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the invincibility of the race because of the seed hidden in it, and having foretold its birth and indeed also the manner of its birth, he takes up again the discourse against Israel. He calls the same person both Jacob and Israel; for the patriarch Jacob had these two names, the one from his fathers and the other given by the God of all things; but Jacob was a more natural name, while Israel was an epithet of the virtue of his soul. He shows, therefore, here that even the more decent have shared in the punishment with the more impious. However, it is necessary to know that the Other Interpreters said "a word" was sent, not "death". But nevertheless the interpretation has no disagreement; for they called the decree of punishment a word. 8And all the people of Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria will know, who say in their insolence and high-mindedness: 9Bricks have fallen, but come, let us quarry stones and cut down sycamines and cedars and build ourselves towers. They tried to build a fortification against Jerusalem, calling their kingdom unsound and like fallen bricks. But the Others called the sycamines "sycomores." And very reasonably; for Palestine is filled with these, and from such woods they roof their houses. 10And God will dash down those who rise up against mount Sion and against Jerusalem, against him. God appropriates what happens against Jerusalem and threatens destruction to those who try to war against him through her. And he will scatter the enemies of Judah, 11Syria from the rising of the sun and the Greeks from the setting of the sun, who devour my people with their whole mouth. The Other Interpreters translated not "the Greeks" but "the Philistines"; these were the neighboring Allophyli. It was likely that some Greek colonists also lived with the Allophyli, such as Cyprians and Cappadocians; for we have been taught this by the other prophets. He says therefore that "not only do I condemn these things of Israel, but I also destroy their allies, those living toward the east and those toward the west." For all these things his anger has not turned away, but his hand is still high. For as the impiety of men does not cease, neither does the punishment receive any pause. And this he has also shown through what follows. 12And the people did not turn back until they were struck, and they did not seek the Lord. For this reason the anger did not turn away, because the people did not turn away; and for this reason the hand is high, because they did not seek the Lord. 13And the Lord took away from Israel head and tail. What are these, he says more clearly: great and small in one day. And who is the great? 