84

are gathered in my name, there I am in their midst.” In this way, then, the churches shone with his grace, while the error of the demons there was being destroyed. And Egyptians will rise up against Egyptians, and a man will fight his brother and a man his neighbor, city against city and nome against nome. And the spirit of the Egyptians will be troubled within them, and I will scatter their counsel. But instead of 'and they will rise up,' Aquila says, 'and I will cause Egyptians to rebel among Egyptians,' but Symmachus, 'and I will bring Egyptians into conflict with Egyptians,' and Theodotion, 'and I will throw Egyptians into confusion among Egyptians'. And these things were fulfilled after the gospel preaching that was spread throughout all Egypt, at which the lifeless carved images were shaken from their age-old immovable position, so that they were no longer established and had a firm position because of the shaking that occurred in them, and the evil demons lurking in them, being nothing, were exposed at these events. For just as civil strife was stirred up throughout all Egypt, with the inhabitants of the land being separated from one another and being cut off and divided by households and by cities, with some of them running to the gospel preaching, departing from the demonic and Egyptian error, while others remaining in it waged an implacable war against these; thus, therefore, Egyptians rose up against Egyptians, “and a man fought his neighbor and a man his brother, but also city against city and nome was in sedition against nome. And 'nomes' are called among the Egyptians even now their regions, which also themselves are divided against each other for the sake of the same cause. And the life of the godless was separated from the polity according to God, and law was stirred up against law, with the gospel law overthrowing the customs of the Egyptians, just as, in turn, the law of idolatry warred against the saving word. And all these things happened, as the Lord who had come upon them confounded the Egyptians' agreement for evil and their unanimity concerning the polytheistic error. Therefore it is said according to Aquila, 'and I will cause Egyptians to rebel against Egyptians,' and according to Symmachus, 'and I will bring Egyptians into conflict with Egyptians'. But things akin and related to these, or rather the same things in other words, our Lord himself taught in the Gospels, saying: “Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword” and what follows. And as these things were happening, the word says that the spirit of the Egyptians will be troubled, and according to Symmachus, 'and the spirit of Egypt will be broken within her,' and according to Theodotion, 'and the spirit of Egypt will be split within her,' and Aquila, 'and the spirit of Egypt will grow feeble in her inward parts'. And as this was being broken and troubled at the progress of the church, and as the Egyptians were devising evil counsels, I, says the Lord himself, will scatter their counsel. And they, being at a loss as to what they should do, according to their ancient custom will turn to their supposed gods to receive oracles and divinations concerning the matters that were troubling them. Therefore it has been said: 'And they will consult their gods and their images and those who speak from the earth and the ventriloquists,' but with none of these any longer appearing to them as was customary, they will fall into the utmost perplexity. Therefore, those who inhabit the individual regions will suffer these things, but the word says that all Egypt itself together will be handed over into the hands of harsh masters, and harsh kings will rule over them. There I think the time is indicated of the fulfillment of the things being prophesied; for it signifies that there will be a change in the kingdom of the Egyptians, at the times of the Lord's arrival in Egypt. And who would not be astonished comparing the times of the preaching of the saving word and

