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Nevertheless, through the prophet the all-holy spirit commands not to fear their threats. For it added this: And their fear, that is, of this people, you shall not fear, nor shall you be troubled by them. Thus also to the divine Paul, when he was imprisoned, the Lord Christ said: "Do not be afraid, Paul; for as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness in Rome." And having freed from their bonds the great pair of the apostles, Peter and John, he commanded them to fearlessly offer the words of life to the people in the temple. So also here he banished human fear, and commanded to fear the God of all. 13For it says, Sanctify him as Lord; and he will be your fear. Then it shows the profit of this fear: And if you trust in him, 14it will be to you for sanctification; and you will not encounter it as a stumbling stone or as a rock of offense. Instead of: he will sanctify you, he will guide you, direct you, will make the way smooth, will not let you stumble. Of this stone the blessed Paul made mention. For teaching the reason for the unbelief of the Jews, he adduced this testimony: "For they stumbled at the stumbling stone." And since the same spirit spoke through both a prophetic |111 a| and an apostolic tongue, it fittingly added: But the houses of Jacob are in a snare, and in a hollow, dwelling in Jerusalem. It called them houses and not house because of the division of the kingdom and signifies at the same time both the house of Ephraim and that of Judah; and both these and those had Jacob as an ancestor. But the prophecy teaches that those who have believed in the Lord have him as a guide who smooths out the difficulties along the way, while the unbelievers of the houses of Jacob sit as in some snare and in a hollow, or a "thorn" according to Aquila or a "stumbling block" according to the Others, in Jerusalem, where the Roman war will completely destroy them and hunt them as in a snare. 15Because of this, many among them will be weak and will fall and will be broken and will draw near and will be captured, men in security. The word 'will be weak,' Symmachus has rendered 'will stumble,' and Aquila 'will be scandalized.' For having stumbled at the cross of the Lord, they both fell and were broken and were captured by their enemies, as though caught in some all-catching net in the city. For he called the walls 'security,' as having guarded them and handed them over to the enemies. 