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Theodotion. For since the Lord Christ was about to spring forth from them according to the flesh, and the nations had come together, wishing to tear up the race of the Jews by the root, the all-holy Spirit teaches them to offer this prayer, that not against us alone have they used their cunning and their plots, but also against your hidden one, who is hidden in us, whom he foretold would blossom from the tribe of Judah. For if the root is cut out, from where will the fruit grow? And this the God of all has also declared 80.1533 through Isaiah. “‘In the manner,’ he says, ‘that when a grape-berry is found in the cluster, and they will say, Do not destroy it, because a blessing of the Lord is in it, so I will do for the sake of the one who serves me; on his account I will not destroy them all, and I will bring forth the seed from Jacob, and that from Judah, and then,’ he says, ‘I will deliver the rest to utter destruction.’” Therefore, on account of the one grape-berry, the whole cluster enjoyed care, or rather the whole vineyard; but when that was taken, and the other fruit was gathered with it, the rest of the vineyard was given over to wild beasts, and a boar from the thicket ravages it, and a solitary wild beast pastures on it, and all who pass by on the road trample it as they wish. And praying this they also say here, that, ‘Not against us alone, but also against your hidden one they dare to rage.’ [For the cry, ‘Away, away, crucify him,’ has shown them to be raging like dogs. And what follows is in accord with this.] 5. They said, ‘Come and let us destroy them from being a nation; and let the name of Israel be remembered no more.’” They wish to bring utter destruction upon us, and to deliver the much-renowned Israel to oblivion. Then he lists the neighbors, by whom the others were also summoned and came together. 6. "For they have consulted together with one consent; they have made a covenant against you." And those who unanimously undertook the war against you are: 7. "The tents of the Edomites, and the Ishmaelites." The Edomites traced their lineage from Esau. For Esau was named Edom; and the Ishmaelites are the descendants of Ishmael. "Moab, and the Hagrites." Moab was the son of Lot, and from him also a nation was formed. The Hagrites are another tribe of Ishmael, named from Hagar; and she was the mother of Ishmael. 8. "Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek." And Amalek was himself a descendant of Esau; however, a nation was also formed from him. Ammon was the son of Lot; and these are a part of Arabia; and the Gebalites are neighbors of Idumea. "The Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre." The other interpreters call the ‘allophyloi’ Philistines; whom we name Palestinians; for these alone, having been left from the race of Canaan, and dwelling beside Israel, were reasonably called ‘allophyloi’ pre-eminently. 