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and no longer to count them as men. But some interpret "in your fear they themselves will be afraid" thus: He encourages the holy mystagogues by revealing beforehand the breadth of the good things that will be theirs. For from the beginning those of the circumcision were mistreating them, saying, "We strictly charged you not to speak in this name." Fearing them, the apostles said, "And now, Lord, look upon their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your word with all boldness." But now they themselves are afraid, loving peace with the faithful, and wretchedly submitting to them. For they will not prosper, he says, having chosen to fight against God. And the fear of the Jewish nations has ceased, and since the covenant with them was taken away, they have become aliens from God and strangers to the promises. For not all who are from Israel are Israel. Therefore, he says, you will count them as worthy of nothing. Then he adds, "the land mourned," referring consequently to Judea because of the things said about it, whose parts he also mentions, and among which he places Lebanon, at present calling Jerusalem so, because of the sacrifice in it, and the Lebanon (incense) offered according to the law. And indeed he says that Lebanon was put to shame, as if he were speaking more clearly of the sacrifice, the worship in the law having been abolished. And in Zechariah it is also said, "Open your doors, O Lebanon, and let the fire devour your cedars." And Ezekiel also says: "The great eagle with large wings, who has the leading part to enter into Lebanon, and nipped off the tender shoots of the cedar." Interpreting which he says: When Nebuchadnezzar comes to Jerusalem. But also the country called Saronas or Sharon, he says, became marshes or a wasteland filled with the insolence of thorns. By which he signifies that the most fertile places of the Jewish nation, that is, those in their souls, will be destroyed. These things then to them 2296. But Galilee will be made manifest because of what was said about it; according to, "Galilee of the Gentiles, the people who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, a great light has dawned on them." And Carmel will also be made manifest, about which he said: "And the wilderness will be as Carmel." This indicates the denseness and loftiness of the Church. For the mighty ones of the earth belonging to God were greatly exalted. The philanthropic God, therefore, sent angels of peace to Israel, bitterly [weeping for] them, and imploring them to accept the preaching. But when they did not accept, he says: Now I will arise, and the rest. Announcing his second and glorious coming, in which they will see his divinity, having received the perception of it when he will be glorified and exalted. And they will know that they had a vain strength of spirit, when fire will consume them. But instead of, "the nations will be burned up," all peoples have rendered it; clearly referring to those to whom the word was, who also will be like a thorn cast into a field. But some say that "I will arise" refers to the punishments they paid for their outrage against him, when the city was taken from them by force, at which time they also learned the glory of the one who suffered, who was not just one of the prophets. Therefore, as the divine wrath was about to overtake them, "Now I will arise," he says, having been long-suffering until the cross. He was exalted, therefore, punishing them, and calling the Gentiles. And you will know now, he says, that I was stronger than you. And you will be food for fire, just as a thorn burned up in a field. For our God is a consuming fire. But some have explained the whole passage thus. Since the people were disobedient both to the threats and to the promises, so that nothing remained but to suffer, the prophet, moved to compassion, sends up a prayer for them to the God of all, showing that the evil things on their part have been fulfilled, and judgment is owed to them. But we who hope in you and are afflicted have need of your mercies. Grant, therefore, salvation to those who for your fear have endured terror. But he did not say these things

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μηκέτι τε αὐτοὺς εἰς ἀνθρώπους λογίζεσθαι. Τινὲς δὲ τὸ ἐν τῷ φόβῳ ὑμῶν αὐτοὶ φοβηθήσονται, φασὶν οὕτως· Παραθαῤῥύνει τοὺς ἁγίους μυσταγωγοὺς τῶν ἐσομένων αὐτοῖς ἀγαθῶν προαναφαίνων τὸ πλάτος. Ἐξ ἀρχῆς μὲν γὰρ οἱ ἐκ περιτομῆς ἐκάκουν αὐτοὺς λέγοντες· "Παραγγελίᾳ παρηγγείλαμεν ὑμῖν μὴ λαλεῖν ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι τούτῳ." Οὓς καὶ δεδιότες ἔφασκον οἱ ἀπόστολοι, "Καὶ τὰ νῦν, Κύριε, ἔπιδε τὴν ἀπειλὴν αὐτῶν, καὶ δὸς τοῖς δούλοις σου μετὰ παῤῥησίας λαλεῖν τὸν λόγον σου." Νῦν δὲ δεδοίκασιν αὐτοὶ, τὴν πρὸς τοὺς πιστοὺς ἀγαπῶντες εἰρήνην, ἐλεεινῶς τε τούτοις ὑποκατακλινόμενοι. Οὐδὲ γὰρ εὐοδωθήσονται, φησὶν, θεομαχεῖν ᾑρημένοι. Καὶ τῶν Ἰουδαϊκῶν ἐθνῶν ὁ φόβος ἐπαύσατο, καὶ τῆς πρὸς αὐτοὺς διαθήκης ἠρμένης, ἀλλότριοι γεγόνασι τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ ξένοι τῶν ἐπαγγελιῶν. Ὅτι μὴ πάντες οἱ ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ, οὗτοι Ἰσραήλ. ∆ιὸ, φησὶν, οὐδενὸς αὐτοὺς ἀξίους λογίσεσθε. Εἶτα ἐπιλέγει, ἐπένθησεν ἡ γῆ, ἀκολούθως διὰ τὰ περὶ αὐτοῦ εἰρημένα τῆς Ἰουδαίας, ἧς καὶ τὰ μέρη φησὶν, ὧν καὶ τὰ μεταξὺ τάττει, τὸν Λίβανον, τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐπὶ τοῦ παρόντος οὕτω καλῶν, διὰ τὴν ἐν αὐτῇ θυσίαν, καὶ τὸν προσφερόμενον Λίβανον κατὰ τὸν νόμον. Καὶ δὴ καὶ κατῃσχύνθαι φησὶ τὸν Λίβανον, ὡς εἰ σαφέστερον ἔλεγε τὴν θυσίαν, καθῃρημένης τῆς ἐν νόμῳ λατρείας. Καὶ ἐν τῷ Ζαχαρίᾳ δὲ λέγεται, "∆ιάνοιξον, ὁ Λίβανος, τὰς θύρας σου, καὶ καταφαγέτω πῦρ τὰς κέδρους σου." Καὶ Ἰεζεκιὴλ δέ φησιν· "Ὁ ἀετὸς ὁ μέγας, ὁ μεγαλοπτέρυγος, ὃς ἔχει τὸ ἥγημα εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὸν Λίβανον, καὶ ἀπέκνισε τὰ ἁπαλὰ τῆς κέδρου." Ἅπερ ἑρμηνεύων φησίν· Ὅτ' ἂν ἔλθῃ Ναβουχοδονόσωρ εἰς Ἱερουσαλήμ. Ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ χώρα ἡ καλουμένη Σαρώννη ὁ Σαρώνας, ἕλη, φησὶν, ἐγένετο ἢ ἀχρειόστης ἐξ ἀκανθῶν ἐμπλησθεῖσα θρασύτητος. ∆ι' οὗ σημαίνει τὰ πιότατα χωρία τοῦ Ἰουδαίων ἔθνους, δηλαδὴ τὰ ἐν ταῖς αὐτῶν ψυχαῖς ἀφανισθήσεσθαι. Ταῦτα μὲν ἐκεί 2296 νοις. Φανερὰ δὲ ἔσται ἡ Γαλιλαία διὰ τὰ περὶ αὐ τῆς εἰρημένα· κατὰ τὸ, "Γαλιλαία τῶν ἐθνῶν, ὁ λαὸς ὁ καθήμενος ἐν σκότει καὶ σκιᾷ θανάτου, φῶς μέγα ἀνέτειλεν αὐτοῖς." Καὶ ὁ Χέρμελ δὲ φανερὸς ἔσται, περὶ οὗπερ ἔφησε· "Καὶ ἔσται ἡ ἔρημος ὡς ὁ Χέρμελ." Τὸ δὲ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας δασὺ καὶ ἐπηρμένον δηλοῖ. Τοῦ γὰρ Θεοῦ οἱ κραταιοὶ τῆς γῆς σφόδρα ἐπήρθησαν. Ὁ μὲν οὖν φιλάνθρωπος Θεὸς ἀγγέλους εἰρήνης ἀπέστειλε πρὸς τὸν Ἰσραὴλ πικρῶς αὐτοὺς [κλαίοντας, καὶ] ἱκετεύοντας τὸ κήρυγμα δέξασθαι. Μὴ δεξαμένων δὲ, φησί· Νῦν ἀναστήσομαι, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Τὴν δευτέραν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔνδοξον παρουσίαν ἐπαγγελλόμενος, καθ' ἣν ὄψονται τῆς θεότητος αὐτοῦ λαβόντες τὴν αἴσθησιν ὅτε δοξασθήσεται καὶ ὑψωθήσεται. Οἱ δὲ γνώσονται ὡς ματαίαν εἶχον ἰσχὺν πνεύματος, ὅτεπερ αὐτοὺς κατέδεται πῦρ. Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ, ἔσονται ἔθνη κατακεκαυμένα, λαοὶ πάντες ἐξέδωκαν· δηλονότι πρὸς οὓς ἦν ὁ λόγος οἳ καὶ ἔσονται ὡς ἄκανθα ἐν ἀγρῷ ἐῤῥιμμένη. Τινὲς δὲ τὸ ἀναστήσομαι, φασὶ, διὰ τὰς δίκας, ἃς ἔτισαν τῆς εἰς αὐτὸν παροινίας, ἁλούσης αὐτοῖς κατὰ κράτος τῆς πόλεως, ὅτε καὶ τὴν τοῦ παθόντος ἔμαθον δόξαν, οὐ καθ' ἕνα τυγχάνοντος τῶν προφητῶν. Ὡς μελλούσης οὖν αὐτοὺς τῆς θείας, ὀργῆς καταλήψεσθαι, νῦν ἀναστήσομαι, φησὶν, ἀνεξικακήσας μέχρι τοῦ σταυροῦ. Ὑψώθη τοίνυν, αὐτοὺς μὲν τιμωρησάμενος, καλέσας δὲ τὰ ἔθνη. Γνώσεσθε δὲ νῦν, φησὶν, ὡς ὑπῆρχον ὑμῶν ἰσχυρότερος. Καὶ πυρὸς ἔσεσθε τροφὴ, καθάπερ ἄκανθα ἐν ἀγρῷ κατακεκαυμένη. Ὁ γὰρ Θεὸς ἡμῶν πῦρ καταναλίσκον ἐστίν. Τινὲς δὲ τὴν πᾶσαν οὕτως ἐξηγήσαντο ῥῆσιν. Ἀπειθοῦντος τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ ταῖς ἀπειλαῖς καὶ ταῖς ἐπαγγελίαις, ὡς μηδὲν ὑπόλοιπον ὑπάρχειν πλὴν τοῦ παθεῖν, εἰς συμπάθειαν ὁ προφήτης κατενεχθεὶς, εὐχὴν ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν ἀναπέμπει πρὸς τὸν τῶν ὅλων Θεὸν, δηλῶν ὡς τὰ μὲν παρ' αὐτῶν εἰς κακὰ συμπεπλήρωται, κεχρεώστηταί τε τούτοις ἡ δίκη. Χρεία δὲ τῶν σῶν ἡμῖν οἰκτιρμῶν τοῖς ἐλπίζουσιν ἐπὶ σὲ καὶ θλιβομένοις. ∆ὸς οὖν σωτηρίαν τοῖς διὰ τὸν σὸν φόβον ὑπομείνασιν ἔκστασιν. Ἔλεγεν δὲ ταῦτα οὐχ