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However, Esau also traces his lineage from there. The word, therefore, alludes to the beneficence of God and that the just judge does not pay attention to nature but seeks faith. For if, He says, I loved the race of Abraham, I would have deemed all those from Abraham worthy of the same care; but since I seek virtue, I have preferred Jacob above the others. But you boast of him as the root of your race. Then the prophet teaches of whom of the race he has spoken: Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now turn pale; 23but when they see their children, the works of my hands, for my sake they shall sanctify my name, and they will sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and they shall fear the God of Israel. 24And they that are erring in spirit shall know understanding, and the murmurers shall learn to obey, and the stammering tongues shall learn to speak peace. By Jacob he means those from Jacob. He accuses them of shamelessness and teaches that, though they received much instruction, they were not shamed, but after their calamities they received benefit; for after the return from Babylon they turned away from the error concerning idols. The prophecy, however, properly applies to those from them who have believed in Christ the savior; for these truly first murmured, but later believed. For He says, the Jews murmured, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” But those of them who later believed enjoyed salvation. And the stammering tongues will learn to speak peace; for instead of blasphemy, they offer hymnody. [From here he transfers the discourse to Egypt. For when Jerusalem had been burned and most had been led away captive, the rest escaped the hands of the enemy <and> were gathered against them. Nebuzaradan the chief cook had given Gedaliah to them as a ruler. Ishmael killed him, desiring the leadership. Fearing, therefore, the rest wished to flee to Egypt. The prophet Jeremiah, using many words, tried to restrain them, but he did not overcome their disobedient and inflexible mind; for they took possession of Egypt. To these God says through the prophet: 30 Woe to you, apostate children. And He calls them children who are unwilling to call Him Father, and He laments for them, imitating an affectionate mother; for "woe" is a lament. You have made a counsel, and |137 a| not by Me, and covenants not by My Spirit, to add sins upon sins. For the all-holy Spirit did not speak to them through the prophet, but they themselves used blasphemous words against the God of all and have dared to say that, from the time they abandoned the worship of idols, they fell into all kinds of calamities. 