223

all of Jerusalem, having fallen completely to the ground and been spread out on the soil so as to be trampled by those who humbled her, is commanded to rise up, and a second time the Word addresses her saying: Awake, awake, Zion, put on your strength, Zion; for the rational soul has a certain very great power and strength and has great glory, since it was "made in the image of God," it wants to take it up again and become a holy city so that no longer will the uncircumcised nor the unclean pass through her; so through "the uncircumcised" it signifies the foreigner and the alien, and through "the unclean," the idolater. If, therefore, you should obey the command and rising up become a holy city of God, the Word promises you, it says, that neither an idolater nor a foreigner will pass through you. And it exhorts her to do another thing, saying: shake off the dust and arise, Jerusalem; for it was up to her to brush off the dust that clung to her and to rise up from the fall that had befallen her and to loose the bond of the neck placed upon her, with which the opposing powers bound her soul as with a noose "by the cords of sins." And that these things have been said not concerning the buildings nor concerning the physical city, but concerning the unbelieving people, he clarifies, through what he adds next, saying: loose the bond of your neck, O captive daughter of Zion. For by clearly saying "captive," he indicated nothing other than the people taken completely captive by the diabolical power. Wherefore also, addressing the same people more clearly, he says: You were sold for nothing, and above it was said to the same: "behold, for your sins you were sold, and for your iniquities I sent away your mother. Because I came, and there was no man; I called, and there was none who obeyed," the Word through these things openly declaring the advent of the Lord to men, after which "they were sold for their sins" for nothing, having received nothing in exchange for their own destruction. Nevertheless, even after so many things, the Word, calling them back to salvation, promises to redeem them, if they should be willing to run to him and receive the grace of Christ, and to be redeemed not with silver; for their captivity was not physical, that they might obtain freedom through physical ransoms, since they had sold their souls. For this reason they were not to be redeemed with silver, "but" clearly "with the precious blood of Christ." Following these things, he accuses the people of the Jews of having gone down to Egypt long ago by their own choice and after this having been led away to the Assyrians by force and compulsion. But instead of: "they were led by force," Symmachus has: "and Assur," he says, "for no reason oppressed him." But long ago, he says, it became subject to the Egyptians, then to the Assyrians, but now at my coming they were sold for nothing for another reason. Therefore it is added: and now what will be here? Or according to the other interpreters: and now what have I here? For "I find nothing here among them," he says, which indeed was also indicated above when he said: "because I came, and there was no man; I called, and there was none who obeyed." But long ago, having been enslaved by force and compulsion, they were handed over first to the Egyptians and then to the Assyrians on account of their sins, but now they were taken for nothing "like an oryx in a net" by the hunter of souls, having been cast into the "nets" of evil. Therefore he adds: because my people was taken for nothing, marvel and wail. Symmachus says: those who rule over him wail, but Aquila: those who rule over him weep, but Theodotion: his rulers wail. Therefore the rulers and the leaders of the people, having become the cause of its destruction, being handed over to punishment, wail; for they were the ones who also "stirred up the crowds" with godless

