Commentary on the Twelve Minor Prophets

THEODORE OF MOPSUESTIA COMMENTARY ON THE TWELVE MINOR PROPHETS

ANGELO MAI’S PREFACE

(Prefixed to the Greek edition of the year 1832 in the *Nova Collectio Scriptorum Veterum*, vol. VI.)

^A I. Seven years ago, I began to publish the *Commentaries* of Theodore, Bishop of Mopsuestia, on the XII Prophets—whom we call the Minor—having printed the three shorter ones, along with some prologues. Now, as I am about to edit the complete work of this interpreter, I thought it best to include those lighter portions as well, lest Theodore be found wanting in his own members, which had long since been separated and placed in the corner of a volume, and being omitted when the same volume was reprinted, are nowhere to be found today by those who seek them. With this plan undertaken, that part of my preface which speaks of this work of Theodore also had to be repeated, though the discussion concerning his other works is omitted.

Theodore, then, was born of a noble family at Antioch; a disciple of Libanius in eloquence, and of Flavian, Diodore, and Carterius in theology, he was also abundantly instructed in philosophical disciplines. Owing to his manifold knowledge, he was called a polymath, and was a fellow-student and close friend of John Chrysostom; through his encouragement, Theodore shook off the blandishments of luxury. He was the teacher of Theodoret (would that he had not also been the teacher of Nestorius and Bar Sauma!); an opponent of the

Latins, who were ignorant of Greek, were slow to recognize the error because they did not know the language; their constancy, however, did not rest from the struggle until they knew the truth. The cause of so great a matter was that those bishops bore with difficulty the fact that the praises and writings of Theodore, which they falsely thought had been approved at the Council of Chalcedon, were subsequently condemned at the Council of Constantinople. ^A

II. The Commentary on the XII Minor Prophets, which I am now preparing to publish, I found in two codices of the Vatican Library; the first, which once belonged to a certain person of the rank of *protopapas*, and subsequently to John, the Florentine Cardinal Salviati; it later passed into the library of the Colonna family in Rome; finally, it reached the Vatican codices ten years ago, when I was in charge. It is a very ancient vellum codex, roughly of the eleventh century, most complete and most accurate. The other codex, which has long belonged to the Vatican collection, is paper and recent, and lacks the commentary on Zechariah, the indubitable reason for which I shall set forth a little later. This recent one follows the reading of the older one so closely that I strongly suspect it to have been transcribed from it. I, for my part, have had no reason to use the recent one, but have always used the superior ancient one. There was thus enough of a resource for me in the Pontifical Library to prepare the edition; but since a great treasure exists elsewhere as well, I shall not be loath to set forth briefly the information on foreign codices that I have encountered in my investigations. First, the Imperial Library of Vienna possesses two codices of Theodore on the XII prophets, one of which Lambecius described under number CLXIII (a); Forlosia, who also thought of an edition, speaks at length of the other, which is clearly similar to this one, in the supplements to Kollarius, p. 167. These two Viennese codices are paper and not ancient: indeed, the second was brought from Italy to Vienna by Apostolo Zeno: yet it is quite apparent that it is a transcript of the old Colonna codex, now the Vatican; inasmuch as those three scholia published by Kollarius—in which some Greek theologian, I know not who, criticizes certain sentiments of our Theodore in the margin of the prophet Zechariah—those very scholia exist in the margins of the Colonna codex and correspond word for word with those published. Now, because the commentary of the Mopsuestian on Zechariah seemed to be exposed to some accusation, the scribe of the recent Vatican codex omitted it: a policy which I do not at all approve; for the status of the Church is not endangered if, by chance, the Mopsuestian wanders a bit too freely in his audacity or novelty of interpretation. The fifth codex is at Venice, observed by Montfaucon (b) in the Grimani library. The sixth is likewise in Venice, which the same Montfaucon (c) saw at the home of Meletius Typaldus. A seventh codex was in Gaul, in the possession of Gerasimus Blachus, according to Combefis (d). And this codex was also inspected, I believe, by Stephanus ab Altimura (Lequinius), who in his *Panoplia*, p. 433, says that he read the Commentaries of the Mopsuestian on the XII prophets. ^B Information regarding an eighth codex was, I believe, first provided by Possevinus (e), who said it existed in Rome in the Vallicellian library; when I examined this codex, I discovered it to be a slight fragment of the interpretation of Hosea, consisting of twelve pages, reaching up to the thirteenth verse of the second chapter. Moreover, as to those who have longer handled the codices of this preeminent work, I find at least three men; the first of whom is Franciscus Turrianus (f), from whom, while he was residing in Rome, one may conjecture that the Vatican codex itself was read. The second is Samuel Tenulius, who in a letter to Nic. Heinsius (g) says that he had transcribed for himself in Latium the fragments of Theodore of Antioch on Hosea; which phrasing of his leads me to think that Tenulius is speaking of the Vallicellian codex, which in reality contains nothing, as we have said, but a brief fragment on Hosea. The third is Anselmus Bandurius, who in the *conspectus* of the works of Nicephorus, which Fabricius published (h), says on p. 626 that he would, among other things, edit the commentary of Theodore of Mopsuestia on the XII prophets. Now, because Bandurius promised that he would do this—I know not to Cosimus III, Duke of Tuscany, whose library he himself managed (although neither Bandurius in Florence nor Forlosia in Vienna kept their promise)—Fabricius (i) thought the codex of that work existed in the Medicean library. Now, however, we see that such a codex was unknown to Bandurius; from which it follows that it was not in the Medicean library. In truth, Bandurius says nothing other than that he had unearthed that work from the libraries, among which he had shortly before mentioned the Vatican: and indeed if he were speaking of his own Medicean one, he would have said he had the Mopsuestian in his possession. Even then, that Salviati codex, now in the Vatican, was still at that age, I believe, in Florence with its old masters; in which city it easily came to the notice and hands of Bandurius. ^C

III. But come now, so that we may not doubt the author of the work, there is a witness present in all the manuscripts, fixed in the title: Θοοδώρου Ἀντιοχέως, that is, Theodore of Antioch by birth. But because there was more than one Theodore born at Antioch, behold, Photius (j) presents to us four

separate individuals who bear that name, and teaches us that we must clearly understand that the one who denotes the works titled under the name of Theodore of Antioch is the one from Mopsuestia; saying in the first place: ^A *This man is the bishop who was of Mopsuestia*; in the second place: *This is the one from Mopsuestia*; in the third place, after mentioning the work of Theodore of Antioch on Persian magic, he adds: *This Theodore appears to be the one from Mopsuestia* (and indeed, that the word "appears" is accustomed to be used in certain matters among some Greek authors, Montfaucon demonstrates in his preface to Eusebius' commentary on the Psalms, ch. 10); lastly, in the fourth place: *A book was read, the title of which is "of Theodore of Antioch"; but it is [the work] of the one from Mopsuestia, as we learned from certain letters; the book of Theodore of Antioch was read; but this man is the bishop of Mopsuestia, as became known to me from certain letters.* From this, therefore, we know two things: namely, both that the ancient codices of the works of the Mopsuestian—not to mention those we possess now—bore the name of Theodore of Antioch, and that as often as that name occurs in them, almost by antonomasia, it is the Mopsuestian who is to be understood.

Moreover, that our Theodore wrote on the twelve minor prophets is clearly affirmed by the Syrian Ebediesus in his catalogue, besides the fact that the title of this work is also written in the fifth council, which, however, I shall proceed to weigh in the balance later. Furthermore, that we possess the work of the Mopsuestian in our hands, we recognize from the fact that in the prologue to his commentary on Hosea and elsewhere, the author declares more than once that he also wrote on the Psalms; and that the Psalter was illustrated by the Mopsuestian is most well-known. But indeed, nothing so proves that these explanations of the minor prophets are the genuine works of the Mopsuestian as his actual style of writing, which corresponds to the testimonies of the ancients regarding him without any doubt.

In the first place, we discern that this author follows the letter and history most strictly, and avoids every allegory most zealously; on the other hand, he labors under no fault so much as that of the very many repetitions stuffed into the same page, which tautology is certainly very tiresome to delicate ears. Likewise, he wraps himself in long periods, begins from far off, hangs suspended for a long time, or departs far away by inserting new thoughts, so that he sometimes becomes rugged to one reading or ^B interpreting him. Leontius, in *Against the Nestorians* III, 11, says that older interpreters were often blamed and mocked by the Mopsuestian while he was explaining the Scriptures according to his own judgment. We now see a frequent demonstration of this habit of his in these commentaries. Also, Photius says that very many authorities of Scripture were accustomed to be cited by the Mopsuestian, which the commentaries now show to have been stated by him most truthfully.

But indeed, what Tillemont says—that the Mopsuestian had committed the entire Bible to memory, of which fact he cites Leontius in *De sectis*, act. 4—the learned man errs plainly, not having understood the words of Leontius: τὴν ἄλλην γραφὴν ὑπεμνημάτισεν. Truly, that for ἄλλην one should read ὅλην, the thing itself cries out, and in truth the interpreters of Leontius explain it as "the whole." Nevertheless, ὑπεμνημάτισεν does not signify that he kept it in his memory, but that he commented upon it. Wherefore it must be said that he commented on the entire Bible. Indeed, Photius perceived in Theodore almost all the characteristics of the author we are editing. For thus he writes in codex 177: *Fleeing the allegories in the way possible for him, and making his interpretation according to the history; he tautologizes in most things, and seems to be somewhat grace[less] and unpleasant.* And in codex 4: *He is not very brilliant in phrasing, but is very dense in thoughts and arguments, and excels in Scriptural testimonies.* (Photius, in the sixth codex, likewise hints at the density of Theodore’s sentences.) ^C Finally, codex 177: *He is obscure, not because he uses unusual diction, but because he is accustomed to use rope-stretching periods and successive parentheses, by which his thought is stretched out to a great length from the subjects at hand, and he abounds in the oblique cases of nouns and in participial words, and often repeats the same things and without order, and his repetitions are more filled with digressions (which is entirely without method) than are his narratives, and [he is filled] with such things, which cast no small shadow over his writings.*

Moreover, as regards the avoidance of allegories, which the Mopsuestian strives for everywhere, he is consistent with himself, as he wrote a work against Origen and the allegorists. Certainly, there is no one who would deny that Origen indulged in allegorical interpretations without limit, and by that institute often perverted sacred doctrine and history, and brought in countless monsters of error. This malady of the most ingenious Origen had been sufficiently foreseen by his father, the illustrious martyr of Christ, Leonidas, who, as Eusebius recounts, had advised his son not to seek anything beyond the obvious sense in the divine Scriptures. And indeed, I am sometime about to bring to light some unknown passages of the Fathers against a few of Origen’s more audacious ^D allegories. Eusebius of Caesarea, a great devotee of Origen, wrote an apology for these allegorical interpretations of his; of this matter Ebediesus informs us in his catalogue, who adds that this work of Eusebius was refuted by Theodore. Wherefore now no one will wonder that nothing is said allegorically by our author. As regards the statement of Augustine, or rather of Paul, that the entire Old Testament is a figure of the New, and that all things were subsequently related to Christ who was to come, this is also the constant opinion of our Theodore, both in his prologues and elsewhere. Certainly, no pious person would of himself contemn the allegorical and anagogical and any mystical kind of interpreting, which we see was not foreign to the apostles themselves and the apostolic Fathers. But as for how far one ought to proceed, that will finally be determined by the prudent, who neither

^A totally loosen the reins of belief, nor allow themselves to appear as if they are not so much interpreting as inflicting violence upon the Scriptures: as if it were not a sin to deprave sacred doctrine and to drag the stubborn oracles to suit one's own will. Some, meanwhile, have taken so much upon themselves that they make Scripture mean whatever they themselves want. And yet the great Jerome (a), in mentioning some of the mystical commentaries of the ancients on the prophet Zechariah, immediately adds that he had mixed the tropology of the Christians with the history of the Jews, so that he might build upon the rock and not upon the sand, and that he might lay a stable foundation, which Paul the architect writes that he had laid.

IV. It remains for me to refute certain doubts arising against the authenticity of the work, or rather, concerning its author. In the fourth action of the fifth synod, the twentieth of the many accusations against Theodore has this title: *Of Theodore of Mopsuestia, from the beginning of the commentary* (b) *which he wrote on the twelve prophets, denying that the prophecies about Christ were predicted*; but those who do not wish—so speaks the Mopsuestian—to consider these things, attempt to drag all the voices to the Lord Christ, so that they understand even those things that were done regarding the people in a similar way, and offer them to the laughter of the Jews, when from the sequence of the writings the voices show nothing pertaining to the Lord Christ. The accuser of the Mopsuestian then proceeds in chapters 21 and 22 to produce several passages from the Psalms, from which he complains that a prophecy was excluded by the Mopsuestian. Now, there is no doubt that the beginning of the *Commentary on the XII Prophets* is an interpretation of Hosea, not so much because the order itself in the codices teaches this, as because the author says so in his first words. But in this which I have mentioned, at the beginning, there is not a word consonant with that synodic testimony. What then? Is it therefore permitted to doubt the author? By no means. For since it is established from elsewhere that Theodore of Mopsuestia is the author of this commentary, it follows that in the synodic codex, *Commentary on the Psalms* must be substituted for *Commentary on the XII Prophets*; and this error must be ascribed either to Callonymus, the notary of the council or the compiler who recites it there, or it certainly crept in afterwards into the synodic codices, of which none appear to survive that are sufficiently ancient. I have no Greek or even Latin codex of the fifth synod at hand in which I might trace the reading; especially since most of the acts of this synod have perished. Therefore, in the meantime, until some synodic codex perhaps offers a better reading, I shall use the following arguments to remove this contradiction. That title from the beginning of the commentary on the XII prophets seems entirely surreptitious; for whatever precedes or follows there is taken from the *Commentary on the Psalms* of Theodore—for it precedes his interpretation of the eighth psalm; it follows his *on the twenty-first psalm*. And afterwards his *on the interpretation of the CXXXVIII psalm*. But what is the main point: the passages themselves, which are cited under the false title of *Commentary on the XII Prophets*, are all sought from the Psalms, and are intermediate between the eighth and twenty-first psalms, which is praised in the following title; indeed, they are brought forth from psalms XII and XV, and from the XXI itself; from which it appears that the synodic compiler recites nothing there but a series of passages extracted in order from the *Commentary of the Mopsuestian on the Psalms*. And indeed, the Mopsuestian had offered a handle for accusations precisely in the interpretation of the Psalms, in which he had exulted with youthful audacity; for if Leontius speaks true things in book III, 15, *Against the Nestorians*, he had referred all the psalms to Zerubbabel and Hezekiah, with only three reserved for Christ the Lord. Then the historian Hesychius, at the V council, Act V, speaks thus concerning the Mopsuestian: *Beginning the first elements of his doctrine from Jewish vanity, he wrote a book on the prophecy of the Psalms, denying all the predictions about the Lord.* Nor, however, is there need for external testimony, since we have the author himself accusing his own writings on the psalms in a certain letter in Facundus III, 6: *You admire the things that were written in the psalms, which we wrote first among all others: but we did not have as much diligence regarding that matter as we ought to have: for we were subject to whatever beginners suffer, as it happens, established in the inexperience of writing: since also many changes have been incurred from that time which are ours, which it is not the time at present to detail: for which cause many things were composed by us more negligently, and especially those things which are the first.* Again, Facundus X, 5 himself: *Theodore, willingly reproving himself in the exposition of the Psalms, confessed that many things were composed by him negligently, and especially those things which are the first.* Surely, if Facundus is speaking here of one work, it appears that Theodore, from his own interpretation of the Psalms, had especially criticized the beginning of the work (concerning which beginning, of course, there is talk in the synodic text). But let it be, if you will, ambiguous whether the word *prima* in Facundus signifies the beginnings of the work or rather the beginning of the writing; but the authority of Leontius is by no means doubtful in *Against the Nestorians*, book III, 43, where, criticizing the writings of the Mopsuestian, he enumerates among them τὴν κατὰ τῶν ἱερῶν ψαλμῶν τυφλοποιὸν προθεωρίαν: for so I have edited from the Greek Vatican codex, which words in Turrianus's Latinity—which alone had been edited until now—are thus: *and the blinding premeditation upon the sacred Psalms.* And yet Turrianus could have interpreted it as *preface*: for who does not know that arguments or prefaces of Greek speeches or lucubrations of this kind are called *protheoriai*? I therefore judge strongly that the synodic compiler looked to the preface of the *Commentary on the Psalms*, in which Theodore had played with a freer mind, and had poured forth certain things more audaciously against mystical or figurative senses (such as those words of the synodic testimony), which he himself later retracted, as Hesychius says. Finally, note (a) Prolog. to comm. on Zech. (b) Council. here and elsewhere in the commentary; but it is a mistake of the scribe who did not understand the abbreviation of the letter with a small superior line.

^A that it is a source of great wonder if, by chance, one work of the Mopsuestian was cited in place of another, if it is certainly established that not only was this error committed, but also that its titles were at times thoroughly perverse. For did not Leontius inscribe or refer to the books of Theodore *On the Incarnation* and his *Commentaries on Job*—because they were filled with insane and ruinous opinions—as *Against the Incarnation* (κατὰ ἐνθρώπησως) and *Against Job* (κατὰ τὸν Ἰώβ)? Indeed, that this was done in the Fifth Council itself, out of hatred or certainly by the error of the secretaries, is most justly asserted in the *Notes on the Knowledge of our Theodore* ^B by Tillemont (a), whose words are these: "In the Fifth Council (b), among the passages cited from Theodore of Mopsuestia to justify his condemnation, one is found cited from his *Commentary on Saint Matthew*; and at the head of the following one there is: *From the same book, that God taught sin and introduced death*. Theodore certainly did not give this title to any of his works; and it must be an error which one pretends to draw from some one of his books, and without doubt from the *Commentary on Saint Matthew*, named immediately before, if we read *ex eodem libro*." In exactly this way we have said above that that passage, which is said to be *from the Commentary on the XII Prophets*, ought to be referred to the book of the Psalter cited in the preceding works. This, I say, is a peremptory demonstration against those who would object to us the synodic testimony. Thus I once argued, that I might persuade in the synod that the *Preface to the Psalms* ought to be written instead of the *Preface to the XII Prophets*. Now it comes to mind that it is possible that some general *Preface to the Minor Prophets* once existed for our Theodore, which has not been preserved in the codices, perhaps on account of reverence toward the council by which it was censured. Certainly, we see a general prologue written by Theodoret, who greatly follows Theodore in his interpretation of those same prophets: then, in our text of Theodore, if *εἰς ἔλεγχον οὖν τῶν* etc. is written for *εἰς ἔλεγχον τῶν* etc., this one particle, which perhaps was then removed when the earlier parts were being cut away, would sufficiently indicate that a general prologue had been prefixed by Theodore. Also, those words on p. 1, v. 5, *καθ' ἃ πρόσθεν ἔφθην εἰπὼν* (if certainly it is punctuated before *ἐν ψαλμοῖς*, otherwise if after) denote not an action in a different work, but in the present writing: which if it is so, a general prologue is necessarily understood, which without doubt seems to have been most appropriate for such copious commentaries on the XII Prophets.

V. Concerning the manner, system, and purpose with which Theodore ^C drew up these commentaries on the prophets, one must speak with sober brevity. And first, one may admire Theodore's happy and fruitful genius, who takes most things from his own store, and imitates no one, let alone plagiarizes. And although these prophets are most obscure beyond all other parts of the Sacred Scriptures, so that they cannot be read at all without an interpreter, Theodore explains them with such ease, and with such a natural and ready flow, that he seems not to be reading words, but to be fixing the keenness of his eyes upon the mind of each prophet. Wherefore, not without reason has he been said by many to hold the citadel of interpreters. Nor indeed does Theodore call into the count either the Hebrew text or the Syriac interpretation derived from the Hebrew, or the Hexapla of Origen: nay, he more than once criticizes the Syriac interpretation (though he was a man of Antioch) and its anonymous interpreter (pp. 185, 194, 202); for, being content with the Greek text of the LXX Interpreters, he embraces and follows this one alone, on account of the consummate skill and wisdom, as he says, of those elders, and on account of the authority of the apostles, who commended this version to Christian neophytes (pp. 185, 194, 202). Nor was Theodore himself skilled in the Hebrew language, from which he borrows no light; and further, on p. 91, he says: "They say that *ἐωσφόρον* signifies *phosphoros* in the language of the Hebrews": by which statement he demonstrates that he judges regarding a Hebrew word not by his own knowledge, but by the authority of another. Again on p. 185, when there is a disagreement among the Greek Interpreters, he is led by the Syrian in the explanation of a Hebrew word; he himself indeed follows the Greeks, not as if led by grammatical force, but by reverence. Wherefore, Ernest ^D does not aim correctly in Rosenmüller (c), who suspects that the Mopsuestian seemed to be Judaizing for this reason, because he had made an interpretation according to the Hebrew texts. Nor does Theodore (otherwise than as modern critics do, pompously indeed, but not without confusion and hindrance to their readers) amass multiple erudition or the names of many authors; nay, when a controversy perchance arises concerning the cities of Bothrus, Tharsis, and Ammon, our author breaks off the argument as quickly as possible, so that he might not depart even a nail's breadth from his prophet. And out of so many biblical expositors before him, he names not even one by name; he almost never mentions the anonymous ones without vituperation, as on pp. 71, 111, 222, 254. But who those anonymous ones may be, it is perhaps permissible to understand from Jerome, who was contemporaneous with our Mopsuestian, in his *Prologue to Hosea*, who says that there were interpreters of the minor prophets before him: Origen, Apollinaris, Pierius, Eusebius of Caesarea, and Didymus. These, therefore, or some of them, I suspect were criticized by Theodore. For I hardly think it should be thought concerning Jerome himself, not so much because he was a contemporary, as I said, as because it is hardly credible that Latin commentaries were read by a man of the Greek tongue. Origen had written an almost immense work, now lost, on the minor prophets: wherefore I judge greatly that it was this, above all, that displeased the Mopsuestian on account of the different manner of interpreting. But nothing from Pierius or Apollinaris or Didymus remains: finally, also the sixteenth book of Eusebius's *Evangelical Demonstration*, in which he had discussed certain things about Hosea, has perished.

VI. Now, because I have spoken of those who preceded Theodore in interpreting these prophets, let me briefly also commemorate some who followed him—the ancients, I say, whose writings have reached us. There are, indeed (to omit the Jewish ones and the very brief chapters of Hesychius), three Greeks: Theodoret, Cyril, Theophylact; and likewise three Latins: Jerome, Rufinus, and Remigius. Reading their commentaries, I saw that Theodoret was indeed an acolyte of the Mopsuestian and sometimes even a plagiarist in his prologues, but yet he is to be compared with him neither in acuteness nor in abundance. Cyril filled a large volume with his commentaries, in which he says many things, both moral and mystical. Finally, Theophylact, a man of a later age, brings forth little, I think, of his own, but culls literal, moral, and mystical expositions from the researches of the ancients, according to the custom of his time. Among the Latins, Jerome stands out for his singular excellence, for he brought all the treasures of his intellect, eloquence, and learning to his expositions of these prophets. After him, Rufinus undertook the interpretation of the five prophets, but produced a copious moral paraphrase, and in his prologue passed an unfair judgment upon Jerome, claiming that his discourse flowed entirely from the allegories of Origen or the fabulous traditions of the Jews. The third is Remigius of Auxerre, who flourished in the ninth century under Charles the Bald. Johannes Hentenius published his commentaries on the twelve minor prophets in the year 1545, which were subsequently transferred to the Library of the Fathers at Lyons. However, Hentenius says that he necessarily omitted the commentary on Hosea because the only manuscript he had acquired lacked it. I, however, upon examining an ancient Vatican manuscript, found the commentary of Remigius on Hosea as well, though mutilated—that is, not yet completed up to the fifth chapter. This is not a defect of the parchments, which as often happens might have fallen away; for on the same page where Hosea ends imperfectly, Joel begins there. From this we know that the ancient scribe had only this part of the Remigian commentary on Hosea at hand. Now, even though Hentenius proudly praises the commentaries he edited, I would count Remigius among the minor interpreters (in *calonibus*) rather than among the primary ones—and this I judge equally regarding his other commentaries on the Holy Bible, whether published or unpublished. Certainly, that frequent study of etymologies is of little use or substance. Nevertheless, another work of Remigius has come to my attention, one very full of secular learning, the publication of which, by heaven, I shall not neglect when there is leisure. Meanwhile, having chanced upon such a rare manuscript, I did not want to allow this unpublished part of the commentary on Hosea to remain any longer in the darkness. Therefore, I have placed this supplement by Remigius in that part of my volume from which I had removed another research of a canonical nature. ^A

VII. But now let my discourse return to Theodore, whose praises for these many expositions, if I were to reveal them, I would either be infinite or would certainly have to compose a perpetual commentary on his commentary. In the first place, the author, having grasped the entire matter of the prophecies with his mind, wonderfully intermingles them and mutually illustrates them, and connects them here and there with the major prophets, but especially with the Davidic Psalms. Indeed, the dignity of his prologues, the abundance of his digressions or amplifications, the acuteness of his questions, and the spontaneous and almost playful explanation of the most difficult passages will, I hope, greatly delight the scholarly reader. For example, regarding the words of Amos ch. 1, 3: *For three transgressions of Damascus and for four I will not turn back*, our author most felicitously and according to the nature of oriental idioms explains it thus: He says "for three and four," that is, for many. For because a number after one and two is called plural, he denotes many by the word "three," but by the word "four" he exaggerates the multitude. Again, at the words of Micah ch. 5, 5: *Then shall be raised up against him seven shepherds, and eight principals of men*, after ridiculing the vanity of certain interpreters, he affirms that seven is simply to be understood in the biblical manner as a perfect or great number, and eight as its surplus. And this is illuminated by the words of the Lord telling Peter that he should not forgive sins seven times but seventy times seven; and by those of Ecclesiastes, *Give a portion to seven, and also to eight*; concerning which Ambrose comments in very mystical and subtle fashion in book V on Luke, no. 49—a passage of Ambrose which the Maurist editors struggle to elucidate, being shrouded in Cimmerian darkness; but the Mopsuestian explains the aforementioned words simply and truly: Munificently give to the needy, and do not refuse to abound in this. And Theodore sincerely and holily confesses in many places that the entire Old Testament was a preparation for the New, and that all things were directed by God to the coming Christ (e.g., pp. 1, 69, 72, 114–116, 120, 208), but especially in his prologue to Jonah—that great miracle of the prophet living within the whale, which some recent critics wickedly deride (not even believing Christ, Matt. 12, 40), some admit only allegorically, or consider the prophet's dream, while others declare it to be concocted from the fables of the heathens, as for instance concerning Andromeda, or Hercules, who escaped unharmed from the vitals of a Neptunian dog. Theodore, piously, as is the custom of the Church Fathers and Catholics, embraces it with the utmost reverence and does not allow any question to be raised about it. But so that I may give an illustrious specimen of the mind of Theodore, by which he hands down the prophecies concerning Christ, I shall not refuse, for the sake of those who do not know Greek (since I have excluded the Latin interpretation from this volume, which I reserve for a more leisurely time to be completed and polished), to place here a splendid tract in Latin on those words of Joel ch. 2, 28–31: *I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. And upon my servants and upon my handmaids in those days I will pour out of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in heaven and in earth, blood ^B

and fire and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and illustrious day of the Lord comes. There, I say, after other things spoken, Theodore argues thus: ^A These words the blessed Peter, addressing the Jews concerning the coming of the Holy Spirit, used very suitably, since the ancient law was a kind of shadow of all future things. And those ancient things were indeed something small and as it were shadowed; so that they were said to be so more by way of hyperbole than according to the truth of the thing, but the very truth of the words finally had its effect manifested in Christ the Lord; at which time all things, great and terrifying and new and wonderful, appeared beyond all the events of the ancient law: so that the Old Testament was in the place of a riddle, but the greatness of the things done under Christ the Lord finally set forth the truth. And so the blessed David said of the people: “Nor is his soul left in hell, neither did his flesh see corruption:” which indeed cannot be understood of the thing then done, but it is said metaphorically and hyperbolically that the people were snatched from danger and destruction. ^B Moreover, the truth of the prophecy itself was made manifest in Christ the Lord, since because of the power of rising again, neither did his soul remain long among the dead, separated from the body, nor did the body suffer any corruption; which not only retained its own form, in which it had died, but even passed unto an immortal and incorruptible nature. Wherefore those former things were a riddle; these latter are the truth. The blessed Peter, therefore, used those words as having been formerly spoken metaphorically not without cause, but now having followed the true outcome in the finished deed; so that now we ought to believe in the present events more than to be amazed at those ancient ones. And a little further on: All things resulted most truly in Christ the Lord; for both the sun was truly darkened, and the moon likewise; and great and many prodigies occurred in heaven and on earth; and the saving blood of Christ the Lord was seen; and the appearance of fire, which signified the power of the descending Spirit; ^C to which the vapor of smoke preceded, which portended the punishments coming to the crucifiers. Then also all became partakers of the grace of the Holy Spirit, and were signaled out by many and various charisms: wherefore some prophesied, others produced many miracles, for the sake of asserting the magnitude of the thing done, and for establishing the faith and glory of Christ the Lord. What therefore the prophet had once said metaphorically or hyperbolically, now has the manifest truth of the things signified; indeed the words are inferior to the things themselves. Why therefore the blessed apostles understood this prophecy, as well as the rest that were spoken by the prophets concerning other things, as being of the incarnation of Christ the Lord, we may deservedly believe to be for the reason we have stated. For thus the history of ancient things does not appear in the least fictitious, and ^D the magnitude of the present things is more proven by a comparison of them; and this appears from every side, that the matters of the old law are referred to the events of the New Testament: yet to such an extent do the former yield to the latter, as much as it is fitting for a shadow to be inferior to a body, even if it seems to square with it. Thus far Theodore; to whom I will add Rufinus, who in his Commentary on the words of Hosea, ch. xi, 1, "Out of Egypt have I called my son," writes thus: That this was said of the people, the text of the prophecy shows, but the apostolic authority has shown that it can also be transferred to the person of our Lord Jesus Christ; through whom, clearly, those insignias of divine piety given to the Jews were bestowed upon us more abundantly and more gracefully. Nor should this also be left unsaid, that the order of the prophets in Theodore is different from the common order in the Greek editions, but does conform to that which the Latin Vulgate retains. Furthermore, that distinction of verses which the moderns introduced, and which it is no longer expedient to change because of common usage, is often perceived to be absurd and contrary to the meaning of the discourse; which defect we see is sometimes also admitted in higher sections of the chapters; all of which the discourse of Theodore, which uses different pauses, corrects. And I remember having once demonstrated that this division of chapters was made quite thoughtlessly in the orations of Cicero as well, when I was editing the parts of the Verrines from the most ancient palimpsest of the Vatican library. But yet, Theodore does not show that the biblical context is to be distinguished differently for the reason that he himself makes any sectioning of chapters and verses; for the writing in the codex is continuous (even if I did distinguish it in the edition); but because he begins his discourse differently, and likewise concludes it differently, than the Vulgate text sets forth, he demonstrates that he has acknowledged a different system of breathing and sectioning.

VIII. It remains that we should argue against Theodore, as far as he seems to deflect from the right path; not in the manner of that diatribe which is read among the writings of Chrysostom against "Theodore the Fallen," but rather with a gentle admonition to readers that they should beware of his sometimes dangerous interpretation. For it is the peculiar practice of Theodore to explain the prophets historically, that is, that he understands and interprets the force of the prophecies everywhere concerning the affairs and persons of the Old Testament: and in these, specifically in the minor prophets, he always has the captivity and the return of the Jews before his eyes; in the two final ones, namely, Zechariah and Malachi, he also recognizes the times of the Maccabees; but he refers the prophecies to Christ and his Church only, generally, because of a truer and fuller *ekbasis*, that is, outcome, as we have known in the example cited, and again regarding Micah v, 2, where our author argues about the promises made to David by God; and regarding Zechariah ix, 10, where he denies that the prophecy can be divided between Zerubbabel and Christ. But yet this method was not without reason suspected and disapproved by Greek and Latin Fathers and even by the councils themselves: for there are in reality many prophecies which look uniquely to Christ, with no one else interposed; nor is the authority of Theodore so great, nor is his keenness to be believed so singular, that what other Fathers, such great and such important men, thought and taught were predicted in a more sublime sense, this man, by his own judgment, should first…

human to explain, and then transfer to the divine; how much such a method weakens the force of prophecies among the common people, debilitates the faith of the weaker, and even opens the door to the incredulity of some, all pious people perceive. Certainly, it is fitting that this kind of interpretation ^A should have pleased the Jews, those principal enemies of Christ and Christians at all times; and on that account, I think Theodore is called *Ioudaiophrona* (Jew-minded) by George Hamartolus in his as-yet-inedited chronicle; and also because he seems to have studiously read the commentaries of the Synedriacs (using I know not what interpreter), or rather to have heard Jewish masters: for certainly in Renaudot, Bar-Salibaeus affirms that our Theodore was instructed by Jews. In any case, what Jerome says are the opinions of the Hebrews, we sometimes read in Theodore. Which, however, Jerome notes in his Commentary on Jonah, that the Hebrew Joseph understood "Tharsis" as Tarsus of Cilicia; this Theodore opposes. Nor, furthermore, is it fair to impute a love of the Jewish sect to Theodore, for in his prologue to Jonah he severely chastises the obstinacy of the Jews against Christ. That also seems to be said a little too freely by Theodore, on pages 63, 212, and 223, that to the men of the Old Testament neither the persons of the Son nor of the Holy Spirit were fully known; a privilege, however, which we certainly ought not strip from some of the prophets. Wherefore, in the commentary on Zechariah, we read the scholia of a Greek man appended as a critique of this boldness of Theodore, which I also have guarded against somewhat. Finally, that which he often denotes with the single word *energeias* (energies) by way of the divine utterances to the prophets, and visions, and various revelations, is hard to approve; although Theodore disputes wisely and acutely on this matter at the beginning of Nahum, where he explains the word *lemma* and stands entirely in the right opinion. Nor, indeed, will any sane person blame me for bringing to light the writings of Theodore, even if they are sometimes near to error; for flaws and faults are, I think, obscured by many good things: besides, I have so invincibly set forth this apology in the preface to Photius, and especially to the Arian fragments (Vol. III, Part II, pp. 186-187), that there now is no need to add another word. ^B IX. I had at one time intended to publish all of Theodore’s fragments, especially from the Greek Vatican catenae and the codices of Oriental languages, combined together: because this, on account of occupations, is not now permitted, I have taken care to bring forward in Greek from a very ancient Vatican codex at least the ample fragments from his lost works, *On the Incarnation of the Lord*, *Against Apollinaris*, and the books on the *Psalms*—which Leontius once transcribed and Canisius published only in Latin—along with the judgment of Leontius upon them, who rightly argued against the heresy lurking within them, and who in his preface enumerates many of Theodore’s works which his followers used to hide so studiously that Leontius himself did not possess anything except the work *On the Incarnation*. But indeed, we have already long ago enumerated many more of Theodore’s writings in the preface to the first volume of our Collection.

SECOND PREFACE OF ANGELO MAI.

I. Polychronius, bishop of Apamea, once wrote a brief chapter on the obscurity of the holy books (which it is necessary to consider especially in the prophets), which we observed in a very ancient Vatican codex, and which was also brought by Photius among the Amphilochian questions which we have published; we placed it some years ago in the first volume of *Ancient Writers*. To commemorate this thing now was not useless, so that greater praise might from this redound upon the brother of Polychronius, our Theodore of Mopsuestia, whose interpretation of the minor prophets—which we have brought forth—is so plain and clear, whereas their style, mostly, if viewed in its bare state, seems almost more than that of other authors of holy Scripture to be pressed by the darkness of obscurity. And nevertheless, the very man Theodore, so full of light, had himself written a book *On Obscure Expression* (of the Bibles, I think), mentioned by Ebediesu in his catalog, with which writing he perhaps offered help to his brother Polychronius. But would not someone say, "Are there not also other explanations existing for these knotty prophets?" They do indeed exist, as public books teach, and as I have mentioned others by name; and it is amazing that within about fifty years, namely from the last part of the fourth century to nearly the middle of the fifth (which was, by heaven, the more learned age of the Church), there flourished the most noble interpreters of these prophets, contemporaries of our Theodore: 1. St. Jerome; 2. Rufinus, as is commonly written in codices and books; 3. St. Cyril of Alexandria; 4. Theodoret. I say that we see the elegant commentaries of all of these in print, which to compare with our Mopsuestian will be very useful and pleasing to the reader.

^A to these, although I wish to take nothing away, I nonetheless say that our author here seems not inferior in the art of writing, and almost more pleasing due to his clarity and a certain natural ease. Again, I proclaim that age fortunate, which besides these five, also produced other interpreters of those same prophets who are now lost, namely Didymus, as attested by Jerome in *De viris illustribus* c. 109; Chrysostom, whom Rufinus says he read in his preface; and likewise Ephraem of Antioch, according to Photius (cod. 129, ed. p. 820); and finally the empress Eudocia, as the same Photius relates in codex 184. But if the inscription of the Parisian codex 142 is true, there lies hidden within it a commentary on Nahum by Epiphanius, a contemporary of those mentioned. For of what century that man was, of whom we once provided three fragments (Script. vet. vii, p. 68), under this title: *Ebionis ex enarratione in prophetas*, will not be easily determined: for in the noble Vatican codex, which we inspected again, it is written explicitly *Ebionis*, so that one must consider Ebion, a contemporary of the apostle John. Certainly the Ebionites, by the testimony of the authentic Epiphanius (*Haer.* XXX, 18), hating the other prophets, acknowledged one prophet, Christ, about whom alone those three fragments indeed speak. But Labbe (conspect. op. Damasc. p. 50) read *Eubionis* in the Gallican codex. Which reading is the truer, God knows; but certainly Eubion was also an ancient man, since Presbyter Anastasius, among whom those fragments are preserved, belongs to the early ages and is not to be judged much more recent than the Mopsuestian. Now, a contemporary of Anastasius was Hesychius, whose many annotations on the prophets lie scattered in Vatican codices.

^B II. Nevertheless, to return to our Mopsuestian: we have sketched out the history of the man, who is famous throughout all antiquity and especially in the East, in another volume of our collection of Writers (vol. VI), and we said enough, I think, about the multitude of his books, his merits, and the criticisms of him, and we have now spared ourselves the trouble of saying more. Yet because we had previously brought most things to light only in Greek, it seemed wrong to deprive those who are illiterate in Greek of such an author for any longer; therefore, mindful of our old promise, we have diligently rendered the whole into Latin, and with such a voluminous undertaking we have filled a great part of this volume. And indeed the aim of the Mopsuestian is to illustrate Jewish history especially; yet in such a way that he acknowledges and confesses the prophetic spirit and the relationship to Christ in the chief passages, although often *kat’ exbasin*, that is, according to the fuller outcome of the prophecies in Christ and Christian affairs: a style of interpretation which, though not completely unusual among other interpreters of Holy Scripture, was nevertheless sometimes suspected in Theodore; and yet this ought certainly to be done by a Christian writer only with pious and sincere faith. For this reason, our author seemed to some to be *Ioudaeiophron*; although he clearly demonstrates that he himself firmly believes in Christ and religiously venerates his divinity and the mystery of the economy, see pp. 439, 150, 191. Whether he knew Hebrew is not sufficiently certain; but he was certainly not ignorant of the Syriac dialect, since he more than once attacks and refutes the Syrian interpreter of the Hebrew (pp. 241, 252, 263). But he himself certainly follows, admires, and praises the LXX interpreters alone (p. 262). Furthermore, he says that he strives for varied and curious erudition on purpose and with dedicated labor (pp. 136, 159, 227), and devotes himself merely to explaining the words of the prophets.

^C III. We found this work in a Vatican codex, formerly of the Colonna library, of wonderful integrity and antiquity, and we occasionally compared it with another Vatican codex, which was neither old nor complete. Witnesses to the work, indeed, were the fifth ecumenical council, act 4; then Ebedjesu in his catalogue, ch. 19; and finally, as many codices of the work as bear the name of our Theodore. And indeed Ebedjesu says that Theodore wrote this work to a certain Mar Turim, as the editor of Ebedjesu, Echellensis, writes; but Assemanus in another edition wrote *Mar Tyrium*, never unmindful of his Syriac *Mar*; but I would dare, against Assemanus, to amend it to *Martyrium*, a contemporary of Chrysostom and therefore also of Theodore, and later patriarch of Antioch, which was the fatherland of Theodore; and therefore it is easy to believe that the work was sent by him to a fellow citizen, as is likely, a man so illustrious, who finally obtained the Antiochian mitre. And if anyone asks why Theodore is called *Antiochenus* in the codices more often than *Mopsuestenus*; I think the reason is that there were two Theodores who were bishops of Mopsuestia: the former, more ancient, who subscribed to the second council of Antioch; the latter, this most famous one of ours, who for the sake of distinction was called *Antiochenus* from his fatherland. I see the same thing happening in the codices regarding John Xiphilinus, the eighth patriarch of Constantinople of that name, who likewise is called *Chalcedonensis* for the sake of distinction, from his fatherland or perhaps from his former bishopric, as I judge conjecturally. Certainly, I hear that the two Anthimuses who occupied the Constantinopolitan see in my time are not distinguished by a numerical note among the Greeks, but the former is called *Ephesius* (where he was previously an exarch bishop), and the other *Thessalonicensis* (from his former bishopric).

^D IV. We long ago promised to bring forth a not insignificant portion of Theodore’s *Commentary on the Psalms*, to be taken from the Vatican codices; but that matter later took on a faster scope for the reasons we explained in the proper place, where we set forth whatever of his work we happened to come across after the prophets. We were more fortunate with Theodore’s *Commentary on John*, a huge tract of which we have drawn into the light with particular pleasure of mind. Nor did it please us to repeat now those not insignificant parts on the *Epistle to the Romans*, which we had previously inserted in Greek in the fourth volume of the *Spicilegium Romanum*: nor likewise many others, which existed only in Latin, either in the acts of the fifth council, or in Leontius in the Basnagian edition of Canisius.

THEODORE OF ANTIOCH: COMMENTARY ON THE PROPHET HOSEA

^A To rebuke those who undertake to handle the prophetic words without due examination, and also for the sake of establishing what follows, we shall begin the clarification of the prophetic books, God granting, starting from Hosea, who happens to be the first among the other prophets in time. For since the blessed David, as I have already mentioned, had clearly recounted in the Psalms all the changes that were to happen to the people, silence occupied the intervening time, inasmuch as that blessed one had sufficiently foretold everything. But when the time came for the ten tribes to begin to suffer evil, with the Assyrians besieging them until such time as Sennacherib completely tore them from their ancestral lands and moved them to foreign places, the things which had been predicted long ago by the blessed David concerning the calamities that would befall the people began to have their initiation from that point. Therefore, when this happened in the times of Hezekiah, who ruled over the tribe of Judah with Benjamin, Divine Grace set forth the prophets for the events that were now at hand, and before the others, Hosea, who would proclaim the things that were to happen to them from God, as if making a reminder of the things long ago declared by David. ^B

^A And in order to make it clear that these evils occur not by some chance, but by God long before decreeing and deciding it—He to whom the Israelite wickedness was known, and likewise the method by which it was necessary to deal with them in order to prepare the way for the manifestation and advent of Christ the Lord. For God, that He might make all men aware that He exercises care for the people on account of Him who was expected to arise out of this lineage, therefore delivered the ten tribes to the Assyrian captivity, but preserved in their own lands only the tribe of Judah, from which Christ the Lord was to appear according to the flesh. He similarly willed that those who were later led away captive on account of the same iniquities by Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Babylonians, should return miraculously; with whom also a small number from the remaining tribes returned by way of postliminy; meanwhile, the one tribe of Judah with all its people returned home: that it might be manifest that, had God wished, it was possible for Him to have led back all the rest just as [He did] this one; yet, having neglected the others, He bestowed all His care upon this one, from which Christ the Lord was to be revealed, appearing for the common salvation of all. ^B And for this reason, the announcements of the prophets were also necessary, showing that the things long ago decreed by God, and spoken of through the blessed David, were now receiving their fulfillment, with God secretly ordering all things concerning them. This is what the blessed prophet Hosea himself does, revealing clearly the things that were to happen to the people by God’s command on account of their impiety. He begins thus:

Commentary on the Prophet Hosea: Chapter I

Vers. 1. — ‹The word of the Lord which came to Hosea the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah and Jotham and Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.› This is a sort of inscription containing the argument of the book, simultaneously declaring both from which prophet and at what time these things were said. Moreover, Scripture everywhere calls the activity of God "the word of the Lord," wherever it manifests itself in any matter. ^C Just like that: ‹By the word of the Lord the heavens were established,› as if to say that by divine energy they were compacted. Here, too, he calls the divine power by which the revelation of future things came to the prophet "the word," and by which there was granted to him the power of speaking and announcing what was to be. For a more precise declaration, he also adds the name of the Father; and he necessarily mentions the time in which, according to the revelation granted to him from God, he predicted future things. He therefore defines the time in which Uzziah and Jotham and Ahaz and Hezekiah reigned. From which anyone might reasonably recognize that the prophet did not write this book in one continuous series, but as he received the revelations concerning the future at various times, he made his announcement of the future things. ^D

^A being reminded of the same matters often through divine revelation, and indeed also proclaiming them to the people for the declaration of things to come. In the same way, the blessed David also appears to have composed very many psalms on this same subject, each of which he brought together according to the revelation and reminder granted to him by the working of the Spirit, and proclaimed them for the need of others. He himself, receiving revelations concerning the same matters often and speaking them in accordance with those times, as often as he was judged worthy of the same revelations, and having mentioned the kings of Judea when divine grace stirred Oseas to prophesy, also mentions the one who then reigned in Israel, that is, over the ten tribes; namely Jeroboam, son of Joas and grandson of Joachaz, who was the offspring of Jehu, whom God, for the punishment of Achab and his entire house, had raised up through the prophet Eliseus, and had promised to him that his descendants would hold the kingdom up to the fourth generation. The third of whom was this Jeroboam, son of Joas and grandson of Joachaz; the fourth was Zacharias, the son of Jeroboam, who died after reigning for six months, with whom the divine prophecy met its end, the royal dignity having subsequently been transferred from the line of Jehu to Sellum, who was not of the same kin. Since, therefore, Jeroboam had taken over the kingdom of Israel, and Ozias was ruling in Jerusalem, the ten tribes began to be afflicted with disasters, until the king of the Assyrians, having taken them completely captive, forced them into migration and total servitude. ^B It was fitting, therefore, that Oseas came to prophesy at that time, refreshing the memory of the predictions of the blessed David, and announcing things already close at hand, which had been predicted about them long before. And after this, he says:

Verse 2. — "Beginning of the word of the Lord to Oseas."

^A Yet the novelty of what was happening provided the prophet with an opportunity to say what was fitting toward them, and by way of such a great juxtaposition, to make it appear all the greater that God should choose to descend into the care of such ungrateful men—if indeed it was an astonishing thing even for the prophet, having taken up the matter, to proceed to the company of a harlot. Since, therefore, He says, I am concerned for the Israelites, who have always shown toward me the ways of a prostitute and who right up to this day have extended this disposition, yet I chose them, beyond all other men, for my own intimacy; but in a short time they shall provide an accurate conviction of their disposition toward me through the punishment I shall bring upon them, when, being delivered entirely into captivity, they are alienated from this land—in which, while they dwelt, and were deemed worthy of my care, I had commanded them to remain under my laws ^B in the same way that it is the custom for women joined in marriage to remain under the laws of marriage; yet in all these things they have neither the appropriate perception of what is occurring, nor of what they do, nor of what they shall justly suffer—come then, O prophet, with the novelty of what is happening, bring about a conviction of the absurdity practiced by them.

Verses 3-5.

≫ the fighting of God Himself, who is clearly warring against them. ^B This is what is meant by the words, "I will be an adversary to them." And to demonstrate more clearly, he says, that these things happen according to my will, I will add the mention of Judah, whom I will spare in return, when they are called into the same danger by the Assyrians who make Israel captive; and I will preserve them by my power, not with bow or sword or war, nor relying on any human assistance at all, but by my own power alone, rescuing them from such great danger. This, in truth, actually happened, when an angel by night suddenly slew one hundred and eighty-five thousand of the Assyrians, so that the survivors took to flight, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem attained safety without a struggle.

Then again, another son is born, whom he orders to be called "Not my people" for the sake of confirming what was said, and he adds the reason for the name: "Since you shall no longer be my people, nor will I be (God) yours." For you will be alienated from my care from now on, and I, as though you were strangers, will hand you over to the impending calamities. Then he adds, "That the number of the sons of Israel was like the sand of the sea and innumerable." For it was a greater miracle and a manifest proof of divine wrath if he delivered a people of such number into captivity all at once, no one having been fit to bring aid in such a multitude.

^C Then, as is the custom for the prophets, and indeed even for the blessed David, to make known pleasant things in the midst of painful ones, and to offer comfort for those laboring under evils by a change for the better: "And it shall be," he says, "in the place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' they shall be called sons of the living God." Thus also the blessed David, having spoken about the Assyrian affairs, adds at the end: "Who will give from Zion salvation to Israel? When the Lord returns the captivity of his people, Jacob shall exult and Israel shall rejoice," showing that there will be a time when God will surely release them from captivity. For he says the same thing here, that "Where they were called 'Not my people,'" that is, where they were cast off from my providence, "there they shall be called sons of the living God," meaning to say, they shall again obtain my friendship. He rightly says "in the place," from whence, having removed them, he was about to lead them back again. He adds, therefore, for ^D the greater clarity of his statement, VERSE 11: "And the sons of Judah and the sons of Israel shall be gathered together in one, and shall set for themselves one head, and shall come up from the land." He says that after the captivity in Babylon, the freedom of those of the tribe of Judah will be one for all, because they will be under one rule, no longer divided as before, but under one rule. The tribe of Judah will lead them all, and those who are of that lineage will be established in royal dignity. Then he adds, "For great is the day of Jezreel." For since he said that they would pay for this, he meant to signify that after they had been badly punished on account of their own crimes, then at last a terrible and illustrious

^A day will arrive, in which, contrary to all human expectation, they will obtain a return to their own lands. And what is the proof of this?

CHAPTER II

Vers. 1, 2. — «Say to your brother, My people; and to your sister, Having obtained mercy.» Say, instead of "you will say," in order to signify that their names will be changed for them. For, he says, it will be fitting for them to be called "My people" and "Having obtained mercy," as those become familiar to me and enjoying my loving-kindness at that time. Then, taking the opportunity of the discourse from the image proposed, he says: «Contend against your mother, contend: for she is not my wife, and I am not her husband.» For in the case of the image proposed, it is manifest that he calls the harlot the mother, and the children those who were born from her, as is natural; but here he calls the synagogue of the Jews the mother, which he had, as it were, espoused from above and joined to himself, and by an excess of care had brought out of Egypt, and having deemed her worthy of liberty, had led into the wilderness, so that he might teach her piety and bring her into a greater relationship with himself; just as the blessed David also says: «Remember your congregation which you acquired from the beginning; you have redeemed the rod of your inheritance» (Ps. LXXIII, 2). And the children of this one are the people who were formed from her by succession; for as the fathers of that time are called the fathers of those who came after them: «For your fathers,» he says, «ate manna in the wilderness, and died.» So also this congregation might justly be called the mother of those who came after, from which the system of the Jews afterwards arose. Rebuking them, therefore, for the wickedness of their conduct, he rightly says that they are wicked from above, and clearly resembling their own mother. If, then, anyone were to judge those of that time and those of the present, he would find their kinship ^B to be very manifest, since those, after having received so many and such great benefits, dared to fashion a calf and say, «These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt,» while you, in imitation of them, have abandoned the knowledge of me—who have always exercised such great care for you—and have turned to the worship of idols; so that it is fitting for you to be likened to the harlot. Since you are so disposed, it is not fitting for you still to be called mine, and I, being alienated from you, am shown to be such by the very facts. What, therefore, follows?

Vers. 3-5. — «And I will remove her fornication from my presence, and her adultery from the midst of her breasts.» For I will set them far from myself through captivity, and through being led away to distant lands, so that I may no longer see her practicing her own fornication before me, nor the adultery which she commits with much profligacy, abandoning herself entirely to idols. For this is what he means by «from the midst of her breasts,» as if harlots, through excessive wantonness, ^C offered their own breasts to their lovers.

And as follows, he says the next things: «So that I may strip her naked as in the days of her birth.» Having taken away, he says, all the embellishment which I had placed around her because of my own devotion, I will restore her to that condition in which she was when she first grew up in Egypt, when she was in necessities and hardships and bitter servitude. For he calls that time her birth, since that was the beginning of the formation of the Jewish nation. ^B «And I will set her as a wilderness, and I will make her as a land without water.» Thus, being deprived of every good, just as the wilderness and the waterless land is utterly lacking in fruits. «And I will kill her with thirst,» [being] deprived of all goods, and desiring them, as is natural, but obtaining nothing. «And I will not have mercy on her children, because they are the children of whoredoms: because their mother has played the harlot, she who bore them has acted shamefully.» I will not grant mercy to those who are being tried by such evils, for this is what was done once in Egypt, since they too have thought in a way analogous to their own mother; and their mother, having shown such a disposition towards me from the beginning, covered with shame those things born from her, inasmuch as they imitated their mother’s wickedness. «Because she said, I will go after my lovers, who give me my bread, and my water, and my garments, and my linen, and my oil, and all things that are necessary for me.» For they all surrendered themselves to the service of demons, saying that they had from them all the good things that they possessed, which they clearly have from me, the Creator of all; and he called demons her lovers, so as also to denounce their eagerness, which they have for the destruction of men, and the manic opinion of these men concerning them, according to which they dared to treat them as gods and as authors of all good things to them.

^C VERS. 6-8. «Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and I will build up the ways of her, and she shall not find her path.» Therefore, I will surround them with inextricable evils for this reason, so that just as if someone were confined inside, with the ways built up and surrounded and encompassed by many and harsh thorns, he would find it impossible to have an exit; so, by the weight of wars and by captivity and the necessities resulting from them, they might find no escape from their evils. «And she will pursue her lovers, and will not overtake them; and she will seek them, and will not find them.» Then indeed they will call to their aid the demons whom they served. But no profit will come to them from that. «And she shall say, I will go and return to my former husband, because it was better for me then than now.» Then indeed they will recognize their own error, and [know] that it was better for them to hold fast to my service than to be busied about the deception of demons. «And she did not know that I gave her the corn and the wine and the oil, and I multiplied to her silver and gold.» But she made for Baal silver and

^A gold. And they shall learn how great the ignorance was in which they were sick, attributing the cause of the goods they possessed to those others, whereas in fact these were clearly supplied to them constantly by Me, the Maker of all things, not only providing them with crops, but also with silver and gold, both at the time of the exodus from Egypt and on many other occasions long after; from which they did not hesitate to fashion idols for themselves, deeming their worship a certain reverent practice due to the greed for the material.

VERS. 9-12. — «Therefore I will return and take away my corn in its time.» I will, of course, create a great sterility for them; for at the very time when they most hope to enjoy their goods, then, with all the fruit suddenly snatched away from them, I will strike them with a variety of customary injuries—with blight, for example, and hail, and other such things, which, by descending suddenly, often bring total ruin upon crops that are already appearing; so that they might clearly recognize, if only from the punishment inflicted and the removal of the things given, the One whom they had not acknowledged as the author of their goods. «And I will take away my garments and my linens, that she may not cover her shame.» All those things which, having been variously granted to them by Me, adorned them and made them look more elegant than other human beings—these, I say, I will take away, and I will make them the most despised of all. «And now I will reveal her uncleanness in the sight of her lovers; and no one shall deliver her out of my hand.» And so My vengeance will make manifest to all the fault in which they became entangled, while, having abandoned Me, they betook themselves to the worship of demons; for which cause they will openly suffer very grave punishments, being unable to possess any help from the demons; for the power of the punishment inflicted upon them by Me is far greater. «And I will cause all her rejoicings to cease, her new moons and her Sabbaths and all her solemnities.» There will therefore be no time of solemnity, nor of any festival, nor of any joy for them henceforth, being now, as is evident, handed over to captivity and variously pressed by the violence of their masters. «And I will destroy her vine and her fig trees, of which she said: These are my wages which my lovers gave me.» I will clearly snatch away all the fruits from them, which they attributed to the demons. «And I will set them as a testimony.» This spoliation will indeed be the greatest testimony of the past iniquity, by which they said those goods were had from the demons, of whom, however, I was the arbiter both of the giving and the taking away. «And the beasts of the field shall eat them, and the birds of the heaven, and the creeping things of the earth.» I will cast them out to be ravaged by all, so that nothing useful will remain for them. By "beasts of the field," "birds of the heaven," and "creeping things of the earth," He meant to denote the variety of enemies who were about to bring them to ruin; for the beast indeed is ready to harm by its ferocity; the birds, however, easily fly upon whatever they wish; and the creeping things, finally, are of the most grievous harm.

VERS. 13, 14. — ^D «And I will punish upon her the days

of the Baalim, in which she sacrificed to them, and she put on her earrings and her necklaces, and she followed after her lovers, and she forgot me, says the Lord.» They will surely suffer these things, paying the penalty because they adhered to idols, to which they also offered sacrifices, and dedicated solemnities to their worship, putting on much adornment, and summoning celebrated gatherings to the superstition of demons, while retaining no memory of me. He says «Baalims» instead of «idols,» having embraced everything in a part, and he usually calls the demons «lovers»; for it is clear that in the worship of idols it was demons who were worshipped by them. «Therefore, I will lead her astray, and I will place her as a desert.» I will deliver her into captivity, he says, so that, being stripped of all goods, she might wander on paths which she did not know before, but now is forced to traverse in calamity. ^B Yet soon, with the decree of punishment, he also mingles conversion for the better, which is the custom of the prophets, thus imitating the blessed David, who often in the Psalms spoke of calamities, yet promised their resolution. Like when he says in the thirtieth Psalm: «Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am afflicted. My eyes are troubled with fury, my soul and my belly; for my life has failed in sorrow, and my years in groanings.» Then immediately afterwards other things like these. A little later, however, continuing to speak, he says: «Blessed be the Lord, for he has made his mercy wonderful in a fortified city.» And soon after, other things of this kind. You may find many such parallels in the Psalms, which the prophets were in the necessity of doing, creating no small utility for their listeners: for they would terrify them with the prediction of calamity, and yet rouse them to hope with the denunciation of good things.

VERS. 15. — What then does he say? «And I will speak to her heart.» ^C I will comfort her, he says, after this, as she struggles with inconsolable evils. «And I will give her her possessions from there.» I will restore her again to the use of her former goods, freeing her from captivity. «And the valley of Achor for the opening of her understanding.» So that whatever they suffered in that place, they might henceforth turn to the improvement and correction of their previous sins; for they will perceive, as is likely, from the change for the better, that even the sorrowful things were not experienced through my neglect, but because, having fallen, it was fitting for them to receive a sense of their own sins. For ^D by «valley of Achor» he seems to designate the place in which they especially received the most grievous defeat of the war, from which followed the captivity with its proper train of evils. And from this part of the place, he seems to designate their entire region: in which, after they had suffered countless evils from the enemies, they were finally led away into captivity by the same. «And she will be humbled there according to the days of her infancy, and according to the days of her ascent from the land of Egypt.» Since he indicates under the name of pride [p. 21 of the original text begins here]

^A the departure and the neglect of things divine, by humiliation he means the recognition of what is fitting, and the fearing of Him, as Master, Judge, and Lord of all, justly. He says, therefore, that at the time of calamity, she will obtain this fruit, just as it once happened in Egypt, when those worn down by the labor of making bricks recognized from whence it was fitting to seek the solution to their evils and all cried out to God; so that He, having hearkened to the petitions of those crying out, provided them with His own help with a great miracle. By similarity, he says, things now will be so; with those being disciplined in this way by the calamity, and recognizing the author of good things, and requesting help from Him, and attaining it with great ease. ^B

Vers. 16-20. — «And it shall be in that day, saith the Lord, thou shalt call me: My husband, and thou shalt call me no more Baalim. And I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth: and they shall no more be remembered by their name.» Then, he says, they will recognize their own protector, and departing from all others, they will attend to my worship, abstaining from all worship of idols; so as to have no memory of them, nor make any mention of them for the future. As for the words, «Thou shalt call me no more Baalim,» since it was God who said this, he says: They will no longer attach my name to the Baalim, since, having departed from the error of those idols, they have learned for the future to look to me, the true God. «And I will make a covenant with them in that day with the beasts of the field, and with the birds of heaven, and with the creeping things of the earth.» ^C Those who previously, he says, lay in wait for them and were hostile toward them, I will cause to choose friendship with them. «And I will destroy the bow, and the sword, and war from the earth.» Assuredly, I will rid them of every hardship of war. «And I will make them dwell in hope.» I will see to it that from the goods they have already obtained, they may hope for even better things hereafter. «And I will betroth thee to myself for ever: and I will betroth thee to myself in justice, and in judgment, and in mercy, and in compassions.» I will, I say, place you in my friendship, and I will restore my intimacy to you; acting with equity, and punishing those who did you wrong during the time of captivity, and delivering just judgment upon all, finally managing your affairs kindly. «And I will betroth thee to myself in faith: and thou shalt know the Lord.» I will, I say, keep you henceforth in the number of those who are necessary, who have believed in me as is fitting for God, and have recognized me as your Lord. ^D

Vers. 21. — «And it shall be in that day, saith the Lord, I will answer the heavens, and the heavens shall answer the earth, and the earth shall answer the corn, and the wine, and the oil, and these shall answer Israel. And I will sow her unto me in the earth, and I will have mercy on her that was not pitied. And I will say to that which was not my people: Thou art my people: and he shall say: Thou art my God.» Then, truly, you will have great abundance of fruits; for the air, in my judgment, will provide for the earth the rain, the heavens...

for he calls the air heaven; just as when he speaks of the birds of the heaven, he means those that cut through the air. And the earth, being watered as is fitting, will yield its fruits in abundance; and from these, Israel will obtain an abundant enjoyment of the goods of the earth. And I will cause them again to inhabit their own land, of which they were previously deprived, so that by living there they may attend to my worship; for that is what is meant by the words, «I will sow her for myself in the earth,» a metaphor taken from sowers, wishing to say that I will once again scatter them throughout their own land, and they will dwell in it in security, and henceforth they will apply themselves to the duties which are mine. And these things shall take place, because your affairs, with my care, have begun to be in a better condition; so that she who had been outside of mercy shall be pitied, and that people shall be a people that was not previously a people. And this shall very rightly come to pass for them, ^B because they too, having abandoned their former error, will acknowledge their duty, and will say with a clear voice that He alone is truly their Lord and God, the creator and master of all things, who from above has bestowed upon them his own special care.

CHAPTER III

^A pertinent, who lived in the kingdom of Judah: for even they, although they had the temple among them, and indeed manifested some zeal through festivals and sacrifices in honor of the true God, nevertheless, like the adulteress, joined the worship of idols to their display of zeal toward the Divine.

Vers. 2-5. — "And I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and an omer of barley, and a measure of wine." He uses this minute description to demonstrate the event as it actually occurred. Moreover, there was need for the example of "the price," because God also had bound the Jews to Himself with great gifts and rewards. "And I said to her: Thou shalt wait for me many days, and I for thee; and thou shalt not play the harlot, and shalt not be for any man." It is as if God also were declaring that He wished the Jews to attend to Him not for a short time, but over a long period, and were promising His own care for them in return: thus He commands that they do not turn toward idols, but remain in the affection they owe Him. Afterward He says: "For the children of Israel shall sit many days without a king, and without a prince, and without ^B sacrifice, and without an altar, and without manifestations." For, as if that woman had not remained in her covenant, but had declined toward others with a harlot’s mind: so here He says, If the Jews do the like to Me, I will impose upon them a punishment worthy of them, delivering them for a long time to captivity, and making them destitute of all things in their native region: for the king or prince of their own having been expelled, and they themselves being placed under another king, to whom it will be necessary for them as captives to serve; and at the same time the rite of sacrifices, and the use of the altar, and all priestly ministry being taken away, because as captives they would remain far from those places where ^C it was legitimate to offer sacrifices to God, and they would lack the solution of doubts, which was made by the mouth of the prophets, by which they had previously enjoyed manifold guidance. "And after these things the children of Israel shall return, and shall seek the Lord their God, and David their king." Then, he says, being touched by the sense of their evils, they will change their mind, and will studiously embrace the knowledge and worship of God. But they will also desire to have a king from the succession of David. For he says these things as those which would happen after the return, when all existed ^D under one king, Zorobabel, who traced his lineage from David; having already abandoned that opinion, by which, once having revolted from the kingdom of the successors of the blessed David, the ten tribes had chosen other kings for themselves. "And they shall marvel at his goods in the last days." All will be struck with a certain ecstasy at the greatness of the wonder, considering what great benefits they had obtained from the divine providence. Having spoken these things for the rebuke of the inhabitants of Judea, he then turns his discourse to all, now chiding these, now those, now all together.

^A VERS. 1-5. "Therefore he says: 'Hear the word of the Lord, O sons of Israel, for the Lord has a judgment with the inhabitants of the land; for there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. Cursing and lying, and murder, and theft, and adultery have overflowed the land, and blood is commingled with blood.'" Come, now, he says, hear God arguing in judgment with you and showing with what sort and how great malice you have repaid His providence. For no one among you cares for truth, nor has he any regard for charity toward men; since you are not even concerned about the knowledge of God; but fraud and altogether execrable works—murder, theft, and adultery—are being performed throughout the land in abundance; and you indulge so much in mutual slaughters that blood is always being mixed with the blood that preceded it. "Therefore the land shall mourn, and it shall be diminished together with all those who inhabit it." The whole land will be in mourning because of the magnitude of the evils coming upon them; for the enemies are slaughtering them so ruthlessly that only a small number of the inhabitants remains: for this is what the words signify, "The land shall be diminished together with those who inhabit it." ^B "With the wild beasts of the field, and with the reptiles of the earth, and with the birds of the sky." Tropically, according to his custom, he says that, along with the common people, their princes will also perish, those who, like wild beasts, were harming the weaker ones; and as certain birds, they would suddenly swoop down for the plundering of the poor; or finally, in the manner of serpents, they were eager to wound those nearest to them. "And the fish of the sea shall fail." All, to speak in one word, who, like fish in the sea, were filling the land in this way, will perish utterly. To these he adds: "So that no one may be judged or reproved." Such, he says, will be the desolation of all things that there will no longer remain either a judge or one to correct the crimes of others, since all are equally overwhelmed by the single calamity of captivity. "And my people is like a priest to whom one speaks against:" fallen from all dignity, and worthy of no respect at all; just as if a priest were to fall into a dispute, and be deposed, and be dishonored among all. "And he shall be weak in the day." He will be involved for a very long time in the weakness of the evils that press upon him. "And the prophet shall be weak with you by night." Even those who previously used false predictions to deceive you, most of them will also be weak, seized by the calamity that overwhelms them, as if covered by some nocturnal darkness, seeing now the useless effort of their fraud. "I have likened your mother to the night." So much does she always wander in ignorance and error! ^C

VERS. 6-8. "My people has appeared as if having no knowledge." You, too, having become imitators of the same, have had no regard for My knowledge. "Because you also have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you, so that you may not perform the priesthood for me." Just as you have cast out My knowledge from your mind, so I, too, from…

^A cultivating My service will cast you out, removing you far away through the captivity from those places where it was appointed for the sacred work to be performed for Me by you. This is what the words signify: "I will reject you from performing the priesthood for Me." Since the priesthood is a common benefit for all, as the blessed Paul says, for this reason the priest ought to offer sacrifices just as much for himself as for the ignorances of the people; he is therefore justly said to cast away all from the priesthood when that function ceases, for just as while it exists it provides a common benefit, so when it ceases, it produces a common detriment. "And you have forgotten the law of your God; I will also forget your children." Those who transgress My lawful commands, I shall hold of no account. "According to their multitude, so have they sinned against Me." For since many—indeed, numbering countless—had come into being through My providential care, it was fitting that they should recognize the Author of this gift; but they, on the contrary, displayed an iniquity against Me equal to their own number, committing a great and boundless offense. What then? "I will turn their glory into dishonor." I will cast them down from their former blessings to the experience of worse things. "They shall eat the sins of My people." This is to say that the people, having sinned against Me in such a way, will receive the fruit corresponding to what they have done; they will enjoy such fruits as they have sown. For the expression "They shall eat the sins of My people" is equivalent to saying, "My people shall enjoy such things as they have sinned."

^B Vers. 9-11. "And in their iniquities others shall take their souls." For because of the things in which they sinned against Me, they shall suffer vengeance from other enemies who are about to rise against them. "And it shall be as with the people, so also with the priest." They shall come into such confusion and calamity because of the captivity that there shall be no difference between one who serves as priest and one who is under the priesthood; since nothing pertaining to the divine priesthood will be happening then, but all will be alike encompassed by the misfortune of the captivity. "And I will avenge their ways upon them, and I will repay their counsels to them." For I will punish them in proportion to those things which they devised to carry out and chose. "And they shall eat, and shall not be satisfied." They shall have a ceaseless experience of evils, with others always being added to the first. Using a metaphor from those who, not being satisfied by eating, eat again, he says this to show that they also shall experience evils, and that after the first ones pass, ^C second ones shall come; and there shall be no end to the things happening. For the word "eat" is used here in the same sense as it was above in "They shall eat the sins of My people," that is, "they shall experience." "They have committed fornication, and shall not be properly directed." For because they have departed from Me completely, nothing will turn out well for them. "Because they have forsaken the Lord, to cleave to fornication. Fornication, and wine, and drunkenness have taken hold of the heart of My people." For having neglected God entirely, they exerted much diligence toward idols; to such an extent that, being drunk with evils, they no longer have any sense of their own iniquity.

^A

VERS. 12-14. — *In auspiciis interrogabant, et in virgis suis annuntiabant ei.* He says that they were acting according to the Greek custom, for those people used to consult the demons, or the priests thereof, wishing to learn what was necessary for them through signs; those who followed their custom used certain rods, and through fraud produced an answer to their questions. *The spirit of fornication has led them astray, and they have committed fornication from their God.* Having adopted a fornicating mindset, they have turned away entirely toward error, having abandoned God. *On the tops of the mountains they sacrificed, and on the hills they burned incense, under the oak and the poplar and the shady tree, because it was a good shelter.* Then they would run onto the mountains and the hills, performing sacrifices to the demons there; and choosing large and shady trees, they would there fulfill their own deception, thinking that there is something great and sacred in the size of the shadow of the trees, so that they thought them to be fitting even for their impiety. *Therefore your daughters will commit fornication, and your brides will commit adultery. And I will not visit your daughters when they have committed fornication, and your brides when they have committed adultery; for they themselves consorted with harlots, and sacrificed with the initiated; and the people that understands was bound to the harlot.* You will pay the penalty worthy of your transgressions; when enemies have gained mastery over you, they will heap insults upon your daughters and brides, of which happenings I will take no account, since you will deserve to suffer these things, you who have ensnared yourselves in the error of fornication, conspiring together that, having abandoned me, you would approach ^B the idols; to such a point that many of you have even undergone the initiations established among the pagans, and perform the sacrifices to them as if for some great benefit. And to speak summarily, the entire people, who most of all ought to have been wise and to recognize God as their own creator, preferred the society of those who committed this wicked and intemperate fornication, having turned away from God and offering worship to demons. ^C

VERS. 15-19. — *But you, O Israel, do not be ignorant, and you, Judah, do not go into Galgala, nor ascend into the house of On, and do not swear by the living Lord.* Do not, I say, all of you labor under such a grievous disease of ignorance, so as to go down to Galgala for the worship of the idol established there, and pretend to honor as the eternal One Him who is not the true God. When it ought to be known that it is impossible for these things to coexist, for there is a great difference between the eternal God and an idol which human hands fashioned yesterday; and that it would be fitting for one who confesses the eternal God to abstain entirely from those things which falsely bear this title, as is the case for the idol of On—whose temple you visit, offering to it worship that is not appropriate to it. *For as a heifer struck by a gadfly, Israel has gone mad.* For like a heifer, it will move its ^D path of natural desire toward disorder. You have stood apart from my service, following...

and with a wanton mind you have bent yourselves toward the worship of idols. ^A *Now the Lord will shepherd them as a lamb in a spacious place.* I will scatter them, therefore, leading them hither and thither by the incursion of enemies, such that they do not differ from a lamb that runs about in a vast country and goes astray, seeking its own mother. For by "scatter," he refers to those who distribute something profusely and disperse it. *Ephraim is a partner of idols.* That is, he has held communion with idols. Often elsewhere and now also, he calls Ephraim "Israel," taking the name from the more powerful of the ten tribes, as in that passage: *The sons of Ephraim, straining and shooting with bows.* ^B *They set up scandals for themselves.* He himself devised for himself turnings for the worse. How, and in what way? *He provoked the Canaanites,* having emulated their impiety. *Playing the harlot, they have fornicated.* From then on, they moved entirely toward the worse. *They loved ignominy because of her arrogance.* Using much madness and pride against me, they chose the worship of idols, which will bring upon them all manner of ignominy. *A whirlwind of spirit will lift them up on its wings.* For as a bird, flapping its own wings against the breezy air, is carried aloft in its flight, so these, having been seized by my wrath and becoming as it were suspended in the air, will be led away with much violence into captivity. *And they shall be shamed because of their altars.* So that they may then attain the realization that the diligence they expended upon the altars of idols was vain and harmful. ^C

CHAP. V.

Vers. 1–5. *Hear this, O priests, and attend, O house of Israel, and house of the king, give ear.* It is manifest that here again, by another revelation, he makes a beginning of the present discourse, addressing the priests alike, and Israel, and all the house of the king. *For the judgment is toward you.* For I have come toward you to execute my judgment, and to take penalties from your daring acts by a broad sentence. *For you have become a snare in the watchtower, and as a net spread upon Tabor, which those who hunt for prey have set.* ^D You have plotted, he says, various underhanded schemes against my prophets, just like those who spread nets for the capture of prey, having sought to entangle them in various evils. For by "watchtower," he refers to the assembly of the prophets, as it is in Ezekiel: *I have given you as a watchman to the house of Israel.* *And I will be your instructor.* But since you, being troubled by the things which they announced to you as things that would come to pass, have devised such things against them, I myself will set the punishment, instructing you for the things in which you have sinned, which you will surely receive even against your will. *I know Ephraim, and Israel is not far from me.* For I know the deeds of those people with precision, as one who is never absent from them. *For now Ephraim has committed fornication, Israel is contaminated.*

I saw that they had gone entirely away from me, and had defiled themselves with the religion of idols. ^A "They did not direct their thoughts to return to me, because the spirit of fornication is in them, and they did not know the Lord." For it was not that, by changing their intent, they had the resolve to turn toward me, since they had utterly veered toward the worse, unwilling to have any regard for me. "And the arrogance of Israel shall be humbled before his face." But for this madness and arrogance whereby they raved against me by their apostasy from me and their approach to idols, they shall pay a fitting penalty, themselves becoming spectators of their own humiliation, into which they shall be brought through my retribution. "And Israel and Ephraim shall grow weak in their iniquities; and Judah also shall grow weak with them." All of them, sinning in common, shall likewise suffer the punishment in common, because they acted injuriously against my knowledge. Thus also the blessed Paul says: ^B "Of those who hold the truth in unrighteousness"; meaning those who do injury to the truth by their turning toward vice.

VERS. 6-9. "With their sheep and calves they shall go to seek the Lord, and shall not find him; for he has turned away from them, since they have forsaken the Lord." Even if they bring sacrifices, thinking by these to render the Deity propitious to themselves, they shall gain nothing thereby, as God has utterly turned away; since, having dismissed Him, they gave themselves wholly over to idols. "Because they have begotten strange children for themselves." For, having mingled with the nations contrary to the commandment, they produced offspring from the union with foreigners; this truly ^C reveals the total commixture of them with foreigners, because from these even children were born to them. For this is what the blessed David also reproaches them with saying: "And they were mingled among the nations." "Now shall the mildew devour them, and their inheritances as well." He says, in effect, that he will hand them over to destruction, as if to mildew, along with their entire patrimony. "Sound the trumpet upon the hills, blow upon the heights, proclaim in the house of On." In all places, he says, where you have wrought your own impiety, forsaking your customary rites, cry out instead, in order to announce the evils that are coming upon you. What are these? "Benjamin was astonished; Ephraim came to desolation in the days of correction." By the name of Benjamin, he signifies the kingdom of Judah; but by Ephraim, he denotes the ten tribes. ^D Yet he does not say that one was astonished and the other desolated; rather, he speaks both things commonly of both, meaning that they will be astonished and will be desolated. "In the days of correction," that is, in the incursion of the enemies, whom He himself will bring in order to publicly chastise the perversion of his people. They will be astonished, therefore, he says, marveling at the sudden catastrophe of their affairs, in which they will be utterly destroyed, I sending the enemies against them and punishing the transgression accomplished by them. That a common thing is expressed by division is something to be found frequently even in the blessed David, as when he says: "I cried by day, and by night before..." he does not say that by day

he cried, and by night spoke before God; but rather, he says that "By day and by night I cried before you." Thus, he expressed a common matter through division. So here, too, he says: "Benjamin was astonished, Ephraim came to destruction" ^A, in order to say that both were astonished and came to destruction in common. "In the tribes of Israel I have showed faithful things." By laying these before them, I will demonstrate the truth and certainty of my threats, which they did not believe when they were uttered through the prophets; but they will perceive, being taught by experience, that all the things said were faithful and true.

VERS. 10-12. — "The princes of Judah were as they that remove the bounds." ^B Just as those who remove the signs of the divisions of lands injure the rights of ownership, so you, he says, when there was such a great division between Me and idols (inasmuch as the honor and divine name are owed to Me, but not at all to them), you have broken down the sure rights that were distinguished in many and various ways, insofar as it depended on you, by attributing the name and honor that belong to Me to them. "I will pour out my wrath upon them as water." ^C I will move against them with a certain terrible assault, seeing they have dared such things, flooding them like water with a multitude of enemies. "Ephraim has oppressed his adversary, he has trampled upon judgment." They had no regard for justice; each, according to his strength, offered unjust violence to another, trampling upon justice and making no account of it at all. As also the Lord says in the Gospels: "You have left charity and judgment and mercy" (Luke 11:42); meaning to say that you have no regard for charity, justice, and humanity. And the Lord appears to call the one who is wronged an "adversary," as in: "Be reconciled with your adversary quickly" (Matt. 5:25), warning offenders to strive with all their might to appease those they have wronged. "Because he began to go after vanities." ^D For they behaved in this way from the time they addicted themselves to the worship of idols, omitting the observance of My laws and every duty. "And I am as a stumbling-block to Ephraim, and as a goad to the house of Judah." I will set them in great confusion through enemies, goading them with the pains that come from them, as if with a heavy goad. It is clear that he is not saying one thing to Ephraim and another to Judah, but threatens both equally with the same confusion and goad, as we have shown in the preceding paragraphs.

VERS. 13-15. — "And Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah his pain; and Ephraim went to the Assyrians, and sent messengers to king Jarim, and he could not heal you." Then indeed they will perceive their own evils; for he calls these "sickness" and

^A sorrow; for whenever Ephraim is led away captive to the Assyrians, yet sends ambassadors to the king of the Egyptians, he receives no help from there. "And pain shall not cease from you; because I am as a panther to Ephraim, and as a lion to the house of Judah; and I will tear, and go, and take, and there shall be none to deliver." You will abide in unceasing evils, because I shall be to you as a panther and a lion, snatching you away with great speed and leading you off through the incursion of your enemies; and no one will be able to deliver you from the impending evils. "I will go and return to my place, until they are destroyed." Consistent with the figure proposed, he says this also; for seeing it is the habit of beasts of this kind to snatch and carry off what meets them with speed, and then to depart to their own lair, and there to devour and consume ^B their prey; therefore, he has referred these words also to the panther and the lion, for the purpose of saying: After I have taken you as prey by the hand of the enemies, and have made you captives, I shall dwell by myself, neither looking upon what has been done, nor in any way bringing you aid, until you have suffered total destruction at the hands of your oppressors. "Then they will return, and seek my face." For then indeed those also, having changed their minds, will beseech my help.

CHAP. VI.

29 VERS. 1-3. — "In their tribulation they will watch for me morning by morning, saying: Let us go and return to the Lord our God, for he has smitten, and he will heal us; he will strike, and he will bind us up; he will heal us after two days, in the third day we shall arise, and shall live in his presence, and we shall know." For ^C because of the tribulations pressing upon them, they will rush towards me with great speed, in the strong confidence that I, who have smitten them, will also certainly heal them, and will apply to the wounds that have befallen them a remedy appropriate to them, leading their affairs with great speed and facility to a complete restoration. For this is what the words denote: "He will heal us after two days, in the third day we shall arise." In so short a time, he says, will he heal us, that within two or three days at most he will restore us to our former well-being. The expression, "And we shall know," is used for "we shall be in a better condition." Just like that: "You have made known to me the ways of life," that is, You have established me in life. "Let us seek to know the Lord." Let us diligently search for his knowledge. "As a morning prepare we shall find him." For we shall obtain his ^D help like the dawn, as though our affairs had been transformed from darkness into light. "And he will come to us as the early rain to the earth." Providing an abundant distribution of good things, as fruits come forth from the land that has obtained suitable rain at every season.

VERS. 4-7. — "What shall I do to you, Ephraim? what shall I do to you, Judah? Your mercy is as a cloud"

^A and as the morning dew that goes forth." This is another beginning of the discourse which the prophet made to the people, taking the occasion for speaking from the revelation he had received. What was it fitting for me to do for you, he says, when you have been so eager to commit transgressions? For although I wish to show mercy to you, the deeds done by you do not allow this, as they necessarily draw down punishment upon you; even if I should intend to have mercy on you, this intention is fated to remain ineffective in regard to you, as it becomes completely hidden by the things you perpetrate—just as if some cloud or dew, appearing for a short time in the morning, were immediately to dissolve. "Therefore I have hewn down your prophets; I have killed them with the word of my mouth." Yet, he says, I even became the minister of death to my own prophets, whom I was sending for your advantage; for I was commanding them to remind you of your duties, and they were indeed seeking to persuade you; but you, on the other hand, having no reverence for either those who were speaking or for me who sent them, afflicted them with various deaths. Therefore the expressions "I have hewn down" and "I have killed them with the word of my mouth" are used to mean, "I became the cause of this for them because of the command I laid upon them." He does not say, therefore, that he himself killed the prophets with his own voice in that manner, but rather that, "Because of the duty I commanded them to fulfill among you, I practically carried out their killings." This is like the passage in blessed David: "You have turned our paths from your way"—not that he himself turned the paths, but because he permitted them to fall into such great evils, he in a way attributed the cause of the matter to himself. "And my judgment shall go forth as light." Yet I will not let this lawlessness of yours go unavenged; rather I will exact justice from you, so that from the evils you are about to endure, it may become clearer than light to all that I am punishing you with such great evils because of the lawlessness you have committed against the prophets; and showing that he does not act in any other way, ^B "For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings." For I, preferring what is beneficial over sacrifices and burnt offerings, was sending the prophets to lead you to the knowledge of me. But since you have repaid the good things coming from me by treating them with such evils, you shall pay a just penalty for your transgressions; for it is also a duty of mercy to decree punishment for the injurious because of those who have suffered evil. "But they are like a man transgressing a covenant; there they have despised me." For you have persisted in your own way, taking no account of the things formerly agreed upon with me, and having despised me utterly, to the extent that you have even killed the prophets who were reminding you of this. ^C VERS. 8-11. — "Galgala is a city working vanity." The cause of these things for you is Galgala, at which ^D your transgression [occurred].

