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shepherd them, and they will no longer be afraid, nor will they be terrified, nor will they be at odds, says the Lord. These things typically came to pass in the time of Zerubbabel and Jesus son of Jozadak; yet not the whole prophecy; for many rose up against them, and not only their neighbors, but also the Macedonians later, and finally the Romans; but the prediction promises the permanence of grace; therefore it is clear that some things came to pass in their time, and others in the time of the holy apostles. For they alone had the gift of the Spirit. And what follows also testifies to this interpretation. εʹ, ϛ. Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, and I will raise up for David a righteous branch, and a righteous king will reign, and he will understand, and he will execute judgment and righteousness on the earth. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely; and this is his name, which the Lord will call him, Josedek; he himself among the prophets. These things the thunderstruck Jews shamelessly attempt to apply to Zerubbabel; but they should have understood that he was not a king, but a governor; and he was not called Josedek; nor indeed is the interpretation of the name suitable for him; for the name means, "The Lord our righteousness," or according to the Syriac interpretation, "O Lord, justify us;" but none of these things fits Zerubbabel; but since he was a type of the Lord Christ, and he led the captives from Babylon back to Judea, just as the Lord transferred to the truth those who had been enslaved by the devil, if someone applies these things to him typically, he will do nothing unfitting; however, one must know that the Lord Jesus Christ, descended from David according to the flesh, is proclaimed by the prophets as "a righteous Branch," and "a righteous King," and "the Lord of righteousness." From this point he directs his discourse against those who prophesy false things, and he calls 81.629 them adulterers, as committing adultery and corrupting the divine word. He also calls them the cause of the people's wickedness; and he says that the priests also have become partners in their impiety. He also foretells the evils that will befall them, and compares them to the prophets of Samaria, who were openly called prophets of Baal. For these, he says, by falsely promising peace to the people, became the cause that each one did not turn from his wicked way, and because of them they imitated the wickedness of Sodom and Gomorrah; for which reason indeed; ιεʹ. Behold, I am feeding them with pains, and I am giving them bitter water to drink, because from the prophets of Jerusalem