356

Aquila and Symmachus have rendered it, Philistia; and it is the custom to call by this name those who inhabit Gaza and Ascalon and the coastland. And these, then, in order, the coastal foreigners along with the inhabitants of Tyre, he says, attacked your people; and on top of all, the Assyrian, the very head of evils, setting out with them, 23.997 and using them as allies, made battle array; and all those mentioned before came to the aid of the sons of Lot. Wherefore Aquila says, "They became an arm for the sons of Lot"; but Symmachus, "They became allies to the sons of Lot." And the sons of Lot were the Ammonites and the Moabites; for these two were the sons of Lot, Moab and Ammon. But that these things were not fulfilled at any other time than during the times of the Assyrians, history clearly shows. For at that time all the neighboring nations, being jealous of Jerusalem and the temple of God described in it, and thirsting for the destruction of the entire Jewish nation, therefore attacked them together, having allied themselves with the Babylonian dynasty. At that time, therefore, many nations allied with the Assyrians were gathered against them. Neither in the time of Antiochus, nor during the last siege, do the aforementioned nations appear to have allied with the Romans, when they began the war against the Jews. Do to them as to Midian and to Sisera, as to Jabin at the brook Kishon. They were destroyed at Endor, they became as dung for the earth. Make their princes like Oreb and Zeeb and Zebah and Zalmunna. The Prophet declares that such things should happen to the aforementioned nations, as once happened to Midian and to Sisera, and to Jabin at the brook Kishon; who were all destroyed together at Endor, and became as dung for the earth. But he also deems the princes of the aforementioned nations worthy to suffer such things as Oreb and Zeeb and Zebah and Zalmunna suffered. You will find the history of all these in the book called Judges; where Scripture shows both what and how many things Sisera and Jabin and the others named contrived against Israel, and what things they suffered. To which we may refer anyone who wishes to know the things concerning them, because the narrative about them is rather long. He implores that these also suffer the same things as those, because like them, these also have said, Let us inherit for ourselves the sanctuary of God. For Sisera and Jabin and the others, whom the text names, said these things concerning the tabernacle and the ark of God. For these were the sanctuary of God, before Jerusalem was yet established. And