45

and Shalmaneser, Hoshea and Samaria. But in common, the phrase ‘will fail’ in ‘and the head of Samaria.’ But the sixty-five years, Hebrew scholars seem to calculate with accuracy, if one were to make their beginning from the twenty-fifth year of the reign of Uzziah. For during this time Isaiah prophesied, along with Amos; but Amos first prophesied the capture of Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, two years before the earthquake that occurred, they say, when Uzziah, entering into the sanctuary, became a leper, and the fat of the altar was poured out. The remaining years of Uzziah are twenty-seven. For he had reigned fifty-two in all, in the twenty-fifth of which, Amos first prophesied about the capture of Israel; after which are the sixteen years of Jotham, and another sixteen of Ahaz, and six of the reign of Hezekiah. Which, when put together, fulfill the sixty-five. For in the sixth year of Hezekiah, Israel endured its final captivity. God foretells these things. But seeing that Ahaz and the people under him were unbelieving toward what had been said, he added, "If you do not believe, you will not understand." For to those who by their unbelief insult the word of God, there could be no understanding from him. And the "go out," spoken to the prophet, must be understood in a lofty sense. For a soul, gathering itself for the contemplation of beings, is said to go out from its entanglement with the body. But when it is engaged in human affairs, or in the necessary care of the body, or is not able to be stretched out further toward more important things, it enters, as it were, from things without to things within. Therefore, there was need of the "go out" for the prophet who was about to hear the word of God. Thus to Abraham, "Go out from your land," he says. For it is necessary to ascend from the earth, that is, from bodily things, by going out of it. Then also from your kindred, which are the senses, and from the house of your father, which is the affinity for base practices. After which it is written how God led him outside, perfecting his eagerness for the exodus. For this reason Moses also pitches his own tent outside the camp. For having crossed over from human affairs, he pitched his own tent outside, establishing his own life as unshakable. Now Jashub is interpreted, returning; the word showing that those willing to return are able, with the prophet, to accomplish the exodus, going out from the passions of the flesh. But some say that Jashub is interpreted as remnant and one left behind, the type signifying that the remnant of Judah that has remained with God will be saved; for the prophet is taken as a type of God. And he is commanded to go up to the ascent that is toward the pool. For the place was indeed also famous according to the history; for