44

the king to send gifts to those who formerly offered gifts to the Assyrians. For he supposed that the sun had done or suffered this for Hezekiah's sake, using the death of the Assyrians as proof. 7. "For Thou shalt give him blessing for ever and ever, Thou shalt make him glad with joy with Thy countenance." And in all generations, he says, he will be renowned and much talked of, having had 80.1005 such great confidence with You. For "with Your countenance," Symmachus has put "at Your countenance." Therefore, he says, he will have gladness and perpetual joy, receiving Your countenance, that is, Your favor. And the cause of these things for him was to have trusted in You. For he added this: 8. "For the king hopes in the Lord, and in the mercy of the Most High he shall not be moved." He is mightier than those who war against him, enjoying Your grace; and he enjoys this, trusting in no man, but in Your hope. 9. "Let Thy hand be found on all Thine enemies; let Thy right hand find all those that hate Thee." Symmachus has stated this more clearly. Your hand will seize all Your enemies; Your right hand will find all those who hate You. What has been said follows in sequence. For not in vain has the king trusted in Your hope; but knowing that Your right hand is mightier than all enemies and will be able to destroy both the swiftest [it will seize, and the most powerful]. And again, by "right hand" and "hand," he spoke of energy. 10, 11. "For Thou shalt make them as a fiery furnace at the time of Thy presence. The Lord in His wrath shall confound them, and fire shall devour them. Their fruit Thou shalt destroy from the earth, and their seed from among the sons of men." It is easy for You, he says, to set them ablaze like a furnace, and to consume them as flammable matter in fire; and not only them, but also their descendants; for he called these both seed and fruit; so that all memory of them might be blotted out. And "at the time of Your presence," instead of, at the time of Your wrath, when You approve for this to happen, and judge the time of punishment to be opportune. 12. "For they have intended evils against Thee." Because they moved their tongue against You, and used blasphemous words. "They devised counsels which they shall not be able to establish." Some of the copies, however, have "to establish;" but Symmachus has put it thus: "They devised impossible thoughts." And through this he foretells the blasphemous 80.1008 words of the Assyrian: "Let not the God in whom you trust deceive you, that He will deliver Jerusalem from my hand." Concerning these words he says, that they devised impossible thoughts; or they devised counsels, which they shall not be able to establish; expecting to overcome the true God just as they did the idols. 13. "For Thou shalt make them turn their back." But Symmachus has it thus: "For you shall make them turn away." For those who escaped the angel's blow, You will turn to flight, and force them to turn their backs; so that having departed they might proclaim what has happened. And the prophet has set these things down prophetically, as things that have not yet happened. "Among Thy remnants Thou shalt prepare their face." Some have said this is by hyperbaton, and have understood it thus: Among their remnants Thou shalt prepare Thy face, instead of, And upon those who are left and who escape You will bring punishment. But it is also possible for those using the same construction to apply the same meaning, "Among Thy remnants Thou shalt prepare their face." For it is easy and simple for You to bring upon them the remaining punishments for You; and it is possible for You to turn back, and to make stand, and to punish those who are fleeing, and have turned their backs, and who believe they have escaped death. 14. "Be Thou exalted, Lord, in Thy strength; we will sing and praise Thy mighty acts." God is not exalted by being lowly, nor does He receive what He does not have; but He shows what He has. Reasonably, therefore, he said, "Be Thou exalted, Lord, in Thy strength." For Your highness is shown through Your ineffable power, which we will continue to sing and praise, recounting Your wondrous works.

