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to obtain some help for the right hand. For, being burned by famine, they will turn here and there, biting those on the right and those on the left. But they will not even spare their own flesh, but brothers will rise up against each other, one against one, and two against another, just as Ephraim and Manasseh bite one another, and together Judah, by which he signifies the tribes. For both were under one kingdom, and they lived in one city, Samaria, descended from the one Joseph, and yet they will rise up against each other, and he says that these, no longer occupied with the war against Judah, will destroy one another with swords. 2024 And these things will happen to them by a divine wrath that casts enmity among them for their benefit, just as it broke up the harmony for evil between the woman and the serpent. To this point the Savior also says that he did not come to bring peace on earth, but a sword. But he says that, being ill-disposed toward one another, they will agree in the plot against their neighbors. For together they will besiege Judah, those who confess God and remain in his worship. For Judah is interpreted as confession. For the confession of wickedness is interpreted. For wickedness, being inharmonious with itself, is harmonious in the battle against virtue. For example, rashness and cowardice are opposed to each other, but from both sides they besiege courage, which is in the middle. But this must also be understood: that he will hunger and eat from his left things. For he who does not work with his right hand things worthy of acceptance will be filled with forbidden and sinister things. And through all these things he signified the beastliness of their sedition and their devouring of one another. CHAPTER 10. 1-4. 9Woe to those who write wickedness. For in writing they write wickedness. Turning aside the judgment of the poor, seizing the property of the needy of my people, so that the widow becomes their plunder, and the orphan their prey9, etc. And these things he says to those of Israel ruled in Samaria, among whom were some who, out of contentiousness toward the prophets, were writing false prophecies, and who also composed unlawful writings for the injustice of orphans and widows. But some say that these things were said concerning the scribes who were misinterpreting the law, so that they might gratify those who oppress orphans and widows. But perhaps every sinner writes a record of his debts, and he calls the day of visitation the time of war, during which he who oversees the things done by them brings judgment upon them. And he says it will come from afar, not from the neighboring nations, as before, but from Assyria itself, which, though