223

ἡ Ἰερουσαλὴμ ὅλη δι' ὅλου χαμαὶ πεσοῦσα καὶ εἰς ἔδαφος ἁπλωθεῖσα ὡς καταπατεῖσθαι ὑπὸ τῶν ταπεινωσάντων αὐτὴν προστάττεται διαναστῆναι, καὶ δεύτερον δὲ αὐτῇ προσφωνεῖ ὁ λόγος φάσκων· Ἐξεγείρου ἐξεγείρου, Σιών, ἔνδυσαι τὴν ἰσχύν σου, Σιών· ἔχει γάρ τινα μεγίστην δύναμιν καὶ ἰσχὺν ἡ λογικὴ ψυχὴ καὶ δόξαν ἔχει μεγάλην, ἅτε «κατ' εἰκόνα θεοῦ πεποιημένη» ἦν, ἐπαναλαβεῖν αὐτὴν βούλεται καὶ γενέσθαι πόλιν ἁγίαν ὡς μηκέτι διαβαίνειν δι' αὐτῆς ἀπερίτμητον μηδὲ ἀκάθαρτον· διὰ μὲν οὖν τοῦ ἀπεριτμήτου τὸν ἀλλογενῆ καὶ ἀλλόφυλον σημαίνει, διὰ δὲ τοῦ ἀκαθάρτου τὸν εἰδωλολάτρην. εἰ τοίνυν ὑπακούσειας τῷ προστάγματι καὶ διαναστᾶσα γένοιο ἁγία πόλις τοῦ θεοῦ, ἐπαγγέλλεταί σοί φησιν ὁ λόγος μήτε εἰδωλολάτρην μήτε ἀλλογενῆ διαβήσεσθαι διὰ σοῦ. Καὶ ἕτερον δὲ αὐτῇ παρακελεύεται πρᾶξαι λέγων· ἐκτίναξαι τὸν χοῦν καὶ ἀνάστηθι, Ἰερουσαλήμ· ἐπ' αὐτῇ γὰρ ἦν τὸ ἀποτρίψασθαι τὸν περιπλασθέντα αὐτῇ χοῦν καὶ τὸ διαναστῆναι τῆς ἐπισυμβάσης αὐτῇ πτώσεως καὶ τὸ ἐκλῦσαι τὸν ἐπιτεθέντα αὐτῇ δεσμὸν τοῦ τραχήλου, ᾧ τὴν ψυχὴν ὥσπερ βρόχῳ κατέδησαν «σειραῖς ἁμαρτιῶν» αἱ ἀντικείμεναι δυνάμεις. καὶ ὅτι ταῦτα οὐ πρὸς τὰ οἰκοδομήματα οὐδὲ πρὸς τὴν αἰσθητὴν πόλιν λέλεκται, ἀλλὰ πρὸς τὸν ἄπιστον λαὸν διασαφεῖ, δι' ὧν ἐπιφέρει ἑξῆς λέγων· ἔκλυσαι τὸν δεσμὸν τοῦ τραχήλου σου, ἡ αἰχμάλωτος θυγάτηρ Σιών. σαφῶς γὰρ αἰχμάλωτον εἰπὼν οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἢ τὸν λαὸν ἐδήλωσεν ὅλον δι' ὅλου ληφθέντα αἰχμάλωτον ὑπὸ τῆς διαβολικῆς δυνάμεως. διὸ καὶ σαφέστερον προσφωνῶν τῷ αὐτῷ λαῷ φησι· ∆ωρεὰν ἐπράθητε, καὶ ἀνωτέρω δὲ πρὸς τὸν αὐτὸν ἐλέγετο· «ἰδοὺ ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ὑμῶν ἐπράθητε, καὶ ταῖς ἀνομίαις ὑμῶν ἐξαπέστειλα τὴν μητέρα ὑμῶν. διότι ἦλθον καὶ οὐκ ἦν ἄνθρωπος, ἐκάλεσα καὶ οὐκ ἦν ὁ ὑπακούων», ἄντικρυς τοῦ λόγου διὰ τούτων τὴν εἰς ἀνθρώπους πάροδον τοῦ κυρίου δηλοῦντος, μεθ' ἣν «ἐπράθησαν ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις αὐτῶν» δωρεὰν μηδὲν ἀντικαταλλαξάμενοι τῆς ἑαυτῶν ἀπωλείας. πλὴν καὶ μετὰ τοσαῦτα εἰς σωτηρίαν ὁ λόγος αὐτοὺς ἀνακαλούμενος ἐπαγγέλλεται λυτρώσασθαι αὐτούς, εἰ βουληθεῖεν προσδραμεῖν αὐτῷ καὶ καταδέξασθαι τὴν τοῦ Χριστοῦ χάριν, λυτρώσεσθαι δὲ οὐ μετὰ ἀργυρίου· οὐ γὰρ ἦν σωματικὴ αὐτῶν ἡ αἰχμαλωσία, ἵνα διὰ λύτρων σωματικῶν τύχωσι τῆς ἐλευθερίας, ἐπειδὴ τὰς ψυχὰς ἦσαν πεπραμένοι. διὰ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐν ἀργυρίῳ λυτροῦσθαι ἔμελλον, «ἀλλὰ» δηλονότι «τῷ τιμίῳ τοῦ Χριστοῦ αἵματι». Τούτοις ἑξῆς κατηγορεῖ τοῦ Ἰουδαίων λαοῦ εἰς Αἴγυπτον πάλαι καταβεβηκότος οἰκείᾳ προαιρέσει καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα ἀπαχθέντος εἰς Ἀσσυρίους βίᾳ καὶ ἀνάγκῃ. ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ· βίᾳ ἤχθησαν, ὁ Σύμμαχος· καὶ Ἀσσούρ φησιν ἕνεκεν οὐδενὸς ἐδημαγώγησεν αὐτόν. ἀλλὰ πάλαι μέν φησιν ὑποχείριος γέγονεν Αἰγυπτίοις ἔπειτα Ἀσσυρίοις, νῦν δὲ ἐπὶ τῆς ἐμῆς παρουσίας ἄλλῳ λόγῳ δωρεὰν ἐπράθησαν. διὸ ἐπιλέγεται· καὶ νῦν τί ὧδε ἔσται; ἢ κατὰ τοὺς λοιποὺς ἑρμηνευτάς· καὶ νῦν τί ἐστί μοι ὧδε; οὐδὲν γάρ φησιν ὧδε παρ' αὐτοῖς εὑρίσκω, ὃ δὴ καὶ ἀνωτέρω ἐδηλοῦτο λέγων· «διότι ἦλθον καὶ οὐκ ἦν ἄνθρωπος, ἐκάλεσα καὶ οὐκ ἦν ὁ ὑπακούων». ἀλλὰ πάλαι μὲν βίᾳ καὶ ἀνάγκῃ καταδεδουλωμένοι πρότερον μὲν τοῖς Αἰγυπτίοις ἔπειτα δὲ τοῖς Ἀσσυρίοις διὰ τὰς αὐτῶν παρεδόθησαν ἁμαρτίας, νῦν δὲ δωρεὰν ἐλήφθησαν «ὡς ὄρυξ ἐν ἀμφιβλήστρῳ» ὑπὸ τοῦ τῶν ψυχῶν θηρευτοῦ τοῖς τῆς κακίας «ἀμφιβλήστροις» περιβληθέντες. διὸ ἐπιλέγει· ὅτι ἐλήφθη ὁ λαός μου δωρεάν, θαυμάζετε καὶ ὀλολύζετε. ὁ μὲν Σύμμαχος· οἱ ἐξουσιάζοντες αὐτοῦ φησιν ὀλολύζουσιν, ὁ δὲ Ἀκύλας· οἱ ἐξουσιάζοντες αὐτοῦ δακρύουσιν, ὁ δὲ Θεοδοτίων· οἱ ἄρχοντες αὐτοῦ ὀλολύζουσιν. οὐκοῦν οἱ ἄρχοντες καὶ οἱ προεστῶτες τοῦ λαοῦ ὡς αἴτιοι τῆς ἀπωλείας αὐτοῦ γενόμενοι κολάσει παραδοθέντες ὀλολύζουσιν· αὐτοὶ γὰρ ἦσαν οἱ καὶ «ἀνασείσαντες τὰ πλήθη» ταῖς κατὰ τοῦ σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἀθέοις