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when the things in the wilderness of Tyre have been interpreted for us, we will understand these things too. Having thus threatened punishment, he again lays bare their wickedness. 10. Because you have said: The two nations and the two countries will be mine, and I will inherit them, and the Lord is there. Or according to the other interpreters, "And the Lord was there." But this convicts not only their insatiability and greed, but also shows the excess of their impiety, and it resembles the boastful words of Sennacherib; for he also said, "The Lord will not deliver Jerusalem from my hand." And the Idumaeans likewise said insolently, "Even if the Lord is in Jerusalem, we will possess the two countries." And yet the God of all, having brought Israel out of Egypt, did not permit him to make war on the Idumaeans; "For you shall not make war," he said to them, "because they are your brothers." Therefore, having been prevented from the way, they went around the mountain, and the wilderness, as they were commanded; and concerning all that land God said to Israel: "I will not give it to you; for to the sons of Esau I have given it as an inheritance." But nevertheless the Idumaeans, not being content with the God-given good things, hoped also to inherit the land of the Jews; whence the God of all rightly threatens punishments, and confirms the decision with an oath. 11. For this reason, he says, As I live, says the Lord Adonai, I will do to you according to your enmity, and according to your jealousy, which you have practiced, out of your hatred for them. You will suffer things worthy, he says, of your envy and ill-will. And I will be made known to you, when I judge you. (12) And you will know that I am the Lord. By bringing punishments upon you, he says, I will make myself manifest to you, so that you may not think that your sorrows have come to you from some other source, but having learned of my lordship, you may receive benefit from the knowledge. I have heard the voice of all your blasphemies, which you spoke concerning the mountains of Israel, saying: The mountains of Israel, the high ones, the everlasting ones, have been given to us desolate for a possession. (13) And you have spoken great things against me with your mouth, and you have multiplied your words against me, which I have heard. He does not endure even to recount the blasphemous words; teaching us not even in narration to bring forth the blasphemies of others with our tongue, but to remember the prophetic voice, say 81.1176 ing: "That my mouth may not speak of the works of men." And through all this he showed not only their ill-will, and their malice, but also their arrogance, and their rage and madness against God. And he has added most beneficially the phrase, "You have multiplied your words against me, which I have heard;" teaching us that there is nothing of what is said or done by us, that can escape his power of seeing or hearing. 14, 15. Thus says the Lord Adonai: In the gladness of all the earth I will make you an everlasting desolation. As you rejoiced at the inheritance of the house of Israel, because it was destroyed, so will I do to you; you shall be a desolation, mount Seir, and all Idumaea shall be consumed, and they will know that I am the Lord their God. He threatened them with an inconsolable punishment. For while all, he says, are living in peace and gladness, I will surround you with calamities, so that you may not have comfort even from the fellowship of evils; for Israel had this solace, when Nebuchadnezzar came not only against them, but also against the Tyrians, and the Sidonians, and the Palestinians, and the Egyptians; but nevertheless, in addition to these things, he promises a benefit through the punishment; "For they will know," he says, "that I am the Lord their God." Therefore, the discipline is beneficial, "opening our ears," according to the prophet Isaiah, and preparing us to recognize our own Master, who strikes and heals.

CHAPTER 36. 1-3. And you, son of man, prophesy against the mountains of Israel, Hear

the word of the Lord; Thus says the Lord Adonai: because the enemy said against you; Aha,