14The elder and those who show partiality—this is the beginning. And he calls those who judge unjustly "those who show partiality," against the law that says: "You shall not show partiality to a man of power." Then he also shows the other order: And the prophet |113 b| who teaches lawless things—this is the tail. There were certain false prophets who foretold things contrary to the prophets and did not allow belief in the divine prophecies. 15And those who call this people blessed will be leading them astray, and they lead them astray so that they may swallow them up. He means these very ones who falsely say pleasant things and reap large wages from their hearers. 16Therefore he will not rejoice over their young men, nor will he have mercy on their orphans and widows; because all are lawless and wicked, and every mouth speaks unjustly. For it is just for those who share with one another in wickedness to share also in the punishment. For all these things his anger has not turned away, but his hand is still high. For just as the Master's love for mankind follows upon men's repentance, so when lawlessness persists, the wrath is intensified. 17And lawlessness will be burned like fire, and like dry couch-grass it will be burned by fire. He taught precisely how the lawless draw punishment upon themselves. For he called lawlessness fire and dry couch-grass; and just as iron brings forth rust and is consumed by the rust, so the

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γένους τὸ ἄμαχον διὰ τὸ ἐν αὐτῷ κρυπτόμενον σπέρμα καὶ προαγορεύσας τούτου τὸν τόκον καὶ μέντοι καὶ τὸν τοῦ τόκου τρόπον, ἀναλαμβάνει πάλιν τὸν κατὰ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ λόγον. Τὸν δὲ αὐτὸν καὶ Ἰακὼβ καὶ Ἰσραὴλὀνομάζει· καὶ γὰρ ὁ πατριάρχης Ἰακὼβ τὰς δύο ταύτας εἶχε προσηγορίας, τὴν μὲν ὑπὸ τῶν πατέρων τὴν δὲ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ τεθεῖσαν τοῦ τῶν ὅλων θεοῦ· ἀλλὰ τὸ μὲν Ἰακὼβ φυσι κώτερον ἦν ὄνομα, τὸ δὲ Ἰσραὴλ ἐπίθετον ἦν τῆς κατὰ ψυχὴν ἀρετῆς. ∆ηλοῖ τοίνυν ἐνταῦθα ὡς τοῖς δυσσεβεστέροις καὶ οἱ ἐπιεικέστεροι τῆς τιμωρίας κεκοινωνήκασιν. Εἰδέναι μέντοι χρὴ ὡς οἱ Ἄλλοι Ἑρμηνευταὶ «λόγον» εἶπον, οὐ «θάνατον», ἀπεστάλθαι. Ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐκ ἔχει διαφωνίαν ἡ ἑρμηνεία· τὴν γὰρ τῆς τιμωρίας ψῆφον ὠνόμασαν λόγον. 8Καὶ γνώσεται πᾶς ὁ λαὸς τοῦ Ἐφραὶμ καὶ οἱ καθήμενοι ἐν Σαμαρείᾳ ἐφ' ὕβρει καὶ ὑψηλῇ καρδίᾳ λέγοντες· 9Πλίνθοι πεπτώκασιν, ἀλλὰ δεῦτε καὶ λαξεύσωμεν λίθους καὶ κόψωμεν συκαμίνους καὶ κέδρους καὶ οἰκοδομήσωμεν ἑαυτοῖς πύργους. Ἐπιτείχισμα κατασκευάσαι κατὰ τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐπειράθησαν, σαθρὰν καὶ πλίνθοις πεπτωκυίαις ἴσην τὴν ἐκείνων ὀνομάζοντες βασιλείαν. Τὰς δέ γε συκαμίνους «συκομόρους» ἔφασαν οἱ Λοιποί. Καὶ λίαν εἰκότως· τούτων γὰρ ἡ Παλαι στίνη πεπλήρωται, καὶ ἐκ τῶν ξύλων τῶν τοιούτων ὀροφοῦσι τὰς οἰκίας. 