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who provide for the people, I beseech you to accept my supplication. "You who lead Joseph like a sheep." Having fallen among his brothers as among some wolves, you freed him from their hands, led him into Egypt, and showed him to be greater than those who plotted against him. Having thus recounted the care shown to them, he moved on to the 80.1512 more general authority. "You who are enthroned upon the Cherubim, shine forth." For since the great Moses placed representations of these alone in the Holy of Holies, and placed the mercy seat between them, and through it some divine manifestation occurred for the high priests, he fittingly mentioned the Cherubim here also, and beseeched him who sits upon them to appear. 3. "Before Ephraim, and Benjamin, and Manasseh." I beseech you, he says, to appear to your people. For through the aforementioned tribes he has indicated all the people. And he mentioned these, because he had also made mention of Joseph. And Ephraim and Manasseh were the children of Joseph; and Benjamin was his brother by the same mother. "Stir up your might, and come to save us." He rouses God, as one who is long-suffering and remaining quiet. Stir up all your power, he says, and bring about our salvation. [This, on the one hand, as I have said above, the people then enslaved by the Assyrians, and on the other hand, the nations entreat, caring for the salvation from the benefactor; for this is what the prophetic mind wishes to say also through what follows.] 4. "O God of hosts, restore us." Free us from slavery, and grant our return. [The one beseeching the return from Babylon, the other the conversion from idols.] Then he teaches the ease of the matter. "And make your face shine, and we shall be saved." For your appearing is sufficient to end our calamities. 5. "Lord, God of hosts, how long will you be angry at the prayer of your servants?" Until when, Master, will you ignore my supplications, being angry at my sins? And he names the people his servant. For the other interpreters have also put, 'at the prayer of your people,' instead of, 'of your servant.' ʹ. "You will feed us with the bread of tears; and you will give us tears to drink in measure." The tense here is changed; for the others have spoken of these things as having already happened: 'You have fed us with the bread of tears, and have given us to drink of tears by measure.' And he says that, You have mixed both our food and our drink with tears; for we partake of necessary nourishment while lamenting and groaning. And he has done this, having measured out the punishment against the sins. This the Lord also [said]: 'With what measure you measure, it will be measured to you.' This measure the prophet Zechariah also saw, prophesying the 80.1513 destruction of Babylon. For he said he saw two women, having the wings of a hoopoe, carrying the measure, and commanded to bring this to Babylon. And through these things we are taught the justice of the divine decree. 