim in Magdolus." Memphis, and Taphnas, and Magdolus, were renowned and royal cities of the Egyptians. "And give orders in Memphis." Prepare yourself for slaughter, be ready, instead of, you shall know that like a smilax, so will the sword of the Babylonian cut off your king. "And each one." The Jews in Egypt saying, Let us return to our people. "From the face of the Greek sword." The Greeks, being from Ion, were in ancient times tributaries of the Babylonians, and were allied with them in their wars. Therefore, from the Greek sword, instead of, from the allies of the Babylonian. "For as Itabyrium." This mountain, being of Galilee, was desolate before the coming of Christ. And Carmel was also desolate, and it lies by the sea, and receives the sea's billows. Therefore, he says, Memphis will be full of turmoil, and desolate from the attack of the Babylonians. "Egypt is a beautiful heifer." Because the Babylonian, having sent a part of his force, captured 93.705 her. -Soldiers, that is, the wages; or also the foreigners whom they hired as allies. "Their voice, as of a serpent." Or he speaks of them groaning and fleeing; since a fleeing serpent hisses. That in the sand." They creep, lying on the ground, dragged as captives. "They will cut down her forest." Her incomparable multitude, and more than the locust. "Behold, I will punish. The Egyptians honored Amon as Zeus, and therefore, he says, I will punish their idol itself; and Satan suffered this at the coming of Christ. And I will chasten you." In the historical sense, that even after going up from Egypt to Jerusalem, they were again chastened; but in the spiritual sense, to the Jacob who is saved according to Christ, he says, I will redeem you from demonic slavery, and I will teach you judgments, that is, gospel doctrines, and if you sin, I will punish you. CHAP. 47. "Thus says the Lord: Behold, waters." In the historical sense, the multitudes of the Babylonians; but in the spiritual sense, the coming of the Antichrist is signified. "How long, O sword of the Lord?" The prophet foresees the vengeance of God at the end against the demons and all the unbelievers. "Return to your sheath." He prays, then, for the wrath to be quieted, so that creation may be at peace. - He receives assurance that the sword of the Lord will not be quieted until it completely does away with error, and the last enemy, death, is destroyed; therefore, in addition to the history, understand also the spiritual