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come to Jerusalem, and they shall go up year by year to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, and to celebrate the feast of tabernacles. And it shall be, that whosoever of all the tribes of the earth shall not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, even they shall be added to them. 2.1.21 And if the tribe of Egypt does not go up, nor come, upon them also shall be the plague, with which the Lord shall strike all the nations, whoever shall not come up to celebrate the feast of tabernacles. This shall be the sin of Egypt, and the sin of all the nations, whoever shall not come up to celebrate the feast of tabernacles.” 2.1.22 Clearly these things also contain a calling of all the nations, with the things spoken concerning Jerusalem and the feast of tabernacles being considered only in a spiritual sense, which will also receive their proper interpretation in due time. 2.1.23 10. From Isaiah. “This first drink, act quickly. Land of Zebulun, the land of Naphtali, and the rest who are by the sea coast beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations, the people that sat in darkness, saw a great light; they that dwell in the land and shadow of death, a light shall shine upon you.” 2.1.24 11. From the same. “Listen to me, you islands, and pay attention, you nations. After a long time it shall stand, says the Lord.” To which he adds next, concerning both the nations and Christ: “Behold, I have given you for a covenant of the people, for a light of the nations, that you should be for salvation to the end of the earth.” 2.1.25 You yourself could find countless passages scattered throughout all the prophets in the promises to the nations, which it is not the time at present either to recount or to interpret. Yet the things that have been set forth are sufficient to establish the matter at hand. 2.1.26 This was to show to those of the circumcision, who boast greatly in themselves and take pride, as though God had preferred them alone of the other nations and had deemed them alone worthy of the divine promises, that nothing better than all the rest has been specially promised to them in the divine pledges. Since, then, it has been shown that the nations were deemed worthy of the divine promises, come, let us now consider him through whom it is said the nations will obtain the calling of God and the divine promises; for it is good also to understand the cause that is said to procure these good things for the nations. 2.1.27 And what could this be but the coming of Christ, through whom even those of the circumcision confess that their own redemption will come? It must be shown, then, that the expectation of the calling of the nations was none other than Christ of God himself, who would appear as Savior not only to the Jews, but also to all the nations. 