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For since he said that He takes hold of her and shows much providence, he shows, then, also how He took 55.219 hold. For when countless nations came upon them—for this he makes clear by the multitude of kings—and not just simply coming upon them, but organized and arrayed for battle, such things happened that they departed as admirers of their paradoxes. For so the war was turned to rout, so that they, filled with numbness and terror, withdrew; and with great anguish the many fled, fearing the few, the organized fearing the divided, and they were in no better state than a woman in travail. From which it is clear that the war was not won by human sequence, but God was the one directing the battle, not only casting down their spirits, but also shaking their minds, and putting pains in them, and working in them a certain unspeakable fear. And the same thing happened, as if, when a large naval fleet had gathered, a harsh wind fell upon it and smashed all the ships, and sank the triremes, and suddenly cast great confusion. For here, through this example, he seems to me to show both the ease of the victory and the excess of the confusion. For having used a naval fleet, these too, having come from some distant and foreign land, as by some violent wind by the wrath of God were all destroyed. Wherefore also, indicating the place from which they came, he added, Tharsis. For thus also the Hebrew indicated through the word, which we have also set forth for your sake in the reading of the saying. So one may say either this, or that which I said before, that just as a harsh wind falling upon the ships of Tharsis often smashed them, so indeed God confounded those multitudes. As we have heard, so we have also seen in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God. Do you see how he explains what came before, the "Well-rooting"? For he did not say, "having well-rooted," but, "Well-rooting," that is, continually providing, continually caring, continually fortifying. For having spoken of the things that happened then, he brings the discourse back to the ancient narratives, showing that these things are akin to those. For what we have seen, he says, in words, these things we have seen in deeds, the victories, the trophies of God, the care, the paradoxical wonders. For God has not ceased ever working these things. So it is His to both deliver from dangers and to lead to the knowledge of God. And well did the prophet make mention of the things that happened long ago. For since they were to be instructed both by the ancient narratives and by the recent deeds, so that the duller among them might believe what had already happened from what was happening, and reap a double profit, and hearing might become sight for them. God has established it for ever. We have understood, O God, Your mercy in the midst of Your people. Another, We have likened, O God, Your mercy in the midst of Your people. But the Hebrew, Ēḥalaḥ demmēnû. According to Your name, O God, so also is Your praise to the ends of the earth. 3. Since he said, What we have heard, these things we have also seen, he says also what he heard, and what he saw. What then did he hear, and 55.220 what did he see? That the grace of God makes the city stronger and impregnable. For this is its foundation, this is its strength, this makes it unconquerable, not human alliance and aid, nor strength of arms, nor towers and walls; but what? God sustains it. For they had to be taught this especially, and to this the Prophet continually leads them. We have understood, O God, Your mercy in the midst of Your people. What is, We have understood? We hoped, we expected, we have known Your loving-kindness. For since he said, He has established, He has rooted, He has walled, showing

