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The Egyptians to the Assyrians the servitude of love. Or, as some say, on account of the Roman garrisons of Syrians in Egypt, and certain Syrians by the power of ruling authority enslaving them. The blessed people, therefore, in Egypt and in Assyria, is seen through the multitude of the Churches, but the one from Israel flourished at the time of the preaching. For they became the first-fruits of the faith in Christ, from whom are evangelists, and disciples, and apostles; for which reason all of the three nations upon the earth are blessed. But instead of, "and in Assyria," the others have published "and Assur," so that one might not think of the Jews in Egypt and Syria, but the Egyptians themselves and the Assyrians themselves. And the wonderful thing is that the firstborn among the children is named third. For having behaved insolently toward Christ, he has been placed behind the nations. For when the fullness of the nations comes in, then all Israel will be saved. And you will understand the land blessed by the Lord to be the Church, and especially the heavenly one, which the meek will inherit, where there is also the heavenly Jerusalem, and Mount Sion; and Israel might be understood also as the God-loving choir of the saints from the nation of the Jews who have departed this life; wherefore it is said, "and my inheritance, Israel." For "Israel is the portion of his inheritance," as indeed Moses says. But the prophet, wondering if the Egyptians, more superstitious than others, will honor the God of their enemies the Jews, very emphatically, continuously this, which he says of the Egyptians; at one time: "The Egyptians shall be swearing by the name of the Lord of Sabaoth;" at another: "There shall be an altar to the Lord in the land of the Egyptians." And again: "The Lord shall be for a sign forever in the land of Egypt." And again: "The Lord shall be known to the Egyptians." And again: "The Egyptians shall know the Lord." And Syria, as it seems, he took emphatically, in which they say there are genuine worshipers, and a sister, and a neighbor, practicing the asceticism of the Egyptians. 2157 CHAPTER 20. 1. 9In the year that Tartan came to Azotus, when he was sent by Arna king of the Assyrians, and he fought against Azotus and took it, then the Lord spoke to Isaiah, saying: Go and take off the sackcloth from your loins9, etc. He who spoke about their peace in the preceding sections foretells the capture of the Egyptians by the Assyrians; We shall say, therefore, that he confirms things that will happen long afterwards through things that are about to be fulfilled very soon. For the good things that have been said awaited the advent of the Savior, who was to come into Egypt on a light cloud. But these things now have happened in the times of the prophet himself. And these things are