Theodoret of Cyrus, Interpretation on Jeremiah

in the hand of the Lord a cup of unmixed wine, full of mixture." And through the phrase, They will drink and vomit, he indicates their surfeit; and through they will become mad, he hints at the harshness of the punishment. Then the prophet relates how he made Jerusalem drink, and the cities subject to it, along with their kings and rulers; and he teaches the things signified by the cup. "To make them a desolation, and impassable, and a hissing, and a curse, as at this day." That is, at this time. And by calling it impassable, he indicates desolation; and through the hissing, he signifies the astonishment of those who behold it. For seeing changes for the worse, we are accustomed to hiss; a curse follows these things; for some are accustomed to say, "May you suffer these things, which so-and-so has suffered." He adds that he has also made Pharaoh the king of the Egyptians and his governors, and all his subjects drink; and besides the natives, also the sojourners; for he calls them a mixed multitude. And through these things he hints that the fugitive Jews will fall into the same evils. And he says that he has made drink the kings of the Chaldeans, and all Arabia, and all the kings of the land of Uz; and so he has called Idumea; and this same prophet teaches this more clearly in what follows. For he says: He has made drink "also the kings of the foreigners, and the Moabites, and the Ammonites, and the Tyrians, and the Sidonians, and Dedan, and Tema;" and these are also cities of Arabia, as we have also shown in the interpretations of the other prophets. "And Buz," a Persian nation, "and everyone who cuts the hair of his face." He means the Saracens. κδʹ, κεʹ. And all the kings of Arabia, and all the kings of the mixed multitude, who dwell in the desert. And all the kings of Zimri. In the Hebrew and the Syriac we have found Zimran; he is the son of Keturah; and these, indeed, dwelt in the desert. "And all the kings of Elam." And this is a Persian nation. "And all the kings of the Medes and Persians." κϛʹ. And all the kings of the east 81.640 those near and those far; and each one against his brother. That is, so that through one another they might pay the penalty for their impiety. "And all the kingdoms of the earth, which are upon the face of the earth; and the king of Sheshach shall drink last of them." I believe the Babylonian was so called; for through him the aforementioned also drank; and after a little while he says this one will drink last. For indeed after the punishment brought upon the others through him, he himself paid the penalty. Then he threatens those who do not wish to drink, that