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2125 For as, when the Amorites abandoned these things, you were brought in to replace them, he says; so, he says, when you have been cast out, others will dwell. For impiety is the cause of the expulsion in both cases. And now it is possible to see Judea inhabited by Greeks. And very many cities, according to the prophecy, were laid waste by the Romans, because, he says, they forsook their Lord, that is, Jesus, according to the Hebrew language. And that he was always a helper to them, the saying makes clear, "How often would I have gathered your children," and what follows. Their unbelief in him is shown by the fact that they planted an unfaithful plant, at which time they also went astray. But if, having changed, he says, to the morning of evangelical light that dawned on the world, and of the Sun of righteousness, you should deposit another seed in your own mind (concerning which he says, "A sower went out to sow." And: "The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his own field"), it will blossom in you into a harvest, and you will teach others, as one sharing with the children of the inheritance. Some, however, speaking of only one capture of Damascus, that by the Assyrians, interpreted the entire saying concerning it and the times related to it, which, as something that had not yet happened, the prophet now says will be, at which time it will be abandoned by its perishing inhabitants. In which, because of complete desolation, flocks will lie down, and there will not be, he says, one to pursue, with no one to rebuke the shepherds. And it will not be able to ally itself with the ten tribes, as it was accustomed to doing, which are called Ephraim. But they say that the phrase, "and there will be no kingdom in it," emphatically indicates the strong kingdom, just as before. For those after these things became toparchs and phylarchs rather. And the remnant of the Syrians in it will also be weakened, that is, the whole nation under it. And it indicates that the ten tribes will be captured along with Damascus, and their multitudes, in which they prided themselves, as though they were indestructible. Therefore he also calls these things "glory," just as he also calls their king "rich in glory." For as the fourth book of Kings teaches, Shalmaneser besieged Samaria for three years, and captured it, and deported Hoshea, who was their king, to Babylon. Unless perhaps by "rich in glory" he means the glorious men who boast in wealth and are weighed down with honors from all. And through the parable of the ears of corn, and also of the olive tree, he represents the effortless capture by the Assyrians, who cut down the men abundantly, as in summer, and with many blows, as when an olive tree is harvested, the invaders drove out the enemies; and at the same time, also that the race would not be completely destroyed. For a small remnant would be left behind, like worthless stubble, those who escaped notice, as with an olive tree, the eyes of the harvesters. 