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lamenting, and groaning over the lawlessness of the people; therefore they are marked, so that they might not share in the punishment. Thus, he says, having commanded these things to that one, he exhorts the rest. 5, 6. Go into the city after him, and strike, and do not spare with your eyes, and do not show pity. Elder, and young man, and virgin, and infants, and women kill for utter destruction; but do not come near any upon whom the mark is, and begin from my holy ones. Again I say, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God," according to the voice of the blessed Paul; I add also that of the divine David: "Blessed are they who keep judgment, and do righteousness at all times; for in an evil day the Lord will deliver them." For we find both of these things in what has just been said, some being mercilessly slain, whole families, and the punishment proceeding against every age; and others being justly saved, and remaining free from their company. But he commands the avenging powers to begin from his holy ones, not calling them truly holy, but because they were supposed to be this, as being set apart for the divine service. For this was not said, as some have supposed, concerning the holy places, but concerning the people set apart for the service of God; and the following parts of the prophecy make this clear. For it immediately adds, "And he began from the elder men, who were inside the house." Whom he commands to be slain within; for it is just that those who transgress there should suffer their punishment there. 7. For he said, he says, to them: Defile the house, and fill the streets with the dead; go forth and strike. For since they 81.892 defiled the house with idols, the just judge commands this to happen by the slaughter of the lawless. And going out they struck the city. (8.) And it came to pass as they were striking, I was left alone, and I fall upon my face, and cried out, and said: Ah, Adonai Lord, are you wiping out the remnant of Israel in pouring out your wrath upon Jerusalem? The prophet is humane, and inclined to mercy; such was the blessed Paul, praying to be anathema from Christ for the sake of the Jews. But the Master both cares for his most well-disposed servant, and teaches the justice of the punishment. 9. For the iniquity, he says, of the house of Israel and Judah has become exceedingly, exceedingly great. And by the doubling he indicated the excess of the intensification. "Because the land was filled with many peoples, and the city was filled with iniquity and uncleanness, because they said, The Lord has forsaken the land, the Lord does not see." These things, he says, they dare, having persuaded themselves that I do not watch over them, nor see the things that are done.

CHAPTER 10. 1. And I saw, and behold above the firmament that was over the head of the

Cherubim, as a sapphire stone; a likeness of a throne upon it. Here, then, he clearly names the living creatures he saw, Cherubim; and the name, as I said, signifies fullness of knowledge. 2. And he said to the man clothed in the robe: Enter into the midst of the wheels under the Cherubim. It is necessary to note that he did not command any of the six to approach the Cherubim, but the one clothed in the robe; as if they, clearly, were not worthy to draw near to the divine powers, the Cherubim. "And fill your hands with coals of fire from the midst of the Cherubim, and scatter them over the city." And the things seen are full of dread; coals of fire being scattered; avenging powers, that is, going about the city. 4. And the glory of the Lord departed from the Cherubim to the porch of the house. For since he commanded the coals to be taken and scattered over the city, he seems to withdraw somewhat, giving place to the one commanded to do what was ordered; for he was certainly afraid to approach

