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to them from their enemies, God not helping. For he teaches them what is going to happen, and how it will be necessary to repent, so that they might obtain forgiveness. Since David also, before the building of the temple, foretold both its destruction and its rebuilding. For God knows all things together. Then, having accused themselves of their own wickedness in deeds and words, "We have," they say, "pushed judgment back," as David says in the forty-ninth psalm: "But you hated instruction, and cast my words behind you." Some say that the phrase, "We conceived and meditated from the heart," was spoken with reference to the false prophets. At which things God, being indignant, brought wrath upon them, mixing it with mercy. For all instruction from God is beneficial. At which things, he says, God makes his own for those who are being punished the salvation worked out by repentance, by putting on their righteousness and arming himself as it were with their righteous acts, encouraging them that they are able to become the garments of God, who for our sakes bears arms, as it were, correcting our cowardice, for which reason also weapon-bearing angels appeared to Gehazi, not having such a nature. 2613 ιθκαʹ. 9And they from the west shall fear the name of the Lord, and they from the sun's rising, the glorious name. For the wrath from the Lord shall come as a violent river, it shall come with anger, and the deliverer shall come for Zion's sake, and he shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob9, etc. Having spoken of God as an enemy to those of Israel because of their many impieties, he passes on to the calling of the gentiles, and the coming of Christ. He indicated the whole race of men by "the east and west," who shall fear the Lord. "For the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord." Of which Israel did not partake, but those did, concerning whom he said: "Behold, these shall come from afar," and what follows; by which he indicated the four corners of the earth, and how many things the fear of God produces is shown by: "Blessed is the man who fears the Lord." And, "There is no want to them that fear him." And, "The fear of the Lord is instruction, and wisdom." And: "The fear of the Lord adds days." Which he promises to give not to the Jews, but to the gentiles. For in another prophet he says to some: "I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord Almighty. And I will not accept an offering from your hands." But concerning the gentiles: "Because from the rising of the sun my name has been glorified among the gentiles." And the cause of their salvation: For it shall come as a violent river and wrath from the Lord. It shall come with anger. But neither the Hebrew nor the others make mention of wrath and anger. For it is not reasonable in promises of good things. For Aquila says, "Because it shall come as a river, the Spirit of the Lord, a sign to itself." And Symmachus: "It will come as a river afflicting the Spirit of the Lord. It hastens and will come." And Theodotion: "For it will come as a besieging river. The Spirit of the Lord was marked in it." And how the Spirit of the Lord will come as a violent river, he indicated in the Acts, "When they were gathered together in one place, there came suddenly from heaven a sound, as of a mighty rushing wind," and what follows this. The end of which is also this, "They were all filled with the Holy Spirit." But also a sign, he says, to himself. For he made this the sign of his own assumption, saying: "If I do not go away, the Paraclete will not come." And again: "When I go away, I will send you the Spirit of truth." And instead of: "The deliverer shall come for Zion's sake," Aquila says, "And he will come to Zion as a kinsman-redeemer." And Symmachus: "And he will come to Zion as a kinsman-redeemer." For the Savior said: "I have not come except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." And Paul also says: "For I say that Christ has become a servant of the circumcision for the sake of God's truth, to confirm the promises made to the fathers, and that the gentiles might glorify God for his 2616 mercy." And some say: Just as above, having mentioned the wrath against the Jews, he also mentioned the mercy in later times, saying, "And by the mercy with which he was established;" so also now, having spoken of wrath and anger, he brought in salvation through Christ, saying: "And the deliverer shall come for Zion's sake," that is, from sins, and death, and corruption, and the cruelty of demons.

