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Isaiah 10:33–34. Behold, the Lord Lord of hosts will crush the glorious ones with strength, and the high ones will be crushed with reproach, and the high ones will humble themselves, and the high ones will fall with the sword: Lebanon and the high ones will fall. The finished book talked about the Assyrians and the ruler of the Persians, who went out to war against Judea and Jerusalem, but unexpectedly suffered from the wrath of the Divine. For Israel, who did not strain the bow, who did not grab the shield, who did not bring out cavalry or other troops with skill in building up against the ranks of his troops, who did not strive to turn away the hand of the opponents according to the law of war, was wonderfully saved by the power and grace of God: the Angel of the Lord went out, says the prophet, and slew from the Assyrian army one hundred and eighty-five thousand (Is. 37:36). When this clearly came true, those awaiting their destruction rejoiced and offered songs of thanksgiving to God who saved them, saying: the evening will come to rest, and the morning will come joy (Ps. 29:6); and to this also: you turned my weeping into my joy, you tore my sackcloth to pieces, and you girded me with joy (Ps. 29:12): but he, bold and arrogant and proclaiming this great and boastful thing: I will embrace the whole world with my hand like a nest, and like an abandoned egg I will take it: and he who will escape He speaks against me, or against me (Is. 10:14), who in vain thought a lot about himself, was put to shame, because he barely escaped danger, and as a fugitive he returned home, leaving Judea. This is why the God of all things said: Do not be afraid, my people, from the Assyrians who live in Zion (Is. 10:24). The manner of flight was also described (by the prophet), since during his passage he devastated cities and villages. And again (it is said): the city of Saul will fear Rama (Is. 10:29). In explaining this last point, we made the story more historical, but not far from the truth; for it is absolutely necessary that the word be interpreted according to the quality and strength of what is proposed. since it is customary for inspired Scripture, through what is done roughly (materially) and historically, to sometimes designate sacraments and present images of hidden thoughts: then we say that the inventor of sin ruled over us and fearfully and cruelly attacked the people of the Savior, sanctified, obviously by the Spirit, and purified by faith, and fought against the Church of God, raising up against it the most wicked army of spirits subordinate to him. And perhaps, he thought, that he would be able, and without much difficulty, to destroy it - this truly honest and holy city of God, mental Jerusalem; but he was put to shame as having thought of impossible things. For he was not able to take possession of the holy city and overcome such a powerful right hand; because who can resist the almighty God? So, he perished along with his shield-bearers and was expelled from the flock of the pious, which he attacked like an indomitable beast, and was also expelled from the tormenting leadership over us. And this is what the Savior teaches us, saying: now is the judgment of this age: now the prince of this age will be cast out: and if I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all things to Himself (John 12:31,32). For the destruction of death, the overthrow of the devil and the taking away of sin was the suffering of Christ, ascended to the cross, who brought down and cast down the pride of the devil to the earth. Thus, well-timed after this, and precisely now, the God of all introduces the word about the birth of the Only Begotten according to the flesh and reveals the sacrament in advance through the mouth of the prophets, so that, after bringing the works to completion, He will receive undoubted faith from everyone. What does He say? Behold, the Lord Lord of hosts will crush the glorious ones with strength. The sacrament of Christ transforms those living on earth into the renewal of the life of the gospel, obviously by overthrowing the most ancient customs and that which belonged to the shadows and prototypes, as no longer having the power to possess. But this was precisely the purpose of His coming into this world, and He came in order to preach, and before others, to the Israelites, that until the time of correction, the law that is pending (Heb. 9:10), that is, the law contained in writing, He finally brings to fulfillment, since the souls of believers are transformed, as I said, for the better and for spiritual life. For in Christ all things are new (2 Cor. 5:17). But although they should have submitted to Him, and before all other Jews they were leaders of the synagogue and were overly famous for the virtues of the priesthood, they, on the contrary, boldly opposed Him, wickedly opposed Him and constantly having in their mouths the law given through the wise Moses, they wanted to invalidate the sacrament of the economy of the incarnation of the Only Begotten that applied to them. But it turned out to be unattainable for them to do this: opposing their desire to the Savior of all and God, the evil ones were given over to an evil death (cf. Matt. 21:41), either rebelling against each other and plotting an internecine war, or falling into the hands of the Romans, who burned the church itself. So, behold, the Lord of hosts will crush the glorious ones with strength. He calls the Lord of Hosts the One who creates confusion, frightening the listeners with fear, so that no one might think that He will be powerless or that He is only using vain threats that are not at all likely to come true. For what can be in vain that is accepted by the Lord of hosts, that is, the Lord of hosts? He says that through him the high places will be crushed and reproached; because truly high and reproachful were those who not only killed the holy prophets and shamelessly said to those who gave excellent advice: but speak to us and tell us another deception (Is. 30:10), but also against Christ himself they sharpened their tongue and lifted up their horn on high, speaking untruths against God, as it is written (Ps. 74:6). But they will humble themselves, he says, and fall by the sword. For they perished, as I said, either because God, bringing upon them the most severe wrath, cut them off as if with a sharp sword and cut off the dignity of the priesthood 35 and deprived them of the right to lead the people; or they will fall in another way, it is said, they will fall by the sword, that is, by the sword of the enemy, as I said now. But Lebanon, he says, will fall with its high ones. In this case, in all likelihood, he refers to Lebanon as the church that was destroyed, burned and fell along with the raised eyebrows; because the host of priests was truly high-ranking, and with them Israel itself, who dishonored the Savior of all and the Redeemer. But we will find that Jerusalem itself is called Lebanon. Thus, the prophet Zechariah in one place addressed him with the following speech: open thy doors, O Lebanon, and let thy cedar tree girdle: let Pitis weep, when the cedar has fallen: let the oak trees of Basanitis weep, for the oak grove planted is cut down (Zechariah 11:1,2). since, having likened Jerusalem to the Mount of Lebanon, he called it so, then it is necessary, according to the requirement of naturalness, adhering to the same image of speech, with decency he calls the people who are in it and the leaders of the people, whom he commands to weep, because the destroyers attack them, as if on an oak grove. But if someone wanted to touch upon both the innermost speculation and the power of the proposed words to apply to Satan himself and the lawless forces subordinate to him, then he would not deviate from the proper goal. The crowd of evil-loving demons was crushed and perished, and with them the serpentine apostate himself, tall and arrogant and likened to Mount Lebanon; because before the coming of our Savior he was famous among everyone and, arrogant, accepted worship everywhere and delighted himself with the glory of the Divine. Isa.11:1–3. And a rod will come out of the root of Jesse, and a flower will arise from the root: and the Spirit of God will rest on Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and piety, and the Spirit of the fear of God will fill Him. Having foreseen the future through illumination from above, the prophet makes a clear prediction. In previous times 36 it was said to blessed David from the God who rules over all: I will plant from the fruit of your loins on your throne (Ps. 131:11). since the Omniscient One was the one who put the foreknowledge of the future into the holy prophets, this too was foretold from them, so that the sacrament could be witnessed from everywhere and certified in its fulfillment. So, a rod will come out of the root of Jesse, it is said, and a flower will also come up. And not after the glorious ones are disturbed with their strength, and the high ones are humbled, and with them Lebanon falls, - not after this the rod will grow from the root of Jesse, it is said, but, firstly, at the head of everything, the power of the whole matter becomes clear. For what happened to the Israelites, who were wickedly mad against our Lord Jesus Christ, we learned about this in a short word: now our explanation returns to the very highest principle of the matter, I mean the incarnation of the Only Begotten and what was, according to the economy, the birth from a Woman in the flesh. Thus, he called Christ according to the flesh the rod from the root of Jesse; and besides, also color. And through the rod, as is clear, He is indirectly signified as having royal dignity; because the rod is the sign of the kingdom. So the Divine David says in one place to the Son himself: thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: the scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom (Ps. 44:7). But He is a rod in another respect, as possessing everything and containing in prosperity, restoring the weak or human nature, almost shaken and not drowned by passions. So blessed David sings on behalf of all people in general: your rod and your club are the comfort of me (Ps. 22:4); because the Lord confirms the righteous, according to what is written (Ps. 36:17). He is also called by the mouth of the prophets the glorious club, the rods of majesty (Jer. 48:17). And in another sense, He is a rod, since He is the good shepherd, who lays down his life for the sheep (John 10:11). Thus it was said to Him through one of the holy prophets: Feed thy people with a rod, 37 thy seed, 37 the sheep of thy inheritance (Mic. 7:14). But if it seems to someone that since He is the Judge and will reward everyone according to their deeds, therefore, and very rightly, He is called a rod, then he will understand just as perfectly. For it was said to Him, when Israel was mad against Him and uncontrollably inclined to disobedience: Thou hast protected Him with a rod of iron, and I have broken the vessels of the wicked (Ps. 2:9). Thus the law of the wise Moses signifies Him to us; because Aaron’s rod, which vegetated and was brought into the Holy of Holies, is also accepted as a type of Christ, since it flourished and produced nuts (Num. 17:8; cn. Heb. 9:4). Now it is necessary to say what the meaning of what is depicted in the shadows is. Some who study natural science (natural sciences) claim that a nut stick, if applied to someone’s head, is capable of causing insomnia by its nature. So, since Christ had by the grace of God, as blessed Paul says, to taste death for everyone (Heb. 2:9) and, as if dozing a little, to rise again from sleep and rise divinely, trampling death: therefore He is likened to a walnut rod. Through this Divine and mental rod, Moses performed miracles, delivering Israel from the slavery of Egypt. That's why he called it the rod of God (Ex. 17:9; cf. Ex. 4:20), since it was like a rod of power for him, according to what is written (Ps. 109:2). Thus, when the prophet, covertly pointing to the mystery of Christ, says that the rod from the root of Jesse appeared to us, then, truly, contemplating with the eyes of the mind the Only Begotten himself - the Word of God - Him through whom are all things and in whom are all things (Col. 1:16; cf. Rom. 11:36; John 1:3,10), incarnate and made man, brought down Himself to voluntary exhaustion (Phil. 2:7) and for our sake, having endured, according to the economy, birth according to the flesh, I say, and from a wife, together with (another) prophet, he says: Lord, I heard Your hearing and was afraid: I understood Your works, and was terrified (Hab. 3:1,2). So He is called a rod for the reasons now stated. And He is still a color because human nature in Him blossomed toward incorruption, toward life and toward the renewal of the life of the Gospel. But in another sense He is color, precisely because of mental fragrance; because “I,” He says, “is full of color and long-haired” (Song. 2:1). For you too He became like a certain aroma of the knowledge of God and the Father. So the Divine Paul writes in his epistle and says: Thanks be to God who always makes us victorious in Christ, and who shows us the stench of His mind in every place. For the aroma of Christ is God's in those who are being saved and in those who are perishing: for I know the stench of death into death, and I know the stench of animals into the belly (2 Cor. 2:14-16). On this rod, he says, or on the flower that came from the root of Jesse, the Spirit of God, having many actions, will rest for a time; for he calls Him the Spirit of counsel and understanding, knowledge and wisdom, piety and the fear of God. We say that the preaching of prophetic goodness portrays Jesus to us not as a simple man, who then became spirit-bearing and, according to the order characteristic of us, became partaker of gifts from God; but, on the contrary, He shows us Him as the Word of God made man, filled with every good, insofar as it belongs to His nature, and assimilating to Himself, along with the accessories of humanity, the accessories of this nature. For it is characteristic of humanity in itself, as if from its own nature, not to have any of the gifts from above (since what did you receive? (1 Cor. 4:7) it is said to him), but on the contrary, to be enriched from the outside, obviously through the addition from God, by that which is higher than its own nature. So, it was necessary for the Only Begotten Word of God, who had reduced Himself to exhaustion, not to renounce the humiliation of this exhaustion, but, being by nature full (of every good), to accept it for the sake of humanity, not for Himself, of course, but for us, who lack every good thing. Thus, if it could be said that He will one day receive the Spirit, although He Himself is the giver of the Holy Spirit and does not give in moderation, but, as if from His own fullness, shares Him as worthy (cf. John 3:34): then this acceptance must be understood about the state of exhaustion; because this way we will walk the straight path of truth. But just note that the Spirit of God rests on Him, it is said: for in the beginning He was given to the firstfruits of our race, that is, to Adam: but he was careless in keeping the commandment given to him, he was careless about what was commanded, he reached the point of sin, and therefore the Spirit did not find rest in people, since everything turned aside, and there was indecentness: do not do goodness, not even one ( Rom.3:12; fn. Ps.13:3). Then the Only Begotten Word of God became man, without ceasing to be God; but since It, although it was made like us, was not convicted of sin, the Holy Spirit rested on His human nature, on Him as the first and, as it were, the second firstfruits of the race, so that later it could rest on us and, dwelling with love, abide in the souls of believers. So the Divine John says that he saw the Spirit descending from heaven on Christ (John 1:32). And just as we became joint heirs of the evil that happened with the original, so we will be partakers of that which happened according to the economy and with the second firstfruits of our race, that is, Christ. And that He did not give Him partial (private) grace, as in the saints, they say, the Spirit rests, but that in His own flesh, as if in His own church, moreover, not soulless, but, on the contrary, animated by a rational soul, the fulfillment of the Divinity dwelt (Col. 2:9), this the prophet will understand, saying: the Spirit of the fear of God will fill Him. He attributes diverse activities to the One Spirit; because it is not that one is the Spirit of wisdom, the other is the Spirit of reason, or counsel and strength, and so on, but just as there is one Word from God the Father, and according to its activity it is named in many ways, since there is life and light and power (John 11:25, 1:46; 1 Cor. 1:24), so understand also about the Holy Spirit; for, being one, He is conceived in diversity and acts in the same way. Therefore, the wise Paul, counting the types of different gifts given to us, says: all this operates in one and the same Spirit and divides the power to each as he wills (1 Cor. 12:11). Isa.11:3–5. He should not judge by glory, he will reprove below according to the verb, but he will judge the humble with righteousness and will convict the humble of the earth with righteousness and will smite the earth with the word of his mouth and with the spirit of his lips he will kill the wicked: and he will be girded with righteousness about his loins and entwined with truth along his ribs. Having very clearly predicted that Emmanuel would be born in due course, the prophet appropriately adds those signs by which He could be recognized, and which he borrows from His inherent Godly virtue and lordship in deeds. For those who had prophetic predictions in advance must, truly must, convince with certainty those who were to accept faith in Him as to who He is and what He will be and for what deeds He will come. Just as if someone, wishing to show one of our kind to someone who does not know him, paints him in words based on what he knows about him, and says about him, for example, that he has hair that is not thick, but moderately thin, that he has pleasant eyes and a cheerful look, a thin nose, and describes other parts of the body: I ​​think the blessed prophet acts in the same way, since his word concerns the Word made man for our sake. Therefore, he enumerates the signs of His divine superiority and it is precisely His power that he says about Him: He should not judge by glory, but will convict by his words. The matter is divine and befitting of the highest nature; because not to look at human glory and to carry out just and incorruptible and completely blameless judgment on everyone - isn’t this befitting of Nature reigning over everything? For It does not know how to look at the face and does not honor or pay attention to a person adorned with rich clothes or virtues, who wants to gain self-interest from someone, but certainly condemns the doer of lawlessness and places a curse on him. Now it is also necessary to say how the saying should be understood: below, according to the verb, it will expose. Quite a few of our kind give the honor to those who try to praise (them), even though some (of these strivers) were not good in their way of life, even sometimes, as if in the form of a reward for flattery, they provide them with services and reduce their guilt. But no one will find our Lord Jesus Christ to have done this. That is why He often turned even people who wanted to say good things, but were not yet good in reality, with sharp reproofs to prefer a more right life. For once some of the so-called Herodians came to Him, and they were tax collectors, and putting cruel shackles on Him, they said: Teacher, we know that you have truly taught the way of God, and do not care about anyone: do not look on the face of a man: is it worthy to give taxes to Caesar, or not? He answered this: Why are you tempting Me, you hypocrites? Show me the golden kinson (Matthew 22:16–19). So, notice how He exposes those who flatter Him and removes those who speak insinuating words. And he exposed them not because of their words; because they, approaching, perhaps, with mockery, but using at the same time decorated and exquisitely affectionate speech, expected praise for themselves; and He unexpectedly called them tempters and hypocrites. Thus, it is not to judge according to glory, that is, the Judge will be impartial, and will reprove below according to the verb; for he will not tolerate, as they say, those who decide to think wickedly and hide behind some kind of mask of flattery and deceit with decorated speech. Therefore, He clearly says: not everyone who says to me: Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven: but do the will of My Father who is in heaven (Matthew 7:21). And again: many people will say to Me in that day, apparently on the day of judgment: Lord Lord, have I not prophesied in Your name, and done many mighty powers? But then, he says, I will tell them: Amen, I say to you: I have never known you better (Matthew 7:22,23; sn. Matthew 25:40). Besides this, what does the impartial Judge do? The court judges the humble, that is, it will not despise any of the humble, but will pronounce a just and blameless judgment on him. In the same way he will expose the humble of the earth. For just as he will not be ashamed in the face of a rich man who wants to gain selfishness, but will carry out righteous judgment on the humble: so if, he says, someone from those in a low state and in the poverty of life began to go beyond the limits of the Divine laws and found himself, he says, subject to accusations of untruth, then he too will be convicted; because it is written: Thou shalt not have mercy on the poor in judgment (Ex. 23:3). For just as one distinguished by wealth, advantage, and even power, fame does not free him from accusations if he is found guilty of any crime, so a low and humble state will not free him from being evil, and will not free from punishment the one who is burdened by poverty and leads a miserable, threefold unhappy life. He adds to this some of the most magnificent virtues, which, he says, are inherent in the Savior of all, Christ, because He was not a simple man like us, but, as I said, the only-begotten Word of God incarnate and made man. So what will He do, says the prophet? He will strike the earth with the word of his mouth. And what land? Of course, the one He cursed. Therefore, what has been said is true also regarding the whole earth; because He cursed the whole earth, or human nature, saying in the person of Adam: you are earth, and you will go back to earth (Gen. 3:19). No less than that, He cursed the world of the wicked, drowning it with water. In addition, he cursed Judea when those who inhabited it became mad against Him. For he said: Jerusalem, Jerusalem, having beaten the prophets and stoned those who were sent to you, when did your fellow children desire as much as they gather their chicks under the wing, and did you not desire? Behold, your house is left to you (Matthew 23:37,38). In the words: your house is left to you, the misfortune of being left with her is indicated. Left from him, she (Judaea) was destroyed by war, and by fire, and by the hands of the destroyers. Besides this, another sign and manifestation of the highest power is the killing of the wicked by the spirit of the lips. For He rebuked unclean spirits and, as far as humanity was concerned, through His lips the sound of the word was uttered, and with the ineffable power of the spirit many demons were crushed. He will, it is said, be girded with righteousness about his loins and entwined with truth about his ribs. This is the same as if it were said that He had absolutely no strength and dignity in worldly affairs, but that on the contrary there was divine glory and, as it were, He was girded with righteousness and truth. The belt is a sign of authority, and what is said that He is entwined along the ribs means nothing more than the very thing that truth and with it the truth surround Him like a belt. It is also likely that he called the new and gospel sermon righteousness and truth, according to what was said to him through the mouth of the Psalmist: Your righteousness is righteousness forever and Your law is truth (Ps. 119:142). For the law was also a teacher of righteousness, but it did not endure forever, since the best and most perfect righteousness was introduced, obviously through Christ. Then the Old Testament law was rather not the truth, but a type and shadow. Christ and what is His is purely truth. Therefore He said: I am the truth (John 14:6). Isaiah 11:6–9. And the wolf and the lamb will graze together, and the lynx will rest together with the goat, and the calf and the youth and the lion will graze together, and as a child I will lead a little: and the ox and the bear will graze together, and their children will be together, and the lion will eat spit like an ox: and the youth will spit on the caves of asps and on the bed of the fiends of asps. He will lay on his hand, and they will not do evil, nor be able to destroy anyone on my holy mountain: for the whole earth is filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as much water has covered the sea. To what has already been said, one can quite rightly add this great and exceptional sign and wonderful effect of the coming of our Savior. For before the only-begotten Word of God became man like us, before He took from the seed of Abraham and became in every way like the brethren, as it is written (Heb. 2:16,17), the entire race that dwells on earth, I mean human, was divided into two halves - into the Jews and into those who served the creature more than the Creator (Rom. 1:25). And God was known in Judea (Ps. 75:2), and among other nations they served a great and countless number of idols, and the glory of God was given honor according to the will of each; because all of them had turned aside, and together they became useless: there was not one who did goodness, not even one (Rom. 3:12; cf. Ps. 13:3). But the Jews, tamed, so to speak, by the teaching of the law and softened by the morals of righteousness, honored a life decent for people; others, that is, those who served soulless idols, having no ruler - the law, were terrible in their inclinations: they were wild, predatory, ready for violence, eager for pleasures, and very vile, and very accommodating to everything most shameful, so that one of them was likened to a wolf, the other approached a lynx (panther), due to the fact that his soul, as if with some spots, it was speckled with very many and varied types of passions; another, uncontrollable in his desires, easily acquiring by force whatever he wanted, spent his life like lions. But brought up in such wild manners and customs, they, after Christ transformed them to the meekest and most holy life, put aside their inherent cruelty and honored the life befitting people, that is, a life of meekness. For they believed in Christ, who said: Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:29). Thus, together with faith, they acquired freedom from ancient cruelty and the ability to be good and meek and live in community with the saints. For they are directly named as fellow saints and dreamers of God (Eph. 2:19). This, I think, is what the prophetic word shows us in many ways in the above sayings; because, it says, the wolf and the lamb will graze together, and the lynx will rest with the goat, that is, through Christ the wild will be united with the meek and the not sacred in any respect - with the sacred and holy. For Israel, as regards his education by the law and the knowledge of good morals, was quiet and meek, and at the same time sacred, and was, as it were, like a sheep and a goat; and both of these animals are sacred and pure and, in addition, from nature itself have received gentleness of disposition; The wolf and the lynx (panther, tiger), as well as the lion, are wild by nature and do not agree with others. But in Christ this too was accomplished; because Jews and Greeks came together with each other, having, as it were, common food, that is, evangelical and apostolic preaching and being subordinate to one Archpastor, who knows how to shepherd, as the prophet says, in good pasture and in fat place (Ezek. 34:14). But the calf, he says, and the youth and the lion will graze together. It seems that he calls the newborn and young people of the believers a young calf, that is, an infant in Christ; and the youth, perhaps, of Israel, as one born long ago, since the youth takes precedence in time over the newborn calf. Or, through the calf, he means superior to others, as if in knowledge and virtue, which is the saying that blessed by the Lord will be the small and the great and the old and the young, according to the word of the Psalmist (Ps. 113:21, 149:12). The wisest John also knows this age of the mind and soul, which is why he writes to fathers and children, and beyond this to young men (1 John 2:13,14), likening, as I think, the measure of the mind or understanding and knowledge of God to bodily ages. So, he says, a calf and a young man and a lion will graze together and in the same place. Again, in a useful manner, he adds the lion to the calf and the youth, so that you again guessingly understand by them those justified in the faith and those who are under the scepter of the Savior of us all, Christ, since not only from the pure and sacred, or from the quiet and meek, that is, tamed through the law, but also from the wild, obviously pagans, the Savior of us all, Christ, binds them in unanimity and from here passes on good things to the children of children. and their descendants. For the peace of Christ and the goodness that comes from unanimity and unity in faith extends (preserves) to this day and to us. This, I think, he lets know, adding that together their children will be, and the lion will eat the ox like the ox. Note that it is not the meek, he says, who goes to the food common to the wild, but the wild to the food of the meek; since it is known that the bear and the lion are carnivorous animals, but the ox and the calf or the goat are not; on the contrary, these animals are herbivores. But, he says, wild animals will retreat from what they are accustomed to and, on the contrary, will move on to the food of the meek, since wild animals will also eat chaff. And this food can be a prototype of the teachings. So, it must be understood in this way that before faith in Christ, the pagans had evil teachers who offered them beastly teaching and convinced them to honor the works of corruption and destruction; when they were called to the knowledge of Him who is truly God, then, along with the ancient error, they got rid of the teachings that agreed with it, together with the Israelites, honoring the fresh and light food of the gospel instructions. But even as a child, he says, I will lead little, that is, they will be under the guidance of teachers and schoolmasters who do not have a sarcastic mind and prone to evil deeds, but, on the contrary, simple and inflicted with malice, but the minds of the wise (1 Cor. 14:20; cf. Eph. 5:15). And such are all those who in Christ have the Divine treasure in scanty vessels (2 Cor. 4:7) and have a heart free from corruption and depravity and are in no way deficient against newborn children. The Savior himself considers such as are worthy of the kingdom of heaven: for, he says, leave the children, and do not forbid them to come to Me: for such is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 19:14). And that they will have the greatest kindness in mind, will be invincible and irreproachable and above all fears, he indicates this, saying: and as a young man he will lay his hand on the caves of asps, and on the bed of the asp’s fiends: and they will not do evil, nor will they be able to destroy anyone on my holy mountain. Caves and beds of asps, I think, are either the aggregations of evil demons, or the houses and places of refuge of wicked heretics - let us not call them churches, on which, often laying hands, those who are infants in Christ easily gain the upper hand, without in any way suffering harm themselves. For Christ is their protector, and He destroys the power of their bites (i.e., heretics) and renders their poison ineffective; because they will not be able, it is said, to destroy anyone on my holy mountain. The church calls it a holy mountain, for the reason that it is placed at the height of glory and because of the sublimity of the dogmas it contains. For there is nothing low in us: we do not have the custom of paying respect to creatures on an equal basis with the Creator, and contrary to the Creator and Creator, and the Creator of all things, we do not deprive God the Word of the glory due to Him by classifying Him among the creatures. The whole earth, he says, will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord and will be as full of reverent veneration for Him as the wide and spacious sea is full of its own waters. And everyone can see the truth in this; because where in the whole world or who is not named Christ? or what tribe of men is not subject to Him? For before Him every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess to Him, according to what is written (Phil. 2:10,11; Rom. 14:11), as the Lord Jesus Christ, to the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2:11). Isa.11:10. And on that day the root of Jesse will arise, and the tongues will rise up; in Him the nations will trust: and His honor will rest. Little by little, the contemplation of what was vaguely said shines forth, and what he said in secret now explains very well to attentive listeners. For how will the wolf and the lamb graze together, and the lynx rest with the goat, and the calf and the youth and the lion together will eat chaff, and also when will this happen, and who are those who were once stern and unyielding, and then will be peaceful and meek, and how, in conjunction with the meek and sacred, they will graze under the leadership of one Archpastor of all, this is he makes it clear, saying: and there will be a root of Jesse. What will this happen and for whom? In order to master, he says, languages and to be an object of hope for those who have no hope, obviously for the same pagans to whom the wise Paul writes in his epistle, saying: Remember therefore that you, who are sometimes pagans in the flesh, have spoken of uncircumcision from the recommended circumcision in the flesh, made by hand, because at the time it was without Christ, alienated from Israel and alien from the covenant having no promise, no hope, and no god in the world: now in Christ Jesus you, who at times were far off, are near by the speed of the blood of Christ (Eph. 2:11-18). But even if they were without hope and did not have God in the world, since they worshiped the works of their hands: however, they were called through faith to the knowledge of Christ and placed under His leadership and began to have Him who is by nature and truly God and became partakers of the hope of the saints. There will be, it is said, His rest, His honor. You can understand what was said in a double sense. For whoever in this case would want to explain peace about the death of Christ in the flesh, which He suffered voluntarily for our sake, not as one undergoing death, since He was by nature life, but as if to give rest to the flesh for a short time, for him death will be an honor, and nothing more; because the Savior of all and our Lord Jesus Christ is glorified, having endured the slaughter for the world and voluntarily endured death for the life of all. Therefore, He spoke to the heavenly Father, intending to ascend to the honorable cross: Father, glorify your Son, that your Son also will glorify You (John 17:1). And again: now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in Him (John 13:31). For as for the madness of those who crucified them and their wicked and cruel attempt, suffering was a shame and disgrace for Him, since they, of course, thought that He suffered suffering involuntarily; since He rose again, captivating hell and demonstrating by His deed that He is above death, then we will find the outcome of the matter turned to Him in honor and glory. So, he says, in this way there will be His peace and honor. And if anyone wants to take a different approach to these speculations, then he will accept the force of what has been said in this sense: Christ will not only be the object of hope for the pagans, but will also appear at a certain time or rise up not only to take possession of them, but to bestow (his) repose (dwelling) in them in honor and glory to them. For the mind of the saints is a dear dwelling for Him, and He dwells in the worthy and rests in the sacred souls of those who honor Him, and to those who receive such a gift He becomes honor and glory; for what can be equivalent in glory to having God indwelling and dwelling in the hearts? Therefore, even now, in the indicated way, His peace in us, as soon as we desire Him, you will be honored. For if anyone listens to my words, He says, then my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our abode with him (John 14:23; cf. John 14:24 and John 12:47). Isa.11:11. And it will come to pass on that day that the Lord will lay down His hand, so that people will be jealous of the remains of the rest of what remains from the Assyrians, and from Egypt, and from Babylon, and from Ethiopia, and from the Elamites, and from the east of the sun, and from Arabia. In these words, the prophet refers to the time during which the coming of Christ took place and the sacrament of the economy of the incarnation of the Only Begotten appeared. So, then, precisely then, he says, the Lord will show his hand, that is, there will be a great demonstration of power. And this is not in vain, but in order to become jealous of the remains of other people, whoever remains from the Assyrians, he says, and from other nations. It is necessary, I think, by revealing the power of what has been said, to make it more clear. In former times, the people of Judah suffered a lot, as they were devastated either by the Assyrians and Elamites, or by those who came from Egypt and Babylonia and from the east of the sun and from Arabia. When after this Christ appeared, the all-powerful hand and all-powerful right hand of God the Father became evident through miracles and tried to convince the Israelites that He was truly God and truly the Son of God. For what did He not do with them that was most wonderful? Everything was magnificent and extraordinary and had clear and obvious evidence of the highest power. So at this time, he says, the Lord will show his hand in order to be zealous for Israel and, as it were, not only to the pagans to yield Christ, but so that the Israelis would also desire to have hope in Him and strive to be under His leadership, and to make Him their ruler, mentor and teacher, Who for this reason became man. So He spoke through the mouth of David: I have been appointed king by Him over Zion, His holy mountain, proclaiming the commandment of the Lord (Ps. 2:6,7). For Christ came, saying: I was not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 15:24). He was the first among them to actually begin preaching, and He also commanded the holy Apostles: do not go into the way of the tongue, and do not enter into the city of Samaritan. Go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 10:5,6). When they (the Jews), unfortunate, due to the greatest madness, constantly insulted Him who came for this purpose with (their) extreme disobedience, then He finally went over to the pagans, and they turned out to be the last first, and the first last (Matthew 20:16). Therefore, even now the prophet, as a spirit-bearing man and through illumination from above, enriched with the knowledge of the future, first mentions the pagans, and then after them about Israel, as thrown behind those sanctified through faith and placed in the rear and among the remains, according to what is written. Isa.11:12–13. And he will lift up a sign in the tongues, and will gather together the lost of Israel, and the scattered of Judah he will gather from the four corners of the earth. And Ephraim’s jealousy will be taken away, and Judah’s enemies will perish: Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah, and Judah will not offend Ephraim. In these predominantly words, the prophet ends his speech to us in an amazing way, since he takes what has happened historically as an image of mental things. I think this should be stated as clearly as possible. Solomon was succeeded in power by Rehoboam, who was born from him. But from his (Rehoboam’s) time the people of Judah were divided into two, and ten tribes and half the tribe of Ephraim moved to Samaria, while the tribe of Judah and half the tribe of Manasseh remained in Jerusalem 38 . And for a certain time certain kings reigned over both of them: in Jerusalem, those who came from the tribe of Judah, and in Samaria, those who came from the tribe of Ephraim. And great jealousy flared up between both parts, frequent wars and uprisings against each other, as is clearly stated in the books of Kings (1 Kings 12 ff.). When the Chaldeans and those who reigned over Babylon and the Persian country, having devastated all, so to speak, Judea, took Israel and Judah captives to their land, that is, those who lived in Samaria and Jerusalem; and then (these latter), having been freed from captivity, returned again to their land: then they began to live no longer separately, but all together in Jerusalem, and they also stopped anointing kings and princes over themselves for each of the two parts separately, insulting each other, and being jealous, as before, because they were then under the command of one (leader), Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, who was from the tribe of Judah, and (under the command of) Jesus of Josedek, who took precedence in the priesthood. This is the historical speech. But the prophet had the goal of showing from the clearest deeds and from what happened in ancient times the deeds of the coming of our Savior. For when the sign was erected, that is, the honorable cross, and it became visible to the tribes and peoples of the entire universe, then the release of those who were in captivity became evidently mental, a rapprochement in unanimity, a desire for unanimity and a single faith among those who were anciently divided, bearing the yoke (subordination) to many and wicked rulers (since they were slaves to unclean spirits). But they threw off their yoke, and came together, and very willingly, to the mental Zion or Jerusalem, that is, to the Church, and became under the authority of one king, that is, Christ, whose prototype was Zerubbabel, who brought Israel out of captivity, in union with Jesus, the great priest, so that Christ would be understood in him as King and Bishop, reverend, gentle, undefiled, separated from the sinner, and above the heavens, as the Divine Paul says (Heb. 7:26). And that the sign of Christ, that is, the honorable cross, became the reason that those living throughout the entire earth were united in one faith and thus through Him became their own to the All-Holy Father, this can be clear from what the Divine John the Evangelist wrote. For he introduced the accursed Caiaphas, speaking in the Sanhedrin: you know nothing, neither do you think, that we may not have one man die for the people, and not the whole tongue perish (John 11:49,50). And to this last he added: this is not what he said about himself: but the bishop from that year prophesied that Jesus wanted to die for people, and not only for people, but that he might also gather the scattered children of God into one (John 11:51,52); because Christ was our peace, according to the Scriptures (Eph. 2:14), destroying the middle wall of the fence, abolishing the law of commandments by teachings and creating two nations in one new man and reconciling both through Himself to God and the Father and destroying the enmity between them (Eph. 2:15-18), so that we were all in one spirit and in one body, becoming of one accord ( Philippians 2:2) in relation to each other and by the stewards (Eph.3:6), obviously, in Christ himself, brought Him fruit in the truth and purity of the gospel life that exceeds the law. So, ascending, as it were, from what has happened historically to spiritual contemplation, you will very clearly understand the mystery of Christ. Isa.11:14. And they will fly in the ships of foreigners: they will captivate the sea in abundance, and those who are from the east of the sun, and Idumea: and they will first lay hands on Moab, and the sons of Ammon will be the first to submit. In these words, the prophet again explains how those who are from the four corners of the earth, that is, all the pagans, will be gathered to unity in Christ through faith and into a union of love befitting saints. For before the honorable cross, Christ said to the holy Apostles: do not follow the path of the tongue, and do not enter into the city of Samara. Go more to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 10:5,6), and also (later) and also said: I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 15:24). dead, He commanded the holy disciples: So as you go on, you should all teach them languages, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all the things given to you in the commandments (Matthew 28:19,20). And after He ascended into heaven, and then the power descended on them from on high, they no longer remained in Judea alone, preaching the gospel of Jesus, but some, moving to the east, to the cities that were there, were engaged in preaching: others rushed to the west; Other words of catechumen reigned to the neighboring pagans; It was also necessary that those who wanted to go around the entire sunflower also used a ship. So the Divine Paul affirms about himself: “I created night and day in the depths” (2 Cor. 11:25). And the one who wrote the Acts of the Holy Apostles 39 says that he (Paul) and those who were with him boarded and sailed into the ships of Alexandria, signed Dioscuri (Acts 28:11); because it was the custom on ships, especially those of Alexandria, to make such inscriptions on the (so-called) bow on the right and