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perilous for one who disobeys God; for seeing this multiplied, you were deceived, as if you were indestructible. But they will fall, he says, like ears of grain being reaped. And if in the morning you sow, having come into the light, knowing only the one who saves, then what was sown by you will be brought to fruition, not perishing prematurely. And you will hand down to your sons, as a certain inheritance, cheerfulness and the way of assistance from above. 12-14. 9Woe to the multitude of many nations. As the surging sea, so you will be troubled. And the back of many nations will roar like water. Like much water, many nations. Like much water rushing down violently9, etc. Having spoken of the conversion of the nations, and the unbelief of the Jews in Christ, he then moves on to the multitudes of those in Damascus itself and in the other lands who remained in unbelief, who were about to besiege the Church of Christ, who also will be shaken like a surging sea at the evangelical preaching, being astonished at it for destroying idolatry. And the back of many nations will roar like water. For as the back of the sea is lifted up, rising with the winds, and with its sound deafens the hearers; so the multitudes of those who remained in unbelief, being energized by the unseen nations, 2129 will roar out the rebellion against the Church; of which the surging sea signifies their rages, and the roaring water the threats against the faithful. And the water rushing violently, as being energized by others, they dare these things against the Church, whose end he indicates as he proceeds. And he will scorn him, but according to Aquila: He would rebuke him, or He will be indignant according to Symmachus; clearly, with the multitude of the unbelieving nations, and with the devil who energizes them. But who will rebuke? Concerning whom it is certainly said, "The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you." And rebuking, what will he do? And he will drive him far away like the dust of chaff, and like the whirling dust carried by a storm. And such men, even at the setting of life will mourn, when they no longer exist; when in the morning a new light rises for the righteous in the age to come. Those who plundered them will have such an end and portion and inheritance. And so again some have explained the preceding saying: that God, being philanthropic, having frightened those of Israel with threats, economically also sets forth the hope for good things, exhorting through both. Having said, therefore, the terrible things that were to come upon them, and their cause, that they had forsaken the Lord; now he has brought on what those who enslaved them will suffer, foretelling the plague that happened to