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Therefore, he says, the Assyrians, having become subject to trampling by those who ruled them afterwards, but also their yoke will be taken away, which when they were in power they hung upon those ruled by them, raising a heavy and unbearable yoke for them, and their glory, which is their renown, will be taken away, which long ago lay upon their shoulders; for as it has been said of the savior: “whose government shall be upon his shoulder,” so here the glory of the Assyrians is said to be upon their shoulders, which the word threatens will be taken away from them. And indeed, having concluded the discourse concerning Babylon up to this point, the prophecy runs back again to the first points of the proposed subject and says: this is the counsel, which the Lord has purposed upon the whole world; for what sort of judgment has been brought forth concerning Babylon and its inhabitants, such will also be the judgment concerning all the godless and impious men who have ruled the world; for according to the word of justice, those who have committed similar impieties will suffer similar things. Therefore he adds: and this is the high hand upon all the nations, with us further understanding "nations" as those of godless and impious men; for it is not fitting to understand these things indiscriminately against the pious and those dedicated to God. As he began, therefore, so also he completed this manner of God’s universal judgment against all, necessarily making mention of it in order to convert all who encounter the scripture, so that they might not think that what was said about Babylon has nothing to do with them; for it would have nothing to do with us, if these things were said about them alone. But now the word necessarily returns and leads us into agony and fear of the universal judgment of God that awaits all men, and has necessarily made mention of it both at the beginning of the prophecy and at its conclusion. 1.69 The “vision against Babylon” having been concluded, the word makes a beginning of another subject, addressing the foreigners inhabiting Palestine, whom the Hebrew language and the other translators called Philistines, but the Greeks, changing the name, called Palestinians. While Ahaz was alive and they were practicing idolatry both in Jerusalem itself and in the other cities of Judea, as the history shows the foreigners from neighboring lands, and perhaps also their so-called gods, being wicked demons, rejoiced, it was likely, at the error and destruction both of Ahaz and of the people under him called Judah. For the so-called