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given over to idolatry in the time of Ahaz the king. But when they are pious, the Assyrian will flee more quickly, shamefully changing from place to place, through both your country and cities. And he describes the flight with his eyes, God showing future things as present. But the phrase, "For he brings a plague 2036 upon you, to see the way of Egypt," Symmachus translated thus: "He will strike with a rod, and his staff he will raise against you, because of the way of Egypt." But others say that Hoshea son of Elah, king of Israel, having been enslaved to Shalmaneser king of the Assyrians, transgressed and called upon So, King of Egypt, for an alliance; and the Assyrian, being angered, made him a prisoner, as it says in the fourth book of Kings. For God, they say, was angered, because not trusting in Him, he hoped in the Egyptian. Just as also when Ahaz called upon the Assyrian against Damascus. But these things have nothing to do with those in Jerusalem, to whom the discourse is now directed, if Israel called upon the Egyptian. But against the Assyrian, he says, the Lord will raise up a scourge according to the plague of Midian. But instead of, "in the place of affliction," Symmachus rendered it, "Sur Horeb," so that we might not understand the plague under Gideon against the Midianites, but the one under Moses. For the wilderness was called Shur. And the mountain was called Horeb, as we have learned from Numbers, when they also killed every male and the kings of Midian; but the Assyrians, being struck by my scourge, will turn back on the way by the sea. For the Assyrian, fleeing, took the road towards Egypt, when the Ethiopians rose up against him, according to the history which says: "And Rabshakeh returned, and found the king of the Assyrians warring against Libnah, for he had heard that he had departed from Lachish. And he heard Tirhakah king of the Ethiopians saying, Behold, I have come out to seek with you." But some say that the king of the Assyrians, being angered against the king of Egypt for having promised to ally with Hoshea the king of Israel, marched against the Egyptians, speaking in agreement with what has gone before. But we have said that these things have nothing to do with Jerusalem. And now the oracle prophesies that there will be a flight of the Assyrians, but not such great prosperity as to also campaign against others. But he, it says, will suffer these things. But you will receive comfort, no longer being subject to the yoke of the Assyrians. For it says in the books of Kings that the Assyrian imposed on Hezekiah a tribute of three hundred talents of gold. And being moved, he gave him both the sacred treasures and the royal ones. Therefore he reasonably called this a yoke. Wherefore those who are able to do this are commanded to comfort the people. And what comfort? To remain, and not to contemplate flight out of fear. But some say, "Comfort them to remain in this way of piety;" and as prophesying about things that were about to happen 2037, he reasonably added "today," in contradistinction to the things that would be in later times concerning both the Assyrian and the remnant of Jacob; which indeed were spoken of before the present matters. Therefore he says: "Comfort them today not to flee" the impending attack of the Assyrians, now indeed and today in the time of Hezekiah. And by hills, he means those who are exalted in soul and in spirit, prophets and priests. Since also elsewhere he says: "Comfort my people, says God, O priests, speak to the heart of Jerusalem, comfort her. And he speaks according to the counsel of the Assyrians themselves, that is, "They will quickly suffer what he has planned against you." 33-34. 9Behold, the Lord, the Lord of Sabaoth, shall confound the glorious ones with might; and the haughty in their insolence shall be crushed, and they shall be brought low, and the lofty shall fall by the sword; and Lebanon with its lofty ones shall fall9. Having spoken sufficiently about the arrogance of the Assyrians and their overthrow, he now discusses the polyarchy according to the nation. For there were ethnarchs who insulted the Creator with idolatry, and were lifted up toward a house of pride. And so he prophesies their overthrow. But some say that, being about to speak of the coming of the Savior, he promises to overthrow those who of old were wise in the shadow of the law.

