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having learned the cause, they repay the benefactor with what they can. And it is his law that clearly commands: 'Offer to God a sacrifice of praise', and again: 'A sacrifice of praise will glorify me. 3And you will draw water with gladness from the springs of salvation. He calls the divine scriptures the springs of salvation, from which those who have genuinely believed draw with gladness. 4And you will say on that day: Hymn the Lord, call upon his name, proclaim among the nations his glorious deeds |118 b|, remember his name, for his name has been exalted. These things are fitting for the choir of the apostles and for those from the Jews who believed with them, who also conveyed the divine teaching to the nations and urged one another to fulfill the Lord's command which says: 'Go and make disciples of all nations.' 5Hymn the name of the Lord for he has done lofty things, proclaim these things in all the earth. 6Rejoice and be glad, you who dwell in Zion, for the holy one of Israel has been exalted in her midst. And they call the whole world into fellowship of gladness and they especially exhort Zion to hymn the benefactor, as the holy one of Israel was exalted in her. But the word seems to me to allude not only to the height of the miracles but also to the saving cross on which they nailed the Lord. For the Lord himself spoke thus to the Jews: 'When you have exalted the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he', and again: 'as Moses exalted the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be exalted.' But let us who have believed in him look upon him, so that, just as the Jews by the sight of the bronze serpent blunted the effect of the venomous serpents, so we by the sight of him may heal the bites of sin and, having fully enjoyed salvation, may also obtain the promised good things by the grace of him who laid down his life for us, with whom glory is fitting for the Father, together with the all-holy Spirit, now and forever and unto the ages of ages. Amen. 5 VOLUME 5 131A vision against Babylon which Isaiah son of Amoz saw. The Assyrians formerly had their royal court in Nineveh, but later in Babylon. But the divine prophet, having foretold what would happen to Sennacherib, who held the royal city of Nineveh, transfers the prophecy to Nebuchadnezzar and his city, Babylon, and predicts the coming destruction. 2On a level mountain raise a standard. Some have said that the city is situated on a level mountain; but eyewitnesses of the places do not agree with this statement. I think, therefore, that by the mountain is signified the former height of Babylon, and by the level ground the humiliation that came afterwards. Lift up the voice to them, do not be afraid, beckon with the hand. The prophetic word enjoins these things on the enemies and to exhort one another and to drive out fear and to be terrified by