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ἑρμηνευθέντων ἡμῖν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ τῆς Τύρου καὶ ταῦτα νοήσομεν. Οὕτω τὴν τιμωρίαν ἀπειλήσας, πάλιν τὴν πονηρίαν γυμνοῖ. ιʹ. ∆ιὰ τὸ εἰπεῖν σε· Τὰ δύο ἔθνη, καὶ αἱ δύο χῶραι ἐμαὶ ἔσονται, καὶ κληρονομήσω αὐτὰς, καὶ Κύριος ἐκεῖ ἐστιν. Ἢ κατὰ τοὺς ἄλλους ἑρμηνευτὰς, "Καὶ Κύριος ἐκεῖ εἶ." Τοῦτο δὲ οὐ μόνον τὴν ἀπληστίαν καὶ τὴν πλεονεξίαν ἐλέγχει, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν τῆς ἀσεβείας δείκνυσιν ὑπερβολὴν, καὶ τοῖς τοῦ Σενναχηρεὶμ ἀλαζονικοῖς ἔοικε λόγοις· καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνος ἔλεγεν, ὅτι "Οὐ μὴ ῥύσεται Κύριος τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐκ χειρός μου." Καὶ οἱ Ἰδουμαῖοι ὡσαύτως ἔλεγον θρασυνόμενοι, ὅτι, "Κἂν ᾖ Κύ ριος ἐν τῇ Ἱερουσαλὴμ, ἡμεῖς τὰς δύο καθέξομεν χώρας." Καὶ μὴν ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς ἐξ Αἰγύπτου τὸν Ἰσραὴλ ἐξαγαγὼν, οὐκ εἴασεν αὐτὸν πολεμῆσαι τοῖς Ἰδουμαίοις· "Οὐ πολεμήσεις γὰρ, ἔφη πρὸς αὐτοὺς, ὅτι ἀδελφοί σού εἰσιν." ∆ιὸ καὶ τῆς ὁδοῦ κωλυ θέντες τὸ ὄρος ἐκύκλωσαν, καὶ τὴν ἔρημον, ὡς προσ ετάχθησαν· καὶ περὶ τῆς γῆς δὲ ἐκείνης ἁπάσης ἔφη τῷ Ἰσραὴλ ὁ Θεός· "Οὐ δώσω σοι αὐτήν· τοῖς γὰρ υἱοῖς Ἡσαῦ δέδωκα αὐτὴν ἐν κλήρῳ." Ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐκ ἀρκεσθέντες Ἰδουμαῖοι τοῖς θεοσδότοις ἀγαθοῖς, ἤλπισαν καὶ τὴν Ἰουδαίων κληρονομῆσαι γῆν· ὅθεν εἰκότως ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεὸς καὶ ἀπειλεῖ τὰς τιμωρίας, καὶ ὅρκῳ βεβαιοῖ τὴν ἀπόφασιν. ιαʹ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο γὰρ, φησὶ, Ζῶ ἐγὼ, λέγει Ἀδω ναῒ Κύριος, καὶ ποιήσω σοι κατὰ τὴν ἔχθραν σου, καὶ κατὰ τὸν ζῆλόν σου, ὃν ἐποίησας, ἐκ τοῦ μεμισηκέναι σε ἐν αὐτοῖς. Τοῦ φθόνου, φησὶ, καὶ τῆς δυσμενείας ἄξια πείσῃ. Καὶ γνωσθήσομαί σοι, ἡνίκα ἂν κρινῶ σε. (ιβʹ.) Καὶ γνώσῃ ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι Κύριος. Τὰς τιμω ρίας, φησὶν, ἐπαγαγών σοι δῆλον ἐμαυτόν σοι κατα στήσω, ἵνα μὴ νομίσῃς ἑτέρωθέν ποθεν συμβῆναί σοι τὰ λυπηρὰ, μαθὼν δὲ τὴν ἐμὴν δεσποτείαν, ὄνη σιν ἀπὸ τῆς γνώσεως λάβῃς. Ἤκουσα τὴν φωνὴν πασῶν τῶν βλασφημιῶν