it is written that the king of the Assyrians sent Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem with a great force, and he stood at the conduit of the upper pool, on the road of the fuller's field. At the same time, it teaches to stand aloof from lowly things and those that lie on the ground. For to those who have become "above," there is water for cleansing, and a fuller's field for him who cleanses away the filth, as Ecclesiastes commands: "Let your garments be always white." And the Lord also commands Moses that those about to hear God should wash their garments. Where one having arrived will also have the wedding garment ready, so that he may not be bound hand and foot and cast out of the bridechamber. Some also have declared the pool a type of divine baptism. And useful to us also is the, "Take heed to be quiet," for the purpose of keeping the heart with all diligence. For if the strong man keeps his court watchfully, all his possessions are in peace; he who also is quiet, not bearing the disturbance of the crowd, nor fearing a passionate fear in a soul made strong by the spirit of strength. Through the two smoking firebrands we receive a command not to be cowardly from the plausibilities of the Greeks, and the slanders among the heterodox. For the firebrands have lost the life of the plant, and the strength of the wood, and the light not

45

ὁ δὲ Σαλμανασὰρ τὸν Ὠσηὲ καὶ Σαμάρειαν. Κατὰ κοινοῦ δὲ, τὸ ἐκλείψει ἐν τῷ, καὶ ἡ κεφαλὴ Σομόρων. Τά γε μὴν ἑξήκοντα πέντε ἔτη παῖδες Ἑβραίων φαίνονται μετ' ἀκριβείας συνάγεσθαι, τούτων εἰ ποιήσαιτό τις ἀρχὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ πέμπτου καὶ εἰκοστοῦ ἔτους τῆς Ὀζίου βασιλείας. Προφητεύει μὲν γὰρ κατὰ τοῦτον Ἡσαΐας ὁμοῦ καὶ Ἀμώς· θεσπίζει δὲ πρῶτος Ἀμὼς τὴν ἅλωσιν Ἰσραὴλ ἐν ἡμέραις Ὀζίου βασιλέως Ἰούδα, πρὸδύο ἐτῶν τοῦ σεισμοῦ τοῦ γενομένου, φασὶν, ὅτεπερ Ὀζίας εἰσελθὼν εἰς τὸ ἁγίασμα λεπροῦται, καὶ ἡ τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου πιότης ἐκκέχυται. Γίνεται δὲ τὰ λοιπὰ τοῦ Ὀζίου ἔτη εἰκοσιεπτά. Τὰ γὰρ πάντα δύο καὶ πεντήκοντα βεβασίλευκεν, ὧν κατὰ τὸ πέμπτον καὶ εἰκοστὸν, πρῶτος Ἀμὼς θεσπίζει τὰ περὶ τῆς ἁλώσεως Ἰσραήλ· μεθ' ἃ τοῦ Ἰωαθὰμ ἔτη ἑκκαίδεκα, καὶ τοῦ Ἄχαζ ἄλλα τοσαῦτα, καὶ τῆς Ἐζεκίου βασιλείας ἕξ. Ἃ δὴ συντεθέντα πληροῖ τὰ πέντε καὶ τὰ ἑξήκοντα. Ἕκτῳ γὰρ ἔτει Ἐζεκίου τὴν ὑστάτην Ἰσραὴλ αἰχμαλωσίαν ὑπέμεινεν. Ταῦτα προλέγει Θεός. Συνιδὼν δὲ τὸν Ἄχαζ καὶ τὸν ὑπ' αὐτῷ λαὸν ἀπίστως ἔχοντα πρὸς τὰ λελεγμένα, ἐπήγαγε τὸ, Ἑὰν μὴ πιστεύσητε, οὐδὲ μὴ συνῆτε. Τοῖς γὰρ ταῖς ἀπιστίαις περιυβρίζουσιν τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸν λόγον, οὐδ' ἂν γένοιτο σύνεσις ἡ παρ' αὐτοῦ. Τὸ δὲ, ἔξελθε, πρὸς 1956 τὸν προφήτην εἰρημένον, ὑψηλῶς ἐκδεκτέον. Ψυχὴ μὲν γὰρ ἑαυτὴν πρὸς τὴν θεωρίαν τῶν ὄντων συλλέγουσα, τῆς πρὸς τὸ σῶμα ἐπιπλοκῆς ἐξιέναι λέγεται. Πρὸς