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announced the coming attack. The prophet calls these light messengers. And he calls the Egyptians a lofty nation, indicating their arrogance or foolishness. And a strange and harsh nation, as one that is strange in its harshness, and having none beyond it in this. For who, he says, is beyond it? And they were exceedingly idolatrous. Therefore, he also says that they are a hopeless and downtrodden nation, as not having hope in God, and being trodden down by the deceits of demons. Therefore, they have also been trodden down by the Assyrians. And he described the manner of their capture, saying thus that the Assyrians would cross the rivers of Egypt, the canals. Thus also mentioning the lakes, in which they prided themselves as making Egypt unconquerable for them, so that it would seem that these were also inhabited land when every body of water was dried up. And he says the suffering of the Egyptians will thus become clear to all, like a sign from on high becoming a signal for an army, and audible like a sounding trumpet? When these things happen, he says, I will save my city, indicating the events concerning Rabshakeh, and 2141 the 185 thousand who were destroyed. Thus, he says, the acts of salvation will be manifest to all, just as the midday light of the sun, and to those in danger my aid and protection will be like a cloud of dew before the harvest. For the harvesters need dew, which makes the ears of grain easy for them to handle. And according to their prayers, dew comes to them in their need, just as salvation from God comes to the Jews. Metaphorically, then, from the things of farmers he presents the future sufferings, either for the Assyrians who besieged Jerusalem [or also for the Egyptians]; for whenever the clusters blossom and sour grapes form, they cut off the superfluous parts of the vines and clusters, and the vine-leaves as it were, so as not to choke the better and more useful parts. Thus, then, in the case of the Assyrians, God destroyed the numerous and insignificant people. Whose corpses became a feast for the beasts and birds. But the king, holding the place of a great cluster, did not perish along with his subjects. But in the case of the Egyptians, you will understand that the enemies did not capture their entire land; but as with small clusters, letting loose the sword upon the local settlements or villages, they measured out the wrath of the philanthropic God, who chastises those who offend, but does not allow the chastised to be utterly destroyed. Therefore, he next goes on to speak about their conversion. For having denied the impiety of idols, they will accept faith in the God of all, offering gifts as a fragrant aroma, hope, faith, love. And because of the chastisements brought upon them by