2128 But having been disciplined, he says, they will acknowledge the Lord. Therefore Paul also exhorts to endure for the sake of discipline. For not being persuaded by the prophets who preached out of God's love for humanity, but kicking against God like colts, they suffered what David indeed also says, when he said, "You will curb their jaws with bit and bridle"; and having condemned themselves for their impiety, they desisted. But it is more blessed to acknowledge the Lord before the experience of evils. But having imitated the Amorites, they suffered the same things that those had suffered, having taken things effortlessly and having suffered, at one time on their behalf, with God helping. For which reasons, as they say, they later acted impiously, remembering none of the benefits they had previously received, almost saying again to the idolatrous heifers, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt." For with God we conquer the nations within us, and the world-rulers of darkness, and the spirit of the ruler will find no place in us. But having neglected to cleave to God, we, being weak and unmanly, will be placed under the feet of our enemies. Then he shows how those of Israel went astray, trusting in their great numbers, as if no one would strike them, and they missed their hope. And when, having been delivered from captivity, they devoted themselves in Jerusalem to the worship according to God, both they and their children dwelt in safety. For your seed and your offspring, he says, will be faithless and

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2125 Ὡς γὰρ, ὅτε ταύτας Ἀμοῤῥαῖοι κατέλιπον, ἀντεισήχθης, φησίν· οὕτω σου, φησὶν, ἐξωσθέντος οἰκήσουσιν ἕτεροι. Ἡ γὰρ ἀσέβεια τῆς ἐκβολῆς ἐπ' ἀμφοτέρων αἰτία. Καὶ νῦν ἔστι τὴν Ἰουδαίαν ὑφ' Ἑλλήνων οἰκουμένην ἰδεῖν. Πλεῖσται δὲ πόλεις, κατὰ τὴν προφητείαν, ὑπὸ Ῥωμαίων ἐξηρημώθησαν, ἀνθ' ὧν φησιν, αὐτῶν τὸν Κύριον κατέλιπον, τοῦτ' ἔστι τὸν Ἰησοῦν, κατὰ τὴν τῶν Ἑβραίων φωνήν. Ὅπωςδὲ γέγονεν αὐτοῖς ἀεὶ βοηθὸς, δηλοῖ τὸ, "Ποσάκις ἠθέλησα ἐπισυναγαγεῖν τὰ τέκνα σου," καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Ὧν τὴν εἰς αὐτὸν ἀπιστίαν δηλοῖ τὸ διότι ἐφύτευσαν φυτείαν ἄπιστον, ὅτε καὶ ἐπλανήθησαν. Εἰ δὲ μεταβαλὼν, φησὶν, ἐπὶ τὴν ἀνατείλασαν τῷ κόσμῳ τοῦ φωτὸς πρωΐαν τοῦ εὐαγγελικοῦ, καὶ τοῦ τῆς δικαιοσύνης Ἡλίου, ἕτερον σπέρμα κατάθοιο τῇ σεαυτοῦ διανοίᾳ (περὶ οὗ φησιν, "Ἐξῆλθεν ὁ σπείρων τοῦ σπεῖραι." Καί· "Ὡμοιώθη ἡ βασιλεία τῶν οὐρανῶν σπείραντι καλὸν σπέρμα ἐν τῷ ἰδίῳ ἀγρῷ") ἀνθήσει ἐν σοὶ εἰς ἀμητὸν, καὶ διδάξεις ἑτέρους, ὡς παισὶ τοῦ κλήρου μεταδιδούς. Τινὲς μέντοι μίαν μόνην ἅλωσιν ∆αμασκοῦ τὴν ὑπὸ τῶν Ἀσσυρίων εἰπόντες, τὴν πᾶσαν ῥῆσιν περὶ αὐτῆς, καὶ τῶν κατ' αὐτὴν ἐξηγήσαντο χρόνων, ἣν ὡς μήπω γενομένην, ἔσεσθαι νῦν ὁ προφήτης