^A You demonstrate a harmful and vain zeal for idols; for so he also says above: "Go not into the city of Galgala; nor work," he says, "vain things," signifying the things that are done there. "Stirring the water." They who stain the transparency and purity of piety, which appears in the knowledge of me, by the admission of idols. "And your strength is as that of a pirate." ^B Which demonstrates its power, indeed, in the ruin of the erring; just as it is the custom for pirates to prey upon the ruin of others, and to display their own strength through the destruction of others. "Priests have hidden the way; they have slain Sicima, because they have committed iniquity." By example he wishes to explain their wickedness: For, he says, your fathers (and he speaks of the sons of Jacob, Levi and Simeon), after they saw the fornication-related outrage inflicted upon their sister, were so inflamed with indignation at the event that they spoke to the Sicimites obliquely and craftily, feigning friendship—for the words "they have hidden the way" hint at this—but when a suitable time was seized, they destroyed them all with one onslaught because of that crime. "In the house of Israel I have seen horrors; there is the fornication of Ephraim." And the matter of those men was indeed like that; but now, in all Israel, I have looked upon things full of horror, a universal fornication, not of the body, but of a corrupted soul that is apostate from God. "Israel has been defiled, and Judah has neglected his harvest." All turned toward a single transgression, defiled by the worship of idols; ^C and all demonstrated their own salvation to be unfinished and corrupted. For just as if some farmer, once the sowing was done and the crops were already calling for the harvest, should suddenly give himself over to sloth and ruin his farming, rendering the entire previous labor futile by his own sluggishness: so you, he says, having enjoyed so many and such great goods, having gone forth from Egypt, crossed the desert, received the Law, attained the promised land, and been established in a place proper for religion; when at last it was time to bring the fruits to God, then you rendered everything that had been done for your sake void by your own malice, having neglected—after so many and such great benefits—the rendering of fruits, and having caused a universal and total perversion toward vice. Similar to these things is that in Isaiah: "I expected that it would make grapes, but it made thorns." "Begin to gather ^D fruits, when I shall have turned back the captivity of my people, and I shall have healed Israel." Therefore you have need of a new beginning, which I shall grant you through my supreme kindness, while I lead you back from captivity beyond all human hope. For surely, if you wish to look toward a better life, a new beginning is needed for you; so that if at last, shamed by the magnitude of the gifts received, you then busy yourselves in the study of virtue, it may be permitted for you to do so. For the word "Begin" he says for "You will be able to begin, when you wish to look to your duty." But now, what?

COMMENTARY ON HOSEA CHAPTER VII

^A33 VERS. 1-4. — "And the iniquity of Ephraim shall be revealed, and the malice of Samaria, because they have wrought a lie." (p. 50) All the lawlessness which you all wrought is manifest to everyone, and that, having departed from me, you have looked toward the lie, through the punishment which you shall justly endure for these things that you have done lawlessly; how, and in what manner? "And a thief shall enter unto him, a robber stripping on his way, so that they may sing in concert in their heart." For just as if some thief or robber, meeting someone on the way, should strip those who encounter him, and entering a house should take what is within; so, he says, the enemies coming upon you will take everything that you possess—both what is at home and what is outside—some things carrying away, and others destroying completely; so that all of you, gripped by this calamity, sing songs full of lamentation at the same time, pained in heart over the things coming to pass, and bewailing with mournful words the greatness of the calamities that are happening to you. ^B "Now their own counsels have encompassed them, they have come before my face." Having taken memory of all the malice accomplished by them with muchness, I will wrap them in the greatest evils; commensurate to those things which, taking counsel, they accomplished with much shamelessness in my sight. "In their malice they rejoiced kings, and in their lies princes." So that much pleasure was born to the adversaries—whether kings or princes—who will surely overcome them and take them captive for the evils they were committing; and because, having abandoned my knowledge, they embraced the false and deceitful worship of demons. "All committing adultery as a furnace heated for baking." For unanimously, all having departed from my knowledge, they took up a certain adulterous sentiment, having inclined toward the worship of demons; and like a furnace heated for baking, with a certain hot zeal they ran toward that fornication. "He shall burn them from the flame." But they shall be consumed by this very sentiment. "From the leavening of dough until it be all leavened, the days of your kings." For just as if leaven taken and put into flour ferments and renders the whole piece, thus, from the time you established this lawless kingdom, taking its beginning from Jeroboam, to the same sentiment of malice you all yielded alike. ^D

VERS. 5-9. — "The princes began to grow angry from wine." For their princes gave themselves to drunkenness and wine-bibbing, using their anger recklessly against all as if they were intoxicated (p. 52). "They extended their hand with pests." They looked toward avarice, choosing communion with all who were corrupted in their manner of life. "Because their hearts were inflamed as a furnace, when they were striking them all night." Their mind was burning like a furnace from the drunkenness to which they gave themselves throughout the whole night. "Ephraim was filled with sleep." Being therefore, as from such a drunkenness, like those held by a heavy sleep, they took thought of nothing that was proper.

^A *Morning has dawned, and it was kindled like the light of fire; all were warmed as a burning oven.* When the day dawned, they occupied themselves again with the same things, being inflamed like fire, and warmed through like an oven, and agitated toward the working of evil deeds. *And fire has devoured their judges.* Consequently, they undergo a punishment befitting them, being delivered to the slaughter of their enemies, like fire, as it were, for all those who were thought to rule among them. *All their kings have fallen.* All shall be delivered to destruction and slaughter. And why? *There was no one among them who called upon me.* Because they were of one mind, and utterly unwilling to have any regard for me at all. ^B *Ephraim was mingled with the peoples.* The blessed David also reproaches them for this, saying: "They were mingled among the nations" (Ps. cv, 35). For the mingling with foreigners was strictly forbidden to them by the Law; hence he rightly reproaches them for this here as well. *Ephraim became a cake of bread not turned.* In such a way did he remain unchanged in character, continuing in the same evil, just as that bread habitually remains unmoved in whichever place it is set. *Foreigners have eaten his strength.* He undergoes, therefore, a punishment proportionate to his deeds; for having wickedly mingled with foreigners, he will be utterly exterminated by them. *But he did not know; gray hairs have sprouted upon him, and he did not know.* Because he has persevered in the ignorance of his duty, not allowing himself to be converted to good fruit even by long length of time, for this reason he will suffer such things.

VERS. 10-12. — *And the arrogance of Israel shall be humbled in his face, and they did not return to the Lord their God, and did not seek him in all these things.* ^C Because they were insulting toward the Divine, adhering so shamelessly and steadfastly to the service of demons, and preferring the pursuit of them to that of the truly Divine, they shall see their own humiliation, which they justly undergo, since they were unwilling to incline themselves toward God even in their catastrophe. *And Ephraim was like a foolish dove, not having a heart; they called upon Egypt, and went to the Assyrians.* As is the dove, which does not even take thought for its own offspring; for when they are taken away, it is accustomed to nest again in the same places, unmindful of the future, because they can just as easily be snatched away—so too did these men act, taking no sense of their own destruction, but expecting the help of the Egyptians, which they did not obtain, while in the meantime the Assyrians, with great power, were carrying them off as captives into their own land. ^D *And when they have gone, I will spread my net over them; I will pull them down like the birds of the sky.* It will not be possible, I say, to flee from their servitude; because I, as if with a net, having encompassed them with my decree, will lead them off into captivity like so many birds. *I will instruct them by the hearing of their affliction.* I will bring upon them such evils that even the mere hearing of the evils that are to come upon them shall be most grievous, and shall suffice for their correction.

^A

VERS. 13-16. — And what is the cause of these things again, He says: "Woe to them, because they have leaped away from me; wretched are they, because they have acted impiously against me." For it is on account of their transgression against me that they shall suffer these things; but I had redeemed them, and they spoke false things against me. "For indeed from the beginning, I was doing them good, but they exhibited their own ingratitude toward me; for I had delivered them from the slavery under the Egyptians, but they uttered every kind of blasphemy against me; sometimes making a calf and saying, 'These are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up out of Egypt;' and sometimes, when He had struck the rock, and waters had flowed forth, and streams had inundated, they still said, 'Will the Lord be able to give bread, or prepare a table for His people?'" And their hearts did not cry out to me. But they did not even think to incline toward me with a sincere mind, and await the gift from me. "But they howled in their beds; they gashed themselves for grain and wine." On the contrary, indeed, even when they had entered into the land of promise, and had obtained the rest given to them by me (for this He calls their bed), making no account of me, they were occupied with the worship of demons, howling and gashing themselves according to the custom of those nations, for which they were satisfying them, counting them the providers of the goods given to them by me. "They were instructed by me." For these things for which they transgressed against me, they shall receive from me the fitting and sufficient correction. ^B And He teaches them how they transgressed by doing such things. "And I strengthened their arms, and against me they devised evil." For, I indeed was the one providing all their strength against their enemies, but they practiced whatever was base and teeming with impiety, together with an offense against me. "They turned to nothing." For by means of my anger and punishment, I showed them, as they changed, that they were nothing. "They became like a bow not stretched." So that they in no way differ from a bow not having the string stretched, which is certainly useless to the warrior as long as it is in this state; so they shall be inactive against their enemies and weak. This, therefore, the words mean, "They were instructed by me," intending to say that, those not acknowledging the enjoyment of what they had received from me, by their change for the worse, I instructed them in their duty, providing them a clear demonstration of their transgression. "Their princes shall fall by the sword for the ^C uninstructedness of their tongue." These, therefore, shall be weak; but the enemies shall have such strength against them, that they shall even slay their princes along with the rest, on account of the things they uninstructed-ly uttered against me. ^D

CHAPTER VIII.

VERS. 1-3. — "This is their mocking in the land of Egypt, in their throat, as an impassable land, as a trumpet, as an eagle over the house of the Lord." These things indeed they will suffer, while they imitate the opinion of their fathers, who, in Egypt, accounted as of little worth...

COMMENTARY ON JONAH CHAPTER I

VERSE 3. The prophet, knowing these things, he says, "fled from the face of the Lord into Tharsis." He would not have done this had he known for certain that the destruction would happen, and if he had been sent for this purpose alone, as if he were merely to announce an event so great ^C with nothing better to come of it at all. Some have said that Tharsis is Tarsus, being deceived, as it seems, by the similarity of the pronunciation. For Tarsus is not a maritime city; but the divine Scripture is accustomed to use this name for the designation of maritime cities, as in the blessed David: "With a violent wind you will shatter the ships of Tharsis." This can be said of a maritime city having ships beside it, but for those separated—as much as Tarsus appears to be from the sea—it is not at all appropriate. Others have said Rhodes. But I, for my part, consider all this curiosity to be superfluous to the matter at hand, as the narrative concerning the prophet remains firm exactly the same, whoever one may think the city is. But one must note this rather: that he did not say, "He fled from God," but "From his face." For the prophet did not think to flee from God, ^D whom he knew to be the Lord and Creator of all, and believed to be everywhere present. But because God had ordered that all his worship be offered on Mount Sion, an opinion had been instilled in the Jews, as if he were to dwell there, and there reveal his countenance...

^A Verse 7-10. "For it has corrupted; their grain will not produce meal; if it should produce it, strangers will consume it." He points out that it is not at all useful for the nourishment of those people, having been dried up and corrupted by the scorching wind (v. 60). It is completely useless for the sustenance of men; for what is corrupted and perished is indeed useless, and cannot produce meal suitable for human food. But if, perchance, something could be made of it, it is thrown away as animal fodder. In just the same way, the service of idols is harmful and provides no benefit; so that if there is anything left for you from elsewhere, it, too, will fall to your enemies as gain, because of the impiety in you. "Israel has been devoured; now he has become among the nations as a vessel useless." For you will suffer a complete destruction on account of these things, having been taken as slaves by the Assyrians, like a vessel completely useless, you will be among strangers, deemed worthy of no respect. "He has cast me out unto himself." "They have multiplied," he says, out of the multitude of my protection, and having been unwilling to obey my word, they were the cause of so many good things given to them, while they performed everything according to their own will; for this is what "unto himself" means. ^B "Ephraim has loved gifts." And not even to those present were they content to look for gain. "Therefore he will be delivered to the nations." Rightly will they perceive, having been subjected to the enemies, what they have sinned against me, and how they have harmed me (v. 61). "They shall now recognize," that is, in the land of the Assyrians, leading them there through captivity, so that they might receive a perception of their own impiety; how, and in what way? "And they will cease to anoint a king and princes." For they will cease to establish these lawless kingdoms, being instructed by captivity and coming to a perception ^C of the lawlessness.

Verse 11-14. "For Ephraim has multiplied altars, they have become to him for sin." And rightly do they suffer these things, for they established this—those things against which they had committed impiety—since they found this way of the multifaceted finding of the idols to the end of finding worship; he erects many and various altars to himself, in which they will rightly pay the penalty for having most especially offended. "I will write to him a multitude, and his laws." Because the multitude of the altars, and the laws—that is, the new ones—he was glad to have regarding the worship of idols, just as I will write an accusation against them, and in accordance with such great lawlessness ^D I will pronounce judgment on them, casting them out. "To a stranger, the altars were deemed forgotten." And because he was showing such great love and zeal (v. 62) for the altars, he will come under the power of the enemies. "For if they sacrifice a sacrifice and eat the meat, the Lord will not accept it." For even if someone tries to be appeased by sacrifices to the divine, refraining from those in the sacrifices, as is the custom, they will not have any account...

^A given to them by God, nor will he grant them any release for these transgressions. "Now he will remember their iniquities, and will avenge their sins." For, remembering the things in which they acted impiously, I shall not be merciful to them, but shall bring upon them punishments proportionate to their transgressions. "They turned themselves to Egypt, and will eat unclean things among the Assyrians." And in the midst of these dire straits, they will indeed ask for help from Egypt, but they will reap no profit at all from there, and they will be led away as captives to the Assyrians, and will experience the evils of such captivity. "And Israel forgot his Maker, and built temples; and Judah multiplied fortified cities; and I will send fire into his cities, and it shall devour their foundations." For they were unwilling to pay any regard to Him who had made them, but were building ^B temples for the worship of idols; and then they tried to fortify their cities with walls, as if they would find therein some release from their evils. But not even these things will be of any avail to them; for I shall bring upon them such a terrible punishment at the hands of their enemies that, like fire spreading over all things, it will all but completely eradicate all their cities from their very foundations.

CAP. IX.

that it is by way of upbraiding their intention that he speaks thus, and not that the Divine Being actually finds pleasure in such things, he says: ^B "Their sacrifices shall be unto them as the bread of mourning; all that eat thereof shall be defiled." So far is God from needing sacrifices, or His honor being comprised by them, that even if anyone should offer Him sacrifices, God will not receive them. But just as if someone were to bring food to those who are mourning—even though the appearance of the food is pleasant to everyone else, they regard it as grievous, being pierced by the memory of their mourning, and they cannot bear even to look upon the food set before them—and indeed, anyone who is forced to partake of food while in mourning regards the nourishment as a kind of defilement or misery, and will not partake of it: in the same way does God view the sacrifices offered to Him, if they should choose to do such a thing; while He willingly accepts them from those who offer them with a sound mind, He judges the sight of an offering from those who are wicked to be grievous, because, mindful of the impiety in which they live, they seem to be offering the sacrifice in some kind of irony. "For their bread, for their souls, shall not come into the house of the Lord." Therefore, whatever offering they might make will return upon them, as it is in no way acceptable to God. For the declaration "They shall not come into the house of the Lord" means this: they shall not be acceptable to God, nor will He regard them as being present before the Lord, but He will cast them far away as having been offered with an evil disposition of mind. For just as God said to Cain, who had made a perverse offering: "To thee is his turning, and thou shalt rule over him," ^C meaning, "The offerings made have turned back to you, and you yourself shall be master of them; as for Me, I have received absolutely nothing," so here too He says: "Their bread, for their souls," meaning, "What they have brought shall be for themselves, as it is not acceptable to God." He called the offerings "bread" by naming parts for the whole, since in fact it was customary to offer bread, as he also says above: "They offered cakes with raisins."

Verses 5-7

and regions, and solitude shall occupy them, so that with no one dwelling there, thorns will grow up. ^A "The days of vengeance have come, the days of retribution have come." You will then endure these things when the time draws near at which it is necessary for your impiety to be avenged and for your wicked works to be requited. "And Israel shall sit like a prophet who is raving, like a man driven by the spirit." You will arrive at such a depth of evils that you will in no way differ from a false prophet who has been cast into a great ecstasy by the operation of an evil spirit, and who does not even perceive what is before his feet. So cast down in mind will you be, on account of the gravity of the evils! Why? "By the multitude of your iniquities there has been multiplied madness." This is because, indeed, you have lived with much iniquity and have entirely addicted yourself to the madness of idols.

VERSES 8-10. - The Watchman of Ephraim is with God: a tortuous prophet is a snare upon all his ways.

^A Ver. 11–14. "Ephraim is flown away like a bird." He wishes, indeed, to establish that which was said: "They have been corrupted as in the days of Gibeah." For consistently, he says, they, like their fathers after such great providence which they received from me, flew away in their judgment like a bird. "Their glory is from the birth, and from the womb, and from the conception." Then, committing such impieties, they imagine themselves to be blessed because of the multitude of the people; for this is what it says: "from the birth, and from labor, and from conception," since the thing born proceeds from conception, and labor, and birth. "For even if they bring up their children, they shall be bereaved of men." ^B Reckoning that even if they should attain to the highest degree of completeness, no advantage will come to them from this; for they shall be surrounded by the slaughters of war unto childlessness. "For woe also to them, because I have left them." For when I have withdrawn my providence from them, destruction and ruin awaits them. "My flesh is from them." And yet so great was my relationship towards them of old, that I might think myself to be from them; having such a disposition towards them as it is fitting that those should have who have received their nature from someone. "Ephraim, as I saw, set his children for prey; and Ephraim has led them out to be slaughtered." But having such a relationship towards them before, since they turned completely for the worse, the opposite of those former things shall happen to them, and they shall be delivered up like prey to the hands of the enemies; ^C by whom, being pierced, they shall all be slain and wounded. "Give them, O Lord: what wilt thou give them? Give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts." A just and fitting punishment for this kind they shall undergo, namely, that they should be punished with sterility, and not be able to nourish children; so that, being such, they should perish in a general destruction; as if for those who be such, complete destruction is the only outcome.

Ver. 15–17. Then, as if having justly pronounced the evils to be brought upon them by God, he adds the rest. "All their wickedness is in Gilgal: for there I hated them because of the malice of their devices." ^D There they pursued every kind of impiety, for which reason I justly hated those who practiced such things. "I will cast them out of my house." Of the land, he says, of promise I will cast them out; calling the whole region his house, because he had determined to dwell there. "I will no more love them: all their princes are disobedient." I will maintain fixed hatred towards them, since all have yielded to disobedience; and those who seemed to hold the princedom among them lead them in evil. "Ephraim is afflicted, his roots are dried up; they shall no more bear fruit." Taken from a metaphor of trees, he says that they shall perish utterly, just as those with a corrupted root wither completely and are no longer able to bear fruit. "For even if they beget children, I will slay the desires of their womb." All who are born of them, he says, I will destroy. "My God will cast them away, because they did not hearken to him, and they shall be wanderers among the nations." He will make them all strangers to his care, who refused to listen to him and to look toward repentance. Wherefore, captured by war, they shall be captives among strangers, and here and there.

CAP. X.

^A VERS. 1-2. — "Israel is a leafy vine." Israel is not unlike a vine flourishing with very many and very large branches, on account of the multitude of his people. "Its fruit is abundant." They multiplied daily in number, with many being born to them because of the prosperity present among them. "According to the abundance of its fruits, they multiplied altars." Yet they repaid the abundance of the people, which they had attained through God’s blessing, with a great increase of impiety; for, commensurate with their own number, they built a quantity of altars in honor of idols. "As many as were the goods of their land, so many statues did they set up." Enjoying many goods of the land, they erected statues in honor of idols instead of these. "They divided their hearts." And such was the madness of their devotion toward idols that their mind was varied regarding the pursuit of idols, as some gave themselves to worshipping these, and others those. "Now they shall perish." They shall endure a just punishment for these things. "He himself will dig up their altars." For God, who was neglected by them, will see to the overturning of all these things which they had impiously erected for the worship of idols. "It shall go ill with their monuments." These too shall fall into destruction.

^C VERS. 3-5. — "Therefore now they shall say: There is no king for us, because we did not fear God; and the king, what shall he do for us? Speaking words as pretexts, he shall conclude a covenant." For now they shall perceive their own folly, with which they chose a king contrary to what seemed good to God; and that, because they did not fear God, they established for themselves a vain and illegitimate kingdom, contrary to the seed of David who was reigning according to the divine promise: and therefore this kingdom of theirs was destroyed, and all were handed over to captivity; and no benefit accrued to them from their king. Nevertheless, this (king), using fraudulent words, had entered into a certain wicked covenant with them, namely, to depart from God and to worship the calves fashioned by him. "Judgment shall arise like grass in a fallow field." For God will judge their iniquitous crime, inflicting upon them a punishment for this, such that it might, as it were, flourish, and the judgment of God against them would appear most heavy and terrible: not otherwise than grass suddenly sprung up in desert soil takes on much immediate growth. "They shall dwell at the calf of the house of Aven, those who inhabit Samaria." For they shall all stand by the calves worshipped by them when evils have come upon them, in the hope of obtaining some help from there. "Because its people mourned over it." But they shall derive no utility from thence: nay, rather, they shall even mourn the calves themselves, while they behold their destruction, which is truly terrible, perpetrated by the hands of enemies. And as they had provoked him, they shall rejoice over his glory. Many enemies

^A will use against the idols the contempt they deserve; and they will be filled with much pleasure seeing their glory taken away, which they formerly held falsely with those who were eager to worship them; as the blessed David says: "Let not my enemies rejoice over me," meaning, "Let them not be glad, seeing what they thought would befall me, happen to me." So here it says, "They shall rejoice over his glory," meaning, "They shall be pleased, seeing them deprived of their own glory, because they have migrated away from him." For they see all their glory taken away, which they previously possessed unjustly. ^B

Vers. 6-8. — "And binding it, they carried it as a gift to king Jarim." For those who appeared previously to worship them, seeing the irruption of the Assyrians, will crush the heifers fashioned from gold and bind them, as if they were going to carry off ordinary gold, to bring them as a sort of gift to the king of the Egyptians, expecting to find some help from them. For the prophet appears to reproach them with this in many places, that they were waiting in vain for help from the Egyptians. What, then, shall happen? "In the house of Ephraim he shall receive ignominy." For because of the offering and the carrying of that gift, Ephraim shall be put to shame, having obtained no profit, but having performed that service rashly. "In his counsel Israel shall be ashamed." He shall be deservedly frustrated in his expectation. "Samaria has cast off its king like a twig upon the face of the water." Regarding that scheme ^C and undertaking, they will derive no profit; all will be taken captive, their king also being captured: who, like a twig being carried on the water, having been seized by the Assyrians, will be led away into a foreign land, being taken wherever it may please his captors. "And the altars of On shall be destroyed, the sin of Israel." The worship of the idols, for whose sake Israel sinned against God, shall cease. "Thorns and thistles shall grow upon their altars." They shall be in such solitude that, with no one now approaching, thorns and thistles shall be in the places of the altars. "And they shall say to the mountains, 'Cover us,' and to the hills, 'Fall upon us.'" They will desire, having come under these things, to suffer quick destruction, rather than to endure the punishments piecemeal. ^D

Vers. 9-11. — "From the time the hills were, Israel has sinned." Hence there arose for them the will to sin, because, having abandoned God, they practiced the worship of idols on the hills. "There they stood." But behold, their wickedness ceases because of the punishment. "It shall not overtake them on the hill." That is to say, captivity will prevent them from haunting the hills; and they will no longer be found in the religions of the hills, occupied as they are by the miseries of captivity. "War against the children of iniquity has come." For these things will happen to them on account of the things in which they dealt unjustly, with the war of the Assyrians brought upon them. "According to their desire, I will chastise them."

bring upon them, therefore, evils sufficient to correct them, by which, once instructed, they might recognize their own sins. ^A *And peoples shall be gathered against them, when they are corrected for their two iniquities.* For I shall gather a great multitude of enemies against them, correcting them for the fact that they neglected me and inclined toward idols. *Ephraim is a heifer trained to love contention.* Like a heifer that kicks back and wishes to overcome those who break it in, so he departed from God and did not submit to the yoke of servitude. *But I will come upon the beauty of her neck.* I shall strip away all the splendor in which she took pride. ^B *I shall bestow upon Ephraim.* As though I were mounting an argumentative heifer according to my power. *I shall pass by Judah.* I shall leave Judah to be tested in calamities, granting him no help at all; as it is in blessed David: *Do not be silent from me,* that is, do not pass by me while I am involved in harsh circumstances. *Jacob shall be strengthened for him.* I shall show my strength to all Israel; for it is not obscure that both Jacob and Israel are names used for the entire Jewish nation, named after their progenitor by his dual appellation: he who was formerly called Jacob was named Israel after the vision; just as also in blessed David: *He chose David his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds; and after those giving suck he received him, to shepherd Jacob his servant, and Israel his inheritance;* clearly speaking of the Jewish nation by both appellations.

VERS. 12-15.

that your own strength was sufficient for you for the war against your enemies; but everything has turned out to the contrary, since destruction has seized all the people, to such an extent that even the fortified cities have been razed. “As Shalman was devastated in the house of Arbel in the days of war; the mother was dashed upon the children: so will I do unto you, O house of Israel, from the face of your wickedness.” ^B Whatever ruin they suffered at that time—for the destruction and the war were indeed very severe, and the progenitors were slain together with their children—you also, O people of Israel, will suffer the same, receiving a punishment proportionate to your wickedness. He seems to be speaking of some notable cruelty committed by them at that time, and he makes mention of it because it is, as is likely, well known to them: namely, by saying, as you perpetrated such great wickedness then, so will you now justly suffer such vengeance.

CAP. XI.

Vers. 1-4. “Mane they were cast away.” They shall fall with great speed. “As the morning” ^C Israel’s king is cast away. Like the morning, appearing for a little while and then ceasing, their king shall fall. “For Israel was a child, and I loved him; and out of Egypt I called his sons, so they went from my face: they sacrificed to Baalim, and offered incense to their graven images.” He calls Israel a child from the time he was in Egypt, when he began to develop into a people and to enjoy divine care. I, he says, immediately at that very first moment when they began to settle, exercised much providence, so as even to lead them out of Egypt; but they displayed wickedness equal to the love and care I showed them, immediately departing from me and turning to the worse, and indeed bestowing on their idols all the zeal that was due to me. “And I shackled Ephraim.” Though they were scattered ^D by evils throughout Egypt, I, through my care, gathered them into one. “And I took him up on my arm.” I deemed him worthy of a guardianship according to my own power. “And they did not know that I healed them.” Yet they did not wish to recognize me, who had delivered them from such great evils. “In the corruption of men I drew them with the bonds of my love.” Even though they were about to perish according to the law of men, I snatched all of them away, binding them in an ineffable manner to my own love. “And I shall be as one striking a man upon his cheek.” So heavy will I make the blows and punishments for them in return for this foolishness, just as it is heavy to receive blows inflicted upon the face. “I will look toward him, and I will prevail over him.” For I will turn myself to his punishment, in order that, by this means at least, he might know my power.

Vers. 5-7. “Ephraim dwelt in Egypt; and the Assyrian himself was his king.” For they themselves will flee to Egypt, thinking to escape the arrival of the Assyrians; but they will gain nothing, since, as it seems to me, those with whom they seek to gain power over the others will ultimately prevail.

^A Why, then, will they suffer these things? "Because they refused to turn back." Since they have remained unyielding in their own wickedness, wishing to display not one single change. "And the sword hath grown weak in his cities, and hath ceased in his hands." Consequently, they will have no strength fighting against the enemy, nor will they provide any salvation for their own cities, because all weapons and every warlike preparation will prove feeble and superfluous, as I oppose them on account of their wickedness and bring the Assyrians against them for punishment. "And they shall eat of their own counsels." They shall reap the fruits of their own designs, suffering a punishment that is deserved. "And his people shall continue in suspense in their dwelling." For they shall not remain in their own homes, nor will they have a secure dwelling-place there, since the Assyrian will suddenly seize and lead them all away into captivity, as if they were suspended and possessed no firm foundation. "And God shall be angered at his precious things, and shall not exalt him." For whatever to him seems precious and worthy of eager pursuit, this God shall destroy with His own wrath, so as to bring everyone to the ultimate humiliation. ^B

VERS. 8, 9. — "What shall I do unto thee, Ephraim? Shall I protect thee, Israel?" For what does it behoove me to do for you in light of such great and manifold evils? To bring aid to you who are established in the greatest of evils? "What shall I do unto thee, Ephraim? I shall make thee as Adama and as Seboim." But I find that you are not worthy to receive that [mercy]; on the contrary, finding that you are deserving of the punishment that will be brought upon you for your deeds, if you were to suffer the catastrophe which it then befell Sodom and Gomorrah and Adama and Seboim to suffer. "My heart is turned, my repentance is at once stirred up; I will not execute the fierceness of my wrath; I will not allow Ephraim to be blotted out." But indeed, finding you even highly deserving of this punishment, ^C I have changed my mind regarding you, and being somehow convulsed at the sight of your calamity, I am drawn to repentance, so that I cease to be angry henceforth, and do not endure to leave you delivered over to total destruction. "For I am God, and not man in the midst of thee." For I am God, who has created all things and who cares for all things as My own works, and I am in no way like those who live as you do and among you. "The Holy One, and I shall not enter into a city." For I am estranged from and superior to all human affairs; I do not live in cities according to the way of men, nor am I accustomed to make my dwelling there with you; whence I neither share your mindset nor the wickedness in which you have striven to live. For on the contrary, even though you were about to undergo the punishment that was owed, I nevertheless strive, through the abundance of My mercy, that you might in no way suffer it. ^D

VERS. 10-12. — "They shall walk after the Lord." As if in response to the preceding word of God the prophet has appended this addition, saying something like this, that it behooves one to...

follow such a one, and to do everything according to the will of God, who is thus merciful and kind toward you. ^A "As a lion he shall roar, and the children of the waters shall be afraid." If we show ourselves to be such, He Himself, being as a lion terrible to the beasts, will send forth His own voice against all those whom He will bring to amazement by His own fear, for they have come upon you like waters according to their own multitude. "And they shall come as a bird from Egypt, and as a dove from the land of the Assyrians; and I will restore them into their homes, says the Lord." For God promises that He will bring them back from every side, having delivered them from the captivity that holds them fast, and that He will restore all of them, both those who were captives among the Assyrians and those who were fugitives in Egypt, to their own places like birds. ^B "Ephraim has compassed Me about with lies, and the house of Israel and Judah with impiety. Now God has known them, and they shall be called the holy people of God." For formerly, since all had declined impiously toward falsehood and the worship of idols, having no regard for Me, I had necessarily encompassed them with those evils; but now, repenting and having looked toward the better way, I will make them all My own—for this is what "He has known them" means—and they shall be seen by Me as being of those things, inasmuch as they are deemed worthy of so many and such great good things through My aid. Such are the things that I am ready to provide from My side. What then?

CAP. XII.

^C VERS. 1-4. — "But Ephraim is an evil spirit." That is to say, an evil purpose; for He often calls the purpose "spirit," as in, "By a spirit of fornication they were deceived," and, "Renew a right spirit in my bowels"; ^D and concerning Caleb the son of Jephone, and Jesus the son of Nave, that, "There was another spirit in him." "He chased the east wind all the day." For he was constantly doing such things, which, like a heat that harms the fruits, were bringing upon them autonomous corruption. "They have multiplied vain and empty things." And they set up a multitude of idols that were entirely useless and the cause of the greatest harm. "And he entered into a covenant with the Assyrians, and carried oil into Egypt." Dejected then into these evils on account of these things, at one time he hoped to obtain something good from the Assyrians, at another from the Egyptians; and he wished to make treaties of friendship with the former, but sought an alliance of war from the latter; yet he derived no benefit from any of these. "And the Lord has a judgment with Judah, to avenge Himself on Jacob." For God Himself comes, about to judge them through the facts, and to punish the things they have done contrary to duty; for here too he calls "Jacob" the nation of the Jews, which was also called Jacob and Israel according to the naming of their forefather, as we have said in what went before; whence he adds: "According to his ways, and according to his inventions, He will render to him." For according as

they commit offenses, He will indeed impose upon them punishment. Then, by way of a comparison with their forefather, he convicts them of their wickedness: "In the womb he supplanted his brother." For he, indeed, even before his birth, signified by the posture of his body the deceit by which he was about to lay claim to the rights of the firstborn. "And in his labors he prevailed with God." Having endured many toils and wanderings, he did not allow himself to depart from his devotion toward God. "And he prevailed with an angel, and was empowered." And indeed, foreseeing the treachery of his brother, he was deemed worthy of a vision of an angel, with whom, by appearing to wrestle, he proved himself powerful. But such were the things concerning him; what, then, are the things concerning these, his descendants? "They wept and made supplication to me." Everyone is in tears and prayers, seeking deliverance from the evils in which they are tested on account of their own impiety. What is this? "In the house of On they found me." For they were occupied with the service of idols, worshiping with my name those things which had no legal right to such an appellation, worshiping me as if I were present there, though I was absent. Therefore, the phrase "In the house of On they found me" is used to mean: As if they had found me present there, whereas it was I who should have been worshiped by them as God; in the meantime, they applied the appellation and honor of God to an idol. "And there words were spoken to them." ^B There they heard a just sentence concerning the things they had impiously done.

VERS. 5-8. — "And the Lord God Almighty shall be his memorial." But he will find himself in such circumstances that he will learn to know the true God and will maintain the greatest remembrance of Him at all times, He who both created them and always benefited them, and now, by chastising those who have acted impiously, also seeks to turn them toward something better, in accordance with His own power. "But you, turn to your God, keep mercy and judgment, and draw near to your God always." Show, therefore, a genuine conversion toward God, and let human kindness and justice be your concern; strive always to be with God, and if you keep His worship, you will deservedly gain the fruit thereof; provided, however, that you abstain entirely from the service of idols. "Canaan, in his hand is the balance of iniquity; he loved to oppress by force." After having invited them to conversion with the aforementioned words, he here again reproaches their malice. You have proved yourselves, he says, no better than the Canaanites, whom God cast out from the land on account of their excessive impiety and wickedness, and brought you in instead; thus you look toward injustice, and with great care you crush those who are weaker by the power you happen to possess. ^D

VERS. 8, 9. — "And Ephraim said: Nevertheless I have become rich, I have found a consolation for myself." Then, collecting wealth out of injustice, he rejoices in his riches, the sweet use of which he deems to be his. "All his labors shall not be found for him because of the iniquities which he has committed." Yet he ought to have considered that all these things which he has amassed through unjust labors would perish entirely on account of the iniquity with which he accumulated them; for when God is...

wishes to exact penalties from them for the transgressions in which they persisted, he signifies this. ^A “And I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt.” But it was fitting for you to abstain from every iniquity against the poor, reflecting that it was I who brought you out of Egypt when you were settled in bitter slavery. “I will yet make you dwell in tabernacles, as in the day of the feast.” And indeed I provided a dwelling for you, intending to signify the enjoyment of the promised land, providing a festival for you in the enjoyment of the things that had come to pass. For he says “I will make you dwell” for “I have caused you to dwell,” customarily using a change of tense; and we have already sufficiently demonstrated that this is also a custom in the Psalms, such as where it says: “But I cried to God, and the Lord heard me.” To which he adds: “Evening and morning and at noon I will tell and announce, and he will hear my voice.” Yet surely “heard” does not follow upon “he will hear”; for if it has happened, why does he ask for it to happen? But the former phrase also, “and the Lord heard me,” he says instead of “he will hear me”; and, in sum, this Hebrew idiom is found often and widely throughout the Psalms. Whence one might also find this same thing among the prophets, as is fitting, just as when it says: “As a sheep was he led to the slaughter,” ^B instead of saying “will be led.”

Vers. 10-11. “And I have spoken to the prophets; and I have multiplied visions, and in the hands of the prophets have I been ^C likened.” I myself then also raised up prophets, and I deemed the men of that time worthy of very many visions, appearing in many ways to the just men of that time—I mean to Moses and Joshua the son of Nun and those of their time. Since I chose to do all these things willingly, it was necessary for those who were mindful of them to be content with what had been given, and not to seize the property of others through injustice. “If Galaad is not, then they were false in Galgals.” He says this: If it were the case that you had abundance from Galaad and Galgals (intending to say, from the idols), your present actions might have had some excuse; but if there was abundance for you neither from Galaad nor from Galgals—that is, if you received nothing from the idols—how is it not clear that you have clung to falsehood? Now you have abandoned the truth, having departed from your benefactor and having turned toward those who have helped you in nothing; then, after this, you perform sacrifices to them along with your rulers. For ^D by “Galaad” and “Galgal” he refers to the idols. Just as he said above, “Do not go into Galgala,” intending to say, “Do not be occupied with the idols,” speaking of those worshipped there by the name of the place; so also here he mentions Galaad and Galgals, in which there was much worship of idols. Therefore, he indicates the worship of idols by the places, saying this: that though you have received so many things from me, and nothing from the demons and the idols, it follows that you have departed from me, and are occupied with their sacrifices, because of your being enticed by fraud and your inclination toward falsehood. “And their altars are like tortoises on the level ground.” You will receive no benefit from your devotion to them, because all these things are by the hand of human...

^A mischief, and God will utterly destroy them through their enemies. Indeed, since a tortoise is accustomed to living in water, but is utterly destroyed when caught on dry land, by this example He wished to signify the destruction of their altars.

VERS. 12-14. — And again, by comparison with their ancestors, he shows them to be impious: “Jacob fled into the field of Syria, and Israel served for a wife, and for a wife he kept watch.” For he, out of virtue and the blessing of the firstborn, preferred to become a fugitive from his own home to wander through Syria and endure servitude with Laban; and with great hardship he arrived at the marriage of his wife, so as not to take a Canaanite woman against the will of his father. He endured such hardship, guarding himself against acting against the customs of his ancestors and what was pleasing to God in taking a wife—an act which his brother had committed, taking Canaanite wives against the will of both God and his parents. “And by a prophet the Lord brought Israel up from the land of Egypt, and by a prophet he was preserved.” Since after all those things Israel had gone down into Egypt, God exercised such care ^B for his descendants that, by the ministry of the prophet Moses, He brought them all up out of Egypt and guarded them through the wilderness by His own providence, until He led them into the promised land. “Ephraim has provoked me to anger and stirred me up.” Having come from such ancestors, and having obtained so many good things from me on their account, they nevertheless stirred up the greatest anger in me, proving themselves ungrateful to so great a benefactor, and turning instead to the worship of idols, from which they had received no benefit. “And his blood shall be poured out upon him.” Therefore, the punishment for their transgressions will turn back upon them. “And the Lord will return his reproach to him, according to the word of Ephraim.” For the slander which he cast upon God through his own impiety, He will demand from him just satisfaction, ^C corresponding to the things he uttered against Him.

CAP. XIII. VERS. 1-3. — “He accepted justifications himself in Israel, but he attached them to Baal, and he died.” For having himself received from the Law of Moses the rites of how it was fitting to worship, he transferred them all to Baal, shifting to those (idols) the worship which belonged to me according to the Law; for which he brought death upon himself. “And now they have added to their sinning, and have made for themselves molten images from their gold and their silver after the image of idols, works of craftsmen finished for them.” They have persisted in this impiety, having fashioned idols of gold and silver with human hands; ^D and then they displayed such zeal for them, that—what is this?—“They say: 'Sacrifice human beings; for calves have failed.'” So that, after the many sacrifices which they had offered through irrational animals, not being satisfied with the multitude of those victims, they even made human beings the matter of their sacrifice. Thus also the blessed David says: “And they sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons.”

^A “Therefore they shall be as the morning cloud, and as the early dew that passes away, and as chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of the threshing-floor, and as the smoke out of the chimney.” For just as a cloud or morning dew, having dissolved, vanishes completely, and a spider’s web that happens to be on the threshing-floor is carried away by the whirling of the wind, and furthermore a brief vapor seen for a little while from the flight of locusts—so you shall all be suddenly destroyed by my wrath.

^B Vers. 4–6. — “Yet I am the Lord thy God, that established the heaven and created the earth, whose hands have built all the host of heaven; and I have not shown them to you so that you might walk after them; and I led you up out of the land of Egypt; and you shall know no God but me, and there is no savior besides me.” I shall justly bring upon you the penalty mentioned above, most especially because you have turned aside to idols, deserting me; although I am the creator of all things, both those in heaven and those on earth, at the time when I led you out of Egypt, by the multitude and greatness of those miracles, relieving you from the pressure of slavery that held you, and teaching you the knowledge of my power, I then clearly enjoined upon you that you should attribute the name of God to no earthly thing and no celestial luminary, but that you alone should confess and know me as God, who alone am able to save and to deliver from the evils that press upon you, since I exist as the Lord of all things; so that you might not think my laws are merely words and phrases, but justly formed from the truth and the reality of things. ^C “I fed you in the wilderness, in a land not inhabited, according to their pastures.” Having led you out of Egypt, I guided you through the wilderness with my own providence, in a land uninhabited; and in that wilderness, where there were wild beasts and serpents, I allowed you to lack nothing of what was necessary. “And they were filled to the full, and their hearts were exalted; therefore they forgot me.” Then, having entered into the land of promise, and having enjoyed such good things beyond all human hope, and having been shown to be great before all people throughout the world through the works performed for them by me, they no longer had any memory of me, who had granted them such an abundance of good things.

^D Vers. 7–9. — “And I will be to them as a panther, and as a leopard by the way of the Assyrians.” Therefore, like a panther and a leopard, and with great speed shattering and destroying them, I shall drive them all into the captivity of the Assyrians. “I will meet them as a bear bereaved of her cubs.” Even as a bear, whose own cubs have been taken away, and who, on account of her profound longing for them, tears apart whomever she meets, so also I shall cause a great slaughter of them. “And I will break through the enclosure of their heart.” And I will prove all their thoughts, which they held within themselves while they were sinning with such great zeal, to be superfluous and vain through the infliction of punishment. “And they shall devour them”

there—the cubs of the forest, and the beasts of the field shall tear them to pieces.” For thus the enemies shall consume them with a variety of slaughters, just as if some lions from the forest, or other beasts of this kind, were ^A to fall upon them all at once with their teeth and tear them apart. “For your destruction, O Israel, who shall bring you help?” You are broken and lost by such great evils; what help will you find, or what assistance can be brought to you by anyone, since you are being destroyed and perishing by so many calamities?

VERS. 10-11. — “Where is this king of yours? Now let him save you in all your cities. Let him be your judge, of whom you said: Give me a king and a prince; and I gave you a king in my wrath.” For you will not gain any advantage from royal oversight or military command; this, too, will be weak for your defense, since I oppose it. Even though it seemed good to me to give you Samuel as a leader—a man just and endowed with every virtue, who administered both the priesthood and the government of the people—you cast him aside entirely, saying that you ought, like the rest of the nations, to have a king who would be of use to you for wars against foreigners. But the time is at hand when you will perceive your own lack of judgment; for those who appear to reign over you will provide you no help at all, since all your cities will fall in one and the same ruin. Therefore, no one will be a judge for you, as if you were suffering an unmerited aggression from enemies; nor will anyone provide any help in such a state of affairs, although this is the primary duty of kings toward their own people, namely, to avenge their injuries. But now, it is a wonder how much more powerful your enemies are than your kings. But ^B yet, when you kept asking for the dignity of a king, as though you were going to receive something good, although I was indignant at the impropriety of your intention, I nonetheless allowed you to have a king, lest I should seem to be opposing your "excellent" deliberation: I tolerated it, I say, in my wrath. And now, being equally angry both at that old iniquity and your subsequent ones, I have withdrawn my help from you and have allowed you to learn from the very result of things how much better it would have been to be governed always by those whom I had chosen for your salvation, than to commit yourselves to royal power.

VERS. 12-14. — “The vortex of iniquity is Ephraim, with his secret sin; the sorrows of a woman in labor shall come upon him.” And because in all things you show (for under the name of Ephraim, according to his custom, he designates the whole by a part) a certain vehement impulse and a multifarious zeal for acting impiously and sinning against me, and your mind's thought is entirely fixed upon the transgression (for this is what he calls a “secret sin,” namely, that the deliberations of the soul are unknown to those without), ^C on account of these things, he says, you shall fall into so many and such great punishments that, like a woman in labor, you shall be seized in your delivery by the pains of the evils that have come upon you. “Is this your wise son?” Are these the works of your wisdom, you who did not know how to discern how great a difference there is between my grace and protection, and the turning away to idols and the works contrary to my ^D will?

^A “For this reason, he shall not stand in the destruction of his children.” Therefore, having deliberated such things, you will not be able to endure your own destruction. Then, as is his custom, promising the resolution of these evils, he proceeds to say: “I will deliver them from the hand of Hades, and I will redeem them from death.” Indeed, even after all these things, having instructed you by the punishment, I shall rescue you all from the very threshold of death, beyond all human expectation. “Where is your vengeance, O death? Where is your sting, O Hades?” Then it will be permissible for you to say these words, when you perceive that multiform destruction of the men who brought the punishment upon you, namely, the Assyrians. “Consolation is hidden from your eyes.” You will certainly have comfort for such great evils, which is now still unknown to you, but will eventually become known to you through the very events as they come to pass. ^B

Vers. 15. — “For he shall divide between brethren.” Some have understood this to mean that the Assyrian led into captivity the ten tribes, but left the inhabitants of Judea; however, the Assyrian did not intend this, for he actually wished to do the same to Jerusalem and the inhabitants of Judea, but he was hindered by divine power and the slaughter by the angel. Therefore, he did not [himself] divide them, but the prophet wishes to say nothing other than the gravity of the evils by which those captured by the Assyrian will be afflicted; and he wishes to show what kind of punishments God will give when he effects their chastisement in his own time. For, in reality, the Assyrian dispersed the captive Israelites here and there into different places, so that they might not be able to offer one another any mutual aid, nor—having consulted together—think of returning from there. Thus also the blessed David says: “He shall gather the dispersions of Israel,” ^C meaning to say: He will gather those dispersed here and there, beyond all expectation. And elsewhere: “Let them say who have been redeemed by the Lord, whom he redeemed from the hand of the enemy, and gathered them from the lands, from the east and the west and the north and the sea,” signifying how they had been dispersed in many places. Therefore, he says here also: He who took you captive and deported you into a foreign land, scattered you in many and various places, so that, not being gathered in the same station, you might not seem to have any consolation, but rather he wished your distress to be increased by being established in diversity of places. ^D

Now, having said these things to demonstrate the force and cruelty which the Assyrians used against them, he continues: “The Lord will bring a burning wind from the desert upon him, and it shall dry up his veins, and it shall lay waste his fountains, and all his desirable vessels.” He will bring an enemy upon him; he speaks, however, of the king of the Babylonians, who, as if from some far-off region, approaching suddenly in the likeness of a burning wind, will utterly destroy the whole of Israel; and he will convert his prosperity, and the abundance of things belonging to him, into desolation; and all his resources, and whatever

^A properties he possessed, and held as worthy of much concern, he will utterly wipe out. For it is subjoined to, "Where is your victory, O death? Where is your sting, O Hades?"—that is, "For he shall make a division in the midst of brothers," and the rest; so that in the midst is the saying, "Consolation is hidden from your eyes," signifying that what was hitherto hidden from them shall come to pass. After then having spoken of their conversion to a better state, he speaks again of the penal calamity that is soon to seize them.

CHAP. XIV.

VERS. 1-3. — "Samaria shall be destroyed, because she has rebelled against her God. They shall fall by the sword; and their infants shall be dashed to the ground; and those with child shall be ripped up." ^B Then, says he, the Lord will indeed confer those predicted benefits upon the captives beyond all expectation. But before that time, a most grievous destruction will seize them, because they have done deeds contrary to God; for they will experience a most bitter war, to such an extent that the enemies will not show mercy even to nursing infants, nor indeed to pregnant women. And since he has sufficiently brought them to modesty by the commemoration of the evils that are about to overtake them, now, insisting upon the promise which he made in the previous sections, and portending the future resolution of their troubles for them, he says, "Turn, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have been weakened in your iniquities." ^C Come now, turn your gaze to God; and by considering his will, recognize into what great infirmity you have come on account of your transgressions; and when you have obtained, beyond expectation, a resolution of the evils pressing upon you, apply yourself thereafter to the discharge of the duties that are owed. "Take with you words, and turn to the Lord your God. Say to him: You are able to take away every sin; so that you may not receive iniquity, but may receive good things." Exchange such words among yourselves, by which you may incline yourselves wholly to God; and believe with certain faith that God is well able to take away all your sins, provided he sees you repentant in the calamities that befall you; and having now cast aside all impiety, you shall obtain an abundant largesse of good things from God. And at the same time exhort one another to offer up to him everlasting hymns and thanksgivings for the good things that you possess.

^D VERS. 4-8. — "Assur shall not save us; we will not ascend upon horses; we will no longer say to the works of our hands: You are our gods." For we shall no longer be in need of the help of the Assyrians, having now become superior to them through the divine protection; nor shall we, by using horses, look to flight, for the God who helps is present. And by this we shall thereafter be far removed from that error of calling those things gods which we ourselves have made. "For in you the orphan shall find mercy." Endeavor, together with a benevolent and sincere affection toward God, to show mercy also to those who are in need. "I will heal their habitations; I will love them openly, because my wrath is turned away from them." If you act in this way, he says, you will hear God promising and doing these things, and you yourself in

^A restoring the ancient habitation with power; and finally, He will show an equal and similar love toward all, since He has taken away all of His wrath from you. "I will be as the dew to Israel." Thus will I nourish him with My providence, just as the dew is accustomed to nourish the fruits. "He shall blossom as the lily." He will be glorious in the sight of all. "And he shall cast forth his roots as Lebanon." He will grow in multitude, no differently than that tree which is crowded with cedars. "His branches shall go." The prosperity of his descendants will be extended far and wide. "And he shall be as a fruit-bearing olive tree, and his fragrance shall be as incense." Through My providence he will always be thriving in fruits, and his prosperity will be sweet to those who hear of it, like incense. "They shall return and sit under his shadow, and they shall live, and shall be strengthened with wheat." Being restored, they will enjoy their own possessions, and will remain having an abundant supply of ^B fruits through My providence. "And his memorial shall blossom as a vine; as the wine of Lebanon." Thus will he be sweet and pleasant to those who see him, like a vine that is flowering, and like the wine which is accustomed to be produced on Mount Lebanon.

Verses 9-10. "To Ephraim, what has he to do any more with idols? I have humbled him, and I will strengthen him." It is no longer fitting that you should have any communion with idols, since you will not even have any need of them; for I, who had humbled you because of your zeal for them, have afterwards, as you repented, restored you to your former prosperity. "As a thick juniper, your fruit shall be found by Me." Because this tree is evergreen, He says that just as it always has a head of leaves, so too shall these be in perpetual abundance of good things, the enjoyment of which will come to them from My providence. ^C Consequent to all these things, the prophet adds: "Who is wise, and shall understand these things? Or who is intelligent, and shall know them? For the ways of the Lord are right, and the just shall walk in them." It is indeed proven that those are wise and intelligent who have the knowledge of the aforementioned things, and who apply themselves to the study of them; protected by these [things], they are separated from vice, and, as participants in virtue, they will avoid the worse things and enjoy the better. For all the acts of God abound with great righteousness, by which [he acts], bringing punishment upon sinners, and again, knowing how to save them [when they are] repenting. And one might pronounce those to be just who are in these [ways] and know how to be benefited from both of these: becoming more self-controlled through punishments, ^D and taking the enjoyment of the good things that come from repentance as an encouragement to virtue. But it is clear that those are altogether wicked, and worthy of all manner of evils, who have no power to understand any of these things, having a constant inclination toward vice, and therefore, not being able to understand any of the things that are necessary.

Commentary on the Prophet Hosea (explicit)

COMMENTARY ON JOEL THE PROPHET

^A It is our purpose now to begin an explanation of the blessed prophet Joel. The subject matter of his discourse, to speak generally, is the same as that of all the prophets, who endeavored to foretell to the people the things that were to happen to them, in accordance with the grace of the Holy Spirit imparted to them for this purpose. The first of these prophets, as I was saying earlier, was the blessed David, who long ago—indeed, very long ago—and much sooner than the fulfillment of the events, declared all the things that were destined to happen to the people at various times; the same was also done by the remaining prophets, who affirmed what had been spoken by him in much earlier times, doing so a little before the actual event of the things themselves, so that they might simultaneously admonish everyone concerning the previously declared matters and, by asserting that they were now close at hand, demonstrate the truth of the prophecies. ^B And since the things which we said were predicted by the blessed David were various and occurred at different times, it appears necessary that each prophet generally spoke about those things whose fulfillment was shown to be closer to their own time. They would also connect, by a certain consistency and being led to it for this reason, some of the things that were going to happen after that—those very things, evidently, that had already been spoken of by the blessed David. Thus, the blessed Hosea speaks of the things that were to happen to the people later by the Assyrians and Babylonians, striving to reform them through the mention of those events. Joel, however, also commemorates the same things, inasmuch as he lived during the same time as Hosea, and was known through spiritual revelation to be occupied with the same subject matter. ^C He also adds the things that happened to the Jews immediately after the return from Babylon, when the Scythian race came upon them, whose leader was Gog, who wished to extinguish them all utterly. But the Jews, with God bringing them aid, emerged victorious: concerning which matter the blessed David also spoke words in the Psalms.

CAP. I.

VERS. 1–3. ‹The word of the Lord, which came to Joel the son of Bathuel.› This likewise is a kind of inscription, just as it is with Hosea, showing that the prophet was moved by a revelation divinely offered to him to say those things that follow, directed toward the utility of the people. ‹Hear this, ye elders, and give ear, all ye inhabitants of the earth, if such things have happened in your days.› ^D As if towards those slower to hear what was said, he endeavors to stir them up by the terror of the prediction; wherefore he also takes the beginning of his words from threats. He addresses, indeed, everyone, he says, the inhabitants of the earth;

^A but first and foremost I address those among you who are elders, who ought to know more because of your longevity, and I ask, I say, whether you know if anything comparable has happened in your time or in that of your fathers, such as God is now about to do to you; He who bore with you for a long time, but will bear with you no longer, since He sees that you have not become better through His forbearance, but on the contrary are even sliding into the worse. “Tell your children of it, and your children to their children, and their children to another generation.” For so great is the magnitude of the evils that are now coming upon you, that it is necessary for you through your own successors to transmit the knowledge to those who come after, so that the strangeness of these events may be able to render them also more prudent.

Vers. 4-5. — “That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust eaten; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm eaten; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpillar eaten.” By a trope ^B he wishes to speak of the evils that have come upon them, and how those that came later always intensified the former. For, he says, Tiglathpileser, king of the Assyrians, has come, who like a palmerworm has devastated not a few parts of your possessions. After him, Shalmaneser, as a kind of locust, has further depopulated your resources. After them, Sennacherib, like a cankerworm, has brought general destruction upon the ten tribes of Israel. Finally, the Babylonian (Nebuchadnezzar), like the caterpillar, has come upon the rest, who, having captured even those of Judea, has made the calamity of captivity common to all. Furthermore, what is the meaning of the announcement of these things? “Awake, ye drunkards, from your wine, and weep, all ye that drink wine to drunkenness, because joy and gladness have been taken from your mouth.” Drive away the drunkenness by which you are now possessed, and because of your inclination toward vice, you do not wish to see what must be done; and turn to tears and weeping, if by any chance by repentance you could wipe away your old drunkenness. ^C For since these occurrences do not permit you to rejoice and be glad any longer, it is better for you, as penitents, to use weeping and tears, so that from this there might come to you some relief from these evils. Then, indicating why these things happen, he says:

Vers. 6-9. — “For a nation has come up upon my land, strong and without number; his teeth are the teeth of a lion, and his jaw-teeth as those of a lion’s whelp.” For there have come upon my country many and mighty enemies, in no way differing from lions, who with their teeth and jaw-teeth tear and consume whatever animals come in their way, ^D and who thus devastate and ravage with their weapons. “He has laid my vine for a waste, and my fig trees for shattering.” He destroyed and utterly perished the whole of Israel, whom I used to tend as a vine and adorn with my own care, along with the fig trees in their midst, which he broke in pieces; but he wishes to imply those among the Israelites who are eminent in wealth and power, since such trees are seen to be raised up above the vines. “Scrutinizing, he has scrutinized her, he has made her branches white.” To-

encompass her entirely, he tore her out and led her away into captivity, so that all the branches, having been whitened and thoroughly dried up after the vine was torn out, in no way differ from those captives. ^A “He shall lament to me for a bride girded with sackcloth for her virgin husband.” Then they will perceive their own lawlessness, and with great lamentations they will incline toward me, weeping over the evils that have befallen them; not otherwise than a woman recently joined in marriage, and then suddenly left deprived of her husband, in whom the swiftness of the loss produces a heavier pain. “Sacrifice and libation have been cut off from the house of the Lord.” Here he clearly indicates the evils about to come upon them from the Babylonians; for then the liturgy performed in the temple of God ceased, when the Babylonian burned the building and took all the inhabitants of the city as captives.

72 VERS. 10-15. — ^B “Lament, ye priests who minister at the altar, for the wheat is wretched; the wine has dried up, the oil has diminished, the farmers are shamed; lament, ye lands, for the wheat and the barley, because the harvest has perished from the field; the vine has dried up, and the fig trees have diminished; the pomegranate tree and the palm and the apple and all the trees of the field have dried up.” Mourning is appropriate for priests ministering at the altar, because a total barrenness holds the plains, from which, by receiving the first fruits and the tithes, they had an abundance of necessities. But mourning is no less appropriate for the land, which is deprived of all its fruits, so that confusion is brought upon those who cultivate the land, because they have labored in vain; and likewise for all the properties in the region, because one sees no produce of the earth, no yield of the trees gathered in the accustomed manner. “For the sons of men have brought joy to shame.” By this he means that there is no occasion for anyone to rejoice, for it is shameful not to mourn in the face of such great and such extensive evils. By all these things he shows that a very grave barrenness has afflicted the region of the Israelites, and that the calamity was twofold: namely, that the enemies were devastating it in the worst way, and that the earth itself was denying it the fertility of its fruits. What then follows these things? ^C

VERS. 13-16. — “Gird yourselves and lament, ye priests; mourn, ye who minister at the altar; enter, sleep in sackcloth while you are engaged in the ministry of God, because sacrifice and libation have departed from the house of your God.” Above all, it is fitting for you, who have been appointed to the priesthood, to be clothed in sackcloth, and not to take it off at any time, whether you are sleeping or even performing the sacred rite; but rather to indulge in groans and weeping, because the worship that was duly offered to God has ceased entirely. “Sanctify a fast.” Since that which is set apart and separated from the many is called “holy,” he says “Sanctify a fast,” meaning: prepare yourselves for this, and having abandoned and separated yourselves completely from all else, isolate yourselves and dedicate yourselves to the fulfillment of this. “Proclaim a rite of worship.” ^D

^A Gather the elders, and all who inhabit the land, into the house of your God, and cry out to the Lord intensely: “Woe, woe, woe for the day! For the day of the Lord is near.” And since those in your region who are advanced in age ought to lead the rest as is proper, urge them to enter the house of the God of all together, while you still have the freedom to enter; and with many groans cry out—for this is what it means: “Woe, woe, woe”—praying not to experience that day, which has not happened to be far off according to the divine threat. “And as misery upon misery will come.” ^B So that you might not be forced to encounter evils in succession. “For before your eyes food has withered, and from the house of your God, joy and gladness.” So that you might not become spectators of those evils, for there will be a great and most vast failure of crops; and the worst of all will be added: that all the customary and due worship of the house of God—which could fill with the greatest joy and gladness those who look to what is required—will have been taken away.

Verse 17-20. “The heifers have leaped about in their mangers.” For these, being driven by the prevailing scarcity, begin to leap about and be troubled, naturally seeking sustenance; and since food is not present, they are moved to disordered leaping. “The storehouses have become moldy from their anointings.” ^C Since it was the custom to coat the grain storehouses for the sake of safety, if nothing was to be put into them, the mud used for coating would grow moldy, because nothing was being put away at all. “The treasuries have vanished.” Every place which was accustomed to receive crops will be superfluous, as there is nothing for the crops that have to be put in. “The winepresses have been dug up.” These also will appear superfluous, since nothing is being brought in. “For the grain has withered; what shall we store for ourselves?” By speaking of the grain as part of the whole, he wishes to denote all fruits; for by way of confirmation of what was said before, he wishes to say this: that with all fruits taken away, every place accustomed to receive the crops will be superfluous, since there is nothing left to be stored. “The herds of oxen have wept, because there was no pasture for them; and the flocks of sheep have vanished.” ^D The customary food for the livestock throughout the land has been taken away. “To you, O Lord, I will cry out, for fire has consumed the lovely things of the wilderness, and flame has kindled all the trees of the field.” Together, in the midst of such great evils, we ask you for the resolution of these things, for the whole land, along with the trees in it, has been laid waste as if by fire. For he calls the "lovely things of the wilderness" those places in the mountains suitable for the sowing of seeds, which in common parlance are wont to be called "mountain plains." He wishes to say, therefore, that every place and every kind of tree has been as it were ignited by fire. “But also the beasts of the field have looked up to you, because the springs of water have dried up.” The livestock, he says, are perishing from thirst, since the springs have now, on account of the lack of rain,

^A been unable to send forth water. Then, having ^B indicated the multitude of evils by the extent of the land, he adds things similar to those already set before us.

CAP. II.

^A VERS. 1-3. — “Sound the trumpet in Sion, preach on my holy mountain, and let all the inhabitants of the land be gathered together, for the day of the Lord is at hand; for it is a day of darkness and gloom, a day of cloud and whirlwind.” Having, therefore, used the trumpet signal according to the customary law, gather everyone to Mount Sion, where it is the custom for the divine worship to be rendered to me. ^B Implore there the divine mercy, because the day which God has threatened is not far off; a day capable of filling everyone with darkness and gloom, so that they are unable to see anything, inasmuch as all things are enveloped in cloud and whirlwind. He rightly calls everyone to Mount Sion, in which the Mosaic law established that God ought to be worshipped. Wherefore, even the ten tribes—having abandoned the divine worship of that place—relied on the calves according to the counsel of Jeroboam, and brought that same worship to them. But now he exhorts them, that, departing from that madness, they may look to Mount Sion and to the universal Lord who was commanded to be worshipped there, so that they might thus obtain relief from the evils impending over them. Truly, one can discover clearly that this happened under Sennacherib, while Hezekiah was reigning in Judea, for the inhabitants of that place. “As the morning, a numerous and strong people shall be spread over the mountains; there has not been the like from the beginning, nor shall there be after him for years, even unto generations of generations.” For just like the morning, at its proper time, fills the whole earth, an innumerable people of enemies will come, filling all the mountains, to which there has been no parallel before, nor will there easily be thereafter. “Before his face is a devouring fire, and behind him a blazing flame.” He will destroy all things round about by his arrival, like a fire. “As a garden of delights is the land before him, and behind him a field of desolation.” For those places that he has not yet invaded might be seen to be not unlike a garden, both in the multitude of their inhabitants and in the beauty of their buildings; but after his arrival, one can see all that pleasantness immediately destroyed. “And there is no one who is safe from him.” It is difficult, therefore, for anyone to escape his onslaught. ^C

VERS. 4-8. — “As the appearance of horses, so is their appearance; and as horsemen, so shall they pursue. As the sound of chariots over the tops of the mountains they shall leap; and as the sound of a flame of fire devouring the stubble, and as a numerous and strong people drawn up for battle.” The particle “as” is not used here to denote a likeness, but for narrative; such as is that which says: “As (how) good God is to Israel,” instead of [simply] “Good.” For that particle is one of admiration.

^A And here too he says that it is possible to see a great cavalry accompanying him. They are terrible, those who sit upon horses and charge against their enemies. He has most numerous chariots, running even to the high places. They differ in no way from a fire consuming stubble; to such a degree do they pass through all the places they wish. They are very many and exceedingly brave, prepared for war beyond all else. “At his presence peoples shall be crushed; every face shall be as the burning of a pot.” Therefore, it is natural that they will destroy very many in their rush, so that all who fall under them will appear similar to a pot scorched by fire. Then, proceeding to speak further about him in order to strike greater fear into his listeners: “As warriors they shall run,” he says, “and as fighting men they shall ascend the walls.” With great speed they shall rush to the battles; with much boldness, too, they shall leap upon the walls of the cities, having disregarded the danger of harm from there. “Each person walks in his own way, and they shall not turn aside from his path, and each shall not hold back from his brother.” They use an ordered battle-line; no one ever turns aside to the right or to the left, but each walks the defined and ordered path, while all with great harmony make their rush toward the war. ^B “They shall be burdened in their arms, and they shall fall upon their javelins, and they shall not be finished.” This, too, matters greatly for demonstrating their readiness for war, if one is never without one's own arms. For he says: Not even on a journey do they lay down their arms, gladly bearing their weight rather than presenting themselves unarmed to onlookers. For even if they happen to take some pause, they are not without their own arms. Indeed, he put “they fall” instead of “they shall fall down and recline,” wishing to say that they both walk and recline while armed. And therefore he well added, “and they shall not be finished,” that is, they acknowledge no end to fighting; they are always occupied in arms and wars.

^C Vers. 9–11. “They shall take the city, and they shall run upon its walls; they shall climb into the houses, and enter through the windows as thieves.” With great force they subdue the cities, not hesitating to run with their arms up to the walls; and once they have entered, they roam through the entire city, so as to enter every house, even through doors and windows, for the purpose of taking away everything that is inside. For the phrase, “as thieves,” says this, that is, for the purpose of taking away and stealing everything. “At his presence the earth shall be confounded, and the heaven shall be shaken; the sun and the moon shall grow dark, ^D and the stars shall withdraw their brightness.” The prophet seems to say many things hyperbolically, to strike greater amazement into those hearing, since whatever is said is less than the reality. Yet it is clear here, too, that he is not saying that the elements are confounded and transformed, but because it is the habit of those who are exercised by evils to often transfer the ideas of their mind to their own present distresses. He says, therefore, that it will come to be that men are filled with confusion as the Lord arrives upon the earth. It seems, therefore, to those who suffer such things from God on the earth, that the heaven also is shaken, and the sun, and the moon, and the stars already no

longer shine, as the heaviness of the evils removes from the sufferers the perception of light. ^A “And the Lord shall give his voice before the face of his army: for his camp is very great: for strong are the works of his words: for the day of the Lord is great, very great and glorious; and who is able to endure it?” God himself, whose will it is that you shall suffer these things on account of your own wickedness, ^B will also speak to the things that are coming to pass. Thus, then, you will come to know that this entire army is his, and that it is moved by his will. You will also know how great is the strength of his words—which he spoke long ago, when you did not believe what was said—and later brought them into deed, showing that every word of his is a strong work. And [you will know] that the day of the evils coming upon you is thus great and glorious. Then—as he goes on to say—it will be according to the divine will, so that it will not even be possible for anyone to endure the magnitude of the evils then coming to pass. Having thus described the heaviness of the enemies, he adds:

VERS. 12-14. ^C “And now says the Lord your God, Turn you even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: and rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.” But since these things are so, come, let us all turn our purpose from the worse to the better, and let us all incline our soul toward God with our whole mind, occupied with fastings, and weeping, and mourning; and let us not rend our garments—which is often your habit, though without affection of soul—but rather open your hearts and display them naked before God, so that, having put away the old wickedness, you may reveal your purpose regarding him. ^D For it is not incredible, since he is exceedingly kind and accustomed to use much patience toward those who sin, that he might draw back the evils which he intended to bring upon you. “Who knows if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; a meat offering and a drink offering unto the Lord your God?” Even if this has not happened to be known to all of you who are wounded by your own conscience, yet it ought to be especially clear to us that if we convert and wish to incline toward him, he himself will also repent of the things he had declared against us, and will, in the time to come, grant us the supply of his own goods. For he calls this a “blessing,” the first sign of which for us will be the ability to offer to him sacrifices and libations according to custom. For it is clear that God is said to bless when he does good to someone with his own gifts; whence he has also called such a gift a blessing. Then he adds:

VERS. 15-18. “Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly, gather

^A the people, sanctify the Church, choose the elders, gather the little ones sucking the breasts; let the bridegroom go forth from his chamber, and the bride from her bridal chamber.” For, he says, since God is of such a merciful disposition toward mankind, this is what we must do: summon everyone to Mount Zion with the signaling of trumpets; resolve upon and proclaim a fast for the healing of the Divine; gather the entire people—so that, once assembled into the Church, they may arrange themselves for a change of mind, with the elders by age present, and the little ones present also, down to those still nursing; and indeed, let those newly married turn away from conjugal joy to the study of repentance; in a word, let every age and any person at all, whoever it may be, be present for the repentance, leaving aside all other business. ^B “Between the porch and the altar the priests, the ministers of the Lord, shall weep and say: Spare, O Lord, Thy people, and do not make Thine inheritance a reproach, that the nations should rule over them; that it should not be said among the nations, Where is their God?” Standing before the altar, all those who have been appointed to priestly work and are dedicated to the divine liturgy should with tears ask for reconciliation from God, so that He might at that time spare His own people and not entirely deliver them over to the authority of the nations, nor leave them to be mocked by the nations, as if we boasted in vain of our intimacy with God. To these he adds: “And the Lord has been jealous for His land, and has spared His people.” He does not assert this as something that has already happened, but speaks of the future. He will be jealous, he says, and He will spare you, if He sees you repentant and if you do the things mentioned above; it is truly an enallage of time, as the prophet uses a Hebrew idiom: He has spared, instead of, He will spare; ^C which we have shown elsewhere to happen by imitation of the Psalms. For it is evident that it is not spoken of a thing already done, since in fact the evils came upon them according to the prediction.

VERS. 19-20. — “And the Lord answered and said to His people: Behold, I am sending you grain and wine and oil, and you shall be filled with them; and I will not give you up anymore to reproach among the nations. And I will drive far from you the one from the north, and I will drive him into a land without water; and I will destroy his face into the former sea, and his hind parts into the last sea. And his rot shall ascend, and his stench shall ascend.” The words “the Lord answered and said” are put for “the Lord will answer and will say,” the tense being changed here as well. For he wishes to say that ^D He will undoubtedly grant you an abundance of crops once you have repented, and will put your enemies to flight; which God actually did after the return. Just as also the blessed David, predicting the return of the people, first said: “To Thee belongs a hymn, O God, in Zion, and to Thee shall a vow be rendered in Jerusalem;” — “And thy temple is holy, wonderful in thy righteousness;” demonstrating that they would return to their own lands, and would again render customary worship to God in the temple. And after these,

^A he adds: “Thou hast visited the earth, and hast watered it; thou hast greatly enriched it,” and the rest; speaking of the abundance that would then come to them. In the same way here also, after he said that he would give an abundance of provisions, he says: I will not allow you to be subject to the nations any longer. For the words, “I will not give you up anymore to nations for a reproach,” signify this. Indeed, he says, I will even take vengeance upon those who invaded you, delivering them over to desolation and utter destruction; for first, through the Babylonians, I will punish the Assyrians; and after that, I will utterly destroy the Babylonians by the hand of the Persians; and I will work such destruction upon them that, as is the case with those dying and being slaughtered, their rot and stench shall escape no one; for "putrefaction and stench" denote this, as of those recently dead and cast out as corpses. Then also the word “shall ascend” is used for “shall be heard.” And what is the cause of all these things? “Because his works have been magnified.” For the Lord will demonstrate the greatness of his own works through the punishment of his enemies. ^B Succeeding this, he consistently says:

Verses 21-27.

^A the great and marvelous things He has done for you; so that you may no longer be ashamed for for having remained left without help by Me, having fallen into such evils; and that you may be able to gain an exact knowledge from the very facts that I am in your midst, inasmuch as I am your Lord ^C and only protector.

Vers. 28-32. — And it shall come to pass after these things, that I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your elders shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. And also upon My menservants and My maidservants in those days will I pour out of My Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in heaven and on the earth, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and manifest day of the Lord comes. And it shall be that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved; for in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, as the Lord said; and those who are evangelized, whom the Lord has called.

I will provide to all, He says, my protection in abundance; for this is what is meant by the words, "I will pour out of My Spirit." For those under the Old Testament did not know the Holy Spirit as distinct in His own person from others, or as being Spirit of God and from God; but they understood "Spirit of God," and "Holy Spirit," and any other expression of this kind, to signify the grace, providence, and favor of God. Just as when the soul is spoken of in relation to God; for instance, "Your new moons and your sabbaths My soul hates" (Isa. 1, 14); that is, by "soul" He means the affection with which He hated the festivities. Such also is that saying, "Your good Spirit shall lead me into the right land" (Ps. cxliii, 10); for He means, since You care for me, You will provide these things with great goodness. Likewise that: "Take not Your Holy Spirit from me" (Ps. l, 13); that is, do not remove Your providence from me; and all expressions of this kind—so that we do not lengthen our writing unnecessarily. ^D Such, then, is what He says here: that just as I will then provide you with My protection in such abundance that all, being deemed worthy of visions, will be able to signify something regarding future events; so too I will perform marvelous things in heaven and upon the earth: a great slaughter of enemies, and their punishment; and also the "vapor of smoke," which prefigures the divine wrath. And the sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, according to the imagination of those seeing them, which they will experience because of the magnitude of the evils befalling them. And these things shall take place before that day, which He will make illustrious through the

salvation of those who call upon the divine name; who shall also ascend the mountain of Sion and Jerusalem and be saved, since God has promised these things and has seen fit to announce them to as many as He has called to this return. This is the obvious meaning of the expression.

^B Now, the blessed Peter used this when addressing the Jews regarding the descent of the Holy Spirit, and most reasonably so. For the Law held a shadow of all things to come, and the people were deemed worthy of God’s care on account of the expectation of those things destined to appear at the advent of the Lord Christ. All the things of that time were indeed small and occurred, as it were, in shadow—so much so that they were spoken of hyperbolically rather than as they were in reality. But the truth of these words was shown to have its fulfillment in the Lord Christ, at which time all things were great, filled with awe, truly new and unexpected, and surpassing by far what took place under the Law; to the extent that the events of the Old Testament occupied the place of an enigma, while the magnitude of the things performed under the Lord Christ was the truth. Thus the blessed David says concerning the people, that "His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption." This cannot be understood as having occurred in the nature of things, but is spoken metaphorically or hyperbolically—that is, that he was snatched from danger or corruption. But the truth of the matter is revealed by the Lord Christ, to whom it did not happen that his soul was left in Hades, having been restored to his body through the resurrection, nor did his flesh suffer any corruption; so that not only did it retain its own form, in which it had died, but it was also transformed into an immortal and incorruptible nature. Thus the former was an enigma, but this is the truth. For this reason, the blessed Peter also used this expression, as one which was spoken metaphorically for a certain reason in the past, but attained its true outcome in the actual facts; so that there is much more reason for those now to believe than there was for those, in the past, to be amazed at that.

^{C D} Since many such things are found in divine Scripture, this present instance is clearly similar. For the Lord God, speaking to the Jews according to the custom of the time through the prophet, stated that He would abundantly provide His own care for them, and the rest in the manner we have explained. But all things came to pass in truth under the Lord Christ: for the sun was truly darkened, and the moon with it; and great, indeed many, portents occurred in heaven and upon the earth. The saving blood of the Lord Christ appeared; and a fire, according to the likeness of the coming Spirit, indicated its operation, preceded by a vapor of smoke, to provide a demonstration of the punishment which was to seize those who had dared to crucify Him. Then, indeed, all partook of the

^A grace of the Holy Spirit, being deemed worthy of various and many gifts; of which some foretold the future, while others performed very many things for the confirmation of the magnitude of what was taking place, and for the demonstration of the glory surrounding the Lord Christ. Thus, this which was spoken of long ago by the prophet metaphorically or hyperbolically, now has a manifest showing forth of facts, although the words are surpassed by the realities. The cause, therefore, why the blessed apostles understood this expression, and all the others that were spoken of concerning other subjects among the prophets, as referring to the economy concerning the Lord Christ—this cause, I say, may justly be considered to be such, as would make the history of the events of that time seem not to have been fabricated, and the magnitude of the present events to be proven ^B all the more by comparison with the former; and from all these things it is accurately demonstrated that a certain affinity exists between those and these; yet so that the past are surpassed by the present, just as a shadow must necessarily be surpassed by a body, even if it might seem to correspond to it in some degree. Now, the prophet, after he has signified the return from Babylon by the previously mentioned words, and the various good things coming to the Israelites at that time, very consistently proceeds to say:

CHAPTER III

Verses 1-3. — For behold, in those days and at that time, when I shall restore the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will gather all the nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Josaphat: and I will plead with them there for my people, and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and have divided my land; and they have cast lots upon my people: and have given boys for harlots, and sold girls for wine, that they might drink. ^C He signifies those things which were to happen to the Israelites after the return, and the incursion of Gog, which he will make with a great multitude against Jerusalem, and the destruction which he was to undergo on account of this audacity. For, he says, after I shall have brought you back to Jerusalem, many nations will conspire against you from everywhere. But he says, "I will gather all the nations," not that he himself is to lead them, but because he will permit them to carry out their own intention. And indeed, he punished those who were hostile to the return of the Israelites; yet they were nevertheless unable to follow their own will against the Jews, but rather received a terrible and unexpected punishment from the powers of God. Therefore he says that he has gathered all the nations, meaning thereby to say that he ^D allowed them to use their perverse judgment, and to make an attack against Jerusalem, so that by exacting punishment from them there, he might provide proof both of his tutelage over his people and of his own power. After he said, therefore, "I will gather all the nations," he added: "And I will bring them down into the valley of Josaphat," that is, into that place, he says, I will bring them against Jerusalem, and there

as if holding a trial against them on behalf of my people, I will take just vengeance for what they have perpetrated against them, wishing to scatter them everywhere, and to divide the land in which, according to their plan, they dwelt—a land belonging to me—and to divide even those people by lot. Beyond everything else, they have dared to place their sons and daughters in brothels to satisfy their own lust, that they might have an abundance of debauchery. ^B Having said these things concerning Gog, he proceeds:

VERSES 4-8. — "But what are you to me, O Tyre and Sidon, and all the Galilee of the foreigners? Will you repay me a retribution, or do you harbor resentment against me? ^B Swiftly and speedily I will return your retribution upon your own heads; forasmuch as you have taken my silver and my gold, and have brought my choice and beautiful things into your temples; and you have sold the children of Judah and the children of Jerusalem to the children of the Greeks, that you might cast them far from their own territory. Behold, I will rouse them up out of the place where you sold them, and I will return your retribution upon your own heads: and I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hands of the children of Judah, and they shall sell them into captivity to a nation far off; for the Lord has spoken." For since the Tyrians and Sidonians, ^C and all the neighbors of the foreigners, seeing the army of Gog coming against Jerusalem, thought that a suitable time was offered to them to destroy the Israelites utterly, against whom they deeply harbored resentment because of the wars fought with them and their victories through the help of God; for this reason he says: "But why are you holding onto your anger, and having found an opportunity to fulfill your own will, why, I say, do you take such audacity against the people of my jurisdiction? For, surely, I want you to know that I will swiftly punish this plan of yours; because you have taken all their wealth and brought it into your temples; ^D furthermore, you have sold their children, not without the hope of expelling the entire people from their own borders: for which deed you will pay me the penalty; for I will rescue them from the pressure of their distress, and I will even make them victors over their enemies now, so that in this way I may repay you for your misdeeds against them; and your sons and daughters shall be seized into slavery and sold far away, from where it will be impossible for you to recover them." Having inserted these things as if by way of his prophecy concerning the Tyrians and Sidonians and all the neighbors who at that time had favored Gog for the destruction of the Judeans, he continues the sequence of his discourse thus:

VERSES 9-12. — "Proclaim this among the nations; sanctify war, rouse the warriors, come and ascend, all you men of war; beat your plowshares into swords, and your sickles into spears: let the weak say, I am strong; assemble yourselves and come, all you nations round about, and gather together there:

^A For, as He said above, that "I will gather them" for the aforementioned reason, so here too He speaks as if He were commanding them Himself. All of you, He says, who possess this intention against those who belong to Me, gather together with great haste; and stir up war against them. And indeed, transform even the instruments of agriculture into the use of weapons, so that you may have a sufficient supply of arms for the multitude of those advancing; that by having more, it may be easy for you, as you have desired, to effect the destruction of all the Israelites. Then, stating the reason for inciting them to war: ^B "Let all the nations arise, and come up to the valley of Josaphat: for there I will sit to judge all the nations round about." For I permit all of you who wish to come together against those inhabiting Jerusalem to do this, so that there I may exact from you the penalty for your daring attempt and for your slaughter by various deaths. What then? He who was gentle becomes a warrior. > As He had said before, that He would gather them for the aforesaid reason, so now in the manner of a commander He says the same to them. All, He says, who are of this mind against my people, gather together with much haste, stir up war against them, and adapt your very agricultural tools to the use of weapons, so that you may have a sufficient store of arms for the multitude of soldiers. Thus, with their numbers increased, it will be easy for you, as you desire, to carry out the destruction of all the Israelites. Then, explaining the cause for which He stirred them to war, "Let all the nations arise," He says, "and go up to the valley of Josaphat, for there I will sit to judge all the nations in the circle." All you who wish to fight at the same time against the inhabitants of Jerusalem, I permit you to do this; for there I will exact punishment for this audacity and crime, consuming you all everywhere with various deaths.

VER. 13. — "Put in the sickles, for the harvest is ripe: come and go down, for the press is full, the vats overflow: for their wickedness is multiplied." ^C For the slaughter of them will be so great, and the fall of all of them, as they arm themselves against one another, will be such, that to you who dwell in Judea, there will be no need to fight; but [you shall think] that a certain harvest is present, in which there is need of sickles and of those who tread the winepress, so that the expressed wine may flow out; for something of this kind is happening even now; for since the war is successfully conducted by My power, and all are turned to slaughter, it is fitting for you to be present and see, like a harvest, those [enemies] being cut down like grapes, and falling upon one another in slaughter, and, by the likeness of a trodden winepress, the blood of those being slain overflowing; thus their evils will be multiplied, and such will be their slaughter, not with you fighting, but with them turning their own right hands against one another, according to what is given to Me. Then He says the things that follow in order. ^D VER. 14-17. — "Sounds have echoed in the valley of judgment, for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of judgment." For certain fearful sounds from the multitude of those being slain in this valley will occur, in which I will demand from them the judgments for their daring attempt against you; for He called the valley of Josaphat the "valley of judgment," by reason of the punishment destined to be brought upon them there by God. "The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their brightness." Consistently He said that for those being slain there will be no light; to show how these things will come to pass, He adds: "And the Lord shall cry out from Sion; He shall cry out, and from Jerusalem He shall give His voice, and the heaven and the earth shall be shaken. The Lord will spare His people; and the Lord will strengthen the children of Israel: and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, dwelling in Sion on My holy mountain." For He Himself, He says, the God who has ordained that the lawful worship be offered to Him in Sion, will send forth a great voice against the enemies, by which heaven and earth will seem almost to be shaken.

^A by the marvel of what is taking place, and by the slaughter being wrought so miraculously, which God will accomplish while sparing His own and showing them to be strong against their adversaries, so that it may become manifest to all that He truly is the God of all, and the Lord who is accustomed to be worshipped on Mount Sion.

VERS. 18-21. — « And it shall be that Jerusalem will be holy, and foreigners shall pass through it no more. And it shall be in that day that the mountains shall flow with sweetness, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the channels of Judah shall flow with waters: and a fountain shall come forth out of the house of the Lord, and shall water the torrent of the ^B rushes. » That Jerusalem is holy is confirmed by the very outcome of events, as no foreigner will dare approach it henceforth. For all the Jews who inhabit the promised land there will be a great abundance of good things, as both the mountains and the hills will afford them many and varied fruits; likewise, the fountains will supply the wonted abundance of their waters; he calls the gifts which are accustomed to be granted from the temple of God, and the rich wealth of blessings which flow from there to those who assemble in that place and who are eager to fulfill the duties owed to God. For this is what is called by the prophet a fountain going forth from the house of the Lord. This, I say, will be of such ^C greatness that it will extend its abundance even to those who are far away. Soon after saying: « And Egypt shall be desolate, and Idumea shall be likewise on account of their crimes against you, and because they unjustly killed many of you, » he adds: « And Judah shall be inhabited in its firm happiness by its own inhabitants in Jerusalem. » To which he adds: « And I will seek out their blood, and I will not leave it unavenged; and the Lord shall dwell in Sion. » As if he were saying: I will visit with the ultimate punishments as many as have dared to commit any act against the Israelites. And I will remain with those [people], demonstrating My presence by a hidden providence, which I shall afford them in great abundance for all time hereafter. ^D

COMMENTARY ON THE PROPHET AMOS

COMMENTARY ON THE PROPHET AMOS

^A It is manifest that the blessed prophet Amos, whom we are now, by the grace of God, setting out to interpret, speaks throughout nearly the whole of his prophecy concerning the things that were to happen to the people: revealing both the evils the ten tribes were to suffer from the Assyrians, and the things that were to happen to Jerusalem and the tribe of Judah, or rather, the remainder of that kingdom, at the hands of the Babylonians. The prophets did not speak of these things without cause; rather, it was because God was exercising extraordinary care over the people, for the sake of the manifestation of the Lord Christ, who was to come in his own time for the common salvation of all men. For this reason, He separated them from the nations, distinguished them by circumcision, enabled them to possess their own land, and commanded that religious worship be shown to Him by them in an exclusive manner upon Mount Zion through the legal ordinances; so that, from these things—in accordance with the prophetic announcements and the order previously established from above regarding the people—the Lord Christ, when He appeared, might make it clear to all men that God did not innovate the salvation of all men lately, but having preordained this from above and long ages ago, as the blessed Paul testifies, He chose Abraham, established the race from him, and exercised care over it in the way we have described. Thus, by the appearance of the Lord Christ in the flesh for the salvation of all men later on, it might be manifest that He came to the work of redemption in accordance with the decree from above. ^B For this reason, God also caused the entire people to be taken into captivity, and brought back from them those whom He desired—of which the tribe of Judah alone held the leadership, and it was the one that received the return in its entirety, because the Lord Christ was to spring from it in the flesh; for from the other tribes, only a few returned from each. Thus, in this way, by means of the captivity that had occurred and the return that was brought about in this manner, the scope of God’s care for the people might be made clear, as He was doing all things for the sake of the author of universal salvation who would appear from them, the Lord Christ. And so, lest the Jews, having undergone that captivity and having laid aside all hope, should be confounded with the nations, and should believe that they had no more fatherland or return to it, and lest they should forget their separation from the other nations; long ago, through the mouth of the prophets, He revealed both the future cap^Ctivity and the…

return from it, that they might be held by these hopes and, even after the captivity had occurred, might await their return. And this ^A indeed came to pass in the manner we have described, and for the reason we have mentioned. It is for this reason that long ago, and indeed from ancient times, these things had been spoken by the blessed David in many of the psalms; but as the season for these events drew near, divine grace raised up the prophets, who now foretold the evils impending from the Assyrians, and soon after declared those which would befall the Jews from the Babylonians; yet, after all these things, they promised the return, concealing nothing that it was useful to know at that time. Furthermore, the outcome of the earlier events, being consistent with the forecasts, created faith that the things predicted thereafter would also, without doubt, turn out according to the standard of the prophecy.

