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For in Egypt he turned water into blood; and the land brought forth frogs; and heaven sent down hail; and the air was deepest darkness. So also now the wrath of heaven is to be understood, as the terrible things that are brought from it upon those who are being punished, eclipses of stars, and thunderbolts and harsh thunder, and 2085 a mist of the air, which indeed happen because of the Lord's furious anger, so called from the vapor that comes from punishment, and the kindling against those who have sinned. But the earth, he says, will be shaken from its foundations; that is, its shaking will not be superficial. But the Lord in Job says that the foundations of the earth are unknown to human nature. "Where were you when I founded the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding, who set its measures, if you know? or who stretched a line upon it? On what are its rings fastened? and who is it that laid its cornerstone?" But those of outside wisdom say that the earth is founded in the center of the sphere of heaven that contains it. For being equidistant from all sides, it is unshakable; and these sayings, they say, signify the end of the age. But those who think it was said concerning the Babylonians say that the prophets, receiving the divine and ineffable power in their mind, hyperbolically raise their voices on high, and devise exceptional magnitudes for their narratives. But those, he says, who then try to flee the terrible things, will seem to be like a small gazelle, but not full-grown ones, making their course light and swift; and the animal is easily frightened, and in its flights does not stop. And they will be like a wandering sheep. For the sheep does not have its own understanding, so as to head for nourishing pastures, and to be penned in safer places, or to seek drink for themselves, unless there is someone shepherding them, and guiding them to these things. So then he says to those who flee, There will be no ruler who is able to both gather them and provide them with a refuge. For some are scattered, being pursued; but those who remain will be defeated; or also, according to the other interpreters, will be pierced through. And even if they stand together, they will fall under the sword of the wrath of God. Not only will the punishing powers inflict these things on the impious, that is, the Persians on the Babylonians; but also on women and children, as being likewise impious. But the phrase to pursue into his own country, instead of to hasten. For fearing the enemies, he says, they will flee even their most pleasant country. And David agrees with "they will rule the children," saying to Babylon, "Blessed is he who will take and dash your infants against the rock." But if one must speak spiritually about the things that happened to the Assyrians, you would find without hindrance in the prophecy spoken about Christ the things said about the spiritual Babylon, and its ruler the 2088 devil, who according to the historical king always wars against those dedicated to God, and makes very many captives, and rejoices over them being driven from their homeland, and the holy land. But the sign of the Savior has been raised, the divine cross, and we have shouted against him, singing a victory ode to the one who for our sake and on our behalf has conquered, and we have lifted up our voice, making the confession of faith. And the Lord is also commanded to come to a warlike nation, that is, to that of the saints, for whom the battle is not against flesh and blood, but rather against principalities and powers, and they have arrayed themselves against and have conquered, bringing the siege against them as against some city, storming the idolatry that was long ago terrible and unconquerable, with Christ as general, and the protecting angels, so that few of those captured by them remain, and these are terrified and have utterly given up resistance. Moving us to such an allegory, the prophet, after the things concerning the Savior, brought in the things concerning the Babylonians. 17-22. 9Behold, I am stirring up for us the Medes, who do not reckon silver, nor have they need of gold. They will shatter the bows of the young men, and they will not pity your children, nor will their eyes spare your children. He is coming quickly, and will not delay9. Those who said the preceding things were about the universal judgment

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Αἰγύπτῳ γὰρ ὕδωρ μὲν εἰς αἷμα μετέβαλεν· ἐξῆρψε δὲ βατράχους ἡ γῆ· καθῆκε δὲ χάλαζαν οὐρανός· ὁ δὲ ἀὴρ σκότος ὑπῆρχε βαθύτατον. Οὕτω δὲ καὶ νῦν οὐρανοῦ θυμὸν νοητέον, ὡς ἅπερ ἐξ αὐτοῦ τοῖς κολαζομένοις ἐπάγεται φοβερὰ, ἄστρων ἐκλείψεις, σκηπτοί τε καὶ σκληραὶ βρονταὶ, καὶ 2085 ἀέρος ἀχλὺς, ἃ δὴ γίνεται διὰ θυμὸν ὀργῆς Κυρίου, οὕτω λεγομένης τῆς κατὰ κόλασιν ἀναθυμιάσεως, καὶ τῆς ἐπὶ τοῖς ἡμαρτηκόσιν ἐξάψεως. Γῆ δὲ, φησὶν, ἐκ τῶν θεμελίων σεισθήσεται· τοῦτ' ἔστιν, οὐκ ἐπιβολῆς ἔχουσα τὸν βρασμόν. Θεμέλια δὲ γῆς ἄγνωστά φησιν ἐν Ἰὼβ ἀνθρώπου φύσει Κύριος. "Ποῦ ἦς ἐν τῷ θεμελιοῦν με τὴν γῆν; ἀπάγγειλον δή μοι εἰ ἐπίστασαι σύνεσιν, τίς ἔθετο τὰ μέτρα αὐτῆς, εἰ οἶδας; ἢ τίς ὁ ἐπαγαγὼν σπαρτίον ἐπ' αὐτήν; ἐπὶ τίνος οἱ κρίκοι αὐτῆς πεπήγασιν; τίς δέ ἐστιν ὁ βαλὼν λίθον γωνιαῖον ἐπ' αὐτῆς;" Οἱ δὲ τῆς ἔξω σοφίας φασὶ τεθεμελιῶσθαι τὴν γῆν ἐν τῷ κέντρῳ τῆς περιεχούσης οὐρανοῦ σφαίρας αὐτήν. Ἰσόῤῥοπος γάρ περ ἀφισταμένη πανταχόθεν, ἐστὶν ἀκλόνητος· καὶ ταῦτα δὴ, φασὶ, τὰ ῥητὰ δηλοῖ τὴν συντέλειαν. Οἱ δὲ περὶ Βαβυλωνίων εἰρῆσθαι νομίζοντες λέγουσιν, ὡς οἱ προφῆται τὴν θείαν καὶ ἄφραστον δύναμιν δεχόμενοι κατὰ νοῦν, ὑπερβολικῶς αἴρουσιν ὑψοῦ τὰς φωνὰς, καὶ μεγέθη τοῖς διηγήμασιν ἐπινοοῦσιν ἐξαίρετα. Οἱ δὲ φεύγειν, φησὶ, τότε πειρώμενοι τὰ δεινὰ, δόξουσιν ἐοικέναι δορκαδίῳ σμικρῷ, ἀλλ' οὐ τελείοις, κοῦφόν τε καὶ ταχὺν ποιουμένοις τὸν δρόμον· εὐπτόητον δὲ τὸ ζῶον, κἀν ταῖς φυγαῖς οὐχ ἱστάμενον. Καὶ ὡς πρόβατον ἔσονται πλανώμενον. Οὐ γὰρ ἔχει σύνεσιν οἰκείαν τὸ πρόβατον, ὡς ὁρμίσαι μὲν ἐπὶ τὰς τροφίμους νομὰς, αὐλισθῆναι δὲ ἐν τόποις ἀσφαλεστέροις, ἢ πότον ἑαυτοῖς ἐκζητῆσαι, ἐὰν μή τις ᾖ ποιμαίνων, καὶ ἐπ' αὐτὰ καθηγούμενος. Οὕτως οὖν τοῖς φεύγουσί φησιν, Οὐκ ἔσται τις ἄρχων ὁ καὶ συνάγειν δυνάμενος, καὶ καταφυγὴν αὐτοῖς παρασχεῖν. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ διασπείρονται διωκόμενοι· οἱ δὲ μένοντες, ἡττηθήσονται· ἢ καὶ, κατὰ τοὺς λοιποὺς ἑρμηνευτὰς, ἐκκεντηθήσονται. Οἱ δὲ κἂν συστῶσι ἀλλήλων, ὑποπεσοῦνται τῇ μαχαίρᾳ τῆς ὀργῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ. Οὐ μόνον δὲ ταῦτα διαθήσουσιν τοὺς ἀσεβεῖς αἱ δυνάμεις αἱ τιμωρητικαὶ, ἤγουν τοὺς Βαβυλωνίους οἱ Πέρσαι· ἀλλὰ καὶ γυναῖκας καὶ παῖδας, ὡς ὁμοίως ὑπάρχοντας ἀσεβεῖς. Τὸ δὲ εἰς τὴν χώραν αὐτοῦ διῶξαι, ἀντὶ τοῦ ἐπειχθῆναι. ∆εδιότες γὰρ τοὺς πολεμίους, φησὶ, καὶ τὴν ἡδίστην αὐτοῖς φεύξονται χώραν. Συμφωνεῖ δὲ τῷ τοὺς παῖδας ἄρξουσιν, ὁ ∆αβὶδ πρὸς τὴν Βαβυλῶνα λέγων, "Μακάριος ὃς κρατήσει καὶ ἐδαφιεῖ τὰ νήπιά σου πρὸς τὴν πέτραν." Εἰ δὲ δεῖ νοητῶς περὶ τῶν συμβεβηκότων Ἀσσυρίοις εἰπεῖν, εὕροις ἂν ἀκωλύτως τῇ περὶ τοῦ Χριστοῦ προφητείᾳ λεχθείσῃ τὰ περὶ τῆς νοητῆς Βαβυλῶνος, καὶ τοῦ ταύτης ἄρχοντος 2088 διαβόλου λεγόμενα, ὃς κατὰ τὸν ἱστορικὸν βασιλέα πολεμεῖ μὲν ἀεὶ τοῖς ἀνακειμένοις Θεῷ, πολλούς τε λίαν αἰχμαλώτους ἐργάζεται, καὶ τούτοις ἐπιχαίρει τῆς πατρίδος ἐληλαμένοις, καὶ γῆς τῆς ἁγίας. Ἀλλ' ἐγήγερται τὸ τοῦ Σωτῆρος σημεῖον ὁ θεῖος σταυρὸς, καὶ ἠλαλάξαμεν κατ' αὐτοῦ ᾠδὴν ᾄδοντες ἐπινίκιον τῷ δι' ἡμᾶς ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν τε νενικηκότι, καὶ τὴν φωνὴν ὑψώσαμεν, τῆς πίστεως τὴν ὁμολογίαν ποιούμενοι. Ἐντέταλται δὲ καὶ ὁ Κύριος ἔρχεσθαι ἔθνει ὁπλομάχῳ, δηλονότι τῷ τῶν ἁγίων, οἷς ἡ μάχη οὐ πρὸς αἷμα καὶ σάρκα, πρὸς ἀρχὰς δὲ μᾶλλον καὶ ἐξουσίας, ἀντετάξαντό τε καὶ νενικήκασιν ἀντεπάγοντες αὐταῖς τὴν πολιορκίαν οἷά τινα πόλιν, τὴν εἰδωλολατρείαν πορθοῦντες τὴν πάλαι δεινὴν καὶ ἀνάλωτον Χριστοῦ στρατηγοῦντος, καὶ τῶν ὑπερασπιζόντων ἀγγέλων, ὡς εὐαριθμήτους λείπεσθαι τῶν ὑπ' ἐκείνων ἁλόντων, καὶ τούτους περιδεεῖς καὶ ἀπειρηκότας παντελῶς τὴν ἀντίστασιν. Ἐπὶ τοιαύτην ἡμᾶς ὁ προφήτης ἀλληγορίαν κινῶν, μετὰ τὰ περὶ τοῦ Σωτῆρος, τὰ περὶ τῶν Βαβυλωνίων ἐπήνεγκεν. ιζκβʹ. 9Ἰδοὺ ἐπεγείρω ἡμῖν τοὺς Μήδους, οἲ ἀργύριον οὐ λογίζονται, οὐδὲ χρυσίου χρείαν ἔχουσι. Τοξεύματα νεανίσκων συντρίψουσι, καὶ τὰ τέκνα ὑμῶν οὐ μὴ ἐλεήσωσιν, οὐδὲ ἐπὶ τοῖς τέκνοις σου φείσονται οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ αὐτῶν. Ταχὺ ἔρχεται, καὶ οὐ χρονιεῖ9. Οἱ περὶ καθολικῆς κρίσεως εἰρῆσθαι τὰ προλαβόντα