foretold to the Jews, who expect by the alliance of the Egyptians to escape the coming capture by the Assyrians, who were indeed near, having taken Azotus, which was the greatest and most powerful city of Palestine, so that, being terrified by the evils of their neighbors, despairing of all human assistance, turning to the Lord, they might escape the impending difficulties. And so a certain prophet said: "And Ephraim was a silly dove without a heart; they called upon Egypt, and they went to the Assyrians." And the present prophet says: "Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who trust in horses and in chariots." And Tartan, being the general of the king of the Assyrians, took Azotus. At that time, therefore, the prophet, who formerly used a single garment of hair, both coarse and thick, for the sake of extreme philosophy and for mourning the impious in Israel, is commanded to take this off too, and to wander about Jerusalem naked and barefoot as a type of the coming captivity for the Egyptians; for the strangeness of the sight was more believable than mere speech, and it clearly worked fear, especially for those accustomed to despise prophetic words and to say to the prophets: "Speak other things to us, and announce to us another delusion;" so that seeing the absurdity of his appearance, they themselves might ask the reason for it. And it is worthy to admire the prophetic life, concerning which he says the

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Ἀσσυρίοις Αἰγύπτιοι τὴν τῆς ἀγάπης δουλείαν. Ἢ, ὥς φασί τινες, διὰ τὰ Ῥωμαϊκὰ Σύρων ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ στρατόπεδα, Σύρους τέ τινας ἀρχικῆς ἐξουσίας δυνάμει καταδουλουμένους αὐτούς. Ὁ μὲν οὗν εὐλογημένος ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ καὶ ἐν Ἀσσυρίοις λαὸς, διὰ τῆς τῶν Ἐκκλησιῶν ὁρᾶται πολυπληθίας, ὁ δὲ ἐκ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ κατὰ τὸν τοῦ κηρύγματος ἤκμασε χρόνον. Ἀπαρχὴ γὰρ τῆς εἰς Χριστὸν ἐγένοντο πίστεως, ἐξ ὧν εὐαγγελισταὶ, καὶ μαθηταὶ, καὶ ἀπόστολοι· διὸ πάντες οἱ τῶν τριῶν ἐθνῶν ἐπὶ γῆς εὐλόγηνται. Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ, καὶ ἐν Ἀσσυρίοις, καὶ Ἀσσοὺρ ἐξέδωκαν οἱ λοιποὶ, ὡς ἂν μή τις τοὺς ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ καὶ Συρίᾳ νομίσειεν Ἰουδαίους, ἀλλ' αὐτοὺς Αἰγυπτίους καὶ αὐτοὺς Ἀσσυρίους. Τὸ δὲ θαυμαστὸν, ὅτι ὁ πρωτότοκος ἐν τέκνοις τρίτος ὠνόμασται. Παροινήσας γὰρ εἰς Χριστὸν, κατόπιν τέθειται τῶν ἐθνῶν. Ὅτ' ἂν γὰρ τὸ πλήρωμα τῶν ἐθνῶν εἰσέλθῃ, τότε καὶ πᾶς Ἰσραὴλ σωθήσεται. Γῆν δὲ τὴν εὐλογημένην ὑπὸ Κυρίου νοήσεις τὴν Ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ μάλιστα τὴν ἐπουράνιον, ἣν οἱ πραεῖς κληρονομήσουσιν, ὅπου καὶ Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐπουράνιος, καὶ ὄρος Σιών· νοοῖτο δ' ἂν Ἰσραὴλ καὶ ὁ Θεοφιλὴς τῶν ἁγίων χορὸς ἐκ τοῦ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἔθνους προεξεληλυθότων τοῦ βίου· διόπερ εἴρηται, καὶ ἡ κληρονομία μου Ἰσραήλ. Σχοίνισμα γὰρ κληρονομίας αὐτοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, καθὰ δὴ λέγει Μωσῆς. Ὁ δὲ προφήτης θαυμάζων, εἰ οἱ τῶν ἄλλων δεισιδαίμονες μᾶλλον Αἰγύπτιοι τὸν τῶν ἐχθρῶν Θεὸν Ἰουδαίων τιμήσουσιν, ἐμφατικώτατα λίαν, συνεχῶς τοῦτον, ἃ τὸ τῶν Αἰγυπτίων φησί· ποτὲ μέν· Ἔσονται Αἰγύπτιοι ὀμνύοντες τῷ ὀνόματι Κυρίου Σαβαώθ· ποτὲ δέ· Ἔσται θυσιαστήριον τῷ Κυρίῳ ἐν χώρᾳ Αἰγυπτίων. Καὶ πάλιν· Ἔσται εἰς σημεῖον εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα Κύριος ἐν χώρᾳ Αἰγύπτου. Καὶ αὖθις· Ἔσται γνωστὸς Κύριος τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις. Καὶ πάλιν· Γνώσονται οἱ Αἰγύπτιοι τὸν Κύριον. Καὶ Συρίαν δὲ, ὡς ἔοικεν, ἐν ἐμφάσει παρέλαβεν, ἐν ᾗ φασι γνησίους προσκυνητὰς, καὶ ἀδελφὴν, καὶ γείτονα τῆς Αἰγυπτίων ἐπιτηδεύοντας ἄσκησιν. 2157 ΚΕΦΑΛ. Κʹ. αʹ. 9Τοῦ ἔτους οὗ εἰσῆλθε Τανάθαν εἰς Ἄζωτον, ἡνίκα ἐπεστάλη ὑπὸ Ἄρνα βασιλέως Ἀσσυρίων, καὶ ἐπολέμησε τὴν Ἄζωτον, καὶ κατελάβετο αὐτὴν, τότε ἐλάλησε Κύριος πρὸς Ἡσαΐαν, λέγων· Πορεύου καὶ ἄφελε τὸν σάκκον ἀπὸ τῆς ὀσφύος σου9, κ.τ.λ. Ἄλωσιν Αἰγυπτίων ὑπ' Ἀσσυρίων προλέγει ὁ περὶ τῆς εἰρήνης αὐτῶν ἐν τοῖς πρὸ τούτων διαλαβών· Ἐροῦμεν οὖν, ὡς τὰ μακροῖς ὕστερον χρόνοις ἐσόμενα διὰ τῶν ὅσον οὔπω μελλόντων πληροῦσθαι πιστοποιεῖ. Τὰ μὲν γὰρ εἰρημένα χρηστὰ, τὴν τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἐπιδημίαν ἀνέμενεν ἐπὶ νεφέλης κούφης ἥξειν εἰς Αἴγυπτον μέλλοντος. Τὰ δὲ νῦν ἐπ' αὐτῶν τῶν τοῦ προφήτου χρόνων συμβέβηκεν. Ταῦτα δὲ τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις προλέγεται τῇ τῶν Αἰγυπτίων συμμαχίᾳ προσδοκῶσι διαφεύγειν τὴν ὑπ' Ἀσσυρίων μέλλουσαν ἅλωσιν, οἳ καὶ δὴ πλησίον ἦσαν ἑλόντες τὴν Ἄζωτον τῆς Παλαιστίνης μεγίστην καὶ δυνατωτάτην πόλιν ὑπάρχουσαν, ὡς ἂν τοῖς ἐκ γειτόνων πτοηθέντες κακοῖς, πᾶσαν ἀνθρωπίνην ἀπογνόντες ῥοπὴν, ἐπιστραφέντες πρὸς Κύριον, τὰ μέλλοντα κερδάνωσι δυσχερῆ. Καί γ' οὖν τις ἔφη προφήτης· "Καὶ ἦν Ἐφραῒμ περιστερὰ ἄνους οὐκ ἔχουσα καρδίαν· "Αἴγυπτον ἐπεκαλεῖτο καὶ εἰς Ἀσσυρίους ἐπορεύθησαν. Καὶ ὁ παρὼν δὲ προφήτης φησίν· "Οὐαὶ οἱ καταβαίνοντες εἰς Αἴγυπτον ἐπὶ βοήθειαν, οἱ ἐφ' ἵπποις πεποιθότες καὶ ἐφ' ἅρμασιν." Τανάθαν δὲ στρατηγὸς τοῦ τῶν Ἀσσυρίων βασιλέως ὑπάρχων εἷλε τὴν Ἄζωτον. Τότε τοίνυν ὁ προφήτης ἑνὶ πρότερον χρώμενος ἱματίῳ τριχώδει τε καὶ παχεῖ δι' ἄκραν φιλοσοφίαν, καὶ διὰ τὸ πενθεῖν τοὺς ἀσεβοῦντας ἐν Ἰσραὴλ, ἀποδύσασθαι καὶ τοῦτο προστάττεται, γυμνός τε καὶ ἀνυπόδετος περινοστεῖν Ἱερουσαλὴμ εἰς τύπον τῆς μελλούσης Αἰγυπτίοις αἰχμαλωσίας· τὸ γὰρ τῆς θέας παράδοξον, ψιλοῦ λόγου μᾶλλον ὑπῆρχε πιστότερον, ἐναργῶς τε φόβον εἰργάζετο, καὶ μάλιστα τοῖς εἰωθόσι προφητικῶν λόγων ὑπερορᾷν, καὶ τοῖς προφήταις λέγειν· Ἄλλα ἡμῖν λαλεῖτε, καὶ ἀναγγέλλετε ἡμῖν ἑτέραν πλάνησιν· ὡς ἂν ὁρῶντες τὴν ἀτοπίαν τοῦ σχήματος, αὐτοὶ τούτου τὴν αἰτίαν πυνθάνοιντο. Τὸν δὲ προφητικὸν θαυμάζειν ἄξιον βίον, περὶ ὧν φησιν ὁ