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of 'shall be eaten,' Aquila has 'shall be chopped fine,' Symmachus and Theodotion have said 'shall be thinned,' but he says 'he will not completely thresh it,' 'nor will the wheel of his cart crush it,' 'nor will he thin it with his hooves;' for he says when the wheel of the cart goes around the grain, thinning the stalk around it and threshing with its wheels, and with the hooves of the oxen making the stalk into fine chaff, it does not destroy the grain as well, by which he shows that the substance of the soul is not annihilated nor completely destroyed in the punishments brought upon it, which they understood when they said something like: For I will not be angry with you forever, nor will the voice of my bitterness trample you; for he says, 'I do not proceed against the impious in such a way as to annihilate their substance and utterly destroy their souls,' since, according to the example, not even the wheels of the cart made of iron destroy the grain, but they remove all the stalk around it so as to save and make the grain pure. And all these things, he says, being like portents to those who do not understand, do not think a man has spoken; for a decree has been brought forth from the Lord Sabaoth, against which you, the impious, to whom these things have been said, take counsel. And if you are able, raise up for yourselves a vain encouragement and consolation for yourselves from this. 1.95 Ariel, who is lamented in the following passages, even the children of the Jews themselves confess to be Jerusalem; and they say that the altar standing before the temple was specifically named Ariel, and that this is clear from Ezekiel, where towards the end, in the description of the city, it is thus said: 'And these are the measures of the altar in cubits of a cubit and a palm; the base a cubit deep.' And he adds next: 'and the Ariel four cubits, and from the Ariel and above the horns a cubit. And the Ariel twelve cubits in length, twelve cubits in width, square on its four sides.' And they say that Ariel is interpreted 'lion of God,' since the altar was God's, and it consumed all the animal victims offered upon it, for this reason it received this name. But as for: 'the city which David warred against,' they say is not said in the Hebrew, but according to Aquila: 'town of David's encampment,' and according to Symmachus: 'city of David's encampment.' For since it was previously a foreign city, David made it subject to himself, having driven the foreigners out of it, so that we are able to apply the same meaning to the Septuagint as well. For thus it