44

βασιλέα δῶρα πέμψαι τοῖς πάλαι δῶρα τοῖς Ἀσσυρίοις παρέχουσι. Τοῦ γὰρ Ἐζεκίου χάριν ὑπέλαβε τοῦτο δεδρακέναι ἢ πεπονθέναι τὸν ἥλιον, τῷ τῶν Ἀσσυρίων θανάτῳ χρώμενος τεκμηρίῳ. ζʹ. "Ὅτι δῴης αὐτῷ εὐλογίαν εἰς αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος, εὐφρανεῖς αὐτὸν ἐν χαρᾷ μετὰ τοῦ προσ ώπου σου." Καὶ ἐν ἁπάσαις δὲ, φησὶ, ταῖς γενεαῖς ἀοίδιμος ἔσται, καὶ πολυθρύλλητος, τοσαύτην ἐσχη 80.1005 κὼς παρὰ σοὶ παῤῥησίαν. Τὸ γὰρ, "μετὰ τοῦ προσώπου σου," παρὰ τῷ προσώπῳ σου τέθει κεν ὁ Σύμμαχος. Εὐφροσύνην τοίνυν ἕξει, φησὶ, καὶ διηνεκῆ θυμηδίαν, τοῦ σοῦ προσώπου, τουτέστι, τῆς σῆς εὐμενείας τυγχάνων. Αἴτιον δὲ τούτων αὐτῷ γέγονε τὸ ἐπὶ σοὶ πεποιθέναι. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἐπ ήγαγεν· ηʹ. "Ὅτι βασιλεὺς ἐλπίζει ἐπὶ Κύριον, καὶ ἐν τῷ ἐλέει τοῦ Ὑψίστου οὐ μὴ σαλευθῇ." Κρείττων ἐστὶ τῶν πολεμούντων τῆς σῆς χάριτος ἀπολαύων· ἀπο λαύει δὲ ταύτης, ἀνθρώπῳ μὲν οὐδενὶ θαῤῥῶν, τῇ δέ σου ἐλπίδι. θʹ. "Εὑρεθείη ἡ χείρ σου πᾶσι τοῖς ἐχθροῖς σου· ἡ δεξιά σου εὕροι πάντας τοὺς μισοῦντάς σε." Τοῦτο σαφέστερον ὁ Σύμμαχος εἴρηκε. Καταλή ψεται ἡ χείρ σου πάντας τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου· ἡ δεξιά σου εὑρήσει πάντας τοὺς μισοῦντάς σε. Ἔχεται δὲ τῆς ἀκολουθίας τὰ εἰρημένα. Οὐ μάτην γὰρ ὁ βασιλεὺς τῇ σῇ ἐλπίδι τεθάῤῥηκεν· ἀλλ' εἰδὼς ὡς τῶν πολεμίων ἁπάντων κρείττων ἡ σὴ δεξιὰ καὶ τούς τε ταχυτάτους [καταλήψεται, τούς τε δυνατωτά τους], καταλῦσαι δυνήσεται. ∆εξιὰν δὲ καὶ χεῖρα, πάλιν τὴν ἐνέργειαν εἶπεν. ιʹ, ιαʹ. "Ὅτι θήσεις αὐτοὺς ὡς κλίβανον πυρὸς εἰς καιρὸν τοῦ προσώπου σου. Κύριος ἐν ὀργῇ αὑτοῦ συνταράξει αὐτοὺς, καὶ καταφάγεται αὐτοὺς πῦρ. Τὸν καρπὸν αὐτῶν, ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ἀπολεῖς, καὶ σπέρ μα αὐτῶν ἀπὸ υἱῶν ἀνθρώπων." Ῥᾷστόν σοι, φησὶ, κλιβάνου δίκην ἐξάψαι αὐτοὺς, καὶ κατανα λῶσαι ὡς ὕλην εὔπρηστον ἐν πυρί· καὶ οὐκ αὐτοὺς μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἐκείνων ἐγγόνους· τούτους γὰρ καὶ σπέρμα καὶ καρπὸν προσηγόρευσεν· ὥστε πᾶσαν αὐτῶν ἐξαλειφθῆναι τὴν μνήμην. Τὸ δὲ "εἰς καιρὸν τοῦ προσώπου," ἀντὶ τοῦ, ἐν τῷ τῆς ὀργῆς σου καιρῷ, ὅταν τοῦτο δοκιμάσῃς