75

are shown through these things, that lawlessness has become the foundation of impiety; for being enslaved to pleasures, they slipped into the worship of idols. 81.1045 30. And the Lord said to me, Son of man, will you judge Oholah and Oholibah, and declare to them their lawless deeds? For they committed adultery, and blood is on their hands, and in their thoughts they committed adultery, and their children, which they bore to me, they made them pass through the fire for them. As for "will you judge?" other interpreters have translated it "judge." Taking up my persona, he says, O prophet, pass judgment against Samaria and Jerusalem, and convict them of their lawless deeds, how abandoning me they mingled with idols; how the children provided to them by me, they offered as a sacrifice to them, despising my laws, and profaning my Sabbaths. For he added this: 38. Besides these things they did to me, they defiled my holy things on that day, and profaned my Sabbaths. Then he teaches the manner of the profanation. 39. And when they slaughtered their children for their idols, they would also enter my holy places on that day to profane them. And great is the excess of their impiety. For first, their slaughtering of their children is the utmost limit of impiety; and to offer such victims to demons is, again, an intensification of the evil; and to dare these things on the Sabbath, on which even necessary work was forbidden, shows a much greater impiety; and after such a deed to tread upon the divine thresholds, what excess of impiety does it leave? Therefore he has placed this last, and has added again: "And behold, thus they did in the midst of my house." This impiety, he says, they have dared in the consecrated house. 40. And they sent for men coming from afar; to whom they sent messengers to them, and as soon as they came, you immediately bathed, and painted your eyes with kohl, and adorned yourself with ornaments. And you sat on a decked-out couch, and a table adorned before it. He described all the things said as if of a harlot woman; and it signifies both the alliance made by them with the Assyrians and Chaldeans, and the impiety introduced from there. And it also indicates the embellishments in the feasts of the demons, luxuries, and changes of garments, and all the other things they were accustomed to do in such festivals. And the following also signifies this: "And my incense and my oil you placed before them." That is, of the idols. 