they will drink even unwillingly. κθʹ. For I will begin, he says, from the city on which my name was called, from it I begin to do evil; and will you be completely acquitted? You will not be acquitted. The city set apart," he says, "I am handing over; and will you escape punishment? It is not possible for this to happen. λʹ. And you shall prophesy against them all these words, and you shall say to them, The Lord will give a command from on high, and from his holy place he will give his voice. He has declared both, that he brings forth the decree from heaven, and that he makes his manifestation in the consecrated temple. "He will speak a word from his place, and he knows how those treading the winepress will answer against all who are seated on the earth." The deed he calls the answer; for the deed also follows the divine word. λαʹ. Destruction has come upon a part of the earth; because there is a judgment for the Lord among the nations; he himself enters into judgment with all flesh; but the ungodly were given to the sword, says the Lord. Again he shows his unspeakable goodness. For he did not say, He will judge all flesh, but, "He enters into judgment with all flesh;" for he shows his own benefactions, and he rebukes the ingratitude of those who receive them. And he speaks through the things that follow, also of the evils that grow out of wars, and that unburied are the

ἐν χειρὶ Κυρίου οἴνου ἀκράτου πλῆρες κεράσματος." ∆ιὰ δὲ τοῦ, Πίονται καὶ ἐξεμοῦνται, τὸν κόρον δηλοῖ· διὰ δὲ ἐκμανήσονται, τὸ χαλεπὸν τῆς τιμωρίας αἰνίττε ται. Εἶτα διηγεῖται ὁ προφήτης, ὡς ἐπότισε τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ, καὶ τὰς ὑπ' αὐτὴν πόλεις τελούσας, σὺν τοῖς βασιλεῦσι καὶ ἄρχουσι· καὶ διδάσκει τὰ διὰ τοῦ ποτηρίου δηλούμενα. "Τοῦ θεῖναι αὐτὰς εἰς ἔρημον, καὶ ἄβατον, καὶ εἰς συριγμὸν, καὶ εἰς κατάραν, κατὰ τὴν ἡμέραν ταύτην." Τουτέστιν, ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τούτῳ. Καὶ ἄβατον μὲν καλῶν, τὴν ἐρη μίαν δηλοῖ· διὰ δὲ τοῦ συριγμοῦ σημαίνει τὴν ἔκ πληξιν τῶν θεωμένων. Τὰς γὰρ ἐπὶ τὸ χεῖρον ὁρῶντες μεταβολὰς, συρίττειν εἰώθαμεν· τούτοις ἀκόλουθος κατάρα· εἰώθασι γάρ τινες λέγειν, "Τάδε πάθοις, ἅπερ ὁ δεῖνα πέπονθε." Προστίθησι δὲ, ὅτι καὶ τὸν Φαραὼ τὸν βασιλέα τῶν Αἰγυπτίων καὶ τοὺς ἐπ άρχους αὐτοῦ, καὶ πάντας τοὺς ὑπηκόους πεπότικε· πρὸς δὲ τοῖς ἐγχωρίοις, καὶ τοὺς μετοίκους· συμ μίκτους γὰρ ἐκείνους καλεῖ. Αἰνίττεται δὲ διὰ τού των, ὅτι καὶ οἱ πεφευγότες Ἰουδαῖοι τοῖς αὐτοῖς περι πεσοῦνται κακοῖς. Λέγει δὲ πεποτικέναι καὶ τῶν Χαλδαίων τοὺς βασιλέας, καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν Ἀραβίαν, καὶ πάντας τοὺς βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς Οὔζ· τὴν δὲ Ἰδουμαίαν οὕτω κέκληκε· καὶ τοῦτο ὁ αὐτὸς προ φήτης διδάσκει σαφέστερον ἐν τοῖς ἑξῆς. Λέγει γάρ· Πεπότικε "καὶ τῶν ἀλλοφύλων τοὺς βασιλεῖς, καὶ Μωαβίτας, καὶ Ἀμμανίτας, καὶ Τυρίους, καὶ Σιδωνίους, καὶ τὴν ∆αιδὰν, καὶ τὴν Θαιμάν·" πόλεις δὲ καὶ αὗται τῆς Ἀραβίας, ὡς καὶ ἐν ταῖς τῶν ἄλ λων προφητῶν ἑρμηνείαις ἐδείξαμεν. "Καὶ τὸν Βοὺζ," Περσικὸν τὸ ἔθνος, "καὶ πάντα περικειρό μενον τὸ κατὰ πρόσωπον αὑτοῦ." Τοὺς Σαρακηνοὺς λέγει. κδʹ, κεʹ. Καὶ πάντας τοὺς βασιλεῖς Ἀραβίας, καὶ πάντας τοὺς βασιλεῖς τοὺς συμμίκτους, τοὺς καταλύοντας ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ. Καὶ πάντας τοὺς βασιλεῖς Ζαμβρή. Παρὰ τῷ Ἑβραίῳ καὶ τῷ Σύρῳ Ζεμβρὰν εὑρήκαμεν· τῆς δὲ Χετούρας οὗτος υἱός· καὶ οὗτοι μέντοι τὴν ἔρημον ᾤκησαν. "Καὶ πάντας τοὺς βασιλεῖς Ἐλάμ." Καὶ τοῦτο Περσικὸν ἔθνος. "Καὶ πάντας τοὺς βασιλεῖς Μήδων καὶ Περσῶν." κϛʹ. Καὶ πάντας τοὺς βασιλεῖς ἀφηλιώτου 81.640 τοὺς ἐγγὺς καὶ τοὺς πόῤῥω· καὶ ἕκαστον πρὸς τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὑτοῦ. Τουτέστιν, ὥστε δι' ἀλλήλων δίκας δοῦναι τῆς ἀσεβείας. "Καὶ πάσας τὰς βασι λείας τῆς γῆς, τὰς ἐπὶ προσώπου τῆς γῆς· καὶ βασιλεὺς Σησὰχ πίεται ἔσχατος αὐτῶν." Τὸν Βα βυλώνιον οὕτως ἡγοῦμαι κληθῆναι· διὰ τούτου γὰρ καὶ οἱ προῤῥηθέντες ἔπιον· καὶ μετ' ὀλίγον τοῦτον πίεσθαι ἔσχατόν φησι. Μετὰ γὰρ δὴ τὴν διὰ τούτου τοῖς ἄλλοις προσενεχθεῖσαν τιμωρίαν αὐτὸς ἔδωκε δίκας. Εἶτα τοῖς πιεῖν μὴ βουλομένοις ἀπειλεῖ, ὅτι καὶ ἄκοντες πίονται. κθʹ. Ἄρξομαι γὰρ, φησὶν, ἀπὸ τῆς πόλεως ἐφ' ἧς ὠνομάσθη τὸ ὄνομά μου ἐπ' αὐτὴν, ἀπ' αὐτῆς ἄρχομαι τοῦ κακῶσαι· καὶ ὑμεῖς καθα ρισμῷ καθαρισθήσεσθε, καὶ οὐ μὴ καθαρισθῆτε. Τὴν ἀφωρισμένην, φησὶ, παραδίδωμι πόλιν· καὶ ὑμεῖς διαφεύξεσθε τὴν τιμωρίαν; οὐχ οἷόν τε τοῦτο γενέσθαι. λʹ. Καὶ σὺ προφητεύσεις ἐπ' αὐτοὺς πάντας τοὺς λόγους τούτους, καὶ ἐρεῖς πρὸς αὐτοὺς, Κύριος ἀφ' ὑψηλοῦ χρηματιεῖ, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἁγίου, αὑτοῦ δώσει φωνὴν αὑτοῦ. Ἀμφότερα δεδήλωκεν, ὅτι οὐρανόθεν ἐκφέρει τὴν ψῆφον, καὶ ὅτι ἐν τῷ ἀφιερωμένῳ ναῷ ποιεῖται τὴν ἐπιφάνειαν. "Λόγον χρηματιεῖ ἐκ τοῦ τόπου αὑτοῦ, καὶ οἶδεν ὥσπερ οἱ ληνοβατοῦντες ἀποκριθήσονται ἐπὶ πάντας τοὺς καθημένους ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς." Τὴν ἀπόκρισιν τὸ ἔργον λέγει· ἕπεται γὰρ τῷ θείῳ λόγῳ καὶ τὸ ἔργον. λαʹ. Ἥκει ὄλεθρος ἐπὶ μέρος τῆς γῆς· ὅτι κρίσις τῷ Κυρίῳ ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσι· κρίνεται αὐτὸς πρὸς πᾶσαν σάρκα· οἱ δὲ ἀσεβεῖς ἐδόθησαν εἰς μάχαιραν, λέγει Κύριος. Πάλιν τὴν ἄῤῥητον αὑτοῦ δείκνυσιν ἀγαθότητα. Οὐ γὰρ εἶπε, Κρινεῖ πᾶσαν σάρκα, ἀλλὰ, "Κρίνεται πρὸς πᾶσαν σάρκα·" δείκνυσι γὰρ τὰς οἰκείας εὐεργεσίας, καὶ τὴν τῶν λαμβανόν των ἀχαριστίαν ἐλέγχει. Λέγει δὲ διὰ τῶν ἑξῆς, καὶ τὰ ἐκ τῶν πολέμων φυόμενα κακὰ, καὶ ὅτι ἄταφοι οἱ