Hence it comes about that all the prophets speak of the things concerning the Assyrians and those which followed soon after from the Babylonians: for although these incursions were distinct—the Assyrians invading first, and the Babylonians later—and a space of time lay in between these events, nevertheless the captivity was one and universal, having begun with the Assyrians against the ten tribes and having been finished by the Babylonians, the conquerors of the city, against the remainder which constituted the kingdom of Judah. Therefore, the other prophets also foretell these things, and their entire discourse is centered upon them; if you except a few matters, they do not diverge greatly from the predictions, which they merely sketched in passing. ^B This is also done by the prophet whom we now have in hand, who manifestly directs his entire prophecy toward the evils to be brought upon Israel and Judah by the Assyrians and the Babylonians, yet in such a way that he briefly mentions, around his exordium, certain calamities which the Israelites were to suffer at the same time at the hands of the neighboring peoples. In this way, God demonstrated that He had not involved the people in the Assyrian and Babylonian calamity out of any cruelty, neglect, or instability of purpose, but because He was eager to recall them from their wickedness: since He punished, at the same time, even the neighbors who had behaved injurious—ly toward this people—those whom He would by no means have taken notice of had He not valued His own people most highly. Wherefore, in the punishment of sinners, God declares His care for the elect, upon whom He imposes blows not spurred by cruelty, contempt, or hatred, but for the sake of providence and a zeal for teaching and correcting them, and in order to recall them to a better way of life. This, then, is the argument of the book.

And so the prophet has spoken everything pertaining to the people, and he has also briefly signified what adversities the Babylonians were especially to impose upon the nations neighboring the city on that same occasion, because of their injuries toward the elect; the reason for which we have already stated. He delivers his prophecy, however, not in Jerusalem, but in the places of the pagans, near the borders of Israel, at the temple of Bethel, where the Israelites offered sacrifices to idols.

For if he had prophesied in Jerusalem, he would not have become known, neither to Israel nor to the remaining nations about whom he was to speak; since none of them used to travel to Jerusalem. But by prophesying in the previously mentioned places, he necessarily became known to Israel as well as to the neighboring pagans, who frequently mingled with one another because of their common worship of idols. So that all, on whose account he was delivering his words, might know the things being said about them; and having received the prophecy before the events occurred, and having seen the outcome at close proximity, they might have greater faith in the divine grace that was working in the prophets.

^B But the claim made by some, that the prophets did not rebuke King Uzziah when he dared to perform the duties of the priesthood, and that for this reason all of them ceased to prophesy, seems to me completely fabulous: for the book of Hosea has it this way: "The word of the Lord which came to Hosea the son of Beeri in the days of Uzziah," and so forth; and in the prophet Isaiah it is said thus: "The vision which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw, which he saw concerning Judea and concerning Jerusalem, in the reign of Uzziah," and so forth; and in the present prophet it says thus: "The words of Amos which were in Cariatharim of Thecua, which he saw concerning Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah." How, then, could it be possible that the power of prophecy had been taken away from the prophets in the days of Uzziah, when Hosea, Isaiah, and Amos all declare in the titles of their own books that they were prophesying in the days of Uzziah? ^C Furthermore, it is also clear that if they had been commanded by divine revelation to rebuke Uzziah, the prophets would never have delayed, obeying divine revelations rather than fearing a king who was committing sin; and if they had not received a revelation for this purpose, no one could rightly blame them for not having attempted a matter that had not been shown to them by divine revelation. For it is the perpetual custom of the prophets to obey spiritual revelations, whether they are to speak or to stay silent by their impulse; so that they were accustomed to follow their spiritual revelations in all things, speaking according to them or not speaking, and neither saying nor staying silent about anything except as they dictated, nor even choosing to say anything contrary to them. ^D I therefore considered it improper to pass over in silence this opinion, which I know not why has pervaded the minds of many, and which seems to me to be greatly at variance with the Holy Scriptures. Now, the book of this entire prophecy is focused on both Israel and Judah, and on the events that befell both of them, first by the Assyrians and later by the Babylonians; and at the beginning it briefly includes mention of the evils that were to seize those living around them. And indeed, we have already stated the cause of why these things happened to the Hebrew people in the preceding sections, for God bestowed His care upon them, on account of

^A the Master Christ according to the flesh, who was about to appear for the salvation of all. But the events destined for the surrounding peoples are set forth first, for a refutation, so that it may be clear that God did not act out of cruelty toward His own people; since He even demands justice from others for the iniquity committed against them. But we must begin the book, which hereafter proceeds as follows:

CHAPTER I.

VERS. 1, 2. — « The words of Amos, which were made in Cariatbarim of Thecue, which he saw concerning Jerusalem, in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam, son of Joas, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake. » ^B This, then, just as we have said regarding other prophets, holds the place of a heading, signifying what the book wishes to convey, and by whom, and concerning whom, and when it was spoken. It is no wonder that he says "words which he saw concerning Jerusalem," although he was also about to speak of those matters pertaining to Israel—that is, the ten tribes—and no less to the surrounding peoples. This is because he considered the affairs of the city of Jerusalem, namely of its people, who consisted of the tribe of Judah, to be the most important of all, as we have said before; whereas the condition of the rest was being ^C considered for the sake of the former. Thus, from the principal matter, he shows the cause of his prophecy, and he begins the prophecy thus, saying: « The Lord has spoken from Sion, and from Jerusalem He has uttered His voice; and the pastures of the shepherds have mourned, and the top of Carmel has withered. » He began his address most admirably from this point; for since he was not speaking in Jerusalem, but in those places which the Gentiles and the kingdom of Israel occupied, he immediately added, with prudence, « He has spoken from Sion, and from Jerusalem He has uttered His voice, » lest the hearers of what was being said might attribute the cause to the demons worshipped in those places. Rather, he wanted all to recognize that he was uttering those words by the will of God, who, being the maker and Lord of all, had ordered that the worship befitting ^D Him be performed on Mount Sion according to the legal ordinance, and who now was emboldened to say these things through the prophet, and was bringing the predicted outcome to fruition in its own time. The words, « The pastures of the shepherds have mourned, and the top of Carmel has withered, » signify that with the aforementioned events, all the surrounding peoples, along with their rulers, would be turned to mourning; and indeed Israel as well, with those who were dwelling in that place, and—calling the top of Carmel, as if those who were dwelling around that place were misusing their superiority for no good. Then, dividing his speech part by part, he proceeds to speak about each of the surrounding peoples.

VERS. 3–5. — « And the Lord said: For three iniquities of Damascus and for four I will not turn her away, because they sawed with iron saws the pregnant women of the Galaadites. And I will send fire into the house of Azael, and it shall devour the foundations of the son of Ader; and I will crush the bars of Damascus, and I will destroy the inhabitants from the field

^B of Aven, and the captive people of Syria shall be brought into the land of Cyr, saith the Lord.

The phrase "upon the third and the fourth" is spoken instead of "upon the very many." For since the number following one and two is called plural, by the word "three" he means many; by "four" he signifies the intensification of that multitude. He wishes, therefore, to say that he had overlooked many sins of Damascus; but since its citizens persisted in impiety and continued to heap it up, it was no longer possible that he not reject them and pursue them with hatred. Then, leaving aside their other transgressions, he mentions that which was committed by them against the Israelites, so as to show that even if they have sinned much, he will punish them especially for these things, for whose protection he was greatly concerned.

Therefore, by saying "the Galaadites," he speaks of a part for the whole, for Galaad was a part of Israel. The cause of the punishment was that they had displayed such wickedness against Israel that they cut open the pregnant women of that people with iron saws. He seems to say this in order to demonstrate the cruelty of the enemies, who would not spare even pregnant women, whether they actually cut them with saws or with swords in the manner of war; thus the expression "with iron saws" is used to heighten the gravity of the crime.

Wherefore, he says, I will send against them enemies by whom they will all be consumed as if by fire; indeed, even their royal seat will be destroyed, for this is suggested by the phrase "the foundations of the son of Ader," and I will remove all the strength of their metropolis, which is what is indicated by the phrase "I will crush the bars of Damascus." And indeed, I will destroy all that are of them, so as to wipe out even those from Charran who were living among them, who were suspected of providing them with much help from their own power. In short: I will cause all the inhabitants of that kingdom, who go by the name of Syria, to be delivered into total captivity.

^C 98 VERS. 6-8. — "Thus saith the Lord: Upon the three sins of Gaza and upon the four, I will not turn away from them, because they took the captivity of Solomon to shut it up in Idumea." He says the same thing here, namely, that he will no longer endure those devoted to heaping up sins and hardened in the perversity of their mind; rather, he will punish them most of all because, when Solomon had reduced the Idumeans to captivity and brought them under the dominion of Israel, so that the Idumeans remained in this condition for a long time, these enemies came upon them, dissolved that captivity by right of war, and ordered them to return again to Idumea. ^D Naturally, the prophet here also argues against the wickedness of the enemies toward the Israelites.

What then? "I will send fire into the walls of Gaza, and it shall consume its foundations: I will destroy the citizens of Azotus; I will destroy the people of Ascalon; I will stretch out my hand upon Accaron, and the remnants of the foreigners shall perish, saith the Lord." I will impose these same punishments upon them as well, he says. For in this place, too, he speaks of fire as war, meaning that the enemies will consume them like a flame, will bring destruction upon the walls of Gaza, and every city...

that he will pull down the walls of Gaza, and will tear up the whole city from its foundations, and will destroy those dwelling in it together with those inhabiting Azotus and Ascalon; nor will I spare even those in Accaron. For Gaza is mentioned as being the leader of the satrapies among the foreigners. By a common rule he says that the punishment will come upon all the foreigners; wherefore he adds: “And the rest of the foreigners shall perish, says the Lord”: meaning that I will swiftly destroy all the foreigners, just as he said in the previous passages that the whole people termed Syria would be led into captivity, etc.

VERS. 9, 10. — “Thus says the Lord: For three transgressions of Tyre and for four, I will not turn away from it, because they closed the captivity of Solomon into Idumea, and did not remember the covenant of brothers. And I will send fire upon the walls of Tyre, and it shall devour its foundations.” Seeing that I have borne these things patiently for a long time, he says, I will not endure those who prolong their impiety more than this; especially because they took care that the captives of Solomon should be transported into Idumea, having this crime in common with the foreigners. And yet they ought to have done no such thing to the captives, mindful of the covenant which Solomon and their king had amicably contracted between themselves; of which being completely oblivious, they have now acted in this way: on account of which, with my consent, an enemy coming upon them will subvert their walls and destroy the entire city.

VERS. 11, 12. — “Thus says the Lord: For three transgressions of Idumea and for four, I will not turn away from it, because they pursued their brother with the sword. And he corrupted his womb upon the earth, and snatched away his terror as a testimony, and kept his fury until the victory.” Since I have endured those who commit very many sins, I will not endure them as they continue to transgress any further; especially because they stirred up war against the Israelites, and did not respect their kinship with them, and that both they and the others were born of brothers, namely, descended from Esau and from Jacob. For this is what he signifies by the expression “his brother.” But the words, “he corrupted his womb upon the earth,” he says for: they killed everyone and prostrated them upon the earth; which was to sin against the womb that bore them. For since he called them brothers, as being born of brothers, he called the slaughter of the brothers a corruption of the womb, as if in this way they had sinned against the common mother. And they committed horrible things against them, so that they might provide a greater testimony of their own cruelty to those who look on. But they also attacked them with a great and violent impetus, demonstrating their hatred against them to the very end; for “he kept his fury until the victory” has this meaning. But what for these things? “And I will send fire into Thæman, and it shall devour the foundations of its walls.” Thæman was a more conspicuous city of the Idumeans. Therefore I will bring war upon them,

^A he says, which will utterly consume their greatest and most royal city, tearing it up from the foundations together with its walls.

Vers. 13-15. — “Thus saith the Lord: For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, and for four, I will not turn away from them; because they ripped up the women with child of the Galaadites, that they might enlarge their borders. And I will kindle a fire in the walls of Rabba, and it shall devour its foundations with a cry in the day of battle, and it shall be shaken in the day of its destruction; and Melchom shall go into captivity, his priests and his princes together, saith the Lord.”

Saying similar things about them, he asserts that He is especially angry with them for this reason, that they ripped up the pregnant women of the Israelites, imitating the cruelty of the Damascenes. They hoped by such a crime against women with child to destroy the whole nation, and in addition to possess their region, so that they might have a wider dwelling-place. ^B But, he says, because of these things an enemy will come, who will destroy the walls of Rabba, which is their metropolis. Since the city is perishing from the foundations—and with such a raging war—intolerable shrieks of those suffering will go up on that account. Therefore, the city will experience a total destruction; but their idol, called Melchom, will likewise be led away captive with all the priests and the princes of the people.

CAP. II.

Vers. 1-3. — “Thus saith the Lord: For three transgressions of Moab, and for four, I will not turn away from him; because he burned the bones of the king of Idumea into lime.” It is evident that in all the rest of the cases he speaks of the iniquities which the nations have contrived against Israel. Indeed, he does not change the tenor of his discourse in this place either; he says that he adds these things to avenge the king of Idumea, although in the preceding passages he seems to have threatened the Idumeans themselves with similar things. But because the king of Idumea had at one time wished to incline toward peace and friendship with the Israelites, the Moabites, becoming indignant at this, campaigned against Idumea out of hatred for the Israelites; and when they proved victorious, they offered the slaughter of the king of Idumea as a sort of victory-sacrifice to their own idols, and furthermore even made him a holocaust ^C upon the altar. For the words, “They burned the bones of the king of Idumea into lime,” signify this—speaking of the oblation and the slaughter, in which, burning him in the manner of a holocaust, they reduced his bones to lime. God says, therefore, that He is indignant at the Moabites because, out of hatred for the Israelites, they displayed such great wrath against the king of Idumea. What follows then? “I will send a fire upon Moab, and it shall devour the foundations of its cities; and Moab shall die in weakness with a shout and with the sound of the trumpet; and I will destroy the judges from the midst of it.” For an enemy will come, he says, about to devastate all their cities; so much so that, reduced to extreme misery, neither able to bear

and not even sufficing for the magnitude of the evils brought upon them, they will undergo death amid a great sound and clamor of military trumpets; to speak briefly, such will be their destruction that neither a judge nor a ruler of theirs will be left, all of them having perished utterly.

^B VERS. 4, 5. — Having thus spoken of the things that were to befall the neighboring peoples on account of their iniquity against the Israelites, the prophet next turns to the things that were to befall his own people, demonstrating that just as those were to be punished for their iniquity against the people who were specifically consecrated to God, so too will this people not escape punishment for their ungrateful spirit toward God. He makes mention in the first place of the tribe of Judah, which he deems especially worthy of punishment because, living around the divine temple, it was nonetheless irreligious. He speaks thus: “Thus says the Lord: For three sins of the sons of Judah and for four, I will not turn away from them.” He says that He hates these also, who have sinned many times, because they have persevered in their own impiety; then he also states the cause of the punishment: “Because they have cast away the law of the Lord and have not kept His commandments. And their vain idols, which they made, led them astray, after which their fathers had gone.” For they too were unwilling to have any regard for My laws and commandments, but devoted themselves to the worship of idols, doing things consistent with their fathers. What then? “I will send fire upon Judah, and it will devour the foundations of Jerusalem.” I shall destroy, he says, by the hands of enemies, both all those of that kingdom and Jerusalem along with them. It is evident that he is speaking of the Babylonians, for they it was who razed Jerusalem and took the tribe of Judah captive; although in what follows, indicating evils against Israel, or rather the ten tribes, he mentions, as is natural, the Assyrians, who indeed took them captive and went away. Thus it is evident that he considers the captivity of the people, brought about by the Assyrians and the Babylonians, as one; even if others were the ones who took the ten tribes, I mean the Assyrians, while the Babylonians were those who took the tribe of Judah, and even if some time intervened. Yet in this way the captivity of the whole people came to be completed, having begun with the ten tribes and having been finished in those of the tribe of Judah. For this reason the prophets, while announcing the things that were to befall the people, sometimes mention the former and sometimes the latter, as both make up one people and were brought to one common captivity, even if it happened at distinct times.

VERS. 6-8. — “Thus says the Lord: For three sins of Israel and for four, I will not turn away from it.” After he has said that He justly turns away from them on account of their continued sins, he narrates in what follows their very many iniquities: “Because they have sold...”

the righteous for silver.” ^A He does not here call “righteous” one who is adorned with virtue, but rather the one to whom, in a pending dispute, a just verdict was due; that he might say that they betrayed for money those who were supported by justice. And intensifying what is said, “and the needy for the sake of sandals of those who trample upon the dust of the earth.” ^B To such a degree, he says, did they extend their own greed, so that they betrayed the justice of the poor for the sake of the most worthless gain; for this is what is indicated by “sandals of those who trample upon the dust of the earth,” which was a clear proof that they took no account of justice, if they acted easily even for such cheap bribes. “And they buffeted the heads of the poor.” He speaks of the same people, saying that not only were the poor not defended when they sought justice, but they were also beaten with impunity. Therefore he adds: “And they turned aside the way of the humble.” And since their actions, he says, were right, they turned the judgment to the opposite, despising them because of their humility. ^C “And son and his father went in to the same young woman, that they might profane the name of their God; and binding their garments with cords, they made curtains near the altar; and they drank wine from extortions in the house of their God.” By reason of excessive lewdness, having no regard even for the laws of nature, both father and son shamelessly consorted with the same women; becoming responsible for such blasphemy against God, whom they appeared to invoke. And indeed, making tents out of garments near the altar, and not even revering the proximity of the holy places, they fulfilled this profligacy; and from the affliction of the poor, whom they wronged in many ways, they established a kind of festival with drunkenness in the house of God.

VERS. 9-12. — “Yet I destroyed the Amorite from before them, whose height was as the height of the cedar, and he was strong as the oak; and I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath. And I brought you up out of the land of Egypt, and led you in the desert forty years, to inherit the land of the Amorites. And I took of your sons for prophets, and of your young men for sanctification.” ^D You, I say, have committed such things, being unmindful of my benefits: neither that I destroyed the Amorite, so great and powerful, utterly, leaving no trace of him upon the earth; nor that I brought you out of Egypt when you were enslaved; nor that I nourished you in the desert for forty years in many ways, so as to provide the land of the Amorites, which in no way belonged to you by human right, into your possession. Beyond all these things, for the sake of public utility, I made some of you participants in prophetic grace; and indeed, I chose some from among you, who, being devoted to a more accurate and better life, might be an ornament to the rest. And because these things were clear to all, he adds equally: “Is it not so, O children of Israel, says the Lord?” Indeed, these things are most true, and cannot be denied by you.

^A Consistently with the previous remarks, he adds: “And you gave the sanctified ones wine to drink, and you commanded the prophets, saying: ‘You shall not prophesy.’” You continued openly to insult my grace, both compelling those who had dedicated themselves to a more precise life to partake of wine and whatever other things they were anxious to abstain from in accordance with their own resolution, and openly preventing the prophets from performing their own work. What, then, follows from this?

VERS. 13-16. — “Therefore, behold, I will roll beneath you, just as a cart full of straw is rolled. And flight shall perish from the runner, and the strong man shall not hold his strength, and the fighter shall not save his soul, and the archer shall not withstand, and the swift of foot shall not be delivered, and the horseman shall not save his soul, and the mighty man shall not find his heart in ^B might.” I will bring upon you such punishments that, like a heavily laden cart—which, because of the heavy burden placed upon it, when it is drawn, emits a creaking sound—you, pressed down by the weight of evils, will have to indulge in wailing and groaning with great contention of voice. Then, neither to the one ready for the race will it be possible to flee from the evils, nor will his strength be of any use to the strong man; nor will it be possible for the one prepared for battle and war to attain safety. But even the one skilled in archery will have an impossible task; nor will anyone who is powerful in the speed of his feet attain safety; nor, likewise, the one taught to drive horses. Finally, not even those who trust greatly in their own strength will find a way to exert the power that adheres to them. Having said these things to demonstrate the magnitude of the evils, he proceeds: ^C “He that is naked shall flee in that day, says the Lord.” By this he means that the most destitute man, and one who, on account of the excess of his poverty and lowliness, is held in no account by others—this man alone would find safety then, since the enemies would neglect to seize him on account of his worthlessness. Then he connects what follows to the things already said:

CAP. III.

VERS. 1-6. — “Hear this word which the Lord has spoken against you, O house of Israel, and against every tribe which I brought out of the land of Egypt, saying: ‘Truly, I have known you out of all the tribes of the earth; therefore I will take vengeance upon you for all your sins.’” ^D Do not, he says, consider these things which have been decreed against you by God to be unimportant; for the One who liberated you all from the slavery of Egypt, showing a singular concern for you above all men, this same One now also speaks to you, threatening a just punishment, because you have been so ungrateful toward such a great benefactor. “If two walk together at all, unless they know themselves?” For the confirmation of what has been said, and to demonstrate that what has been said was not spoken rashly, he subjoins things of this kind: If it is possible, he says, for two people traversing a long road together to hide from one another the reason for their journey, and not communicate this to one another so that they might complete the journey with a shared purpose; if this, I say, happens, then even the enemies

^A will not come against you without the will of God. "If a lion will roar from its thicket, having no prey; if a cub will give its voice at all, unless it has seized something." It is possible, he says, for a lion to roar from its own den, without having the expectation of capturing prey, or if it has seen something, not to seize it; for it calls the lion a cub again, as when it says, "What is man, or the son of man?" If, therefore, these things are possible to happen, it is also possible for your enemy to use his onslaught against you without seizing all of you as if he were catching prey. "If a bird will fall upon the earth without a fowler; if a trap will be tripped upon the ground, without having caught something." For just as birds are accustomed to be taken by fowlers, and the traps then to spring when they are about to catch something, so too is it necessary for you to endure such a number of evils, withwith the enemies coming and capturing according to the divine will, and indeed, also leading you away into captivity. "If a trumpet will sound in a city, and the people will not be terrified." If it is possible, when a trumpet sounds suddenly in a city, that terror is not produced in all over the uncertainty of what is happening, it is also possible for you to hear the war trumpet without panic and without harm. "If there will be evil in a city, which the Lord has not done." Since these things are impossible to happen in the way he described, so also it is impossible for the evils that occur concerning your city to happen, unless God has brought them upon you.

VERSES 7-10

Maschmas ^B will bury them." Therefore, He speaks to them, as those who ought to learn the cause of their punishment: "Who store up iniquity and misery in their regions." For they have employed a great and measureless iniquity against the poor, afflicting them with manifold injuries.

VERS. 11, 12. — "Therefore thus saith the Lord God: Tyre, and thy land circuitously, shall be laid waste, and thy strength shall be taken down from thee, and thy regions shall be plundered." Because of these things, He says, God brings upon you the Assyrian, who will render Tyre and all thy surrounding land—that is, all those who dwell in the vicinity—a wilderness; so that no hope of salvation remains for you either, besieged by so great and so mighty an enemy. For having consumed all the inhabitants of the surrounding areas, he will also plunder and ravage your entire country, so that nothing of those things considered worthy of mention will be left to you. Then, signifying the gravity of the destruction they will suffer: "Thus saith the Lord: As when a shepherd rescues from the lion's mouth two legs or a flap of an ear, so shall the children of Israel be rescued who dwell in Samaria over against the tribe of Damascus." Your ruin will be so great, He says, that with very few saved, the matter will appear in no way different from a sheep being seized by a lion and consumed to such a degree that the shepherd can hardly gather from the lion's mouth a few small parts that have fallen; and these, indeed, he despises, as they are stripped of flesh and unfit for food. For this is what is denoted by "two legs or a flap of an ear." Just so, very few and insignificant people will remain ^C from this war, from among those who inhabit Samaria over against the Damascenes; for they will see those in their own vicinity being slaughtered by the enemies. For He makes mention of Tyre before, and now of Damascus, to demonstrate the magnitude of the evils, so that not even those in the vicinity can escape the incursion of the Assyrians. For then comes to pass that which He had revealed in the introduction, namely, the destruction of all those peoples.

VERS. 13-15. — "Hear, O priests, and testify in the house of Jacob, saith the Lord God Almighty; for in the day when I shall take vengeance for the impieties of Israel upon it, I will also take vengeance upon the altars of Bethel, and the horns of the altar shall be dug up and shall fall to the ground; and I will smite and strike down the winter house upon the summer house; and the houses of ivory shall perish, and many other houses shall be destroyed, saith the Lord." Let these things especially be heard, He says, by those who perform the impious priesthood of the idols, so that hence they might already learn that when God exacts the penalty for impiety from the people, then all the altars of the idols also will be dug up, having become a mockery of war. For by the word "Bethel" He intended to signify idols, the whole by a part. He says, moreover, that the horns of the altar will be dug up and fall to the ground, because their entire magnitude and all the pomp which they had from the care of the sacrilegious worshippers will be utterly destroyed. For, He says, I will tear down their houses even from the foundations. Furthermore, He calls the winter house "pinnated," because

it is ^A enclosed on all sides because of the assault of the cold. But he wishes to say this: "I will utterly destroy the houses from every side, so that no part of the summer or winter houses may be left remaining in them; and I will utterly destroy the most distinguished of the houses among them," for this is what he means by "the ivory ones," which, along with many others, will fall, inasmuch as one single decree has been issued by God against all.

CAP. IV.

^BVERS. 1-3. "Hear this word, O cows of Basanitis, who are in the mount of Samaria, who oppress the poor and trample the needy, and say to your lords: Give us that we may drink." From here he turns his discourse toward the women, who, intent on an idle and proud way of life, were committing injustices against the poor out of their abundant power. Using this power, and indeed exercising lordship over their own husbands, they used them for the performing of unseemly deeds; such as what happened in the case of Jezebel, when Ahab felt ashamed at the contradiction of Naboth—a contradiction which was just—but she, using a wicked, impudent, and murderous manner, did not even hesitate to kill Naboth, so that she might usurp his vineyard, which he had for a just reason refused to give up. He calls them "cows of Basanitis" because the cows reared in that place were for the most part wild and untamed. Now, after having spoken of their injustice toward the poor, he adds: "Who say to their lords: Give us that we may drink," so as to signify that they did not even respect their own husbands, whom they should have revered as leaders by the law of nature, but were shameless in using them for their own luxury, all but commanding them to do everything that favored their own lusts. What then? "The Lord swears by His holy ones, that days are coming upon you, and they will take you with weapons, and they will throw those who are with you into burning pots; and you shall be brought out naked, woman and man, face to face; and you shall be cast into the mountain of Armana, says the Lord." He has declared, He says, that which it is not even possible to change; for this is what "He swears" signifies: that a time will come in which you will pay the penalty for these things. For enemies will come upon you, who, taking you captive, will cast you into unbearable evils, so that, being stripped of all the goods that you now possess, both the women who do such things and the men who serve them in such matters will be taken captive to the country of the Assyrians. For by Armana he calls the mountain of the Armenians, which at that time happened to be under the dominion of the Assyrians.

^BVERS. 4-6.—"You have entered into Bethel, and have acted impiously in Galgala, and you have multiplied your transgression; and you have brought your sacrifices in the morning, and your tithes on the third day; and they read the law outside, and called for a confession." Here he also reproaches them for their zeal regarding idols; for this is what is meant by the words, "You have entered into Bethel and into Galgala; thus the worship of idols..."

^A is openly declared; and you sinned with great zeal," and "you brought your sacrifices with haste." By the words "into the triduum," or "within three days," he intends to signify either the frequency with which they offered sacrifices, or a particular manner in which they performed their sacrifices to idols at that time. "Thither also you brought your tithes, and you read a law of your own choosing, and made covenants over it before the idols." To sum it all up, everything that you ought to have performed for God in accordance with the divine law at Jerusalem, you did in those aforementioned places for your idols, following the norm of my instructions. To which he aptly adds: "Announce that the children of Israel loved these things, says the Lord God." Let their zeal for such things be made manifest to all, so that it may be clear what is the reason for which they pay the penalty. What, then? "And I will give you dullness of teeth in all your cities, and lack of bread in all your places; and you shall not return to me, says the Lord." Indeed, I will cause a great crushing of you, and I will press you with a great lack of necessary things; yet not even through this, when you are corrected, will you turn to me. For he speaks of the "dullness of teeth" as signifying a grave crushing; just as it is also with the blessed David: ^B "God will crush their teeth in their mouths; the Lord has broken the grinders of the lions." He wishes, indeed, to speak of the utmost crushing, as if it were to reach even to the dullness of the teeth and the molars.

VERS. 7-10. "And I withheld the rain from you, when there were still three months until the harvest. And I will rain upon one city, and upon another city I will not rain; one part shall be rained upon, and the part upon which I do not rain shall wither. And two or three cities shall gather into one city to drink water, and they shall not be satisfied; and you did not return to me, says the Lord." I withdrew the rain from you, on account of which you fell into extreme barrenness; for the expression, "three months before the harvest," means this: since the drought which occurs from that time until the end brings about the complete destruction of the fruits, which are then unable to be nourished or to ripen; and furthermore, it prevents suitable pastures from being available to the herds. And the rest he says according to the way it happens; for in times of excessive drought, it often happens that a small turbulence of the air arises, and a meager rain falls in scattered places, which, however, is of no utility for the increase of the crops. There will not be given, therefore, a sufficient supply of rain for your needs, but there will be a scarcely ^C perceptible drop, so that one place may seem to be moistened, while another is completely dry, with this meager dispensation providing no help for the crops. He described the lack of rain clearly when he said that two or even three cities will, in groups, go together to a place where... ^D

^A they might learn that water can be found, yet they would not bring back all they needed, but only enjoy some slight refreshment from there. But, he says, you will be no better for this either. "I smote you with blasting and with mildew, and you multiplied your impiety." I enveloped you with various diseases, but you increased your impiety. "you multiplied your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees, the caterpillar has devoured; and not even so have you returned to me, says the Lord." I destroyed all your fruits with the caterpillar; yet you remained the same as you were before. "I sent among you death in the way of Egypt, and I killed your young men with my sword, together with the captivity of your horses; ^B and I kindled fire in your camps in my anger, and not even so have you returned to me, says the Lord." And those of you who fled to Egypt in the hope of safety, I shall there envelop in deaths and slaughters; furthermore, those who remain of you, with all their belongings, I shall cause to be carried off into captivity, consuming your entire multitude as if with fire by means of the punishment brought upon you by your enemies; yet not even then will you repent.

Verses 11-13. "I overthrew you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and you became as a brand plucked out of the fire; and not even so have you returned to me, says the Lord." Finally, I brought upon you a total desolation, similar to Sodom and Gomorrah, so that you were burned and enveloped by the evils brought upon you like a firebrand; but not even from these were you able to receive any correction. Having said these things, since they had not become better because of these misfortunes, he adds: "Therefore thus I will do to you, Israel; but because I will do thus to you, prepare ^C to call upon your God, Israel; for behold, I am he that makes thunder, and creates a spirit, and declares to men their Christ; who makes the morning and the mist, and goes up upon the high places of the earth; the Lord God, the Almighty, is his name." But even if you have become such toward me, I, after you have experienced those evils, am planning to turn your affairs to a better state, if indeed, having become more moderate from so many evils, you might wish to incline toward me. For He who is able to gather the aerial wind—which is soft and dissolved, light and altogether thin—to such a degree that the roar of the thunder produced therefrom becomes intolerable to the inhabitants of the earth, I myself shall also effect a very great transformation in your affairs, revealing for you a great and unexpected salvation. I announce to you Cyrus, king of the Persians, who will be appointed by me for this purpose, so that, possessing the greatest power, he might put an end to your existing evils and command a return ^D to your own lands. For He who creates the morning out of darkness, and allows the mist to form, which I dissipate at the rising of the sun, and who resides altogether high above the earth, I the same shall dissolve your afflictions like a certain darkness, and like the day, I shall make the pleasure of prosperity shine forth, and by dispelling any troublesome burden for you, I shall by this providence of mine openly show myself to all to be superior...

since I am the Lord and creator of all. And indeed, through those things which generally happen from Him, He confirmed the present situation. Nor is it a matter of wonder if He has called Cyrus a "christ" [anointed one], since Scripture is accustomed to designate by this title not only those who are anointed, but any chosen ones whatever. As, for example, that saying: "Touch not my christs [my anointed ones], and in my prophets do not act maliciously." For here He calls not those who are anointed "christs," but Abraham himself, as one who was merely chosen.

CHAPTER V

^B VERS. 1, 2. — "Hear this word, which I take up over you, a lamentation: The house of Israel is fallen; it shall no more rise again: the virgin of Israel is cast down upon her land; there is none to raise her up." After having indicated in the foregoing the solution of the evils, He threatens punishment again as is His custom; by the former, He terrifies and brings them to modesty; by the latter, He invites them to repentance. Matters concerning you are worthy of lamentation, He says; for you have fallen by your own transgressions into a most grievous fall, from which there is no hope of being raised up, given the magnitude of the misfortunes that have occurred. "For thus says the Lord: From the city whence a thousand went forth, a hundred shall be left: and from whence a hundred went forth, ten shall be left to the house of Israel." For so great will be the slaughter of you by the enemies, that scarcely a hundred from a thousand, and scarcely ten from a hundred will be found in each city. "For thus ^C says the Lord to the house of Israel: Seek me, and you shall live: and do not seek Bethel, and into Galgala do not enter, and to the well of the oath do not ascend; because Galgala shall be taken captive, and Bethel shall be as if it did not exist." I advise you, therefore, to look to me, and to depart from Bethel and Galgala and the well of the oath, to which you now run, to worship idols and demons in those places; for know that all these will be brought with you into desolation. "Seek the Lord, and you shall live: lest the house of Joseph be set ablaze as fire, and it devour it, and there be none to extinguish the ^D house of Israel." Setting those aside, cling to God, lest the punishment from God, like fire, consume you all; for it is not possible, when God sends these things upon you, that you should find anyone able to defend you.

VERS. 7-9. — "Who makes judgment on high, and has placed justice on the earth." It is not fitting for you to deny faith to any of the threats or promises of God made to you; for He it is who exercises judgment and justice both on high and has placed it on the earth. He means, of course: This is He who, when you suffer injury from your enemies, can render justice; and [can] punish them.

to punish those who bring upon you such evils; but to demonstrate his justice and judgment, which he executes for you the inhabitants of this land, ^A being great and full of every wonder. And for the confirmation of these things, he adds again: "Who makes all things and fashions them." For indeed, he is able to make all things from nothing, and to transmute what has been created into whatever he wills, with ease. "And turning the shadow of death into the morning, and darkening the day into night." He is sufficient to change the dangers that bring death into some bright and pleasant joy; and those who seem to be in brilliance, he can easily wrap in the darkness of calamities. For he wishes to conclude in this place from generalities that God is also able to change their affairs according to his own pleasure; and at one time to transfer them from calamities to prosperity, and at another time from prosperity to calamities. ^B "Who calls the water of the sea, and pours it out upon the face of the earth, the Lord God, Omnipotent is his name." He who even takes up the water of the sea into the clouds and pours it out over the whole earth, is also able now to pour out upon you the army of the Assyrians, imitating the magnitude of the sea, through his own wrath, since he is the Lord of all, having the authority to do what seems good. "Who divides crushing upon strength, and brings misery upon a fortress." He, by dissolving the vexing affliction, makes even those who have been weakened by evils strong; and in turn, he suddenly fills with misery those who seem to possess great strength. When he has willed, he has transferred your affairs from a better state to a worse; and again, when he has willed, he will easily recall them from the worse to the better.

Vers. 10, 11. — "They hated in the gates the one who reproves, and they abominably loathed the holy word." Henceforth he begins to expound their iniquities. For they hated the prophets who were commanded to reprove and amend their sins; and they loathed as much as they said to them, while exhorting them to flee from evils and to choose better things. The expression "in the gates" is to be understood thus: It was an ancient custom for the deliberations of the most necessary matters to be conducted by the citizens ^C in the gates of the city; and to respond to the embassies of enemies regarding any matter in those same places. And indeed, the greater judgments were also exercised there, so that the matters handled might become known to all those entering and exiting the city. Therefore blessed David says: "They shall not be ashamed when they speak to their enemies in the gates," because they gave responses to outsiders there. Also: "Those who sat in the gate spoke against me," inasmuch as they were accustomed to have their gatherings there most of the time. In the same way now, he speaks of those who were reproving them "in the gates," as if the prophets were concerned to preach the will of God there, where the things said were made manifest to all, not only to the citizens but also to outsiders if they should happen to come to the city. Then in what follows he speaks of those iniquities which he mentioned before. ^D

^A “Therefore, because you trampled upon the poor, and received from him exquisite gifts, you built smooth stone houses, but you shall not dwell in them; you planted desirable vineyards, but you shall not drink their wine.” Since you were crushing the poor with evils, and taking the best of their possessions by robbery, and building fair houses from your unjust accumulation, and indeed also cultivating fields with great care; know well that you shall not enjoy what has thus accrued to you from injustice; for you shall neither remain in those houses, nor shall you receive the fruits from such fields.

VERS. 12-15. — “For I have known your many impieties, and your sins are strong: you trample upon justice, you take gifts, and you drive away the poor in the gates.” The multitude and magnitude of your impieties and sins do not escape me; nor does the fact that you have exchanged justice for money; for by receiving these, you perverted the judgments of the poor against the truth; and here again he added “in the gates,” according to what we said before. “Therefore, he who understands will keep silent in that time, because it is an evil time.” When, therefore, the threatened punishment has fallen upon you, all who are able to understand what is fitting, as if stunned by the magnitude of the evils, ask to remain silent, considering this the time when it was revealed from afar that these things were to happen. ^B “Seek good and not evil, that you may live; and so the Lord God Almighty shall be with you, as you have said: Hate evil and love good, and establish judgment in the gates: that the Lord God Almighty may have mercy on the remnant of Joseph.” But yet, as long as time remains, I advise you all to depart from vice, and to embrace virtue; for thus the enjoyment of good things will be yours, with God providing His own protection, because you, striving for what is honest, have recoiled from the worse path. And if, having changed your old opinion, you are willing to practice just judgments in the gates as is the custom, you will obtain the divine clemency, which will save most of you. By Joseph here he means the ten tribes, from the chief among them, I mean Ephraim, who was the son of Joseph. ^C

VERS. 16-18. — “Therefore, the Lord God Almighty says: In all the streets there shall be wailing, and in all the ways it shall be said, Woe! Woe!” But because you did not heed the aforementioned warnings, the city and the region shall be full of lamentations and wailings, on account of the magnitude of the slaughter brought about by the enemies. “The farmer shall be called to mourning and wailing, and to those who know how to lament, and in all ways there shall be wailing; for I will pass through the midst of you, says the Lord.” And the farmers, leaving off their work on the land, will be occupied with various wailings and mournings and lamentations, fleeing at once from the slaughter brought about by the enemies and the unfruitfulness of the land. ^D Now these [alt-version omitted]

^A things they shall suffer, through God entering into their midst by means of the enemies, and surrounding them with such and so great evils. “Woe to those who desire the day of the Lord! And to what end is this day of the Lord for you? It is darkness and not light.” For because many, having turned completely to the worse, as if the prophets were speaking falsely when they declared these things, dared to say: “Let the evils you speak of and announce come, if indeed there is any truth in your words,” he says this: Most miserable, he says, are you who desire that day, which you do not believe will come; you shall see by experience how great darkness, through the multitude of evils, it will bring upon you. Then, confirming his saying with a comparison: ^B

VERS. 19-25. — “As if a man should flee from the face of a lion, and a bear should meet him; and he should hasten to enter his house, and lean his hands against the wall, and a serpent should bite him; is not the day of the Lord darkness and not light? And gloom, having no brightness in it?” By a comparison he wished to show the terribleness of that day. Just as if someone, he says, hearing on the road of the lion’s incursion, should flee towards the city; and there, falling upon a bear—which was tearing whoever it met around the city—should hasten into his own house with the hope of avoiding evil; and then, by some necessity, leaning his hand against the wall, should suddenly be bitten by a serpent—is it not necessary that to him, after such an experience of evils and such great danger, having finally been struck by the inevitable bite of the serpent, that day, which appears as light to others, should seem as darkness? So that, seeing nothing before him because of the straits of these evils, he should behold death almost present before his eyes? So, he says, you will entirely, having heard the incursion of the enemies from every side, betake yourselves to the city; but being disturbed there by the tumult which must necessarily occur when enemies are imminent, you will enter your houses, but that will not profit you even more: for the enemies will drag you out from the corners of the houses into captivity; now, for those suffering such things, why would it not be necessary for that day to seem darkness? Following this, to demonstrate their wickedness, he adds: “I have hated, I have rejected your feasts, and I will not smell the scent of your assemblies.” Because of the wickedness of your behavior, I also have in hatred the solemnities which you believe you are celebrating for my honor, and I will not accept them. “For if you offer me your burnt offerings and sacrifices, I will not accept them; and I will not look upon the saving appearance of your countenances.” Even if, therefore, you offer sacrifices or burnt offerings, hoping to obtain salvation from my regard because of these, I will not admit them, nor will I value anything that you do. What then? “Remove from me the noise of your songs, and I will not hear the psalm of your instruments.” Cease from composing for me the songs of psalms, since not even these are pleasing to me.

^A VERS. 24-27. — “And judgment shall roll down as water, and justice as an inaccessible torrent.” For, he says, looking at your life and forming my judgment of you based on that, I see a most just punishment being brought upon you, which I shall bring upon all of you, like a torrent utterly impossible to cross because of its magnitude. “Did you offer me victims and sacrifices for forty years in the desert, O house of Israel?” For that no account of sacrifices was ever held by me, you ought to have known most especially from this: that for forty years in the desert I required no such thing from your fathers, but I myself continued to provide them with the care that was appropriate. “And you took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, the images which you made for yourselves; and I will lead you into captivity beyond Damascus, says the Lord God, the Almighty is his name.” But you, not wishing to consider what is right, hope to appease me with sacrifices—you who otherwise take no account of me, but studiously adhere to idols. ^B By Moloch, he says, is meant an idol worshipped among them; and by the “tabernacle of Moloch,” he means that you frequented the temple of the idol and bestowed care upon it. Nay, you even gave yourselves over to the cult of the star, to which you attributed the name of God—those skilled in the Hebrew language say that this is the Morning Star. And you spend all your time around these images which you fashioned with your own hands. Since, then, you adhere to idols and have no concern for my religion, you yet hope to appease me with sacrifices which will be of no use to you; for you shall be led away captive into places far distant from your own homes. For the word “Damascus” implies this, meaning, in part, any distant places whatsoever. Therefore, the blessed Stephen in the Acts of the Holy Apostles, using this testimony in his discourse to the Jews, said, “I will lead you away beyond Babylon,” naming more clearly the places indicated here. And because they passed their time in apostasy from God regarding these things, he adds:

CHAP. VI.

VERS. 1, 2. — “Woe to them that despise Sion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria!” ^C But indeed, you are the most wretched of all, who have deserted Mount Sion and the God worshipped in it, but pay attention to Samaria and the idols established there. “They have reaped the first-fruits of the nations, and have entered for themselves, O house of Israel.” You did not reckon how much he has bestowed upon you—he, the God who commanded all worship to be offered to him on Mount Sion; nor that, having smitten and utterly destroyed very many nations and their princes, he granted you entry and dwelling in those places. “Pass over into Chalanne and see, and go thence into

Emath the great; and descend thence into the land of the aliens, and to all the best things of these kingdoms; if their borders are wider than your borders.” ^A Traverse, he says, the land of the aliens and of all the neighboring peoples; and after you have inspected their greatest cities, estimate the magnitude and breadth of your own region in comparison to them, so that by comparing them you may know how much land He has granted you to dwell in beyond all those, so that you might lead your life upon it in great spaciousness. Afterward, he again reproaches their wicked deeds.

VERS. 3-8. — “Ye who come to an evil day, who approach and touch false Sabbaths; who sleep on beds of ivory, and live wantonly on your couches; who eat kids from the flocks, and sucking calves from the midst of the herds; who applaud to the sound of musical instruments, and thought them stable things and not fleeting; who drink refined wine, and anoint yourselves with the first ointments; and were not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.” ^B But you shall experience that day, which shall bring upon you the greatest swarm of evils; you who pretend to observe the Sabbaths, not for the sake of religion, but so that you may abuse that leisure for sinning; furthermore, you display much luxury and wantonness on your beds and couches from the plunder of the poor, and you prepare a feast of kids and of oxen and of every kind of animal; and between the songs of instruments and the clapping of hands you set forth refined wine, that you may drink more freely; and finally, you anoint yourselves with choice ointments. These things you were doing, hoping for their constant use, and that they would never be wanting to you; and you did not wish to calculate what kind and what great penalty you were destined to undergo for these things. For here ^C he also calls the affliction of Joseph a part for the whole of Israel; that is to say, the affliction which you now suffer on account of these things does not come to your mind. “Therefore now they shall be captives from the beginning of the rulers; and the neighing of horses shall be taken away from Ephraim. For the Lord has sworn by himself, saying: The Lord God of hosts, I abhor the pride of Jacob, and I have hated his regions, and I will destroy the city with all who dwell in it.” ^D Because you treat the threats as nothing, you will acknowledge the truth of the predictions by experience itself; for you shall all be driven away as captives under princes endowed with great power; wherefore all your war apparatus together with the horses shall perish completely. For because God abominates all your wickedness, which you do not hesitate to complete to His insult, so that your cities just as your regions overflow with these crimes, He will deservedly devastate all your cities and regions together with their inhabitants. Then, to show the magnitude of the desolation, he says:

VERS. 9, 10. — “And it shall be, if ten men remain in one house, they shall die; and the survivors shall remain;”

and their kinsmen shall take them up, and shall lay them out to carry their bones out of the house; and he shall say to those who are set over the house, “Is there yet any with thee?” and he shall say, “No.” And he shall say, “Be silent, that thou mention not the name of the Lord.” ^A Indeed, there is much obscurity in the interpretation combined with the text; and it is similar to the passage in Genesis, where there is a discussion about the agreement that Laban and Jacob made with one another regarding the offspring of the sheep, as to which of them should have these or those; for certainly that passage also labors under obscurity in its words, and its meaning is not brought to clarity except by interpretation. But it is necessary also to expound the meaning of the present text, which is recited to us in obscure language. ^B The prophet, of course, says this, wishing to signify that there will be a very great desolation. For he says that often in a large and numerous family scarcely ten men will remain, the others having been killed in the war in many ways, just as he said in the previous sections, that out of a hundred, ten shall remain; and out of a thousand, a hundred. Then, he says, those who survive, now that the rest are dead, will work diligently to carry out all the bodies of the deceased that lie within and commit them to burial. He says this because slaughters occur in war in many ways, and the slain lie variously in different parts of the houses; and it happens sometimes that in this state of affairs, parts of the house are also torn down and fall upon the bodies. Therefore he also said, “they shall lay them out,” ^C showing that they are attempting a difficult and not easy task, wishing to commit all the bodies to burial. Then he says: Despairing at the multitude of the corpses to be carried out, they will engage in some words with one another, disputing whether all the bodies have been carried out or if any still lie unburied; for he indicates those ten who remained out of the whole number as those set over the house, introducing them as speaking these things to one another as it were. For when they might somehow manage to cast out everything and commit the bodies to burial, they will know that there are no longer any corpses; for they will see the silence gripping the house, from both the multitude of those who have perished and the desolation of those who dwelled there, so very few being left from such a house and such a multitude of those who dwelled in it; and held by a certain silence at such and so great evils that have come to pass, and almost struck dumb ^D because of the extremity of the evils that have come upon them, they will then reflect upon the cause of so many and so great evils that have occurred; and that because they had had through negligence their care for the divine, and had thrust away the name of the Lord of all, and had attended to idols, these evils had come upon them—captivity, and the ruin of houses, and the multitude of those killed, and the desolation of those who dwelled there. Therefore, he adds, as if for the confirmation of what has been said: VERS. 11-13. — “For behold, the Lord commands, and will strike the great house with breaches, and the small house with clefts.” As if giving the cause why the labor of carrying out the bodies of the dead will be so great.

^A He commanded, he says, God, and for this reason he will deliver every house, great and small, the one to partial injuries—for that is what he means by “clefts”—and the other to total ones—for that is what “breaches” signifies. He does not mean that he will strike the great one with breaches and the small one with clefts; rather, that neither a great house will escape punishment, nor a small one. It will be in different ways: some will receive partial damage, others will be cast down completely, such as is wont to happen in war and in a great siege. And to show the incontrovertibility of what was said, he adds: “Shall horses run upon the rocks?” No one would drive horses over rocks, but rather where the terrain can favor the horses' course. Thus, these things would not have happened to you, unless you yourselves had provided the cause for suffering them. ^B “Will they keep silent among females?” Nor, in truth, would horses remain quiet in the midst of mares, those present being able to accept their impetuosity. So neither will your enemies be sluggish in attacking you, since your sins provide the occasion for them to act against you in such a way. “Ye have turned judgment into fury, and the fruit of righteousness into bitterness.” For now, he says, you will suffer such things, consistent with what you have done, having moved God to anger so that he passes judgment upon you; and because he knows you deserve punishment, he will bring upon you this bitterness of evils. He soon again recounts what was disgracefully done by them, on account of which the aforementioned evils will occur. ^C “You who rejoice in no good word, who say, Have we not gotten us horns by our own strength?” You do not wish to listen to the counsels of the prophets, who remind you as you sin and call you back to what is right, but, always attributing victory over all enemies to your own powers, you count as nothing the gravity of the threats, as if you were able to resist the enemies now as well. What then?

VERS. 14. “Therefore, behold, I will raise up against you, O house of Israel, saith the Lord, the God of hosts, a nation; and they shall afflict you, that ye enter not into Hamath, ^D and unto the torrent of the west.” Because of this opinion of yours, he says, the Lord of all those who are powerful everywhere will raise up enemies against you, who will bring upon you the greatest experience of evils, so that from Hamath (he refers to a place situated on the border, belonging to them) unto the end of your borders, the evil will encompass everyone. He says, therefore, in the Books of Kings concerning Jeroboam son of Joash, under whom this very prophet also lived: “He restored the border of Israel from the entrance of Hamath, even unto the sea of the plain.” So that it is clear that the borders of the Israelites were those denoted by these names. He wishes to say, then, that having started from thence, the evil will come upon you all, so that since no one will have been able to escape the hands of the enemies, you will gain a realization from the very facts that not even in previous time did you [prevail] against any of the enemies without the help of divine power.

Now, having been deprived of his help, you are situated in such great trials of evils. To these the prophet adds a revelation which he saw, for the confirmation of what had been said.

CHAP. VII.

VERS. 1-3. ^A *Hæc ostendit mihi Dominus Deus. Et ecce fetus locustarum, et ecce bruchus unus, Gog rex. Et erit, si compleverit vorare fænum terræ. Et dixi: Domine, Domine, propitius esto. Quis suscitabit Jacobum? quoniam modicus est. Pœniteat te, Domine, super hoc: Non erit, dixit Dominus Deus.* He says that he saw a multitude of locusts and bruchi, of which the one signified the Assyrians, the other the Babylonians, as though they were about to approach and destroy everything, in the manner of locusts and bruchi. But when I saw, he says, the multitude sufficient to destroy all the fruit produced from the earth, I fell down, he says, and asked that pardon be granted for our transgressions, seeing the number of those being destroyed and the ^B scarcity of those left over. I despaired even of the salvation of the remnants, unless God, having become propitious to our sins, should change the state of affairs for the better. But God did not accept this prayer, because He considered the multitude of our sins to be greater than that He would wish to grant mercy. Let no one now marvel that he mentions King Gog: for even before, for the Assyrians, and afterwards for the Babylonians, many of the Scythian nations were also auxiliaries of war, whose leader was Gog; he mentions him not as the commander of the war, but as one bringing aid to the rulers. For we know that the Assyrian first, and then the Babylonian, commanded many peoples; it is not incredible that all of them, with their satraps or royal prefects, participated in the war as allies. Again, he recounts another revelation from this point:

^C VERS. 4-9. *Sic ostendit mihi Dominus Deus. Et ecce vocavit judicium in igne Dominus; et devoravit abyssum multam; et devoravit partem. Et dixi: Domine, desine modo. Quis suscitabit Jacob, quia modicus est? Pœniteat te, Domine, super hoc! At hoc non fiet, dicit Dominus Deus.* I saw, he says, God again calling the judgment by which He is accustomed to judge the affairs of men: for it is His custom to scrutinize all their deeds severely and with much inquiry. Furthermore, He invoked it in fire, because He deemed the deeds worthy of such punishment. Seeing the multitude of the Israelites (which he compares to the abyss) being consumed by this fire, I again cried out, requesting some mitigation of the ^D evil. Nevertheless, God did not yield. But now he also narrates a third revelation. *Sic ostendit mihi Dominus: ecce vir stans super murum adamantinum, et in manu ejus adamas. Et dicit Dominus ad me: Quid tu vides, Amos? Et dixi: adamantem. Et dixit Dominus ad me:*

^A “Behold, I am setting an adamant in the midst of my people Israel; I will no longer pass by them: the high places of laughter shall be destroyed, and the rites of Israel shall be laid waste, and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with the sword.” He showed me, he says, someone standing upon an adamant wall, holding an adamant in his hand; and these were signs of the decree brought forth from God against the Israelites, which was firm and indissoluble, just as the adamant surpasses all things in its hardness. With all firmness, therefore, he says, I will bring evils upon the people, no longer enduring to overlook their transgressions. All the altars, in which they reaped pleasure through the worship of idols, shall be destroyed; and everything, he says, that is now performed by them for the worship of demons shall shortly be delivered up to desolation. And indeed, I will destroy the power of him who now reigns over you, Jeroboam, by war. Here, he seems to call the entire kingdom the "house of Jeroboam," signifying the whole nation through its leader; it is well known that in the times following Jeroboam, the expedition of the Assyrians occurred against Israel.

^B Verses 10-13. When the prophet had declared that such things would befall the nation of Israel on account of their various impieties and iniquities, Amaziah, who was a priest at Bethel and a leader of such great impiety to the whole people, perceiving that if the prophet continued to say these things further, he would make the majority more neglectful of idol worship—since they were already seized by fear of the things announced by the prophet—he attempted ^C to incite King Jeroboam himself against the prophet, as if he were saying many things against him and his entire kingdom; and that the enormity of such threats could not even be endured when heard: for he was predicting the death of the king and the captivity of the entire people. It was, however, clearly a lie, at least regarding the king; for the prophet had said nothing of the kind. But Amaziah craftily combined this with the pronouncement against the people so that he might provoke the king the more. When, however, he could not persuade the king—who feared to harm the prophet because of the things he knew to have happened under the prophets Elijah and Elisha, and especially because he knew that Jehu, his grandfather, had been assumed to the kingdom by the will of Elisha to avenge the wickedness of Jezebel and Ahab, which had reached down to him according to the promises made to him by God—then, I say, prompted by his own audacity, Amaziah himself thus expostulated with Amos: “O seer, go, flee away to the land of Judah, and live there, and there you shall prophesy; but never again shall you prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king's sanctuary and the house of the kingdom.” He spoke ironically, “O seer.” ^D For thus they were wont to call the prophets, inasmuch as they were seers of certain special visions, through God working by revelation; just as it is also said in the books of Kings that the prophet was called by the people what formerly was called a seer; he says, I say, ironically, “O seer.”

as if to say, "O you who announce these things." Depart hence ^A into the land of Judah, in which region those things which you speak will surely be established; but refrain from these places, since everything here is assigned to the kingdom of Israel. For it is not permitted for you, being of the tribe of Judah, to be here and to say what you think, and thus to disturb our kingdom.

VERS. 14-17. To which the prophet, by divine revelation, replied: "I was neither a prophet, nor a son of a prophet." I did not learn this art as if it were some study, nor did I receive it as an inheritance from my father, since this business is of divine grace, and it comes to those whom God wishes it to come. "I was a goatherd, and one who prunes sycamores." ^B That is, occupied with the tending of goats, and also tilling the earth as I was able. He says "sycamores" instead of figs, just as the blessed David says: "He killed their vine with hail, and their sycamores with frost." It is evident, however, that along with the vines, not sycamores but figs perished. The word "pruning" is used for weeding and tilling. By this particular mention of sycamores, he wished to say that he had always been devoted to the tending of goats and sheep and to agriculture. Nevertheless, God, he says, pulled me away from the sheep (whence it is clear that he tended both goats and sheep) and commanded me to prophesy and to signify to everyone what things would happen to the people through Him; which things it was not in my power to know, ^C but only in the power of the teaching God, for the sake of demonstrating the truth of the oracles. Now hear what pertains to you; you order me to abstain from prophesying in these places, lest I gather the people to hear such doctrines. But know that all things I have said will have their fulfillment. Enemies will come who, besides many other evils they will commit, will also abuse your wife in the middle of the city, violating her disgracefully: your children will all be killed along with others who will possess these places. "And you will die in an unclean land." You yourself will die among strange and wicked men (for this is what the words "in an unclean land" signify), to whom you will be led as a captive with all the rest. Having said these things, he subjoins the revelation he received concerning these matters. ^D

CHAPTER VIII.

VERS. 1-3. "For the Lord showed me: and behold a fowler's vessel. And the Lord said to me: What do you see, Amos? And I said: A fowler's vessel." The vision signified that it would come to pass that, like a bird caught by the art of fowling, all Israel would be taken and led away captive, with no one being able to snatch it from the hand of those holding it; for just as a sparrow caught by birdlime can no longer escape, so, since the power of the attackers is stronger than birdlime, it will seize

them and lead them into captivity. ^A He brings forward then: "And the Lord said to me, 'The end has come upon my people Israel; I will no longer pass them by; and the ceilings of the temple shall howl.'" He speaks of the power of the things that have been shown. The time, he says, has therefore come in which all will be handed over for punishment; and with them will cease both the impiety and every preoccupation with impiety and lawlessness; for I will no longer endure to overlook their evils, and for such things to remain unpunished; yet the evil will reach even the temple, since it too will be handed over to the fire along with the destruction of all. But it is clear, as I have often said, that in the announcement of evils, even if he is speaking about Israel, he nevertheless connects also the things that were to happen to the tribe of Judah at the hands of the Babylonians, at which time it also happened that Jerusalem was captured and the temple burned. "On that day, says the Lord, many shall be the fallen; in every place I will cast silence." Then, he says, death will be great everywhere, and the slaughters of the fallen will be innumerable, of those who have been killed, and those who have been taken into captivity; and silence will seize all things due to the utter desolation. Then again, he makes a reminder of the lawlessness they were committing.

Verses 4-14

Then, he says, even at the meridian of the day, the sun will appear hidden to those who are standing in distress; and darkness will seem to possess all who are on the earth, because of the magnitude of the evils. Abandoning your unlawful feasts, you shall attend to mourning; instead of old songs, you shall resort to much weeping; instead of soft clothing, you shall put on sackcloth as a mark of the present evils; and having neglected the old adornment of the head, you shall deem shaving to be fitting for you in such great calamities. And all of you, to speak briefly, will continue in the manner of those mourning for an only-begotten beloved son, lamenting the magnitude of the evils that overwhelm you due to the pain that possesses you. The prophet, while revealing that the things to follow upon these are even more grievous, says: ^B "For days will come," he says, "in which you will not only fall into a shortage of food and drink, but you will undergo the most grievous lack, deemed worthy not even of a single divine utterance, which is wont, through the prophets, to be given for the consolation of those in dire straits." He also mentions what was said through the blessed prophet Hosea, that "the children of Israel shall sit without a king, and without a ruler, and without a sacrifice, and without an altar, and without a priesthood, and without revelations," by which words he signifies that all these things were taken away at the time of the captivity in Babylon. The prophet signifies the same thing now, namely, that you will be delivered over to evils; then you will seek the prophets whom you now neglect, desiring to learn if any change for the better awaits your affairs. "For the waters will be shaken from sea to sea, and from the north to the east they will run about seeking the word of the Lord, and shall not find it." This is to say that that entire, infinite multitude of Israel will be variously distressed everywhere, seeking where some prophet might appear, announcing to them by the will of God what is to come; which they will not find then. Then, he says, everything that now seems to you most excellent and worthy of zeal will perish entirely. For those who are currently being guarded with much care as virgins among you will perish, and those who are especially admired for their youth will perish; but why will you suffer these things? "Those who swear by the propitiation of Samaria, and who say: 'Thy God liveth, O Dan; and thy God liveth, O Beersheba': even they shall fall, and shall not rise again." Because they abandoned God, the Lord of all, they were eager to worship the idols in Samaria, and they called these gods; for these reasons ^C they shall fall with a fall that is entirely irreparable. Then he recounts another revelation:

CHAPTER IX

VERS. 1-3. — "I saw the Lord standing upon the altar. And He said: Smite upon the propitiatory, and the vestibules shall be shaken. And He said: Cut into the heads of all: and the rest of them I will slay with the sword; not one of them shall escape who flees, and not one of them shall be saved who has escaped." I saw,

says he, ^A the God standing over the altar, clearly that which was in Jerusalem; and He told me to strike the propitiatory, by which he means the altar. For He calls it the propitiatory because sacrifices used to be offered there for propitiation. The fact that the prophet is commanded to strike it was a sign that it would in reality be struck and fall. He adds, therefore: "And the thresholds shall be shaken," ^B by naming a part, he implies that the whole temple would be shaken by this blow; for it was necessary that the damage to the altar should be common to the whole temple. "And place signs," he says, "on the heads of all, so that they may be a mark that from this moment all are marked, so as to be handed over to destruction, and that no one may escape that danger." For just as in Egypt God gave a sign—the blood smeared on the doorposts—in order to distinguish between those who were to perish and those who were to be saved; so now He commands the prophet to imprint a certain sign on the head of all, according to the divine revelation, to demonstrate that all were to be handed over to death. To confirm which, He adds: Even if they should go down to the underworld, I will bring them back from there; and if they should ascend into heaven, I will bring them down from there; and if they should hide in the caves of Carmel ^C (that is, of the mountains, naming a part for the whole), I will track them all down and hand them over to captivity; and if they should go to the depths of the sea, I will destroy them there by means of the beasts lurking there. And after the multitude of the evils they will suffer, all having been led away into captivity, there at my command they will perish as is fitting. To these He adds:

VER. 4-6. "And I will fix my eyes upon them for evil and not for good." That is to say, I will continue to pay attention to them, not in such a way as to bestow any good upon them, but in such a way as to expose them to every kind of trial, since they have shown themselves by their own deeds to be worthy of such things. ^D For God is the creator and Lord of all, who is able to shake the whole world by His mere touch. And He will do this same thing to this region too, shaking it entirely by a certain decree and reducing it to a vast wilderness, so that all its inhabitants may be seized by grief; for just as the river of Egypt [p. 205] comes and attacks, so the enemy will slay many, and dragging the rest away, will lead them into captivity. Then, confirming what has been said: "Who builds his ascent in heaven and founds his promise upon the earth." This, he says, is He who is always seen in heaven, whither He always ascends and dwells, preeminent above all, and confirming all things that He has promised in any way to do upon the earth. This is He who takes up water from the sea and pours it out over the whole earth; the same He does now also, while sending the Assyrian, who equals the sea in his multitude, into your region. For these are the works of God, the Lord and creator of all. Then, wishing to convict the senselessness of the Israelites from this judgment of God, He adds:

^A Ver. 7. — "Are you not as the sons of the Ethiopians to me, O sons of Israel? says the Lord." Have I not set you as comparable to the Ethiopians before me, to whom I do not even appear to have granted any singular favor? "Did I not bring Israel up out of the land of Egypt?" For I did not, as when I took you from Egypt and delivered you from that bitter servitude, and made you lords of a region so great and such as this—one that did not belong to you—appear to have done anything of the kind regarding the Ethiopians. "And the aliens from Cappadocia, and the Syrians from Bothro?" Some have said that "Bothro" is spoken of as meaning the Carrae ^B or Charran of the present day. But, having omitted this superfluous investigation, which contributes nothing to the understanding of the meaning, whatever place may be denoted in these expressions, I shall explain the import of the current text. Properly, it does not say: "I brought up the aliens from Cappadocia, and the Syrians from Bothro"; but rather, it affirms the contrary, namely, that He conferred upon others no such benefit as that which He conferred upon the Israelites, such that they ought to have preserved a more grateful spirit toward God than others. For it is also established that, if He had perchance delivered them into liberty in a similar manner, He would have been said to have applied some providence toward them, the scope of which would be easily understood by all. But indeed, He did not simply bring Israel out of Egypt, but stood by him with great care so as to render him fit, so that from him the universal salvation, Christ the Lord, might appear.

Ergo, what then is He saying? There have been many migrations from place to place, such as happened in the case of Tharra, the father of the blessed Abraham, who, having gone out from the region of the Chaldeans, migrated to Charran and eventually died there. Whence it came to pass that Abraham later moved ^C into Palestine. It is also well known that the blessed Jacob, with all his posterity, transferred his dwelling into Egypt. It is credible that something similar happened to others: that some, setting out from Cappadocia and migrating to the lands of the aliens, were mixed with them and became a part of them. Others, having crossed from Bothro to the Syrians, remained among them and coalesced with them. Wishing, therefore, to say that God has bestowed such great benefits upon no one as upon the Israelites, He first says that He did not hold them in the same order before Him as the Ethiopians, designating all the nations by a part; then He proceeds to say that He has never exercised equal care for anyone. "For I brought you alone," He says, "out of Egypt, with many miracles and an utterly unexpected mode of acting; and I brought you into such a great and significant region, of which I made you lords, although it belonged to you by no right." Yet you did not arrive at the aforementioned land in the same way ^D as the aliens from Cappadocia, mixed together, or as the Syrians from Bothro, came; for these migrations

^A they have undergone, having nothing marvelous, nor showing any special care of mine for them; besides that they live in the order of proselytes among those with whom they dwell. But for you, it is clear with how many wonders I freed you; how I led you through the desert, how I brought you into the land of promise, and how many of those who inhabited it before I destroyed, making you the masters of the land; how much care I continued to provide for you above all men. For which, being greatly obligated to accord me some reverence, you appear to have shown no regard for the things done by me for you. What then?

Ver. 8-10. — "Behold the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth; yet I will not utterly destroy the house of Jacob, saith the Lord." ^B For this very ingratitude, I will take you away from the land and carry off into captivity so wicked a kingdom; yet I will not suffer your complete destruction to be consummated, remembering my purpose, with which I bestowed such care. "For behold, I will command, and I will shake the house of Israel among all the nations, like as corn is shaken in a sieve, and there shall not fall a fragment upon the earth." For in the manner of those who ventilate a threshing floor and separate the wheat from the chaff, I will indeed deliver you into captivity to the nations; but I shall not work your total destruction, preserving those whom I shall judge worthy to obtain this salvation. "By the sword shall all the sinners of my people die, who say: The evils shall not approach nor come upon us." For by war I shall destroy those given over to wickedness, ^C and who do not believe that, according to the predictions of the prophets, anything sad could happen to them. Thus, having announced all the evils that were to come upon the people, both those which the ten tribes were to suffer by the Assyrians and those which the remainder would later suffer by the Babylonians, he predicts also their conversion to better things after those events, and says:

Ver. 11, 12. — "In that day I will raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and I will build it up as in the days of old, that the residue of men may seek me, and all the nations upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord who doeth all these things." ^D Indeed, after the experience of painful things, I will change all for the better, and I will raise up the fallen kingdom of David; and again I will give from it a leader to the entire people: so that not only those who survived the ruin, but many others from the number of the adversaries, struck with amazement at these things, may confess God as the Maker and Lord of the whole world. For these things are openly decreed by Him who will bring the same to pass. Here, therefore, it speaks of the matters concerning the return from Babylon; and that all, being led back to their own land, were to have as king Zerubbabel, who was of the lineage of David. Furthermore, blessed James in the Acts

^A of the holy apostles, when viewed in the context of the Master, Christ, it appears that the expression was correctly employed by him, since it obtained its true fulfillment at the time when the fallen kingdom of David truly rose again, and having cast off all its decay, was established in its perfection. Then, indeed, it was that the kingdom of the succession of David received its stability, equal to the days of eternity, since it attained a perpetual state. Furthermore, the actual events demonstrated that the knowledge of God was also to be spread among the rest of mankind and all the nations. Wherefore, while the voice of the prophet spoke only of the events that were to come after the return [from exile], yet the truth, firmness, immobility, and perpetuity of those words, shown and established in Christ the Lord, gave just authority to the saying of the blessed James. ^B Next, predicting in general terms the prosperity that would then befall the Israelites, he speaks in the manner of the other prophets, saying that an abundance of all kinds of fruits would be theirs, so that the vintage would be ready to take up the fruits gathered from the threshing floor, with ripe fruits being provided for them; and that the very mountains and hills would practically provide them with abundance, and that they would be overflowing with every good thing. I will loosen, he says, the captivity for the people, so that they may be secure, and enjoy their return, and restore their cities to their ancient form, and the farmers may gather the fruits of the land tilled by them. I will firmly establish them in their own country; for this is what the saying means: "And I will plant them in their land," ^C and I will no longer allow them to be outside the native region, of which I made them masters from the beginning. For the words, "they shall no longer be plucked up from their land which I gave them," signify this; that is, they shall not be sent far away from it, as had happened at that time when they were hindered by their own captivity as if by a veil, so that they could not even behold their own country. This, he says, is the decree and work of God, the creator of all things and Lord.

COMMENTARY ON THE PROPHET OBADIAH

The Idumeans had long been enemies of the Israelites, and they greatly desired their destruction, and rejoiced at the adversities that befell them; nay, they were even constantly conspiring with their enemies, ^D

^A now at last, by divine permission, they were being put to the test of misfortunes. For the Israelites descended from Jacob, and the Idumaeans from Esau; and they were brothers, children of Isaac. And since, by a divine decree, the right of the firstborn had passed to Jacob, and because of this Esau hated him and desired to kill him whenever he found an opportunity, their mother saw to it that Jacob journeyed to Harran, so that when he was far away, Esau’s wrath might subside; and indeed, guarded by divine providence, Jacob completely escaped the harm intended by his brother. Yet the enmity passed on to their descendants: the Idumaeans, who trace their race from Esau, remained hostile toward the Israelites, who descend from Jacob—as I have already said. In various ways, therefore, they manifested their enmity, and they displayed the same disposition even at that time when it befell the Israelites to be attacked by the Assyrians, and later by the Babylonians, against both Jerusalem and the tribe of Judah. They contributed to the great ruin of the Jews in no small measure, conspiring with the Babylonians. Hence the blessed David, prophesying concerning the events at Babylon, says: “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and wept,” and the rest; by which words he demonstrated the evils that befell them during that captivity. ^B And since he was also about to declare their subsequent change for the better, he adds: “Remember, O Lord, the children of Edom, in the day of Jerusalem, who said: Raze it, raze it, even to the foundation thereof.” It is evident, of course, that by “children of Edom” he means the Idumaeans, who were called by both these names, as can be learned in many places from the divine Scripture; and no less from the historical books of Kings, that Amaziah smote Edom in battle. Afterward, he sent to the king of Israel, challenging him to war; but he [the king of Israel], answering him haughtily, said among other things: “The pride of thine heart hath lifted thee up: for that thou hast smitten Edom.” Those whom he called children of Edom in the earlier passages, the history now calls Idumaeans. Therefore, David says: “Remember what the Idumaeans have done against us,” how at the time of our calamity they seized the opportunity to vent their malice, and how they joined forces with our enemies so that they might completely raze the city from its foundations and leave nothing remaining in it. And he adds: ^C “O daughter of Babylon, miserable! Happy is he that shall reward thee thy reward which thou hast served us,” showing that God would then also bring punishment upon the Idumaeans for that purpose of theirs, at the time when He would overthrow the dominion of the Babylonians, and deliver their royal city, together with the king and all its inhabitants, into the power of the Persians, so that they might suffer at their hands the very things they had already done against Jerusalem, while at the same time He would release the Israelites from the captivity that held them and lead them back to their own country. ^D

^A Since, therefore, God had often foretold through the prophets the evils that would befall the Israelites—first from the Assyrians, and after that from the Babylonians—and that the whole of Israel would be led away into captivity in this manner; and since, as I said, the Idumeans demonstrated on those occasions their own cooperation and, imagining they had found a suitable opportunity to utterly destroy all who were of the Israelite stock (in which matter the Idumeans were without a doubt opposing God, who had deemed Jacob worthy of the privilege of the birthright and had continued to show great and special care for all who were descended from him); and since it was likely that the Israelites would be despondent over these things, if, being descended from the one who had obtained the blessing of the birthright by divine decree, they suffered such things from those who had fallen away from the divine blessing along with their own ancestor—because of this, I say, God necessarily stirred up the blessed prophet Obadiah, so that through the whole of his prophecy he might make known the punishment that would befall the Idumeans, once it should seem good to God to restore the affairs of the Israelites to their former prosperity, namely, by releasing them from captivity and giving them back to their own country so that they might also rebuild Jerusalem and construct the temple within it, where it was most fitting for them to gather once more, performing there the worship due to God according to the legal ordinance. For even now, the announcement of these things provided no small consolation to those who were being wronged; and after the fulfillment of the things announced, they were all the more persuaded that these things had been spoken long before by the will of God, and that they had later been brought to pass, ^B both of which were a proof of God’s care for them. So that it is not obscure that it was out of providence for the people that He made this announcement as well; since, as I have often said, God exercised great care for their salvation.

VERS. 1. — ^C « The Vision of Obadiah. » The power of this term does not differ from the expression: « The Word of the Lord. » For by the 'Word of the Lord' Scripture designates the energy of God, according to which the prophets received revelations of things to come through spiritual grace; and He calls this same thing a 'vision,' the divine revelation by which it came to pass that they received the knowledge of hidden things. For since the prophets received certain visions in an ineffable manner through the spiritual operation upon their soul, and also heard the teaching of the things that were to be spoken as if from someone speaking—on account of the power of the Holy Spirit operating within those men—for this reason Scripture calls it both a 'vision' and the 'Word of the Lord'; and, as it seems to me, also 'hearing' (auditum), because they received the knowledge of spiritual doctrine as if by some hearing. Hence also the blessed prophet Isaiah says: « Lord, who has believed our hearing? »—that is, the knowledge of the things shown to us and things we were taught by God. And very appropriately, the blessed ^D Paul also brought forward this divinely inspired expression: « So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God, » signifying that it was not possible for the prophets to receive hearing in any other way

^A except through the energy of the Holy Spirit. And the blessed David also says: « I will incline my ear to a parable; I will open my problem upon the psaltery, » intending to say that, having inclined his hearing and received knowledge from God, he would convey the teaching of what is fitting to men. Here, therefore, since he said « The vision of Obadiah, » (p. 217) this was a superscription similar to the others, containing an indication of the book and of whose words these are, and also showing by what power the author, having been endowed with such things, begins the steps of the prophecy as follows:

Vision of Obadiah. Thus says the Lord God to Edom.

having announced the war, he brings it against Edom itself. ^A

VERS. 2-4. "Behold, I have made thee small among the nations: thou art greatly despised." He says, "Having brought about a great slaughter of you through your enemies, I will reduce your nation to a few, so that you will be smaller than all others and set in great dishonor, as if besieged by many and overwhelmed by a myriad of evils." Then, what is the cause? "The pride of thy heart hath lifted thee up, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rocks, that settest thy habitation on high; that sayest in thy heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground?" Since the Edomites dwelt in a mountainous region, he says this, essentially, that you carry a very lofty spirit because you occupy the recesses of the crags and there hold what you certainly believe to be a spacious and great station; and indeed, you believe that there will never be anyone who can cast you down from your present prosperity. Wherefore you shall suffer what has been spoken, so that you may perceive that you believed yourself to be something in vain, against the will of God. "Though thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and though thou set thy nest among the stars, thence will I bring thee down, saith the Lord." Although you may be carried on high like an eagle—which by nature is accustomed to fly far above the mountains—and though you may place yourself in the midst of the stars due to the excess of your prominence, you will not be sufficient against My power when I shall will to cast you down. ^B

VERS. 5-7. "If thieves came to thee, if robbers by night, where wouldst thou have been cast away? Would they not have stolen till they had enough? If the grapegatherers came in to thee, would they not leave some gleanings? How is Esau searched out, how are his hidden things sought up?" If, then, some thieves—those accustomed to steal secretly in the night—had broken into your house, having taken a few things, they might perhaps have left; yet you would by no means have been cast out of your house, since those who plunder things at hand by theft could not deprive you of your dwelling. Likewise, if some had entered a vineyard for the sake of the vintage, they would nonetheless have left some part of the fruit on the vines. But the manner of the event now happening to you will not be of this kind; for enemies will come who will prevail over you to such an extent that, having searched all that you possess, they will not allow even what is hidden to remain with you intact. Thus all things will come into their power, and having plundered whatever they pleased, only then will they depart. ^C Then, to declare the gravity of the evil, he says: "All the men of thy covenant have sent thee even to the border: they have stood against thee, they have prevailed against thee." For even those who were formerly bound to you by treaties of friendship and alliance, as soon as they perceived the magnitude of your calamity, will cross over to the side of the enemies; and conspiring with them, they will push you out beyond your own borders, at the favor of the enemies, thrusting you into captivity. These very men will rise up against you and will be able to provide help to your enemies. And stating the same thing again in other words: "Men of peace who fared with thee have laid an ambush under thee." There is no wisdom ^D

^A in him. Those who courted friendship toward you and shared meals with you are themselves weaving snares for you, leading you to destruction, since through excessive foolishness you do not know how even to distinguish true friends from enemies.

Vers. 8-11. — "In that day, says the Lord, I will destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding from Mount Esau; and your warriors from Teman shall be in terror, so that man shall be utterly destroyed from Mount Esau, because of the slaughter and the impiety which you showed against your brother Jacob; and shame shall cover you, ^B and you shall be destroyed forever." Those among you who are wise in matters of war will perish, as well as certain mighty men who boast of being so; those who pride themselves upon the battles in Teman—which is thought to be the greatest of your cities—will be broken by the fear of the evils coming upon them; they will fall into panic and cowardice. So great will be the slaughter of your people, for the very reason that you afflicted with unmerited disasters your own brothers, those who were descended from Jacob, who was the brother of your own ancestor. Therefore, I say, you shall be covered in shame and will suffer total destruction. "From the day that you stood on the other side, in the day that foreigners carried away his power, and strangers entered his gates and cast lots upon Jerusalem, you were even as one of them." You brought upon yourself the cause of the evils about to come to you by that time when ^C you dared to do such things against your own brothers: while foreigners were taking them captive, you stood on the other side, that is to say, you placed yourself in the camp of the enemies. Foreigners occupied all their cities, and Jerusalem as well, and they divided the spoils by lot; and you were a participant in those who dared such things.

Vers. 12-14. — "And do not look upon the day of your brother in the day of foreigners, and do not rejoice over the sons of Judah in the day of their destruction; and do not speak proudly in the day of their affliction; and do not enter into the gates of the peoples in the day of their hardships; and do not look upon your assembly ^D of them in the day of their ruin, nor join in against their power in the day of their destruction; nor stand in their outlets to destroy those that escaped of them, nor shut up those that fled of them in the day of affliction." The word "do not look" is used instead of "do not rejoice," he says; that is, "Do not do these things," he says. Consonant with the statements above, he wishes to declare: "Because of these things you shall pay the penalty and undergo the punishment that has been foretold, because you rejoiced in the adverse circumstances of your brothers, at the time when they were being ravaged by enemies: while they were being vexed with hardships, you were uttering words that are those who delight in the ruin of another. For this is what 'to speak proudly' signifies. And in their distress you were entering the city with the enemies, in order to increase the destruction of your brothers. But if anyone perhaps found a way of escape, in which they alone placed their hope of salvation, these also you were busy destroying; capturing, of course, the fugitives, and punishing—

for this is what it says: "Do not stand at the crossways to cut off those of them who have escaped, and do not shut in those who flee in the day of distress"—wishing thereby to say throughout that, because you were glad at the destruction of your brothers, the Israelites, and indeed have also acted with the enemies against them, and and have yourself beset them with evils according to your own ability, and were expecting to destroy these—because you were glad at their evils, and because you heaped upon them various evils, for these very things you will undergo the coming punishment. Hence he adds:

VERS. 15-17. — "For the day of the Lord is near upon all the nations; as you have done, so it shall be to you; your retribution shall return upon your own head." For the time is coming when God will punish all who have done anything evil against them, but upon you, more than all, he will inflict a heavy ^B punishment, bringing upon you a calamity proportionate to the things you have done against them. "For as you have drunk upon my holy mountain, all the nations shall drink wine; they shall drink and shall ascend, and they shall be as though they were not." For you yourself, because you have raged against my mountain and its inhabitants, will not lack punishment. Those who were sharers in your intent and deeds will likewise be partners in the punishment, delivered to total destruction, so that they do not differ from those who are utterly nothing. For the words "you have drunk" and "they shall drink" signify the punishment that will be inflicted ^C on them and the rest, just as: "A cup is in the hand of the Lord, of unmixed wine, full of mixture; and he has poured from this into that; nevertheless, the dregs of it were not emptied; all the sinners of the earth shall drink." He mentions his holy mountain, signifying that the Idumeans will be subject to punishment on account of the crimes committed against that mountain and its inhabitants, and those who conspired with their counsels and actions will be called to a fellowship of punishment and punished by capital vengeance. "But on Mount Sion there shall be salvation and holiness, and the house of Jacob shall possess ^D those who once possessed them." Therefore, to you and to those who have participated with you in the counsel, these things shall happen; but they who were previously fought against will be saved and will be free from all distress on Mount Sion. So that it will truly seem holy through the help of these, since the descendants of Jacob, whom you were fighting against from there along with the rest, will have all those who previously dominated them under their power.

VERS. 18-21. — "And the house of Jacob shall be fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau straw; and they shall be kindled among them, and they shall devour them." Thus, he says, the Israelites will so overcome all the Idumeans that, like fire consuming straw, they will be about to destroy them all by the power of war. "And there shall be no fire-bearer in the house of Esau, for the Lord has spoken." Because he said that Israel would be a fire to Esau, as if it were about to consume all his wealth in war, therefore there will be no fire-bearer, says he, in the house of Esau—that is, no Idumean—

to consume them in the war. For this reason, he says, there shall be no fire-bearer for the house of Esau. This means that there shall be no one among them who will be able to cause any evil to the Israelites; but although the Israelites will suffer some [minor] things at their hands, they will not be able to defend themselves or do anything at all to harm the Israelites. And all these things will certainly come to pass, because it is God who has declared that they shall be. And since he said in the preceding [verses] that the house of Jacob would take possession of those who had taken possession of them, wanting to explain this more broadly, he says that the Israelites in the Negeb will take possession of the places belonging to Esau, while those in the Shephelah will take the places of the foreigners; and they will also recover their own land, as is fitting. The Ephraimites will take the plain of Samaria, and the Benjaminites will take the region of Gilead. And for their return to their own [territories], the beginning will be the region of Sarepta, and the end will be Ephratha. He means to say that they will occupy all the intermediate region of the Canaanites, which they had also held previously. And so, all of them will regain all the cities in the Negeb for themselves—to speak briefly, all who are near the mount of Sion and perform there the worship that is due to God. These, having obtained the highest salvation, will exact the greatest penalties from the descendants of Esau for the injuries of old. To all of which he adds the concluding sentence of the prophecy: “And the kingdom shall be the Lord’s.” He means to say that through all the things that the Israelites experience, both the good things they receive and those they endure while the lawbreakers among them pay the penalty, God will stand revealed as the true King, the Lord and creator of all things, who, according to his will, acts as he pleases regarding both his own people and those who seem to be strangers.

