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affliction and scanty water will the Lord give you. then there shall be rain for the seed of your land, and the bread of your produce shall be for satiety and rich. all things will be fulfilled for you, as you live your life in great abundance and deepest peace; so that also your animals, and especially those that till the land, may be filled with their natural food. And these things were fulfilled after the renewal of Jerusalem in the times thereafter, with both those dwelling in the fields in the country and those living in the cities resting in peace. These things, then, might be referred to the times indicated, but the following things through which it is said: and there shall be on every high mountain and on every lofty hill water flowing, compels even one unwilling to hasten to a figurative interpretation. But what meaning does the following have: in that day, when many shall perish and when towers shall fall, the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold as the light of seven days, in the day when the Lord shall heal the affliction of his people, and he will heal the pain of your wound; for what sequence would these things, said before those, preserve. It would be necessary to consider; I say, therefore, that these things also have been brought in sequentially to what was said before, since indeed the word has made bodily promises, saying: and the bread of your produce shall be for satiety and rich; and your cattle shall feed in that day in a rich and spacious place, your bulls and your oxen that work the land shall eat mixed fodder winnowed with barley, it reasonably adds to the bodily promises also the more divine promises for those worthy of them. And these things it signifies: and there shall be on every high mountain and on every lofty hill water flowing. And when it will be, it establishes the time, making it clear by adding and saying: in that day, when many shall perish and when towers shall fall, or according to Symmachus: in the day of great slaughter when the great fall. But when will be the great slaughter and when will the great fall, if not at the time of the universal judgment which will happen after “the end of this age”? Therefore it is said according to the Septuagint: when towers fall and when many perish; for many will perish at that time, in which also the things promised will be given to the worthy. But what does it teach by saying that on every high mountain there will be flowing water, and the light of the moon will be multiplied for them, and the sun’s light likewise becoming sevenfold? Therefore, many great lights and divisions of waters; for so Symmachus interpreted, saying: and on every lofty hill, divisions of water channels. It will be given to those worthy of the promises at that time, when those worthy of slaughter will be delivered to slaughter and those who in the present life are lifted up and boastful will fall from their height. Therefore it is said according to Aquila: in the day of great slaying when the exalted fall. Do you see the sequence of the discourse, making bodily promises to the more corporeal among the multitude, but promising the higher promises to those who have ascended in mind and are distinguished in soul. And just as “Mount Zion the heavenly” has often been understood by us, so “the many mansions with the Father” happen to be heavenly mountains, where those worthy of the kingdom of God will dwell. And on each of these, whether mountains or mansions, he says there will be water flowing, doubtless that which springs forth from the “fountain”, concerning which it is said: “for with you is the fountain of life”, from which also “the river of God” flows forth, concerning which it is said: “the streams of the river make glad the city of God”, and: “the river of God is full of water” of the only-begotten Word of God, the life-giving and saving, somehow thus