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ὀλοφυρόμενοι, καὶ στένοντες τὴν τοῦ λαοῦ παρανομίαν· διὸ ἐπίσημοι γίνονται, ἵνα μὴ κοινωνήσωσι τῆς τιμωρίας. Οὕτω, φησὶν, ἐκείνῳ ταῦτα ἐντειλάμενος, παρακελεύεται τοῖς λοιποῖς. εʹ, ϛʹ. Πορεύεσθε εἰς τὴν πόλιν ὀπίσω αὐτοῦ, καὶ κόπτετε, καὶ μὴ φείδεσθε τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς ὑμῶν, καὶ μὴ ἐλεήσητε. Πρεσβύτερον, καὶ νεα νίσκον, καὶ παρθένον, καὶ νήπια, καὶ γυναῖκας ἀποκτείνατε εἰς ἐξάλειψιν· ἐπὶ δὲ πάντας ἐφ' οὕς ἐστι τὸ σημεῖον μὴ ἐγγίσητε, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἁγίων μου ἄρξασθε. Πάλιν λέγω· "Φοβερὸν τὸ ἐμ πεσεῖν εἰς χεῖρας Θεοῦ ζῶντος," κατὰ τὴν τοῦ μακα ρίου Παύλου φωνήν· προστίθημι δὲ καὶ τὴν τοῦ θεσπεσίου ∆αβίδ· "Μακάριοι οἱ φυλάσσοντες κρίσιν, καὶ ποιοῦντες δικαιοσύνην ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ· ἐν ἡμέρᾳ γὰρ πονηρᾷ ῥύσεται αὐτοὺς ὁ Κύριος." Ἀμφότερα γὰρ ταῦτα ἐν τοῖς ἀρτίως εἰρημένοις εὑρίσκομεν, τοὺς μὲν ἀφειδῶς παγγενῆ κοπτομένους, καὶ κατὰ πάσης ἡλικίας χωροῦσαν τὴν τιμωρίαν· τοὺς δὲ δικαίως σω ζομένους, καὶ τῆς ἐκείνων κοινωνίας μένοντας ἐλευθέ ρους. Κελεύει δὲ ἀπὸ τῶν ἁγίων αὐτοῦ τὰς τιμωρητικὰς ἄρξασθαι δυνάμεις, οὐκ ἀληθῶς ἁγίους αὐτοὺς ὀνομά ζων, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τοῦτο εἶναι ὑπελαμβάνοντο, ὡς εἰς τὴν θείαν θεραπείαν ἀφωρισμένοι. Οὐ γὰρ, ὥς τινες ὑπέλα βον περὶ τῶν ἁγίων τόπων τοῦτο ἐῤῥέθη, ἀλλὰ περὶ τῶν ἀφωρισμένων εἰς τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ θεραπείαν ἀνθρώπων· καὶ τοῦτο δῆλον τὰ ἑξῆς τῆς προφητείας ποιεῖ. Εὐθὺς γὰρ ἐπάγει· "Καὶ ἤρξατο ἀπὸ τῶν ἀνδρῶν τῶν πρεσβυτέρων, οἳ ἦσαν ἔσω ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ." Οὓς παρεγγυᾷ ἔνδον ἀναιρεθῆναι· δίκαιον γὰρ τοὺς ἐκεῖ παρανομοῦντας ἐκεῖ δοῦναι τὰς δίκας. ζʹ. Εἶπε γὰρ, φησὶ, πρὸς αὐτούς· Μιάνατε τὸν οἶκον, καὶ πλήσατε τὰς ὁδοὺς νεκρῶν· ἐκπο ρεύεσθε καὶ κόπτετε. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ αὐτοὶ εἰδώ 81.892 λοις τὸν οἶκον ἐμίαναν, ὁ δίκαιος κριτὴς τῇ τῶν παρανόμων σφαγῇ τοῦτο γενέσθαι παρακελεύεται. Καὶ ἐξελθόντες ἔτυπτον τὴν πόλιν. (ηʹ.) Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ κόπτειν, ὑπελείφθην ἐγὼ μόνος, καὶ πίπτω ἐπὶ πρόσωπόν μου, καὶ ἀνεβόησα, καὶ εἶπον· Οἴμοι, Ἀδωναῒ Κύριε, ἐξαλείφεις σὺ τοὺς καταλοίπους τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ἐν τῷ ἐκχέαι τὸν θυ μόν σου ἐπὶ Ἰερουσαλήμ; Φιλάνθρωπος ὁ προφή της, καὶ πρὸς ἔλεον καμπτόμενος· τοιοῦτος ἦν ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος, ἀνάθεμα εἶναι ἀπὸ Χριστοῦ ὑπὲρ Ἰουδαίων εὐχόμενος. Ἀλλ' ὁ ∆εσπότης καὶ τὸν εὐνούστατον οἰκέτην θεραπεύει, καὶ τῆς τιμωρίας δι δάσκει τὸ δίκαιον. θʹ. Ἀδικία γὰρ, φησὶ, τοῦ οἴκου Ἰσραὴλ καὶ Ἰούδαμεμεγάλυνται σφόδρα, σφόδρα. Καὶ τῷ διπλασιασμῷ τὴν τῆς ἐπιτάσεως παρεδήλωσεν ὑπερβολήν. "Ὅτι ἐπλήσθη ἡ γῆ λαῶν πολλῶν, καὶ ἡ πόλις ἐπλήσθη ἀδικίας καὶ ἀκαθαρσίας, ὅτι εἶπον, Ἐγκαταλέλοιπε Κύριος τὴν γῆν, οὐκ ἐφορᾷ Κύριος." Ταῦτα, φησὶ, τολμῶσι, πείσαντες ἑαυτοὺς μὴ ἐποπτεύειν με, μηδὲ ὁρᾷν τὰ γινόμενα.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. Ιʹ. αʹ. Καὶ εἶδον, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐπάνω τοῦ στερεώματος τοῦ ὑπὲρ κεφαλῆς τῶν

Χερουβὶμ, ὡς λίθος σαπ φείρου· ὁμοίωμα θρόνου ἐπ' αὐτῷ. Ἐνταῦθα σα φῶς λοιπὸν ἃ ἐθεάσατο ζῶα, Χερουβὶμ ὀνομάζει· σημαίνει δὲ, ὡς ἔφην, τὸ ὄνομα πλήρης γνώ σεως. βʹ. Καὶ εἶπε πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα τὸν ἐνδεδυκότα τὴν στολήν· Εἴσελθε εἰς τὸ μέσον τῶν τροχῶν τῶν ὑποκάτω τῶν Χερουβίμ. Ἐπισημήνασθαι χρὴ, ὅτι οὐδενὶ τῶν ἓξ τοῖς Χερουβὶμ πελάσαι προσέταξεν, ἀλλὰ τῷ τὴν στολὴν ἐνδεδυμένῳ· ὡς αὐτῶν δηλονότι μὴ ἀξίων ὄντων πλησιάζειν θείαις δυνάμεσι, τοῖς Χερουβίμ. "Καὶ πλῆσον τὰς χεῖράς σου ἀνθράκων πυρὸς, ἐκ μέσου τῶν Χερουβὶμ, καὶ διασκόρπισον ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν." Φρίκης δὲ μεστὰ τὰ θεωρούμενα· πυρὸς ἄνθρακες σκεδαννύμενοι· τιμωρητικαὶ δυνά μεις, δηλαδὴ τὴν πόλιν περινοστοῦσαι. δʹ. Καὶ ἀπῆρεν ἡ δόξα Κυρίου ἀπὸ τῶν Χε ρουβὶμ εἰς τὸ αἴθριον τοῦ οἴκου. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ προσ έταξε ληφθῆναι τοὺς ἄνθρακας, καὶ σκεδασθῆναι κατὰ τῆς πόλεως, ὑποχωρεῖν πως δοκεῖ, χώραν δι δοὺς τῷ προσταχθέντι ποιῆσαι τὸ κελευσθέν· ἐδεδίει γὰρ πάντως πελάσαι