God, it is a people afflicted for a better life, like the pruning that helps growth. For just as they were transplanted from error to divine thoughts, they bear fruit continually. Whence he also calls them a great people, flourishing in all things according to Christ as much as they formerly did in error. For where sin abounded, grace abounded much more. And the place of fruitfulness he called the Church through Zion, calling it a mountain because of its height. For there is nothing lowly in it, and the name means a watch-tower. And the phrase, Which is in a part of the river of his land, means that the conversion of the Egyptians to God, having begun from a part of the country, ran through all of Rhinocorura, or perhaps one of the cities there lying beyond the river. For he will go on to say, In that day there will be an altar to the Lord in the land of the Egyptians, and a pillar at its border to the Lord. And he says the people, having been trodden down by the terrors of war, yet hope, as having placed their hope in God. 2144 CHAPTER 19. VISION OF EGYPT. 1-15. 9Behold, the Lord sits upon a light cloud, and will come into Egypt, and the man-made things of Egypt will be shaken before him, and their heart will fail within them. And Egyptians will be stirred up against Egyptians, and a man will fight against his brother, and a man against his neighbor, city against city, and nome against

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μέλλουσαν ἀπήγγελον ἔφοδον. Τούτους ὁ προφήτης κούφους ἀγγέλους καλεῖ. Ἔθνος δὲ μετέωρον τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους καλεῖ, τὸ ὑπερήφανον, ἢ τὸ ἄφρον δηλῶν. Ξένον δὲ καὶ χαλεπὸν, ὡς ξενίζον ἐν χαλεπότητι, καὶ πρὸς τοῦτο μηδένα ἔχον ἐπέκεινα. Τίς γὰρ αὐτοῦ ἐπέκεινά φησι; Σφόδρα δὲ ἦσαν εἰδωλολάτραι. ∆ιὸ καὶ ἀνέλπιστον ἔθνος καὶ καταπεπατημένον τούτους εἶναί φησιν, ὡς οὐκ ἔχον ἐπὶ Θεῷ τὴν ἐλπίδα, καὶ ὑπὸ δαιμόνων ταῖς ἀπάταις καταπατούμενον. ∆ιὸ καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν Ἀσσυρίων καταπεπάτηνται. Τὸν δὲ τῆς ἁλώσεως τρόπον ἐπήνεγκεν, οὕτως εἰπὼν τοὺς Ἀσσυρίους διαβήσεσθαι τῆς Αἰγύπτου τοὺς ποταμοὺς, τὰς διώρυχας. Οὕτω καὶ τὰς λίμνας εἰπὼν, ἐφ' οἷς ἐφρόνουν ὡς ἀνάλωτον αὐτοῖς ποιοῦσι τὴν Αἴγυπτον, ὡς δοκεῖν πως καὶ χώραν εἶναι τούτους κατοικουμένην ἀποξηραινομένης πάσης ὑδάτων συστάσεως. Τὸ δὲ τῶν Αἰγυπτίων πάθος φησὶν, οὕτω πᾶσι δῆλον γενήσεται, ὡς σημεῖον ἀφ' ὕψους σύνθημα στρατοπέδῳ γινόμενον, καὶ ὡς φθεγγομένη σάλπιγξ ἀκουστόν; Ὧν δὴ γινομένων φησὶ, τὴν πόλιν σώσω τὴν ἐμαυτοῦ, τὰ κατὰ Ῥαψάκην, καὶ 2141 τὰς ρπεʹ χιλιάδας ἀπολομένας δηλῶν. Οὕτω δέ φησι τὰ τῆς σωτηρίας ἔσται πᾶσι περιφανῆ, καθ' ἃ δὴ καὶ φῶς ἡλίου μεσημβρινὸν, καὶ τοῖς κινδυνεύουσι τὰ τῆς ἐμῆς ἐπικουρίας καὶ σκέπης ὡς νεφέλη δρόσου γενήσεται πρὸ τοῦ θερισμοῦ. ∆ρόσου γὰρ οἱ θερίζοντες δέονται εὐαφεῖς αὐτοῖς προποιούσης