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a place, where the language of those who said was confused: Come, let us build for ourselves a city and a tower, whose top will be up to heaven. There, therefore, God, having come down, confused the tongues; for this reason its name was called, confusion. The place of Babylon is therefore a region of confusion, not only of language, but also of dogmas and thoughts and of the mind that seems to see these things. The vision, then, against Babylon, brings a kind of comfort to Israel, which had been mistreated by the Babylonians. For so that they might not lose heart, nor despair of God's providence as though it had abandoned them, Isaiah, anticipating in his prophecy the things to come, recounts the grim things that would befall Babylon, so that they might not be swallowed up by the grief of the present, but might become more at ease in the expectation of the things to come. For the vengeance expected shortly after brings no small relief to those who are afflicted. And the name of his father is added to the prophecy, not so that we might know this very man, the father who served in the begetting of the blessed one, but because he also became his teacher of prophecy, having taken care for him to receive a holier and purer and more exceptional upbringing and education than others. For this reason Amos is written alongside as a sharer in the prophecy. 13.257 Upon a level mountain raise a standard, lift up the voice for yourselves, beckon with the hand; open up, O rulers. I give the command, and I lead them. He shows how Babylon is destroyed and overthrown and the dynasty of those who work confusion is taken captive. When one ascends a mountain that is not precipitous nor steep, but level and flat, so that it has height because of its elevation and its rise from the earth to the air, but provides safety to those standing upon it, because of its flatness. For that which is broken and sheared off on all sides makes the footing of those who step on it precarious. So that you may both understand lofty things concerning God and recount them safely, on account of the height, one must be standing on a mountain, and on account of the safety, one remains unshakable. And upon the level mountain raise a standard and lift up the voice, beckon with the hand. He who preaches the things concerning the cross with a loud voice, is himself the one who raises the standard upon the level mountain. He who is able to magnify the word concerning the Passion, this one fulfills the prophetic command, not by dwelling in valleys and ravines, but by ascending to the height of the word, and handing on the proclamation upon wisdom itself with smoothness and clarity of what is announced. But since according to another version we read, Upon a cloudy mountain, it is clear that it represents the height in another sense. For 'cloudy' is that which has its peak always covered in clouds. And such a thing is high and stands above all. Lift up (he says) the voice for yourselves, that is, take the height of the voice from yourselves; stir up these starting points for the doxology of God which are inherent in you from common notions. Do not look down, nor consider earthly things. For thus the voice of those who speak from the earth, of those who speak idly, becomes low. He who speaks from humbling grief and from forbidden fear does not raise his voice. And he who is overcome by fleshly desires while proclaiming the word has a low voice that is unable to peer upwards. How then is a voice raised? If you are magnificent in rising up against the passions, and during the very times of temptations do not yield to the temptations, but preserve the exultant spirit of the soul, then you raise your voice. And he beckons with the hand who offers comfort to the afflicted through good works, and who fulfills charity with cheerfulness. If you see someone worn out by poverty, comfort the poor man with a generous hand. For sharing through deeds is able to comfort a weak soul more than that through words