7. "You have made us a strife to our neighbors, and our enemies have mocked us." We have become a reproach even to the neighboring nations, who have always held enmity toward us; [but nevertheless we have not departed from you; for this he said through what follows]. 8. "Lord, God of hosts, restore us; and make your face shine, and we shall be saved." Therefore by your appearance, scatter the dark cloud of our calamities, and grant our return; [this on the one hand the people entreating; this on the other hand also the nations; speaking of the appearance as the incarnate presence.] For you are powerful, and the Lord of hosts. [Then invisibly calling them back from captivity, and now preserving the nations by your economy.] Then he recounts the ancient benefactions, entreating to enjoy similar providence. 9, 10. "You brought a vine out of Egypt; you cast out nations, and planted it. You made a way before it; and you planted its roots, and it filled the land." You, Master, overthrew the unjust dominion of the Egyptians; you gave over the nations of the Canaanites to utter destruction, and your people

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τοῦ λαοῦ προμηθούμενον δέξασθαί μου τὴν ἱκετείαν ἀντιβολῶ. "Ὁ ὁδηγῶν ὡσεὶ πρόβατον τὸν Ἰωσήφ." Οἷόν τισι λύκοις πε ριπεσόντα τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς, τῶν ἐκείνων ἀπαλλάξας χειρῶν, ἐποδήγησας εἰς Αἴγυπτον, καὶ κρείττονα τῶν ἐπιβουλευσάντων ἀπέφηνας. Οὕτω τὴν εἰς αὐ τοὺς γεγενημένην κηδεμονίαν διεξελθὼν, ἐπὶ τὴν 80.1512 γενικωτέραν ἐξουσίαν μετέβη. "Ὁ καθήμενος ἐπὶ τῶν Χερουβὶμ, ἐμφάνηθι." Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τούτων μό νων ὁ μέγας Μωσῆς ἐκτυπώματά τινα ἐν τοῖς Ἁγίοις τῶν ἁγίων ἀνέθηκε, καὶ μέσον τούτων τὸ ἱλα στήριον τέθεικε, δι' ἐκείνου δέ τις ἐπιφάνεια θεία τοῖς ἀρχιερεῦσιν ἐγένετο, εἰκότως ἐνταῦθα καὶ τῶν Χερουβὶμ ἐμνημόνευσε, καὶ τὸν τούτοις ἐπι καθήμενον ἐπιφανῆναι ἱκέτευσεν. γʹ. "Ἐναντίον Ἐφραῒμ, καὶ Βενιαμὶν, καὶ Μανασσῆ." Ἐπιφανῆναί σε, φησὶν, ἱκετεύω τῷ σῷ λαῷ. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τῶν εἰρημένων φυλῶν πάντα δεδήλωκε τὸν λαόν. Τούτων δὲ ἐμνημόνευσεν, ἐπειδὴ καὶ τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ ἐποιήσατο μνήμην. Τοῦ δὲ Ἰωσὴφ ὁ μὲν Ἐφραῒμ καὶ ὁ Μανασσῆς παῖδες· ὁ δὲ Βενιαμὶν ἀδελφὸς ὁμομήτριος. "Ἐξέγειρον τὴν δυναστείαν σου, καὶ ἐλθὲ εἰς τὸ σῶσαι ἡμᾶς." Ὡς μακροθυ μοῦντα, καὶ ἡσυχίᾳ χρώμενον, τὸν Θεὸν διανίστη σιν. Ἅπασάν σου τὴν δύναμιν, φησὶ, κίνησον, τὴν ἡμετέραν πραγματευσάμενος σωτηρίαν. [Τοῦτο μὲν, ὡς εἴρηταί μοι ἀνωτέρω, ὁ ἀνδραποδισθεὶς τὸ τηνικαῦτα παρὰ τῶν Ἀσσυρίων λαὸς, τοῦτο δὲ τὰ ἔθνη ἀντιβολεῖ, κηδόμενα τὴν παρὰ τοῦ εὐεργέτου σωτηρίαν· τοῦτο γὰρ θέλει εἰπεῖν ὁ προφητικὸς νοῦς καὶ διὰ τῶν ἑξῆς.] δʹ. "Ὁ Θεὸς τῶν δυνάμεων, ἐπίστρεψον ἡμᾶς." Τῆς δουλείας ἐλευθέρωσον, καὶ τὴν ἐπάνοδον χά ρισαι. [Ὁ μὲν τὴν ἐκ Βαβυλῶνος ἱκετεύων, ὁ δὲ τὴν ἐξ εἰδώλων ἐπιστροφήν.] Εἶτα τοῦ πράγματος διδάσκει τὴν εὐκολίαν. "Καὶ ἐπίφανον τὸ πρόσωπόν σου, καὶ σωθησόμεθα." Ἀρκεῖς γὰρ φαινόμενος λῦσαι τὰς συμφοράς. εʹ. "Κύριε, ὁ Θεὸς τῶν δυνάμεων, ἕως πότε ὀργί ζῃ ἐπὶ τὴν προσευχὴν τῶν δούλων σου;" Μέχρι πότε, ∆έσποτα, τὰς ἐμὰς παραπέμπῃ λιτὰς, ἐπὶ τοῖς ἐμοῖς πλημμελήμασιν ὀργιζόμενος; ∆οῦλον δὲ αὐτοῦ τὸν λαὸν ὀνομάζει. Καὶ γὰρ οἱ ἄλλοι ἑρμηνευταὶ, Ἐπὶ τὴν προσευχὴν τοῦ λαοῦ σου, ἀντὶ τοῦ, δούλου σου, τεθείκασιν. ʹ. "Ψωμιεῖς ἡμᾶς ἄρτον δακρύων· καὶ πο τιεῖς ἡμᾶς ἐν δάκρυσιν ἐν μέτρῳ." Ὁ χρόνος ἐν ταῦθα ἐνήλλακται· καὶ γὰρ οἱ ἄλλοι ὡς γεγενημένα ταῦτα εἰρήκασιν· "Ἐψώμισας ἡμᾶς ἄρτον δακρύων, καὶ ἐπότισας ἡμᾶς μετὰ δακρύων μέτρῳ." Λέγει δὲ, ὅτι Καὶ τὴν τροφὴν ἡμῶν, καὶ τὸ πόμα δάκρυσι συνεκέρασας· ὀδυρόμενοι γὰρ καὶ στένοντες μετα λαγχάνομεν τῆς ἀναγκαίας τροφῆς. Τοῦτο δὲ πε ποίηκεν ἀντιμετρήσας ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις τὴν τιμω ρίαν. Τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Κύριος· "Ὧ μέτρῳ μετρεῖτε, ἀντιμετρηθήσεται ὑμῖν." Τοῦτο καὶ Ζαχαρίας εἶδεν ὁ προφήτης τὸ μέτρον, τῆς Βαβυλῶνος προ 80.1513 θεσπίζων τὸν ὄλεθρον. ∆ύο γὰρ ἔφησε θεᾶσθαι γυναῖκας, ἔποπος μὲν ἐχούσας πτερὰ, τὸ δὲ μέ τρον φερούσας, καὶ τοῦτο προσταχθείσας εἰς Βαβυ λῶνα κομίσαι. ∆ιὰ τούτων δὲ διδασκόμεθα τῆς θείας ψήφου τὸ δίκαιον. ζʹ. "Ἔθου ἡμᾶς εἰς ἀντιλογίαν τοῖς γείτοσιν ἡμῶν, καὶ οἱ ἐχθροὶ ἡμῶν ἐμυκτήρισαν ἡμᾶς." Ἐπονείδιστοι γεγόναμεν καὶ τοῖς γειτονεύουσιν ἔθνεσιν, ἀεὶ τὴν πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἐσχηκόσι δυσμένειαν· [ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐκ ἀπέστημέν σου· τοῦτο γὰρ διὰ τῶν ἑξῆς ἔφη]. ηʹ. "Κύριε, ὁ Θεὸς τῶν δυνάμεων, ἐπίστρεψον ἡμᾶς· καὶ ἐπίφανον τὸ πρόσωπόν σου, καὶ σωθησό μεθα." Τῇ σῇ τοίνυν ἐπιφανείᾳ σκέδασον τὸ ζοφῶδες νέφος τῶν συμφορῶν, καὶ τὴν ἐπάνοδον χάρισαι· [τοῦτο μὲν ὁ λαὸς ἀντιβολῶν· τοῦτο δὲ καὶ τὰ ἔθνη· ἐπιφάνειαν λέγων τὴν ἔνσαρκον παρουσίαν.] ∆υνατὸς γὰρ εἶ, καὶ τῶν δυνάμεων Κύριος. [Τότε μὲν ἀοράτως ἐκείνους ἐκ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας ἀνακα λούμενος, τὰ δὲ ἔθνη τῇ σῇ οἰκονομίᾳ περιποιησά μενος.] Εἶτα τὰς παλαιὰς εὐεργεσίας διέξεισι, τῆς ὁμοίας ἀπολαῦσαι προμηθείας ἀντιβολῶν. θʹ, ιʹ. "Ἄμπελον ἐξ Αἰγύπτου μετῆρας, ἐξέβαλες ἔθνη, καὶ κατεφύτευσας αὐτήν. Ὡδοποίησας ἔμ προσθεν αὐτῆς· καὶ κατεφύτευσας τὰς ῥίζας αὐ τῆς, καὶ ἐπλήρωσε τὴν γῆν." Σὺ, ∆έσποτα, τὴν ἄδικον τῶν Αἰγυπτίων κατέλυσας δυναστείαν· σὺ τὰ τῶν Χαναναίων ἔθνη πανωλεθρίᾳ παρέδωκας, καὶ τὸν σὸν λαὸν