τοὺς στάχυας. Καὶ κατ' εὐχὰς αὐτοῖς ἡ δρόσος δεομένοις ἐγγίνεται, καθὰ καὶ τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ἡ παρὰ Θεοῦ σωτηρία. Μεταφορικῶς δὲ λοιπὸν ἀπὸ τῶν γεωργούντων τὰ μέλλοντα πάθη παρίστησιν, ἢ τοῖς πολιορκήσασιν Ἱερουσαλὴμ Ἀσσυρίοις [ἢ καὶ τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις]· ἐπειδ' ἂν γὰρ οἱ βότρυες ἐξανθήσωσιν καὶ ὄμφακες γένωνται περικόπτουσι τῶν κλημάτων καὶ τῶν βοτρύων τὰ περιττὰ, καὶ οἷον ἐπιφυλλίδας, ὡς μὴ συμπνίγειν τὰ κρείττονα καὶ χρηστότερα. Οὕτως οὖν ἐπὶ μὲν τῶν Ἀσσυρίων τὸν πολὺν καὶ λεπτὸν ἀνεῖλε λαὸν ὁ Θεός. Ὧν τὰ πτώματα τρυφὴ γέγονε τοῖς θηρίοις καὶ πετεινοῖς. Ὁ δὲ μεγάλου βότρυος δίκην ἐπέχων ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῖς ἐπηκόοις οὐ συναπόλωλεν. Ἐπὶ δὲ τῶν Αἰγυπτίων νοήσεις, ὅτι μὴ πᾶσαν αὐτῶν τὴν χώραν εἷλον οἱ δυσμενεῖς· ἀλλ' οἷον μικροῖς βοτρυδίοις, ταῖς κατὰ τόπους συνοικίαις ἢ κώμαις ἐπαφιέντες τὴν μάχαιραν, συνεμέτρησαν τοὺς θυμοὺς τοῦ φιλανθρώπου Θεοῦ, παιδεύοντος μὲν τοὺς προσκρούοντας, οὐκ εἰς ἅπαν δὲ συγχωροῦντος τοὺς παιδευομένους ἀπόλλυσθαι. Τοιγαροῦν ἐφεξῆς περὶ τῆς αὐτῶν ἐπιστροφῆς διεξέρχεται. Τὴν γὰρ τῶν εἰδώλων ἀσέβειαν ἀρνησάμενοι, τὴν εἰς Θεὸν τῶν ὅλων προσδέξονται πίστιν, δῶρα προσφέροντες εἰς ὀσμὴν εὐωδίας, ἐλπίδα, πίστιν, ἀγάπην. ∆ιὰ δὲ τὰς ἐκ Θεοῦ παιδείας ἐπενεχθείσας αὐτοῖς, λαὸν αὐτὸν τεθλιμμένον πρὸς ἀμείνω ζωὴν, δίκην μοσχείας ὠφελούσης πρὸς αὔξησιν. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ἐκ πλάνης εἰς θείας ἐννοίας μετεφυτεύθησαν καὶ καρποφοροῦσι διηνεκῶς. Ὅθεν αὐτοὺς καὶ μέγαν ὀνομάζει λαὸν ἐν τοῖς κατὰ Χριστὸν πᾶσιν ἀκμάζοντας ὅσον ἐν πλάνῃ τὸ πρότερον. Οὗ γὰρ ἐπερίσσευσεν ἡ ἁμαρτία, ὑπερεπερίσσευσεν ἡ χάρις. Τὸν δὲ τῆς καρποφορίας τόπον διὰ τῆς Σιὼν τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν ἐκάλεσεν, διὰ τὸ ταύτης ὕψος ὄρος εἰπών. Οὐδὲν γὰρ χθαμαλὸν ἐν αὐτῇ, καὶ δηλοῖ τοὔνομα σκοπευτήριον. Τὸ δὲ, Ὅ ἐστιν ἐν μέρει ποταμοῦ τῆς χώρας αὐτοῦ, ὅτι περ ἡ πρὸς Θεὸν τῶν Αἰγυπτίων ἐπιστροφὴ ἐκ μέρους ἀρξαμένη τῆς χώρας, διὰ πάσης διέδραμεν Ῥινοκορούρων, τυχὸν ἤ τινος τῶν αὐτόθι πόλεων ἐπέκεινα κειμένων τοῦ ποταμοῦ. Λέξει γὰρ προϊὼν, ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ ἔσται θυσιαστήριον τῷ Κυρίῳ ἐν χώρᾳ Αἰγυπτίων, καὶ στήλη πρὸς τὸ ὅριον αὐτῆς τῷ Κυρίῳ. Πεπατημένον δέ φησι τὸν λαὸν τοῖς τοῦ πολέμου δεινοῖς, ἐλπίζειν δὲ ὡς δὴ θέμενον ἐπὶ Θεῷ τὴν ἐλπίδα. 2144 ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΙΘʹ. ΟΡΑΣΙΣ ΑΙΓΥΠΤΟΥ. αʹιεʹ. 9Ἰδοὺ Κύριος κάθηται ἐπὶ νεφέλης κούφης, καὶ ἥξει εἰς Αἴγυπτον, καὶ σεισθήσεται τὰ χειροποίητα Αἰγύπτου ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἡ καρδία αὐτῶν ἡττηθήσεται ἐν αὐτοῖς. Καὶ ἐπεγερθήσονται Αἰγύπτιοι ἐπ' Αἰγυπτίους, καὶ πολεμήσει ἄνθρωπος τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἄνθρωπος τὸν πλησίον αὐτοῦ, πόλις ἐπὶ πόλιν, καὶ νομὸς ἐπὶ