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his tent which it is the custom for kings to make in their encampments, he will pitch here; therefore, he will set his weapons, the Hebrew says, and he will stretch out his tent; but the same meaning is preserved in both. For it is clear that the royal weapons were laid upon the king's tent. And I will set his throne. Then, lest you think it a conjecture, he also says the place where he will set the stones. And he will burn with fire. And he speaks concerning their gods, so that they might not incline to impiety, but nothing more happened. And he will carry them into captivity, and he will delouse the land of Egypt, as a shepherd delouses his garment. That is, the old one; so easily will Nebuchadnezzar take possession of Egypt. And he will break the pillars of Heliopolis, those of On, and he will burn the houses of their gods with fire. On is the name of a city near Tahpanhes. Perhaps 64.1013 it was called Heliopolis according to the Greeks, but according to the language of the Egyptians, On.

CHAPTER 44.

Thus says the Lord. See, what could be clearer than this? they had the examples in their sights. These were not words, but deeds that cried out. They knew the cause of what had happened. *And there will not be for them anyone saved, nor anyone remaining of the remnant of Judah who have come to sojourn in Egypt, to return to the land of Judah, for which they hope in their souls to return there, from which those who have escaped will not return. He threatens death to all who have entered Egypt, as fighting against the will of God and that they would suffer worse things than those in Jerusalem; he said that only those would be saved, who, when evils overtook Judea, would pursue after it, so that they might know the power of God to be invincible, from which he also gives those who seem to be in safety into the hands of their enemies, and settles the desolate land, saving all who flee to it; and that this is so, he makes clearer as he proceeds, speaking thus; The word which he spoke. Is this the queen of heaven, tell me? God who made the heaven and the earth, you always hear, continuously; and you call this one a queen, the moon? And it was well with you. From where then the famine, tell me? from where death? O, the shamelessness! For this reason he reminds them. Was it not because of the incense which you burned. Is it not for this reason, he says, the captivity? is it not for this reason all the evils? How was it well with you? is it not for this reason that God could not bear you? What could be worse than wickedness? what madmen would have uttered these words? If my name is still in the mouth. He threatens again famine and bonds for those being saved, so that they might learn that these things are true. And after a little; For this reason he left them so, that he might give an account to you, that he justly burned their city. For when those who escaped are such as these, what should one say about the others? And every man of Judah will cease, those dwelling in Egypt by the sword, and by famine, until they cease, and those saved from the sword will return from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah; few men in number. For we will surely do every word that will proceed out of our mouth, to burn incense to the queen. That is, to the host of heaven. And here the homonymy made for the change of interpretation. For Meleched is host, but Melecheth is queen. And so having threatened again complete captivity to those shamelessly pursuing impiety, he makes the present things a proof of his words; for he says; 64.1016 Whose word will stand. But what, whose word will remain, he shows that seeking me in evils you will not find me; but the rest will be benefited by your sufferings. And this the

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σκηνὴν αὐτοῦ ἣν ἔθος τοῖς βασιλεῦσιν ἐν ταῖς στρατοπεδείαις ποιεῖσθαι, ἐνταῦθα πήξει· τὸ οὖν, θήσει τὰ ὅπλα αὐτοῦ, ὁ Ἑβραῖος, καὶ τανύσει τὴν σκηνὴν αὐτοῦ, ἔφη· σώζεται δὲ ἡ αὐτὴ ἔννοια ἐν ἑκατέρῳ. ∆ῆλον γὰρ, ὡς τὰ βασιλικὰ ὅπλα ἐπὶ τῆς σκηνῆς τοῦ βασιλέως ἔκειτο. Καὶ θήσω αὐτοῦ τὸν θρόνον. Εἶτα ἵνα μὴ στοχασμὸν νομίσῃς, καὶ τὸν τόπον λέγει, ἔνθα θήσει τοὺς λίθους. Καὶ καύσει πῦρ. Καὶ περὶ τῶν θεῶν αὐτῶν λέγει, ἵνα μὴ εἰς ἀσέβειαν ἐκκλίνωσιν, ἀλλ' οὐδὲν πλέον ἐγένετο. Καὶ ἀποικιεῖ αὐτοὺς, καὶ φθερεῖ γῆν Αἰγύπτου, ὡς φθερίζει ποιμὴν τὸ ἱμάτιον αὐτοῦ. Τουτέστι, τὸ παλαιόν· οὕτως εὐκόλως καθέξει τῆς Αἰγύπτου ὁ Ναβουχοδονόσορ. Καὶ συντρίψει τοὺς στύλους Ἡλιουπόλεως τοὺς Ἐνὼν, καὶ τοὺς οἴκους τῶν θεῶν αὐτῶν κατακαύσει πυρί. Ἐνὼν ὄνομα πόλεώς ἐστι πλησίον Τάφνας Ἴσως 64.1013 δὲ κατὰ μὲν Ἕλληνας Ἡλιούπολις ἐκαλεῖτο, κατὰ δὲ τὴν Αἰγυπτίων φωνὴν Ἐνών.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. Μ∆ʹ.