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αὐτοῖς τῶν ἐχθρῶν, μὴ βοηθοῦντος Θεοῦ. ∆ιδάσκει γὰρ αὐτοὺς τὰ συμβησόμενα, καὶ πῶς δεήσει μετανοεῖν, ὡς ἂν ἀφέσεως τύχοιεν. Ἐπεὶ καὶ ∆αβὶδ πρὸ τῆς οἰκοδομῆς τοῦ ναοῦ, προλέγει καὶ τὴν καθαίρεσιν, καὶ τὴν αὐτοῦ πάλιν ἀνοικοδόμησιν. Πάντα γὰρ μετ' ἀλλήλων γινώσκει Θεός. Εἶτα τῆς ἑαυτῶν ἐν τοῖς πρακτοῖς καὶ λεκτοῖς κακίας κατηγορήσαντες, Ἀπεστήσαμεν, φασὶν, ὀπίσω τὴν κρίσιν, ὡς ὁ ∆αβὶδ ἐν τεσσαρακοστῷ ἐνάτῳ φησί· "Σὺ δὲ ἐμίσησας παιδείαν, καὶ ἐξέβαλες τοὺς λόγους μου εἰς τὰ ὀπίσω." Τινὲς δὲ καὶ τό· Ἐκύομεν καὶ ἐμελετήσαμεν ἀπὸ καρδίας, εἰς τοὺς ψευδοπροφήτας εἰρῆσθαί φασιν. Ἐφ' οἷσπερ ὁ Θεὸς ἀγανακτήσας ὀργὴν ἐπήγαγε κατ' αὐτῶν, ἐλέει ταύτην κεράσας. Πᾶσα γὰρ παιδεία Θεοῦ ἐπωφελής. Ἐφ' οἷς, φησὶ, τὸν Θεὸν τὴν ἐκ τῆς μετανοίας πραγματευομένην σωτηρίαν, τοῖς τιμωρουμένοις οἰκειοῦσθαι, ἐνδυόμενον αὐτῶν τὴν δικαιοσύνην, καὶ τὰς δικαιοπραγίας ὥσπερ θωρακιζόμενον, παραμυθούμενος ὡς δυναμένους ἔνδυνα γενέσθαι Θεοῦ δι' ἡμᾶς οἷον ὁπλοφοροῦντος, τὴν ἡμετέραν διορθουμένου δειλίαν, δι' ἣν καὶ τῷ Γιεζεὶ ὁπλοφόροι πεφήνασιν ἄγγελοι, οὕτω κατὰ φύσιν οὐκ ἔχοντες. 2613 ιθκαʹ. 9Καὶ φοβηθήσονται οἱ ἀπὸ δυσμῶν τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου, καὶ οἱ ἀπ' ἀνατολῶν ἡλίου, τὸ ὄνομα τὸ ἔνδοξον. Ἥξει γὰρ ὡς ποταμὸς βίαιος ἡ ὀργὴ παρὰ Κυρίου, ἥξει μετὰ θυμοῦ, καὶ ἥξει ἕνεκα Σιὼν ὁ ῥυόμενος, καὶ ἀποστρέψει ἀσεβείας ἀπὸ Ἰακὼβ9, κ.τ.λ. Πολέμιον εἰπὼν τοῖς ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ τὸν Θεὸν διὰ τὰς πολλὰς αὐτῶν ἀσεβείας, ἐπὶ τὴν κλῆσιν μέτεισι τῶν ἐθνῶν, καὶ τὴν Χριστοῦ παρουσίαν. Τὸ πᾶν δὲ γένος ἀνθρώπων διὰ τῶν ἀνατολῶν ἐδήλωσεν καὶ δυσμῶν, οἳ φοβηθήσονται τὸν Κύριον. "Ἀρχὴ γὰρ σοφίας, φόβος Κυρίου." Ἧς οὐ μετέλαβεν Ἰσραὴλ, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνοι, περὶ ὧν ἔλεγεν· "Ἰδοὺ οὗτοι πόῤῥωθεν ἥξουσι," καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς· δι' ὧν ἐδήλου τὰ τέσσαρα κλίματα, ὅσα δὲ φόβος Θεοῦ προξενεῖ δηλοῖ τό· "Μακάριος ἀνὴρ ὁ φοβούμενος τὸν Κύριον." Καὶ τό, "Οὐκ ἔστιν ὑστέρημα τοῖς φοβουμένοις αὐτόν." Καὶ τό, "Φόβος Κυρίου παιδεία, καὶ σοφία." Καὶ τό· Φόβος Κυρίου προστίθησιν ἡμέρας." Ὃν οὐκ Ἰουδαίοις