the war cry and to raise the war standards on high. Open, you rulers, 3I command. The Lord masterfully commands those inside the city to open. But some say that the rulers are wicked powers, but I do not think so, but one of two things: either the rulers appointed by the king or the angels entrusted with the nation from the beginning; for 'He set the boundaries of the nations according to the number of the angels of God.' They are sanctified, and I lead them. He does not call the enemies of the Babylonians holy, for they were impious; but according to the idiom of the divine scripture, just as the divine oracles use the term 'anathema' both for what is exceedingly holy and consecrated to God and also for what is exceedingly accursed and profane—for we call 'anathema' both things offered to God and those cast out of the church for some transgression—so he calls holy not only those consecrated to God but also those set apart for some need. Giants are coming to end my wrath |119 a| rejoicing and at the same time committing outrage. Both Symmachus and Aquila called the giants 'mighty ones.' These men rejoiced at their own victory, but with insolence and drunken violence against the Babylonians

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αἴτιον μεμαθηκότες οἷς δύνανται τὸν εὐεργέτην ἀμείβονται. Αὐτοῦ δὲ ἔστι νόμος σαφῶς διαγορεύων· «Θῦσον τῷ θεῷ θυσίαν αἰνέσεως», καὶ πάλιν· «Θυσία αἰνέσεως δοξάσει με. 3Καὶ ἀντλήσετε ὕδωρ μετ' εὐφροσύνης ἐκ τῶν πηγῶν τοῦ σωτηρίου. Πηγὰς σωτηρίου τὰς θείας καλεῖ γραφάς, ἐξ ὧν οἱ γνησίως πεπιστευκότες μετ' εὐφροσύνης ἀρύονται. 4Καὶ ἐρεῖς ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ· Ὑμνεῖτε κύριον, βοᾶτε τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, ἀναγγείλατε ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσι τὰ ἔνδοξα |118 b| αὐτοῦ, μιμνῄσκεσθε τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ὑψώθη τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ. Ταῦτα τῷ χορῷ τῶν ἀποστόλων ἁρμόττει καὶ τοῖς μετ' ἐκείνων ἐξ Ἰουδαίων πεπιστευκόσιν, οἳ καὶ εἰς τὰ ἔθνη διεπόρθμευσαν τὴν θείαν διδασκαλίαν καὶ παρηγγύων ἀλλήλοις τὴν δεσποτικὴν πληροῦν ἐντολὴν τὴν λέγουσαν· «Πορευθέντες μαθητεύσατε πάντα τὰ ἔθνη.» 5Ὑμνήσατε τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου ὅτι ὑψηλὰ ἐποίησεν, ἀναγ γείλατε ταῦτα ἐν πάσῃ τῇ γῇ. 6Ἀγαλλιᾶσθε καὶ εὐφραίνεσθε οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐν Σιών, ὅτι ὑψώθη ὁ ἅγιος τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῆς. Καὶ τὴν οἰκουμένην εἰς κοινωνίαν καλοῦσι τῆς εὐφροσύνης καὶ τῇ Σιὼν διαφερόντως ὑμνεῖν τὸν εὐεργέτην παρακελεύονται ὡς ἐν αὐτῇ τοῦ ἁγίου Ἰσραὴλ ὑψωθέντος. Αἰνίττεσθαι δέ μοι ὁ λόγος δοκεῖ οὐ μόνον τῶν θαυμάτων τὸ ὕψος ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν σταυρὸν τὸν σωτήριον ᾧ τὸν δεσπότην προσήλωσαν. Καὶ γὰρ αὐτὸς ὁ δεσπότης οὕτω πρὸς Ἰουδαίους ἔφη· «Ὅταν ὑψώσητε τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, τότε