80.1536 9. "For Assur also has joined them." The Assyrians were not ruling at that time; the text therefore alludes to the Samaritans, being colonists of the Assyrians, who dwelt in their cities after the captivity of the ten tribes. "They have become a help to the children of Lot." And the text indicates that the Moabites and Ammonites were especially emboldened against the people, and gathered the other nations. 10, 11. "Do to them as to Midian and to Sisera; as to Jabin at the brook of Kishon. They perished at Endor." Being mindful, they remember the former good deeds, asking for the same assistance; for Barak and the prophetess Deborah defeated these generals. "They became as dung for the earth." For having remained unburied they decomposed, and were mixed with the earth like some dung. 12, 13. "Make their princes like Oreb, and Zeeb, and Zebah, and Zalmunna. All their princes." The history of the Judges also remembers these; and Gideon, being led by divine grace, destroyed them. In a similar way to these, they entreat that their own enemies be destroyed, and they state the reason. "Who said: Let us take to ourselves the sanctuary of God in possession." For they are behaving insolently, and are emboldened that they will also seize what is dedicated to you

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Θεοδοτίων. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐξ αὐτῶν ἔμελλε κατὰ σάρκα βλαστήσειν ὁ ∆εσπότης Χριστὸς, συνελη λύθει δὲ τὰ ἔθνη πρόῤῥιζον ἀνασπᾶσαι τῶν Ἰουδαίων τὸ γένος βουλόμενα, ταύτην αὐτοὺς προσενεγκεῖν διδάσκει τὴν δέησιν τὸ πανάγιον Πνεῦμα, ὅτι οὐ καθ' ἡμῶν μόνον τῇ πανουργίᾳ καὶ ταῖς ἐπιβολαῖς κέχρηνται, ἀλλὰ καὶ κατὰ τοῦ ἀποκρύφου σου, καὶ ἐν ἡμῖν ἀποκεκρυμμένου, ὃν ἀνθήσειν ἐκ τῆς Ἰούδα φυλῆς προηγόρευσε. Τῆς γὰρ ῥίζης ἐκτε μνομένης, πόθεν ὁ καρπὸς φυήσεται; Τοῦτο δὲ 80.1533 καὶ διὰ Ἡσαΐου δεδήλωκεν ὁ τῶν ὅλων Θεός. "Ὃν τρόπον, φησὶν, ὅτ' ἂν εὑρεθῇ ῥὼξ ἐν τῷ βότρυϊ, καὶ ἐροῦσι, Μὴ λυμήνῃ αὐτὸν, ὅτι εὐλογία Κυρίου ἐστὶν ἐν αὐτῷ, οὕτω ποιήσω ἕνεκεν τοῦ δουλεύοντός μοι· διὰ τοῦτον οὐ μὴ ἀπολέσω πάντας, καὶ ἐξάξω τὸ ἐξ Ἰακὼβ σπέρμα, καὶ τὸ ἐξ Ἰούδα, καὶ τότε, φησὶ, τοὺς λοιποὺς πανωλεθρίᾳ παραδώσω." ∆ιὰ τὴν ῥῶγα τοίνυν τὴν μίαν ἅπας ὁ βότρυς κηδε μονίας ἀπήλαυσε, μᾶλλον δὲ ἅπας ὁ ἀμπελών· ἐκείνης δὲ ληφθείσης, καὶ μετ' ἐκείνου συλλε γέντος τοῦ ἄλλου καρποῦ, ὁ λοιπὸς ἀμπελὼν παρε δόθη θηρίοις, καὶ λυμαίνεται αὐτὸν ὗς ἐκ δρυμοῦ, καὶ μονιὸς ἄγριος κατανέμεται, καὶ πάντες οἱ παραπορευόμενοι τὴν ὁδὸν συμπατοῦσιν ὡς βούλον ται. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἐνταῦθα προσευχόμενοι λέγουσιν, ὅτι, Οὐ καθ' ἡμῶν μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ κατὰ τοῦ ἀποκε κρυμμένου σου τολμῶσι λυττᾷν. [Τὸ γὰρ, Ἆρον, ἆρον, σταύρωσον, δήλους αὐτοὺς πεποίηκε ὡσανεὶ κυνῶν δίκην λυττῶντας. Τούτοις δὲ σύμφωνα καὶ τὰ ἐπαγόμενα.] εʹ. Εἶπον, ∆εῦτε καὶ ἐξολοθρεύσωμεν αὐτοὺς ἐξ ἔθνους· καὶ οὐ μὴ μνησθῇ τὸ ὄνομα Ἰσραὴλ ἔτι." Πανωλεθρίαν ἡμῖν ἐπάγειν βούλονται, καὶ λήθῃ παραδοῦναι τὸν πολυθρύλλητον Ἰσραήλ. Εἶτα κατα λέγει τοὺς ὁμόρους, ὑφ' ὧν συγκληθέντες καὶ οἱ ἄλλοι συνῆλθον. ʹ. "Ὅτι ἐβουλεύσαντο ἐν ὁμονοίᾳ ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ, κατὰ σοῦ διαθήκην διέθεντο." Οἱ δὲ τὸν κατὰ σοῦ πόλεμον συμφώνως ἀναδεξάμενοι, εἰσί. ζʹ. "Τὰ σκηνώματα τῶν Ἰδουμαίων, καὶ Ἰσμαηλῖται." Ἰδουμαῖοι ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἠσαῦ τὸ γένος κατῆγον. Ἐδὼμ γὰρ ὁ Ἠσαῦ ὠνομάσθη· Ἰσμαηλῖταιδὲ, τοῦ Ἰσμαὴλ ἀπόγονοι. "Μωὰβ, καὶ οἱ Ἀγαρηνοί." Μωὰβ τοῦ Λὼτ υἱὸς, ἔθνος δὲ καὶ ἐκ τούτου συνέστη Ἀγαρηνοὶ, ἄλλη φυλὴ τοῦ Ἰσμαὴλ, ἀπὸ τῆς Ἄγαρ ὠνομασμένη· μήτηρ δὲ αὕτη τοῦ Ἰσμαήλ. ηʹ. "Γεβὰλ, καὶ Ἀμμὼν, καὶ Ἀμαλήκ." Ὁ δὲἈμαλὴκ, ἔκγονος καὶ αὐτὸς τοῦ Ἠσαῦ· ἔθνος μέντοι καὶ ἀπὸ τούτου συνέστη· Ἀμμὼν τοῦ Λὼτ υἱός· τμῆμα δέ εἰσι καὶ οὗτοι τῆς Ἀραβίας· καὶ Γεβαληνοὶ δὲ τῆς Ἰδουμαίας περίοικοι. "Ἀλλόφυλοι μετὰ τῶν κατοικούντων Τύρον." Ἀλλοφύλους οἱ ἄλλοι Φιλιστιαίους καλοῦσιν ἑρμηνευταί· οὓς ἡμεῖς ὀνομάζομεν Παλαιστινούς· οὗτοι γὰρ μόνοι καταλειφθέντες ἐκ τοῦ γένους τοῦ Χαναὰν, καὶ παρὰ τὸν Ἰσραὴλ οἰκοῦντες, εἰκότως ἀλλόφυλοι διαφερόν τως ἐκλήθησαν. 80.1536 θʹ. "Καὶ γὰρ καὶ Ἀσσοὺρ συμπαρεγένετο μετ' αὐτῶν." Ἀσσύριοι κατ' ἐκεῖνον οὐκ ἐβασίλευον τὸν καιρόν· αἰνίττεται τοίνυν ὁ λόγος τοὺς Σαμαρείτας, ἀποίκους Ἀσσυρίων ὄντας, μετὰ τὴν αἰχμαλωσίαν τῶν δέκα φυλῶν ἐν ταῖς ἐκείνων οἰκήσαντας πόλεσιν. "Ἐγενήθησαν εἰς ἀντίληψιν τοῖς υἱοῖς Λώτ." ∆ηλοῖ δὲ ὁ λόγος, Μωαβίτας καὶ Ἀμμανίτας διαφερόντως κατὰ τοῦ λαοῦ θρασυνθέντας, καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ συναγείραντας ἔθνη. ιʹ, ιαʹ. "Ποίησον αὐτοῖς ὡς τῇ Μαδιὰμ καὶ τῷ Σισάρᾳ· ὡς τῷ Ἰαβὶν ἐν τῷ χειμάῤῥῳ Κισσῶν. Ἐξωλοθρεύθησαν ἐν Ἀενδώρ." Τῶν προτέρων εὐεργεσιῶν μνημονεύουσιν εὐγνώμονες, τὴν αὐτὴν αἰτοῦντες ἐπικουρίαν· τούτους μέν τοι τοὺς στρατ ηγοὺς Βαραὰκ καὶ ἡ προφῆτις ∆εβόῤῥα κατέλυ σεν. "Ἐγενήθησαν ὡσεὶ κόπρος τῇ γῇ." Ἄταφοι γὰρ διαμείναντες διελύθησαν, καὶ οἷόν τις κόπρος τῇ γῇ συνεμίγησαν. ιβʹ, ιγʹ. "Θοῦ τοὺς ἄρχοντας αὐτῶν ὡς τὸν Ὠρὴβ, καὶ Ζὴβ, καὶ Ζεβεὲ, καὶ Σαλμανᾶν. Πάντας τοὺς ἄρχοντας αὐτῶν." Καὶ τούτων ἡ τῶν Κριτῶν ἱστορία μέμνηται· ἀνεῖλε δὲ αὐτοὺς Γεδεὼν ὑπὸ τῆς θείας χάριτος στρατηγούμενος. Τούτοις παρα πλησίως, καὶ τοὺς σφετέρους πολεμίους ἀντιβολοῦσι καταλυθῆναι, καὶ τὴν αἰτίαν διδάσκουσιν. "Οἵ τινες εἶπον· Κληρονομήσωμεν, ἑαυτοῖς τὸ ἁγια στήριον τοῦ Θεοῦ." Νεανιεύονται γὰρ, καὶ θρα σύνονται καὶ τοῦ ἀνακειμένου σοι κρατήσειν