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to make war on Babylon. And He commands the apostles also to gather the faithful, those who are about to make war on idolatry. "Set apart nations against her." Set apart those who are about to make war on her. "Lift up from me." The mountains of Armenia, Ararat. 93.721 "They will sit there." Instead of, they will besiege her. "A pursuer to meet a pursuer." Each one evangelizing his neighbor; and the holy apostles did this, driving out the demonic error, and evangelizing to themselves the salvation of the faithful. "And one announcing to meet another announcing." The first one meeting, and announcing to the second one who is sent. "Because thus says the Lord." He indicated the shattering of the dwellings into dust; and the words are as from Jerusalem, the 'He has devoured me,' and the things concerning it. Therefore, because of its beastliness it devoured, and because of the spoils and the booty it divided. And fine darkness denotes excessive despondency; for fine air penetrates our bodies more. "He has devoured me." Jerusalem, approaching God, says these things against the Babylonian, but more truly the Church says them to her own bridegroom against Satan. And as for 'he divided,' one demon leads to fornication, another to love of money, and another to another forbidden practice. And as for 'he devoured,' because they persuaded those who had fallen away from God to worship them. "Darkness has seized me." The betrayal from sins. For the deep [or early] darkness is fine. "He filled his belly." You have dragged me from my delight, that is, from the divine teachings. Or also thus, Delighting in me, he filled his belly. "My toils have cast me out." The wicked and miserable practices. "And my blood be upon the inhabitants of Chaldea." Instead of, the Chaldeans have become the cause of my slaughter. Or also thus: I will avenge my blood on the Chaldeans. "And it shall be." The supply of evils. "That as lions." Her kings. "In the heat." In their audacity. "I will give them a drink." That is, the recompense of evils. "And bring them down." Either the prophet prays this against the demons, or God by vengeance commands this to be done against the sensible and the intelligible Babylon. "How has she been captured." The saints are astonished at the fall and desolation of Babylon. "The sea has come up over Babylon." Upon the sensible Babylon, the multitude of enemies; but upon the intelligible one, the bath of regeneration, which obliterates sin. "They have become." The polities of the kingdom. "And in Babylon." Sensibly, the spoils, which she formerly took when conquering her enemies. But according to the meaning, that death, having grown strong, swallowed up. And again 93.724 God wiped away every tear from the face of the earth. "Being saved from the earth." Those who have departed from earthly things, he says, always advance in virtue, and do not stand still, but run, that you may apprehend. "Those from afar." Those formerly far from God, idolaters. "And Jerusalem." In Jerusalem the Jews used to sacrifice; but he commands the vision of peace—for this is what Jerusalem is interpreted as—to ascend into the hearts of the faithful, so that they may be at peace with God, doing the things pleasing to Him. "Dishonor has covered." According to the letter, that the enemies entered into the divine temple; but according to the meaning, that the unclean demons descended into the innermost sanctuary of the soul. "And he destroyed." According to the letter, the polytheism from men; but according to the meaning, that they cried out, being driven to a frenzy by the demons. "Thus says the Lord." Satan, having established precincts of idols throughout the whole world. "And the gates." Those that lead to destruction; and this happens completely in the universal consummation. "They do not labor." Serving the Babylonian, or even the error. -They shall not fail, he says; for the "not" applies to both; being tyrannized by the rule of the Babylonians, or even of Satan. For in Christ Jesus all shall be made alive. "To say to Seraiah." Zedekiah sent Seraiah as an ambassador, bringing gifts to Nebuchadnezzar. This one is said to be Baruch. "And he said

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πολεμεῖν τῇ Βαβυλῶνι Κελεύει δὲ καὶ τοῖς ἀποστόλοις συνάγειν τοὺς πιστοὺς, τοὺς μέλλοντας πολεμεῖν τῇ εἰδωλολατρείᾳ. "Ἁγιάσατε ἐπ' αὐτὴν ἔθνη." Ἀφορίσατε τοὺς μέλλοντας ἐπ' αὐτῇ πολεμεῖν. "Ἄρατε παρ' ἐμοῦ." Τῆς Ἀρμενίας ὄρη τὰ Ἀραράτ. 93.721 "Καθήσονται ἐκεῖ." Ἀντὶ τοῦ, πολιορκήσουσιν αὐτήν. "∆ιώκων εἰς ἀπάντησιν διώκοντος." Ἕκαστος τῷ πλησίον εὐαγγελιζόμενος· ἐποίουν δὲ τοῦτο οἱ ἅγιοι ἀπόστολοι, ἐκδιώκοντες μὲν τὴν δαιμονικὴν πλάνην, ἑαυτοῖς δὲ τὴν σωτηρίαν τῶν πιστῶν εὐαγγελιζόμενοι. "Καὶ ἀναγγέλλων εἰς ἀπάντησιν ἀναγγέλλοντος." Ἀπαντῶν ὁ πρῶτος, καὶ ἀπαγγέλλων τῷ ἀποστελλομένῳ δευτέρῳ. "∆ιότι τάδε λέγει Κύριος." Τὴν εἰς λεπτὸν συντριβὴν τῶν οἰκημάτων ἐδήλωσεν· ὡς ἀπὸ Ἱερουσαλὴμ δὲ οἱ λόγοι, τὸ Κατέφαγέ με, καὶ τὰ ἐπ' αὐτῷ. ∆ιὰ μὲν οὖν τὸ θηριῶδες κατέφαγε, διὰ δὲ τὰ λάφυρα καὶ τὰ σκύλα ἐμέρισε. Σκότος δὲ λεπτὸν τὴν ὑπερβάλλουσαν ἀθυμίαν δηλοῖ· ὁ λεπτὸς γὰρ ἀὴρ μᾶλλον τῶν ἡμετέρων καθικνεῖται σωμάτων. "Κατέφαγέ με." Ἱερουσαλὴμ προσερχομένη τῷ Θεῷ κατὰ τοῦ Βαβυλωνίου ταῦτά φησιν, ἀληθέστερον δὲ ἡ Ἐκκλησία τῷ ἑαυτῆς νυμφίῳ κατὰ τοῦ Σατανᾶ. Τὸ δὲ ἐμερίσατο, ὁ μέν τις δαίμων εἰς πορνείαν, ὁ δὲ εἰς φιλαργυρίαν, καὶ ἄλλος εἰς ἄλλην ἀπειρημένην ἐνάγοντες πρᾶξιν. Τὸ δὲ κατέφαγεν, ἐπειδὴ καὶ Θεοῦ ἀποστήσαντας ἑαυτοῖς προσκυνεῖν ἀνέπεισαν. "Κατέλαβέ με σκότος." Ἡ ἐξ ἁμαρτιῶν προδοσία. Τὸ γὰρ πολὺ [ἴσ. πρωῒ] ἀφεγγὲς λεπτόν ἐστιν. "Ἔπλησε τὴν κοιλίαν αὐτοῦ." Ἐξείλκυσάς με τῆς ἐμῆς τρυφῆς, τουτέστι τῶν θείων μαθημάτων. Ἢ καὶ οὕτως, Ἐντρυφῶν ἐν ἐμοὶ ἐπλήρωσε τὴν κοιλίαν αὐτοῦ. "Ἔξωσάν με οἱ μόχθοι μου." Τὰ μοχθηρὰ καὶ ταλαίπωρα ἐπιτηδεύματα. "Καὶ τὸ αἷμά μου ἐπὶ τοὺς κατοικοῦντας Χαλδαίους. Ἀντὶ τοῦ, αἴτιοί μοι τῆς σφαγῆς οἱ Χαλδαῖοι γεγόνασιν. Ἢ καὶ οὕτως· Ἐκδικήσω μου τὸ αἷμα ἀπὸ τῶν Χαλδαίων. "Καὶ ἔσται." Τὴν χορηγίαν τῶν κακῶν. "Ὅτι ὡς λέοντες." Οἱ βασιλεῖς αὐτῆς. "Ἐν τῇ θερμασίᾳ." Ἐν τῇ αὐτῶν θρασύτητι. "∆ώσω πότημα αὐτοῖς." Τουτέστι τὴν ἀνταπόδοσιν τῶν κακῶν. Καὶ καταβίβασον αὐτούς." Ἢ ὁ προφήτης τοῦτο ἐπεύχεται κατὰ τῶν δαιμόνων, ἢ καὶ Θεὸς τῇ ἐκδικήσει τοῦτο ποιεῖν προστάσσει κατὰ τῆς αἰσθητῆς τῆς νοητῆς Βαβυλῶνος. "Πῶς ἑάλω." Ἐκπλήττονται οἱ ἅγιοι ἐπὶ τῇ πτώσει τῆς Βαβυλῶνος καὶ ἐρημώσει. "Ἀνέβη ἐπὶ Βαβυλῶνα ἡ θάλασσα." Ἐπὶ μὲν τὴν αἰσθητὴν Βαβυλῶνα, τὸ πλῆθος τῶν πολεμίων· ἐπὶ δὲ τὴν νοητὴν, τὸ λουτρὸν τῆς παλιγγενεσίας, τὸ ἐξαφανίζον τὴν ἁμαρτίαν. "Ἐγενήθησαν." Τὰ τῆς βασιλείας πολιτεύματα. "Καὶ ἐν Βαβυλῶνι." Αἰσθητῶς μὲν τὰ λάφυρα, ἂ πρώην νικῶσα τοὺς πολεμίους ἐλάμβανε. Πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν, ὅτι κατέπιεν ὁ θάνατος ἰσχύσας. Καὶ πάλιν 93.724 ἀφεῖλεν ὁ Θεὸς πᾶν δάκρυον ἀπὸ προσώπου τῆς γῆς. "Ἀνασωζόμενοι ἐκ γῆς." Οἱ τῶν γηΐνων, φησὶν, ἀποστάντες, ἀεὶ προκόπτετε εἰς ἀρετὴν, καὶ μὴ ἵστασθε, ἀλλὰ τρέχετε, ἵνα καταλάβητε. "Οἱ μακρόθεν." Οἱ πάλαι τοῦ Θεοῦ μακρόθεν εἰδωλολάτραι. "Καὶ Ἱερουσαλήμ." Ἐν μὲν τῇ Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἔθυον Ἰουδαῖοι· κελεύει δὲ τὴν ὅρασιν τῆς εἰρήνης· τοῦτο γὰρ ἑρμηνεύεται Ἱερουσαλήμ· ἀναβαίνειν εἰς τὰς τῶν πιστῶν καρδίας, ἵνα εἰρηνεύωσι πρὸς Θεὸν τὰ ἀρεστὰ αὐτῷ ποιοῦντες. "Κατεκάλυψεν ἀτιμία." Πρὸς μὲν τὸ ῥητὸν, ὅτι εἰς τὸν θεῖον ναὸν εἰσῆλθον οἱ πολέμιοι· πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν, ὅτι εἰς τὰ ἄδυτα τῆς ψυχῆς ἔσκηψαν οἱ ἀκάθαρτοι δαίμονες. "Καὶ ἀπώλεσεν." Πρὸς μὲν τὸ ῥητὸν, τῆς ἐκ τῶν ἀνθρώπων πολυθεΐας· πρὸς δὲ διάνοιαν, ὅτι ἀνέκραζον ἐκβακχευόμενοι ὑπὸ τῶν δαιμόνων. "Τάδε λέγει Κύριος." Ὁ Σατανᾶς καθ' ὅλης τῆς οἰκουμένης τὰ τεμένη εἰδώλων ἱδρύσας. "Καὶ αἱ πύλαι." Αἱ ἀπάγουσαι εἰς τὴν ἀπώλειαν· τοῦτο δὲ τελείως γίνεται ἐν τῇ καθόλου συντελείᾳ. "Οὐ κοπιάζουσι." Τῷ Βαβυλωνίῳ, ἢ καὶ τῇ πλάνῃ δουλεύοντες. -Οὐκ ἐκλείψουσι, φησί· τὸ γὰρ, οὒ, κατὰ κοινοῦ κεῖται· ὑπὸ τῆς ἀρχῆς τῶν Βαβυλωνίων τυραννούμενοι, ἢ καὶ τοῦ Σατανᾶ. Ἐν γὰρ Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ πάντες ζωοποιηθήσονται. "Εἰπεῖν τῷ Σαραίᾳ." Ἔπεμψεν ὁ Σεδεκίας τὸν Σαρέαν πρεσβευτὴν, δῶρα κομίζοντα τῷ Ναβουχοδονόσορ. Οὗτος λέγεται εἶναι ὁ Βαρούχ. "Καὶ εἶπεν