meanings. CHAP. 48. "Woe to Nebo." Nebo, a city of the Moabites, in which Deuteronomy was written. "Alaoth." Alaoth, a city of the Moabites, like the others. "And Chemosh will go forth." Chemosh, an idol of the Moabites. "And the valley will perish." The valley is the area lying beside the river. "Give signs to Moab." Instead of, Give a sign to it. "who keeps back his sword from blood." Moabites and Ammonites are forbidden by the law from entering the house of God. Therefore, in the historical sense, he curses those who do not destroy them; but from this occasion he set forth a general principle and says: Cursed is he who keeps back his sword from destroying evil things; for the sword of the spirit ought to slay evils always. "And

23

οὗτος ὡς ποταμός;" Ὁ Βαβυλώνιος. "Καὶ ἡ ἡμέρα." Μετὰ τὴν ἰστορίαν τὴν Χριστοῦ παρουσίαν νόει, ὅτε τελείως οἱ ἐχθροὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ κατηγορήθησαν δαίμονες. "Ἀνάβηθι Γαλαάδ." Ἡ Γαλαὰδ ἔχει μὲν τὴν ῥητίνην, ἰατρικὴν οὖσαν τραυμάτων. Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· Ἡ Γαλαὰδ ἐπηγγέλλετο ἐπαμύνειν τῷ Αἰγυπτίῳ· καὶ αὕτη πρώτη ἑάλω. Ἡ οὖν, φησὶν, ὑπισχνουμένη ἄλλοις βοηθεῖν, σαυτῇ βοήθησον. Παρθένον δὲ τὴν Αἴγυπτόν φησιν, ὡς τότε πρῶτον αἰσχρῶς ὑπὸ πολεμίων ἡττηθεῖσαν, καὶ ὡς ἂν εἴποι τις διαπαρθενευθεῖσαν· θυγατέρα δὲ Αἰγύπτου, τὴν περίχωρον ὀνομάζει. "Ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ἔπεσαν." Ὁ Νεχαὼ Φαραὼ σὺν τοῖς ὑπηκόοις· ἢ καὶ Γαλαὰδ σὺν τῇ Αἰγύπτῳ. "Ἃ ἐλάλησε Κύριος." Λέγεται Θεὸς ἐν χειρὶ λαλεῖν τῶν προφητῶν, ἐπειδὴ πάντα ὅσα ἤκουσαν οἱ προφῆται ποιεῖν, ἐποίουν. Χειρὶ γὰρ ἡ πρᾶξις. Ἢ καὶ ἐπειδὴ πάντα τὰ μηνυόμενα ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὑπὸ τῶν προφητῶν εἰς ἔργον ἐχώρει. "Ἀναγγείλατε εἰς Μαγδωλόν." Μέμφις, καὶ Τάφνας, καὶ Μαγδωλὸς, πόλεις ὑπῆρχον Αἰγυπτίων περιφανεῖς καὶ βασιλικαί. "Καὶ παραγγείλατε εἰς Μέμφιν." Ἑτοίμασον σεαυτὴν εἰς σφαγὴν, ἐπίστηθι, ἀντὶ τοῦ, γνώσῃ ὅτι ὡς σμίλακα, οὕτως ἐκκόψει σου τὸν βασιλέα ἡ μάχαιρα τοῦ Βαβυλωνίου. "Καὶ ἕκαστος." Οἱ ἐν τῇ Αἰγύπτῳ Ἰουδαῖοι λέγοντες, Ἀναστρέψωμεν πρὸς τὸν λαὸν ἡμῶν. "Ἀπὸ προσώπου μαχαίρας Ἑλληνικῆς." Οἱ ἀπὸ Ἴωνος Ἕλληνες ὄντες, ὑπόφοροι ἦσαν κατὰ τὸ παλαιὸν τῶν Βαβυλωνίων, καὶ συνεμάχουν αὐτῷ ἐν τοῖς πολέμοις. Ἀπὸ μαχαίρας οὖν Ἑλληνικῆς, ἀντὶ τοῦ, τῶν συμμάχων τοῦ Βαβυλωνίου. "Ὅτι ὡς τὸ Ἰταβύριον." Τοῦτο τὸ ὄρος τῇς Γαλιλαίας ὂν, ἔρημον ἦν πρὸ τῆς Χριστοῦ παρουσίας. Ὁ δὲ Κάρμηλος καὶ αὐτὸς ἔρημος ἦν, ἔγκειται δὲ τῇ θαλάσσῃ, καὶ τοὺς θαλαττίους