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Babylon, with respect to the position of its places, is more southern than the Medes. He says therefore, that Merodach, going up with the Medes, will take Babylon. "For here they will set their face." Instead of, Here in Sion, where the prophet prophesied. "For an everlasting covenant." The promise to Abraham, which was fulfilled through Christ. "Their shepherds have cast them out." The priests and kings, teachers of the law, false prophets. From evil to evil; and they sacrificed on such things to demons. "All that found them have devoured them." Of the mind, and of the divine teachings, in which they rested. -The sinful demons. After the history, the word is to the faithful. But they, he says, are the pasture of God, chosen by God for righteousness. For since God chose their fathers and brought them out of Egypt, they are rightly called both sheep, and the pasture of God as of a possessor. "And go forth." Become discordant with the Babylonians, and fearsome to the demons. "For behold, I raise up." The nations grown cold by sin, they themselves through faith in Christ wage war against idolatry. "And Chaldea shall be for a spoil." The country of the Chaldeans, Babylon. "It was overthrown." Babylon, which begot you in glory and wealth. 93.716 "All you that bend the bow." The word is to the apostles, against the spiritual Babylon. "Her battlements have fallen." The sinful demons. "And her wall has been dug down." Satan himself, the author of evil. "From the face of the Grecian sword." Greeks fought alongside Cyrus; therefore when the Grecian sword had conquered, the captives released by Cyrus will return to their own land. "The first, the king of Assyria, devoured him." Sennacherib, being an Assyrian, first ate the ten tribes, being flesh, that is, he took them captive. "And this one later his bones." Nebuchadnezzar. And he calls Judah bones, as being the structure of the whole body. "They shall seek." Because Christ granted amnesty for sins to all who believed. "Go up against her bitterly." In terms of history, against Babylon, but in terms of meaning, against idolatry. "How it was broken." The hammer of the whole earth, which shattered the inhabited world, Babylon or also idolatry. "They will come upon you." In terms of history, because of the suddenness of the wars; but in terms of meaning, because of the hiddenness of the depth of the mystery according to Christ. "The Lord has opened." Because of the mystery hidden from the ages. "Search her." From these very thoughts uproot idolatry. "Dry up all her fruits." In terms of history, the tyrants of Babylon; but in terms of meaning, the fruits of sin, fornication, and impurity, and the rest. "The voice of them that flee." Of those who flee for refuge to our Lord. "Behold, I am against