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θλίψεως καὶ ὕδωρ στενὸν δώσει σοι κύριος. τότε ἔσται ὁ ὑετὸς τῷ σπέρματι τῆς γῆς σου, καὶ ὁ ἄρτος τοῦ γενήματός σου ἔσται εἰς πλησμονὴν καὶ λιπαρός. πάντα εἰς σὲ πληρωθήσεται ἐν εὐθηνίᾳ πολλῇ καὶ βαθυτάτῃ εἰρήνῃ τὴν ζωὴν διατελοῦντι· ὡς καὶ τὰ παρὰ σοὶ ζῷα καὶ μάλιστα τὰ τὴν χώραν γεωργοῦντα πληροῦσθαι τῆς αὐτοῖς κατὰ φύσιν τροφῆς. καὶ αὐτὰ δὲ ἐπληροῦτο μετὰ τὴν ἀνανέωσιν τῆς Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἐν τοῖς μετὰ ταῦτα χρόνοις ἐν εἰρήνῃ διαναπαυομένων τῶν τε ἐν τῇ χώρᾳ τοὺς ἀγροὺς οἰκούντων καὶ τῶν ἐν ταῖς πόλεσι διατριβόντων. Ταῦτα μὲν οὖν ἀναφέροιτ' ἂν εἰς τοὺς δηλωθέντας χρόνους, τὰ δ' ἑξῆς δι' ὧν εἴρηται· καὶ ἔσται ἐπὶ παντὸς ὄρους ὑψηλοῦ καὶ ἐπὶ παντὸς βουνοῦ μετεώρου ὕδωρ διαπορευόμενον, βιάζεται καὶ τὸν μὴ θέλοντα ἐπὶ τροπολογίαν σπεύδειν. ποῖον δὲ ἔχει νοῦν τὸ ἐπιλεγόμενον· ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ, ὅταν ἀπόλωνται πολλοὶ καὶ ὅταν πέσωσι πύργοι, ἔσται τὸ φῶς τῆς σελήνης ὡς τὸ φῶς τοῦ ἡλίου καὶ τὸ φῶς τοῦ ἡλίου ἔσται ἑπταπλάσιον ὡς τὸ φῶς τῶν ἑπτὰ ἡμερῶν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ, ὅταν ἰάσηται κύριος τὸ σύντριμμα τοῦ λαοῦ αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὴν ὀδύνην τῆς πληγῆς σου ἰάσεται· ταῦτα γὰρ ὁποίαν σῴζοι ἂν ἀκολουθίαν πρὸ τούτων εἰρημένα. ἀναγκαῖον ἂν εἴη διασκέψασθαί φημι τοίνυν καὶ ταῦτα ἀκολούθως ἐπενηνέχθαι τοῖς προλεχθεῖσιν, ἐπειδὴ γὰρ σωματικὰς πεποίηται ἐπαγγελίας ὁ λόγος εἰπών· καὶ ὁ ἄρτος τοῦ γενήματός σου ἔσται εἰς πλησμονὴν καὶ λιπαρός· καὶ βοσκηθήσεται τὰ κτήνη σου ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ τόπον πίονα καὶ εὐρύχωρον, οἱ ταῦροι ὑμῶν καὶ οἱ βόες οἱ ἐργαζόμενοι τὴν γῆν ἄχυρα ἀναπεποιημένα φάγονται ἐν κριθῇ λελικμημένῃ, εἰκότως πρὸς τοῖς σωματικοῖς καὶ τὰς θειοτέρας ἐπαγγελίας ἐπάγει τοῖς τούτων ἀξίοις. ταῦτα δὲ σημαίνει· καὶ ἔσται ἐπὶ παντὸς ὄρους ὑψηλοῦ καὶ ἐπὶ παντὸς βουνοῦ μετεώρου ὕδωρ διαπορευόμενον. καί ποτε ἔσται, παρίστησι τὸν χρόνον δηλῶν διὰ τοῦ ἐπισυνάπτειν καὶ λέγειν· ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ, ὅταν ἀπόλωνται πολλοὶ καὶ ὅταν πέσωσι πύργοι, ἢ κατὰ τὸν Σύμμαχον· ἐν ἡμέρᾳ σφαγῆς πολλῆς ἐν τῷ πεσεῖν μεγάλους. πότε δὲ ἔσται ἡ πολλὴ σφαγὴ καὶ πότε πεσοῦνται οἱ μεγάλοι, ἢ κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τῆς καθόλου κρίσεως τῆς μετὰ «τὴν συντέλειαν τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου» γενησομένης; διὸ εἴρηται κατὰ τοὺς Ἑβδομήκοντα· ὅταν πέσωσι πύργοι καὶ ὅταν ἀπόλωνται πολλοί· πολλοὶ γὰρ κατ' ἐκεῖνον ἀπολοῦνται τὸν χρόνον, ἐν ᾧ καὶ τὰ ἐπηγγελμένα τοῖς ἀξίοις ἀποδοθήσεται. τίνα δὲ ταῦτα διδάσκει ἐπὶ παντὸς ὄρους ὑψηλοῦ φάσκων ἔσεσθαι ὕδωρ διαπορευόμενον καὶ πολυπλασιαζόμενον αὐτοῖς τὸ σεληναῖον φῶς, τότε ἡλιακὸν ὡσαύτως ἑπταπλάσιον γενησόμενον φῶτα τοίνυν πολλὰ καὶ μεγάλα καὶ διαιρέσεις ὑδάτων· οὕτως γὰρ ἡρμήνευσεν ὁ Σύμμαχος εἰπών· καὶ ἐπὶ παντὸς βουνοῦ ἐπηρμένου διαιρέσεις ἀγωγῶν ὑδάτων. ἀποδοθήσεται τοῖς ἀξίοις τῶν ἐπαγγελιῶν κατ' ἐκεῖνον τὸν χρόνον, καθ' ὃν οἱ ἄξιοι σφαγῆς σφαγῇ παραδοθήσονται καὶ οἱ ἐν τῷ παρόντι βίῳ ἐπηρμένοι καὶ μεγαλαῦχοι πέσωσι τοῦ ἑαυτῶν ὕψους. διὸ εἴρηται κατὰ τὸν Ἀκύλαν· ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἀποκταμμοῦ πολλοῦ ἐν τῷ πεσεῖν μεγαλυνομένους. ὁρᾷς ἀκολουθίαν λόγου τοῖς μὲν ἐν τῷ πλήθει σωματικωτέροις σωματικὰς πεποιημένου τὰς ἐπαγγελίας, τοῖς δὲ ἐπαναβεβηκόσι τὸ φρόνημα καὶ τῇ ψυχῇ διῃρημένοις τὰς ὑψηλοτέρας ἐπαγγελίας ὑπισχνουμένου. ὥσπερ δὲ πολλάκις «τὸ Σιὼν ὄρος τὸ ἐπουράνιον» νενόηται ἡμῖν, οὕτως «αἱ πολλαὶ μοναὶ παρὰ τῷ πατρὶ» ὄρη τυγχάνουσιν οὐράνια, ἔνθα οἰκήσουσιν οἱ τῆς βασιλείας τοῦ θεοῦ ἄξιοι. καθ' ἕκαστον δὲ τούτων τῶν ἤτοι ὀρῶν ἢ μονῶν ὕδωρ φησὶν ἔσται διαπορευόμενον πάντως που τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς «πηγῆς» ἀναβλαστάνον, περὶ ἧς εἴρηται· «ὅτι παρὰ σοὶ πηγὴ ζωῆς», ἀφ' ἧς καὶ «ὁ ποταμὸς τοῦ θεοῦ» προχεῖται, περὶ οὗ εἴρηται· «τοῦ ποταμοῦ τὰ ὁρμήματα εὐφραίνουσι τὴν πόλιν τοῦ θεοῦ», καί· «ὁ ποταμὸς τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπληρώθη ὑδάτων» τοῦ μονογενοῦς τοῦ θεοῦ λόγου τοῦ ζωοποιοῦ καὶ σωτηρίου οὕτω πως