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to give it into the hands of those who pierce. For this, he says, "the prepared sword" which came to be, he placed in the hands of those fit for punishing; and he means the Chaldeans. Such is also that which was spoken by God in Isaiah concerning the Babylonian, or at least the Assyrian: "Shall the axe boast itself without him who hews with it? Or shall the saw be exalted without him who draws it? Just as if someone should lift a rod, or a staff." And again, "Woe to the Assyrians, the rod of my anger and my wrath is in their hands." Therefore, what he there called a chastising rod, and an axe, and a saw, instruments destructive of plants, here he has named a sword, sharpened, indeed, and polished by the punishment of those being chastised, and as it were handed over to certain executioners, the Babylonians. This punishment he has also called a fire above, wishing to frighten them with many names, and to lead to repentance those who were devoted to impiety. To these things he adds: 81.1012 12. Cry out and wail, son of man, for it has come upon my people, upon all the leaders of Israel; those who sojourn with me have been given to the sword with my people. What is comparable to this goodness? He punishes justly, and he commands the prophet to mourn; for he does not punish willingly, but is compelled by the lawlessness of the people. And he exhorts the prophet to marvel in a way similar to a woman, that not only the people, but also its rulers were given over to the sword, and what is most grievous of all, "Those who sojourn with me," he says, "have been given to the sword with my people." For having shared with the people in lawlessness, the priests also shared in the punishment. For he called these the sojourners, since they indeed lived inside the divine temple, and were entrusted with the priestly liturgies. 13. Therefore clap upon your hand, for it has been justified, and what if even a tribe be rejected? It will not be, says Adonai the Lord. By the clapping of hands, he says, signify the excess of the calamity, and marvel at the justice of the punishment. For the benefit to those who are left behind through the punishment will not be small; for this will be established as a beginning of its justification; for even if the tribe separated from the other nations is now cast off (and by this he means all the Judean people), yet it will be again, and will obtain recall; for it is sufficient for the confirmation of what is said that the Master and Lord himself says these things. 