γενέσθαι, καὶ ἐπιτήδειον εἶναι κρίνῃς τὸν τῆς τιμωρίας καιρόν. ιβʹ. "Ὅτι ἔκλιναν εἰς σὲ κακά." Ἐπειδὴ κατὰ σοῦ τὴν γλῶτταν ἐκίνησαν, καὶ βλασφήμοις λόγοις ἐχρήσαντο. "∆ιελογίσαντο βουλὰς αἳ οὐ μὴ δύνων ται στῆναι." Ἔνια μέντοι τῶν ἀντιγράφων στῆ ναι· ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος οὕτως εἴρηκεν·" Ἐλογίσαντο ἐννοίας ἀδυνάτους." Προλέγει δὲ διὰ τούτου τὰς βλασ 80.1008 φήμους τοῦ Ἀσσυρίου φωνάς· "Μή σε ἀπατάτω ὁ Θεὸς ᾧ σὺ πέποιθας ἐπ' αὐτῷ, ὅτι ῥύσεται τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐκ χειρός μου." Περὶ τούτων λέγει τῶν ῥημάτων, ὅτι ἐλογίσαντο ἐννοίας ἀδυνάτους· ἢ ἐλο γίσαντο βουλὰς, αἳ οὐ μὴ δύνωνται στῆναι· προσ δοκήσαντες καθάπερ τῶν εἰδώλων, οὕτω καὶ τοῦ ὄντος Θεοῦ περιέσεσθαι. ιγʹ. "Ὅτι θήσεις αὐτοὺς νῶτον." Ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος οὕτω· "Ὅτι θήσεις αὐτοὺς ἀποστρόφους." Τοὺς γὰρ τὴν τοῦ ἀγγέλου διαφυγόντας πληγὴν, εἰς φυγὴν τρέψεις, καὶ τὰ νῶτα δοῦναι καταναγκάσεις· ἵνα ἀπελθόντες τὰ γεγενημένα κηρύξωσιν. Ταῦτα δὲ προῤῥητικῶς τέθεικεν ὁ προφήτης, ὡς μηδέπω γεγενημένα. "Ἐν τοῖς περιλοίποις σου ἑτοιμάσεις τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτῶν." Τοῦτό τινες μεθ' ὑπερβα τοῦ ἔφασαν εἶναι, καὶ νενοήκασιν οὕτως· Ἐν τοῖς περιλοίποις αὐτῶν ἑτοιμάσεις τὸ πρόσωπόν σου, ἀντὶ τοῦ, Καὶ τοῖς καταλειφθεῖσι, καὶ διαφυγοῦσιν ἐπ άξεις τὴν τιμωρίαν. ∆υνατὸν δὲ καὶ τῇ αὐτῇ συν θήκῃ χρωμένους, τὴν αὐτὴν ἔννοιαν προσαρμόσαι, "Ἐν τοῖς περιλοίποις σου ἑτοιμάσεις τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτῶν." Τὰς γὰρ ὑπολοίπους σοι τιμωρίας ἐπ αγαγεῖν αὐτοῖς εὐπετές σοι καὶ ῥᾴδιον· καὶ τοὺς φεύγοντας, καὶ νῶτα δεδωκότας, καὶ ἡγουμένους διαπεφευγέναι τὸν θάνατον, ἀντιστρέψαι, καὶ στῆ σαι, καὶ κολάσαι σοι δυνατόν. ιδʹ. "Ὑψώθητι, Κύριε, ἐν τῇ δυνάμει σου· ᾄσο μεν καὶ ψαλοῦμεν τὰς δυναστείας σου." Οὐ ταπει νὸς ὢν ὁ Θεὸς ὑψοῦται, οὐδὲ ὃ μὴ ἔχει προσλαμ βάνει· ἀλλ' ὅπερ ἔχει δείκνυσιν. Εἰκότως τοίνυν εἶ πεν, "Ὑψώθητι, Κύριε, ἐν τῇ δυνάμει σου." ∆εί κνυται γάρ σου τὸ ὕψος διὰ τῆς ἀῤῥήτου δυνάμεως, ἣν ἡμεῖς ᾄδοντες καὶ ὑμνοῦντές σε διατελέσομεν, τὰς σὰς θαυματουργίας διεξιόντες.