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τόπος, ἔνθα συνεχύθη ἡ διάλεκτος τῶν εἰπόντων· ∆εῦτε, οἰκοδομήσωμεν ἑαυτοῖς πόλιν καὶ πύργον, οὗ ἡ κεφαλὴ ἔσται ἕως τοῦ οὐρανοῦ. Ἐκεῖ τοίνυν κατελθὼν ὁ Θεὸς, συν έχεε τὰς γλώσσας· διὰ τοῦτο ἐκλήθη τὸ ὄνομα αὐτῆς, σύγχυσις. Χωρίον οὖν συγχύσεώς ἐστιν ὁ Βαβυλῶνος τόπος, οὐ διαλέκτου μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ δογμάτων καὶ νοημάτων καὶ τοῦ δοκοῦντος ταῦτα βλέπειν νοῦ. Ἡ μὲν οὖν ὅρασις κατὰ Βαβυλῶνος, οἱονεὶ παραμυθίαν φέρουσα τῷ Ἰσραὴλ, τῷ κακωθέντι ὑπὸ τῶν Βαβυλωνίων. Ὥστε γὰρ μὴ ὀλιγοψυχῆσαι αὐτοὺς, μήτε ἀπογνῶναι τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ προνοίας, ὡς ἐγκαταλιπούσης αὐτοὺς, προλαβὼν τῇ προφητείᾳ ὁ Ἡσαΐας τὰ μέλλοντα, ἀπαντήσεσθαι σκυθρωπὰ τῇ Βαβυλῶνι διηγεῖται, ἵνα μὴ καταποθῶσιν ὑπὸ τῆς λύπης τῶν παρόντων, ἀλλὰ ῥᾴους γένωνται τῇ προσδοκίᾳ τῶν ἐπερ χομένων. Καὶ γὰρ οὐ μικρὰν φέρει ῥᾳστώνην τοῖς θλιβομέ νοις ἡ μετ' ὀλίγον προσδοκωμένη ἐκδίκησις. Πρόσκειται δὲ τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ πατρὸς τῇ προφητείᾳ, οὐχ ἵνα αὐτὸ τοῦτο γνῶμεν τὸν τῇ γενέσει τοῦ μακαρίου ὑπηρετησάμενον πατέρα, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ προφητείας αὐτῷ διδάσκαλος γέγονε, φροντίσας αὐτὸν ἁγιωτέρας καὶ καθαρωτέρας καὶ ἐξαιρέτου παρὰ τοὺς ἄλλους ἀνατροφῆς καὶ παιδεύσεως τυχεῖν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ὥσπερ κοινωνὸς τῆς προφητείας συμπαραγράφεται ὁ Ἀμώς. 13.257 Ἐπ' ὄρους πεδινοῦ ἄρατε σημεῖον, ὑψώσατε τὴν φωνὴν ἑαυτοῖς, παρακαλεῖτε τῇ χειρί· ἀνοίξατε, οἱ ἄρχοντες. Ἐγὼ συντάσσω, καὶ ἐγὼ ἄγω αὐτούς. ∆είκνυσι πῶς Βαβυλὼν ἀναιρεῖται καὶ καταστρέφεται καὶ αἰχμάλωτος γίνεται ἡ δυναστεία τῶν τὴν σύγχυσιν ἐργαζομέ νων. Ἐπειδὰν ἐπ' ὄρος τις ἀνέλθῃ μὴ ἀπόκρημνον, μηδὲ ὀχθῶδες, ἀλλὰ πεδινὸν καὶ ὕπτιον, ὥστε ὕψος μὲν ἔχειν διὰ τὸ ἀνάστημα καὶ τὸ ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ἐπὶ τὸν ἀέρα δίαρμα, ἀσφάλειαν δὲ παρέχειν τοῖς ἐφισταμένοις, διὰ τὴν ὑπτιότητα. Τὸ γὰρ πανταχόθεν περιεῤῥωγὸς καὶ ἀποτετμημένον ἀκροσφαλεῖς ποιεῖται τὰς στάσεις τῶν ἐπιβαινόντων. Ἵνα οὖν καὶ τὰ ὑψηλὰ περὶ Θεοῦ νοῆτε, καὶ ἀσφαλῶς ταῦτα διηγῆσθε, διὰ μὲν τὸ ὕψος, ἐπ' ὄρους τις ᾖ βεβηκώς, διὰ δὲ τὴν ἀσφάλειαν, ἀπερίτρεπτος διαμένει. Ἐπὶ δὲ τοῦ ὄρους τοῦ πεδινοῦ ἄρατε σημεῖον καὶ ὑψώσατε τὴν φωνὴν, παρακαλεῖτε τῇ χειρί. Ὁ τὰ περὶ τοῦ σταυροῦ κηρύσσων μεγαλοφώνως, αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ ὄρους τοῦ πεδινοῦ αἴρων τὸ σημεῖον. Ὁ τὸν περὶ τοῦ Πάθους λόγον μεγαλῦναι δυνάμενος, οὗτος πληροῖ τὸ πρόσταγμα τὸ προφητικόν, οὐκ ἐν κοιλάσι καὶ φάραγξι διατρίβων, ἀλλ' ἀναβαίνων ἐπὶ τὸ τοῦ λόγου ὕψος, καὶ ἐπ' αὐτὴν τὴν σοφίαν μετὰ ἐξομαλισμοῦ καὶ σαφηνείας τῶν ἀπαγγελλομένων τὸ κήρυγμα παραδιδούς. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ καθ' ἑτέραν ἔκδοσιν ἀναγινώσκομεν Ἐπ' ὄρους νεφώδους, δηλονότι τὸ ὕψος ἑτέρῳ λόγῳ παρίστησι. Νεφῶδες γὰρ τὸ τὴν κορυφὴν ἔχον νέφεσιν ἀεὶ κεκαλυμμένην. Τὸ δὲ τοιοῦ τον ὑψηλὸν καὶ ὑπὲρ πάντα ἀνεστηκός. Ὑψώσατε (φησὶ) τὴν φωνὴν ἑαυτοῖς, τουτέστιν ἐξ ἑαυτῶν λάβετε τὸ ὕψος τῆς φωνῆς· τὰς ἐνυπαρχούσας ὑμῖν ἀφορμὰς πρὸς Θεοῦ δοξολογίαν ἐκ τῶν κοινῶν ἐννοιῶν, ταύτας ἀνα κινήσατε. Μὴ κάτω βλέπετε, μηδὲ τὰ γήϊνα σκοπεῖτε. Οὕτω γὰρ ταπεινὴ γίνεται ἡ φωνὴ τῶν ἐκ τῆς γῆς φωνούντων, τῶν κενολογούντων. Ὁ ἀπὸ τῆς ταπεινοποιοῦ λύπης καὶ ὁ ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀπηγορευμένου φόβου φθεγγόμενος, οὐχ ὑψοῖ τὴν ἑαυ τοῦ φωνήν. Καὶ ὁ ἐπιθυμίαις σαρκὸς ἐν τῷ ἀπαγγέλλειν τὸν λόγον κεκρατημένος, ταπεινὴν ἔχει καὶ μὴ δυναμένην ἐπὶ τὸ ἄνω διακύπτειν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ φωνήν. Πῶς οὖν ὑψοῦται φωνή; Ἐὰν μεγαλοπρεπὴς ᾖς κατεξανιστάμενος τῶν πα θῶν, καὶ κατ' αὐτοὺς τοὺς καιροὺς τῶν πειρασμῶν μὴ ὑπο κύπτων τοῖς πειρασμοῖς, ἀλλὰ τὸ γαῦρον φρόνημα τῆς ψυχῆς διασώζῃς, τότε ὑψοῖς τὴν φωνήν. Παρακαλεῖ δὲ τῇ χειρὶ ὁ τὴν παράκλησιν τοῖς θλιβομένοις δι' ἔργων ἀγαθῶν προφέ ρων, καὶ ἐν ἱλαρότητι τὴν ἐλεημοσύνην ἀποπληρῶν. Ἐὰν ἴδῃς τινὰ ἐπὶ πενίᾳ καταπονούμενον, τῇ μεταδοτικῇ χειρὶ παρακάλει τὸν πένητα. Πλεῖον γὰρ παρὰ ἀσθενεῖ τῇ ψυχῇ ἡ δι' ἔργων μετάδοσις παρακαλεῖν δύναται, ἢ ἡ διὰ λόγων