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their remnant shall be saved; for He will finish the word and cut it short in righteousness, because the Lord will make a word cut short in the whole inhabited world. The first, then, indicated those left behind who returned from the captivity, but the second, where the word introduces indefinitely with a slight distinction the phrase: 'And if the people of Israel be as the sand of the sea, the remnant shall be saved,' presents another meaning: for the sand of the sea has an innumerable multitude, but otherwise happens to be useless for agriculture. When therefore, he says, the people of Israel is poured out into an innumerable multitude, but becomes useless in the fruitfulness according to God, at that time their multitude will perish, and only their remnant will be saved, the word signifying the useless multitude of the nation of those who, after the return from Babylon, inhabited the land until the Roman times; for these were they who were as the sand of the sea, from whom only the remnant was saved, those of them who believed in the Christ of God, his disciples and apostles and evangelists. And this will be, he says, when the Lord will make a word cut short in the whole inhabited world, through which he clearly alluded to 'the gospel' of the new covenant 'preached' 'in the whole inhabited world.' And the evangelical word was cut short in that it did not contain the commandments from Moses. And the Apostle also remembers the preceding words, speaking in this manner: 'And Isaiah cries out concerning Israel: "Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant will be saved; for the Lord will execute his word on the earth, finishing it and cutting it short." And as Isaiah said before: "If the Lord of Sabaoth had not left us a seed, we would have been like Sodom and made like Gomorrah."' It should be known that up to this point came the twelfth volume of Origen's exegetical works on the prophet. 1.61 The word having fulfilled the prophecy concerning Judah and Jerusalem, through which it revealed how they too will suffer things similar to Samaria and Israel, being handed over to the ruler of the Assyrians, and what sort of things their besieger the Assyrian... having foretold both concerning those who would live piously after these things all these things concerning those who would be after long times... the present time, in which Isaiah the prophet was known to those inhabiting Jerusalem under king Hezekiah and an attack... and they are anxious and in anguish, lest they too might suffer the same things as the inhabitants of Samaria. He advises not to fear the Assyrians; for he says that their king will indeed come and campaign against Jerusalem for its inhabitants to experience a brief blow, as if struck with a rod, but that he will return unsuccessful, having taken to flight. And these things were fulfilled under Hezekiah, son of Ahaz, who reigned in Jerusalem, a man who was not like his father, but otherwise righteous and beloved of God in every way. Therefore the Lord says to those indicated: Fear not, my people who dwell in Zion, him from the Assyrians. For even if with my permission their king will come upon you, nevertheless he will strike you with a corrective rod, but he will not come upon you with swords nor with spears, having conquered by the law of war. And this blow against you by a rod will not be unlawful; for yet a little while and the wrath will cease. And do not be ignorant of the reason why the Assyrian was permitted to use a sparing blow against you; because you gave yourself again to the way of Egypt, having turned to idolatry in the time of Ahaz. For this reason I have delivered you to the rod of the Assyrian for correction and conversion. Nevertheless my anger will soon cease, as you change for the better and acknowledge God, together with your king Hezekiah. Therefore my indignation against you will also cease, but I of your salvation