left. since it was natural that the writing on the ship: “Dioscuri” was done because of the prevailing idolatry at that time, then, consequently, it was a foreigner, that is, the owner of the ship was an idolater 40 . Therefore, they will fly in the ships of foreigners, he says, that is, quickly and willingly, and as if birds will cross and captivate the sea. Usually, Divine Scripture calls the western parts a sea, for the reason that there is a very large and wide sea 41. So blessed David, proclaiming the God of all the Creator of the whole world, says: You created the north and the sea (Ps. 89:13). And that the Divine Peter, as well as the wise Paul himself, having reached the western parts, proclaimed Jesus, no one can doubt this. And he says that they will take captive those who are from the east of the sun, and Idumea: and he will lay his hands on Moab, and the sons of Ammon will be the first to submit. For beyond the Idumaean country, all the neighboring and adjacent countries, as well as even further countries, were already full of idolaters and in their thoughts were not similar to those who knew the one and true God by nature. The Edomites and Moabites, as well as the sons of Ammon, were adjacent to the Israelites and occupied the country adjacent to them, but they were very different from them and were extremely hostile to them. They worshiped the stars and rendered every veneration to Dennitsa, calling her superior to all other deities. But they were the first to truly shine in their minds and hearts, and the light of the mental day shone. And throwing off that ancient darkness and rejecting the service of the creature, they worshiped Christ; they made those who in ancient times were most hostile to them, I mean the Israelites, their secret guides and mentors on the path leading to salvation. Isaiah 11:15–16. And the Lord will lay waste the sea of ​​Egypt, and will lay his hand on the river with a mighty spirit: and he will smite the seven wilds, as if he walked on sandals: and the passing of my people that remain in Egypt will be, and it will be for Israel as in the day when I came out of the land of Egypt. Through theft, the inventor and father of sin took possession of the whole of heaven and, having led man away from the truth, made him a worshiper of a crowd of demons and subjected him to his yoke. The Egyptians were more superstitious and prone to this than others. They had sacred groves and altars throughout the country, thousands of churches and many idols, moreover, diverse, inside the sanctuaries; because they worshiped birds and fish, goats and sheep, and the calf was revered among them. But although they were in this position, God visited them and, together with others, called them to the light and to the knowledge of the truth; for in Egypt the Gospel of Christ was preached by the blessed Evangelist Mark and, over time, others after him, partly from the Jewish country, and partly from among the believers themselves, secret leaders and teachers who appeared in time. And how this happened must now be shown by revealing the word of history. Before the Roman power prevailed over everyone, and while each country had its own leader or king, there was a great alienation between peoples (pagans): on the one hand, the otherness of religion caused enmity to flare up between them, and on the other hand, it was permissible for anyone to commit robbery in another country, which no one forbade 42 . So, until then, the peoples (pagans) had the greatest disunity with each other, and the seizure by someone of the land of others could not remain harmless to those inside the captured country. When the power of the Romans prevailed over everyone, and everyone became subordinate to one leader and learned to live according to the laws that came from them (the Romans), then the communications of peoples with each other became safe, and great peace was established. And then, just then, a passage or path was opened for those who preached Jesus to find the opportunity to cross into Egypt. And how Augustus Caesar took the land of Egypt, this is what the prophetic word explains to us. For the river of Egypt (Nile), wide and great, and at certain times producing a flood, goes through seven mouths to the neighboring sea, pouring its waters into it. Being found in parts of people living in swampy areas, it forms long and wide lakes and floods all their land, so that the land that produces wheat becomes easily navigable for ships. So, when Augustus Caesar, having taken possession of Judea, came to Egypt, the inhabitants of the latter thought that even if they wanted to remain calm and refrain from war and weapons, their country would be made inaccessible to his capture by their habitat among lakes and rivers. When God, who rules over everything, wanted to bring Egypt itself, along with other lands, under the scepter of the Romans, then, by means of a strong southern wind, driving the water of the river to the sea, He made the whole country accessible to them, so that those who wanted to cross the lakes and the very valleys or through the seven mouths of the river could not even, so to speak, take off their shoes. Thus, when God made the path easier for the Roman army, then the Egyptians were defeated. The prophet teaches us this again, saying: This says the Lord of hosts: And the Egyptians will drink the water of the sea, and the river will become scarce and dry up. And the rivers will become scarce, and the people of the river 43 will dry up: and the whole host of the river will dry up, and in every cane of reeds and chintz, 44 and all the green grass around the river, and everything sown by the river will wither away and be corrupted by the wind (Is. 19: 4-7). So, it is said, the Lord will empty the sea of ​​Egypt. Usually, Divine Scripture calls the lakes themselves seas. And he will direct his hand on the river with a strong spirit, because we call the work of the hand or the power of the Divine the directing of a strong spirit (wind) on the waters. He also struck down the seven wilds, that is, the mouths, and made them so dry that they could be walked on with shoes on. Then, and only then, he says, will there be a passage in Egypt for my remaining people. Who were these remaining ones? - Those who believed from Israel, about whom the prophet Isaiah says: if the number of the sons of Israel is like the sand of the sea, the remnant will be saved (Is. 10:22; fn. Rom. 9:27). And as if the firstfruits of this remains are the blessed disciples and those who are with them, one of whom was the Divine Mark. But it will also be, he says, on the day when they left the land of Egypt, that is, the descendants of Israel, having preached the Divine and heavenly word to the Egyptians, will greatly rejoice, as they undoubtedly rejoiced on the day when they left the land of Egypt. For they again brought them out of the slavery of Egypt. But, being the clergy of Divine sermons and true guardians of the Gospel revelations, they did not deliver the Egyptians from carnal slavery, but, having removed them from the hand of the devil, made them (spiritually) free. And when the wise Moses was a mediator, the river turned into blood: now the water became saving for them in Christ: because we are saved through holy baptism. Then the persecutors of Israel who entered it were drowned in the Red Sea: through the holy Apostles they were taught to swim over the waves of real life and to appear above worldly disturbances. Then a terrible and very strong hail fell on them: when the word about the economy of the incarnation was preached to them, the Divine rain descended on their minds, making them fruitful. Then a deep and three-day darkness was brought upon them: now they found themselves in the light. Then they mourned the firstborn: but (instead of this) they were saved from death and corruption by the firstborn from the dead (Col. 1:18), that is, Christ. So, it was natural for the descendants of Israel to rejoice about all this, just as they rejoiced when they came out of the land of Egypt. Isa.12:1–2. And you said on that day: I will bless You, O Lord, because You were angry with me, and You turned away Your wrath from Me, and You had mercy on me. Behold, my God is my Savior, my Lord; I will trust in Him, and I will be saved in Him, 45 and I will not fear: the Lord is my glory and my praise, and the Lord will be my salvation. Saying that the pagans were saved by faith in Christ and that the most superstitious of all others came to the knowledge of the truth, the prophet now rightly represents them as glorifying (God). For the desire to glorify God and offer Him, as it were, some kind of spiritual sacrifice of thanksgiving serves as clear proof of complete deliverance from the first and initially inherent ignorance, and then the transition to choosing the thought of what is pleasing to the Savior God himself and only. So, he says, when at the time in which there may be a descent into Egypt, that is, for those preaching the word of the Gospel and salvation, you, he says, who of old were in deep darkness and were a rude idolater, and burdened with demonic charm, look with the eyes of your mind into the light and see the glory of the One who called and turn to the consciousness of what position you have passed from, and also and the fact that, having previously been under the yoke of a cruel ruler, you have now become outside his power, but have come under the protection and help of God Almighty and who saves the lost: then, and precisely then, greatly and in all justice, rejoicing within yourself, you will exclaim, saying: I will bless You, Lord, for you were angry with me, and you turned away your wrath from Me, and you had mercy on me. They offer thanksgiving sacrifices and give praises not because they were under Divine wrath, but because, having been under wrath, they received mercy. We say, the God of all was angry with those who said such things, obviously as idolaters. For what reason? This will be clear to us by the Divine Paul, who wrote: “Being wise, making a fool, and changing the glory of the incorruptible God into the likeness of the corruptible image of man and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things: therefore, he says, God gave them up in an unskilled mind and in the passion of dishonor, to do things unlike them (Rom. 1:22–24, 28, 26). For those who have forged (changed) the glory of the Divine and the excellent beauty of the highest nature and attributed to such miserable creatures, how in all justice would they not have been subjected to the movements of the wrath of the Divine? because, he says, you turned away your wrath, and you had mercy on me (since we are called to knowledge through faith, not according to the works that we have done, as it is written, Titus 3:5; sn. 2 Timothy 1:9, but according to the abundance of his mercy, Titus 3:5): therefore, he says, brought to the consciousness of your greatness, I will offer Unceasing praise to you and I will say: Behold my God, my Lord, my Savior, I will trust in Him and I will be saved in Him. For in ancient times, falling down to trees and stones and offering sacrifices to insensitive images (idols), they asked for salvation from them; When they came to know the true God, they rejected the false gods. They point to Him and Him alone, saying: Behold my God, my Savior, the Lord. But I will no longer trust in trees and not in stones, as it is said, but in Him, and in Him alone, and through Him I will be saved. And if the one who of old took possession through violence and led astray comes again, tempting and entering into conflict, then I will defeat him, he says, because my glory and my praise is the Lord. Do you see how they learned that praising is a saving thing? For, it is said, devour the sacrifice of praise to God and render your prayers to the Most High: and call upon Me in the day of your tribulation, and wear you out, and glorify Me (Ps. 49:14,15). Isa.12:3. And draw water with joy from the fountain of salvation. He Who Called is inquisitive, God who saved is ready for reward, He does good to those who know Him and with His Divine and spiritual gifts richly rejoices those who glorify Him. For look how they confessed (this), saying: Behold my God, my Savior, the Lord, I will trust in Him; He immediately promises them springs and saving water; because it must, truly must, that those who have fled from darkness to light, from Hellenic ignorance called to the knowledge of the truly existing God, should not be uninvolved in education and the word of the One who cheers and is able to preserve them in piety. For, it is said, man will not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4). So, the life-giving word of God calls water; the sources are the holy Apostles and Evangelists; I would add that the prophets themselves; and the saving one (salvation) is Christ. So, he says, you who rejoice Me, by nature and all God, with confessions of faith, in return will receive Divine and spiritual joy, drawing from the source of salvation, that is, Christ, the word that can preserve you in this. For He Himself appointed the holy Apostles, about whom blessed David sings: the springs of water were revealed, and the foundations of the world were revealed (Ps. 17:16). Truly sources of water are the Divine disciples, exuding streams of words emanating from above and through the Spirit for those living throughout the whole of heaven. They are likewise the foundations of the world; because the chosen stone is Christ, who was laid, as the Scripture says, by God the Father as the foundation of Zion (Is. 28:16), that is, the Church. For in Him we are built, and through faith we are built up as a spiritual house, a holy church, a dwelling place for God by the Spirit (Eph. 2:22). Stones after Him or the foundations of the universe can be called, and quite rightly, those who preach Him throughout the whole earth; because their writings support us in firmness and constancy in faith and truth. Isa.12:4–6. And on that day you said: Praise the Lord, sing praises to His name, proclaim His glory among the nations: remember how His name is exalted. Praise the name of the Lord, for you have done great things: proclaim this throughout all the earth. Rejoice and rejoice, you who live in Zion, for the Holy One of Israel has been exalted in your midst. Oh wonderful thing! Having just been initiated into the mysteries (of faith), then having approached the sources of salvation and having drawn life-giving streams, he is seen to have received a great appendage - I mean in relation to being faithful and true - which is immediately shown by the apostolic ministry, and not only did he himself strive to glorify, but he even commands everyone else to do this, saying: Praise the Lord, sing to His name. And who exactly he commands to sing, this is clearly shown, immediately adding the words: proclaim His glorious glory to the nations. For, he says, let not the glory of the Savior be hidden; let His divine power and authority be evident to all. He saved without memory and malice; destroyed the irresistible power of the devil and demons; redeemed those who were deceived, freed those who were in captivity; brought the gospel of sight to the blind; justified through faith: sanctified by the Spirit; revealed as sons of God those who were fugitives of old 46 and led an inglorious and cursed life. Through his very deeds He confirmed that He is by nature and truly God: He raised up the dead; cleansed those infected with leprosy; He healed the sick with his gestures; stopped the rush of the winds; calmed the raging (raging) sea. Therefore, proclaim His glorious name among the nations and make frequent reminders that His name is exalted: high do He do. For truly above (the power of) the hand of man, even more than that, above any miracle is what He accomplished. And so rejoice and rejoice, you who live in Zion, that is, those who have firm faith in the churches: for the Holy One of Israel is exalted in your midst. For although the Holy One of Israel became a man and in the form of a servant descended to earth for our sake, nevertheless, due to the grace of the deeds he accomplished, he ascended magnificently. And we came to know who He is by nature. Isa.13:1. Vision of Babylon, seen by Isaiah the son of Amoz. The vision of Babylon and the following visions of the Edomites and Moabites, as well as the Egyptians, and also other nations, were spoken for the comfort of Israel. Although what is depicted in them represents historical content; However, people distinguished by a deeper meaning, here too, can skillfully turn what happened to the ancient peoples, as if a crude image, into spiritual contemplation: further speech, explaining in as much detail as possible what was written, will make the narrative very clear to readers. I think that now we should turn to the beginning of the matter itself and state the reasons for the vision. So, Israel, called by the wise Moses to the knowledge and honor of the true God and having a law directing to everything worthy of wonder, neglected the commandment given to him and turned to the instructions and commandments of men, and even, turning to even worse things, fell into the depths of idolatry. God of all people accused those who acted in this way through all the prophets and strongly rebuked their wickedness, saying: These people come near to Me, they honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me: but they worship Me in vain, teaching the commandments of men and doctrines (Isa. 29:13), and again: Why has the beloved created an abomination in My house (Jer. 11:15 )? He calls the idol an abomination. Therefore, those who were terribly inclined to disgusting wandering and turned their necks away from serving God and raised their arrogant thoughts against Him, He from time to time delivered into the hands of the peoples living in the neighboring country, the Edomites, I say, the Moabites, the Egyptians and the Philistines, then He sent against them the most cruel people living on earth, I mean the Babylonians, who, without difficulty having devastated the entire Jewish country, they took into captivity countless numbers of people (Jewish). But that this will happen to them, as irritating God of all things, the blessed prophets foretold about this from time to time. They, despite the fact that what was foretold came to fruition over them, were nevertheless rude and disobedient, leading a vile and most lawless life. Therefore, the God of all, after the blows and scourgings and after everything that befell them from time to time through their enemies, makes a very economical prediction about what was very pleasant and capable of comforting them: namely, He promises that He will arrange the return of those who were already captives, free them from the bonds of heavy slavery, and deliver those who once defeated them into the hands of their enemies. For, although they did not understand the predictions regarding them, it was very natural to wish that at least subsequent generations would receive consolation and that, inspired by the hope of the fulfillment of what was expected, they would honor the service pleasing to God and maintain an unshakable disposition towards him. So, although there were many who at times devastated the country of Judea, the most inhuman and severe of all were the Chaldeans and those who later reigned over Babylon. It is as if the prophetic word rushes against them first and says: Isa.13:2. Build a sign on the mountain above. I think that those who wish to make an accurate explanation of the words cited should first say something of the most necessary. So, Cyrus, born of the father of Cambyses and the mother of Mandana, reigned over the Medes and Persians, conquered Babylon and the entire vast and very powerful country of the Chaldeans and ruled over it. He mastered it not with his own strength and not with his mighty hand (for the Chaldean people were invincible and did not meet a rival because of their numbers and very great skill in military affairs), but because God subjugated to him those who rebelled against Him and overthrew the wicked rule of the Babylonians; for among them sorcery was very widespread and the number of idols was innumerable, so that their country was called the land of statues, either because of the multitude of idols, or because not one of the inhabitants there, not differing from an idol, was in any way convicted of this, but all, I say, uncontrollably and unbridledly indulged in error; Moreover, because they, having devastated the holy and chosen land of God, that is, Judea, burned Jerusalem and the most divine church, carried away its sacred vessels to themselves and, indulging in unbridled rage, killed Israel, the people called holy, the part and portion of God. For that God delivered Israel, given over to idolatry, into the hands of enemies is not unknown to people who know the Holy Scriptures; but those who were called to commit this punished him immoderately. Therefore, we find that the God of all through the mouth of the prophet Zechariah says: I am zealous for Jerusalem and Zion with great zeal, and with great wrath I am angry with the attacking tongues: for I was angry a little, but they are going to do evil (Zech. 1:14,15); and to Babylon he says: I breathed into your hand, (the daughters of Babylon), but you did not give them mercy (Is. 47:6). So, God gave up the arrogant and unbridled Cyrus, the mother and nurse of all abomination, I say - Babylon. And this becomes clear when He says through Isaiah: The Lord God says to my anointed Cyrus, who will hold his right hand, bend the tongues before him... and the cities will not be shut: I will go before you and level the mountains, I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and break the chains of iron (Is. 45:1,2). Cyrus, having won the victory, freed Israel from captivity and ordered him to go home with joy and restore the most divine church. Therefore, the prophet Jeremiah says: the word that the Lord spoke to Babylon: proclaim among the nations and do it loudly, set up a sign, cry out and do not hide it, shout: Babylon was taken captive, Bel was put to shame, Merodah was defeated... For when the tongue came from the north, he will make his land desolate, and no one will live in it. from man even to cattle... In those days and at that time, says the Lord, the sons of Israel and the sons of Judah will come together, walking and weeping, and they will seek the Lord their God, to Zion, they will try the paths: there they will turn their faces and come and join themselves to the Lord; by an everlasting covenant, he will not be forgotten (Jer. 50:1-5). And again: for this reason the Lord says: Behold, I will visit the king of Babylon, and his land, as I visited the king of Assur. And I will bring up the folds of Israel for their pasture, and they will feed in Carmel, and in Mount Ephraim, and in Gilead, and their souls will be satisfied (Jer. 50:18,19). Isa.13:2–3. Raise a sign on the mountain above, lift up a voice to them: do not be afraid, speak with your hand, open, princes. I command and I lead them to sanctify the essence, and I lead them, the giants go to fulfill My wrath, rejoicing, together and reproaching. The blessed prophet, having a mind filled with the Holy Spirit, and contemplating the events as if depicted before him, almost jumps with joy and invites the Persians and Medes, as the already victorious Babylonians, to raise on high the sign of victory (for this, I think, is a sign) and raise their voice against the army of the Chaldeans, as having already fallen and giving them a proud and glorious country, which the prophet Jeremiah called the hammer of the earth, saying about the Babylonians: how was the gold of the whole earth shaken off and crushed (Jer. 50:23)? For the whole city and country were crushed, struck by their rapacity, as if with some hammer. He calls the mountain “polny”, I think, as insignificant in height and like a hill. For signs, or trophies, or a banner are not placed on the highest mountains, but on hills that do not rise too much, so as to avoid placing them too high and at the same time, so that at the same time it is completely visible to the entire army. Therefore, he says, erect a sign, as those who have already won under the protection of God; lift up your voice, that is, raise a military cry against the army of enemies; don't be afraid. For the hand of the Babylonians was undoubtedly terrible for everyone and irresistible (was) and no one would reproach those who feared it for (cowardice); but now, he says, do not be afraid, because God in His wrath rebelled against their pride. Feel with your hand. What does it mean? Probably, it is the custom of those leading the ranks of troops to encourage the soldiers with their hands and signs to excite and encourage the bravest to attack someone when they cannot do this with their voice amidst the great noise. Therefore, those who control the course of military operations command to give signs, to encourage the troops subordinate to them with hands and other signs, and to excite them to the irresistible force of the onslaught. Then he exclaims: open the princes, or orders the Babylonians themselves, as already defeated, to open the gates and surrender the once proud and arrogant city (into the hands of enemies); or perhaps - to the holy powers, which, by the command of God, help the Medes and show them, although very difficult, places accessible for cavalry action; and in order to show that the hand of those fighting is irresistible, he adds and says: I command and I lead them. For, as it were, he says: it was not the multitude of the Median army that came to you, and it was not by their own decision that the Persian people came, or rather, I sanctified them for this. Here sanctified says instead: set apart and, as it were, chose to do what I have determined regarding you. Therefore, he says, those whom I lead come like some giants to fulfill My wrath, rejoicing, together and reproaching; rejoicing because they hope to win, reproaching instead of despising them as suffering from great powerlessness and (people) worthless. For this is almost always the disposition of the barbarians: they are both filled with hope for the possibility of victory, and filled with contempt for their opponents. Their rage mainly leads to this, generating in them the fervor of courage and prompting them to despise all danger and fear. Isa.13:4–5. The voice of many tongues on the mountains, like the tongues of many, the voice of kings and the tongues of those gathered: The Lord of hosts commanded the tongue of the armorer to come from afar from the earth, from the edge of the foundation of heaven, the Lord and his armorers, to corrupt the whole universe. As if the cry of the Medes was already heard and their warlike voice was heard, as if the horses neighed, some pursued, while others fled, and a great mixed noise spread everywhere: the voice, he says, of many tongues on the mountains, like the tongues of many. This, he says, is not a voice that is like the voice of a few shouting, but, on the contrary, one that makes you think that a countless army is shouting. At the same time, the speech (of the prophet) shows that the military leaders, along with their subordinates, were struck with horror; for it claims that it is the voice of nations and kings. So, the cry was uttered by the Babylonians, who made up an innumerable people, and with them the most famous, looking at the city that had already been taken, namely the Persians and Medes, who outraged the vanquished. It is these, I think, that he calls the warriors (heavily armed) and the people who come from afar, from the edge of the foundation of heaven, that is, from the farthest reaches of the Median country and to the innermost regions of the northernmost country. But since they carried out this invasion by God's decree; then he calls them the Lord’s armor-fighters and says that they are brought to devastate the entire universe. However, not the entire universe as we know it; for we will find that this was not done by Cyrus and the troops accompanying him; and calls the land of the Chaldeans the universe, as very strong and immensely spacious and, as it were, competing with the universe due to the multitude of inhabitants. Isaiah 13:6–8. Howl: for the day of the Lord is near, and contrition from God will come: for this reason every hand will weaken, and every soul of man will fear, and the ambassadors will be dismayed, and I will suffer pain like a woman in childbirth: and they will grieve one another, and will be horrified, and will change their faces like flames. As if all hope had already been lost, as if there was nothing left for the Babylonians except mourning (for their fate); cry, he says. He ordered, as it were, to put aside hope and not to take useless measures and not to worry about resistance, since the Divine wrath cried out against them and a blow was struck according to the highest sentence. This is a completely impossible task. For who can turn away a high hand? as written. And again: and if he shuts it from a man, who will open it? (Isa.22:22). For what power can resist God? For this reason, he says, every soul will weaken and every human soul will fear. For when Almighty God strikes fear into the souls of men, who can breathe courage, or who will be brave and strong enough to resist? The ambassadors will be dismayed, he says, and I will suffer sickness, like women in labor: and they will grieve one another, and will be horrified, and will change their faces like flames. Ambassadors, I think, he calls the priests of idols, very famous among the Babylonians for the art of magic, servants of demons, who, in all likelihood, at the time when the invasion was planned and when the approach of the Medes along with Cyrus and the Persians was expected, predicted a happy outcome of the war and asked the demons for help, praying and bringing the established gifts, that is, performing services and making unclean sacrifices, with a promise to intercede for the whole country. So, he says, these ministers and worshipers of demons, making sacrifices for everyone, when they see that their affairs have taken an unexpected turn, they will be afraid and will be in severe suffering and grieve each other, that is, as if from unbearable grief, they will exclaim to each other: woe! and the like. And as if from a flame they will change their face. For usually the face of those who lose courage turns black and seems nothing more than ashes and the remnant of extinguished ash. Isaiah 13:9–11. Behold, the day of the Lord is coming, unhealed by rage and wrath, making the entire universe empty and destroying sinners from it. For the heavenly stars and Orion and all the heavenly adornment will not give their light: and the rising sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light. And I will command the whole evil world and their sins to the wicked, and I will destroy the reproach of the wicked and humble the reproach of the proud. In these words, the prophet is obviously trying to show what is the reason why the leaders will complain to each other about their misfortune and change their faces as if by fire. For, as I said, they (the priests) predicted what they themselves and all the Babylonians desired, but were deceived in their hope; therefore, he says, they will be filled with shame. An incurable day has come for them, because the Lord of all has brought it. Day calls the time when the divine and inevitable wrath took place, leaving the land of the Chaldeans empty and sinners destroying it. And when he says that he will destroy sinners, he does not mean to say that there are some, although few, who are not subject to wrath, like pious people; on the contrary, the name of sinners was quite befitting of all the inhabitants of the Chaldean country, because they were all wicked and idolaters. And since great misfortunes sometimes almost completely fill the human mind with gloom and darkness, so that in the middle of the day the light of the sun seems absent and, as it were, inactive, I say, regarding illumination, as well as all the heavenly decoration and the very circle of the moon, then he says: for the heavenly stars and Orion and all the heavenly decoration will not give light. The Babylonians or the mind of the Babylonians will be darkened, because although with the rising of the sun and with the shining of the moon the elements did not lose their light; but as if due to great horror and due to the fact that they (the Babylonians) were subjected to divine wrath, they have night and darkness in their minds. The commandment, he says, is evil throughout the universe; the commandment says instead: I will make a threat, or command that evil (the universe) befalls, so that it will overthrow the pride of the lawless and humble the arrogant, that is, the most boastful (boastful deceivers, Babylonian priests); for the Assyrian people have always been arrogant and very vain and, moreover, hating God, because they did not respect anything good - on the contrary, they had everything that usually offends the God of all. You need to know that the interpreters of the Holy Scriptures remember Orion in order to point through him to one of the most famous stars, and they do not say this at all out of imitation of the idle talk of the Hellenes; they use the usual name, no doubt, in accordance with what is written in the book of Job: create pliad and espera, and actur, and the treasures of the south (Job.9:9). Isa.13:12. And those who remain will be more honest than unburnt gold: and a person will be more honest than a stone like the one from Sufir. You need to know what is meant by honest here. So he says that the land of the Babylonians and the entire country of the Assyrians will suffer such poverty of population that it will be difficult to find people living in it and that what remains (from the sword) will be as rare as Indian (precious) stones and the purest gold are rare, because such objects are apparently respected by some as difficult to obtain, rare and difficult to acquire. Thus, he says, just as people respect hard-to-get objects - precious stones and unburnt, that is, the most refined, gold: so those who remain from the war and escape the hordes of warriors will be few in number and difficult to find. Isa.13:13. For the heavens will be furious, and the earth will be shaken from its foundations, for the fury of the wrath of the Lord of hosts on the day in which his wrath will come. The blessed prophets speak hyperbolically and, contemplating in their minds the divine and ineffable power and glory, they raise their voices to the heights (use sublime speech) and give their narratives (images) exceptional majesty. Always, together with an angry God, a creature submissive to Him also comes into anger, because it is certainly aroused to this by the Ruler of everything (God). So, when He was angry with the Egyptians, the creation could not remain inactive; for the water turned to blood, the earth gave birth to frogs, the sky sent down hail, as it is written, and a deep and three-day darkness spread throughout their whole country. Therefore, he will be enraged, he says, and heaven and earth itself will seem to be shaken to its foundations, for the fury of the Lord’s anger, because the creation (together with Him) takes up arms against the insane, and when the Lord is offended, it seems to be disposed to do the same; for everything is subject to the supreme will and there is nothing in nature that does not involuntarily submit to divine commands. Isaiah 13:14–16. And those who are left behind will be like a roe that runs away, and like a sheep that has gone astray, and will not be gathered, like a man returning to his own people, and a man fleeing to his own country. Whoever is taken captive will be stunned, and whoever is gathered will fall by the sword. And their children will be defeated before them, and their houses will be taken captive, and their wives will understand. He says that the remaining ones will be easy to count, but that they will be so timid and incapable of war and will fall into such cowardice that they will not be able to decide on anything other than to run like a chamois in order to save themselves dishonorably, and will completely refuse to even resist the attacks of enemies. And that they will be left without leaders and authorities, although they will be few in number, this makes it clear by saying that they will be like a sheep that has gone astray and is deprived of the care of a shepherd, wandering not to pasture, so that it is located far from the arranged stalls. For it will not be, he says, gather, for a man to return to his own people, and a man to flee to his country (for a man to return to his people and for a man to be driven to his country). He says: drive instead of force to return, because although everyone loves their own country and there is nothing better than their native homes; but even this, he says, the deprivation of the objects most dear to them will be pleasant, because everyone captured (in his own country) will immediately die and become a victim of the sword of the Medes. But the prophetic word affirms that something else will happen to them that causes the greatest sorrow: for their children, he says, will be broken before them, and their houses will be taken captive, and their wives will be captured. What could be more unbearable for parents than the murder of their children? or what could be worse than shame - to see the plunder of houses, the desecration of the honor of women, sacrificed to the voluptuousness of the victors? And the blessed Psalmist nowhere remembers something similar to this, for, speaking about the Babylonians, he says: blessed is he who is and will dash your babies against the stone (Ps. 137:9). But this very thing really happened to the Assyrian country, with its cities and regions, because they were all unbearably infected with idolatry and pride, were terrible insults to God and were immersed in the art of magic. They also destroyed the holy city, devastated the inheritance of God, that is, the (land) of the Israelites, and subjected them to the fate of prisoners of war, and imposed on them the unusual yoke of slavery. But the word about them (prophetic) has meaning and not only in relation to what happened historically and visible; on the contrary, those who wish can understand this in a spiritual sense, skillfully transferring the mind of the events that happened to the very inventor of all wickedness, to the most implacable enemy of God, I say, Satan, especially because the prophetic word, having revealed the secret of Christ and, having beautifully made a prediction about him, placed next to him a vision against Babylon, as if directly exciting the minds of the listeners so that the historical events that happened with Babylon and with all the land of Assyria, understood in a spiritual sense. So, the apostate dragon has never ceased to plot in many different ways against those who serve God, but tries very hard to subvert what is pleasing to Him, and often takes people away, capturing them as if captive and casting them into the depths of passions and, as if imposing on them a terrible and inexorable yoke of slavery, triumphs over the captives and is magnified, just as the Assyrian kings once rejoiced at the misfortune of the Israelites, because, being outside their own land and the holy city, were in slavery to foreigners. But the devil’s dominion over those captured by him did not remain forever. For the sign of the Savior was set up, that is, we brought songs of victory to Him who won the victory for us and for us, and pronounced a confession of the right faith; and this, as I think, is: lift up your voice to them. The Lord also commanded the warlike people to come, obviously the people of saints, whose battle and warfare is not for flesh and blood, but for the rulers and authorities, for the rulers of this darkness, for the spiritual wickedness in the heavenly places. And they resisted and won and have ruled until now and overcome the hordes of hostile forces and destroyed idolatry, like a certain city that was once terrible and invincible; and they are superior to their opponents because Christ seems to lead them and the holy Angels help them, so that those who are still afraid of the power of these (opponents) are very few in number, and they are pitiful and cowardly and timid and have completely lost hope of standing in the fight with those who, I say, serve Christ. Recalling the vision and what was said, then let everyone who has intelligence and is able to understand the tributary and hidden speech, the sayings of the wise and riddles achieve an understanding of this spiritual speculation. Isaiah 13:17–20. Behold, I will incite the Medes against you, who do not value silver, but demand less than gold. The shootings of youth will crush, and they will not have mercy on your children; their eyes will have mercy on your children. And Babylon, which is called glorious by the king of the Chaldeans, like God who scattered Sodom and Gomorrah, will not be inhabited forever, and will not be entered into it through many generations; the Arabians will pass through it; below the shepherds will rest in it. In these words, the prophet finally makes a very clear prediction about the war, and, removing the ambiguity, as if some kind of veil thrown over the words, depicts openly and undisguisedly, and as if believing before his eyes the disaster that will soon befall them. They will come, he says, the Medes will come, not tempted by money and not thinking about your gifts: on the contrary, they will in due time turn out to be winners, having used all their efforts to break the bows of the young men. If anyone pays attention to the barbarian invasions they make on countries and cities, he will see that they are undertaken for nothing other than robbery and collecting wealth from everywhere. But the Medes, he says, will be above greed and will neglect profits in order to humiliate the arrogance of the Babylonians; for they always boasted a lot about (their) art of archery and valued success in it very highly; but they will be (in this respect) inferior to their enemies. Having won the victory, they will be so cruel and unmerciful that they will not show any mercy to an age worthy of compassion, and during the pitiful beating of children they will not shed a single tear of mercy, while Babylon, which is called glorious by the king of Chaldeans, will reach such desolation, he says, that it will not be any different from the burned Sodom and Gomorrah and will be uninhabited, and to such an extent will it be avoided both by neighboring inhabitants and by peoples passing from afar, that even shepherds from Arabia will not graze their flocks on it, since it will be completely devastated. You need to know that the Saracen peoples, stretching to the very land of Assyria and living in the inner desert, are called Arabs; for they own the neighboring country of the Arabs, and probably the very Saracens from Arabia roam the Assyrian deserts along with the Arabs. Isaiah 13:21–22. And the beasts there will rest, and the houses will be filled with noise, and the sirens will sleep there, and the demons will sing there, and the onocentaurs will move in there, and the hedgehogs will nest there in their houses. Isa.14:1. He is coming soon and will not delay. Wild animals usually like to make their homes in deserted places, and a destroyed city provides them with a lot of spacious, home-made and ready-made shelters that they come across as if completely by chance. In deserted and silent places, from complete silence, I don’t know how, some elusive sound arises and reaches the ears of the desert inhabitants. So, he says, the beasts there will rest and the houses will be filled with noise, that is, houses that do not have a single inhabitant at all will emit a sound characteristic of the desert. And they will cry, he says, there are demons; for, they say, they love to stay in deserted places and, as it were, make a quiet home here. Sirens, I think, calls birds that can sing pleasantly, or, according to the Hebrew edition, an owl; he called wild donkeys onocentaurs; and hedgehogs - raising, as it were, sharp thorns (thorns) of mice. All this is quite befitting of completely devastated cities or houses. To this he adds: he comes quickly and will not delay - either the one who causes the Assyrians the heaviest sorrow, or the one who gives them considerable consolation to the descendants of Israel, since, being in captivity, they hoped to return (to their fatherland) after Cyrus, together with the Persians and Medes, defeated the Babylonians. He promises them quick deliverance from suffering and that the fulfillment of what is the object of their desires will not be delayed for long, but will be accomplished as if immediately after the prophecy is pronounced. Isaiah 14:1–3. And the Lord will have mercy on Jacob, and will choose the packs of Israel, and they will rest in their land, and the stranger will be added to them, and will be added to the house of Jacob, and the nations will understand them and bring them into their place, and they will inherit and multiply in the land of God as male and female servants; And it will be on that day that the Lord will give you rest from your illness and rage and from the cruel work that you worked for them. He gives good hope to the sons of Israel burdened with suffering and, with good promises, strengthens the courage of those who suffered unbearably from the robbery of their enslavers. For he clearly predicted that they would return from captivity and throw off the unusually heavy yoke of slavery, after Babylon and the entire Assyrian country were devastated; because Israel, he says, will not be completely rejected and will not endlessly bear punishment for its sins; but as the chosen one, he will one day have mercy and rest. And since he is recognized as the firstborn among sons, he will not be deprived of God’s care and favor; for they, he says, will return to their native land and the stranger will return with them; he calls a native and an indigenous inhabitant a stranger, that is, a Babylonian; because very many Babylonians followed the Israelites, partly because they became related to them and partly because they accepted service according to the law (Mosaic). since they spent a long time in captivity, in all likelihood a considerable number of natives joined them. Therefore he says: the stranger will join them, that is, the native will follow them and accompany them. And the Gentiles will understand them and bring them into their place: for when Cyrus liberated Israel, he commanded the leaders of the regions to conduct him safely and without delay. The one who after him took power over the Assyrians did the same; it was Xerxes. And those who want to know these events in more detail can turn to the books of Ezra and receive from here the most accurate information about everything that has been said. For from the land of Assyria they returned to Judah during the reign of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, who was from the tribe of Judah, and during the time of the command over the sacred order of Jesus the son of Jozedek, the great high priest. And so, he says, the nations will accompany them and bring them into their land, and they will take possession of the inheritance assigned to them from above. And what is even more amazing is that those who were once servants of idols, who recognized many and countless gods, will multiply on the earth of God into slaves and slaves: and they will be captivated by captivity. For those who took Israel captive, having been taken away with him and having come to Judea, he says, will bow their neck under the yoke of the law and, as if remaining in a beautiful and saving captivity, confess as Lord and God the Creator of the universe. Either this is what the prophet is saying, or perhaps he wants to say that those who once conquered and led Israel away from Judea, having themselves fallen under the yoke, will be possessed and captured at that time, obviously, when Cyrus, the Persians and the Medes take possession of them. On that day, that is, at that time, you will get rid of your illness and rage, that is, from the rage that obviously threatened you, divine; for you will escape cruel slavery and be freed from sorrows. But, transforming as much as possible the crude facts of history into spiritual contemplation, we will again try to discern something similar to this that happened (in the spiritual realm). The people were captives, devoted to the service of idols and honoring the dominion of the one who oppressed them. But the Creator of all things had mercy on those unjustly oppressed, and sent us from heaven a Redeemer, His own Son in the name of the Lord, that is, not as one of the holy prophets, but in the glory of dominion. He destroyed (idolatry), as it were, a certain proud and arrogant city, with the assistance of his soldiers, that is, the holy Apostles, who, as if having devastated the entire country of the devil, took with them to the holy city, spiritual Jerusalem, I say, the church of those who were deceived and suffered under the yoke of slavery; It was they who multiplied into the lands of God and became slaves and slaves. And those who previously had them in subjection and captivity, that is, those who served the demons and taught them (demons) the morals and led them into destruction, themselves became captives, that is, they were defeated by the preaching of the holy Apostles and began to work for Christ. He subjected them to his dominion after, of course, they were brought to faith; They also rested from the heavy slavery in which they were before they became subject to the Lord and His army. Isaiah 14:4–6. And you received this lament against the king of Babylon, and said on that day: Why do you torture the king, and force the king? God, crush with the yoke of sinners, with the yoke of princes, striking the tongue with rage, an incurable ulcer, strike the tongue with the ulcer of rage, with which there is no mercy, the rest of those who trust. He says that the Babylonians and Nebuchadnezzar himself will suffer such grave disasters as a result of the war that they will be pitied even by their enemies, and that those who, as having suffered unbearable things (from them), would naturally not just jump for joy over the defeated, will, on the contrary, finally feel sorrow and from the many misfortunes that have befallen them will come to pity, or that they will mourn the fallen in some other way, expressing more than just regret, but more than that, joy, and mocking those on whom destruction came beyond all hope. Therefore, he composes a lament for them and together gives a song befitting the circumstances that happened. Speech, says: why are you torturing me? Presta, says, using a softened expression, instead: died and ceased to exist. He calls the Babylonian tormenting and coercive, who, due to excessive pride, imposed the yoke of his heavy power not only on neighboring peoples, but also, sending tax collectors to the most remote cities and countries, demanded tributes and duties from them. So, they are surprised how such a (powerful) presta and the hand that oppressed everyone and controlled everything ceased its activities. And that they did not know the reasons for his fall, they show this by saying: God crush with the yoke of sinners, with the yoke of princes. You hear how he calls them princes, attributing to them power-hungry thoughts; for they, as I said, attacked everyone, so to speak, the inhabitants of the whole earth, subordinating them to their yoke; Moreover, domination was sometimes at the same time their (only) goal. But God, he says, smite the generation of the arrogant, or smite the people with an incurable plague. He hoped a lot for himself and dreamed a lot about himself and died against his will, that is, he saw the end that he fully deserved, being subjected to an incurable ulcer of rage, since no compassion was shown to him. But we ourselves can say all this and exclaim very cruelly to Satan, who tortures and oppresses us. For it adheres to the thoughts of each of us, turning him away from beautiful and good aspirations - aspirations, I say, towards piety and righteousness, as if forcibly dragging him towards what he likes, and as if some cruel tax collector, demanding from everyone concern for sinful things. But the Savior crushed the yoke of sinners, throwing it off us and subordinating us to his yoke and striking the people with an incurable plague. What other people if not the people of demons, whom He commanded to go into the abyss and whom He subjected to terrible torment? That is why they cried out, saying, “Leave it to us, what does Jesus of Nazareth have to do with us and with you?” You came here before the time to destroy us (Mark 1:24; Luke 4:34). Isaiah 14:7–8. The whole earth cries out with joy, and the tree of Lebanon rejoices over you, and the cedar of Lebanon: although you have fallen asleep, do not come back and cut us down. And this is part of the lamentable song. And as far as we know from history, there was joy throughout the whole earth after the Assyrian country was devastated and the oppressor disappeared, the one who demanded submission from everyone. The prophetic word calls all these trees of Lebanon; and those who had leadership and power among the nations are compared to cedars; Moreover, Nebuchadnezzar, like a certain woodcutter, overthrowing them, subjected them to his own yoke. So, he says, the cedars, rejoicing at your death, say: since you have fallen asleep, do not come back and flog us. But if anyone wants to attribute this word to the Israelites alone, he will have to understand it in the following sense. Lebanon is a huge mountain in the land of Phoenicia, covered with cedars and incense trees, wooded and rich in beautiful trees. Therefore, the inspired Scripture often compares it with the country of Judea, due to the fact that there were many people in it, very famous in power and glory, and there were also others in it, exalted by the virtues of the priesthood and, as it were, very fragrant. That is why the prophet Zechariah likens Judea to Lebanon, and those living in it to cedars, oaks and pines, and the all-consuming fire to the army of the Romans, who after the crucifixion of the Savior devastated their entire country. He says this: open, O Lebanon, your doors, and let your cedars burn with fire: let Pitis weep, for the cedar fell; let the oak trees of Basanitis weep, for the oak grove that was planted was cut down (Zechariah 11:1,2). So, let this word of the Jews be as if from the trees of Lebanon, which rejoice and say to the Babylonian and those around him: Thou hast fallen asleep, do not flog us. It is very appropriate that he retains this turn of phrase; because as if from the trees of Lebanon this voice is heard; Therefore, they say: do not come back and flog us, for after the return of the Israelites from Babylon, war was no longer raised against them from the Assyrian country. But we, who were once oppressed by Satan, and now have a thought established in Christ and an unshakable mind and rooted in piety and a (spiritually) flower-bearing heart, can justly say to him: from where you fell asleep, do not come back to flog us. Isaiah 14:9–11. Hell, for a long time, is upset, it will shit you: all the giants who possessed the earth have risen with you, all the kings of the pagans have fought from their thrones. Everyone answers and says to you: You are also taken captive, just as we are: and You are imputed to us. Your glory has gone down to hell, your great joy has gone down; rottenness will be spread under you, and the worm will cover you. Inspired Scripture is sometimes characterized by the personification of objects and, as it were, the adaptation of speech to the objects themselves. So, for example, it says: Sidon was humbled, the sea spoke: the fortress of the sea spoke: he was not sick, neither begat nor nursed young men, he exalted maidens lower (Is. 23:4). For this speech is attributed by it to the city of Tyrians, which was once destroyed by the Babylonians, and we find that this word befits the property of the subject. So the prophet Micah represents Jerusalem saying to Babylon: Do not rejoice in me, my enemy, for I have fallen, and I will arise: even if I sit in darkness, the Lord will give me light. I will endure the wrath of the Lord, for those who have sinned against him, Dondezhe will vindicate my judgment and execute my judgment: and he will bring me to the light, and I will see his righteousness, and my enemy will see, and she will be clothed with cold, saying to me: “Where is the Lord your God?” My eyes will look upon the nude, now it will be trampled underfoot like stones on the way. The day of the smoothing of the plinth, the day of your blotting (Mic. 7:8-11), that is, on which Cyrus and the Medes, in alliance with the Persians, took possession of the land of the Babylonians. In exactly the same way, now the blessed prophet makes a personification: hell, he says, was irritated or upset when he met the one who descended (into it). And please pay attention to the image of expression; for through this it shows that it is defiled by murder and filled with blood, so that almost all of hell or everyone in it is the result of its inherent cruelty. for he, arrogant, did not completely cease to destroy nations and kings and fill hell with the souls of the unfortunate. And so, all the giants, he says, that is, those distinguished by their strength, and those who ruled over many nations, but destroyed by you, answer and say: you are captive, just as we are: because, they say, you were a man, but you did not deign to know and think about it; you didn’t even think that someone could triumph over your pride and your terrible hand; You, perhaps, were not alien to the hope that death would not overcome you, and the sword of the Media could hardly, against your will, convince you so that you would learn by experience that you yourself were a person similar to us. And you are captivated, just like we are. Your glory has descended to hell instead: you are crushed by death and the terrible power of corruption has befallen you; and he who took you from among the living will hardly look at your joy; Under you there will be rottenness and worms will be your covering. But this is a common destiny: for human bodies, once exposed to death, always become prey to decay and worms. However, this is beautifully said about him, as if in the form of bitter reproaches to him; for those who forget about their weakness and, due to their excessive pride, do not expect that the common human fate will befall them, in all fairness deserve reproach, because, as soon as they experience this, they learn to think that most moderate thing that leading people should think on their own (without external prompting). And so, he says, the one who indulged in refined and royal luxury will be laid with others without funeral attire and will not be awarded any of those honors that are usually given to the dead. Isaiah 14:12. How did the morning star descend from heaven? Contrite on earth, send your tongue to everyone. Dennitsa is one of the brightest stars. It rises shortly before dawn and serves as a kind of harbinger of the brilliance of the sun. And that it shines with abundant light is indicated by the very fact that it appears shortly before dawn. For while the air space is still dark, while night still reigns, and darkness is in full force, the stars in the sky shine with a bright brilliance; but when the day is close, and when the circle of the sun is, as it were, in its first limits, the light of each of them decreases, as if yielding to the most excellent and being overcome by greater brilliance. The light of the morning star is so strong that even when dawn appears, it shines with rays that seem to be slightly inferior to the rays of the sun. Therefore, he likens the Babylonian to the Lucifer on the grounds that he was superior to others and that among the rulers and kings there was not one like him. He was so famous and famous that we consider him to be a kind of godfather among all the other stars. But, he says, surrounded by so much glory, highly exalted and shining with incomparable celebrity, how did he fall from heaven, crushing himself on the earth and sending his tongue to everyone? He says: send instead of: command or in another way (presenting your demands). For the tyrants of Babylon constantly wanted to subjugate all nations to their power and subject all countries to the yoke of slavery. Therefore, they sent to all nations, demanding a piece of land and water in a vessel, as if demanding a part of everything, land, I say, and the sea as the universe. Isaiah 14:13–17. You said in your mind: I will ascend to heaven, I will set my throne above the stars of heaven, I will sit on the highest mountain, on the high mountains even to the north: I will ascend above the clouds, I will be like the Most High. Now you will descend to hell and to the foundations of the earth. Those who have seen you will be amazed at you and say: this man has provoked the earth, shaken the kings, made the whole universe empty and its cities scattered, do not let the captives go. He says that he was beset by unexpected disasters and found himself in an unexpectedly terrible situation and barely knew from the deed itself that he was a man like the people who had died before him. For as for the words of pride and God-hating exaltation and extreme arrogance; then, he says, it seemed that you were little inferior to the height of divine greatness; you expected that heaven itself would be accessible to you, that your throne would compete with the highest thrones; you foolishly thought that you were equal to God and above creation; you imagined that you were above the clouds and above the very stars. But you are convicted, having thought so foolishly; the outcome of affairs exposed your folly, for you descended into hell and into the foundations of the earth. And this is said to designate, perhaps, a country located in the lowest place, that is, pitch darkness. You will be a miracle (an object of surprise) for those who see this, and quite rightly; for great changes, especially those that occur beyond expectation, surprise those who see them. What kind of miracle is this and what will they say about it? For they will say: Is this a man? The victim in this way can hardly be called a human being because, perhaps, they have long been accustomed to being afraid to say it. But this is the same man who irritated the earth, shook the kings, laid the entire universe empty, and its cities were scattered. It was not without reason that they marveled at the fact that one man set the whole of heaven in turmoil, shook up kings, made the entire inhabited universe a desert and destroyed cities. And beyond this, what else? You will not release the captives who are in his custody (τους ἐν επαγωγῆ). But since in some of the lists (of the Holy Scriptures) it reads: those in diversion (τους ἐν ἀπαγωγῆ), then for those who wish to understand in this way, we will say that the word: diversion (ἀπαγωγῆ) means the captivity of the Israelites and the removal from the fatherland, for they were led away from Judea to Assyria. But if the Holy Scriptures really read: those in the spirit (τους ἐν ἐπαγωγῆ); then you would understand this place no worse, understanding that they (the Jews) were in the presence of the wrath of the Lord (under the wrath of the Lord). For the wrath (of God) was brought upon them for many sins. Nebuchadnezzar did not resolve, that is, did not free them from the disaster. For the indecent one must, truly must, represent himself not only as a proud person, but also as an adversary of God, a destroyer of the universe, cruel and merciless and showing no compassion to those who are in extreme distress and enduring severe suffering. But these historical events can (and not without sufficient reason) be attributed to the one who crushed everything, I say, to the culprit of evil - the dragon; for he was a torturer and an oppressor - and in what way, we have already talked about this before. He stopped his activities and disappeared - because God struck him with an incurable blow of anger - and stopped, as if some strong woodcutter, from cutting down the spiritual cedars, which blessed David also recalls, saying to the God of all: the cedars of Lebanon, which you planted (Ps. 103:16). When he, unfortunate, completely condemned, descended into hell and there he was thrown into the all-consuming flame, then the evil ones and the powers under his control were rightly surprised at the one who was subjected to this, and perhaps they mourned him, saying: “Thou art captive as we are, and thou art imputed to us, and the like.” For in his glory he was famous among the angels and was given out among the highest powers, just as the star, of course, is given out among the (other) stars. But he who dreamed too highly of himself and who dared to appropriate to himself the honor and glory befitting only the Highest Nature fell and was crushed. It was worthy of the power (audacity) of his plans and his mind; but, as the Prophet says, he who once shook the whole earth, devastated the universe, descended into hell and into the foundations of the earth; for he destroyed the true knowledge of God on earth and completely destroyed the workers of virtue. And do not release the captives. This was granted to those who believed by the Lord, who said to those in bondage: come out, and to those in darkness: open yourselves (Is. 49:9), and to those who were under divine wrath for their daring violation of divine laws, mercifully forgiving their crimes, and those who were subjected to many sins due to human weakness, freeing them from punishment. Isaiah 14:18–19. All the kingdoms of the tongues have rested in honor, each one in his own house: but you will be cast down in the mountains, like a vile dead man, with many dead men cut by the sword, descending into hell. From what happened before, he says, the severity of the misfortune that befell him is explained, and what I said above was right, if a different fate than others befell the one who was so glorious and arrogant and with incomparable superiority (over others), it seemed that he was exalted above the heights. For they died, he says, not without honor and not outside the dwellings so dear to them; but you, completely deprived of this, will lie in the mountains, disgusting and defeated, that is, emitting a stench and presenting a sad sight. For what could be more disgusting than a dead body, devoid of cover? So you will lie down with others who fell victim to the sword of the Medes; and no one will cry for you, no one will shed the tears that usually accompany the dead, and no one will honor you with funeral honors. You will be so pitiful and rejected that you will be no different from others who were under your power and were completely insignificant. It should be noted that this ends the lamentable song. Isa.14:20. Just as a robe soaked in blood will not be clean, so you will not be clean, you have destroyed my land and you have beaten my people: you will not endure forever. Serious crimes are difficult to wash away and stick to those who committed them like paint; and he shows that they have committed something worthy of extreme wrath and are worthy of punishment equal to crimes. So, he says, you will not receive forgiveness of sins, and you will not be pure and worthy of mercy; you will be so defiled and have such an indelible stain of murder on you, like a garment drenched in blood; for you have destroyed the holy land and killed the people chosen by Me. For when, he says, the Highest divided the tongues, as if the sons of Adam were scattered, set the boundaries of the tongues according to the number of the Angels of God. And Jacob his people became the portion of the Lord: his inheritance was Israel (Deut. 32:8,9). Thus, it is truly very terrible to rebel against the holy land, that is, the church, and to be an impudent murderer of filth in relation to the people who have been inherited by Christ; because in no way will anyone be clean who is guilty of so many terrible crimes. But I believe that others, reflecting on the disasters that befell Judea and Jerusalem itself, will say: did the Babylonian tyrant come arbitrarily and conquer the land of Judea and take the holy city itself? Didn’t God allow or rather command him to do this? For the prophet Isaiah himself tells us that the Lord will destroy the flies that are in part of the river of Egypt, and the bees that are in the land of the Assyrians: and they will all come and rest in the wilds of the country, and in stone caves, and in dens, and in every cleft, and in every tree (Is. 7:18,19). Why is it that a terrible accusation falls on the Babylonian, obeying the divine command, and he is so terribly punished that nothing like the wrath that befell him has ever been seen? This befell him in all fairness. Because the God of all wanted to admonish Israel, who had deviated from retreat, and with moderate punishments force him to return to his usual, I say, legal service; the same one brought to do this was ferocious like a wild beast and acted with unbridled rage. Therefore, God accuses him, clearly saying: I am zealous for Jerusalem and Zion with great zeal, and with great wrath I am angry at the attacking tongues; And Pharaoh, already subject to punishment for his own crimes, He aroused as a vessel of rage and anger, as He himself says, in order to show on him His own strength and severity of justice. Think the same way about the Babylonians. For, being vessels of wrath and subject to just punishment, they were brought to Jerusalem, so that, punishing Israel, they themselves would then be subjected to a completely decent and well-deserved punishment. Isaiah 14:21–22. Evil seed, prepare your children to be killed by the sins of your father, so that they do not arise and inherit the earth, and fill the earth with armies. And I will rise up against them, says the Lord of hosts, and I will destroy their name, and their remains, and their seed. Nebuchadnezzar acted terribly cruelly to all nations. And those who came after him and his heirs, even before Belshazzar, imitating the cruelty of their father, continued his works, for they were fierce and inhuman with all nations; They also oppressed the Israelites, although they were in captivity and burdened with the yoke of slavery. They dreamed so much great things about themselves and against the very glory of God that the criminal Belshazzar, having arranged a feast for his nobles, brought sacred vessels and drank from them together with his slaves and wives, and then a finger of hand appeared, as Daniel says, and inscribed on the wall the words: Mani, Tekel, Peres. Explaining this, the divine Daniel said that his kingdom was divided and betrayed to the Medes and Persians. Therefore, they say that at that time the family of Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar was completely destroyed, so that after them absolutely none of their descendants ascended to their royal throne. I think that this is precisely what the prophetic speech in the above words indicates to us. See how divine wrath rushes against every evil seed; For he says, prepare your children to be killed by the sins of your father. because the fathers were wicked; then their future generation completely ceased. For what reason? Let them not rise up and inherit the earth, and fill the earth with armies, that is, so that, following the arrogance of their fathers and competing with the wickedness of their ancestors, they do not fill the earth with war, just like those, of course, and become its rulers. And I will rise against them, says the Lord of hosts, and I will destroy their name, and their remains, and their seed. For as to those of the kings of Israel who pleased God, he promised that their fourth generation would sit on their throne, continuing his goodwill towards their future generation; Thus He cuts off the continuation of the race of those who have become very wicked, because the wicked, He says, will be uprooted from the earth. So, let the enemy of all, the inventor of sin, the culprit of all our misfortunes, hear this. Just as a robe dipped in blood will not be clean, so you will not be clean: you have destroyed My land, and you have beaten My people. He was not content with the fact that he persuaded the beginning (the leader) of our family to commit a crime (commandments), but he also turned the entire universe away from God and, having removed man on earth from love for Him, forced him to worship himself and cast him into the depths of destruction. Therefore he will not be clean; but it will not remain in eternal time. For he did not completely prevail over those unjustly wronged, since God curbed his greed and stopped his deceit from targeting them. He died along with his children, that is, unclean demons; because they were an evil seed. They perished, cast into the depths of the underworld, as the Savior’s disciple says (Jude 1:6), lest they arise and inherit the earth and fill the earth with armies. They were deprived of dominion over us and Christ became peace to us, as blessed Paul writes: May the peace of Christ, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts and your minds (Phil. 4:7). And how they happened to endure this, the God of all things makes clear to us, saying: “And I will rise against you, says the Lord of hosts, and I will destroy their name, and their remains, and their seed.” Isa.14:23. This is what the Lord says. And I will make Babylon desolate, like a nest of hedgehogs, and it will be worth nothing: and I will make even the rubbish pit of destruction. The words we have cited seem to constitute a very brief repetition of what was previously said at length. For they say nothing more than that Babylon will be completely devoid of people, filled with animals for which the desert serves as a favorite home. since (the Euphrates, on which Babylon stood), in all likelihood, has a very strong flow of water and, as they say, the river divided it into two halves: when no one began to drain the water through canals where it should have been, it overflowed throughout the city and created many swamps, so that the magnificent and famous city in ancient times, the ruler of other cities, called the most glorious, became an abyss of mud, serving to the destruction of those who entered it. Isaiah 14:24–25. This is what the Lord of hosts says: As He says, so it will be, and as He has spoken, so it will remain, to destroy the Assyrians in my land and on my mountains: and they will be trampled underfoot, and their yoke will be taken from them, and their glory will be taken from their shoulders. Blessed Isaiah prophesies during the reign of Uzziah, and Jotham, and Ahaz, and Hezekiah. It seems that this is precisely the prophecy, I say, against Babylon or against the entire land of Assyria, when Uzziah, called Azariah, was still alive and had the royal dignity. since during the reign of Hezekiah the Assyrian Sennacherib went to war against Judah and took many cities of Samaria, and having attacked Jerusalem itself, he was put to shame by the hand of God, for one hundred and eighty-five thousand foreigners died in one night, struck by the hand of an Angel: then for this reason, so that it would not seem that anything spoken by God for the consolation of Israel remained unfulfilled, He proclaims and This is what he says: as he says, so it will be; for, he says, Babylon will turn into a dirty abyss, and will be turned into a desert, and it will remain so. And in all respects and completely, he says, what I have determined and what I have confirmed by My judgment will be fulfilled, to destroy the Assyrians on My land and on My mountains: and they will be trampled underfoot, and their yoke will be taken from them, and their glory from their shoulder straps. For Sennacherib sent Rapshakes from Lachish to Jerusalem, who, surrounding him on all sides with Assyrian troops, immeasurably reviled the glory of God and uttered speeches worthy of a barbarian soul. Let not Hezekiah, he says, deceive you, saying: Your God will deliver you from the hand of the Assyrians (Isa. 36:18). But when he tried to impose the yoke of slavery on those who were free from the beginning and ascribed great glory to himself and his ruler, that is, celebrity, he was struck by an unexpected disaster; for when they got up, he says, early in the morning, they found all the bodies dead (2 Kings 19:35). And he learned from his own experience that the Leader of the saints is omnipotent and nothing can resist His divine commands. Isaiah 14:26–27. This is the advice that the Lord has given to the whole world and the power of His hand to speak to all the languages ​​of the world. Like the Holy God, who will destroy? and who can turn away His lofty hand? Again, it should be noted that the power of prophecy contained in these words does not refer to the entire universe, or under heaven, but, on the contrary, the word of prediction refers to the entire land of Assyria, which is called the universe for the reason that it was great and vast and was abundantly filled with a large population. So, he says, what was spoken by the prophet will come to the whole land of Assyria, because what was foretold will be completely fulfilled. And since no one will loosen the bonds, or no one will be able to provide help to those who are under divine wrath, he explains this by adding: as the Holy God deliberates, whom will he ruin? and who can turn away his high hand? For it destroys all hope of the Babylonians, and strengthens the Israelites in good time in the firm hope that the omnipotent, all-ruling, divine and supreme Hand will fully accomplish what was foretold. since the Assyrian power was considered terrible and terrifying, inferior to no one and invincible, as a result of which they probably did not believe the prophetic words; then very naturally he does not allow this to be tolerated, and, as it were, shames and warns against the disease of unbelief, saying: who can turn away a high hand? Isaiah 14:28–29. In the summer before King Ahaz died, this word came: Do not rejoice, all you foreigners, for you have been crushed by the yoke of the smiting yoke: from the seed of the serpent will come the offspring of asps, and their offspring will come flying serpents. The holy prophets received various revelations at different times and, according to the nature of the circumstances, they corresponded to the benefit of those who lived at each time. since Israel, who had become coarse (spiritually) and became negligent in fulfilling the divine laws, God wanted to guide everyone to a better disposition, benefiting them in various ways, sending His wrath on those who opposed Him, arousing good hopes in those who inhabited the holy city, I say, Jerusalem, so that they would know that there is only one Lord of all, and besides Him there is no one else. They, by worshiping the creature instead of the Creator and rendering divine honors to false gods, insulted Him immeasurably. The above prophetic words also point us to a similar economy. I think that it is necessary to first tell the historical events and state everything clearly, because in this way the words explained will be very clear to the readers. So, Uzziah, also known as Azariah, reigned over Israel in Jerusalem. He was a zealot for piety; For he has done what is right in the sight of the Lord, as it is written about him. He was very powerful and terrible to enemies or foreigners, strongly repelling them during wars. By means of a siege he took and destroyed many cities of the Philistines, or foreigners, that is, the inhabitants of Palestine and the so-called Coelesyria. This is what is written about him in the second book of Chronicles: and he went out and took up arms against the foreigners, and destroyed the walls of Geth and the walls of Jabnir and the walls of Azoth, and created the cities of Azoth and in the foreigners. And the Lord strengthen him against the foreigners and against the Arabs who dwell in the stones (in Petra), and against the Mineans. And Menaea gave the gifts of Uzziah, and his name was known even before the entrance of Egypt, until he was strengthened to heights (2 Chron. 26:6-8). When he died, his son Jotham took over his kingdom; then after this Ahaz, a wicked man and an apostate from God, and mired in the mire of flattery (idols), for he serves the trees and stones and all the host of heaven and led his son through the fire, since he dedicated him to demons. For this is what is written about him in the fourth book of Kings: And thou shalt not do what is right in the sight of the Lord his God, just as David his father did. And thou shalt go in the way of the kings of Israel, unto this he brought thy son through the fire through the abomination of tongues, which the Lord took away from the presence of the children of Israel: and slaughtering and burning incense on the high places, and on the hills, and under every common tree. Then Raasson the king of Sirsk and Pekah the son of Romelin the king of Israel went up to Jerusalem to fight, and fought against Ahaz, and there was no way for him to prevail. And further: And Ahaz sent messengers to King Thelgaffellaser of Assyria, saying: Thy servant and thy son I am, go up and take me away from the hand of the king of Siris and from the hand of the king of Israel, who have risen up against me. And Ahaz took the gold and silver that was found in the treasures of the house of the Lord, and in the treasures of the king’s house, and the ambassador gifts to the king of Assyria. And the king of Assyria listened to him: and the king of Assyria went up to Damascus, and took him, and put him away, and killed Rahashon the king (2 Kings 16:2-5,7-9). So, first Uzziah, who is also Azariah, defeated the foreigners, and having devastated their entire land, received tribute and duties from them, and the second after him, Ahaz, hired the Assyrian and sent him against them. This one, having devastated the entire country of the Palestinians (he calls them foreigners), took into captivity those who remained from the war into his own country. When Ahaz died, the cities of the foreigners rose up, since the one who had overthrown them and imposed a kind of unbearable yoke on them was no longer there. For, having once succumbed and been struck by the hand of the Assyrians, although they became embittered against Ahaz, they were not able to overthrow the yoke. Oh, foreigners, he says, since you seem to be saying and thinking after the death of Ahaz: the yoke of him who beat you, that is, who struck you, has finally been broken, then do not rejoice at this. And truly someone will say: since Ahaz was an unclean idolater and hater of God; then how will God stop his opponents from laughing at him? And so (answers), this laughter was not at all at him; but if something happened that caused grief to Judea, then the opponents would mock not so much those who were subjected to this, but rather the divine right hand that protects Judea. Because they thought. that the almighty right hand has failed and that their gods are more powerful than He who protects Israel. Thus, although Ahaz was wicked, yet since the foreigners, as I have just said, mocked the Israelites; then he restrains their joy and, as it were, curbs their triumph, saying that they have not freed themselves from the yoke that oppresses them, on the contrary, they will endure what they deserve, and against their desire they will have to suffer grievously. Because what does he say? Do not rejoice, saying that the yoke of him who beat you has been broken; on the contrary, know that from the seed of the serpent will come the offspring of asps. You can understand this in two ways. Uzziah, or Azariah, as I said, was cruel and very warlike, and so brought them under his power that in an unusual manner he imposed tribute on their cities and villages. Then after him Ahaz, if not with his own hand and not with his own forces, then with the hand of the Assyrians, did the same thing towards them, for Tiglath-pilassar took Damascus and the cities of the foreigners, killing Raashon himself. After the death of Ahaz, the righteous and pious Hezekiah ascends to the royal throne. About him in the fourth book of Kings it is written: resist the king of Assyria, and do not serve him. That conquered the foreigners even to Gaza, and to the border thereof, from the pillar of the guards, and even to the solid city (2 Kings 18:7,8) And so, as if from the seed of the serpent - Uzziah, Ahaz came - the fiend of the asp; then after him the flying serpent, that is, the swift Hezekiah, for in some way they bit the foreigners and devastated their cities. If Uzziah and Hezekiah are called serpents, although they were pious; then this must be understood in a very reasonable sense, as the prophetic word means; in particular, to depict the Thimistes or foreigners. Therefore, it was necessary to call them not meek and merciful, but terrible and fast, those who usually rush at their opponents like snakes. Therefore, either this way you can understand the words from the seed of the serpent the offspring of asps will come, or, if you like, in another way. Ahaz hired Tiglath-Pelassar the Assyrian and brought him into the country of foreigners, and this one, having devastated the whole country, as I said, killed King Raashon himself. But during the reign of Hezekiah, king Shalmaneser waged war against Samaria, himself leading the Assyrians, and having first invaded the country of the Palestinians or foreigners, he treated everyone with barbaric cruelty. So, as if from the seed of the serpent - Feglath-Pelassar, came the fiend of the asp - Shalmaneser, as it were, a serpent, and, moreover, not slow in attacks, not heavy in movements when conquering cities, on the contrary, fast and rushing towards cities like a bird. Isa.14:30. And their wretchedness will be fed to them, and the poor of men will rest in peace: and they will consume your seed with hunger, and slaughter your remains. Above, I said that after the death of Ahaz, the foreigners indulged in joy, but that at the same time they laughed not so much at him as at the almighty right hand of the One who saves the Israelites, that is, God. However, the prophet very well reminded that there would be no shortage of those who would defeat them even after Uzziah, saying: from the seed of the serpent will come the offspring of asps. since they laughed at the glory of the divine, then in these words the prophet urgently shows us that he who protects Israel will save him and that he will cause complete destruction to his opponents. For Shalmaneser (Sennacherib), after he had taken possession of the entire country of the Samaritans, besieged Jerusalem, sending Rapsakes from Lachish, as it is written; but the God of all unexpectedly saved Israel, because the Assyrians fell, struck by the Angel of the Lord; the seed of the foreigners and the entire remnant, after the first conquest, which took place during the time of Feglath-Pelassar, was completely exterminated and completely perished, perhaps from hunger, since the destruction of cities is always followed by other disasters. So the poor and humble by God will be saved, that is, they will dwell in their own land and rest in peace; Your seed and remains will be consumed in famine. So, it is terrible to mock those who are under the protection of God, and to be proud of those who are under His care. For He never abandons (those who trust in Him), but always comes to the aid of His friends, so that opponents do not have the opportunity to open their mouths wide with laughter and revile God, as if He does not have sufficient power to save those who trust in Him. Isa.14:31. The gates of the cities will weep, and the cities of confusion will cry out, all the foreigners, before the smoke comes from the north, and none will remain. The words: from the seed of the serpent will come forth the offspring of asps must be understood in the same way as when explaining them we said that Tiglathpelassar devastated the cities of foreigners and took Damascus. Then after him Shalmaneser subjected them to even greater disasters during the reign of Hezekiah, taking possession of the cities of the Samaritans. Therefore, when everything was ready for the attack, and when the Assyrian army appeared, when siege engines were already brought to the gates of each city and the walls were ready to collapse from heavy blows directed against them: then he commands the gates to cry, to cry out to the cities, which no longer gloated over the Israelites, did not humiliate the glory of the almighty God and did not laugh at the dead Ahaz, on the contrary, thought about crying and tears and who were greatly affected by nearby disasters. Therefore, he says, I ordered the cities to cry, because smoke is coming from the north and nothing like that will remain. Here, by the smoke coming from the north, we mean either Shalmaneser himself, rushing out of the land of Assyria, or the army with him; for the country of Judah is the southernmost, and the country of the Assyrians lies more to the north; He compares a brave army to smoke, because it brings tears to prisoners, just as smoke always draws tears from the eyes. It is not incredible that wars are in another sense compared to smoke; for like smoke, entering the bodily eyes, deprives them of the ability to clearly see objects; so the fear of death almost intoxicates the mind and confuses the heart, as if completely blackening it with terrible and unbearable fear. So the smoke will come from the north. What will be the end of this invasion? There is no one who will remain, he says, that is, complete destruction will befall the cities and houses and those living in them. Isa.14:32. And what do the kings of tongues answer? for the Lord is the foundation of Zion, and thereby its humble people will be saved. When the Assyrian invasion took place, the cities of the foreigners were taken; but the cities of the Samaritans were no less devastated; Jerusalem alone was miraculously saved, because He who can easily do everything laid his hand on the armies of the Assyrians; for in one night one hundred and eighty-five thousand foreigners died. So, when those who came from the north burn the cities of foreigners, devastate Samaria, neighboring Judea, and then besiege Jerusalem itself on all sides and, not meeting any resistance, perish in one night: then, he says, the kings of the pagans confess that the Lord founded Zion and that through Him the humble people will be saved. The people call those humble who have placed their hope of salvation in Him alone. Such was King Hezekiah himself and those who, together with him, humbly begged God and said: Hear, Lord, look upon the Lord, and see the words of Rapsak, even as the king of Assyria sent to reproach you the living God (2 Kings 19:16). But he himself (Hezekiah) heard in response the clear words of God: This says the Lord: I will defend this city, to save it for My sake, and David for the sake of My servant (2 Kings 19:34). So, it is good to trust in God. And the blessed prophets knew and spoke about this. Jeremiah, for example, says: blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and the Lord will be his hope (Jer. 17:7); and the wisest David: Lord God of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in Thee (Ps. 83:13). For no one will destroy the one who is under His divine protection and who is firmly protected, as if by a wall, by the highest favor. He deigns His care to those who love Him and to those who with all diligence try to think and do what is pleasing to Him, He readily provides the opportunity to remain in unshakable well-being. Word to the land of Moab Having very skillfully completed his word on the Babylonians and other foreigners, the prophet now transfers the prediction to the land of Moab, that is, against the main city of the Moabites, against the entire country and the kingdom itself. And they were a barbarian tribe, hated by God, due to their complete adherence to idolatry and special faith in the art of sorcery, due to their rebellion against the glory of God and special hostility towards the Israelites. So precisely, when the Israelites, having got rid of the power of the Egyptians, set off for the Promised Land, they almost all died if the attempt of Balak, who was then the king of Moab, had been fulfilled. It is written like this in the book of Numbers: and the sons of Israelestia rose up, took up arms against the west of Moab at the Jordan to Jericho. And when Balak the son of Zippor saw all the trees, Israel created the