the Prophet prayed these things against those who were indicated; then, not long after, the things of the prayer were fulfilled. Forthwith, at any rate, immediately with the siege against the Jews, the dynasty of the Assyrians, which had lasted for ages, was also destroyed; and it had held together up to this point, until they dared such things against Jerusalem. Not long after, at any rate, Cyrus, having seized the Persian kingdom, destroys the Assyrian dominion. And the other nations named in part suffered such things as the word foretold; so that one might reasonably say that the Prophet in these words is not praying against those indicated, but prophesying to them the things that will be, using an imperative mood instead of a predictive one, according to a certain custom of Scripture; so that we should understand the phrase, 23.1000 "Do to them," as "You will do as to Midian and to Sisera." And these things are prophesied about the end of the Assyrians and the nations listed with them. However, no such things were brought against those who carried out the last siege after the coming of our Savior. Therefore the Romans suffered no such thing after their enterprise against the nation. My God, make them like a wheel, like stubble before the face of the wind. Not unseasonably the Prophet,

356

Ἀκύλας καὶ Σύμμαχος, Φυλισταίαν, ἐκδεδώκασιν· ἔθος δὲ καλεῖν τούτῳ τῷ ὀνόματι τοὺς τὴν Γάζαν καὶ τὴν Ἀσκάλωνα καὶ τὴν πάραλον οἰκοῦντας. Καὶ οὗτοι τοίνυν ἐφεξῆς οἱ παραλιῶται ἀλλόφυλοι μετὰ τῶν κατοικούντων Τύρον ἐπέθεντο, φησὶ, κατὰ τοῦ λαοῦ σου· καὶ ἐπὶ πᾶσιν ὁ Ἀσσύριος, τὸ δὴ κεφάλαιον τῶν κακῶν, σὺν τούτοις ὁρμώμενος, 23.997 καὶ τούτοις συμμάχοις χρώμενος, τὴν παράταξιν ἐποιήσατο· ὁμοῦ τε πάντες οἱ προλεχθέντες ἐγενήθησαν εἰς ἀντίληψιν τοῖς υἱοῖς Λώτ. Ἀνθ' οὗ ὁ μὲν Ἀκύλας, Ἐγένοντο, φησὶ, βραχίων τοῖς υἱοῖς Λώτ· ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος, Ἐγένοντο σύμμαχοι τοῖς υἱοῖς Λώτ. Υἱοὶ δὲ Λὼτ ἦσαν Ἀμμανῖται καὶ Μωαβῖται· δύο γὰρ οὗτοι γεγόνασιν υἱοὶ τοῦ Λὼτ, Μωὰβ καὶ Ἀμμών. Ταῦτα δὲ ὅτι μηδὲ ἄλλοτε ἐπληροῦτο ἢ κατὰ τοὺς Ἀσσυρίων χρόνους, σαφῶς ἡ ἱστορία παρίστησι. Τὸ τηνικαῦτα γὰρ πάντα τὰ ἐκ γειτόνων ἔθνη διαφθονούμενα τῇ Ἱερουσαλὴμ καὶ τῷ ἐν αὐτῇ γεγραμμένῳ ναῷ τοῦ Θεοῦ, διψῶντά τε τὴν ἀπώλειαν τοῦ παντὸς Ἰουδαίων ἔθνους, ὁμοῦ οὖν ἐπέθεντο κατ' αὐτῶν τῇ τῶν Βαβυλωνίων δυναστείᾳ συμμαχήσαντα. Τότε μὲν οὖν πολλὰ συνῆκτο κατ' αὐτῶν τὰ τοῖς Ἀσσυρίοις συμμαχοῦντα ἔθνη. Οὔτε δὲ κατὰ Ἀντίοχον, οὔτε κατὰ τὴν ὑστάτην πολιορκίαν, τὰ προκατηριθμημένα ἔθνη φαίνεται συμμαχήσαντα Ῥωμαίοις, ὁπηνίκα τὸν πρὸς Ἰουδαίους συνεστήσαντο πόλεμον. Ποίησον