42. And they rejoiced in them. For the joy of demons is the destruction of men. And in addition to these things he says: "And they struck up a harmonious sound 81.1048 for men coming from a multitude of people, drunk from the wilderness." For what is more desolate than those who worship idols? From those, he says, desolate souls the teachings of impiety were brought to you, and you received them with musical instruments striking up a sweet sound. "And you gave them bracelets on their hands, and a crown of boasting on their heads." For those who choose to worship them receive nothing from the idols, but they offer the God-given gifts to them, placing every kind of ornament on them. 43. And I said, Do they not commit adultery in these things, and these are the works of a harlot, and has she not committed fornication? For I was saying, he says, using the prophets as instruments, that your adultery is dared with inanimate things, and such pursuits are fornication for you. 44. And they went in to her, in the way they go in to a harlot woman, so they went in to Oholah and to Oholibah, the lawless women, to commit lawlessness. For then, having received license from their lawlessness, as toward harlot women and those available to all, so they entered Samaria and Jerusalem, both the avenging demons of souls, and the Chaldeans who had been taught their worship. He transfers then therefore to

75

ται δὲ διὰ τούτων, ὡς ὑποβάθρα τῆς ἀσεβείας ἡ πα ρανομία γεγένηται· ταῖς γὰρ ἡδοναῖς δουλεύοντες εἰς τὴν τῶν εἰδώλων λατρείαν ἐξεκυλίσθησαν. 81.1045 λʹ. Καὶ εἶπε Κύριος πρὸς μὲ, Υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου, εἰ κρινεῖς τὴν Ὀολλὰν καὶ τὴν Ὀολιβὰν, καὶ ἐπαγγελεῖς αὐταῖς τὰς ἀνομίας αὐτῶν; Ὅτι ἐμοιχῶντο, καὶ αἷμα ἐν ταῖς χερσὶν αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐν τοῖς ἐνθυμήμασιν αὑτῶν ἐμοιχῶντο, καὶ τὰ τέκνα αὑτῶν, ἃ ἐγέννησάν μοι, διῆγον αὐτὰ αὐ τοῖς διὰ πυρός. Τὸ εἰ κρινεῖς; οἱ ἄλλοι ἑρμη νευταὶ κρίθητι ἡρμήνευσαν· τὸ ἐμὸν, φησὶν, ἀναλα βὼν πρόσωπον, ὦ προφῆτα, ποίησαι τὴν κρίσιν πρὸς τὴν Σαμάρειαν καὶ τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ, καὶ διέλεγξον αὐτῶν τὰς παρανομίας, ὅπως μὲν ἐμὲ καταλιμπά νουσαι τοῖς εἰδώλοις ἐμίγνυντο· ὅπως δὲ τὰ ὑπ' ἐμοῦ αὐτοῖς παρεχόμενα τέκνα, θυσίαν ἐκείνοις προσέφερον, τῶν ἐμῶν νόμων καταφρονοῦντες, καὶ τὰ Σάββατά μου βεβηλοῦντες. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἐπήγαγεν· ληʹ. Ἕως καὶ ταῦτα ἐποίησάν μοι, ἐμίαινον τὰ ἅγιά μου ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ, καὶ τὰ Σάββατά μου ἐβεβήλουν. Εἶτα διδάσκει τῆς βεβηλώσεως τρόπον. λθʹ. Καὶ ἐν τῷ σφάζειν αὐτοὺς τὰ τέκνα αὑ τῶν τοῖς εἰδώλοις αὑτῶν, καὶ εἰσπορεύεσθαι αὐτοὺς εἰς τὰ ἅγιά μου ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ ἐβε βήλουν αὐτά. Πολλὴ δὲ ἡ τῆς ἀσεβείας ὑπερβολή. Πρῶτον μὲν γὰρ αὐτῶν τὸ σφάζειν τοὺς παῖδας ὅρος ἔσχατος ἀσεβείας· τὸ δὲ καὶ τοῖς δαίμοσι τὰ τοιαῦτα προσφέρειν σφάγια, πάλιν ἐπίτασις τοῦ κακοῦ· τὸ δὲ καὶ ἐν Σαββάτῳ ταῦτα τολμᾷν, ἐν ᾧ καὶ ἡ ἀναγ καία ἀπείρητο ἐργασία, μείζονα πολλῷ δείκνυσι τὴν ἀσέβειαν· τὸ δὲ καὶ μετὰ τὴν τοιαύτην ἐργασίαν τῶν θείων ἐπιβαίνειν προθύρων, ποίας ἀσεβείας ὑπερβολὴν καταλείπει; ∆ιὸ καὶ τελευταῖον αὐτὸ τέ θεικεν, καὶ προστέθεικε πάλιν· "Καὶ ἰδοὺ οὕτως ἐποίουν ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ οἴκου μου." Ταύτην, φησὶ, τὴν ἀσέβειαν ἐν τῷ ἀφιερωμένῳ τετολμήκασιν οἴκῳ. μʹ. Καὶ ἔπεμπον τοῖς ἀνδράσι τοῖς ἐρχομένοις μα κρόθεν· οἷς ἀγγέλους ἐξαπέστελλον πρὸς αὐτοὺς, καὶ ἅμα τῷ ἔρχεσθαι αὐτοὺς εὐθὺς ἐλούου, καὶ ἐστιβίζου τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς σου, καὶ ἐκόσμου κό σμῳ. Καὶ ἐκάθου ἐπὶ κλίνης ἐστρωμένης, καὶ τρά πεζα κεκοσμημένη ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῆς. Πάντα τὰ εἰ ρημένα ὡς ἐπὶ γυναικὸς ἑταίρας διέγραψε· σημαίνει δὲ τήν τε γενομένην πρὸς τοὺς Ἀσσυρίους καὶ Χαλδαίους αὐτοῖς συμμαχίαν, καὶ τὴν ἐκεῖθεν ἐπεισαχθεῖσαν ἀσέβειαν. Παραδηλοῖ δὲ καὶ τοὺς ἐν ταῖς τῶν δαιμόνων ἑορταῖς καλλωπισμοὺς, χλιδὰς, καὶ ἱματίων ἐναλλα γὰς, καὶ τ' ἄλλα πάντα ὅσα ἐν ταῖς τοιαύταις ποιεῖν εἰώθεισαν πανηγύρεσι. Τοῦτο δὲ σημαίνει καὶ τὰ ἐπιφερόμενα· "Καὶ τὸ θυμίαμά μου, καὶ τὸ ἔλαιόν μου ἐτίθης ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῶν. Τουτέστι, τῶν εἰ δώλων. μβʹ. Καὶ ηὐφραίνοντο ἐν αὐτοῖς. Εὐφροσύνη γὰρ τῶν δαιμόνων ἡ τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἀπώλεια. Πρὸς δὲ τούτοις φησίν· "Καὶ φωνὴν ἁρμονίας ἀν 81.1048 εκρούοντο πρὸς ἄνδρας ἐκ πλήθους ἥκοντας ἀνθρώ πων οἰνωμένους ἐκ τῆς ἐρήμου." Τί γὰρ ἐρημότε ρον τῶν τὰ εἴδωλα προσκυνούντων; Ἐξ ἐκείνων, φησὶ, τῶν ἐρήμων ψυχῶν τὰς τῆς ἀσεβείας ἐκομί ζετό σοι διδάγματα, καὶ ἐδέχου αὐτὰ ἐν μουσικοῖς ὀργάνοις ἀνακρουομένοις τὴν ἡδεῖαν ἠχήν. "Καὶ ἐδίδους αὐτοῖς ψέλλια ἐπὶ τὰς χεῖρας αὐτῶν, καὶ στέφανον καυχήσεως ἐπὶ τὰς κεφαλὰς αὐτῶν." Οὐδὲν γὰρ παρὰ τῶν εἰδώλων λαμβάνουσιν οἱ τούτοις λα τρεύειν αἱρούμενοι, ἀλλὰ τὰ θεόσδοτα δῶρα τούτοις προσφέρουσι, παντοδαπὸν αὐτοῖς κόσμον περιτι θέντες. μγʹ. Καὶ εἶπον, Οὐκ ἐν τούτοις μοιχεύουσι, καὶ ἔργα πόρνης ταῦτα, καὶ αὐτὴ ἐξεπόρνευσεν; Ἔλεγον γὰρ, φησὶν, ὀργάνοις χρώμενος τοῖς προ φήταις, ὅτι ἐν τοῖς ἀψύχοις ἡ μοιχεία ὑμῶν τολμᾶ ται, καὶ πορνικὰ ὑμῖν τὰ τοιαῦτα ἐπιτηδεύματα. μδʹ. Καὶ αὐτοὶ εἰσεπορεύοντο πρὸς αὐτὴν, ὃν τρόπον εἰσπορεύονται πρὸς γυναῖκα πόρνην, οὕ τως εἰσεπορεύοντο πρὸς Ὀολλὰν καὶ πρὸς Ὀολιβὰν, τὰς γυναῖκας τὰς ἀνόμους, τοῦ ποιῆ σαι ἀνομίαν. Ἄδειαν γὰρ λοιπὸν λαβόντες ἐκ τῆς τούτων παρανομίας, ὡς πρὸς γυναῖκας ἑταίρας καὶ πᾶσι προκειμένας, οὕτω πρὸς τὴν Σαμάρειαν καὶ τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ εἰσίεσαν, καὶ οἱ τῶν ψυχῶν ἀλάστορες δαίμονες, καὶ οἱ τὴν τούτων λατρείαν δεδιδαγμένοι Χαλδαῖοι. Μεταφέρει γοῦν λοιπὸν πρὸς