Amorites, and the people of Moab were greatly afraid, as if they were many, and Moab was insulted by the children of Israel (Num. 22:1-3). Then what evil intent did he have? He bribed Balaam from Mesopotamia (and this latter was a false prophet and bird teller), then asked him, saying: curse Israel for me; for we know, he says, that if you bless them, you will be blessed, and if you curse them, you will curse them (Numbers 22:6). And they performed this kind of sorcery, for which altars were erected and sacrifices were made; but Balak was deceived in his hope and was mistaken in his calculations, since he who was called for a curse blessed Israel beyond his expectations (Num. 23 and 24). When his attempt ended, contrary to expectation, in failure, then he proceeded in another way to commit a crime against them: he lured the Israelites into his nets by the fact that they, seduced by female beauty, retreated from the love of God and wished to worship Beelphegor, the idol of Moab. And it is written about this in the book of Numbers thus: And Israel lived in Shattim, and the people were defiled by fornication with the daughters of Moabli. And I called upon my idol for my demands, and I ate the people’s demands, and bowed down to their idol. And Israel communed with Beelphegor, and the Lord was angry with Israel (Num. 25:1-3). For since, when God defended Israel, then he was terrible and invincible, therefore, having maliciously and insidiously removed His help from him, the Moabites inclined him to insult God who is above all and constantly adhered to the same rule. And if it happened that Israel, having offended God, was subjected to misfortunes, then they boasted and reviled God, accusing Him of the fact that He, promising to save those who worship Him, however, could not do anything (for them). And the witness of this is the blessed Jeremiah, who in a vision speaks to them: Moab’s horn is cut off, and his arm is broken: give him drink, for he is magnified in the Lord (Jer. 48:25,26). And again: as the Lord says: Arioth is taken, and his fences are standing. And Moab will perish from men, because it has magnified itself in the Lord (Jer.48:40–42). For in time the ruler of the Assyrians and Babylonians came with the purpose of devastating Judea; He also took the cities of Samaria. And the Moabites again, mocking the dead, mocked a lot and continued to blaspheme the glory of God. For this reason, they themselves were given over to devastation and completely perished along with the cities, with the houses and with all the people, so that it seemed as if they did not exist at all. Therefore, the vision to be explained recalls what happened to them, of course, as a result of wrath from above, and says: Isa.15:1. One night the land of Moab will perish, one night the wall of Moab will perish. Some of those who carefully examined this report that when the Babylonians intended to start a war against them, an earthquake occurred that shook the main city of the Moabites so much that its entire wall collapsed of itself at night, in the midst of darkness. And as soon as this happened, even before the invasion of the enemies they almost lost hope of salvation. Therefore, he says that the land of Moab will perish overnight. Isa.15:2. But cry for yourself. It is as if he said; often, raising your eyebrows high (in arrogance), you reveled in the misfortunes of others, but now a war is going on against you yourself and the disastrous consequences that will arise from this hang over your wicked heads. So, do not cry for anyone else, but for yourself. Levidon 47 will perish, but your idea is your treasure. I said that the Moabites were strong and arrogant and, boldly relying on demonic charm and the art of sorcery, thought that they would overcome all power and even the power of Israel itself, even if God helped the latter. So, in the named Levidon they had an altar (treasury) and a church, famous for its structure. There they made divinations and boasted a lot, and this place was most revered compared to others. But the workshop of 48 your divination will perish, he says. There you will come out to cry over Navab of Moab. It was one of the most fortified cities. Weep, for there is baldness on every head. That is, one dishonor will fall on everyone; because baldness is a sign of dishonor. There will also be all the muscles cut off. From intense grief and crying; or because it is the custom of idolaters to make cuts on the cheeks and muscles. So, you will do this in vain, he says; for this matter will be completely useless. Isaiah 15:3–4. On its haystacks gird yourself in sackcloth, and mourn in its churches, and in its streets, and on its haystacks, all of you weep with weeping. For Heshbon cried and spoke 49 until his voice was heard. The meaning of the prophecy presents us with an image of cities possessed by no small amount of fear. For when war seized them and extreme calamity befell both cities and houses, then people ran through the squares (stogns) and along narrow passages screaming; and the weak and incapable of fighting class of people, such as women and children, ran from place to place in the very houses, crying and screaming when they saw the rows of enemy troops and imagined in their minds the beating that would soon follow. Therefore lament; for Heshbon cried and spoke until his voice was heard. These cities, they say, are the most warlike in the land of Moab. But when this happens, he says, they will raise such a cry that they will not cry in secret or secretly, but on the contrary, their voice will be heard and they will clearly complain to everyone, since the citizens will already forget their usual courage and will be so dejected that they will completely lose their strength and courage and the strength of their thoughts and enterprises. Isa.15:4–5. The loins of Moabite cry out, her soul is carried away. The heart of Moabite cries out in her even to Zoar: for the youth is three years old. In their ascent to you, they will ascend weeping along the path of Aroniimlim: obliteration and cowardice cry out. Before the onset of incurable disasters, bitter sorrows, very severe despondency, and an attack of fear that can crush even a very daring heart always attack. Hence, I think, some have gloomy faces and sighs, as if coming from the depths, expressing the heat of the inner flame. Therefore the loins of Moabite cry out; that is, she is, as it were, in the throes of birth and experiences internal suffering, frightened in advance by rumors and imagining in her mind a war that has not yet come. For her soul knew this. For this reason, she complains and cries out even to Zoar, that is, the whole country of Moab, even to its very borders: because Zoar, they say, is located on the very borders of Moab. So why will she have to endure this? The youngster is three years old. The third year for the foolish among animals is sufficient for them to enter into a flourishing age of life and for the development of the strength of maturity to take place in them. Therefore, the same year serves as a time for them to tame them. So, while the heifer (juvenile) has not yet experienced the yoke, she is frolicking and young, releasing her newly growing horns, until then she often jumps, jumping out of the yard and stall (shed): such was the country of Moab, attacking neighboring countries and raiding the weaker. They also say that it is high, and along one road, the so-called Aronim, people who come from other cities or countries enter it. Thus, in his very ascension, he says, Aroniim will rise up in tears. The word of those who mourn is this: obliteration and cowardice; because they cried out in advance about the suffering that would happen as a result of the war, as if shaking everything, cities and houses, and crushing (erasing) those living in them. Isa.15:6–7. The water of Nemriml will be empty, and its grass will become scarce: the grass will no longer be green. Will food and life be saved? The city of Nevrim (Nemrim), they say, lies on the extreme borders of the country next to the Red Sea, and is so abundant in water and pastures that its inhabitants could have many horses; and therefore they were very warlike and had horses experienced in military affairs. And so, as a result of Divine wrath, he says, and as a result of the invasion of enemies, the country will be deprived of water and green grass; and when this happens, then experience in military affairs will completely weaken, since before that the horses will be destroyed and die of hunger. But how soon will this be, he says, will she really think so much and highly of herself after that? Food, once this happens, will it be saved and run away from the hands of the enemy? For, since their strength will already be taken away, what hope of salvation will finally remain? Isaiah 15:7–9. I will lead the Arabians into the wilds, and they will trouble you: for the cry will go beyond the border of the land of Moab to Agallim, and its cry even to the well of Elim. The waters of Rambo 50 will be filled with blood: I will bring the Arabs against Rambo, and I will take away the seed of Moab and Ariel, and the remains of Adam, I will send like creeping creatures to the earth. The southernmost parts of Syria (Damascenes) are said to be inhabited by countless tribes of the so-called Saracens, extending as far as the Persian country. They armed themselves with the Babylonians and devastated the land of Moab. For they also followed the Babylonians, although they were of the same tribe with the Moabites and neighboring them, since they themselves were called Arabs (Arabians). And so, he says, Nevrim will be taken: I will lead the Arabians into the wilds and take them away. Debria, apparently, is called Nevrim, due to the fact that it lies in a deep place, while other cities are raised to a height and lie on mountains. since not part of the Moabites were crushed by the war, but their entire land in all its parts was shaken and staggered like a drunken man: therefore, he says, from its borders to its borders there will be a cry, of course, of those who mourn and those who usually cry over those who are about to perish in war. For the cry has passed beyond the borders of the land of Moab, as far as Agallim, and its lament even unto the well of Elim. Here he names the outermost cities and those lying on the very borders, I mean Agallim and the treasure trove Elim. And having expressed the idea that the lament will extend throughout their entire country, as I said, then he says that the waters of Rambo will be filled with blood. They say that Rambo is a river with a lot of water, but it will be filled, he says, with blood, meaning by this, probably, that the abundance of water during the war will be compared with the amount of blood falling in the war; and the rivers will appear crimson in color and the water of the earth will overflow, no longer pure and having no form of water, but will be of a different color and will be like blood. That land, he says, will be taken by the Arabs, so that all the seed of Moab and Ariel will be taken away, that is, they will perish and be destroyed. The remnant, he says, I will send like vermin to the earth. For the cruel always go into captivity, just as some snakes, enchanted by the magical sounds of the humming of some people and, as it were, lulled to sleep, pass into a state of meekness unusual for them; because the expression: I will send means expulsion, since those who have taken a country or city sometimes have the custom of not completely killing everyone, but, having destroyed the most warlike part of the entire people, placing the rest in the ranks of those captured by force of arms. If some other meaning needs to be added to the historical (literal) meaning, then one must know that the soul, fenced in by the fear of God, as if by a wall, is strong and invincible and prevails over the strength of the hands that fight it, since it defeats the principles and powers and rulers of the darkness of this world, the spirits of wickedness in the heavenly places (Eph. 6:12). If, however, she is seduced by what is not necessary, she follows the path that is not right and, bypassing what is pleasing to God, she is carried away by the passions of this world and throws off the yoke of obedience: then this deprives her of all help, makes her, as it were, deprived of a fence, leaves her enemies defenseless and opens access to passions to her, so that she can in no way escape them. So some are given over to an unskilled mind (Rom. 1:28) and have become easily overcome by excessive lusts, and nothing saves them, but in powerlessness they are thrown under the feet of their enemies. For if, as it is said, God shuts everyone from men, who will open it (Job 12:14)? and who can overcome the all-powerful right hand of the Betrayer? So, let us remain in the fear of God; because only in this way will we acquire the grace of favor from above, with youthful courage we will spiritually struggle with sin and passions and, caring very little about the power of the devil, we will achieve the reward of the highest calling, leading a glorious and completely praiseworthy life. Isa.16:1–2. Food stone is empty is there Mount Zion? 51 You will be like soaring birds, a weaned chick, daughter of Moab. At a certain time, Shalmaneser, the king of Assyria, went to war against Samaria and took cities in it, and besides, he did evil to many cities of Judea and took many people captive to his country. For this reason, the Moabite tribes mocked Zion or Jerusalem and called it a desert stone, not at him, of course, the unfortunate ones mocked, but at God who is above all. So they said that the hand that saved them had weakened, and that for this reason they were thrown under the feet of their enemies. So, O daughters of Moab, he says - and this is ordinary speech: - is food a stone empty, is Mount Zion? Is it really, he says, that only Zion suffered? Has he alone fallen under the feet of his enemies and suffers the desolation of those who inhabit him? Haven't you also fallen into something even worse? For you will be taken by enemies and, like a chick taken from a nest, will move to another country and you will be a slave to the enemies and you will be their pitiful captive and cast down and you will be under the yoke of slavery. Thus, it would be possible and necessary to usefully apply the following rule to her: if your enemy falls, do not rejoice at him. For the Lord will see, and He will not be pleased, and will turn away His wrath from him (Prov. 24:17,18). For one should not rejoice at the misfortunes of others and make what happened to one’s neighbor a reason for one’s pleasure, even if someone suffered very great sorrow; but it is better to grieve him and, looking at his own sins, be very afraid, lest the wrath of the one who smites come upon us. Isa.16:2–4. Then Arnon consult a lot. Create a cover for her weeping, everlastingly: in the midday darkness they flee, terrified. Not from the beginning 52 will the fugitives of Moab dwell in you: they will be a protection for you from the face of the persecutor, for your help is withdrawn, and the prince tramples on the earth to perish 53 . The meaning of the above sayings is very difficult to interpret due to transitions from one person to another and due to the unusual composition of the words and inaccessibility to any mind. However, I will try to explain as best I can. So, when the whole country of Moab was devastated, the cities were destroyed and the houses were burned, and in general when the Babylonians were cruelly raging in it, then those who could escape moved to Arnon. And this was a very fortified city, neighboring the country of Moab. Thus, speech now turns to him. You, he says, after this, Arnon, consult as much as possible. Consider, he says, how you can save those who remained and had the opportunity to escape the wrath of those who devastated the country. And make a cover for her weeping, everlastingly. Yes, he says, heed the voice of humanity, be a cover for those who have suffered unbearable sorrow. For they run in the darkness of noon, that is, during the day and in the radiance of the midday sun they have darkness in their minds; because the fear of death is very capable of darkening the soul and, as it were, pours a kind of night into the mind - an attack of extreme horror. That is why he says that they were horrified. For they almost fainted due to the horrors of war. But even if you accepted, he says, the inhabitants of the country of Moab, then still know, and very clearly (know) that you did not save everyone, but a small and easily countable remnant of the dead. This, I think, he wants to indicate by saying: the fugitives of Moabli will not dwell in you from the beginning. It wasn’t since the beginning of the war, he says, that you accepted the fugitives: isn’t it quite easy to count those who were able to escape, and aren’t there quite a few of them? So, the fulfillment of what was spoken from God against the Moabites was completed; because they perished; although there was a small remnant, and even that barely escaped. But, O Arnon, he says, you accepted the remaining Moabites, perhaps hoping that in time they too would serve as protection for you on behalf of the persecutor. It won't be the same. Why? for your help is withdrawn, and the prince tramples on the earth and perishes. For he who always defended you, he says, the leader of the Moabites, terrible and arrogant and accustomed to trample on his opponents like dust, disappeared and perished: he was taken from the midst and eliminated. Through this, it teaches that the Moabites have been deprived of hope that they could ever again receive their former strength. For the wicked, from the ground down to the very root, it is said, will perish (Prov. 2:22). When the Divine wrath completely breaks out, what remnant can there be of those who were subjected to it? Or who can rebel when God overthrows him? Isa.16:5. And the throne will be straightened with mercy, and he will sit on it with truth in the tabernacle of David, judging and seeking judgment and hastening righteousness. In these words a clear promise is given that Israel will in time be delivered from its unbearable calamity and from the evils of captivity. For when Cyrus conquered the country of Babylon, Israel was liberated and, by the mercy of God, returned to the holy city, under the leadership of Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, who was of the tribe of Judah and of the family of David, and Joshua the son of Jozedek, the great priest. So the throne, he says, that is, the kingdom of Judah, will be corrected with mercy, that is, it will return to its position, according to the mercy of God. He will sit on him again with the truth in the tabernacle of David, judging and exacting judgment. And, as it seems, he calls the tabernacle the royal palace, those who had a stay in which judged according to the law those who held the reins of government of the kingdom. And as for the will of God, they were careful about the truth, although some deviated from the path of virtue, deviating to the worse. You should know that after returning from Babylon, the Israelites no longer lived separately, so that in Samaria lived ten tribes and half of the tribe of Ephraim, with a special king over them at their head, in Jerusalem, the tribe of Judah and half of the tribe of Manasseh, again with another and their own king over them; but united in one mind, they inhabited Jerusalem together, one at last anointing king. And this, without a doubt, was what was said about them through the mouth of the prophet: they will come out of the earth, and will rest a little to anoint the king and the prince (Hos. 1:11, 8:10). However, God promises the restoration (correction) of the throne of the Jews, as if through this reproaching the land of Moab, since it was idle, saying: the empty stone is Mount Zion. To you, he says, who openly laughed at the Israelites, this and that will happen; God will certainly and in any case have mercy on them and deliver them from what happened and restore their kingdom to its previous position. Isa.16:6. I heard the reproach of Moab, the reproach was great. Having very wisely predicted the return of the Israelites from captivity and the restoration of their government, or kingdom, to their previous position, he now again turns to Moab and addresses them. It was said, as it were, on behalf of the holy prophets: I heard the reproach of Moab, and the reproacher was great. Through this they seem to approve of God, who justly punishes (the Moabites) and gives due and befitting vengeance to them. They heard, they say, the reproach of Moab, first of all, knowing the ancient story that the Divine Moses tells. For, as we said above, Balak bribed Balaam, saying: come and curse Israel for me (Numbers 22:6); A lot of things have also been done in addition to this over time from the arrogance of the Moabites, in opposition to the glory of God. While the holy prophets very clearly confessed that they heard the reproach of Moab, and even know that Moab was a great reproach, God seemed to answer this and say: I have taken away pride, that is, I not only left Moab arrogant, but arranged it so that his arrogance was destroyed by the very act; for I wage war against the proud and fight against those who do not want to think modestly about themselves, but on the contrary, are vainly puffed up, raise their eyebrows high and do not realize the weakness of their nature. It is written that the Lord opposes the proud (Proverbs 3:34). Then, teaching that He punishes righteously and does not bring judgment in vain, He accuses Moab as being unbearably ill with arrogance. This is not your sorcery, not this. I have taken away, he says, your pride, that is, I have uprooted Moab; but this is not what your prophecies foretold to you. For the soothsayers falsely promised that in military raids you will be stronger than others and will easily defeat your opponents and will be invincible for your enemies and will laugh at the vanquished. But it won’t be like that, not at all; on the contrary, the outcome of things will be completely opposite and not in accordance with your hope. So, it is difficult and truly harmful to listen to the words of those who scoff and get carried away by the speeches of wizards that do not come true according to hopes. Isa.16:7. Moab will mourn, and everyone in Moab will mourn; but those who live in Seph will have thoughts. That the prophecy did not come true as they expected, but in a different way and in a completely opposite sense, he shows this clearly, saying: Moab will cry, although prophecy, or those who practiced the art of sorcery, predicted that he would not cry, but, on the contrary, would raise joyful cries over the dead and would rejoice over them lying. Therefore, he says, everyone in Moabiti will weep. And those who live in Seph will have a thought (and Seph is also the city of Moab), which means that they have thought out a uniform and euphonious cry 54 and lamentation over themselves. Isaiah 16:7–8. And the fields of Heshbon shall not be put to shame. The grapes of Sebaman will lament: you who devour tongues, trample his grapes even to Jazer. In these words, apparently, the speech is addressed to those who occupied the land of Moab, to the Assyrians, I think, and the Babylonians, whom He commanded not to be ashamed of the fields of Heshbon; even burn Heshbon itself; Do the same with respect to Sevam, so that the vineyards in it will mourn. To them he also says this: they who devour tongues; For I command you, he says, O destroyers of nations and insatiable and cruel beasts that devour tongues: trample his grapes, even to Jazer. This is also the city of Moab. In these words he again refers to the inhabitants of Moab as grapes; because the inspired Scripture usually compares those living in one or another city and country to oak groves and trees and vines. So it says about Israel: for the Lord of hosts is the grape of the Lord of hosts, the house of Israel is, and the man of Judah is a new beloved garden (Is. 5:7). Saying: trample his grapes, he again shows that it was not the work of the Assyrians to defeat Moab, but Almighty God was the One who throws opponents at their feet and gives their hand the power to conquer. Isa.16:8. Do not copulate, go around the desert, remaining in the message, passing through the desert 55. They say that when the Assyrians attacked, many of the Moabites, having fled to the adjacent and neighboring desert, tried to take refuge in it, and barely escaped in a very small number. It was also not difficult for the Babylonians to find them with God’s permission, since God extended his wrath to them too. since He punishes moderately, as a lover of mankind, it is as if He commands those who devastated the land of Moab not to unite with those who destroy the fugitives, but to allow them to wander through the desert, that is, to consign them to oblivion and leave the search for those gathered in it. That’s why he says: go around the desert, you sent, that is, sent as a result of my anger to take the land of Moab by force, go around the desert, consign it to oblivion and let the desert pass by; for they have destroyed it. Then in the middle of this it is put: remaining, through which the prophet again teaches that the land of Moab would not have been in such a difficult situation if it had not greatly offended the almighty God. Isaiah 16:9–10. For this sake I will weep as the weeping of Jazir for the grapes of Sebamani: Heshbon hath cut off thy trees, and hath spoken 56 against thy harvest, and overflowing the wine, and they shall all fall. And the joy and gladness will be taken away from the grapes, and there will be no rejoicing in your vineyards, and the wine will not be pressed into the winepress, for there is no more food. The prophetic word presents us with a face mourning the misfortunes of the Moabites and, moreover, Jazer, besides other cities devastated. So too, he says, I mourn the cities, just as Iazir should have been mourned. He calls those who live in cities grapes and trees; also counts the destroyed cities: Sevamah and Heshbon. And the enemy people said: to your harvest, and to the embrace of wine, as it is said. What did he say? - I’ll give up, and they’ll all fall. And besides, joy and gladness will be taken away from your grapes. For the Moabites were lovers of holidays, performed many sacred rites in honor of demons, spent whole nights at the altars and always had a reason for joy in sacrifice. And now they will weep and weep and will be far from all spiritual pleasure; because they will not rejoice and will not burn out the wine in the winepress, for I have ceased: there will be no fruit on the grapes, he says, since along with the grapes what they produce will perish. And regarding the grapes, if they were completely cut down, this word would be true. But if this were also true for us, as if in the sense of an example for human affairs, then again this word teaches that those born from them will perish along with their parents, since even the most pregnant wives will not be given any mercy from the enemies. Jerusalem suffered this, we say, during the war with the Romans. This is what the Savior said, foretelling what would happen to him, that he would be surrounded by troops, that in those days there would be grief especially for those giving birth and not idle (Matthew 24:19). Isa.16:11. For this reason my belly will cry out against Moab like a harp, and my inner like the wall that you have renewed 57. After the joy and joy are taken away, he says, from your grapes and after no one will rejoice in them, but on the contrary, this and that will happen, my inner being will be like a harp, a song and a melody in relation to you. For I proclaim your sufferings, making the misfortune brought upon you known to everyone; As if I were to proclaim a harmonious lyre, I will strike the strings and make the song audible to everyone, like a wall that you have renewed. At the beginning of the vision, the blessed prophet said that the land of Moab would perish overnight, and the wall of Moab would perish overnight (Is. 15:1). Interpreting the meaning of these words, we said that since there was an earthquake, the wall of Moab split and, before the attack of the enemies, collapsed almost to the ground, through which it produced a kind of thunder throughout the entire land of Moab. It was, however, updated, but the labor was completely useless; because the Assyrians and Babylonians took the whole land without difficulty. So, my inner self will cry out about your misfortunes like a harp, and thus I will make your suffering known to everyone, just as, without a doubt, your wall was demolished (destroyed), which you renewed, but not for any good. For since the wall fell by itself, no one living in the whole land of Moab, or even those in other cities and countries, hid what happened. Isa.16:12. And it will be a shame to you, because Moab has become weary for those who demand it, and will go into the things made with hands and pray, and they will not be able to deliver him. And what else, he says, will happen that will serve you as shame and disgrace? You will undertake vain labors, filling your altars with blood, making constant sacrifices and offering prayers to those made with hands: you will not receive from here anything that would serve for your benefit and salvation; they cannot deliver you from the evils that threaten you. For what power is there in soulless idols, which are the invention of human art and have those who worship them as their creators? So let them be like them, as blessed David says, those who do I, and all who trust in her (Ps. 113:16). You should know that the Moabites were very superstitious, there were bird fortunetellers, false prophets, they were vain about miracles and they trusted a lot in misfortunes resulting from sorcery. For they probably thought that they would be able to overcome the strength of the enemies not so much, as I believe, with combat experience, but with help from their gods. But they were mistaken in their hope, calling upon a soulless substance for help, through sacrifices and prayers. Isa.16:13. This is the word that the Lord spoke against Moab when he spoke 58. This, he says, is a vision spoken from God against the Moabites, when he said, that is, since even before the words spoken through me, God spoke very much about the land of Moab and accused it of countless atrocities. For, as I said earlier, the Divine Moses also mentions the corruption of this people and commanded that the Moabites be counted among the most hated. And he said this: Let not Ammanite and Moabite enter into the church of the Lord, not even to the tenth generation (Deut. 23:3). He once removed Israel from the love of God and convinced him to worship Beelphegor, seducing him with shameful pleasures and enticing him with the beauty of a woman into destructive snares (Num. 25:1-5). That is why the God of all things spoke about the land of Moab like this: now through Me this word came to it. Isa.16:14. And now I say: in three years of the hireling the glory of Moab will be dishonored along with all the riches of many, and he will remain humble and dishonest. The prophetic word now leads us to the recollection of history. Namely, the ten tribes of Israel and half the tribe of Ephraim separated from Jerusalem and began to live in Samaria; They worshiped the golden heifers, since they were led to this and wickedly prompted by Jeroboam the son of Nebat. Then they invented other types of false service there, each giving honor, as to God, to what anyone wanted. So, being indignant at this, the Lord of all, since His glory was insulted and the decrees of the fathers were trampled upon, hired the king of Assyria, Shalmaneser, and sent him against them; and this latter conquered the whole land of the Samaritans, staying in it for three whole years. At the same time, the land of Moab was taken by force. So, if in ancient times God spoke, it is said, then I say now that in three years of a mercenary, that is, the king of Assyria, the glory of Moab will be dishonored. And these last words denote either their kingdom, or the greatness of their cities, or the large population, or, perhaps, people of age capable of war. He will remain, he says, belittled and dishonest, that is, everything that is in their honor will be destroyed during the war. Those who remain will be completely insignificant, the most devoid of honor, unmanly and unworthy of any attention. So it is terrible to eat a hedgehog in the hand of the living God (Heb. 10:31) and to dare to offend the Almighty: how will this not be the cause of all misfortune? And on the contrary, it is saving - to obey Him with love, to know only His oneness, to move away from the networks of error and to say to Him with a good disposition: Lord, do you know no other: we call your name (Is. 26:13). The city of Damascus was the strongest and most famous; but he was wicked and God-fighting, and in the eyes of the all-holy God he was one of the most hated. Its inhabitants were idolaters, and both in abominations and in arrogance they were in no way inferior to the Assyrians. But Damascus offended almighty God in another way. Namely, those who came from the tribe of Israel, that is, the ten tribes and half the tribe of Ephraim, who separated from Jerusalem and settled in Samaria, worshiped golden heifers, since they were brought to this and wickedly prompted to this by Jeroboam the son of Nebat. They completely withdrew and fell completely from love for God and were brought to oblivion of the law given to them through the wise Moses. When time called upon them, and war came upon them, they no longer had hope in God to save, but, on the contrary, rather invited the then inhabitants of Damascus and those who reigned over the whole land of Syria to come to their aid and take them out of the enemy’s hand. Therefore, and especially for this reason, the God of all was indignant and upset with them. For having completely forgotten that they were freed from Egypt and cast off the unbearable yoke of slavery, and then crossed the sea; further, that after eating manna and drinking water from a stone and having defeated all enemies, they became heirs of the blessings promised to their fathers, they, unfortunate ones, began to ask people for help, as if deciding that God could not save them. For this reason they were betrayed to the king of Assyria, who, having taken all of Samaria, destroyed Damascus itself and devastated the entire land of Syria. And that our words about this are true, the prophet Isaiah himself will assure us of this, saying: And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rahashon the king of Aramel, and Pekah the son of Romeli, the king of Israel, went up against Jerusalem, and fought against it, and was not able to destroy it. And it was announced in the house of David, saying: Aram conferred with Ephraim (Is. 7: 1, 2), that is, the king of Syria with those who lived in Samaria. For Aram means Syrian; Ephraim, as from the tribe of Ephraim, means all Israel living in Samaria. since Joreboam, the first king of Israel, and the kings who followed him in order, came from the tribe of Ephraim, then all Israel who lived in Samaria is so designated as if from the reigning tribe, I mean Ephraim. We will also find in the fourth book of Kings that during the reign of Pekah in Samaria, the Syrians and Rasson, who reigned in Damascus, entered into an alliance with the Israelites. Then Ahaz attracts the ruler of Assyria with money and invites him to hastily come, protect him and devastate Damascus, which happened (2 Kings 16). So, how this most warlike, strongest and insolent city perished, the prophet again proclaims to us in these words, and says: Isaiah 17:1–2. Behold, Damascus will be taken away from the hail and will fall, left forever, a bed for flocks and a rest, and will not be driven away. Not only will it (Damascus) reach the danger of war and the disasters that arise from this, says (the prophet), but moreover: it will rise, that is, it will perish to the end and fall completely, so that it will not even be a city. For, he says, in the fall, he will be abandoned forever, and abandoned by some, even completely, by those who inhabited it, not so that they moved somewhere else, but so that they were destroyed by the sword of the enemy. And saying that he will be in the bed of the flocks shows his complete devastation (desolation). For in it the shepherds and the herds of livestock found rest, just as the shepherds were in his houses. For this reason, he very rightly adds, saying: and there will be no driving away, since no one, he says, will forbid the shepherds from making such a glorious and praiseworthy city a stable. Isa.17:3. And for this reason it will not be strengthened if Ephraim runs there; and for this reason there will not be a kingdom in Damascus, and the remnant of the Syrians will perish: for you are the best of the children of Israel and their glory. For an accurate understanding of the sayings now proposed, I think we should again recall the history set out in the books of Kings. While Ahaz reigned over Judah in Jerusalem, Pekah the son of Romeli, who reigned in Samaria over ten tribes, went to war against Jerusalem. since he was afraid that he would be weak to take him, he took Rasson, the king of Syria and Damascus, as an ally in arms (2 Kings 15:37, 16:5). This is what the blessed prophet Isaiah himself says: And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rahashon the king of Araml (which means: the king of the Syrians or Syria), and Pekah the son of Romeli, the king of Israel, came up against Jerusalem, and fought against it, and was not able to destroy it. And it was announced in the house of David, saying: Aram conferred with Ephraim, that is, the king of Syria, who came from the tribe of Ephraim and reigned over those living in Samaria. And his soul was terrified, and the soul of his people, as a tree in an oak grove was shaken by the wind (Isa. 7:1,2). So, Ephraim, having abandoned God the Savior of all, attaching absolutely little importance to His hand and help, made the leader of Damascus and the Syrians his protector. By this, and very naturally, he offended God. Thus, Damascus, it is said, destroyed and devastated and suffered disasters that were the result of the war, and therefore will not be strengthened unless Ephraim runs in. But there will be no kingdom in it either. However, perhaps someone will say that even after the destruction of Damascus there were some who reigned over it. So Paul mentions, saying that in Damascus the pagan prince Aretha the king was looking for his yat (2 Cor. 11:32). However, the word prophetic presents a very clear picture of the subject; because, he says, there will not be a powerful and glorious kingdom in Damascus, although after that there were some local leaders, or better, tribal leaders, who were not, however, invested with the glory of true royal dignity. So there will be no kingdom in Damascus, he says. The remnant of the Syrians, that is, the entire people subordinate to him, will weaken along with him, since Damascus is the main city of Syria. Then he says to Damascus himself: for thou bringest the best of the children of Israel, and their glory. For if, he says, I did not spare the inheritance set apart from Me, that is, the Israelites who sinned against Me, then how can you, in any case and in every possible way, not suffer harm from the war, you yourself, who are in no way better than Israel? Isaiah 17:3–4. This is what the Lord of hosts says. In that day Jacob's glory will be darkened, and the fatness of his glory will be shaken. In these words he refers to those born of Jacob, or those who lived in Samaria as the ten tribes and half the tribe of Ephraim, who were so far removed from the love of God and from placing their hope of salvation in Him that they trusted themselves too much and were greatly exalted by their mere numbers and glory. Such was their character. And the prophet again tells us this very clearly; because he said about them: their glory is from births and diseases and from conceptions. And then he adds to this: Lord give them: what will you give them? give them a barren womb and dry breasts (Hos.9:11,14). So, he says, at that time there will be a darkening of Jacob’s glory, that is, a great and countless number of Jacob’s descendants, for whom he was famous and about whom he thought too much, will be destroyed by the swords of the enemies. But his fat glory will also be shaken, that is, their kingdom will be overthrown. For it is written in the fourth book of Kings that when Hoshea (Uzziah) the son of Elah reigned in Samaria, Shalmaneser came and besieged Samaria for three whole years, took it and Hoshea (Uzziah) resettled it in Babylon (2 Kings 17). Thus, by the words: the fat glory of Jacob can be meant: the one who reigned at that time in Samaria or, perhaps, those who were glorious and more famous than others in the whole country, surpassing others in wealth or power and enjoying luxury and honors from everyone. Isaiah 17:5–6. And it will be as if someone gathers a standing harvest, and the seed of classes reaps: and it will be as if someone gathers classes in the wilds of the firmament. And a stalk will remain in it, or two or three olive grains will remain on the top, or four or five will remain on its branches. That the warring Assyrians will easily and without difficulty gain an advantage over those living in Samaria, and that, moreover (on the other hand), the first will not completely and not completely perish, but that there will be some small remnant, the prophetic word clearly indicated this to us in these words. For those who have experience in reaping ears of corn, skillfully cutting them, gather bread; but always leaving behind the stalk as useless, they thus pass through the whole field of crops. And those who are in the habit of collecting ripe fruits of olives, partly knock them down with a stick, and partly by touching and grasping the branches with their hands, they collect them; but probably three, or four, or five of them remain at the top of the branches and are hidden from the eyes of those who collect the fruit. A similar thing will happen, he says, to those living in Samaria: they will suffer, he claims, the same thing as an ear of grain when it falls into the hands of the reapers. There will remain in it, as it were, only a stem, that is, not many of the ignorant, or like two or three grains of oilseed, hidden from the eyes of those who gather the fruits, since they were hidden on the highest branches. Isaiah 17:6–8. This says the Lord God of Israel: In that day man will trust in the Creator, and his eyes will look to the Holy One of Israel, and will not trust in the treasures, nor in the works of their hands, even as they have done with their fingers, but they will trust in the Holy One of Israel, 59 and will not look on their trees 60, nor on their abominations. The wise Paul, knowing that it is not useless and not in vain that those called by God through him to the knowledge of the truth should be admonished (punished), writes to them in his epistle and says: if you endure punishment, as if God is found to you through sons: who is the son, whom the father does not punish (Heb. 12:7)? He also offers sayings from the inspired Scripture; for he immediately cites the words: son, do not suffer from the punishment of the Lord, weaken below, we are reproached by Him. For the Lord loves him and punishes him: he beats every son whom he accepts (Heb. 12:5,6; cf. Proverbs 3:11,12). since the Creator of all good things wants to save everyone and come into the understanding of truth (1 Tim. 2:4), therefore, often, through the holy prophets, he admonished the Israelites, especially the Jerusalemites who moved to Samaria. And they, intemperately abandoning themselves to what they themselves liked, and abandoning Him who is by nature and truly God, became worshipers of demons and served soulless idols. since they suffered from such great ignorance that they did not even want to admit it, God had already punished them. For to whom the word does not benefit, suffering replaces him, as if by necessity and by force, turning them to what pleases God. Blessed David also says something like this: with a bridle and a rein, bind their jaws, those who do not come near you (Ps. 31:9). Just as those who are in the habit of taming young horses and are skilled in this, with the help of a bridle turn the wilder ones to a quiet ride, so God, through all kinds of necessity arising from labor and suffering, often changes the rebellious and unbridled to the choice of the right life. Having experienced the same thing, those who lived in Samaria, only after they suffered misfortunes from the war, came to know the Punisher and the Insulted One, and rejected the service of idols, and turned the eye of their mind to the Holy One of Israel, from Him only, obviously, expecting help and deliverance from the evils brought upon them. For they will not trust, it is said, in the treasures, nor in the works of their hands, even having made their dust, and they will not look upon their trees, nor in their abominations. It was their custom to go up to the tops of the mountains and under the oak and the fir tree, as it is written (Hos. 4:13), to worship the works of their hands. But they will no longer look at this, he says, having learned from experience how futile and completely useless this matter is for them; Moreover, it is the cause of every misfortune; because for this reason they died and were betrayed to their enemies. So, the best thing is to beware and with all your might move away from Divine wrath and not learn from experience that you will be exposed to disasters; but it is better to very zealously eliminate the reasons for which God could be angry, and before the offended God, before blows and scourge befall him, to seek justification, abandoning the most desolate and honoring the best and practicing virtue in every possible way. Isaiah 17:9–10. In that day your cities will be abandoned, just as you abandoned the Amorites and Hivites from the presence of the children of Israel: and they will be abandoned, because you have forsaken God your Savior and you have not remembered the Lord your helper. From the events themselves, it gives them the opportunity to be