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From the house of Judah, from a flock become a comely horse, he looked upon and from it he appointed a bow, from which he sends arrows, words concerning punishment and threat; concerning which he who appointed the bow said: “I will make my arrows drunk with blood,” and again: “My arrows shall consume them.” It has also been said previously that punishments are called arrows for a certain profound reason. For in the seventh Psalm, concerning the judge of all, both the living and the dead, it is said: “He has bent his bow and made it ready, and in it he has prepared instruments of death; he has made his arrows for those who burn.” 3.265 But what will happen when the Lord God 3.265 the almighty looks upon Judah and from it appoints a war bow, or that those from Judah who have been well-treated by him should become battle-hardened fighters. In it the one who drives forth will go out prepared for war, so as to trample the mud of the streets, as many fall and become as mud from their blood. This happens to the victors, but not to the vanquished. For those who have turned to flight are pursued and are pressed upon, while those running upon and pressing upon those who have shown their backs through fear trample like mud the blood of the slain, hurrying on the business of driving them forth like horsemen. 3.266 And when these achievements have been accomplished, the Lord their God will be fighting over them and for them, so that one may say thankfully: “The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our helper,” and also: “In God we will do valiantly, and he will bring to nothing those who afflict us.” Having God with them, they will confidently draw up for battle against those with whom they have fight and war, so that each one may say thankfully: “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the defender of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When evildoers drew near to me to eat my flesh, those who afflict me and my enemies, they themselves grew weak and fell; if an army should encamp against me, my heart will not be afraid; if war should rise up against me, in this I hope.” 3.267 Having the same courage, he who sings the third Psalm also dared to say: “I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me round about.” To those so arrayed, the word, encouraging them, says: “One of you shall chase a thousand, and two shall put ten thousand to flight,” not only of human warriors but also of unseen ones. Those who war for Christ and have put on his full armor, having their struggle against them, say: “For our struggle is not against blood and flesh, but against the principalities and powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, and the spiritual forces of wickedness.” For with all these warriors standing around, he who trusts in the name of God as in an invincible shield says: “Surrounding me they encompassed me, and in the name of the Lord I repelled them.” In the same way, the prophet also cries out in victory: “Behold, the Lord helps me; who will harm me?” 3.268 Zach. X, 5- 7: And the riders of horses will be put to shame. And I will strengthen the house of Judah and the house of Joseph I will save, and I will cause them to dwell, because I have loved them; and it will be as though I had not cast them off, because I am the Lord their God and I will listen to them. And they will be as warriors of Ephraim, and their heart will rejoice as with wine; and their children will see and be glad, and their heart will rejoice in the Lord. 3.269 Those who greatly trust in a cavalry battle line, when the affairs of war turn out contrary to expectation, incur shame, learning by experience that “a horse is a vain thing for safety.” Concerning those who war in this way, the choir of the saints says: “Some in chariots and some in horses, but we will glory in the name of the Lord; they were entangled and fell, but we have risen and stand upright.” Similarly to these, the tyrant of Egypt and all who marched with him