2.1.28 For the present I will use the bare testimonies of the prophets without any interpretation, intending at leisure to interpret each at length, when with God's help I shall collect all the prophecies concerning the nations together and interpret them. 2.2.1 12. From Psalm 2. “Why did the nations rage, and the peoples imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord, and against his Christ,” and what follows. To which he adds: 2.2.2 “The Lord said to me, You are my Son, today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will give you the nations for your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for your possession.” 2.2.3 13. From Psalm 71. “O God, give your judgment to the king, and your righteousness to the king's son, to judge your people,” and what follows. To which he adds: “And he shall have dominion from sea to sea, and from the rivers to the ends of the inhabited world.” And again: “All the nations shall serve him.” 2.2.4 And again: “In him shall all the tribes of the earth be blessed, all the nations shall call him blessed.” And at the end of the psalm: “And the whole earth shall be filled with his glory, so be it, so be it.” 2.2.5 14. From Psalm 97. “Sing to the Lord a new song, for the Lord has done wonderful things. His right hand and his holy arm have saved him. The Lord has made known his salvation. In the sight of the nations he has revealed his righteousness. He remembered his mercy
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ἐλθόντων ἐπὶ Ἱερουσαλήμ, καὶ ἀναβήσονται κατ' ἐνιαυτὸν τοῦ προσκυνῆσαι τῷ βασιλεῖ κυρίῳ παντοκράτορι, καὶ τοῦ ἑορτάζειν τὴν ἑορτὴν τῆς σκηνοπηγίας. καὶ ἔσται, ὅσοι ἂν μὴ ἀναβῶσιν ἐκ πάσης τῆς γῆς τῆς φυλῆς τῆς γῆς εἰς Ἱερουσαλὴμ προσκυνῆσαι τῷ βασιλεῖ κυρίῳ παντοκράτορι, καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐκείνοις προστεθήσονται. 2.1.21 ἐὰν δὲ φυλὴ Αἰγύπτου μὴ ἀναβῇ μηδὲ ἔλθῃ, καὶ ἐπὶ τούτους ἔσται ἡ πτῶσις, ἣν πατάξῃ κύριος πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, ὅσα ἂν μὴ ἀναβῇ τοῦ ἑορτάσαι τὴν ἑορτὴν τῆς σκηνοπηγίας, αὕτη ἔσται ἡ ἁμαρτία Αἰγύπτου, καὶ ἡ ἁμαρτία πάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν, ὃς ἂν μὴ ἀναβῇ τοῦ ἑορτάσαι τὴν ἑορτὴν τῆς σκηνοπηγίας». 2.1.22 σαφῶς καὶ ταῦτα κλῆσιν ἁπάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν περιέχει, κατὰ διάνοιαν μόνην θεωρουμένων τῶν περὶ τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ καὶ τῆς σκηνοπηγίας εἰρημένων, ἃ καὶ κατὰ καιρὸν τῆς προσηκούσης τεύξεται ἑρμηνείας. 2.1.23 ιʹ. Ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἡσαΐου. «Τοῦτο πρῶτον πίε, ταχὺ ποίει. χώρα Ζαβουλών, ἡ γῆ Νεφθαλείμ, καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ οἱ τὴν παραλίαν πέραν τοῦ Ἰορδάνου, Γαλιλαία τῶν ἐθνῶν, ὁ λαὸς ὁ καθήμενος ἐν σκότει, ἴδετε φῶς μέγα· οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐν χώρᾳ καὶ σκιᾷ θανάτου, φῶς λάμψει ἐφ' ὑμᾶς». 2.1.24 ιαʹ. Ἀπὸ τοῦ αὐτοῦ. «Ἀκούσατέ μου νῆσοι, καὶ προσέχετε ἔθνη. διὰ χρόνου πολλοῦ στήσεται, λέγει κύριος». οἷς ἑξῆς ὁμοῦ περὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν καὶ περὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐπιλέγει· «ἰδοὺ δέδωκά σε εἰς διαθήκην γένους, εἰς φῶς ἐθνῶν τοῦ εἶναί σε εἰς σωτηρίαν ἕως ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς». 