convinced that their affairs are going in the opposite order: they again won, with the help of God, and were in some way terrible for the cities and countries of the pagans; for they took them without difficulty, since God smoothed out the rough and made the difficult easier. When they became imitators of their wickedness, then they became fearful and were easily captured by them; their cities were deserted and were abandoned by those who lived in them, in the same way as the Hivites and Amorites once abandoned (their cities), who fell, destroyed by their swords. Then he immediately clearly sets out the reason why they fell to such weakness and suffered such a cruel and unbearable disaster: you have not forsaken God your Savior, he says, and you have not remembered the Lord God your helper. For while they should have thanked Him for what they were blessed with from Him, on the one hand, freed from the slavery of Egypt, on the other, overcoming enemies and devastating the cities of their opponents, and, finally, having been brought into the very promised land, in return they repaid the Master with evil, fearlessly insulting Him and not only grieving Him in any way, but also about the law determined through the wise Moses, caring very little, and completely abandoning the reverence of God, and giving honor to soulless substances, speaking of golden heifers: these are your gods to Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt (Ex. 32:4). So, when we are with God, that is, we try to think about the Divine, and decide to do what is pleasing to Him, then in any case we will be stronger than our enemies, we will begin to trample on the principles and powers and rulers of this darkness, the spirits of evil; then we will overcome, and very quickly, inappropriate pleasures and movements of the flesh; then we will defeat evil thoughts, and the spirit of the ruler (in the world - the devil) will not find a place in us. Without caring about devotion to God, we are weak and unmanly, we will be under the feet of enemies, and nothing will prevent the dominance of Satan. Isaiah 17:10–11. For this reason, plant the garden is unfaithful, and the seed is unfaithful. On that day, if you planted it, you were deceived: and if you sow in the morning, it will flourish for harvest; on that day you will inherit it, and like the father of man, give the inheritance to your son. I will try to explain the meaning of the above sayings, covered in great ambiguity, as best I can. What the prophet says here has the following meaning: I said above that deceiving and being seduced and thinking about what they should not have, the Israelites, or Ephraim (by which one should mean the ten tribes resettled in Samaria) raised their eyebrows high and thought that absolutely none of the enemies could overcome their strength, due to the fact that there are very many of them and they are countless. But they were mistaken in their hope: they fell, and some of them were destroyed by war, others were taken to the countries of the victors, captives and in fear, and experiencing every kind of disaster. When, after a certain time, precisely during the reign of Cyrus, they were returned from the Persian country to the holy city, and they ceased to have separate kings, but all settled in Jerusalem and began to honor the law of God, then their children began to live in safety and the succession of clans reached the children of their children. Regarding this, by the way, the word just given teaches, as if offering an image from bread and ears of corn. For since, he says, you did not remember the Lord your God, then for this reason the garden that you planted, that is, your seed and your kindred, will be unfaithful and not reliable for keeping. When you plant it and see it multiplying, then you will be deceived: because you will think, he says, that you can do everything with the help of a large number of people, but you will not truly judge: they will fall like ears of corn, and you will find hope in this completely useless. And if you sow in the morning, that is, being in the light and finally knowing Him who is by nature and truly the Lord and who easily saves and can provide help: then what is planted or sown will flourish for the harvest, that is, will bear fruit. For the destruction of an unripe ear causes damage to farmers both in labor and in hope; and when he reaches the harvest, he gives complete hope for good. So your planting will flourish for the harvest, that is, your planting will bear fruit, when it is morning for you, that is, when you find yourself, as it were, in light and day and in the knowledge of God. Then, like a father of man, give an inheritance to your sons: because you will pass on to your sons, as it were, some kind of inheritance, complacency and the sacrament of help from above. Isaiah 17:12–13. O fierce multitude of many languages! Like a stormy sea, you will be troubled, and the backbone of many tongues will make a noise like the water: like the water of many languages, like the (noise) of many waters carried by need: and he will reject him and marry him far away, like the dust of spit that blows against the wind, and like the dust of the wheels of a storm that lifts up. God does not leave the Israelites inconsolable, as he loves mankind, but along with fear he often combines hope for good, and does this prudently, in order to benefit those listening on both sides. So, that their cities will be brought to desolation, this is clearly stated; and what was the reason for this suffering, he taught, saying: Thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, and thou hast not remembered the Lord thy helper. But the one who is struck (by such suffering) immediately promises a healing remedy. This is explained by a certain event, about which, for the sake of the matter, it is necessary to say in a few words. While Hezekiah occupied the royal throne in Jerusalem, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, went up to the strong cities of Judah, and I was taken. For so it is written (2 Kings 18:13). Then he (Sennacherib) sends Rapsakes from Lachish to Jerusalem to besiege it, and Rapsakes, having arrived there, began to make reproaches against the glory of God, the Savior of us all: the madman argued that He could not save them, even if He wanted to do so (2 Kings 18:22,30ff). But he who used a barbarian language and mind knew, taught by experience, that it is dangerous for every person to rebel against the highest glory, for the Angel of the Lord came out and killed in one night a hundred and fifty thousand foreigners from a regiment of foreigners. And they rose in the morning, and found all the corpses dead (2 Kings 19:35). When the sender, I mean Sennacherib, was thus deceived in his expectations, he returned as a fugitive and barely escaped, occupying his house, although he died, and not even long later, from his sons. For it came to pass, it is said, that when he bowed down in his house to Asarach, his patriarch (ancestor), Adramelech and Saraser his sons killed him with the sword (2 Kings 19:37). It is this story that the prophetic word reminds us of in these sayings, foretelling the invasion of the Assyrians and saying: about the cruelty of the multitude of many languages! and so on. It mourns them as unfortunates who almost died to one in Jerusalem when an Angel destroyed them. And that there was not one people, but rather very many, this is clearly shown by calling them many languages. They made an invasion of the villages or cities of Judea, like a lot of water, rushing with force and making noise, even, as if like a sea, rising in waves against the opponents. Further, in these words he calls them the backbone of many languages ​​because many peoples were oppressed by their pursuit, and those who pursue always and everywhere follow the backbone of those who flee. Then what after this? He will reject him, he says, that is, he will turn him back and will pursue him far (he will marry him far), like the dust of spit that blows against the wind, and like the dust of the wheel of a storm that lifts up. For what is so easily scattered as dust (dust) from under a wheel or from a threshing floor when a gusty wind lifts it up? And that Sennacherib left as a fugitive, the God of all can assure of this, speaking to him through the mouth of Isaiah: I will put a bridle in your nostrils, and a bridle in your mouth, and I will bring you back by the way lower than you came (Is. 37:29). Isa.17:14. Toward the evening, and there will be mourning: before the morning service, and there will be no: this is the portion of those who took you captive 61 , and the lot of those who inherited you 62 . I said above that Rapsaks, having besieged Jerusalem and threatened to destroy it and those fighting in it in a short time, meanwhile, he himself died with his entire army before the onset of light and day. Therefore, the crying will be, he says, in the evening, since the Jerusalemites, in any case, expected that in the morning there would be the beginning of the war and an attack, but this crying stopped before light. As a result of this, he says: there will be mourning towards evening; but before the morning there will be no more, that is, the tears will stop and cease and disappear along with the fear from the calamity experienced, since God is a helper, unexpectedly destroys the ranks of the enemies and, moreover, expels their leader from the land of Judea. Blessed David also explains this, saying: Evening may be mourning, and joy will come in the morning (Ps. 29:6). But this, he says, is the lot, this is the part of those who captured you and plundered you as their inheritance. Through this, he reproaches the Israelites for the fact that they themselves did something for which it was natural for the entire tribe to perish to the very roots. But he himself again shows mercy and punishes with death those who plundered the people allocated for Him, for when, it is said, the Most High divided the languages, as if the sons of Adam had scattered, set the boundaries of the languages ​​according to the number of the Angels of God. And the portion of the Lord became His people Jacob: now His inheritance, Israel (Deut. 32:8,9). But besides this, note the following as carefully as possible, and, as if from what happened historically (literally), move on to internal thoughts. When evil and contrary forces, like a strong stream of water, pouring into our soul, or invading together with external temptations or innate movements of the flesh, strive to besiege the pious mind: then let not everyone who has the upper hand with the help of God fall into powerless timidity, but rather, having established his hope in Him, let him be above all fear. For how can one doubt that he will receive help from Him? because the Lord knows how to deliver the godly from temptation. And blessed Paul writes: God is mighty, who will not leave you to be tempted more than you are able, but will create with temptation also an abundance, so that you are able to bear it (2 Cor. 9:8; 1 Cor. 10:13). And, as the Psalmist says: the angel of the Lord will encamp around those who fear Him, and will deliver them (Ps. 33:8). Likewise, when heretics who do not know the sacred dogmas, by their stubbornness, rebel against the worshipers of the truth, attack them, fearful and daring, or inciting wars and persecutions against them, or increasing their sorrows and fear of death: and they will become weak no less than those; For with a secret hand the Lord is fighting against Amalek from generation to generation, as it is written (Ex. 17:16). Isaiah 18:1–2. Woe to the shipwrecks of the earth, even to the land of the Ethiopian rivers. Send ambassadors across the sea as a pledge and book messages to the top of the water: for the messengers of the world will go to the tongue on high and to strange and obstinate people: who is further than them? the language is hopeless and trampled. Someone will be surprised, perhaps, and begin to reason with himself and say: why in these words does the prophetic word that was against Damascus mention to us about the land lying on the other side of the Ethiopian rivers? To this we say that at times the Israelites, carelessly daring to leave God the Savior of all, turned to the error of godlessness; completely neglecting the commandment given through Moses, they were punished by God, who at times raised war against them and exhausted them with the resulting disasters. They, while they should have repented to appease the Offended One, move away from their depravity, and return to what is pleasing to the Lawgiver, and crave help from Him, hired crowds of neighboring peoples: sometimes they resorted to the kings of Damascus, and sometimes to the kings of Egypt; and not only did they do this, but also, learning the cults of the pagans who helped them, they sought to compete with them in this. So Ahaz, the son of Jotham, king of Judah, being in Damascus, and then seeing there an altar dedicated to an idol, made with unusual splendor, built a similar one for himself and placed it in the house of God. Thus there was a vision of Damascus; because, behold, it is said, Damascus will be overcome by the cities, and will no longer be fortified, unless Ephraim flees there (Is. 17:1,3). Do you see the immediately given reason why Damascus, as he says, will be overwhelmed by hail? For he will no longer be so strong, he says, that Ephraim, who reigned in Samaria, would find refuge in him. So, now he turns the word to the land of Egypt; because the Israelis also resorted to the Egyptians, especially those living in Jerusalem, and very earnestly asked them for alliance and help, most of all during the invasion of the Babylonians. So through the mouth of the prophet he says: woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who trust in horses and chariots (Is. 31:1). Something like this happened: Nebuchadnezzar went to war against the land of Judea: during his passage, he devastated all, so to speak, the eastern cities. But when he wanted to take the city of Tirian, which was at that time on an island, and was in difficulty due to the lack of transport ships: then, using the Persian mind and thirst for conquest, in the hope of a large army, he ordered that the sea be passable (like land), for which he ordered to build an embankment and thus made it a wide, high road from the mainland to Tire itself. So the Tyrians, fearing that their city would be taken by force, since the efforts of the Babylonians were completed, gathered ships from everywhere and withdrew from the island, leaving him an empty city. When Nebuchadnezzar learned about this, he turned his army to take the country of Egypt, and took it without hindrance, since God restored him against the Egyptians; because they, always raising their eyebrows high, boasted before the Israelites as not having a God who could save them. Called for help and protection, they said that their gods were stronger than the God of the Jews. And that the king of Babylon took the land of Egypt, after futile efforts against Tire, this can be clear from the fact that God says to the prophet Ezekiel: son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, enslave your strength with great work on Tyre, every bald head and every naked thing: and there was no reward for him or his strength in return for the hard work that he worked on Tyre. Instead, I give him the land of Egypt (Ezek. 29:18,19). Therefore, the prophet brings grief to her too, and says: woe to the shipwrecks of the earth, even to the land of the Ethiopian rivers. He calls the Ethiopian rivers the seven mouths by which the wide and great river of Egypt (Nile) is connected to the sea. The land on the other side of the rivers is the city now called Alexandria, but then He. It was very populous and had very strong inhabitants, and was not far from the rivers of Egypt. From the last mouth, whose name is Heraklion, it is perhaps eighty stadia to the west. since those who inhabited the mentioned city had the custom of crossing that river, always navigable, in all directions, exporting goods from themselves to others and bringing goods to themselves from others, and enjoying the profits from trade: therefore, the prophetic word calls the ships unfortunate in these sayings; but it does not pronounce grief against the ships themselves, but rather against those who have always used them, rejoicing and enjoying, as I said, the profit obtained from them. For when the whole country was occupied by Nebuchadnezzar, all trade ceased and thus excessive self-confidence was destroyed, since the owners of the ships probably also perished. So woe, he says, to the shipwrecks of that land, even the land of the Ethiopian rivers. Ship's wings refers to the sails that, when struck by wind currents, carry ships among the waves, like birds. Send ambassadors across the sea as a pledge, and book messages on top of the water. The meaning of these sayings is very difficult; but it contains an indication of a story from Hellenic history, which we will necessarily have to cite, without going beyond what is proper or befitting Christian conversations, but so much as to make the presentation of thoughts clear to the listeners. And the word of history is this: some of the Hellenic poets say that Mirra was the daughter of a certain Kinir, who, being carried away by the unbridled passion of voluptuousness, had shameless communication with his own daughter and made her the mother of a son, whom he named Adonis. But, blushing with shame for what had happened and convicted by the laws of nature of what he had done wickedly, he, as the poets say, laid the baby on the mountain. Some of the nymphs who were there, who are also called mountain goddesses, took this last one, raised and preserved him. Having reached a flourishing age and being already a youth, he turned out to have the most magnificent beauty; He was engaged in hunting and practiced a lot in this activity, walking through the forests. Then, they say, the so-called Aphrodite among them, a dissolute woman, saw him, fell in love, had communication with him and never left him. Insulted by this Ares (Mars), who was a rival in love for Aphrodite, becomes like a pig, attacks him during a hunt, and he suddenly dies. This circumstance, they say, was the reason for Aphrodite to cry: she reached such a degree of grief and despair that she descended into hell itself, wanting to take her lover out of there. Since Pluto’s wife 64 valued the young man very highly and, as someone who had wonderful beauty, would not let him go, they agreed among themselves to divide the annual circle in two and have him for half of the year, and the other half for the other. And when Aphrodite returned from hell and announced this to her loved ones, or friends, or servants, this event turned into a holiday and triumph. Thus, on this basis, the Greeks came up with such a holiday: they gather to Aphrodite, who was saddened by the death of Adonis, in order to mourn and cry with her about him, and for her, as having come out of hell and saying that she had found the one she was looking for, to rejoice and dance with joy with her. And until our times, at the sacred (pagan) festivals held in Alexandria, this game was also performed (in honor of Aphrodite 65). The Israelites also learned this, and did the same thing, abandoning Him who is by nature and truly God, and straying to obscenity and demonic charms, foolishly carried away to licentiousness and destruction. The blessed prophet Ezekiel also mentions this; because he says this: and I saw, and behold, women sat weeping for Tammuz (Ezek. 8:10,14); and Fammuz is interpreted as Adonis. What was done by the people who lived in the land of the Ethiopian rivers, about which land we said above somewhat more clearly, was something like this: taking a pottery vessel, then writing a letter to the women on a papyrus scroll that Adonis had been found, putting this letter in the vessel and sealing it, they lowered it into the sea, performing some sacred rites; and, as they said, this vessel, together with the scroll, was carried out to the surface of the sea by itself on certain days of the year; then the slow women, devoted to Aphrodite, took her out and then took a letter from her, and stopped crying, as if because Adonis had been found by Aphrodite 66 . So the prophetic word ridicules before us, as those who were once idolaters, as wicked, seducers and haters of God, those who inhabited the land, including the land of the Ethiopian rivers, and says: send ambassadors across the sea as a pledge, and book messages on top of the waters. And to this, of course, grief also applies, as undoubtedly to the ship's wings: for woe to the ship's wings of the earth, he says. Therefore, from the general grief, it extends in particular to the one who sends ambassadors by sea as a guarantee, that is, as a guarantee of unanimity. For, as if performing a sacrament in honor of Aphrodite, they sent letters to those who worshiped her and to those suffering from the same madness with the help of a papyrus scroll, not placing peddlers on ships, but as if on top of the water, due to the fact that they put them, as I said, in earthenware. We were forced to make a reminder of the fetid and outdated fables and the abomination of the Greeks just to understand the meaning of the proposed sayings. The messengers will go to the high tongue, and to strange and obstinate people: who is further than them? the language is hopeless and trampled. Previously, I said that those who inhabited the land insulted the Assyrian kings, including the land of the Ethiopian rivers, since the Israelites who asked for help were not only promised it, but also sent it, although it absolutely did not bring them any benefit. They (the Assyrian kings), offended by this, after the devastation of all, so to speak, of Judea, carried the war over to the Egyptians and took all their land without difficulty, since God gave them the strength to overcome the power of their opponents, for the reason that they were offended by the Egyptians. So, when the king of Babylon intended to go on a campaign against their country, some sailors arrived from Judea, announcing to them about the invasion that was soon to take place. It is about them that the prophet says that light messengers will go, that is, fast and as if inspired and agile, announcing the imminent and seemingly already arrived misfortune from the war. With a lofty tongue and a strange and obstinate people he calls the Egyptians; tall, - instead of saying: arrogant, or light and fast; and strange and obstinate - as unusually cruel and having no one above themselves in this regard. For who is greater than them? says, instead of saying: who is so easy, ignorant, unreasonable and so practiced in depravity unusual for others, like the people of Egypt? because the Egyptians were very devoted to idolatry. Therefore, the prophet calls them both in language hopeless and trampled: hopeless, because he did not know the One who is by nature and truly God, and trampled because, having completely subjugated the mind to demonic charms, they seemed to be lying at the feet of demons. Or you can accept what was said differently: for having fallen into the hands of the Assyrians, they lost all hope of complacency and were so amazed that even, if one can say, they could not ever rise, they fell and were prostrated under the feet of the victors. Isa.18:3. Now the rivers of the earth, like the whole country, are populated, the country is theirs. It also usefully foreshadows the method of captivity. For those who owned the land of Egypt thought that they could not be taken captive by the Babylonians, due to the fact that their entire country was surrounded by very many great rivers and had wide and long lakes. And such countries are inaccessible and inconvenient for raids by those who want to devastate them. But since God was angry with them, he made this convenient for the Babylonians; for having dried up the entire composition of the waters, he made the wet land suitable for carrying cavalry across it. This, I think, is what the prophet means when he says in these words: now all the rivers of the earth, like a country, are populated, their country will be populated; because, he says, places that are convenient for swimming and have always been wet, during the war will become such that they will completely seem like a populated country and simply solid land, devoid of water. For what could not the Divine and omnipotent and highest nature accomplish? Like a sign will be raised from the mountain, like the voice of a trumpet will be heard. The leaders of military affairs during the war, placing someone in hilly areas, order them to raise the banner often; and this serves as a conventional sign for the army of a certain action. They also use the sounds of trumpets, either inciting them to battle with some ordinary harmonious series of sounds, or stopping the battle, when they consider it necessary, they blow trumpets. Thus, the banner raised on high is very noticeable, because those who are in the habit of holding it stand on the mountain; Likewise, the sound of the trumpets is audible and clear to everyone participating in the battle. So, the suffering of the Egyptians, he says, will be so known to those everywhere that it will be like a banner erected on any of the mountains, and will be as audible as, without a doubt, the sound of a trumpet is heard. From this we can also learn (and this will bring us great benefit) that in no way should we provoke the anger of the immortal Nature, either in general and in any way by doing something obscene and evading serving Him, or communicating with apostates and those under the wrath of the Divine, imitating their way of life, so as not to become their fellows in misfortune and not to be subjected to the same punishment from God. The inhabitants of the land of Egypt suffered this, as everyone can see; for, since they humiliated the Israelites, and then promised to save them, then, by the permission of God, they were handed over to their enemies to death and destruction. Isa.18:4. For this is what the Lord said: there will be confirmation in My city, like the light of the midday heat and like the dewy clouds on the day of harvest there will be before the harvest. The word of history is known. However, we will briefly outline it. God saved Jerusalem when Rapsaks besieged it and surrounded it with countless Assyrians. However, God saved. For the Angel of the Lord went out, it is said, and killed from the army of Assyria in one night one hundred eighty and five thousand (2 Kings 19:35). So there will be, he says, a statement in my city; and that I will be a helper to those in danger, this will be as clear to those everywhere as the light of midday is clear and very strong. For when the sun shines at noon and emits very strong rays on the earth from above, then everything is illuminated with the most abundant light. So, he says, for those in danger there will be grace and security (affirmation), which will then be given by Me, like a dewy cloud in the days of harvest before the harvest. What he wants to mean by this, I will say again. It is the custom of the reapers not to reap the ears of corn with a sickle first, as the dew that has fallen will make the stalk softer for cutting. Therefore, this circumstance, that is, the sending down of dew from God, serves as an object of intense desire for them. So, this statement was great for those living in Jerusalem, just as, without a doubt, in the days of harvest the dew that falls before the harvest. Isaiah 18:5–6. When the harvest is completed 67, and the grapes come out because they are not yet ripe in color: and he will take away the small grapes with sickles, and he will take away the vines and cut them off, and leave them together for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth: and the birds of the air will be gathered to her, and all the beasts of the earth will come. The meaning of the words proposed here is very difficult and quite obscure, as well as the very composition of the speech. However, as far as possible, I will try to explain it. So, we are talking as if from the experience of farmers. They have a custom, when they see the grape clusters (clusters) already blossoming and looking like unripe grapes, cut off the extra vines and small clusters hanging too much with the larger ones, cut them off with gardening knives (sickles) so that, receiving more nutritious juice, the larger clusters can bear ripe fruit. The God of all things did the same thing, he says, either with the Assyrians or with the Egyptians, since the speech here is not very clear as to whom it would be more suitable and seem more decent. We say that if anyone wanted to understand by one grape the army of the Assyrians who besieged the holy city, then we will find that the great cluster implied in it means that the glorious one with the power to rule the kingdom did not perish along with the others, but was saved himself, while the rest of the army, which was in the position of small clusters (bunches), was destroyed, and like extra branches, like a gardener’s knife (sickle) the sharpest sword of the Lord circumcised them. For they fell, as I said, destroyed by the hand of an Angel, and their corpses served as a comfort to the beasts of the field and the birds of the air. If anyone would like to think that this is said about the Egyptians, then you can understand that the Assyrians, who devastated the land of Egypt, did not completely and completely destroy it, but, as if at small branches (clusters), pointing a sword at the dwellings or villages located here and there, they measured their anger with the anger of the merciful God, who punishes those who offend, but often mitigates punishments and does not completely allow them to perish. punishable. Isa.18:7. At that time, gifts will be brought to the Lord of Hosts from the offended and rejected people and from great people, from now on and forever: the tongue that hopes and is trampled, which is in part of the rivers of its country, to the place where the name of the Lord of Hosts is called 68, to Mount Zion. Having told very well about what happened in time to the people of Egypt in the war, he also mentions their subsequent turning to God and the fact that, having driven away the ancient darkness of delusion from the eyes of their minds and parted 69 with the service of idols, they will turn to the better and come to know the real and truly God, the Creator of all things and the Lord, and having passed, as it were, to some new and chosen life, they will bring to God fruits with which they can gain praise for themselves, and filled with all praise, like gifts, they will bring faith, hope and love to God with the stench of fragrance. He calls them an insulted people for the reason that they suffered many misfortunes, being exposed to the wrath of the Divine. And besides that (he calls them a people) rejected, perhaps through this signifying their transition to the better. For the plant is also transplanted and, torn out of its soil, moves to another. This is the best method of farming for those experienced in cultivating the land. So, in the same way, the mind of the erring is in some way transplanted to another place, torn away, so to speak, from ancient delusion, and implanted on the basis of other thoughts, activities and knowledge of the most excellent, even moreover, incomparably better than the previous one. And they will bear fruit in eternal time, that is, constantly, without any interruption, but on the contrary, always and to the end. Therefore, he calls them a great people, either signifying their fertility through this, or the fact that they became praiseworthy, having been called through faith in Christ. For those who once surpassed all others in the crime of idolatry are now the best of many and more prudent than them and have the strongest love for Christ and a bold desire for everything good. Wherever sin abounds, it is said, grace abounds (Rom. 5:20). So where will they bear fruit? To the place, says the prophet, where the name of the Lord of Hosts is named, to Mount Zion, that is, to Mount Zion, where the name of the Lord of Hosts could be named. Through this the church signifies a great and spiritual mountain: because in it there is nothing low and no perverted (worthy of trampling) dogmas, but there is something great and lofty, that is, knowledge of the true God and the revelation, moreover, very clear, of the mysteries of our Savior. The inspired Scripture often calls the Church of Christ Mount Zion, as if from the first (Zion) taking the name spiritually for the truest Zion, which is high and intelligible. But in the middle of this a saying is inserted: the language that hopes and is trampled upon, which is also in part of the riverine country of their country: because the conversion of the Egyptians to God began with some part of the country lying on the other side of the river, so that you understand by this the Rhinocorurites 70, or the inhabitants of one of the cities there. For further, in a vision of Egypt, he says: in that day there will be an altar of the Lord in the land of Egypt, and a pillar of the Lord in its borders. And it will come to pass as a sign of the Lord and forever in the land of Egypt (Isa. 19:19,20). Trampled means, as it were, crushed by the misfortunes of war; and “hoping” means that after that he finally established his hope in Christ, subdued his neck to His yoke and enslaved himself to Him and, like fruit, bore a pious disposition. Chapter XIX. Vision on Egypt Isa.19:1. Behold, the Lord sits on a light cloud, and will come to Egypt, and Egypt, made with hands, will shake at his presence, and their hearts will weaken within them. In these words, the prophet tries to show how the country of Egypt will be saved and converted to the path of piety, of course, through faith in Christ, although polytheism was widespread in it and it suffered excessively from error; for they were, as it were, in deep darkness and did not know at all the One who is God by nature, the true Creator of the universe and Lord, but they worshiped the creature. And what’s even worse is that they are the creators of their gods, and, having countless idols in their churches, they even made images of dumb animals and, placing them on altars, made sacrifices to them. Therefore, it was necessary that when sin multiplied in them, grace abounded, and to those who were infected with diarrhea, a doctor appeared and the divine and heavenly light shone on the darkened souls. That is why he says: Behold, the Lord sits on a light cloud and will come to Egypt. But what the prophet wants to point out by contemplating the Lord on a light cloud - let’s talk about this as much as we can. Some interpreters said that the light cloud is the holy flesh of the Lord, that is, the church received from the Virgin; they compare it with a cloud for the reason that it is free from earthly excitements and lusts and is directed toward grief and, as it were, soars in height. For the holy body of Christ, the Savior of us all, was truly completely pure and free from all earthly impurity. Others assumed that the Holy Virgin was called the light cloud. I think that here (the prophet) shows us the area of ​​​​other thoughts, saying that He sits on a light cloud. For the blessed Prophets, who beheld the glory of God, described the visions in various ways. Isaiah says that he saw the Lord of hosts on the throne, high and exalted, while the highest spiritual Powers stood around Him and glorified Him and said that heaven and earth were filled with His glory (Isaiah 6:1-4). And the wise Daniel sees the Ancient One on the throne; a thousand thousands were ready to serve Him, and darkness stood before Him; I saw, as it were, the Son of Man walking with clouds, and related the following (Dan. 7:9 and e). In like manner Ezekiel says he saw the vault, and the seraphim supported it; on the throne he saw a man or the appearance of a man, whose top, he says, was like amber, and from his loins to his feet like the light of fire (Ezek. 8:2, 10:1). Each of these visions beautifully depicts to us some reflection of the god-like glory and mystery of Christ. So, there is no obstacle, it is even quite appropriate and necessary to understand the Lord in this light cloud contemplated. For the cloud presents to us a complete image of the rain and spiritual dew and of saving baptism itself. Thus, Blessed Paul calls the descendants of Israel baptized in the cloud and the sea, because when they wandered through the vast desert, a cloud covered them during the day, and during the night a pillar of fire showed them the way. But in both, Christ was depicted, or the mystery about Him, or the actual justification and sanctification that takes place in faith and holy baptism. Thus, the Lord, coming to cleanse and transform the Egyptians, needed to appear on a light cloud, which was befitting the Divinity and the spiritual meaning of the phenomenon; for the impurity that is deeply imprinted on the soul of the erring can only be destroyed through holy baptism; His image, we believe, was the cloud; and it was quite fittingly called a light cloud; for we are baptized into the remission of sin and having been freed from wickedness, as if from some truly unbearable burden, through this we become in some way inspired and learn to be wiser and have hearts of grief. And that the Lord sits on a cloud, this, I think, means the following: sitting indicates to us either peace or power. Christ is satisfied not with the legal, once former ministry, but with the perfection received through holy baptism. So, He reigned over those living on earth. And they will shake, he says, Egypt made with hands at His presence. When holy baptism was revealed and Christ finally shone forth, it was absolutely necessary that the devices of ancient wickedness should be destroyed and the snares of the devil should be destroyed; for he caught every nation and tribe to destruction and death, as I said, especially the Egyptians before others. For they were the most superstitious among other (nations) and, perhaps, surpassed the Persians and Assyrians in error, although the inspired Scripture about the country of these latter says that it is a land of statues; but he says that the heart of the Egyptians will be defeated and will yield, as I think, the victory of the gospel preaching, although of old it rebelled against God and opposed the word of truth; we clearly see that this was Pharaoh. For the inspired Moses spoke clearly: The God of the Hebrews has sent us to you, saying: Let my people go, that they may create a feast for me in the desert. He answered them: Whoever is, I will listen to his voice. I do not know the Lord and I will not let Israel go (Ex. 5:1,2). And their hearts will relax within them, that is, they will not remain disobedient, bitter and incorrigible, on the contrary, they will accept the saving sermon. Isa.19:2. And the Egyptians will rise against the Egyptians, and man will rise up against his brother, and everyone against his neighbor; city will rise against city and law against law. And the spirit of the Egyptians will be troubled within them, and I will scatter their advice. In my opinion, there is no doubt that this is nothing other than exactly what Christ said: Do not remember that he came to bring peace on earth: he came not to bring peace, but a sword: for he came to separate a man from his father, and a daughter from his mother, and a bride from her mother-in-law. And defeat the man of his own household (Matthew 10:34–36). For when the divine and evangelical sermon was proclaimed, people, completely forgetting respect for their parents, harbored enmity and hatred towards them and, as if rebelling against the law of war, rebelled against their brothers. For some, having become addicted to the ancient error and unbridledly given over to the pleasures of idolatry, became incapable of accepting the word of faith: others, considering it completely ridiculous and wicked to worship gods of their own making, turned to the word of truth, and those who were once far away became close, by faith in Christ were proclaimed theirs, became partakers of the hope of the saints and heirs of eternal life. For when, he says, Egypt, made with hands, is overthrown, as a result of the coming of the Lord to it on a light cloud, then there will be great enmity in it between one’s own and relatives, and there will be war not only between individuals, but also between the masses of the people, so that one city will begin to attack another and one institution against another. Among those who inhabit the country of Egypt, every city and those living around it and the villages subordinate to it are called law; and they use the same language. Then he says that the spirit of the Egitians will be troubled within them, and I will scatter their advice. We say that those who disagreed among themselves in their way of thinking were thrown into considerable confusion, and those who were mistaken, stirring up revolts and battles against those who believed, will see that the God of all is fighting against them and opposing them; for, he says, I will scatter their advice, that is, I will make every plan of theirs futile, and completely useless any enterprise against those who have resorted to Me. Isa.19:3,4. And they will question their gods and their idols, and those who speak from the earth, and ventriloquists and magicians (γνωσας). And I will deliver Egypt into the hands of cruel rulers, and cruel kings will rule over them. The Prophet hastens to explain in what way and at what time the Egyptians received the treasure of saving preaching. The telling of history is not useless for those who have decided to learn something good. Having devastated the Jewish country and burned Jerusalem, Vespasian with his entire army went to the Egyptian country and subjugated it to his power. He did this by the will of God, who subjects all countries and cities to the rule of the Romans. But the Egyptians thought that they could easily escape the yoke of slavery and could not be conquered at all, because they lived in a country surrounded by so many waters. But they were disappointed in their hope. For if God wants to do something, everything easily submits to Him and, beyond expectation, the impossible and difficult to accomplish are conveniently accomplished. For whoever turns away the high hand according to what is written. So, it happened that all their waters, both those in lakes and rivers, became completely shallow, so that they could ford them. Thus, Vespasian, finding that the conquest of the Egyptian country did not present any difficulty, took possession of it. It was at this time that it happened that the heralds of the divine and saving preaching came to the country of Egypt and led the nations through faith in Christ to the knowledge of the truth. So, he says, when the Egyptians realized that the attack of the Roman army was very strong and irresistible, they came into great confusion, and, wanting to know what the outcome of this war would be, they asked their gods, and their idols, and those who spoke from the earth, and ventriloquists and magicians; for there were various kinds of false prophecy, and various were the pretended prophets; some pretend to question the dead; others make sounds from their own womb; others are also fortunetellers, that is, those who superstitiously observed the smoke from the victims and the shuddering in the liver of the animals slaughtered. But, he says, there will be no benefit for them from divination; and they will see that the so-called gods cannot bring them help. And Egypt was given over to the hands of cruel rulers, and cruel kings would rule over them. When you hear that they are called cruel, then do not mean the most inhuman, but rather, invulnerable and not yielding victory to anyone. For such were the most famous kings of Rome, since the divine and incomprehensible will subordinated everything to them; that's why they conquered the whole universe Isaiah 19:5–10. This is what the Lord of hosts says: And the Egyptians will drink the water of the sea, but the river will become scarce and dry up. And the rivers and streams of the river will become scarce: and all the waters will dry up, and every cane of reeds and nets, and all the green grass around the river will dry up, and everything sown by the river will wither away and be corrupted by the wind. And the fishermen will lament, and all those who carry the fish into the river will lament, and those who carry the nets and those who carry the nets will lament. And the cold will come upon those who make combed flax, and those who make fine linen, and those who make the strong drink will be sick, and all those who make strong drink will be sad, and their souls will be sick. And you can reconcile these words with what we recently said. For the land of Egypt, which was very abundant in water, was made dry by Almighty God, so that it became convenient for those who wanted to cross the lakes and rivers to do so. The country of Egypt seemed to be divided into two parts. Some live on arable and very fertile land and do a lot of cultivating vineyards; others live near the lakes, taking advantage of what can be extracted from them; for they are engaged in fishing and, cutting papyrus, prepare paper and make fine flax; people living near lakes are called shepherds; for they have numerous herds of bulls, but there is a great shortage of bread, wine and other items. So after the waters become scarce, they will drink water; for those who once dug in the sea shores get water convenient for drinking from here; rivers and canals will become scarce and dry up; There will be a shortage of water in every reed and sieve, and everything that grows, he says, will dry up in the waters, so that the fishermen and those who make the combed flax and those who produce all this will cry out, and moreover, those who prepare their beer from barley will be in great tribulation. For when the waters become scarce, they will feel poverty in everything that can amuse them and provide them in abundance with what they need for life. And this clearly indicates what can be learned from history. But if someone wanted to explain the lack of water in another way and delve into more subtle considerations, he would not move away from the goal, likening the empty