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Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἶπεν, ὅτι ἀντιλαμβάνεται αὐτῆς καὶ πολλὴν ἐπιδείκνυσι πρόνοιαν, δείκνυσι λοιπὸν καὶ πῶς ἀντελαμ 55.219 βάνετο. Μυρίων γὰρ ἐθνῶν ἐπελθόντων τοῦτο γὰρ διὰ τοῦ πλήθους τῶν βασιλέων δηλοῖ, καὶ οὐχ ἁπλῶς ἐπελθόντων, ἀλλὰ συγκεκροτημένων καὶ συντεταγμένων, τοιαῦτα γέγονε πράγματα, ὡς αὐτοὺς θαυμαστὰς γενομένους τῶν παραδόξων αὐτῶν ἀπελθεῖν. Οὕτω γὰρ ὁ πόλεμος ἐτροποῦτο, ὡς νάρκης, καὶ φρίκης ἐμπλησθέντας αὐτοὺς ἀναχωρεῖν· καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς ἀγωνίας ἀπεπήδων οἱ πολλοὶ τοὺς ὀλίγους δείσαντες, οἱ συντεταγμένοι τοὺς διῃρημένους, καὶ ὠδινούσης γυναικὸς οὐδὲν ἄμεινον διέκειντο. Ὅθεν δῆλον, ὡς οὐ κατὰ ἀκολουθίαν ἀνθρωπίνην ὁ πόλεμος κατωρθοῦτο, ἀλλὰ Θεὸς ἦν ὁ τὴν μάχην στρατηγῶν, ὁ καὶ τὰ φρονήματα αὐτῶν οὐ μόνον καταβάλλων, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν διάνοιαν αὐτῶν κατασείων, καὶ ὠδῖνας αὐτοῖς ἐντιθεὶς, καὶ ἄῤῥητον φόβον τινὰ αὐτοῖς ἐργαζόμενος. Καὶ ταὐτὸν γέγονεν, οἷον ἂν εἰ στόλου πολλοῦ ναυτικοῦ συνελθόντος, πνεῦμα ἐμπεσὸν χαλεπὸν συντρίψειε πάντα τὰ πλοῖα, καὶ καταδύσειε τὰς τριήρεις, καὶ πολλὴν ἀθρόον ἐμβάλοι τὴν ταραχήν. Ἐνταῦθα γάρ μοι διὰ τοῦ ὑποδείγματος τούτου τό τε εὔκολον τῆς νίκης δοκεῖ δηλοῦν, καὶ τῆς ταραχῆς τὴν ὑπερβολήν. Καὶ γὰρ ναυτικῷ χρησάμενοι στόλῳ, καὶ οὗτοι παραγενόμενοι ἐκ μακρᾶς τινος καὶ ἀλλοτρίας χώρας, ὥσπερ τινὶ πνεύματι βιαίῳ τῇ ὀργῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ πάντες ἀπώλοντο. ∆ιὸ καὶ τὸν τόπον δηλῶν ὅθεν ἦλθον, ἐπήγαγε τὸ, Θαρσεῖς. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ ὁ Ἑβραῖος ἐδήλωσε διὰ τῆς λέξεως, ἣν καὶ παρεθήκαμεν ὑμῶν χάριν εἰς τὴν ἀνάγνωσιν τοῦ ῥητοῦ. Ἢ τοῦτο τοίνυν ἔστιν εἰπεῖν, ἢ ἐκεῖνο ὃ ἔμπροσθεν εἶπον, ὅτι ὥσπερ τὰ πλοῖα Θαρσεῖς ἄνεμος χαλεπὸς ἐμπεσὼν συνέτριψε πολλάκις, οὕτω δὴ τὰ πλήθη ἐκεῖνα συνετάραξεν ὁ Θεός. Καθάπερ ἠκούσαμεν, οὕτω καὶ εἴδομεν ἐν πόλει Κυρίου τῶν δυνάμεων, ἐν πόλει τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν. Εἶδες πῶς τὸ ἀνώτερον ἐξηγεῖται, τὸ, Εὐριζῶν; Οὐ γὰρ εἶπεν, εὐριζώσας, ἀλλ', Εὐριζῶν, τουτέστι, διηνεκῶς προορῶν, διηνεκῶς κηδόμενος, διηνεκῶς τειχίζων. Εἰπὼν γὰρ τὰ συμβάντα τότε, ἐπὶ τὰ παλαιὰ διηγήματα ἀνάγει τὸν λόγον, δεικνὺς ὅτι ταῦτα ἐκείνων συγγενῆ. Ἃ γὰρ εἴδομεν, φησὶν, ἐπὶ τῶν ῥημάτων, ταῦτα ἐπὶ τῶν ἔργων ἑωράκαμεν, τὰς νίκας, τὰ τρόπαια τοῦ Θεοῦ, τὴν κηδεμονίαν, τὰ παράδοξα θαύματα. Οὐ γὰρ διέλιπεν ὁ Θεὸς ἀεὶ ταῦτα ἐργαζόμενος. Ὥστε αὐτοῦ ἐστι καὶ κινδύνων ἀπαλλάττειν, καὶ πρὸς θεογνωσίαν χειραγωγεῖν. Καὶ καλῶς ὁ προφήτης ἐμνημόνευσε τῶν πρὸ πολλοῦ τοῦ χρόνου γενομένων. Ἐπεὶ γὰρ καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν παλαιῶν διηγημάτων, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν νεαρῶν παιδεύεσθαι ἔργων, ὥστε τοὺς παχυτέρους αὐτῶν ἀπὸ τῶν γινομένων καὶ τοῖς ἤδη γεγενημένοις πιστεύειν, καὶ διπλοῦν καρποῦσθαι τὸ κέρδος, καὶ τὴν ἀκοὴν αὐτοῖς ἀντὶ ὄψεως γίνεσθαι. Ὁ Θεὸς ἐθεμελίωσεν αὐτὴν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. Ὑπελάβομεν, ὁ Θεὸς, τὸ ἔλεός σου ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ λαοῦ σου. Ἕτερος, Εἰκάσαμεν, ὁ Θεὸς, τὸ ἔλεός σου ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ λαοῦ σου. Ὁ δὲ Ἑβραῖος, Ἠχαλὰχ δεμμηνοῦ. Κατὰ τὸ ὄνομά σου, ὁ Θεὸς, οὕτω καὶ ἡ αἴνεσίς σου ἐπὶ τὰ πέρατα τῆς γῆς. γʹ. Ἐπειδὴ εἶπεν, Ἃ ἠκούσαμεν, ταῦτα καὶ εἴδομεν, λέγει καὶ τί ἤκουσε, καὶ τί εἶδε. Τί οὖν ἤκουσε, καὶ 55.220 τί εἶδε; Ὅτι ἰσχυροτέραν καὶ ἀῤῥαγῆ ἡ τοῦ Θεοῦ χάρις τὴν πόλιν ἐργάζεται. Τοῦτο γὰρ αὐτῇ θεμέλιος, τοῦτο ἰσχὺς, τοῦτο ἀχείρωτον αὐτὴν ποιεῖ, οὐκ ἀνθρωπίνη συμμαχία καὶ βοήθεια, οὔτε ὅπλων ἰσχὺς, οὐδὲ πύργοι καὶ τείχη· ἀλλὰ τί; Ὁ Θεὸς αὐτὴν διακρατεῖ. Τοῦτο γὰρ μάλιστα παιδεύεσθαι αὐτοὺς ἔδει, καὶ πρὸς τοῦτο αὐτοὺς ὁ Προφήτης ἐνάγει διηνεκῶς. Ὑπελάβομεν, ὁ Θεὸς, τὸ ἔλεός σου ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ λαοῦ σου. Τί ἐστιν, Ὑπελάβομεν; Ἠλπίσαμεν, προσεδοκήσαμεν, ἔγνωμεν τὴν φιλανθρωπίαν τὴν σήν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἶπεν, Ἐθεμελίωσεν, ἐῤῥίζωσεν, ἐτείχισε, δεικνὺς