φησὶν, ὅτεπερ ὑπὸ τῶν οἰκητόρων ἀπολωλότων καταλειφθήσεται. Ἐν ᾗ δι' ἐρημίαν παντελῆ κοιτασθήσεται ποίμνια, καὶ οὐκ ἔσται, φησὶν, ὁ διώκων, μηδενὸς τοῖς ποιμέσιν ἐπιτιμήσοντος. Καὶ οὐχ ἕξει ταῖς δέκα φυλαῖς συμμαχῆσαι ὡς εἰώθει χρηματιζούσαις Ἐφραΐμ. Κατ' ἔμφασιν δέ φασιν τὸ, καὶ οὐκ ἔσται ἐν αὐτῇ βασιλεία, τὴν ἰσχυρὰν, καθὰ καὶ πρώην, βασιλείαν δηλοῦν. Οἱ γὰρ μετὰ ταῦτα τοπάρχαι καὶ φύλαρχοι μᾶλλον ἐγένοντο. Ἀτονήσει δὲ καὶ τῶν Σύρων ἐν αὐτῇ τὸ λοιπὸν, τοῦτ' ἔστι πᾶν τὸ ἔθνος τὸ ὑπ' αὐτήν. Συναλῶναι δὲ τῇ ∆αμασκῷ καὶ τὰς φυλὰς τὰς δέκα δηλοῖ καὶ τὰ πλήθη τούτων, ἐφ' οἷς ἐφρόνουν, ὡς ὄντες ἀνάλωτοι. ∆ιὸ καὶ δόξαν ταῦτα καλεῖ, ὡς καὶ πίονα δόξης τὸν τούτων βασιλέα. Ὡς γὰρ ἡ τετάρτη τῶν Βασιλειῶν διδάσκει, Σαλμανασσὰρ ἐπολιόρκησεν ἐπ' ἔτη τρία Σαμάρειαν, εἷλέν τε ταύτην, καὶ τὸν Ὠσηὲ μετῴκισεν εἰς Βαβυλῶνα βασιλέα τούτων ὑπάρχοντα. Εἰ μή που πίονα δόξης τοὺς ἐνδόξους ἄνδρας καὶ πλούτῳ κομῶντας λέγει, ταῖς τε παρὰ πάντων βαρυνομένους τιμαῖς. ∆ιὰ δὲ τῆς τῶν ἀσταχύων παραβολῆς, ἔτι δὲ καὶ τῆς ἐλαίας τὴν ἄπονον ἅλωσιν τὴν ὑπὸ τῶν Ἀσσυρίων παρίστησι κοπτόντων ἄδην τοὺς ἄνδρας, ὡς ἐπὶ θέρους, καὶ πληγαῖς πολλαῖς ὡς ἐπ' ἐλαίας τρυγωμένης, τοὺς πολεμίους ἐλαυνόντων τῶν ἐπελθόντων· ἅμα δὲ, καὶ τὸ μὴ παντελῶς ἀπολεῖσθαι τὸ γένος. Βραχὺ γάρ τι λεῖμμα καταλειφθήσεσθαι καλάμην ὥσπερ ἄτιμον, τοὺς διαλαθόντας, ὡς ἐπ' ἐλαίας, τῶν τρυγώντων τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς. 2128 Παιδευθέντες δέ φησιν ἐπιγνώσονται Κύριον. ∆ιὸ καὶ Παῦλος εἰς παιδείαν ὑπομένειν παρακελεύεται. Τοῖς γὰρ προφήταις ἐκ φιλανθρωπίας Θεοῦ μὴ πεισθέντες κηρύττουσι, τοῦ δὲ Θεοῦ καθάπερ πῶλοι κατασκιρτήσαντες ἔπαθον ὃ δή φησι καὶ ∆αβὶδ, "Ἐν κημῷ καὶ χαλινῷ τὰς σιαγόνας αὐτῶν ἄγξεις" εἰπών· καὶ κατεγνωκότες ἑαυτῶν τῆς ἀσεβείας ἀπέστησαν. Μακαριώτερον δὲ τὸ πρὸ πείρας κακῶν, ἐπιγινώσκειν τὸν Κύριον. Μιμησάμενοι δὲ τοὺς Ἀμοῤῥαίους, ἅπερ ἐκεῖνοι πεπόνθασιν ἑλόντες ἀμογητὶ καὶ παθόντες, ποτὲ μὲν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν, ἐπικουροῦντος Θεοῦ. ∆ι' ἅπερ, ὥς φασιν, ἠσέβησαν ὕστερον, μηδὲν ὧν πρώην εὐηργέτηντο μνημονεύσαντες, μικροῦ γε πάλιν ταῖς τῶν εἰδώλων εἰρηκότες δαμάλεσιν, οὗτοι οἱ θεοί σου Ἰσραὴλ, οἵ τινες ἀνήγαγόν σε ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου. Μετὰ Θεοῦ γὰρ νικῶμεν ἔθνη τὰ ἐν ἡμῖν, καὶ τοὺς κοσμοκράτορας τοῦ σκότους, καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα τοῦ ἐξουσιάζοντος οὐχ εὑρήσει τόπον ἐν ἡμῖν. Ἠμεληκότες δὲ τοῦ προσκεῖσθαι Θεῷ, ἀσθενεῖς τε καὶ ἄνανδροι τοῖς ποσὶν ὑποκεισόμεθα τῶν ἐχθρῶν. Εἶτα δείκνυσιν ὡς ἐπλανήθησαν οἱ ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ τῇ πολυχειρίᾳ θαῤῥήσαντες, ὡς μηδενὸς αὐτοὺς πατάξοντος, καὶ τῆς ἐλπίδος διήμαρτον. Ὡς δὲ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας ῥυσθέντες ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ τῇ κατὰ Θεὸν λατρείᾳ προσέκειντο αὐτοί τε καὶ παῖδες ἐν ἀσφαλείᾳ κατῴκησαν. Τὸ γὰρ σὸν σπέρμα καὶ τὸ σὸν γένος, φησὶν, ἄπιστον ἔσται καὶ