COMMENTARY ON THE PROPHET JONAH

^A One and the same God, the Master and Creator of all, is of both the Old and the New Testament. Looking toward a single goal, he ordered the affairs of both. Having long ago settled in his own mind the future state of things—the beginning of which he revealed in the dispensation according to the Master Christ—he nevertheless judged it necessary that we experience this present condition first, and then be transferred to that one through the resurrection from the dead, so that, by way of comparison, we might better know the magnitude of the promised goods. And so that this plan might be made manifest, and not appear as something later thought up or newly decreed, he had foreshadowed the coming of the Master Christ to men through many other signs, so that all the Jews had long been expecting him. And this is [clear] no less from the oracles of Abra...

Abraham and David, to whom he made promises: to the one, that all the nations would be blessed in his seed; to the other, that he would grant to his descendants a kingdom that would last forever. These things, then, indicated to the people, in appearance, the one through whom these were to be fulfilled; but the truth of the events was demonstrated as having attained its end in the dispensations concerning the Master Christ, in whom the blessing of the nations has truly come to pass, and the kingdom of the seed has truly become eternal and unshakable. For this reason, the providence of God concerning the people was also very great, since all, keeping in mind the promises that had been spoken, were awaiting the expected coming of the Master Christ. But it was also for this reason that he ordered so many things in the Old Testament after this fashion, so that these events might provide the greatest benefit to those of that time, and might also possess an indication of the things that would be shown later, along with the fact that the excellence of the latter things in comparison with the former would appear to be very great. In this way, the old things were found to be a kind of type of the things to come, having indeed a certain imitation of them, while also providing a need in their own proper times, but being demonstrated by the very events themselves as being far inferior to the present ones.

God, therefore, led Israel out of Egypt and delivered them from all that bitter slavery; and, having brought about the great slaughter of the firstborn, he thereby completely saved the affairs of the Israelites. He also distinguished them by a sign, so that they would suffer nothing similar to the Egyptians: this was the smearing of blood upon the doorposts. These things, I say, provided great benefit to the Israelites then, to those who were established in the enjoyment of such things. And it was foreshadowed in a way, as in types, how the Master Christ would likewise deliver us, not from the slavery of Egypt, but from that of death and sin; ^C which things he therefore provided for us through the sprinkling of his own blood. For having poured it out for the sake of all, and having undergone death for us, he brought about the resurrection of the dead, and granted to all of us that, being delivered from all the slavery therein, we might await the enjoyment of immortality and incorruptibility and sinlessness; with which we shall not inhabit the land of promise, as they did, but we shall be in the kingdom of the heavens. And how great the difference of these things is from those! The Israelites attained those goods for a brief space of time; we possess these, which are many and greatest, with an eternal benefit: this is clear to all from the very nature of the things themselves. Thus, also, God subjected the Israelites who sinned in the desert to punishments, that he might strike in us, as by these examples of sins, a fear of sin, because it is capable of plunging us into a worse condition. ^D This is what the blessed Paul signifies when he says: "These things all happened to them as types; they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come."

^A And thus, by means of the legal ordinances, He saw to it that they would make use of the sacrifices and the blood of brute animals with profit; and that, by this example, our faith might be strengthened, ensuring that we would attain the greatest of goods through the blood of Christ the Lord. Wherefore the blessed Paul says: "For if the blood of bulls and goats, and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who are defiled, sanctifies for the purification of the flesh; how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works?" For God, by means of the difference between Christ the Lord and brute animals, makes us sufficiently certain that it behooves us to trust in these new things much more than they trusted in the old.

Moreover, when the Israelites in the desert were perishing from the bites of serpents on account of their unbelief, God ordered the blessed Moses to forge a bronze serpent, so that those who had been bitten, by looking upon it, would easily receive a cure for the damage caused by the biting ones. And although it was in God's power either to protect the Israelites entirely from the bites or to supply some other remedy for the wounds, He nevertheless willed that they should derive a remedy from the image of those that bit them, so that we would in no way marvel if God, by destroying death through the death of Christ the Lord, should provide for us an immortal life through the resurrection of the body. Wherefore the Lord also says: "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life." By these words He teaches that, just as of old the image of the biting ones healed the damage of the wound, so now death, which was devouring all men, after it happened to Christ the Lord, ^C is to bring the remedy of death not to Him alone, but to all men.

So also it happened to the blessed prophet Jonah, whom, because the Jews were unbelieving and unwilling to receive his oracles, God commanded to cross over to the nations; then, He miraculously preserved him unharmed inside the sea monster for three days and as many nights, and led him into the city abounding in countless evils, in order that he, by preaching repentance, might become the mediator of salvation for the inhabitants. In this way, taught by this example, we might in no way doubt that Christ the Lord was preserved without corruption for an equal space of time; He who, having soon been called back from the dead to immortal life, offered the merit of repentance as common salvation to all the Gentiles (while the Jews meanwhile retained their unbelief). Whence also the Lord did sometimes say: "For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." And at another time: "The men of Nineveh shall rise up, and shall condemn this generation; because they inclined their ears to Jonah preaching: and behold, a greater than Jonah is here."

^A It is evident that the imitation of events exists, yet there is a great difference between those things and these; and that these men, like the Jews of that time, remain in unbelief, while the nations will receive the salvation from the preaching. For these reasons, clearly, the blessed Jonah was brought forward; for the prophet would not have remained so disobedient to God as to choose to do none of the things commanded him, especially since he was being sent for the salvation of so many people. Nor was there any need to put him to the test of such an incredible thing as that sea disaster—to be thrown into a whale, to be miraculously kept inside it, and even more miraculously to emerge from it—in order to experience him as an unbeliever, when it was in God's power to force the reluctant and disobedient prophet to his duty in another way; just as we know He did with Moses, when he was reluctant toward the ministry of his mission, and likewise with Jeremiah, who also feared the magnitude of the work. It is therefore entirely clear that it pleased God to exercise Jonah through such unusual and wondrous events, in order to show him as a type of the things to be accomplished in Christ the Lord, so that, led through such an incredible novelty for this reason, he might become worthy of belief, bearing within himself a figure of such a great work.

^B We may say that this is the primary cause of the wonders that happened to the blessed Jonah; a second cause follows, which likewise flows from the type. For it was necessary that the spirits of the prophets should be ^C not a little dejected, for they were constantly sent by God to the people and would proclaim future things, threaten impending punishments, and perform with great zeal everything that could contribute to their correction. But they accomplished nothing more, the malice of the Israelites prevailing against the efforts of the prophets whom God had raised up for their sake. Wherefore they rightly judged their labor to be useless and despaired completely of human affairs, since the Gentiles were falling constantly into vice, while that people who seemed chosen for divine knowledge yielded nothing to the Gentiles in impiety and the corruption of their morals. Therefore, God, who cares greatly for all humanity but bestows special providence upon His chosen ones, wished to refresh these sad prophets and often signified to them the future transformation of human morals at the advent of Christ the Lord: at which time all, by the instinct of divine grace, were to look from vice toward virtue. ^D Finally, He performed this also, a wondrous work in the prophet Jonah, for the instruction and consolation of all the prophets; by it He made them more certain in reality of the undoubted advent of Christ, and of the return of all men to good fruits at that time; while the Jews meanwhile were greatly fixed upon their vices, God thus permitting it in order to demonstrate the free will and frailty of the human mind; but finally, under Christ

the Lord's coming, inasmuch as God would manifest His own grace, all men, who were always inclining toward impiety, would turn their inclination toward the better; just as the blessed Paul says, that "God has concluded all under sin, that we might be justified by faith" (Rom. xi, 32). He shows that from those who had preceded us, we have learned the inclination of men toward the worse, so that we might learn that we need divine grace to discern and to prefer the better to all things. ^A

Of this, he provided an adequate demonstration to the prophets in the things present, believing this especially ought to be shown in the affairs of Jonah, who in himself provided a type of the things that were to happen concerning the Lord Christ. For God sends him to the city of Nineveh, which was great and very populous, and happened to be the royal seat of the Assyrians; in which all were seen [to be given] to impiety, and were passing their time in a wicked life, flowing with luxuries, ease, and debaucheries, and all manner of lawlessness; and He commands him to announce the destruction of the city, unless they should incline toward what is right. Then He caused all those people, upon suddenly hearing the voice of the prophet—whom they did not know at all, nor did they see him fortified with miracles, so as to be struck with any wonder ^B at him—to change their former mindset from the threat alone, and to look toward the better, being Gentiles who had previously displayed no form of instruction toward piety. Just as he would show from the present situation, that in this same way, at the coming of the Lord Christ, He would prepare with divine grace all the nations to incline toward the better, even if the Jews wished to disobey the teaching of piety. ^C

From this, the blessed prophet, understanding from the things at hand that the Jews would appear worthy of the most extreme punishment, having received no amendment from such great instruction, while the Ninevites, living and wallowing in impiety, upon the announcement alone appeared suddenly to have turned toward the better; and that these things coming to pass as a demonstration of those things regarding the coming Lord Christ, the same thing would happen by much more, when the nations, being called by divine grace, look toward piety, while the Jews remain disobedient and do not receive the Lord Christ—whose announcement and instruction they had from above among themselves—[he understood] that from this, people dwelling everywhere on earth would be declared heirs of the kingdom of heaven, while the Jews would be excluded from this gift because of their own disbelief and impiety, ^D although they seemed to have been in such great instruction of the better. Necessarily, he was grieved, seeing the matter to be worthy of mourning from every side, and sympathizing with the Jews as they were such, and [considering] what and how great things [they were missing].

^A For if even now, from the comparison with the Ninevites, they appeared worthy of punishment, and after this they were to undergo total rejection, [it was so] by a comparison with all the nations existing everywhere in the world who were about to approach the teaching of true piety. For if the blessed Paul laments their rejection, and said he would gladly undergo the ultimate punishment so that they might see what is needful, and not render ^B useless the such great care God had bestowed upon them—for "I speak the truth in Christ, I do not lie, my conscience bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and unceasing pain in my heart. For I myself could wish to be anathema from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen by nature, who are Israelites; whose is the adoption as sons, and the glory, and the covenant, and the legislation, and the worship, and the promises; whose are the fathers, and from whom is Christ according to the flesh, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen"—is it not clear that the prophets, possessing the same mindset, groaned and lamented over these things, whether on account of what was then happening or what was later manifest as about to be? ^C For this very reason the prophet also hastened his flight, thinking he would escape the necessity of making the prediction to the Ninevites, and thereby prevent the coming events, which were to be a manifest exposure of Jewish malice; [but] what followed adds support to my words. For the Ninevites, who with such readiness had turned their minds toward the better, not long afterward launched a military expedition against the Israelites, and leading away the rest into captivity, they strove with the greatest force to wreak havoc upon Jerusalem itself. On account of which they also paid the greatest penalties to God, which the prophet Nahum, having foretold, also committed to writing. ^D Therefore the prophecy of Jonah, and the events that befell the Ninevites at that time, were indications of divine grace, by whose impulse all experienced so ready a conversion to virtue. But the prophecy of Nahum demonstrates the wickedness of these same Ninevites, by prompting of which they undertook such great evils, and finally endured the just penalties for all their crimes. And these things, which once befell the blessed Jonah, or were said concerning him, all these, I say, were later restored in the New Testament, as I have already said, as one may rightly and justly see. But come, let us examine these things one by one, which were then done and committed to the book, and which provided the greatest benefit and utility to those of that time; for we shall learn of them from the particulars themselves, and by God's grace we shall begin the interpretation.

Chapter I

158 Vers. 1, 2. — « And the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amathi, saying: Arise and go to Nineveh, the great city, and preach therein, for the cry of their wickedness has come up to me. »

^A The prophet Jonah, he says, received a divine oracle to depart for the city of Nineveh and to preach therein, since its citizens were sinning so greatly and grievously as to provoke the wrath of God. Now since that city was extremely large and packed with people, and indeed the most illustrious of all in Assyria at that time, it was inevitable that it should be known by report to those in Judea; whence it is that God sends him to a city as if it were known to him, though not by sight but only by report. Here, then, he says only this: « Preach therein. » But it is clear that he was sent for this purpose, namely, to threaten the city with destruction and to advise all its inhabitants to turn to repentance, so that they might thereby escape the city's destruction. For divine Scripture is accustomed to condense many things when it is possible for the readers to infer the consequences by reasoning. For neither when he said here, « Preach therein, » did God send the prophet having said only this, nor without instructing him as to what exactly he ought to preach; nor when he says, « Yet three days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown, » was the prophet commanded to say that alone, but rather so that by the announcement of the destruction he might render them better, having given them hope that if they repented they might avert the threat; since it would have been superfluous to threaten destruction if it were absolutely bound to happen, for there would be no gain from the threat. Thus, they would either repent and avoid the punishment, or, if they did not change, be shown to have had it justly brought upon them by God on account of their own wickedness. ^B

^C *Vers. 3.* — « But, » he says, « the prophet, knowing these things, fled from the face of the Lord. » He would by no means have done this if he had known for certain that the destruction was to come, and had been sent for this purpose, as if he were merely to announce such a great calamity, without there being any possibility of anything better coming from it. ^D Now some have said that Tharsis denotes Tarsus, being seemingly deceived by the similarity of the name. For Tarsus is not a maritime city; yet divine Scripture is accustomed to use this name to denote maritime cities, as in the blessed David: « With a violent wind you shall break the ships of Tharsis »; which can indeed be said of a maritime city having ships present at it; but it does not at all befit one removed from the sea, as Tarsus appears to be. Others have said Rhodes. But I, for my part, consider all this precise examination to be superfluous to the matter at hand, for the narrative concerning the prophet stands firm in any case, whoever it is that one thinks the city to be. It is more worthy of note that he did not say, « He fled from God, » but, « from the face of the Lord. » For the prophet did not think he was fleeing from God, whom he knew to be the Lord and Creator of all, and believed to be present everywhere. But because God had commanded that all worship be offered to Him on Mount Sion, an opinion had been instilled in the Jews as if He dwelt there and revealed His presence there

and for this reason the city of Jerusalem was called the tent ^A of God, and the whole land of promise as well, as if God dwelt in the whole of it and watched over it all. For this reason the Scripture says that the prophet fled from the presence of the Lord, showing that he had departed from that land in which God was accustomed to reveal His presence, withdrawing to another and remote land. For the prophet acted in this way: as long as he remained in that land, as if God would certainly manifest Himself to him [p. 245] and urge him toward whatever He willed; but he thought that if he were far away, he would gain ^B relief from that harassment, as if the Divine would not endure to manifest Himself in other places. Thus also the Jews, while they were held in captivity, thought that both the sacrifices and all the worship offered to God were superfluous, as if He did not manifest Himself in the places there, nor would He tolerate receiving the honor performed to Him in that place. It was evident that the prophet was reluctant toward the task because, although God was sending him with a clear hope (for He would not have sent him to announce only destruction, unless He were intending to fashion some good from this), he himself thought it very absurd if a man, suddenly appearing to those who had not known him before, should immediately acquire the reputation of being a scoundrel and a charlatan—a thing which he himself clearly shows in the words that follow.

Verses 4-6

^A Scripure having narrated the events concerning the tempest, it subsequently added what occurred at that time on the part of the prophet: that the helmsman, having gone to see the prophet—who was sleeping in such great turmoil—woke him up, and was amazed that, with such a great calamity happening, he had no sense of the evils surrounding them, but was sleeping and snoring in great security. He urged him, therefore, to arise and call upon his own God, so that perhaps they might be saved by Him.

^B VERS. 7–9. — But since the prophet did nothing of the sort, thinking it dangerous to offer prayers to Him from whom he was fleeing; and since the violence of the storm was increasing, the sailors decided to discover by lot the author of the present evil. From this we sufficiently understand that the storm was not general over the whole sea, but that the turbulence of the waves was raging around that one vessel alone. Because of this, the sailors, having reasoned among themselves about the cause, wished to determine by lot the culprit of the evils; perhaps the Lord God Himself put this thought into their minds, so that the subsequent events might follow logically. For when the sailors had cast lots, blessed Jonah was shown to be the cause of the present adversity. The sailors, wondering what serious crime he could have committed to be the author of such great evil, and now using vehement reproach and almost a judicial formula, and rebuking the man as if he were already condemned by the lot, wished to be made more certain of what he had done, what occupation he followed, whence he came, whither he was going, from what country he sprang, and to what tribe of men he was related. To them he answered clearly: "I am a servant of the Lord, and I worship the Lord God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land." For since they were idolaters, he declared the uniqueness of his own religion by saying that he was a servant of God—meaning that he was one who made it his ^C utmost concern to perform the worship that was due to Him. For he did not say "servant" in any general sense, whereby it would have been necessary for the other sailors also to be servants of God, by whom they had been created. Next, he also gave a distinct definition of that God to whom he was devout, saying that he worshipped the God by whom heaven, earth, the sea, and all things were created.

^D VERS. 10–13. — Having heard this, the men were afraid, because the creator of the whole of nature had surely been moved against them. Therefore they inquired of the prophet what crime he had committed. Soon, when they learned that he was fleeing from God and trying to avoid His warnings, and that because of this he had run into the present calamity with them, in order that he might recognize that God is present everywhere, and that there is no place where He does not perform His own will, and that it is impossible for any mortal to depart from His power, the sailors then asked the prophet: "What shall we do to you, that the sea may be calmed for us?" For through his words the person of the man was recognized, namely, that he was a servant and prophet of God, and indeed that the…

things which were happening were consistent with what was said, they wished to learn from him what they should do to be rid of the present evil. ^A And it adds: "And the sea was moving and rousing a greater surge," showing that it was admitting an addition to the storm, so that those in the ship might not be negligent of what was happening. Then he says: "And Jonas said to them: Take me and throw me into the sea, and the sea will be calmed from you; for I know that it is on my account that this great surge is upon you." For I, he says, am the cause for you of these evils; but I advise you to throw me into the sea, so that I might pay the penalty for what I have sinned against God, and you might receive a release from the evils that are overtaking you. But they, thinking it dangerous to cast out so great a man, belonging to God, into the sea without cause, strove to see if it were possible to return to land and thus remove the prophet from the ship; but since they could not do this, as the sea was intensifying the storm against them, making excuses to God for what they were about to do, they thus threw the prophet into the sea.

VERS. 14-16. — For Scripture says thus: "And they cried out to the Lord and said: Do not, O Lord, let us perish for the sake of this man's life, and do not lay upon us innocent blood; for you, O Lord, as you pleased, have done so." Do not, they say, bring punishment upon us, as though we were casting a just man into the sea in vain, since it was of the greatest importance to us that the man be saved; but this has not happened, since it did not seem good to You, from the fact that the surging sea did not allow us to do what we intended for the safety of the man. And having thus offered their apology in words to God, they threw Jonas into the sea; and immediately the entire surge ceased, so that the men were also seized with great fear, having witnessed the power of the Lord of all, who had both stirred up the sea as He willed, and having willed it, straightway and immediately changed it all into a calm. Then it adds that "they sacrificed to the Lord and vowed vows." Not that they sacrificed to the Lord right there; for they were not going to perform sacrifices on the ship; but Scripture signifies that those sailors had completely turned away from idols and had devoted themselves to the worship of God; having pledged that they would henceforth remain in His service and offer Him the due sacrifices; for this is what it means to "vow vows."

CHAPTER II

VERS. 1-7. — Now Jonas was carried upon the sea for a long time, until God commanded a great sea creature to devour the shipwrecked man: in whose belly the prophet remained for three days and three nights, entirely incorrupt; so that he himself, marvelling that he was kept unharmed and entirely uncorrupted within the sea creature, as if dwelling safely in some little house, turned to the prayers which he poured out to God from the belly of the sea creature. The words of the prayer are of this manner: "I cried out to the ^D Lord my God, and He heard me; You heard the voice of my cry from the belly of the underworld." Ensnared by most grievous pressure,

and having arrived, as it were, at Hades itself through the despair of evils, I cried out to You, and did not fail to have my requests heard. "You cast me into the depths of the heart of the sea, and the rivers encircled me; all Your billows and Your waves passed over me." For, having fled from Your service, You caused me to fall into the sea and to experience the great storm, by which, the sea being lashed about like rivers, the waters of the waves poured down upon me from all sides. "And I said: I have been cast away from Your eyes; shall I see Your holy temple again?" Under the weight of the hopelessness of my evils, I thought I was cast out of Your providence, and I had no hope remaining of ever coming into Your holy temple to render You the worship due, inasmuch as I was far away from it and surrounded by the heaviest of evils. ^B "Water flowed around me up to my soul." The distress of the surrounding evils reached my soul itself. "The abyss encompassed me last." Finally, I was swallowed up by the depths of the abyss. "My head sank into the fissures of the mountains." I seemed to differ nothing from those who are detained in the deepest caverns of the mountains, such that, with the mountains closing in upon themselves, no hope of escape remained. "I went down into the earth, whose bars are eternal locks." Then the whale received me, and I seemed to be dwelling in a certain land from which it was in no way possible for the one held therein to escape; although, internally, I was kept unharmed by divine providence, even if I found no exit from that place.

Verses 8-11

^A should busy himself about his exit from the whale, or presume to grasp it by human reasoning, or express through our own speech how it came about.

CHAP. III.

^B VERS. 1-4. — Now when the prophet stood on the shore, God again commanded him to go to Nineveh, and to preach there what He had previously given him in command. From this it is demonstrated most strongly that God did not command Jonah simply to preach, "Yet three days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown"—although the Scripture appears to say this briefly—but rather that he should also signify in a threatening manner what things were about to happen, unless the penitent citizens should turn away from their vices. Therefore He says: "Preach in it with the preaching of which I spoke with you before," by which words He signifies the entire teaching that He had instructed him to impart to the Ninevites in the preceding discourse. The prophet, now schooled by experience of events, hastened to comply with the commands of God. The Scripture says, however, that "that city was very great before God," by which it signifies that it had been increased by divine providence; and thus it teaches us that we ought not to think that any human thing can arrive at glory unless God deems it worthy of His care. "It was," he says, "as it were a journey of three days," not meaning that its length was of such an extent, but that three days were required for anyone who might wish to go around it completely and observe its appearance clearly. Therefore he adds: "And Jonah began to enter into the city as it were a day’s journey." He narrates, of course, that the prophet, having entered the city, began to preach in a certain part of it, and went around it for a long time, until he had spent as it were one day, preaching and saying, "Yet three days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown," and all other things which it was meet for him to say in each part of the city for the instruction of the citizens.

VERS. 5-9. — To these he adds: "And the inhabitants of Nineveh believed God." ^C By the preaching begun by the prophet in a certain part of the city, he signifies that the message was spread very quickly among all; so that the people, generally, receiving the certain sentiment from his words, were greatly alarmed and obeyed the warnings. Furthermore, that the citizens of Nineveh believed God sufficiently indicates that the prophet had not spoken simply, "Yet three days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown." For they could by no means believe God on account of this one little phrase, if a man, a stranger and altogether unknown to them, had threatened destruction but had added nothing further, nor had taught his hearers by whom he had been sent. But it is certain that the prophet made mention of God, the Lord of all, and confirmed that he had been sent by Him; and that he made his proclamation of destruction while exhorting them to repentance. Those who had been imbued with the knowledge of these things are rightly said to have believed God; for, accepting the decree and teaching ^D of Him which was announced by the prophet’s voice, toward virtue

they turned their eyes; and that they should display a certain great and earnest repentance: for, as he says, they proclaimed ^A a fast throughout the city, and all, small and great, having donned sackcloth, using the appearance of mourning, began to entreat God to be merciful to them. And since the word had reached even the king, he too does not appear to have been negligent of the matter; but, thinking little of royal dignity, having left his throne and cast aside his royal robe, he himself also put on sackcloth and continued sitting in ashes. And orders were subsequently issued by the king and his princes ^B that not only human beings, but also the animals assigned to their service should remain apart from all food and drink. And they did not stop their repentance at this point, but, having also turned away from the evils practiced by them in the past, and having separated themselves from all injustice toward others, they waited with great expectation that God, too, having changed His mind regarding what He had pronounced against them, would completely dissolve the decree that had been brought forth: "For who," he says, "knows if God will repent and be appeased, and turn back from the wrath of His anger, and we shall not perish?" Things which, therefore, it is not possible for them to say unless they had been taught by the prophet’s words. This, indeed, the prophet says occurred; and because God saw them ^C having turned away from the worse things and inclined toward the better, He Himself likewise dissolved the decree which He had pronounced against them.

CHAPTER IV

Verses 1-4. — "On these things," he says, "Jonah was grieved with a great grief, and he was troubled." Not without reason; for he was disturbed as one who was about to carry among them the reputation of being a deceiver and a liar, because he had threatened that the destruction would occur within three days, but nothing came of it. Then, also looking toward God, he said: "Were not these my words while I was still in my own land? For this reason I hastened to flee to Tarshish, because I knew that ^D You are merciful and compassionate, long-suffering and very-merciful, and repenting over evils." For he clearly declared that this had been to him the cause of his flight, the knowing that, being a lover of humanity, if He saw them changing, He would by all means change His own decree; and that from this there would befall him the reputation of being some sort of liar and deceiver. Whence he adds: "And now, Master Lord, take my soul from me, for it is better for me to die than to live." By this, he says, that death is more to be chosen than to live among men with such a reputation. God, then, who is both a lover of humanity toward those who repent and very gentle toward His own, rebuking the prophet in a way designed to bring him to shame, says: "Are you very deeply grieved?" instead of, "You seem to be disheartened that these have been saved, whereas you ought to set against that impression the salvation of all, and consider it more to be chosen that he be thought such, than that the destruction of so many should have occurred."

Verses 5-8. — But the prophet, having gone out of the

^A city, sat down opposite, having built a hut for himself, and remained under it, to see what finally might happen to the city; for, pondering the severity of the threat, he supposed that something or other would come to pass after this. Then God commanded a gourd, which sprang up suddenly, to fill the entire hut in which the prophet was with shade; so that he himself seemed to have the cover of some house, through the abundance of the leaves. And indeed, with the fruit hanging down closely on every side, it provided him with a very great amount of delight. The prophet, as might be expected, was greatly pleased by this, both by the miracle and by the appearance and the utility of what had occurred. But when he was enjoying great pleasure from the matter, and it seemed that he was obtaining sufficient delight from this source, suddenly by a divine command a worm, having come into existence on the plant, consumed all of it at once and dried it up completely. For the Scripture calls it "the morning worm," to signify that from the morning, at God's command, a worm having suddenly sprung up on the plant dried it up entirely, so that when the sun rose, the most intense ray of solar heat fell upon him. It says, therefore: "God commanded a burning spirit of heat, and it struck upon the head of Jonah, and he was faint, and he cursed his soul," ^B showing that the heat did not happen according to custom, nor by chance, but that at a divine command He sent the flame to him with extreme heaviness, so that the prophet, feeling in a greater way the sensation of what had happened, might be in still greater pain, and was even in danger of giving up his soul from the heat; for this is what is meant by "and he cursed his soul." He said to God: "It is better for me to die than to live," saying something of this sort: "I thought I had a certain comfort from the present evils in the plant; then suddenly it is gone, and I, because of the wretchedness of my expectation, have acquired the heaviness of the heat and the troublesome danger from this source; how then is it not better to die than to live, if I am to wrestle with such evils?" ^C Verses 9-11. — Wherefore God says to him: "Are you greatly grieved concerning the gourd?" And upon his answering that he was grieved even to the point of death (God manifested the plant to him as so pleasant, and had created in him such great sorrow at the destruction of the plant, that by this example He might most forcefully convict his sorrow concerning the salvation of the city as having turned out most unjustly), He adds: "Then you, He says, have been in such pain over the gourd, having expended no labor for its construction? For in one night it having suddenly come into being, it has also in one night met its destruction; but how was it not more fitting for Me to show pity on Nineveh, the city of so great a people, such that there are therein twelve myriads of men who do not discern between the right hand and the left?" ^D By these, infants are to be understood, who in reality recognize no distinction between left and right, and who, on account of the infirmity of their age, can judge nothing; and therefore they were not even liable to fault, their age not yet permitting it. But God spoke in this way for the sake of declaring the abundance of the inhabitants. For to you, such was the number of infants, how great must the number of adults be considered? Now, with the others passed over, God mentioned the number of the sucklings, who without doubt, on account of their innocence, none

the merit of punishment. Surely no one would say that such a multitude of little ones should have been destroyed with equal right. Wherefore, even if there had been no pity for the adults, one should at least have remembered the children, so that no ^A harm might come to the city. God added, “and many cattle,” as though these, too, deserved to be preserved unharmed for the benefit of the citizens who had been spared.

COMMENTARY ON THE PROPHET MICAH

CHAPTER 1

VERSES 1, 2. — It is manifest that blessed Micah prophesied in a manner similar to Hosea, Amos, and the rest who ^B prophesied the same things as them. For, moved by spiritual grace, he too strives to predict the events that were to befall the people by the hands of the Assyrians and the Babylonians. Right from the beginning, he institutes a discourse concerning the universal Israel—that is, concerning the ten tribes, of which Samaria was the capital of the kingdom, and the two tribes of which Jerusalem was the metropolis. It is evident that he prophesied in the same times as his predecessors, that is, in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah; for he says that in these days the word of the Lord came to Micah the Morashtite, that is, that he experienced a divine operation. Why? “Concerning the things he saw ^C about Samaria and Jerusalem,” that is, concerning the universal Israelite people, or the kingdom of the ten tribes and the two tribes whose leadership the tribe of Judah held, with the descendants of blessed David reigning over it according to God’s promise. Concerning these things and their affairs, having received a revelation from God, Micah says these things which, as we said, he learned through God revealing them, thus beginning: “Hear the words, all peoples.” Consistently, “all peoples,” so that he might designate the whole of Israel, which pertained to the two kingdoms. Wherefore he added: “And let the earth attend, and all who are in it,” that is, the whole Israelite region, or its inhabitants, to whom it was granted by divine promise to their fathers. “And the Lord God will be a witness against you.” ^D God, he says, speaks to you through us, giving a certain testimony concerning future events; from which, having often exhorted you to honorable things, He perceived no change for the better. Wherefore it appears that He indeed did nothing but what was for your benefit, but you did not wish to become any better, but merely provoked evils upon yourselves. “The Lord from His holy house.”

^A This addition is necessary. For since He is speaking to everyone in common, and since the cult of idols among the ten tribes was so prevalent—on account of which they even built houses and attempted to worship demons as gods through these idols—He rightly added, “The Lord from His holy house,” making it clear that He addresses His words to all in common, being sent by God who has His own house in Jerusalem, which He declared to be holy because of his own operation.

Then he adds:

Verses 3-5

Verses 6-9

^A “And all its idols I will put to ruin; for from the wages of a harlot she gathered them, and from the wages of a harlot she turned them.” Having used a harlot’s mindset, they departed from me and inclined toward idols, gathering certain wages from their own fornication, which they offered to the cult of the idols—all of which I shall simultaneously ruin. “For this reason she shall lament and wail; she shall walk barefoot and naked.” She will be in lamentations and wails once delivered over to the greatest captivity, for those words “naked and barefoot” indicate that she will thus be led away a captive, stripped of every ornament she possessed. “She shall make a lamentation like that of dragons, and mourning like the daughters of sirens, for her wound has gained the mastery; because it has come even to Judah, and has touched even to the gate of my people, to Jerusalem.” ^B The phrase “like that of dragons and sirens” refers to what is mythologized by some, desiring to say that the very things that are touted in myths by many will be sustained by them in reality, while I inflict upon them a heavy wound, which, beginning from Samaria, will pass over to Judah, touching Jerusalem also, since the Babylonians later captured it too.

Vers. 10-13. — “You in Gath, do not be magnified, and you in Akkeim, do not rebuild from your house for laughter.” The discourse here turns toward the neighboring nations, of whom the blessed Amos also spoke, as they would suffer the same things as the Israelites at the hands of the Assyrians. You, therefore, he says, who dwell in those cities, do not hold grand notions while watching the calamities of the Israelites, nor raise high laughter over them. ^C “Scatter your derision upon the earth.” It is fitting for you to scatter dust, for you shall be an object of laughter for others. Why, or in what manner? “I will destroy its cities, that which dwells well.” You who believe you dwell securely in your cities, as if positioned in a safe place, you shall see the destruction of all these. “The inhabitant of Aenan has not come out to wail over the house adjacent to her.” Those people, indeed, seeing that their neighbors, the Israelites, were plunged into such great evils, remained and rejoiced at them. What then? “You shall receive from yourselves a blow of pain.” But since you did not sympathize with the evils of others, you yourselves, receiving a bitter blow, shall pay the penalty for that wicked mindset by which you rejoiced at the evils of others. ^D “Who has made a beginning of good things for one dwelling in pains?” Truly, it is impossible for those who dwell in pains to enjoy any good, because of the magnitude of the evils brought upon them. Then, in proof of what was said: “For evils have come down from the Lord to the gates of Jerusalem, a noise of chariots and horsemen.” So great, he says, will be the wrath of God upon all, that there will be no sparing even of Jerusalem, being surrounded by chariots and horses and all the enemy’s force.

Vers. 13-15. — Then he turns the discourse to the city of Lachish, being of the kingdom of Judah and teeming with many transgressions, and says: “You who dwell in Lachish, this is the beginning of sin for the daughter of Zion; for in you were found...

^A the transgressions of Israel.” Be aware, he says, you too, of the evils that will befall you, you who were the leader of evils for the city of Jerusalem (for he calls this one the daughter of Zion), differing in no way from Samaria in the disposition of your impiety. ^B “Therefore you will give emissaries as far as the inheritance of Gath, [even] vain houses; the houses of vanity were made in vain for the kings of Israel.” For these [sins] you too undergo the same captivity; for the phrase “you will give emissaries” he says as a substitute for “you send into captivity,” [meaning that you are] about to suffer the same [things] yourself as those who dwell in Gath, and all the houses which you built for the sake of impiety will be destroyed; in just the same manner as the houses of the idols were destroyed in the case of Samaria. “Until I bring the heirs to you.” You will undergo these things while I am bringing the enemies who will be the heirs of your good things. “You who dwell in Lachish, the inheritance will come as far as Adullam, the glory of the daughter of Zion.” They will also possess Lachish, and will extend their own ^C inheritance as far as Adullam; to say that they will possess the whole land of the promise, in addition to which Jerusalem, which seems glorious on account of the temple in it, will be captured.

Some have said that the prophet is speaking these things against Lachish because it had slain king Amaziah; since this was the first time that anything so daring—smiting one’s own king—had occurred among them, whereas it had happened many times before in the kingdom of the ten tribes. But this claim is entirely a myth and a fabrication, discovered by those who have not understood the prophetic voice. For neither was Amaziah the first of the kings reigning over the tribe of Judah to be slain by conspiracy; his father Joash was previously put to death in this manner, as the history of the Kings reveals, saying: “The servants of Joash arose, and formed a conspiracy, and joined against him, and struck him”; whom indeed Amaziah his son, having come into the kingdom, later seized, ^D avenging his own father; concerning whom Scripture itself says: “And it came to pass, when the kingdom was confirmed in the hand of Amaziah, he struck his servants who had struck his father.” Furthermore, it does not appear that the citizens of Lachish killed Amaziah. For it is written thus: “And the overthrow was turned against Amaziah in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. And men were sent after him to Lachish, who put him to death there, and taken up on a horse, he was buried in Jerusalem.” By this it is clearly shown that certain men from Jerusalem had risen up against him, and that having fled to Lachish, they sent men to kill him. Thus, therefore, the patent myth is refuted. The prophet addresses Lachish, rather, in its name, as though [representative] of a part, narrating the things that are to happen to the kingdom of Judah; in just the same manner as he spoke concerning Samaria; inasmuch as he had both seen a vision concerning both kingdoms simultaneously and was speaking, as the prologue clearly showed. Pursuant to which, the prophet continues to say to it:

Verse 16: “Shave and shear for your children.”

^A Since your children must be led away into captivity, you must necessarily mourn, for they who previously lived in great luxury as if in their own land will now taste the evils of captivity. Now, “Dilata calvitium tuum ut aquila” (“Make your baldness broad as an eagle”), he says, because this bird is said at a certain time to shed all its own feathers. Then he also recounts, according to his custom, the cause of the evils.

CAP. III.

VERS. 1–3. — “They have been thinking up labors and working evils in their beds, and at the approach of day they accomplished them.” ^B That is, they kept turning over such thoughts within themselves, from which they produced these labors for themselves, fashioning the practice of wicked things upon their own beds, and when day came, applying an end to their base plans. “Because they did not lift their hands toward God; and they coveted fields, and snatched up orphans, and oppressed houses, and seized a man and his house, a man and his inheritance.” For indeed, they did not wish to look toward God, nor to pay any regard to the things legislated by Him; but they were occupied with the coveting of others’ goods, and they snatched up the possessions of those without protection and of the poor, having misused their own power for evil. “Therefore, thus says the Lord: Behold, I am thinking up evils against this tribe, from which you shall not remove your necks, and you shall not walk upright; suddenly, because it is an evil time.” On account of these counsels and deeds of yours, I shall bring upon you such a punishment, from which it will not be possible for you even to recover; but you shall remain completely bent and leaning downward under the magnitude of the evils lying upon you. ^C

VERS. 4, 5. — “In that day a parable shall be taken up against you, and a lamentation shall be lamented in a song, saying: In misery we have been made miserable, the portion of my people has been measured off by a line, and there was no one to prevent him from returning; your fields have been divided.” Then, truly, an agonizing lamentation will befit you; for “in a song” denotes this: that you will perform a lamentation mourning your own misery, seeing your own portion—that is, the region belonging to you—being held and divided by others, with no one being able to prevent these things from happening, and seeing your fields, which you had occupied out of greed, being taken away from you, and in the distribution handed over to others. Then he adds: “Therefore there shall not be for you one casting a measuring line for a lot.” ^D Since he is accustomed to speak of the line in the context of measurement, from the practices of those who use lines for measuring—as when he says: “The lines have fallen to me in the best [places]” (Ps. XV, 6)—he means to say: “It was measured to me, and the best part of the land fell to me by lot.” Thus he says this: that you will see your own things being received and measured out by others, while of everything you possess, nothing will be yours; among you, no one will be found measuring, nor casting a lot, because

^A everything of yours will be taken away, and will belong to others; and you, though you were masters of many possessions, will be masters of none, but will see them passing under the dominion of others, and others distributing your goods by authority.

Vers. 6, 7. — « In the Church of the Lord, do not weep with tears, nor let them weep over these things; for He will not cast off reproaches who says: The house of Jacob has provoked the Spirit of the Lord. » Do not, therefore, when gathered together, use tears without repentance, but while grieving only at the gravity of the evils that have befallen you, in a certain manner also bringing a charge against God, and saying: « Why, we have not alone provoked God, nor are these perverse acts done only by us. For what reason, then? Others do what seemeth good against us, and we only suffer? » But you will derive no profit from these words, nor by this complaint will you avoid the experience of evils, and cease from reviling on account of the evils that have supervened. These things, he says, do not do. « If these are his ordinances, are not his words good with him, and do they not proceed aright? » Rather consider this, that God, who has brought such things upon you, has omitted nothing that was required; but He addressed you with appropriate words, and often taught you your duty, and by the prediction of future punishment wished to withdraw you from evil deeds. But you, refusing to listen to His words, have clearly demonstrated the rectitude and justice of God’s words, who first indeed wished to amend you by predictions; but after you did not obey, he necessarily confirmed the truth of His words for you who did not repent.

Vers. 8–10. — Then, extending the invective, he says: « And formerly my people withstood with enmity against His peace. » You, however, long ago conceived a certain enmity and hostile opinion against me; you were unwilling to obey what was said, and became adversaries of your own peace more than of anyone else. Therefore, you have gained the present war as the profit ^C of your contumacy. « They flayed his skin, to take away hope, the contrition of war. » Whatever was with the poor, you snatched away, and cut off all their good hope; for which cause you have stirred up the contrition of this war against yourselves. Why, or in what manner? « Therefore the leaders of my people shall be cast out from the houses of their delights; for their evil inventions they have been thrust out. » For all who seem to hold rule by their domination over the people, and by iniquity over the poor, will be cast out ^D of the houses in which they lived in luxury, where they had heaped up the most of the poor’s wealth; and they will pay this penalty for their wickedness, that they will fall from the possession of those things which they had unjustly acquired. What then? « Draw near to the eternal mountains. » Arise and depart, because here there is no rest for you on account of uncleanness: you have been corrupted with putrefaction: you have fled, with no one pursuing. Therefore, there will not remain for you even a pretext of fighting against the enemy, since you have been handed over to them by God on account of your own wickedness. Depart, therefore, to the borders of the enemies, which

God has prepared for you long ago, so that you may dwell there in captivity; for it is impossible for you to rest in this place any longer. Since, because of the impurity of your life—whether in irreligious or wicked conduct—you have been handed over to your enemies for destruction, you shall be led toward it; it is not men dragging you, but God Himself who has decreed this punishment for you. ^B

VERS. 11-13. — And stating the cause of the destruction that had happened to them, he says: “The spirit,” he says, “has set up a lie.” The cause for you of all these things was having put your faith in the fraud of the false prophets. “He instilled in thee [a spirit] unto wine and drunkenness.” From that source he instilled into you this punishment, by which, having been made like someone drunk, you are surrounded by a multitude of various evils. And indeed, elsewhere we have shown that wine is sometimes used by Scripture to signify punishment. “And it shall be, concerning the drop of this people, the congregation shall be gathered, Jacob with all.” Because of this fraud of the false prophets so badly instilled in you, you have all been brought together at the same time to this punishment, which it is in no way possible for you to escape. “By accepting, I will accept the remnant of Israel; I will place their turning back on the same thing.” Therefore, I will await all of you—both those taken earlier by the Assyrians and those taken later—who are handed over to such punishment, into which, having been torn from your own lands, you will be turned back, led away into captivity. ^C “As sheep in a time of trial, as flocks in the midst of their fold, they shall leap out from among men.” Such fear will come upon you from the incursion of the enemies that you will be no different from sheep which, when the wolf suddenly arrives while they are sleeping, are disturbed by clamor and confusion, compelled to tremble for their own safety. “Go up through the division before their face; they divided and passed through the gate, and went out through it; and their king went out before them.” Since the Babylonians besieged Jerusalem for a long time, and finally took the city with engines of war and divided the walls, and having made their entrance, drove out all of them together with the king through the gate into captivity; this is what he says: “Go up,” he says, “and see your wall divided, which the enemies, by demolishing it, made the safety you hoped for from it vain.” For all those who remained in the city, after the slaughter of the slain, were taken captive and went out through the gate which you were unwilling to open, with him who previously seemed to be their king leading the way into captivity. But how will the enemies be able to accomplish these things? “The Lord shall be their leader.” The Lord acts in the place of a commander among your enemies. Then, he speaks again as to why they suffer these things. ^D

CAP. III

VERS. 1-4. — “And he shall say: Hear now, princes of Jacob, and the rest of the house of Israel: is it not for you to know judgment?” He will help, he says, your enemies, setting before you these causes, and to all your princes and the rest, saying

^A that it was ^B incumbent upon you above all to discern what is right, and to turn away from what is worse, and to choose what is better, since all this had been taught to you by me, both through the provision of the Law and through everything else which I have frequently done towards this end, and also given that your rulers have ascended to this authority. “But those who hate the good, and seek the evil, snatching their skins from them, and their flesh from their bones.” But you perform the opposite of what you have been taught, turning away from the good, doing the worse, and displaying all injustice towards the poor and the humbler folk, by stripping them of all their possessions in various ways. What then? “As they have eaten the flesh of my people, and have flayed their skins from them, and have broken their bones, and have divided them like flesh into a cauldron, and like meat into a pot, so shall they cry out to the Lord, and he will not hear them, and he will turn away his face from them at that time, because they did wickedly in their practices.” Because, he says, you have stripped the poor of everything, cheating them in various ways, oppressing and crushing them, therefore, when the attack of the enemies comes, you will indeed call upon God due to the necessity, but you will obtain no help from him; rather, he will not even choose to look upon you, but will deliver you entirely to the evils that encompass you, because he knows that you have performed such absurd things and things full of such injustice. And after he has stated what they have done and what they are to suffer in return for these things, because they believed the words of the false prophets, he turns his speech again against the false prophets themselves, and says:

Vers. 5-7.

for no one will be willing to pay attention to what is said by them, having learned by experience of what evils they were the cause to them through their own deceit. ^A

Vers. 8-11. — "But I am filled with strength in the spirit of the Lord, and with judgment and power, to declare unto Jacob his impiety, and to Israel his sin." I, however, casting aside all that deceit and having become full of the Holy Spirit, know how to discern what is fitting and, with much power and boldness, proceed to rebuke the people for what they have sinned and acted impiously, knowing that this will be useful to them for self-correction, being able to urge them toward what is necessary through the memory of the things committed and the threat of those that are to come. "Hear this, ye heads of the house of Jacob, (p. 279) and you who are the remainder of the house of Israel." Regarding this, he says, I make a common appeal to the leaders and to all the rest, reproaching you for your deeds. What, then, are these? "Ye who abhor judgment, and pervert all righteousness." You who refuse to distinguish the good from the evil in judgment, and who hold in suspicion even the things said and done by others for what is right, so that you do not even believe the words of us who are prophets. "You who build Zion with blood, and Jerusalem with iniquities." You have filled all of her with murder and injustice. "Her heads judged for gifts, and her priests answered for hire, and her prophets divined for silver, and they rested upon the Lord, saying: Is not the Lord in our midst? No evil shall come upon us." For the leaders, being unwilling to make any account of just judgment, were selling justice in their courts; while those placed in the priesthood, under the pretext of the priesthood, were trying to collect unjust money as if it were wages. Nay, even the false prophets, taking pleasure in money, were delivering oracles for the sake of those who supplied it; then, having committed so many evils, they pretended to entrust themselves to God, saying that they had God within themselves; and it was impossible, they claimed, that those deemed worthy of such a gift would ever experience the evils that are announced by us, the prophets. What then? ^{B C}

Vers. 12. — "Therefore, for your sake, shall Zion be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall be as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, and the mountain of the house as a forest grove." Since, therefore, you disobey our words, which are delivered according to the will of God, and, by paying attention to the false prophets, perform so many impieties and unlawful acts every day, for that reason you shall know the truth of our words; for such great desolation shall then seize Zion and the city situated upon it, that the one shall be plowed after the manner of a field, and the other shall in no way differ from a shed erected for the guarding of fruit, with its buildings cast down on every side—to speak briefly—the mountain upon which is the house of God will differ nothing from a planted place, with so many plants sprouting up there because of the desolation. But indeed, having related the punishments inflicted thus far upon the Israelites, he says ^D

^A furthermore what their condition will be after the capture, and what great change for the better they will experience. This was, as we have often shown, the custom of the other prophets, and of the blessed David as well: to announce pleasant things after the torment of hardships, and then again to speak of sorrowful things, so that by this continuous memory they might instruct them in both ways—chastening them with the mention of the sorrowful, while encouraging them with the news of better things to hold fast to divine hope. He says, therefore:

CHAP. IV.

^B V. 1–3. “And it shall be in the last days that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be made manifest, prepared on the tops of the mountains, and it shall be lifted up above the hills; and peoples shall hasten to it, and many nations shall journey, and they shall say, Come and let us ascend to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and they will show us his way, and we will walk in his paths; because out of Sion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem; and he shall judge between many peoples, and shall refute strong nations even afar off.” But after they have suffered the evils in which they will be placed, having been taken captive first by the Assyrians and later by the Babylonians, such a change will take place regarding this same site that the mountain, in which God is thought to dwell, will become manifest to all, and will be shown to be elevated above all mountains, and to tower far above all mountains and all hills, because of the glory that occurs within it from divine protection. Many strangers from many places will also gather to this mountain of God, in which God is believed to dwell, so that they may be taught here how they ought to compose their morals and live according to the norm of integrity: so that the law which reigns in this place may become a law even for strangers; and all may think they hear the voice of God, by which they are ordered to live according to the institutions of the city of Jerusalem. And they will rightfully think this, watching the evident power of God, as He draws many of those who have dealt evilly with us under His judgment, and refutes even the most powerful—however far away they may appear to be—on account of the injuries inflicted upon us; and imposes upon them punishments worthy of their evil deeds.

^C I am surprised, however, at those who have affirmed that these things were said by the prophet concerning events for the Israelites after they had returned from Babylon, while also adding that they were a certain type of the things to be accomplished under Christ the Lord. As for those who say the return of the people from Babylon is signified in these words, I praise them as speaking very well. But as for how they were led to affirm that some type of the things of Christ the Lord lies hidden within them, I do not know: for it is agreed that a type is a certain imitation of the thing of which it is said to be a type; but the statement, “Out of Sion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem,” is far removed from the proposition of Christ, who said in express terms to the Samaritan woman: “Woman, believe me, for the hour is coming”

when you shall worship the Father neither in Jerusalem nor in this mountain. And explaining the reason, he says: “God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” For he clearly declared that the scrupulous observance of a specific site would be altogether abolished, and that it would henceforth be of no concern whether one worships in Jerusalem or elsewhere; since all, having been instructed that the Divine is incorporeal, are to worship Him with such a mindset, and whatever they might do anywhere, it would not be held as something foreign. ^A Nevertheless, regarding the return from Babylon, it could appropriately be said: “Out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem,” because the Israelites were then restored to the station of Zion, so that they might fulfill the legal ordinances and the prescribed worship there, which they could not perform while situated elsewhere—whence also those dwelling in Babylon would say: “How shall we sing the Lord's song in a strange land?” But how are these things, I ask, a type of the things of Christ the Lord, whose institution desires divine worship to be performed everywhere in the same manner, with those who perform it well or poorly differing only in their way of life, and not by location? ^B

VERS. 4, 5. — Moreover, the prophet appends to the aforementioned prediction the following, saying: “And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks, and they shall not learn to make war anymore,” demonstrating that all war will cease, and peace will prevail everywhere; so that even weapons of war will henceforth be turned to the use of agricultural implements, their martial use having ceased, because with wars ended, agriculture, the companion of peace, will reign everywhere. Then he says: “And each will sit under his vine, and each under his fig tree; and there shall be none to terrify them,” ^C signifying that all shall enjoy the fruits of their own labors, with no one remaining able to terrify or disturb them in peacetime, or to drive them from their ancestral places. And because these statements were paradoxical, he rightly added: “For the mouth of the Lord Almighty has spoken these things,” namely, that God has decreed for these things to happen, and they will absolutely come to pass. “For all the peoples will walk, each in his own way; but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and beyond.” For all, being established in peace, will henceforth perform their appropriate tasks; some turning to agriculture, others to maritime commerce, others to whatever craft each may happen to practice—yet we shall all have in common the work of living henceforth for all the time to come according to what is pleasing to God. ^D And confirming these things, he says again:

VERS. 6-8. — “In those days, says the Lord, I will gather her who is broken, and I will receive her who had been cast out, and those whom I had repudiated; and I will set the broken as a remnant, and the cast-out as a strong nation; and the Lord shall reign over them on Mount Sion, from now and unto eternity.” Then, indeed, he says, those who have been crushed by the greatest evils, and those whom the providence of…

my own self and of their own lands has removed, I will lead back again to the lands that befit them; and those who were previously crushed I will so preserve by my own providence, that the whole Israelitic race may again increase from them—for this is what he means by "remnant"—and I will declare those who have now been cast out of their own lands because of infirmity to be stronger than many others. And God shall remain upon Mount Sion, showing his power through the protection of those who dwell there, and likewise through the punishment which he is about to inflict upon those who wish to make war against them. For as for the phrase "even unto eternity," it is clear that he speaks of a very long time throughout. For we are not unaware that they experienced a certain overthrow again under the Maccabees, but truly the greatest and one entirely irreparable [occurred] after, on account of their crime against the Lord Christ, they suffered complete captivity at the hands of the Romans, being exiled from their own land and established in long-standing servitude. Thus far, indeed, he recounts the return of the people from Babylon and the prosperities that came to them during that time. But thereafter he makes mention of troubles once more, enumerating subsequent calamities. Wherefore, turning his discourse to Jerusalem herself, he says thus: ^C “And you, tower of the flock, squalid daughter of Sion.” That he calls Jerusalem the daughter of Sion is clear, as the prophets and the blessed David constantly call her so; just as when he says, “That I may announce all your praises in the gates of the daughter of Sion.” Wherefore it is indubitable that the prophet here turns his discourse not—as some, I know not why, have persuaded themselves—to Zedekiah, but to Jerusalem; and having called her "daughter of Sion" according to custom, he deservedly names her "tower of the flock," inasmuch as she was more exalted than all the Israelitic cities, and because of the concourse of all to her, whether for the sake of the worship of God performed there, or because of the aid they hoped to obtain thence, since God was presumed to dwell there. He calls her "squalid" contemptuously, as if she were covered with the shame of sin, and had become a model of vice for the flock, when she ought to have gone before them in virtue. “There shall come against you, and there shall enter, the first dominion, the kingdom of Babylon, O daughter of Jerusalem.” For because of the sins committed among you, there shall come upon you the greatest and a very powerful king of Babylon, who will inflict upon you such evils as it is fitting should be done by the arrival of a powerful king. ^D VERS. 9, 10. — “And now why do you dwell in evils? Was there no king for you? Or has your counsel perished, because sorrows as of a woman in labor have laid hold of you?” But indeed, why have you fallen into such great evils? You indeed had a king, who was able to be your leader in war and your defender; whom you had also long ago chosen, having deposed (Samuel) whom I had established to rule over you. At that time, moreover, you thought you possessed many men outstanding in prudence; how therefore have you fallen into such great evils, of which, having been seized, you differ in nothing

from a woman in labor? Which you would never have experienced, if you had been eager to follow my laws. But since you have not done this, hear: "Sorrow, and act manfully, and approach, O daughter of Sion, like her who is giving birth." ^A Endure the impending pains, and in them act steadfastly as one who is parturient, as the pangs of birth draw near. "For now you shall go out from the city, and shall dwell in the field, and you shall come even unto Babylon." For your affairs have reached their end, and you shall be taken from the city into captivity; and being led away into whatever places, you shall lie cast aside, as is fitting for one led into captivity, until you arrive at Babylon itself, in which it is necessary for you to dwell, overwhelmed by your calamity. Then, after the recounted punishment, he connects the resolution of the same: "Thence will He deliver you, and thence will the Lord your God redeem you from the hand of your enemies." But since, when you have arrived as a captive in those places, from which no hope of release will shine for you, you will experience divine assistance beyond your own strength—that is, He will, by His own power, free you from servitude and the dominion of your oppressors.

Verses 11-13.

^A

CHAPTER V

Verses 1, 2. "Now the daughter will be fenced about with a fence: they have laid a siege against you: they shall smite with a rod upon the cheek the tribes of Israel." They will suffer these things, he says, because they have come confident in their own multitude and strength, fencing you in and surrounding you as if with a sort of hedge of their own multitude, so that by holding you in they might utterly destroy you all, and almost inflict the blows upon your very cheeks with their own power. Then he also mentions the leader of the war, so that he might show that these things will happen because he who is to rule over them has been prompted to this office by the will of God. "And thou, Bethlehem, house of Ephratha, art by no means the least to be among the thousands of Judah: out of thee shall one come forth to me to be a ruler in Israel; and his goings forth are from the beginning, from the days of eternity." For he who is now arising as your king from Bethlehem, even if you seem a small number in comparison to those enemies, will certainly be sufficient, through my support and power, for the war against your enemies, despite them being many and powerful; since it has happened that his appointment was ordained from above, from the time when God promised to David that He would preserve the kingdom for his successors. Therefore, even he, advanced to the kingdom by that promise, will be equal to the burden of the present evils. He speaks, of course, of Zorobabel; for he was the one at that time ruling over the Israelites, being descended from David, at the time when the return from Babylon was occurring, and those around Gog were attempting to advance against Jerusalem. ^B

Although it is manifest that even if these things have been said about Zorobabel according to the tenor of what precedes, as he was of David's posterity, nevertheless the true fulfillment of the words has found its outcome in Christ the Lord; since all the promise made to David concerning those born of him who would reign seems in its primary sense to signify the kings of Israel who were born in succession from him; but in truth it indicates Christ the Lord incarnate, who, having been born from the succession of David, holds the true and unshakable kingdom of all things. ^C And one can know this more clearly from the eighty-eighth Psalm, where He indeed signifies that the promises of the kingdoms pertain to those who are to be his successors in the line of succession: concerning whom He says: "If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments; and if they profane my statutes, and keep not my commandments; I will visit their iniquities with a rod, and their sins with stripes; but my mercy I will not take away from them." For these things make it clear that it would be fitting for those who follow in succession from David and are to reign over Israel, whom, indeed, He pledges that He will punish when they sin, yet not that He will exclude them entirely from the kingdom. Furthermore, He continues to designate Christ the Lord ^D

incarnate, in whom God shows that the truth of His promises has reached its end. For the words: ^A “I will establish His seed for ever and ever; and His throne as the days of heaven; and His seed shall remain for ever, and His throne as the sun before me, and as the moon moon perfected for ever,” are well known to be impossible to say of any of the successors of David; but they clearly show the kingdom of Christ the Lord to be perpetual and immovable, remaining for the time to come with great power and great splendor. ^B And thus we shall find that the present testimony, fitting indeed according to the truth and evidence of the events that have taken place, is in Christ the Lord, according to the evangelical text; but yet it is also spoken of the descendants of David who existed as kings of Israel through the ages according to the promise of God: whence the prophet now also rightly understood it concerning Zerubbabel. For when he speaks of matters after the return from Babylon, and of the incursion of Gog, he consequently remembers also that man of David’s lineage to whom the leadership was then entrusted, in order to show that whatever he did for the salvation of the nation received its force from God’s promise to David. Whence he also said: “His goings forth have been from the beginning, from the days of eternity:” by which words he signifies that what was said and promised above, God had in fact pronounced, and had established from the beginning so that it might come to pass. Afterwards he adds:

VERS. 3, 4.

shall appoint for themselves one head.” And the blessed David: “Behold, how good and how pleasant is it for brothers to dwell in unity!” signifying by this the concord they would have around the time of the return, which they preserved once they were established under one king. Similarly, therefore, the prophet says here, “And the rest of the brothers,” which is to say that all those outside of the tribe of Judah shall be gathered together with the remaining sons of Israel, taking one and the same person as their ruling king. “And he shall stand, and he shall see, and the Lord shall shepherd his flock with strength; and they shall be in the glory of the name of the Lord their God; because now he shall be magnified to the ends of the earth.” He says, then, that God, through the king ruling at that time, shall shepherd everyone with his own care, and he shall make them illustrious through his own name; and he shall persist being praised throughout the whole earth with much wonder, because he has done so many and such great things for those who share his name—I mean, of course, the sons of Israel—bringing them back now from captivity beyond all hope, and subsequently ^B achieving for them a victory with but a small number of them, through which he will utterly rout by his own power an uncountable host of strong men, who were also prepared for military expertise, by means of these humble and completely few in number.

Now, having spoken thus of the things that were to happen to them after the return from Babylon—which would undoubtedly come to pass for them under Zerubbabel, who was of the lineage of David and ruled according to the promise of God—the prophet, wishing to show that God is faithful to his own promises, ^C and provides much strength to those things that come to pass according to his good pleasure, makes use of the example of the affairs of Zerubbabel. But because these things seemed destined to happen much later—namely, the return from Babylon and the expedition of Gog after that return—he recalls more proximate things, which were to have no distant outcome, namely the affairs of the Assyrians under Hezekiah, so that from things near at hand, or those to happen not long after, he might reconcile them to faith in those things that would be after a long time. It is certain, however, that the prophet predicted these things, as the book shows, in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah; so that the prophecy was not far from the events of Hezekiah. Yet even then he was ^D portending, and as it were placing before their feet the outcome of all things, so that those who had received the voice of the prophecy before the event had taken place might see the outcome as near at hand; in order that he might thus show the connection between the affairs of Hezekiah, which were close at hand, and those of Zerubbabel, which were to come after a long time; and that through both he might make manifest how great was the power of the divine promises. Whence, not only then when the Israelites had Zerubbabel as leader, but also before, when Hezekiah ruled over them—having himself also obtained the princedom according to the divine promise—so great an army coming against Jerusalem was able to accomplish nothing, because

divine help was present for him who held the kingdom of Israel by God's commission. Although the same enemies had very easily subjugated the kingdom of the ten tribes, nonetheless, when they attacked Jerusalem after that victory, they suffered slaughter by an angel. For it is confirmed that God said even then: "I will defend this city both for my own sake, and for the sake of my servant David"; demonstrating that, mindful of the promises to David, He would now as well perform the same, providing aid to the one who held the kingdom of Israel, that is to say, Hezekiah. ^B

VERS. 5, 6. — After he had thus spoken of the affairs of Zerubbabel, which were still remote for his own time, he necessarily mentions, for the sake of the connection between the events and for the confirmation of the proposition, the expedition of the Assyrians under Hezekiah, and says: "And this will be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into your land, and when he shall ascend into your territory." This which the Lord will one day perform through Zerubbabel, simply calming the war and granting strong peace to His own people, this same thing He will do for us in that time which is near to us, when the Assyrian shall come against Jerusalem: for then He will miraculously put to flight so great a multitude, and will grant unhoped-for peace to His own, with Hezekiah reigning as one of the successors of David, according to the divine promise. Soon saying what is to come: "And there shall arise against him seven shepherds, and eight bites of men. And they shall pasture the Assyrian with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in its trench." Some have understood "seven shepherds and eight bites of men" in a rather fabulous way, while they count seven shepherds as seven prophets; and as for the eight "bites," they claim these are Hezekiah with his associates in the administration of the kingdom. For they could not even say who these eight were, and they gave credit to their own discourse merely by assertion. But if one should wish to think truly of the administrators of the kingdom, there could be many more than eight. ^C But this error crept into those who thought in this way because, having not considered the idiom of the divine Scripture, they were forced to invent old-wives' tales, so that they might appear to say something. For it is an idiom of the divine Scripture to call a perfect number sometimes "seven," and whatever is beyond that, to hold as an excess. For because God made heaven and earth in six days, and rested on the seventh (wherefore the Jews for this reason rest on the Sabbath); and the whole number of days is accustomed to revolve within this seven-fold cycle, all beginning from the first and ending on the seventh, and after the week returning again to the first; for this reason, the divine Scripture calls that which is perfect and absolute "seven"; but "eight," as I have said, it calls the excess. ^D Thus God says: "It shall pay seven vengeances."

^A That is, he who kills him shall be found to be paying a very great and complete punishment, one laid upon him for unforgivable offenses. There is something similar to this in Ecclesiastes: "Give a portion to seven, and also to eight," to say: "Give abundantly to those in need, and do not refuse to exceed in this matter." Hence the blessed Peter says: "How often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" as if he were stating a sufficient, perfect number. The Lord, wishing to show that he was far surpassed by Him, added: "I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven." ^B He says something similar to this here also. For the Assyrian, having arrived with his own army, was ensnared by God in a great and most heavy punishment through the ministry of the angel; for many were killed, and the rest turned to flight. Having become easy prey for the inhabitants of those places, they suffered countless evils in various ways and at the hands of various people—from those who, as they fled, attacked them with great ease and killed them when they caught them. Finally, with great ignominy, their king returned to his own dominion and was killed by his own children; so that it is clear that the punishment inflicted upon them by God was most heavy, not only for those struck by the angel around Jerusalem, but also for the rest who, seized by great fear, were fleeing from that place. Regarding whom the blessed David also says: "You shall make them a back; in your remnants you shall prepare their face." ^C By this he signifies that all will be turned to flight, and God will stir up His wrath even against the survivors. This, therefore, is what he wishes to say here, while stating that seven shepherds will be raised up: he declares the gravity of the divine punishment, which God brought upon them—complete and absolute—through the slaughter of the angel.

He speaks of "eight bites of men," in order to denote the accumulation of evils that followed them after their flight from that place, as men in those regions—inasmuch as they remained in their own dwellings—were destroying those who were fleeing; and likewise those who thought they had escaped to their homeland, with whom it also happened that their king was killed by his own children. ^D This thing he called, with an elegant phrase, "bites of men," so as to distinguish it from the punishment of the angel. Afterwards, he continues to say: "And they shall feed the Assyrian with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in the trench thereof," to say that the Assyrian shall be consumed by the sword, and he shall see his own land laid waste: which evil he indeed suffered later at the hands of the Babylonians. He calls it the land of Nimrod, because Nimrod the giant was in those places, who obtained royal dignity among them, and seemed great to the men of his time, being puffed up by the awareness of his own strength. For thus the book of Creation says: "This was a giant hunter before God. Therefore they shall say: As Nimrod the giant hunter before God." And the beginning of his kingdom was Babylon. Since, therefore, the Assyrians were proud on account of this man, as if they were excelling in great strengths, as being descended from such a man—

^A or rather, the prophet intended to say that the land which seems to be of brave men will be entirely destroyed by enemies at its own sites, nothing being provided by its own strength in which it gloried, because of the divine wrath. Appropriately then, following what was said, the prophet says, "And he will deliver you from the Assyrian, when he shall come into your land, and when he shall tread upon your borders."

Vers. 7-9. Then, singing a welcome message to the Israelites, that they would suffer no evil from the Assyrians, he adds: "And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the nations in the midst of many peoples, as dew falling from the Lord, and as lambs upon grass, that no one may gather, nor stand in the sons of men." For those who are left from Israel in Judea, or rather in Jerusalem, these having been born of them, will appear venerable to all outsiders, and worthy of much attention, no less than dew is welcome to farmers, falling at the proper time; and they will appear ^B like sheep grazing on grass; for so they will gather the spoils of the perishing and fleeing; from which fear will come to all men, so that they would not wish to disturb them with war. "And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the nations in the midst of many peoples, as a lion among the beasts of the forest, and as a cub among flocks of sheep; who, when he shall pass through and divide, will snatch away, and there will be no one to deliver. Your hand will be lifted up over those who afflict you, and all your enemies will perish." And you will differ, he says, in no way from a lion terrible to beasts; thus being terrible to all outsiders, on account of the plague brought upon the Assyrians for your sake; for just as if any lion—he calls it a cub again, meaning the same thing, calling the lion’s offspring—falling suddenly upon a flock of sheep, ^C snatches away as many as it wishes according to its strength, so you will be considered stronger than your enemies from now on, since such destruction has happened to those who attacked you.

Vers. 10-15. After the prophet had declared that these things would happen to the Israelites on account of the plague imposed on the Assyrians, he then narrates at greater length the punishment of the Assyrians themselves. For at that time, he says, the Lord will destroy all horses and chariots; to say: He will make all military equipment useless; and he will destroy all your cities, even if some of them seem strong and fortified with much defense; and with them will perish all that you were pursuing with demonic ^D worship; for he denotes this by the word "sorceries"; namely, incantations, auguries, and whatever things of this kind were customary to be done among them. Therefore, there will not even be those answering through oracles, or using divinations and oracles; because he will consign all idols and titles to supreme destruction: so that not even if you wished, would you be able to frequent your ancient rites, and adore the works of your hands. The groves also, in which you practice your superstitions, will be cut down: finally, all your cities I will destroy. And as

I have spoken, in my anger and fury I will bring upon you a most great and grievous vengeance and destruction, for which you were unwilling to abstain from my land, but rather hoped to surrender it, contrary to my will, to desolation. And since he has concluded the punishment that is to come upon the Assyrians for having dared to attack Jerusalem, ^A he takes it upon himself to rebuke their ingratitude.

CAP. VI.

VERS. 1-5. — "Arise, contend in judgment with the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice. Hear, O mountains, the judgment of the Lord, and you, O valleys, the foundations of the earth: for the Lord has a judgment with his people, and he will enter into a struggle with Israel." But because, he says, they retain—nothing less—a heart ungrateful for so many and such great benefits conferred upon them by God, on account of which they also suffered the Babylonian captivity, I would very gladly institute a judgment between God and them; and I will take as judges the mountains, and the hills, and the valleys, which before received that ^B innumerable multitude of Assyrians attacking Jerusalem, dispersed through all the places outside; from which, as was to be expected, a very great fear fell upon those in the city; then suddenly they had lying around them the corpses of men so recently puffed up with such great pride. These will certainly be witnesses worthy of belief in the judgment, who were also spectators of what happened.

Soon, as if sitting at a tribunal, and having already convicted the folly of the Israelites, to the face of the judges and witnesses of the events, he finally introduces God himself saying to them: "My people, what have I done to you, or in what have I been burdensome to you?" Truly, the Assyrian affair is known, and what a demonstration of my providence you have ^C experienced. It remains for you to tell me if you have been in any way distressed by me, if I have ever done you harm, or if I have appeared at all troublesome or oppressive to you. Then, as if they dared not utter a word against this, he says, "Answer me," as if to say: "Speak, if you have anything; for I will admit it, if you speak the truth." Then, as if they were altogether silent, convicted by their own conscience, and unable to convict the words of God of any falsehood, he proceeds to say: "Because I brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you from the house of bondage; and I sent before your face Moses, and Aaron, and ^D Miriam." Do you, therefore, pay me back with this, because I delivered you unexpectedly from such bitter slavery, employing Moses, Aaron, and Miriam as ministers and leaders of such a great benefit? "My people, remember what Balak king of Moab planned against you, and what Balaam the son of Beor answered him, from [the] Schœnis—wait—up to Galgala, that the justice of the Lord may be recognized." Now you must also remember Balak, the king of the Moabites, who called Balaam to him against you; he, however, at first indeed to go

by reason of my command, was unwilling; having gone, however, later, he did not curse at all, but blessed according to what seemed good to me. So that through all things it is clear to you that I have always stirred up justice on your behalf against those who attempt to harm you, and I punished them all with no little severity.

Vers. 6-8. — And since the words spoken admitted no contradiction, the prophet, taking on the role of a patron for the people, says such things: "With what shall I intercept the Lord, and lay hold of my God, the Highest?" ^B For as if the people were saying this, he reports: "Since I have been convicted through all things as having become ungrateful for many benefits, what is it that behooves me to do, that I might now at least lay hold of God, from whom I have separated myself by my ways? And how shall I appear as one clinging to those things that are pleasing to Him? Shall I lay hold of Him with holocausts, with yearling calves? Will the Lord accept thousands of rams, or ten thousands of fat he-goats? Shall I give my firstborn for my impiety, the fruit of my womb for the sin of my soul?" As if they were in doubt as to what they ought to do in service for such ingratitude, he says (p. 508): "Shall I appease Him, he says, if I should offer holocausts of yearling calves, or if I should present thousands and tens of thousands of rams and sheep to Him, or if I should present to Him the firstborn of my offspring, that I might take away the sin of my soul?" ^C But answering this perplexity of the people, the prophet says: "It has been announced to you, O man, what is good, and what the Lord seeks from you, but to do judgment, and to love mercy, and to be ready to walk after the Lord your God?" Forgo, he says, holocausts and the multitude of sacrifices and the offering of firstborns. But if you have a care to appease the divine, do those things which God commanded you of old to do through Moses. What are these? That you should exercise right judgment in all things and discernment, by which you ought to choose the better from the worse, and that you should continue in showing all possible kindness and sympathy toward your neighbor, ^D and that you should be prepared in every way to follow what is pleasing to God. He says, to speak briefly, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your mind, and with all your soul, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself," which things had been said of old through Moses; do these, he says, which God esteems more than sacrifices.

Vers. 9-12. — "The voice of the Lord will be called out to the city, and will save those who fear His name." For if it should do these things, he says, the city will appear as a certain voice of God, doing His good pleasure, and demonstrating the divine law by deed, so that in any danger those existing in it, being deemed worthy of divine care, might not receive the experience of anything painful. Then, exhorting, the prophet turns his words again to the people: "Hear, O tribe: and who will adorn the city? Is it not the house of the wicked, storing up wicked treasures, and the injuries of reproach?"

^A For neither can fire adorn a city; on the contrary, it destroys it. Neither will the lawless man, who works iniquity with great diligence, and lives with much insolence and much injustice, escape punishment; for those who inhabit the city in this way destroy it no less than fire. ‹"Shall he be justified in the wallet by the scales of deceit? From which they filled their riches with impiety, and those dwelling in it spoke lies, and their tongue was exalted in their mouth?"› For just as it is impossible for justice to appear in an irregular and unequal balance, or for fraudulent and distorted scales to be acceptable, so neither will those who increase their own wealth from lawlessness be able to enjoy what they have. For all those who inhabit the city, living with deceit and using a proud mind, and having no regard for God, will necessarily experience divine ^B vengeance.

VERS. 13-16. ‹"And I will begin to strike thee; I will destroy you in your sins."› For those who act in such a way, having struck them with my punishment, I will destroy you all in proportion to your sins. ‹"Thou shalt eat, and shalt not be satisfied."› For having partaken of your possessions for a little while, you will not have the enjoyment of them to the end, being deprived of them through punishment. ‹"And it shall grow dark in thee; and thou shalt turn aside, and shalt not be saved."› For you shall be shrouded in darkness by the punishment from me; and wishing to escape the experience of evils, you will by no means be able to do so. ‹"And whosoever shall be saved shall be delivered to the sword."› For even if you think for a short while that you might escape the punishment of ^C your enemies, you will certainly be caught. ‹"Thou shalt sow the olive, and shalt not be anointed with oil; and thou shalt make wine, and shalt not drink wine."› For having fallen in the slaughter of war, you will not even enjoy the fruits of your own labors, as is natural, since the enemies will likely destroy them all; for this is what he wishes to say overall. ‹"And the ordinances of my people shall be abolished, and all the works of the house of Achaab; and ye walked in their counsels, that I might deliver thee to destruction, and those dwelling in it to hissing, and they shall take the reproaches of my people."› Then, indeed, all the ordinances that you kept regarding the worship of idols, imitating the examples of Achaab and the kings of his time, being gathered together, shall be destroyed with you; so that all those from without, beholding your destruction, will hiss, marveling at this change of yours for the worse, and will reproach you for what you have suffered on account of your own lawlessness. ^D Having thus spoken the threat of the punishment about to be brought upon them, he says next, according to his custom, the causes of the events about to happen to them, instituting the narrative in the form of a lament; for it was highly fitting for the prophet to grieve over what they are suffering, and to take upon himself, as it were, the form of their lamentations for their transgressions. What, then, does he say?

CAP. VII. VERS. 1. ‹"Woe is me! for I have become as one that gathereth the"›

stubble in the harvest, and as the grape-gleanings in the vintage, when there is no cluster. My soul desired to eat the firstfruits." Lo, it occurs to me to weep, seeing such an inclination of the people toward evil, that no fruit of righteousness appears among them. I suffer, therefore, just as a farmer would if, at the time of harvest, all the crops were to perish, and he were forced to gather worthless stubble instead of sheaves; or, if in the abundance of fruits, he were to labor under a scarcity of bundles; or, when the vintage is at hand, he should find no clusters, but collect only a few small gleanings. For at this present time, after such great care and diligence expended by God upon them, while I necessarily wait for the fruits of piety and virtue, I find rare good works among them at all; for one cannot see any firstfruits appearing among them, although I most desired it. For just as we are accustomed to take firstfruits from mature crops—that is, the first-born—whereupon the blessed David also says, "And he smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt, the firstfruits of all their labor in the tabernacles of Cham," the prophet wishes to say this: ^B In great sterility, a desire seized me to find something among them that might hold the place of firstfruits.

VERS. 2-4. And persisting in his lamentations: "Woe is me, my soul, because the pious has perished from the earth, and there is none that acteth uprightly among men; they all lie in wait for blood, everyone presseth his neighbor with pressure, they prepare their hands for evil. The prince asketh, and the judge speaketh peaceful words, it is the desire of his soul." Why is it not worthy to lament, since there is no fear of God among them anywhere? Whence it comes that no one is found who wishes to follow his duty. All their crimes are concerned with killings, because they do not endure to commit light sins, but stretch out their hands to murder. ^C Each one of them, according to his power, tries to ensnare the near and poor with pains and distresses, and they are eager to commit wicked deeds. Moreover, the prince, unmindful of equity, asks for money, and because of this conceals the iniquities of sinners; the judge, having omitted the administration of justice, uses bland words, so that through these he may gain unjust profits, toward which he has the thought of his soul intent. "And I will take away their good things, as a moth eating, and walking upon the rule in the day of thy visitation." ^D Because of these things, I will establish you in an absolute destitution of good things, like a moth, destroying by the hand of enemies whatever is excellent in you. For just as a moth, being in a timber beam, walking on its way, devours and consumes the whole of it, corrupting it piece by piece, so will I gradually take away your good things; and afterward, according to the time in which I shall have surveyed the magnitude of your sins, I will inflict punishment appropriate to your deeds. Woe! Woe! Thy vengeances have come; now shall be their weeping. The day comes when you...

should give an accounting for your transgressions, for which it is now fitting that you weep, feeling, through the evils brought upon you, how much you have harmed yourself by your inclination toward the worse. ^A

VERS. 5-7. — And manifesting the magnitude of the evils that are to come, he says: "Do not trust in friends, nor hope in leaders; guard yourself from the one who sleeps in your bosom from entrusting anything to her; for the son dishonors the father, the daughter rises up against her mother, the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man’s enemies are all the men in his house." He says that there shall be no help then for anyone from anyone: no help from friend for friend, none from leader for subordinate, no husband from wife, no son from father, no mother from daughter, no daughter-in-law from mother-in-law. For the magnitude of the calamity, compelling each one to be anxious about his own safety, necessarily renders everyone enemies of one another, as no one is able to consider what might be useful to his neighbor, because he considers it the greatest priority to secure safety for himself if he can. Then, after the foretelling of evils, ^B announcing again, as is his custom, the conversion to the better: "But I will look to the Lord; I will wait for God my savior; my God will hear me." But truly, even though such and so great are the evils, I will not despair of God's protection. but I will wait, looking to Him and expecting salvation from Him; which He will surely grant me in those necessities, having heard me when I asked for His help.

VERS. 8-11. — "Do not rejoice over me, my enemy, because if I have fallen, I shall arise; for if I walk in darkness, the Lord shall enlighten me." It will be permitted for me then to say to my enemies, and above all to the Idumeans, that it is in vain for you to rejoice over me now that I have fallen; for I shall rise from my fall by divine intervention; so that even if I walk in the midst of evils as though in darkness, God’s help will shine upon me more brightly than light. "I will bear the wrath of the Lord, because I have sinned against Him, until He judges my case and performs my judgment. He will bring me out into the light, and I shall see His righteousness." For ^C I have experienced His wrath and the troubles flowing from it as one who has sinned; yet He will grant me a conversion to the better, having Himself judged for me concerning the things I have suffered at the hands of all who were unjustly hostile to me, and having awarded me justice in the judgment. And so He will establish me in the splendor of his own good things, such that the will of God will be made clear and indubitable to me—the will by which, being concerned for justice, He has relieved me of the evils that were surrounding me and has justly punished those who were wrongly harming me. For this is what it means to say: "I shall see His righteousness." And, "My enemy shall see, and shame shall cover her, she who says to me: Where is the Lord your God?" Then indeed she will be ashamed ^D

regarding the things for which she reproached me, as one who attains none of the help that is from God, while I behold the ineffable nature of His care for me. "My eyes shall see her." For I shall not only be delivered from evils myself, but I shall also gaze upon the punishments of those who bear me enmity. "Now she shall be for a trampling as mire in the ways; it is the day of the scraping of brick; that day shall be your wiping out." For you shall be trampled underfoot by enemies like mire in the paths, both by the multitude of wayfarers treading upon it, and because the material for bricks is variously softened—which is what those who work at such things are accustomed to do for the most part, in order that the material, once softened, may be more suitable for the intended need. Such, he says, shall be your wiping out at that time; that is to say, in this way will you be wiped out by those coming upon you as enemies, variously trampling you and crushing you with much ruthlessness. ^B

Vers. 12, 13.—"Your requirements shall be cast away, that day." You will suffer, he says, complete desolation; for this is what the removal of the requirements signifies. Because while any state and authority are established, it is necessary for laws to prevail—which those who are in that commonwealth are accustomed to use; but when captivity has taken hold, it is necessary for the order of the laws to be obliterated. He therefore adds: "And your cities shall come into the shutting in and division of the Assyrians." For he states the cause of the removal of the laws, since the Assyrians shall both destroy the cities and partition them according to their own will. "And your fortified cities shall suffer partition from Tyre even to the river of Syria, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain." That is to say, the Assyrians shall take possession of all these cities. This the prophet Amos also signifies, while mentioning the evils that neighbors will suffer from the Assyrians, saying: "A day of water and of tumult"—and the earth shall be for destruction along with its inhabitants, who shall be the fruits of their [own] inventions. A multitude of enemies will come upon you, flooding all things like water, from which you yourselves will be filled with much disturbance; and all your possessions shall be destroyed with you, because you shall pay this just penalty for your deeds. Now, after he has thus far spoken of the penalty of the enemies who variously torment them, he turns his words in what follows to the people. ^C

Vers. 14-17.—"Shepherd your people with your rod, the sheep of your inheritance, dwelling alone in the thicket." But you, he says, delivered from tumults and disturbance and wars, and living in peace, strive to conduct yourself as is fitting; since God, having considered you His own possession, has snatched you from the enemies, and has permitted you to graze in safety like sheep, separated from all in the wilderness. "In the midst of Carmel they shall graze on Bashan and Gilead, according to the days of the age; and according to the days of your going out from the land of Egypt, I will show them wonders." They shall recover ^D

^A their own places, just as they did formerly when they went out of Egypt and possessed them with much power; for the things that will happen to them at my hands will be no less worthy of wonder than those of that time. "The nations shall see and shall be put to shame for all their strength." For the things that happen concerning them will be sufficient to cast into great shame those who previously knew how to fight against them, as they see them protected by divine guardianship with such great power. "They shall lay their hands upon their mouth." ^B Being amazed at the magnitude of the things happening. "Their ears shall become deaf." For they will not even be able to endure by hearing the magnitude of what is taking place. "They shall lick the dust like serpents that drag themselves upon the ground." Being able to achieve nothing more regarding what is happening to you, they will fall down to the ground like snakes, coiling themselves upon it. "They shall be constrained in their enclosure." They will endure no small distress, with their enemies shutting them in for slaughter. "They shall stand in awe of the Lord our God, and shall fear because of thee." ^C For being cast into a kind of ecstasy at the magnitude of the things God is doing, they will henceforth deem even you fearful, having been deemed worthy of such providence from God.

VER. 18, 19. — Then, after the announcement of the good things that will be theirs, he offers a kind of thanksgiving to God for all these things in what follows: "Who is a God like thee, taking away iniquity and passing over ungodliness for the remnant of his inheritance?" Now, if ever, it has been demonstrated by the very facts that you are a great God in power and kindness, surpassing all, both forgiving sins ^D and overlooking ungodliness, and showing your bounty toward the remainder of your own people. "He has not retained his anger for a testimony, because he is a lover of mercy." For he did not suffer himself to hold onto the anger he justly had against us for very long, although he could have used it with perfect justice; for he had often testified to us what we would suffer for our sins, yet we had paid no attention at all to the admonition of his threats. Nevertheless, he overcame everything with his mercy, which he is accustomed to exalt above all things. "He himself will turn again and have compassion on us; he will sink our sins, and all our sins shall be cast into the depths of the sea." For he who sent us into captivity, again using his own mercy, brought us back, having utterly destroyed our sins, and having cast them as if into a kind of abyss, from which it is no longer possible for them to rise up and prevail against us. Finally, recounting the cause of all these things, he says, "Thou wilt give truth to Jacob, mercy to Abraham, as thou hast sworn to our fathers from the days of old." All these things, he says, you have done, mindful of your own promises which you made to our fathers in the times of old out of your constant bounty; promises, I say, which you made to them then, which have now been brought to effect by you on our behalf, who are their descendants.