14. And you, son of man, prophesy and clap hand to hand, and double the sword; the third is a sword of the slain, a great sword of the slain. He calls the third sword the campaign against Jerusalem which occurred in the ninth year of the reign of Zedekiah; but in number it is the fourth; but since the one that happened under Jeconiah occurred without bloodshed (for the king went out of his own accord to Nebuchadnezzar with his mother, and his wife, and the rulers, and thus was led away captive to Babylon), he reasonably calls the one under Zedekiah the third sword, counting the engagements and the battles, but not simply the invasions; which is why he also says: "The third is a great sword of the slain." Then he teaches why he commands him to clap his hands. 15. And you shall dismay them, so that their heart may be broken, and the weak may be multiplied at every gate of theirs; they have been delivered for the slaughter of the sword. And do, he says, and say the things that are able to frighten them, so that 81.1013 their hearts may be broken, that is, so that the hardness of their heart may be softened and, as it were, crushed by the foretelling of painful things. And it is sufficient to terrify them, that they will be given over to slaughter, and that all the gates will become full of those who are slain. Then with a certain personification he signifies the concession made by him. Well done, it has become sharp for slaughter; well has it become for polishing, pass through like lightning. (10.) Be sharp to the right and to the left, wherever your face may be set. He says the sword is two-edged, sharpened on both sides; well

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δοῦναι αὐτὴν εἰς χεῖρας ἀποκεντούν των. Ταύτην γὰρ, φησὶ, "τὴν μάχαιραν εὐτρεπῆ" γενομένην ἐνεχείρισε τοῖς εἰς τὸ κολάζειν ἐπιτη δείοις· σημαίνει δὲ τοὺς Χαλδαίους. Τοιοῦτόν ἐστι καὶ τὸ παρὰ τῷ Ἡσαΐᾳ ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰρημένον εἰς τὸν Βαβυλώνιον, ἢ γοῦν Ἀσσύριον· "Μὴ δο ξασθήσεται ἀξίνη ἄνευ τοῦ κόπτοντος ἐν αὐτῇ; ἢ ὑψωθήσεται πρίων ἄνευ τοῦ ἕλκοντος αὐτόν; ὡσαύ τως ἐάν τις ἄρῃ ῥάβδον, ἢ ξύλον." Καὶ πάλιν, "Οὐαὶ Ἀσσυρίοις, ἡ ῥάβδος τοῦ θυμοῦ μου καὶ τῆς ὀργῆς μου ἐστὶν ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν αὐτῶν." Ἣν τοίνυν ῥάβδον παιδευτικὴν, καὶ ἀξίνην, καὶ πρίονα, ὄργανα φυτῶν δαπανητικὰ, ἐκεῖ προσηγόρευσεν, ἐνταῦθα ῥομφαίαν ὠνόμασε, θηγομένην μὲν, καὶ στιλβουμέ νην ὑπὸ τῆς τῶν κολαζομένων τιμωρίας, καθάπερ δέ τισι δημίοις τοῖς Βαβυλωνίοις ἐγχειριζομένην. Ταύ την δὲ τὴν τιμωρίαν καὶ πῦρ ἄνω κέκληκε, ταῖς πολλαῖς προσηγορίαις δεδίσσεσθαι βουλόμενος, καὶ εἰς μεταμέλειαν ἀγαγεῖν τοὺς τῇ δυσσεβείᾳ προστε τηκότας. Τούτοις ἐπάγει· 81.1012 ιβʹ. Ἀνάκραγε καὶ ὀλόλυξον, υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου, ὅτι ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ λαῷ αὕτη ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ἀφ ηγουμένοις τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, οἱ παροικοῦντές μοι εἰς ῥομφαίαν ἐγένοντο σὺν τῷ λαῷ μου. Τί ταύ της ἐφάμιλλον