16Then shall they be manifest who seal the law so as not to learn. Through these words he has indicated those who have approached by grace as being ones who put some seals on the law and do not wish to live according to it. But the Three have interpreted more clearly: "Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples." For this is superfluous to my disciples. Concerning these disciples another prophet also said: "They shall all be taught by God." 17And you shall say, that is, the one who has believed: I will wait for God who has turned His face from the house of Jacob, and I will trust in Him. For seeing the unbelievers of the house of Jacob made destitute of my care, you will believe me more firmly and will await my promises. 18Behold, I and the children whom God has given me. This testimony the blessed Paul applied to the Lord. For having said 'I will declare your name to my brothers, in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise,' he added: 'And again: Behold, I and the children whom God has given me,' then he applied the interpretation to the sayings: 'Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same sufferings, that through death he might destroy him who has the power of death.' And what follows is connected to these things in sequence: And there shall be signs and wonders in the house of Israel from the Lord of Sabaoth who dwells on Mount Zion. But these children the Other Interpreters connected with the signs. For thus the Three said in agreement: 'Behold, I and the children whom God has given me for

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ὅμως παρεγγυᾷ διὰ τοῦ προφήτου τὸ πανάγιον πνεῦμα μὴ φοβεῖσθαι τούτων τὰς ἀπειλάς. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἐπήγαγεν· Τὸν δὲ φόβον αὐτοῦ, τουτέστι τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου, οὐ μὴ φοβηθῆτε οὐδ' οὐ μὴ ταραχθῆτε ἀπ' αὐτῶν. Οὕτω καὶ τῷ θείῳ Παύλῳ καθειρχθέντι ἔφη ὁ δεσπότης Χριστός· «Μὴ φοβοῦ Παῦλε· ὡς γὰρ διεμαρτύρω τὰ περὶ ἐμοῦ εἰς Ἱερουσαλήμ, οὕτως σε δεῖ καὶ εἰς Ῥώμην μαρτυρῆσαι.» Καὶ τὴν μεγάλην δὲ ξυνωρίδα τῶν ἀποστόλων, Πέτρον καὶ Ἰωάννην, τῶν δεσμῶν ἀπαλλάξας παρηγγύησεν ἀδεῶς ἐν τῷ ἱερῷ προσενεγκεῖν τῷ λαῷ τὰ ῥήματα τῆς ζωῆς. Οὕτω κἀνταῦθα τὸν ἀνθρώπινον ἐξώρισε φόβον, ἐκέλευσε δὲ τὸν τῶν ὅλων φοβεῖσθαι θεόν. 13Κύριον γάρ φησιν αὐτὸν ἁγιάσατε· καὶ αὐτὸς ἔσται σου φόβος. Εἶτα δείκνυσι τοῦδε τοῦ φόβου τὸ κέρδος· Καὶ ἐὰν ἐπ' αὐτῷ πεποιθὼς ᾖς, 14ἔσται σοι εἰς ἁγίασμα· καὶ οὐδ' ὡς λίθου προσκόμματι συναντήσεσθε οὐδ' ὡς πέτρας πτώ ματι. Ἀντὶ τοῦ· αὐτὸς ὑμᾶς ἁγιάσει, αὐτὸς ὑμᾶς ποδηγήσει, κατευθυνεῖ, τὴν ὁδὸν λείαν ἐργάσεται, οὐκ ἐάσει προσ πταῖσαι. Τούτου τοῦ λίθου ὁ μακάριος ἐμνημόνευσε Παῦλος. Τὴν αἰτίαν γὰρ τῆς Ἰουδαίων ἀπιστίας διδάσκων τήνδε τὴν μαρτυρίαν παρατέθεικεν· «Προσέκοψαν γὰρ τῷ λίθῳ τοῦ προσκόμματος.» Καὶ ἐπειδὴ τὸ αὐτὸ πνεῦμα διά τε προφητικῆς |111 a| διά τε ἀποστολικῆς ἐφθέγξατο γλώττης, εἰκότως ἐπήγαγεν· Οἱ δὲ οἶκοι Ἰακὼβ ἐν παγίδι, καὶ ἐν κοιλώματι ἐγκαθήμενοι ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ. Οἴκους ἐκά λεσε καὶ οὐκ οἶκον διὰ τὴν τῆς βασιλείας διαίρεσιν