COMMENTARY ON THE PROPHET NAHUM

^A Nineveh was a great city, abounding in population, and the most illustrious of all those in Assyria, where the royal palaces were, and the king of the Assyrians spent most of his time. But these very people, I mean those who inhabited Nineveh, when God wished to give a demonstration of His own grace—as we said more plainly when commenting on the prophecy of the blessed Jonah—became so seized with fear at the threats of a single unknown man that they repented with great haste and turned toward virtue. ^B Yet, once God spared them and did not carry out His initial purpose, they used such depravity of mind, such cruelty, and such wickedness of character that, having undertaken a military expedition against the ten tribes, they led them all into captivity; and having laid waste their cities and plundered their wealth everywhere, they approached even as far as Jerusalem, which they strove to capture, without any reverence for the temple or for the religion by which God was worshipped there.

Tunc simile quid contigit atque olim in Ægypto versantibus, ubi principio quidem Pharao rex omnesque Ægyptii studio impenso Jacob et Josephum cunctamque horum cognationem fovebant, quoad eis Deus hanc mentem conservavit. Sed postquam in multitudinem excrevit populus, instabatque demigrandi tempus, Pharaonem sivit Deus ^C atque Ægyptios suam expromere contra Hebræos malitiam, ita ut omni vi niterentur eos funditus exstinguere: qua occasione Deus utens Israelitas Ægypto eduxit. Rem his verbis beatus narrat David: "Misit rex, inquit, et solvit eum; princeps populi, et dimisit eum. Constituit eum dominum domus suæ, et principem omnis possessionis suæ, ut erudiret principes ejus sicut se ipsum, et senes ejus prudentiam doceret." Loquitur scilicet de Josepho, deque honorificentia et officiis quibus eum prosecutus est Pharao. Post hæc addit: "Et intravit Israel in Ægyptum, et Jacob accola fuit in terra Chami. Et auxit populum suum vehementer, roboravitque eum præ inimicis ejus." Jam ubi Propheta narravit Jacob ingressum, quantumque in numerum populus universus crevisset, subdit: "Convertit cor illius ad odio habendum populum suum, insidiasque struendas servis suis." Signifi- ^D cans, Deo permittente, immutatos animus Ægy-

the Egyptians with their king, who from that time on hated ^A the Israelites and destined them for slaughter. From then on, the blessed David narrates the migration.

Now also, God has likewise first produced a brilliant demonstration of His grace, while He converted the king of the Assyrians and all the inhabitants of Nineveh to better things: but not long after, when He had granted them the opportunity to declare their malice, He allowed them to move their arms against the Israelites, so that they devastated the ten tribes and besieged Jerusalem, rushing with such insanity as if they were in some way waging war against God Himself. But indeed, here He immediately inflicted a most grievous plague upon them by the hand of an angel; and having put the rest to flight, He entangled them in various calamities: until Sennacherib, the king of the Assyrians at that time, having returned to his own dominion with ^B the greatest ignominy, suffered death at the hands of his own children. Then God also utterly destroyed the empire of the nation, He who caused Nineveh to be besieged and devastated by the Babylonians: to such an extent that the city, populous with innumerable people and most noble and queenly, was made captive and handed over to the most desolate solitude. For just as in the former time, of which the blessed prophet Jonah speaks, God gave an indication of His grace while He suddenly converted all the Assyrians to virtue: so now, having given them over again to their crimes, He afflicted them with the greatest and most horrible kind of vengeance: instructing men generally in both matters, so that they might know the magnitude of His grace, if ever He wishes to express His ^C benevolence toward men: and the terror of His vengeance, if ever He deems those worthy of it who retain a stubborn resolve to sin.

Commentary on Nahum

Therefore, the prophet Jonah declares that, and Nahum this, prophesying that vengeance would be exerted in many ways upon those who had used such pride against the Israelites and Jerusalem, and also against the universal God who was worshipped there. Whence it was clear to all that God would not have permitted these evils to happen to the Israelites from the Assyrians, unless they had shown themselves worthy to suffer these things on account of their impiety. But come, after the Hebrews suffered the evils inflicted by the Assyrians and endured that captivity, while they were paying the penalties for their impiety; consequently, God transferred His wrath to those who had stirred up those calamities, punishing the madness of their counsel, by which they had dared to take up arms against God and His family. Therefore, He allowed the Israelites, as ^D liable to punishment for their impiety and their sins, to be afflicted thus; but He necessarily punished and took vengeance on the Assyrians, who had been troublesome to the Hebrews by their own crime, because, led by the madness and depravity of their minds, they had come to such a degree of wickedness that, as far as it lay in them, they had dared to wage war fearlessly against God Himself and those things which were sacred to Him. And therefore, while they were later paying the penalties, it could be clearly evident to all that God would not have permitted them to suffer such things then, unless they had rendered themselves worthy of this by their wicked acts. But when they suffered evils from them, and endured that captivity, and were paying for the faults of their impiety, God deservedly transferred His wrath to those who had been accustomed to these evils. And He punished those who dared to take up arms with such madness against God and His family; He allowed the Israelites to be afflicted because they were worthy of punishment, but He deservedly punished the Assyrians who had been harmful to the Hebrews of their own accord, by inflicting punishment, so that their pride and stubbornness might be chastised.

^A For those [who], having chosen arrogance and a perverted mind, have rushed into such a degree of impiety that they would, insofar as it depended on them, wage war even against God—just as Obadiah speaks of the punishment against the Edomites which they were destined to suffer later, after the return of the people from Babylon, for the things in which they had offended against Jerusalem and its inhabitants at that time, clearly revealing by that announcement that these things would come upon them according to the will of God—so too the blessed Nahum, in this book, speaks of the punishment to be brought upon the Assyrians by God, which they did indeed later suffer at the hands of the Babylonians; and he also reveals that it was by the will of God that the Israelites were permitted to suffer these things because of their own impiety, and that the Assyrians themselves, in due time, would pay the penalty for their arrogance in proportion to their transgressions. These are the contents of the subject matter of the book. It remains to attend to the particulars.

Chapter I

^B Verse 1. «The burden of Nineveh, the book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.» This is, then, the accustomed title of the prophetic books. However, it is worth the effort to clarify the meaning of the term "burden" [lemma]. For the holy Spirit was one, who provided His own grace to those worthy of such gifts, as the blessed Paul says: «Having the same Spirit of faith, according to what is written: I believed, therefore I spoke; and we believe, therefore we speak»; ^C thereby showing that it was by the same grace of the holy Spirit that both the men of old and those of the New Testament, who laboured in the mystery, were enriched. Yet the faculties granted were diverse according to the urgency of the work: «For there are divisions of gifts,» he says, «but the same Spirit.» By saying that the things given were diverse, but that the one providing them was the same Spirit, he says that those gifts were diverse, yet nonetheless it is the one Spirit who provides all things. Moreover, he recites a catalogue of gifts: «To one indeed through the Spirit is given the word of wisdom; to another, the word of knowledge, according to the same Spirit.» ^D Then he adds the rest: «But all these things one and the same Spirit works, distributing to each one individually as He wills,» showing that all things were worked by the one holy Spirit; and the energies given to them were manifold, according to their need, by which they received the revelation of the things they understood. Thus, it is to be expected that all of them received knowledge of the more ineffable things in ecstasy, since it was necessary for their minds to be far removed from the present state of things, so that they might be able to attend solely to the contemplation of the things shown to them. For if it is impossible for us to receive accurate instruction from teachers unless we detach ourselves from all else and attend with great diligence to what is being said, how could the prophets have been able to receive such terrifying and ineffable visions unless they had first, specifically at the very time of the vision, had their minds alienated from earthly things? Thus, Scripture says that the blessed Peter, being in an ecstasy, saw the sheet being let down from heaven; for the grace of the Spirit first withdrew his mind from earthly things, then

^A prepared him to attend to the contemplation of the things shown him, so that as we in our sleep, when we withdraw from the present state of the body, receive the contemplation of things revealed, so in some way, being established by the grace of the Holy Spirit through the transposition of the mind, they might receive the contemplation of the things being shown.

For when they were in such a state, the grace of the Holy Spirit sometimes provided them with such instruction that they seemed ^B to hear someone speaking and instructing them, and thus they were imbued with the knowledge of things necessary. Just as, in truth, the blessed Peter, upon seeing the sheet, thought he also heard a voice saying to him: "Rise, Peter; kill and eat." Hence also the prophet Isaiah says: "Lord, who has believed our report?"—calling the revelation provided to him from God a "report," because he seemed to hear as if someone were speaking. Sometimes, however, after some vision was presented to him, they would hear ^C the voice of the speaker. Just as the blessed Peter at the same time saw the sheet and received the instruction concerning the things that were being said to him. Moreover, the blessed Isaiah also, when he claimed to see God and the seraphim, heard words sent to him as well. For this reason, Scripture sometimes says: "The word of the Lord which came to this one or that one," calling that power a "word" by which he who was being instructed thought he was being informed of necessary concepts by some voice. ^D At other times, the same Scripture says: "The vision which this one or that one saw," designating by this term the revelation according to which the prophet, believing he was seeing something, learned what he needed to know. The expression "And the hand of the Lord was upon me" signifies the same thing. For here, too, the "hand of the Lord" is spoken of as the power of the Holy Spirit, by which God, as if touching the prophet's mind, delivered the necessary instruction to him.

The term *lemma*, which means "assumption," signifies something of this kind. For God, wishing to show the prophets something wonderful, often caused a sudden transformation of their mind, so that, affected by this state of mind, they might receive the knowledge of future things with greater reverence. He calls this an "assumption" because the grace of the Holy Spirit, as if suddenly seizing the prophet's mind, turns it toward the contemplation of the thing being shown. By the same reasoning, it is also said here: "The assumption of Nineveh, the book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite." This is meant to signify that the prophet's mind, suddenly seized by the grace of the Holy Spirit, shifted toward the contemplation of those things through which, having learned of the events destined for Nineveh, he provided the knowledge imparted to him to his hearers. Therefore, he says both "assumption" and "vision," so that by the former he might clarify the mode of the Holy Spirit's power, and by the latter, the contemplation of the oracles shown to him. It begins thus:

VERS. 2, 3. — The Lord is a jealous and avenging God; the Lord is an avenging God with fury, and the Lord is an avenging God

^A who exacts from his adversaries; he removes his enemies. He calls the anger of God "zeal," which He receives when provoked against the impious by those who act in an extremely absurd manner. Thus it is said: "The Lord saw, and was zealous, and was provoked by reason of the anger of his sons and daughters." Since, then, he was about to speak of the anger of God stirred up against the Ninevites—or rather against the Assyrians, for by the capital city he signifies the whole nation—because they had used the utmost impiety and lawlessness and had inflicted so many and such great evils upon many other peoples, and finally even upon the Israelites; and having even marched upon Jerusalem, they had all but waged war against God Himself; it is well that he begins from here, saying, "The Lord is a jealous God," to mean that He is one who is accustomed to be greatly angered by impieties, and that He avenges with great fury the impieties performed by men, and that He punishes and utterly destroys all those who choose a hostile and adverse mind toward Him. ^B Then, since he has just said these things, he speaks of the great benevolence that God had shown toward them at the time when, persuaded by the mission of the blessed Jonah, they repented. "The Lord is longsuffering, and His power is great; and the Lord will not leave the guilty unpunished." For as, he says, He knows how to be longsuffering and to overlook a multitude of sins and impieties whenever He sees them inclining toward repentance, so, when He sees some having fallen into impenitence and driven to the height of impiety, He reveals His power in the greatness of His punishment, not releasing them from their accusations nor from the punishment for their sins, inasmuch as they are condemned by their own deeds.

VERS. 4, 5. — And what is the proof of these things? "In clearing and in commotion is His way." He calls the act of God His "way"; Scripture often uses the same expression regarding men, as in: "The Lord knows the way of the blameless." Here, then, he says this: "He has now decided to do this, and therefore has His rush against you, so as to destroy everything among you, and to bring upon you total ruin." "And the clouds are the dust of His feet." Consistently with having said "His way," he added, "The clouds are the dust of His feet." For just as it happens that one who runs with great impetus stirs up dust in his motion, so, he says, the clouds are the dust of His ^C divine feet. He signifies that when God rushes upon you, the whole air is whirled together against you. "Cursing the sea and drying it up, and laying waste all the rivers." He is able, of course, by His voice alone to dry up the sea and the rivers with it, indicating that it is no trouble for Him to destroy your system and the multitude among you, should He wish to. Then, providing a proof from what has occurred: "Basanitis and Carmel have waned, and the flower of all Lebanon has failed: the mountains have been shaken by Him, and the hills have moved, and the whole earth has been brought to a stand before His face, with all its inhabitants." Indeed

whatever the Israelites suffered at your hands, he says, occurred by His own will; for He, having condemned them for their impiety, allowed them to suffer what you wished to inflict upon them. Thus, those events were not by your own power, but were works of the divine purpose. ^A And for this reason, Bashan, Carmel, and the glory of Lebanon were doomed to destruction; and the mountains and hills were all but shaken. And, to state it briefly, God removed that entire land together with its inhabitants from before His sight, having loathed them for their impiety.

Vers. 6–10.—"Before the face of His wrath who shall stand? And who shall withstand the indignation of His fury? His fury dissolves principalities, and rocks are shattered by Him." From these things, therefore, you have the proof that no one is able to resist the divine wrath, which is ^B fully capable of shattering even those holding great power and those established in the greatest strength, and of destroying them completely. And speaking of things similar to those before, He says: "The Lord is good to them that wait for Him in the day of tribulation: and He knows those that reverence Him." He is, he says, exceedingly merciful and exceedingly kind toward those who have placed their hope in Him and who fear His threats. "In the passing flood He will make an end, and darkness shall pursue those who have provoked and hated Him." Yet when He turns to wrath, and has found those worthy of it, He brings in a certain flood by the force of His own power, through which He accomplishes the total destruction of the wicked. ^C And He envelops all who rise up against Him and dare to wish anything contrary to Him in darkness and in great distress through the magnitude of the evils brought upon them. "What do you imagine against the Lord?" What, he says, are the plans you are devising against Him? Do you think it is possible to wage war against God? Truly, from the time you first began to attack Jerusalem, you have provoked God with such blasphemous words. "He will make an end, and He will not execute vengeance twice for the same thing in tribulation." For having resolved to make your total destruction, He brings about what He has decided concerning you so suddenly ^D that there is no need for Him to bring a second blow, but rather your destruction comes upon you instantly from the first blow. "For they shall be laid waste even to their foundation." So that all things among you shall be brought to total desolation. "And they shall be consumed as twisted smilax, and as a reed full of dryness." Like that herb which is intertwined among fences and is then devoured by all the beasts that come across it, so you shall all be consumed by enemies; and in the manner of a dry reed, you shall be destroyed by your aggressors as if by fire, for you will not be able to resist their incursions.

Vers. 11–15.—"From you has gone forth a device against the Lord; you have pondered wicked and hostile plans in your mind." You have dared to contemplate and to commit these deeds against the Lord, attacking with arms the city that possesses the divine temple; and you thought you would easily capture it, as if it were not helped at all by God.

^A What then? "Thus says the Lord, the ruler of many waters." Hear then what the Lord God of all the nations on earth now declares concerning that bold act; for this is what he says to the one of many waters: "And thus shall they be separated." For just as if someone, he says, were to separate water from water in some place where it had gathered, with ^B great ease, so will God deliver you to destruction after separating you from all the nations. "And a report will be heard no more," so that you will no longer hear even the fame of him who has utterly perished. "And now I will break his rod from you, and I will break your bonds." For all your scepters, and the kingdom you thought you possessed, I will break in pieces; and the power you once had over them, as if binding them with certain bonds through your own authority, I will utterly cut through, since with the destruction you are undergoing, all your kingdom and the power and authority you had against others are, as is likely, being brought to nothing. "And the Lord will give commandment concerning you," for these are the things God has commanded to happen concerning you. ^C "Your name shall no longer be sown." Since those who are under a kingdom are accustomed to refer everything to their kings, and to be called by their names, as being under their authority, he says that your name will no longer be seen anywhere, as you will have utterly perished. "From the house of your god I will destroy the graven images, and I will make the molten ones your tomb, because you have been disgraced." For I will destroy along with you the idols to which you gave much honor; and these, I say, will become like a tomb for you, being—that is—lost and destroyed along with you, and heaped upon your ignominy. "Wherefore, behold, upon the mountains are the feet of one who brings glad tidings, and proclaims peace." Then, he says, many will run about the mountains of Jerusalem, proclaiming your destruction ^D and the peace that will follow for them from it. "Keep your feasts, O Judah, render your vows to God, for they shall no longer proceed to pass into antiquity." Be you also, then, in delights, and fulfill your owed feasts and vows to God with all zeal, being very confident, as they will no longer come to destroy any of the things that belong to you, having perished once and for all. Therefore he adds: "It is finished and taken away." For he who dared these things, he says, has been made to vanish.

CHAP. II.

Vers. 1-4. "He has ascended, breathing upon your face, taking you out of affliction." For a divine wrath, he says, like a certain blast, has utterly extinguished him who was kindled against you; so that you may henceforth expect no further affliction. Having spoken these things to Judah, who ought to keep a feast on account of the destruction of such an enemy who had dared such things against them, he now directs his word to the Ninevites. "Observe the way." See who is coming upon you. "Strengthen your loins." Gird yourself, if you are able, to sustain such an incursion. "Act very manfully." Now show those great powers of yours. "For the Lord has turned away the insolence of Jacob, as the insolence of Israel." In truth, you will not be able to avoid the coming evils, for whatever you did to Israel…

has been turned back upon your own head by God. "For they have shaken them out, and have destroyed their branches, the weapons of his power from among men." ^A For so great will be the power of the enemies against you that, in the manner of those who shake out a garment, you will be stripped of your own dignity, and you will lose all those things in which, as though they were surrounding you and occupied in serving you, you once took great pride. In short, all your military skill and all your power will be destroyed and taken away from you by men. Then he also recounts their former power, which, because it was used against justice, would be of no profit in the present time. "Strong men holding fire in derision." You, he says, were once possessed of such strength that you did not hesitate to contend with fire itself. "The chariots are troubled in the day of his preparation; the horsemen are astounded in the ways." You once trusted in horses and chariots, ^B which now seem useless to you; for at the time when it seems good to God to inflict punishment upon you, panic will seize the chariots and the horsemen, so that on account of the fear of the enemy they will be able to accomplish nothing. "The chariots shall be confounded, and they shall collide in the streets." They will all rush into flight, he says, and in this panic, colliding with one another, they will perish even before the arrival of the enemy. "The sight of them is as lamps of fire, and as lightning running to and fro." He says this ironically, for you thought that you differed nothing from lightning and fire, you who, gifted with shining weapons, used to bear down upon your enemies with violent force.

VERS. 5-7. — "The nobles will be mindful during the day in their panic, they will hasten to hold the walls; they will prepare their battlements." ^C That preparation and military force of yours will all be in vain. Having abandoned the battle, you will turn to thoughts of flight; and not even this will you manage with ease, but with great consternation you will run because of the looming terror of the enemies, and you will hasten to the walls, which alone will be left, having abandoned the fight out of hopelessness; from there you will look for protection, and you will apply all your zeal to the customary guarding of the walls. What is more, "The gates of the cities are opened, and the royal palaces have collapsed, and the foundation has been exposed; and she went up, and her handmaids were led away, as doves speaking in their hearts." ^D But truly, not even for your concern about the walls is there any profit; for the enemies will take the city, and they will enter through the gates with great confidence. The royal palaces they will utterly destroy, and they will plunder all of your wealth and all the treasures that remain to you, making them public—those things, namely, which you once guarded with great diligence and which you believed to be hidden. "And she went up" — the prophet speaks of Nineveh, (for "she went up" he says instead of "you shall go up," changing the tenses after his custom.) You shall go up, he says, led to the enemy king, to remain a captive thereafter; and all the cities and towns subject to you (for he uses the names "handmaids" for these)

having long since bidden farewell to the dominion you previously possessed, will be led away into captivity with you, in their thoughts—like a dove—lamenting and bewailing their own calamities and yours. ^B

VERS. 8, 9. — Then he speaks of their ancient prosperity, distributing the discourse in such a way that he now narrates the evils by which it will be tormented, and now commemorates its ancient dignity, so that the impending misfortune may naturally become more grievous because such a city has arrived at such a state. "Ninive, as a pool of water are her waters; and they, fleeing, did not stand, and there was no one gazing." For once, indeed, it differed in no way from a most great pool, with waters poured out on all sides, and bringing up in itself a multitude of fish; just as Nineveh indeed abounded with a multitude of people, and had many men captured in war among itself. But now they are so oppressed by adversity that they could not even stand for the briefest moment against the enemies in battle, so as not to commit themselves to immediate flight. Moreover, no one was found who would apply his mind to these evils, or provide any remedy for them. "They plundered the silver, they plundered the gold." The enemies seized all their wealth as plunder. "And there was no end to its ornaments." They snatched up the innumerable riches with which it was previously adorned. "They are weighed down above all its desirable furniture." With vehement zeal they rushed to all the precious things, and carried before them a great greed for plundering her. For the expression "they are weighed down" signifies the same thing as in the books of the Kingdoms: "The battle was weighed down against Saul," to denote that in that part especially the forces of the enemies had concentrated themselves. Thus also here it is said "they are weighed down," so that we may understand that the zeal of the enemies was especially concerned with their wealth. ^C

VERS. 10, 11. — "Shaking and tossing, and boiling, and breaking of the heart, and loosening of the knees, and pains upon every loin, and their face as the scorching of a pot." He signifies that the enemy will afflict them with various evils, repeatedly shaking and casting them out, so that their entire reasoning faculty of mind might be extinguished. Being unnerved by fear, they will not even be able to stand easily, and will be shaken by common anguishes; and to speak briefly, they will be pressed by such straits on account of these disasters that they will be seen as no different from a pot boiling over a fire. And again, bringing them to the memory of their ancient dominion: "Where is the habitation of the lions, and the pasture which was for the whelps?" "But the habitation of the lions has perished, and all their pasture." For the whelps are the same as the lions. He signifies, however, that the inhabitants of Nineveh were once like lions, terrible ^D to all peoples, and had gathered for themselves wealth on all sides from wars. But now, he says, your "habitation," O Nineveh, has perished, and at the same time whatever wealth you had previously amassed therein. "Whither did the lion go, that he might enter in?" This is said most mockingly. For because the Assyrians were engaged in perpetual wars,

^A and were always attacking some people as if for a hunt, he says: "Whither now has your ruler gone? Upon what hunt has he gone?" So that he might say that he has ceased from warring, and has laid aside his previous authority and power.

Verses 12, 13. — Therefore he adds: "There were cubs of lions, and there was none to frighten them; the lion snatched enough for his cubs, and killed for his lions, and filled his nest with prey, and his habitation with plunder." You acted, he says, previously in the manner of lions against everyone, and no fear restrained you from doing such things. By plundering the possessions of others, you gathered for yourselves vast wealth, which your children also might enjoy. You slew, you strangled peoples, and you set these before your own offspring as prey to be used; you exaggerated your wealth by rapine and wickedness. What then? "And behold, I am against you," says the Lord Almighty; "and I will burn up your multitude in smoke, and the sword shall devour your lions; and I will destroy your prey from the earth, and your works shall no longer be heard." ^B For all those sins, God has now declared against you: that your multitude shall indeed be consumed by fire and great distress; that all the most powerful of your citizens shall be slain by the enemy; and that everything which you have wickedly gathered shall be destroyed, so that all your power shall be brought to an end, and there shall be no more mention of you, as of a man who has done something, and who immediately perishes utterly.

CAP. III.

Verses 1-3. — Then, having spoken of the punishment, he rebukes their malice again: "O city of blood, all deceitful, full of injustice!" You will suffer these things, he says, because you have always indulged in slaughter, and have attempted to ensnare many mortals through fraud and lies in unjust deaths; just as Rhapsaces, relying on false promises, tried to lead the citizens of Jerusalem out of the city. "The prey shall not be handled." Indeed, there will no longer be an opportunity for hunting; and though you may attempt many things, you will be able to accomplish nothing. He says this having taken a metaphor ^C from those who investigate something through careful handling. Why? "The voice of whips, and the voice of the shaking of wheels, and of the horse pursuing, and of the chariot bounding, of the horseman driving, and of the glittering sword, and of arms shining with light, and of a multitude wounded, and of heavy ruin." These things, he says, await you in place of your former fortune: whips, and the sound of wheels, and the pursuit of horses, and the loud noise of chariots, and the chase of horsemen, and swords, along with the rest of the arms, terrible even to behold in their own brightness; from which many shall be wounded, and there shall be much death of those who are slain. "And it was not (the end) for her nations." The evils of his subjects will not rest, but one will follow after another. "They shall be weakened in their bodies by the multitude of whoredoms." With many killed, their number shall be reduced to very few. Here

he says, "They shall be weakened in their bodies," wishing to say that few bodies will remain, and declaring the cause, "from the multitude of whoredoms." This, he says, they shall suffer on account of how much they have turned away from God; and this is a fitting action for those who act according to His judgment. ^A

VERS. 4-7. — Then, rebuking her, he adds: "The beautiful and graceful harlot, mistress of potions." You, he says, are she who have turned away from what is proper; appearing beautiful to yourself on account of the power you possessed, and graceful because of those who sought to court you for the sake of that power, and indeed you became the mistress/leader of impious ways for others. ^B "That selleth nations by thy whoredoms, and tribes by thy potions." For you used your own authority to seduce whole nations and tribes into the same impiety as yourself, and into every zeal for such things. "Behold I am against thee, saith the Lord God almighty; and I will discover thy shame upon thy face, and will show the nations thy disgrace, and kingdoms thy shame, and I will cast upon thee abomination and thy uncleanness; I will set thee as an example." Wherefore, says God, I will inflict punishments upon this madness that match the crimes; for I will cover you, he says, in shame of every kind, just as if someone, intending to torture a person, were to strip off his garment and cast it entirely over his face, so that the sight of the nakedness is shameful, and the expectation of the tortures bitter, while he who is covered by the garment over his face cannot even see what is happening before him. Thus, he says, having taken away all your glory, and having cast you into the utmost disgrace, I will deliver you to the punishment of enemies, so that your shame and your disgrace may be manifest to all people everywhere, and you may appear abominable to all even by the mere mention of your name, for which you have been brought down to such worthlessness, having become a footstool for all and being demonstrated as an example of the utmost disgrace by the extremity of these evils. "And it shall be that everyone that seeth thee shall depart from thee, and shall say, 'Alas, Nineveh! who shall mourn for her? whence shall I seek comfort for her?'" Those who see these things, and clearly know the prosperity you once had, turning away from that estimation which they had concerning you, will turn their hatred into pity for you; for this is what is meant by "shall depart from thee," so that even those who are oppressing you will pity you, reasoning that it is impossible for anyone to worthily lament the calamity that has befallen you, or to devise any comfort or remedy for such great evils. ^C

VERS. 8. — "Prepare thy string, make thyself ready, portion of Ammon, that dwellest in rivers, water round about ^D her, the sea her beginning, and water her walls." Some have said that by "Ammon" here is meant the city now called Alexandria in Egypt; although it is well known that about four hundred years after this prophecy, Alexander, king of Macedonia, became king, who, having occupied Egypt along with many other regions, founded Alexandria, naming it after himself. But if one should say that there existed, even before him, a city there called Ammon, concerning which the prophet now speaks; but for...

my part, as I have often said, I consider such meticulousness superfluous, since it contributes nothing to the understanding of the subject at hand; thus, such an investigation into such matters is a vain display for men who wish it to appear that they can interpret the names of places that are obscure.

Moreover, what they say is even more fabulous, namely, that the prophet is speaking of the destruction of Alexandria, so as to show that it is no wonder if something similar has happened to Nineveh; for the prophet does not seek to comfort Nineveh with his words. Comfort involves the mention of someone else’s calamity, as if this might relieve the one suffering from ills. We are accustomed, indeed, to comfort those who are mourning by mentioning the similar fate of others, so that they may not be excessively despondent, thinking that what has happened to them is something new. On the contrary, it is clear throughout that the prophet, in ^A revealing the evils that are to come upon Nineveh, links to them its former prosperity, from which, in fact, the calamity that befell it was destined to be all the greater by comparison. But let these things be said as a bit of superfluity of speech.

The meaning of the passage, however, is this: The Assyrian has come as far as Egypt, having inflicted many evils there as well, and specifically having affected the fugitive Israelites living there with the greatest hardships, as the prophet Hosea demonstrates: "Therefore, behold, they shall go because of the hardship of Egypt, and Memphis shall receive them, and Machmas shall bury them." He signifies what the fugitive Israelites were to suffer at the hands of the Assyrians who had entered Egypt. Just as then, in the preceding ^B verses, after he had recounted the evils that were to seize the Assyrians, he turned his speech toward the tribe of Judah, bidding it to keep a festival and to enjoy peace for the future, since it had happened that its aggressor had been destroyed; so, too, here he turns his speech toward the city of Ammon in Egypt, and says: "Take up the lyre and with much joy prepare to sing, through it, the destruction of the Assyrian and your own peace; you who, circled on all sides by water and fortified by the sea and rivers, gained nothing from these things when the Assyrian came; yet now, every fear of the wickedness you were to suffer from him has been taken away from you." Then he adds:

^C Vers. 9-12. "Ethiopia is her strength, and Egypt, and there is no limit to your flight. Phut and the Libyans became her helpers; and she herself shall go into captivity in exile, and they shall dash her infants to the ground at the head of all her streets." ^D For these, too—the Ethiopians and the Libyans and all those of whom I have made mention—had entered into an alliance with you, promising that they would assist you in every military necessity. Yet you derived no help from them; and while you were hastening your flight, you were captured and taken away by the hands of the enemies—men who, indeed, showing no pity even for your little ones, will throw them down dead along every street, having subjected them to various kinds of slaughter. It is evident, however, that the Ethiopians mentioned here are not those located far away, but those who are neighbors to the Egyptians.

^A And upon all her honored things they shall cast lots, and all her great men shall be bound in hand-fetters. For the enemies, having stripped away all things precious to you, divided them by lots; and those who were thought to possess great power among you, having bound in hand-fetters, they dragged away into captivity. (p. 549.) And you will be drunken. Since Scripture is accustomed to use wine to signify punishment, he says you will endure the most grievous penalty, so that you will be overwhelmed by calamities as if stumbling to and fro like one drunken. And you will be despised. No account will be taken of you. And you will seek for yourself a standing [place] away from your enemies. You will desire to obtain some relief from evils, which at that time are about to be brought upon you by your enemies. All your fortifications are like you. For all those things which you previously held for the sake of your protection will be destroyed similarly. And if they have scouts, nevertheless they will fall into the mouth of the devourer. You will indeed try to foresee future events through many scouts as soon as you hear of the approaching enemy, but there will be no benefit from the guards, for from the assigned stations they will be cast down and fall into the power of their enemies.

VERSES 13-16.

VERS. 16-19. "The bruchus [canker-worm] has rushed forth and flown away; it has leaped out like the attelabus [locust], your mixed crowd: like a locust that has settled on a hedge in a day of frost. The sun has risen, and it has flown away; and its place was not known." ^A All your subjects, he says, whom you had gathered from many places, increasing your strength as you thought (for this is what the word "mixed" signifies), have flown away in the manner of the bruchus in every direction, and have dispersed like the attelabus. They have imitated the locust that settles on a hedge during the cold hour: for it remains in its station, motionless from the chill, until, the sun having risen and the frost dissolved, it recovers the power of flight and leaps away, leaving behind no trace of its presence. He says, moreover: Those also who previously obeyed you for fear, once you labor under adverse fortune, as if they had recovered their liberty, will all depart from you with rejoicing. ^B Then, mournfully and generally, the prophet exclaims: "Woe to them! Your shepherds have slumbered; the king of Assyria has put your powerful ones to sleep." You are all, he says, worthy of lamentation; for your leaders, having been overtaken by punishment as if by a certain slumber, have fallen. Such is that which is found in blessed David: "They have slumbered who mounted horses." Moreover, your king having been delivered to death, all who held dignity with him have died along with him. "Your people has fled to the mountains, and there was none to receive them." ^C All were now looking toward flight, since there was no one left who could bring aid to the evils that were present. "There is no medicine for your bruising." All care and correction for your evils has been taken away. "Your wound has swelled." Your calamity has grown, and it is now incurable. "All who hear the report of you will clap their hands over you; for upon whom has not your perpetual malice come?" In truth, the fame of your disasters will delight all peoples, and by the clapping of their hands, they will signify how much they rejoice in your destruction. For you had undertaken war against all, and there was no one whom, according to your strength, you did not afflict with trouble and damage. Hence your ruin has brought universal joy to all.

COMMENTARY ON THE PROPHET HABAKKUK

^D After the Assyrian had already led the captives of the ten tribes away into his own country, and had then undertaken an expedition against Jerusalem, and, by means of his angel, had received that terrible blow...

and had, as might be expected, returned from there to his own land with great ignominy; the blessed Habacuc ^A delivers this prophecy concerning Judea, dividing his discourse into two parts. In the first, he accuses the princes and judges who had entangled the poor in many and various miseries, for which very reason he mentions that the evils about to come upon them from the Babylonians were deserved. The second part contains a reprimand of the Babylonians themselves, who, having taken possession of Jerusalem, did not use their power as they ought, but had shown much immoderate cruelty against the Jews, for which account he says they also would be punished.

Thus, regarding the division of this prophecy, it seems to resemble the ninth Psalm, which is single in the Greek interpretation, but two in the Hebrew language, each with its own subject matter. The beginning of the former is: "I will confess to thee, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will recount all thy wonders," and the end is: "Appoint, O Lord, a lawgiver over them; let the nations know that they are but men." The beginning of the second Psalm is: "Why, O Lord, hast thou stood afar off? Thou despisest in due times, in tribulations," and the end is: "Thy ear hath heard the preparation of their heart, to judge for the fatherless and the humble, that man may no more presume to magnify himself upon the earth." ^B Indeed, in the former Psalm he rebukes the foreigners, that is to say the surrounding peoples, who had exercised much cruelty against the Jews, and for this reason he says that punishment was inflicted upon them by God. In the latter, he rebukes the wealthier members of the people and the princes, who oppressed the poor with iniquity, loss, and injury, and says that these also would not escape punishment.

The blessed prophet Habacuc does much the same thing now, dividing his discourse: first, against those among them who used the power they possessed for the injustice of the poor—for having soundly rebuked them, he foretells the punishment coming upon them for this—and then he turns to the Babylonians, to whom he announces a punishment that will follow later, since they too had inflicted very many evils upon the people. ^C But since the subject matter of the prophet’s words is of this kind, what remains is to examine them part by part. There precedes the usual title of the book: "The burden which Habacuc the prophet saw." It begins thus:

CAP. I

times of opportunity, in tribulations? While the impious is proud, the poor is burned," and the rest. For he is not saying these things while accusing God, but rather while expressing indignation against those who act in such a way, and, in a certain manner, being at a loss as to why they do not pay the penalties swiftly. Thus also elsewhere: "Why, O God, have you cast us off forever? Your anger is kindled against the sheep of your pasture?" For, being struck by the magnitude of the evils brought upon the people, he speaks thus in this place as well. And one could find many such instances; just as the blessed Jeremiah also says: "Why does the way of the impious prosper? And all they that transgress have flourished?" For neither does he say this while accusing God, but rather while being indignant at the things they were doing, because they do not pay the penalties; since all the prophets were in the same way convinced of that which is said by the ^B blessed David: "O Lord, your mercy is in heaven, and your truth is even to the clouds; your justice is as the mountains of God, your judgments are a great abyss." By these things he is surely speaking of the kindness of God toward men as being infinite, and that He takes much care for the righteous man—saying that the examination and judgment of God are inscrutable, by which He imposes upon sinners penalties that are late, which He often delays, even though many evils are current among men. In the exact same manner the prophet also says here, being indignant at the iniquity of the princes of the people, who were doing much and varied injury to the poor; acknowledging greatly, indeed, that the things which were being done were deserving of punishments, but grieving that, God delaying the vengeance, much injustice was flourishing against the poor. Therefore, as one who had often sought that vengeance be taken on those acting so wickedly, but had obtained nothing, he says: "How long, O Lord, shall I cry, and you will not hear?" For, having adopted for himself the persona of those suffering injustice, he says: "How long, at length, harassed by many miseries, do I cry, beseeching your help, and yet I do not obtain it?"

^C VERS. 3-5. — "Why have you shown me labor and sorrows, to see misery and impiety?" I see nothing else daily but labor and oppression, which the princes, with evil intent, attempt to inflict upon the poor. "Judgment is against me, and the judge receives." Therefore the law is trampled upon, and judgment is not brought to an end. I complain, therefore, because I have seen often that, even when a trial is instituted, justice is utterly despised, but the judge, looking to the persons [of those involved], proposes this as the goal of his sentence—taking pains, that is, for the detriment of the oppressed. Hence the observance of your laws is neglected, and no account of them is held: the end of no judgment is good, but it labors under manifest iniquity. "Because the impious prevails against the just." Those, therefore, who live impiously and have no regard for your lawful requirements, inflict every kind of injury upon the needy, according to their own power. For he calls the just person "the oppressed" in this place, ^D since he is the same person who is being injured.

^A "Therefore, judgment goes forth twisted." From this, one would not see anything at all take place even from the judge that is not twisted; since he also, disregarding justice, leans with all his weight toward the powerful person. Then, blaming the perversity of the deeds in these matters, he presently adds the punishment, as if, after the prayer to those who are with God, he had known it from divine revelation and were justly announcing it to all. "Behold, you despisers, and look, and marvel; and behold wonders, and be destroyed; because I am working a work in your days, which you will not believe if someone tells it." ^B But indeed, it will not be possible for you to commit such things forever, since you despise the divine judgment; for you shall see a certain wonderful punishment being brought upon you, and one sufficient for total destruction, since God will bring such things upon you. For this is what he says: "A work am I working, which would be incredible to relate even to the one speaking of it, before the experience."

Vers. 6-8. — "For behold, I raise up the Chaldeans, the bitter and swift nation, that walks upon the breadths of the earth, to take possession of tabernacles not their own." I shall bring against you the Babylonians, because of such great iniquity ^C of yours, a most savage nation, and most expeditious to execute what it intends, which will occupy almost the entire earth with the strength in which it abounds, so as to subject to itself what in no way pertained to it. "It is terrible and illustrious," full of much fear and manifest to all through being able to do great things. "From itself its judgment shall be, and its assumption shall go forth from itself." Needing no help from another, but accomplishing all things by its own strength, so that it both decrees and obtains what it wants, and suddenly, according to its own will, strikes enemies with punishment. "And its horses shall leap more than leopards, and be swifter than the wolves of Arabia; and its horses shall ride, and shall rush from afar; and they shall fly like an eagle eager to devour." Its cavalry is prepared for war, swifter than leopards and the wolves of Arabia; and such is the impetus of the horsemen for warring that they run briskly to distant regions, and to those who dwell far away they seem almost to fly, like an eagle that swoops down for its prey.

Vers. 9-14. — "Consummation shall come upon the ungodly, who stand against their faces from the opposite side." These shall utterly destroy all those in the people who display ungodliness against the needy, nor will they dare to look against them, or to resist, for even the briefest moment. "And he shall gather captivity as sand; and he shall make sport of kings, and tyrants shall be his playthings; and he shall mock at every stronghold, and shall cast up a mound, and shall take it." He shall therefore make many captives, ^D countless as the sand; and he shall increase his own pleasure by pulling down many kingdoms, the...

^A the destruction of which he will accomplish easily and without much labor, as if he were playing. With great ease he will also master cities and fortresses that are heavily fortified, casting up a mound with great facility and pulling down every wall or other form of security that might seem to have been constructed. "Then he shall change his spirit, and shall pass through, and he shall be propitious." However, when God sees this great punishment which has been inflicted by such men and with such a frame of mind, He will put away His wrath against us; and, if I may say so, His providence will pass through the midst of us, He will grant forgiveness for our former sins, and will remit the punishment laid upon us on their account. "This is the strength of my God! Are you not from the beginning, O Lord my God, holy one? And we shall not die." For this is the work of Your power, which You have shown from above concerning us, being holy and superior to all existing things, but concerning those for whom we also hope to live, once the punishment has been relaxed. ^B "O Lord, You have appointed this for judgment, and You have formed me to rebuke his discipline." That is to say, that I might instruct other men by my correction, so that they may not sin with impunity. Then he turns his speech toward God Himself: "Your eye is pure, so as not to behold evils, and You cannot look upon troubles." You have much regard for justice; wherefore You cannot bear to look upon those who do evil, and who are authors of troubles and contrition for others. "Why do you look upon contemptuous men? Will You be silent while the impious devours the just? And will You make men as the fishes of the sea, and as reptiles having no leader?" Therefore, You will not allow those who do these things through contempt of Your punishment to be the spectators of such great iniquity, so that the just may be almost devoured by the impious. Otherwise, we shall seem to differ not at all from fish and reptiles that have no leader, unless You, by a demonstration of Your punishment, become manifest as our ruler and the accurate examiner of all human actions. ^C

VERS. 15-17. — After he has said all these things concerning the Babylonians, who had treated the people very cruelly, he next explains the power of that same enemy, by the help of which he easily ensnares as many as he wishes in countless evils. "He has taken him up with a hook to destruction, and has drawn him with his net, and has gathered him into his drag-nets; therefore he shall rejoice and be glad; therefore he will sacrifice to his drag-net, and will burn incense to his net." As if by some hook and net, he encompasses many by his own power and delivers them to ultimate destruction. ^D Thus he will reduce all to his own power, so that he will take pleasure in his own works, and will almost attribute the greatness of his own deeds to his own might, as if to some god. For the words, "He will sacrifice to his drag-net, and will burn incense to his net," he says, using a metaphor taken from those who, in such a case, render thanks to God. He means, therefore, to say that he imagines himself to be like God, able to accomplish all things according to his own free will; and explaining the cause, he says, "Because in them," he says, "he has fattened..."

his portion, and his food is select." He reckons the magnitude of his accomplishments to his own strength, from which, indeed, it has come about that he has increased his own wealth; for this is what he means by "He has fattened his portion." From this, he says, he also has the enjoyment of all things that are choice and select; which is what is meant by "And his food is select." "Therefore he shall spread his net, and he shall not spare to kill nations continually." Because he has so often succeeded, he continues to rely upon his own power, and indulging in ceaseless wars, he ruthlessly causes the slaughter of many of those who fall before him. Having thus stated the actions of the Babylonian, and having increased our understanding of his lawlessness against the people through all these things, he proceeds ^B.

CHAPTER II

Verses 1-4. "I will stand upon my watch, and I will set myself upon a rock." A metaphor taken from those who, in time of war and siege, divide among themselves the duties of guarding the wall. "Upon my watch," he says, "I will stand," meaning to say: I will not be wanting to my task, but I will observe it; for I believe that I shall be in the greatest safety if I conduct myself in this way. And speaking even more clearly, he says: "And I will look to see what He will say to me, and what I shall answer regarding my correction." He wishes to say that it is our duty to look toward God, and to receive those things that happen and are shown from Him. For from this there will be the greatest protection for me. I shall continue, therefore, watching to see what God may perhaps at some time reveal concerning the outcome of events, so that when I have learned this, I too may report to the people the things shown to me for their future correction. But just as in the preceding parts, after he had recounted the sins of the people—as if enlightened by a divine revelation—he spoke of the punishment to be imposed upon the people; so also in this place, having spoken of the crimes of the Babylonian, he says that he awaits a warning from God as to what He may at some time reveal concerning these matters as well. He soon adds the revelation he had received regarding these things. Therefore he says: "And the Lord answered me, and said: Write the vision clearly upon a boxwood tablet, so that he who reads it may run." After he had said that he was waiting to be warned by God as to what oracle He would grant regarding these things, he says that these answers were given to him by God: namely, that He had commanded him, as if in a divine vision, to write upon a boxwood tablet the things that had been shown, so that they might be clear and manifest to all who read what was said and written; namely, those things which were to happen at the hands of the Babylonians, and which were to be told by him later. Then he adds: "For the vision is still for a long time, and it will arise toward the end, and not in vain." For the things that have been shown will not immediately have their outcome, but after some time, which is currently distant; yet it will certainly come to pass, and will reach its end; for these things have not been revealed in vain, but precisely as things that are to happen. "If it should delay, wait for it, because the One who is coming will come, and will not be slow." Wherefore, even if there should seem to be some delay in the things that have been predicted, you must wait firmly in the meantime; since the things that are future and about to happen have been predicted.

these things will indeed come and happen, and they will not by any means fall into a permanent delay. ^A 'If he should withdraw, my soul takes no pleasure in him; but the just man shall live by my faith.' So if someone should be sluggish regarding faith in future things, and should doubt whether they will certainly come to pass, such a person is an object of great loathing to me; for I define as just the man who believes the things promised, and gathers profit from them.

VERS. 5, 6

VERS. 7-10

- ^A usalem, that is, and whatever pertained to it. From this point on, as if justly insulting him for having suffered such things, he recites the crimes for the sake of which he is paying a penalty of this kind. "O you who increase evil gain for your house, to set your nest on high, to be delivered from the hand of evil things! You have devised shame for your house, you have brought many peoples to an end, and your soul has sinned." You, he says, driven by an immoderate desire for acquisition in order to increase your own wealth from the misfortunes of others and to display your kingdom in a sublime condition, while doing these things, you were nevertheless unable to discern how you might avoid the weight of the evils imposed upon you; but while injuring many in the meantime, and sinning securely against all, you brought not wealth, as you believed, upon your house, but ignominy, as the outcome has shown in reality; for on account of all these things which it is evident you have done, you have paid this penalty. ^B

Ver. 11. — "For the stone shall cry out from the wall, and the scarab out of the wood shall answer it." Therefore, from the mass of evils and from the buildings which you have unrighteously erected, voices as it were are sent forth which accuse your avarice, with the stones themselves nearly crying out against you in this manner, as well as the worms, as many as are accustomed to dwell in the midst of the joints of the stones and bricks, or which are often found in the midst of the wood; for by "scarab" he refers here to the animalcules which are found in wood and are accustomed to dwell in the midst of the bricks in the walls, as one would say, calling animalcules and worms in this way, as if all things of this kind were called by this common name. There are also certain subterranean creatures accustomed to be found especially in the midst of rust, which they call cantharides. But some have said that "peg" is read in the Syriac version. ^C But it is foolish, having abandoned the Hebrew tongue, in which the prophet spoke, and whose word the seventy men, who were approved and accurately skilled in that language, declared to us by their own interpretation, to attend to the Syrian who translated the Hebrew writing into the Syriac language: who, as it seems to me, often wishes to obtrude his own error as a rule of language, understanding very little what he is saying; therefore, for the scarab accustomed to dwell generally in walls, he put "peg," so that he might appear to maintain a certain sequence of discourse. But that a peg should speak from wood is not consistent: for if it can from a wall, it can by no means do so from wood; for as a wall is constructed from stones, so wood is not from pegs.egs.

Ver. 12-15. — Therefore the prophet, since he said that the accusation against the Babylonian was coming from the walls and from the animalcules clinging there, added excellently: "Woe to him who builds a city in blood, and prepares a city in iniquities! These are not from the Lord Almighty. And many peoples have failed in the fire, and many nations have fainted, because the earth shall be filled with understanding the glory of the Lord, as much water covering the seas."

^A Who would not lament you, setting up cities with murders and iniquities? For you did not consider what specific evils were being brought upon you for these things by God; but since you had consumed many—as many as no one could recount—like fire with your savagery, and had led many to the very end of life through unbearable disasters, you are now enduring these things, so that all men throughout the earth may acknowledge the greatness of the divine providence, which works in such a way, and which is imposing upon you, who have been so able and have done such things, a terrible punishment, one indeed befitting the multitude of the sins committed by you.

And again, speaking reproachfully: "O he who gives his neighbor a murky subversion to drink, and makes him drunk, so that he might look upon their caves!" I have said often that "wine" and the "drinking" of it are spoken of here in regard to disaster. You, therefore, he says, were the one holding out a murky drink to all men, fully able to make those drinking it drunk and overthrow them; that is to say, you were bringing a most heavy punishment upon everyone. These things, he says, you were doing while you were coveting the things of others, and searching out foreign treasures, wishing to bring them into your own possession.

VERS. 16-18. — "Drink also the fullness of dishonor from glory; let your heart be moved and shaken." Therefore, what you have done to others, you are worthy to suffer yourself; so that, overwhelmed with dishonor after all that glory, reeling and falling as if from some drunkenness, you might dwell in the excess of punishment. ^B "The cup of the right hand of the Lord has encircled you, and dishonor has been gathered upon your glory." God brought His own cup to you, that is to say, the punishment decreed by Him, so that your glory might henceforth be transformed into the greatest dishonor, gathered upon you from every side. "For the impiety of Lebanon shall cover you, and the misery of the beasts shall terrify you, because of the blood of men, and the impieties of the land and of all who dwell in it." For just as you acted impiously against the people, you shall now justly pay the penalty, as though by certain wild beasts—the enemies attacking you; he shall set you in fear and much misery on account of the men you killed in Jerusalem, and because you acted impiously against both the divine land and the city, wishing to spare not one of those dwelling in it.

And since he has reproached him for the sin against the people, the city, and the temple, he consequently subjoins: "What does the carved image profit, that they have carved it? They have made it a molten image, a false fantasy, because the maker trusts in his own creation to make mute idols." You indeed, he says, were neglecting the true God, and were sinning fearlessly against things or men pertaining to Him, but you thought you would be helped by idols—things which human hands had fashioned as a vain simulation, which you were eager to worship, hoping to be helped by mute idols fashioned by human hand. ^{C D}

VERS. 19-20. — Afterwards he continues with a logical argument: "Woe to him who says to the wood, 'Awake, arise,' and to the stone, 'Be exalted,' and it is only a fantasy; this is..."

a laminal of gold and silver, and there is no spirit in it. But the Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth revere His face." ^A Why then would you not be most miserable, you who converse with a wood as if it were awake, and seek help from an idol as if from on high—an idol which presents to the one who looks at it only a fantasy, as if constructed from precious material, yet is devoid of all vital power? For it would have been much better for you to despise these things and make no account of them, but rather to consider the greatness of God, who has a fearful and ineffable temple as His dwelling place in the heavens, and who possesses a temple also upon earth for the sake of the needs of men; towards whom it was appropriate that not only you, but also all men throughout the earth should look with great reverence, and keep the memory of Him in their minds. ^B In these things, then, the blessed Habacuc concluded the prophecy of which we have spoken so far, rebuking the princes who were oppressing the poor, and at the same time telling of the punishment that was to come upon them through the incursion of the Babylonians. And after that, he spoke of the savagery of the Babylonians themselves, which they vented both upon others and against Jerusalem and its citizens, and in what way they also paid worthy penalties for their own iniquity.

THE PRAYER OF HABACUC.

Vers. 1, 2. — The prophet then turns his speech to prayer, announcing in the form of a prayer the good things that are to happen to the people from God. And he begins thus: "O Lord, I have heard Thy hearing, and I was afraid." ^C He calls the revelation made to him by God a "hearing"; just as also the blessed Isaiah says, "Who has believed our hearing?" and the blessed David, "I will incline my ear unto a parable." As we have indeed made mention of this in the preceding portions. Therefore, in this place also, he says: Having received Thy revelation, by which You have taught me how You are about to punish those in the people who are living lawlessly by the hand of the Babylonians, and how again You are about to impose upon the Babylonians punishment commensurate with their transgressions, I have been filled with fear, and deservedly so. "O Lord, I have considered Thy works, and I was amazed." For ^D I pondered how manifold the things are that You perform towards men, using appropriate patience, and punishing in a suitable manner those who have fallen without repentance, and I was seized with amazement at the marvel of the wisdom with which these things are thus arranged by You. "In the midst of two living beings You shall be known." For behold, both now, as it were in two living beings—that is, in the sinners of the people, and soon after in the Babylonians—by the things which You have done regarding both, You have made known Your power and wisdom and care for justice. "As the years draw near, You shall be known; as the time draws near, You shall be revealed." For now, indeed, you have made it known to us by revelation; but when the time arrives, in which it is necessary for these things to have their fulfillment as You will, You shall make a greater and more manifest demonstration of Your power and wisdom through the very works themselves. "When my soul was troubled, You will remember mercy in wrath." Then Your utmost kindness shall appear.

regarding the inhabitants of Judea, whom, ^A while they were troubled in spirit and barely mistress of themselves due to the suffering of punishment for their sins, You will—mindful of Your own kindness—deliver from their evils, and contrary to all human hope, restore to their homeland.

VERS. 3-5. — "God shall come from Teman, the holy one from the shady mountain." By Teman he refers to the metropolis of Idumea; by the shady mountain, that in which Jerusalem is, inasmuch as it has obtained God's protection on all sides. Then, therefore, You will appear coming from Teman of the Idumeans, ^B whom You will have already punished for their injuries against us, and from the holy mount of Zion, insofar as You will have made it most famous to all through our return. "His virtue covered the heavens, and the earth is full of His praise." By the magnitude of His works He will fill both heaven and earth, to such an extent that all will thereafter turn to a hymn, marveling at the wisdom and the magnitude of the things brought about by Him. For here too, by a division (diæresis), he states what is general—an idiom of divine Scripture which we have shown is not infrequent elsewhere. For He says both the heavens and the earth are covered by the virtue of God, so as to state the whole; and he says that His praise, on account of the things that have happened, ought to be fulfilled by everyone. "And His brightness shall be as the light." By His own appearance, he says, He will fill all things with light. "Horns are in His hands." ^C (p. 375) He will show that He has sufficient power to defend His own, and to subdue those who attempt to treat them with hostility, having taken the metaphor from the animals that fight with horns; for he says: "And He set a strong love of His own strength." These things, indeed, He will perform, employing the greatness of His love toward us. "A word shall go before His face." The revelation of the future precedes the events themselves; this, a thing which has happened (as it were) to all the prophets from God, has now been offered to me no differently. "And it shall go forth for instruction at His feet." The work itself follows; so that by both, men may be instructed in what is necessary: by the things which were predicted to be future, and which have later come to fruition in deed.

VERS. 6-12. — "He stood, and the earth was shaken." ^D Merely by appearing, He shakes the earth; just as that passage says, "God stood in the congregation of gods," that is, He appeared in their midst. "He looked, and the nations melted: the mountains were broken by force, and the ancient hills melted by His eternal paths." By His look alone He destroys all the nations, and crushes the mountains and hills that had seemed, for so long a time, to endure by their own strength; for it is His custom to do these things from above, and by such works to demonstrate the course of His governance. "For tribulations I saw the tabernacles of the Ethiopians, the tents of the land of Midian shall tremble." For indeed, even formerly, when we were serving in Egypt, after it pleased You to deliver us from that servitude, we saw the deserts and the dwellings of the Ethiopians and the Midianites, and indeed of all those who...

the deserts and the dwellings of the Ethiopians and the Midianites, and indeed of all those who at that time chose hostility against us. ^A “Have You not, O Lord, been moved to wrath against the rivers? Or is Your anger against the rivers, or Your impulse against the sea?” It is your custom to show Your own wrath against rivers and the sea; for the phrase, “Have You not, O Lord, been moved to wrath against the rivers,” is used to mean: “You have not always wished to show Your wrath and indignation against rivers and the sea.” He adds, therefore: ^B “For You shall mount upon Your horses, and Your riding is salvation.” For whenever You will, He says, You mount as if upon certain horses, commanding invisible and ministering powers; and these suddenly punish all adversaries, and from this, salvation is brought about for Your people. “Intending, You shall intend Your bow against the scepters, says the Lord.” With continuous punishments, You strike those who appear established in kingdom and power. “By rivers the earth shall be cleft.” ^C By the rivers suddenly extinguished by Your wrath, the earth shall be cleft. For it is the custom for the earth to suffer this after the waters have diminished and a drought subsequently follows. “The peoples shall see and shall be in pain.” Very many shall be seized by pains, unable even to endure Your countenance. “Dispensing the waters of the path.” You block, if You should happen so to desire, every exit of water. “The abyss gave its voice, the height of its imagination.” ^D Then, in truth, the abyss shall also give forth a certain voice in proportion to its magnitude, being shaken by Your nod. “The sun was raised, and the moon stood in its order.” Since he says the sun sets for those in distress, here he wishes to say this: that to those who by You are established in prosperity, the sun and the moon shall appear brilliant according to their own nature. “Your arrows shall go forth into the light.” You shall clearly and with great brightness inflict blows upon Your adversaries. “Into the radiance of the flashing of Your arms.” Your arms shall flash like lightning, that is to say, Your strength against the enemies. “In Your threatening You shall diminish the earth, and in Your fury You shall bring down the nations.” ^A You utterly destroy the whole earth along with its inhabitants when You are enraged with a decree. VERS. 13-16. — “You went forth for the salvation of Your people, to save Your anointed ones.” You do all things for the salvation of Your own people, as they have been chosen by You; for here He calls the chosen ones “anointed,” not those who have been anointed with oil. Just as the blessed David, speaking about Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, says: “Do not touch,” he says, “My anointed ones, and in My prophets do not deal wickedly;” ^B calling them “anointed,” that is to say, not because they were anointed, but because they were chosen. “You have cast death upon the heads of the wicked.” On account of this, You shall seize the adversaries with death. “You have raised bonds up to the neck, even to the end.” Those overcome by You, You shall also display as bound. “You have cut off in amazement the heads of the rulers.” Those who previously were ruling, You have so vehemently struck down with Your wrath, ^C that it has been an amazement to all. They shall relax their reins,

^A that is, they will not let their mouths open for confident speech, they will not dare; but like a poor man who has stolen something and eats it in secret, lest he should be caught, they will speak with much fear. "And You led Your horses into the sea, troubling many waters." You sent forth Your invisible powers against the multitude of the enemy, stirring up great confusion among them. "I watched, and my belly trembled at the voice of the prayer of my lips; and trembling entered into my bones, and my habit of life was disturbed beneath me." Since I often chose to keep silent amidst the evils that were being done, and to devote myself to prayer, and having received a revelation of future events from that, fear took hold of my mind, and a trembling possessed me through and through. "I will rest in the day of tribulation, that I may ascend to the people of my sojourning." For I was amazed, having learned a thing that would be made possible by Your power, that is, that from such tribulation and so many evils, in which I was tried by captivity, I shall obtain rest and the removal of my troubles: ^B and indeed, I shall even go to the place of our sojourning with my own people.

VERS. 17-19. "For the fig tree shall not blossom, and there shall be no fruit on the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall produce no food; the sheep failed from the food, and there are no oxen in the stalls." I saw, he says, the wrath against the contumacious to be something terrible, by which they were seized not only by the calamity of the enemy, but were also occupied by total barrenness, being unable to gather any fruit from sprouts or trees. Moreover, all the cattle will perish from a lack of pasture and food. "But I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in God my Saviour." And their affairs will be as such; but for us, with You bringing aid, there will be pleasure and salvation. For the pronoun "I," he says, speaks in its own person on behalf of the whole people; which is a frequent custom for the prophets. ^C Just as we see the blessed David making prayers on behalf of the common person of the people; as when he says: "In You, O Lord, have I hoped, let me not be confounded forever" [Ps. xxx, 2]. And, "O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come unto You" [Ps. ci, 2]. For he says these things from the common person of the captives; so that individuals may conveniently use this prayer. Now in the same way the prophet speaks as if from the common person, since he is dealing with the common benefit. "The Lord God is my strength: and He will set my feet as the deer, and He will lead me to the heights, that I may conquer in His song." For He is the One bestowing upon me the strength in all things; He who will withdraw us very quickly from the captivity, like deer, and ^D will show us to be exalted above all; so that nothing else remains for us than to celebrate God with songs and hymns: since the vict-

taking them into account, he grants us a victory over our enemies beyond all human hope.

COMMENTARY ON THE PROPHET SOPHONIAS

^A Not far from the time of the blessed Habacuc did the blessed Sophonias deliver this prophecy; for he prophesies about the present [time] during the reign of Josias, king of Judaea, just as the Book makes clear. After him, a short space of time having passed, the Babylonians mounted an expedition against Jerusalem and afflicted the tribe of Juda with very many disasters, killing many and leading away most as captives; they laid waste to Jerusalem herself, set fire to the divine temple and burned all the most beautiful buildings of the city, and finally razed even its walls to the ground, so that the inhabitants, if any should wish, could have no fortification. There follows, indeed, the customary title of the book.

^B CAP. I.

VERS. 1–3. — «The word of the Lord which came to Sophonias the son of Chusi, son of Godolias, son of Amarias, son of Ezecias, in the days of Josias, son of Amos, king of Juda.» By this it is demonstrated who the prophet was, from what lineage he descended, and at what time he makes his prophecy. He begins the prediction of future events thus: «By failing, let all things fail from the face of the earth, saith the Lord.» The ten tribes were already entirely captive; the Assyrians, however, who were their victors, had also attacked Jerusalem ^C as if about to capture this city as well. But after they experienced that terrible slaughter from the angel, with great fear, as many as had been outside the reach of the angel’s correction turned to flight. Thereafter, Jerusalem was in deep peace. Since, therefore, the magnitude of the punishment inflicted upon the Assyrians neither corrected the tribe of Juda and the citizens of Jerusalem, nor terrified them with the captivity of the ten tribes, and they persisted, being no less unjust and impious than those who lived there, for this reason he necessarily begins by saying that it was necessary that the remaining part of the people also should fail, taken away from the land of promise and led into captivity; ^D seeing that even those who had remained there appeared no less sinners than the others. Excellently, however, does he make the prediction with an absolute statement, so that he might show that they had rendered themselves worthy of these evils by the things which they had done; whence God was also induced to decree such things concerning them. Now, having reached...

^A a general statement, "Let all things fail," he proceeds to describe it specifically: "Let man fail, and let the beasts fail, and also the birds of heaven and the fishes of the sea; and the impious shall be weakened, and I will take away the wicked from the face of the earth, saith the Lord." He has hyperbolically coupled the birds and fishes to the men and beasts; or perhaps he speaks tropically, as is his custom, saying "birds" to denote those who are exalted in power above the rest, and "fishes" to denote those of the common people who crawl in great humility. And in adding the cause, "And the impious shall be weakened, and I will take away the wicked from the face of the earth, saith the Lord," he means that they who live impiously and unjustly will be brought to total weakness, having fallen under the blow of an enemy hand; and the remainder, captured in slavery, will be taken away from the land which they had received from me but held while committing many sins.

Verses 4-6

Then, explaining more clearly of whom he speaks, he says: "And I will stretch out my hand upon Judah and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem." After he said that he would exact vengeance from the tribe and the city, he necessarily recites the causes of such a great visitation: "And I will take away from this place the names of Baalim and the names of the shrines with the priests, and those who adore upon the roofs the host of heaven, and those who swear by the Lord, and those who swear by Melchom, and those who turn away from the Lord, and those who do not seek the Lord, and those who do not hold fast to the Lord." I will cast them out entirely from this place, consigning ^C some to slaughter and others to captivity, simultaneously destroying all the idols and their cult, along with those who appeared to be their priests; and finally those who were eager to offer worship upon the roofs to the luminaries of heaven. But most justly shall they suffer punishment, who, dwelling around my temple, are not ashamed to occupy themselves with the worship of idols: but now, showing themselves mindful of my worship, they swear by me; and now, moreover, they swear by idols also; for he names the idol Melchom, so that from one, as is his wont, he may denote all the idols.

I remember that I have omitted many fables of those who look toward the Syriac interpretation, for fear that I might seem to fill the divine Scripture with nonsense. But at this time I deem it opportune to make mention of this matter, for the sake of refuting both that which is now incongruously said by them, and also other things of this kind which, having been said by the same persons, I omitted for the reason I reported. For they say that the word "Melchom" in this place means "king," because "Melchom" is said to be king in the language of the Syrians and Hebrews; but that the interpreters, deceived by error, said "Melchom" instead of "king," which is the idol. Yet it was incumbent to consider first of all that divine Scripture was dictated in the Hebrew language, but for the use of the Syrians it was translated by some person (nor has it been discovered to this day who that might have been). But into the Greek tongue ^D

^A seventy men translated it, elders of the people, most skilled in their own language, and likewise skilled in the divine Scriptures, approved by the priest and the whole Israelite people, as being above all others most worthy of the interpretation; whose interpretation and edition the blessed apostles also clearly appear to have received; they also, to those coming to the faith from the nations, who before were entirely ignorant of the Old Testament, handed down the divine Scriptures, expressed in the Greek language according to the interpretation of the seventy men; from whom we all now, who have conceded to the parts of Christ from the nations, have received them, and we both read them in the churches and have them at home. How ^B then is it not insane to think that seventy men, such and so many and so approved, erred in a word, who even before any interpretation well knew what was in the divine Scripture, and whether it spoke of a king or an idol? For one ought to judge it worthy of greater faith, beyond all others, than any obscure man whatsoever who translated the Hebrew text into the Syrian language, as they say. Besides, that point also is clear, namely that God in this place accuses the Israelites through the prophet concerning the worship of idols. And because they, dwelling around the divine temple, performed such things, he reproaches them for this, that while they seemed to worship the God of the temple—that is, the Lord of the entire world—they nevertheless did not abstain from the service of idols. Moreover, the blessed prophet Amos also makes mention of this idol, as being worshiped by the ^C Ammonites. He says: And Melchom goes into captivity, and his priests and the princes of the people together, says the Lord. In saying this—which is to be read frequently among the prophets—he means that, according to whatever indignation there is, the punishment to be imposed upon aliens will reach even to the idols and their priests. But that the Israelites contracted all the superstition of idols from the demons worshipped among the nations is explored, as the blessed David says: And they mixed themselves among the nations, and learned their works, and served their carved images; by which words he demonstrates that the Israelites had learned their idolatry from the nations. In equal manner, therefore, it appears that they practiced superstition concerning the idol which was called Melchom.

VERS. 6-9.

^A God, now indeed by the very necessity you will fear the Lord of all, when he brings upon you a punishment worthy of your trespasses; for that time is by no means far off, but is very near, in which he will deliver you to the sacrifice at the hands of your enemies, whom he has by his own command designated and called for this purpose—for this is what the words "he has sanctified his called ones" mean—to say that those called to this sacrifice are those whom he has marked out; and he means the enemies who will sacrifice you. "And it shall be in the day of the Lord's sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king's house, and all who are clothed in strange apparel. And I will punish openly ^B upon the vestibules in that day, those who fill the house of their God with impiety and deceit." At that time I will punish those who seem to rule among you; and I will utterly destroy the very house of the king, since he who shall then be seen as your king is about to be led away into captivity; and I will punish, once and for all, everyone who has so given himself over to the imitation of the Gentiles, that they have even aspired to use such clothes as are forbidden by the Law but are appropriate to the nations. All of them, I say, I will openly punish before the vestibules of the temple into which they acted impiously, entering in by pretense to perform my worship, but daring to enter there with nothing ^C but hypocrisy and deceit, since they had no desire to have any regard for true religion, but were studiously devoted to idols.

VERS. 10, 11. — "And it shall be in that day, says the Lord, a voice of a cry from the gate of the slayers, and wailing from the second, and a great destruction from the hills." Then surely a terrible voice will be heard, beginning from the gate, because of the enemies who are breaking in and causing great slaughter. That voice will be succeeded by the intolerable wailing of men throughout the houses, as they are broken and perish in various ways, together with those who have fled to the higher places in the hope of escape (for this is what it means by the word "hills"), ^D who, however, will find no shelter there, but will suffer the ultimate punishment. To which he accordingly adds: "Wail, you who inhabit the cut-off place." Now, he says, it is fitting for the inhabitants of Jerusalem to lament, whom the enemies will slaughter in a various massacre of the inhabitants, and will break down its structures, and butchering those who dwell in it. "Because the whole people has been likened to Canaan, all who were lifted up with silver have perished." For because they imitated the ways of the Canaanites, for this reason they received a punishment similar to them, being utterly destroyed; in the same way that those people also perished when God delivered the land to the Israelites. Together with the rest they shall perish, those who were proud, seeing themselves bolstered by riches: they will have no profit from their wealth, but on the contrary, being utterly despoiled of their goods, they will become like the poorest of all, having gained no profit from their prosperity.

^A Verses 12-16. — "And it shall be in that day, I will search Jerusalem with a lamp." Since it is customary for those seeking things that are in the innermost parts and somewhat shrouded in darkness to use a lamp for a more accurate search of hidden things, He says this, that with great accuracy all things in Jerusalem will be searched, so that nothing of what is inside will escape the enemy. Which He fittingly follows with, "All those lifted up with silver have perished," demonstrating that in this way all the possessions of the wealthy will be taken away, with no one being able to escape the search of the enemies. "And I will take vengeance upon the men who despise their own guards [defenses], who say in their hearts, 'The Lord will not do good, nor will He do evil.'" I will punish, He says, those who despise My commandments and My care entirely, from which they could have been guarded and kept safe from every harm; and yet, they are disposed to believe that it is impossible for any evil to be brought upon them for such transgressions. For the phrase, "The Lord will not do good," should be read as though spoken ironically, meaning the opposite: "He will do good." "And their power shall be for plunder, and their houses for devastation; and they shall build houses, but shall not dwell in them; and they shall plant vineyards, but shall not drink their wine; because the great day of the Lord is near, it is near and very swift." All their power, He says, will be taken away by the enemies; all their houses will be destroyed, and they will enjoy neither the houses they built with such great care, nor will they pluck the fruit of their own farms; because the day of God is present and near, in which everything that God has determined against them will come to pass. "The voice of the day of the Lord is set as bitter and hard." The time of the divine decree is predicted, full of much bitterness and harshness. "A mighty day of wrath." The fury of that day is very strong. "That day is a day of tribulation and distress, a day of untimeliness and destruction, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of cloud and whirlwind, a day of trumpet and clamor over the fortified cities and over the high corners." ^{B C} Verses 17-18. — For then there will be great necessity and tribulation, and premature deaths of those slaughtered in the tenderness of their age; there will be a great destruction of men, so that from this point on all will seem to be enveloped in darkness, gloom, or some cloud and whirlwind. For the trumpet of war, and the shout of the enemies following it, will sound most loudly, portending the destruction of the mighty cities and the greatest houses. "And I will afflict men, and they shall walk as the blind, because they have sinned against the Lord; and I will pour out their blood as dust, and their flesh as the dung of oxen." By the excess of tribulation, they will be no different from the blind, not even able to see what is before their feet. And, to speak briefly, they will suffer everything, because they sinned gravely against God. On account of this, the shedding of blood will be like that of a great slaughter, and the flesh of the slain, with the dead remaining unburied, will be cast about every place like dung. "And their silver ^D

and their gold will not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the Lord, and in the fire of His jealousy will all the earth be consumed; for He shall make a speedy and final end upon all them that dwell on the earth." No profit shall the wealth which they have unjustly gathered be to them, ^A because all these things in that season will yield to the divine wrath, which like fire will consume all the earth and will destroy all its inhabitants with great haste. Then, after the prediction of evils, the prophet, raising them up toward hope according to his custom, proceeds to say:

CHAPTER II.

VERS. 1-3. — "Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation not desired, before the decree brings forth, before the day pass as the flower, before the fierce anger of the Lord come upon you." Act, then, all you who until now have not received the discipline of your duty; now at least, gathering together, offer up common prayers to God, that you may not suffer total destruction, like the flower that suddenly withers and vanishes, when the divine wrath is brought upon you entirely. "Seek the Lord, all you humble of the earth." And you, who have been humbled ^B by the calamities brought upon you more than all those who dwell on the earth, by taking care of piety, ask for the divine mercy. "Work judgment and seek justice." Now, having become fair judges of what is fitting, and discerning the better from the worse, apply yourselves to justice. "Seek meekness and answer [to] them, that you may be hidden in the day of the wrath of the Lord." Choose meekness and patience, unlike the way you once unjustly dedicated yourselves to the oppression of the poor; but further, promise that you will be zealous for these virtues—for this is what the saying means, "Answer them"—so that in the time of punishment you may obtain some help from God. Afterward, he recites the castigations to be inflicted upon the aliens, because of their iniquity against the Israelites, that he may thus demonstrate the greater care of God toward the latter.

^C VERS. 4-6. — "For Gaza shall be forsaken, and Ascalon a desolation, and Azotus shall be cast out at noonday, and Accaron shall be rooted up." All the aliens, because of what they have done against you, shall receive no ordinary punishment. For he says "at noonday"—a term common to others—instead of "manifestly," so that the matter may escape no one. For what he says concerning the individual cities, whether Gaza, or Ascalon, or the others, he says commonly for all, although dividing his speech, as is his wont. For he wishes to say that all the cities of the aliens will be plundered and destroyed, and, having been cast down from their own prosperity, they will suffer ^D final destruction. "Woe to those who inhabit the sea coast, the remnant of the Cherethites! The word of the Lord is against you, O Chanaan, land of the aliens; and I will destroy you out of your dwelling. And Crete shall be the pasture of flocks, and a fold for sheep." Because those cities happened to be maritime, he called them the "sea coast," just as the blessed David also says in these words: "I will give you the land of Chanaan, the cord of your inheritance," instead of saying:

^A intending to say that he is assigning the Chanaanite land to you for a possession, using a metaphor from those who measure and divide lands with a cord. Thus, he speaks here also of "the cord of the sea," instead of those who dwell in the maritime portion. And he mentions the "sojourners of the Cretans," because some who had arrived there from Crete for the sake of trade chose, as if in maritime cities, to dwell among them. Just as it is also said in Amos: "I will cut off the tribe from the men of Charran," ^B speaking, of course, of the sojourners from there who dwelt around Damascus; so here too he calls them "sojourners of the Cretans," to mean those Cretans dwelling among them. He wishes, therefore, to say: O most miserable of all, you who dwell in the maritime portion, together with the Cretans sojourning among you, God has pronounced judgment against you all, O you aliens dwelling in the Chanaanite land; because he will utterly destroy you, and the land among you inhabited by the Cretans, which will become a pasture for flocks and a resting place for sheep, he will deliver over to great desolation.

VERS. 7. — "And the cord of the sea shall be for the remnant of the house of Judah; they shall feed upon them, and in the houses of Ascalon they shall rest at evening from the face of the sons of Judah, because the Lord their God has visited them and brought back their captivity." ^C For those who have been preserved from the tribe of Judah, he says, shall possess the entire maritime portion and shall enjoy it all as their own land, so that those of Ascalon—he wishes, by mentioning a single city, to mean all the cities of the aliens, as is his habit to indicate the whole by a part—beholding the strength of the sons of Judah, may dwell in their own territory with much fear. For the expression "they shall rest at evening" signifies this. For just as "midday" is taken for that which is manifest, so "evening" is taken for fear, as if those who desire to lie hidden avoid the daytime, but are accustomed to move about at evening in the hope of hiding themselves. This, he says, will come to pass when God, having visited those of the tribe of Judah, shall deliver them from captivity and bring them back again to their own lands by his own aid.

VERS. 8-10. — Then, shifting his discourse from the aliens to others, he says: "I have heard the reproaches of Moab, and the contumelies of the sons of Ammon, with which they reproached my people, and magnified themselves over his borders. Therefore, as I live, says the Lord ^D of hosts, the God of Israel, Moab shall be as Sodom, and the sons of Ammon as Gomorrha." I also saw the wicked deeds committed by the Moabites and Ammonites against my people, those who were not benefited by their own healing, and the evils they brought upon them according to their own power; so that, with overflowing boastfulness, they even laid hands upon my borders, as if it were fitting for them to belong to them henceforth. Therefore they shall experience the desolation of Sodom and Gomorrha. "And Damascus, left as a heap of the threshing floor, and destroyed forever; and those"

^A remnants of my people shall plunder them, and the remnants of my nation shall possess them.” Damascus, he says, as if a heap in a threshing floor, broken and destroyed, will become invisible, having been brought down from great mass and much pride to the greatest humility; so that those of mine who are left, having attained their return, shall despoil them all and hold their goods as their own property. “This shall be to them for their insolence, because they reviled and magnified themselves against the people of the Lord Almighty.” For these things, he says, they shall suffer for what they dared against God, and for reviling and insulting my people as if they were in the extremity of misfortune. ^B

Vers. 11, 12.—“The Lord shall appear over them, and shall destroy all the gods of the nations of the earth; and they shall worship Him, each from his own place, all the islands of the nations.” God will therefore make His own vengeance manifest, so that He will destroy all the foreigners together with the gods worshiped by them; and all men everywhere from then on, whether in cities or in islands, having been seized with great amazement at what is done by God, shall offer to Him a common worship, each in his own place acknowledging the excess of His power. “And you, O Ethiopians, you are the slain of my sword.” And you also ^C shall be punished by the sword through my own, for what you have sinned against them. By Ethiopians he now refers to those bordering on Egypt. He speaks this in imitation of the blessed prophet Amos, who, while recounting the future calamities of Israel and Jerusalem, mentions also the foreigners, what they too shall suffer—the Damascenes, I mean, and the Tyrians, the Idumeans and the Ammonites, and all those of whom he made mention. In the same manner, therefore, blessed Sophonias, after he has predicted the evils about to come upon the city of Jerusalem at the hands of the Babylonians, recalls also as many calamities as were about to befall the foreigners during that time. Whence, after the things foretold ^D against the Assyrians and Nineveh, he transfers the discourse; since then the Babylonians destroyed the empire of the Assyrians, having sacked their royal city, Nineveh, I mean, and surrendered it to total desolation. Whence he adds:

Vers. 13-15.—“And He shall stretch out His hand against the north, and shall destroy the Assyrian, and shall set Nineveh for a desolation, waterless as a desert. And flocks shall feed in the midst of her, and all the beasts of the earth, and chameleons and hedgehogs shall rest in her mangers, and beasts shall cry in her ditches, and ravens in her gates, because her height is a cedar.” Indeed, I will also exact vengeance from the Assyrians, who intended to attack Jerusalem with such a purpose; for I shall destroy their royal city, Nineveh, so that it becomes completely a desert, and in the midst of it flocks shall graze, and wild beasts shall dwell, and all the animals that are accustomed to dwell in the most desolate places. These are the just

punishments she shall receive, because she was haughty against all cities, like a cedar ^A lifting its head above the rest of the trees. "This is the city of contempt, which dwells in hope, which says in her heart: I am, and there is none after me." It is clear that the prophet denotes by the name of the city the pride of its inhabitants; for he does not speak these things of senseless stones. This, he says, is the city of contempt, that is to say, the despiser of all, and the one that considers all other cities as nothing compared to herself, and thinks herself sufficient for all things. For these are the things signified by the words ^B "dwelling in hope," that is, cherishing the hope that she will never suffer any evil from anyone; considering herself unique, and that no city is worthy to be compared with her. Having spoken these things not without reproach, and having rebuked her pride against everyone, he excellently adds: "How has she become a desolation, a pasture for beasts? Everyone who passes by her shall hiss and shake his hands." Behold what a reversal you have experienced, to such an extent that you have become a pasture for beasts, that all who pass by you hiss, and stretch forth their hands toward you, marveling at such a great reversal! And what are they saying? ^C

CHAPTER III

VERS. 1, 2. — "O illustrious and redeemed city, the dove! She has not heard the voice, she has not accepted discipline, she has not trusted in the Lord, and she has not drawn near to her God." All, he says, shall say these things: How great was her fame! How far she was from all calamity! This is indeed what the word "redeemed" denotes. How great was her beauty! For this is what the word "dove" denotes, because that animal is seen to be the most delightful among birds, and one that walks with dignity. Thus also the blessed David says: "If you sleep in the midst of the lots, there are the wings of a dove covered with silver, and the back thereof with the paleness of gold."^30 He means, of course, that after the land of promise was acquired, the Israelites appeared ^D more delightful than others, after the likeness of a dove. Thus, in this place also, he wished to speak for one beautiful and fair. Just as the blessed Nahum also, rebuking her, says: "A harlot fair and gracious."^31 When she (Nineveh) was such, she did not wish to hear to the end the voice of the prophets sent to her, nor did she admit complete discipline; but appearing to be converted for a little while, she returned again to the same wickedness. She set at naught God, who had sent the prophet, nor did she wish to obey him thereafter, although she had received such and so great an experience. But on the contrary, she rather withdrew entirely from God, indeed she stirred up war against Him, when, after the destruction of the ten tribes, she attacked Jerusalem, in which city was the temple of God. Here again the wonderful mythologists of the Syrians say: JONAH is called "dove" in the Syrian tongue. Sophonias, therefore, wished to call her by the name of the prophet Jonah...

because he had preached there; but the interpreter, in saying "dove," erred. Now, as to the fact that the Seventy were not mistaken, and that it is much more reasonable to believe that the one who translated the Scripture into the Syrian tongue suffered the errors, we have spoken sufficiently before. ^A But how do these wonderful mythologists not realize that he says to the city by way of reproach, "O illustrious and redeemed city, the dove?" For the things that follow are just like this: for example, as is said by Nahum, "The harlot, beautiful and graceful." For likewise here he reproaches her for the comeliness in which she previously prided herself. But he would never have called the city of the prophet Jonah—for the reason that it was saved by him—by a name that was a reproach. But they, not having understood the statement, turned instead to Syrian and old-wives' tales.

Vers. 5-6

Ver. 7, 8. — “I said: But you shall fear me, and receive discipline, and you shall not perish from before my eyes, for all that I have avenged upon her.” ^A I have indeed long since testified to you through the prophets, so that you would hold me in fear, as I am able, if you should stumble, to punish you easily; and I have promised that if you would receive the instruction brought to you, I would neither destroy you nor remove you from my sight—from the places in which it is ordained that you should take care of my service—nor would I again carry out those things which I have now brought upon you in vengeance for the sins you have committed so many times. “Prepare, rise up early, all their fruitfulness has been corrupted.” ^B But since at that time you neglected what was necessary and have suffered such things, now at least prepare yourselves for what is necessary, so that with all care and diligence you may hold fast to what I have commanded, since you have also a demonstration of my providence toward you in the complete removal of the power of your enemies. “Therefore wait for me, says the Lord, for the day of my resurrection for a witness.” And you shall continue, indeed, to look unto me, and wait for the assistance from me which I shall provide for you in time, as if raising you from the dead, and delivering you from captivity, and bringing you all back to your own lands. For these things I previously promised you through the prophets, and now I promise you again, so that you may have in the outcome of events a witness to the truth of the things formerly predicted by me.

Ver. 9, 10. — “Because my judgment is for the gathering of the nations, to receive the kings, to pour out upon them all my fierce anger; for in the fire of my zeal shall the whole earth be consumed.” ^C For then indeed I shall make manifest my judgment which I will perform for your sake, when I shall subject the nations gathered together from everywhere to punishment. For I shall receive many kings and satraps coming against Jerusalem with their own armies—that is, I shall allow them to come, so that I may soon demonstrate my protection for you by the things themselves—and I shall pour out much anger upon them, and launch it against them with full force; because I shall consume them all as if by fire, seized by a certain zeal, because they have dared so much against my own people. He speaks also of the armies of Gog, whom, after the return of the Israelites, he destroyed when they had come against them in infinite numbers. “For then I shall turn to the peoples a language in their generations, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, ^D to serve him under one yoke.” A common wonder shall seize all men everywhere at the novelty of the things taking place, so that all, using one language, though they dwell in different regions and are divided into various nations, shall confess with one voice the God, the God of the Israelites, and, being placed as it were under one yoke, shall deem it a blessed thing to serve Him, seeing the benefits with which I am to deem you worthy. From the ends of the rivers of Ethiopia

they shall bring offerings to me. ^A They shall come running to my service from the regions of Ethiopia, they who being dispersed with you now in captivity, when they return, shall together bring me sacrifices.

VERS. 11-15. — *In that day thou shalt not be confounded for all thy doings, wherein thou hast dealt wickedly against me, for then I will take away from thee the vileness of thy contumely, and thou shalt no more add to boast over my holy mountain.* At that time thou shalt experience none of those things for which, by reason of thy impiety, thou art now overwhelmed with much shame. For all the things that you have done, neglecting my service and offering me every kind of injury through your worship of idols, these, I say, I will put far from you all, at the same time taking away the punishments imposed on you for them, so that you may not henceforth persist with such pride on the mountain that is given over to my worship, while you forget me and offer all service to idols. *And I will leave in thee a meek and humble people.* I will bring you back well-instructed from your captivity, so that living now meekly and humbly, you may perform my service piously. Whence he adds: *And the remnant of Israel shall fear the name of the Lord, and shall not do iniquity, and shall not speak vanity, and a deceitful tongue shall not be found in their mouth, because they shall feed, and there shall be none to terrify them.* You shall persist, being those who returned from captivity, holding my name in fear, refraining from all iniquity, and cleansed from every vice to which you were formerly subject; you shall take care not to simulate my worship with a deceitful mind while you cleave to idols. Hence it will come to pass that you shall feed in perfect security, and enjoy your own goods, and live in high rest, with no one able to disturb you and lead you away from your homes. ^B Having prophesied these things for them after their return, he then adds: *Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Sion; preach, O daughter of Jerusalem; exult and delight with all thy heart, O daughter of Jerusalem; the Lord hath taken away thy sins, the Lord hath redeemed thee from the hand of thy enemies; the Lord is king in the midst of thee: thou shalt see evil no more.* Live henceforth, O Jerusalem, in every kind of pleasure, passing your life with all joy and delight; for since God has blotted out all your sins, He has necessarily withdrawn you from the power of your enemies, to whom you were subject while you were paying your just penalties. Truly, God will be with you from henceforth, showing His own kingdom through His guardianship over you. Wherefore no calamity shall henceforth be able to approach you. ^C Placing him as it were under one yoke, he showed His own kingdom unto you as a guardianship over you; as he has taken away the powers under which you had fallen and the punishment, ^D that he might show his own kingdom.

