98

Of Babylon. He speaks against the Saracens; for thus divine Scripture is accustomed to call the nation by the name of Kedar. But "to the queen of the court" is the name of a city, which in the Hebrew tongue was called Melcheth Asor, which, when interpreted, he made "queen." But Asor means "court"; perhaps, therefore, they also called the city thus as a metropolis, as often tends to happen, it obtained this name. Then after this he prophesies against Aila. And they say that they are Elamites, who are now called Persians.

CHAPTER 50.

Declare among the nations. As if of a paradoxical matter, and one that has thus transpired, he so makes the introductions. For to say, "Do not hide," is as if she suffered beyond her due, or that no one will be ignorant of her misfortunes, just as God has done in the case of Pharaoh, that he might show his wrath and make known his power, so also of this city of Babylon. You see him using their complete wickedness for the benefit of the rest through his own resourcefulness. Bel is put to shame. He shows that the matter was not of human consequence. For she was the strongest of all, and lived in prosperity. Her delicacy did not move God, nor anything else. And she was rightly shamed contrary to expectation by the unworthy. Merodach is delivered up. Their inferiors, and they will consume them utterly. In those days. 64.1032 See them not fleeing, but drawn up in order; for what reason weeping? in the time of benefits they are especially sensible of their sins, because they acted insolently toward so gentle and man-loving a God, who does not endure that they be utterly destroyed, who brought them up in the vengeance of their enemies. For an everlasting covenant. See again how he quells their spirits; for so that they may not reckon their return to their own achievements, he says that this has happened from an ancient agreement. My people have become lost sheep. For lest someone say, "For what reason did you destroy and do you save?" through their own indolence they and their leaders were destroyed. Therefore, not only should they have paid the penalty, but these also, so as to obey. They forgot their resting place. This is their crime, to forget their homeland. All who find them. See how he who is man-loving from of old is accustomed to benefit them, but they are unjust. That is, do not linger in Babylon, since they remained there. Or if not this, as serpents, that is, terrible and burdensome. For good things, last. From the place he says "last," because she prevailed against all, destroying them. Or because she sinned against God; this is clear, especially both from the prophecy, and then from the ascent of the Jews. For he who persuaded those who had taken the city to release them with such honor, he also wrought the victory, he says everywhere, that God delivers her up. From the face of the Hellenic sword. For if it had not been led astray, it would not have been captured; for the strength of the shepherd fortified its natural weakness. It was a sheep, but under God the shepherd; if it had remained a sheep, and compliant, and obedient, it would not have suffered what it suffered; for it was not from weakness, but from being broken off from the pastoral providence, that it endured what it endured. Lions have driven him out. See how everywhere he charges the intensification of the punishment. For this reason he says these things. Did you not have a sufficient example? Did you not hear what that one said? I will take the whole world as a nest, and I will take away as eggs that have been left. This has happened, and has come to an end; You have seen that I delivered him up, be persuaded much more also concerning yourself. They will seek. He did not say, "Because it was corrected"; but, "Because of the"

98

Βαβυλῶνος. Λέγει κατὰ τῶν Σαρακηνῶν· οὕτως γὰρ ἔχει ἔθος ἡ θεία Γραφὴ καλεῖν τὸ ἔθνος τῷ τοῦ Κηδὰρ ὀνόματι. Τὸ δὲ τῇ βασιλίσσῃ τῆς αὐλῆς, ὄνομά ἐστι πόλεως, ὃ κατὰ μὲν τὴν Ἑβραίαν φωνὴν ἐκαλεῖτο Μελχὲθ Ἀσὼρ, ὅπερ ἑρμηνεύων, ἐποίησε βασίλισσαν. Τὸ δὲ Ἀσὼρ αὐλὴν σημαίνει· ἴσως οὖν καὶ ὡς μητρόπολιν οὕτως ἐκάλουν τὴν πόλιν, ὡς τὰ πολλὰ γίνεσθαι φιλεῖ, ταύτην ἔλαχεν οὖσα τὴν ἐπωνυμίαν. Εἶτα μετὰ τοῦτο προφητεύει κατὰ τῆς Ἀϊλά. Φασὶ δὲ εἶναι Ἐλαμίτας, τοὺς νῦν καλουμένους Πέρσας.

ΚΕΦΑΛ. Νʹ.