καὶ σημαίνει κατὰ ταὐτὸν τόν τε τοῦ Ἐφραὶμ οἶκον καὶ τὸν τοῦ Ἰούδα· καὶ οὗτοι δὲ κἀκεῖνοι εἶχον πρόγονον τὸν Ἰακώβ. ∆ιδάσκει δὲ ἡ προφητεία, ὡς οἱ μὲν τῷ κυρίῳ πιστεύσαντες αὐτὸν ἔχουσι ποδηγὸν καὶ τὰς κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν ἐξευμαρίζοντα δυσκολίας, οἱ δὲ ἀπιστήσαντες τῶ<ν> οἴκω<ν> Ἰακὼβ ὡς ἐν παγίδι τινὶ καὶ ἐν κοιλώματι ἢ «σκώλῳ» κατὰ τὸν Ἀκύλαν ἢ «σκανδάλῳ» κατὰ τοὺς Ἄλλους κάθηνται ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ, ἐν ᾗ παντελῶς αὐτοὺς ὁ Ῥωμαϊκὸς πόλεμος καταλύσει καὶ ὡς ἐν παγίδι θηρεύσει. 15∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἀδυνατήσουσιν ἐν αὐτοῖς πολλοὶ καὶ πεσοῦνται καὶ συντριβήσονται καὶ ἐγγιοῦσι καὶ ἁλώσονται ἄνθρωποι ἐν ἀσφαλείᾳ. Τὸ ἀδυνατήσουσιν ὁ μὲν Σύμμαχος «προσ κόψουσιν» εἴρηκεν, ὁ δὲ Ἀκύλας «σκανδαλωθήσονται». Προσπταίσαντες γὰρ τῷ τοῦ κυρίου σταυρῷ καὶ ἔπεσον καὶ συνετρίβησαν καὶ ἑάλωσαν ὑπὸ τῶν πολεμίων ὡς ἐν πανάγρῳ τινὶ συλληφθέντες τῇ πόλει. Ἀσφάλειαν γὰρ τοὺς περιβόλους ἐκάλεσεν ὡς φρουρήσαντας αὐτοὺς καὶ παρα δεδωκότας τοῖς πολεμίοις. 16Τότε φανεροὶ ἔσονται οἱ σφραγιζόμενοι τὸν νόμον τοῦ μὴ μαθεῖν. Τοὺς τῇ χάριτι προσεληλυθότας διὰ τούτων δεδήλωκεν οἷόν τινας σφραγῖδας ἐπιτιθέντας τῷ νόμῳ καὶ πολιτεύεσθαι κατὰ τοῦτον οὐ βουλομένους. Σαφέστερον δὲ οἱ Τρεῖς ἡρμηνεύκασι· «∆ῆσον τὸ μαρτύριον, σφράγισον νόμον ἐν διδακτοῖς μου.» Περιττὸς γὰρ οὗτος τοῖς ἐμοῖς διδακτοῖς. Περὶ τούτων τῶν διδακτῶν καὶ ἕτερος ἔφη προφήτης· «Ἔσονται πάντες διδακτοὶ θεοῦ.» 17Καὶ ἐρεῖ<ς>, τουτέστιν ὁ πεπιστευκώς· Μενῶ τὸν θεὸν τὸν ἀποστρέψαντα τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ οἴκου Ἰακὼβ καὶ πεποιθὼς ἔσομαι ἐπ' αὐτῷ. Ὁρῶν γὰρ τοὺς ἀπιστή σαντας τοῦ οἴκου Ἰακὼβ ἐρήμους τῆς ἐμῆς κηδεμονίας γεγενημένους, βεβαιότερόν μοι πιστεύσεις καὶ τὰς ἐμὰς ἀναμενεῖς ὑποσχέσεις. 18Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ καὶ τὰ παιδία ἅ μοι ἔδωκεν ὁ θεός. Ταύτην ἐπὶ τοῦ κυρίου τὴν μαρτυρίαν τέθεικεν ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος. Εἰρηκὼς γὰρ τὸ «ἀπαγγελῶ τὸ ὄνομά σου τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς μου, ἐν μέσῳ ἐκκλησίας ὑμνήσω σε» ἐπήγαγεν· «Καὶ πάλιν· Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ καὶ τὰ παιδία ἅ μοι ἔδωκεν ὁ θεός», εἶτα τοῖς ῥητοῖς τὴν ἑρμηνείαν προσήνεγκεν· «Ἐπεὶ οὖν τὰ παιδία κεκοινώνηκε σαρκὸς καὶ αἵματος, παρα πλησίως καὶ αὐτοὺς μετέσχηκε τῶν αὐτῶν παθημάτων, ἵνα διὰ τοῦ θανάτου καταργήσῃ τὸν τὸ κράτος ἔχοντα τοῦ θανάτου.» Καὶ τὰ ἐπιφερόμενα δὲ αὐτοῖς τῆς ἀκολουθίας ἐξήρτηται· Καὶ ἔσται σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ Ἰσραὴλ παρὰ κυρίου Σαβαὼθ ὃς κατοικεῖ ἐν τῷ ὄρει Σιών. Ταῦτα δὲ τὰ παιδία τοῖς σημείοις οἱ Ἄλλοι συνῆψαν Ἑρμηνευταί. Οὕτω γὰρ οἱ Τρεῖς συμφώνως ἔφασαν· «Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ καὶ τὰ παιδία ἅ μοι ἔδωκεν ὁ θεὸς εἰς