VERS. 16-20. — *In that time the Lord shall say to Jerusalem: Be of good heart, Sion, let not thy hands be slack; the Lord thy God is in thee, the mighty one will save thee, he will bring joy upon thee, and will renew thee in His love, and He will rejoice over thee with delight as in a day of a festival. And I will gather the broken.* Then he will protect from every infirmity.

crushed. ^A Then God shall deliver Jerusalem from all exhaustion, He himself saving it by his own power, and establishing it in great joy, he shall renew his love toward you; doing and showing such things for the sake of your salvation, as he once showed when he led you out of Egypt with many signs and wonders. For so too now he will deliver you, crushed as you are by captivity, from the evils that possess you, and will restore you to your own once again. "Woe, who has taken shame upon himself? Behold I am acting in you for my own sake, says the Lord." But indeed, most miserable are those who have sinned against it, those upon whom God will display his own power for your sake: so that you may become renowned among all men for what has happened on your account. ^B "In that time I will save the oppressed, and receive the cast-off; for I will punish those others, but I will save those who have been crushed by such evils, and I will lead back those who were cast off from their own to their own." And I will set them as a boast, and renowned in all the earth; so that they, because of what I do concerning them, may be a wonder and a source of praise among all men. "And they shall be shamed in that time when I do well by you, and in the time when I shall receive you." For your enemies shall be clothed in all shame when, bringing about the most excellent things for you, I lead you back once again to your own. "Because I will make you renowned, and a boast among all the rest of the nations of the earth, when I turn your captivity before you, says the Lord." For I shall do so many and such great things concerning you and for you against your enemies, that all men everywhere shall keep you in memory and in praise, marveling in what manner, having delivered you from such a captivity, I brought you back to your own.

COMMENTARY ON THE PROPHET HAGGAI

^D The blessed prophets Hosea and Joel and Amos and Micah spoke their word equally to the whole Israelite people, namely both to the ten tribes whose metropolis was Samaria, and likewise to the tribe of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem; for both alike, given over to sins and various crimes...

they reproved, ^A adding the threats of impending evils if they should transgress without repentance; as indeed truly befell them—the ten tribes first by the Assyrians, and subsequently the tribe of Judah by the Babylonians. Yet, along with these predictions, the prophets also promised a happy reversal of affairs, namely, that the people, freed from captivity, would return to their homeland. The blessed Obadiah speaks of the punishments to be inflicted upon the Idumeans around the time of the return. The blessed Jonah threatens destruction to the Ninevites unless they should turn from their own wickedness. The blessed Nahum clearly foretells both the siege of Nineveh and the overthrow of the entire Assyrian empire, which they were to experience at the hands of the Babylonians. The blessed prophets Habakkuk and Zephaniah, after the Assyrians had already ravaged the ten tribes and carried them off from their own seats into captivity, reprove the tribe of Judah alone—which was all that remained—and the citizens of the city of Jerusalem for their impiety and violation of the law. They declare that the retribution from the Babylonians ^B is at hand, not indeed with a slow foot, but already imminent, together with the company of all the evils that had been predicted; and indeed the prophet Zephaniah sings of the near end of these events.

Commentary on Haggai

^C Now, the blessed prophet Haggai, whose purpose—with God’s grace—we have now undertaken to explain, does not couch his prophecy merely concerning the recent calamity of Jerusalem having been captured by the Babylonians; rather, he addresses with his own words those Israelites already freed from servitude and, beyond all human hope, restored by divine grace to their homeland, who were dwelling in their own hearths—those who had received such a benefit miraculously—and he reproves their sloth in the building of the temple. God, indeed, was not taking such great pains for the building of that temple for His own sake, He who otherwise says: "Heaven is my throne, and earth is the footstool of my feet. What is this house that you build for me, says the Lord; or what is the place of my rest?" And yet, this is ^D a small matter if the things mentioned are compared to the greatness of the Divine, which clearly transcends all existing things, not even by as much as a person could say or conceive. But for the sake of the Israelites themselves, He who cares for human souls makes much of the building of the temple. For since He had commanded that they should assemble in that place and temple, and, in accordance with the legal ordinances, render to Him the worship that was fitting, and since He wished religion to be practiced by the people through all these things, so that in its own time the Lord Christ might, in the flesh, appear thence for the common salvation of all, He was necessarily solicitous concerning the construction of the temple—doubtless so that the people, by means of the assemblies celebrated therein, might amend their ways, to whom, as I have said, God deigned to bestow such care beyond other men. For just as the sacrifices and the rest

other such things, not because He Himself has any need of them at all, but for the sake of our need, ^A so also He concerned Himself with the care of the temple, not for His own sake, but for the sake of those whom it was fitting to assemble there and render to God the worship due to Him on behalf of all men, just as I said before. The book also contains some foretelling of things to come—I refer to the things concerning Gog—which one might better understand from the writings themselves. But this is the purpose of the book. We must now turn our attention, therefore, to the specific details.

CAP. I.

Verses 1, 2. — «In the second year of Darius the king, in the sixth month, on the first day of the month, the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, saying:» ^B In the second year of Darius, king of the Persians—the fourth after Cyrus, who first reigned over both the Medes and Persians at the same time—when those—as many as from the tribe of Judah and the rest—who had the zeal to return with it had already returned to their own lands, and were already inhabiting the city of Jerusalem, the blessed prophet Haggai is said to have been deemed worthy of divine revelation, in order that he, in his turn, might admonish the returned Jews regarding their duties, and especially rebuke their negligence in the building of the temple, since they should have manifested the greatest zeal for its restoration. He points out also the month and day on which the prophet, by divine revelation, began to use these words toward the Jews, so that he might show in an orderly manner how their affairs regarding the building of the temple happened to stand, ^C and how they received a change for the better when they began to take the proper care regarding the building of the temple. Now, what the prophet was commanded by God to say to them, he declares in what follows: «Speak to Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, of the tribe of Judah, and to Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying: Thus saith the Lord Almighty, saying: This people says, The time has not come for the building of the house of the Lord.» For He commands him to say to Zerubbabel—who was of the tribe of Judah and descended from the blessed David according to the divine promises, and was then ruling over the people—and also to Joshua, the son of Jehozadak—who had been entrusted with the work of the high priesthood by result of his lineage according to the Mosaic arrangement, as he was descended from Aaron—those things which were fitting to teach for the purpose of rebuking the people's sloth regarding the temple. For these things were ^D rightly said to them, especially as leaders, who ought to have spurred on the rest of the people to the work; and yet the prophet seems not so much to rebuke the leaders as the people; for it was evident that the leaders had the proper zeal for the matter, but were unable to carry out what they were anxious to do, as the people were unwilling to cooperate with them in this. Wherefore he speaks to them of things which tended to the rebuke of the people, so that they themselves might be more spurred on to the work, and the people might receive a fitting correction.

^A VERS. 3-5. — Now, having turned to the rebuke of the people, he makes a beginning—as is fitting—from their feigned excuse, using which they had seemingly thought it proper to neglect the work. For they say, he declares, that the time for the building of the temple has not yet come, as if they were justly appearing to neglect the work. Then, refuting this feigned excuse, which had been chosen out of wickedness as a pretext for their sloth, he adds: "And the word of the Lord came by the hand of Haggai the prophet, saying: Is it time for you to dwell in your paneled houses, while this house lies waste?" Then he says: You have been so diligent concerning your own buildings, not only raising them with great eagerness, but also adorning them with all your strength; but for the temple, the time for building is not yet come? Are you not ashamed to leave God, the cause for you of every good, in such desolation? So that your own houses are not only built, but also adorned with every care, while the area for the temple is handed over to desolation, with you having chosen to contribute nothing at all towards its structure. "And now thus says the Lord Almighty: Set your hearts upon your ways." Consider, he says, your own affairs, and examine the things you have done—you who neglect the divine temple—and what has subsequently happened to you as a result. For it is evident that by "ways" he calls their deeds, as is his custom.

^{B C} VERS. 6-8. — Then he says: "You have sown much, and brought in little; you have eaten, and not to fullness; you have drunk, and not to intoxication; you have put on clothing, and have not been warmed by it; and he who collected wages, collected them into a bag with holes." For consider to what great poverty and want of necessary things you have come because of that sloth of yours, so that you gather a small fruit from many seeds, and are unable to enjoy food, drink, or clothing to satisfy the pressing need, since all necessary things are in short supply for you. From this, your wages also—which you acquired as you might expect by leasing out fields and other such things—have come to nothing; for as the crops were lost, it was not possible for the wages to be paid to you by those who contracted. For just as if a purse, or a cloth, or any wrapping whatever were pierced, it is in no way possible for money to be collected, since it would all flow out and perish, so too, with the perishing of the fruits, it was necessary for your wages also to be destroyed with them. "Thus says the Lord Almighty: Set your hearts upon your ways; go up to the mountain, and cut down wood, and bring it, and build the house, and I will be well pleased in it, and I will be glorified, says the Lord." Therefore, thinking on these things, correct the matters hitherto neglected by you, and be solicitous for the building of the temple, cutting down wood, and preparing with great fervor of spirit the remaining things suitable for ^D the building. I

^A myself, also, being well-pleased with the building of the temple which has been done by you, shall perform such things for your benefit as will make me known to all, being able to help those who are willing to obey me with benevolent service.

Vers. 9-11. — Thereafter, again reminding them of the things they previously endured because of their sloth, he says: "You have looked for much, and it came to little; and you brought it into the house, and I blew it away." By this he means: I did not even allow the fruits of the earth to be provided for you; and the things that seemed to come into being, I destroyed. He proceeds further, saying: "Therefore, thus says the Lord Almighty, 'Because my house is desert, but you hasten each one to his own house, therefore the heaven shall abstain from dew, and the earth shall withhold its produce from you. And I will bring a sword upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the wine, and upon the oil, and upon all things that the earth brings forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labors of their hands.'"

^B By these words he wishes to remind them of what they suffered through their neglect of the temple. For when, he says, you overlooked my house lying in desolation, and were busy about the building of your own houses, then, he says, the rain was withheld, and the earth did not yield fruit, and as though by some sword I destroyed all the fruits on the earth, striking men and cattle frequently, and—to speak briefly—destroying all for which you labored. For, in addition to the exhortation to go up and cut wood, and to bring it and be concerned for the building, he added these things, frightening them by the memory of the past evils so that they might not slothfully receive the command. He therefore adds:

Vers. 12-14. — "And Zorobabel son of Salathiel of the tribe of Judah, and Jesus son of Josedec the high priest, and all the rest of the people, heard the voice of the Lord their God, and the words of Aggaeus the prophet, as the Lord their God had sent him to them; and the people feared ^C before the face of the Lord." He shows that the words were not delivered to them in vain, but all, fearing the threat mentioned in what was said, turned toward what was right. So that, the prophet sent by God said to them, "I am with you, says the Lord." As if to show that as soon as they changed their manner and had diligence for the building of the temple, God immediately promised to provide His own care for them in all things. For this is what is signified by, "I am with you, says the Lord," that is: I am with you, taking thought and fulfilling every need for you. "And the Lord awakened the spirit of Zorobabel son of Salathiel of the tribe of Judah, and the spirit of Jesus son of Josedec the high priest, and the spirit of the rest of all the people, and they came and did works in the house of the Lord ^D Almighty their God." For not only did God promise His own care of them;

^A but He also strengthened the zeal of those who were leading as well as all of the people, so that, casting aside all other things, they might busy themselves with the building of the temple and [see to it] that the work might reach its end for them. Then, too, God, further strengthening their zeal, appears again to the prophet, saying these things:

CHAPTER II.

VERS. 1-5. "Speak to Zorobabel the son of Salathiel, of the tribe of Juda, and to Jesus the son of Josedec, the high priest, and to all the rest of the people, saying, 'Who is there among you that saw this house in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Is it not as nothing in your eyes? Yet now be comforted, O Zorobabel, saith the Lord; and be comforted, O Jesus the son of Josedec, the high priest; and be comforted, all ye people of the land, saith the Lord Almighty; and My Spirit is in the midst of you.'" If any of you, he says, knew the ancient glory of this house, and what things I have often done for its sake, or for the sake of the people who were concerned for it, you would surely recognize how much those former things differ from the present. Now, most of you, being ignorant of those things and looking only at the present, see almost nothing, because of the solitude or ruin that besets this temple. Nevertheless, if you persevere with constant zeal in its building, and ^B studiously contribute all that is necessary for its completion, you will surely feel My providence; and as though you had performed every duty toward the temple of God, you shall be in possession of the rest of the benefits. "And I will be with you," He says, demonstrating this by the very deeds; and you will obtain My grace, in a certain way standing by you and administering and ruling your affairs. For the words, "My Spirit," signify the grace conferred by Him.

Whence, since the men of the Old Testament did not recognize the proper hypostasis of the Holy Spirit as acknowledged in a singular person ^C with God; but all, before the coming of Christ the Lord, knew both God and the creation, but nothing beyond that—for the divine Scripture then so instructed its followers; and as it recognized no single thing in the invisible creation, but called all invisible and ministerial substances angels and powers, which it taught [were] to serve in all things at the divine commands—they were therefore unable to recognize the Holy Spirit in His own proper hypostasis with God; for it was neither possible to number what was unique among the ministerial [beings], nor to place with God whatever was said to consist in a peculiar person: for nothing of this kind was known at that time; but Christ the Lord at length taught us this, who commanded His apostles, "Going, teach all [nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the ^D Holy Spirit]."

^A From which we learn the proper person of the Father, the proper person of the Son, and the proper person of the Holy Spirit, believing that each of these equally possesses a divine and eternal substance, inasmuch as there is one doctrine by which they were imbued in the tradition of divine knowledge, and one baptism administered in the name of these. The Old Testament, as I have said, did not know the Holy Spirit as a distinct person and in a proper hypostasis, separate from the general notion of God; rather, it called the Holy Spirit, or the Spirit of God, His grace, or His command, or His providence, or an affection toward something, or anything of that sort. "Whither shall I go from Thy Spirit? Or whither shall I flee from Thy face?" For He wishes to say that "it is impossible for me to exist outside Thy command, since Thou art present to all things." He proceeds, therefore, to speak of God while omitting the mention of the Spirit: "If I ascend into heaven, Thou art there"; wherever I shall be, I am established under Thy power, by which, however Thou mayest will, Thou art present to all things and governest my affairs. "Thy good Spirit shall lead me into the right land," that is, by Thy goodness Thou hast governed my affairs, and by this very same thing Thou shalt now bring me back. "Take not Thy Holy Spirit from me," that is, do not take away Thy special and chosen patronage from me. Thus also in this place He says: "And My Spirit abideth in the midst of you"; that is, My grace and My affection toward you shall be with you, being present and offering you its own benefit. ^B For just as He speaks of "soul" in the case of God—not as some hypostasis, but naming in this way an affection toward something—as when He says: "My soul hateth your new moons and sabbaths," signifying that affection by which He hated the works of those who were corrupted by wicked morals, so also He speaks of the "Spirit." But let these things be said more than enough for the sake of precision.

Verses 6–10.

^A will permit almost all nations to be moved, endowed with great numbers and much wealth, to come against you. He speaks, however, of the population of Gog, upon whose arrival the glory of this house shall then shine forth most brilliantly on account of my protection; for their silver and their gold, and whatever, to sum it up, they possess, is mine, since there is nothing in the world that is not mine, because every creature is my work; which, having taken from them, I shall transfer to you, doing no injury to those who did not possess what was their own, but justly and deservedly bestowing my own upon my people; so that I might show my glory in this temple through the things I shall bring about, receiving your prayers therein, and supplying you with strength against the enemies, such and so great as not only to surpass all number in their multitude, but also to be invincible through their power and military experience: so that to all it might appear ^B greater than the glory that once shone upon this house. For the undertaking ^C will seem greater than that former one under the Assyrians or certain others, because the present enemies surpass those of old not only in multitude, but also in vigor and military experience. Having miraculously overcome all these by my virtue, you shall live in complete peace, with a tranquil mind on account of the repelling of any enemy whatsoever, and having brought back very many spoils from there, of which having taken possession, you will easily have, as you wish, the power to construct and erect this temple, so that it may have its own dignity, on account of those who will assemble for the sake of praying and performing worship.

VERS. 11-15. — Now, after he had sufficiently exhorted them with all the aforementioned things and impelled them to the work of building, he also raised them to hope with promises, that they would enjoy great happiness having become superior to their enemies, and that they would have in abundance all things suitable for the edification of the temple. Moreover, he rightly thought that they would live properly from then on, and attend to the amendment of their sins in other matters. He speaks, however, as follows: "In the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, in the second year under Darius, the word of the Lord came to Haggai the prophet, saying: Thus saith the Lord Almighty: Ask now the priests the law, saying: If a man take holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and his skirt touch bread, or pottage, or wine, or oil, or any meat, shall it be sanctified? And the priests answered and said: No. Then said Haggai: If one that is unclean by a dead body touch any of these, shall it be defiled? And the priests answered and said: It shall be defiled. Then answered Haggai, and said: So is this people, and so is this nation before me, saith the Lord; and so are all the works of their hands; and whoever shall approach there ^D shall be defiled." He wishes to rebuke those who, as it is commonly said, contaminate all the sacred vessels and the rest of the offerings therein.

and who touch them carelessly and readily, and not with the fitting awe, for which reason He commanded the prophet to bring this question to the priests, since it was in their power to treat such things either carelessly or with the fitting awe. And He very excellently made the question start from trivial matters, so that He might the more greatly increase the offense regarding the holy vessels. He says, therefore: "If someone casts holy meat from a sacrifice or from any offering into some part of his garment, and then this hem touches any other thing, whether wine or oil or any food whatever, will such a thing be ^A holy on account of the touch of the hem of the garment in which the meat was lying?" And they ^B answered consistently that such a thing does not become holy, inasmuch as the hem of the garment in which the holy meat was wrapped was not sufficient to impart sanctification to another food by communicating it. Then He asks again: "And if someone who is defiled should touch such things in any way whatever, does he defile them by all means, or not?" And they said that he does defile them. He wished, however, by these things to say that, just as the hem of the garment, not because of the holy thing lying upon it, is able to sanctify what is approaching, but the defiled person who touches such things definitely ^C defiles them, so you also ought to think, as you touch the sacred vessels or things belonging to God in any way whatever carelessly and not with the fitting reverence, that their sanctification does not sanctify you, but your defiled way of life casts insults upon the holy things, if indeed you appear touching them outside of the fitting manner. Whence also the prophet responds, as if God were speaking, that this very thing is done by them as often as they touch the holy things dedicated to My worship. Therefore, you ought to know that anyone approaching Me (and I call him "approaching Me" who touches things that are Mine or offered to Me) if he does it rashly, ^D and idly, and contemptuously, not only gains no profit from the contact, but is also defiled, not without his own guilt and harm, because he has handled things so holy rashly. "On account of their morning gifts they shall grieve from the face of their iniquities; and you hated those who reproved in the gates." He calls those "gifts" which they were accepting while not acting correctly. On account of your wicked acts, which, rising at dawn, you were exercising with all sorts of diligence, you have fallen into grave evils, especially because you did not endure the reproof of the prophets with a tranquil mind; but you were indignant at them while they stood in the gates, so that they might persuade all who were coming in and going out to amendment by their words.

VERS. 16-20.

^A hail all the works of your hands: and you did not return to me, says the Lord Almighty. Set your hearts from this day and hereafter, from the four and twentieth of the ninth month, and from the day in which the temple of the Lord was founded ^B. Lay it in your hearts: if it shall still be known upon the threshing floor, and if the vine and the fig tree and the pomegranate and the trees of the olive which do not bear fruit, from this day I will bless. By instituting a comparison of the former time, when they neglected the building of the temple, and the present, when they had begun to urge the work, he wished to show the difference in the things that had happened to them; and in what great sterility they had passed the time of neglect, and what great goods they experienced after they had brought much diligence to building the temple. Therefore, he says, reckon the former times, when you had not yet undertaken the care of building the temple, in what circumstances of things you were situated, when you were indeed gathering sheaves suitable for supplying the fruit of twenty measures, but scarce ten appeared on account of the corruption of the crops. And indeed, you were also gathering of the fruit of the vine as much as was enough for filling fifty amphorae; yet you were producing scarce twenty, because this too had been scorched by the air. Indeed, I sent upon you the plagues of sterility and of pestilential air, and furthermore I destroyed with hail all your labors: but you, even after those things, retained your contumacy. But those things, he says, are of past time. But now, consider what things have happened to you from that day on which you began to apply yourselves to the building of the temple: for you will discover that neither the fruit of the threshing floor nor that of the trees is to be compared with the former: for from these no profit came to you before; but after you managed the care of my temple, filling all your affairs with my ^C blessings, I made the use of the fruits abundant for you. Now, after he had thus encouraged them and stirred them to the work by the memory of former things and the addition of later ones, because they were still doubting on account of their own penury, he again adds courage to them, saying:

VERS. 21-23.

not only once, but also a second time, God promises the same things. For, He says, He told him: "I will almost shake everything, and I will bring about the subversion of many kings adorned with royal thrones, destroying all their power, and overturning the chariots along with those mounted upon them; so that, falling into one another, both the horses and those mounted upon the horses shall become mutual slayers, and a great slaughter shall be accomplished, as they kill one another." This, therefore, I will do, so that it may be clear to all that it was not by your hand that the rout of the war and the victory were achieved, but that all things were brought to completion by the power of My might. ^A

COMMENTARY ON ZECHARIAH THE PROPHET

^B VERSE 24. "In that day, says the Lord Almighty, I will take you, O Zorobabel, son of Salathiel, My servant, says the Lord, and I will make you as a signet; for I have chosen you, says the Lord Almighty." Then, He says, O Zorobabel, deeming you worthy of My aid as leader of the Israelite people, I will cause you to rule over all; so that it may be clear from these very works that you were established as a secure king by My decree, and were chosen for this dignity by My good pleasure; so that everyone may easily understand that it was by no means possible for you to accomplish such deeds, unless, having become king by My will, you had in like manner achieved such a victory by My assistance. For since a signet placed upon something seems to provide a kind of protection to the things upon which it is placed, He says this, "I will make you as a signet," that is, "I will show you to be the protection and firmament of the whole people, having secured such things through your leadership, and having been chosen for this office by My decree." ^C Thus it is also said in the Gospels: "For Him did God the Father seal," that is, "Him God clearly showed to be the provider of the greatest goods to all men." And the blessed Paul also says: "You are the signet of my apostleship," that is, "You who have believed confirm my apostleship to me." In the same way, He says here also: "I will make you as a signet," that is, "I will show your kingdom to be stable, which was established by My will for the protection of all your subjects." And whereas He has everywhere spoken to Zorobabel and Jesus in common, He now addresses Zorobabel alone, since indeed the leadership of war was especially fitting for a king. ^D

COMMENTARY ON ZECHARIAH THE PROPHET

At the same time as the blessed Haggai was engaged in the prophetical office, the blessed Zechariah was also prophesying...

and after having received divine revelation, he likewise confirms the return of the people with his own predictions. Moreover, he inspires confidence that the city of Jerusalem will again recover its own proper splendor, with a king elected there by divine judgment, and furnished with heavenly grace, so that he may both govern the city and resist the wars of foreign enemies; finally, he says that the priesthood will again recover its dignity along with its ancient joyfulness. And so he persuaded those who had returned that their station in their native land would be firm; for it was likely that they still doubted whether they would remain at home or not, whether because of the bitter captivity which they had never thought they would endure, or because of the marvelous wonder of the return itself. Finally, he promised that those who still remained in captivity would also return to Judea; this fact was, for those who had already returned, a testimony in the first place that their return would be stable. He seems, moreover, to have seen many and diverse ^A revelations, the power of each of which he explains. He also signifies the warlike incursion of Gog, and his future utter destruction; since the Jews, beyond all hope, would defeat his forces, with Zorobabel as king and leader. He also mentions the evils about to come upon them, which occurred in the age of the Maccabees at the hands of the successors of the Macedonian empire.

Nor is it to be wondered at if some things that have already passed are nonetheless shown in the revelation as things to come; just as when he says that he saw the four horns which had scattered Israel being broken. For these things signify that it was not about to happen, but had already happened. For if he signifies the Assyrian, and the Babylonian, and the Mede, and the Persian by these four horns, as the opinion of some holds— ^{B C D}

it is manifest that they had already paid the penalty at that time. We know that the Medes were despoiled of their empire by Cyrus; after whom, Darius was the fourth. Furthermore, nothing troublesome happened to the Israelites from the Persians; on the contrary, they experienced everything otherwise under that kingdom: first with Cyrus, the founder of the empire, releasing them from captivity, and after him with Darius, who granted the remainder of the Jews the freedom to return to their own lands. If, however, anyone wishes to suggest that these four horns signify something else that had badly disposed the Israelites during the time of the captivity, it is clear that those things too ^A had reached their end. But the prophet seems to mention such things for this purpose: so that, with divine grace now revealing this to him, he might himself have a firm conviction of the things that had occurred through the divine revelation, and might teach those who hear him to be thoroughly persuaded that the punishment of those who had caused them grief remains, and that the benefits granted to them also remain secure. These things have been said by us not without reason, but so that, seeing certain things being signified in the course of the detailed interpretation as if they were about to happen, we might not marvel or be at a loss ^B regarding the nature of what is said. These, then, are the matters regarding the subject; hereafter we must proceed part by part, as divine grace may grant.

CHAPTER I

Verses 1-4. — *In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, the prophet, saying.* By these words he signifies the time at which he was held worthy of the divine revelation; next, he adds what he was commanded to say to the people. *The Lord hath been sore displeased with your fathers.* ^C The prophet made an opening appropriate to the time; for because they still retained a fresh and vivid memory of the evils endured in the captivity—since they had scarcely cast it off and had barely been able to recover their own homes—he deservedly reminds them, before any other word, of the calamity that had just occurred, so that by remembering the things that had happened, they might beware of falling into the same again. For he says: "You know, says God, how great the punishments I, in my anger, inflicted on your fathers, and by what great adversities, on account of their contumacy, I overwhelmed them, despoiled of their fatherland, ^D and led away as slaves into a foreign region which they had never seen." *And you shall say unto them, Thus saith the Lord Almighty: Turn ye unto me, saith the Lord of hosts; and I will turn unto you, saith the Lord of hosts: and be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets cried, saying, Thus saith the Lord Almighty: Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hearken, nor give heed to hear me, saith the Lord Almighty.* Now, therefore, having abandoned the imitation of your ancestors, turn to me...

^A and keep your eyes fixed upon the things being spoken to you by me and suggested to you, so that I myself may look upon you and, through my care, be pleased to have regard for your circumstances. Beware of any imitation of your ancestors, who, having received much and frequent counsel and exhortation from the prophets who lived before them, so as to turn back from their own wickedness and escape the punishment for the evil things they had done, were willing neither to pay heed nor to make any account of those who were teaching them.

VER. 5, 6.—“And your fathers, where are they? And will the prophets live forever? But receive my words and my statutes, which I command in my Spirit to my servants the prophets, who overtook your fathers.” ^B It would indeed be well for you to consider this: that neither are your fathers still here, nor the prophets; for the common death of nature has laid hold of both them and these, not allowing them to extend their own lives for any longer time. And although the former have departed from the living, having experienced the punishment for their contumacy, the prophets, even if they have ended this present life, have nevertheless demonstrated the truth by their works; since, even when they were dead, their prophecies nonetheless reached their fulfillment, having been spoken, as they were, according to my counsel. Warned by these examples, it is fitting not to hold in low esteem the things which the prophets say in my name, but rather to hearken to the things which, moved by spiritual grace, they say; for the words spoken by them cannot be rendered void, nor can the neglect of the things said by them be free of danger to you. The people, pricked by these words, to whose truth the facts themselves bore abundant witness, answered in such a way as to make manifest the docility of their own minds. “And they answered,” he says, “and said: As the Lord Almighty intended to do to us according to our ways, ^C and according to our doings, so has he done to us.” The word “intended” is used for “had intended,” for the discourse is not about the present, but about a past matter. We acknowledge, he says, that the things which God had foretold would come upon us, according to a decree corresponding to our evil deeds, we have truly experienced; wherefore we are most strongly persuaded that the truth of the divine words is most certain. Having finished these things, the prophet relates the revelation that followed, which was offered to him by God, from which, when he himself perceived an undoubted confirmation of the public happiness, he then confidently announced the things he had seen to his hearers. And he speaks thus:

VERS. 7-10.—“On the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Sabat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zacharias the son of Barachias, the son of Addo, the prophet, saying.” The words “The word of the Lord came” are set down as meaning that I was deemed worthy of a divine revelation; ^D whence, indicating the revelation, he says, “I saw by night.” Neither

^A was the word of the Lord, nor was the Lord himself going to say, “I saw by night,” but clearly it is the prophet who speaks. By this, therefore, having indicated that a divine revelation had occurred to him, he narrates in these words what the revelation is; whence he says, “I saw by night,” meaning: I saw a revelation characterized in such a way. Then he also states what sort of revelation it is: ^B “And behold a man mounted upon a red horse, and he stood among the shady mountains; and behind him were horses, red, and dappled, and white. And I said, What are these, Lord? And the angel who spoke within me said to me, I will show you what these are. And the man who stood among the mountains answered and said to me, These are they whom the Lord has sent to patrol the earth. And they answered the angel of the Lord who stood among the mountains, and said, We have patrolled the whole earth, and behold all the earth is inhabited and at rest.” That all these things shown to the prophet existed as signs of certain events is clear; for just as Joseph saw sheaves ^C and the sun and the moon and the stars, and each of these had a meaning of some future event; and Pharaoh [saw] ears of corn and oxen, some fat, others thin, and in these too were other things signified by what was shown; in the same way the prophet also sees these things through divine revelation, and each of the things shown to him held a certain token and indication of an event. Thus also the blessed Peter saw a sheet let down from heaven, full ^D of all manner of quadrupeds, clean and unclean, but the things that appeared had a meaning of other things. In the same way the blessed Zechariah also, recounting his own revelation, says before the others that he saw a man mounted on a red horse, who was standing among the shady mountains.

Much error and madness is contained in, and indeed it is not far from impiety, that which is claimed by certain people, that the Son of God was seen by the prophet here; since it is manifest that no one who lived before the coming of the Lord Christ knew the Father and the Son, I do not mean God the Father as the father of the Son of God, nor the Son, God, as the son of God the Father, being the same in substance as the Father, as being originated from him; for the appellation of father and son [index: entries preserved]

^A was under the Old Testament generally applied to God by reason of his care for those who were considered worthy of his providence from thence, and to those who had something more through a familiarity with God, those who were called his sons. But that there was a God who was the Father, as I have already said, of a Son who is God, and a Son who is God, of a Father who is God, no one of that age absolutely knew. For those who were instructed in piety before the coming of the Lord Christ knew only God and creation: knowing God as an eternal substance and the cause of all things, and creation, to speak briefly, as all things that came into being from non-being under him. And a sufficient proof of this would be the blessed apostles, who, having been with the Lord for a long time at his coming, confessed him indeed to be Christ ^B, having learned this through much instruction, but they did not know him to be the Son of God, in the sense I have mentioned, except insofar as they called Christ the Son of God by way of intimacy, according to the custom of the holy and righteous men of old (61). Hence Philip says to the Lord: "Show us the Father, and it is enough for us," which he never would have said if he had known who the Son was and who the Father was; for he knew indeed that the divine nature is invisible. Whence also the Lord says to him: "Have I been with you so long, and you have not known me, Philip?" showing that he did not even know him whom he thought he knew. And for this reason he asks to see the Father, desiring an impossible thing. He adds, therefore, the Lord: "He who has seen me has seen the Father," showing that according to his divinity this ^C is what the Father is, invisible just like him, and that the sight of the one is also the sight of the other. And elsewhere the Lord says more clearly to them: "These things I have spoken to you in proverbs, but the hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in proverbs, but will tell you plainly about the Father," showing that they heard the name of the Father as in a riddle, understanding it according to a relationship regarding his human nature, but that they would truly know him as the Son when they should know him as God of God, existing by substance from him, and being this in substance which he is. But if the prophets and the ^D [commentary on Zacharias continues] ... the authors who from the Old Testament have established the divinity of the Son. Now, the present attack is perhaps made against Jerome, who recognizes Christ the Lord in this passage. And indeed, that Jerome had been attacked in another work by the Mopsuestian, Casaubon demonstrates. Although, if our author happened to be reading only Greek authors, I think he might be referring to either Hippolytus or Origen or Didymus, whom Jerome calls upon in his preface to Zacharias. Finally, it must not be overlooked that, according to Jerome on Dan. x, 21, xii, 1, it is not Christ, but an angel, who is understood in the case of Zacharias, just as also by Theodoret, who is accustomed to subscribe to our Mopsuestian. ...not to be admitted in the confession of Peter: "You are the Christ the Son of the living God," etc. For St. Hilary, *De Trin.* vi, 36, says: "It is not," he says, "an evangelical and apostolic faith to have believed that the Son of God is such by name rather than by nature. For if this appellation is by adoption, and he is not the Son for the reason that he proceeded from God, I ask, whence did the blessed Simon Barjona make his confession: 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God'? Is it because the power to be born into the sons of God through the sacrament of regeneration belongs to everyone? If Christ is the Son of God according to this appellation, I ask what that is which 'flesh and blood did not reveal to Peter, but the Father who is in heaven'? What merit has a general profession? Or what glory of revelation is there in public consciousness? If he is the Son by adoption, whence is this blessed confession in Peter, attributing to this Son what is common to the saints? But the apostolic faith extends beyond human intelligence." Hilary proceeds to accumulate other things in the same place, which cannot be briefly recited here. St. Athanasius, *De sent. Dionysii*, no. 8, and *Contra Arianos* orat. II, no. 18, 62, and elsewhere, agrees with Hilary as another basis of dogmas. Thus, finally, other leading Fathers, Ambrose, Augustine, Cyril, Chrysostom, whom Tirinus mentions on Matt. xvi, 16, understood the words of Peter as said of the natural Son of God, Christ. We, therefore, have judged it necessary that this critical annotation be made, especially because the Greek scholiast, who noted other things in the Mopsuestian, remarks nothing in this place.

^A If indeed they all knew the Father and the Son, and indeed were taught this from the divine Scriptures, before the others, would the apostles have known this? But it is clear that they did not know, but learned it when they received the grace of the Spirit that came upon them after the ascension of the Lord Christ into heaven. Whence also the Lord says to them, "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. But when that Spirit of truth shall come," (p. 442) "he will guide you into all the truth." But if they had known the divinity of the Only-begotten, and indeed the Father as God and the Father of God, what greater thing than these remained for them to learn later? Therefore, the divinity of the Only-begotten was neither known by anyone before the coming of the Lord Christ, nor does any of the prophets discourse concerning it.

^B Furthermore, it is full of all folly, or, to speak more truly, of insanity, to say that wherever mention is made of both an angel and the Lord, the Old Scripture signifies the Son of God by this. And yet, it was necessary to revere the voice of the blessed Paul, distinguishing the Son from the angels, and placing so great an interval between Him and them, as there is between a servant and the Lord. For he speaks thus: "And indeed to the angels he says, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire; but to the Son," "Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom," ^C demonstrating how great is the difference between the Son and the angels, and that these terms cannot even be compared with one another: for the invisible powers, and those addicted to ministering, are justly called by the name of angels and ministers on account of the ministry for which they were created; but the Son, not suffering such expressions, justly admits only this one, that is, "Thy throne, O God, is for ever, a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom," which is just as if to say the everlasting King and Lord of all, reigning over all things with all equity. Why, therefore, would it not be foolish and insane, such a difference having been shown to us by the blessed Paul, to dare to couple things that cannot be joined, and to say that it is possible for the Son to be called both angel and Lord? For it is clearly manifest that when anything of this sort is brought forward in the divine Scripture, it treats of the angel addicted to the ministry of those of whom it speaks, "for they are all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation," as the blessed Paul says.

The Lord, however, is named—not that the angel is so called, but that the work of the matter done is referred to God; just as also the prophets often [speak] words ^D that befit God 62

Scholion.

^A that they attribute these things to themselves, but because they impute the cause of them to God. And anyone can perceive this immediately from the present prophet. For after he says, "The word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying," he adds, "The Lord was very angry with your fathers." Yet it would have been consistent to say, "The word of the Lord came to Zechariah, saying: I have been angry with your fathers," so that the word of the Lord which came to the prophet might not appear to be speaking about some other lord as being angry. But it is evident that when the phrase, "The word of the Lord came," is used, it indicates the one revealing it; the prophet then adds the words which God Himself spoke, not speaking his own words, but setting forth what was said by God. In the same way, when he speaks of an angel and then names the Lord, by the title of "angel" he indicates the minister, but by the voice of the "Lord" he indicates the One who commanded those things to be done through the angels. But it is also well-known that angels, when appearing visibly to men, whenever it pleases God, are accustomed to imitate the human form, which is appropriate for those who see them and are receiving a revelation. And one can learn this no less from the New Testament. For when the divine Scripture narrates the resurrection of Christ the Lord, it says that an angel was seen who had rolled back the stone. Then, describing what he was like and how he appeared, it says, "His appearance was like lightning, and his garments white as snow." And after the Lord's return to heaven, while the disciples were standing with mouths agape at the novelty of the event, it says, "Behold, two men stood by them in white apparel." They were, however, angels who were instructing the disciples in what ^B they needed to know concerning what had happened. In the same way, here too the prophet sees an angel in human form, appointed by grace to minister those things which pertain to human salvation.

VERS. 9, 10.—The external appearance, therefore, exhibited an angel; but his adjuncts signified the things which were coming to pass. He was mounted on a horse to signify the speed with which the invisible powers are accustomed to execute all the commands of God. The horse was red, to denote the anger with which the angel was inflamed on behalf of them against those who were alien. Finally, he had stood among ^C shadowy mountains: the mountains demonstrated the exalted and firm power of the ministering angel; the shadowy quality, however, demonstrated the protection which God had promised to provide to His own people. The prophet therefore asks, "What are these?"—the revelation itself urging him on to ask the question, so that a way might be opened for instruction. "And the angel who talked in me answered," he says, "I will show you what these are." He calls the man himself, whom he had seen mounted on the red horse. For this reason he also said, "who talked in me," ^D not according to the substance of the angels, but according to His own, that is, the Lord's. For if He was sent by the Father as the Originator, He is an angel; for He announced salvation to us; as He Himself says in another place: "All things that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you" (John XV, 15). Beware, therefore, lest you pervert the Apostle’s statement, which was put forth for a different cause.

^A For he says this because he was not hearing a voice brought from outside, but one imprinted upon his mind by the power of revelation. Just as blessed Peter heard the words: "Arise, Peter, slay and eat." It is manifest that such a voice was not brought to him from the heavens—otherwise the knowledge of the thing mentioned would have filled the whole world—but that the voice was imprinted upon him as if it were happening to him from heaven.

That he calls the angel who speaks to him "the one who sat upon the red horse" is manifest. For after he said, "I will show you what these things are," he adds, "And the man who stood among the mountains answered and said to me: These are they whom the Lord has sent to patrol the earth," ^B clearly showing that the very man who appeared to him in the midst of the shady mountains was the same one who was speaking in him, and who promised to teach him what these affairs of the horses were. And indeed he taught him afterward, saying that these are they who are accustomed to be sent by God to patrol the entire earth and to fulfill the necessary ministry everywhere, as the will of God may dictate. It is certain, therefore, that the prophet is speaking of the angels, for this is the office of an angel. He is speaking, then, of them, not the horses; for which reason the interpreter says that these were sent to patrol the earth, speaking not of horses, but of the horsemen. ^C But it was necessary for these, too, to appear as if seated upon horses, according to the standard of the one who sat upon the red horse, the horses certainly indicating the swiftness of the ministry, while the red color indicated the wrath with which they burned against adversaries. Finally, there were also certain white ones, portending the brightness of the Israelites, which would come about through their ministry—a ministry that the angels truly exercise, imposing punishments on the guilty, but bestowing benefits on those whom God has willed to reward.

VERS. 11, 12.—The demonstration of these statements is made in what follows: "And they answered, he says, the angel of the Lord who stood among the mountains, and said: We have patrolled the entire earth, and behold, all the earth is inhabited and at rest." ^D He does not say that the horses answered him; for what voice could come from horses? Rather, it is clear that he means the riders of the horses, who appeared in the form of a man, similar to the one who appeared among the shady mountains upon a red horse; they were, with good reason, to have a dialogue with him that was appropriate to their form, from which the prophet, hearing through revelation what was spoken, was drinking in the knowledge of the matters. For it is certain that any revelation, and the things seen in it—whether it comes to pass through questioning, or answering, or in any other way—happens in no other way than through the type of a revelation. Through all these things the prophet was instructed, so that he himself might conceive a firm faith regarding the future events, and might impart the benefit to others as well. Furthermore, through that horseman he seems to hint at the angel presiding over the nation of the Israelites, according to the saying: "He set the bounds of the peoples according to the number of the angels of God" (Deut. XXXII, 8)—since therefore the remaining angels, [care for the... ]

things set before them, discussed them, and also informed him that the whole earth was then settled in quiet; from which he himself also took occasion, having been seen in the midst of the shady mountains, as one entrusted with the care of the people, and feeling something of distress—if indeed all things are in quiet, but affairs in Jerusalem are alone disturbed—he offers a certain prayer and supplication for the whole nation to God. "For," he says, "the angel of the Lord answered and said." That one, namely, who stood among the mountains—what the others had said, that the whole earth was inhabited and resting—"O Lord Almighty, how long wilt Thou not have mercy on Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, which Thou hast despised for this seventieth year?" As if he were saying: To all the other nations throughout the earth Thou hast granted ^B a safe habitation and quiet, with which Thou hast allowed them to pass their lives; but Thy Jerusalem alone, as it seems, and the remaining cities of Judah, do not enjoy this common favor. But since their sins have been the cause of these things, and their zeal for impiety, and their disobedience, do Thou now heal their plight by mercy, and looking to the number of the years that they have been in these calamities, count these evils which have overwhelmed them for so long a time as a sufficient punishment for their sins. Wherefore, with Thy clemency having blotted out every sin, restore their former prosperity, so that Jerusalem might be rebuilt according to its previous form, and the remaining cities of Judah might take their stand once again. ^C

VERS. 13, 17.

Having received, he says, such an answer from God, the angel both himself rejoiced at these words, and also [encouraged] me likewise...

to be confident about all things for the future; so that I might also confidently declare to all that God is exceedingly angry on behalf of Jerusalem against those who have shown such cruelty toward them; who brought upon them a punishment greater than my anger had intended, because of their own wickedness. Therefore, for the sake of all these things, I shall use great mercy toward Jerusalem, so that even my house which is in it may provide its customary benefit to those who assemble there, and Jerusalem may be extended to a greater space than it now occupies; and, to speak briefly, all the cities belonging to it may be established in the abundant possession of many goods. For then I shall use much mercy toward it... I have decided to do everything good for it and for those belonging to it in the future. ^B It is evident, however, that when He says, "I am angry at the nations who joined in the attack, against whom I was angry only a little, but they joined in evil," He is speaking of the Babylonians who had plundered it, and of those who in any way had run together with them for this purpose, signifying the punishment that would come upon them for these things. For the Babylonians had already paid the penalty, and their kingdom had been destroyed, and the city had been completely taken by Cyrus, king of the Persians; and those who had assisted them, the Idumeans and all the rest, had likewise been punished. So it is clear that what we said in the introduction to the commentary is true, that He mentions many things that had already happened, confirming them with His own promises; since the Israelites at that time greatly needed these, having doubts ^C even after their salvation regarding their own affairs; so that they had not even troubled themselves to finish the building of the divine temple which they had begun, whether because of the harassment of their adversaries, or because of their own sloth, which had increased, as is credible, from the malice of their enemies. Nevertheless, He says that two things had become known from the revelation: that God would punish those who had offended the people, and that He would restore the city of Jerusalem to its former prosperity.

Verses 18-21.

but rather uses them to indicate something else. They contend to apply these designations to the number, and consequently they are forced to invent fables to construct their fabricated theory; a result they have suffered in many other places, as indeed they did in the prophecy of the blessed Micah, who says: "There shall be raised up against the Assyrian seven shepherds and eight bites (or "stings") of men." ^B By insisting on counting seven men as shepherds, and eight men as bites, they are forced for this reason to say things worthy of much laughter. In the same way, they say that here too the four horns are the nations we have mentioned, not reflecting that the Assyrian and the Babylonian had long since paid their penalties, the Medes had been destroyed by Cyrus, and the Persians were found to have inflicted no evil upon the Israelites at all—on the contrary, they had even released them from captivity.

The divine Scripture, ^C however, does not speak of four horns as specific men, but because we say that the inhabited world is divided into four parts—the east, the west, the north, and the south—it often mentions these climates to designate things that happen in many places. Just as when the blessed David speaks concerning the Israelites: "Let the redeemed of the Lord say, whom he redeemed from the hand of the enemy, and gathered them from the lands, from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the sea." Now, it is certain that God did not gather the Israelites ^D from being scattered across the four ends of the world, but restored to their own land those who were slaves only under the Babylonians and Assyrians. Yet Scripture says "from the east and west and north and sea," so that it might say that He gathered those scattered in many places and brought them back to their own things. Thus, therefore, it speaks of four horns here as well, to refer to the peoples from everywhere who came upon the Israelites and desired to harm them in every way—whether these were Assyrians, Babylonians, Edomites, Moabites, or the rest of the neighboring peoples, or whoever else they might be. For this reason he also sees four smiths, meaning the ministerial powers, as if bringing punishment upon these peoples from various places, while each one demands penalties from them according to the decree of God. And [the prophet] said "to sharpen" the horns, in place of [saying] to weaken them and remove all their swelling—that is, to strip away the powers by which those aggressors were bolstered. After the prophet affirmed by this revelation the punishment to be imposed upon the offenders of the Israelites, he proceeds to narrate another revelation that was shown to him, which demonstrated the restoration of the city of Jerusalem. He speaks as follows:

CHAPTER II.

^A And behold, the angel who spoke within me stood, and another angel went out to meet him; and he said to him, saying, "Run and speak to that young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as a village without walls, because of the multitude of men and cattle in her midst. And I will be to her, says the Lord, a wall of fire round about, and I will be for glory in her midst." Since it is the custom for those engaged in building to measure the land with a line—namely its width and length, and the forms of the building to be constructed—he necessarily sees the angel again, according to his custom, in human form holding such a measuring line; who, being asked according to the revelation given to the prophet where he was going, said he was going to measure the building of Jerusalem, to see what kind and how great it ought to be. Then he speaks to the angel who was speaking in him, whom in the foregoing he had seen sitting in human form upon a reddish horse between the shady mountains (for this was made clear to us from what had gone before, that it is the same angel whom he had said he saw between the mountains and who was also speaking in him); him, I say, he now says he sees standing and rejoicing at the matter which was being done; and that the goal of his prayer to God had been reached, the one namely which he had offered to God on behalf of Jerusalem and the nation: ^B the outcome of which was not only the display of the punishment which God was about to impose upon those who had wronged them, but also the vision of the angel holding the measuring line, which was an indication of the building of the city now begun. Then he says that another angel sent to him had spoken to him, so that he might also speak to the young man who had the measuring line. For thus he has named him, as the prophet in the revelation had seen him bearing the appearance of a young man, to signify the all-powerful strength with which the proposed task will be brought to its conclusion. The sent angel, he says, tells the angel speaking in me to run quickly and tell the young man that Jerusalem will be inhabited ^C with great abundance, so as to be restricted by the multitude of men and cattle serving in it, so that, knowing these things, he might enlarge the width and length of the city as much as possible, as sufficing for the multitude of those dwelling in it. "For we shall provide for her," he says, "every safety from me, greater than a wall of fire built around her would provide, which might be able to burn those who approach. And I will appear in the very deeds through my care for them, so that I may be in everyone's praises and eulogies because of the greatness of the benefits toward her."

(p. 456) It must also be noted in the midst of this, that the angel sent to the angel speaking in me—that is, the one who was in the midst of the mountains, mounted on the reddish horse—says: "Run and speak to that young man." But if, according to those who favor myths, the one who appeared in the midst of the shady mountains was the Son of God, how was it possible for the angel to be so bold as to say to him, "Run and speak to that young man, saying, Jerusalem shall be inhabited as a village without walls"? For an angel to command the Son of God is impossible, and to believe this is of the greatest impiety; but an angel ^D

^A signaling to another angel what is to be done is not at all strange, since it is the nature of servants to make known to one another the counsels of their master, and much more so for those who are sent for this purpose by the Lord of all, as was the case here also. For when the angel who was speaking in the prophet had offered up intercession on behalf of the city, the angel who was sent according to the will of God reasonably commands him to run and speak to the young man the things that are appropriate, as one bringing good tidings that his prayer has reached its goal, and that the better things have been decreed by God regarding Jerusalem; and he himself, as one who has prevailed in that for which he entreated God, must joyfully serve those things which have been commanded, and with great haste make known to the one who had been sent for the building of the city what God had decided concerning it.

Verses 6-7.

Verses 8-12.

^A so that it might become clear to them from the very course of events, that it is by the will of God, the Lord of all, that I announce these things to you. Then, turning His discourse to the city—for He is accustomed to call Jerusalem the daughter of Sion—He says: “Rejoice and be glad, daughter of Sion; for behold, I am coming, and I will dwell in your midst, says the Lord.” Henceforth, pass your time in joy, for you shall have Me in your midst, revealed as your protector. “And many nations shall flee for refuge to the Lord on that day; and they shall be to Him as a people, and they shall dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you; and the Lord shall inherit Judah as His portion in the holy land, and He shall yet choose Jerusalem.” So great an affection for you, He says, will I show, that even many of the foreigners shall flee to you, confessing Me to be the God who is recognized among you; and they, having departed from their own lands, will choose ^B to dwell with you, seeking My protection. Then truly, most of all, you shall know that it is by the decree of God, the Lord of all, that I announce these things to you, He who will restore to Judah his ancient portion of the land, and will make the whole of Jerusalem appear glorious in the sight of all.

Verse 13. Then, he continues accordingly: “Let all flesh fear before the face of the Lord, for He has arisen from His holy clouds.” ^C Thus, it is fitting for all alike, both those who are natives and those who are foreigners, to fear the Lord from now on, who from the celestial realms, which He is wont to inhabit, and which He makes holy by His indwelling, has now moved to come to our aid. It is proper for Him to be feared by all his own people, so that they may not sin at all, and by the foreigners, so that they may never again dare to harm the people dedicated to Him.

Thus, having confirmed by these revelations those things that were foretold in the previous revelation, namely that He will punish adversaries, and will do good to the city of Jerusalem, and to all the Jews within His domain, he passes ^D to other revelations that are highly suitable to this purpose. For while in captivity, they lacked both king and priest, who were both most necessary for the firm constitution of the nation: the king, certainly, in providing his service for the waging of wars and the other necessities of the kingdom; the priest, however, presiding over prayers and supplications and every liturgy owed to God. Which the prophet Hosea also foretold, saying: “For many days, the children of Israel shall sit without a ruler, without sacrifice, without an altar, without priesthood, and without manifestation.” But through the present revelation, God shows the prophet, for the instruction of the whole people, that these same things, which are greatest and primary and necessary for the maintenance of a commonwealth—which they lacked during the captivity—will now be restored to them by God, since the city, together with the nation, was about to receive all its own adornment. Thus, therefore, He says:

CHAP. III.1-5.

^A "And the Lord showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the face of the angel of the Lord, and the devil stood at his right hand to oppose him. And the Lord said to the devil: The Lord rebuke you, O devil, and the Lord who chose Jerusalem rebuke you. Is not this a brand plucked from the fire? And Joshua was clothed in filthy garments, and was standing before the face of the angel. And he answered and spoke to those who stood before his face, saying: Take away the filthy garments from him. And he said to him: Behold, I have taken away your iniquities from you; and clothe him in a full-length robe, and place a clean miter and head-covering upon his head. And they clothed him in garments, and placed a clean miter and head-covering upon his head."

It is necessary that he sees the restoration of the priesthood in the person of the priest, for the priesthood is not visible in itself, but only in those to whom its exercise has been committed. He sees, therefore, Joshua the high priest—and he calls him "high" as the one who, by right of succession, held the ministry belonging to Aaron—standing before the angel, because the care of all human beings has been committed to angels; just as the Lord also says in the Gospels: "Their angels always behold the face of my Father who is in heaven." ^B Then also in the Acts of the blessed apostles, some said concerning blessed Peter: "It is his angel." It is necessary, however, that here too he appears standing before the angel, that is, before him to whom he had been committed by the divine will to be cared for. The devil also stood opposing him, whose business it is to oppose the good of men. This one, he says, strove with all his might to harm him, pushing him away from the ministry assigned to him, which otherwise it was not possible for him to perform in captivity. However, he says that he was rebuked by God, who had claimed Jerusalem peculiarly for Himself; and thus he shows that every diabolical attempt had been suppressed by the protection of God. Since He had vindicated Jerusalem as His own, He necessarily also restored to the priest the dignity of his honor.

^C Now the words, "as a brand plucked from the fire," signify that just as if someone were to pull a piece of wood from a fire when it was about to be utterly consumed, and keep it unharmed, so also He plucked this priest from the fire—as it were—of the difficulty of the captivity, in which he was in danger of being burned, and rescued him from the evils that were pressing upon him. Furthermore, Joshua was clothed in "filthy garments," in order to say that the sorrow that enveloped them from the captivity—in which he lived existing entirely outside the divine liturgy, and bound to grave servitude—God commands those who stood by to strip from him; that is, the ministering liturgical powers, who, obeying the divine will, stripped him of the garment of captivity, and with every

COMMENTARY ON ZECHARIAH CHAPTER III.

[TAIS] θείας ὑπηρετούμεναι βουλαῖς ἀφεῖλόν τε αὐτοῦ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας τὴν ἐσθῆτα, καὶ τὸ πένθος ἅπαν ἐκεῖνο, καὶ εἰς τὴν πόλιν ἐπανήγαγον τὴν οἰκείαν. ^A Eἶτα τούτου γεγονότος, φησὶ πρὸς αὐτόν· « Ἀφῄρηκα πάσας τὰς ἀνομίας σου »· δηλῶν ὅτι τὰ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας λέλυται κακά, ἐπειδὴ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἀφεῖλε τὴν μνήμην. Εἶτα ἑξῆς κελεύει τὸν ποδήρη τε αὐτὸν ἐνδύσασθαι, καὶ περιτεθῆναι τε αὐτῷ τήν τε μίτραν καὶ τὴν κίδαριν, εἰς ἔνδειξιν τοῦ τῆς ἱερωσύνης αὐτῷ λοιπὸν ἐπιτετράφθαι τὴν ἐξουσίαν· ὅπερ οὖν καὶ γέγονε κατὰ τὸ σύνθημα τὸ θεῖον. Ταῦτα εἰρηκὼς ὁ προφήτης εἰς ἔνδειξιν τοῦ τὴν ἱερωσύνην αὐτοῖς ἀποδεδόσθαι, καὶ τὸν ἱερέα πάλιν ἐπὶ τῆς συνήθους ἐξετάζεσθαι λειτουργίας, τὴν οἰκείαν περὶ τὸ πράγμα παρρησίαν τε ἔχοντα καὶ ἐξουσίαν, ἐπάγει·

Στίχ. ς', ζ'. — « Καὶ ὁ ἄγγελος Κυρίου πρὸς Ἰησοῦν λέγων, Τάδε λέγει Κύριος παντοκράτωρ· Ἐὰν ἐν ταῖς ὁδοῖς μου πορεύσῃ, ^B καὶ ἐὰν τὰ προστάγματά μου φυλάξῃς, καὶ σὺ διακρινεῖς τὸν οἶκόν μου· καὶ ἐὰν διαφυλάσσῃς τὴν αὐλήν μου, καὶ δώσω ἀναστρεφομένους ἐν μέσῳ τῶν ἑστηκότων τούτων. » Ἀκολούθως ἀπειληφότι τῆς ἱερωσύνης τὴν ἐξουσίαν ταῦτα εἰρῆσθαί φησιν· ὡς ἂν γνοίη ὅπως αὐτὸν μεταχειρίζεσθαι προσήκει τὴν λειτουργίαν. Ἐὰν γάρ, φησί, ἐπιμένῃς τῶν προστεταγμένων παρ’ ἐμοῦ φροντίδα ποιούμενος, ἔσῃ μὲν ἐν ἱερέως αὐθεντίᾳ κρίνων τοῖς κατὰ τὴν αὐλὴν δὲ τὴν ἐμὴν τὴν προσήκουσαν φυλακὴν διὰ τῆς ἐπιμελείας προσάγων τῆς οἰκείας, παραπέμψεις δὲ καὶ εἰς διαδόχους τὴν τιμήν, οἳ γενήσονται ἐν μέσῳ παντὸς τοῦ λαοῦ τὴν προσήκουσαν αὐτοῖς ἐκτελοῦντες λειτουργίαν. ^C Εἶτα καὶ τῆς βασιλείας τὴν ἀποκατάστασιν δηλῶν, οὕτω λέγει· « Ἄκουε δή, Ἰησοῦ ὁ ἱερεὺς ὁ μέγας, σὺ καὶ οἱ πλησίον σου οἱ καθήμενοι πρὸ προσώπου σου· διότι ἄνδρες τερατοσκόποι εἰσίν. » Ἵνα εἴπῃ, Πρὸς σέ μοι ὁ λόγος, καὶ πάντας τοὺς σὺν σοὶ ἄρχειν τοῦ λαοῦ πεπιστευμένους, ἔν τε διδασκαλίᾳ καὶ ἐξηγήσει νομίμων, καὶ τῇ λοιπῇ τῶν εἰς θεοσέβειαν ἡκόντων λειτουργίᾳ· οὓς τερατοσκόπους διὰ τοῦτο καλεῖ, ὡς τῶν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ παραδόξως γινομένων τὰς αἰτίας σκοπεῖν τε καὶ εἰδέναι οἵους τε ὄντας. Τί οὖν φησί;

Στίχ. η', θ'. — « Διότι ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἄγω τὸν δοῦλόν μου Ἀνατολήν· διότι λίθος ὃν ἔδωκα πρὸ προσώπου Ἰησοῦ, ἐπὶ τὸν λίθον τὸν ἕνα ἑπτὰ ὀφθαλμοί εἰσιν. » Ἐγὼ γάρ, φησί, τὸν δοῦλόν μου, τὸν Ζοροβάβελ λέγων, καὶ ἀποκαθίστημι τῇ βασιλείᾳ, ^D ἀνατολῆς οὐχ ἧττον λαμπρὸν τῇ τῆς ἐξουσίᾳ δεικνύς. Τοῦτόν, ὥσπερ τινὰ λίθον, τίθημι πρὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν τῶν σῶν, ἐφ’ ᾧπερ ἐστηρίχθαι σε χρή, παρέχοντα μὲν αὐτῷ τὴν ἐκ τῶν προσευχῶν καὶ τῆς ἱερωσύνης βοήθειαν, κομιζόμενον δὲ παρ’ αὐτοῦ τὴν σπουδήν, ἣν ἐν τοῖς κατὰ τῶν ἐναντίων ἐπιδείκνυται πολέμοις, ὡς ἂν ἐν εἰρήνῃ διάγοντες ἐκτελοίητε τὴν ἱερωσύνην δεόντως· θαρρεῖν δέ σε τούτῳ προσῆκε τῷ λίθῳ, ἑπτὰ μετέχοντα αὐτὸν ὀφθαλμῶν νομίζοντα. Κἀνταῦθα δὲ τῷ ἑπτὰ οὐκ ἐπὶ ἀκριβολογίας ἀριθμοῦ λέγει, ἀλλ’ ἵνα εἴπῃ, ὅτι δυνήσεται δὲ ταῦτα ὁ Ζοροβάβελ εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν παρ’ ἐμοῦ προχειρισθείς, ἐπειδὴ πολλὴν καὶ ἄφατον αὐτῷ παρέξω τὴν ἐποψίαν τὴν ἐμὴν, καὶ τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν ἀφ’ ἧς τι γενήσεται.

γενήσεται. ^A Behold, I dig a pit, says the Lord Almighty, and I will search out all the iniquity of that land in one day. For I will make him so powerful that, by routing all the enemies through his maneuvering, he will overwhelm them in their ruin as if into a pit, by means of my vengeance, because they chose to wrong the land that belongs to me, over which I had appointed the king. Then, showing also the magnitude of the aid that they will enjoy from the strategy of Zerubbabel, he says: In that day, says the Lord Almighty, everyone will call his neighbor under his fig tree. For while the enemies will suffer those things under his leadership, those who belong to my people will enjoy their own fruits with much pleasure, so that they will even continuously invite one another to feasts. And having thus far demonstrated the restoration of the kingdom and the priesthood, he next sets forth another revelation, which was offered to him absolutely necessarily after the aforementioned things. He speaks thus:

CHAP. IV.

VERS. 1–3. And the angel who spoke in me returned and awakened me, just as a man is wont to be awakened out of his sleep; and he said to me, What do you see? He again designates by the angel speaking in him that one who, gifted with a human form, had appeared in the midst of the shady mountains, sitting on a red horse. For we have learned quite clearly from the preceding that the prophet is everywhere speaking of that very one who speaks in him, by whom he now also says he was awakened, being as it were lulled to sleep by the contemplation of the things already shown; and he was asked about the present manifestation, what he might see, so that while he himself might relate his vision, the other might reveal the meaning of the manifestation. And I said: I have seen, and behold a golden lampstand, and the lamp is upon it, and seven lamps are upon it; and two olive trees are upon it, one on the right of its lamp, and one on the left. The lampstand, indeed, is an indication ^B of the divine grace, kindled upon the earth, yet extending even to things beyond the earth; for it administers all things. And he rightly saw it as grand and illustrious, all golden, because gold is the most precious of all materials from the earth. The lamp placed upon it signifies the light radiating from on high by divine grace upon all earth-born creatures. He sees seven lamps, that he might show the perfection and abundance of grace; just as God said above, Upon the one stone are seven eyes, that he might express the magnitude of His own providence. Then he describes the olive trees on either side of the lamp, one on the right and one on the left: this matter signified the kingdom and the priesthood—these two pinnacles of dignity which God has ordained to be among men—that through the former those things suitable for the state of the present life are administered, while through the latter men are led up even to God.

VERS. 4–7. After the prophet said to the angel that he had seen these things, he continues: And I inquired, and said to the angel who was speaking in me, saying: What are these, Lord? And the ^C angel who was speaking in me answered ^D

^A and said to me: This is the word of the Lord to Zorobabel, saying: Not by great power, nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty. This angel, whom the prophet says is speaking within him, is the very same one who was seen interceding for the city of Jerusalem, because all the inhabitants of Judea were committed to his guardianship; it was necessary, therefore, that he should simultaneously offer up prayers for them to God. For this reason the prophet both questions him and learns each individual thing; since all the things shown carried a revelation concerning God’s great care for the city and the nation, it was necessary for him to learn from him the details of the things shown, and what they signify.

Briefly, therefore, he declared to him the meaning of the things shown: that it is a manifestation of the divine grace which had also established the kingdom of Zorobabel; for he, of his own self and by his own proper powers, could accomplish no business of the kingdom, nor rule over the people, but was promoted by divine grace and from it possessed the virtue for action. And in order to show the magnitude of this gift, he says: ^B "Who art thou, O great mountain, before the face of Zorobabel, that you might prosper in anything? And I will bring out the stone of inheritance, the equality of his grace." Since he named Zorobabel the "stone," he calls "great mountain" those men who are exceedingly powerful either in royal dignity, in martial virtue, or in the multitude of their subjects. For who, he says, is so great or so powerful due to the number of his subjects and the preparation of his armaments, that he could prevail or profit anything against Zorobabel, whom I have designated as the successor of the royal inheritance? I shall fulfill the promises made to the forefather of this lineage—I mean David—to the letter and completely by my grace. This is what the words "equality of grace" mean; relying on this, he will necessarily possess the inherent power to perform great deeds of war against his enemies. ^C

Verses 8-10. — After this, confirming the promises made concerning him, he says: And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: The hands of Zorobabel have founded this house, and his hands shall finish it; and you shall know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you. For who has despised the long days? This same one who laid the foundations of my house, he same, I say, shall also place the finishing touch upon it. Wherefore, from this also it shall be manifest to all that I have come by the will of God to announce these things to you. Beware, therefore, lest you disbelieve my words as if they were to occur after a long time; for he would be most foolish who deemed my decrees to be rendered void by the length of time. For this is what the words "despised the long days" imply: ^D for I am easily able to do all things as I will, and with great brevity to lead to an outcome things that would require a long time. Then, confirming these words, he says: And they shall rejoice,

and shall see the tin ^A plummet in the hand of Zorobabel. Do not, therefore, he says, deny faith to the things that are spoken; for you shall see the end of them, and you shall rejoice, seeing the power of Zorobabel that is over all things; for by this he means the tin stone, signifying the strength that will be with him from God. Whence he also adds the cause: These are the seven eyes of the Lord, which look upon all the earth. For He who beholds and directs all things, and who saves copiously and in various ways, He it is who also promised these things concerning Zorobabel and is about to bring them to a conclusion; and indeed, here too, the term "seven" is spoken of the perfect thing.

VERS. 11-14. — And I answered, and said to him: What are these two olive trees, which are at the right of the candlestick and at the left of it? And I asked a second time, and said to him: What are the two branches of the olive trees that are in the hands of the two golden pipes that pour into and draw back the golden funnels? And he said to me: Do you not know what these are? And I said: No, Lord. And he said: These are two sons of oil, which stand by the Lord of all the earth. He asks what the two olive trees signify, one of which was on the right side and the other on the left of the candlestick, or of the lamp placed upon it; and what are the two branches growing from the olive trees? Concerning which, he heard: These are the two sons of oil, which stand by the Lord of all the earth. For since the two olive trees were a sign of the kingdom and the priesthood, which God had determined to hold sway on earth, he calls Zorobabel and Joshua the two branches grown from the olive trees; the former of whom had been promoted to the kingdom by divine grace, while the latter had been consigned to the divine ministry by the grace of the priesthood. For this reason, he also calls them sons of oil, ^B that he might say: Those who have sprung up from the greatest and most precious things among men, kingdom and priesthood; all of whom are appointed to minister to God, the Lord of all. Through all these things the prophet has shown that the affairs of Jerusalem and the Jewish nation will receive the greatest increase toward the better, with their enemies being punished and the greatest care rendered to them in all things by God, since there were other nearly innumerable people about to return from captivity, who were still in that condition at that time; for the royal and priestly dignity was restored to them through those who had been promoted to this office by divine grace. ^C But, indeed, so that the exceeding revelation of good things might not make them more slothful—trusting in divine promises but neglecting their duty—he subsequently sees a revelation from which fear was struck into them, so that they might flee vice and embrace virtue. Thus, therefore, he says:

CAP. V.

VERS. 1-4. — And I returned, and lifted up my eyes, and saw, and behold a flying sickle. And he said to me: What do you see? And I said: I see a flying sickle of the length of twenty cubits, and of the width ^D of ten cubits; and he said to me: This is the curse that goeth forth...

over the face of the whole earth; for every thief from this time forth shall be punished unto death, and every perjurer from this time forth shall be punished unto death. And I will bring it forth, saith the Lord Almighty, and it shall enter into the house of the thief, and into the house of him that sweareth falsely by my name; and it shall lodge in the midst of his house and consume it, and the timber thereof, and the stones thereof. ^A He sees a sickle, one capable of cutting down from below whatever might stand in its way; and since it is flying, this denotes that the divine punishment is swiftly brought upon those who deserve it. Furthermore, he mentions its width and length so that he might terrify those who hear of it by its very size. He says that this punishment is set in motion against those who steal and those who commit perjury; and it is clear that these are not the only transgressions that exist among men, but that there are many others—such as murder, adultery, and the rest, which it is not even easy to enumerate. What, then, is he saying? It is the case that the divine commandments are divided into these two most important categories: the opinion we hold concerning God, and the love we bear toward our neighbor. So, too, when the Lord said, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your mind, and with all your strength, and your neighbor as yourself," he added, "On these commandments hang all the law and the prophets." Desiring, therefore, to express briefly in this place those matters which concern God and those which concern one's neighbor, he uses "perjury"—which is directed toward God—to signify all irreligiosity, that is, those sins which are against God; and he uses "theft" to signify those sins which are against one's neighbor. For since theft is the taking away of things that do not belong to one, he has used "theft" as a general term for every such taking away of another's goods, that he might say in short that this curse is the greatest and most terrible, and hangs over everyone, whether he be impious toward God or does injury to his neighbor in any way. He says also that "it shall lodge in the midst of his house, and consume it, and the timber thereof, and the stones thereof," intending to say that I have spoken these things to such a one who sins without repentance: the divine punishment shall persist until it consumes the sinner with all his possessions. Yet, after he has sufficiently terrified them, he shows in what follows that their past guilt and punishment had been remitted, so that they might know all the more that, after obtaining forgiveness for past offenses, it behooves them to adhere more diligently to the will of God. Wherefore he adds: ^{B C D}

VERS. 5-8.

present vision seemed to be running past. And the prophet, having seen it, asked, "What is this?" And he answered that this is the measure of the punishment which it was fitting for the Israelites to undergo on account of the things they had committed. Then he sees a talent of lead, which is by nature heavy and, by its weight, occupies a great bulk, so that in this way one might show the gravity of the punishment; and a certain woman sitting upon the measure, whom he said was iniquity; for from iniquity, as is natural, the gravity of the punishment arose. Then he cast her into the midst of the measure; and he placed the talent of lead upon her mouth, showing that He has removed both the sin and the punishment arising from it at the same time, and has placed the whole gravity of the evils into her mouth, as if ^B obstructing and preventing her from preying, to signify that all her power has been taken away from her, so that she does not even retain the power of her own voice; that is, lest perhaps she should reproach the Israelites for the dereliction of God on account of the things they have suffered, all power of voice has also been snatched away from her. As the blessed David says: "Let deceitful lips become mute, which speak iniquity against the righteous." 61 And these things he saw, so that it might be shown that the iniquities of the Israelites and their punishments had been entirely remitted. But now, so that it may be made manifest that the punishment remitted to the Israelites has been transferred to their enemies, he proceeds to say: ^C

VERS. 9-11. — "And I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and behold two women coming out, and a spirit in their wings; and they had wings like the wings of a hoopoe; and they lifted up the measure between the earth and the heaven. And I said to the angel who was speaking in me, Whither do these carry the measure? And he said to me, To build it a house in the land of Babylon and to prepare it; and they shall set it there upon its own preparation." He sees, moreover, two women who were flying with great speed; for this is what the words "a spirit in their wings" signify, by which, as if impelled, they made their flight swifter. On this ^D account he says they had wings like a hoopoe, a bird whose flight is rapid. These women, he says, seizing that measure of punishment and carrying it aloft, were flying with great violence. For this reason he said, "between the earth and the heaven," because from a height to the lower parts the flight of birds is easier and swifter. I asked, therefore, he says, whither they were going, and whither they were carrying the measure? And I learned from the angel that they were carrying it to the land of Babylon, and there to build a house for it, and there to define a perpetual dwelling for it; that is, that He will transfer all the punishment to Babylon, where it will remain never remitted, unlike your punishment which found an end. And now, to confirm his words, he continues his discourse again.

^A

CAP. VI. 1-8.

Vers. 1-8. — *And I turned and lifted up my eyes, and I saw four chariots coming out from the midst of two mountains; and the mountains were mountains of bronze. In the first chariot were red horses, and in the second chariot black horses; and in the third chariot white horses, and in the fourth chariot spotted ^B dappled horses. And I answered and said to the angel who spoke with me, "What are these, my Lord?" And the angel who spoke with me answered and said to me, "These are the four winds of heaven, which go out to stand before the Lord of all the earth." In which were the black horses going out to the north country; and the white went out behind them; and the red went out to the south country. And the spotted and dappled went out, and they sought and looked to go about the earth. And he said, "Go and walk about the earth." And they went about the earth. And he cried out and called to me, and spoke to me, saying, "Behold, those going out to the north have quieted my fury upon the north country."*

He speaks of four chariots, signifying the invisible powers that preside over the four climes of the world and carry out the divine will in all things. Therefore, the angel, being interrogated by the prophet as to what these might be, said they were the four winds of heaven standing before the Lord of all the earth. For because he called those powers which are in the four climes the four winds of heaven, corresponding to the number of the climes, he says that they, being heavenly, stand before God—that is, they fulfill continuous service to Him. He calls them heavenly, that is, those placed ^C above us, just as when he speaks of the "birds of heaven," because there is no invisible and ministerial power above the heaven. He also rightly called them winds, to denote that they are present everywhere with great speed to obey the divine commands. Furthermore, he saw them setting out from the midst of the mountains, so as to declare the loftiness and power of these natures; and for this reason, he said the mountains were of bronze, so as to demonstrate their firmness and vigor for the ministry.

He sent therefore the black horses to the north, signifying by their color the gloom in which all the inhabitants of those parts were to be placed, on account of the punishments brought upon them. Regarding them the angel says, "Those going out to the north country have quieted my fury upon the north country," meaning that, in accordance with my fury, those who went to those places did everything, imposing the greatest punishments upon the inhabitants according to their deserts. Now, the white horses which ran after them favored the liberty of those who were to return from captivity, at a time when the Babylonians had already been removed from the midst and had experienced grave punishments; their color portended ^D the splendor that was to be theirs in the future. Then the red horses were going to the region of the south, breathing fury, as it were, against those who had afflicted the Israelites there. After them, the spotted or cinereous-colored horses went out, considering which way to go about the earth.

It is also shown that those who remained had a concern for various service by their color, being arranged to observe whether there was anything else to be performed by them, according to the will of God, for the punishment of the enemies and the benefit of the Jewish nation, to whom He says, "Go and patrol the earth." Afterwards, He adds, "And they patrolled the earth," showing that they were commissioned to bring their care to fruition and, having been commissioned, they set about it. ^A

Verses 9-15

"And the word of the Lord came to me, saying: Take from the captivity, from the princes, and from its nobles, and from those who have known it, from Eldai, and from Tobia, and from Ideo. And on that day you shall enter the house of Josiah, son of Sophonia, who came from Babylon. And you shall take silver and gold, and make a crown, and place it upon the head of Jesus, son of Josedec the high priest. And you shall say to him: Thus says the Lord Almighty: Behold the man, whose name is Orient, and he shall rise up beneath him. And he shall build the house of the Lord; and he shall receive power, and shall sit and rule upon his throne. And the priest shall be at his right hand, and a peaceful counsel shall be between them both. The crown, indeed, shall be for those who wait, and for his nobles, and for those who have known it, and for the grace of the son of Sophonia, and for a psalm ^B in the house of the Lord. And those who are far from them shall come and build in the house of the Lord; and you shall know that the Lord Almighty has sent me to you. And it shall be if, by listening, you listen to the voice of the Lord your God."

Just as the blessed Moses, having departed from Egypt, received by divine command from the people the things that contributed to the construction and adornment of the tabernacle, so too the blessed Zechariah is ordered to receive from those who returned from captivity, whether from the leaders, or from those who were able by reason of their means, or indeed from all who had recovered their country. He calls those "nobles of the land" who, because of their riches, were able to contribute something to this purpose. He calls them "those who have known it" who had recovered it, namely the country, as those who had come into possession of it contrary to their hope, having once lost it. Thus, certainly, by receiving from individuals as each offered according to his resources, the house of God was to be built and adorned according to its dignity. ^C And having recited some of the names of the men most suitable for this, he presently orders him to go to the house of Josiah, son of Sophonia, a man who had returned from the Babylonian captivity, and who surpassed all the others in abundance of wealth and zeal for the matter. And having gathered whatever silver and gold he might offer, he wills that a crown be fashioned from it, which ought to be placed upon the head of the priest, for the adornment and glory of the priesthood. Having placed this upon the head of the priest, he wills that he be admonished to take confidence from the many great things set forth before. For by divine judgment a man has appeared, who by the outcome of events is named "Orient"; indeed, he speaks of Zorobabel, ^D

^A as he who will shine brilliantly in the midst of matters of royal governance; "He shall rise from beneath him," he says, which is to say: all brilliance arising from him will encompass the multitude of the Jews. For he will build the temple, and having clothed himself with every virtue through divine impulse, he will remain firmly upon the royal throne. From this, indeed, confidence regarding the matters set forth will be yours; for you will accompany him with great honor. For this is what the words mean: "He shall be at his right hand," in that concord will prevail between you both, such that your affairs improve through the aid of royal authority, and he, on account of your priesthood, enjoys divine support. ^B By now, furthermore, the ornament of the crown being placed upon him will be a source of praise not only for yourself, but for the entire multitude, who have divine hope before their eyes and are now contributing to the best of their ability to the building of the temple, with Sophonias in particular showing such zeal for the work. All these things have come to pass and are coming to pass, so that the ministry of the priests may be perpetual and the hymns of those assembling in the temple may be raised up to God. Indeed, you will see many who come from afar running here, contributing their own share to the building of the temple; so that from the facts themselves it might be manifest to all that I have come to you now by the judgment of God to announce these things, which will indeed reach their end, if you should continue steadfastly striving to obey my ordinances.

CHAP. VII.

Vers. 1-5. ^C After this he says that in the fourth year of the reign of Darius, some were sent by certain men of the Israelite race who were living among foreigners, to the priests and prophets in Jerusalem; so that they might appease God with sacrifices for the sins they knew they had committed; and also to inquire and learn if the temple of God had recovered its own proper ornament, so that they might engage in fasts appropriate for the service of God. Which indeed they had already been doing for many years. ^D When they had done this, with those who had been sent being present, and the business for which they had come being finished, the prophet was commanded by revelation to proclaim these things to the entire people of the land and to the priests, which it behooved them also to know; so that the things being said might be a teaching not only for the locals, but also for the newcomers. And these were the things spoken: "It is no concern of mine," he says, "to see you fasting and mourning; for I do not consider that the worship of me consists in these things. For seventy years you were held in captivity, and you did not show a single fast; yet, though I asked for nothing of the sort from you, after I saw you repenting from your wickedness, I brought you back to your fatherland. For whether you eat and drink, or whether you do not, yours is the pleasure of eating, and yours also is the abstinence from eating; but to me matters of this kind are of no concern." And, showing that it is not now for the first time that he says these things to them;

^A *Vers. 6-12.* "Are these not the words which the Lord spoke by the hands of the former prophets, when Jerusalem was inhabited and prosperous, and its cities round about, and the hill country and the lowland were inhabited?" "These things," he says, "I also said to you of old through the prophets, at the time when Jerusalem was in its own prosperity, and all the cities under it likewise, since both the hill country and the lowland region belonging to them were filled with inhabitants. And yet, even then I said to you that I had no regard for your fasting, since you were not fasting with a good disposition. But what things were of concern to me, which I was teaching you it was most fitting for you to attend to through the prophets? 'Judge righteous judgment, and show mercy and compassion every man to his neighbor, and do not oppress the widow or the orphan or the sojourner or the poor; and let none of you remember the evil of his brother in your hearts.' For I was advising you everywhere to take the greatest care for justice, to use compassion toward those near you, and indeed to abstain from every harm done to the poor and friendless; and to stand apart from enmity and anger against one another, removing from yourselves the memory of the painful things that happen in between. And yet I, refusing your fasting, was counseling you to do these things." "And they refused to pay attention, and turned a stubborn back, and made their ears heavy, so that they might not hear, and gave their heart like adamant, not to hear the law, and the words which the Lord Almighty sent by His Spirit by the hand of the former prophets." ^B You did not even wish to pay attention to these things, but with much madness you turned away from their sayings. For that is what the words "They turned a stubborn back" mean. You were unwilling to turn an ear to what was being said, with your mind completely hardened, so that you would not follow my laws, which I was explaining to you through the former prophets. But what happened as a result of this?

*Vers. 13, 14.* "And great wrath proceeded from the Lord Almighty." On account of these things you suffered such punishment, because while I was rejecting your fasts, I was counseling those things regarding which it was most fitting for you to hold fast to the laws. But you, on the contrary, made light of my laws. "And it shall be, as He said, that as they did not listen to Him, so they will cry out, and I will not hear, says the Lord Almighty." Just as they were unwilling to hear the things said by me, so I, in turn, will not turn an ear to their cry when they are established in such straits. But what have I done? ^{C D} "I will cast them out as a whirlwind among all the nations which they have not known; and the land behind them will be desolated, with no one passing through or returning; and they have set the elect land in a desolation." For I threatened that I would scatter you all as if enveloping you in a great storm of wind, and having delivered you into captivity, I would drive you away into a land which you did not previously know, and I foretold that I would overwhelm your land with desolation, with no one afterward returning from there, or passing through,

because of the extreme solitude of the places. I have threatened these things, he says, and I have carried them out. The land which I formerly chose for your possession, I have delivered over to desolation; for he speaks of the words, "they shall cry," and "it shall be desolate," ^A as if they were in the future, explaining what had already happened, and according to his custom, changing the tense—a procedure which we have already shown at length occurs in many places throughout divine Scripture, both in the blessed David and in the rest of the prophets. Therefore, that which he also manifested by saying, "And they made the chosen land a desolation," he showed that he is not speaking of a future matter, but of one that has already passed and occurred. He wished, however, to say throughout that I was rejecting your fast because it was performed wickedly, and I was advising what ought to have been done by you; and because you did not heed these things, I brought such a punishment upon you. But those things, he says, were for that time; but what of the present?

CHAPTER VIII

all its concerns into great abundance. And having confirmed by Himself the possibility of these promised things, He adds again: "I will gather many other Israelites from many places from among those who are still in captivity, to whom I will restore the inhabitation of their own land. ^A And I shall be known to them through my care, in such a way that it is demonstrated by the events themselves that I am truly their God, from whom I provide them with my own firm grace; and using my own justice, I shall punish all who might ever attempt to harm them." To these promises He subjoins:

"Thus saith the Lord Almighty: Let your hands be strengthened, you who hear (p. 486) in these days these words from the mouth of the prophets, from the day that the house of the Lord Almighty was founded, and the temple was built."

^B VERS. 10. — Then, demonstrating the transformation by a comparison with former times: "For before those days," He says, "the wages of men were not for profit, and the wages of cattle did not exist, and for him who went out and him who came in there was no peace because of the tribulation; and I will send all men, everyone against his neighbor." In the past, He says, and before the building of the temple, you were involved in much misery, and you derived no profit even from the labor of your cattle, nor from your many toils; for the lack of any peace made all things fruitless for you, while all who entered or left your city—that is, the citizens of the city—were vexed by perpetual and various tribulations. Moreover, ^C your tribulation was aggravated by the fact that you enjoyed no peace, with many men rising up against you from without, while I had turned myself away from you. Through these things, however, He seems in the same sense as the blessed prophet Haggai to clearly reproach their slothfulness; for Haggai recalled the evils that befell them when they were sluggish regarding the building, and showed at the same time how great a change for the better had taken place after they had begun to urge on the building of the divine temple. The same thing does the blessed Zechariah say in this place, namely that you experienced many calamities while you were neglecting the temple: but after you changed your mind and undertook the due care of the temple, what then happened? ^D (p. 487)

VERS. 11-15. — "And now, not according to the former days will I do unto the remnant of this people, saith the Lord Almighty, but I will show peace. The vine shall give its fruit, and the earth shall give its produce, and the heaven shall give its dew; and I will cause the remnant of my people to possess all these things. And it shall be, just as you were a curse

^A among the nations, O house of Judah and house of Israel, so will I save you, and you shall be in a blessing. It will not happen to those who have returned as it did to those before them; for those who were left, few out of the many who perished, I will again increase and lead to a multitude, heaping peace upon them and supplying an abundance of crops; and, to speak concisely, granting them the enjoyment of all good things, so that just as you once appeared worthy of punishment because of my wrath, so through my protection you might appear blessed to all men. And further encouraging them, “Take courage,” he says, “and let your hands be strengthened: for thus says the Lord Almighty: As I thought to afflict you, because your fathers had provoked me, says the Lord Almighty, and I did not repent, so have I determined and resolved in these days to do well to Jerusalem and the house of Judah.” ^B Having put aside all fear and all desperation, you shall be in gladness and with much confidence, and you shall apply yourselves with great zeal to the building of the temple, knowing well that just as previously I declared punishment against you because of the iniquities of your fathers against me, and brought that to effect with an unchangeable purpose, so now I will surely bring to pass my promises which I have declared concerning Jerusalem and the whole tribe of Judah, so that the one shall be in abundance, and they shall partake of much prosperity.