those with Rabshakeh, whom Sennacherib, having taken the cities of Judea, sent from Lachish against Jerusalem, who, having babbled against the God of the Jews, suffered the nocturnal plague by an angel; for hearing this, Sennacherib went away a fugitive, and not long after was destroyed by his own children. The prophet, therefore, laments the multitude that came with him, as about to die, likening their tumultuous assault to the sea and waters. Whom he also called the back of many nations, as being accustomed to conquer. For they became, as it were, a back, pursuing those who fled from behind. But the one leading them, he says, scorning him, he will pursue, like the dust of a wheel when a stronger wind strikes. For God said to him through Isaiah, "And I will put a muzzle in your nose, and a bridle on your lips, and I will turn you back by the way in which you came." And the mourning of the Jews in the evening, as they imagined the evils of the coming day, the dawn consoled them by showing what had happened to the enemies during the night, as they learned that the army of the enemies was no more; that is, the mourning of the evening, he says, will not be in the morning. About which David also says, "Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes in the morning." Therefore, also when the evil powers besiege the soul, like violent water stirring up the passions within us, or bringing on external thoughts, according to Hezekiah, 2132 let us not be afraid as we call upon God. For the angel of the Lord will encamp around those who fear him, and will deliver them. Likewise, even if

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σφαλερὸν ἀπειθοῦντος Θεῷ· πληθυνθὲν γὰρ τοῦτο θεωρῶν ἐπλανήθης, ὡς ὑπάρχων ἀνάλωτος. Ἀλλὰ πεσοῦνται, φησὶ, δίκην ἀσταχύων κειρόμενοι. Ἐὰν δὲ τὸ πρωῒ σπείρῃς γεγονὼς ἐν φωτὶ, τὸν σώζοντα μόνον εἰδὼς, τότε σοι τὸ σπαρὲν τελεσφορηθήσεται μὴ ἀπολλύμενον ἄωρον. Καὶ παραπέμψεις εἰς υἱοὺς καθάπερ τινὰ κλῆρον τὴν εὐθυμίαν, καὶ τῆς ἄνωθεν ἐπικουρίας τὴν μέθοδον. ιβʹιδʹ. 9Οὐαὶ πλῆθος ἐθνῶν πολλῶν. Ὡς θάλασσα κυμαίνουσα, οὕτω ταραχθήσεσθε. Καὶ νῶτος ἐθνῶν πολλῶν, ὡς ὕδωρ ἠχήσει. Ὡς ὕδωρ πολὺ, ἔθνη πολλά. Ὡς ὕδατος πολλοῦ βίᾳ καταφερομένου9, κ.τ.λ. Εἰπὼν τῶν ἐθνῶν τὴν ἐπιστροφὴν, καὶ τὴν Ἰουδαίων εἰς Χριστὸν ἀπιστίαν, μεταβαίνει τοὐντεῦθεν ἐπὶ τὰ πλήθη τῶν ἐν αὐτῇ ∆αμασκῷ καὶ ταῖς λοιπαῖς χώραις ἐν ἀπιστίᾳ μεινάντων, μελλόντων πολιορκῆσαι τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν Χριστοῦ, οἱ καὶ κλονηθήσονται κυμαινούσης δίκην θαλάττης ἐπὶ τῷ κηρύγματι τῷ εὐαγγελικῷ ξενιζόμενοι καθαιροῦντι τὴν εἰδωλολατρείαν. Καὶ νῶτος ἐθνῶν πολλῶν ὡς ὕδωρ ἠχήσει. Ὡς γὰρ θαλάττης νῶτα μετεωρίζεται τοῖς πνεύμασιν ἀνιστάμενα, καὶ τῷ ἤχῳ κατακτυπεῖ τοὺς ἀκούοντας· οὕτω τὰ πλήθη τῶν ἐν ἀπιστίᾳ μεινάντων, ὑπὸ τῶν ἀοράτων ἐθνῶν ἐνερ 2129 