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was dissolved." But by Lebanon he does not mean the mountain, but the density of the kingdom, and by trees of the plain, the rulers under him, those inferior to the prefects, and as if planted in a certain plain. He means the satraps, who are subordinate to the prefects and generals; and those planted in Lebanon, the greater rulers. Just as, therefore, we do not here understand Lebanon as Lebanon, nor the plain as the plain, nor the trees as trees, so neither do we understand the paradise of delight called the paradise of God, but in the case of Nebuchadnezzar, the kingdoms of the world, and in the case of the devil, the intelligible and incorporeal powers. ιʹ. At the sound of his fall, he says, the nations were shaken, when they brought him down to Hades with those who go down into the pit. This has happened in the case of both. For when the king of the Babylonians was destroyed, the report, running everywhere, disturbed the subject nations; and when the devil was overthrown, the nations were shaken, and were transferred from their former deceit to the truth of the saving doctrines. For the blessed Paul also calls the transfer a shaking. And they comforted him, he says, in the nethermost earth, all the trees of delight, and the choice and most beautiful of Lebanon, all that drink water. (ιζʹ.) For they also were brought down with him to Hades, with those wounded by the sword. But the nethermost earth, and pit, and ditch, in the case of Nebuchadnezzar he calls death; but in the case of the devil, the utmost humiliation. He says, therefore, that those who have power alongside him will share in their destruction; for when a kingdom is overthrown, it is necessary that the principalities under it also undergo the change; but the phrase, "They will comfort him," is spoken based on what happens among us; for the fellowship of misfortunes is somehow wont to offer some solace to the disheartened. Not only, he says, will the rulers appointed by him be overthrown, 81.1129 but also "His seed, those who dwell under his shadow, perished in the midst of their life." For Belshazzar, being the seed and son of Nebuchadnezzar, was not allowed on account of his great impiety to reach old age, but was delivered to slaughter in the middle of the time appointed for men. But in the case of the devil, it is fitting to understand seed as the teaching of impiety sown by him; that it too will be utterly destroyed, and those who strive to champion it. Then he turns the discourse to him. ιηʹ. To whom were you likened in power, and in glory, and in greatness, among the trees of delight? Go down, and be brought down with the trees of delight to the depth of the earth. For since, he says, you did not wish to be likened to the trees planted with you, but to the planter, with these trees, which have thought the same as you, I command you to be cast away, and to be cast away into the depth of the earth. And this, therefore, is fitting for both. To this he adds: "In the midst of the uncircumcised you shall sleep with those wounded by the sword." But "uncircumcised" he says not concerning the body, but concerning the heart; for not only the New, but also the Old Scripture, knows of the circumcision of the heart; and this God says through the prophet: "For all the nations are uncircumcised in flesh, but the house of Israel is uncircumcised in their heart." Since, therefore, you did not wish to circumcise your arrogance, but the superfluity of arrogance remained in you, you shall suffer the same things as those who have done these things. Then he completes the thought: "So shall be Pharaoh, and all the multitude of his strength, says Adonai the Lord." For having said above: "To whom have you likened yourself in your height?" and having narrated the things concerning the Assyrian, or rather the Babylonian, he added this: "So shall be Pharaoh and all the multitude of his strength." For if that one, he says, who is much greater and more illustrious than you, will suffer these things, you too must await the same punishment, having the same impiety.