2.1.25 Μυρία δ' ἂν εὕροις καὶ αὐτὸς δι' ὅλων τῶν προφητῶν κατεσπαρμένα ἐν ἐπαγγελίαις τῶν ἐθνῶν, ἅπερ ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος οὔτε ἀναλέγειν οὔτε ἑρμηνεύειν καιρός. πλὴν ἱκανὰ τυγχάνει καὶ τὰ προτεθέντα παραστῆσαι τὸ προκείμενον. 2.1.26 τοῦτο δ' ἦν τοῖς ἐκ περιτομῆς, μέγα ἐφ' ἑαυτοῖς αὐχοῦσι καὶ σεμνυνομένοις, ὡς τοῦ θεοῦ μόνους αὐτοὺς τῶν λοιπῶν ἐθνῶν προτιμήσαντος καὶ μόνους τῶν θείων ἐπαγγελιῶν κατηξιωκότος, ἐπιδεῖξαι ὡς οὐδὲν κρεῖττον παρὰ τοὺς λοιποὺς ἅπαντας ἰδίως αὐτοῖς ἐν ταῖς θείαις ἐπήγγελται ὑποσχέσεσιν. Ὅτε τοίνυν ἀπεδείχθη τῶν θείων ἐπαγγελιῶν τὰ ἔθνη κατηξιωμένα, φέρε λοιπὸν ἤδη καὶ τὸ δι' οὗ τὰ ἔθνη τῆς τοῦ θεοῦ κλή σεως καὶ τῶν θείων ἐπαγγελιῶν τεύξεσθαι λέγεται θεασώμεθα· καλὸν γὰρ καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν συνιδεῖν τὴν τοῖς ἔθνεσι τὰ ἀγαθὰ προξενήσειν λεγομένην. 2.1.27 τίς δ' ἂν εἴη αὕτη ἢ τοῦ Χριστοῦ παρουσία, δι' οὗ καὶ οἱ ἐκ περιτομῆς τὴν ἑαυτῶν ὁμολογοῦσι γενήσεσθαι ἀπολύτρωσιν; δεικτέον τοίνυν ὡς καὶ ἡ τῆς τῶν ἐθνῶν κλήσεως προσδοκία οὐδ' ἑτέρα τις ὑπῆρχεν ἢ αὐτὸς ὁ Χριστὸς τοῦ θεοῦ, οὐ μόνον Ἰουδαίοις, ἀλλὰ καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς ἔθνεσι σωτὴρ ἐπιφανησόμενος. 2.1.28 χρήσομαι δὲ τὰ νῦν ψιλαῖς τῶν προφητῶν μαρτυρίαις δίχα πάσης ἑρμηνείας, ἐπὶ σχολῆς μέλλων ἑκάστην εἰς πλάτος διερμηνεύειν, ἐπὰν σὺν θεῷ τὰς περὶ τῶν ἐθνῶν προρρήσεις συναγαγὼν ὁμοῦ πάσας διερμηνεύειν μέλλοιμι. 2.2.1 ιβʹ. Ψαλμοῦ βʹ. «Ἱνατί ἐφρύαξαν ἔθνη καὶ λαοὶ ἐμελέτησαν κενά; παρέστησαν οἱ βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς, καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες συνήχθησαν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό, κατὰ τοῦ κυρίου καὶ κατὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ αὐτοῦ», καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. οἷς ἐπιλέγει· 2.2.2 «κύριος εἶπεν πρός με, υἱός μου εἶ σύ, ἐγὼ σήμερον γεγέννηκά σε. αἴτησαι παρ' ἐμοῦ, καὶ δώσω σοι ἔθνη τὴν κληρονομίαν σου καὶ τὴν κατάσχεσίν σου τὰ πέρατα τῆς γῆς». 2.2.3 ιγʹ. Ψαλμοῦ οαʹ. «Ὁ θεὸς τὸ κρίμα σου τῷ βασιλεῖ δός, καὶ τὴν δικαιοσύνην σου τῷ υἱῷ τοῦ βασιλέως, κρίνειν τὸν λαόν σου», καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. οἷς ἐπιλέγει· «καὶ κατακυριεύσει ἀπὸ θαλάσσης ἕως θαλάσσης, καὶ ἀπὸ ποταμῶν ἕως περάτων τῆς οἰκουμένης». καὶ αὖθις· «πάντα τὰ ἔθνη δουλεύσουσιν αὐτῷ». 2.2.4 καὶ πάλιν· «εὐλογηθήσονται ἐν αὐτῷ πᾶσαι αἱ φυλαὶ τῆς γῆς, πάντα τὰ ἔθνη μακαριοῦσιν αὐτόν». καὶ ἐπὶ τέλει τοῦ ψαλμοῦ· «καὶ πληρωθήσεται τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ πᾶσα ἡ γῆ, γένοιτο, γένοιτο». 2.2.5 ιδʹ. Ψαλμοῦ ϛζʹ. «Ἄισατε τῷ κυρίῳ ᾆσμα καινόν, ὅτι θαυμαστὰ ἐποίησεν ὁ κύριος. ἔσωσεν αὐτὸν ἡ δεξιὰ αὐτοῦ καὶ ὁ βραχίων ὁ ἅγιος αὐτοῦ. ἐγνώρισεν κύριος τὸ σωτήριον. αὐτοῦ, ἐναντίον τῶν ἐθνῶν ἀπεκάλυψεν τὴν δικαιοσύνην αὐτοῦ. ἐμνήσθη τοῦ ἐλέους