2Who are going down to Egypt, but have not asked Me, to be helped by Pharaoh and to be protected by the Egyptians. Then He shows the senselessness of the flight: 3For the protection of Pharaoh shall be to you for shame, and a reproach to those who trust in the Egyptians. 4For there are in Tanis his princes and his wicked messengers; in vain will they labor 5with a people that will not profit them for help, nor for advantage, but for shame and reproach. He slanders the rulers of the Egyptians as being able to harm, but inactive for helping. He also foretold the unprofitableness of the refuge, or rather, its reproachfulness. For the Babylonian, campaigning also against them, conquered both them and the Hebrews who had taken refuge there, and enslaving them, led them away. We are taught, therefore, to sing the Davidic melody: “It is good to trust in the Lord rather than to trust in man; it is good to hope in the Lord rather than to hope in princes.” For being fortified by this hope, even if we are surrounded by myriad evils, we will be stronger than the terrible things; for He says, “All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord I repelled them.” To whom is due all glory, honor, and majesty, now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

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μέντοι καὶ ὁ Ἠσαῦ ἐκεῖθεν κατάγει τὸ γένος. Αἰνίττεται τοίνυν ὁ λόγος τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ εὐεργεσίαν καὶ ὅτι οὐ τῇ φύσει προσέχει ὁ δίκαιος κριτὴς ἀλλὰ πίστιν ζητεῖ. Εἰ γὰρ τοῦ Ἀβραάμ φησιν ἠγά πων τὸ γένος, πάντας ἂν τοὺς ἐξ Ἀβραὰμ τῆς ἴσης κηδεμονίας ἠξίωσα· ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἀρετὴν ζητ ῶ , προτετίμηκα τῶν ἄλλων τὸν Ἰακώβ. Τοῦτον δὲ ὑμεῖς ῥίζαν αὐχεῖτε τοῦ γένους. Εἶτα διδάσκει ὁ προφήτης, τίνα τοῦ γένους εἴρηκεν· Οὐ νῦν αἰσχυνθήσεται Ἰακώβ, οὐδὲ νῦν τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ μεταβαλεῖ· 23ἀλλ' ὅταν ἴδωσι τὰ τέκνα αὐτῶν τὰ ἔργα μου, δι' ἐμὲ ἁγιάσουσι τὸ ὄνομά μου καὶ ἁγιάζουσι τὸν ἅγιον τοῦ Ἰακὼβ καὶ τὸν θεὸν τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ φοβηθήσονται. 24Καὶ γνώσονται οἱ τῷ πνεύματι πλανώμενοι σύνεσιν, οἱ δὲ γογγύζοντες μαθήσονται ὑπακούειν, καὶ αἱ γλῶσσαι αἱ ψελλίζουσαι μαθήσονται λαλεῖν εἰρήνην. Ἰα κὼ β τοὺς ἐξ Ἰακὼβ καλεῖ. Τούτων δὲ ἀναίδειαν κατηγορεῖ καὶ διδάσκει ὡς πολλὴν δεξάμενοι διδα σκαλ ίαν οὐκ ἐνετράπησαν, μετὰ δὲ τὰς συμφορὰς τὴν ὠφέλειαν ἐδέξαντο· καὶ γὰρ μετὰ τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς Βα βυλῶνος ἐπάνοδον ἀπέστησαν τῆς περὶ τὰ εἴδωλα πλάνης. Ἁρμόττει δὲ κυρίως ἡ προφητεία τοῖς ἐξ αὐ τῶν εἰς τὸν σωτῆρα πεπιστευκόσι Χριστόν· οὗτοι γὰρ ἀληθῶς πρῶτον μὲν ἐγόγγυσαν, ὕστερον δὲ ἐπίστευσα ν. Ἐγόγγυσαν γάρ φησιν «Ἰουδαῖοι λέγοντες· Πῶς δύναται ἡμῖν οὗτος δοῦναι τὴν σάρκα φαγεῖν;» Οἱ δὲ ἐξ αὐτῶν ὕστερον πιστεύσαντες τῆς σωτηρίας ἀπέλαυσαν. Καὶ αἱ γλῶσσαι αἱ ψελλίζουσαι μαθήσονται λαλεῖν εἰρήνην· ἀντὶ γὰρ τῆς βλασφημίας ὑμνῳδίαν προσφέρουσιν. [̓Εντεῦ θεν μετα φέρει τὸν λόγ ον εἰς Αἴγυπτον. Τῆς γὰρ Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐμπρησθείσης καὶ τῶν πλείστων ἀπαχθέντων δορυα λώτων, οἱ λοιποὶ διέφυγον τῶν πολεμίων τὰς χεῖρας <καὶ> κατ' αὐτῶν ἠθροίσθησαν. Ναβουζαρδὰν δὲ τού τοις ὁ ἀρχιμ άγειρος ἄρχοντα ἐδεδώκει τὸν Γοδολίαν. Τοῦτον ὁ Ἰσμαὴλ ἀνεῖ λε τῆς ἡγεμονίας ἐπιθυμή σας. ∆είσαντες οὖν οἱ λοιποὶ φυγεῖν εἰς Αἴγυπτον ἠβουλήθησαν. Τούτους ὁ προ φήτης Ἱερε μίας πολλοῖς χρώμενος λόγοις ἐπισχεῖν ἐπειράθη, ἀλλὰ τῆς ἀπειθοῦς αὐτῶν καὶ ἀτε ράμονος οὐ περιεγένετο γνώμης· κατέλαβον γὰρ τὴν Αἴγυπτον. Τούτοις ὁ θεὸς διὰ τοῦ προ φήτου λέγει · 301Οὐαὶ τέκνα ἀποστάται. Καὶ καλεῖ τέκνα τοὺς πατέρα καλεῖν αὐτὸν οὐκ ἐθέλοντας καὶ τούτους θρηνεῖ φιλόστοργον μητέρα μιμούμενος· θρῆνος γάρ ἐστι τὸ οὐαί. Ἐποιήσατε βουλὴν καὶ |137 a| οὐ δι' ἐμοῦ καὶ συνθήκας οὐ διὰ τοῦ πνεύματός μου τοῦ προσθεῖναι ἁμαρτίας ἐπὶ ἁμαρτίαις. Οὐ κ ἐλάλησε γὰρ αὐτοῖς διὰ τοῦ προφήτου τὸ πανάγιον πνεῦμα, αὐτοὶ δὲ βλασφήμοις κατὰ τοῦ θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων ἐχρήσαντο λόγοις καὶ τετολμήκασιν εἰπεῖν ὡς, ἐξ οὗ τῆς τῶν εἰδώλων ἀπέστη σαν θεραπείας, ταῖς παντοδαπαῖς περιέπεσον συμφοραῖς. 2Οἱ πορευόμενοι καταβῆναι εἰς Αἴγυπτον, ἐμὲ δὲ οὐκ ἐπηρώτησαν τοῦ βοη<θη>θῆναι ὑπὸ τοῦ Φαραὼ καὶ σκεπα σθῆναι ὑπὸ Αἰγυπτίων. Εἶτα δείκνυσι τὸ ἀνόητον τῆς φυγῆς· 3Ἔσται γὰρ ὑμῖν ἡ σκέπη Φαραὼ εἰς αἰσχύνην καὶ τοῖς πεποιθόσιν ἐπ' Αἰγυπτίους ὄνειδος. 4Ὅτι εἰσὶν ἐν Τάνει ἀρχηγοὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἄγγελοι αὐτοῦ πονηροί· μάτην κοπιάσουσι 5πρὸς λαόν, ὃς οὐκ ὠφελήσει αὐτοὺς εἰς βοήθειαν οὐδ' εἰς ὠφέλειαν ἀλλ' εἰς αἰσχύνην καὶ ὄνειδος. ∆ιαβάλλει τῶν Αἰγυπτίων τοὺς ἄρχοντας ὡς βλάψαι μὲν ἱκανούς, εἰς ὠφέλειαν δὲ ἀδρανεῖς. Προεῖπε δὲ καὶ τῆς καταφυγῆς τὸ ἀκερδές, μᾶλλον δὲ τὸ ἐπονείδιστον. Ἐπιστρατεύσας γὰρ καὶ κατ' ἐκείνων ὁ Βαβυλώνιος καὶ αὐτοὺς καὶ τοὺς ἐκεῖ καταφυγόντας Ἑβραίους ἐνίκησε καὶ ἀνδραποδίσας ἀπήγαγεν. Παιδευόμεθα τοίνυν ἡμεῖς τὴν ∆αυιτικὴν μελῳδίαν λέγειν· «Ἀγαθὸν πεποιθέναι ἐπὶ κύριον ἢ πεποιθέναι ἐπ' ἄνθρωπον· ἀγαθὸν ἐλπίζειν ἐπὶ κύριον ἢ ἐλπίζειν ἐπ' ἄρχουσιν.» Ταύτῃ γὰρ τῇ ἐλπίδι φραττόμενοι, κἂν ὑπὸ μυρίων κυκλωθῶμεν κακῶν, κρείττους ἐσόμεθα τῶν δεινῶν· «Πάντα» γάρ φησι «τὰ ἔθνη ἐκύκλωσάν με, ἐγὼ δὲ τῷ ὀνόματι κυρίου ἠμυνάμην αὐτούς.» Ὧ πρέπει πᾶσα δόξα, τιμὴ καὶ μεγαλοπρέπεια νῦν καὶ ἀεὶ καὶ εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας τῶν αἰώνων. Ἀμήν.