pollution has gone out to all the land. And through these things he has made known to all the various calamities. And he also exhorts the people not to accept the words uttered by them. ιϛʹ, ιζʹ, ιηʹ. For from their own heart, he says, they speak, and not from the mouth of the Lord. And they promise peace, which I did not promise. To all who walk according to their own wills, and to everyone who walks in the error of his own heart, they have said, "No evil will come upon you." For who has stood in the counsel of the Lord, and seen, and heard his word? Who has heeded his word, and heard? By saying these things, he says, they embolden the workers of wickedness, and prepare them to persist in lawlessness, and prevent them from hearing the prophetic words. ιθʹ. Behold, a tempest from the Lord, and wrath goes forth, turning into a whirlwind. Through these things he signifies successive evils, and that these are sent by God; for he himself brings the punishments upon you; then he also says who will suffer them: "It will come upon the impious." κʹ. The anger of the Lord will not turn back, until he has performed the undertakings of his heart. For what he has foretold will come to pass. "In the last days they will understand them with understanding." When they see the events, they will remember the words. Then he says that those who prophesy false things of their own accord, and not being commanded, brought contrary words to the people. κβʹ. For if

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νοῦσιν αὐτοὺς, καὶ οὐ φοβηθήσονται ἔτι, οὐδὲ πτοηθήσονται, οὐδὲ διαφωνήσουσι, λέγει Κύ ριος. Ταῦτα τυπικῶς μὲν ἐπὶ τοῦ Ζοροβάβελ καὶ Ἰη σοῦ τοῦ Ἰωσεδὲκ ἐκβέβηκεν· οὐ μὴν πᾶσα ἡ προ φητεία· πολλοὶ γὰρ αὐτοῖς ἐπανέστησαν, καὶ οὐ μόνον οἱ γειτονεύοντες, ἀλλὰ καὶ Μακεδόνες ὕστερον, καὶ τὸ τελευταῖον Ῥωμαῖοι· ἡ δὲ πρόῤῥησις τὸ διαρκὲς τῆς χάριτος ἐπαγγέλλεται· οὐκοῦν δῆλον ὡς τὰ μὲν ἐπ' ἐκείνων ἐξέβη, τὰ δὲ ἐπὶ τῶν ἱερῶν ἀποστόλων. Οὗτοι γὰρ μόνοι ἔσχον τὴν τοῦ Πνεύματος δωρεάν. Μαρτυρεῖ δὲ τῇ διανοίᾳ καὶ τὰ ἐπαγόμενα. εʹ, ϛ. Ἰδοὺ ἡμέραι ἔρχονται, λέγει Κύριος, καὶ ἀναστήσω τῷ ∆αβὶδ ἀνατολὴν δικαίαν, καὶ βασιλεύσει βασιλεὺς δίκαιος, καὶ συνήσει, καὶ ποιήσει κρῖμα καὶ δικαιοσύνην ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις αὐτοῦ σωθήσεται ἡ Ἰουδαία, καὶ Ἰσραὴλ κατασκηνώσει πεποιθώς· καὶ τοῦτο τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, ὃ καλέσει Κύριος αὐτὸν, Ἰωσεδέκ· αὐτὸς ἐν τοῖς προφήταις. Ταῦτα οἱ ἐμβρόντη τοι Ἰουδαῖοι εἰς τὸν Ζοροβάβελ ἕλκειν ἀναιδῶς ἐπι χειροῦσιν· ἔδει δὲ αὐτοὺς συνιδεῖν, ὅτι οὐ βασιλεὺς ἦν ἐκεῖνος, ἀλλὰ δημαγωγός· καὶ Ἰωσεδὲκ ἐκεῖνος οὐκ ἐκαλεῖτο· οὔτε μὴν ἡ ἑρμηνεία τῆς προσηγορίας πρόσφορος ἐκείνῳ· δηλοῖ γὰρ τὸ ὄνομα, "Κύριος δι καιοσύνη