you, the insolent one." These things can also be taken as against the synagogue of the Jews. "And I will kindle a fire in her forest." By forest, the multitude. But it must be known that the divine fire also, falling upon souls, just as a flame in a forest of wood, consumes all forms of evil. "Thus says the Lord." He speaks concerning the physical captivity of the sons of Israel, and the spiritual captivity of their souls, and their redemption through the Lord. "He judges a judgment." For this reason the Savior said; Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world has been cast out. "Upon her water." According to history, upon the multitude; but in terms of meaning, upon the moist, and unrestrained, and sinful life. "And in the islands." As the Babylonians were masters of these also; but in terms of meaning, in the idols. 93.717 "Therefore they shall dwell." Likenesses of men, not men, that he might speak of the weakness of those allied with the kingdoms. For Cyrus also took those of the islanders who opposed him. And he signifies their desolation by the Sirens, as henceforth anthropomorphic demons, or also song-birds, inhabiting the places because of the desolation. "Behold, a people comes." Those from the nations

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Βαβυλὼν ὡς πρὸς τὴν θέσιν τῶν τόπων, νοτιωτέρα ἐστὶ τῶν Μήδων. Φησὶν οὖν, ὅτι ὁ Μαιρωδὰχ μετὰ τῶν Μήδων ἀνιὼν λήψεται τὴν Βαβυλῶνα. "Ὧδε γὰρ τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτῶν δώσουσι." Ἀντὶ τοῦ, Ἐνταῦθα ἐν τῇ Σιὼν, ὅπου ὁ προφήτης προεφήτευσεν. "∆ιαθήκη γὰρ αἰώνιος." Ἡ πρὸς τὸν Ἀβραὰμ ἐπαγγελία, ἥτις ἐπληρώθη διὰ Χριστοῦ. "Οἱ ποιμένες αὐτῶν ἔξωσαν αὐτούς." Οἱ ἱερεῖς καὶ βασιλεῖς, νομοδιδάσκαλοι, ψευδοπροφῆται. Ἀπὸ κακίας εἰς κακίαν· ἔθυον δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τοιούτων τοῖς δαίμοσι. "Πάντες οἱ εὑρίσκοντες αὐτοὺς ἀνήλισκον αὐτούς." Τοῦ νοῦ, καὶ τῶν θείων μαθημάτων, οἷς ἐπανεπαύοντο. -Οἱ ἀλιτήριοι δαίμονες. Μετὰ τὴν ἱστορίαν, πρὸς τοὺς πιστοὺς ὁ λόγος. Αὐτοὶ δὲ, φησὶν, εἰσὶ νομὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐπὶ δικαιοσύνῃ ὑπὸ Θεοῦ ἐκλεχθεῖσα. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ Θεὸς τοὺς πατέρας αὐτῶν ἐκλεξάμενος ἐξήγαγεν ἐξ Αἰγύπτου, εἰκότως καὶ πρόβατα καλοῦνται, καὶ νομὴ Θεοῦ ὡσανεὶ κτήτορος. "Καὶ ἐξέλθετε." Ἀσύμφωνοι γένεσθε τοῖς Βαβυλωνίοις, καὶ φοβεροὶ τοῖς δαίμοσιν. "Ὅτι ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐγείρω." Τὰ κατεψυγμένα τῇ ἁμαρτίᾳ ἔθνη, αὐτὰ διὰ τῆς εἰς Χριστὸν πίστεως στρατεύουσι κατὰ τῆς εἰδωλολατρείας. "Καὶ ἔσται ἡ Χαλδαία εἰς προνομήν." Ἡ τῶν Χαλδαίων χώρα, ἡ Βαβυλών. "Ἀνετράπη." Ἡ Βαβυλὼν, ἥτις ἐπὶ δόξῃ καὶ πλούτω ἐγέννησεν ὑμᾶς. 93.716 "Πάντες τείνοντες τόξον." Πρὸς τοὺς ἀποστόλους ὁ λόγος, ἐπὶ τὴν νοητὴν Βαβυλῶνα. "Ἔπεσαν αἱ ἐπάλξεις αὐτῆς." Οἱ ἀλιτήριοι δαίμονες. "Καὶ κατεσκάφη