δὲ τοῖς ἀνθρωπίνοις γεγενημένη, ἢ καὶ πρὸς ἀναγκαίαν θεραπείαν τοῦ σώματος, ἢ καὶ μὴ δυνηθεῖσα πρὸς τὰ διαφέροντα πλέον ἐκτείνεσθαι, ἀπὸ τῶν ἔξω πρὸς τὰ ἔνδον ὥσπερ εἰσέρχεται. Ἔδει οὖν τοῦ ἔξελθε πρὸς τὸν προφήτην μέλλοντι λόγον ἀκοῦσαι Θεοῦ. Οὕτω πρὸς Ἀβραὰμ, Ἔξελθε ἐκ τῆς γῆς σου, φησίν. ∆εῖ γὰρ ἀναβῆναι τῆς γῆς, δηλαδὴ τῶν σωματικῶν, ἐξιόντας αὐτῆς. Εἶτα καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς συγγενείας, ἅπερ ἐστὶ τὰ αἰσθητήρια, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ πατρός σου, ὅς ἐστιν ἡ πρὸς τὰ φαῦλα τῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων οἰκείωσις. Μεθ' ἃ γέγραπται ὡς ἐξήγαγεν αὐτὸν ἔξω ὁ Θεὸς, τὴν προθυμίαν αὐτοῦ τὴν πρὸς τὴν ἔξοδον τελειῶν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ Μωϋσῆς ἔξω πήγνυσι τῆς παρεμβολῆς τὴν ἰδίαν σκηνήν. ∆ιαβεβηκὼς γὰρ ἀπὸ τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων, ἔξω κατέπηξε τὴν ἰδίαν σκηνὴν, τὴν ἑαυτοῦ ζωὴν ἑδράσας ἀσάλευτον. Ἑρμηνεύεται δὲ Ἰασοὺβ, ἐπιστρέφων· δεικνύντος τοῦ λόγου, ὡς ἐπιστρέφειν ἐθέλοντες δύνανται μετὰ τοῦ προφήτου κατορθῶσαι τὴν ἔξοδον, τῶν τῆς σαρκὸς παθῶν ἐξερχόμενοι. Τινὲς δέ φασιν ὑπόλειμμα καὶ ὑπολελειμμένος τὸ Ἰασοὺβ ἑρμηνεύεσθαι, τοῦ τύπου σημαίνοντος, ὅτι σωθήσεται τὸ ὑπόλειμμα τοῦ Ἰούδα μετὰ Θεοῦ μεμενηκός· Θεοῦ γὰρ εἰς τύπον ὁ προφήτης λαμβάνεται. Κελεύεται δὲ ἀνελθεῖν ἐπὶ τὴν ἄνοδον τὴν οὖσαν πρὸς τὴν κολυμβήθραν. Ἦν μὲν γὰρ ὁ τόπος καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἱστορίαν ἐπίσημος· γέγραπται γὰρ ὅτι ἀπέστειλεν ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἀσσυρίων Ῥαψάκην ἐκ Λάχεις εἰς Ἱερουσαλὴμμετὰ δυνάμεως πολλῆς, καὶ ἔστη ἐν τῷ ὑδραγωγῷ τῆς κολυμβήθρας τῆς ἄνω, ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ τοῦ ἀγροῦ τοῦ κναφέως. Ἅμα δὲ διδάσκει τῶν ταπεινῶν καὶ χαμαὶ κειμένων ἀφίστασθαι. Τοῖς γὰρ ἄνω γενομένοις ὕδωρ ἐστὶν εἰς ἀποκάθαρσιν, καὶ ἀγρὸς κναφέως τοῦ τὸν ῥύπον ἀποκαθαίροντος, τοῦ Ἐκκλησιαστοῦ παραγγέλλοντος· "Ἐν παντὶ καιρῷ ἔστωσαν τὰ ἱμάτιά σου λευκά." Κελεύει δὲ καὶ τῷ Μωϋσεῖ Κύριος πλύνειν τὰ ἱμάτια τοὺς μέλλοντας ἀκούειν Θεοῦ. Ἔνθα τις φθάσας καὶ τὸ τοῦ γάμου ἔνδυμα ἔτοιμον ἕξει, ὡς ἂν μὴ δεθεὶς χεῖρας καὶ πόδας, τοῦ νυμφῶνος ἐκρίπτηται. Τινὲς δὲ καὶ τοῦ θείου βαπτίσματος τὴν κολυμβήθραν ἀπεφήναντο τύπον. Χρήσιμον δὲ καὶ ἡμῖν τὸ, Φύλαξαι τοῦ ἡσυχάσαι, πρὸς τὸ πάσῃ φυλακῇ τὴν καρδίαν τηρεῖν. Ἐὰ γὰρ ὁ ἰσχυρὸς φυλάσσῃ τὴν αὐτοῦ αὐλὴν ἐγρηγόρως, ἐν εἰρήνῃ ἐστὶν πάντα τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτοῦ, ὃς καὶ ἡσυχάζει τοῦ ὄχλου μὴ φέρων τὸν θόρυβον, μηδὲ φοβούμενος παθητικὸν φόβον ἐν ἰσχυούσῃ ψυχῇ τῷ πνεύματι τῆς ἰσχύος. ∆ιὰ τῶν 1957 δύο δὲ καπνιζομένων δαλῶν λαμβάνομεν πρόσταγμα, μὴ δειλιᾷν ἀπὸ τῶν Ἑλληνικῶν πιθανοτήτων, τῶν τε παρὰ τοῖς ἑτεροδόξοις δυσφημιῶν. Οἱ γὰρ δαλοὶ ἀπώλεσαν τοῦ τε φυτοῦ τὸ ζωτικὸν, καὶ τοῦ ξύλου τὸ ἰσχυρὸν, καὶ τὸ φωτεινὸν οὐκ