δέχεται κλύδωνας. Ἔσται οὖν, φησὶν, ἡ Μέμφις θορύβου μεστὴ, καὶ ἔρημος ἐκ τῆς ἐφόδου τῶν Βαβυλωνίων. "∆άμαλις κεκαλλωπισμένη Αἴγυπτος." Ὅτι μέρος τι τῆς δυνάμεως πέμψας ὁ Βαβυλώνιος, εἷλεν 93.705 αὐτήν. -Στρατιῶται, τουτέστι τὸ σιτηρέσιον· ἢ καὶ οἱ ξένοι οὓς ἐμισθώσαντο εἰς συμμαχίαν. "Φωνὴ αὐτῶν, ὡς ὅφεως." Ἢ στεναζόντων φησὶ καὶ φευγόντων· ἐπειδὴ, φεύγων ὁ ὄφις συρίζει. Ὅτι ἐν ἄμμῳ." Ἕρπονται χαμαὶ κείμενοι, συρόμενοι αἰχμάλωτοι. "Ἐκκόψουσι τὸν δρυμὸν αὐτῆς." Τὸ ἀνείκαστον, καὶ ὑπὲρ ἀκρίδα πλῆθος αὐτῆς. "Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐκδικῶ. Ἀμμωνᾶν ∆ία ἐτίμων Αἰγύπτιοι, καὶ αὐτὸ οὖν, φησὶν, αὐτῶν τὸ εἴδωλον τιμωρήσομαι· τοῦτο δὲ πέπονθεν ὁ Σατανᾶς ἐπὶ τῆς Χριστοῦ παρουσίας. Καὶ παιδεύσω σε." Ἐπὶ μὲν τῆς ἱστορίας, ὅτι καὶ ἀνελθόντες ἐξ Αἰγύπτου εἰς Ἱερουσαλὴμ, πάλιν ἐπαιδεύοντο· πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν, τῷ κατὰ Χριστὸν Ἰακὼβ σωζομένῳ, φησὶν, ὅτι Λυτρώσομαί σε τῆς δαιμονικῆς δουλείας, καὶ παιδεύσω σε κρίματα, τουτέστι δόγματα εὐαγγελικὰ, ἐὰν δὲ ἁμάρτῃς τιμωρήσομαί σε. ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΜΖʹ. "Τάδε λέγει Κύριος· Ἰδοὺ ὕδατα." Πρὸς μὲν ἱστορίαν, τὰ πλήθη τῶν Βαβυλωνίων· πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν, ἡ τοῦ Ἀντιχρίστου παρουσία κατασημαίνεται. "Ἕως τίνος, ἡ μάχαιρα τοῦ Κυρίου;" Προορᾷ ὁ προφήτης τὴν πρὸς τῷ τέλει τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐκδίκησιν κατὰ τῶν δαιμόνων καὶ πάντων τῶν ἀπίστων. "Ἀποκατάστηθι εἰς τὸν κολεόν σου." Εὔχεται λοιπὸν ἡσυχάσαι τῆν ὀργὴν, ἵνα εἰρηνεύσῃ ἡ κτίσις. - Πληροφορίαν δέχεται, ὅτι οὐχ ἡσυχάσει ἡ τοῦ Κυρίου μάχαιρα, ἕως οὗ τελείως ἀνέλῃ τὴν πλάνην, καὶ ἔσχατος ἐχθρὸς καταργηθῇ ὁ θάνατος· πρὸς οὖν τῇ ἱστορίᾳ, νόει καὶ τὰ τῆς θεωρίας. ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΜΗʹ. "Οὐαὶ ἐπὶ Ναβαῦ." Ναβαῦ, πόλις Μωαβιτῶν, ἐν ᾗ τὸ ∆ευτερονόμιον ἐγράφη. "Ἀλαώθ." Ἀλαὼθ, πόλις Μωαβιτῶν, ὡς αἱ λοιπαί. "Καὶ ἐξελεύσεται Χαμώς." Χαμὼς, εἴδωλον Μωαβιτῶν. "Καὶ ἀπολεῖται ὁ αὐλών." Ὁ αὐλὼν τὰ παρακείμενα τῷ ποταμῷ. "∆ότε σημεῖα τῇ Μωάβ." Ἀντὶ τοῦ, Προσημάνατε αὐτῇ. "Ἐξαίρων μάχαιραν αὐτοῦ ἀφ' αἵματος." Μωαβῖται καὶ Ἀμμανῖται κωλύωνται ἐκ τοῦ νόμου εἰσιέναι εἰς οἶκον Θεοῦ. Πρὸς μὲν οὖν τὴν ἱστορίαν, καταρᾶται τοὺς μὴ ἀναιροῦντας αὐτούς· ἐκ δὲ τῆς ἀφορμῆς ταύτης γενικὸν ἐξέθετο λόγον καί φησιν· Ἐπικατάρατός ἐστιν ὁ ἀφαιρούμενος τὴν μάχαιραν αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀναιρεῖν τὰ φαῦλα· ἡ γὰρ μάχαιρα τοῦ πνεύματος ὀφείλει φονεύειν τᾶ κακὰ πάντοτε. "Καὶ