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He compared him to a hired hand awaiting a fixed time and being cheered by the hope of the end. After the fixed time, however, he does not promise her the old prosperity but few inhabitants and these not rulers; for she will be left few in number and not honored. Knowing these things, therefore, let us propitiate the judge by keeping His commandments and come before His face with confession, so that we may escape the experience of these sorrows and, governed by Him, we may sail through the present life with favorable winds and anchor in His calm harbors, singing hymns to Him and His only-begotten Son and the all-holy Spirit, now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen. 6 VOLUME 8 171 The word concerning Damascus. Perhaps someone might ask why, having foretold what would happen to the Babylonians and Moabites, the Damascenes and Egyptians and Idumeans and Tyrians, the prophet has left out the other nations. It is necessary, therefore, to know that these nations continually waged war against Judea; and for this reason the prophet, being a prophet of the Jews, prophesies their misfortunes, and for some he also foretells their change for the better and their future piety, so as in this way to stir up his kinsmen to zeal for divine things. Behold, Damascus shall be taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruin. Tiglath-Pileser besieged it and, having killed some and enslaved others, sent other colonists into it. He marched against it while Ahaz was still alive. For it is necessary to note this as well, since he mentioned the death of Ahaz. For he wished to complete the history and prophecy concerning him, and then to present the oracles concerning the other nations. 2Left forever for a bed for flocks and a resting place for herdsmen, and there will be no one to drive them away; 3and it shall not be a strong place for Ephraim to flee to; there will no longer be a kingdom in Damascus. The phrase, "forever," is not connected with the desolation of the city but with the kingdom. For Damascus is inhabited, but it does not rule but is ruled over, and it was desolate for a very long time; but it was rebuilt again and had very many inhabitants, but it did not regain its former prosperity. For of old it presided over all of Syria; for it had the palace of the king of the Syrians. Whence he adds: And the remnant of the Syrians shall perish. Instead of, it shall be captive; for the subject cities shared in the misfortune of the metropolis. For you are not better than the sons of Israel and their glory. For if I gave up my dedicated people, the much-renowned Israel, on account of their impiety, how could I justly have spared the one that utterly