VERS. 16, 17.

VERS. 18, 19.

^A considering it necessary, so as to instruct both his own people and the foreigners who were present at the same time, to add these things after the succeeding teaching, wishing to show that he does not reject fasting absolutely, but only when it is done improperly. But if it is done with what is fitting, he indeed approves of it being performed. He says, therefore, this: "Previously, while fasting for your sins, you mourned for your own people, on account of which you were also beset by such great calamities; but now, since you have obtained your return, it would be fitting for you to pursue the fast, not with mourning, but with joy and gladness, deeming the fast worthy of a feast; for it is suitable for us to make those near to God. It will befit you to fast joyfully, if you have regard for truth and peace." And to show the magnitude of the good things for the sake of which it behooves them to use fasts in solemnity and joy, he proceeds thus:

^B VERS. 20-23. — "Thus says the Lord Almighty: Many peoples shall still come, and inhabitants of many cities; and those who inhabit one shall come to another city, saying: Let us go forward to entreat the face of the Lord, and to seek the face of the Lord Almighty. I will go also." It is no wonder, he says, if these things happen among you, since many foreigners dwelling in different cities will come together as one from each city: for this is what the expression means, "Those who inhabit one shall come to another city." These will excite and mutually exhort one another to this coming, so that they too might persevere in praying to God, and expect from Him whatever good they are waiting for. Wherefore they will exhort one another, saying, "I will go also"; that is, each person, using diligence for this kind of work, will excite the others also to equal zeal. ^C Then he says that very many from many and diverse nations will come to Jerusalem to propitiate God for their sins, and to entreat Him for any need of theirs. Soon he adds: "Thus says the Lord Almighty: In those days, ten men from all the languages of the nations shall take hold, they shall take hold, I say, of the garment of a Jewish man, saying: We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you." For God will make the return of the remnant so illustrious that many, coming from diverse nations and having shared in that calamity, having observed God's providence toward His own people, will take hold of any one of them, and use him as a leader for their return to the city of Jerusalem, ^D all being sufficiently stirred to this by the evident knowledge that God is with you, as testified by the wonder of His works toward you. For even in this place, he does not say "ten men" regarding the number, but that he might signify "many." Thereafter he mentions the nations which will conduct themselves in this way out of the fear of God, and then others which, due to their own arrogance, will make no account of this matter. Therefore he says:

CAP. IX.

^A 329 VERS. 1-4. — « The burden of the word of the Lord in the land of Hadrach and Damascus (is) his sacrifice; for the Lord looks upon men and all the tribes of Israel, and Hamath in its borders. » For the inhabitants of Damascus, he says, and of Hadrach and of Hamath, will bring sacrifices to God with great zeal, as to the Lord of all, and as to one looking upon mankind as His own works and servants, but assigning a special providence to Israel. « Tyre and Sidon, because they were very wise; and Tyre built her fortress, and heaped up silver as dust, and gold as the mire of the streets. Therefore the Lord will dispossess them, and will strike her power into the sea, and she shall be consumed by fire. » Since the Tyrians and Sidonians, being puffed up with great pride, despised my worship, and thinking themselves sufficient, took care for the security of their walls, and gathered gold and silver like mire, they shall receive punishment corresponding to their own folly; for God will take possession of them and will humble them all, delivering up all their power to the sea that is nearby; and the city itself shall be the work of fire from the enemies coming against it. Having said these things concerning Tyre and Sidon, he continues:

^B VERS. 5-7. — « Ascalon shall see it, and shall be afraid; and Gaza, and shall ache very much; and Accaron, because she is ashamed for her transgression. And the king shall perish from Gaza, and Ascalon shall not be inhabited; and strangers shall dwell in Azotus. And I will cut off the pride of the foreigners, and I will take away their blood from their mouth, and their abominations from between their teeth; and they too shall be left for our God; and they shall be as a captain in Juda, and Accaron as a Jebusite. » ^C He wishes to say that the greatest punishment will await the foreigners, because they have truly abandoned the worship of God. He explains those punishments in a varied way, enumerating the cities: namely, that Ascalon will be seized by fear, Gaza will suffer, and Accaron will be ashamed while it pays the penalty for its own sins; additionally, the king of Gaza will be removed, and strangers will inhabit Azotus. He spoke these things ^D not as if this were to happen to one, and something else to another—as if he were saying "this to Gaza" and "that to Ascalon"—but in his own idiomatic way, he states separately what is common, namely, that events of this kind will happen to all the foreigners. Therefore, after that enumeration, he adds: « And I will cut off the pride of the foreigners; » that is, I will avenge all their fury. I will punish them with a penalty worthy of the blood of the Israelites which they have shed; at the same time destroying all the idols they seemed to worship. And so, from the punishment inflicted upon them, many of them, having been seized by fear of what had happened, will take refuge in the worship of God; and these will be numbered with us, holding in a certain sense the order of captains, while they join themselves to your side. But they will be saved, no less than the Jebusite; for these too were citizens of Accaron. For by mentioning Accaron, he wishes also to say that the men of the five satrapies will be converted to piety; signifying that it will be that

they are numbered with the Israelite people, and will be saved, being snatched from the punishment hanging over them, whoever among them, having come to their senses, inclines toward what is right.

VERS. 8-10. — "And I will provide for my house a watch, so that no one shall pass through or return; and no oppressor shall come upon them anymore, for now I have seen with my own eyes." I will raise up some powerful assistance for those who belong to me, which will drive all foreigners far away, not allowing them to tread on the borders of those who belong to me, so that no one may dare anymore to approach, nor to drive upon the land that belongs to me; since, once I have deemed them worthy of my concern ^B and of being counted under my providence; for by the words "to my house," he speaks of the whole land of Israel as belonging to him.

Then, making it clearer through whom these things will be, and who is the one presented by God for this purpose: "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; proclaim, O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, your King comes to you, righteous and saving; he is humble, and riding on a beast of burden and a young foal. And I will destroy the chariots from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the war bow shall be destroyed; and there will be a multitude, and peace from the nations." ^C Rejoice, therefore, O Jerusalem, with such a King provided for you by God, who has stood by you, able to save his own people through the divine power present in him, and inflicting just punishment upon all the adversaries; who, though he rides on a humble animal, as one who has just arrived from captivity, will nevertheless take hold of great power through the divine impulse, so that from Ephraim and from Jerusalem he may wipe out all the chariots of the adversaries, and every horse and every war bow; wishing to say that he will rout all our enemies, so that no one may remain against the land of Judea, and he will deprive them of all peace, ^D as they are being crushed and destroyed by the war waged by him.

That these things are said here concerning Zerubbabel is clear. But I have been amazed at some who, wandering into absurd opinions, understand one part of this saying as applying to Zerubbabel, and another part to Christ the Lord: which is nothing other than dividing the prophecy between Zerubbabel and Christ the Lord; and this is the height of folly. The true meaning of such passages is that which I know I have already stated, namely that the Law was a shadow of all the things concerning Christ the Lord. Therefore, the Scripture often recounts hyperbolically many things done in a remarkable way, whether concerning the people or those chosen for some task, even when the expression, taken at face value, does not contain the truth; but such things are found to be true when they are judged in relation to Christ the Lord himself, who, having everywhere removed the shadow of the Law and introduced its own reality, rightly shows the truth of such expressions as well. Such is that saying to Abraham, that

self, who, having everywhere removed the shadow of the Law and introduced its own reality, rightly shows the truth of such expressions as well. Such is that saying to Abraham, that ^A “In you and in your seed shall all the nations be blessed.” The obvious sense certainly designates his descendants; nevertheless, the truth of the saying consists in Christ the Lord, in whom it came to pass that the nations were truly blessed. Such also is that which was said to the blessed David: “His throne shall be as the sun before me, and as the moon established forever. And I will place his seed for ever and ever, and his throne as the days of heaven.” For in the obvious sense, he seems to speak of his successors, in whom the kingdom was destined to persist; but the truth of the matter appears in Christ the Lord, whose kingdom is truly more splendid than any sun and more constant than any heaven. Such, finally, is the saying, “His soul was not left in hell, nor did his flesh see corruption,” which, though spoken hyperbolically by the blessed David concerning the people of the Israelites, ^B was manifested in the very truth of the accomplished fact in Christ the Lord. Wherefore also the blessed Peter rightly and deservedly made use of this saying, saying that “his soul was not left in hell, nor did his flesh see corruption.”

Many things of this kind might be discovered, which it would be tedious to recount in the present place; things which were said hyperbolically, because they do not contain the precise truth of the thing spoken of; but nonetheless, in reality, they are as we have said, in Christ the Lord. Such is the passage of which we are treating here. For the prophet spoke of Zerubbabel, a man of the stock of David, ^C who by the will of God was leader of the Jews; but the matter eventually became clear with evident truth in Christ the Lord. For Zerubbabel took small penalties from the nations and procured a slight salvation for his own people; whence he soon adds: “He shall destroy the chariots from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem,” showing that it would come to pass that through these deeds they would be liberated from war. But the saying appeared true in Christ the Lord, in whom it is truly permitted to rejoice with a constant and perpetual joy. For he is truly just, being the one who judges the whole world; and he truly saves, inasmuch as he has transferred all men from perdition ^D to a firm and perennial salvation. This discourse, therefore, is concerning Zerubbabel, with the dictation narrowed to him of whom the Scripture speaks. But in the Gospels, it is drawn to Christ the Lord; who has been seen to be in all things great, exalted, just, and a savior, offering his own benefits as stable, absolutely immovable, and subject to no mutation. Thus, I say, it is most consistent both to speak and to think. But to affirm that one part of the prophecy speaks of Christ, and then, moving forward, to transfer it to Zerubbabel, and again from him to Christ, and then back to Zerubbabel from Christ the Lord, is nothing other than, in the first place, to show the prophecy to be absurd, and then to distribute the words of Scripture in equal parts between the servant and the Lord. For even to say, in order to demonstrate that the aforementioned things do not suit Zerubbabel, to say, I mean, that in the prophet it is read,

"He was led as a sheep to the slaughter," not as something future, but as something already accomplished—for he did not say, "He shall be led," but "He was led"—is a weak and superfluous argument, and stems from an ignorance of the divine Scriptures.

For even this does not fit the Lord Christ according to the reasoning of these most wise men, who ought instead to have known that there is a varied change of tenses in divine Scripture, which we have sufficiently and copiously demonstrated in our interpretation of the Psalms and the Prophets. In this place, however, even the use of the word itself, if one were to judge it according to the rule of time, does not suit the advent of the Lord Christ. For that was to take place after a long time, and the prophet does not say, "He will be present," which is what should have been said regarding a future event, but "He comes," which is accustomed to be said of things that are near and taking place immediately.

According to this reasoning of theirs, many other things also would be found to be set forth superfluously by the prophet; because he says now that the filthy garments are being taken away from Jesus, which were signs of the captivity, and that the priestly garb was being put upon him; and yet it is clear that he himself had returned along with Zerubbabel, had been freed from the captivity, and was established in the priestly office. Wherefore the blessed prophet Haggai also appears to be speaking generally both to Zerubbabel and to him, that they must take care to build the temple; and he says that the measure of the punishment has now been taken away along with the sin of Israel and transferred to Babylon. And yet Cyrus, the king of the Persians, had already sent the people back from captivity and had razed Babylon. Furthermore, it is well known that these things are said by the prophet during the reign of Darius, who was the fourth after Cyrus. Why, then, would it have been untimely, according to the authors of such an opinion, to say that things were happening now which had come to pass long ago?

But it is clear that while those events had already happened, the prophet, enlightened by revelation, perceives them now as being brought to fulfillment—so that the entire people might be made certain that nothing of what had been done had occurred by chance or of itself, but that all the blessings that had happened to them had been arranged by the divine will and decree. Wherefore it is not absurd for the prophet, speaking even now about the future circumstances of the people under the reign of Zerubbabel, who was chosen by the judgment of God for this task, to say, "He comes, just and a savior," so as to signify that he is present for this business, and has been chosen as king by God to perform those things which he says, in what follows, were accomplished by him for the people.

VERSES 10-12

^A vaticinating, since he himself also, as a prophet, had a certain phantasy concerning future events, adds: "He shall have dominion from sea to sea, and from the rivers to the extremities of the earth." He speaks this also hyperbolically, according to his custom, meaning that he will overcome many enemies and will possess much land, which he will hand over to the Jews to inhabit. Such is also the seventy-first psalm of blessed David, which declares in the form of a prayer the prosperity of Solomon, where it says: "His name shall endure before the sun, and before the moon for generations of generations. And he shall have dominion from sea to sea, and from the rivers to the ends of the earth." ^B Were not these things also spoken hyperbolically? Soon after, he adds: "And thou, in the blood of thy covenant, hast sent forth thy captives out of the pit wherein is no water; and you shall sit in the stronghold, O captives of the Synagogue, and for one day of your sojourning I will restore double unto you." In all these things, he especially signifies the events of Gog, during the age of Zorobabel: to whom he says it shall come to pass that, with many destroyed and the blood of many poured out, and by the slaughter of the adversaries, as if by a certain covenant, with the kingdom of the people assured to himself—it shall come to pass, I say, that he will rescue all from the greatest dangers, in which they lived as it were in a pit lacking water, that is to say, lacking all consolation and refreshment in their evils. But you who were once Jewish captives shall remain with great security in your fatherland under the protection of your leader. Wherefore, for the things you suffered during the time of your captivity, a much greater abundance of present goods shall be rendered unto you.

^C VERS. 13-17. — Afterwards he continues: "Therefore I have bent thee for myself, O Judah, as a bow; I have filled Ephraim. And I will stir up the sons of Sion against the sons of the Greeks, and I will handle thee as the sword of a warrior." By Judah and Ephraim he speaks, so as to denote the nation of the Jews from its more principal part. As a bow, therefore, stretched against enemies, I will make you strong, so that with great eagerness you may make an assault against all foreign aggressors, and work a great slaughter of them: just as would befit a man accustomed to brandish his sword in battles and wars and killings. And teaching from whence these things are to befall them, "And the Lord," he says, "shall appear over them, and his arrow shall go forth as lightning; and the Lord God Almighty shall sound with the trumpet, and shall proceed in the storm of his threats: the Lord Almighty ^D shall protect them. And they shall cast them down, and shall overwhelm them with slingstones, and they shall drink their blood as wine, and shall fill the bowls as an altar." These things shall come to pass, he says, because God, the leader of your wars, intends a terrible eye against the enemies, sending forth swords to them like lightning: and as if with a trumpet-call, by His own power, rousing you all to war, He shall be your leader, with His threats

^A shaking all the adversaries. And He shall provide you such assistance through His own cooperation, that you shall remain unharmed, and shall utterly consume all the adversaries; and you shall cover them with the bolting of stones, and [you shall seem] to drink their very blood by reason of the excess of its shedding, being used to much eagerness in their destruction; so that after the victory, having filled flasks with oil, you shall offer them to God like a sacrifice, in proof of the philanthropy by which you have obtained such power. Following these things, He adds that God will save all His own, keeping them unharmed like sheep; and while stating the reason, “Because holy stones are rolling over His land;” because if any thing is good, it is His; and if any thing is beautiful, it is His. “For it has happened,” he says, “that there are many among you who are studious of virtue, who among the rest of men are seen crawling upon the earth, hidden from the many; but God will not overlook the rest because of them; since everything that is good and beautiful is His work; therefore He also makes the sufferings of the holy and those looking toward virtue His own, and is ready even to do good to others for their sake.” Then, also proclaiming to them the auspiciousness of the seasons after the slaughter of the enemies, He adds:

CAP. X.

VERS. 1-3. “Ask for rain from the Lord in the timely season, the early and the latter; the Lord has made phantasies, and He will give them winter rain, to each herb in the field.” Ask also from Him rains suitable for the produce of crops: for He who is wont to disturb the air with much terror, and to agitate the minds of all the inhabitants of the earth by the magnitude of the phenomena, is sufficient to provide you with the fitting rain, so that all ^B necessary things for you may spring from the earth; for by “herb” he commonly refers to the fruits, as also is that which says, “Let the earth sprout with the herb of fodder”; for it is clear that there, too, he speaks of all things that grow from the earth from seeds. Then again, for the sake of a salutary warning, reminding them of past evils, he adds: “Because they that spoke, spoke toils; and the diviners spoke false visions and deceitful dreams, and were comforting in vain. Therefore they withered away as sheep, and were afflicted, because there was no healing. My fury has been stirred against the shepherds, and I will visit my lambs.” For long ago, he says, when you were heeding the diviners who were speaking all things to you with much falsehood, and while you were neglecting my prophets, you believed the things spoken by those others rather; then, having found you incurable and past correction, I delivered you to punishments as if you were sheep, using an equal wrath against the leaders and against the subjects, by which I destroyed both these and those at the same time; at that time, indeed, you suffered such things on account of those.

VERS. 4-7. But now what? “And the Lord Almighty shall visit ^C His flock, the house of Judah,”

and the rest. Since I do not wish to be prolix, I shall omit reciting the whole context presently and, God willing, shall explain its meaning, applying it to the prophetic words so that the readers may understand it. ^A For He says: “I shall be solicitous for the house of Judah, which I consider my own flock.” They shall become strong against their enemies in wars, more so than a strong horse driven against enemies by a warrior. For from this house, I foresaw that it was necessary for Zerubbabel to be chosen, and in truth, I took him from there and appointed him to the kingdom, and I made him strong and breathing wrath against the enemies, since I had once and for all ordained that the princes should proceed from the tribe of Judah, who ought always to be leaders of the people in wars. For they will conquer their enemies in battle so that they may tread them down like the mire which is trampled by those passing through the streets. So great, He says, is the slaughter with which they will afflict the enemies that they shall not be able to resist. But they will fight against all their adversaries with great confidence, believing that divine help is present with them. ^B Then those enemies who pride themselves greatly on their horses will be put to shame: but these [my people] will appear great and strong, with help supplied to them by me. For He mentions the house of Judah and the house of Joseph, to denote the people, naming the whole by a part. I will indeed provide them a safe dwelling in their own land: since, loving them, I chose not to cast them far from my providence: but I will always be with them, and when they implore my help in distress, I shall hear; and they shall prevail in battle against the enemies (for when He says the tribe of Ephraim, He again designates the people by a part), so that the victors will be even more joyful at the slaughter of their enemies than those who are full of wine.

VERS. 8-12. ^C But their children, seeing these things, will walk in joy because of the help granted to them by God. Therefore, as a trumpet sounding a signal, I shall gather them all and receive them, freeing them from every pressure; so that living securely in their native soil, they may increase into a multitude just as in a former time; ^D to such an extent that since they were previously straitened in their own land, they may disperse to many places of foreigners, whom they, having conquered, will possess, and they will inhabit their region: and all of them, mindful of me because of the greatness of the things that have taken place, will not only do no harm to my people, but will even take the utmost care of them. For the words, “They shall nourish their children and shall return,” denote this; that is, they will do these things, turning their minds to me and the knowledge of me. Moreover, those dispersed from them in every direction, whether in Egypt or in the region of the Assyrians, I will, with their affection changed, bring back into their fatherland, so that they may inhabit their own places, with no one henceforth living outside of them. Therefore, they will grow into a great number; and then, straitened by the multitude of the enemies, they will nonetheless, by my power having overcome them, enervate all their strength; and you will reduce all of them, raging against your destruction like a stormy sea, to nothing by punishment and slaughter in return. For thus are the words to be understood, “And the deeps of the rivers shall be dried up,” as

if to say ^A that He will destroy those who are so many; and neither shall strength be left any longer to the Assyrians to act against them, nor to the Egyptians, of whom the former formerly held them in slavery, while the latter later led them away captive; for they shall be rid of them all. In what manner? “And I will strengthen them in the Lord their God, and they shall boast in His name, says the Lord.” Since I will make these people strong and invulnerable to all their adversaries, so that they will boast both in the nomenclature and in My aid. Having said these things, he adds:

CAP. XI.

^BVERS. 1-3. “Open, O Lebanon, thy gates, and let fire devour thy cedars. Howl, O pine, because the cedar is fallen, because the mighty are become very miserable. Howl, O oaks of Bashan, because the planted forest is cut down. A voice of the wailing shepherds, because their magnificence is made miserable. A voice of the roaring lions, because the pride of Jordan is weakened.” For since He had said that, “I will gather them from everywhere,” that is, from Egypt and from the region of the Assyrians, and that they will no longer experience anything of the sort, consistently thereafter He turns His speech to those who were oppressing them in their dominion, saying this: O you who are great and boast of your size like the cedars of Lebanon, and show off your own strength; desist from still fighting against those who belong to Me, and open your borders as if they were gates, granting to all a free departure from you to their own land, before My vengeance, like fire, consumes your powerful ones and compels the weaker ones to howl while they look upon the ruin of the mighty. For this is what He means: “Howl, O pine, because the cedar is fallen.” For having beheld the destruction of the mighty, they will, as is to be expected, despair of themselves; and all who boast in any power will howl, seeing the multitude of their people devastated like a planted forest, with divine punishment falling upon them like fire. For your leaders, who dared to declare war upon those who belong to Me, will be in mourning, and will see all their forces cut down. But they will lament, like lions who trusted in their own strength, as they see all those who were arrogant against Jordan pressed by misery. For because the river Jordan was a part of Judæa, by the mention of Jordan the prophet signifies the region of the Israelites: both because Jerusalem will be restored to its former prosperity, with the priesthood and the kingdom being returned to the nation ^C and the people being gathered from all sides; and because God will punish their enemies, and will establish His own people in an abundance of very many good things. Moreover, He will provide the greatest strength to Zerubbabel, who was chosen for the kingdom, by which they will emerge strong against their enemies, and they will overcome the innumerable and previously invincible army of Gog. And to say it briefly, by all the things declared thus far, he has made known how great the progress of the Israelites into a better state will be.

^A But because the Jews did not make good use of the prosperity and peace which they enjoyed for a very long time, and having changed their minds from that point, they declined toward the worse, everything turned out for them in the opposite direction. A great disorder and confusion seized their nation, since the divine laws were neglected among them. For some men of lower condition, out of a wicked way of acting, conceived enmities against the high priests and the leaders of the whole people—who were administering it with great diligence—as was easy to do; and since they could not prevail against them because of the prestige those men had with the people, they went to the kings who were ruling over the regions of Syria from the Macedonian succession, and they stirred up dangers for their own leaders, who were exercising the priesthood lawfully and honorably; and the high-priesthood was transferred to others contrary to the sequence of the divine laws, according to what seemed good to the kings. In a word, they were practically selling the nation to the kings, and were buying the leadership of the people with money contrary to what is right, and they committed as many evils as possible, and set the whole people in disorder and confusion. ^B And the accuracy of the laws had ceased altogether, and disorder was being introduced, and everything was happening in a way contrary to the divine laws. On account of all these things, the Jews were enveloped in countless evils. But the Maccabees, not bearing the offense brought upon religion, and not thinking that they should remain quiet when the divine laws were so greatly violated, and such impiety had been introduced and was prevailing, undertook the war against the kings of the Macedonian succession; and not a few of those who belonged to the nation, emulating their resolve, shared in the aforementioned war. And there occurred concerning the city and the temple of God, and the whole nation—to speak briefly—countless evils from the Macedonians, which are not even easy to relate. But there was a remedy for these things, when God, being pleased with the resolve of those around the Maccabee, provided them with His own help; so that, contrary to all expectation, having conquered those kings though they were few in number and struggling against a great army, they were able to restore a fitting order to the nation. Having therefore obtained a most necessary knowledge of these things by divine revelation, the prophet predicts the future to the people, and transmits a written account of these things to posterity in what follows, speaking thus. And he begins as follows:

^{C D} VERS. 4, 5. — "Thus says the Lord Almighty: Feed the sheep of the slaughter." It is the custom of divine Scripture to often denote the future by the imperative mode, such as is the saying, "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Sion." And yet, joy cannot be commanded; for it is not possible for us not to rejoice if joyful things are present, nor, conversely, can we rejoice if joyful things are absent. But Scripture, wishing to signify the future joy of the Israelites from the leadership of Zorobabel, makes the beginning of its discourse in the imperative. And a little later: "Ask of the Lord rain in its season, the early and the latter rain." And yet, it was clear that no one who was in need of rain would omit to ask, if he knew for certain that he would receive it,

but because he wishes to say that God will ^A provide the rain in abundance and in its season, he makes the declaration of what is to come in the imperative mood. By the same reasoning, he now prophesies the evils that are about to befall the people in the imperative mode, saying, in effect: "These things are coming from me upon the people, just as I said before; the people will enjoy so many good things, and Jerusalem will overflow with wealth, and they will overcome their enemies, from whom they will gather much riches. But because they will not use their prosperity correctly, and will look toward what is worse, they will be under such shepherds that they will be led like sheep to the slaughter under them." This is as it is in the blessed David: "We have been reckoned as sheep for the slaughter," said of these same Jews. He means, however, that they will be considered worthy of no care, but will suffer all evils, just as if they were condemned only to be slaughtered. And saying, in the manner of the thing: "Which their owners used to slaughter, and did not repent." The kings of the Jews, that is to say, their lords, did not spare them as their own property, but slaughtered them pitilessly as if they were enemies; for this is what is meant by "did not repent." "And those who sold them said, 'Blessed be the Lord, and we have become rich.'" Those who had handed over the nation to the kings, and had gathered wealth from this, were so far from attributing such great avarice to themselves as a disgrace, that they thought they ought to give thanks to God for such wealth. "And their shepherds felt no affection for them." They were handed over to be ruled by men who were unwilling to show them any mercy. ^B

VERS. 6. "Therefore I will no longer spare the inhabitants of the land, says the Lord." On account of these things I shall abandon them, deeming them worthy of no providence from me. "And behold, I am delivering the men, each one into the hand of his neighbour and into the hand of his king; and they shall cut down into the land of Canaan." I will allow them to suffer the most grievous things, both from the wicked among their own people and from the kings making war upon them, since they make themselves worthy of suffering such things by what they do. Thus, almost all the inhabitants of Judea will be put to death. For the words "They shall cut down the land" sound in such a way, with no help provided by me to withdraw themselves from the dominion of their enemies. I shall lead them to the slaughter to which they have been addicted by their own works, and indeed, as is fitting, before the eyes of the Canaanites. For the words "I will feed the sheep of slaughter" are used for "I will lead them to slaughter," not that I kill them myself, but that I permit it. For this is also standard in the manner of Divine Scripture, to speak of divine permission as an accomplished fact. Just like that saying: ^C "You have turned our paths from your way"—not that God turned them aside, but that He allowed them to be overtaken by those passions which were capable of diverting them from the proper duty. "In the land of Canaan," that is, in the sight of the foreigners. For it was more troublesome, those who ^D

had known their ancient prosperity, to see them suddenly afflicted with so many evils. ^A

VERS. 7, 8. — "And I will take to myself two rods: the one I called Beauty, and the other I called Cord; and I will feed the sheep." He says that those dignities which he had given them for rule—the kingdom and the priesthood—by which it was fitting that they should be especially adorned and kept in the right way, once they began to be wicked in their manner of life, he would take these away from them and thenceforth lead them to punishment. For what he said above, "I will feed the sheep of the slaughter," he says again here: "And I will feed the sheep. And I will take away the three shepherds in one month." Neither does it mean the number three in this place, but since from Jesus son of Josedec up to those times they had been fed by approved high priests, he says: "All those approved priests I will cause to cease at one time," at which point, having turned for the worse, they will prefer a worse and unlawful priesthood to the better and lawful one. For it is his customary manner to attribute to the person of God those things which happened to the Jews, so that all the calamities which befell them might appear under the manifestation of punishment. So also the blessed Paul ^B says sometimes, "God gave them up to shameful passions," and sometimes, "God gave them up to a reprobate mind," not as though God actually gave them up, but he puts it in the place of punishment, on account of their worse choice who were prone to vice; as if they were alien from divine protection, since they had begun such a stubborn inclination toward vice. Therefore, he says that in this place too, it will come to pass that this state of affairs will cease at one time in a certain manner. For thus the words are to be understood: "In one month the dignity of good shepherds among them will cease; and they will be subjected to certain wicked men, who will unlawfully hold this sacred magistracy. And my soul will loathe them." Hence I will pursue them with the greatest hatred, seeing them preferring such things to such others, and thus, having dismissed the pursuit of the better thing, following worse things. And soon he shows that he brought just punishment upon them, because they themselves had become wicked through spontaneous malice. "For their souls roared against me." This, I say, was my disposition toward them, because they also, like wild beasts, set forth their fury against me: for whatever they did against the approved priests, they dared to do manifesty against me. Just like that saying to Samuel: "They have not rejected you, but me." ^C

VERS. 9, 10. — "And I said, I will not feed you." Thenceforth I ceased from feeding them, and from bestowing upon them the fitting care as if they were my own sheep. He further demonstrated that the term "feed" in the preceding passages had been said for "I will deliver to punishment." Now, however, he has manifestly placed the expression "I will not feed," signifying the administration with diligence, and that he will not exhibit this duty to them. He adds, therefore: "That which dies,

let it die; and that which is left, let it be left; and let the rest eat the flesh of its neighbor." I allow, he says, each one out of his own malice to receive punishment, as they consume one another through contentions, fights, and the persistence of intrigue. "And I will take my rod, [the] beautiful [one], and I will cast it away, to scatter my covenant which I had established with all the peoples of the earth." I will take away, [that is], the most tested and excellent priesthood, now prostrate on the ground by those who had attacked it; nay, I shall even alienate the strangers from it. For the strangers who formerly flocked to my temple with great zeal out of reverence for the rites that were legitimately performed there, they too will withdraw from their prior custom on account of the confusion and disorder reigning there, deterred from their accustomed access to the temple. For this is what the words signify: "to scatter my testament, which I had established with all the peoples of the earth." He means, of course: I will take care that what was even previously done by strangers may cease; adapting to [the] proper person [the judgment] which happened because of the malice of others. Wherefore, to put it briefly, the very worst signs of wrath will appear. ^B

VERS. 11, 12. "And there shall be a scattering in that day, and the Canaanites, the sheep that observe me, shall know that it is the word of the Lord." Then, he says, the service toward my temple on the part of the adversaries will cease, as the covenant which I had established with them is thus dissolved; and it shall become known even to strangers who those truly are who are mine, and who are sufficiently solicitous to observe my will: namely, that the divine decree inflicts evils upon the wicked, but bestows great care upon those zealous for virtue, even if they are few, so that it may truly appear that my friendship is a gain to them, insofar as they obtain such providence from me that they easily prevail over many and powerful adversaries. Then, to show the outstanding character of his own—speaking, that is, of the Maccabees, who chose to wage war against the kings of the Macedonians for the sake of their nation and the divine laws—he adds: "And I will say to them: If it is good in your sight, give me my wages, or refuse." So upright will they be towards me, he says, that I may confidently say to them: If it is pleasing to you to be subject to me and to be under my authority, then provide ^C me with the remuneration of your goodwill and obedience. But if it is burdensome to you to experience so many evils on account of your service toward me, as many as you are now compelled to endure from the enemies, make your public apostasy from my dominion easily. For this is similar to the saying of the Lord to the disciples: "Do you also wish to go away?"—which He said certainly not to turn them away from His fellowship, but to make them firmer by this saying. In the same way, He says now that He confidently offers this option to them, knowing well that they would prefer to endure grievous things, rather than to be outside my dominion while enjoying a better lot. ^D

^A He adds, therefore: "And they set my price at thirty pieces of silver." He does not mention the thirty here as a mere number, but to say: "They returned to me their own immense good will, and they remained constant in demonstrating their gratitude."

Verse 13–15. "And the Lord said to me: Cast them into the melting furnace, and see if it is proven, in the same way that I was proven on their behalf; and I took the thirty pieces of silver, and I cast them into the house of the Lord, into the melting furnace." He wishes to say that, like a furnace, by this trial of evils I have encompassed their disposition toward me, so that I might see if they were as proven regarding me as I was regarding them—that is, whether they truly have as firm an affection for me as I surely provide them with my own guardianship. I have cast them, therefore, into the house of the Lord, into the melting furnace—rightly saying "into the house," for which I had undertaken the entire struggle of being insulted by the enemies, so as to say that even through the refining furnace of evils they were found to be proven. Then, having spoken of the good will of his own, he renders to the former part what was missing; and since he had said in the preceding verses, "I took my beautiful staff and I threw it away," he adds: "And I threw away my second staff, the cord, to disband the covenant between Judah and between Israel." ^B He means that he took away from them both the kingdom and the good things from it on account of the wickedness of their habits. For he has called the priesthood "beauty," as it renders men seemly and proven to God; but "cord" he calls the kingdom, as it measures out and defines the appropriate order for the subjects. Such is the meaning of the saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan, the cord of your inheritance," instead of, "The land of Canaan, having divided it for you and marked it off from all other land, I have given to you as an inheritance."

Verse 15, 16. Then, also showing that they will revolve within these evils for a very long time, he adds: "And the Lord said to me: Still take for yourself pastoral implements of an unskilled shepherd; for behold, I will raise up an unskilled shepherd upon the land: that which is failing, he will not visit; and that which is dispersed, he will not seek; and that which is broken, he will not heal; he will devour the flesh of the chosen ones, and he will twist their ankles." ^C Here again, he uses an imperative figure of speech to speak of what is to come. For it is as if he says: the misery of the people will persist, caused by the evil shepherds who will seize the priesthood through wicked arts. For "pastoral implements" denotes works appropriate to the priestly office, by which it is the custom for the liturgy to be performed. ^D Therefore, he says, men will occupy the priesthood having no experience of the matter, knowing not how to perform any of the things that are required: they will neither visit the infirm, nor seek the absent, nor bring any remedy to the sick; but they will not even have a care for the healthy, that they might be kept in their health. On the contrary, indeed, they will, if it be possible, devour the very flesh and ankles of those who seek a better fruit.

^A treating them ill in every way. And as they do harm both to themselves and to those who are related to them, since they, leaning toward the worse, have a hostile attitude toward those who love what is right—to whom he rightly and with much indignation adds, indicating the great anger of God regarding the things that were happening: “O you who feed on vanities and have abandoned the sheep! The sword is upon his arm and upon his right eye. His right arm shall completely wither, and his right eye shall be blinded.” For these things, he says, shall not be left unpunished for you, who have used your pastorship for wickedness and have given up the people of God to slaughter. For you shall pay the penalty in your arms and eyes, the former being completely withered, ^B and the latter blinded. He means to say that all their strength will be taken away by the divine punishment, as well as the power to be able to look out for others. To these he adds:

CHAPTER XIIh

VERS. 1–3. — “The assumption of the word of the Lord over Israel. The Lord says, who stretched out the heaven and founded the earth, and fashioned the spirit of man within him.” That is: I relate these things as revealed to me by God, who is the Creator of all things that exist, and who also made man, bestowing upon him a soul and the faculty of reason. As if to say that God, as He willed, consented that these things should happen, who, as Lord of all, allows men, when it pleases Him, to do what they desire. What then is this? What does he say? “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a door ^C shaken by all the peoples round about, and there shall be a siege in Judea against Jerusalem.” I have therefore, he says, because of the wickedness of its inhabitants, delivered Jerusalem to the greatest weakness, so that it might be lawful for all who wish to attack it and to shake it as they please; whence also the war by the kings of Macedonia was stirred up against them. “And it shall be in that day that I will place Jerusalem as a stone trodden underfoot by all nations. Everyone who treads on it shall mockingly mock, and all the nations of the earth shall be gathered against it.” Hence strangers shall step upon it, and to all who step upon it there shall be freedom to do to it whatever they may wish, ^D since many have gathered against it—for this very reason. Then, having recounted the calamities which happened by the permission of God, he next speaks of the turning for the better, which they will experience when God wills it.

VERS. 4, 5. — “In that day, says the Lord Almighty, I will strike every horse with madness, and its rider with insanity. But upon the house of Judah I will open my eyes, and I will strike all the horses of the nations with blindness. And all the commanders of Judah shall say in their hearts, ‘We shall find for ourselves inhabitants of Jerusalem in the Lord Almighty their God.’” But indeed, I will not allow the experience of evils to be extended against them to the end, but I will provide sudden help for all; namely, through those who trust in my aid,

^A (by which He wishes to denote the Maccabees) I will strike with terror the entire cavalry force of the adversaries, so that even their riders might fall into utter madness due to the magnitude of these evils. And these things I will bring to pass regarding the enemies; but for those of the tribe of Judah, from which also the Maccabees, who were the leaders of the war, originated, I will provide my own oversight and protection, shrouding the entire cavalry of the enemies in a kind of blindness, and thus rendering it powerless against those who are related to me. Then, at last, the leaders of Judah will perceive that they have been granted the authority by God to go up again to Jerusalem with confidence and to oversee the things which it is fitting for them to oversee. ^B Thereafter, He continues:

Verses 6-8: "In that day I will make the chieftains of Judah like a firebrand in the stubble; and they shall devour on the right hand and on the left all the peoples round about. And Jerusalem shall yet dwell by itself in Jerusalem. And the Lord shall save the tents of Judah as in the beginning, so that the glory of the house of David be not magnified, nor the exaltation of those who dwell in Jerusalem above Judah."

Then, He says, I will make the leaders of the tribe of Judah so strong against the enemies that they will destroy them all with wounds and slaughter, just like a flame that falls upon wood or stubble. Thus, they will wreak great slaughter of the enemies from this side and that and from everywhere. It will then fall to Jerusalem to live in peace, receiving no harassment from the enemies, inasmuch as I will be saving all of those of the tribe of Judah, and those who are attached to them, and bringing them back to their former prosperity. Then, the descendants of David and the Judeans dwelling in Jerusalem will cease to boast proudly of their own goods; for they will perceive from the very facts that they were previously in prosperous circumstances because I willed it, being themselves quite unable to acquire anything by their own power, and that having been cast off from my protection due to their own wickedness, they were proven to be most weak and unable to provide any help for themselves. And explaining how this will come about, He says: "And it shall be in that day that the Lord will protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and the weak among them in that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as the house of God, as an angel of the Lord before him." ^C For they will then so thoroughly perceive my help against the adversaries, that all those who were a short time before weak will be recognized as possessing such power against the enemies—just as David indeed appeared during his own time through the divine impulse—that the house of David will again be desirable and admired, since those who were there and the leaders of his tribe over the people appeared so strong against the strangers that everyone fled to them as to the house of God, offering much protection to those taking refuge, or as to a certain angel sent for the destruction of the enemies, just as when the Assyrians were besieging Jerusalem, everyone fled to the house of God, ^D and there it came to pass that an angel sent [by Him] slew so great a multitude of the enemies. But He soon tells how this will happen: namely, in the same way that

^A

VERS. 9, 10. — «And it shall be in that day I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. And I will pour upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and mercy.» For then indeed I will destroy all those who have set themselves against Jerusalem. But upon the house of David—that is, upon the leaders of the people who originate from thence, and all who belong to the jurisdiction of Jerusalem—I will pour out much of my grace and benignity, bestowing upon them every kind of patronage. From this, what will happen? «And they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him with a great mourning as for a beloved one, and they shall be in pain for him as one [is] for a firstborn.» For then those who previously chose what was contrary to my will, and used such great audacity against me, shall recognize their own inconsistency and iniquity; so that, being repentant, they shall perform a great mourning, such as one would employ who was grieving for the death of a firstborn. Then he says that many of the citizens of Jerusalem, repenting, shall be participants in this mourning—they who had previously chosen what was contrary to what was right; but now, seeing the conversion of the nation to virtue, they desire to repent of their own iniquities, as was fitting. He proceeds straightway to enumerate the tribes, showing that each one by itself shall engage in mourning, in order to say briefly that repentance shall seize all those who had chosen the worse things. For since there had been a great decline of the nation toward the worse before, so afterwards, under the leadership of the Maccabees, there existed a conversion toward the better, from the time that they had attained divine aid. Wherefore they both destroyed their enemies and began to treat the lawful and priestly office in the city and temple of God with fitting care; and then at last the Jews necessarily repented of that impiety and disobedience to the laws into which they had previously fallen. Now, he who had spoken of mourning and repentance did not leave out the conversion of affairs toward the better, which had, of course, stirred up such great repentance in all. ^B Having declared the mourning and the repentance, he speaks of the conversion toward the better, from which, indeed, the results of such great repentance mostly came to all.

CHAPTER XIII.

VERS. 1-7. — «For in that day, he says, every place shall be opened to the house of David.» That is, all shall willingly receive those leaders, fleeing toward them with all alacrity, as being pious and manifestly aided against their enemies by divine help. ^C Then, showing how religious matters shall turn toward the right state through the power of the Maccabees, while they take care to destroy all that is vicious and to restore what is pleasing to God, «And it shall be, he says, in that day, saith the Lord Sabaoth, I will destroy the names of the idols from the earth, and there shall no longer be any mention of them; and I will take away the false prophets and the unclean spirit from the earth.» For then indeed, under their administration, all worship of idols shall be taken away, and all the fraud of the false prophets shall be dissolved, with no one daring to attempt anything of the sort. And ^D

And showing how great the prevalence of good will be, he says that if anyone at that time should dare to come forward and pretend to announce any of the things that will come to pass, being moved by some alien spirit, he shall obtain neither forgiveness nor mercy for this daring deed and transgression, even from those who gave him birth. For they, having almost tied him up, will deliver to punishment the one who dared to abuse a false and deceitful prophecy; thus, all who at that time attempt such things will be overwhelmed with shame, and they will incline toward repentance and mourning because of the evils that befall them. For this is what is meant by, "they will clothe themselves in a hair garment"; just as it is in blessed David: ^B "You have torn my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness"; that is, having driven away mourning, you have filled me with joy. But these, he says, having turned to repentance and clothed themselves in mourning attire, will deny the fraud imputed to them, saying that they know nothing of the sort, nor would they ever commit such things, but will instead occupy themselves with the cultivation of the land, which is a life [p. 525] they learned to practice from the very first day from those who gave them birth. And if anyone should still ask them, while they are swollen from fresh welts, whence they received these, they will confess openly, denying nothing, that by usurping an office not belonging to them, they received those blows in their own home from those by whom they seemed to be held most dear, as children by parents, who did not spare them when they sinned, because they placed the care of religion above natural affection.

^C VERS. 7. — But the prophet, having spoken of the change of affairs for the better, and how, under the leadership of the Maccabees, the enemies were destroyed, and the nation became very well ordered, with all impiety and wickedness cast aside, and the study of the divine laws recalled; ^D from such a revelation as this, which he had received through the operation of the Holy Spirit, the prophet was moved in his mind, and clearly discerning the future, and what the affairs of the Jews would be and from what sources, [p. 526] and what sort of improvement would come to their affairs under the leadership of the Maccabees, and again how great a disorder would occur because of the wickedness of those who, receiving from kings—contrary to lawful and divine rule—both the priestly dignity and the leadership of the people, had filled all things with the greatest confusion; moved with great indignation against the wickedness of those who were the cause of such great evils, he breaks forth into these words: "Sword, arise against the shepherd, and against the man who is his citizen, says the Lord Almighty." Again, in this place as well, he indicates the future with an imperative; and as if turning his speech to the sword itself, he says: "Be moved, O sword, both against those who so badly use their leadership, and also against all who, being bound to our nation by the right of society, have cared to favor their wickedness."

^A “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.” For by this blow he brought death to those who so badly used their leadership of the people, and dispersed in punishment the whole system of those who acted with them. Having spoken these things as a command regarding the things that were to come, he adds what follows, connecting the form of the discourse to the things signified: “And I will turn my hand upon the little shepherds.” For indeed, if any were under the leaders, wishing to act with them in their wicked administration, and they themselves also, according to some order believed to be entrusted to them, had taken care to lead in the worse direction, I will punish them too. For he calls such as these “little shepherds.”

VERS. 8, 9. — Then demonstrating the justice of the punishment: ^B “And it shall be in that day, in all the land, says the Lord, two parts of it shall perish and fail, and the third shall be left in it. And I will lead the third part through the fire; and I will refine them as silver is refined, and I will test them as gold is tested. He shall call upon my name, and I will hear him. And I will say: This is my people; and he shall say: The Lord is my God.” For, he says, the matter itself shows that such as these undergo a just punishment, who caused such a leaning of the people toward the worse, that two parts of the people, having fallen into vice, were handed over to punishment—yet he says “two parts” to mean the majority. Nevertheless, not a few lovers of honesty shall still remain, although these are fewer than those—for this is what “the third part” denotes—who, as if by some fire, tested by the weight of the evils inflicted upon them, gave a greater proof of their own virtue, having suffered very many evils, yet nowhere departing from the affection for me; and they looked toward my help and attained it; and because I have made them my own, promising my care, they in turn have placed all their affairs in me, having entrusted everything to my mastery and providence. And having again spoken of the prevailing of evil through the wickedness of those who were badly in charge, and of the punishment subsequently brought upon them, he contrasts it with the providence which he steadfastly afforded to those who remained around him.

CAP. XIV.

VERS. 1–4. — “Behold, the day of the Lord comes, and your spoils shall be divided in you. And I will gather all nations against Jerusalem for war; and the city shall be taken, and the houses shall be plundered, and the women shall be defiled; and half of the city shall go into captivity; and the rest of my people shall not perish from the city.” The time is at hand, he says, in which a very great multitude of foreigners shall make an expedition against Jerusalem, and they shall plunder it entirely from within. And it shall indeed be taken by the enemy, and all things that were in the houses shall be plundered; and the victors shall be possessed by such madness, that they shall not even refrain from violating the bodies of the women, and they shall lead off very many citizens as captives. ^D

to refrain from violence against the bodies of women, and had taken many prisoners from the city; but even with these things happening because of the wickedness of others, those who held fast to my favor were kept safe in the city by my care. ^A Then, furthermore, he speaks of the divine help from which all things were changed for them for the better under the leadership of the Maccabees. God, he says, will go before his own people as if in a battle formation, according to the law of war, acting as their general and drawing up in battle array against the enemies. Standing, he says, upon the Mount of Olives opposite Jerusalem, he will shake the mountain and move everything before the city and the city itself, so that the mountain will seem to be rent in various ways by the fear of the shifting, and the events of that time will seem to resemble those that occurred during the earthquake which, under king Uzziah, came to pass because of divine wrath. He speaks, then, hyperbolically, as is his habit, and that by the magnitude of the aid which he provides to his own people and his indignation against the enemies, everything will seem, as it were, to be shaken. He used the comparison to Uzziah, because he too, having no share at all in the priesthood, attempted to seize it; for which reason God showed his own indignation by the magnitude of the earthquake. In the same way now, too, he says, because of those who with an impious mind have thrust aside the legal order and have dared to usurp the priesthood contrary to what is right, God will show his great indignation, shaking everything to the punishment of the enemies, but for the salvation of his own people. To these he adds:

Verse 5-7. — “And the Lord my God will come, and all the saints with him.” For from the greatness of events, he says, God will appear as if having come from afar for our aid, leading his entire army with him, that is, the invisible powers; for he calls these by the name of saints, who are accustomed to minister according to his every will in human affairs. “And it shall be in that day, there shall be no light, but cold and frost will be in one day.” He does not mean literally light or cold and frost, but rather, as is his custom, that the sun will be obscured or will set for them, or other things of this kind; just as those who are in calamities have no sense of light, but seem to be enclosed in a certain darkness. So here also he says: by the magnitude of the events, men will seem not even to see the light, but struck by cold and frost, they will remain in trembling and shaking, gnashing their teeth because of the magnitude of the evils occurring at the advent of God, according to the Lord’s word: “There will be the gnashing of teeth.” — “And that day is known to the Lord.” ^C That is to say, such things happen according to the will of God, since it was pleasing to him that these things should happen then; such as the saying: “The Lord knows those who are his”; ^D that is, he has made them his familiar ones and counted them among his loved ones. Thus he says the day is known to the Lord, that is to say, pleasing to him, because by his decree such things happen on that day, for the punishment of enemies and the salvation of friends. “And it shall not be day nor night, and after evening there shall be light.” With evils looming, such

^A darkness will be poured forth over everyone that there shall be no distinction between night and day; so will darkness take hold of all things. But light will succeed these things (for this is what “after evening” means), that is to say, divine assistance; since all these events come to pass for the punishment of enemies, that He might reconcile His own people to Himself. Therefore, He adds through these things:

Vers. 8-11. — “And on that day shall living water flow out of Jerusalem.” That is to say, then a pure and legitimate priesthood shall be established in the city of Jerusalem, ^B and a leadership pleasing to God, and a teaching in accordance with divine laws, which shall be useful not only to the nations of that time, but also to those who come after them. For by the “former sea” he means those of that time, and by the “latter” those who come after them; to which he added, “It shall be so in summer and in spring,” intending to say that in every season, through divine providence, the better things shall prevail. And in this way, he says, over all the earth, the Maker and Lord of all shall be recognized and acknowledged as the only God. For He, through the things that He does, demonstrates His ^C own providence and power; and through the land, all (that is, the men of his own nation) will persevere henceforth free from all error, calling only upon Him as God. Then he recalls various places, wishing to say through all things that in every part adjacent to our region, God will consistently be recognized and worshipped, every fraud and impiety being driven away from us. With this knowledge, he says, all those who are devoted to our nation will henceforth dwell in Jerusalem securely, and there will no longer be anyone in the nation rejoicing in impiety or alienated from God; for this is what is meant by, “And there shall be no more anathema.” For as the blessed Paul says, ^D “If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be anathema.” Consequently, he says, there will no longer be such a thing, since there will no longer be anyone alienated from God; and Jerusalem will henceforth remain inhabited by all with great safety, which it will possess through divine protection on account of its own pursuit of virtue. And in these things the prophecy brings to a close its account of the Maccabean affairs, and of the events of those times, and of the future sins of the people, and of the evils to be inflicted by the hand of adversaries, and also of the care which God will show them, bestowing His own assistance upon the followers of the good. From there, however, he resumes the matters mentioned by him before the Maccabean times, where, having recounted the blessings to be bestowed upon the Jewish nation through Zorobabel, he had added the slaughter of the armies of Gog. He resumes the prediction of these things again in this place as well, inasmuch as they were soon to happen, so that those things which had recently come to pass concerning Gog might give credibility even to those things which were to happen after a very long interval—the Maccabean events, I mean—and thus the prophet might conclude his vaticination with a more useful prediction. He says, therefore:

^A Ver. 12-19. — « And this shall be the plague wherewith the Lord will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem. » For, he says, they shall overcome that great and invincible nation by divine power; as if, while they were standing, their flesh were to waste away, nor would they be allowed to proceed to the battle, God preventing their assault by the punishment brought upon them. Moreover, the power of seeing shall be taken away from them by the magnitude of the evils overwhelming them, and they shall be speechless through the straits of these events. In sum, such a sudden confusion of mind from the divine wrath shall seize them, that each one, turning his own hand against his neighbor, shall not even know it, but shall think he is striking strangers, and they shall become the authors of mutual slaughter, and the greater part of them shall fall struck by their own rather than by the Jews. But while they are being tested in such evils, Judas, he says, will also draw up in battle array in Jerusalem; ^B by which he means that he will go forth confidently to the war against them, led by Zorobabel, who has been established as their king by divine judgment. And thus they shall prevail over their enemies, so that all their possessions—gold and silver and clothing, and whatever good thing they might have had with them—these they shall take away and increase their own wealth. For this is what he said: « And he shall gather the strength of all the nations round about, » calling their « strength » the resources from which they derived their power. Explaining which, he adds: « And gold and silver and clothing in very great abundance. » To these he adds that there shall be a great destruction of horses and mules and camels and asses and all the beasts of burden they had with them, which they had brought with them, deeming them somehow necessary for the war. Their death, he says, and destruction shall be such and so great; but as many of them as shall be saved, acknowledging the power of God from the things they have suffered, shall impose upon themselves a law of ascending continually to the city of Jerusalem, there to pay the due homage to God, and also to observe the feast of Tabernacles, since the summer season is convenient for those who come from afar. And for many who do not fulfill this out of pride, I shall bring a penalty, denying rain and the fruitfulness of crops, so that they may recognize that they have neglected the honor of the universal Lord. And if the inhabitants of Egypt, or if any others at any time should adopt this perverse mind, they shall suffer the same penalty. He wishes to say, however, that many of the strangers, terrified by the magnitude of the events, will flock from various places to the city of Jerusalem, ^C offering the due homage to God, and expecting a penalty if they do not do this. To these he adds:

Ver. 20. — « In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, Holiness unto the Lord Almighty; and the pots in the Lord's house shall be like the bowls before the face of the altar. » He means to say that many things shall be offered to God by the Israelites from the spoils which they had taken from the enemies, many indeed and innumerable. Just as the blessed

^A David, after the slaughter of Goliath, dedicated the sword to God, so also here he says that they shall offer to God the bridles of the horses which they had taken from those who had been slain. For by the bridle, as by a part, he intended to designate the rest of the arms and spoils which they were about to offer, each bringing from the spoils what seemed good according to his own intention. Hence he adds that many basins shall also be brought, which the enemies had carried with them, thinking them suitable for the boiling of meats, and which, due to their multitude, shall stand in the house of God in the place of bowls.

He wished, by the bridles, to designate the offering of arms, and by the basins, that of wealth; this being the customary way of Holy Scripture to denote a multitude by a part, whenever it judges a precise enumeration of the parts to be superfluous. Certainly, in this case, it was superfluous to enumerate one by one the spears, swords, breastplates, basins, and whatever else is for human use—for example, dishes, cups, and anything else of that sort. But by a part, as I have just said and often noted, he shows that he designates the whole. Now, to show the use of the offered basins, he proceeds thus:

VERS. 21. And every basin in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holy to the Lord Almighty; and all who sacrifice shall come, and shall take of them, and shall boil in them.

For the basins that have been brought forward, he says, shall be holy, as being henceforth dedicated to God. Hence there shall be abundance for those who bring the sacrifices, having the means properly to boil and perform the sacrifices as is fitting. For does not Holy Scripture speak thus in the first book of Kings, while recounting the iniquity of the sons of Eli? Namely, that the priest’s boy would come, having a three-pronged flesh-hook in his hand, and would cast the flesh-hook into the basin, or the pot, or the caldron; and all that the flesh-hook brought up, the priest took for himself. He wishes therefore to say that for those assembling at Jerusalem for the worship of God, there shall be such an abundance of basins as they have need of for the fulfillment of the rite of sacrifices. To these he adds: ^B

And there shall be no Chanaanite any more in the house of the Lord Almighty in that day.

Because the Chanaanites were infamous for their irreligion and the depravity of their morals, he implies by this that the prophet means that all the people of Israel will henceforth cease from impiety or any moral malice, having been taught by the events themselves how great a good is piety and the pursuit of virtue. Thus also the blessed Oseas says: "Chanaan, in his hand is a balance of iniquity, he loved to oppress violently. And Ephraim said: Yet I have become rich, I have found consolation for myself." By the name of Chanaanites, he calls those Israelites who did illicit things, imitating the ways of the Chanaanites.

COMMENTARY ON MALACHI THE PROPHET. COMMENTARY ON THE PROPHET MALACHI.

^A When the blessed prophets Haggai and Zechariah were prophesying by divine inspiration after the return of the people from Babylon, blessed Haggai discoursed with the people concerning the building of the temple and also foretold the destruction of Gog; blessed Zechariah said the same things, but added the events concerning the Maccabees, which happened a long time later, and he set forth many and various revelations by which he manifested the variety of God’s benefits toward them, and provided a teaching capable of leading them sufficiently toward piety and the probity of their morals. ^B But since the Jews, having been deemed worthy of divine providence and the return from Babylon, and having obtained very many good things and having been established in great prosperity, did not make good use of this ease—both the priests and all the people sinning, insomuch that they did not even perform the sacrifices prescribed by the Law with what was fitting—it was necessary that this present prophet, chosen for this purpose by divine operation, should reprove the sins of the priests and the people alike. What sort of sins these were, anyone may learn better from the writings themselves. He also foretells some things to come. The name of the prophet, in the language of the Greeks, is "angel"; but in the language of the Hebrews, "Malachi"; for it is the custom of the Hebrews to call an angel thus. Wherefore, in the Greek tongue he is called "angel" instead of Malachi. He speaks as follows:

CHAP. I.

VERS. 1, 2. — "The burden of the word of the Lord upon Israel in the hand of his angel." ^C This is to say that the work of prophecy was entrusted by divine operation to the angel for the reproof of Israel; for by this name he wished to denote the priests and the people together, as all were commonly called Israelites. Then, after this customary preamble or title for prophetic books, the prophet begins his own discourse thus: "Consider your hearts." ^D He addresses those who had hitherto neglected their bounden duties in an excellent manner. He therefore commands them now to think of what is needful to be done, and to consider what they had been doing and how far they had wandered from rectitude, so that they might provide some correction for their faults. Then, after this exhortation and admonition, by which he rendered them more diligent in their duty, he continues: "I have loved you, says the Lord." For he rightly reminds the ungrateful of his love before all else, so that they might be judged thereby, being convicted of the depravity of their own conduct. "And you said: Wherein have you loved us?" Yet it was known to all,

^A how many good things He had been the cause of for them, whether those which had existed from the beginning, or those occurring frequently thereafter, and indeed those which had happened recently. But it is the custom of divine Scripture to use a word instead of a fact, and to signify with a word the disposition of those who do some things. For example: "I said: Who will see them?"—that is, they behaved as though no one were watching what was happening; for they did not actually say such a thing. And: "For he said in his heart: I shall not be moved from generation to generation, without evil." He means: They behaved as though they were never to suffer any evil. One could gather many such [examples], which it is not the time now to collect. Thus, then, He says here too: "And you said: Wherein have you loved us?"—that is, having been loved by Me, and having been frequently benefited, you behaved with wicked and ungrateful minds, as though you had never been loved by Me, nor had ever enjoyed any of the benefits which it was possible for you to perceive in terms of how much you had received in comparison to others. ^B

Verses 3-5

land of theirs I have laid waste for your sake, exacting punishment from them for the things they dared to perpetrate against you; and I have turned their entire estate into a wilderness, bringing upon them such a great and truly wretched ruin that, even if they should ever desire to change and amend their affairs, and to rebuild their desolate cities and lands, they could achieve nothing. For I have decreed a wilderness against them, and it is in no way possible for their state to be restored; for even if they should attempt to build, I shall tear it down again; so that those places are called the Border of Iniquity, being desolate on account of wickedness. ^A But towards you, I have so determined to perform everything good, that you yourselves, having become spectators of the benefits bestowed upon you, might recognize the power of God, who gladdens your life with such great good things.

Vers. 6. ^B—Then, intensifying the reproach, "A son honors his father, and a servant will fear his master. And if I am a father, where is My honor? And if I am a Lord, where is My fear? says the Lord Almighty." It is the duty of children, he says, to perform such things as befit the ornament and glory of their parents; and it is the duty of servants to serve the commands of their masters with much fear. But I, he says, am your Lord, as One who brought you from non-existence into being; and through exceeding philanthropy and kindness, I made you My own and deigned to call you My sons; and I have granted you the emboldened right to call Me your Father. But I see you grateful in no respect: for you neither strive to honor Me as a father by the honesty of your deeds, nor, fearing Me as a Lord, do you take My commands into account. Thus, having made the reproach common against all, he then distinguishes both the persons and the deeds, and addressing the priests specifically, he says: "You, O priests, who despise My name." ^C You, he says, who have been entrusted with the divine ministry, and who ought to be leaders to the rest in matters of excellence, you live in such a way that you show absolutely no worthy respect toward Me to those who observe your conduct. "And you said, In what have we despised Your name?" Similarly, in this place also, he says "you said," meaning, "On account of your extreme listlessness, you do not even have an awareness of such a great sin, but are so disposed in your mind as if you were doing nothing improper, although you are bearing such a massive weight of sin."

Vers. 7. ^D—Then he relates the actual deed: "You offer polluted bread upon My altar." For you do not perform the setting out of the bread according to the teaching of the Law, nor according to the Mosaic regulations with care, but taking common bread as it happened, contrary to what was ordained, you place it upon the table. He calls the leavened bread "polluted," for it was clearly contrary to the Law, which commanded that the bread to be offered upon the altar be unleavened, and that it contain no leaven at all. For, he says, "Every offering that you offer to God, you shall make without leaven." And since this was so explicitly

^A commanded, it was quite contrary to the law to offer the bread with leaven; for which he justly expostulates with them, as they were openly doing things contrary to the law. "And you said, 'In what have we defiled them?'" And this too, he says, you do, and you do not even wish to consider the absurdity of what is being done. For the phrase, "And you said," again refers to their disposition, so that he might say that you commit such a great offense through insensibility and inattention, as if you were doing nothing at all. "In your saying, 'The table of the Lord is despised, and the things laid upon it you have despised.'" Again, here too, when he says "in your saying," he acts in this way, manifesting the disposition instead of the act; for he wishes to say that your doing these things shows that you are not conceiving anything different in your mind, nor are you disposed in any other way, but rather as those who believe my table worthy of no respect, and therefore consider no care necessary even for the bread laid upon it; and this is the sign of this-that you perform the setting forth of the bread so lazily, not caring how it should be accomplished according to the legal ordinance. And first, indeed, he mentioned the bread, as it were the first sin; since it was most necessary that the bread set upon the table ^B should receive care, as it was in a certain way offered on behalf of the whole people; for God commanded them to be twelve in number, knowing two tribes in each, so that in the six the twelve tribes might be reckoned, for whose sake he ordered the setting forth of the bread to be made.

Vers. 8, 9. — He next adds another of their ^C faults. "Because if you bring the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? And if you bring the lame or the sickly, is it not evil?" By offering such things, he says, as sacrifices to God, you think you do not sin. And showing the absurdity of what is done: "Offer it, therefore, to your governor, if he will accept it, if he will show partiality to you, says the Lord Almighty." But if you do not perceive the absurdity of what is happening by yourself, try to offer it to the one entrusted with your governance; and see if he will accept it, if he will show respect to you for your insult; or rather, whether, as if insulted by you rather than honored, he will send you away after having insulted you in return with such an offering as that? ^D Having shown both of their absurdities, both that concerning the bread and that concerning the sacrifices, he adds: "And now, appease the face of your God, and supplicate Him, that He may have mercy on you." But even if you have corrected your former sins by what you do hereafter, and having ceased to act in such a way, still ask for forgiveness from God regarding past things. And, frightening them with reason: "These things have come to pass by your hands." For you have the experience of evils close at hand; to which you fell not long ago because of the negligence of duty, of which, being mindful, you ought to apply all zeal to what is good. "Shall I receive faces from you, says the Lord Almighty?" From which you ought to know that not even now will I have respect for you while you are sinning, unless you should bring about some correction via repentance for the faults committed by you.

^A Ver. 10-12. — «For even among you the doors shall be shut, and you shall not kindle my altar for nothing.» It is not difficult for me even now to make my temple inaccessible to you and to stop you again from serving at my altar while you perform such things; which indeed I have already done, handing over the temple to fire, since I observed you sinning intolerably within it, and handing you over into captivity, in which, being settled, you were unable to perform anything pertaining to the priestly ministry. «I have no pleasure in you, says the Lord Almighty, and I will not accept a sacrifice from your hands.» Know well that as long as you act in this way, I shall turn away from whatever is done by you, and I will not admit your sacrifices; so you shall not bear away the profit for which you make the offering of sacrifices in hope. «For from the rising of the sun even unto its setting my name shall be glorified among the nations, and in every place incense is offered to my name, and a pure sacrifice; for my name is great among the nations, says the Lord Almighty.» Everywhere, he says, in the world all the inhabitants of every region follow my name. For individuals are eager to worship God and to venerate his name as of a Prince and Master; for such I truly am: so that, even if, deceived by error, they bestow [my name] upon those to whom it is not fitting, nevertheless they all in some way still honor my name, and in my name they perform sacrifices, while they judge the Divinity to be the greatest and most excellent of all things. You, however, appear to treat with contumely the thing that is great and venerable by the opinion of all, because while you judge my table profane, and as having nothing more than others, and you do not deem what you place upon it worthy of any care, and offering these things to me, you are ^B manifestly injurious to my name; hence, I say, it is evident that God is held in low esteem by you, who in the judgment of all is great and terrible and august and rightly exceeds all things.

Ver. 13, 14. — «And you said, These things are from trouble; and I blew them away, says the Lord Almighty.» Then you, he says, boast as if you were offering [what was gained] from labor and sweat and hardship; but I rejected these, seeing so much contempt in your offering. «And you bring in what is torn, and the lame, and the sick; and you offer them as a sacrifice; shall I accept them from your hands? says the Lord Almighty.» Since you bring such things even in your sacrifices, I was all the more sending them away as base and offered from a base mind. Then also establishing a law: «And cursed is he who was able and had in his flock a male; and his prayer ^C is in it; and he sacrifices corrupted things to the Lord; for I am a great king, says the Lord Almighty, and my name is manifest among the nations.» Whoever, he says, has made a vow upon a sacrifice, and being wealthy and able to bring from his possessions to his flock a male and an approved one, and one worthy to be offered to God; if, however, he does not offer it, but some base and corrupted thing to God,

he is worthy of the ultimate punishment; since while having ^A in abundance what is due to God, the Lord of all, and who is known to all men by the greatness of His own nature, he offers things that are not such.

CAP. II.

VERS. 1, 2. — « And now, O ye priests, this commandment is to you. If you will not hear, and if you will not lay it to heart, to give glory to my name, saith the Lord Almighty: I will send upon you cursing, and I will curse your blessing, and I will curse it, and I will scatter your blessing: and it shall not be in you, because you do not lay it to heart. » I, indeed, decree these things concerning you who perform the priestly ministry; for if you do not now wish to heed my words with diligence, and by the diligence of your ministry render to God the glory that is due and fitting to Him, I shall inflict upon you a most great punishment; and this honor, which you meanwhile enjoy, I shall turn into disgrace and an experience of hardships; and I shall strip you of all priestly honor, so that no one of you may succeed to this rank. For it is clear that by "curse" He denotes punishment and the experience of hardships, and by "blessing," the enjoyment of good things. Wherefore He also thus speaks of the priesthood, as being the cause of many good things, both for those who possess it, and for those for whose sake it happens to be practiced.

VERS. 3, 4. — Then, in order to demonstrate His indignation more fully: « Behold, I will cast the shoulder into your faces, and I will scatter the dung upon your faces, and I will take you to it, » He says. It had been commanded by the law that the shoulder should be set apart for God as something choice from the sacrifices. Therefore, I will no longer accept even this from you, since I, needing nothing, had established that it should be done so for your own benefit. But since you show such contempt for me, that you think to honor me with such a thing—by offering the shoulder to me—I turn it back upon you, providing it as an argument of my indignation. Indeed, I will allow you to eat this together with the dung of animals; since this is worthy to be offered by you during the solemnities which you pollute by the wickedness of your deeds, and I shall bring upon all of you a common punishment for the things you have committed. For this is what the words signify: « I will take you to it. » ^B « And you shall know that I, the Lord, have sent this commandment to you, that my covenant might be with the Levites, saith the Lord Almighty. » Then, from the ignominy and punishment that will overtake you, you will accurately recognize my power and virtue, and [you will recognize] that I had raised you to the priestly dignity from the beginning for the sake of doing you good, having established such covenants with you, that, enjoying the honor granted by me, you might do all things for the benefit of those for whose sake you hold the priesthood. But you, however, have made light of none of these things, but have trampled underfoot what was given to you, ^{C D}

and with such great sloth have surrendered my ministry. ^A

Vers. 5-7.

Vers. 8-10.

^A the law," that is, you were unwilling to rebuke those who were sinning against the law. "Has not one God created you? Has not one Father of you all? Why then have you each forsaken your brother, to profane the covenant of your fathers?" And yet, he says, you and he—meaning Aaron—were created by one God, and you were judged worthy of the same care and honor; for to you both he spoke in common: "I said: You are gods, and all of you sons of the Most High," which statement applies especially to those who have taken upon themselves the priestly office, and from that station serve as leaders of the people. From where, then, have you acquired such corruption of manners, that while he labored to reform the men of his time and diligently urged them to their duty, you neglect your brothers who are subject to the priesthood, who are sinning so greatly and, as it were, trampling underfoot the observance of my laws? What then happened?

VERS. 11, 12.—"Judas is forsaken, and an abomination is committed in Israel and in Jerusalem, because Judas has profaned the holy things of the Lord which He loved, and has devoted himself to alien gods." Therefore, because the people were performing illicit acts, and for you priests there was no concern for their correction, you were deprived of my providence and went into captivity; for, of course, having neglected the worship of God, which ought especially to have been observed by you with vehement care, you turned to ^B the service of idols. And so, transferring his words from the priests to all, as if the rest were also involved in the same wickedness of the priests, he adds these things for the sake of common castigation: "The Lord will destroy the man who has done this, until he is humbled from the tabernacles of Jacob, and from those offering sacrifice to the Lord Almighty." Unless you retreat from this way of life, all-encompassing ruin will seize you all, so that the rest may arrive at extreme abjection; and then you, too, from the priestly function and the sacrifices which you pretend to offer for others, will receive no benefit, neither for yourselves nor for them. Thereafter he passes to another of their sins. For having returned from captivity, and having obtained the happiness granted by God, they turned to a lascivious life, having abandoned their former wives and cast the eye of desire upon others; and those women who had lived with them for a long time, and had even been participants in the evils of the captivity, they now rashly cast out, and were clinging to others out of lust. ^C Now when no help was brought to the miserable women, and no one was rebuking these deeds, the women themselves, necessarily unable to bear the injury and ignominy, for that reason fled to God with many tears and many wailings, and implored the providence of God as in a desperate case. For this reason he continues to speak thus: ^D

^A

COMMENTARY ON MALACHI CHAPTER II.

VERS. 13.—"And these things which I hated ye did; ye covered the altar of the Lord with tears, and with weeping and with groaning because of the labors. Is it yet worthy to look upon your sacrifice, or to receive it as acceptable from your hands?" ^B "Ye covered the altar of the Lord with tears, and with weeping and with groaning"—he says this not to those who were lamenting, but to those who were the cause of this. For God was not about to reproach those women who, because of such great straits and injury, were compelled to flee to God and to weep over their calamities; rather, it is evident that He justly expresses indignation against those who were doing the injury and who were the causes of such wailing and tears. Therefore, he says "ye covered" instead of "ye caused to be covered." Ye were doing, he says, that very thing which is above all most forbidden to me, and which appears worthy of much hatred. To which he adds most appropriately: "Is it yet worthy to look upon your sacrifice, or to receive it as acceptable from your hands?" For how, he says, is it possible for me to accept a sacrifice or anything else offered by you, while your wives, because of so many injuries and insolent acts which they suffer from you, are crying out to me with so much weeping and such great wailing? To disregard these would be unseemly for me; so that even if I were to disregard the offenses committed by you against me, I would not be able to bear with equanimity the injuries done to your wives. ^C And this is similar to that saying of the Lord in the Gospels: "If thou offer thy gift at the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way first; be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift." For as there he says that the offering is in vain before the person who has been wronged has been satisfied, so here he says that it is not possible for me to accept anything offered by you, so long as those who have been so wronged by you are groaning.

VERS. 14, 15.—"And ye said, Wherefore?" Here again, using the word "ye said" in the same way, he says, in effect: Ye commit such an evil, and yet ye act as if ye had done nothing, being in such a state of mind in the midst of such great wickedness. Then, showing the depravity of the act done, he adds: "Because the Lord hath testified between thee and between the wife of thy youth, whom thou hast deserted, and she is thy companion, and the wife of thy covenant; and no other hath done so, and the remnant of thy spirit." For I, he says, from above and from the first beginning of creation, ordained that a man should leave father and mother, and should cleave to his own wife, so that the two might be one flesh. ^D But ye have so greatly neglected my laws that, having sent away her who was joined to you in marriage from her youth, and who had become a companion of your life, without any cause, ye have thrust her out of her own house, with whom for you there were, through the marriage laws, such covenants—so that ye should be one flesh, and should possess all things in common. Afterward, nevertheless, these

^A dismiss, and, being joined to another on account of lust, you pass to her. Neither do you consider that marriage was established for the succession of the race, so that the human stock, which is extinguished by death, might be preserved by the procreation of children; so that marriage is said by God to be a device for succession. For this is what the words, "the remnant of thy spirit," mean, that is to say: since you are about to lay down the life of the present time (as it is said, "his spirit shall go forth and man shall return to his dust"), so that you may not seem to perish utterly, God left to you succession as a memory and a remnant of your substance and person. Therefore, looking to the cause of marriage, it behooved you to revere this matter, and not to sin against the laws ordained of old by God concerning these things, but to keep them inviolate and to persevere in the marriage of the former wives, whom you have taken for the aforesaid causes, and not rather, urged by lust, having dismissed the first, to pass to second wives.

Tum mirabiliter admodum addidit: "Et dixistis: Quidnam quærit Deus aliud quam semen?" Because they seemed to be receiving children even from illegitimate wives, "This," he says, "you do, not because you revere the sacred laws of marriage established by God, but because, like beasts, you apply yourselves only to coitus and to procreation; and as if you were so fashioned by God, you so dismiss the former wives and pass to others, thinking it makes no difference whether you receive children from these or from those: when you ought to know that the free license of propagation is fitting for brutes, but for rational beings, the bond of marriage according to God's laws, and the wish to acquire succession for themselves from these. For even here the word, "ye have said," does not denote a vocal utterance; for it could not happen that they should say that God seeks nothing else ^B than seed, but he wishes to demonstrate the depraved affection of their mind; and that they did all things, not as rational men who ought to live by divine laws, but as beasts, desiring only coitus and propagation ^C. Then he also adds the law: "And guard yourselves in your spirit; and do not desert the wife of thy youth." Therefore, with all care, apply yourselves henceforth to living with the wives you once took, with a becoming affection, and do not dismiss them. And because God himself commanded through Moses that a bill of divorce be given to wives, he shows how great is the difference between both things, saying: ^D

Vers. 16. — "But if you should hate her, dismiss her, says the Lord God of Israel." If ever, from the bitterness of a woman, or a depraved character, or any vice making her worthy of hatred, you have been led to such a judgment concerning her, then I have commanded you to dismiss her—not, indeed, dissolving the nuptial law, but, from the circumstances of the present case, not so much permitting you to dismiss her because of your complaint, as that lest daily

^A quarrels with her should result in some long and protracted struggle, and perhaps you might even arm your hand for the murder of your wife. For thus also the Lord, when the Pharisees in the Gospels asked, "Why then did Moses command to give a bill of divorcement?" replied, "Because of the hardness of your hearts Moses allowed this; but from the beginning it was not so. For He who created at the beginning, made them male and female," and said, "For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and the two shall be one flesh." He means by this that it would indeed have been most excellent to remain according to the primordial law in the duty owed to one another, with husband and wife joined in life together; but seeing your unbridled passions, He commanded that if, by chance, complaints arose between you with more severe exasperation, the wife should rather be dismissed than that the husband, out of hatred, should proceed to a plan of murder. Then, because it could happen that, even when the wife provided no cause, the husband might feign hatred out of a desire for another woman, He says, "Iniquity shall reveal your thoughts." If, therefore, with things standing thus, you have divorced the wives formerly joined to you on a feigned pretext, God is the investigator of your iniquities. Then He well added, "And take heed to your spirit, and do not desert the covenant." ^B With your whole mind and due affection of soul, guard the nuptial law and keep inviolate the pacts into which you originally entered for matrimonial life.

Vers. 17

^A

CHAPTER III.

VERS. 1. — "Behold, I send my messenger, and he shall look to the way before my face: and suddenly the Lord, whom you seek, shall come to his temple, and the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire." Since, therefore, you speak such things, and seek from me a care for justice in the form of punishment, I shall send an angel who will serve my pleasure. For the words, "He shall look to the way before my face," mean this: that is, he will take pains, as a kind of forerunner, to execute my will. But I shall also be suddenly present with him, manifesting myself by my works in the temple; since, in all things that come to pass by the decree of God, the ministry of angels is indeed understood, but it is God who works in them through the things which He commands to be done. Thus, He also calls the manna "the food of angels" as having ministered: "Man," he says, "ate the bread of angels"; but as being of God, because He commanded it to be given: "For He commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven, and rained down manna upon them to eat." Furthermore, He uses the word "shall come" in His customary way, as when God, the cause of the things being accomplished, becomes visible in matters done by the ministry of an angel—as is also ^B the case in the blessed David: "He bowed the heavens, and descended; and darkness was under his feet": that is, that He came for our help, and we perceived it from the works. Wherefore, after He said, "The Lord, whom you seek, shall come to his temple," He added, "and the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire," showing that God will manifest His own presence in things that occur through the ministry of the angel. "I therefore," He says, "shall come, whom you seek as the avenger of sins. Together with Me shall be present the angel who serves the covenants which I have often made with you; whom, when you seek, you shall find to be the avenger of your transgression of them." The prophet has said these things in agreement with what preceded. And it is not to be wondered at that this statement was pronounced concerning the advent of the blessed John the Baptist, because the oracle was then shown to be true by the facts themselves, after the blessed John, the forerunner and minister of the decrees of God, arrived; and together with him appeared also He to whom he bore witness, Christ the Lord, in whom the salvation of all men was to be ^C accomplished.

VERS. 2. — The prophet, consistent with himself, presently follows up: "Behold, he comes, says the Lord Almighty. And who shall endure the day of his coming? or who shall stand at his appearing?" For when, he says, God comes as an avenger of things done amiss, no one among you who now dares to say these things will bear the weight of the punishment. It is clear that in these words he is predicting to them the evils that were to happen under the Maccabees, which the people suffered, to be sure, because of their own wickedness. Therefore, whoever thinks that this expression fits Christ the Lord, and was uttered concerning none other than Him, seems to be ignorant of the nature of the things ^D written here

and of the things accomplished by the dispensation of the Lord Christ at His coming; for although, in the office of a judge, He distinguished the wicked among the Jews from the better sort—transferring those who believed in Him to a better state, and subjecting the disbelievers to punishment—yet it is clear that in a general sense the aim of His coming was that which blessed John declared, saying: “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1, 29). And what follows further reveals the intent of these words. For He adds:

Verses 3, 4. — “For he is entering like the fire of a furnace and like the herb of launderers; and he will sit [as one] smelting and purifying like silver and like gold; and he will purify the sons of Levi, and will pour them out like gold and like silver; and they shall be to the Lord [those] bringing an offering in righteousness, and the offering of Judah in Jerusalem will please the Lord, as in the days of the age and as in the former years.”

^A But there will be some gain, he says, for you from the punishment then to be inflicted. For, just as fire in a furnace purifies silver and gold, or as the herb of launderers cleanses a garment, so God will purify with the calamities then brought upon you all those who dare to perform the priesthood unworthily; so that, having been disciplined by the evils that befall them, they may henceforth offer sacrifices to God as it is lawful to offer to a God who is the overseer of righteousness, to whom indeed it is proper to fulfill the ministry with great fear, knowing that He is also able to punish those who wish to neglect Him. Then, he says, the Jews in Jerusalem will offer sacrifices pleasing to God, in accordance with the prior time in which it was lawful for those who were righteous at the time—being diligent in their proper duty—to offer their own sacrifices. But neither the ^B words “He will purify the sons of Levi,” nor the passage “The offering of Judah in Jerusalem will please the Lord,” will fit if one thinks that the things said pertain to the Lord Christ. For not only the sons of Levi received purification then, but all people; to whom therefore the utterance of the blessed Paul is fitting: “Purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, as you are unleavened.” (1 Cor. 5, 7). But not even the offering of Judah in Jerusalem became acceptable to God at that time; quite the contrary, when all legal sacrifice ceased from being offered in Jerusalem—for it passed away along with the possession of the place—a sacrifice unspoken and rational was manifested (71), which, for the remembrance of the Passion ^C of the Lord and of the resurrection from there, we do not offer in the city of Jerusalem, but everywhere in the world, whoever of us believe. “Believe me, woman,” He says, “for the hour is coming when neither in Jerusalem nor in this place will you worship the Father.” (John 4, 21). And stating the reason for this: ^D

“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth; for the Father seeks such as these to worship Him,” clearly demonstrating that while He rejected those who circumscribed divine worship to Jerusalem and Samaria, He greatly values these lovers of truth, who everywhere on earth offer sacrifice in the same way to the God who is the Creator of all things and who is equally present everywhere. ^B Verumtamen these things were appropriately spoken for the time of the Maccabees; for since there were very many sins both of those who seemed to perform the priesthood and of the people, God cast them into the war of the Macedonian succession, by whom they were entangled in many calamities. But with Judas Maccabeus undertaking the guardianship of the divine law and waging war on its behalf against the then-reigning kings of the Macedonians, a great change for the better occurred for the entire nation. For having obtained God’s aid, the Maccabees both defeated the kings and, having punished their wicked ministers, restored the entire nation to order and prosperity: so that the divine laws flourished among them, and all the iniquity that had previously spread widely was expelled: and finally, the priesthood and all its proper ministry was performed with due rite. This indeed the blessed Zechariah also signified in his discourses. Therefore, he says this now as well: namely, “Since you seek judgment, the time will come when I will punish your sins, and by inflicting evils I will make you more temperate; and as if purging you from your ancient sins by a furnace, I will prepare you for the observance of all duties pleasing to God, and indeed even to offer sacrifices well-pleasing to God.” Subjoining to these, since he had narrated the utility of the punishments to be inflicted upon them, that he would provide a more perfect correction for them, he says thus: ^C VERS. 5-7. “And I will approach you in judgment.” That is, I will appear to you to judge your works. “And I will be a swift witness against sorcerers, and against adulterers, and against those who swear by my name with falsehood, and against those who defraud the hireling of his wages, and those who oppress widows, and those who strike orphans, and who pervert the judgment of the stranger, and who do not fear me, says the Lord Almighty.” By these words he certainly shows for how many and how great committed iniquities they are about to pay the penalty. Now, he says the expression “Swift witness” for “I will bring swift punishment,” inasmuch as I know accurately everything regarding you: and against all people entirely, whoever freely, having abandoned fear of me, adhere to wickedness, I will declare this punishment. Soon he adds: “Because I, the Lord your God, do not change. And you, sons of Jacob, do not depart from the sins of your fathers, ^D

^A you have turned aside from my statutes, and have not kept them. For I am always consistent with myself, knowing when it is proper to be patient, and likewise knowing the time for punishment; but you are exact imitators of your fathers' sins, being, like them, violators of my laws and taking no account of their observance, for which you shall receive a just punishment.

VERS. 8-10

^A *Vers. 11-12.* “Return therefore in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “if I do not open to you the windows of heaven, and pour out for you my blessing until there is enough. And I will distribute for you for food, and I will not corrupt the fruits of your land, and your vine in the field shall not be weak,” says the Lord Almighty. “And all nations shall call you blessed, for you shall be a desirable land,” says the Lord Almighty. Come, he says, be converted and amend all these things. For you will see how I will provide for you copious rain, and how I will supply you with an abundance of produce to satiety. For this is what the words denote, “my blessing until there is enough,” so that from these things you may have rich nourishment. For the words, “I will distribute to you for food,” signify that all your fruits will be preserved for you unharmed, with your vine also providing you with abundant drink, so that, because of the general abundance among you, even all outsiders will call you blessed, and declare that God truly decrees all the best for you, while granting your land plenty of produce in abundance beyond the rest.

