51

having chosen a few and small in number shepherds of the nations that have believed in him and have increased upon the earth in the calling of the nations that would be through them, 2.3.164 “No longer,” he says, “will they say, ‘the ark of the covenant of the Lord.’” For no longer will they run back to the more carnal worship of Moses, since a new covenant will be delivered to them. 2.3.165 νεʹ. “Their impieties have multiplied, they have grown strong in their apostasies. For which of these things shall I be merciful to you? Your sons have forsaken me and sworn by those that are not gods; and I fed them to the full, and they committed adultery and lodged in the houses of prostitutes. They became like lustful horses, each one neighed after his neighbor’s wife. Shall I not visit for these things? says the Lord; or shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation? Go up upon her battlements, and slaughter, but do not make a full end; leave her underpinnings, because they are the Lord’s.” 2.3.166 And in these words are declared both the accusation of their whole nation and the siege that came upon them, and again it names the remnant “her underpinning,” being “of the Lord”; and this was that which was strengthened and confirmed through faith in the Christ of God, so as not to endure the same things which their whole nation had suffered. 2.3.167 νϛʹ. From Ezekiel. “And the wounded shall fall in your midst, and you shall know that I am the Lord, when there shall be some of you that escape from the sword among the nations, and when you are scattered among the countries, and those of you that escape shall remember me among the nations, where they were taken captive.” 2.3.168 These things also seem to me to be in harmony with those from the other prophecies. For who would you say are the ones who are saved, if not what is called in other places the remnant, and the drop and the dew of that people? By which was signified the company of the apostles of our Savior. These, at any rate, being saved from the destruction of their whole nation and “in their dispersion,” remembered God, so that it is acknowledged that the things written were said concerning them. 2.3.169 νζʹ. “Thus says Adonai the Lord, that I will cast them out among the nations, and will scatter them among all the nations, and I will scatter them into all the earth, and I will be to them for a little sanctuary in the countries where they may enter.” 2.3.170 And here he has called the same ones by another name, saying “a little sanctuary” for those from them who will be saved and left as a remnant. 