and foolish speech of the Hellenic sages to waters, and to fish, papyrus and reeds and other things that grow in the water element - a crowd of people; fishermen and those who earn their living in the waters - those who know how to catch a simple crowd of people and, enticing them as if with some fishing rods, draw them into error. These will groan and grieve and grieve in their souls when their minds seem to be inactive; By likening it to water, we want to say precisely that if it completely dries up, then everything that receives food from it will dry up. They make beer; for they do not deliver wine that gladdens the heart of man, but some false and useless teaching, and with complacency they imagine that it consists of meaningless speeches. This, I think, is hinted at by saying that they produce fine linen, and combed linen. For little things are the subject of their witty reasoning; but they are completely useless and filled with harmful inventions. Because the beer is cold. The Egyptians have some kind of cold and cloudy drink; such is their speech and such are their teachings, which do not quench, but rather inflame thirst and are unpleasant to those who drink them, and due to the extreme cold cause incurable diseases. Isa.19:11. And the princes of Tanesov will be holy fools, the king’s advisers of wisdom, the council will make them fools. When the Egyptians were threatened with an imminent disaster, and their country was threatened with conquest, and when they were ready, against their will, to bend their necks under the yoke of strangers: then the one who was entrusted with the authority over them, brought into no small confusion and struck by unbearable horror, gathered the so-called wise men, that is, magicians, and very carefully found out what the outcome of the events would be for them. (then) events and how the dangerous outcome of the war can be prevented. But they, he says, were so unable to say anything useful or true that they were accused of extreme stupidity. For when God wants to send misfortune (to people), then the wisdom and strength of every person turn out to be useless. For if you shut a person from someone, who will open it? – according to what is written (Is.22:22). So, the sages of Thanes, who are in it, he calls the false prophets and performers of the divine services that went to the churches; the complete insignificance of those who were proud of their art of magic was exposed by the events themselves. Isa.19:11,12. How do you say to the king: we are the sons of the wise, the sons of the ancient kings? Where is the essence of your wisdom now, and let them tell you and say: what is the Lord of hosts conspiring against Egypt? For what merit, he says, will you raise your head? What help did you give to the land of the Egyptians so that you could arouse their wonder at you? or what advice did you offer to win over the king, saying that we are the sons of the wise ones, that is, the prophets, we are magicians and come from magicians; they ruled almost the entire country and enjoyed great fame among the servants of idols; They were always the leaders of the rulers of the people and were in close communication with them, because they usually gave advice regarding all matters, according to the inspiration of the false gods. Since, he says, you have turned out to be liars and ignorant of the truth, how can you say to the king: we are the sons of the wise, the sons of the ancient kings? In this saying the prophetic word points us to those who seem wise. Then he goes to the face of the one who is called to rule the people and says: where is your wisdom now and let it be known to you and say: what is the Lord of hosts conspiring against Egypt? For, he says, if they are not liars and deceivers and not flatterers and are not accustomed to telling lies, and if they speak not from their own hearts, but from the mouth of the Lord, then learn from them about what threatens the Egyptians, what will very soon happen to them, according to the determination of the Lord of hosts. The (prophetic) word seems to laugh at those who do not know God, but are in deep darkness due to their attachment to idolatry. And it’s so scary and, especially, completely in vain to trust the deceptions of false soothsayers. For knowing absolutely nothing about the future or what disasters God sends, they make false prophecy a pretext for collecting money, and pretending that the gods are listening to them, they express only what is in accordance with their own desire, and deceive the minds of their followers. For they foretell only what someone wants, and speak only of what they suppose will give pleasure to their listeners. But divine law commands us to avoid such people; for it says: if you go into the land that the Lord your God gives you, do not practice the abomination of those tongues: let it not be found in you purifying his son and his daughter with fire, a sorcerer with sorcery and a magician and a bird magician, a sorcerer skilled in deception, a womb-sorcerer and a standard-keeper, and an inquirer. dead: for all these things are an abomination to the Lord thy God (Deut. 18:9-12); to this he adds and says: May you be perfect before the Lord your God: for these nations, whom you have inherited, will listen to these enchantments and sorceries: but the Lord your God has not given this to you. The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet from your brethren; listen to him according to everything, whenever he speaks to you (Deut. 18:13,16). For he who pays attention to prophecies and omens, bird fortune-telling and the deceptions of magicians will have absolutely no love for God and will be deprived of the ornaments of piety; on the contrary, he who listens to the sayings of the Gospel and who recognizes the truth in what Christ says will be truly filled with good hope; for He is the Lord of the prophets and the giver of all knowledge, although according to humanity He is called a prophet. Isaiah 19:13–15. The princes of Tanes have become impoverished, and the princes of Memphittia have risen, and they will deceive Egypt according to their tribe. The Lord will dissolve the spirit of deception for them, and deceive Egypt with all his deeds, as a drunken man is deceived and one who vomits incessantly. And there will be no work for the Egyptians that would create a chapter and a mistake, and a beginning and an end. Here the prophetic word laughs before us at the amusements and empty speeches of false prophets. For the leader of the Egyptians asked the magicians and false prophets who were always with him, who were called wise men, what end the expected events would have for him. When their advice turned out to be erroneous and they were exposed in lies and there was no one who would help them find the path to useful advice and correct thoughts, then they were recognized as insignificant and, finally, began to look for other wise men. And some were surprised at the leaders of Memphis, that is, the priests and wise men, who lived, I suppose, in Memphis; for at that time they were considered as if chosen, and as having reached the highest degree in the art of sorcery, they seemed worthy of all respect to the idolaters. So, he says, the princes of Tanesov became impoverished, that is, imputed to nothing, but the leaders of Memphis seemed great and worthy of surprise to the king and everyone around him: but they also deceived Egypt by tribe, that is, by cities and villages, they deceived not individual people, but many people; for they were trusted, although they could not say anything essentially useful. How did they trust them? The Lord, says, dissolved the spirit of deception for them, that is, removed every word of truth from their tongue, so that they could neither think nor say anything true; for the truth could not be found in the tongue of idolaters. Therefore they deceived Egypt, just as a drunken man wanders and spews vomit; for usually drunk people fall into sewage from vomit. Therefore he says: there will be no work for the Egyptians, for the hedgehog has created a head and a mistake, a beginning and an end. For they will not undertake any of the tasks with cheerfulness, and this is the beginning and the chapter. And none of their affairs will come to the most desired outcome; and this is a mistake and the end. For every human consideration is insignificant and every help is unreliable and cannot be of any use in any way when God sends misfortune and lays His all-powerful hand on those who move away from Him and when He changes the very nature of things in accordance with His desire. Isa.19:16,17. On that day the Egyptians will be like women in fear and trembling at the sight of the hand of the Lord of hosts, which he will lay on her. And the land of Judah will be in fear of the Egyptians: if anyone remembers this, they will fear the advice of the Lord of hosts. Those who were once brave and undaunted and despised all danger will, he says, be very cowardly and will turn out to have a timid heart, so that they will not differ at all from the weakest women, but will seem to fall into the cowardice characteristic of the female sex. The cause of fear and horror for them will be the hand of the Lord of hosts, which He will lay on them. Under the hand of the Lord of hosts here we mean the omnipotent will of God, subordinating the people of Egypt to the kingdom of Rome. Nothing can prevent the fulfillment of the divine will, and what is required by the highest considerations must inevitably happen. And the land of Judah will be in fear of the Egyptians. We will try to determine more precisely what he is talking about in these words; for the words explained are very unclear. The country of Judea was once saved because God protected it and made it, as I said, insurmountable for all the pagan kingdoms surrounding it. But although she had such an assistant, she was nevertheless taken and conquered by the Romans, the entire city was burned, and houses and villages were left without inhabitants. What was the reason that they were taken prisoner? Obviously, the Lord’s decree that was pronounced was against her. For she, along with others, was betrayed to the almighty power of the Romans. Thus, the land of Judah will be in fear of the Egyptians. For the false prophets with their words wanted to instill in them the hope that they would be stronger than the attackers and, having rebelled against them, would defeat them. The fact that the country of Judea itself was betrayed to them, although it once had a defender in God, inspires them with great fear. Therefore, they expected that they would certainly have to submit to those who want to devastate (their country), after this, as I said, the land of Judea was subjected to this, not because the One who saved it weakened, but because he subjected it to His own orders and subdued the authorities. But some people want to understand the passage being explained in a different way. For after the God of all looked completely upon the Egyptians and brought them out of darkness into the light and finally granted them to know Him who by nature and truly is God and the Creator of all (for they believed in Christ and through Him and in Him they knew the Father); This is what he says: as a result of their great humility and fear of God, the country of Judea will be in fear of the Egyptians. When he says: into fear, then understand fear that comes from fear of God. For everyone respects Jerusalem because Christ was born there and suffered crucifixion for the salvation of the world, was laid in the tomb, then resurrected and ascended to the Father. The land of Judah was once an object of hatred for the Egyptians; because their very religion was different. For some worshiped the creature and the works of their own hands, while others served the all-holy God and were governed by His laws and were zealous for a holy life. So, the country, which was once an object of hatred, had to be a certain object of fear and the basis of fear of God for them, because in it, as I said, Christ was born, who called them out of darkness into his wonderful light. Isaiah 19:18. On that day there will be five cities in Egypt, speaking in the language of the Canaanites, and swearing by the name of the Lord; the city of Azedek will be called one city. In all fairness, one can be amazed at the foresight revealed in these words of the blessed prophet, who perfectly knows the future events that are about to take place at the time of the coming in the land of Egypt - who foretold in detail and clearly defined how the gospel word will be preached. So, he says, there will be five cities in Egypt speaking in the language of Canaan, that is, the language of the Syrians, or the language of the inhabitants of Palestine. For the Phoenicians and the Palestinians speak the same language; then the inhabitants of Palestine and Egypt are adjacent to each other, and there is nothing between them that would separate them from each other, and within the borders of Egypt, I mean, to the east and by the Palestinian sea there are the first entrances (to Palestine). Thus, the land of Canaan and Egypt are adjacent to each other. Therefore, the cities located within the borders of Egypt first of all receive the gospel preaching. And there are five such cities, of which we now call the first the city of Rhinokurets; they speak the language of Canaan. For in these cities they try to speak not so much the language of the Egyptians as the language of the Syrians. Some say that Joseph clearly mentions in his writings that there was a certain Jonas, who belonged to the descendants of Levi and according to the law had the title of priest, that he, having quarreled with some of his fellow tribesmen, and perhaps having been expelled, ruled these five cities neighboring the land of the Canaanites. He, he says, having gathered a considerable number of Jews, settled in one of these five cities, which was called the city of Azedek, or the city of righteousness. From this, they say, within the borders of Egypt they learned the language of the Canaanites and love to speak it, and learn, they say, to swear in the name of the Lord. This excites wonder; because worshipers of vain gods usually swear by any of the elements of the world: some, when swearing, pronounce the name of the sky, others - the sun, but never mention the name of the true God, because they did not know Him. But those who knew Him or believed in Him tend to swear by His name. Thus, the wise Moses led Israel, removed from Egyptian idolatry, to the knowledge of the true God, saying: Worship the Lord your God and serve him alone. To this he added: in His name you were sworn (Deut. 6:13). So, a clear proof that these five cities accepted the faith is that they did not swear by any of the vain gods, on the contrary, when they swore the name of the Lord. Isa.19:19. In that day there will be an altar of the Lord in the land of Egypt, and a pillar of the Lord in its borders. And it will be for a sign in the age of the Lord in the land of Egypt. The whole land of Egypt was rich in churches and filled with altars. Libations and sacrifices were made everywhere, partly to the elements of the world, partly, as I said, to the idols located in the churches and to the pillars built in honor of the demons. But what do I say when they set up images of dumb animals and gave them the honor due to God? So, understand from this to what extent the Egyptians had fallen in religious terms. So, those who were the most superstitious of all peoples and unbridledly given over to debauchery - on that day, that is, at the time when the saving sermon shines forth among them, will accept the worship of the real and true God; For the altar of the Lord will be in the land of Egypt. This word is spoken with great expressiveness; for it expresses surprise. Isn’t it surprising, in fact, that it is in the land of Egypt to see an altar to the Lord and, moreover, a pillar within its borders to the Lord? It seems to me that he calls the pillar the holy church of God, that is, the church, which may be the first of the others to be built within its boundaries; or the sign of the holy cross, with which believers usually protected themselves. For we always use it to repel every devilish attack and drive away the attacks of demons; because the cross is an indestructible wall for us and in it is truly saving praise. Let me not boast except in the cross of Christ (Gal.6:14). Therefore, what the prophet predicted at that time seemed strange; now this has come to fruition; for now in the land of Egypt there are innumerable many altars to the Lord, and among those who inhabit it the sign of the cross serves as an object of worship; because they believed in our Lord Jesus Christ. Some interpreters believe that instead of: pillar one should read: inscription (τιτλον), and they say that it means the holy Gospel. However, let the prudent judge which of these interpretations is considered the best and most correct. Isa.19:20,21. For they will cry out to the Lord against those who insult them, and the Lord will send them a man who will save me; I will be the judge who will save them. And the Lord will be known by the Egyptians: and the Egyptians will bring the Lord away on that day, and will make sacrifices and gifts, and will promise the vows of the Lord and will repay them. Pay attention again to the accuracy of prophetic knowledge. For it is as if someone again asks and says: what does this mean? what is the reason that the Lord came to Egypt on a light cloud and gave them this and that. Taking this into consideration, the prophet answers and says: for they will cry to the Lord against those who insult them, and the Lord will send them a man who will save me. For the father of sin, that is, Satan, attacked all the inhabitants of the earth, and, having imposed the yoke of his cruel power on everyone, distracted them from the God of love and, as if binding them, treated them cruelly and mercilessly. But the very nature of his activity, testifying to his terrible and unbearable cruelty, cried out against his rule. So understand the cry of the Egyptians, although it seems to be unfair to say this, because those who did not know the true Lord of the universe could not cry out to Him at all. But as the blood of Abel, they say, cried out to God, although in itself it had no voice in the proper sense, but God seemed to shudder with horror at the sight of the exorbitant crime of the action; This is how, I think, we can understand the cry of those who usually worshiped unclean idols. For although they did not know the God of all, yet because they were tormented by Satan; then in some way, in their very (unhappy) situation, they cried out (to God), begging Him to help them. Thus, we say, the Egyptians cried out to God against those who insulted them, that is, against those who subjugated them to their power and kept them, as it were, in some very cruel slavery, obviously, to unclean demons. But the Lord will send them the man who will save me. Who is this man? Obviously, Christ, that is, the Only Begotten Word of God revealed in human form. He saved not only the Egyptians, but all people. But He saved by carrying out judgment. What does it mean: producing judgment? This is said instead: pronouncing righteous judgment on them. For having subjected Satan, who oppressed (people), to righteous condemnation, and with him the unclean demons, he bound them captives of darkness to stand before the judgment of the great day of torment (2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 1:6). Thus, those who suffered intolerable oppression, He saved and snatched up and made them His worshipers, illuminating them with the light of truth and clothing them with the adornment of freedom. The Savior Himself nowhere speaks about this: now is judgment for this world: now the prince of this world will be cast out. And even if I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everything to Me (John 12:31,32). You see that He pronounced judgment on the world and drove out Satan, who once oppressed the world, and drew everyone to Himself. For the Egyptians also recognized Him and, having recognized Him, make sacrifices, pronounce vows and fulfill what they promised. For this is what is sung through the mouth of David: pray and give thanks to the Lord our God (Ps. 75:12). So, pay attention to the news of ongoing incidents. For those who were once accustomed to making sacrifices to demons, who idolized Satan, who offered him thanksgiving sacrifices and vows and carefully fulfilled their promises - now, having their minds enlightened through Christ and having learned the dogmas of truth, move away from ancient error and, having once known the Creator and Lord of all, they serve Him in spirit, fulfilling holy vows and making sacrifices not through the shedding of blood and slaughter dumb animals, but spiritual, as I said, and favorable in purity. Isa.19:22. And the Lord will strike the Egyptians with a great plague, and will heal them with healing, and they will turn to the Lord, and He will hear them and heal them with healing. When God visits, He strikes those who once acted wickedly and brings judgment on those who brazenly acted against Him. But in this He brings great benefit to people; for He, not overcome by anger, strikes, on the contrary, He turns people to the better: either He leads them from error to truth, or He teaches those who have an uncontrollable tendency to commit shameful things to change their way of life and will soon turn to pleasing Him. Therefore, the blessed Prophets, understanding the fruitful effect of God’s punishments, exclaimed to Him: Punish us, Lord, both in judgment, and not in rage (Jer. 10:24). And again: Lord, in sorrow I remembered You, in sorrow Thy punishment is small for us (Is. 26:16). And He once said to the synagogue of Judea: You will punish Jerusalem with sorrow and blows. So, He punishes those whom He chooses and loves. The Prophet says that the same thing will be granted to the Egyptians. For the Lord will strike them with a great plague, and will heal them with healing. For although they were probably subordinate to the Roman commanders and by military right their warriors took possession of the universe; but after the divine sermon was proclaimed to them, they were freed from the harmful consequences of their error, moved to the heavenly and divine light and, having rejected those previous convictions, finally received mental health. And they will turn to the Lord and hear them, that is, those who, due to their many wickedness, were once despised by God, will finally learn to give worship for what they would like to receive, not to disgusting idols, but to cry out to Him, who heals the brokenhearted. And God will be ready to immediately hear them, will be compassionate and merciful to them. So the knowledge of the real and true God, the Creator of all things and the Lord, is the source of all good for every person. Isa.19:23. On that day there will be a path from Egypt to the Assyrians, and the Assyrians will enter Egypt, and the Egyptians will go to the Assyrians, and the Egyptians will work for the Assyrians. Blessed Paul writes about the Savior of us all, Christ, that He is peace to us; for He not only united those living on earth with the highest ministering and holy spirits, but also brought nations closer to nations. Before His coming, countries and cities avoided communication with each other, there were continuous uprisings and military attacks, triumphs of the victors over the vanquished, unimaginable oppression and all kinds of injustices - and all this was considered something glorious and worthy of special surprise. But Christ was our peace in this regard too. For after He enlightened the universe with the gospel teaching and taught everyone the path of piety and love for God and for each other, all the old things ceased, the ancient past and the new came into existence, as it is written. For peace reigned everywhere. This is what the prophet Isaiah says in another place regarding all nations: And they will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; For having submitted to one yoke, in the spiritual sense - the yoke of God, and in the sensory sense - the yoke of the Romans, everyone will lead a peaceful life, not disturbed and free from military worries, so that, free from all fear, even the most hostile peoples will be in unanimity among themselves: for the Egyptians, he says, will have a way to the Assyrians, and the Assyrians to the Egyptians, and The Egyptians will go to the Assyrians, and the Egyptians will enslave the Assyrians, not because these latter will impose the yoke of slavery on the former, on the contrary, because they will subjugate them with bonds of love and enter into the most friendly relations. He calls the inhabitants of the eastern country Assyrians. Isa.19:24,25. In that day Israel will be third among the Egyptians and among the Assyrians, blessed in the land, and the Lord of hosts will bless him, saying: Bless my people who are in Egypt and who are in Assyria, and my inheritance Israel. Israel is called the firstborn among sons. But since he treated Christ cruelly, he is placed behind the pagans and, as it were, received second place by lot; for even for him the time of conversion is predetermined. Therefore it is written that when the fulfillment of tongues comes, then all Israel will be saved (Rom. 11:25,26). Pay careful attention to the fact that he is mentioned third among these - between the Assyrians and the Egyptians. Assyrians, as I said, here he calls those who inhabited the entire eastern country, especially those located between the rivers, in which (the country), they say, there are true worshipers, leading a strict ascetic lifestyle, related and close to the lifestyle of the Egyptians, distinguished by equally ardent zeal and zeal for everything good and virtue. Therefore, the God of all says: Bless my people, both in Egypt and in Assyria. Israel is listed third; and the reason for this the prophetic word showed us before; for he killed the Lord and is placed behind the others, as David says: and among the latter was the firstborn. Isa.20:1–4. In the summer, when Tanafan descended into Azoth, he was sent quickly from Arna, the king of Assyria, and fought against Azoth and took it, then the Lord spoke to Isaiah, saying: Go and strip off the sackcloth from your loins, and cut off your sandals from your feet, and do the same, walking naked and barefoot. And the Lord said: just as my servant Isaiah walked naked and barefoot, for three years there will be signs and wonders among the Egyptians and the Ethiopians: for likewise the king of Assyria will avert the captivity of Egypt and the Ethiopians, young men and old men, naked and barefoot, revealed to the shame of Egypt. Having beautifully finished his speech about the Egyptians and foreshadowed how they would be called to the knowledge of the truth, he again cares about what is useful and necessary for the Israelites. I’ll tell you briefly what this was about. For having rejected true respect for the law of Moses and neglected the love of God, they most recklessly began to indulge in polytheistic error and serve the works of their own hands, and for those who once entered into such error, there was no longer any evil to which they would not indulge. Therefore, the God of all kinds often punished them with wars and defeats, partly from neighboring nations, partly from the Persians and Medes, who, having first devastated the countries of other nations, attacked Judea and brought the Israelites into great and unbearable horror. And although they should have appeased the God of all, renounce wicked deeds and turn to doing what is pleasing to Him, justify themselves before Him who was offended by them by turning from shameful deeds to good ones, and thus seek salvation and faithful and undoubted support from Him alone; but they, unfortunate ones, did not do this, but sought help from people, called on some of their neighbors, then the border Egyptians for help, adding lawlessness to their lawlessness, as it is written, and thereby provoking the wrath of Almighty God. Therefore, through one of the holy prophets he says: And Ephraim was like a foolish dove, without a heart: he prayed for Egypt, and went away to Assyria (Hos. 7:11). And through the same Prophet Isaiah (says): Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who trust in horses and chariots: for they are many, and the multitude of cavalry is great, and have not trusted in the Holy One of Israel, and have not sought God. The same wise man will bring evil upon them, and his word will not be rejected (Is. 31:1-2). And so, when Tanafan, the general of the king of Assyria, besieged Azoth and took it (it was in the neighborhood of the Assyrian country); then the Israelites expected that they too would soon and without much difficulty undergo the same thing. Therefore, having hired the Egyptian army to help themselves, they wanted to resist the Assyrian troops. But God makes their hope in vain and clearly predicts that they too will become prey to Assyrian power, and after some time they will be conquered and become prisoners of war. They say that Egypt, after some time, was under the rule of the king of Assyria, who, having ended the war with him for three years, took possession of it all and, accompanied by a large number of captives, returned to his country. Therefore, God commands the prophet to have the appearance characteristic and usual of captives, that is, to walk without clothes and shoes, for the victors do not respect captives too much. Those who are exposed to such a calamity, whether they be of noble or simple birth, experience the same suffering; They do not take clothes or anything else they need for decoration or convenience, but are forced to walk, completely unconcerned about all this, left to the mercy of those who captivate them. So, the prophet, as I said, receives the command to take off your sackcloth from around your waist and put off your sandals and walk through the streets of Jerusalem naked and barefoot. He did this, not caring at all about decency and without adding anything (of himself) to God’s order, although it contained something painful and shameful. But perhaps someone will say: why did he not foretell to the Israelites (only in words) what would eventually happen to the Egyptians, but the glorious prophet still walked around completely naked and barefoot, neglecting the decency due to him? To this we answer that (the Israelites) did not listen to the speeches of the prophets, and even expressed reproaches to those who wanted to predict the future for them, saying: tell us otherwise and tell us another error. Therefore, the man, undoubtedly distinguished by decency and modesty, filled with every virtue, crowned with the grace of prophecy and distinguished by self-control, takes off his very sackcloth, not an exquisite, but the coarsest and cheapest vestment, also takes off his sandals from his feet and in this form walks (through the city), so that those who see him and are surprised by his behavior ask about the reason for his behavior and, hastening to find out why he did this, receive complete conviction The point is that hope for people is vain, that on the contrary they should have expected help from above and tried to acquire the love of the helper who always saved - God. So, when the blessed prophet walked through Judea naked and barefoot, and when considerable fear awoke in those who saw him, the Lord said: just as my servant Isaiah walked naked and barefoot, for three years there will be signs and wonders among the Egyptians and the Ethiopians. For, as I said above, the king of Assyria, who over the course of three years devastated the land of Egypt and the Ethiopians living near it and the Thebans neighboring the land, took away a large number of captives and rejoiced at the disasters of the Egyptians. And then he returns home again in glory. Isa.20:5,6. And the Egyptians will be ashamed of the defeat of the Ethiopians, in whom the Egyptians trusted, for glory be to them. And the inhabitants of this island said on that day: Behold, we run to their aid in hope, since we cannot be saved from the king of Assyria, and how will we be saved? Living in the vicinity of the Theban country are the barbarian peoples of Blemmians, who are also called Ethiopians. They had great skill in throwing arrows. Having smeared them with very strong poison, they throw them at those who fight them. If they touch (the body), then the one wounded by them will certainly die, and as if bitten by a snake, he will immediately fall. So, the Egyptians, when they were threatened with war and battle, usually hired troops of the Ethiopians and placed great hopes on them. But they, being defeated by the courage of the Assyrians, together with the Egyptians were taken into captivity: and the Egyptians, he says, will be ashamed of the Ethiopians, in whom they put their trust. For when they are defeated and taken captive, then those living on this island will say: Behold, we run to their aid in hope, since we cannot escape from the king of Assyria, and how will we be saved? Egypt calls it an island because it is surrounded on all sides by rivers and surrounded by lakes. He represents its inhabitants as saying that they condemn themselves for the hope they place in the Ethiopians; for if these were taken captive, how can those who trust in them be saved? So, it is better to trust in the Lord than to trust in man (Ps. 117:9) and as the prophet Jeremiah says: cursed is the man who trusts in man, and the flesh of his arm will be established on him... And blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and the Lord will be his trust (Jer. 17:5,7). The prophetic word always brings us benefit, and although historical events may not have a spiritual interpretation, nevertheless, considerable benefit can be derived from them. For Paul says that all these images were received by the ancients, but they were written for our teaching (1 Cor. 10:11). Ch. XXI. Desert Vision. Having beautifully finished the speech, I say, about the Egyptians, having said when and how they will be called through faith to the knowledge of the true God, the Prophet moves on to another vision of the desert. And here he mentions to us not just an uninhabited and deserted land, but a desert he calls the country of Babylon, which once had numerous inhabitants, very strong and warlike: but when divine wrath befell it, it was devastated to such an extent that it remained completely uninhabited after the country of Babylon was conquered by Cyrus, the son of Cambyses, whom the prophet mentions in another place, saying: to the Lord says to my anointed Cyrus, who held his right hand, bowed his tongues before him... and the cities will not be shut (Is. 45:1). He conquered the once proud, rebelling against every nation and terrible in battle, I say, Babylon. It is this that the prophet now mentions and calls it desert. And how he was brought to such a disaster, he clearly tells about this, as I think, for two reasons: either in order to destroy the hope in the Jews for them; for Ephraim was like a crazy dove, as one of the holy prophets says, Egypt prayed, and went away to the Assyrians (Hos. 7:11); or in order to console those upset by the fact that their country was devastated, their very church was burned and they were taken as prisoners of war along with their wives and children to Babylon. He himself clearly teaches that God will rise up against those who devastated their country, if only the Jews decide to live according to the law and conscientiously observe His divine regulations. So, the prophet predicted historical events in advance, although the height of the vision allows for a change of persons, for he, as a self-seeing and direct contemplator, talks about what was shown to him by God, and then foretells with a prophetic spirit what will happen later; sometimes he also introduces the Babylonians, who mourn themselves because of such terrible and unexpected misfortunes. So, as if contemplating the campaign of the Persians and Medes and Elamites against Babylon, he says this: they will trample the desert and walk through it. Isa.21:1. It’s like a storm passes through the desert. A storm that raises dust and seems to destroy everything. Isa.21:2. The vision was terrible and the story told me cruelly. The very sight of enemies and a very large number of warlike men equipped for war is very capable of arousing cruel fear in the spectators. But he not only contemplated this, but said that this had been announced to me. For along with the vision, the outcome of events was announced to him, obviously by God. Isa.21:2. The transgressor transgresses, and the wicked transgresses. For the insolence, he says, of the attackers is incorrigible; because they are inaccessible to human thoughts about meekness, and no one among them thinks about anything decent, but commits lawlessness uncontrollably and oppresses at will, because there is no shame in them. For they are not disposed towards mercy, but, he says, their favorite thing will be to break the law and act willfully. Something similar is said through the mouth of the same prophet to the inhabitants of the Assyrian country: Behold, I excite the Medes against you, who do not count silver, but demand less than gold. The shootings of youth will destroy (Isa.13:17,18). For when God shows His anger against those who sin, nothing can help them. On the contrary, a brutal soul is characteristic of the destroyers of those on whom they rush. Isaiah 21:2–4. Elamite is against me, and the ambassadors of Persia are coming against me: now I will sigh and console myself. For this reason, my loins were filled with relaxation, and I accepted the disease as if I was in labor: I will not hear lies; I tried not to see it. My heart goes astray, and iniquity overwhelms me, my soul stands in fear. In these words the speech has the character of personification. For the Assyrian is brought out, frightened by the attack, not remaining in the dark about the detachments of the enemy army and about the one against whom they are directing their military campaign. For it was not against anyone else, but, he says, that the Elamites and the best of the Persians rushed against me. So, I’ll breathe and console myself. For those who are in extreme distress seem to find some relief in weeping and lamentation; because grief brings tears. But it seems strange that the Assyrians, who have always been cruel and proud, treated all peoples with great disdain and imagined that no one could resist them, are crying. And with all this, these people, so daring and raised in their thoughts above human nature, shed tears, like women, and compose a lamentable song about themselves and, before the battle itself, utter a cry of weakness. For when my loins were filled with weakness and sickness, I was received as if I were in labor. But why, he says, will this happen to you, Assyrian? Tell the one who asks you: yes, I know that I have offended Almighty God with many sins. You have not heard the truth, you have tried not to see. By this, he says, I harmed myself, because I made great efforts not to hear and made efforts not to see who, that is, truly and by nature is God. For I heard about the worship of the Jews, took the holy city, destroyed the church; from what I had heard about the laws given to the Israelites, I could have some knowledge of Him. Even the prophet Jonah was sent by God, preaching and saying: yet three days, and Nineveh will be transformed (Jonah 3:4). But I was immediately afraid of the threat and repented, and then again I did not hear the truth, I tried not to see what I needed to see; for my heart went astray and sin, as if immersing me, made me drown; Therefore, my soul stands in fear, for it is brought to extreme horror. So these sayings can be attributed to the Assyrians; because the holy prophets usually, for the benefit of their listeners, put (one or another) sayings into the mouths of (famous) persons. Isa.21:5. Prepare a meal, eat, drink: rise, princes, prepare your shields. I said that this prophetic speech is beautifully diversified sometimes with many personifications. Therefore, those who want to understand and explain it correctly should pay careful attention to this. For only in this case will it be clear and understanding the words of the prophet will not contain anything difficult. So, the prophet introduced into his speech the Assyrians, mourning themselves, falling into cowardice and suffering from unbearable horror at the disasters that were about to befall them; then he recalls the time when they will be taken captive and subjected to terrible suffering, and explains the very reason (of divine wrath) against them. For blessed Daniel wrote: King Belshazzar made a supper for his nobles. There is wine before a thousand (Dan.5:1,2). Then he says that he gave the wicked order to bring in the sacred vessels that had once been taken from Jerusalem, and he himself and his concubines and his wives drank from them. And this was nothing more than a desecration of the glory of God and exaltation over the One who ruled the Israelites, as over one who could not help his people in any way. When Belshazzar drank and seemed to mock the sacred vessels, a finger of his hand appeared, he says, and wrote on the wall: mani, fekel, fares. Explaining this writing, the divine Daniel said to the Assyrian: God crushed your kingdom and divided it and gave it to the Medes and Persians. It is this historical event, as I think, that the prophet now remembers and says, as it were, to the chiefs or nobles and to Belshazzar himself: prepare a meal, drink, eat: risen princes, prepare your shields: revel luxuriously, he says, at the meals of intemperance (as is usually said) and those who drink, be satisfied without end. What then? The feast will be followed by war and in a short time you will have to be exposed to disasters, but from the feast itself run to weapons and look for shields. For it is very dangerous to be exalted before God and to disrespect the glory, which has nothing higher. For Israel was delivered into the power of the Assyrians; because God determined that they should be taken into captivity for many sins. But those who took them captive should not have reached the point of unreason and crazy thoughts and thought and imagined that they could triumph over Him who wants to save them (the Israelites) and become conquerors of the ineffable power of God, sovereign over all and superior to creation. Isa.21:6,7. For this is what the Lord said to me: when you go, set a guard for yourself, and if you see it, tell it. And the horsemen saw two horsemen, a rider on a donkey and a rider on a veld. Usually, holy prophets, during the contemplation of God or visions, seem to concentrate their minds within themselves and, without being distracted by thoughts, contemplate what God shows them, and, being, as it were, in a high and inaccessible place, they listen to the divine verbs. Therefore, one of the holy prophets says: I will stand on my watch, and I will mount the stone, and I will look to see what he says to me and what I answer to my reproof (Hab. 2:1). The prophet teaches the same thing and now says that he hears (the voice) of God: when you set a guard for yourself, and if you see it again, he will proclaim it. And he was commanded to appoint no one else as a guard, but to prepare himself completely for the contemplation of God and, as if some kind of guard who was on high, to contemplate the future with his mind and follow the course of events with his gaze. Therefore he says: I saw two horsemen, a rider on a donkey, and a rider on a camel. And what this means will be clearly shown by the cry of the Assyrians. For he said: The Elamites are against me, and the ambassadors of Persia are coming against me (Is. 21:2). The Elamites were a barbarian people who usually rode camels. And who could be the rider on a donkey, except the noble Persians, who, they say, went to war, sitting on mules and chariots covered with tents, so that some effort would not tire them. When they saw the battlefield, they jumped off their chariots and mounted the best horses. So, the rider on a donkey calls the one who is being carried by mules, or this can be understood differently: perhaps the prophet contemplated many warriors riding on horses, and behind them followed many camels and mules, prepared, perhaps, for transporting booty. He speaks about this nowhere else: in sorrow and distress there is a lion and lionesses: from there are the asps, and the race of the asps that soar, and those who drive their wealth on donkeys and on camels (Is. 30:6). He called Cyrus and the Persians and Medes subject to him a lion and a lioness. Asps and the tribe of soaring asps, that is, those who fly quickly and rush like birds, and those from other nations who have the custom of riding camels. Isa.21:7–8. Listen with the ears of many; and call Uriah to the guard of the Lord. The Prophet announced that he saw two (horse) riders, one on a camel, the other on a donkey. We have already said before who they were. And as soon as he saw this, he receives orders to reveal what will be the consequence of this attack, and tells the story of the terrible disaster of the Chaldeans. This truly deserves great attention. What happened to Babylon was terrible and beyond all description, and reached the extreme limit of disaster. For Cyrus took Babylon itself and turned it into a complete desert and killed those who were in it and who hid in caves and hoped that they would remain completely hidden. Therefore, the God of all says to him: And I will give you the secret hidden treasures: the invisible treasures I will open to you (Is. 45:3). And Jerusalem is introduced into the speech, as if saying to Babylon: Do not rejoice in me, my enemy, for I have fallen, and I will rise again, even if I sit in darkness. The Lord will illuminate me. I will endure the wrath of the Lord because I have sinned against him; Dondezhe will vindicate my sins and execute my judgment: and he will bring me to the light, and I will see his righteousness. And my enemy shall see, and be clothed with cold, saying unto me, Where is the Lord thy God? My eyes will look upon the nude, now it will be trampled underfoot like stone on the way. The day of the smoothing of the plinth: that day is thy