ἀγαθότητος; κολάζει δικαίως, καὶ θρηνεῖν τῷ προφήτῃ παρακελεύεται· οὐ γὰρ ἑκὼν κολάζει, ἀλλ' ὑπὸ τῆς τοῦ λαοῦ παρανομίας ἀναγκα ζόμενος. γυναικὶ δὲ παραπλησίως θαυμάζειν τῷ προφήτῃ παρεγγυᾷ, ὅτι οὐχ ὁ λαὸς μόνος, ἀλλὰ καὶ οἱ τούτου ἄρχοντες παρεδόθησαν τῇ ῥομφαίᾳ, καὶ τὸ πάντων ἀνιαρώτατον, "Οἱ παροικοῦντές μοι, φησὶν, εἰς ῥομφαίαν ἐγένοντο σὺν τῷ λαῷ μου." Κοινωνή σαντες γὰρ τῷ λαῷ τῆς παρανομίας οἱ ἱερεῖς, ἐκοι νώνησαν καὶ τῆς τιμωρίας. Τούτους γὰρ ὠνόμασε παροικοῦντας, ἅ τε δὴ ἔνδον ἐν τῷ θείῳ νεῷ διά γοντας, καὶ τὰς ἱερατικὰς λειτουργίας πεπιστευμέ νους. ιγʹ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο κρότησον ἐπὶ τὴν χεῖρά σου, ὅτι δεδικαίωται, καὶ τί, εἰ καὶ φυλὴ ἀπωσθῇ; οὐκ ἔσται. λέγει Ἀδωναῒ Κύριος. ∆ιὰ τοῦ κρότου, φησὶ, τῶν χειρῶν σήμανον τῆς συμφορᾶς τὴν ὑπερ βολὴν, καὶ θαύμασον τῆς τιμωρίας τὸ δίκαιον. Οὔτε γὰρ μικρὰ διὰ τῆς τιμωρίας τοῖς ὑπολειφθεῖ σιν ἡ ὠφέλεια γενήσεται· ἀρχὴ γὰρ αὐτῆς δικαιώ σεως αὕτη κατασταθήσεται· εἰ γὰρ καὶ νῦν ἀπωσθῇ ἡ τῶν ἄλλων ἐθνῶν κεχωρισμένη φυλὴ (πάντα δὲ τὸν Ἰουδαϊκὸν διὰ τούτου σημαίνει λαὸν), ἀλλ' ἔσται πάλιν, καὶ ἀνακλήσεως τεύξεται· ἀρκεῖ γὰρ εἰς βεβαίωσιν τῶν λεγομένων τὸ αὐτὸν ταῦτα λέγειν τὸν ∆εσπότην καὶ Κύριον. ιδʹ. Καὶ σὺ, υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου, προφήτευσον καὶ κρότησον χεῖρα ἐπὶ χεῖρα, καὶ διπλασίασον ῥομφαίαν, ἡ τρίτη ῥομφαία τραυματιῶν ἐστι, ῥομφαία τραυματιῶν ἡ μεγάλη. Τρίτην ῥομφαίαν καλεῖ τὴν ἐν τῷ ἐννάτῳ ἔτει τῆς βασιλείας Σεδεκίου γενομένην κατὰ τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ στρατείαν· ἀλλὰ τῷ μὲν ἀριθμῷ τετάρτη ἐστίν· ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἡ ἐπὶ Ἰεχονίου γενομένη ἀναιμωτὶ ἐγεγένητο (αὐτόματος γὰρ ἐξῆλθεν ὁ βασιλεὺς πρὸς τὸν Ναβουχοδονόσορ σὺν τῇ μητρὶ, καὶ τῇ γυναικὶ, καὶ τοῖ ἄρχουσι, καὶ οὕτως ἀπήχθη δορυάλωτος εἰς Βαβυλῶνα), εἰκό τως τρίτην καλεῖ ῥομφαίαν τὴν ἐπὶ Σεδεκίου γενομέ νην, τὰς συμπλοκὰς ἀριθμῶν, καὶ τὰς παρατάξεις, ἀλλ' οὐχ ἁπλῶς τὰς ἐφόδους· διὸ καὶ λέγει· "Ἡ τρίτη ῥομφαία τραυματιῶν ἐστιν ἡ μεγάλη." Εἶτα διδάσκει, τί δήποτε αὐτῷ παρακελεύεται κροτῆσαι τὰς χεῖρας. ιεʹ. Καὶ ἐκστήσεις αὐτοὺς, ὅπως θραυσθῇ ἡ καρδία αὐτῶν, καὶ πληθυνθῶσιν οἱ ἀσθε νοῦντες ἐπὶ πᾶσαν πύλην αὐτῶν· παραδέδον ται εἰς σφάγια ῥομφαίας. Καὶ πρᾶττε, φησὶ, καὶ λέγε τὰ δεδίξασθαι αὐτοὺς δυνάμενα, ὅπως θραυ 81.1013 σθῶσιν αἱ καρδίαι αὐτῶν, ἀντὶ τοῦ, ἵνα μαλαχθῇ καὶ οἱονεὶ συντριβῇ τὸ ἀντίτυπον τῆς καρδίας αὐ τῶν τῇ προῤῥήσει τῶν ἀλγεινῶν. Ἱκανὸν δὲ αὐτοὺς ἐκδειματῶσαι, ὅτι σφαγῇ παραδοθήσονται, καὶ ὅτι πλήρεις πᾶσαι αἱ πύλαι τῶν ἀναιρουμένων γενή σονται. Εἶτα μετὰ προσωποποιΐας τινὸς σημαίνει τὴν παρ' αὐτοῦ γενομένην συγχώρησιν. Εὖγε ὀξεῖα γέγονεν εἰς σφαγὴν, εὖ γέγονεν εἰς στίλβωσιν, ὡς ἀστραπὴ διαπορεύου. (ιʹ.) Ὀξύνου ἐκ δεξιῶν καὶ ἐξ εὐωνύμων, οὗ ἂν τὸ πρόσωπόν σου ἐξεγείρηται. Ἄμφηκές φησι τὸ ξίφος, ἑκατέρωθεν τεθηγμένον· εὖ