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has remained, O Lord; for they suppose that you do not watch over, nor see the things dared by them. 81.580 5. Your feet run into wickedness, and they will undo you. How will you prepare yourself against horses, when you have trusted in a land of peace? The Syrian translated this thus: "Running with footmen you were defeated," and how will you be able to stand against horsemen? what he says is something like this: The neighboring enemies, Moabites, and Ammonites, and Idumaeans, and Philistines fought on foot; and you were often defeated fighting them. How then, he says, will you be able to stand against the Babylonians drawn up on horses? But according to the Greek interpretation, it must be understood thus, That your course on account of your wickedness has undone you, and has stripped you of your strength; and deprived of might and strength, how will you be able to stand against and be arrayed against those who campaign with very many horses? I have set down both meanings, setting before those who will read the choice of the better one. How will you fare in the swelling of the Jordan? The Syrian said thus: "How will you cross the Jordan when it is flooding?" But he tropically called the multitude of the army of the enemies a flooding river; and he reminded them of the things in the time of Joshua the son of Nun: that when I was taking care of you, you crossed that flooding river. 6. For even the house of your father, even they have dealt treacherously with you, and they themselves have cried out after you; and these very ones have gathered against you. For many, as is likely, even from the ten tribes, who had already become captives, were campaigning with the enemies. "Do not believe that they speak good things to you." Such was the Rabshakeh, using the Hebrew tongue, and blaspheming against God; having said these things in the middle, the prophet takes up the prophecy about the Lord, and foretells the utter destruction of the Jews, and says from the person of God: 7. I have forsaken my house; I have left my inheritance; I have given my beloved soul into the hands of her enemies. He shows his own goodness, and teaches by reproving their abomination; for he himself uses words of love, and calls the enemy his beloved soul; but she does the works of enemies and plotters; for what follows makes this clear. 8. My inheritance has become to me like a lion in a forest. For instead of a bride, she became a wild beast, and devoured the bridegroom. "She gave forth her voice against me." The Gospels teach the truth of the prophecy; for we learn from there how they cried out, "Away, 81.581 away, crucify him." -"Therefore I have hated her." He has shown the justice of the punishment. 9. Is my inheritance to me a hyena's den? Or a den round about her? In the preceding interpretations, he called the temple a den of thieves on account of the lawlessness of those ministering; but here he calls not only the city a hyena's den, but also the things round about it, that is, Judea; and again he accuses the lawlessness that has been done against him. For to me, he says, she became a hyena's den. Then he prophesies her final destruction. "Go, gather against her all the beasts of the field, and let them come to devour her." For the Romans, having received power over the world, and having gathered their army from different nations, slaughtered some, and led others away as captives. And he says that the teachers of the law have become the cause of the impiety; for he adds: 10, 11. Many shepherds have destroyed my vineyard; they have defiled my portion; they have given my desirable portion into a pathless desert. It has become a desolation of destruction. For the Chief Priests, and the Scribes, and the Pharisees, having deceived the people, and having crucified the Lord, brought about those much-talked-of evils for the Jews. And he teaches this more clearly: "Because of me the whole land has been laid waste with desolation." He says all the land of Israel; for because of the things against him

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μεμένηκε, Κύριε· ὑπολαμβάνουσι γὰρ μὴ ἐφορᾷν σε, μηδὲ βλέπειν τὰ ὑπ' αὐτῶν τολ μώμενα. 81.580 εʹ. Σοῦ οἱ πόδες τρέχουσιν εἰς κακίαν, καὶ ἐκλύσουσί σε. Πῶς παρασκευάσῃ ἐφ' ἵπ ποις, καὶ ἐν γῇ εἰρήνης σὺ πέποιθας; Τοῦτο ὁ Σύρος οὕτως ἡρμήνευσε· "Μετὰ πεζῶν τρέχουσα ἡττήθης," καὶ πῶς ἀντιστῆναι ἱππεῦσι δυνήσῃ; ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· Οἱ γειτονεύοντες πολέμιοι, Μωαβῖται, καὶ Ἀμμανῖται, καὶ Ἰδουμαῖοι, καὶ ἀλλόφυλοι πεζεύοντες ἐπολέμουν· πολλάκις δὲ ἡττήθης πολεμοῦσα ἐκείνοις. Πῶς τοίνυν δυνήσῃ, φησὶν, ἀν τιστῆναι Βαβυλωνίοις ἐφ' ἵππων παραταττομένοις; Κατὰ δὲ τὴν Ἑλληνικὴν ἑρμηνείαν οὕτω νοητέον, Ὅτι ὁ διὰ τὴν πονηρίαν σου δρόμος ἐξέλυσέ σε, καὶ τῆς ἰσχύος ἐγύμνωσε· ῥώμης δὲ καὶ ἰσχύος ἐστερημένη, πῶς δυνήσῃ ἀντιστῆναι, καὶ παρα τάξασθαι τοῖς μετὰ πλείστων ἵππων στρατεύουσιν; Ἀμφότερα δὲ τέθεικα τὰ νοήματα, τοῖς ἐντευξομέ νοις προτιθεὶς τὴν ἐπὶ τοῦ κρείττονος αἵρεσιν. Πῶς ποιήσεις ἐν φρυάγματι τοῦ Ἰορδάνου; Ὁ Σύρος οὕτως εἶπε· "Πῶς περάσεις τὸν Ἰορδάνην πλημμυ ροῦντα;" Τροπικῶς δὲ ποταμὸν πλημμυροῦντα τῆς στρατιᾶς τῶν πολεμίων τὸ πλῆθος ἐκάλεσεν· ἀν έμνησε δὲ αὐτοὺς καὶ τῶν ἐπὶ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ Ναυή· ὅτι Ἡνίκα σου ἐπεμελούμην, τὸν ποταμὸν ἐκεῖνον πλημ μυροῦντα διέβης. ϛʹ. Ὅτι καὶ οἶκος τοῦ πατρός σου, καὶ οὗ τοι ἠθέτησάν σε, καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐβόησαν ἐκ τῶν ὀπίσω σου· καὶ οὗτοι αὐτοὶ συνήχθησαν ἐπὶ σοί. Πολλοὶ γὰρ, ὡς εἰκὸς, καὶ ἐκ τῶν δέκα φυλῶν, τῶν ἤδη γεγενημένων αἰχμαλώτων, συνεστρα τεύοντο τοῖς πολεμίοις. "Μὴ πιστεύσῃς, ὅτι λαλοῦσι πρὸς σὲ καλά." Τοιοῦτος ἦν ὁ Ῥαψάκης, τῇ Ἑβραίων κεχρημένος φωνῇ, καὶ κατὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ βλασφημῶν· ταῦτα μεταξὺ εἰρηκὼς ὁ προφήτης, τὴν περὶ τοῦ ∆εσπότου προφητείαν ἀναλαμβάνει, καὶ τὴν Ἰουδαίων πανωλεθρίαν προαγορεύει, καί φησιν ἐκ προσ ώπου τοῦ Θεοῦ· ζʹ. Ἐγκαταλέλοιπα τὸν οἶκόν μου· ἀφῆκα τὴν κληρονομίαν μου· ἔδωκα τὴν ἠγαπημένην ψυχήν μου εἰς χεῖρας ἐχθρῶν αὐτῆς. Τὴν οἰκείαν δείκνυ σιν ἀγαθότητα, καὶ τὴν ἐκείνων βδελυρίαν ἐλέγχων διδάσκει· αὐτὸς μὲν γὰρ ἀγαπητικοῖς κέχρηται ῥή μασι, καὶ ψυχὴν αὑτοῦ ἠγαπημένην τὴν πολεμίαν καλεῖ· ἐκείνη δὲ τὰ δυσμενῶν καὶ ἐπιβούλων ἐργά ζεται· τοῦτο γὰρ δηλοῖ τὰ ἑξῆς. ηʹ. Ἐγένετο ἡ κληρονομία μου ἐμοὶ ὡς λέων ἐν δρυμῷ. Ἀντὶ γὰρ νύμφης θηρίον ἐγένετο, καὶ τὸν νυμφίον κατέφαγεν. "Ἔδωκεν ἐπ' ἐμὲ τὴν φωνὴν αὑτῆς." Τὴν τῆς προφητείας ἀλήθειαν διδάσκει τὰ Εὐαγγέλια· μανθάνομεν γὰρ ἐκεῖθεν ὡς ἐβόων, "Αἶρε, 81.581 αἶρε, σταύρωσον αὐτόν." -"∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἐμίσησα αὐτήν." Τῆς τιμωρίας τὸ δίκαιον ἔδειξε. θʹ. Μὴ σπήλαιον ὑαίνης ἡ κληρονομία μου ἐμοί; ἢ σπήλαιον κύκλῳ αὐτῆς; Ἐν τοῖς ἔμ προσθεν ἑρμηνευομένοις, σπήλαιον λῃστῶν τὸν ναὸν προσηγόρευσε διὰ τὴν τῶν λειτουργούντων παρα νομίαν· ἐνταῦθα δὲ σπήλαιον ὑαίνης, οὐ μόνον τὴν πόλιν καλεῖ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ ταύτης κύκλῳ, τουτέστι τὴν Ἰουδαίαν· καὶ πάλιν τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν γεγενημένης παρανομίας κατηγορεῖ. Ἐμοὶ γὰρ, φησὶ, ἐγένετο σπήλαιον ὑαίνης. Εἶτα τὸν ἔσχατον αὐτῆς ὄλεθρον προθεσπίζει. "Βαδίσατε, συναγάγετε ἐπ' αὐτὴν πάντα τὰ θηρία τοῦ ἀγροῦ, καὶ ἐλθέτωσαν φαγεῖν αὐτήν." Τῆς γὰρ οἰκουμένης Ῥωμαῖοι τὸ κράτος δεξάμενοι, καὶ τὴν στρατιὰν ἐκ διαφόρων συναγα γόντες ἐθνῶν, τοὺς μὲν κατέσφαξαν, τοὺς δὲ δορυ αλώτους ἀπήγαγον. Αἰτίους δὲ τῆς ἀσεβείας τοὺς τοῦ νόμου διδασκάλους γεγενῆσθαί φησιν· ἐπάγει γάρ· ιʹ, ιαʹ. Ποιμένες πολλοὶ διέφθειραν τὸν ἀμπε λῶνά μου· ἐμόλυναν τὴν μερίδα μου· ἔδωκαν τὴν μερίδα τὴν ἐπιθυμητήν μου εἰς ἔρημον ἄβα τον. Ἐγενήθη εἰς ἀφανισμὸν ἀπωλείας. Οἱ γὰρ Ἀρχιερεῖς, καὶ οἱ Γραμματεῖς, καὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι, τὸν λαὸν ἐξαπατήσαντες, καὶ τὸν ∆εσπότην σταυρώσαν τες, προεξένησαν τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις τὰ πολυθρύλλητα ἐκεῖνα κακά. Καὶ τοῦτο διδάσκει σαφέστερον· "∆ι' ἐμὲ ἠφανίσθη ἀφανισμῷ πᾶσα ἡ γῆ." Πᾶσαν γῆν τὴν τοῦ Ἰσραήλ φησι· διὰ γὰρ τὰ εἰς αὐτὸν