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Ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ Ἰούδα, ἐκ ποιμνίου ἵππου εὐπρεποῦς γεγενημένου, ἐπέβλεψεν καὶ ἔταξεν ἐξ αὐτοῦ τόξον, ἀφ' οὗ πέμπει βέλη, λόγους τοὺς περὶ κολάσεως καὶ ἀπειλῆς· περὶ ὧν ὁ τάξας τὸ τόξον ἔφη· «Μεθύσω τὰ βέλη μου ἀφ' αἵματος», καὶ πάλιν· «Τὰ βέλη μου συντελέσει αὐτούς.» Εἴρηται καὶ ἐν τοῖς πρότερον ὅτι αἱ κολάσεις διά τινα βαθὺν λόγον προσαγορεύονται βέλη. Ἐν ἑβδόμῳ γοῦν Ψαλμῷ, περὶ τοῦ κριτοῦ τῶν ὅλων, ζώντων τε καὶ νεκρῶν, εἴρηται· «Τὸ τόξον αὐτοῦ ἐνέτεινεν καὶ ἡτοίμασεν αὐτό, καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ ἡτοίμασεν σκεύη θανάτου· τὰ βέλη αὐτοῦ τοῖς καιομένοις ἐξηργάσατο.» 3.265 Τί δ' ἔσται ὅταν ἐπιβλέψῃ ἐκ τοῦ Ἰούδα Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς 3.265 ὁ παντοκράτωρ καὶ τάξῃ ἐξ αὐτοῦ πολεμικὸν τόξον, ἢ τὸ ἐμπειροπολέμους μαχητὰς γενέσθαι τοὺς εὖ ὑπ' αὐτοῦ παθόντας ἐκ τῶν τοῦ Ἰούδα. Ἐξελεύσεται ἐν τῷ αὐτῷ ὁ ἐξελαύνων πρὸς πόλεμον παρεσκευασμένος, ὡς πατεῖν πηλὸν ὁδῶν, πιπτόντων πολλῶν ὡς πηλὸν ἐκ τῶν αἱμάτων γενέσθαι. Συμβαίνει δὲ τοῦτο τοῖς νικῶσιν, ἀλλ' οὐ τοῖς ἡττωμένοις. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ εἰς φυγὴν τραπέν̣τες διώκονται καὶ ἐπισπεύδονται, οἱ δὲ ἐπιτρέχοντες καὶ ἐπισπεύδοντες τοὺς διὰ δέος δείξαντας τὰ νῶτα πατοῦσι πηλοῦ δίκην τὸ αἷμα τῶν σφαγέντων, ἐπισπέρχοντες τὰ τοῦ ἐξελαύνειν ἱππέων δίκην. 3.266 Τούτων δὲ τῶν κατορθωμάτων ὑπαρξάντων, ἐπ' αὐτοὺς καὶ περὶ ἑαυτοὺς ὑπερμαχῶν ἔσται Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς αὐτῶν, ὡς χαριστηρίως φάναι· «Κύριος τῶν δυνάμεων μεθ' ἡμῶν, ἀντιλήμπτωρ ἡμῶν ὁ Θεὸς Ἰακώβ», καὶ ἔτι· «Ἐν τῷ Θεῷ ποιήσομεν δύναμιν καὶ αὐτὸς ἐξουδενώσει τοὺς θλίβοντας ἡμᾶς.» Τὸν Θεὸν μεθ' ἑαυτῶν ἔχοντες πεποιθότως παρατάξονται πρὸς οὓς ἔχουσι τὴν μάχην καὶ πόλεμον, ὡς ἕκαστον εὐχαριστικῶς φάναι· «Κύριος φωτισμός μου καὶ σωτήρ μου· τίνα φοβηθήσομαι; Κύριος ὑπερασπιστὴς τῆς ζωῆς μου· ἀπὸ τίνος δειλιάσω; Ἐν τῷ ἐγγίζειν ἐπ' ἐμὲ κακοῦντας τοῦ φαγεῖν τὰς σάρκας μου οἱ θλίβοντές με καὶ οἱ ἐχθροί μου αὐτοὶ ἠσθένησαν καὶ ἔπεσαν· ἐὰν παρατάξηται ἐπ' ἐμὲ παρεμβολή, οὐ φοβηθήσεται ἡ καρδία μου· ἐὰν ἐπαναστῇ ἐπ' ἐμὲ πόλεμος, ἐν ταύτῃ ἐγὼ ἐλπίζω.» 3.267 Τὴν αὐτὴν ἀνδρείαν ἔχων καὶ ὁ τὸν τρίτον Ψαλμὸν ᾄδων ἐθάρρησεν εἰπεῖν· «Οὐ φοβηθήσομαι ἀπὸ μυριάδων λαοῦ τῶν κύκλῳ συνεπιτιθεμένων μοι.» Πρὸς τοὺς οὕτω παρατεταγμένους ὁ λόγος εὐθυμοποιῶν λέγει· «Εἷς ἐξ ὑμῶν διώξεται χιλίους καὶ δύο μετακινήσουσιν μυριάδας» οὐκ ἀνθρώπων μόνων πολεμιστῶν ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀοράτων. Πρὸς οὓς ἔχοντες τὴν πάλην οἱ τῷ Χριστῷ στρατευόμενοι καὶ τὴν παντευχίαν αὐτοῦ ἐνδυσάμενοί φασιν· «Οὐκ ἔστιν ἡμῖν ἡ πάλη πρὸς αἷμα καὶ σάρκα, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὰς ἀρχὰς καὶ ἐξουσίας τούς τε κοσμοκράτορας τοῦ σκότους τούτου καὶ πνευματικὰ τῆς πονηρίας.» Περιεστηκότων γὰρ πάντων τούτων τῶν πολεμιστῶν, ὁ τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ προσηγορίᾳ οἷα ἀσπίδι ἀκαταμαχήτῳ θαρρῶν λέγει· «Κυκλοῦντες ἐκύκλωσάν με, καὶ τῷ ὀνόματι Κυρίου ἠμυνάμην αὐτούς.» Τὰ αὐτὰ τούτῳ καὶ ὁ προφήτης ἐπινικίως βοᾷ· «Ἰδοὺ Κύριος βοηθεῖ μοι· τίς κακώσει με;» 3.268 Zach. X, 5- 7: Καὶ καταισχυνθήσονται ἀναβάται ἵππων. Καὶ κατισχύσω τὸν οἶκον Ἰούδα καὶ τὸν οἶκον Ἰωσὴφ σώσω καὶ κατοικιῶ αὐτούς, ὅτι ἠγάπηκα αὐτούς, καὶ ἔσται ὃν τρόπον οὐκ ἀπεστρεψάμην αὐτούς, διότι ἐγὼ Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπακούσομαι αὐτοῖς. Καὶ ἔσονται ὡς μαχηταὶ τοῦ Ἐφράιμ, καὶ χαρήσεται ἡ καρδία αὐτῶν ὡς ἐν οἴνῳ· καὶ τὰ τέκνα αὐτῶν ὄψεται καὶ εὐφρανθήσεται, καὶ χαρεῖται ἡ καρδία αὐτῶν ἐπὶ τῷ Κυρίῳ. 3.269 Οἱ μέγα πεποιθότες ἐπὶ παρατάξει ἱππικῇ, ὅταν παρὰ πρόθεσιν γένηται τὰ τοῦ πολέμου, αἰσχύνην ὀφλισκάνουσιν, πείρᾳ μαθόντες ὅτι «ψευδὴς ἵππος εἰς σωτηρίαν» ἐστίν. Περὶ τῶν οὕτω πολεμούντων ὁ τῶν ἁγίων χορός φησιν· «Οὗτοι ἐν ἅρμασιν καὶ οὗτοι ἐν ἵπποις, ἡμεῖς δὲ ἐν ὀνόματι Κυρίου ἀγαλλιασώμεθα· αὐτοὶ συνεποδίσθησαν καὶ ἔπεσαν, ἡμεῖς δὲ ἀνέστημεν καὶ ἀνωρθώθημεν.» Παραπλησίως τούτοις ὁ τῆς Αἰγύπτου τύραννος καὶ πάντες οἱ συστρατευόμενοι αὐτῷ