driven away by the philanthropy of God, they themselves compel to come against them. And again his hand is high. For the divine wrath remains for those who persist in their sins. When this has passed, Where, he says, will you leave the glory which you had, often overcoming your enemies? And by `bringing on` he means the punishment brought on by God. This is the end of the threats against the people, which a little later came to fulfillment when the Assyrians attacked. 5-11. 9Woe to the Assyrians. The rod of my anger and wrath is in their hands. I will send my wrath against a lawless nation. And to my people I will assign it to take spoils, and prey, and to trample the cities, and to turn them into dust9, etc. The prophet says these things after the capture of Samaria. Therefore the Assyrian has taken, he says, 2025 Arabia, and Damascus, and Samaria. God, therefore, using this one as an instrument, was handing over to him the people considered his own to kill the men and to strip the fallen, and to divide the spoils (for he calls this prey) and to raze the cities to the ground. But he, not understanding this, imagines greater things, as if he had conquered by his own power, turning his mind to this, and establishing it, with his subjects marveling at him as the sole ruler. Do not yet, he says, call me Lord, until I conquer the others. For I have not yet conquered the regions above Babylon, nor Calneh, where God divided the tongues at the building of the tower. Therefore, in the days of Ahaz, a part of the people in Samaria was taken

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τὸ τυχεῖν τινος ἀντιλήψεως εἰς τὰ δεξιά. Λιμῷ γὰρ καιόμενοι τῇδε κἀκεῖσε περιστραφήσονται καταδάκνοντες τοὺς ἐκ δεξιῶν, τοὺς ἐξ εὐωνύμων. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ σαρκῶν φείσονται τῶν ἰδίων, κατεξαναστήσονται δὲ ἀλλήλων ἀδελφοὶ, εἷς τε καθ' ἑνὸς, καὶ καθ' ἑτέρου δύω, ὡς Ἐφραῒμ καὶ Μανασσῆς ἀλλήλους τε δάκνοντες, καὶ κοινῇ τὸν Ἰούδαν, δι' ὧν δηλοῖ τὰς φυλάς. Ὑπὸ μίαν γὰρ ἦσαν βασιλείαν ἀμφότεραι, καὶ μίαν ᾤκουν πόλιν Σαμάρειαν, ἐξ ἑνὸς τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ καταγόμεναι, καὶ ὅμως ἀλλήλαις ἐπαναστήσονται, καὶ ταύτας φησὶ τῷ κατὰ Ἰούδα πολέμῳ μηκέτι σχολαζούσας, ἀλλήλας δὲ δαπανώσας τοῖς ξίφεσιν. 2024 Καὶ ταῦτα ἔσται ταύταις κατὰ θείαν ὀργὴν τὴν ἐχθρὰν αὐταῖς ἐμβαλούσης ἐπὶ συμφέροντι, καθάπερ ἀνὰ μέσον τῆς γυναικὸς καὶ τοῦ ὄφεως τὴν ἐπὶ κακῷ διαλυούσης ὁμόνοιαν. Πρὸς ὃ καὶ ὁ Σωτήρ φησιν, ὡς οὐκ ἦλθον βαλεῖν εἰρήνην ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, ἀλλὰ μάχαιραν. Ἀλλήλοις δέ φησι, κακῶς διακείμενοι ἐν τῇ κατὰ τῶν πλησίον ἐπιβουλῇ συμφωνήσουσιν. Ἅμα γὰρ πολιορκήσουσιν τὸν Ἰούδαν, τοὺς ἐξομολογουμένους Θεῷ, καὶ λατρείᾳ τῇ αὐτοῦ παραμένοντας. Ἰούδας γὰρ ἐξομολόγησις