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εἰδωλολατρείας ἐπὶ Ἄχαζ τοῦ βασιλέως ἐκδούς. Εὐσεβούντων δὲ θᾶττον ὁ Ἀσσύριος φεύξεται ἐκ τόπου τόπον ἀσχημόνως ἀμείβων, διά τε χώρας ὑμετέρας καὶ πόλεων. Καὶ διαγράφει τὴν φυγὴν ὀφθαλμοῖς, Θεοῦ τὰ μέλλοντα παρόντα δεικνύς. Τὸ δὲ, Πληγὴν 2036 γὰρ ἐπάγει ἐπὶ σὲ, τοῦ ἰδεῖν ὁδὸν Αἰγύπτου, Σύμμαχος οὔτως ἑρμήνευσεν· Ἐν ῥάβδῳ πλήξει, καὶ τὴν βακτηρίαν αὐτοῦ ἐπαρεῖ ἐπὶ σὲ, διὰ τὴν ὁδὸν Αἰγύπτου. Ἄλλοι δέ φασιν, ὡς Ὠσηὲ ὁ τοῦ Ἠλιᾶ, βασιλεὺς Ἰσραὴλ, Σαλμανασὰρ τῷ τῶν Ἀσσυρίων δουλωθεὶς βασιλεῖ, παραβὰς ἐπεκαλεῖτο πρὸς συμμαχίαν Σιγὼρ Βασιλέα Αἰγύπτου· ὁ δὲ Ἀσσύριος ἀγανακτήσας δεσμώτην αὐτὸν ἐποιήσατο, ὡς ἐν τετάρτῃ τῶν Βασιλειῶν φησιν. Ἠγανάκτησε γὰρ, φασὶν, ὁ Θεὸς, ὅτι μὴ ἐπ' αὐτῷ θαῤῥήσας, ἐπὶ τὸν Αἰγύπτιον ἤλπισεν. Ὥσπερ οὖν καὶ ὅτε Ἄχαζ τὸνἈσσύριον ἐπεκαλέσατο κατὰ τῆς ∆αμασκοῦ. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲν ταῦτα πρὸς τοὺς ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ, πρὸς οὓς νῦν ὁ λόγος ἐστὶν, εἰ ὁ Ἰσραὴλ ἐπεκαλέσατο τὸν Αἰγύπτιον. Τῷ δὲ Ἀσσυρίῳ, φησὶν, ἐπεγερεῖ Κύριος μάστιγα κατὰ τὴν πληγὴν Μαδιάμ. Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ, ἐν τόπῳ θλίψεως, Σύμμαχος ἐξέδωκεν, Σοῦρ Χωρὴβ, ὡς μὴ δύνασθαι νοεῖν ἡμᾶς τὴν ἐπὶ τοῦ Γεδεὼν κατὰ τῶν Μαδιηνέων πληγὴν, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἐπὶ τοῦ Μωϋσέως. Ἡ μὲν γὰρ ἔρημος ἐκαλεῖτο Σοῦρ. Τὸ δὲ ὄρος ἐκαλεῖτο Χωρὴβ, ὡς ἐκ τῶν Ἀριθμῶν ἐγνώκαμεν, ὅτε καὶ ἀπέκτειναν πᾶν ἀρσενικὸν καὶ τοὺς βασιλεῖς Μαδιάμ· οἱ δὲ Ἀσσύριοι πληγέντες τῇ ἐμῇ μάστιγι, ἀποστρέψουσιν ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ τῇ κατὰ θάλασσαν. Τὴν γὰρ κατ' Αἴγυπτον ὁδὸν ὁ Ἀσσύριος φεύγων ἀπήγει, ἐπαναστάντων Αἰθιόπων αὐτῷ, κατὰ τὴν ἱστορίαν εἰποῦσαν· "Καὶ ἀπέστρεψε Ῥαψάκης, καὶ εὗρε τὸν βασιλέα Ἀσσυρίων πολεμοῦντα ἐπὶ Λαβνᾶ, ὅτι ἤκουσεν ὅτι ἀπῆρεν ἐπὶ Λάχεις. Καὶ ἤκουσε Θαραχᾶ βασιλεὺς Αἰθιόπων λέγων, Ἰδοὺ ἐξῆλθον ζητεῖν μετὰ σοῦ." Τινὲς δέ φασιν ὡς ἀγανακτήσας τῶν Ἀσσυρίων ὁ βασιλεὺς κατὰ τοῦ βασιλέως Αἰγύπτου, ἐφ' οἷς ἐπηγγείλατο συμμαχεῖν τῷ Ὠσηὲ τῷ βασιλεῖ Ἰσραὴλ, κατ' Αἰγυπτίων ἐστράτευσε, σύμφωνα τοῖς φθάσασι λέγοντες. Ἀλλ' εἰρήκαμεν ὡς οὐδὲν ταῦτα πρὸς Ἱερουσαλήμ. Καὶ νῦν δὲ φυγὴν ὁ λόγος τῶν Ἀσσυρίων ἔσεσθαι προθεσπίζει, ἀλλ' οὐκ εὐημερίαν τοσαύτην, ὡς καὶ καθ' ἑτέρων στρατεύεσθαι. Ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνος μὲν, φησὶ, ταῦτα πείσεται. Ὑμεῖς δὲ τεύξεσθε παραμυθίας, μηκέτι ὑποκείμενοι τῷ ζυγῷ τῶν Ἀσσυρίων. Φησὶ γὰρ ἐν ταῖς Βασιλείαις, ὡς ὁ Ἀσσύριος Ἐζεκίᾳ φόρον ἐπέθηκε τριακόσια τάλαντα χρυσίου. Καὶ κινήσας, τούς τε ἱεροὺς θησαυροὺς καὶ τοὺς βασιλικοὺς παρέσχεν αὐτῷ. Ζυγὸν οὖν εἰκότως τοῦτον ἐκάλεσε. ∆ιὸ προστάττονται παρακαλεῖν τὸν λαὸν, οἱ τοῦτο πρᾶξαι δυνάμενοι. Τί δὲ παρακαλεῖν; ὑπὲρ τοῦ μεῖναι, καὶ μὴ φόβῳ μελετῆσαι δρασμόν. Τινὲς δέ φασιν, Παρακαλεῖτε ταύτῃ τῇ τῆς εὐσεβείας ἐμμένειν ὁδῷ· ὡς δὲ περὶ τῶν ὅσον οὔπω γενησομένων 2037 θεσπίζων, τὸ σήμερον εἰκότως προσέθηκε, πρὸς ἀντιδιαστολὴν τῶν χρόνοις ὕστερον ἐσομένων περί τε τὸν Ἀσσύριον, καὶ τὸ κατάλειμμα τοῦ Ἰακώβ· ἃ δὴ πρὸ τῶν νυνὶ προκειμένων ἐλέγετο. ∆ιό φησιν· Παρακαλεῖτε σήμερον μὴ φυγεῖν, τὴν νῦν δὴ καὶ σήμερον ἐπ' Ἐζεκίου τῶν Ἀσσυρίων μέλλουσαν ἔφοδον. Βουνοὺς δέ φησιν, τοὺς ἐπαναβεβηκότας ψυχῇ, καὶ φρονήματι, προφήτας καὶ ἱερέας. Ἐπεὶ καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ φησιν· "Παρακαλεῖτε τὸν λαόν μου, λέγει ὁ Θεὸς, ἱερεῖς, λαλήσατε εἰς τὴν καρδίαν Ἱερουσαλὴμ, παρακαλεῖτε αὐτήν. Κατὰ τὴν βουλὴν δὲ αὐτῶν λέγει τῶν Ἀσσυρίων, τοῦτ' ἔστι, Πείσονται θᾶττον ἃ καθ' ὑμῶν ἐβουλεύσατο. λγλδʹ. 9Ἰδοὺ ὁ ∆εσπότης Κύριος Σαβαὼθ συνταράσσει τοὺς ἐνδόξους μετὰ ἰσχύος· καὶ οἱ ὑψηλοὶ τῇ ὕβρει συντριβήσονται, καὶ ταπεινωθήσονται, καὶ πεσοῦνται οἱ ὑψηλοὶ μαχαίρᾳ· ὁ δὲ Λίβανος σὺν τοῖς ὑψηλοῖς πεσεῖται9. Αὐτάρκως περὶ τῆς τῶν Ἀσσυρίων ἀλαζονείας εἰπὼν καὶ τῆς καθαιρέσεως, νῦν περὶ τῆς κατ' ἔθνος πολυαρχίας διεξέρχεται. Ἐθνάρχαι γὰρ ἦσαν εἰδωλολατρείᾳ τὸν Κτίστην ὑβρίζοντες, καὶ πρὸς οἶκον φρονήματος ἐπαιρόμενοι. Καὶ τὴν τούτων οὖν προθεσπίζει καθαίρεσιν. Τινὲς δέ φασιν ὡς περὶ τῆς τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἐπιδημίας μέλλων εἰπεῖν, τοὺς πάλαι φρονοῦντας ἐπὶ τῇ τοῦ νόμου σκιᾷ, καθελεῖν ἐπαγγέλλεται.