2.3.171 νηʹ. “And all who are their helpers I will scatter to every wind, and I will draw out a sword after them. And they shall know that I am the Lord, when I have scattered them among the nations, and I will disperse them in the countries; and I will leave of them men by number from the sword and from famine and from death, that they may declare all their iniquities among the nations where they may go; and they shall know that I am the Lord.” 2.3.172 Upon the dispersion of the whole people, he now also says that he will leave for himself a few in number, indicating none other than those previously mentioned. νθʹ. “Thus says Adonai the Lord; though I send my four evil judgments, sword and famine and evil beasts and death, upon Jerusalem to destroy from it man and beast, yet behold, there shall be left in it those who are saved.” 2.3.173 And these things would in no way differ from what has been said before. 2.3.174 ξʹ. “Thus will I judge you, says the Lord, and I will make you pass under my rod, and I will bring you in by the number of my covenant, and I will choose out from you the apostates and the ungodly, because I will bring them out of their sojourning, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel.” 2.3.175 Clearly also in these words it is testified that few in number will come “under the rod” of God, while the rest of Israel will fall away from the promises. but having shown that not just by chance and indiscriminately to all simply from the Jewish nation, both to the wicked and impious and to those not such, the [promises] of good things

51

ὀλιγοστοὺς καὶ ἀριθμῷ βραχεῖς ἐκλεξάμενος ποιμένας τῶν εἰς αὐτὸν πεπιστευκότων ἐθνῶν καὶ αὐξηθέντων ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἐν τῇ δι' αὐτῶν ἐσομένῃ κλήσει τῶν ἐθνῶν, 2.3.164 «οὐκέτι», φησίν, «ἐροῦσιν, κιβωτὸς διαθήκης κυρίου». οὐκέτι γὰρ ἐπὶ τὰς Μωσέως ἀναδραμοῦνται σωματικωτέρας θρησκείας, ἅτε καινῆς διαθήκης αὐτοῖς παραδοθησομένης. 2.3.165 νεʹ. «Ἐπλήθυναν ἀσεβείας αὐτῶν, ἴσχυναν ἐν ταῖς ἀποστροφαῖς αὐτῶν. ποίᾳ τούτων ἵλεως ἔσομαί σοι; οἱ υἱοί σου ἐγκατέλιπόν με καὶ ὤμνυον ἐν τοῖς οὐκ οὖσι θεοῖς καὶ ἐχόρτασα αὐτούς, καὶ ἐμοιχῶντο καὶ ἐν οἴκοις πορνῶν κατελύοσαν. ἵπποι θηλυμανεῖς ἐγενήθησαν, ἕκαστος ἐπὶ τὴν γυναῖκα τοῦ πλησίον ἐχρεμέτιζον. μὴ ἐπὶ τούτοις οὐκ ἐπισκέψομαι; λέγει κύριος· ἢ ἐν ἔθνει τῷ τοιούτῳ οὐκ ἐκδικήσει ἡ ψυχή μου; ἀνάβητε ἐπὶ τοὺς προμαχῶνας αὐτῆς, καὶ κατασφάξατε, συντέλειαν δὲ μὴ ποιήσητε· ὑπολείπεσθε τὰ ὑποστηρίγματα αὐτῆς, ὅτι τοῦ κυρίου εἰσίν.» 2.3.166 Καὶ ἐν τούτοις ὁμοῦ κατηγορία τοῦ παντὸς ἔθνους αὐτῶν καὶ ἡ μετελθοῦσα αὐτοὺς πολιορκία δηλοῦται, καὶ πάλιν τὸ κατάλειμμα «ὑποστήριγμα αὐτῆς» ὀνομάζει, «τοῦ κυρίου» τυγχάνον· τοῦτο δὲ ἦν τὸ διὰ τῆς εἰς τὸν Χριστὸν τοῦ θεοῦ πίστεως δυναμωθὲν καὶ στερρωθέν, ὡς μηδὲ τὰ ὅμοια ὑπομεῖναι, οἷς τὸ πᾶν ἔθνος αὐτῶν ἐπεπόνθει. 2.3.167 νϛʹ. Ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἰεζεκιήλ. «Καὶ πεσοῦνται τραυματίαι ἐν μέσῳ ὑμῶν, καὶ ἐπιγνώσεσθε ὅτι ἐγὼ κύριος, ἐν τῷ γενέσθαι ἐξ ὑμῶν ἀνασωζομένους ἐκ ῥομφαίας ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, καὶ ἐν τῷ διασκορπισμῷ ὑμῶν ἐν ταῖς χώραις, καὶ μνησθήσονταί μου οἱ ἀνασωζόμενοι ἐξ ὑμῶν ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, οὗ ἠχμαλωτεύθησαν ἐκεῖ.» 2.3.168 ∆οκεῖ μοι καὶ ταῦτα συνᾴδειν τοῖς ἀπὸ τῶν λοιπῶν προφητειῶν. τοὺς γὰρ ἀνασωζομένους τίνας ἂν εἴποις ἢ τὸ ἐν ἑτέροις ὠνομασμένον ὑπόλειμμα, καὶ τὴν σταγόνα καὶ τὴν δρόσον τοῦ λαοῦ ἐκείνου; δι' ὧν ἐδηλοῦτο ἡ τῶν ἀποστόλων τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν σύστασις. οὗτοι γοῦν ἀνασωθέντες ἐκ τῆς ἀπωλείας τοῦ παντὸς αὐτῶν ἔθνους καὶ «ἐν τῷ διασκορπισμῷ» αὐτῶν ἐμνήσθησαν τοῦ θεοῦ, ὡς ὁμολογεῖσθαι περὶ αὐτῶν εἰρῆσθαι τὰ ἀναγεγραμμένα. 2.3.169 νζʹ. «Τάδε λέγει Ἀδωναῒ κύριος, ὅτι ἀπώσομαι αὐτοὺς εἰς τὰ ἔθνη, καὶ διασκορπιῶ αὐτοὺς εἰς πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, καὶ διασκορπιῶ αὐτοὺς εἰς πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν, καὶ ἔσομαι αὐτῶν εἰς ἁγίασμα μικρὸν ἐν ταῖς χώραις οὗ ἐὰν εἰσέλθωσιν ἐκεῖ.» 2.3.170 Καὶ ἐνταῦθα ἑτέρῳ ὀνόματι τοὺς αὐτοὺς κέκληκεν, «ἁγίασμα μικρὸν» εἰπὼν τοὺς ἐξ αὐτῶν ἀνασωθησομένους καὶ ὑπολειφθησομένους. 2.3.171 νηʹ. «Καὶ πάντας τοὺς ἀντιλαμβανομένους αὐτῶν διασπερῶ εἰς πάντα ἄνεμον, καὶ ῥομφαίαν ἐκχεῶ ὀπίσω αὐτῶν. καὶ ἐπιγνώσονται ὅτι ἐγὼ κύριος, ἐν τῷ διασκορπίσαι με ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, καὶ διασπερῶ αὐτοὺς ἐν ταῖς χώραις· καὶ ὑπολείψομαι ἐξ αὐτῶν ἄνδρας ἐν ἀριθμῷ ἐκ ῥομφαίας καὶ ἐκ λιμοῦ καὶ ἐκ θανάτου, ὅπως ἐκδιηγήσωνται πάσας τὰς ἀνομίας αὐτῶν ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν οὗ ἐὰν εἰσέλθωσιν ἐκεῖ· καὶ γνώσονται ὅτι ἐγὼ κύριος». 2.3.172 Ἐπὶ τῇ τοῦ παντὸς λαοῦ διασπορᾷ καὶ νῦν ὑπολείψεσθαι ἑαυτῷ ὀλίγους ἀριθμῷ φησιν, οὐδ' ἄλλους δηλῶν τῶν προειρημένων. νθʹ. «Τάδε λέγει Ἀδωναῒ κύριος· ἐὰν δὲ καὶ τὰς τέσσαρας ἐκδικήσεις μου τὰς πονηράς, ῥομφαίαν καὶ λιμὸν καὶ θηρία πονηρὰ καὶ θάνατον, ἐξαποστελῶ ἐπὶ Ἱερουσαλὴμ τοῦ ἐξολοθρεῦσαι ἐξ αὐτῆς ἄνθρωπον καὶ κτῆνος, καὶ ἰδοὺ ὑπολελειμμένοι ἐν αὐτῇ οἱ ἀνασεσωσμένοι.» 2.3.173 Οὐδὲν ἂν καὶ ταῦτα διαφέροι τῶν προειρημένων. 2.3.174 ξʹ. «Οὕτως κρινῶ ὑμᾶς, λέγει κύριος, καὶ διάξω ὑμᾶς ὑπὸ τὴν ῥάβδον μου, καὶ εἰσάξω ὑμᾶς ἐν ἀριθμῷ τῆς διαθήκης μου, καὶ ἐκλέξω ἐξ ὑμῶν τοὺς ἀπεστηκότας καὶ τοὺς ἀσεβεῖς, διότι ἐκ τῆς παροικίας αὐτῶν ἐξάγω αὐτούς, καὶ εἰς τὴν γῆν τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ οὐκ εἰσελεύσονται.» 2.3.175 Σαφῶς καὶ ἐν τούτοις ἀριθμῷ βραχεῖς «ὑπὸ τὴν ῥάβδον» τοῦ θεοῦ γενήσεσθαι, ἐπὶ τῷ τοὺς λοιποὺς τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ἀποπεσεῖσθαι τῶν ἐπαγγελιῶν, μαρτύρεται. ἀλλὰ γὰρ ἀποδείξας, ὅτι μὴ ὡς ἔτυχεν ἀδιακρίτως πᾶσιν ἁπλῶς τοῖς ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἰουδαίων ἔθνους φαύλοις τε καὶ ἀσεβέσι καὶ τοῖς μὴ τοιούτοις τὰς τῶν ἀγαθῶν