denies me? But what Israel will suffer, he makes clear through what follows: 4And it shall be in that day that the glory of Jacob shall fail, and the fatness of his glory shall be shaken. For after the capture of Damascus, the Assyrians deported the ten tribes. Then he teaches the ease of the victory over them: 5And it shall be as when one gathers the standing harvest into his arm and reaps the grain of the ears. Just as, he says, the farmer very easily reaps and gathers the sheaf in his arms, so very easily will the Assyrians overcome the ten tribes. And it shall be as when one gathers ears of corn in a rugged ravine 6and stubble is left in it, or as when two or three berries of a harvested olive tree are left on the topmost bough, or four or five on its lofty branches. A few, he says, will escape the hands of the enemies, just as some worthless and few-in-number olives escape the harvesters by being raised high on the tips of the branches, being despised by them, or as some stubble left in a small, rugged, and eroded ravine. By these things he signifies those who escape into the neighboring mountains and in this way provide for their safety. Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: 7In that day a man shall trust in the one who made him, and his eyes unto the

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μισθωτῷ ἀπείκασε τὸν ὡρισμένον ἀναμένοντι χρόνον καὶ ψυχαγωγουμένῳ τῇ ἐλπίδι τοῦ τέλους. Μετὰ μέντοι τὸν ὡρισμένον χρόνον οὐ τὴν παλαιὰν αὐτῇ ἐπαγ γέλλεται εὐπραξίαν ἀλλ' ὀλίγους οἰκήτορας καὶ τούτους οὐκ ἄρχοντας· καταλειφθήσεται γὰρ ὀλιγοστὴ καὶ οὐκ ἔντιμος. Ταῦτα τοίνυν εἰδότες ἐξιλεωσώμεθα τὸν κριτὴν τῇ τῶν ἐντολῶν αὐτοῦ φυλακῇ καὶ προφθάσωμεν τὸ πρόςωπον αὐτοῦ ἐν ἐξομολογήσει, ἵνα διαφύγωμεν αὐτῶν τῶν λυπηρῶν τὴν πεῖραν καὶ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ κυβερνώμενοι τόν τε παρόντα ἐξ οὐρίων διαπλεύσωμεν βίον καὶ εἰς τοὺς ἀπηνέμους αὐτοῦ καθορμίσωμεν λιμένας ἀνυμνοῦντες αὐτὸν καὶ τὸν μονογενῆ υἱὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ πανάγιον πνεῦμα νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν. 6 ΤΟΜΟΣ ῃʹ 171 Τὸ ῥῆμα τὸ κατὰ ∆αμασκοῦ. Ἴσως ἄν τις ζητήσειε, τί δήποτε τὰ συμβησόμενα Βαβυλωνίοις καὶ Μωαβίταις, ∆αμασκηνοῖς τε καὶ Αἰγυπτίοις καὶ Ἰδουμαίοις καὶ Τυρίοις προειρηκὼς ὁ προφήτης τἆλλα καταλέλοιπεν ἔθνη. Χρὴ τοίνυν εἰδέναι ὡς ταῦτα τὰ ἔθνη συνεχῶς κατεπολέμει τὴν Ἰουδαίαν· καὶ τούτου χάριν ὁ προφήτης, ἅτε δὴ Ἰουδαίων προφήτης, τὰς τούτων συμφορὰς προθεσπίζει, ἐνίων δὲ προλέγει καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ τὸ κρεῖττον μεταβολὴν καὶ τὴν ἐσομένην εὐσέβειαν, ὥστε καὶ ταύτῃ παραθῆξαι τοὺς ὁμοφύλους εἰς τὴν περὶ τὰ θεῖα σπουδήν. Ἰδοὺ ∆αμασκὸς ἀρθήσεται ἀπὸ πόλεως καὶ ἔσται εἰς πτῶσιν. Θεγλαθφαλσὰρ αὐτὴν πολιορκήσας καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἀνελὼν τοὺς δὲ ἐξανδραποδίσας ἑτέρους εἰς αὐτὴν ἀποίκους ἐξέπεμψεν. Ἐπεστράτευσε δὲ τοῦ Ἄχαζ ἔτι περιόντος. Ἐπισημήνασθαι γὰρ καὶ τοῦτο δεῖ, ἐπειδὴ τῆς τοῦ Ἄχαζ ἐμνημόνευσε τελευτῆς. Ἐβουλήθη γὰρ τὴν κατ' ἐκεῖνον ἱστορίαν τε καὶ προφητείαν πληρῶσαι, εἶθ' οὕτω τὰ κατὰ τῶν ἄλλων ἐθνῶν παραθεῖναι θεσπίσματα. 