blotting out (Mic. 7:8-11), obviously the day on which (Babylon) was devastated and, as I said, turned into a desert by the Persians, Medes and Elamites. So, he says, listen with many ears, that is, the long and terrible story of your captivity. And call Uriah to the guard of the Lord. Uriah, they say, was one of the most famous clergy under the law. So, he says, take Uriah as a witness of the contemplation or vision revealed to you, and let him learn the future from you. For when those who did not heed the prophecies of the prophets said: speak to us, tell us another error; then the God of all very prudently made the most respectable among the Jews witnesses of what was from time to time revealed, as in a prophetic vision, having the spirit of prophecy, so that in the event that the Jews did not want to believe their words, they would trust at least those who, according to the law, were convicted of the priesthood. Isa.21:8,9. And he said: I stood all day long, and I stood among the hordes all night. And behold, a horseman on two horses is coming. Having received the command to place a guard with him and clearly proclaim what was shown to him by God, the prophet says: I stood all day and I stood all night. And behold, a horseman on two horses is coming. Who is this horseman? Persian and Elamite or leader of the army, that is, Cyrus. Isa.21:9. And he answered saying: Babylon is fallen, fallen, and all her idols and everything made with her hands are crushed on the earth. When the prophet said: behold, a horseman on two horses is coming and when it was clearly contemplated how his attack would be carried out and would take place in a very short time, the Lord finally answers and says: fallen Babylon, that is, the proud, daring and hammer of the whole earth, - according to the saying of Jeremiah, - like a wild beast, attacking all nations, raising its arrogant neck and destroying countries and cities. Pade, he says, that is, completely lost; disappeared and trampled and completely overthrown and, finally, appears to be lying under the feet of the victors; all his idols and things made with hands were broken; for it is the land of the graven ones, as another of the holy prophets says (Jer. 50:38), and it trusted very much in false gods, and expecting salvation from their help, it was trampled with them and crushed along with its deities. Isa.21:10. Listen, you who are left behind and you who are sick, hear: I have heard from the Lord of hosts, what the God of Israel has told us. Israel was taken into captivity and was in slavery to the Babylonians, when God allowed it to be subjected to such long-lasting disasters for its many sins; but many remained in Jerusalem and Judea; however, they constantly sighed and mourned, because their country was devastated, their very church was burned, Jerusalem was in ruins. Therefore, to console them, the prophet expediently ends the vision and says to them: listen, you who are left behind and who are sick, hear what you have heard from the Lord of hosts, what the God of Israel will tell us. For He undoubtedly knew about the future unfortunate fate of the Babylonians, capable of bringing them joy, and the story of those who caused sorrow would serve as a means of consoling those who were so humiliated by them. I think that it is necessary to first outline the content of this vision; for only on this condition can those who read it understand it. So Isaac had two sons, Esau and Jacob. Esau was also called Edom, that is, earthly; for such was his way of life, and for one piece of food he sold his birthright, as it is written. Jacob was a man free from guile and loving home life. For this is what Holy Scripture says about him. From Jacob, who was also called Israel, came the Jews: from Esau, or Edom, the Edomites and Atarians; they are also Saracens. So, the Edomites were brothers and related to the Israelites: and in their place of residence, the Jews and Edomites were neighbors and adjacent to each other. But neither kinship nor their proximity to each other could give these peoples unanimity. For the Edomites, who lived in accordance with the morals and laws of the Hellenes, were at enmity and constantly devastated the country of the Jews and tried to deal with them in the most shameful way. For when the Israelites were freed from the yoke of slavery in Egypt and returned to the land promised to their fathers, Moses said, Ambassadors sent from Cadiz to the king of Edom, saying: This is what your brother Israel says: You have weighed all the labor that has found us. And our fathers descended into Egypt, and lived in Egypt for many days, and the Egyptians and our fathers embittered us: and we cried out to the Lord, and the Lord heard our voice, and sent an angel, and brought us out of Egypt: and now we are in the city of Cadiz, at the end of your border: let us pass through your land: we will not pass through the villages, nor through the grapes, nor drink water in your labors: let us go the royal way, we will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left, we will pass beyond your borders to the Dondezh. And Edom said to them: Thou shalt not pass through me; otherwise, I will go forth in hosts against thee (Num. 20:14-18). Do you see how cruel and alien to compassion the Edomites were, and moreover towards their brothers? But their crimes were not limited to this; they also committed something else wicked and inhuman. For when the Babylonian took the country of Judah, burned the church and devastated the land of Israel, and did something to the inhabitants that is beyond all description; then some who escaped from the Persian sword hastened to flee to the country of Idumea, as a neighbor, and as to brothers and half-bloods. But although they should have come to the aid of the Jews as brothers, expressed compassion for those in trouble and received them friendly, instead they brutally attacked them and showed their cruelty towards the fugitives. For this very reason, God of all people strongly accused them through the mouth of Obadiah the prophet, in whom it is written like this: In that day, saith the Lord, I will destroy wisdom from Edom, and wisdom from the mountain of Esau: and thy warriors from Teman shall fear, that man may be driven away from the mountain of Esau: beatings for the sake of wickedness, even against thy brother Jacob: the cold shall cover thee, and thee shall be cast away. you will live forever. From the worthless day you resisted in the days of those who captivated foreigners with its power, and strangers entered into its gates, and you cast lots over Jerusalem, and you were one of them (Abd.1:8-11). Look how they were imitators of Persian cruelty, and those who expected salvation from them and for this sake came to them as brothers and neighbors were mercilessly killed. Therefore, when the Babylonians took the country of Judea and were finally returning to their homeland, they casually devastated Idumea. For they took everything (the cities of the Edomites) very easily, because the wrath of God came upon them. Therefore, with the lips of Obadiah he again says: the day of the Lord is at hand in all nations: even as you have done, if it happens to you, your reward will be rewarded on your head (Obd.1:15). This is, in brief, the content of the vision that we want to explain. Now we must begin to consider the details, in accordance with the order of what was written. Isa.21:11. Call me from Seir. This is the voice of the almighty God, telling the prophet that as soon as war breaks out over the country of the Edomites, all its inhabitants will take flight. Seir is a huge mountain of Idumea, on which they say there was a famous city. Since the inhabitants of Mount Seir, or Edomites, seem to be planning, but have not yet turned to flight, he says: call me from Seir, that is, let those fleeing from there go to Idumea. For just as they mocked the Israelites running towards them, so he says, and they will be the subject of ridicule and will receive equal retribution when they are defeated by the hand of the Babylonians. Isa.21:12. Straighten your visor. I watch morning and night. These are words addressed, as it were, to the Edomites; because God, as it were, reproaches them for the fact that they use vain efforts to get rid of their enemies and do not at all seek salvation and protection from him. For when the attack of the Assyrians threatened them, they, having closed the entrances to the cities, guarded the fortifications; but it was completely useless to them. For the cities were taken from them, and absolutely no one escaped. Therefore, the word of God to them was adapted to their custom: truly, he says, plan what is right and decent, guard the fortifications; then, as it were, he receives an answer from them: I watch the morning and night. But if the Lord does not preserve the city, it will be strict in vain (Ps. 127:1); on the contrary, it was necessary to seek help from above and from God, and not rely on stones; for, they say, the walls of their cities were so broken down that not one stone could be found lying on another. Isa.21:12,13. As often as you seek, seek, and dwell with me. In the oak grove in the evening, sleep. For if you want, he says, to seek help, seek it from Me, who can save, and dwell in Me, that is, be Mine and think about Mine, moving away from serving false gods. This is the same as the Savior says: whoever loves Me will follow Me, and where I am, my servant will also be (John 12:26). So, he says, when the army of the enemy has devastated the entire land of Edom, then you will sleep outside of houses or cities and in oak groves in the evening, that is, you will live with wild animals and settle in swamps. So, finally, you will receive retribution for your cruelty to your brothers. Isa.21:14,15. On the way of Dedan, bring water to the thirsty one, you who live in the land of Teman, gather from the bread the fleeing multitudes for the sake of the slain, and the multitudes for the sake of those who go astray, and the multitudes for the sake of swords, and the multitudes for the sake of taut bows, and the multitudes for the sake of those who fell to the slaughter. He accuses the Edomites who acted godlessly, as I said before, through the mouth of Obadiah the prophet. For they should have compassionately helped the Israelites, who were subjected to terrible calamities, but they did not; but they turned out to be heartless and cruel and surpassed the Assyrians in ferocity, and those who were able to escape the hands of the latter were mercilessly beaten. Therefore, for what they should have been praised if they had done it, for what they did not do, he accuses them, saying: on the way of Dedan, bring water to the thirsty one, you who live in the country of Teman, take away the bread for those who flee. For, he says, you should certainly have lived in the southern country (for Feman means south), those who fled along the path of Dedan and wandered, to bring bread and water and with diligence to fulfill what love for the brothers required, and not to oppose the suffering, attacking them like animals, and not to increase the suffering of those who were already depressed by such bitter and unbearable disasters. Therefore, it was necessary to meet the fleeing people in a friendly manner; for they fled, leaving both houses and cities, multitudes for swords and terrible bows, and because many of them fell and their dead were countless. Isa.21:16,17. As if the Lord spoke to me: yet another summer, like the summer of a hireling, the glory of the sons of Kedar will fail, and the remnant of the bows of the mighty sons of Kedar will be small, for the Lord God of Israel has spoken. It clearly foreshadows that the destruction of the Edomites is near and that it has, as it were, arrived at the gates, and that they will be brought to complete destruction when the Babylonians burn their cities and devastate the entire country. For, he says, another year will pass and the arrows of Kidar, who have gained considerable fame in this art, will become exhausted and perish. This prediction is true, then the Lord God of Israel speaks, and the truth will never tell a lie. He says that a precisely measured time will pass - the summer of the mercenary. For whoever takes upon himself the hard work of hired work and enters into the service of another, always works, keeping an accurate and careful account of the hired work’s time. This is the literal meaning, but it is necessary to say about the historical one. Relating the meaning of the word to the holy church and her children and to the gatherings of non-Orthodox, we say the following. Often crowds of Hellenes attack those who are accustomed to the right to think and want to worship the Creator of all things and the Lord, then they subject them to severe persecution and sometimes impose unbearable labor. In the same way, those who have the poison of heresies in their minds and hearts, although they arrogate to themselves the name of Christians and feign fraternal feelings towards them, sometimes surpass their enemies in cruelty, being unmerciful and inhuman. And don’t their very actions show that they are inclined towards this? But God will not allow them in any way and will never forgive those who show a great lack of love and will bring wrath and punishment upon them. Ch. XXII. Vision of the wilds of Sioni. Having predicted the captivity of the Egyptians, Assyrians and Edomites, the prophet moves on to the most holy city, that is, Jerusalem, and for the benefit (of the Jews) foretells what will one day happen to him as a result of divine wrath, so that they can see that the God of all is the supreme guardian of justice, or, better to say, wholly is justice, that he values, accepts and honors the care of not the one who has become close to him simply as a result of education through the law, but on the contrary, examining the life of everyone, he bestows blessings on the good, and considers those who are devoted to vices to be alien and not at all pleasing to Himself, even if someone, perhaps, was His beloved for the sake of His fathers. But the Jews, out of their great foolishness, thought that they were completely invincible to their enemies, that there was no one at all who could attack them, and that they would lead a quiet life, enjoying perhaps complete well-being, although they themselves offended God and fell into great wickedness; because they worshiped idols and, having built churches and altars under oak and poplar, made sacrifices to vain gods and poured out libations, completely neglecting the praise due to the all-holy God. Therefore, through the mouth of Jeremiah (God) speaks to them about Jerusalem: Do not say that this is the church of the Lord. For if you correct your ways and your thoughts (Jer. 7:4,5), I will give this house like Shiloh (Jer. 26:6). And again (He) accused them through Micah the prophet, saying: Their leaders made judgments in gifts, and his sacrifices were made in reward, and his prophets answered the sorcerer in money, and rested in the Lord, saying: Is not the Lord in us? no evil will come against us. For your sake, dividing Zion will be like a field, and Jerusalem will be like a vegetable storehouse, and a mountain house will be like a meadow of oak trees (Mic. 3:11,12). And that the judgment of God will soon come on everyone given over to iniquities, the divine John clearly showed them this, saying: the birth of vipers, who told you to flee from the future wrath? Create therefore fruit worthy of repentance: and do not begin to say within yourself: Father of the imams of Abraham: I say to you that God is able from this stone to raise up a child for Abraham. For even the ax lies at the root of the tree: every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire (Matthew 3:7-10). So, since Israel had an unbridled inclination to vices and was attached, as I just said, to the false service of idols; then God, through the prophet, foretells the subsequent captivity of Jerusalem and says: Isa.22:1,2. What would happen to you, since now you are all near the church in vain? Be filled with a hail of crying out, your wounds are not wounded with swords, below your dead are killed, the army. This seems to indicate the desolation that was in the time of Jehoiachin. He strongly reproaches the Israelites for the fact that, in the midst of the most severe disasters and misfortunes, they did not want to do what could gain them favor from above; for they had to enter the house of God with weeping and sobbing, bring repentance and ask for forgiveness for their arrogant crimes and seek help from Him alone. And this He Himself taught (them), speaking through one of the holy prophets: Gird yourselves and fight, you priests; weep, you who serve the altar; look, sleep in the sackcloths, you who serve God, for the sacrifice and drink offering have been removed from the house of your God. Sanctify the fast, preach celibacy, gather the elders of all who live on earth into the house of your God and cry earnestly to the Lord: woe is me, woe is me, woe is me in the day (Joel 1:13-15). So this is exactly what they had to do in order to appease the wrath of him who was able to save them. But it may not have occurred to them what they should have done; they retreated to the uppermost sections of the houses and everywhere there were screams and cries of children, perhaps dying from hunger and thirst; for this necessarily happens in cities under siege. That is why he says: what should you do, since you are all drawn to vain churches? Why, he says, when you were in the midst of so many unbearable dangers and when you were in a struggle for life and death, did not cry out to God, but climbed onto houses, although this could not be of any benefit to you. That is why he calls houses vain. Why is the hail filled with mourners? Because they cried out not to God, but in vain, and when disasters were, as it were, already at the door, they angered (God) a lot. There had to be repentant crying, there had to be tears flowing towards God. Behold, he says, before you began the battle, before you took up the sword, before you thought about resistance, the city was filled with the dead. So, it is useful and necessary for salvation to know what needs to be done in order to have God as (your) deliverer even in the midst of grave disasters. Therefore, blessed David sings and says: Lord God of hosts, blessed is man, trust in Thee (Ps. 83:13). You need to know that Jerusalem is called the wilds of Zion; for Zion is a mountain or is located on a mountain, and Jerusalem is located at the foot of the mountain, which is why it is called the wilds of Zion. Isa.22:3. All your princes have escaped, and the cruelty of captivity is bound, and the strength in you has escaped far away. The people of Judah, as I said, hoped to be saved by leaving God, the Savior of all, and trusting in human help. But when the enemies came, when the fear of disaster reached its highest degree, and when they saw that the Assyrian regiments had already surrounded the country, or the holy city, then those who stood at the head of the people enjoyed the highest honors. they rushed to escape as if from a sinking ship, and as if saying to those who had pinned their hopes on them: “be healthy (stay happy).” So, he says, everyone who once promised to save you and imagined that they had irresistible power fled; but some of them are captivities that are cruel in nature: for Zedekiah was taken along with his children, whom the Babylonians killed, while he himself, having gouged out his eyes, was taken to his own land. So, human salvation is in vain, according to what is written (Ps. 59:13), but one must cleave to one God. calling out with these wise words: I do not trust in my bow, and my sword will not save me (Ps. 43:7), for only the Lord of hosts saves those who love Him and delivers from all evil, so that they say rejoicing: You have saved us from those who oppress us, and you have put to shame those who hate us (Ps. 43:8). Isa.22:4,5. For this reason, leave me alone, so that the mountaineer may weep: do not comfort me about the contrition of the daughter of my family: for it is a day of rebellion and destruction and trampling, and confusion from the Lord of Hosts: in the wilds of Sioni. This is the voice of a prophet weeping and weeping over the misfortunes of his people. And through the fact that he rejects those who can console him, he shows the severity of the wound. as if it had no healing, on the contrary, it was inflicted by him in a terrible way and entails a bitter and inevitable end; for the day of rebellion and destruction and trampling has come from the Lord of hosts; Who can turn away a high hand? If the invasion of the Assyrians had not occurred as a result of the wrath of the divine; then the suffering would have a firm hope of triumphing over time over those who attacked them, because the ruling God always gave them a helping hand. But since He Himself is the one who smites and is trampled upon by the Lord, who will turn him away? For if he shuts it from men, who, he says, will open it? Isa.22:5. They wander, from young to old they wander through the mountains. Marvel at the discretion of one who is filled with the Spirit. since he said that confusion and destruction and a day of trampling would be sent from the Lord of Hosts, but lest anyone think that the divine wrath befell them in vain, he immediately destroys the frivolous assumption of those who could ever reach such stupidity, and adds an excuse so that the Creator of all things will appear as a righteous judge: they wander, he says, from the smallest to the greatest they wander through the mountains . And what this means, you will learn from the very words of God. For nowhere did He say to the blessed prophet Jeremiah: “Have you seen how you made the house of Israel with me, going to every high mountain and under every leafy tree, and committing the harlot there (Jer. 3:6). Situated on the high mountains, they built altars and churches and then, having made an idol they liked, they offered sacrifices to it and, completely neglecting reverence, they spoke to God of wood, as you are my father, and stones: you gave birth to me (Jer. 2:27). But perhaps only a few suffered from this disease. Not at all, he says; because the whole family and the whole house were mistaken, small and large. That’s why I said again to the blessed prophet Jeremiah: don’t pray for these people... and don’t pray, come to me about them, because I won’t hear. Do you not see what these people are doing in the cities of Judah and on the roads of Jerusalem? Their sons gather wood, and their fathers kindle the fire, and their wives knead flour, that they may make unleavened bread for the host of heaven, and pour out drink offerings to a strange god, that they may provoke Me to anger (Jer. 7:16-18). So, they are punished by righteous judgment. For by rendering divine honors to the creatures and serving the works of their hands, they brought upon their heads the consequences of the divine wrath: it is not without justice that the depths of the birds stretch out, according to what is written (Proverbs 1:17), and God punishes the one who dishonors His glory and, with depravity of thoughts, is inclined to everything shameful. Isaiah 22:6–9. The Elamites took the tuls, and the men on horseback, and the cathedral of the militia. And your chosen wilds will be filled with chariots, and your gates will be filled with horsemen, and the gates of Judah will be opened; and in that day they will look upon the chosen houses of the city, and they will open the secret places of the houses of the city of David. He soars to heights with his narration and, as if depicting a military attack, terrifies his listeners, very skillfully encouraging them to turn to repentance. So, he says this, as if already contemplating the presence of a crowd of warriors at the very gates (of the city). Elamites, after the Persian city, are called those who come from it (the city). Some say that these horsemen are Saracens; These (the latter) are horse archers, among the most skilled in shooting, cruel and inexorable and not knowing mercy. And that they are very numerous, this is shown by saying: your chosen wilds will be filled with chariots, and cavalry will enter your gates, so that those who wish to attack will be very crowded; having invaded, they will carefully search every magnificent house and discover the hidden houses of the fortress of David, that is, the wealth of the kings. For the kings were those who came from the tribe of Judah, from which blessed David was also. But again the following (moral) should be said about the story. If a multitude of unreasonable thoughts or carnal pleasures invade the human mind like warriors, then they take possession of it like a captive city, destroy all its spiritual wealth, driving out of it all piety and depriving it of glorious deeds of virtue. Therefore, the inspired scripture says: if the possessing spirit comes upon you, do not leave your place: for healing will satisfy great sins (Eccl. 10:4); for such passions, if suppressed, lose their strength and vigilance, benefiting those who retain it; and with freedom and unbridled aspiration, constantly deviating towards the worse, they completely destroy those devoted to spiritual sleep. Isaiah 22:9–11. And they will see how they are many, and how they have turned away the water of the ancient font into the city, and how they have destroyed the houses of Jerusalem and established the city wall. And you will create water for yourself between the two walls, inside the ancient font, and you will not look at him who created it from the beginning, and you will not see his fellow citizen. Again he accuses the people of Judah or their leaders and those adorned with the highest honors because they deviated from common sense and foolishly did not that which alone could save Jerusalem, which was in danger, but that which even more intensified the cruelty of the wrath that aggravated them, because they in some way irritated the God who rules over all and brought Him into even greater indignation against them, despising Him and not placing responsibility on them. He had no hope, since the Israelites thought that through human effort and effort they could overcome the power of their enemies. For they say that, having numbered the houses of the city and approximately measured the preserved water, they saw that there were many of them, and from the ancient reservoir through canals they brought water into the city in order to have it in sufficient quantity, as it seemed to them, no matter how long the siege was; and besides, he says, destroying the houses of the city, they built fortifications of the walls. And you will not look upon him who created from the beginning, and you will not see him who created. For it was necessary, he says, it was necessary not to rely on one’s own strength, or on happiness, on the contrary, to direct one’s mental gaze to the One who always served as a wall for the holy city; for the mountains, he says, are around him: and the Lord is around his people (Ps. 125:2); This was announced to him through the mouth of the prophet, in the following words: And I will be unto him, says the Lord, a wall of fire all around, and I will be in the midst of him unto glory (Zech. 2:5). But you, he says, did not pay the slightest attention to this and despised what you (could have received) from God, and, as if not at all in need of higher help, you very unreasonably placed your trust in structures made of stones. However, it would be much better for you to call on the invincible right hand for help and try to receive what is given by the mercy and love of God and call Him Savior and Redeemer and, being in such a mood of soul, shed tears of repentance. Isaiah 22:12–14. And the Lord, the Lord of hosts, called on that day to weep and lament, and to cut off the hair and gird on sackcloth: and with these he created joy and gladness, slaughtering calves and eating sheep, to eat meat and drink wine, saying: Let us drink pits, and in the morning we will die. And this essence is revealed in the ear of the Lord of Hosts, for that sin will not be forgiven you until you die. It is true that when the wicked reaches the depths of evil, then, according to what is written, he becomes disdainful. This can be seen happening to the Israelites. For, being in terrible anticipation of all sorts of disasters and seeing the danger threatening them from the cruelty of the Assyrians, they should, mourning their carelessness, appease God, cut off their hair and girdle themselves in sackcloth, since the very circumstances called for this; but they did the complete opposite of that. For, having become, as it were, petrified and completely insensitive, they invented pleasures and tried to organize amusements, slaughtered bulls and sheep, drank and insatiably indulged in sensual pleasures and, due to despair, coarseness of mind and debauchery, said to each other: let us drink and drink, we will die in the morning. For apparently they thought that God would not hear it. But, he says, this essence is revealed in His ear and that sin will not be left to you until you die, that is, until you completely become a victim of death and corruption for this very sin of yours. So, in days of wrath, or when we are struck by the horrors of temptation, we should not fall into negligence, but, on the contrary, we should cry and in tears run to God who loves goodness and, exhausting ourselves with the deeds of fasting, seek His mercy, crying out in the words of the Psalmist: see my humility and my labor and forgive all my sins (Ps. 24:18). When the prophet here says that the Lord of hosts called on that day weeping and mourning, and cutting, and girding in sackcloth, then I think that to these words we need to add the speeches of Micah (?) or, better yet, God himself, spoken through the prophet; and it is written thus: And now the Lord your God says: Turn to me with all your heart, in fasting and in weeping and in mourning, and rend your hearts, and not your garments, and turn to the Lord your God, for he is merciful and generous, long-suffering and abounding in mercy, and repent of your wickedness. Who knows whether he will turn and repent and leave behind himself a blessing and a sacrifice and a drink offering to the Lord your God? Blow the trumpet in Zion, consecrate the fast, preach celibacy, gather the people, consecrate the church, elect elders, unite the sucklings of the babies: let the groom come from his bed, and the bride from her palace. Between the levels of the altar, the priests serving the Lord will weep and say: Spare, O Lord, your people and do not give your property to reproach, so that the pagans do not possess them, and do not cry among the nations: where is their God? (Joel 2:12–17). So, while God at that time called for weeping and mourning, and cutting and girding in sackcloth, they indulged in amusements, bringing even more into uncontrollable anger against themselves the One who can destroy and save. Isaiah 22:15–19. The Lord of Hosts says to Sitsa: Go to the booth of Somnan the builder of the house, and say to him: Why are you here? and what do you want here? How did you hew out your own grave here and make a grave for yourself on high, and write a tabernacle for yourself on stone? Behold, now the Lord of hosts will cast out and destroy your husband, and will take away your utensils and your glorious crown, and will cast you into a great and immeasurable land, and there you will die: and will put your good chariot to shame and the house of your prince to be trampled under foot. And they were cast out from your construction, and from your power. Somnan was the manager of the treasures, but it is not clear which ones - sacred ones, allocated for the church, or royal ones: it seems that he was more responsible for taking care of collecting sacred treasures and making, when required, the necessary and obligatory expenses for correcting the sacred vessels. They say that he came from the tribe of Levi and was distinguished by the advantages of the bishopric. He was very arrogant and proud, cruel towards those who insulted him, devoted to greed, a slave of shameful profits, a lover of self-praise and always sought human honors. That is why, in all fairness, he was hated by God. So, while Judea was almost devastated, Jerusalem itself was almost taken, when the Babylonians, who won the victory, took Israel into captivity, Somnan built himself a glorious (tombstone) monument and erected a most magnificent building over it. Therefore, there was a deliberate word from God to him. For what does he say to the prophet? Go to the booth (this was a place in the church itself), to Somnan the builder of the house and say to him: what are you here? and what do you want here? that is, what heritage do you have here? or why are you staying here? Why did you carve a monument for yourself and inscribe a tabernacle on the stone? what will happen? and what threatens you? or what kind of disasters, he says, will you be in? Behold, the Lord of hosts will cast out and destroy the man; for, as I said, the most powerful and having a very special advantage over others went away captives along with the common people. But since he himself was taken into captivity and was deprived of the crown of his bishopric and, like a useless vessel, was thrown into an immeasurable (huge) land, he will die there without any (from anyone) regret; and will not, as before, ascend to magnificent chariots; on the contrary, he will be overthrown and completely deprived of the control and position entrusted to him, that is, leadership in the service of God. Isaiah 22:20–24. And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and will clothe him with thy garments, and will give him thy crown, and thy dominion, and thy building in his hand: and he shall be as a father to them that dwell in Jerusalem, and to them that dwell in Judah. And I will give him the glory of David, and he will take possession, and there will be no one who can speak against him, and I will give him the key of the house of David on his door, and he will open, and there will be no one who shuts, and he will shut, and there will be no one who opens. And I will set him up as a prince in a more faithful place, and he will have glory on the throne of his father’s house. And every worthy man in his father's house shall trust in him, from the least of them even to the greatest: and his good will be given in that day. This narrative does not deviate from history, for it is also directed against Somnan the steward, who received the glory of the priesthood, but abused it so much and so oppressed everyone who came to him that he was an intolerable covetous man and there was nothing shameful that he would not do. So, after he is cast out, that is, he is taken into a vast and immeasurable country, I will call, he says, at that time My servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiev. By calling him his slave, he testified to his obedience. And that he gives him the glory of the priesthood, he shows this by promising to place a crown on him and saying that he will give him vestments and stewardship and authority, that is, the power to govern the subject people. And moreover, he testified that he would be a man of good morals, not arrogant like Somnan, but like a faithful and kind father. Therefore, he will be established in a true place, that is, in a place that is firmly guarded and durable for him, so that everyone noble and glorious will want to place their hope in him, not as in God, because he lacks much for this, but as in a loving father. And he will, he says, protect and defend small and great, and he will be so beloved that the people under his control will seem to hang on him. And this, as I said, presents us with a historical narrative. However, we think that the deeper meaning (of the speech) again points us to the mystery of Christ. For the scribes and Pharisees, crowned with the priesthood according to the law, were disobedient, cruel and proud, addicted to wealth, admirers of rich people and did everything that was hateful to God. And the prophet Isaiah himself at the beginning of the book says: what a harlot was the faithful city, Zion is full of judgment, in which righteousness rested, but now there are murderers in it: your money is untested, your innkeepers mix wine with water. Your princes do not repent, they are in common, loving gifts, pursuing recompense, not judging the orphans, and not heeding the judgment of widows (Is. 1:21-23). The Savior himself accuses them, saying this: Woe to you scribes and hypocrites, for you practice riot, and copra, and kimin, and abandon the teaching of the law, judgment, and mercy and faith (Matthew 23:23) and, what is even more wicked, you have become deicides. For this reason, they were deprived of the honors of the priesthood and were removed from power over the people and were removed from the economy entrusted to them by law and were deprived of sacred crowns and the attire appropriate for priests. After them, our Lord Jesus Christ, our great bishop, was called: for, as blessed Paul writes, no one accepts honor to himself, but he who is called from God, like Christ, did not glorify himself to be a high priest, but said to him: You are a priest forever, according to the order of Melchizedek (Heb. 5: 4, 5, 6). Being by nature God and Lord of all, and receiving service from all, when you became man, He became our high priest, and it is said about Him that He received the glory of David, that is, the leadership and kingdom over Israel. Israel we do not call Israel at all according to the flesh, but spiritual and mental: not all who are of Israel are these Israel: neither are they the seed of Abraham, nor are they all the children (Rom. 9:6,7), but those justified by faith, following in the footsteps of the father Abraham—they are the children of Abraham and are called the sons of the promise and Israel. When our common bishop Christ was revealed, then, he says, there will be no one who speaks against him: for nothing will happen, the enemy will not attack him and the son of iniquity will not try to embitter him (Ps. 89:23). And also (can be understood) in another way. Israel opposed him, and the Gentiles gladly submitted to his rule. Therefore, we find that He speaks through the mouth of David about Israel: deliver me from the bickering of men, about the Gentiles: put me at the head of the tongues, people who do not know, who have worked for us: in the ear of the ear you have listened to me: the sons of strangers have lied to me: the sons of strangers have made promises, and are lame from their paths ( Ps.17:44-46): they vowed and became close to destruction and had a kind of defeated mind, the sons became strangers, that is, the Israelites - in ancient times they were the firstborn (among the nations), - but when they lied to Christ, they became strangers to Him; for they were finally called the children of destruction, the sons of hell. But when he says: I will set up Eliakim (whose name is interpreted as the resurrection of God, for God the Word has arisen to help us, who of old said: “I will now deliver from the sorrow of the poor and the groaning of the needy, says the Lord”), then, he says, every glorious one will hope in his father’s house. What other house could there be than the church of the Father of Christ? but whoever is glorious in it will trust in Christ, and not only is he glorious according to the judgment of the world, but even if he was insignificant (according to this judgment); for the God of all is righteous and no respecter of persons; on the contrary, He rewards everyone according to their spiritual age, since in spiritual terms some are fathers, while others are still children, youths and youths. Isa.22:25. This is what the Lord of hosts says: Man will be strengthened in the right place, and he will fall, and the glory that is upon him will be consumed, for he is the Lord of the word. After such a long narrative, a condensed and brief speech is offered, showing the severity of divine judgments and making it possible to see the king, with due authority, confirming the verdict. The force of the sentence, if you like, can again apply to Somnan the steward; if we understand it more broadly, and relate it to the celebrants according to the law; then understand it as we have now explained. Those to whom it seemed that they were enjoying lasting happiness (for this means: to consider oneself established in the right place) fell and lost the glory that belonged to them, because no one gave them help and could not restore those who had already been overthrown, like the Lord of the verb. For if he shuts it from men, who, he says, will open it (Job 12:14)? Ch. XXIII. Vision of Tyra Isa.23:1. Weep, O ships of Carhidonstia, for they are destroyed, and those who do not go from the land of Kitia have been taken captive. Trying as much as possible to understand what God foretold about Tire, we will again first tell the story and clearly present how he was taken and died and taken into captivity, according to what is written. So, when the Babylonians, having devastated Judea and burned the most holy city, took Israel into captivity, the foreign nations living in the neighborhood and in the surrounding area, opening bold and unbridled lips, began to blaspheme the glory of God. For they said that He could not save them, and that, on the contrary, God the Helper himself was defeated by the hand of the Assyrians, and they even thought that the gods they had were stronger than the God of the Jews and were more capable of protecting and protecting them, and preserving them from any attack, and making them conquerors of the Babylonians. And in another way (they blasphemed God). And also, together with the Babylonians, they oppressed the people of Judah, either attacking those in need and kidnapping the survivors, or dedicating sacred vessels to false gods and those who fell under the yoke of their slavery, as if by necessity eliminating them from serving under the law. And for this reason God, through one of the holy prophets, said: and what are you to me Tire and Sidon and all Galilee of foreigners? food retribution do you repay me? Or do you remember being spiteful towards me? I will repay your reward sharply and quickly upon your heads. Thou hast taken my silver and my gold, and my chosen one and my good one have brought them into your treasures: and the children of Judah and the children of Jerusalem shall ye sell to the sons of the Greeks, that ye may bring me forth from their borders (Joel 3:4-6). So, Tire, as a result of the wrath of the divine, was taken in the following way. It was an island, because in the middle (between it and the solid earth) there was a strait and not a long distance separated it from the latter. When the Babylonian came, he wanted to take it along with others and ordered the subordinate army to make an embankment across the sea and connect the island to solid land, so as not to allow it to remain an island any longer. When did this happen or when it was expected that it would happen in a short time; then many inhabitants of Tire (since their occupation was maritime trade and were accustomed to sailing) sailed from the island along with their children and wives and retired to other cities and villages. The Babylonians, having invaded (the island), killed those who remained, took many captive and did everything that is characteristic of the victors: but they regretted a lot when they learned that very many (the inhabitants of Tire) and of the most noble ones in it fled, loading their property onto the ships. We recall the story and prophetic word of Ezekiel; for this is what the God of all said to him: Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, enslave your strength with great work against Tire, every bald head and all that is naked: and there was no reward for his strength against Tyre, for the work that he worked with. Instead, I give him the land of Egypt (Ezek.29:18,19). For after the captivity of the Tirians, the Babylonian transferred the war to the people of Egypt. It is these historical events that the blessed prophet Isaiah recalls and commands the ships of Carhidon to cry, to cry, obviously, because Tire has perished and they are not coming from the land of Kitia. They say that the Kitians are the Hellenic or Macedonian islands: others claim that this name refers to Cyprus, from one of the cities located on it, which is called by this name. Cry, he says: for what reason? I'm taken captive. But maybe someone will say: for what reason does Tyrus command to cry about Carthage, or about the ships there? This is because the Carthaginians were deportees of the Tirians. They considered it a great honor for themselves to have Tire matter and recognized it among the eastern islands, I say, as the most famous and strongest. They say that the inhabitants of the land of Kitia thought very highly of him and lived in luxury from the profits of sea trade. So, cry, he says, Carhidonian sea merchants or ships, because they perish. Let Tire also weep, because they do not leave the land of Kitia, having been taken captive. Isa.23:2. Who were like those who lived on the island, the merchants of Finichestia, the sea passing through the waters, the seed of merchants? Like the harvest, merchants of paganism. What peoples, he says, should we liken those inhabiting this island? Which of them suffered such calamities or were so ruined as the Phoenician merchants? For the Tyrians' occupation was maritime trade and they diligently sailed across the sea for the sake of profit and gain. Having added that they were the seed of merchants, he showed that their origin was low, that they were born from an evil root, and that their most distant ancestors were devoted to greed. And that the number was greater than those who spent such a shameful life with them, this is shown by speaking like the harvest brought in by the merchants of paganism. For when the grain or ears of corn are reaped in the field, then many sheaves are brought from everywhere and gathered into the threshing floor. Isa.23:4. Humiliate yourself, O Sidon, when the sea speaks: the fortress of the sea speaks: I did not get sick, nor begot or nursed maidens, nor did the youth ascend lower. The Carthaginians were the evictions of the Tirians. But the Tyrians had Sidon as their