people of Israel and the kings in Samaria had already been taken captive by the Assyrians. At any rate, the book of Kings relates “how the Lord humbled Judea because of Ahaz king of Judah, because he had apostatized with apostasy from the Lord.” And concerning the foreigners it is written: “that the Edomites also attacked and humbled in Judah and took captives, and the foreigners attacked the cities of Palestine and destroyed Beth-shemesh,” and here also, instead of: “and the foreigners attacked the cities,” the Philistines or Palestinians rose up against Ahaz. For it is no longer permitted for you to rejoice, since the impious king has died, over whom you formerly rejoiced, and a God-fearing man has succeeded to the rule, as is testified of Hezekiah in the second book of Chronicles and in the fourth book of Kings. As therefore it was likely for the foreigners to rejoice and be glad in the time of the impious Ahaz, so in the time of the righteous man Hezekiah the prophecy opportunely addresses them, saying: Do not rejoice, you foreigners; for long ago, while Ahaz was still alive and doing things hostile to God, it was likely for you to rejoice, since the yoke of Ahaz was shattered, so that he was unable to subdue you nor to place the yoke of his rule upon you, for which reason evils multiplied. just as when no one was striking, the creeping and venomous power of the wicked spirits multiplied then,

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τοίνυν Ἀσσύριοί φησιν εἰς καταπάτημα ὑποχείριοι γενόμενοι τοῖς μετὰ ταῦτα αὐτῶν κρατήσασιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀφαιρεθήσεται αὐτῶν ὁ ζυγός, ὃν ὅτε ἐκράτουν τοῖς ὑπ' αὐτῶν ἀρχομένοις ἐπήρτων, ζυγὸν βαρὺν καὶ δυσβάστακτον ἐπαιωροῦντες αὐτοῖς, καὶ τὸ κῦδος δὲ αὐτῶν, ὅπερ ἐστὶν ἡ δόξα, ἀφαιρεθήσεται ἡ πάλαι τοῖς ὤμοις αὐτῶν ἐπικειμένη· ὡς γὰρ ἐπὶ τοῦ σωτῆρος λέλεκται· «οὗ ἡ ἀρχὴ ἐπὶ τοῦ ὤμου αὐτοῦ», οὕτως ἐνταῦθα τὸ κῦδος τῶν Ἀσσυρίων ἐπὶ τῶν ὤμων αὐτῶν εἴρηται, ὅπερ ἀφαιρεθήσεσθαι αὐτῶν ὁ λόγος ἀπειλεῖ. Καὶ δὴ μέχρι τούτων περιγράψασα τὸν περὶ Βαβυλῶνος λόγον ἡ προφητεία ἀνατρέχει πάλιν ἐπὶ τὰ πρῶτα τῆς προκειμένης ὑποθέσεως καί φησιν· αὕτη ἡ βουλή, ἣν βεβούλευται κύριος ἐπὶ ὅλην τὴν οἰκουμένην· ὁποία γὰρ ἐξενήνεκται κρίσις περὶ τῆς Βαβυλῶνος καὶ τῶν ταύτης οἰκητόρων, τοιαύτη τις ἔσται καὶ ἡ περὶ πάντων τῶν τῆς οἰκουμένης κρατησάντων ἀθέων καὶ ἀσεβῶν ἀνδρῶν· κατὰ γὰρ τὸν τοῦ δικαίου λόγον τὰ ὅμοια πείσονται οἱ τὰ ὅμοια δυσσεβήσαντες. διὸ ἐπιλέγει· καὶ αὕτη ἡ χεὶρ ἡ ὑψηλὴ ἐπὶ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, προσεπινοούντων ἡμῶν ἔθνη τὰ τῶν ἀθέων καὶ ἀσεβῶν ἀνδρῶν· οὐ γὰρ ἀκρίτως ταῦτα κατὰ τῶν