Ἀναγγείλατε ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσι. Ὥσπερ παραδόξου πράγματος, καὶ οὕτως ἐκβάντος, τὰ προοίμια οὕτω ποιεῖται. Τὸ γὰρ εἰπεῖν, Μὴ κρύψητε, ὡς παρ' ἀξίαν αὐτῆς παθούσης, ἢ ὅτι καὶ οὐδεὶς αὐτῆς ἀγνοήσει τὰς συμφορὰς, καθάπερ ἐπὶ τοῦ Φαραὼ πεποίηκεν ὁ Θεὸς, ἵνα ἐνδείξηται τὴν ὀργὴν αὐτοῦ, καὶ γνωρίσῃ τὸ δυνατὸν αὐτοῦ, οὕτω καὶ τῆς πόλεως ταύτης τῆς Βαβυλῶνος. Ὁρᾷς αὐτὸν ὁλοκλήροις ταῖς πονηρίαις εἰς τὴν ὠφέλειαν τῶν λοιπῶν ἀποχρώμενον διὰ τὴν οἰκείαν εὐμηχανίαν. Κατῃσχύνθη Βῆλος. ∆είκνυσιν ὅτι οὐκ ἀνθρωπίνης ἀκολουθίας τὸ πρᾶγμα ἦν. Ἦν γὰρ πασῶν ἰσχυροτέρα, καὶ ἐν εὐπραγίᾳ διάγουσα. Οὐ τὸ τρυφερὸν ἐδυσώπησε τὸν Θεὸν, οὐκ ἄλλο οὐδέν. Καὶ καλῶς κατῃσχύνθη παρὰ προσδοκίαν ὑπὸ ἀναξίων. Παρεδόθη Μαιρωδάχ. Οἱ ἐλάττους αὐτῶν, καὶ εἰς τέλος αὐτοὺς ἀναλώσουσιν. Ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις. 64.1032 Ὅρα αὐτοὺς οὐχὶ φεύγοντας, ἀλλὰ συντεταγμένους· τίνος ἕνεκεν κλαίοντες; ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τῶν εὐεργεσιῶν μάλιστα τῶν ἁμαρτημάτων αἰσθάνονται, ὅτι εἰς οὕτως ἥμερον καὶ φιλάνθρωπον Θεὸν ἐξύβρισαν, τὸν οὐκ ἀνεχόμενον εἰς τέλος αὐτοὺς ἀπολέσθαι, τὸν ἐν τῇ τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἐκδικίᾳ αὐτοὺς ἀναγαγόντα. ∆ιαθήκη γὰρ αἰώνιος. Ὅρα πάλιν αὐτῶν ὡς καταστέλλει τὰ φρονήματα· ἵνα γὰρ τὴν ἐπάνοδον μὴ τοῖς οἰκείοις κατορθώμασι λογίσωνται, φησὶν ἐκ παλαιᾶς συνθήκης τοῦτο γεγονέναι. Πρόβατα ἀπολωλότα ἐγενήθη ὁ λαός μου. Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ λέγῃ τις, Τίνος ἕνεκεν ἀπώλεσας καὶ σώζεις; διὰ τὴν οἰκείαν ῥᾳθυμίαν ἀπώλοντο αὐτοὶ καὶ οἱ προστάται. Οὐκ οὖν ἐκείνους ἔδει δοῦναι δίκην, ἀλλὰ καὶ τούτους, ὥστε καὶ πείθεσθαι. Ἐπελάθοντο κοίτης αὐτῶν. Τοῦτο αὐτῶν ἔγκλημα, τὸ τῆς πατρίδος ἐπιλαθέσθαι. Πάντες οἱ εὑρίσκοντες αὐτούς. Ὅρα πῶς αὐτὸς φιλάνθρωπος ἄνωθεν εἰωθὼς αὐτοὺς εὐεργετεῖν, οἱ δὲ ἄδικοι. Τουτέστι, μὴ ἐμφιλοχωρεῖτε τῇ Βαβυλῶνι, ἐπειδὴ ἐναπέμειναν ἐκεῖ. Ἢ εἰ μὴ τοῦτο, ὡς δράκοντες, τουτέστι φοβεροὶ καὶ ἐπαχθεῖς. Ἐπ' ἀγαθὰ, ἐσχάτη. Ἀπὸ τοῦ τόπου φησὶν ἐσχάτην, ὅτι κατὰ πάντων ἐκράτησεν ἀναιροῦσα αὐτούς. Ἢ ὅτι τῷ Θεῷ ἥμαρτε· μάλιστα μὲν καὶ ἐκ τῆς προῤῥήσεως, ἔπειτα δὲ ἐκ τῆς ἀνόδου τῆς Ἰουδαϊκῆς τοῦτο δῆλον. Ὁ γὰρ τοὺς λαβόντας τὴν πόλιν ἀναπείσας τούτους ἀφεῖναι μετὰ τοσαύτης τιμῆς, οὗτος καὶ τὴν νίκην εἰργάσατο, πανταχοῦ φησιν, ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς αὐτὴν παραδίδωσι. Ἀπὸ προσώπου μαχαίρας Ἑλληνικῆς. Εἰ μὴ γὰρ πεπλανημένον ἦν, οὐχ ἑάλω· τὴν γὰρ ἀπὸ τῆς φύσεως ἀσθένειαν ἐτείχιζεν ἡ τοῦ ποιμένος ἰσχύς. Πρόβατον ἦν, ἀλλ' ὑπὸ ποιμένι Θεῷ εἰ πρόβατον ἔμεινε καὶ καταπειθὲς, καὶ ὑπήκοον, οὐκ ἂν ἔπαθεν ἅπερ ἔπαθεν· οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐξ ἀσθενείας, ἀλλ' ἐκ τοῦ τῆς ποιμαντικῆς ἀποῤῥαγῆναι προνοίας, ὑπέμεινεν ἅπερ ὑπέμεινεν. Λέοντες ἔξωσαν αὐτόν. Ὅρα, πῶς πανταχοῦ τὴν ἐπίτασιν τῆς τιμωρίας ἐγκαλεῖ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο τάδε λέγει. Οὐκ εἶχες ἱκανὸν παράδειγμα; Οὐκ ἤκουες τί ἔλεγεν ἐκεῖνος; Καταλήψομαι τὴν οἰκουμένην ὡς νοσσιὰν καὶ ὡς καταλελειμμένα ὠὰ ἀρῶ. Τοῦτο γέγονε, καὶ τέλος ἔλαβεν· Εἶδες ὅτι ἐγὼ ἐκεῖνον παρέδωκα, πολλῷ μᾶλλον καὶ περὶ σαυτοῦ πείσθητι. Ζητήσουσι. Οὐκ εἶπεν, Ἐπειδὴ διωρθώσατο· ἀλλὰ, Ἐπειδὴ τῆς