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τὸ κατάλειμμα αὐτῶν σωθήσεται· λόγον γὰρ συντελῶν καὶ συντέμνων ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ, ὅτι λόγον συντετμημένον ποιήσει κύριος ἐν τῇ οἰκουμένῃ ὅλῃ. τὸ μὲν οὖν πρῶτον τοὺς καταλειφθέντας ἐδήλου τοὺς ἐπανελθόντας ἀπὸ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας, τὸ δὲ δεύτερον, ἔνθα ὁ λόγος ἀορίστως ἐπιφέρει μετὰ ὑποδιαστολῆς τό· καὶ ἐὰν γένηται ὁ λαὸς Ἰσραὴλ ὡς ἡ ἄμμος τῆς θαλάσσης, τὸ ὑπόλειμμα σωθήσεται, ἑτέραν παρίστησι διάνοιαν· ψάμμος γὰρ θαλάσσης τὸ μὲν πλῆθος ἀναρίθμητον ἔχει, ἄλλως δὲ ἄχρηστος τυγχάνει πρὸς γεωργίαν. ἐπειδὰν οὖν ὁ λαὸς Ἰσραήλ φησιν εἰς πλῆθος ἀναρίθμητον χυθῇ, ἄχρηστον δὲ γένηται ἐν τῇ κατὰ θεὸν καρποφορίᾳ, τὸ τηνικαῦτα τὸ μὲν πλῆθος αὐτῶν ἀπολεῖται, μόνον δὲ τὸ κατάλειμμα αὐτῶν σωθήσεται τοῦ λόγου σημαίνοντος τὴν ἄχρηστον πληθὺν τοῦ ἔθνους τῶν μετὰ τὴν ἐπάνοδον τὴν ἀπὸ Βαβυλῶνος οἰκησάντων τὴν χώραν μέχρι τῶν Ῥωμαϊκῶν χρόνων· οὗτοι γὰρ ἦσαν οἱ ὡς ἡ ἄμμος τῆς θαλάσσης, ἐξ ὧν μόνον διεσώθη τὸ κατάλειμμα, οἱ ἐξ αὐτῶν εἰς τὸν Χριστὸν τοῦ θεοῦ πεπιστευκότες μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπόστολοι καὶ εὐαγγελισταί. τοῦτο δὲ ἔσται φησὶν ἐπειδὰν λόγον συντετμημένον ποιήσει κύριος ἐν τῇ οἰκουμένῃ ὅλῃ, δι' ὧν σαφῶς «τὸ εὐαγγέλιον» τῆς καινῆς ᾐνίξατο διαθήκης «ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ οἰκουμένῃ» «κηρυχθέν». συντετμημένος δὲ ἦν ὁ λόγος ὁ εὐαγγελικὸς τῷ μὴ περιέχειν τὰ παρὰ Μωσεῖ παραγγέλματα. τῶν δὲ προκειμένων ῥημάτων μέμνηται καὶ ὁ Ἀπόστολος τοῦτον λέγων τὸν τρόπον· «Ἠσαΐας δὲ κράζει ὑπὲρ τοῦ Ἰσραήλ· ἐὰν ᾖ ὁ ἀριθμὸς τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ ὡς ἡ ἄμμος τῆς θαλάσσης, τὸ ὑπόλειμμα σωθήσεται· λόγον γὰρ συντελῶν καὶ συντέμνων ποιήσει κύριος ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. καὶ καθὼς προείρηκεν Ἠσαΐας· εἰ μὴ κύριος σαβαὼθ ἐγκατέλιπεν ἡμῖν σπέρμα, ὡς Σόδομα ἂν ἐγενήθημεν καὶ ὡς Γόμορρα ἂν ὡμοιώθημεν». ἰστέον δ' ὡς μέχρι τούτων Ὠριγένει προῆλθεν ὁ δωδέκατος τῶν εἰς τὸν προφήτην ἐξηγητικῶν τόμος. 1.61 Πληρώσας ὁ λόγος τὴν περὶ τοῦ Ἰούδα καὶ τῆς Ἰερουσαλὴμ προφητείαν, δι' ἧς ἐδήλου ὡς καὶ αὐτοὶ τὰ ὅμοια τῇ Σαμαρείᾳ καὶ τῷ Ἰσραὴλ πείσονται παραδοθέντες τῷ τῶν Ἀσσυρίων ἄρχοντι ὁποῖά τε τὸν πολιορκητὴν αὐτῶν τὸν Ἀσσύριον διαδ...... περί τε τῶν μετὰ ταῦτα εὐσεβῶς βιωσόντων προειπὼν ταῦτα πάντα περὶ τῶν μετὰ μακροὺς χρόνους γενησομένων ...... παρόντα χρόνον, καθ' ὃν Ἠσαΐας ὁ προφήτης ἐγνωρίζετο τοῖς κατ' Ἑζεκίαν τὸν βασιλέα τὴν Ἰερουσαλὴμ οἰκοῦσι καὶ ἔφοδον ...... φροντίζουσίν τε καὶ ἐν ἀγωνίᾳ καθεστῶσι, μὴ ἄρα ποτὲ καὶ αὐτοὶ πάθοιεν τὰ ὅμοια τοῖς τὴν Σαμάρειαν οἰκοῦσιν. παραινεῖ μὴ φοβεῖσθαι τοὺς Ἀσσυρίους· ἥξειν μὲν γάρ φησι καὶ ἐπιστρατεύσειν κατὰ τῆς Ἰερουσαλὴμ τὸν τούτων βασιλέα πρὸς τὸ βραχείας πειραθῆναι πληγῆς τοὺς ἐν αὐτῇ κατοικοῦντας ὥσπερ ῥάβδῳ παιομένους, ἄπρακτον δὲ αὐτὸν ὑποστρέψειν φυγῇ χρησάμενον. ἐπληροῦτο δὲ καὶ ταῦτα ἐπὶ Ἑζεκίου υἱοῦ Ἄχαζ βασιλεύοντος ἐν Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἀνδρὸς γενομένουοὐ κατὰ τὸν πατέρα, δικαίου δὲ ἄλλως καὶ θεοφιλοῦς κατὰ πάντα τρόπον. διό φησι ὁ κύριος πρὸς τοὺς δηλωθέντας· μὴ φοβοῦ, ὁ λαός μου οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐν Σιών, αὐτ ἀπὸ Ἀσσυρίων. εἰ καὶ τὰ μάλιστα γὰρ ἐμοῦ ἐπιτρέποντος καὶ ἐν σοὶ ἐπελεύσεται ὁ τούτων βασιλεύς, ὅμως ἐν ῥάβδῳ ἐπιστρεπτικῇ πατάξει σε, ἀλλ' οὐ ξίφεσιν οὐδὲ δόρασι πολέμου νόμῳ κρατήσας ἐπελεύσεταί σοι. καὶ αὕτη δὲ ἡ διὰ ῥάβδου κατὰ σοῦ πληγὴ οὐκ ἔσται παράνομος· ἔτι γὰρ μικρὸν καὶ παύσεται ἡ ὀργή. τὸ δ' αἴτιον τοῦ συγχωρηθῆναι τὸν Ἀσσύριον πεφεισμένῃ πληγῇ χρήσασθαι κατὰ σοῦ μὴ ἀγνόει· ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τῇ ὁδῷ Αἰγύπτου πάλιν σεαυτὸν ἐκδέδωκας εἰδωλολατρίᾳ προσεσχηκὼς κατὰ τοὺς χρόνους Ἄχαζ. τούτου χάριν ὑμᾶς τῇ ῥάβδῳ τοῦ Ἀσσυρίου παραδέδωκα εἰς σωφρονισμὸν καὶ ἐπιστροφήν. πλὴν ὅσον οὔπω παύσεταί μου ὁ θυμὸς μεταβαλλόντων ὑμῶν ἐπὶ τὸ κρεῖττον καὶ τὸν θεὸν ἐπεγνωκότων, ἅμα τῷ ὑμετέρῳ βασιλεῖ Ἑζεκίᾳ. διὸ καὶ ἡ ἀγανάκτησίς μου ἡ καθ' ὑμῶν παύσεται, ἐμοῦ δὲ τῆς ὑμετέρας σωτηρίας