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ἐξελύθη." Λίβανον δὲ οὐ τὸ ὄρος καλεῖ, ἀλλὰ τὴν τῆς βασιλείας πυκνότητα, καὶ ξύλα τοῦ πεδίου, τοὺς ὑπ' αὐτὸν ἄρχοντας, τοὺς τῶν ὑπάρ χων ἐλάττους, καὶ οἷον ἐν πεδίῳ τινὶ πεφυτευμένους. Λέγει δὲ τοὺς σατράπας, τοὺς τοῖς ὑπάρχοις καὶ στρατηγοῖς ὑποκειμένους· τοὺς δὲ ἐν τῷ Λιβάνῳ πεφυτευμένους, τοὺς μείζους ἄρχοντας. Ὥσπερ τοί νυν οὐ Λίβανον τὸν Λίβανον, οὐδὲ πεδίον τὸ πεδίον, οὐδὲ ξύλα τὰ ξύλα νοοῦμεν ἐνταῦθα, οὕτως οὐδὲ παράδεισον τρυφῆς τὸν κληθέντα Θεοῦ παράδεισον, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ μὲν τοῦ Ναβουχοδονόσορ, τὰς τῆς οἰκουμέ νης βασιλείας, ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ διαβόλου, τὰς νοητὰς καὶ ἀσωμάτους δυνάμεις. ιʹ. Ἀπὸ τῆς φωνῆς τῆς πτώσεως αὐτοῦ, φη σὶν, ἐσείσθη τὰ ἔθνη, ὅτε κατεβίβαζον αὐτὸν εἰς ᾅδου μετὰ τῶν καταβαινόντων εἰς λάκκον. Ἐπ' ἀμφοτέρων δὲ τοῦτο γεγένηται. Καὶ γὰρ τοῦ Βαβυλωνίων βασιλέως ἀναιρεθέντος, ἡ φήμη πάν τοσε περιδραμοῦσα τὰ ὑπήκοα διετάραξεν ἔθνη· καὶ τοῦ διαβόλου καταλυθέντος ἐσείσθη τὰ ἔθνη, καὶ μετέστη ἐκ τῆς προτέρας ἐξαπάτης, εἰς τὴν τῶν σωτηρίων δογμάτων ἀλήθειαν. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ μακά ριος Παῦλος σεισμὸν τὴν μετάστασιν προσαγο ρεύει. Καὶ παρεκάλουν αὐτὸν, φησὶν, ἐν γῇ κατω τάτῃ πάντα τὰ ξύλα τῆς τρυφῆς, καὶ τὰ ἐκλε κτὰ, καὶ τὰ κάλλιστα τοῦ Λιβάνου, πάντα τὰ πίνοντα ὕδωρ. (ιζʹ.) Καὶ γὰρ καὶ αὐτὰ κατην έχθη μετ' αὐτοῦ εἰς ᾅδου, σὺν τοῖς τραυμα τίαις ἀπὸ μαχαίρας. Κατωτάτην δὲ γῆν, καὶ λάκ κον, καὶ βόθρον, ἐπὶ μὲν τοῦ Ναβουχοδονόσορ τὸν θάνατον προσαγορεύει· ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ διαβόλου, τὴν εἰς ἔσχατον ταπείνωσιν. Λέγει τοίνυν, ὅτι τούτων κἀ κείνων κοινωνήσουσιν οἱ παραδυναστεύοντες τῆς ἀπωλείας· βασιλείας γὰρ καταλυομένης, ἀνάγκη καὶ τὰς ὑπὸ ταύτῃ τελούσας ἡγεμονίας δέξασθαι τὴν μετα βολήν· τὸ δὲ, "Παρακαλέσουσιν αὐτὸν," ἀπὸ τῶν παρ' ἡμῖν συμβαινόντων εἴρηται· πέφυκε γάρ πως ἡ κοινωνία τῶν συμφορῶν προσφέρειν τινὰ τοῖς ἀθυμοῦσι παραψυχήν. Οὐ μόνον δὲ, φησὶν, οἱ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ, οἱ χειροτονηθέντες ἄρχοντες