γνώσεσθε ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι», καὶ πάλιν· «καθὼς Μωυσῆς ὕψωσε τὸν ὄφιν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, οὕτως ὑψωθῆναι δεῖ τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου.» Ἡμεῖς δὲ οἱ εἰς αὐτὸν πεπιστευκότες εἰς αὐτὸν ἀπο βλέψωμεν, ἵνα, καθάπερ οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι τῇ τοῦ χαλκοῦ ὄφεως θεωρίᾳ τῶν ἰοβόλων ὄφεων ἤμβλυναν τὴν ἐνέργειαν, οὕτως ἡμεῖς τῇ εἰς αὐτὸν θεωρίᾳ τὰ τῆς ἁμαρτίας δήγματα θερα πεύσωμεν καὶ τῆς σωτηρίας τέλεον ἀπολαύσαντες καὶ τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων τύχωμεν ἀγαθῶν χάριτι τοῦ τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ τεθεικότος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν, μεθ' οὗ τῷ πατρὶ δόξα πρέπει σὺν τῷ παναγίῳ πνεύματι νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. 5 ΤΟΜΟΣ Εʹ 131Ὅρασις κατὰ Βαβυλῶνος ἣν εἶδεν Ἡσαΐας υἱὸς Ἀμώς. Οἱ Ἀσσύριοι πάλαι μὲν εἶχον ἐν τῇ Νινευὴ τὰ βασίλεια, ὕστερον δὲ ἐν Βαβυλῶνι. Ὁ δὲ θεῖος προφήτης τὰ συμβη σόμενα τῷ Σενναχηρὶμ προθεσπίσας, ὃς τὴν Νινευὴ πόλιν εἶχε βασιλικήν, μεταφέρει τὴν προφητείαν ἐπὶ τὸν Ναβουχο δονόσορ καὶ τὴν ἐκείνου πόλιν, τὴν Βαβυλῶνα, καὶ προλέγει τὸν ἐσόμενον ὄλεθρον. 2Ἐπ' ὄρους πεδινοῦ ἄρατε σημεῖον. Τινὲς ἔφασαν ἐπ' ὄρους ὁμαλοῦ κεῖσθαι τὴν πόλιν· οὐ συμφωνοῦσι δὲ τῷ λόγῳ οἱ τῶν τόπων αὐτόπται. Οἶμαι τοίνυν διὰ μὲν τοῦ ὄρους τὸ παλαιὸν ὕψος τῆς Βαβυλῶνος δηλοῦσθαι, διὰ δὲ τοῦ πεδινοῦ τὴν μετὰ ταῦτα γενομένην ταπείνωσιν. Ὑψώσατε τὴν φωνὴν αὐτοῖς, μὴ φοβεῖσθε, παρακαλεῖτε τῇ χειρί. Τοῖς πολεμίοις ταῦτα ὁ προφητικὸς λόγος παρεγγυᾷ καὶ παρακαλεῖν ἀλλήλους καὶ τὸ δέος ἐξελάσαι καὶ τῇ πολεμικῇ δεδίττεσθαι φωνῇ καὶ τὰ πολεμικὰ σημεῖα εἰς τὸ ὕψος ἆραι. Ἀνοίξατε οἱ ἄρχοντες, 3ἐγὼ συντάσσω. Τοῖς ἔνδον τῇ πόλει παρακελεύεται ἀνοῖξαι δεσποτικῶς ὁ δεσπότης. Τινὲς δέ φασι πονηρὰς δυνάμεις εἶναι τοὺς ἄρχοντας, ἐγὼ δὲ οὐκ οἶμαι, ἀλλὰ δυοῖν θάτερον· ἢ τοὺς ὑπὸ τοῦ βασιλέως κεχειροτονημένους ἄρχοντας ἢ τοὺς ἐξ ἀρχῆς τὸ ἔθνος ἐγχειρισθέντας ἀγγέλους· «Ἔστησε» γὰρ «ὅρια ἐθνῶν κατὰ ἀριθμὸν ἀγγέλων θεοῦ.» Ἡγιασμένοι εἰσί, καὶ ἐγὼ ἄγω αὐτούς. Οὐχ ἁγίους καλεῖ τῶν Βαβυλωνίων τοὺς πολεμίους, δυςσεβεῖς γὰρ ἦσαν· ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὸ ἰδίωμα τῆς θείας γραφῆς, ὥσπερ τὸ ἀνάθημα καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἄγαν ἁγίου καὶ ἀφιερωμένου τῷ θεῷ τίθησι τὰ θεῖα λόγια καὶ μέντοι καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἄγαν ἐναγοῦς καὶ βεβήλου-ἀνάθημα γὰρ καλοῦμεν καὶ τὰ τῷ θεῷ προσφε ρόμενα καὶ τοὺς διά τινα παρανομίαν τῆς ἐκκλησίας ἐκβαλλομένους-, οὕτως ἁγίους οὐ μόνον τοὺς ἀφιερωμένους τῷ θεῷ ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς εἴς τινα χρείαν ἀφωρισμένους καλεῖ. Γίγαντες ἔρχονται τὸν θυμόν μου παῦσαι |119 a| χαίροντες ἅμα καὶ ὑβρίζοντες. Τοὺς γίγαντας καὶ ὁ Σύμμαχος καὶ ὁ Ἀκύλας «δυνατοὺς» ὠνόμασαν. Οὗτοι ἔχαιρον μὲν ἐπὶ τῇ σφετέρᾳ νίκῃ, ὕβρει δὲ καὶ παροινίᾳ κατὰ τῶν Βαβυλωνίων