^B *Vers. 13-16.* Then he returns to the previous discourses, as if deeming those wicked and impious ones worthy of a second admonition, and says: “You have burdened me with your words,” says the Lord Almighty. With harsh reproaches, he says, you have attacked me. “And you said, In what have we spoken against you?” Do you then not even have a sense of such great blasphemy? For the prophet everywhere here uses the word “you said,” as if reproaching them for a grave stupidity, through which they were acting wickedly, grasping no sense of the matter, but living so in their sins as if they thought they had not sinned at all. Then, explaining what the sin was: “You said,” he says, “that it is useless to serve God; for no benefit has come to us while keeping the guard of the things commanded by him; nor, when we have often entreated him, has anything of good come to us. Our affairs have reached such a state that, while we languish in straits and afflictions, we call blessed others who have no regard for the divine will, to whom things proceed for the better, although they are always opposing God, from whom, however, they suffer no harm.” “These things spoke those who feared the Lord, each to his neighbor.” These things, he says, they did not hesitate to say to one another—those who pretended to hold my fear ^C above all foreigners. To them God paid attention, and left their memory written for those who come after, for that time when they will pay the price, those who use such words and give themselves over to every kind of wickedness. But on the contrary, nothing but good will come to those who will truly observe my laws; and them, indeed, at that time when I punish the wicked, I will deem worthy of my providence, thus surely declaring that he considers them in the number of his own intimates, and that he will distribute to them all that is best, just as someone would be affected toward his own son, who showed much

had shown love at all times. Then he adds:

^A “And you shall turn and see between the just and the unjust, and between him who serves God, and him who does not serve him.” Then the distinction will become manifest between the just and the lawless, and between those who have made it their business to serve God and those who have deemed none of this worthy of concern—a clear distinction being made as to the punishment brought upon the wicked, and the goods accruing to those who are grateful, and the actual existence of both good and evil. He says these things in agreement with what was said previously regarding the events that would occur at the time of the Maccabees, when the wicked of the people received, in truth, a most heavy punishment, and those who sought after what is better obtained the greatest divine support in everything. Wherefore, ^B for a confirmation of what has been said, he adds:

CHAPTER IV

Vers. 1, 2. — “For behold, the day comes burning as an oven, and it shall burn them; and all the aliens and all those who do lawlessly shall be stubble; and the coming day shall set them on fire, says the Lord Almighty; and there shall not be left of them root or branch.” For in that time, he says, all the aliens and those who are workers of lawlessness shall be burned as if by fire, being destroyed like stubble by the punishment that comes upon them. And so much for the wicked; but what of those who fear him? “And the sun of righteousness shall rise for you who fear my name, and there is healing in his wings.” ^C For you there shall be great glory, as is fitting, granted by God on account of your benevolence toward him. And he will deliver you from all evil, covering you with his own providence as if with wings; and you shall differ in nothing from calves that are released from bonds and leap with great delight; for you shall rule over those who act lawlessly, who shall be under your feet like ashes, being deemed worthy of neither care nor any correction at that time. He says these things, as I have often said, concerning the events that occurred in the time of the Maccabees, when God, providing his own aid, punished the wicked, but established in rest and prosperity those who held fast to his laws, who ^D indeed punished and completely overcame their adversaries, not only those from among the aliens, but also those from among their own people. From which it became clear to all how great is the difference between those who serve God and those who hold the contrary view; for which reason the latter underwent a most heavy punishment, while the former obtained prosperous success and the greatest happiness. And such was the prophecy of the blessed Angel, which he made concerning the matters that pertained to the Israelites at that time, and specifically at the time of the Maccabees.

Since, however, this was the last of all the prophets who committed their own prophecies to writing, he rightly judged that he ought thereafter to demonstrate the cessation of the Law, and what things would follow.

^A “Remember the law of Moses my servant, as I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel, both statutes and judgments. And behold, I will send you Elijah the Tishbite before the great and illustrious day of the Lord comes, who shall restore the heart of the father to the son, and the heart of man to his neighbor, lest I come and smite the earth utterly.” ^B Verily, in addition to all that has been said, I hand down to you this final commandment, that you might be mindful of my law, which I imposed upon all Israel through Moses, setting forth clearly whatsoever things ought to be done by them accordingly. Thus, therefore, you will give the first sign of obedience if you receive the Lord who is coming, Christ, who will appear for the salvation of all men; and who will set an end to the Law, and demonstrate its own proper perfection. Certainly it would have been well for you immediately, and at his first coming, to believe and to acknowledge him to be the one whom Moses and all the prophets had indicated, about to set an end to the Law and to reveal the common salvation of all: from which it would also have become known to all that this is the heading and the greatest good of the whole economy of the Law, namely, that all men be led to Christ the Lord, who for the sake of such a great good was to come in his own time. But because in his present manifestation you will show your malevolence, blessed Elijah will be sent to you ^C before the second coming of Christ the Lord, which he will make from the heavens, in order that he may join together those who are divided from one another on account of religion, and also that he may draw parents into concord with their children through the knowledge of this same religion—being beforehand divided because of the cause of religion—in sum, that he may bind all men together with one and the same bond: so that those who are found to be irreligious at that time may receive the knowledge of the truth from him, and thereafter concur with the religious. This will God do, who takes care for the salvation of all men, lest perhaps, persisting in impiety, they experience his fearful coming, which occurs for the total destruction of the wicked.

God do, who takes care for the salvation of all men, lest perhaps, persisting in impiety, they experience his fearful coming, which occurs for the total destruction of the wicked.

Fragments on the Old Testament. On Genesis.

^A From the same Theodore, from the fifth book of his commentaries on creation, in which he says that both good and evil things were made by God.

Therefore, he did not bring death upon men unexpectedly or beyond his judgment, nor did he provide an entrance for sin without any utility; for indeed, he was not unable to prevent this from happening had he been unwilling, but because he knew it was useful for us, and even more for all rational beings, that an entrance for evils and worse things should first occur, and that afterwards these should be blotted out and better things introduced; for this reason God divided creation into two states, the present and the future; in the former, he intended to lead all things to immortality and immutability, while in the present state he leaves us for a time to death and mutability. For if he had made us immortal and immutable immediately from the beginning, we would have had no difference from irrational creatures, not knowing our own good. For, being ignorant of mutability, we were ignorant of the good of immutability; being ignorant of death, we did not know the gain of immortality; being ignorant of corruption, we did not praise incorruption; being ignorant of the burden of passions, we did not admire impassibility. To speak briefly, so as not to make a long discourse: being ignorant of the experience of evils, we could not deserve the knowledge of those goods.

From the same, concerning the same things, and stating that angels, and men, and demons are likewise evil.

It is necessary, however, that all rational beings—I speak of the invisible ones and ourselves, for whom the body is mortal, but the soul is in all things equal to those invisible and rational substances—should here experience the present mutability, so that we may be educated in the best doctrine of religion and be established in goodwill.

From the same, suppressing judgment, and stating that all mutable and mortal things having been made, all will again be immutable and immortal immediately after the resurrection, according to the likeness of Christ.

That which pleased God was this: to divide creation into two states: one which is the present, in which he made all things mutable; the other, which will be the one following, ^A when he will translate all things to immutability, renewing them: the principle of which he showed us in the dispensation of the Lord Christ, whom, existing from among us, he raised from the dead, and made his soul and body immortal and immutable; by which he demonstrated that this will happen regarding the entire creation.

From the same, from the fourth book on creation.

It being established for certain that, just as for us there will be, through the resurrection, both an incorruptible body and an immutable soul, in the same way it happens that invisible and rational natures also deserve the immutable, at present indeed receiving conversion, as the ten thousand demons many times turned show, but then will be with us in immutability.

From the same, from the fifth book, that God, knowing it was expedient for men that there be sin, ordained it to be so.

For he indeed knew that they would sin in every way, but he granted this to happen, knowing it was expedient for them, since it was not possible for him, who when he had made those things that were not, and had demonstrated himself the master of so many, and had proposed such great goods to be enjoyed by them, not to forbid the entrance of sin if he knew it was expedient for them. But truly it was not possible for us to learn otherwise about sin, and the burden of passions, and the worse things, and to demonstrate our own infirmity in these things, to show the ^C magnitude of the immutability which was afterwards to be granted to us, unless these things had been dispensed by God from the beginning in such a way that, by the comparison and experience of those infinite goods, we might be able to know their magnitude: and for this reason, as it would be profitable for us, by allowing sin to enter, he found great help for his battle.

From the same Theodore, refuting those things said about the flaming sword and concerning the cherubim (Gen. III).

For they call it a flaming sword, so as to say that the fire is fearfully flashing, extended in the form of a sword, so that the appearance might be doubly terrible to those seeing it, both by its nature and by its form.

^A For he does not call the cherubim invisible powers here, as some suppose; since the invisible nature had no ability there, when the sight was meant to be sensible, and such as would chastise Adam. Therefore, the flaming sword was not in its nature fire, but in its appearance; and the cherubim were not living creatures, but an appearance of such.

OTHER FRAGMENTS ON GENESIS

^B CAP. I. VERS. 14. — Theodore. Let there be lights in the heavens, he says, not as if they were fixed to them, but as though they were fulfilling their own course above them. Just as it is said concerning Adam: He placed him in paradise, not indeed as if he were fixed to the earth, but so that he might roam hither and thither upon it; in a similar way, he here commands the lights to be placed in the firmament of heaven. ^C He rightly adds, to give light upon the earth; intending to say that they might provide what is necessary for the earth. For this reason precisely were they placed in the heavens.

CAP. II. ^D VERS. 2. — And God finished on the sixth day his works which he made, and rested on the seventh day, and the rest. By these words he declares that on the sixth day he had brought all things to completion, so that he would add nothing new to them afterward, since he judged that nothing was lacking in them. He rested on the seventh day from making. For this reason, he added this day, although [it is] empty of any work and free from all creation, so that by the rest of that day he might prove that all things were already entirely perfect. For because on the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth days he had always brought forth something new, which seemed to be lacking in creation, it becomes manifest that he refrained from all work on the seventh day in order to declare by this rest that creation had finally been completed. He therefore defined the series of days by the number seven, though he could have done in the space of six days what he accomplished in the creation. Thus, those six days provide the reason for what has been made; but the seventh indicates that all things had reached their end, and that they no longer lacked anything in any respect. It is clear that nothing new has been made after the sixth day, although plants and seeds and animals are born daily. For these are not new, but according to the form of those things which were previously created, and according to the same law, in accordance with the blessing pronounced upon them by God, they grow day by day.

(a) See the complete title below.

^A Animals indeed, being devoid of reason, obtain life while they are animated by the breath of the spirit which passes through the air; but man is a participant in a nature that is itself immortal and most excellent. For God breathed into his face the breath of life, and man became a living soul. It was commanded to the former to serve and obey, but to the latter to rule and hold dominion.

Scripture did not say that the flesh became a living soul, but rather, "Man became a living soul," employing the name of man, which is common to both sexes. By this appellation, He designated that both were joined together; yet by the distinction of the creation, He had separated their natures—by the one, "And He formed dust from the earth," indicating the flesh; by the other, "And He breathed the breath of life," declaring the soul; then, bringing them together under a common term, He adds, "And man became a living soul."

^B VERSE 8. — It seems that by the name Eden, He designates the place situated to the east, in which the paradise was, not calling by this name merely some small part of the earth. For He shows that the paradise was great, if the river watering it, after its use there, was borne outside and divided into four very great rivers. And after a little: Therefore, by the name of Eden, the paradise is not named alone, but also an external region, not small, which was considered to be a part of Eden, and which lay adjacent to the paradise. Whence He says concerning Cain, "And Cain went out from the face of God, and dwelt in the land of Nod, opposite Eden" (Gen. iv, 16). You may believe, therefore, that they dwelt in Eden before, where God had appeared to them. But when later he goes forth from those places, being rejected far from God on account of his own wickedness, he subsequently dwells in another place, called Nod, which existed opposite that former place of Eden in which he had dwelt before. For so, too, when Adam was cast out of the paradise, He said that he was settled opposite the paradise. Therefore, having chosen from all the earth, as it were, a certain excellent place toward the east, named Eden, in it He fashioned the paradise, in which He wished the created man to dwell.

VERSE 19. — Not as though He had fashioned other animals from the earth after these, but because the occasion was given, He relates again those which had been produced before. The word "still" is a property of the Hebrew language. As also that saying: "And God still brought forth from the earth."

CHAPTER III

VERSE 7. — It appeared foolishly to some that what the devil had said to the woman was fulfilled by these words: "Your eyes shall be opened, and you shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." They taught this because the prophet, immediately upon the tasting of the food, adds, "And the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked." But it is to be noted that these things differ from each other in many ways. For the devil speaks of the eyes being opened in the sense that their mind would be sharper, and that they would have the power to contemplate good and evil after the likeness of God

^A but the prophet does not say this, but rather that they saw and became aware of their own nakedness. Before this, experiencing nothing regarding it, nor being ashamed, they were later moved by this nakedness in such a way that, once they understood it, they were immediately ashamed. It escapes no one that there is a reason in the mind why, upon seeing a thing, we are moved now in one way, now in another. For infants are not ashamed of their nakedness, nor those using a bath; not because they do not see it, but because this sight arouses no base feelings within them. Therefore, Adam and his companion, being newly created and not yet stained by sin, nor suspecting even any evil at all, did not consider their nakedness, nor any other aspect of their nature, to be shameful. But after they had sinned, acting contrary to the laws of God, the sense of shame was implanted in them by God as a help against sin, sufficient to curb its impulse. They necessarily received this primary notion of shame regarding the organs of procreation, so that shame might from afar deter human beings from all intemperate intercourse.

^B V. 8. — When they heard the voice of God walking, while they were still sewing the leaves, they hid themselves under the tree, evidently no different from that whose leaves they were sewing. This was the same one concerning which they had received the commandment, as the prophet testifies: *For they hid themselves*, he says, *in the midst of the tree of paradise*. From it, moreover, after eating the fruit, they plucked leaves because of their shame over their nakedness. Now these were certainly fig leaves; therefore the tree concerning which they had received the commandment was the fig tree. Some deny this, foolishly, if I am not mistaken, thinking that that tree must have been something extraordinary, not considering that the weight of sin does not depend on the quality of the tree, nor on the novelty of the food, but on the condition of the law. In whatever way it may have been violated, the guilt will be the same.

^C V. 17. — I have heard some asking: If God foresaw that Adam would violate the law, for what reason did He provide the occasion for this transgression by issuing the law? I will answer that He did this because He knew mortality would be profitable to men. For those who are immortal, if they fall, fall forever. It was therefore in our interest that, with the body of death being dissolved, the body of sin should be dissolved at the same time. But God did not set us immediately in the best state (that is, of mortality), lest He be accused of not having given immortality from the beginning. However, He first established that law which He knew would be neglected. By this means He tested men, even though immortality was promised to the obedient, while death was threatened against the rebellious, so that they might nevertheless doubt their Creator and Benefactor, to the extent of hoping that if they disobeyed, they would not only have immortality, but would also attain to the dignity of divinity. For if their flesh had already obtained immortality, how much more would they have been persuaded that they would become gods through disobedience! For to those whom the threat of death did not suffice ^D to keep the commandment, the certainty of immortality would surely have been a stronger inducement to sin, and constant, by means of the immortality

^A the grace of the commandment, and through the disobedience of those around Adam, that mortality is advantageous; and then He grants this, at once persuading men and not withdrawing from what is advantageous. For that He prepared man for a mortal life, the very form of male and female shows, in the power of procreation being demonstrated straight away and from the beginning. So, the formation was prepared for a mortal life, but the giving of the commandment both exercised the free will, and gave the opportunity for self-chosen struggles to the mind, and showed the benefit of mortality.

^B VERSE 22. — You ask what the coats of skins are. If clothes were to be made of slaughtered animals, it is clear that the race of the slaughtered would have failed. Since God had only recently created them male and female, and nothing had yet been ordained, and since one cannot suppose that God ordered animals to be slaughtered when meat-eating was not yet permitted to men; and since to think that there were no coats at all is even more absurd—seeing that God brought them forth, He who, in the creation of man, ceased from doing anything not existing, as if in this He had completed the creation of the whole world—it is clear, therefore, that He did not bring forth the coats of skins out of nothing. But those who inquire about these things have, it seems, failed to notice that "skins" are not called only those which are stripped from animals, but also those from trees, which most people are accustomed to call barks. From trees, therefore, which were, in a way, suitable for the making of garments, the men around Adam came to be provided with bark, with God instructing them according to His intention as to how this should be done.

^C VERSE 24. — He does not call the Cherubim some invisible powers, as some suppose; since an invisible nature would not have served any purpose there, as Adam needed to be instructed by a sensible spectacle. Therefore, neither was the "flaming sword" a nature of fire, but it appeared as such, nor were the Cherubim animals, but they appeared as such. For Ezechiel also saw the Cherubim as having four faces, although the invisible nature is not like that. But He calls "Cherubim" whatever excels in power; thus saying, "Who sits upon the Cherubim" (Ps. XCVIII, 1), as if to say, he who is a mighty king; and, "He mounted upon the Cherubim and flew" (Ps. XVII, 11), that is, he appeared with great power. Therefore, "He set the Cherubim," means this: He stationed a certain mighty and terrible vision and form, as though of some animals, before the entrance to paradise, so as to turn Adam away.

CAP. XIX.

VERSE 3. — They were not men by nature, but seemed to be; nor did they eat as men, but they seemed to eat to the eyes of those who saw them, those things which were offered being consumed by divine power.

VERSE 31. — They did not, therefore, indulge in the impulses of lust, but were sparing of their race. Whence they are worthy of pardon.

^A VERSE 32. — They secretly unite themselves with their father. For they were not unaware of the sobriety and temperance of their father.

CAP. XX.

VERSE 5. — I did not desire, he says, to be joined with her out of intemperance, but I believed it would be a great thing if I were to take in marriage a holy woman and the sister of a holy man.

CHAPTER XXVII.

VERSE 1. — This also is a work of divine grace, that in the meantime, by the help of Rebecca, it was permitted to Jacob to steal the blessing.

CHAPTER XXVIII.

VERS. 18. — ^B Jacob poured oil on the top of the stone, and called the place, House of God. This, however, was a figure of the Mosaic tabernacle, which, once constructed and built, they anointed.

CAP. XXX.

VERS. 39. — When in Mesopotamia white sheep are sought, and black goats, but in Palestine the opposite prevails, the aforementioned matter served the interests of the patriarchs.

CHAPTER XXXII.

VERS. 1. — When Jacob was freed from Laban, angels met him, sent indeed by Michael, the prince of the Israelites, for he presided over them, as Gabriel says to Daniel: Michael your prince (Dan. XI, 21). For when, freed from the fear of Laban, he began ^C to fear Esau, Jacob is instructed by the angels who had met him not to fear the encounter with those who were with his brother.

VERS. 24. — Having sent all his own across the river, Jacob remains alone, and struggles with a certain one who appeared to him. This one, however, was certainly none other than he who leaned upon the ladder seen in Bethel. The angels who were ascending and descending upon it were not different from those whom he had encountered.

VERS. 25. — And he saw, he says, that he could not prevail against him, and he touched the breadth of his thigh, and it became numb. Jacob saw that he could not prevail against the angel, and the angel touched ^D the breadth of his thigh.

VERS. 26. — For no other reason does the angel say, Let me go, than that he might rouse Jacob and provide him an opportunity to respond: I will not let you go, unless you bless me.

VERS. 27. — But he asks: What is your name? And he said: Jacob. And he said to him: Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name: for you have prevailed with God, and with men you shall be powerful. A sufficient blessing for you, he says, is this struggle with God; a greatest of signs for you is this new name, Israel, which is interpreted as "man seeing God." Indeed, if he who appeared had truly been an angel, he would have been falsely called Israel, since he would not have seen the true God. Therefore, he was God, the same as man and angel;

all things truly. But the one is of the incarnation; the other, of the economy; the other, of nature. ^A

CHAPTER XLIV

CHAPTER XLIX

Vers. 10. — Having mentioned the ass or the colt, upon which the Lord sat before the passion, he now also brings in the intimation of the passion: *He will wash his robe in wine*, and the rest. It is the custom of Scripture to represent punishments and death by wine; as in that passage: *The cup in the hand of the Lord of pure wine* (Ps. LXXIV, 8), as if to say, it is in God’s power to afflict whom He wills with punishments. Since, therefore, he here calls the passion and death *wine*, he rightly added that his *clothing is in the blood of the grape*, that by the name of blood he might more clearly declare the suffering. He calls his *robe* the form of a servant he assumed. Now, it is quite evident that clothes cannot be cleaned with wine; nay, rather, they are immediately so stained by wine that this defilement can only be removed with the greatest difficulty. But since death for all men is a stripping off of life, whereas for the Lord it is not a stripping off of life, but a transition to another better life, which He received rising from the dead, he therefore says: *He will wash his robe in wine*, and the rest; to say that He will receive the passion not for punishment, as do others, but that He might appear much more brilliant because of it, having become immortal and incorruptible. ^{B C}

Vers. 12. — *His eyes are gladdening above wine, and his teeth are whiter than milk.* Since it is the custom for the eyes of those who use much wine to appear bloodshot, he says this, that through the passion and death He will appear to have undergone a certain change; but He will undergo such a change toward the better, that He will appear whiter than milk. For from the teeth, as from a part, he wished to signify the whole; and especially since it happens that teeth are hidden by the lips, and appear only when the mouth is opened. In this way also, the brilliance surrounding Him, hidden at the time of death, will appear to all after the resurrection. ^D

FRAGMENT ON EXODUS

^A CAP. XXVI. Vers. 35. — The lampstand was a symbol of the day perfected by God. Hence it even had seven lamps, by which the week of days was prefigured. Thus, indeed, was the first tabernacle constituted. But at the same time, all things were a figure of what was to follow. For the ark of the covenant indicated the worship and acknowledgment of God; but the tablets of the covenant which were in the ark, and the rod of Aaron, signified that divine worship is fulfilled through the observance of the law and sacred rites. The urn containing the manna commended the memory of the time when, being thus instructed by God, they fed on manna in the desert. The golden censer also declared that the virtue which is perfected through these things is pleasing and acceptable to God. Gold on every side intimated that nothing on earth is more pleasing to God than the zeal of men regarding piety. The Cherubim which were above were a memory of the invisible and ministerial powers ^B among whom it was fitting for God to be present with the invisible powers, as ministers, and to perform through them all things which pertain to the utility of our souls.

EXPOSITION OF THE SAME THEODORE ON THE PSALMS

PSALM I. VERS. 1. — Of Theodore of Antioch. Since God is properly blessed [for Paul says: "Blessed and only Potentate" (1 Tim. vi, 15)], He has made us partakers of this appellation, just as He is also called faithful: "Faithful is God," he says, "by whom you were called" (1 Cor. i, 9). And, "God is faithful, and there is no iniquity in Him" (Deut. xxxii, 4). Thus He also calls them gods, according to that: "I said, You are gods" (Ps. lxxxi, 6). The name of "blessed," therefore, is the fruit of perfection in virtue.

PSALM II. VERS. 1. — Of Theodore of Antioch. He does not say "nations" absolutely, so that it might be thought ^D that all are included

^A but "nations" implying a certain exception: since the Jews, having apprehended (Christ), delivered Him to the nations, therefore He says these things: What is this cause, or what is the deed, that the peoples should be moved against Him, and He should be delivered into the hands of the nations? And "Fremuerunt" (they raged) is instead of "they boasted."

VERS. 7. — He who was the Son before the ages, is today born become man.

VERS. 9. — He shatters them not for destruction and ruin, but for restoration: for to this end the potter acts, shattering his own vessels, when it does not save the formation of the potter sound and intact, not yet having been exposed to fire; to these things also bears witness the blessed prophet Jeremiah, speaking as from God: "As this potter, shall I not be able to do this to you, O house of Israel, saith the Lord?" (Jer. xviii, 6). ^B That is, to restore those who have fallen apart, and to bring them back again to their original state.

VERS. 11. — Since, fearing the Lord, we act rightly, we bring back much joy from our deeds, since a good conscience always provides the greatest joy. But "in trembling," that is, in compunction, lest the joy of God should lapse into the joy of the world.

VERS. 12. — Wishing that we should cling tightly to the teaching of the Lord, he deservedly uses the expression "lay hold" (apprehendite).

PSALM III

VERS. 2. — This is shown more clearly as needing to be said of David regarding this psalm. For "insurgunt" (those who rise up) is properly said of those who, having first been wisely brought into subjection, afterwards moved to war.

PSALM V

VERS. 9. — "Lead me and direct in thy sight my way," he says this for "Bring me back": for "in thy sight" signifies "direct my way toward Thee," so that I may return to Thee according to the Jewish mind, as if the Lord were leading ^C me to Mount Sion: for because of my enemies there was meanwhile a double toll for me: "Bring me back," he says, so that I may be saved from the enemies who have taken me, and after he said "In thy justice," that is, according to your custom of judging, he immediately shows how it is just for him to be saved from his enemies, bringing forward the reasoning in his own way.

PSALM VI

VERS. 2. — The blessed David confesses to God concerning his own sin which he committed in sleeping with Bathsheba. He says these things while he was in the adversities by which he was being tested on account of his sin. The same man said it more strongly: for this, "My bones have been troubled," shows the magnitude of the contrition and of the ^D agitation: "And my soul is troubled exceedingly," this

which bruised my body, has penetrated even to the soul itself.

PSALM VII

Vers. 4. — "If I have done this which I now suffer," that is, if I have acted unjustly: whence he adds more clearly, saying: "If there is iniquity in my hands," instead of, if I am found to have committed any injustice, "if I have requited those who render evils to me": he always places the greater thing in the second position after the lesser; and yet, not to begin injustice, which is greater than suffering those who act unjustly, he mentions in the second place.

Vers. 7. — Not that He Himself is exalted (for He does not need exaltation), but that such a conception of Him exists in our thoughts whenever He performs some fearful sign: therefore he says, "In the borders of my enemies," that is, surrounding all my enemies with your retribution, make your magnitude and your strength known to all: for from thence He was especially celebrated, by exercising retribution upon all.

Vers. 8. — Since at the time of Absalom the kingdom was divided against itself, with some adhering to David and others to Absalom, he consequently said, "To those rising up against me, exercising judgments according to your decree; but again they shall be gathered (the peoples) into one, rendering the thanks owed to you": for on account of this you shall be shown to be exalted.

Vers. 9. — He does not call himself innocent or just, but says that he has done nothing evil: just as, he says, I did not treat them badly, yet I now suffer badly from them, so judge me as innocent, suffering gratuitously and not justly.

Vers. 10. — Instead of "shall be completed," Symmachus put "shall be finished." Whether vanity or evil awaits those living evilly, the diligent cultivators of virtue, he says, will prepare for themselves a good end.

Vers. 17. — These things seem to me to have been fulfilled openly and word for word in Ahitophel. For when, by the counsel of Hushai, he had been cast down from his purpose, being a man distinguished among all, he could not endure the envy, and being skilled at foreseeing the future, and perceiving that the affairs of Absalom were betrayed, and that he would never be able to be freed from the hands of David, he delivers himself to hanging in his own house, and all things which he had begotten by his own counsels, gathering and collecting them with the same wickedness by which he had acted against David, he brought forth for his own destruction. "He opened a deeper pit," he says, signifying from a metaphor the deceit and the depth of his counsel.

Vers. 18. — "But I, having experienced such providence from God, will sing of this benefit forever, and will recount the justice of his judgments."

PSALM VIII

Vers. 3. — In this also the blessed David prophesies Christ to us. From the inspiration of the Spirit, he declares how infants, sucklings, and other children are to praise Him in the temple: some say

^A and this is the common opinion, that a man was questioned during the Festival of Tabernacles, and that this psalm was composed by the blessed David for the time when the gathering of fruits takes place; and for this reason it is inscribed, *For the winepresses*.

PSALM IX

VER. 2. — For after the narration of your wonders, it remains for me also to rejoice, as I recall your benefits.

VER. 5. — Symmachus: *He has established his throne in judgment*, that is, He has made this judgment firm, and it does not admit of being changed by Him.

VER. 10. — *Instead of, "And he will become a refuge"* — for the context desires this; but the tense has been changed. For the aid is timely, ^B coming at the time of tribulation.

VER. 14. — Here again a change of tense; instead of "He had mercy," he says, "Have mercy"; and thus Aquila also says: "He granted to me; the Lord has seen my humiliation"; and the context desires this as well. This, he says, is the end of goods, the removal of corruption and the destruction of death, from which being set free we shall sing of your benefits forever.

VER. 15. — He calls the danger leading to death "the gates of death." He calls Zion the heavenly city, as the blessed Paul has taught; and the churches of the earth everywhere are its gates, through ^C which the believers enter into it. There, therefore, he says, rejoicing and dancing in the hopes of the resurrection, let us sing to the Author of these goods; and since he mentioned the destruction of death, he reasonably added: — because of the excess, he says, of his pride and his wrath against the poor, he does not seek the Lord, nor does he perceive that the thing done is displeasing to Him. — Here too a change of tense, instead of "He lords it over"; for what is being done by the wrongdoer is recounted instead of, "Because of this he dominates all and treats everyone unjustly without restraint." Symmachus spoke more clearly: *He puffs away all his enemies.* ^D That which Symmachus interpreted more clearly: "I will not be moved for generation and generation, nor will I be in evil." And he uses this audacity, and considers that he will endure nothing terrible, hastening through all forms of wickedness.

VER. 16. — The things, he says, which the enemies had plotted against us, they themselves were caught by them. Instead of, "The things they were eager to do against us, those they suffered."

HEBREW PSALM

VER. 4. — For in this, he says, the impious man greatly provoked the Lord, in daring to think regarding Him that He does not exact vengeance for the mistreated.

VER. 14. ^A — These words are by inversion: for in the place of "For you see," it is read "You see." This is because the Hebrew text wishes it thus: for when he said of the iniquitous, "For he said in his heart: He will not require," he added, "You see; for you consider labor and pain," as if wishing to say to God that the iniquitous man had advanced so far as to say that You have no care for the iniquitous, nor do You search out their faults, since, seeing their anger and wickedness, You do not immediately proceed to retaliation, but you consider, that is, you delay, until from the multitude of their wicked deeds they deliver themselves into your hands, by the number of their iniquities stirring up vengeance upon themselves. He says this by a metaphor of those who do not stop at one or two evil deeds, but whom many evil deeds lead to the tribunals, where there is a multitude of the iniquitous; he wants, however, to show the long-suffering of God.

VER. 17. — He set "desire" here for prayer, because what we desire to come to pass, in that we persist in our petition.

PSALM XI

VERS. 3. — "Vana" [Vain] for "dolosa" [deceitful]: for he commonly calls all things that are unseemly "vain," just as [he calls] good [things those] which are done by those who perform them rightly. "With deceit," he says, "each one speaks to his neighbor," and thus using his lips, he sends falsehoods into the heart of his neighbor; and he in turn similarly sends back the like; from this it remains that he threatens them with vengeance.

VERS. 5. — "They say," he says, "namely, that it is in our power to speak what we wish: for what master do we have who is to be feared?" He says this not as if they were absolutely saying so, but as showing by their manner of acting that they do all things so fearlessly, as if there were no judge.

VERS. 9. — Since we are surrounded on all sides by the impious, we can in no way be delivered unless God helps us.

PSALM XII

VERS. 2. ^B — In his solitude he was well elevating his mind to God, and in a contrite heart was meditating on His terrible judgments: "Has God been propitious to me? Has His anger rested? Is He still angry?" and other things of this kind. So therefore he speaks: "Until when shall I meditate on these things, and take counsel? Until you turn away your face," he says, that is, you are angry against me; it is necessary for me to suspect these things and to meditate on these things. Instead of this Symmachus said: "Care in my heart daily." These things, however, he (the Psalmist) wrote for our admonition, teaching how one ought to repent of sins in these words, which are to be used as medicines.

VERS. 3. ^D — With God consenting to his suffering on account of sin, the enemies were meanwhile strong against him,

^A and they were arranging all things that pleased them with great confidence. But there were those from the faction of Absalom who were fighting against him; therefore he says: *How long shall my enemies be exalted over me?*

PSALM XIII

VERS. 7. — Since they were commanded to bring sacrifices onto Mount Zion, and were legally ordained to perform their offerings and all their worship there, they could also boast of the presence of God sitting there; wherefore he says: *Who shall give out of Zion the salvation of Israel?* that is, Who shall provide salvation and help for us out of Mount Zion? so that he might answer by silence, *God*, as if by signifying by what is acknowledged that there is no other in this Zion to save from dangers except God alone.

PSALM XV

VERS. 6. — Since land is naturally always measured with ropes, and just as each nation had its own land which it inhabited, so he wishes to say this to the Israelite people: Just as it had obtained a certain land of its own by promise, *the best part of the land fell to me* as if by measurement. *Fell* is put for *I was allotted*, from the metaphor of lots, ^C just as it is also said in the Acts: *And the lot fell upon Matthias*. (Acts 1, 26.)

VERS. 7. — Therefore I give you thanks for all things, because you have not only given me an excellent land into my possession, but you have also granted me prudence and wisdom to do what you have commanded concerning these things—to wit, what things are to be done and what things are not to be done.

VERS. 8. — For this reason, what (shall I offer)? Since *I foresaw the Lord before my face always*, and, he says, I was not frustrated of my hopes; but since I was always receiving help from you, what I was asking for came to me, and I was established in great joy.

VERS. 10. — There he calls the soul the whole person. *I shall enjoy* all these things, he says, when, keeping ^D

me, You do not allow me to perish in dangers, nor will You ^A hand me over to be corrupted by them; and he calls the people (the Israelite people) holy, to distinguish them from others on account of the knowledge of God.

VERS. 11. — *From Your face*, that is, from Your manifestation and aid, I am filled with joy. It must be noted here also that the blessed apostle Peter used these final words of the Psalm in the Acts (2:25) as having been spoken about the Lord. It should be known, therefore, that this is also interpreted here in the same sense as by the blessed Apostle; because, while it is spoken here in a more exhortatory manner, yet properly and according to the true meaning of the words—by which I mean the meaning relevant to the text—it has its fulfillment in the Lord, for whose sake he used the testimony, as the outcome of events provides more evident testimony regarding Him. ^B

PSALM XVI.

VERS. 6. — A change of tense has occurred; instead of "I cried out because You hear me," he says "because You have heard me."

VERS. 8. — That is, to those who resist Your aid; for when He said, "You who save those who hope in You" (v. 7), yet He succors and aids those hoping in Him, he called those who resist the ones hoping in Him "good" in relation to His aid. *The Lord is my supporter, because He helps me, and does not allow me to be perverted.* For that which is said, *He is at my right hand, that I might not be moved*, is the same as "He aids me," calling the aid [that which comes] from the right, that is, from the superior side. ^C

VERS. 10. — Thus, he says, they are delicate, such that they take care that no one disturbs their softness; for they have established this enclosed fatness in great security. He says "they enclosed" to mean that they hold their prosperity in great security, so that no accident is to be feared by them, lest it be said that they have lost the happiness of life.

VERS. 11. — They look toward this, and they strive toward this with all their might, that they may drive me out of the land of the inheritance, that is, out of the land of promise.

— Those who once, he says, called me blessed, now persecute and surround me, so that they may take me out of the way. For so also Symmachus says, "Calling me blessed, they immediately surrounded me." But he called those who were "casting me out" the ones who had previously called him blessed, because they had not called him blessed with a sincere mind; but in order to cast him out and divert him from the decent way, they used the words of blessedness for the sake of imposture. ^D

VERS. 12. — They expect me, so that they may destroy me, after the manner of

a lion expecting its prey. But for "they expect," it says, "They have anticipated." Since those who anticipate expect that something is about to happen. That is, they have this opinion concerning me, that they will seize me like some kind of prey. Thus also the expression, "We have anticipated, O God, thy mercy," that is, we have waited for and expected thy philanthropy to be in us.

^B VERS. 13. — Some read "thy framea" (sword) in the dative case (rumphaia sou). It is not so, however, but "of thy framea" (rumphaias sou) must be read in the genitive case; for thus Aquila said, "of thy sword" (machairas sou). What it means to say is this: Deliver my soul, that is, myself, from these impious men, and from the sword of the enemies of thy hand. For he calls "sword" the contrivance made against him by them, producing a conspiracy sharper than any blade against him; and he calls the enemies of the hand of God his own enemies, since, because they strove to take him whom he had anointed as king, they were clearly showing themselves to be hating God and striving to oppose those things which were brought about by him.

VERS. 14. — Therefore, "Destroying from the earth," he said to God, as if he were bringing forth a decree of death against men, that he might say that He alone commands death. "Divide" stands for "disperse," from the fact that what is being scattered must necessarily be divided everywhere. "From thy hidden things" stands for "from thy punishments which thou hast in reserve, which, when thou willest, thou bringest forth, punishing men unexpectedly and as they do not know it."

VERS. 15. — That is, those who have done such things are worthy to enjoy such vengeance. But "I, appearing before thee in righteousness," that is, after I have done nothing unjust toward them, "shall be filled with thy help, and I shall enjoy thy glory from thee."

PSALM XVII

VERS. 6. — That which says, "They have anticipated me," means something of this sort: So many and such great plots of the enemies have been formed against me, that my very faculty of reason is anticipated, and neither time nor intelligence is given me to investigate the manner of escaping from their hands.

VERS. 8. — As if to say: When God had heard and was moved to anger, first of all, everything was shaken, both the earth and the mountains. ^D Then the smoke of his anger was shown as the prelude, and after this the fire was kindled; that is, he was clearly shown to be angry through the punishment which he brought upon the enemies. Then, wishing to express the intensity of the punishment, proceeding by way of an obvious metaphor taken from physical things, he added: "Smoke went up."

VERS. 9. — For when the fire had become very great,

it happens that many coals are produced. By all these things he wishes to say that at once he heard the one praying, and was moved against the enemies, and immediately all things were shaken. His anger was ^A revealed in part by certain effects, but now he begins to take vengeance on the enemies: his anger is increased and punishes them more vehemently. Then, persevering, he utterly destroys them; for the custom of consuming coals occurs when fire, greatly increased, sets ablaze the wood lying beneath.

VERS. 10. — But since he foresees that from the sacred words which are to be brought forth something indecent or humble might appear, he again extols his discourse, saying: "He descended from heaven, and he had thick darkness under his feet." Yet since this presence seemed too humble to us, he added (v. 11): "He ascended upon the cherubim," showing him as a king sitting upon a chariot, and thus appearing with majesty. Then, resuming the context, he said that again: "And he made darkness his hiding-place" (v. 12), and, ^B which is the consequence, "thick darkness under his feet." But since he had spoken at length about the darkness, namely that which is under his feet and hides them, and some indecency seemed to arise from the sacred utterance when it is asserted that his dark circuit is his very own tabernacle; he says, first, that the darkness is cast against the enemies while he himself remains hidden, and in the meantime he is seen by no one. Otherwise, this tabernacle of his was round about him, so that it might be called light, just as the blessed Paul says of him (1 Tim. vi, 16), "dwelling in an unapproachable light." Into the same meaning, however, these two points fall back; for just as he is said to dwell in light, so also the tabernacle of God could properly be called light. ^C Carrying "dark water in the clouds of the air," he inserted it for the phrase, "His tabernacle was around him." Again, consistently with what precedes—to the words "And he made darkness his hiding-place"—he added: "Dark water in the clouds of the air"; for it was consistent that there should be thick darkness and darkness; for he was confounding everything, he says, by having fashioned the anger of God; for the condensation of the air certainly produced darkness, and it is the same case with water in the clouds darkened by the condensation of the air. ^D

(2) Of the same on the twenty-first Psalm.

"They dug my hands and my feet, and they searched out all things," both what I was doing and what I was attempting. For he said "they dug" from the translation of those who attempt to search out what is in the deep by digging. "They counted all my bones," they became the masters of all my strength and all my substance, so that they even subjected my affairs to a count. He said this from the custom which enemies have: those who, when they have obtained victory, make a subtle record of the things found, and of such a nature. Therefore, also speaking consequently: "But they themselves considered and looked upon me," he inferred: "They divided my garments among themselves, and for my clothing they cast lots." Considering me, he says, and seeing that all things that were desired by them occurred in me (for "to look upon," as used among us, is said for that which is, "He saw in him the things he wanted him to suffer"), now ^D as if I were utterly given over to evils, just as my enemies also...

having divided the plunder and captivity, partitioned it by lot. And the Evangelist indeed, taking the words from the events in the Lord, used them, as we have said here and elsewhere. For that the Psalm does not pertain to the Lord, we have clearly shown above. But the blessed David spoke these things ^A even more exceedingly from the things that were done by Absalom: for when David had withdrawn, Absalom, having entered the metropolis by right of war, secured all the royal resources, and was not ashamed even to defile his father's couch.

PSALM XXVI

VERS. 2. — Since, therefore, they have come so near as even to taste my flesh—for this is what it means to say, "To eat my flesh," in order to show their cruelty and the anger with which they rushed upon him. "Approaching," for "Since they have become so near," suggests that nothing was lacking for the fulfillment of their intent. He rightly calls them "wrongdoers," who, because of their power, crush everyone with a thousand evils. — Rightly they themselves, for although they did us no harm, they suffered the very things they devised against us. With greater emphasis he says, "They were weakened and fell," for, "They were destroyed not by enemies, nor did they suffer anything terrible at the hands of men, but marvelously, without any human hand, they were suddenly cast down into weakness by the vengeance of God."

VERS. 3. — Since the divine deeds ^B are sufficient grounds for hoping for aid, even if all the camps and warfare were to surround me, I will fear nothing, trusting in this aid of God; for "in it," that is, in the help and alliance of the Master.

VERS. 5. — Just as if having protected me with His own aid as with a tabernacle, He guarded me with great security. For He calls the divine aid a "tabernacle," as having protected him from their evils. "He hid," for "He guarded," comes from those who always hide what they wish to preserve. "In the day of my evils," in the time of adversity, when I expected that I would encounter many evils.

PSALM XXVIII

VERS. 5. — Concerning this abyss of the waters of thoughts, David says: "The voice of the Lord is upon the waters."

PSALM XXIX

VERS. 10. — Instead of, "I was saying these things: If I die, what is the profit? For as one who has died I am corrupted, becoming ash and dust."

VERS. 12. — "Sackcloth" signifies malice and ignorance, since the hairs were from the goats ^C that stood both on the left and from the scapegoat.

VERS. 13. — Having said, "And I shall not be pricked," for "I shall not cease from chanting," he adds, "I will confess for ever," meaning to continue this ceaselessly, giving thanks; "an age of goods," the time ^D of his own life.

PSALM XXX

VERS. 3. — Since our cries are lifted up to your height, incline your ear to me, because I am falling into an abyss, as if into some evident danger. ^A

VERS. 5. — He called "snares" the captivity in which he was held. Then he says, "which they hid from me"; he pursues the same imagery, because he called the captivity a "snare." For it is the nature of a snare to be set secretly in a hidden place, and thus to catch its prey unexpectedly.

VERS. .. — For therefore, he says, you have justly delivered us, since you hated and turned away from those who with much diligence had wrought iniquities; for they do not work evil from a flash of anger, but observe the practice of wickedness as if it were something necessary. "In vain," because they profit nothing from their zeal for working evil, since you punish them and do not allow them to bring to any end those things which they were intent upon. ^B

PSALM XXXII

VERS. 3. — The Psalmist begins well, especially for the sake of what follows. For since he had announced joy to them, he had to rouse them to hymns and to rendering thanks for the benefits received; because he wished to establish them in a state of reverence for what was to be done hereafter, so that they might render hymns and thanksgivings to God with a genuine decency. By [the words] "Praise becomes the upright," he admonishes that it is not for everyone to praise God, but only for those who do so with the rectitude of reason, since for them, as witnesses of the benefits, such praises are fitting. Therefore, when they have become worthy, let them approach to praise God with piety. ^C

In the title. The blessed David, prophesying in this psalm the victory granted to the Israelites by God through the miraculous overthrow of the Assyrians in the time of the blessed Hezekiah, sang it in his own manner as a victory hymn for the things that had occurred. And from here, starting from the argument against the Assyrians, he digresses into a universal hymn of praise to God and a commemoration of the things done by Him. He teaches all men not to trust in present circumstances, even if they are great; but to consider the help of God as more powerful than all things. For one ought to notice this most of all in the Psalms, that he turns from arguments to exhortation for our instruction, instituting this in various ways and suitably for the benefit of the hearers. Whence it is necessary for us, in order to rightly grasp the power of the Psalms, first to know their subjects: then

to attend to the rest which he has used in his arguments, for the benefit of those who encounter them.

^A Ver. 1.—By "just" in this place he calls the Jews, not from the virtue of their life, but from the knowledge of God. And reasonably, after saying, "Exult," he added, "in the Lord." For since they were in human estimation base and poor, and exposed to plundering by the Assyrians, who excelled in multitude, strength, and experience of war, he predicts their exultation in the Lord; by whose help they obtained safety miraculously, not by war or military expedition, but solely by the slaughter of the Assyrians by the hand of God.

*In the Vatican Codex, fol. 112, verso, this unpublished argument by Theodore of Psalm XXXIV exists.*

^B Of Theodore. — In this psalm, the blessed David prophesies the events concerning Jeremiah; and having assumed his person, he speaks those things which it is natural for a man to say who is placed in the same situation, adhering in this most especially to the custom he uses in the majority of his psalms: namely, declaring those things which are fitting for those about whom he prophecies. This psalm, however, differs only in the person from those which exist concerning the captives held in Babylon. For Jeremiah was a prophet around that time, and he declares that which is near, which others had sung of long before; and therefore he suffered from the people those things which are most well-known, because he had prophesied concerning the same things. He clearly wishes to demonstrate that they deservedly suffered these things, because they did not believe even the prophet who was near to their own times, when the imminent event of the things was giving credence to the prediction. ^C Yet the blessed David does not prophesy concerning the blessed Jeremiah simply as one individual, but because, as he is accustomed to do in most of his psalms, he at the same time adds the future events of the peoples.

PSALM XXXIX

In this psalm, David prophesies the things concerning the people as if they had already been brought into the power of the Babylonian king; and he speaks in their person, giving thanks to God for the future liberation of that same people from captivity; teaching, indeed, that it is possible, if those who are afflicted place their hope in God, to be freed from the troubles incumbent upon them. Then he also declares them blessed, because, having been tested by calamities, they have bid farewell to every unworthy act and have clung to God, from whom alone they were to obtain help.

PSALM XL

In this psalm, the blessed David prophesies the events concerning the blessed Hezekiah, namely, how and for what cause—to wit, sin—he fell ill; and ^D what happened to him, while he was sick, from his friends. Then he teaches how, on account of his care for the poor, he recovered his health, exhorting all thereafter to be willing to conduct themselves in this manner.

THEODORUS OF MOPSUESTIA ON PSALM XLIV

VERS. 1. — What then shall be found greater than these things, which have been done by Christ in such a great transformation of the world, when all acknowledge that the God of the universe has a care for piety and virtue, and all are hastening to glorify the Only-Begotten of God, and are rendering worthy adoration to the Holy Spirit? For whom blessed David says: *My heart hath uttered a good word* (Ps. XLIV, 1).

PSALM XLIX

VERS. 1. — This psalm also is moral, but it is not directed to all men, but only to the Jews, as those who were despisers of virtue and who placed their entire hope in legal sacrifices; concerning themselves only with knowing the words of the law, but not with keeping its commandments. Therefore, setting forth a formidable discourse to them, he figuratively describes a judge who is judging them and the accused themselves.

PSALM LII

VERS. 5. — This is placed with a hyperbaton. For thus it must be understood here also; for the sequence is this: *Shall not all who work iniquity know, who devour my people as a meal of bread, because God hath scattered the bones of men?* The rest, however, is interjected. That is: Shall not these workers of iniquity themselves, who devour the people and attempt to consume them as if they were necessary food, know that you consume and abolish all who please men, after the example of Rabshakeh? For he was uttering words full of impiety for the sake of winning favor with men. ^B But the part, *They have not called upon God; there they feared a fear where there was no fear*, lies between in the middle, as if he said: Not making mention of God, they feared what they had not expected. For, despising those who were in Jerusalem as insignificant and few, they received the punishment from God beyond all expectation.

VERS. 7. — Since God was thought by them to dwell in Sion, *Who*, he says, *will give us salvation from Mount Sion?* That is, God, as though passing over that which is admitted, since they could receive help from no one else from Mount Sion, except from God, who was believed to dwell therein. ^C

PSALM LIII

VERS. 3. — Since those who were besieging the city were specifically reproaching them with this, that the things which were said by Hezekiah were of no benefit to them (these things, however, were that one should surely trust in God, who would certainly free them from danger), he well said this: *Save me in thy name*. That is: Since, by calling upon thy name, I am mocked by them, provide me salvation in this very thing, so that there may be no need for war or an army; but that by thy prayer alone I may obtain what I seek, so that they may learn ^D how great is the power of those who implore thy help.

VERS. 4. — Attend, he says, and with inclination hear the words of my prayer.

PSALM LIV

^A The Jews, having been delivered from the Babylonian captivity in a manner wondrous by the power of God, rebuilt the temple and inhabited their own land again; the city also received back all its former splendor, and they all enjoyed deep peace (II Mach. III, IV). In the progress of time, Onias became the high priest of the nation, a man most righteous and most religious; for at that time it was customary for the high priesthood to be conferred also as the authority of the nation. Therefore, with Onias presiding over the state, the laws being most accurately observed, and religion toward God being most excellently practiced, a certain Simon from the tribe of Benjamin—at a time when Seleucus was ruling over all of Asia, Syria, and Phoenicia—being entrusted with a certain governorship of the temple, dissented from Onias not at all reasonably. When he was defeated in that contention against him, he communicated with Apollonius, the governor, saying that very great sums of money were stored in the temple, which, if taken, could be useful to the king for the enlistment of troops. This matter also became known to the king through the governor; and having received the instructions from the governor, he sent Heliodorus, one of his own household, to seize the money. ^B And indeed, upon arriving, Heliodorus learned that there was not as great an abundance of money in the temple as Simon the informer had desired it to be believed, but that it was a small treasure, and that this was the deposits of others, who, looking to the trustworthiness of the place and the power of God, had laid up their deposits there. Onias, moreover, gave counsel to Heliodorus not to attempt to take anything of what was laid up. For it is an outrage, he says, against the divine to do what is happening, and you will grieve Him whose deposit you are seizing. But none of these things moved Heliodorus, who judged the fulfillment of the king's command to be of greater importance than all else. Prayers and lamentations were therefore occurring throughout the city because of these things, as they besought God not to leave the audacity unpunished. But he was entering ^C as if to take the money; and God, assenting to the prayers of the multitude and accepting the piety of the high priest, restrained him from the daring deed by appearing in a most fearful manner. For as he was about to enter, a horse appeared through the air, fearful in appearance, yet radiant in form, carrying one clothed in golden armor, who also, with great force, struck Heliodorus with his front hooves. Two youths, also, fearful in their appearance and radiant in their attire, standing on this side and that, were scourging him. And thus, stunned by the vision and by the blows, he was carried off, being nearly dead. ^D Then indeed the companions of Heliodorus besought Onias to become an intercessor with God, that he might be delivered from the imminent death. This Onias straightway doing, sacrificed for his sake and freed the man from his infirmity.

^A And the God appearing to him, [the angels] commanded that he give great thanks to the high priest. Thus saved, and having offered sacrifices to God, he returned to the king to relate the things that had occurred. But Simon did not desist from his own wickedness, but remained utilizing many calumnies against him; and because of this, Onias having reached the king, he learned of all the calumnies against him, so that he even procured the appropriate peace for the nation.

While things were in this state for Onias, Seleucus died, and Antiochus Epiphanes seized the kingdom, under whom a certain Jason, the brother of Onias, said that he would bring a revenue of much money to the king if he himself should obtain the high priesthood; and that he would give other and greater sums if he were permitted to construct a ^B gymnasium in the city, and to abolish their circumcision, and altogether to change the ordinances. Persuaded by these words, [Antiochus] handed the authority over to him. And indeed Onias, being a most pious and most righteous man, was deposed from the high priesthood; but Jason, having taken hold of both the priesthood and the authority, straightway set about leading the Jews into the Hellenic character; he constructed a gymnasium contrary to the Jewish custom; and, having made preparations to change the ordinances, he persuaded everyone to depart from the worship of God and from the commandments of the law, and to pay close attention to Hellenic customs, gymnasia, and wrestling schools, and things of that sort. And now the circumcision was being neglected, the observance of the sabbaths was being disregarded, and the city’s affairs were being wholly transformed into a Hellenic ^C form. The blessed Onias, seeing these things happening over a long period, was dispirited, and angered, and groaned; and when he saw the evil advancing, he left and withdrew, and having gone into Egypt, he set up a temple and constructed a sanctuary, and took care of the piety toward God, providing his service to the Jews who were there in matters pertaining to religion.

The blessed David prophesies these things in the present Psalm; and having assumed the person of Onias, he was uttering these things, just as it was fitting for him to speak—being plotted against by those of his own household, cast out from the priesthood by the satellites of Antiochus, seeing the wickedness of those then dwelling in the city, because of the greed within it, and the subversion of the laws, and the ^D increase of evils happening each time, and [seeing him] already deliberating about flight. The blessed David spoke the Psalm indeed while being pursued by Saul, and having become a fugitive, and being compelled to dwell in desert places; but he foretells at the same time the plots of the Jews against the Savior, and in himself he prefigures the sufferings of the Lord beforehand. For he himself was driven out by Saul, to whom he had done good, and was betrayed by certain acquaintances, and he saw the Lord in the eyes of the Spirit as about to suffer the very same things. For this reason also the inscription "unto the end" sends the reader to the aforesaid matters, and wisely admonishes him to pay attention to the words, as having a prophetic sense lying hidden therein, which in its own time was to be brought to an end. Furthermore, this Psalm is also numbered among the hymns, [index: entries preserved]

^A containing a certain shadowing forth of the Lord’s sufferings; for it is right always to hymn Him who deigned to suffer these things for the salvation of humanity. But let no one, observing the lowliness of the words, account them unworthy of the Saviour Christ; rather let him consider that He who endured gall and vinegar and other things of this kind would not easily refuse the lowliness of words. For it is fitting that words should correspond to the facts. His own voice is: *Learn from me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest for your souls* (Matt. xi, 29). And again: *I received a commandment, what I should say and what I should speak, and I do nothing of my own self.* And: *My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?* These and suchlike things He spoke as a man, displaying His human nature and adapting Himself to the weakness of the Jews. In this place, however, the divine David both teaches of the injustice done to himself, and at the same time predicts what was to happen to the Lord, exulting in the communion of sufferings and almost crying out with Paul: *I bear the marks of the Lord Jesus in my body.* ^B

PSALM LIV

PSALM LVII

nds among the innocent*; that is, I will embrace communion with them. Here, therefore, he says that the just man, at the slaughter and death of the sinner, will be shown to have no ^A part in their communion, that is, he shall be declared just. For when they are punished by these means, while the others remain suffering no evil, the virtue of the latter is demonstrated.

VERS. 12. — Some have read, *Is there indeed a fruit for the just?* as a question; as if they were inquiring, "Is it indeed so?"—which is what we are accustomed to say in our syllogisms: "Is it not this?" that is, "Therefore, is it not this?" So also he says in this place, that when these things have occurred, all will say that truly there is a fruit for the just man, and he does not practice justice without reward. For see, those who were lying in wait for them have been punished on their account.

PSALM LVIII

VERS. 7. — Here also there is a change of tense, instead of "Let them be converted and let them circle around and suffer hunger." The point he is making is of this kind: Since it is the nature of a dog during the night-time to wander around the whole city and to use louder cries—and they do this especially when it happens that they are hungry and in need of food—a similar thing, he says, may happen to ^B my enemies; may they be turned from their present prosperity to the worse state through your punishment. And just as dogs, obsessed by hunger at night-time, wander around the city howling in a circle, so may these also, struck by your punishment, howl after the manner of dogs, so that from the very sound of their wailing the magnitude of your punishment upon them may be manifest. Symmachus indicates the change of tense by saying, *Let them be turned at evening.*

VERS. 8. — Here also this word "behold" is added from the Hebrew idiom. Symmachus, however, says: *They indeed belch forth with their mouth, and as it were swords upon their lips [they have].* For here, too, he has changed the tense, having used the future instead of the present. For they, he says, speak through their mouth and through their lips words worse than any sword, and capable of wounding more cruelly than any blade. *For who heard?* that is, No one. Furthermore, here also the word "saying" is understood—spoken, as it were, by the Prophet through an aposiopesis—just as also [is found] in the second Psalm: *The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers gathered together in one, against the Lord and against his Christ. Let us break their bonds and cast away their yoke from us.* For there, too, through ^C an aposiopesis, the word "saying" is understood, so that the sense is: "saying, Let us break their bonds." So also here: *Behold, they will speak in their mouth, and a sword is on their lips; for who has heard?* We have more clearly noted in the forty-fourth Psalm, as is the custom of the Prophet, that "he said" and "saying," and anything of a similar kind, are placed through an aposiopesis. For he wishes to say concerning them, as if they were saying: "We did not fear punishment in the least, but like men we rushed upon them, killing and slaying them; for while we were doing many other things, who heard them groaning? Or who paid attention to them when they were oppressed by injustice? Or who took vengeance on the killers?" Not that the enemies spoke these things explicitly, but according to his custom he said this by setting forth the reality of the matter itself; for it is similar to that [verse], *He said in his heart: He will not require.* ^D

and to that, *I said: Who shall see them?* For he wishes to say the same thing here too: that they perform all things in such a way as if no one were listening or caring for the things that occur. It is characteristic of blessed David, therefore, to ask this of God most of all—the punishment of those who sin—because many, having been affected by injuries, blame God, as if the Lord were not providing for them. For just as when they do injury and suffer nothing, they create such an opinion for the many, so when they are punished, they make everyone suspect the contrary. He shows, then, that he does not seek the punishment from God against those who do injury because of having suffered something himself, but in order that from this a better opinion about God might be born in men, teaching us that we should strive to perform all things for the glory of God. ^B

Vers. 12. — This must be read as a question. As if he were to say: "Will you kill them, so that they might not be mindful of your law?" That is to say, they cannot gain an advantage through punishment. What he says is of this kind: Before the advent of the Lord Christ, since they did not have perfect faith concerning the resurrection, they imagined that those who die are utterly reduced to nothing and are unable to have any account or memory of God. For this reason he says elsewhere, *For in death there is no one who is mindful of you* (Ps. VI, 6); and in another place, *The dead shall not praise you, O Lord* (Ps. CXIII, 17). And it is possible to find this manner of speaking quite frequent in the Old Testament. ^C Since, therefore, it was as if those being praised here were praising God, but those who had departed from this life could no longer even remember God, he says this: "But you will not kill them," he says, "but rather you will delay their punishment, so that they might not, by dying, pass into forgetfulness of your power." It is as if he were to say: "Not even through this will they be able to escape punishment. For if they were mindful of your power, and had the knowledge of you, and knew the things that were fitting, it would be right to spare them, so that by their not dying, your memory might not be taken away from them. But since they are so far from remembering you here that they do all things to the contrary, and behave as if there is no one presiding over life and judging the things being done, and even say things such as if no one were hearing or caring for the things that occur—neither is it permitted to think of those things that are of the best and soundest opinion concerning you, that they might not consign to oblivion the things that relate to you—punish them at once with death and various evils, and let them be subjected to these rather than to death." ^D For the dragging out of afflictions refreshes the memory of sins. And he wishes to say this through everything, that there is nothing in them that deserves to receive pity.

Vers. 13. — Since the things that occur are altogether also announced, he frequently says "annunciation" for "the thing done." E.g., *You will make me hear gladness and joy* (Ps. L, 10); that is, you will altogether provide for me: for that which was being done was about to be heard.

et ^A “They shall be declared in the consummation,” that is, they shall exist. He calls the things done by them an execration and a lie, inasmuch as they are full of lies and worthy of execration. From these things, therefore, he says, which they do, from these they shall be consumed and shall die; for these things shall be to them the causes of consummation and of death. In both respects he is consistent with himself, wishing to prove them worthy of greater punishment by their manner of acting; for thus he says: It is not possible for them to gain profit from your punishment as though they were mindful of you or knew you; for they appear to be worthy of punishment all the more because of that very thing, by reason of what they say and do. For these actions especially bring upon them the necessary punishment, and further, the consummation.

^B VERSE 14. — And because they often reproach us, as though we were not deemed worthy of your protection, and therefore most indecently practiced treacheries against us, they shall know through the punishment that you are not only our Master and Lord, but also Lord of all the earth. For this reason, avenge us as much as you will by punishing those who do us wrong. He expressed the whole consequentially according to these words: “Do not slay them”; then he resumes from the above the execration against them, and says:

VERSE 15. — That which he had said above by way of reproaching them, he says again here by resuming it, after he had shown them to be worthy of punishment. Therefore, he says, since it is not at all permissible to spare them—as if they were indeed mindful of you now but would consign you to oblivion if they were dead—on the contrary, since they are ungrateful, they shall recognize the debt through punishment. Let them, therefore, undergo the most just penalty, and cast out by your punishment, let them howl like dogs wandering around the city in the time of night.

^C PSALM LIX.

VERSE 3. — But if you have permitted these things to be endured, you have certainly by no means permitted them to linger in evils, manifesting to us your most ready clemency.

VERSE 4. — Those who cling to material things and set their hearts on earthly things, finding delight in them because they are affected by them, think that they possess stability and imperturbability; but such a state brings them harm. Wherefore it is useful that, by the mercy of God, it should be shaken and troubled by way of repentance. For knowing how harmful it is to cling to material things and to have the mind of an earthly man, it undergoes perturbation and commotion, being translated from its previous wicked life to a virtuous one full of blessedness; being truly contrite, and perceiving the sense of the contritions from the invisible ^D enemies that exist, it will surely invoke him who says: “I am the Lord who heals you.” For since he is a physician, he will heal it. It is possible, moreover, that an earthquake might be brought upon those who are in it, as the demons are moved to the reception of divine oracles.

IBID. — Since he had taken up their passions upon the earth, he made use of his own sequence; and for this reason, as if

calls any affection of the soul toward any matter whatsoever; as when he says, *They were scattered, and were not pricked* (Ps. xxxiii. 15), meaning that after having failed many times, they did not even then suffer in their soul, nor did they condemn themselves. Such also is that which is said, *What you say in your hearts, be pricked in your beds* (Ps. iv. 5). That is: what you revolve in your mind while you are at rest, reflect upon it when on your bed, condemn yourselves, and repent of what you have done. So also concerning the elders in the case of Susanna, he says that *they were pricked in heart* (Dan. xiii. 56); that is, they were affected toward her, held fast by concupiscence. In this place, therefore, he calls concupiscence compunction, as a desire ^B being set to work in the soul. For just as repentance and the compunction of a matter produce a passion, and as concupiscence and love are difficult, so despondency brings on a passion. And he always speaks of wine as signifying calamity and punishment; because wine given more abundantly translates thoughts, turns them aside, and moves the mind from its established state of punishment brought by God. Therefore he says this: That because you permitted punishment to be brought upon us, so abundantly—to the point that one might appear to be led into despair—and so severe, that it might sufficiently fill the soul with passion and despondency.

VERS. 6. — *But you did not permit us, situated in the midst of such evils, to suffer, but as if distinguishing us by some sign; so [it was that] while we were moving about in the midst of evils, you caused us to be kept safe from the machinations of the opponents.* ^C He says this from the metaphor of those who in wars are often mingled with the enemy, who give one another signs and symbols of familiarity or friendship, from which they recognize one another in the likeness of form, so that they may not fall into sudden and unexpected slaughter: for those who do this always, by all means, give to one another some sign by agreement, lest on account of the common appearance they kill one another instead of the enemy. But by some recognizable sign they distinguish one another, they abstain from mutual slaughter, and perform with all security the things that seem opportune against the enemy; which, in any case, they would by no means be able to do and observe if they were deceived by appearance, while being ignorant of the agreed-upon sign. Therefore he says this: That just as if distinguishing us by some sign, you freed us from their machinations, so that we might not suffer anything evil either from arrows being carried [by the wind] or from anything else. ^D He also said this taking the example of those things which happened in Egypt: because as if by some sign, with the blood on the doorposts, distinguishing them from the Egyptians, he kept these unharmed, but punished the Egyptians.

VERS. 7. — These things, he says, you have performed for us who are beloved by you, so that we might be delivered from their machinations. Then, also praying, he adds, so that, he says, remaining unharmed, we might be delivered from the face of the bow

you have given the sign to your beloved. It must be said also in this way: then will they be able to be delivered from invisible enemies, when your right hand, your only-begotten Son, shall save them. For this is often interpreted as the right hand of God, especially when that which is set before us is, *I have established you by my right hand* (Isa. XLI, 10); and, *My right hand has established the heaven* (Isa. XLVIII, 13). It must be understood how, again, the things which are spoken have their place in the order of intelligence. For first, when God hears, He saves: and this is the sequence of the connection of the prayer, having "Hear me" after "Save." Unless, perhaps, it should be understood in this way: as if he says, O saving right hand, hear me, so that once saved it may be my desire to request divine goods; these, however, are nothing other than the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Moreover, the beloved of God are those who, on account of the probity of their morals, are worthy to be loved by Him. ^B

PSALM LXVII

VERS. 18. — Since, therefore, the people were serving as if captive in Egypt, God drew them out of servitude and delivered them by the law of war: for when He had punished the enemies, then He snatched them away. "Captivity," moreover, is said to be whatever is taken by the law of war. This is what he says; as if he were to say: When you led captivity captive (namely us, who were serving as if in captivity), you dragged away and extracted them (as a strong military leader conquering by the law of war). But that which follows, *You ascended into height*, means, you were shown, he says, to be great and exalted: therefore *you received gifts in men*. For God had commanded them then to ask for silver and gold vessels; and when they asked for these, they received them (Exod. XI); then, with the death of the firstborn invading (Exod. XII), they burst forth from Egypt at the command of God, having also the vessels. Not only, therefore, he says, did you extract us and deliver us from servitude, but you also received gifts from men, as if they were sending them all away with gifts. The Apostle, however, used this testimony (Ephes. IV, 8) as if about Christ; because He Himself also, when we were captives under the devil, having joined battle and conquered him, delivered us. Therefore, since that saying, *You received gifts*, did not square with our manner of speaking, which we use in ecclesiastical sentiments, he changed the word "received" and said "gave." For this was more fitting for Christ, as One who did not receive, but, after His ascent into heaven, bestowed the gifts of the Holy Spirit. ^{C D}

PSALM LXVIII

(1) Of the interpretation of the sixty-eighth psalm, on the words: *They gave me gall for my food, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink*. Since food and drink are indeed sweet in time of joy, but insipid and bitter in sadness; such, he says, were those things which were done by them, so that out of sadness and anger there was for me food in the place of gall, and there was also a drink differing in no way from vinegar. Moreover, this happens most especially in those angers which occur in tribulation, which it was likely they would suffer against their own. The evangelist, however, used this testimony in the Lord, and the Lord Himself said, *Zeal for your house has consumed me*, speaking of Himself;

^A and blessed Paul speaking of the Jews: *Let their table be*, etc.; and blessed Peter concerning Judas: *Let his habitation be desolate*. And certainly, with different things established, it is not as if the psalm were written only for these, and then again for that one, and again for another; but because several things have been said about the Jews, who separated themselves from God and the Law, convicting their lack of devotion, the use of testimonies is necessary, at once and taken from the things themselves, such as: *They gave me gall for food, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink*.

Ver. 27. — And they pressed to attempt everything against us, by preceding calamities ever inducing others, and never desisting from the war against us.

Ver. 28. — God is not the cause, if they have been handed over to whom they desired, namely to the devil, the deserter of God: He left them, therefore, according to the devices of their own hearts; for this reason they have added iniquities upon iniquities. But since they preferred the shadow of the law to the coming truth, they were even expelled from the place of figurative worship, adding to this previous sin the fact that they wished to do these things outside of Judea; therefore they do not enter into the righteousness which is through faith in Jesus Christ, concerning which it has been said: *But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets* (Rom. III, 21). ^B For since they always clung to the shadow, how could they have entered into the righteousness of God which they were ignorant of? *For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God* (Rom. X, 3): for the same thing is to be submitted as to enter into it.

Ver. 29. — *Let them be blotted out*, that is, let them die. By the book of the living he speaks as if God had the living registered in some book, by the metaphor of kings, who have the catalogs of army leaders written in books.

PSALM LXXI

Ver. 5. — This *before* does not speak as if of time, as some have thought; for what connection would this have with the verb *remain*? For he says, *He shall remain with the sun and before the moon, unto generation of generations*. And so, the verb *remain* refers to what follows, but the preposition *before* refers to what precedes. No one, therefore, says that he will remain beforehand. ^C If any one, however, does not wish to have *he shall remain* understood as implied for this, then this too, *before the moon unto generation of generations*, will make nothing but a mangled and lame sense; for it has no adjunct to it—what it is, or what exists, or what has been, or anything of the sort. Therefore, he says that *he shall remain* is implied; but he does not say *before* concerning a superfluity of time, but concerning permanence itself. *He shall remain*, therefore, he says, and peace and justice shall be preserved, splendid like the sun, and above the moon, so that it even surpasses the moon itself in this. But why does it also excel the moon? Because, indeed, it also has many times of failing, ^D while this, as long as it always remains, is also increased and preserved. Moreover, this, *unto generation of generations*, he said according to the peculiar way of speaking of Scripture, for a long time.

^A Verse 7. He had shown that the words *it shall remain with the sun* were said regarding peace and justice; he therefore also made use of the similitude, saying *it shall rise* with respect to the sun; that is, it shall appear. Thus, he says, it shall shine like the sun. Now, therefore, he has declared this very thing more clearly. And thus, he says, a deep peace shall encompass all things through your care, such that it is equally impossible for his peace to be dissolved as for the substance of the moon to be dissolved. It is common, however, for Scripture to use such hyperboles, as in the eighty-eighth Psalm: *I will place his seed unto eternity, and his throne as the days of heaven* (Ps. lxxxviii, 30). Because he had spoken quite hyperbolically, that the kingdom in the successors of David would remain as indissoluble as heaven, he says again in the following: *And his throne as the sun in my sight, and as the moon perfected forever* (Ibid. 38); which things indeed did not happen so in exact reality, but have been said by Divine Scripture hyperbolically.

Verse 8. Not that he shall command and rule in every way, but that because of his fame and glory, all, as if wondering at their own Lord, shall venerate him: which also is found to have happened in reality. ^B

Verse 17. Here also he demonstrated that the word *before* is not said of time, so that it might be thought to apply to Christ, as some have supposed. For if *before* spoke of time and pre-existence, how would *it shall remain* follow, which he says in the subsequent verses? Thus, therefore, he says, his name remains to be wondered at, no less than the sun and the moon. And the demonstration of this is that, for as long as the sun and the moon remain, he too is remembered by all men and wondered at for the wisdom, and glory, and honor which he obtained among all. ^C

Ibid. Here he especially adduced the cause of the statements made regarding him, because he recounts his beauties for the common good. For all honor of a king, and especially the care of the just one, regards the common utility of the subjects. For him, he says, all tribes shall be amazed, that is, all Israel. And the proof of this is that the queen of the South, coming to him, pronounced his ministers blessed, because they incessantly enjoyed his wisdom. ^D

Psalm LXXII

Verse 10. And they shall live with surfeit, while life is so ordered by them that no day of life may pass by, before they are anticipated by death. But he says this, not as if there is an altogether determined time for any man living, but because we frequently, since we are by nature subject to passions, sustain death from trials and afflictions or some such things; which, if we could have avoided, we would have lived for a very long time. For there are some deaths which are brought on by trials, and others, again, which proceed not from external evils, but from the very condition of nature itself. For although

^A nothing external happens (e.g., death by the sword or something similar), yet nature itself, when it has fully advanced to old age, necessarily draws death along with it. As if to say, therefore, that since they themselves had previously suffered many such things, and had often been anticipated by an untimely death through pressing evils, he says that they will no longer suffer anything of the kind, but will have their days full, awaiting death only from the frailty of nature.

PSALM LXXIII

PSALM LXXIV

(Ps. CXIX, 4); and not adding the word "saying," he subjoined, *O Lord, deliver my soul*, signifying it by the silence from the sequence of what he was saying. And more clearly in the second Psalm: *For the kings of the earth*, he says, *stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. Let us break their bonds* (Ps. II, 2). Now, however, omitting the word "saying," he has used the proper sequence throughout. And entirely this can be found in very many places. But it will suffice to have put forth these as testimony to what we have said. In the interpretation itself, which follows, the aforementioned phrase often occurs; it will certainly be for the readers to remember always the subaudition or the implication. ^B

VERS. 7. — He often calls the sunrise an "exit," as in that, *The outgoings of the morning and evening you will delight* (Ps. LXIV, 9). For he also calls the east itself the exit of the sun, as in that, *His going forth is from the end of heaven* (Ps. XVIII, 7). Therefore, he speaks of the exit, or going forth, of the eastern parts, but of the desert of the mountains of the north and south. For since parts of these two climates are uninhabited and deserted, because of the excess of ice (namely, the northern ones), and others because of excessive heat (namely, the southern ones), he has called these two climates the desert of the mountains. But he wishes to say that there is nowhere to flee from God. For wherever you may withdraw to the four climates of the sky, you can in no way flee from God, who is the common judge and present everywhere. ^C

VERS. 8. — He understands "wine" as a punishment, from the fact that those who are punished are made dizzy and fall, like those who are drunk, under the blow of God. For he has, he says, in his hand a cup full of pure wine; as if he were speaking of more terrible punishments, because pure wine strikes or perturbs more. Furthermore, he does not speak of "mixed" as of a commixture (for how, when he has called it pure, could he again call it mixed?), but because we often call a measure, which is sufficient for a drink, a mixture. He truly wished to say that such a mixture was so great that it had filled the cup. For from both he wishes to signify the intensification of the punishment; then from the fact that it was pure wine, and then from the fact that the cup was full: by the pure wine, indeed, declaring austerity and vehemence, and by the fullness, sufficiency or abundance, and that it would reach everyone. But he called the heavier ^D punishment the "dregs." I, he says, have drunk the clearer [wine]; that is, I have been subject to lesser evils. But the Babylonians will drink the dregs themselves, that is, they will pay for faults more grievous than those they have committed.

ON JOB

^A Of the same Theodore, reproving the Book of Job and its author—that is, the Holy Spirit—saying that a pagan wise man composed this book.

These (1) things which were written for the instruction of men, and which are to be numbered among the books of Solomon, that is, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, which he composed himself in his own person for the benefit of others, when he had not indeed received the gift of prophecy, but did have the gift of wisdom, which is evidently another thing beyond that, according to the voice of blessed Paul.

*And after other things.*

It was enough, therefore, to remove from the Scripture all the superfluous words; but to set forth those things which were necessary for the signification of his life, which were all sufficient to convert anyone to better things and to make them an emulator of the good. But now, since he has not done this, looking toward a lover of vain glory who is not necessary, he has injured the reputation of the just man in the minds of those who are not accustomed to judge the divine Scriptures with the due devotion, and from this he has caused many to blame the writings, and to draw forth an accusation against blessed Job.

*And after other things.*

Immediately, the very words from which he says the author begins, when the friends had arrived, who—seeing everything considerately, saying everything—would think or say that it ever befitted the mind of the just man? For to collect so many curses immediately from the beginning, and to impose them upon matters which cannot receive a curse, because they are not believed to exist, who would think it fitting for a man who had governed his life with such wisdom, and virtue, and reverence?

And throughout, reproving the Scripture of Job, and cursing the author (for it is the same thing to say the Holy Spirit), at the end of the interpretation of his blasphemy he says thus:

"But even this minor crime is added to that which is placed at the end. For this which he said, that he called his third daughter [by the name of] the horn of Amalthea, is nothing else than to show that he was in agreement with pagan myths and was fond of the figments of idolatry, it being certain indeed that the blessed Job, a barbarian man of Edomite stock, could not even have known the pagan myths about Jove and Saturn and Juno. But even if he did know them, he would not have imposed upon his daughter, miraculously and divinely born, a name from pagan myths of idolatry, thinking to decorate her if she had been so named. For this would have been the act of one consenting to pagan myths and fond of the figments of idolatry, and wanting to decorate his daughter through them, and desiring and considering it to have communion with the figments of myths. But ^B that all this is a figment is certain to everyone."

*And after other things.*

"And the author is indeed manifest, having suffered this from a great and importunate love of vain glory. For to show himself to be educated in foreign doctrine and to have possessed the knowledge of pagan myths, which they held as firm concerning those whom they thought were gods, he thought it a small matter to impose, from thence, that name upon the just man, as if desiring to decorate his own daughter through it. To me, however, it is evident from the whole composition of the book that the author was educated in pagan learning, to whose imitation he desired to compose the present writing, and [in doing so] he harmed the beauty of the history. For those who compose tragedies among them, they indeed take their causes from those things of which many speak, even when it happens that such [a story] in some way has the opinion of truth among the many; but using them for a pure purpose, they hasten to show their art and wisdom in the composition of myths, and, introducing characters pleasing to themselves and placing words around them — by which they think they become more brilliant and are decorated — so that the complaint and praise which is brought in by the writings, whether through the intellect or through the very words [in which] the writer may have sinned, [the readers] refer not to the persons whose words he fashions, but to the author of the myth.

"And this man, when he had found the great and clear history of blessed Job, which was spoken of in the mouths of all, not only of the Israelite race but also of others—the testimony of God made it even clearer, which happened to the prophet—desiring to receive glory from the magnitude of the subject, composed this Scripture, not thinking that there is a great difference between the history of the just man according to the simplicity and subtlety proposed by the divine Scripture, and words that are the opposite, superfluous and fabricated for proof. Hence he also made those fictions in which he made the devil [enter into] a struggle with God, and placed words as he wished, some indeed to the just man, others to his friends: in which words, how much he exceeded what is fitting, it has been said even in the earlier passages. But the same Elihu, he introduced at the end, saying things full of such injury against the just man, and at the end of the person of the magnitude of the divine nature, he placed such language, in which it did not shame him to add even a figment of a herd. From this, therefore, from this importunate love of vain glory, he applied this nomination, snatched from pagan myths, to the blessed Job."

ON THE SONG OF SONGS

The same Theodore also disdains the Song of Songs, and he says that Solomon wrote these things to his beloved, explaining them in a way that is unspeakable to Christian ears. It runs as follows:

"When I was reluctant to read through the Song of Songs, since they are explained neither according to a prophetic mode, nor according to the tradition of history, like the book of Kings, nor do they employ a demonstrative instruction of study, I do not know how the precept of your letters, demanding from us a cause concerning the Song of Songs, made me more diligent about it, albeit by force. And indeed, I did not cease; at the very beginning of the reading, as if with eager alacrity, I was frequently nodding off and dozing, as if at a nuptial feast of a book, and this a royal one, chanted to me."

^A And after a few words: "For he who sings every song delights himself: but I indeed sing the proposed song; yet for whom I sing, I do not sing for my own delight with them: for I did not want to be the writer for the ages of the disparagement of my own nuptials. But wishing, by necessity of excuse, to sing what I do not wish to sing, I am forced to sing the song in a way that makes my song above the manner of a song. For I am forced to sing with the bride, which those who disparage the public apology, and to proclaim those things which it is proper for the newly wedded to hide. Since they think that we are struggling with vituperations, and that we are divided by the stigmas of reproaches, let them hear us singing our embraces more warmly, and let them receive the scent of our nuptial ointments more fully: let them ring out with tragic songs of our kisses: proclaim your blackness, O bride, proclaim it purple and graceful: your lineage is disparaged of praiseworthy origin, fellow-kin to Israel. Begin at the start of the response to them: From my warm kisses let them know that we enjoy one another with amatory speeches; let those who strike with vituperations learn of the silent cithara that loves the nuptials; let them know by their curses what they thought it was for us to dance at my nuptials. Let them know not to curse, because they have stirred up love resonating more pleasantly than the disparagers; let a bitter stimulus of our kisses enter their hearts."

^B Yet the meaning for the writer is of this sort; for he had the meaning, in that he made the writing without a name, only not shouting to Israel that the writer is not Solomon himself, but [that it was written] by the necessity of rivalry. But thus, through wisdom, existing as someone proclaimable and terrible to the nations and the Jews because of his sagacity. Whence also his peace was firmer than it was in previous times, while the nations who loved wars were restrained by the fear of his utmost prudence regarding these matters, he makes an Egyptian feast. He shows Solomon to be, among the Jews, a man of vice, as a transgressor of the paternal laws, those who forbid alien nuptials, and he fell to the feast of a maiden, someone to be fled indeed for her very own ugly paternal color (for Egypt is the mother of nocturnal colors), but more of one to be fled because she who had her lineage from Ham, who was the heir of the ancient curse of Noah, from whom Solomon suffered something regarding his desire for a spouse, and being irritated by the disgrace of his transgression, he composes the song as an excuse, so that he might even be more pleasing to his wife, delighted by the songs made for her: and he wisely struck those who were reproaching him, as if they were giving him a cause for joys, and not for repentance because of the nuptials as if they were wicked. Whence also, there is an immediate beginning for him from the nuptial kisses, as if for someone standing [within the song] was a new bride protesting against the disparagers: Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth, and I have no care for the reproach of those barking at me. And again, ^C an irritation at the disparagements on behalf of his bride: I am black and beautiful, O daughters of Jerusalem, like the tents of Cedar, like the skin of Solomon. "Do not," he says, "propose color to me for the sake of disparagement, unless by chance you also think the miracle of well-composed edifices of the black stone of Arabia is a cause for disparagement: the stones of which my members are similar to, like certain precious stones. For of that very sky-blue color, which you who disparage sing of, there is a likeness of such stones, and of royal purple, and not royal simply, but such as Solomon is surrounded by, who loves ornaments more than all kings." But also the exposition of the rest of the song is an irritation of the disparagements.

^D And after a few words: "All of which things it behooves those reading the book to think upon, and not to think that the writing of the most wise man is an incitement to lewdness, and on account of this to hate it (for what utility would there be for Solomon to hasten to a writing of lewdness, for whom there was the power of lewdness even without a writing?), nor to praise the book as if it possessed a prophetic dictation of the goods of the Church. For if it had merited prophetic grace, he would have made mention of God somewhere (for in no prophetic scripture is God not mentioned), but all ought to know that the book is a table-song of nuptial rivalry, just as Plato later wrote a feast concerning love. Whence neither to the Jews, nor to us, has a public reading of the Song of Songs ever been made, as it is a domestic and nuptial song for the feasts of Solomon, sounding the reproaches of the bride."

THEODORE OF MOPSUESTIA THE REMAINS OF HIS COMMENTARIES ON THE NEW TESTAMENT COLLECTED, ARRANGED, AND EMENDED BY OTTO FRIDOLINUS FRITZSCHE Doctor of Theology, Ordinary Professor in the Academy of Zurich, Director of the Library of the Republic of Zurich, Member of the Historical-Theological Society of Leipzig. (Zurich, at the expense of Meyer and Zeller, 1847, in 8°.) PREFACE

When, in the dissertation which I published eleven years ago at Halle on the life and writings of Theodore of Mopsuestia, I indicated that I would soon discuss the remaining matters concerning Theodore, I did not think that I would break the trust I had given for so long. But as happens, other things drew me in other directions. At first, indeed, when I had shortly thereafter exchanged my homeland for Switzerland, the demands of a new office and the vicissitudes of affairs caused me to direct my attention elsewhere; later, however, when I had made time for myself—than which nothing is sweeter—other studies delighted my mind, whether to uplift it when it was raised up or to raise it up when it was cast down. But I have set aside other domestic delights or anxieties, which I may one day bring forth, to return to Theodore. I was never entirely unmindful of him, but seeing almost every year new fragments of his drawn from darkness into light, I thought it better to wait for an opportunity to discuss them. Now, however, I have believed it to be the time, first, to collect and arrange all his fragments which have been published to this point. For besides the fact that these are read in very diverse books, access to which is not open to many, it will be possible in this way for us to distinguish more easily the genuine from the adulterated, and to examine more accurately, as we follow them with the mind in one continuous flow, what sort of man Theodore was and what was the nature of his thought. I advise fully, in passing: professional scholars have not hitherto devoted as much effort as they ought to the collecting of fragments of those ecclesiastical authors whose books have for the most part perished. If they devote themselves more to this matter, believe me, many of them will be revived, as it were, from the dead, and not only literary history, but ecclesiastical history itself will receive great benefit from this.

In this book, therefore, I have included the remains of Theodore's commentaries on the New Testament, and when J. C. Orelli, an excellent colleague and friend, gave me the opportunity to lecture during the coming winter semester in our academy, I used this occasion to present the surviving collected and emended books of Theodore *On the Incarnation of the Son of God*, a booklet which was printed at Zurich by the press of Orell, Füssli and partners. I shall then publish the remaining dogmatic fragments of Theodore and his exegetical remains on the Old Testament when I know that it is to the interest of scholars.

It suffices to deal briefly with the purpose of this book. For since I was not aiming to explain Theodore, but rather to present his words in an emended form, I have rarely added notes, and I have signified by a mere word only if anything seemed to me noteworthy, whether for reasons of language or other considerations. In emending the text, I have not proceeded with boldness and force, but have followed the traces of the manuscript as much as possible. I know that the text of the catenae is for the most part quite vitiated and corrupt, that passages have been omitted, others placed in the wrong spot, and finally that the authors have acted licentiously; yet, if anyone, relying on this fact, cares less for the written books, he will argue many things ingeniously, but few things according to the truth. But not rarely, genuine readings could be restored by a slight change of punctuation or accents.

It remains for me to touch briefly upon the very difficult question concerning Theodore the monk. Cramer's codex