ἑρμηνεύεται. Ἡ γὰρ κακίας γὰρ ἐξομολόγησις ἑρμηνεύεται. Ἡ γὰρ κακία πρὸς ἑαυτὴν ἀσύμφωνος οὖσα, τῇ μάχῃ τῇ κατ' ἀρετῆς συμφωνεῖ. Οἷον θρασύτης καὶ δειλία πρὸς ἀλλήλας μὲν ἐναντίαι, μέσην δὲ πολιορκοῦσιν ἑκατέρωθε τὴν ἀνδρείαν. Νοητέον δὲ καὶ τὸ, ὅτι πεινάσει καὶ φάγεται ἐκ τῶν ἀριστερῶν αὐτοῦ. Ὁ γὰρ μὴ ἐργαζόμενος δεξιᾷ καὶ ἀποδοχῆς ἄξια, ἐκ τῶν ἀπηγορευμένων καὶ σκαιῶν ἐμπλησθήσεται. ∆ι' ὅλων δὲ τὸ θηριῶδες τῆς στάσεως καὶ τὴν ἀλληλοφαγίαν ἐμήνυσεν. ΚΕΦΑΛ. Ιʹ. αʹδʹ. 9Οὐαὶ τοῖς γράφουσι πονηρίαν. Γράφοντες γὰρ πονηρίαν γράφουσιν. Ἐκκλίνοντες κρίσιν πτωχῶν, ἁρπάζοντες χρήματα πενήτων τοῦ λαοῦ μου, ὥς τε εἶναι αὐτοῖς χήραν εἰς διαρπαγὴν, καὶ ὀρφανὸν εἰς προνομὴν9, κ.τ.λ. Καὶ ταῦτα πρὸς τοὺς ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ βασιλευόμενος ἐν Σαμαρείᾳ, παρ' οἷς ἦσάν τινες διὰ φιλονεικίαν τὴν πρὸς τοὺς προφήτας, ψευδεῖς γράφοντες προφητείας, οἳ καὶ συγγραφὰς ἐποιοῦντο παρανόμους ἐπ' ὀρφανῶν καὶ χηρῶν ἀδικίᾳ. Τινὲς δὲ περὶ γραμμάτων τῶν τὸν νόμον παρεξηγουμένων εἰρῆσθαι ταῦτά φασιν, ὡς ἂν χαρίσωνται τοῖς καταδυναστεύουσιν ὀρφανούς τε καὶ χήρας. Μή ποτε δὲ πᾶς ἁμαρτάνων ὀφλημάτων γράφει χειρόγραφον, ἐπισκοπῆς δέ φησιν ἡμέραν, τὸν τοῦ πολέμου καιρὸν, καθ' ὃν αὐτοῖς ἐπάγει τὴν δίκην ὁ τὰ δρώμενα παρὰ τούτων ἐπισκοπῶν. Πόῤῥωθεν δέ φησιν, οὐκ ἐκ τῶν ὁμόρων, ὡς πρώην ἐθνῶν, ἀλλ' ἐξ αὐτῆς τῆς Ἀσσυρίας, ἤτι φιλανθρωπία Θεοῦ ταύτην ἐλαυνομένην αὐτοὶ καθ' ἑαυτῶν ἐλθεῖν ἐκβιάζονται. Ὑψηλὴ δὲ πάλιν ἡ χείρ. Ὁ γὰρ θεῖος παραμένει θυμὸς τοῖς ἐπιμένουσι τοῖς ἁμαρτήμασιν. Οὗ παρελθόντος, Ποῦ, φησὶ, καταλείψετε τὴν δόξαν, ἣν εἴχετε πολλάκις τῶν πολεμίων περιγινόμενοι; ἐπαγωγὴν δέ φησι τὴν ἐπαγομένην τιμωρίαν ὑπὸ Θεοῦ. Τοῦτο δὲ πέρας τῶν πρὸς τὸν λαὸν ἀπειλῶν, αἱ μικρὸν ὕστερον τῶν Ἀσσυρίων ἐπελθόντων εἰς πέρας ἐξέβησαν. εʹιαʹ. 9Οὐαὶ Ἀσσυρίοις. Ἡ ῥάβδος τοῦ θυμοῦ μου καὶ ὀργῆς ἐστιν ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν αὐτῶν. Τὴν ὀργήν μου εἰς ἔθνος ἄνομον ἀποστελῶ. Καὶ τῷ ἐμῷ λαῷ συγκατάξω ποιῆσαι σκύλα, καὶ προνομὴν, καὶ καταπατεῖν τὰς πόλεις, καὶ θεῖναι αὐτὰς εἰς κονιορτὸν9, κ.τ.λ. Ταῦτα μετὰ τὴν ἅλωσιν Σαμαρείας ὁ προφήτης φησίν. Τοιγαροῦν ὁ Ἀσσύριος εἴληφεν, καὶ, φησὶν, 2025 Ἀραβίαν, καὶ ∆αμασκὸν, καὶ Σαμάρειαν. Θεὸς μὲν οὖν ὀργάνῳ τούτῳ χρησάμενος, τὸ ἴδιον νομιζόμενον τούτῳ παρεδίδου λαὸν ἀποκτεῖναι τοὺς ἄνδρας καὶ γυμνῶσαι κειμένους, καὶ διελέσθαι τὰ σκῦλα (προνομὴν γὰρ τοῦτο καλεῖ) καθελεῖν τε τὰς πόλεις εἰς ἔδαφος. Αὐτὸς δὲ μὴ τούτῳ συνιεὶς, ὡς ἰδίᾳ δυνάμει κρατήσας μείζω φαντάζεται, πρὸς τοῦτο τὸν νοῦν ἀπαλλάττων, καὶ καθιστὰς, τῶν ὑπηκόων ὡς μόνον ἄρχοντα θαυμαζόντων αὐτόν. Μήπω με, φησὶ, καλέσητε Κύριον, πρὶν ἂν τῶν ἄλλων κρατήσαιμι. Τῶν γὰρ ἐπάνω Βαβυλῶνος οὔπω κεκράτηκα, οὐδὲ Χαλάνης, ἐν ᾗ διεῖλε τὰς γλώττας ἐπὶ τῇ πυργοποιΐᾳ Θεός. Ἐν ἡμέραις μὲν οὗν Ἄχαζ μέρος ἐλήφθη τοῦ ἐν Σαμαρείᾳ λαοῦ