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lions and asps and their offspring and snakes and countless other reptiles and beasts, of which the perceptible animals deified throughout all of Egypt were images. For indeed they have honored as gods true lions and asps and snakes and countless others. At any rate, from the naming of the gods they believed in, they have also called their cities thus: from the lion, Leonto, from the dog, Kuno, and again another city from another beast. This then, the vision of the four-footed beasts in the desert of the Egyptians, was seen by the prophet, and to these the refugees of the Jews were carrying away their own wealth; for they were handing over the treasuries of their own soul to the Egyptian error. And they are said to carry their own wealth on donkeys and camels, their irrationality and foolishness being thus somehow revealed. And they went to a nation which will not profit them; for neither the perceptible Egyptians nor their supposed gods were going to help the people of the Jews who fled to them. And what follows of the prophecy, being clearer, it seems superfluous, I think, to try to interpret at greater length, since they contradicted him, saying he was lying in what he advised from the person of God, not to enter Egypt. For this reason the present prophecy says: who did not want to hear the law of God, saying to the prophets, Do not report to us, and to those who see the visions, Do not speak to us. and according to Symmachus it is said: and to the seers, do not see for us what is right, speak to us smooth things, see for us illusions, turn aside from the way, turn the path away from me, remove from our sight the Holy One of Israel; for those not believing the words of Isaiah were saying these things to him and to those who thought like him. Therefore he threatens them with what follows, then he exhorts, saying: When you turn back and groan, then you will be saved, and according to Symmachus: in repentance, he says, and rest you will be saved and in hope will be your strength. For if you sit, he says, in the place of Jerusalem, having repented and having ceased from the rush to Egypt, then you will be saved, being in quietness and rest, but also your strength will be in hope, he says; for having believed and hoped in God you will be able to be saved. But they were not willing, he says, to listen, but said, We will flee on horses. Wherefore he threatens them with what is said next, stating: You will indeed flee, but you will not be able to escape the hand of the Babylonians which will seize you even in Egypt. And he says they will flee to such an extent, until