might be said: 'the city which David warred against,' when it was under foreigners, but it can also be said instead of 'for which he warred' or 'on behalf of which David warred.' Therefore the present discourse cries out concerning Jerusalem, and consequently; for after the things previously said concerning the rulers in it, through whom their 'crown of pride' was being revealed, finally it is prophesied about it too, what things it was about to suffer on account of the transgressions of those mentioned before. Therefore the discourse says to those dwelling in it, that there is still time, in which you, gather for yourselves fruits, with a reprieve being granted to you for one year, and let it be for a second year too; for in a little while you will be deprived of rational food. So while there is still time, use these years for the benefit of your souls. And it seems to me that through these things he alludes to the time of the saving proclamation, during which the Christ of God, having come to them, 'proclaimed' 'the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of retribution,' and perhaps he appears to have conversed with them for a second year, or even a third. Therefore, signifying that very time during which he was providing them the teachings about the kingdom of the heavens, he says: 'gather produce year upon year, you shall eat.' For: 'for you shall eat with Moab' is not at all in the Hebrew text

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δὲ τοῦ· βρωθήσεται, ὁ Ἀκύλας λεπτοκοπηθήσεται, ὁ Σύμμαχος καὶ ὁ Θεοδοτίων λεπτυνθήσεται εἰρήκασιν, ἀλλ' οὐκ εἰς τέλος φησὶν ἀλοῶν ἀλοήσει αὐτόν, οὐδὲ ταράξει τροχὸς ἁμάξης αὐτοῦ, οὐδὲ ταῖς ὁπλαῖς αὐτοῦ λεπτυνεῖ αὐτόν· ὅταν γάρ φησι καὶ ὁ τῆς ἁμάξης τροχὸς περιέλθῃ τὸν σῖτον λεπτύνων τὴν περὶ αὐτὸν καλάμην καὶ ἀλοῶν αὐτοῖς τροχοῖς, ταῖς τε ὁπλαῖς τῶν βοῶν εἰς λεπτὸν ἄχυρον τὴν καλάμην, ἀλλ' οὐχὶ καὶ τὸν σῖτον ἀφανίζει, δι' οὗ παρίστησι τὴν οὐσίαν τῆς ψυχῆς μὴ ἐξαφανίζεσθαι μηδὲ πάμπαν ἀπόλλυσθαι ἐν ταῖς φερομέναις αὐτῇ κολάσεσιν, ὅπερ νοήσαντες οἷον εἰρήκασιν. οὐ γὰρ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἐγὼ ὑμῖν ὀργισθήσομαι, οὐδὲ φωνὴ τῆς πικρίας μου καταπατήσει ὑμᾶς· οὐ γὰρ οὕτω φησὶ τοῖς ἀσεβέσιν ἐπεξέρχομαι, ὡς καὶ τὴν οὐσίαν αὐτῶν ἀφανίσαι καὶ εἰς τὸ παντελὲς ἀπολέσαι αὐτῶν τὰς ψυχάς, ἐπεὶ μηδὲ κατὰ τὸ παράδειγμα οἱ τροχοὶ τῆς ἁμάξης ἐκ σιδήρου κατεσκευασμένοι τὸν σῖτον ἀφανίζουσι, πᾶσαν δὲ τὴν περὶ αὐτὸν περιαίρουσι καλάμην εἰς τὸ διασῶσαι καὶ καθαρὸν ἀπεργάσασθαι τὸν σῖτον. ταῦτα δέ φησι πάντα ὡσπερεὶ τέρατα ὄντα τοῖς μὴ νοοῦσι μὴ νομίζητε ἄνθρωπον εἰρηκέναι· ἀπόφασις γὰρ ἀπὸ κυρίου σαβαὼθ ἐξενήνεκται, πρὸς ἣν βουλεύσασθε ὑμεῖς οἱ ἀσεβεῖς, πρὸς οὓς ταῦτα εἴρηται. καὶ εἰ οἷοί τέ ἐστε, ὑμῖν ἑαυτοῖς ματαίαν παράκλησιν καὶ παραμυθίαν εὑρεῖν ταύτης ἑαυτοῖς ὑψώσατε. 