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and thinking it a lofty thing, they are carried somewhere beyond what is reasonable. And it would be that according to which they said: "We have made a covenant with Hades," and the things that follow. For they heard: "If a rushing storm should pass by, you will be for it to trample underfoot." CHAP. 29. 1-8. 9Woe to the city, Ariel, which David warred against; gather your harvests year upon year. For you shall eat with Moab. For I will afflict Ariel9, etc. The children of the Jews themselves say that Ariel, which is lamented in the text at hand, is Jerusalem, saying that the altar established before the temple was specifically named Ariel. Therefore Ezekiel, in the last parts, describing the temple, says thus: "And these are the measures of the altar, in cubits of a cubit and a palm." And proceeding: "And from the Ariel above the horns a cubit; and the Ariel twelve cubits;" and they say it is interpreted 'lion of God.' For since the altar was God's, it consumed all the things offered on it. But some say the city was so called because through God, like a lion, it tore apart its opponents. But the phrase, 'city, which David warred against,' they say is not found in the Hebrew, but according to Aquila, 'a town of the encampment of David.' For David captured it when it belonged to foreigners and was called Jebus, having killed the blind and the lame who had opposed him. Just as Christ also represented its inhabitants as being blind 2252 and lame, not willing to walk uprightly, nor to receive the divine light, and especially the Scribes and Pharisees. Whence David says: "Alien sons have grown old, and they have become lame in their paths." And Paul: "Therefore lift up your tired hands and your weakened knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed." And that the Savior has also declared them blind: "For judgment," he says, "I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind." For the Gentiles clearly received their sight, but those who bear the light from the law were blinded. And the phrase, 'which David warred against,' can also be said instead of, 'for which he warred.' Therefore the prophet now speaks about the city itself, following what was said before about the rulers and the crown of pride. For because of their transgressions, the city was also about to suffer. So to those inhabiting it he says, While there is still time, gather your harvests, safety having been given to you for one year, speaking of the time of his sojourn, during which Christ preached the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of recompense. And perhaps he appears to have spoken to them for a second year, or even a third. He advises, therefore, that while they had time, they should store up spiritual food from him. 'For you shall eat,' he says, 'with Moab,' signifying the Gentiles by means of one idolatrous city. For the food in the Church is common to those from the two peoples. But they say that the phrase, 'for you shall eat with Moab,' is not found in the Hebrew, nor among the other translators. And otherwise, they say, it is shown to be superfluous from the context of the interpretation. But if you are not willing to gather your spiritual food, I will crush Ariel, which is Jerusalem. And instead of, 'And her strength and her wealth will be mine,' Symmachus said: 'And she will be grieving and sorrowful.' But you will understand her strength, both spiritually and physically. On the one hand, that they were crushed by war, and their wealth became spoils for the Romans. On the other hand, that they became stripped of the boasts of virtue, having also cast away the wealth of the wisdom from the law. And as David took you when you belonged to foreigners, so I will cause you to be captured by a siege. For now you have become a dwelling place of foreigners, being full of evil rulers, and of the crown of pride, who also uttered arrogant words against Christ, saying: "We know that God has spoken to Moses; but as for this man, we do not know where he is from." And he says that these words will be humbled, that is, those who speak them. For having been afflicted by war, they will use very humble voices, speaking pitiful and faint things, just as in necromancy the demons 2253 the souls

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καὶ ὑψηλὸν εἶναι χρῆμα νομίσαντες, τοῦ εἰκότος ἔξω ποι φέρονται. Εἴη δ' ἂν αὐτὴ, καθ' ἣν ἔλεγον· "Ἐποιησάμεθα συνθήκην μετὰ τοῦ ᾅδου," καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τούτοις. Ἤκουον γάρ· "Καταιγὶς φερομένη ἐὰν παρέλθῃ, ἔσεσθε αὐτῇ εἰς καταπάτημα." ΚΕΦΑΛ. ΚΘʹ. α ηʹ. 9Οὐαὶ πόλις, Ἀριὴλ, ἣν ἐπολέμησε ∆αβίδ· συναγάγετε γεννήματα ἐνιαυτὸν ἐπὶ ἐνιαυτόν. Φάγεσθε γὰρ σὺν Μωάβ. Ἐκθλίψω γὰρ Ἀριὴλ9, κ.τ.λ. Τὴν διὰ τῶν μετὰ χεῖρας ταλανιζομένην Ἀριὴλ καὶ αὐτοί φασιν, Ἰουδαίων παῖδες ὑπάρχειν τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ, λέγοντες ἰδίως τὸ θυσιαστήριον τὸ πρὸ τοῦ ναοῦ συνεστὸς, Ἀριὴλ ὠνομάσθαι. Τοιγαροῦν Ἰεζεκιὴλ ἐν τοῖς τελευταίοις τὸν ναὸν διαγράφων οὕτω φησί· "Καὶ ταῦτα τὰ μέτρα τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου, ἐν πήχει πήχεως, καὶ παλαιστῆς." Καὶ προβάς· "Καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἀριὴλ ὑπεράνω τῶν κεράτων πῆχυς· καὶ τὸ Ἀριὴλ πηχῶν δώδεκα·" ἑρμηνεύεσθαι δέ φασι λέων Θεοῦ. Ὂν γὰρ Θεοῦ τὸ θυσιαστήριον, κατήσθιε πάντα τὰ ἐν αὐτῷ προσφερόμενα. Τινὲς δέ φασι τὴν πόλιν οὕτως εἰρῆσθαι, ἐπεὶ διὰ Θεοῦ, λέοντος δίκην, ἐσπάραττε τοὺς ἀνταίροντας. Τὸ δὲ, πόλις, ἣν ἐπολέμησε ∆αβὶδ, οὔ φασιν εἰρῆσθαι ἐν τῷ Ἑβραϊκῷ, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὸν Ἀκύλαν, πολίχνη παρεμβλήσεως ∆αβίδ. Ἀλλοφύλων γὰρ οὖσαν, καὶ Ἰεβοῦς καλουμένην εἷλεν ὁ ∆αβὶδ, τυφλοὺς καὶ χωλοὺς ἀποκτείνας τοὺς ἀνθεστηκότας αὐτῷ. Καθὰ καὶ Χριστὸς παρέστησε τοὺς ταύτης οἰκήτορας τυφλοὺς ὑπάρχοντας 2252 καὶ χωλοὺς, ὀρθοποδεῖν οὐκ ἐθέλοντας, οὐδὲ τὸ θεῖον εἰσδέχεσθαι φῶς, μάλιστα δὲ Γραμματεῖς τε καὶ Φαρισαίους. Ὅθεν ∆αβὶδ μέν φησιν· "Υἱοὶ ἀλλότριοι ἐπαλαιώθησαν, καὶ ἐχώλαναν ἀπὸ τῶν τρίβων αὐτῶν." Ὁ δὲ Παῦλος· "∆ιὸ τὰς παρειμένας χεῖρας, καὶ τὰ παραλελυμένα γόνατα ἀνορθώσατε, καὶ τροχιὰς ὀρθὰς ποιεῖτε τοῖς ποσὶν ὑμῶν, ἵνα μὴ τὸ χωλὸν ἐκτραπῇ, ἰαθῇ δὲ μᾶλλον." Ὅτι δὲ καὶ τυφλοῖ δεδήλωκεν ὁ Σωτήρ· "Εἰς κρῖμα, λέγων, ἐγὼ εἰς τὸν κόσμον τοῦτον ἦλθον, ἵνα οἱ μὴ βλέποντες βλέψωσι, καὶ οἱ βλέποντες τυφλοὶ γένωνται." Τὰ μὲν γὰρ ἔθνη προδήλως ἀνέβλεψαν, οἱ δὲ τὸν ἐκ νόμου φέροντες φωτισμὸν ἐτυφλώθησαν. ∆ύναται δὲ καὶ τὸ, ἣν ἐπολέμησε ∆αβὶδ, ἀντὶ τοῦ, δι' ἣν ἐπολέμησε λέγεσθαι. Περὶ αὐτῇς οὖν ὁ προφήτης νῦν λέγει τῆς πόλεως ἀκολούθως τὰ προλαβόντα περὶ τῶν ἀρχόντων εἰπὼν, καὶ τοῦ στεφάνου τῆς ὕβρεως. ∆ιὰ τὰς τούτων γὰρ παρανομίας, καὶ ἡ πόλις ἤμελλε πείσεσθαι. Τοῖς οὖν ταύτην οἰκοῦσι φησὶν, Ἕως ἔτι καιρὸς ἐστὶν, γεννήματα συναγάγετε, ἀδείας ὑμῖν δοθείσης ἐπ' ἐνιαυτὸν ἕνα, τὸν τῆς ἐπιδημίας λέγων καιρὸν, καθ' ὃν ἐκήρυττεν ὁ Χριστὸς, ἐνιαυτὸν Κυρίου δεκτὸν καὶ ἡμέραν ἀνταποδόσεως. Τάχα δὲ καὶ δεύτερον αὐτοῖς ἐνιαυτὸν, ἢ καὶ τρίτον ὡμιληκὼς φαίνεται. Συμβουλεύει τοίνυν, ἐν ὅσῳ καιρὸν εἶχον, τροφὰς ἐξ αὐτοῦ θησαυρίσαι πνευματικάς. Φάγεσθε γὰρ, φησὶ, συμβωὰμ, διὰ μιᾶς εἰδωλομανοῦς πόλεως τὰ ἔθνη δηλῶν. Κοινὴ γὰρ ἐν Ἐκκλησίᾳ τροφὴ τοῖς ἐκ τῶν δύο λαῶν. Φασὶ δὲ τὸ, φάγεσθε γὰρ σὺν Μωὰβ, μὴ κεῖσθαι κατὰ τὸ Ἑβραϊκὸν, μηδὲ παρὰ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἑρμηνευταῖς. Καὶ ἄλλως δὲ, φασὶν, ἐκ τῆς συμφράσεως τῆς ἑρμηνείας περιττὸν ἀποδείκνυται. Μὴ βουλομένων δὲ τὰς νοητὰς ὑμῶν συνάγειν τροφὰς, ἐκτρίψω τὴν Ἀριὴλ, ὅπερ ἐστὶν Ἱερουσαλήμ. Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ, Καὶ ἔσται αὐτῆς ἡ ἰσχὺς, καὶ ὁ πλοῦτος ἐμοὶ, Σύμμαχος ἔφη· Καὶ ἔσται κατώδυνος καὶ ὀδυνωμένη. Πλὴν νοήσεις ἰσχὺν αὐτῆς, νοητῶς τε καὶ αἰσθητῶς. Τὸ μὲν, ὅτι συνετρίβησαν πολέμῳ, καὶ ὁ πλοῦτος αὐτῶν δι' ἁρπαγῆς Ῥωμαίοις ἐγένετο. Τὸ δὲ, ὅτι γυμνοὶ τῶν ἐξ ἀρετῆς αὐχημάτων ἐγένοντο, συναποβαλόντες καὶ τῆς ἐκ νόμου σοφίας τὸν πλοῦτον. Ὡς εἷλε δέ σε ∆αβὶδ ἀλλοφύλων ὑπάρχουσαν, οὕτως ἁλῶναί σε ποιήσω πολιορκίᾳ. Καὶ νῦν γὰρ ἀλλοφύλων γέγονας οἰκητήριον πλήρης ἀρχόντων οὖσα κακῶν, καὶ τοῦ στεφάνου τῆς ὕβρεως, οἳ καὶ κατὰ Χριστοῦ φωνὰς ἐπηρμένας ἐφθέγγοντο λέγοντες· "Ἡμεῖς οἴδαμεν ὅτι Μωσεῖ λελάληκεν ὁ Θεός· τοῦτον δὲ οὐκ οἴδαμεν πόθεν ἐστί." Τοὺς δὲ λόγους φησὶ τούτους ταπεινωθήσεσθαι, τοῦτ' ἔστι τοὺς λέγοντας. Πολέμῳ γὰρ κακωθέντες, χρήσονται ταπεινοτάταις φωναῖς, ἐλεεινά τε λέγοντες καὶ λεπτὰ, καθάπερ ἐπὶ νεκυομαντείας οἱ δαίμονες 2253 ψυχὰς τὰς