τὸ τεῖχος αὐτῆς." Αὐτὸς ὁ ἀρχέκακος Σατανᾶς. "Ἀπὸ προσώπου μαχαίρας Ἑλληνικῆς." Τῷ Κύρῳ Ἕλληνες συνεμάχησαν· νικησάσης οὖν τῆς Ἑλληνικῆς μαχαίρας, ἀφεθέντες ὑπὸ τοῦ Κύρου οἱ αἰχμάλωτοι εἰς τὴν ἰδίαν ἐπαναστρέψουσιν. "Ὁ πρῶτος ἔφαγεν αὐτὸν βασιλεὺς Ἀσσούρ." Ἀσσύριος ὢν ὁ Σεναχηρεὶμ πρῶτος τὰς δέκα φυλὰς, σάρκας οὔσας ἔφαγε, τουτέστιν ᾐχμαλώτισεν. "Καὶ οὗτος ὕστερον τὰ ὀστᾶ αὐτοῦ." Ὁ Ναβουχοδονόσορ. Ὀστᾶ δὲ καλεῖ τὸν Ἰούδα, ὡς σύστασιν ὄντα τοῦ παντὸς σώματος. "Ζητήσουσι." Ὅτι πᾶσι τοῖς πιστεύσασιν τὴν ἀμνηστίαν τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων ὁ Χριστὸς ἐδωρήσατο. "Πικρῶς ἐπίβηθι ἐπ' αὐτήν." Πρὸς μὲν τὴν ἱστορίαν ἐπὶ τὴν Βαβυλῶνα, πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν ἐπὶ τὴν εἰδωλολατρείαν. "Πῶς συνεκλάσθη." Ἡ σφύρα πάσης τῆς γῆς, ἡ τὴν οἰκουμένην συντρίψασα, Βαβυλὼν ἢ καὶ εἰδωλολατρεία. "Ἐπιθήσονταί σοι." Πρὸς μὲν τὴν ἱστορίαν, διὰ τὸ τῶν πολέμων αἰφνίδιον· πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν, διὰ τὸ κρυπτὸν τοῦ βάθους τοῦ κατὰ Χριστὸν μυστηρίου. "Ἤνοιξε Κύριος." ∆ιὰ τὸ κεκρυμμένον ἀπὸ τῶν αἰώνων μυστήριον. "Ἐρευνήσατε αὐτήν." Ἐξ αὐτῶν τῶν λογισμῶν ἀναμοχλεύσατε τὴν εἰδωλολατρείαν. "Ἀναξηράνατε αὐτῆς πάντας τοὺς καρπούς." Πρὸς μὲν τὴν ἱστορίαν, τοὺς τυράννους τῆς Βαβυλῶνος· πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν, τοὺς τῆς ἁμαρτίας καρποὺς, πορνείαν, καὶ ἀκαθαρσίαν, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. "Φωνὴ φευγόντων." Τῶν εἰς τὸν Κύριον ἡμῶν καταφευγόντων. "Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐπὶ σὲ τὴν ὑβρίστριαν." ∆ύναται ταῦτα καὶ κατὰ τῆς τῶν Ἰουδαίων συναγωγῆς λαμβάνεσθαι. "Καὶ ἀνάψω πῦρ ἐν τῷ δρυμῷ αὐτῆς." ∆ρυμῷ μὲν, τῷ πλήθει. Ἰστέον δὲ ὅτι καὶ τὸ θεῖον πῦρ ἐμπίπτον εἰς ψυχὰς, ὥσπερ φλὸξ ἐν δρυμῷ ξύλων, πάντα καταναλίσκει τῆς κακίας τὰ εἴδη. "Τάδε λέγει Κύριος." Περὶ τῆς αἰσθητῆς αἰχμαλωσίας τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ τῆς τῶν ψυχῶν νοητῆς αἰχμαλωσίας, καὶ τῆς αὐτῶν διὰ τοῦ Κυρίου ἀπολυτρώσεώς φησιν. "Κρίσιν κρίνει." ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἔλεγεν ὁ Σωτήρ· Νῦν κρίσις τοῦ κόσμου τούτου· νῦν ὁ ἄρχων τοῦ κόσμου τούτου ἐκβέβληται. "Ἐπὶ τῷ ὕδατι αὐτῆς." Καθ' ἱστορίαν μὲν, ἐπὶ τῷ πλήθει· πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν, ἐπὶ τῷ ὑγρῷ, καὶ ἀνειμένῳ, καὶ ἁμαρτωλῷ βίῳ. "Καὶ ἐν ταῖς νήσοις." Ὡς καὶ τούτων κρατοῦντες οἱ Βαβυλώνιοι· πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν, ἐν τοῖς εἰδώλοις. 93.717 "∆ιὰ τοῦτο κατοικήσουσιν." Ὁμοιώματα ἀνθρώπων, οὐκ ἄνθρωποι, ἵνα εἴπῃ τὴν ἀσθένειαν τῶν συμμαχούντων τοῖς βασιλείοις. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ τοὺς ἀντιπράξαντας τῶν νησιωτῶν εἷλεν ὁ Κύρος. Τὴν δὲ τούτων ἐρημίαν σημαίνει διὰ τῶν Σειρήνων, ὡς ἀνθρωπομόρφων λοιπὸν δαιμονίων, ἢ καὶ ᾠδικῶν ὀρνέων, διὰ τὴν ἐρημίαν οἰκούντων τοὺς τόπους. "Ἰδοὺ λαὸς ἔρχεται." Οἱ ἐξ ἐθνῶν