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I will take." Through these things, therefore, he has made his arrogance clear. Then he foretells the evils that will befall Jerusalem, and also points out the causes of the punishment: "For wail," he says, "you carved images in Jerusalem and in Samaria; for as I have done in Samaria and to her handmade things, so will I do also in Jerusalem and to her idols." But we have learned that Sennacherib, the king of the Assyrians, did not overcome Jerusalem, but Nebuchadnezzar, having transferred the kingdom to Babylon and having declared that a royal city after the destruction of Nineveh, marched against Judea, and having laid Jerusalem waste, he killed most of the inhabitants, and the rest he enslaved and led away as captives; so that it is clear from this as well, that the divine Scripture knows the kingdom of the Assyrians 81.1349 and Babylonians as one; and from what follows, this is easy to understand. "For it shall be," he says, "when the Lord has finished doing all things on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, the Lord will bring upon the great mind of the ruler of the Assyrians, and upon the height of the glory of his eyes." God punished Jerusalem, not through Sennacherib, who ruled the Assyrians, but through Nebuchadnezzar. For the one, not only did he not sack the city, but also having lost the entire army, he fled alone, and at home received slaughter from his sons; but Nebuchadnezzar both razed the city, and burned the divine temple, and led the people away as captives of the spear. The divine Scripture therefore teaches us, that after the Lord finished doing all things on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, which he threatened saying: "Wail, you carved images in Jerusalem; for as I have done to Samaria and her idols, so will I do also to Jerusalem and her handmade things," he will bring, he says, the Lord upon the great mind of the ruler of the Assyrians. And he does not say of the Babylonians, but of the Assyrians; for the kingdom of these and those is one. He calls it a great mind because of the lofty and arrogant nature of his plans; for which reason he also fittingly adds: "And upon the height of the glory of his eyes." And he did not say simply, "of his glory," but "of the glory of his eyes;" that is, who, being a man, fancies himself to be most high and greatest. For he said: "In my strength I will do it, and in the wisdom of my understanding I will remove the borders of nations, and I will plunder their strength, and I will shake inhabited cities, and I will seize the whole world in my hand as a nest, and as abandoned eggs I will take them up, and there will be no one who shall escape me or contradict me." Thus having laid bare the arrogance of the Assyrian's reasonings, he exposes the vanity of his thoughts, and teaches that nothing of what was done by him would have happened, had not God permitted it, and wished to exact penalties for impiety from those who