γούμενα, κατὰ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας ἠχήσει τὴν ἐπανάστασιν· ὧν δηλοῖ τοὺς μὲν θυμοὺς ἡ κυμαίνουσα θάλαττα, τὰς δὲ κατὰ τῶν πιστῶν ἀπειλὰς τὸ ἠχοῦν ὕδωρ. Τὸ δὲ βίᾳ φερόμενον ὕδωρ, ὡς ὑφ' ἑτέρων ἐνεργούμενοι τολμῶσι ταῦτα κατὰ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας, ὧν τὸ τέλος δηλῶν ἐπάγει. Καὶ ἀποσκορακιεῖ αὐτὸν, κατὰ δὲ τὸν Ἀκύλαν· Ἐπιτιμήσειεν αὐτῷ, ἢ ἐμβριμήσεται κατὰ Σύμμαχον· δηλονότι, τῷ πλήθει τῶν ἀπίστων ἐθνῶν, καὶ τῷ τούτοις ἐνεργοῦντι διαβόλῳ. Τίς δὲ ἐπιτιμήσει; περὶ οὗ πάντως εἴρηται, "Ἐπιτιμήσει Κύριος ἐν σοὶ ὁ ἐκλεξάμενος τὴν Ἱερουσαλήμ. Ἐπιτιμῶν δὲ τί ποιήσει; καὶ πόῤῥω αὐτὸν διώξεται ὡς χνοῦν ἀχύρου, καὶ ὡς κονιορτὸν τροχοῦ καταιγὶς φέρουσα. Οἱ δὲ τοιοῦτοι, καὶ πρὸς δυσμαῖς τοῦ βίου πενθήσουσιν, ὅτε οὐκ ἔτι ὑπάρχουσιν· ὅτε πρωῒ καὶ νέον φῶς τοῖς δικαίοις ἀνατελεῖ κατὰ τὸν αἰῶνα τὸν μέλλοντα. Οὓς οἱ προνομεύσαντες τοιοῦτον ἕξουσι τέλος καὶ μερίδα καὶ κλῆρον. Οὕτω δὲ πάλιν τινὲς τὴν προκειμένην ἐξηγήσαντο ῥῆσιν· ὡς φιλάνθρωπος ὢν ὁ Θεὸς φοβήσας ταῖς ἀπειλαῖς τοὺς ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ, οἰκονομικῶς καὶ τὴν ἐπ' ἀγαθοῖς ἐλπίδα προβάλλεται δι' ἀμφοῖν προτρεπόμενος. Εἰπὼν τοίνυν τὰ μέλλοντα τούτοις δεινὰ, καὶ τὴν τούτων αἰτίαν, ὅτι Κύριον ἐγκατέλιπον· νῦν ἐπήνεγκεν ἅπερ οἱ τούτους δουλωσάμενοι πείσονται, τὴν συμβᾶσαν πληγὴν τοῖς μετὰ Ῥαψάκου προλέγων, ὃν ἐκ Λάχις ἔπεμψε κατ' Ἱερουσαλὴμ ὁ Σεναχειρὶμ τῆς Ἰουδαίας τὰς πόλεις ἑλὼν, ὃς τοῦ τῶν Ἰουδαίων καταφλυαρήσας Θεοῦ, τὴν δι' ἀγγέλου νυκτερινὴν ὑπέστην πληγήν· ταύτην γὰρ ἀκούσας ὁ Σενναχειρὶμ ἀπῄει φυγὰς, καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν ἰδίων οὐκ εἰς μακρὰν ἀπώλετο παίδων. Ταλανίζει τοίνυν τὸ μετ' αὐτοῦ πλῆθος ἐπελθὸν ὁ προφήτης, ὡς ὄσον οὔπω τεθνηξόμενον, τὴν ταραχώδη τούτων ἔφοδον ἀπεικάζων θαλάττῃ καὶ ὕδασιν. Οὓς καὶ πολλῶν ἐθνῶν ἐκάλεσε νῶτον, ὡς νικᾷν εἰωθότας. Οἱονεὶ γὰρ νῶτος ἐγένοντο, τῶν φευγόντων κατὰ νώτου τούτους διώκοντες. Ἀλλὰ τὸν ἄγοντα, φησὶν, ἀποσκορακίσας διώξεται, ὡς τροχοῦ κονιορτὸν ἀνέμου σφοδροτέρου προσβάλλοντος. Πρὸς αὐτὸν γὰρ ἔφη δι' Ἡσαίου ὁ Θεὸς, "Καὶ ἐμβαλῶ φίμον εἰς τὴν ῥῖνά σου, καὶ χαλινὸν εἰς τὰ χείλη σου, καὶ ἀποστρέψω σε τῇ ὁδῷ ᾗ ἦλθες ἐν αὐτῇ. Τὸ δὲ τῶν Ἰουδαίων πένθος ἐν ἑσπέρᾳ, τὰ τῆς ἐπιούσης ἡμέρας ὀνειροπολούντων κακὰ, τὰ διὰ νυκτὸς τοῖς πολεμίοις συμβεβηκότα δείξας ὄρθρος παρεμυθήσατο, μαθόντων ὡς ὁ τῶν πολεμίων οὐκ ἔστι στρατός· ἤγουν τὸ τῆς ἑσπέρας πένθος, φησὶν, οὐκ ἔσται πρωΐ. Περὶ οὗ φησι καὶ ∆αβὶδ, "Τὸ ἑσπέρας αὐλισθήσεται κλαυθμὸς, καὶ εἰς τὸ πρωῒ ἀγαλλίασις. Οὐκοῦν καὶ ὅτε τὴν ψυχὴν αἱ πονηραὶ πολιορκοῦσι δυνάμεις, δίκην ὕδατος βιαίου τὰ ἐν ἡμῖν ἐγείρουσαι πάθη, ἢ τοὺς ἔξωθεν ἐπάγουσαι λογισμοὺς, κατὰ τὸν Ἐζεκίαν, 2132 Θεὸν καλοῦντες μὴ δείσωμεν. Παρεμβαλεῖ γὰρ ἄγγελος Κυρίου κύκλῳ τῶν φοβουμένων αὐτὸν, καὶ ῥύσεται αὐτούς. Ὁμοίως, κἂν