1.95 Τὴν διὰ τῶν μετὰ χεῖρας ταλανιζομένην Ἀριὴλ καὶ αὐτοὶ οἱ Ἰουδαίων παῖδες ὁμολογοῦσι τὴν Ἰερουσαλὴμ εἶναι· φασὶ δὲ ἰδίως τὸ θυσιαστήριον τὸ πρὸ τοῦ ναοῦ συνεστὸς Ἀριὴλ ὠνομάσθαι, καὶ τοῦτο δῆλον εἶναι ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἰεζεκιήλ, οὗ πρὸς τοῖς τελευταίοις ἐπὶ τῆς διαγραφῆς τῆς πόλεως οὕτως εἴρηται· «Καὶ ταῦτα τὰ μέτρα τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου ἐν πήχει πήχεως καὶ πήχεως καὶ παλαιστῆς· κόλπωμα βάθος ἐπὶ πῆχυν». καὶ ἑξῆς ἐπιφέρει· «καὶ τὸ Ἀριὴλ πήχεων τεσσάρων, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἀριὴλ καὶ ὑπεράνω τῶν κεράτων πῆχυς. καὶ τὸ Ἀριὴλ πηχῶν δώδεκα μήκους πήχεις δώδεκα πλάτος, τετράγωνον ἐπὶ τὰ τέσσαρα μέρη αὐτοῦ». ἑρμηνεύεσθαι δέ φασι τὸ Ἀριὴλ λέων θεοῦ, ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τοῦ θεοῦ ἦν τὸ θυσιαστήριον, κατήσθιέ τε πάντα τὰ ἐν αὐτῷ προσφερόμενα ζῴων θύματα, τούτου χάριν ταύτην εἰληφέναι τὴν προσηγορίαν. τὸ δέ· πόλις, ἣν ἐπολέμησε ∆αυίδ, οὔ φασιν εἰρῆσθαι ἐν τῷ Ἑβραϊκῷ, ἀλλὰ κατὰ μὲν τὸν Ἀκύλαν· πολίχνη παρεμβλήσεως ∆αυίδ, κατὰ δὲ τὸν Σύμμαχον· πόλις παρεμβολῆς ∆αυίδ· ἀλλόφυλον γὰρ οὖσαν αὐτὴν πρότερον ὁ ∆αυὶδ ὑποχείριον ἐποιήσατο τοὺς ἀλλοφύλους ἐλάσας ἐξ αὐτῆς, ὥστε δύνασθαι ἡμᾶς καὶ τοῖς Ἑβδομήκοντα ἐφαρμόσαι τὴν διάνοιαν τὴν αὐτήν. οὕτω γὰρ ἂν λέγοιτο· πόλις ἣν ἐπολέμησε ∆αυίδ, ὅτε ὑπ' ἀλλοφύλοις ἦν, δύναται δὲ καὶ ἀντὶ τοῦ· δι' ἣν ἐπολέμησεν ἢ ὑπὲρ ἧς ἐπολέμησε ∆αυὶδ λέγεσθαι. περὶ τῆς οὖν Ἰερουσαλὴμ ὁ παρὼν ἀναφωνεῖ λόγος καὶ ἀκολούθως· μετὰ γὰρ τὰ προλελεγμένα περὶ τῶν ἀρχόντων τῶν ἐν αὐτῇ, δι' ὧν «ὁ στέφανος τῆς ὕβρεως» αὐτῶν ἐδηλοῦτο, λοιπὸν καὶ περὶ αὐτῆς προφητεύεται, ὁποῖα ἔμελλε πείσεσθαι διὰ τὰς τῶν προλεχθέντων παρανομίας. φησὶν οὖν ὁ λόγος τοῖς ἐν αὐτῇ κατοικοῦσιν, ὡς ἔτι καιρός ἐστιν, ᾧ οὗτοι συναγάγετε ἑαυτοῖς γενήματα συγχωρήσεως ὑμῖν ἐνδοθείσης ἐπὶ ἕνα ἐνιαυτόν, ἔστω δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ δεύτερον ἔτος· ὅσον γὰρ οὔπω στερηθήσεσθε λογικῆς τροφῆς. ὡς ἔτι οὖν καιρός ἐστι χρήσασθε τοῖς ἐνιαυτοῖς τούτοις πρὸς ὠφέλειαν τῶν ὑμετέρων ψυχῶν. καί μοι δοκεῖ διὰ τούτων αἰνίττεσθαι τὸν χρόνον τοῦ σωτηρίου κηρύγματος. καθ' ὃν ἐπιδημήσας αὐτοῖς ὁ Χριστὸς τοῦ θεοῦ «ἐκήρυττεν» «ἐνιαυτὸν κυρίου δεκτὸν καὶ ἡμέραν ἀνταποδόσεως», τάχα δὲ καὶ δεύτερον αὐτοῖς ἐνιαυτὸν ἢ καὶ τρίτον ὡμιληκὼς φαίνεται. αὐτὸν οὖν ἐκεῖνον, καθ' ὃν παρεῖχεν αὐτοῖς τὰ περὶ τῆς τῶν οὐρανῶν βασιλείας μαθήματα σημαίνων φησί· συναγάγετε γενήματα ἐνιαυτὸν ἐπ' ἐνιαυτόν, φάγεσθε. τὸ γάρ· φάγεσθε γὰρ σὺν Μωὰβ οὐδ' ὅλως τῇ Ἑβραϊκῇ λέξει