Οὕτως εἶπε Κύριος. Ὅρα, τί τούτου ἂν γένοιτο σαφέστερον; ἐν ὄψεσιν εἶχον τὰ παραδείγματα. Οὐκ ἦν ταῦτα ῥήματα, ἀλλὰ πράγματα ἃ ἐβόα. Τὴν αἰτίαν ᾔδεσαν τῶν συμβεβηκότων. *Καὶ οὐκ ἔσονται αὐτοῖς σεσωσμένος, οὐδὲ περιλειπόμενος οὐδεὶς τῶν ἐπιλοίπων Ἰούδα τῶν ἐλθόντων παροικεῖν ἐν τῇ Αἰγύπτῳ, τοῦ ἀποστρέψαι εἰς γῆν Ἰούδα ἐφ' ἣν αὐτοὶ ἐλπίζουσι ταῖς ψυχαῖς αὐτῶν, τοῦ ἐπιστρέψαι ἐκεῖ οὗ μὴ ἀποστρέψουσιν οἱ διαπεφευγότες. Πᾶσιν ἀπειλεῖ θάνατον τοῖς εἰς τὴν Αἴγυπτον εἰσεληλυθόσιν, ὡς μαχομένοις τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ γνώμῃ καὶ χείρονα πείσεσθαι, ἢ τοὺς ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις· σώζεσθαι μόνους ἔφη ἐκείνους, οἳ τῶν κακῶν καταλαβόντων τὴν Ἰουδαίαν μεταδιώξουσι, ὡς ἂν γνοῖεν ἄμαχον οὖσαν τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν ἰσχὺν, ἀφ' ὧν καὶ τοὺς δοκοῦντας εἶναι ἐν ἀσφαλεῖ, ὑποχειρίους δίδωσι τοῖς ἐχθροῖς, καὶ ἔρημον οὖσαν τὴν γῆν οἰκίζει, σώζων ἅπαντας τοὺς ἐπ' αὐτὴν καταφεύγοντας· καὶ ὅτι τοῦτο οὕτως ἔχει, δηλοῖ προϊὼν σαφέστερον οὕτω λέγων· Ὁ λόγος ὃν ἐλάλησε. Αὕτη βασίλισσα οὐρανοῦ, εἰπέ μοι; Θεὸς ποιήσας τὸν οὐρανὸν, καὶ τὴν γῆν, ἀεὶ ἀκούεις, συνεχῶς· καὶ ταύτην βασίλισσαν καλεῖς, τὴν σελήνην; Καὶ καλῶς ἦν ὑμῖν. Πόθεν οὖν ὁ λιμὸς, εἰπέ μοι; πόθεν ὁ θάνατος; Ὢ τῆς ἀναισχυντίας! ∆ιὰ τοῦτο αὐτοὺς ἀναμιμνήσκει. Οὐχὶ τοῦ θυμιάματος οὗ ἐθυμιάσατε. Οὐχὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἡ αἰχμαλωσία, φησίν; οὐχὶ διὰ τοῦτο πάντα τὰ κακά; Πῶς καλῶς ἦν ὑμῖν; οὐχὶ διὰ τοῦτο οὐκ ἠδυνήθη ὑμᾶς ἐνεγκεῖν ὁ Θεός; Τί κακίας χεῖρον γένοιτο ἄν; ποῖοι μαινόμενοι ἐφθέγξαντο ἂν ταῦτα τὰ ῥήματα; Ἐὰν γένηται ἔτι ὄνομά μου ἐν τῷ στόματι. Ἀπειλεῖ πάλιν λιμὸν καὶ δεσμοὺς ἀνασωζομένους, ἵνα μάθωσιν, ὅτι ἀληθῆ ταῦτά ἐστιν. Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὕτως αὐτοὺς ἀφῆκεν, ἵνα ἀπολογῆται πρὸς σὲ, ὅτι δικαίως αὐτῶν τὴν πόλιν ἐνέπρησεν. Ὅταν γὰρ οἱ διαφυγόντες τοιοῦτοί εἰσι, τί χρὴ περὶ τῶν ἄλλων εἰπεῖν; Καὶ ἐκλείψουσι πᾶς ἀνὴρ Ἰούδα, οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐν τῇ Αἰγύπτῳ ἐν ῥομφαίᾳ, καὶ ἐν λιμῷ, ἕως ἂν ἐκλίπωσι, καὶ οἱ σεσωσμένοι ἀπὸ ῥομφαίας ἀποστρέψουσιν ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου ἐν γῇ Ἰούδα· ὀλίγοι ἀριθμῷ ἄνδρες. Ὅτι ποιοῦντες ποιήσομεν πάντα τὸν λόγον, ὃς ἐξελεύσεται ἐκ τοῦ στόματος ἡμῶν θυμιᾷν τῇ βασιλίσσῃ. Τουτέστι, τῇ στρατιᾷ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ. Κἀνταῦθα δὲ ἡ ὁμωνυμία τὴν ἐναλλαγὴν τῆς ἑρμηνείας ἐποιήσατο Μελχὲδ γὰρ στρατιά ἐστι, Μελχὲθ δὲ βασίλισσα. Οὕτως δὲ ἀναισχύντως τὴν ἀσέβειαν μετιοῦσιν αὖθις ἀπειλήσας παντελῆς αἰχμαλωσίαν, ἀπόδειξιν τῶν λόγων ποιεῖται τὰ παρόντα· φησὶ γάρ· 64.1016 Λόγος τίνος ἐμμενεῖ. Τί δὲ, τίνος ὁ λόγος μενεῖ, δείκνυσιν ὡς ἐν τοῖς κακοῖς με ζητοῦντες οὐχ εὑρήσετε· οἱ δὲ κατάλοιποι διὰ τῶν ὑμετέρων παθημάτων ὠφεληθήσονται. Καὶ τοῦτο τὸ