10Καὶ ῥάξει ὁ θεὸς τοὺς ἐπανισταμένους ἐπὶ ὄρος Σιὼν καὶ ἐπὶ Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐπ' αὐτόν. Οἰκειοῦται ὁ θεὸς τὰ κατὰ τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ γινόμενα καὶ ὄλεθρον ἀπειλεῖ τοῖς δι' ἐκείνης αὐτῷ πολεμεῖν πειρωμένοις. Καὶ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς Ἰούδα διασ κεδάσει, 11Συρίαν ἀφ' ἡλίου ἀνατολῶν καὶ τοὺς Ἕλληνας ἀφ' ἡλίου δυσμῶν, τοὺς κατεσθίοντας τὸν λαόν μου ὅλῳ τῷ στόματι. Οἱ Ἄλλοι Ἑρμηνευταὶ οὐ τοὺς Ἕλληνας ἀλλὰ»τοὺς Φυλιστιὶμ» ἡρμήνευσαν· οὗτοι δὲ ἦσαν οἱ γειτο νεύοντες Ἀλλόφυλοι. Εἰκὸς δὲ ἦν καί τινας τῶν Ἑλλήνων ἀποίκους μετὰ τῶν Ἀλλοφύλων οἰκεῖν ὡς καὶ Κυπρίους καὶ Καππαδόκας· τοῦτο γὰρ παρὰ τῶν ἄλλων ἐδιδάχθημεν προφητῶν. Λέγει τοίνυν ὡς οὐ μόνον τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ταῦτα καταψηφίζομαι ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς τούτων καταλύω συμμάχους τούς τε πρὸς ἕω τούς τε πρὸς ἑσπέραν οἰκοῦντας. Ἐπὶ τούτοις πᾶσιν οὐκ ἀπεστράφη ὁ θυμὸς αὐτοῦ, ἀλλ' ἔτι ἡ χεὶρ αὐτοῦ ὑψηλή. Μὴ ληγούσης γὰρ τῆς τῶν ἀνθρώπων δυσσεβείας οὐδὲ ἡ τιμωρία δέχεται παῦλάν τινα. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ διὰ τῶν ἐπιφερομένων δεδήλωκεν. 12Καὶ ὁ λαὸς οὐκ ἀπεστράφη ἕως ἐπλήγη, καὶ τὸν κύριον οὐκ ἐξεζήτησαν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὐκ ἀπεστράφη ὁ θυμός, ἐπειδὴ ὁ λαὸς οὐκ ἀπεστράφη· καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἡ χεὶρ ὑψηλή, ἐπειδὴ τὸν κύριον οὐκ ἐξεζήτησαν. 13Καὶ ἀφεῖλε κύριος ἀπὸ Ἰσραὴλ κεφαλὴν καὶ οὐράν. Τίνες δὲ αὗται, σαφέστερον λέγει· μέγαν καὶ μικρὸν ἐν μιᾷ ἡμέρᾳ. Τίς δὲ ὁ μέγας; 14Πρεσβύτην καὶ τοὺς τὰ πρόσωπα θαυμάζοντας-αὕτη ἡ ἀρχή. Πρόσωπα δὲ θαυμάζοντας τοὺς ἀδίκως κρίνοντας λέγει παρὰ τὸν νόμον τὸν λέγοντα· «Οὐ λήψῃ πρόσωπον δυνάστου.» Εἶτα καὶ τὸ ἄλλο δείκνυσι τάγμα· Καὶ προφήτην |113 b| διδάσκοντα ἄνομα-οὗτος ἡ οὐρά. Ἦσάν τινες ψευδοπροφῆται τἀναντία τοῖς προφήταις προαγορεύοντες καὶ ταῖς θείαις προρρήσεσι πιστεύειν μὴ συγχωροῦντες. 15Καὶ ἔσονται οἱ μακαρίζοντες τὸν λαὸν τοῦτον πλανῶντες, καὶ πλανῶσιν ὅπως καταπίωσιν αὐτούς. Τούτους αὐτοὺς λέγει τοὺς τὰ ἡδέα ψευδῶς λέγοντας καὶ μισθοὺς ἁδροὺς καρπουμένους παρὰ τῶν ἀκουόντων. 16∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἐπὶ τοὺς νεανίσκους αὐτῶν οὐκ εὐφρανθήσεται καὶ τοὺς ὀρφανοὺς αὐτῶν καὶ τὰς χήρας οὐκ ἐλεήσει· ὅτι πάντες ἄνομοι καὶ πονηροί, καὶ πᾶν στόμα λαλεῖ ἄδικα. ∆ίκαιον γὰρ τοὺς κοινωνοῦντας ἀλλήλοις τῆς πονηρίας κοινωνῆσαι καὶ τῆς τιμωρίας. Ἐπὶ πᾶσι τούτοις οὐκ ἀπεστράφη ὁ θυμὸς αὐτοῦ, ἀλλ' ἔτι ἡ χεῖρ αὐτοῦ ὑψηλή. Ὥσπερ γὰρ τῇ μετανοίᾳ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἕπεται ἡ τοῦ δεσπότου φιλανθρωπία, οὕτως ἐπιμενούσης τῆς παρανομίας ἐπιτείνεται ἡ ὀργή. 17Καὶ καυθήσεται ὡς πῦρ ἡ ἀνομία καὶ ὡς ἄγρωστις ξηρὰ καυθήσεται ὑπὸ πυρός. Ἐδίδαξεν ἀκριβῶς ὡς οἱ παρανομοῦντες ἐπισπῶνται τὴν τιμωρίαν. Τὴν γὰρ ἀνομίαν πῦρ ἐκάλεσε καὶ ξηρὰν ἄγρωστιν· καὶ καθάπερ ὁ σίδηρος τὸν ἰὸν τίκτει καὶ ὑπὸ τοῦ ἰοῦ καταναλίσκεται, οὕτως ὁ