εὐσεβῶν καὶ τῶν τῷ θεῷ ἀνακειμένων ἐκδέχεσθαι προσήκει. ὥσπερ οὖν ἤρξατο, τοῦτον καὶ ἀπετέλεσε τὸν τρόπον τῆς κατὰ πάντων καθολικῆς τοῦ θεοῦ κρίσεως ἀναγκαίως μνημονεύσας εἰς τὸ ἐπιστρέψαι πάντας τοὺς ἐντυγχάνοντας τῇ γραφῇ, μὴ νομίζειν οὐδὲν πρὸς αὐτοὺς εἶναι τὰ περὶ Βαβυλῶνος εἰρημένα· οὐδὲν γὰρ ἂν ἦν πρὸς ἡμᾶς, εἰ ταῦτα περὶ ἐκείνων εἴρητο μόνων. νῦν δὲ ἀναγκαίως ὁ λόγος ἐπιστρέφων καὶ εἰς ἀγωνίαν καὶ φόβον ἡμᾶς ἄγων τῆς περιμενούσης ἅπαντας ἀνθρώπους καθολικῆς τοῦ θεοῦ κρίσεως καὶ κατ' ἀρχὰς τῆς προφητείας καὶ πρὸς τοῖς τέλεσιν ἀναγκαίως ἐμνημόνευσε. 1.69 Τῆς «κατὰ Βαβυλῶνος ὁράσεως» περιγραφείσης ἀρχὴν ἑτέραν ὑποθέσεως ὁ λόγος ποιεῖται τοῖς τὴν Παλαιστίνην οἰκοῦσιν ἀλλοφύλοις προσφωνῶν, οὓς ἡ Ἑβραϊκὴ φωνὴ καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ ἑρμηνευταὶ Φυλιστιαίους ὠνόμαζον, Ἕλληνες δὲ μεταβαλόντες τοὔνομα Παλαιστίνους ἐκάλουν. ζῶντος μὲν τοῦ Ἄχαζ ἐν αὐτῇ τε τῇ Ἰερουσαλὴμ καὶ ταῖς λοιπαῖς τῆς Ἰουδαίας πόλεσινεἰδωλολατρούντων, ὡς ἡ ἱστορία δηλοῖ τοὺς ἐκ γειτόνων ἀλλοφύλους, τάχα δὲ καὶ τοὺς τούτων ὀνομαζομένους θεοὺς πονηροὺς ὄντας δαίμονας εὐφραίνεσθαι, εἰκὸς ἦν ἐπὶ τῇ πλάνῃ καὶ τῇ ἀπωλείᾳ τοῦ τε Ἄχαζ καὶ τοῦ ὑπ' αὐτὸν λαοῦ καλουμένου Ἰούδα. ὁ γὰρ λεγόμενος λαὸς Ἰσραὴλ καὶ οἱ ἐν Σαμαρείᾳ βασιλεῖς ὑπ' Ἀσσυρίοις ἦσαν αἰχμάλωτοι ληφθέντες ἤδη. ἱστορεῖ γοῦν ἡ βίβλος τῶν Βασιλειῶν «ὡς ἐταπείνωσε κύριος τὴν Ἰουδαίαν διὰ Ἄχαζ βασιλέα Ἰούδα, ὅτι ἀπέστηἀποστάσει ἀπὸ κυρίου». καὶ περὶ τῶν ἀλλοφύλων δὲ γέγραπται· «ὅτι καὶ Ἰδουμαῖοι ἐπέθεντο καὶ ἐταπείνωσεν ἐν Ἰούδα καὶ ᾐχμαλώτευσεν αἰχμαλωσίας καὶ οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι ἐπέθεντο ἐπὶ τὰς πόλεις τῆς Παλαιστίνης καὶ ἀπώλεσαν τὸν Βεθσαμύς», καὶ ἐνταῦθα δὲ ἀντὶ τοῦ· «καὶ οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι ἐπέθεντο ἐπὶ τὰς πόλεις», οἱ Φυλιστιαῖοι ἤτοι Παλαιστῖνοι ἐπιφυέντες τῷ Ἄχαζ. οὐκέτι γὰρ ἐφίεται ὑμῖν εὐφραίνεσθαι ἀποθανόντος μὲν τοῦ ἀσεβοῦς βασιλέως, ἐφ' ᾧ τὸ παλαιὸν ἐχάρητε, θεοσεβοῦς δὲ ἀνδρὸς τὴν ἀρχὴν διαδεξαμένου ὡς ἐν δευτέρᾳ τῶν Παραλειπομένων τῷ Ἑζεκίᾳ μεμαρτύρηται καὶ ἐν τῇ τετάρτῃ τῶν Βασιλειῶν. ὥσπερ οὖν ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀσεβοῦς Ἄχαζ εἰκὸς ἦν χαίρειν καὶ εὐφραίνεσθαι τοὺς ἀλλοφύλους, οὕτως ἐπὶ τοῦ δικαίου ἀνδρὸς τοῦ Ἑζεκίου εὐκαίρως ἡ προφητεία ἀποτεινομένη πρὸς αὐτούς φησι· Μὴ εὐφρανθείητε, ἀλλόφυλοι· πάλαι μὲν γὰρ ἔτι ζῶντος τοῦ Ἄχαζ καὶ τὰ ἐχθρὰ τῷ θεῷ πράττοντος εἰκὸς ἦν ὑμᾶς εὐφραίνεσθαι, ἐπειδὴ συνετέτριπτο τοῦ Ἄχαζ ὁ ζυγός, ὡς μὴ δύνασθαι αὐτὸν ὑποτάττειν ὑμᾶς μηδὲ τὸν τῆς ἀρχῆς αὐτοῦ ζυγὸν ἐπιτιθέναι ὑμῖν, διόπερ ἐπληθύνετο τὰ κακά. ὥσπερ μηδενὸς παίοντος ἡ ἑρπυστικὴ καὶ ἰοβόλος τῶν πονηρῶν πνευμάτων δύναμις ἐπλήθυνε τότε,