καταλυθήσονται, 81.1129 ἀλλὰ καὶ "Τὸ σπέρμα αὐτοῦ, οἱ κατοικοῦντες ὑπὸ τὴν σκέπην αὐτοῦ, ἐν μέσῳ τῆς ζωῆς αὑτῶν ἀπώλοντο." Ὁ γὰρ Βαλτάσαρ, σπέρμα ὢν καὶ υἱὸς τοῦ Ναβουχοδονόσορ, οὐκ εἰάθη διὰ τὴν πολλὴν ἀσέ βειαν εἰς γῆρας ἐλάσαι, ἀλλὰ μεσοῦντος ἤδη τοῦ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ὡρισμένου χρόνου παρεδόθη σφαγῇ. Ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ διαβόλου, σπέρμα προσήκει νοεῖν τὴν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ κατασπαρεῖσαν τῆς ἀσεβείας διδασκαλίαν· ὅτι καὶ αὐτὴ ἄρδην ἀφανισθήσεται, καὶ οἱ ταύτης ὑπερμαχεῖν φιλονεικοῦντες. Εἶτα πρὸς αὐτὸν τρέπει τὸν λόγον. ιηʹ. Τίνι ὡμοιώθης ἐν δυνάμει, καὶ ἐν δόξῃ, καὶ ἐν μεγέθει, ἐν τοῖς ξύλοις τῆς τρυφῆς; Κα τάβηθι, καὶ καταβιβάσθητι μετὰ ξύλων τῆς τρυφῆς εἰς γῆς βάθος. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ, φησὶν, οὐκ ἐβουλήθης ὁμοιωθῆναι τοῖς ἅμα σοι φυτευθεῖσι ξύ λοις, ἀλλὰ τῷ φυτουργῷ, μετὰ τούτων τῶν ξύλων, τῶν ταὐτά σοι πεφρονηκότων, προστάττω σε ἀποῤ ῥιφῆναι, καὶ εἰς τὸ τῆς γῆς ἀποῤῥιφῆναι βάθος. Καὶ τοῦτο τοίνυν ἀμφοτέροις ἁρμόττει. Τού τοις ἐπάγει· "Ἐν μέσῳ ἀπεριτμήτων κοιμη θήσῃ μετὰ τραυματιῶν μαχαίρας." Τὸ δὲ ἀπε ριτμήτων, οὐ περὶ τοῦ σώματος, ἀλλὰ περὶ τῆς καρδίας λέγει· οἶδε γὰρ οὐ μόνον ἡ Καινὴ, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ Παλαιὰ Γραφὴ, περιτομὴν καρδίας· καὶ τοῦτο διὰ τοῦ προφήτου φησὶν ὁ Θεός· "Ὅτι πάντα τὰ ἔθνη ἀπερίτμητα σαρκὶ, ὁ δὲ οἶκος Ἰσραὴλ ἀπερί τμητοι καρδίᾳ αὑτῶν." Ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν τὴν ἀλα ζονείαν περιτεμεῖν οὐκ ἠθέλησας, ἀλλ' ἐναπέμεινέ σοι τὸ τῆς ἀλαζονείας περίττωμα, ταὐτὰ πείσῃ τοῖς ταῦτα δεδρακόσιν. Εἶτα συμπληροῖ τὸ νόημα· "Οὕτω Φαραὼ, καὶ πᾶν τὸ πλῆθος τῆς ἰσχύος αὐτοῦ, λέγει Ἀδωναῒ Κύριος." Εἰρηκὼς γὰρ ἄνω· "Τίνι ὡμοίω σας σεαυτὸν ἐν τῷ ὕψει σου;" καὶ διηγησάμενος τὰ κατὰ τὸν Ἀσσύριον, εἶτ' οὖν Βαβυλώνιον, ἐπήγαγε τό· "Οὕτω Φαραὼ καὶ πᾶν τὸ πλῆθος τῆς ἰσχύος αὐ τοῦ." Εἰ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος, φησὶν, ὁ πολλῷ σου μείζων καὶ περιφανέστερος ταῦτα πείσεται, ἀνάμεινον καὶ σὺ τὴν αὐτὴν τιμωρίαν, τὴν αὐτὴν ἔχων ἀσέβειαν.