ἡμῶν," ἢ κατὰ τὴν τοῦ Σύρου ἑρμηνείαν, "Κύριε δικαίωσον ἡμᾶς·" οὐδὲν δὲ τούτων ἁρμόττει τῷ Ζοροβάβελ· ἐπειδὴ δὲ τύπος ἦν τοῦ ∆εσπότου Χρι στοῦ, καὶ τοὺς ἀπὸ Βαβυλῶνος αἰχμαλώτους ἐπαν ήγαγεν εἰς τὴν Ἰουδαίαν, καθάπερ ὁ Κύριος τοὺς ἐξανδραποδισθέντας ὑπὸ τοῦ διαβόλου πρὸς τὴν ἀλή θειαν μετέθηκε, τυπικῶς εἴ τις ἐκείνῳ προσ αρμόσει ταῦτα, οὐδὲν ἀπεικὸς ποιήσει· εἰδέναι μέντοι χρὴ, ὡς ὁ ∆εσπότης Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς, ὁ ἐκ ∆αβὶδ κατὰ σάρκα, "Ἀνατολὴ δικαία," καὶ "Βασιλεὺς δίκαιος," καὶ "Κύριος δικαιοσύνης," ὑπὸ τῶν προφητῶν κη ρύττεται. Ἐντεῦθεν μεταφέρει τὸν λόγον κατὰ τῶν τὰ ψευδῆ προαγορευόντων, καὶ μοιχοὺς ὀνομάζει 81.629 τούτους, ὡς μοιχεύοντας, καὶ τὸν θεῖον διαφθείροντας λόγον. Καλεῖ δὲ αὐτοὺς καὶ αἰτίους τῆς τοῦ λαοῦ πο νηρίας· λέγει δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἱερέας κοινωνοὺς αὐτῶν γεγενῆσθαι τῆς ἀσεβείας. Προλέγει δὲ καὶ τὰ συμ βησόμενα αὐτοῖς κακὰ, καὶ παραβάλλει αὐτοὺς τοῖς προφήταις τῆς Σαμαρείας, οἳ προφανῶς τῆς Βάαλ ἐκαλοῦντο προφῆται. Καὶ γὰρ οὗτοι, φησὶ, ψευδῶς ἐπαγγειλάμενοι τῷ λαῷ εἰρήνην, αἴτιοι ἐγένοντο τοῦ μὴ ἀποστραφῆναι ἕκαστον ἀπὸ τῆς ὁδοῦ αὑτοῦ τῆς πονηρᾶς, καὶ διὰ τούτους τὴν Σοδόμων καὶ Γομόῤ ῥων ἐμιμήσαντο πονηρίαν· οὗ δὴ χάριν· ιεʹ. Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ψωμίζω αὐτοὺς ὀδύνας, καὶ πο τίζω αὐτοὺς ὕδωρ πικρὸν, ὅτι ἀπὸ τῶν προφητῶν Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐξῆλθε μολυσμὸς πάσῃ τῇ γῇ. ∆ιὰ δὲ τούτων τὰς διαφόρους δεδήλωκε πᾶσι συμ φοράς. Παραινεῖ δὲ καὶ τῷ λαῷ μὴ δέχεσθαι τοὺς παρ' ἐκείνων προφερομένους λόγους. ιϛʹ, ιζʹ, ιηʹ. Ἀπὸ καρδίας γὰρ αὑτῶν, φησὶ, λα λοῦσι, καὶ οὐκ ἀπὸ στόματος Κυρίου. Καὶ ὑπισ χνοῦνται εἰρήνην, ἣν οὐκ ἐπηγγειλάμην ἐγώ. Πᾶσι τοῖς πορευομένοις τοῖς θελήμασιν αὑτῶν, καὶ παντὶ τῷ πορευομένῳ πλάνῃ καρδίας αὑτοῦ εἶπον, Οὐχ ἥξει ἐπὶ σὲ κακά. Ὅτι τίς ἔστη ἐν ὑποστήματι Κυρίου, καὶ εἶδε, καὶ ἤκουσεν αὐτοῦ τὸν λόγον; Τίς ἠνωτίσατο τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἤκουσε; Ταῦτα, φησὶ, λέγοντες παρα θαῤῥύνουσι τοὺς τῆς πονηρίας ἐργάτας, καὶ ἐπι μένειν τῇ παρανομίᾳ παρασκευάζουσι, καὶ τῶν προ φητικῶν λόγων ἐπαΐειν κωλύουσιν. ιθʹ. Ἰδοὺ σεισμὸς παρὰ Κυρίου, καὶ ὀργὴ ἐκπορεύεται, εἰς συσσεισμὸν στρεφομένη. Τὰ ἐπάλληλα διὰ τούτων σημαίνει κακὰ, καὶ ὅτι θεήλατα ταῦτα· αὐτὸς γὰρ ὑμῖν ἐπιφέρει τὰς τιμωρίας· εἶτα λέγει καὶ τοὺς πεισομένους· "Ἐπὶ τοὺς ἀσεβεῖς ἥξει." κʹ. Οὐκ ἀποστρέψει ὁ θυμὸς Κυρίου, ἕως τοῦ ποιῆσαι αὐτὸν τὰ ἐγχειρήματα τῆς καρδίας αὑ τοῦ. Ἃ γὰρ προείρηκεν, εἰς πέρας ἥξει. "Ἐπ' ἐσχάτων ἡμερῶν νοήσουσιν αὐτὰ νοήσει." Ὅταν ἴδωσι τὰ πράγματα, τῶν ῥημάτων ἀναμνησθήσονται. Εἶτα λέγει, ὡς οἱ τὰ ψευδῆ προφητεύοντες αὐτόματοι, καὶ μὴ κελευόμενοι, τοὺς ἐναντίους τῷ λαῷ προσ έφερον λόγους. κβʹ. Εἰ γὰρ