σου, ὧν ἔλεγες περὶ τῶν ὀρέων Ἰσραὴλ, λέ γων· Τὰ ὄρη Ἰσραὴλ, τὰ ὑψηλὰ, τὰ αἰώνια, ἔρημα ἡμῖν δέδοται εἰς κατάσχεσιν. (ιγʹ.) Καὶ ἐμεγαλοῤῥημόνησας ἐπ' ἐμὲ τῷ στόματί σου, καὶ ἐπλήθυνας ἐπ' ἐμὲ λόγους σου, οὓς ἐγὼ ἤκουσα. Τοὺς βλασφήμους λόγους οὐδὲ ἀπομνημο νεύειν ἀνέχεται· διδάσκων ἡμᾶς, μηδὲ ἐν διηγήσει τὰς τῶν ἄλλων βλασφημίας διὰ τῆς γλώττης προ φέρειν, μεμνῆσθαι δὲ τῆς προφητικῆς φωνῆς, λεγού 81.1176 σης· "Ὅπως ἂν μὴ λαλήσῃ τὸ στόμα μου τὰ ἔργα τῶν ἀνθρώπων." ∆ιὰ πάντων δὲ οὐ μόνον αὐτῶν τὴν δυσμένειαν, καὶ τὴν μνησικακίαν ἔδειξεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν ἀλαζονείαν, καὶ τὴν κατὰ Θεοῦ λύτταν καὶ μανίαν. Ὠφελίμως δὲ λίαν προστέθεικε τὸ, "Ἐπλήθυνας ἐπ' ἐμὲ λόγους σου, οὓς ἐγὼ ἤκουσα·" διδάσκων ἡμᾶς, ὡς οὐδέν ἐστι τῶν ὑφ' ἡμῶν ἢ λε γομένων ἢ πραττομένων, λαθεῖν δυνάμενον τὴν ὀπτικὴν ἢ τὴν ἀκουστικὴν αὐτοῦ δύναμιν. ιδʹ, ιεʹ. Τάδε λέγει Ἀδωναῒ Κύριος· Ἐν τῇ εὐφροσύνῃ πάσης τῆς γῆς ἔρημόν σε ποιήσω αἰώνιον. Καθὼς ἐπηυφράνθης τῇ κληρονομίᾳ οἴκου Ἰσραὴλ, ὅτι ἠφανίσθη, οὕτω ποιήσω σοι· εἰς ἔρημον ἔσῃ, ὄρος Σηεὶρ, καὶ πᾶσα Ἰδου μαία ἐξαναλωθήσεται, καὶ γνώσονται, ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι Κύριος Θεὸς αὐτῶν. Ἀπαραμύθητον αὐτοῖς ἠπείλησε τιμωρίαν. Πάντων γὰρ, φησὶν, ἐν εἰρήνῃ καὶ θυμηδίᾳ διαγαγόντων, σὲ περιβαλῶ συμφοραῖς, ἵνα μηδὲ ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν κακῶν κοινωνίας ἔχῃς παρα ψυχήν· ταύτην γὰρ τὴν ψυχαγωγίαν ἔσχεν ὁ Ἰσ ραὴλ, τοῦ Ναβουχοδονόσορ οὐ μόνον αὐτοῖς ἐπελ θόντος, ἀλλὰ καὶ Τυρίοις, καὶ Σιδωνίοις, καὶ Παλαι στινοῖς, καὶ Αἰγυπτίοις· ἀλλ' ὅμως πρὸς τούτοις ὑπισχνεῖται διὰ τῆς τιμωρίας εὐεργεσίαν· "Γνώ σονται γὰρ, φησὶν, ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς αὐτῶν." Ὀνησιφόρος τοίνυν ἡ παιδεία, "ἀνοίγουσα, ἡμῶν," κατὰ τὸν προφήτην Ἡσαΐαν, "τὰ ὦτα," καὶ παρασκευάζουσα τὸν οἰκεῖον ἐπιγινώσκειν ∆εσπότην, τὸν τύπτοντα καὶ ἰώμενον.

ΚΕΦΑΛΑΙΟΝ Λʹ. αʹ-γʹ. Καὶ σὺ, υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου, προφήτευσον ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη Ἰσραὴλ, Ἀκούσατε

λόγον Κυρίου· Τάδε λέγει Ἀδωναῒ Κύριος· ἀνθ' ὧν εἶπεν ὁ ἐχθρὸς ἐφ' ὑμᾶς· Εὖγε,