δώσειν, ἀλλὰ τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἐπαγγέλλεται. Καὶ ἐν ἑτέρῳ γὰρ προφήτῃ τοῖς μέν φησιν· "Οὐκ ἔστι μου θέλημα ἐν ὑμῖν, λέγει Κύριος παντοκράτωρ. Καὶ θυσίας οὐ προσδέξομαι ἐκ τῶν χειρῶν ὑμῶν". Περὶ δὲ τῶν ἐθνῶν· "∆ι' ὅτι ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν ἡλίου δεδόξασται τὸ ὄνομά μου, ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσι." Τῆς δὲ τούτων σωτηρίας αἴτιον· Ἥξει γὰρ ὡς ποταμὸς βίαιος καὶ ὀργὴ παρὰ Κυρίου. Ἥξει μετὰ θυμοῦ. Ὀργῆς δὲ καὶ θυμοῦ οὔτε τὸ Ἑβραϊκὸν, οὔτε οἱ λοιποὶ μέμνηνται. Οὐδὲ γὰρ εὔλογον ἐν ἀγαθῶν ἐπαγγελίαις. Ὁ γὰρ Ἀκύλας φησὶν, Ὅτι ἐλεύσεταιὡς ποταμὸς πνεῦμα Κυρίου σύσσημον ἑαυτῷ. Ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος· Ἥξει ὡς ποταμὸς θλίβων τὸ πνεῦμα Κυρίου. Ἐπείγει καὶ ἥξει. Ὁ δὲ Θεοδοτίων· ἥξει γὰρ ὡς ποταμὸς πολιορκητής. Πνεῦμα Κυρίου ἐσημειώθη ἐν αὐτῷ. Πῶς δὲ ὡς ποταμὸς βίαιος ἥξει τὸ πνεῦμα Κυρίου, ἐδήλωσεν ἐν ταῖς Πράξεσιν, "Ὅτε συνηγμένων ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ἐγένετο ἄφνω ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἦχος, ὥσπερ φερομένης πνοῆς βιαίας," καὶ τὰ ἐπὶ τούτοις. Ὧν τέλος, καὶ τὸ, "Ἐπληρώθησαν ἅπαντες Πνεύματος ἁγίου." Ἀλλὰ καὶ σημεῖον, φησὶν, ἑαυτῷ. Τοῦτο γὰρ τῆς ἰδίας ἀναλήψεως ἔθετο σημεῖον λέγων· "Ἐὰν μὴ ἀπέλθω, ὁ Παράκλητος οὐκ ἔρχεται." Καὶ πάλιν· Ὅτ' ἂν ἀπέλθω, ἀποστελῶ ὑμῖν τὸ Πνεῦμα τῆς ἀληθείας." Ἀντὶ δὲ τοῦ· Ἥξει ἕνεκεν Σιὼν ὁ ῥυόμενος, Ἀκύλας, Καὶ ἐλεύσεται τῇ Σιὼν ἀγχιστεύων, φησίν. Ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος· Καὶ ἥξει τῇ Σιὼν ἀγχιστεύων. Ἔλεγε γὰρ ὁ Σωτήρ· "Οὐκ ἦλθον, εἰ μὴ εἰς τὰ ἀπολωλότα πρόβατα οἴκου Ἰσραήλ." Καὶ Παῦλος δέ φησι· "Λέγω γὰρ Χριστὸν διάκονον γεγενῆσθαι περιτομῆς ὑπὲρ ἀληθείας Θεοῦ, εἰς τὸ βεβαιῶσαι τὰς ἐπαγγελίας τῶν πατέρων, τὰ δὲ ἔθνη ὑπὲρ 2616 ἐλέους δοξάσαι τὸν Θεόν." Φασὶ δέ τινες· Ὥσπερ ἀνωτέρω μνησθεὶς τῆς κατὰ τῶν Ἰουδαίων ὀργῆς, ἐμνήσθη καὶ τῆς ἐν ὑστέροις ἐλεημοσύνης εἰπὼν, "Καὶ τῇ ἐλεημοσύνῃ ᾗ ἐστηρίσατο·" οὕτω καὶ νῦν ὀργὴν εἰπὼν, καὶ θυμὸν, τὴν διὰ Χριστοῦ σωτηρίαν ἐπήνεγκεν εἰπών· Καὶ ἥξει ἕνεκεν Σιὼν ὁ ῥυόμενος, ἐξ ἁμαρτιῶν δηλονότι, θανάτου τε, καὶ φθορᾶς, καὶ δαιμόνων ὠμότητος.