αὐτοῖς ὡς τῇ Μαδιὰν καὶ τῷ Σισάρᾳ, ὡς τῷ Ἰαβὶμ ἐν τῷ χειμάῤῥῳ Κισών. Ἐξωλοθρεύθησαν ἐν Ἀενδὼρ, ἐγενήθησαν ὡσεὶ κόπρος τῇ γῇ. Θοῦ τοὺς ἄρχοντας αὐτῶν ὡς τὸν Ὠρὴβ καὶ Ζὴβ καὶ Ζεβεὲ καὶ Σαλμωνᾶ. Τοιαῦτα θεσπίζει γενέσθαι τοῖς προλεχθεῖσιν ἔθνεσιν ὁ Προφήτης, ὁποῖα τῇ Μαδιὰμ καὶ τῷ Σισάρᾳ, καὶ τῷ Ἰαβὶμ ἐν τῷ χειμάῤῥῳ Κισὼν συνέβη ποτέ· οἵτινες ὁμοῦ πάντες ἐξωλοθρεύθησαν ἐν Ἀενδὼρ, καὶ ἐγενήθησαν ὡσεὶ κόπρος τῇ γῇ. Ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἄρχοντας τῶν προλεχθέντων ἐθνῶν τοιαῦτα παθεῖν ἀξιοῖ, ὁποῖα πεπόνθασιν Ὠρὴβ καὶ Ζὴβ καὶ Ζεβεὲ καὶ Σαλμωνᾶς. Τούτων δὲ πάντων τὴν ἱστορίαν εὑρήσεις ἐν τῇ βίβλῳ φερομένην τῶν Κριτῶν· ἔνθα καὶ ὁ Σισάρα καὶ ὁ Ἰαβὶς, καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ κατωνομασμένοι, ὁπόσα καὶ τίνα κατὰ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ἐμηχανήσαντο, καὶ ὁποῖα πεπόνθασιν, ἡ Γραφὴ παρίστησιν. Ἐφ' ἣν ἀναπέμψωμεν τὸν βουλόμενον τὰ κατ' αὐτοὺς εἰδέναι, διὰ τὸ μακροτέραν εἶναι τὴν περὶ αὐτῶν διήγησιν. Τὰ αὐτὰ σὺν ἐκείνοις καὶ τούτους ἱκετεύει παθεῖν, διότι ὁμοίως ἐκείνοις καὶ οὗτοι εἰρήκασι, Κληρονομήσωμεν ἑαυτοῖς τὸ ἁγιαστήριον τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ἔλεγον δὲ ταῦτα καὶ οἱ περὶ τὸν Σισάρα, καὶ Ἰαβὶς, οἵ τε λοιποὶ, οὓς ὁ λόγος κατὰ λέξιν, περὶ τῆς σκηνῆς καὶ τῆς κιβωτοῦ τοῦ Θεοῦ. Τὸ γὰρ ἁγιαστήριον τοῦ Θεοῦ ταῦτα ἦν, μήπω τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ συνεστώσης. Ἐπηύξατο δὲ ταῦτα ὁ Προφήτης κατὰ τῶν δεδηλωμένων· εἶτ' οὐκ εἰς μακρὸν ἐπληροῦτο τὰ τῆς εὐχῆς. Αὐτίκα γοῦν παραχρῆμα τῇ κατὰ τῶν Ἰουδαίων πολιορκίᾳ καὶ ἡ Ἀσσυρίων κατελύθη δυναστεία διαρκέσασα χρόνοις· καὶ μέχρι τούτου συστᾶσα μέχρις οὗ τοιαῦτα τετολμήκασι κατὰ τῆς Ἱερουσαλήμ. Μετ' οὐ πολὺ γοῦν Κῦρος, τῆς Περσῶν βασιλείας κρατήσας, καταλύει τὴν Ἀσσυρίων ἀρχήν. Καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ δὲ κατὰ μέρος ὠνομασμένα ἔθνη τοιαῦτα πέπονθεν, ὁποῖα ὁ λόγος προέφησεν· ὥστ' εἰκότως ἄν τινα φῆσαι, μὴ κατεύχεσθαι τὸν Προφήτην ἐν τούτοις τῶν δηλουμένων, προφητεύειν δὲ αὐτοῖς τὰ ἐσόμενα, κατά τινα συνήθειαν τῆς Γραφῆς προστακτικῷ τρόπῳ ἀντὶ προαγορευτικοῦ κεχρημένον· ὥσθ' ἡμᾶς ἐξακούειν τὸ, 23.1000 Ποίησον αὐτοῖς, ἀντὶ τοῦ, Ποιήσεις ὡς τῇ Μαδιὰμ καὶ τῷ Σισάρᾳ. Ταῦτα δὲ περὶ τοῦ τέλους τῶν Ἀσσυρίων καὶ τῶν σὺν αὐτοῖς καταλεχθέντων ἐθνῶν προφητεύεται. Οὐ μὴν καὶ περὶ τῶν τὴν ὑστάτην πολιορκίαν μετὰ τὴν τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν παρουσίαν κατειργασμένων τοιαῦτά τινα ἐφέρετο. ∆ιὸ οὐδὲν Ῥωμαῖοι τοιοῦτον πεπόνθασι μετὰ τὴν κατὰ τοῦ ἔθνους ἐπιχείρησιν. Ὁ Θεός μου, θοῦ αὐτοὺς ὡς τροχὸν, ὡς καλάμην κατὰ πρόσωπον ἀνέμου. Οὐκ ἀκαίρως ὁ Προφήτης,