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of difficulty, if we should pay attention to the manner of the prophetic spirit. For when it attended to Egypt, it foresaw both the things that were immediately about to happen to the Egyptians in the time of the prophet, and it looked also to the good things that would come to pass in the land of the Egyptians long afterwards. Then, having first prophesied the good things through the preceding words, it moves on to the things that will happen immediately. And these things were grievous to the Egyptians, which were also fulfilled not long after, in those very times when the prophet was known. And necessarily the divine spirit, having prophesied about the arrival of the Lord in Egypt and about the good things that would happen to the Egyptians in it, joined to them things that were immediately about to be fulfilled, so that from the outcome of the present events, the things that were to happen long afterwards might be believed by those then listening to the prophetic words. Therefore, the present things were not contrary to those prophesied before; for it referred some things to the times to come, and proclaimed others concerning the things that would happen very soon. For in the time of the prophet Isaiah, when the king of the Assyrians existed, who, having invaded the nation of the Palestinians, captured Azotus, which was then the greatest and most illustrious of the cities there, upon its capture the prophet is commanded—using a single garment suitable for the height of philosophy, and this not of wool but woven from goat hair—to take this very thing off, so as to become completely naked because he had no second covering on his skin, and to take off his sandals, or footwear according to the other interpreters; and when he had done these things, God says that the Egyptians, warred upon by the Assyrians, would suffer things similar to the prophet's appearance; for they would be led away naked and unshod, not only they but also the Ethiopians who were hoped to aid and ally with them; for the Egyptians, confident in the multitude of the Ethiopians and in their might, being very powerful at that time, were contemptuous of the Assyrians. But God reveals the future, saying: In the way that my servant Isaiah has walked naked and unshod for three years, there shall be signs and wonders for the Egyptians. See them, warred upon by the Assyrians, being led away naked and unshod according to the image that the prophet endured for their sake. Therefore, he adds next: thus naked and unshod and with their shame uncovered, the king of the Assyrians will lead away captive the Egyptians and the Ethiopians. And when the Ethiopians are captured, the Egyptians will be put to shame and blush for those in whom they trusted and had confidence, so that those dwelling in this island—clearly, in the land of Egypt—will condemn and blame themselves. He called it an island because it is surrounded and encircled on all sides by the river in it. And he says they will say, condemning and repenting of themselves, that they had fixed their hopes on men, and not on the God of all. And how will we ourselves be able to be saved, when those who were expected to be our helpers have suffered these things? And one may marvel at the prophetic life, which the Apostle presented, saying: "They went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented." But the present scripture introduces Isaiah as using one garment of sackcloth, evidently mourning and weeping for those who, through their own impieties, fall far from God. And that, being commanded to walk naked and not to hesitate, but to do this immediately in the sight of those present with him, would be a sign of the greatest obedience and zeal towards God, and of a bearing and elevated mind that held all glory among men as nothing. 1.79 Seeking to preserve the preceding things literally, I think starting points

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ἀπορίας, εἰ ἐπιστήσαιμεν τῷ τρόπῳ τοῦ προφητικοῦ πνεύματος. ὡς γὰρ τῇ Αἰγύπτῳ προσέσχε, συνεῖδε μὲν καὶ τὰ παραυτίκα τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις μέλλοντα ἔσεσθαι κατὰ τὸν τοῦ προφήτου χρόνον, ἀπέβλεψε δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τὰ μακροῖς ὕστερον χρόνοις ἀποβησόμενα χρηστὰ περὶ τὴν τῶν Αἰγυπτίων χώραν. εἶτα πρῶτα τὰ χρηστὰ θεσπίσας διὰ τῶν ἔμπροσθεν, ἐπὶ τὰ παραχρῆμα γενησόμενα μεταβαίνει. λυπηρὰ δὲ τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις ταῦτα ἦν· ἃ καὶ οὐκ εἰς μακρὸν ἐπληροῦτο κατ' αὐτοὺς ἐκείνους, καθ' οὓς ὁ προφήτης ἐγνωρίζετο χρόνους. ἀναγκαίως δὲ τὸ θεῖον πνεῦμα τοῖς περὶ τῆς τοῦ κυρίου εἰς τὴν Αἴγυπτον ἀφίξεως καὶ περὶ τῶν ἐν ταύτῃ γενησομένων τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις ἀγαθῶν θεσπίσαντα παραχρῆμα μέλλοντα τέλους τυγχάνειν συνῆψεν, ἵν' ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν παρόντων ἐκβάσεως καὶ τὰ μακροῖς ὕστερον χρόνοις μέλλοντα γίγνεσθαι πιστευθείη τοῖς τότε τηνικαῦτα τῶν προφητικῶν λόγων ἐπακούουσιν. οὐκ ἦν οὖν ἐναντία τὰ προκείμενα τοῖς διὰ τῶν ἔμπροσθεν πεπροφητευομένοις· τὰ μὲν γὰρ εἰς τοὺς ἐπελευσομένους χρόνους ἀνέπεμπε, τὰ δὲ περὶ τῶν ἔγγιστα γενησομένων ἀνεφώνει. κατὰ γὰρ τοὺς τοῦ προφήτου Ἠσαΐου χρόνους τοῦ τῶν Ἀσσυρίων βασιλέως ὑπάρχοντος, ὅστις ἐπιβὰς τῷ Παλαιστίνων ἔθνει τὴν Ἄζωτον εἷλε μεγίστην οὖσαν τότε καὶ διαφανεστάτην τῶν τῇδε πόλεων, ἧς ἁλούσης προστάττεται ὁ προφήτης ἑνὶ πρόξενον χρώμενος ἐνδύματι δι' ἀκρότητα φιλοσοφίας, καὶ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐξ ἐρέας, ἀλλ' ἐκ τριχῶν αἰγείων ὑφασμένον τοῦτ' αὐτὸ ἀποθέσθαι, ὡς παντελῶς καταστῆναι γυμνὸν διὰ τὸ μὴ δεύτερον ἔχειν ἐπὶ τοῦ χρωτὸς περίβλημα, καὶ τὰ σανδάλια δέ, ἢ ὑποδήματα κατὰ τοὺς λοιποὺς ἑρμηνευτάς, περιελεῖν, ταῦτα δὲ πράξαντος τὰ ὅμοια πείσεσθαι τῷ τοῦ προφήτου σχήματι τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους πολεμηθέντας ὑπὸ Ἀσσυρίων φησὶν ὁ θεός· γυμνοὺς γὰρ καὶ ἀνυποδέτους ἀπαχθήσεσθαι, οὐ μόνους ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἐπικουρήσειν αὐτοῖς καὶ συμμαχήσειν ἐλπισθέντας Αἰθίοπας· τῷ γὰρ πλήθει τῶν Αἰθιόπων καὶ τῇ τούτων χειρὶ μεγάλα κατ' ἐκεῖνο καιροῦ δυναμένων θαρσοῦντες οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι, καταφρονητικῶς εἶχον τῶν Ἀσσυρίων. ἀλλ' ὁ θεὸς τὸ μέλλον προφαίνει λέγων· Ὃν τρόπον πεπόρευται ὁ παῖς μου Ἠσαΐας γυμνὸς καὶ ἀνυπόδετος τρία ἔτη, ἔσται σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις. Ὅρα αὐτοὺς πολεμουμένους ὑπὸ τῶν Ἀσσυρίων γυμνούς τε καὶ ἀνυποδέτους ἀπαγομένους κατὰ τὴν εἰκόνα, ἣν δι' αὐτοὺς ὁ προφήτης ὑπέμεινε. διὸ ἐπιλέγει ἑξῆς· οὕτως γυμνοὺς καὶ ἀνυποδέτους καὶ ἀνακεκαλυμμένους τὴν αἰσχύνην ἀπάξει αἰχμαλώτους ὁ βασιλεὺς τῶν Ἀσσυρίων τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους καὶ τοὺς Αἰθίοπας. ἁλόντων δὲ τῶν Αἰθιόπων καταισχυνθήσονται οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι ἐρυθριῶντες, ἐφ' οἷς ἐθάρσουν καὶ ἐπεποίθεισαν, ὡς καταγιγνώσκειν καὶ μέμφεσθαι αὐτοὺς ἑαυτοῖς τοὺς κατοικοῦντας ἐν τῇ νήσῳ ταύτῃ, δῆλον δ' ὅτι ἐν τῇ Αἰγυπτίων χώρᾳ. νῆσον δὲ αὐτὴν ὠνόμασε διὰ τὸ πανταχόθεν περιρρεῖσθαι καὶ κυκλοῦσθαι ὑπὸ τοῦ ἐν αὐτῇ ποταμοῦ. ἐροῦσι δέ φησι καταγινώσκοντες ἑαυτῶν καὶ μεταμελόμενοι, ὅτι δὴ ἐπ' ἀνθρώπους, ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐπὶ τὸν τῶν ὅλων θεὸν τὰς ἑαυτῶν ἀνήρτησαν ἐλπίδας. καὶ πῶς αὐτοὶ δυνησόμεθα σωθῆναι, ὁπότε ταῦτα πεπόνθασιν οἱ προσδοκήσαντες ἡμῖν ἔσεσθαι βοηθοί. θαυμάσαι δέ ἐστιν τὸν προφητικὸν βίον, ὃν ὁ μὲν Ἀπόστολος παρέστησεν εἰπών· «περιῆλθον ἐν μηλωταῖς, ἐν αἰγείοις δέρμασιν, ὑστερούμενοι, θλιβόμενοι, κακουχούμενοι». ἡ δὲ παροῦσα γραφὴ τὸν Ἠσαΐαν ἑνὶ ἐνδύματι σάκκῳ κεχρημένον εἰσάγει, πενθοῦντα δηλαδὴ καὶ ἀποκλαόμενον τοὺς διὰ τὰς οἰκείας ἀσεβείας μακρὰν ἀποπίπτοντας τοῦ θεοῦ. τὸ δὲ κελευσθέντα γυμνὸν βαδίσαι καὶ μὴ μελλῆσαι, πρᾶξαι δὲ τοῦτο παραχρῆμα ἐπ' ὀφθαλμοῖς τῶν παρόντων αὐτῷ, μεγίστης ὑπακοῆς καὶ προθυμίας τῆς πρὸς τὸν θεὸν γένοιτ' ἂν δεῖγμα, παραστήματός τε καὶ φρονήματος ἐπῃρμένου, πᾶσαν τὴν παρὰ ἀνθρώποις δόξαν ἐν οὐδενὶ τιθεμένου. 1.79 Ζητῶν τὰ προκείμενα σῶσαι πρὸς λέξιν ἀφορμὰς οἶμαι