84

σηνηγμένοι εἰσὶν εἰς τὸ ἐμὸν ὄνομα, ἐκεῖ εἰμι ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν». οὕτω γοῦν αἱ μὲν ἐκκλησίαι τῇ αὐτοῦ διέλαμπον χάριτι, ἡ δὲ τῶν αὐτόθι δαιμόνων καθῃρεῖτο πλάνη. Καὶ ἐπαναστήσονται Αἰγύπτιοι ἐπ' Αἰγυπτίους, καὶ πολεμήσει ἄνθρωπος τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἄνθρωπος τὸν πλησίον αὐτοῦ, πόλις ἐπὶ πόλιν καὶ νομὸς ἐπὶ νομόν. καὶ ταραχθήσεται τὸ πνεῦμα τῶν Αἰγυπτίων ἐν αὐτοῖς, καὶ τὴν βουλὴν αὐτῶν διασκεδάσω. ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ· καὶ ἐπαναστήσονται, ὁ Ἀκύλας· καὶ στασιάσω φησὶν Αἰγυπτίους ἐν Αἰγυπτίοις, ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος· καὶ συμβαλῶ Αἰγυπτίους Αἰγυπτίοις, ὁ δὲ Θεοδοτίων· καὶ συνταράξω Αἰγυπτίους ἐν Αἰγυπτίοις. καὶ ταῦτα δὲ ἐπληροῦτο μετὰ τὸ εὐαγγελικὸν κήρυγμα τὸ εἰς πᾶσαν διαδοθὲν τὴν Αἴγυπτον, ἐφ' ᾧ τὰ μὲν ἄψυχα ξόανα τῆς ἐξ αἰῶνος ἀκινήτου στάσεως αὐτῶν ἐσαλεύετο, ὡς μηκέτι ἱδρῦσθαι καὶ βεβαίαν ἔχειν αὐτὰ στάσιν διὰ τὸν ἐγγενόμενον αὐτοῖς σάλον, οἱ δ' ἐν αὐτοῖς ἐμφωλεύοντες δαίμονες πονηροί, τὸ μηδὲν ὄντες διηλέγχοντο ἐπὶ τούτοις. ὥσπερ γὰρ ἡ ἐμφύλιος στάσις καθ' ὅλης διηγείρετο τῆς Αἰγύπτου, διισταμένων ἀπ' ἀλλήλων καὶ τεμνομένων καὶ μεριζομένων κατ' οἴκους καὶ κατὰ πόλεις τῶν τὴν χώραν οἰκούντων, τῷ τοὺς μὲν αὐτῶν προστρέχειν τῷ εὐαγγελικῷ κηρύγματι ἀναχωροῦντας τῆς δαιμονικῆς καὶ Αἰγυπτιακῆς πλάνης, τοὺς δὲ ἐναπομένοντας ἐν αὐτῇ πόλεμον ἄσπονδον κατὰ τούτων ἐγείρειν· οὕτως οὖν ἐπανίσταντο Αἰγύπτιοι ἐπ' Αἰγυπτίους, «ἐπολέμει τε ἄνθρωπος τὸν πλησίον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἄνθρωπος τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ, ἀλλὰ καὶ πόλις ἐπὶ πόλιν καὶ νομὸς ἐπὶ νομὸν ἐστασίαζον. νομοὶ δὲ καλοῦνται παρ' Αἰγυπτίοις εἰσέτι νῦν αἱ παρ' αὐτοῖς χῶραι, αἳ καὶ αὐταὶ διίστανται πρὸς ἀλλήλας τῆς αὐτῆς ἕνεκεν ὑποθέσεως. ἐχωρίζετο δὲ τῆς κατὰ θεὸν πολιτείας ὁ τῶν ἀθέων βίος, καὶ νομὸς ἐπηγείρετο νομῷ, τοῦ εὐαγγελικοῦ νόμου τὰ τῶν Αἰγυπτίων ἀνατρέποντος νόμιμα, ὡς αὖ πάλιν τοῦ τῆς εἰδωλολατρίας νόμου πολεμοῦντος τὸν σωτήριον λόγον. ταῦτα δὲ πάντα ἐγίγνετο, τὴν ἐπὶ κακῷ συμφωνίαν τῶν Αἰγυπτίων καὶ τὴν ὁμόνοιαν αὐτῶν τὴν περὶ τὴν πολύθεον πλάνην καὶ συγχέοντος τοῦ ἐπιδημήσαντος αὐτοῖς κυρίου. διὸ εἴρηται κατὰ τὸν Ἀκύλαν· καὶ στασιάσω Αἰγυπτίους Αἰγυπτίοις, κατὰ δὲ τὸν Σύμμαχον· καὶ συμβαλῶ Αἰγυπτίους Αἰγυπτίοις. συγγενῆ δὲ τούτοις καὶ ἀδελφά, μᾶλλον δὲ τὰ αὐτὰ ἑτέροις ῥήμασιν αὐτὸς ὁ κύριος ἡμῶν ἐν Εὐαγγελίοις ἐδίδασκε λέγων· «Μὴ νομίσητε ὅτι ἦλθον βαλεῖν εἰρήνην ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν· οὐκ ἦλθον βαλεῖν εἰρήνην ἀλλὰ μάχαιραν» καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. τούτων δὲ γιγνομένων ταραχθήσεσθαί φησιν ὁ λόγος τὸ πνεῦμα τῶν Αἰγυπτίων, κατὰ δὲ τὸν Σύμμαχον· καὶ ῥαγήσεται πνεῦμα Αἰγύπτου ἐν αὐτῇ, κατὰ δὲ τὸν Θεοδοτίωνα· καὶ σχισθήσεται τὸ πνεῦμα Αἰγύπτου ἐν αὐτῇ, ὁ δὲ Ἀκύλας· καὶ πλαδαρωθήσεται πνεῦμα Αἰγύπτου ἐν ἐγκάτῳ αὐτῆς. τούτου δὲ ῥηγνυμένου καὶ ταραττομένου ἐπὶ τῇ τῆς ἐκκλησίας προκοπῇ τῶν τε Αἰγυπτίων βουλὰς πονηρὰς ἐπινοούντων, ἐγώ φησιν αὐτὸς ὁ κύριος τὴν βουλὴν αὐτῶν διασκεδάσω. οἱ δὲ ἀποροῦντες ὅτι καὶ πράξουσι κατὰ τὸ παλαιὸν αὐτοῖς ἔθος ἐπὶ τοὺς νομιζομένους αὐτοῖς θεοὺς τραπήσονται χρησμοὺς καὶ μαντείας ληψόμενοι περὶ τῶν θορυβούντων αὐτοὺς πραγμάτων. διὸ λέλεκται· καὶ ἐπερωτήσουσι τοὺς θεοὺς αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ ἀγάλματα αὐτῶν καὶ τοὺς ἐκ τῆς γῆς, φωνοῦντας καὶ τοὺς ἐγγαστριμύθους, μηκέτι δὲ μηδενὸς τούτων συνήθως αὐτοῖς φαινομένου εἰς ἐσχάτην ἐμπεσοῦνται ἀπορίαν. Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν πείσονται οἱ τὰς κατὰ μέρος χώρας οἰκοῦντες, ἀθρόως δὲ πᾶσαν αὐτὴν τὴν Αἴγυπτον παραδοθήσεσθαι ὁ λόγος φησὶν εἰς χεῖρας κυρίων σκληρῶν, καὶ βασιλεῖς σκληροὺς κυριεύσειν αὐτῶν. ἔνθα δηλοῦσθαι τὸν χρόνον ἡγοῦμαι τῆς τῶν θεσπιζομένων ἐκβάσεως· μεταβολὴν γὰρ ἔσεσθαι τῆς βασιλείας τῶν Αἰγυπτίων σημαίνει, κατὰ τοὺς χρόνους τῆς τοῦ κυρίου εἰς τὴν Αἴγυπτον ἀφίξεως. καὶ τίς οὐκ ἂν ἐκπλαγείη συμβάλλων τοὺς χρόνους τοὺς τοῦ σωτηρίου λόγου κηρύγματος καὶ