they are left like a mast on a mountain and like a banner on a hill, or according to Symmachus: like a mast on a mountain top and like a sail on a hill; for just as when a ship has fallen apart and perished in the sea, a mast set up on a mountain top happens to be a sign that there is no longer need of it, thus will the destruction of those indicated become conspicuous. Nevertheless, he says not all will be utterly destroyed, but that a few will be left over, whom God, having had mercy and having taken pity on them, will save, being glorified and exalted through having mercy on them. for thus he is a just judge, so as to punish those worthy of punishment, but to deem those able to receive mercy worthy of salvation with him. wherefore blessed are all those who abide in him, or who wait for him, according to Symmachus; for it is good not to faint nor to despair of the help of God in the calamities that befall us. 1.99 Very consistently, the word, having spoken of the things that happened concerning Jeremiah the prophet, through the preceding words prophesies the return of the people from captivity and how, having returned, they will raise up the temple in Jerusalem and again will inhabit the city so that it is filled with inhabitants and the entire land receives cultivation by Jews living in great and deepest peace; which things were fulfilled in the time of Zerubbabel and Jesus the

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λέοντες καὶ ἀσπίδες καὶ τὰ τούτων ἔκγονα καὶ ὄφεις καὶ ἄλλα μυρία ἑρπετά τε καὶ θηρία, ὧν εἰκόνες ἦσαν καὶ τὰ αἰσθητὰ ζῷα καθ' ὅλης τῆς Αἰγύπτου θεοποιούμενα. καὶ γὰρ λέοντας ἀληθῶς καὶ ἀσπίδας καὶ ὄφεις καὶ ἄλλα μυρία οἷα θεοὺς τετιμήκασιν. ἤδη γοῦν ἀπὸ τῆς τῶν αὐτοῖς νομιζομένων θεῶν ἐπωνυμίας καὶ τὰς πόλεις οὕτως κεκλήκασιν, ἀπὸ μὲν τοῦ λέοντος τὴν Λεοντώ, ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ κυνὸς τὴν Κυνώ, καὶ ἀπὸ ἄλλου πάλιν θηρὸς ἑτέραν πόλιν. αὕτη τοίνυν ἡ ὅρασις τῶν τετραπόδων τῶν ἐν τῇ Αἰγυπτίων ἐρημίᾳ ἐθεωρεῖτο τῷ προφήτῃ, καὶ τούτοις οἱ πρόσφυγες τῶν Ἰουδαίων ἀπεκόμιζον τὸν ἑαυτῶν πλοῦτον· τὰ γὰρ ταμιεῖα τῆς ἑαυτῶν ψυχῆς τῇ Αἰγυπτιακῇ παρεδίδοσαν πλάνῃ. ἐπ' ὄνων δὲ καὶ καμήλων κομίζειν εἴρηνται τὸν πλοῦτον ἑαυτῶν τῆς ἀλογίας καὶ ἀφροσύνης αὐτῶν οὕτω πως δηλουμένης. ἀπῄεσαν δὲ πρὸς ἔθνος ὃ οὐκ ὠφελήσει αὐτούς· οὔτε γὰρ οἱ αἰσθητοὶ Αἰγύπτιοι οὔτε οἱ τούτων νομιζόμενοι θεοὶ βοηθήσειν ἔμελλον τῷ προσφυγόντι αὐτοῖς Ἰουδαίων λαῷ. Καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς δὲ τῆς προφητείας ἀπαγγελλόμενα σαφέστερα ὄντα περιττὸν οἶμαι δοκεῖ πειρᾶσθαι διὰ μακροτέρων ἑρμηνεύειν, ἐπειδ' ἀντιλέγοντες αὐτὸν ψεύδεσθαι, ἐν οἷς παρῄνει ἐκ προσώπου τοῦ θεοῦ μὴ εἰσιέναι εἰς Αἴγυπτον. τούτου χάριν ἡ παροῦσα προφητεία φησίν· οἳ οὐκ ἐβούλοντο ἀκούειν τὸν νόμον τοῦ θεοῦ, λέγοντες τοῖς προφήταις Μὴ ἀναγγέλλετε ἡμῖν, καὶ τοῖς τὰ ὁράματα ὁρῶσι Μὴ λαλεῖτε ἡμῖν. κατὰ δὲ τὸν Σύμμαχον εἴρηται· καὶ τοῖς ὁρῶσι μὴ ὁρᾶτε ἡμῖν ὀρθῶς, λαλήσατε ἡμῖν λεῖα, ὁρᾶτε ἡμῖν πλάνας, ἀποστήσατε ἀπὸ τῆς ὁδοῦ, ἐκκλίνατε ἀπ' ἐμοῦ τὴν τρίβον, παύσατε ἐκ προσώπου ἡμῶν τὸν ἅγιον Ἰσραήλ· ταῦτα γὰρ οἱ μὴ πιστεύοντες ταῖς τοῦ Ἠσαΐου φωναῖς πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ τοὺς τὰ ὅμοια αὐτῷ φρονοῦντας ἔλεγον. ∆ιὸ ἀπειλεῖ αὐτοῖς τὰ ἐπιφερόμενα, εἶτα παραινεῖ λέγων· Ὅταν ἀποστραφεὶς στενάξῃς, τότε σωθήσῃ, κατὰ δὲ τὸν Σύμμαχον· ἐν μετανοίᾳ φησὶ καὶ ἀναπαύσει σωθήσεσθε καὶ ἐν ἐλπίδι ἔσται ἡ δύναμις ὑμῶν. ἐὰν γὰρ καθεσθῆτέ φησιν ἐν τῷ τόπῳ τῆς Ἰερουσαλὴμ μετανοήσαντες καὶ παυσάμενοι τῆς ἐπὶ τὴν Αἴγυπτον ὁρμῆς, τότε σωθήσεσθε ἐν ἠρεμίᾳ γενόμενοι καὶ ἀναπαύσει, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ δύναμις ὑμῶν ἐν ἐλπίδι φησὶν ἔσται· πιστεύσαντες γὰρ καὶ ἐλπίσαντες ἐπὶ τὸν θεὸν δυνήσεσθε σωθῆναι. οἱ δὲ οὐκ ἠθέλησάν φησιν ἀκούειν, ἀλλ' εἶπαν Ἐφ' ἵππων φευξόμεθα. διόπερ ἀπειλεῖ αὐτοῖς τὰ ἐπιλεγόμενα φάσκων· φεύξεσθε μέν, οὐ μὴν διαφυγεῖν δυνήσεσθε τὴν τῶν Βαβυλωνίων χεῖρα καταληψομένην ὑμᾶς καὶ ἐν Αἰγύπτῳ. Εἰς τοσοῦτον δέ φησιν αὐτοὺς φεύξεσθαι, ἕως ἂν καταλειφθῶσιν ὡς ἱστὸς ἐπ' ὄρος καὶ ὡς σημαία ἐπὶ βουνοῦ, ἢ κατὰ τὸν Σύμμαχον· ὡς ἱστὸς ἐπ' ἄκρου ὄρους καὶ ὡς ἱστία ἐπὶ βουνοῦ· ὥσπερ γὰρ νηὸς διαπεσούσης καὶ ἀπολομένης ἐν θαλάττῃ σημεῖον τυγχάνει ἀποτεθεὶς ἐπ' ἄκρου ὄρους ἱστὸς τοῦ μηκέτ' αὐτοῦ χρείαν εἶναι, οὕτως ἐπίσημον γενήσεσθαι τὴν ἀπώλειαν τῶν δηλουμένων. Πλὴν οὐ πάντη πάντας ἀπολεῖσθαί φησι, περιλειφθήσεσθαι δὲ βραχεῖς τινας, οὓς ἐλεήσας ὁ θεὸς καὶ οἶκτον αὐτῶν λαβὼν διασώσει δοξαζόμενος καὶ ὑψούμενος διὰ τοῦ ἐλεῆσαι αὐτούς. οὕτω γὰρ αὐτὸν κριτὴν δίκαιον εἶναι ὡς τοὺς μὲν ἀξίους τιμωρίας κολάζειν τοὺς δὲ δυναμένους ἐλέου τυχεῖν τῆς παρ' αὐτῷ καταξιοῦν σωτηρίας. διόπερ μακάριοι πάντες οἱ ἐμμένοντες ἐπ' αὐτῷ, ἢ ὑπομένοντες αὐτὸν κατὰ τὸν Σύμμαχον· καλὸν γὰρ τὸ μὴ λειποθυμεῖν μηδὲ ἀπογινώσκειν τὴν τοῦ θεοῦ βοήθειαν ἐν ταῖς καταλαμβανούσαις ἡμᾶς συμφοραῖς. 1.99 Σφόδρα ἀκολούθως εἰπὼν ὁ λόγος τὰ κατὰ Ἰερεμίαν τὸν προφήτην συμβεβηκότα διὰ τῶν προκειμένων τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας ἐπάνοδον τοῦ λαοῦ θεσπίζει καὶ ὡς ἐπανελθόντες τὸν νεὼν τὸν ἐν Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἀναστήσουσι καὶ αὖθις οἰκήσουσι τὴν πόλιν ὡς πληρωθῆναι αὐτὴν οἰκητόρων καὶ τὴν χώραν ἅπασαν ὑπὸ Ἰουδαίων γεωργίας τυχεῖν ἐν πολλῇ καὶ βαθυτάτῃ εἰρήνῃ διαγόντων· ἅπερ ἐπληροῦτο ἐπὶ Ζοροβάβελ καὶ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