2Καταλελειμμένη εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα εἰς κοίτην ποιμνίων καὶ ἀνάπαυσιν βουκόλων, καὶ οὐκ ἔσται ὁ διώκων· 3καὶ οὐκ ἔσται ὀχυρὰ τοῦ καταφυγεῖν ἐκεῖ τὸν Ἐφραίμ· οὐκέτι ἔσται βασιλεία ἐν ∆αμασκῷ. Τό· εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, οὐ τῇ ἐρημίᾳ τῆς πόλεως ἀλλὰ τῇ βασιλείᾳ συνήρμοσται. Οἰκεῖται μὲν γὰρ ἡ ∆αμασκός, οὐ μὴν βασιλεύει ἀλλὰ βασιλεύεται, ἔρημος δὲ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἐγένετο· ἀλλὰ πάλιν ἀνῳκοδομήθη καὶ πλείστους ἔσχεν οἰκήτορας, οὐ μὴν τὴν προτέραν εὐπρα ξίαν ἀπέλαβεν. Πάλαι γὰρ τῆς Συρίας πάσης προὐκάθητο· αὐτὴ γὰρ εἶχε τὰ τοῦ βασιλέως τῶν Σύρων βασίλεια. Ὅθεν ἐπάγει· Καὶ τὸ κατάλοιπον τῶν Σύρων ἀπολεῖται. Ἀντὶ τοῦ αἰχμάλωτον ἔσται· ἐκοινώνησαν γὰρ τῇ μητροπόλει τῆς συμφορᾶς αἱ ὑπήκοοι πόλεις. Οὐ γὰρ σὺ βελτίων εἶ τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ καὶ τῆς δόξης αὐτῶν. Εἰ γὰρ τὸν ἀφιερωμένον μοι λαόν, τὸν πολυθρύλητον Ἰσραήλ, διὰ τὴν ἀσέβειαν παρέδωκα, πῶς ἂν δικαίως ἐφεισάμην τῆς παντελῶς ἀρνουμένης με; Τί δὲ πείσεται ὁ Ἰσραήλ, διὰ τῶν ἐπαγομένων δηλοῖ· 4Ἔσται ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ ἔκλειψις τῆς δόξης Ἰακώβ, καὶ τὰ πίονα τῆς δόξης αὐτοῦ σεισθήσεται. Μετὰ γὰρ τὴν ἅλωσιν τῆς ∆αμασκοῦ τὰς δέκα φυλὰς ἀπῴκισαν οἱ Ἀσσύριοι. Εἶτα τῆς κατ' αὐτῶν νίκης τὴν εὐκολίαν διδάσκει· 5Καὶ ἔσται ὃν τρόπον ἐάν τις συναγάγῃ ἀμητὸν ἑστηκότα ἐν τῷ βραχίονι αὐτοῦ καὶ σπέρμα σταχύων ἀμῆται. Καθάπερ φησὶν ὁ γεωργὸς μάλα ῥᾳδίως θερίζει καὶ ταῖς ἀγκάλαις τὸ δρ άγμα συνάγει, οὕτω λίαν εὐπετῶς οἱ Ἀσσύριοι τῶν δέκα φυλῶν περιέσονται. Καὶ ἔσται ὃν τρόπον ἐάν τις συναγάγῃ ἀστάχυας ἐν φάραγγι στερεᾷ 6καὶ καταλειφθῇ ἐν αὐτῇ καλάμη, ἢ ὡς ῥᾶγες τρυγηθείσης ἐλαίας δύο ἢ τρεῖς ἐπ' ἄκρου μετεώρου ἢ τέσσαρες ἢ πέντε ἐπὶ τῶν κλάδων αὐτῶν τῶν μετεώρων καταλειφθῶσιν. Ὀλίγοι φησὶν τὰς τῶν δυσμενῶν διαφεύξονται χεῖρας, καθάπερ τινὲς εὐτελεῖς καὶ εὐαρίθ μητοι ἐλαῖαι διαφεύγουσι τοὺς τρυγῶντας διὰ τὸ ἐν τοῖς ἄκροις μετεωρισθῆναι τῶν κλάδων ὑπ' ἐκείνων καταφρο νούμεναι ἢ καλάμη τις ἐν φάραγγι ὀλίγῃ στερεᾷ τε καὶ δια β όρῳ καταλιμπανομένη. Σημαίνει δὲ διὰ τούτων τοὺς ἐν τοῖς παρακειμένοις διαφεύγοντας ὄρεσι καὶ τούτῳ τῷ τρόπῳ τὴν σωτηρίαν ποριζομένους. Τάδε λέγει κύριος ὁ θεὸς Ἰσραήλ· 7Τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ πεποιθὼς ἔσται ἄνθρωπος ἐπὶ τῷ ποιήσαντι αὐτόν, οἱ δὲ ὀφθαλμοὶ αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸν