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but He provides us not only with unbroken assistance, but also spiritual joy; therefore he says: The Most High has sanctified his tabernacle. And this itself is no small part of the benefit, to call the place His tabernacle. 2. And he has not simply put, The Most High. He therefore who is so high, who is contained by no place, the ineffable essence, has deigned to call our city his tabernacle, and holds it together from all sides. For this is, In the midst of her, as he also says elsewhere: Behold, I am with you. From all sides he holds her together; therefore not only will she suffer nothing terrible, but she will not even be shaken. And the reason is that she enjoys the swiftest alliance, it being ready and prepared; for this is what Early means; not delaying, nor being slow, but always new and flourishing, and at the fitting time. The nations were troubled. Another, The nations were gathered together. Kingdoms declined. The Most High gave his voice, the earth was shaken. Here he shows the power of His assistance. For it was not by chance that they attacked, but kings, nations from all sides coming together, encircling, besieging one city, not only did she suffer nothing terrible from them, but she also overcame, and prevailed, and routed the attackers. For this is, Kingdoms declined, the Most High gave His voice; as one might say, With a single shout 55.206 he took the cities. The expression is indeed coarse, and what is said is rather human. For God does not conquer by voice and shout, but by a nod and will alone. But nevertheless, leading him up from the cruder things, he devised a more sublime word than others. For since he always introduces Him armed, showing that all those things are said metaphorically, and rather figuratively, and rather condescendingly—for God needs none of these things—he added, He gave His voice, and the earth was shaken; showing that not only cities, and nations, and countries, but also the very element He shakes. He also knows to call the multitudes earth, as when he says: And the whole earth was of one lip. The Lord of hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our helper. But the Hebrew, instead of, Of hosts, said Sabaoth. See how from the earth he leads the discourse up to heaven, to the infinite hosts of angels, to the nations of archangels, to the powers above. For why do you tell me of armies, and barbarians, and perishing men? he says. Consider His strength, from the kingdom in the heavens, how many armies of the invisible powers He has arranged under Himself. And well did he call them powers, indicating their strength; which he also says elsewhere: Mighty in strength, doing His word. For indeed one angel once went out and destroyed one hundred and eighty-five thousand. What then if He is powerful, but is unwilling to extend a hand to us? But do not fear this either, he says; for this reason he added, Our helper. Therefore He both wills and is able; so do not be afraid. What then if we are unworthy? But we have a paternal loving-kindness from him. Therefore, adding this, he said, The God of Jacob, as if to say: This has always been His custom, he says, from above, and from the beginning. Diapsalma. Another, Always. Come and see the works of God, what wonders He has set upon the earth, taking away wars to the ends of the earth. He will break the bow, and shatter the weapon; another says, He broke in pieces, and will burn the shields with fire. Another, And he will burn the chariots with fire. Having spoken about the earth, about the sea, about the mountains, about the spiritual provision that came to them, about the alliance, he again extends the subject to the spectators, calling them to the trophies out of much pleasure, and of the disposition toward the Lord, and proclaiming the victories which He worked on their behalf. And well did he say, Wonders, he did not say, victories and trophies. For it did not happen in sequence

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δὲ παρέχει μόνον ἡμῖν, οὐδὲ βοήθειαν ἀῤῥαγῆ, ἀλλὰ καὶ πνευματικὴν χαράν· διό φησιν· Ἡγίασε τὸ σκήνωμα αὐτοῦ ὁ Ὕψιστος. Καὶ τοῦτο δὲ εὐεργεσίας αὐτὸ μέρος οὐ μικρὸν, τὸ σκήνωμα αὐτοῦ καλέσαι τὸν τόπον. βʹ. Καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς τέθεικε τὸ, Ὁ Ὕψιστος. Ὁ οὖνοὕτως ὑψηλὸς, ὁ μηδενὶ τόπῳ περιεχόμενος, ἡ ἄφραστος οὐσία, κατηξίωσε σκήνωμα αὐτοῦ καλέσαι τὴν πόλιν τὴν ἡμετέραν, καὶ πάντοθεν αὐτὴν συνέχει. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἔστιν, Ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῆς, ὡς καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ λέγει· Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ μεθ' ὑμῶν εἰμι. Πάντοθεν αὐτὴν συγκροτεῖ· διὰ τοῦτο οὐ μόνον οὐδὲν πείσεται δεινὸν, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ σαλευθήσεται. Καὶ τὸ αἴτιον, ὅτι ταχίστης ἀπολαύει τῆς συμμαχίας, ἑτοίμου καὶ παρεσκευασμένης οὔσης· τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι τὸ Πρωΐ· οὐ μελλούσης, οὐδὲ βραδυνούσης, ἀλλὰ νεαρᾶς ἀεὶ καὶ ἀκμαζούσης, καὶ ἐν καιρῷ τῷ προσήκοντι. Ἐταράχθησαν ἔθνη. Ἄλλος, Συνήχθησαν ἔθνη. Ἔκλιναν βασιλεῖαι. Ἔδωκε φωνὴν αὐτοῦ ὁ Ὕψιστος, ἐσαλεύθη ἡ γῆ. ∆είκνυσιν αὐτοῦ τῆς βοηθείας ἐνταῦθα τὴν δύναμιν. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ τῶν τυχόντων ἐπιόντων, ἀλλὰ βασιλέων, ἐθνῶν πάντοθεν συνιόντων, κυκλούντων, πολιορκούντων πόλιν μίαν, οὐ μόνον οὐδὲν ἔπαθεν ὑπ' αὐτῶν δεινὸν, ἀλλὰ καὶ περιεγένετο, καὶ ἐκράτησε, καὶ περιέτρεψε τοὺς ἐπιόντας. Τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι τὸ, Ἔκλιναν βασιλεῖαι, ἔδωκε φωνὴν αὐτοῦ ὁ Ὕψιστος· ὡς ἂν εἴποι τις, Αὐτοβοεὶ 55.206 τὰς πόλεις εἷλε. Παχὺ μὲν τὸ ῥῆμα, καὶ ἀνθρωπινώτερον τὸ εἰρημένον. Οὐδὲ γὰρ φωνῇ καὶ βοῇ ὁ Θεὸς νικᾷ, ἀλλὰ νεύματι μόνῳ καὶ βουλήματι. Ἀλλ' ὅμως ἀπὸ τῶν παχυτέρων αὐτὸν ἀνάγων, τῶν ἄλλων ὑψηλοτέραν ἐπενόησε λέξιν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἀεὶ ὁπλιζόμενον αὐτὸν εἰσάγει, δεικνὺς ὅτι πάντα ἐκεῖνα μεταφορικῶς εἴρηται, καὶ τροπικώτερον, καὶ συγκαταβατικώτερον ὁ γὰρ Θεὸς οὐδενὸς τούτων δεῖται, ἐπήγαγεν, Ἔδωκε φωνὴν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐσαλεύθη ἡ γῆ· δεικνὺς, ὅτι οὐ μόνον πόλεις, καὶ ἔθνη, καὶ χώρας, ἀλλὰ καὶ αὐτὸ τὸ στοιχεῖον διασείει. Οἶδε δὲ καὶ γῆν τὰ πλήθη καλεῖν, ὡς ὅταν λέγῃ· Καὶ ἦν πᾶσα ἡ γῆ χεῖλος ἔν. Κύριος τῶν δυνάμεων μεθ' ἡμῶν. Ἀντιλήπτωρ ἡμῶν ὁ Θεὸς Ἰακώβ. Ὁ δὲ Ἑβραῖος ἀντὶτοῦ, Τῶν δυνάμεων, Σαβαὼθ εἶπεν. Ὅρα πῶς ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ἀνάγει τὸν λόγον ἐπὶ τὸν οὐρανὸν, εἰς τοὺς ἀπείρους τῶν ἀγγέλων δήμους, εἰς τὰ ἔθνη τῶν ἀρχαγγέλων, εἰς τὰς δυνάμεις τὰς ἄνω. Τί γάρ μοι λέγεις στρατόπεδα, καὶ βαρβάρους, καὶ ἀνθρώπους ἀπολλυμένους; φησίν. Ἐννόησον αὐτοῦ τὴν ἰσχὺν, ἀπὸ τῆς ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς βασιλείας, ὅσα στρατόπεδα τῶν ἀοράτων δυνάμεων ὑφ' ἑαυτῷ τεταγμένα ἔχει. Καὶ καλῶς δυνάμεις ἐκάλεσε, τὴν ἰσχὺν αὐτῶν ἐνδεικνύμενος· ὅπερ καὶ ἀλλαχοῦ φησι· ∆υνατοὶ ἰσχύϊ, ποιοῦντες τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ. Καὶ γὰρ εἷς ἄγγελός ποτε ἐξελθὼν, ἑκατὸν ὀγδοήκοντα πέντε χιλιάδας ἀνεῖλε. Τί οὖν εἰ δυνατὸς μέν ἐστιν, οὐ βούλεται δὲ ἡμῖν χεῖρα ὀρέξαι; Ἀλλὰ μηδὲ τοῦτο δείσῃς, φησί· διὰ τοῦτο ἐπήγαγεν, Ἀντιλήπτωρ ἡμῶν. Οὐκοῦν καὶ βούλεται καὶ δύναται· μὴ τοίνυν φοβοῦ. Τί οὖν εἰ ἡμεῖς ἀνάξιοι; Ἀλλὰ πατρῴαν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἔχομεν φιλανθρωπίαν. ∆ιὸ καὶ τοῦτο προστιθεὶς ἔλεγεν, Ὁ Θεὸς Ἰακὼβ, ὡσανεὶ ἔλεγεν· Ἀεὶ τοῦτο τὸ ἔθοςαὐτῷ, φησὶν, ἄνωθεν, καὶ ἐξ ἀρχῆς. ∆ιάψαλμα. Ἄλλος, Ἀεί. ∆εῦτε καὶ ἴδετε τὰ ἔργα τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἃ ἔθετο τέρατα ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ἀνταναιρῶν πολέμους μέχρι τῶν περάτων τῆς γῆς. Τόξον συντρίψει, καὶ συνθλάσει ὅπλον ἄλλος λέγει, Συνέκλασε, καὶ θυρεοὺς κατακαύσει ἐν πυρί. Ἄλλος, Καὶ ἁμάξας ἐμπρήσει ἐν πυρί. Εἰπὼν περὶ τῆς γῆς, περὶ τῆς θαλάσσης, περὶ τῶν ὀρῶν, περὶ τῆς πνευματικῆς χορηγίας τῆς εἰς αὐτοὺς γεγενημένης, περὶ τῆς συμμαχίας, πάλιν ἐκτείνει τὴν ὑπόθεσιν πρὸς τοὺς θεατὰς, ἐπὶ τὰ τρόπαια αὐτοὺς καλῶν ἐξ ἡδονῆς πολλῆς, καὶ τῆς πρὸς τὸν ∆εσπότην διαθέσεως, καὶ τὰς νίκας ἀναγορεύων, ἃς ὑπὲρ αὐτῶν εἰργάσατο. Καὶ καλῶς εἶπε, Τέρατα, οὐκ εἶπε, νίκας καὶ τρόπαια. Οὐ γὰρ κατὰ ἀκολουθίαν ἐγίνετο