suffered these things at his hand. For this reason he fittingly adds: "Shall an axe be glorified without him who cuts with it? or shall a saw be exalted without him who draws it? Likewise if one should lift up a rod or a staff." Just as, he says, it is impossible for an axe, or a saw, or a rod to be moved on its own; for each of these is active then, when someone using his hand wishes to move them; so also you, with my providence having permitted you, have done what you have done, on account of the lawlessness of those who have suffered. Do not think, therefore, that you have accomplished these things by your own wisdom and power. But if you are not willing to learn these things soberly, and to lower your arrogant brow, you will learn by experience, that 81.1352 it is so. "For the Lord Sabaoth will send dishonor upon your honor, and upon your glory a burning fire shall be kindled." And in another passage again God says such things to the prophet: "And you shall take up this lamentation against the king of Babylon, and you shall say in that day: How has the exactor ceased? and the taskmaster ceased? God has broken the yoke of the sinners, the yoke of the rulers, having struck a nation in wrath, with an incurable blow." Then he shows the

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λήψομαι." ∆ιὰ τούτων μὲν οὖν τὴν ἀλαζονείαν αὐτοῦ δήλην πεποίηκε. Εἶτα προαγορεύει τὰ κατα ληψόμενα τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ κακὰ, ὑποδείκνυσι δὲ καὶ τὰς τῆς τιμωρίας αἰτίας· "Ὀλολύξατε γὰρ, φησὶ, τὰ γλυπτὰ ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ, καὶ ἐν Σαμα ρείᾳ· ὃν τρόπον γὰρ ἐποίησα ἐν Σαμαρείᾳ καὶ τοῖς χειροποιήτοις αὐτῆς, οὕτω ποιήσω καὶ ἐν Ἱερουσα λὴμ, καὶ τοῖς εἰδώλοις αὐτῆς." Μεμαθήκαμεν δὲ, ὅτι τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ Σενναχηρεὶμ ὁ τῶν Ἀσσυρίων οὐ περιεγένετο βασιλεὺς, ὁ δὲ Ναβουχοδονόσορ εἰς Βαβυλῶνα τὰ βασίλεια μεταθεὶς, καὶ βασιλικὴν ἐκείνην ἀποφήνας πόλιν μετὰ τὴν τῆς Νινευὴ κατά λυσιν, ἐπεστράτευσε τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ, καὶ ἀνάστατον τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ πεποιηκὼς, τοὺς μὲν πλείστους τῶν οἰκητόρων ἀνεῖλε, τοὺς δὲ λοιποὺς ἐξανδραπο δίσας αἰχμαλώτους ἀπήγαγεν· ὡς εἶναι δῆλον κἀν τεῦθεν, ὡς μίαν οἶδεν ἡ θεία Γραφὴ τὴν Ἀσσυρίων 81.1349 καὶ Βαβυλωνίων βασιλείαν· καὶ ἐκ τῶν ἐπαγομένων δὲ τοῦτο ῥᾴδιόν ἐστι καταμαθεῖν. "Ἔσται γὰρ, φησὶν, ὅταν συντελέσῃ Κύριος ποιῶν πάντα ἐν τῷ ὄρει Σιὼν καὶ ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ, ἐπάξει Κύριος ἐπὶ τὸν νοῦν τὸν μέγαν τὸν ἄρχοντα τῶν Ἀσσυρίων, καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ ὕψος τῆς δόξης τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτοῦ." Ἐτι μωρήσατο δὲ τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ ὁ Θεὸς, οὐ διὰ τοῦ Σενναχηρεὶμ, ὃς τῶν Ἀσσυρίων ἐβασίλευσεν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τοῦ Ναβουχοδονόσορ. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ, οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἐπόρθησε τὴν πόλιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἅπασαν ἀπολωλεκὼς τὴν στρατείαν, ἀπέδρα μόνος, καὶ οἴκοι τὴν σφαγὴν παρὰ τῶν υἱῶν ἐδέξατο· ὁ δὲ Ναβουχοδονόσορ καὶ τὴν πόλιν καθεῖλε, καὶ ἐνέπρησε τὸν θεῖον νεὼν, καὶ τὸν λαὸν ἀπήγαγε δορυάλωτον. ∆ιδάσκει τοίνυν ἡμᾶς ἡ θεία Γραφὴ, ὅτι μετὰ τὸ συντελέσαι Κύριον ποιοῦντα πάντα ἐν τῷ ὄρει Σιὼν καὶ ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ, ἃ ἠπείλησε λέγων· "Ὀλολύξατε, τὰ γλυπτὰ ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ· ὃν τρόπον γὰρ ἐποίησα Σαμαρείᾳ καὶ τοῖς εἰδώλοις αὐτῆς, οὕτω ποιήσω καὶ τῇ Ἱερουσα λὴμ καὶ τοῖς χειροποιήτοις αὐτῆς," ἐπάξει, φησὶ, Κύριος ἐπὶ τὸν νοῦν τὸν μέγαν, τὸν ἄρχοντα τῶν Ἀσσυρίων. Καὶ οὐ λέγει τῶν Βαβυλωνίων, ἀλλὰ τῶν Ἀσσυρίων· μία γὰρ τούτων κἀκείνων ἡ βασιλεία. Νοῦν δὲ μέγαν καλεῖ διὰ τὸ ὑψηλὸν καὶ ἀλαζονικὸν τῶν βουλευμάτων· διὸ καὶ εἰκότως ἐπάγει· "Καὶ ἐπὶ τὸ ὕψος τῆς δόξης τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτοῦ." Καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἔφη, "τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ," ἀλλὰ "τῆς δόξης τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτοῦ·" τουτέστιν, ὃς ἄνθρω πος ὢν ὑψηλότατός τε καὶ μέγιστος εἶναι φαντάζε ται. Εἶπε γάρ· "Ἐν τῇ ἰσχύϊ μου ποιήσω, καὶ ἐν τῇ σοφίᾳ τῆς συνέσεώς μου ἀφελῶ ὅρια ἐθνῶν, καὶ τὴν ἰσχὺν αὐτῶν προνομεύσω, καὶ σείσω πόλεις κατοικουμένας, καὶ τὴν οἰκουμένην ὅλην καταλήψο μαι τῇ χειρί μου ὡς νοσσιὰν, καὶ ὡς καταλελειμμένα ὠὰ ἀρῶ, καὶ οὐκ ἔσται ὃς διαφεύξηταί με, ἢ ἀντείπῃ μοι" Οὕτω γυμνώσας τῶν λογισμῶν τοῦ Ἀσσυρίου τὸν τῦφον, ἐλέγχει τῶν ἐνθυμημάτων τὸ μάταιον, καὶ διδάσκει, ὡς οὐδὲν ἂν τῶν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ γενομένων ἐγένετο, μὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ συγχωρήσαντος, καὶ βουλη θέντος δίκας τῆς ἀσεβείας εἰσπράξασθαι τοὺς ταῦτα ὑπ' αὐτοῦ πεπονθότας. Οὗ χάριν εἰκότως ἐπάγει· "Μὴ δοξασθήσεται ἀξίνη ἄνευ τοῦ κόπτοντος ἐν αὐτῇ; ἢ ὑψωθήσεται πρίων ἄνευ τοῦ ἕλκοντος αὐ τόν; Ὡσαύτως ἐάν τις ἄρῃ ῥάβδον ἢ ξύλον." Καθ άπερ, φησὶν, ἀδύνατον, αὐτομάτως ἀξίνην, ἢ πρίονα, ἢ ῥάβδον κινηθῆναι· τηνικαῦτα γὰρ τούτων ἕκαστον ἐνεργεῖ, ἡνίκα ἄν τις τῇ χειρὶ χρησάμενος κινῆσαι ταῦτα θελήσειεν· οὕτω καὶ σὺ, τῆς ἐμῆς παραχωρη σάσης σοι προμηθείας, πεποίηκας ἃ πεποίηκας, διὰ τὴν τῶν πεπονθότων παρανομίαν. Μὴ τοίνυν νόμιζε, τῇ οἰκείᾳ σοφίᾳ καὶ δυνάμει ταῦτα κατωρθωκέναι. Εἰ δὲ οὐ βούλει ταῦτα σωφρόνως μαθεῖν, καὶ τὴν ἀλαζονικὴν ὀφρὺν καταλῦσαι, τῇ πείρᾳ μαθήσῃ, ὅτι 81.1352 ταῦθ' οὕτως ἔχει. "Ἀποστελεῖ γὰρ Κύριος Σαβαὼθ εἰς τὴν σὴν τιμὴν ἀτιμίαν, καὶ εἰς τὴν σὴν δόξαν πῦρ καιόμενον καυθήσεται." Καὶ ἐν ἑτέρῳ δὲ χω ρίῳ πάλιν τοιαῦτά φησιν ὁ Θεὸς πρὸς τὸν προφήτην· "Καὶ λήψῃ τὸν θρῆνον τοῦτον ἐπὶ τὸν βασιλέα Βαβυλῶνος, καὶ ἐρεῖς ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνη· Πῶς ἀνα πέπαυται ὁ ἀπαιτῶν; καὶ ἀναπέπαυται ὁ ἐπισπου δαστής; Συνέτριψεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν ζυγὸν τῶν ἁμαρτω λῶν, τὸν ζυγὸν τῶν ἀρχόντων, πατάξας ἔθνος θυμῷ, πληγῇ ἀνιάτῳ." Εἶτα δείκνυσι τὴν