metropolis: for Tire came from Sidon. And Sidon was much proud of Tire, as his glorious and famous daughter. When he was taken and taken captive, then the sea, that is, all the islands of the sea, finally spoke: shame on Sidon, for the best of your decorations perished, and the once terrible and very powerful city, famous for its great wealth, disappeared. So, the sea will say this, namely, the very power of the sea, that is, the mistress of the islands, Tire, seeing herself deprived of inhabitants and having no children, then she will certainly say: I have not been sick, nor have I given birth, nor have I raised young men, nor have I raised maidens: for I have become, he says, like women who have not given birth to children at all, who have not raised either boys or girls, because every one of them perished and there was absolutely no one left. Isa.23:5. Whenever it is heard in Egypt, I will be sick about Tyre. The Prophet knew that, as I said before, the Assyrian, after the captivity of the Tyrians, intended to go to the country of Egypt. So, he says, when word of this reaches the Egyptians, then they too will be completely overwhelmed with sorrow, not because Tyre was destroyed, but because the disasters of war have come upon them. Isa.23:6. Go to Carhidon, mourn, you who live on this island. Such expressions are very common among the prophets; for it is not in his own and true sense that he commands the Tyrians to leave and move to Carthage, and not just to cry, but, as it were, to blame those fleeing and struck by immeasurable fear. They need, he says, to cry for themselves and for the misfortunes that have befallen them; but both are appropriate for women and more common for children and people who have already entered old age. For when war is declared and when it is expected to approach a country or city, then everything that is strong (between men) prepares for battle, practices military affairs and burns with a passionate desire (to fight) with the enemy troops, although they have not yet arrived in reality, but only as if in desire; women and children think about flight and cry out crying; because a woman and a child are somehow always ready to give in to fear and cry. So, the God of all laughs at the cowardice of the Tyrians: for those who once ruled, who during battles were terrible and inaccessible, daring and irresistible, are running and crying. Isa.23:7,8. Isn’t this greatness to you from the very beginning, before I was devoted to him? Who is this council at Tire? Is there worse food, or is it not strong? Before I said that when Jerusalem was devastated and the church itself was burned by the Assyrian army; Then the neighboring and surrounding peoples rejoiced at the death of Israel, as if completely exterminated, and, looking at them, nodded their heads. They thought that (the Israelites) had fallen at the hands of their enemies, and not as a result of their sins, and especially thought that the One who saved them had fainted and that their conquerors had become stronger than the right hand of the divine. So, what does he say, Tyrians? Did you not inflict such an insult on Me until it (Tire) was handed over to the enemies? Have you not said that My power is weaker and more insignificant than the power of your gods? But who, he says, held this meeting at Tire? Obviously I. Whom do you dare to call weak and infirm? So, from the events themselves, make sure whether He is weaker than your gods, or, on the contrary, not more powerful. For unbridled Israel, who sinned against Me, I have given over to my enemies. Since you are rich in gods and many are revered by you, which of them had such a plan against Tire? who betrayed to the enemies? So, it is truly scary to experience with your own experience what you had to endure. I think that the most intelligent of them should have seen from afar, with enlightened mental eyes, what serves for good, and not to rise above the saints who were subjected to blows and not to think that the hand that always saves them has become weak, but, on the contrary, to remember that they are sometimes subjected to temptations with God’s permission. Isa.23:8,9. The merchants of his glory are the princes of the earth. The Lord of hosts conspires to scatter all the pride of the glorious and to dishonor all that is glorious on earth. The prophetic word again turns to reveal the excessive pride inherent in them, and moreover, their insatiable greed. For, they said, being merchants and having such a shameful and ignoble occupation, they achieved such glory and such power that they appropriated honors to themselves that would be very fitting for princes, and became very famous in the brilliance of their glory. But, he says, the Lord of Hosts conspires to scatter all the pride of the glorious, and to dishonor all that is glorious. If the Lord pronounces such a sentence and brings a grave judgment on them, who can protect (them) or who will remove divine wrath? for who is stronger than the almighty Power? or who will turn away the high hand? as written. So, he says, let them not think that they have been relegated from glory to dishonor for insulting their gods, but, on the contrary, let them know that this was the judgment of the Lord of hosts, about whom they dared to say that He is the worst, or not strong. Therefore we will say to those who do wrong, Do not do wrong, and to those who sin, Do not lift up your horns; do not lift up your horns on high, and do not speak unrighteousness against God, who is ruler over all (Ps. 75:5,6). Isa.23:10,11. Make your land, for no ships will come from Carchidon. And thy hand shall not be strengthened against the sea, angering kings. Transfer, he says, your worries from maritime trade to agriculture: for you will not again conduct the trade turnover that is so beloved by you, and those who will collect innumerable wealth for you and bow to your hand, that is, power, will not come from Carthage: for you will completely lose power, although you were very powerful at sea, that is, you have become very strong compared to every island and city lying by the sea and irritated very many kings. For, as I said, from ancient times Tire was terrible both for the most distant and for neighbors and for the leaders of the nations. Isa.23:11. The Lord of hosts commanded Canaan, that is, the land of foreigners, to destroy its fortress. The disasters of war as a result of the cruelty of the Assyrians once befell not only Tire, but also other peoples: the Moabites and the Edomites and some others. Canaanites are all generally idolaters and not descended from the blood of Israel, and therefore anyone who is called the seed of Canaan, and not Judah, should feel humiliated. So, he says, when the disasters of war come to all the Canaanites together, then some, who understand the reasons for what happened to them, say: do not reproach anyone and offend the daughter of Zion (Sidonia in the Slavic translation). For I said that they reviled Judah and mocked the Israelites as captives and called Jerusalem or Zion miserable, not because it was rejected by God who saves, but because it was subjected to captivity and suffering, as if due to the fact that the God they worshiped, to whom they served according to the law, was defeated and exhausted. Isa.23:12,13. And if you go to Kitiyom, below there you will have peace. And to the land of Chaldeans, but that too was desolate from the Assyrians, as its wall had fallen. When God condemns you to hard work and suffering, who can help? and when the almighty right hand wages war, who will deliver those suffering from inevitable disaster? Absolutely no one. For the nature of things obeys His divine commands, and what He wants is certainly done. So, if, he says, you went on a long journey, so that you even reached Kitya (they say that this is one of the cities on the island of Cyprus, and the Kitians claim that it is Carthage); then even there you will have no peace: that is, even there you will be pursued by enemies and the fear of death and mortal dangers. And even if you, having become a captive, were taken to Chaldea; even in this case you would not have ceased to endure sorrow; for there will be no peace for you. How or in what way? For she too was devastated when the Persians and Assyrians ravaged her, precisely during the war of Cyrus, when her wall also fell. I think that the wall of the Chaldeans refers either to the ruler and the king, or to the wall itself, on which the Babylonians especially relied and thought that they would not experience anything unpleasant, and that the attack of their enemies would be in vain; since it was designed in such a way that there was a wide enough road on it for several chariots traveling side by side. Therefore God of all. shaking the Babylonians' hope for it, through the mouth of the prophet Jeremiah he says: the very wide wall of Babylon will be undermined by digging (Jer. 51:58). Isa.23:14. The ships of Carhidonstia lament, for your stronghold is destroyed. Song and lamentation, which are at the beginning of the vision, are also placed in the middle. The prophetic word in some way asserts that these speeches are especially appropriate for everyone to speak about Tire. The ships of Carchidonstia lament, for your stronghold, that is, Tire, is destroyed, and the reason for this is clearly indicated in the previous one. Isa.23:15. And in that day Tire will be abandoned for seventy years, like the time of a king, like the time of a man. Tire mocked Jerusalem itself when it was devastated, and the reasons for its suffering were not believed to be the licentiousness of the Jews, who offended God with their disregard for the law and everything pleasing to Him: on the contrary, he thought that their Leader, that is, the God of all, could not save them. For this reason, Tire itself was taken and was in desolation for a time equal to the time of the captivity of the Israelites; for they remained with the Chaldeans seventy years, under the intolerable yoke of slavery. Consequently, for the mentioned time, Tire will be abandoned, that is, it will be in desolation and without inhabitants, and this will continue for so many years that it will represent, as it were, the years of the life of a person or a king, that is, until the seventieth year, as blessed David sings: the days of our years are seventy years, and if we can, eighty years, and their labor and illness will multiply (Ps. 89:10). Isa.23:15,16. And after seventy years Tire will be like the song of a harlot. Take the harp, go through the city, forgotten harlot, sound well, sing a lot, so that your memory will be. A woman accessible to everyone and dissolute, selling the beauty of her body to those who want it while she is fresh and young, traps many in her nets, and bodily beauty itself serves as a net and, as it were, a bait for those who see her. When she grows old, then, after her beauty has faded, she becomes no longer capable of catching her prey and begins to invent other means for acquiring despicable prey: singing and music become her occupation; for many find pleasure in playing it on the zither. In this she finds some small reminder of her past life and some praise her beauty even at this age. Something similar, he says, will happen to the Tyrians, for it will be like the song of a forgotten harlot and will not have the same beauty as before; there will be song and music for many, for they will remember what she possessed (was) before. But you, O Tire, like an old and faded harlot, take up the harp and practice, O city, which has become like a certain forgotten harlot. For when, as I said, the beauty of women fades; then those who were once captivated by her and were her admirers forget about her. So, sound well and sing a lot, so that your memory will be. Isa.23:17,18. And after seventy years, God will visit Tire, and again he will be restored to what he was before, and there will be a marketplace for all the kingdoms of the world on the face of the earth. And his purchase and reward will be holy to the Lord; it will not be collected by him, but by those who live before the Lord, all his purchase will be to eat and drink and be filled, and to be satisfied, as a memorial before the Lord. As I said, God, by his righteous judgment, determined that the desolation of Tire would be equal in length to the captivity of the Israelites. When Cyrus, together with the Persians and Medes, took possession of the land of the Babylonians and devastated the entire country of the Chaldeans, Israel was freed from captivity, returned again to their homeland and settled in the holy city. But the unforgettable God stopped his anger against the Tyrians: they gathered again and were restored to their original state, and Tire became a market place and an inn, as in ancient times, for all the kingdoms of the earth; but notice the difference. For the money received from trade was previously collected only for those who were engaged in it, but absolutely no one brought its fruits to God; when the peoples were called by the grace of faith and Tire itself knew the Savior and Redeemer of all and its inhabitants built a holy church and erected a divine altar; then the reward received from trade was not collected for them alone, but it will be holy to the Lord, that is, there will be a gift and fruit-bearing (to Him), so that they will eat and drink before the Lord. For in former times, coming to the idol sanctuaries and altars of demons, they offered sacrifices to them and held solemn assemblies in honor and glory of their invented deities; because they were in error. When, as I said, they knew the true God; Then the bribe received from trade became holy to the Lord, they eat and drink in memory, before the Lord, obviously offering a grateful sacrifice to God for the success of their labors. Isa.24:1. Behold, the Lord will scatter the world and make it desolate, and will reveal the face of it, and will scatter those who dwell therein. Before I said that Jerusalem was destroyed and with it the other cities of Judah were devastated, and that the peoples who lived around and in the neighborhood mocked him who was lying and, as if nodding their heads at him and laughing loudly, said that God was defeated by the hand of the Assyrians, just as Rapsakes, full of Persian (?) arrogance, said to those sitting on the wall: Let not Hezekiah deceive you, saying that God will deliver you out of my hand (Is. 36:18,15). So, since, together with the Babylonians, other nations, blaspheming the glory of God, said that He who ruled them from ancient times could not save them; then, in all fairness, having been subjected to righteous punishment for their sins and wicked slander, they themselves were handed over to the Babylonians for devastation. And the prophetic word gave us a vision of each of these nations; for the foreigners and the Moabites, the inhabitants of Damascus and the Egyptians, as well as those who inhabited the desert, the inhabitants of Azoth and Idumea, and with them Tyre, fell under the blows of the divine wrath, and finally Babylon and the whole land of the Chaldees, like others, was devastated when Cyrus, the son of Cambyses and Mandana, incited the Assyrians and Medes against it. Thus, the blessed prophet, having offered a narrative about the misfortunes that befell each of the mentioned peoples as a result of the wrath of the divine, makes in the proposed words a kind of abbreviated repetition of the entire word and calls the destruction of the universe what happened to many peoples. Therefore he says: Behold, the Lord will scatter the world, and desolate it, and reveal its face. For not one or two cities fell, but countries and peoples perished in the manner indicated above. So, he says, he will scatter and devastate the universe and reveal its face. While God is patient with everyone and postpones His judgment, so long the life of the wicked is, as it were, hidden and, so to speak, the face or appearance of everyone’s life remains hidden; when He brings His wrath and imposes due and deserved punishment on everyone: then the face of those punished is revealed. And what some are and were, this shows the nature of their madness, if only it is true that God will reward everyone according to his deeds. I think that the following should also be said. When the prophet named the universe and said that it would crumble and become desolate; then some believe that the prophetic word moves from depicting the wrath of the divine against a part (of the peoples) to depicting wrath against everything and everyone, and they say that it clearly foreshadows what will happen to the world at its death. Therefore, we, agreeing to accept the thoughts of these (interpreters), will have to give a twofold explanation to everything that has been said. So, he says, the universe will crumble and come into desolation and its face will be revealed, precisely when everything that has been done by everyone, good or bad, will be revealed. It will waste those who live on it. If the power of thought refers to nations, then you understand this in the sense that when the mentioned countries were brought into desolation; then those who lived in them were either scattered, or taken captive, were enslaved by the victors and, leaving their homeland, moved to other countries; if it refers to general judgment, then the scattering of those living on earth would indicate separation (of them from each other), which the Savior clearly teaches, saying: when the Son of man sits on the throne of his glory, then he will set the sheep on his right hand, and the goats on his left (Matthew 25:31,33). So, instead of: will separate or divide those living on earth (the prophet) used the expression: will waste. Isa.24:2,3. And people will be like a priest, and a slave like a master, and a slave like a mistress: the buyer will be like the seller, and the borrower will be like the lender, and the debtor will be like the one who owes food. The earth will decay with corruption, and the earth will be spoiled by destruction: for the mouth of the Lord speaketh this. When peace reigns, then cities and countries, out of absolute necessity, are governed by appropriate laws, divine and human, and degrees of merit and advantage are observed (in them), and it is left (in them) to the rich to increase their wealth, and to the free to enjoy their freedom. When enemy troops invade and a city or country becomes a victim of barbaric cruelty; then there is confusion in affairs and there is no order. For the honor of priests is in vain (it does not matter), in the same position (are) servant and master, maid and mistress, buyer and seller, giver and recipient of loans, debtor and lender - these words generally denote rich and poor. For everyone suffers equally from corruption and plunder, that is, robbery and predation. The truth of this is confirmed by the prophet, adding the following words: for this is the mouth of the Lord. And who would dare to say that on the Divine throne judgment is not impartial? For the advantages of a high position will not save anyone who does not have the good fruits of a life in accordance with the law, and wealth will not bring any benefit to those who have it: but we will all appear in an equal and identical position before the Judge, small and great, rich and poor, since God has no sight on the face (Rom. 2:11). This is also written about in the book of Job: there are small and great there, and the servant shall not fear his master (Job 3:19). Isa.24:4,5. The earth wept, and the universe was corrupted, the heights of the earth wept. The earth, for the sake of creating lawlessness for those who live on it. Those who cry always have a sad appearance, their eyes and cheeks are full of sorrow (reflecting grief) and their forehead is covered with pallor, for sadness for the dead burns a person’s heart like fire. We see a city or a country taken by barbarians experiencing something similar. Everything about them is sad and gloomy when their inhabitants are destroyed by the sword, their houses are burned and exposed to the disasters of war. So understand the words: the earth burst into tears; when she experiences such disasters, then the highest in her, that is, the most famous, must also experience them; Having lost honor and wealth and everything else that is usually inseparable from the life of noble people, they especially experience severe sadness. He says that the earth will create lawlessness for the sake of those who live on it. For a city, and often a country, is called lawless, although an insensitive land cannot commit lawlessness, but such judgment is pronounced on them due to the corruption of their inhabitants. You can again understand this speech in a general sense. For if, as one of the holy disciples says, the earth and the works on it will be burned up (2 Pet. 3:10) at the end of the world: then the face of the earth will be sad and like the face of those who weep; and the land is burned as lawless, that is, having served the lawless; for the heavens are new and the earth is new according to his promise, according to what is written (2 Pet. 3:13); and Paul writes: for the creation itself will be freed from the work of corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God (Rom. 8:21). Isa.24:5,6. If you transgress the law and change the commandments, you destroy the eternal covenant. For this reason, a curse will cover the earth, as if those living on it have sinned. The prophetic word again reveals a desire for precision. So that some do not think that God sends all sorts of punishments to others, without reason. the reasons for the manifestations of anger are also added, and the crimes of those who are punished are clearly indicated. So, the earth will cry. For what reason? If you transgress the law, you destroy the eternal covenant. Therefore he says: the earth will be cursed because those living on it have sinned. since, together with other cities or countries, the country of the Jews also demanded punishment (for it was devastated, as I said): then, it seems, the prophet again exposes the sins of those who were under the law; for, he says, the Israelites transgressed the law, not paying any attention to it, but turned, as it were, to a different path and listened to the teachings and commandments of men. But explaining these words in a general sense, we say that the God of all things created man in the beginning, imprinting on him the natural law that guides him in the knowledge of evil and good. This, I think, is what was said through the mouth of John about the Only Begotten Son of God: this is the true light, which enlightens every man who comes into the world (John 1:9). We believe that this happened in recent times, I say, at the time of the coming (of Christ); for it is written that in those days, saith the Lord, I will give laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts (Jer. 31:33). It is this law, innate to us and guiding us to the knowledge of good and evil, that the inhabitants of the earth transgressed and changed the commandments; for having been created for good deeds, they turned to carnality and earthly thoughts. Therefore, the earth was cursed, because those living on it offended the Creator with extremely many sins. Isa.24:6. For this reason, those who live on earth will become miserable, and there will be few people left. Because, he says, the land was cursed because there was a lot of lawlessness on it; then for this very reason they will be burdened with unexpected poverty and will barely be saved; for the insignificant and the few will remain. But until now attention has been paid to the letter and the external side of history; Regarding the internal meaning, we again say that those who will be condemned before the Divine throne for very many sins will be completely wretched, not having the highest blessings and deprived of the hope prepared for the saints, since they will go down to hell for punishment; and a few will remain, that is, those who pleased God with righteousness and had a wealth of good deeds; and such will be few, according to the word of the Savior: for many are the callings, but few are the chosen (Matthew 22:14). Isaiah 24:7–12. The wine will weep, the grapes will weep, all who rejoice in soul will groan. The joy of the tambourines has ceased, the arrogance and wealth of the wicked has ceased, the voice of the harp has ceased. Having been humbled by not drinking wine, strong drink becomes bitter for those who drink. Every city is desolate, the church is closed, it cannot be taken into account. Weep for wine everywhere, all the joy of the earth has ceased, all the joy of the earth has departed. And the cities will remain, and the abandoned houses will perish. God often accused the descendants of Israel, who sinned gravely, because they, knowing that they would be punished, did not try to turn away the Divine wrath through deeds of repentance. For he said: And the Lord of hosts called on that day to weep and lament, and to cut hair, and to wear sackcloth, and with these he created joy and gladness, slaying calves, and eating sheep, to eat meat and drink wine, saying: Let us eat and drink, for in the morning we will die (Is. 22:12,13). And through another prophet he says: those who sleep on their beds of ivory bones, and those who are tender-hearted on their beds, who eat the goats of the pastures, and the calves fed with milk from the midst of the flocks... who drink strained wine, and are smeared with the first stench, and did not suffer anything in the contrition of Joseph (Amos 6:4,6). So, having strayed into very great debauchery, they untimely indulged in luxury, when they should have been watering their cheeks with uncontrollable tears and asking for forgiveness of sins. (Therefore) the misfortune of war was rightly sent to them, and those who once indulged in luxury were subjected to disasters beyond their expectations. The grapes wept, not the plant itself, but those who drink from its fruit: those, he says, who once delighted their souls, will groan and howls will be a constant occupation for them; for the joy of the tambourines has ceased, the arrogance and riches of the wicked have ceased. And arrogance refers to excessive arrogance or pride. The things that come with wealth cease, he says, and the sounds of the harp and strong drink become bitter for those who once enjoyed luxury: the cities and houses are deserted, for all earthly joy has ceased. If anyone understands (here) the very end of the age, when the time of judgment comes; then again he will say that all worldly luxury will disappear, on the contrary, there will be groaning and gnashing of teeth of those who will go to hell. And wealth will not bring any benefit to those who acquired it; all pleasure will disappear and everything bodily will cease. and the once coveted carnality will, on the contrary, lead to the bitter end of those who were given over to sin: for they will give an account to the Judge of all, as the wise Paul writes: for it is fitting for us all to appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that everyone may receive what they have done with the body, either good or evil (2 Cor. 5:10). Isa.24:13,14. As if someone shakes off an olive, they will shake them off; and if there is any left over from grasping the grapes, they will cry out with a loud voice. Again, based on the most obvious and clearest examples, he shows the inhuman severity of the enemies, who show no mercy to anyone and do not allow anyone to escape their inherent cruelty. For those who look for the fruit from the olive tree examine the tree with a keen eye, and diligently pick up everything that falls from it until they have gathered every last (fruit). So, he says, they too will be reaped by their enemies, who must destroy them completely. And when the gathering of fruits is finished, they will cry out with a loud voice. And he borrows this expression from the custom observed at the end of the grape harvest. For those who gather grapes, at the end of their labors, let out a cry of joy, and, humming some kind of rustic (rude) song, they leave the fields. So, he says, when the enemies cut off everyone and leave absolutely no one behind: then, as at the end of the gathering of fruits, they will cry out with a voice, obviously expressing their triumph over the lying and fallen. But paying attention to the inner meaning (of these words), we again say that during the judgment none of those who spent their lives wickedly will be able to hide. Those who acted and lived righteously and lawfully will enter the highest abodes, while the unclean and evil will be food for the all-consuming fire. So, he says, there will be a careful gathering of such, and the Savior Himself teaches about this, saying: like the kingdom of heaven was cast into the sea, and from every generation I gathered it, bringing it out to the end, and choosing the good into vessels, and casting out the evil (Matthew 13:47,48). Thus, he says, there will be a thorough search for the wicked, and absolutely none of those who spent their lives in this way will remain, because He who knows the hearts and wombs will show everyone to the angels appointed for this. Isa.24:14. Those who remain on earth will rejoice with the glory of the Lord. Saying that there will be a strict search for those who are guilty of sins, so that none of them will be able to hide, he does not allow the pious and lover of God to indulge in fears regarding this. For although it is said that wrath is coming on everyone, the Lord of all does not destroy the righteous along with the wicked. And He teaches this, speaking through the mouth of Ezekiel: Son of man, the earth will bring blood judgment upon her, and if these three men are among it, Noah and Daniel and Job, they will be saved in their righteousness, and the earth will be used for consumption (Ezek. 14:14,16). And in another place the same prophet tells us that he saw a man dressed in a garment and having a belt, and six men walking behind him, and to each, he said, an ax in his hand, and said: go into the city after him, cut off and do not spare and have no mercy, the old man and the youth and the virgin, and the babies and women, beat for consumption: and to all, for them there is a sign, touch not: begin from my sanctified ones (Ezek.9:2-6). But since, I think, the words of the prophet should not be left unexplained, we ask: if Noah and Job have already died long ago, and perhaps Daniel himself, then how will they be saved in their righteousness, even if the rest of the earth was destroyed, over which the death sentence was pronounced? It is obvious that Noah likens those who, by faith in God, please Him; Daniel, the wise and perspicacious, Job again pleasing Him with patience, namely, readiness for everything praiseworthy. So, he says, while wrath destroys those who live on the earth, not only on the Jewish land, but also on the pagan land: then those who remain and, as a result of the righteous judgment of God, which determines everything pertaining to us, who have escaped destruction will at the same time rejoice in the glory of God: for they will rejoice, as having been saved from destruction by the ineffable glory of Him who stands before the saints and, as it were, encloses them with a wall. pious with his grace and mercy. Let us add the following to what has been said. At the end of the present age, those who were given over to shameful deeds will be sent to hell for punishment: and those who remain, that is, the righteous, will rejoice with the glory of the Lord; for they will be together with Christ, who is the glory of God and the Father; He himself said: I have glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do (John 17:4). And God the Father Himself nowhere says to blessed Moses: As I live, My name lives forever (Numbers 14:21). The whole earth will truly be filled with the glory of the Lord; for everything is filled with Christ. Isa.24:15. The waters of the sea will be troubled, for this reason the glory of the Lord will be in the islands of the sea, the name of the Lord will be glorified. The prophet secretly calls many peoples water and sea, for it is customary for holy prophets to do this. So blessed David speaks of the earth and those who exist on it: this sea is great and vast: there are creeping things there, countless in number, small animals with great ones. There ships sail, this serpent, whom you created, curses him (Ps. 103:25,26). And we do not say that he is talking about those swimming in the sea or that he wanted to point out the differences between fish, and we also do not say that some kind of serpent, corporeal and sensual, lives in the waters of the sea. But, as I said, with these words he points us to the confusion inherent in life, and to life in the midst of this excitement, and to the dragon, that is, Satan, who surrounds all people and goes around our universe, plotting against the souls of the saints. So, many peoples, and maybe islands and cities, call sea water. All who are in them will be troubled, he says, when the divine wrath is directed at them; the glory of Christ, he says, will be in some way in all (of them) and they will know that by divine command they are devastated and perished, and given over to desolation for the fact that they have offended the Almighty so much with their wickedness and they will completely reject their gods, who do not help them at all. And this was nothing less than to raise the glory of the Lord to great heights. It is obvious that the last purpose of prophetic predictions is to lead to the mystery of Christ and to remind of future salvation through Him; for, he says, those who remain on earth will rejoice with the glory of the Lord; because we are not saved by righteous works, which we have done, but we are justified by His great mercy, and not through the shadow of the law (Titus 3:4-5); The law least of all justifies us; on the contrary, the grace of holy baptism delivers us from sins, which, cheering us with the hope of future blessings, richly fattens us; for we expect to be with Christ himself, who is the glory of the Father, as I have just said. And when, from end to end under heaven, the word of the holy Apostles spread, removing peoples from polytheistic error and leading to the grace of Christ, then, he says, the waters of the sea, that is, the people inhabiting the entire sunflower, were troubled. They are dismayed by the fact that they hear foreign languages, which remove them from ancient error and lead them to the knowledge of the truth. Therefore he says: the glory of the Lord will be in the islands of the sea. Islands, as I think, he calls the holy churches of God, which, being in this world, as in the sea, withstand and overcome its disturbances, because Christ saves them and does not allow the waves of persecution to crush them. since he calls the peoples a tributary sea, then, perfectly following this turn of phrase, he calls the churches in which the glory of God is praised islands. Isa.24:16. Lord God of Israel, I have heard wonders from the creatures of the earth, a hope for the pious. In his words, the prophet brings out before us those who remained on earth and rejoice with the glory of the Lord and live on the very islands, I say - in the churches that glorify the God of all and say: from the wings of the earth you will hear miracles, and who at the same time believed that the pious will have a good hope of justification through Him and a rich participation in His mercy. The wings of the earth, as one should think, are what the (prophets) call the holy secret guides, by whose words, as if inspired, we are wise on high, ascending from earthly objects, and, leaving earthly and carnal wisdom, we have residence in heaven. From those understood in this way, the krill of the earth, he says, heard miracles obviously performed by Christ; for through the writings of the holy apostles and evangelists we are initiated into the sacraments and, having learned (from them) the divine signs of the Savior, in them we have the strongest faith, we have received boldness and confidently recognize ourselves and believe that the hope of the pious is wonderful; for we look forward to the kingdom of heaven, the honor and glory prepared for those who love God. Isaiah 24:16–18. And they say: woe to the criminal who breaks the law. Fear and abyss and a snare are upon you who live on earth. And it will happen that, fleeing from fear, he will fall into an abyss, and crawling out of the abyss, he will be caught in a net. Who are these who are speaking? Undoubtedly, those who remain on earth and rejoice in the glory of the Lord and live on the islands, or in churches. Who are they talking to? Those who break the law, that is, those who did not believe (in Christ); for if they had believed Moses, they would have believed Christ; for this writing is about Him. See how those who have accepted the faith immediately admonish those who break the law and increase the fear of future punishment for them and strike them with horror, foretelling the future to them: for, he says, fear, and the abyss, and the snare, that is, every kind of disaster is upon you, and there will be no deliverance from the disaster. But if someone escapes any one disaster, he will be caught by another, and will certainly be subjected to one of the disasters sent. This is what happened to the Jews to experience after their crucifixion of Christ, when their country was devastated and cities and houses were destroyed. However, it would take a long time to talk about this in detail, especially for knowledgeable members of the church. Isaiah 24:18–20. Like windows from heaven are opened, and the foundations of the earth are shaken. The earth will be troubled by rebellion, and the earth will become impoverished with poverty. The earth bowed down and shook like a vegetable storehouse, and like a drunken and noisy land it would fall and would not be able to rise, having overcome the lawlessness on it. Indicates the reason for what is foreshadowed to happen and what will be subject to grave and inevitable disasters. For he says that fear, and the abyss, and the snare are upon you, and that if anyone escapes the abyss, he will be caught in the net. What is the reason for this? The windows, he says, opened from heaven, that is, God looked at those living on earth. While He is patient with those given over to sin, it seems as if He is not looking, and that, on the contrary, the sky seems to be locked. When He examines the ways of those who live on earth; Then, as if with open windows, He fixes His eyes on the inhabitants of the earth and, imposing punishments according to the crimes of each, fills everyone with confusion and horror, and all the inhabitants of the earth, as if from intoxication, plunge into every kind of misfortune. The words are also usefully added: like a certain vegetable storehouse in the fields, the earth shook, and: having overcome lawlessness on it. For while those who live on it sin tolerably, God postpones punishment and restrains His indignation; when the wickedness of all becomes unbridled, then it is absolutely necessary that the earth be inspected by God and, having overcome lawlessness on it, so that in some way it becomes drunk and makes noise and is shaken by every kind of disaster. Isa.24:21–23. And the Lord will bring his hand upon the vessels of heaven, and upon the kings of the earth. And they will gather her assembly and shut her up in the firmament and in prison: many generations will visit them. And the plinth will dry out and the wall will fall. And this is the glorious work of the Incarnation of the Only Begotten. For after the sun of righteousness had shone, the spiritual darkness that Satan had spread in the hearts of all people must finally be dispelled. For he darkened the thoughts of the unbelievers, according to what is written (Eph. 4:18), and seduced them into worshiping the creature instead of the Creator; because those who were mistaken divided (among themselves) the elements of the world: some recognized the sun as God, others the moon, and others - one of the stars, according to their own will. The Jewish people themselves suffered from this wickedness. And that is why the prophet Jeremiah, who once asked for mercy for this people. God said nowhere: don’t pray for these people and don’t ask to be shown mercy by them, and don’t pray, come to me about them, because I won’t hear you. Do you not see what these people are doing in the cities of Judah and on the roads of Jerusalem? Their sons gather wood, and their fathers kindle the fire, and their wives knead flour, that they may make unleavened bread for the host of heaven, and pour out drink offerings to a strange god, that they may provoke me to anger ( Jer. 7:16–18 ). And also through another prophet he said to them: the food of the slaughter and the required things were brought to the house of Israel in the wilderness for forty years? says the Lord. And you took the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, the images you made for yourself (Amos 5:25,26). So, he says, the Lord will bring a heavenly hand upon the utensils (decoration), that is, he will scatter those who worship the celestial decoration, I say - the sun, the moon and the stars. It is likely that in these words, (as a whole) under a part, all idolatry is understood. For when Christ appeared, they stopped worshiping the elements of the world. But understanding by the decoration of the sky the very inventor and father of sin, that is, Satan, we will directly approach the truth, since it is said about him: how did the morning star fall from heaven (Is. 14:12)? If he was once likened to a star for the sake of his ancient glory, which he had before he fell away, then even now the prophetic word calls him an adornment of heaven. But he says that he will lay his hand not only on the heavenly adornment, but also on the kings of the earth, that is, on those who ruled under heaven by means of theft, obviously, on the rulers of the world of this age, on the evil and hostile forces, since they reigned over the earth, making its inhabitants their worshipers and seducing them to completely despise the God of love. So, these who ruled or reigned by deception, lies and theft will be gathered and imprisoned in a fortress and prison. For the power of the Savior sent them into the prison of punishment, into an indestructible fortress; which is why the demons approached Him, begging Him not to command them to descend into the abyss. The Prophet also adds and says that many generations will visit them. For they have been tyrants since the foundation of the world and have not ceased to be hostile to the divine and ineffable glory; and such madness continued until the coming of the Savior of all, Christ. Finally, when their visitation came, they were imprisoned and endured this for many generations. But, he says, the plinth will melt away and the wall will fall, perhaps comparing Satan to the wall, because he is very powerful in resistance and, as it were, a very strongly fortified city; however, he was captured and defeated because Christ overthrew him, against whose invincible power he could not resist. When Satan was overthrown and fell, then the insignificance of idolatry was revealed and those who were once mistaken were called through faith to the knowledge of the truth; because the almighty right hand, as it were, snatched them up. The Savior himself teaches about this, saying: or how can anyone sneak into the house of a strong man and steal his vessels, unless he first binds the strong man? and then his house will be plundered (Matthew 12:29). Inspired Scripture usually compares very strong people to walls and cities, just as God himself somewhere said to the blessed prophet Jeremiah: Behold, I have set you up this day like a strong city, and like a copper wall, strong to all the kings of the earth. And they will fight against you, and they will not prevail against you, because I am with you, that I will deliver you, says the Lord (Jer. 1:18,19). It is necessary to remember that Joshua, having captured and defeated five pagan kings, imprisoned them in a cave and rolled up stones to block their escape. And this served as an image of a true barrier. For by the power of Christ the wicked and hostile forces that once ruled over the heavenly places were imprisoned in fortress and prison; and with them the great and indestructible wall, that is, Satan, was destroyed. Thus, through faith, those who were in error were called to the knowledge of the true and real Creator and God. You need to know that some, holding a different thought, attribute this to heavenly decoration, and say that during the end of the world the sun will darken and the moon will not give its light. But I think that the thoughts of the subject (of interpretation) should always end in accordance with speculation and completely harmoniously. Isa.24:23. For the Lord will reign in Zion and in Jerusalem: and he will be glorious before the elders. Zion is interpreted as high and a place of observation, and Jerusalem is a vision of the world. So, the Church of Christ is truly a place of observation and truly is a vision of the world. For it usually offers the highest contemplation of His divine mysteries and a truly (in it) vision of the world. Peace we call Christ, whom we know from the inspired Scripture, as the wise Moses, as well as the holy prophets, wrote about Him. So, when the unclean and hateful idolatry was destroyed, the worship of the creature was eradicated, and when those who cruelly oppressed the heavenly places were imprisoned in a fortress and a prison, when the wall was destroyed and destroyed to the very foundation, as was already explained before: then (what was said by the prophet came true): the Lord will reign in Zion and will be glorious before the elders. I think that in these words he calls “elders” those who are perfect in spirit and have, as it were, an aged mind, so that with the eyes of the heart they can contemplate the depth of the mysteries concerning Him. The wise John also writes to them, saying: I write to you, fathers, because I have known one without beginning (1 John 2:13). But having come to know him, they glorify Him and give Him due glory, confessing Him as King and Lord. And that after the complete destruction of the tyranny of the devil, Christ reigned, He Himself teaches this: when He offered Himself to God and the Father in atonement for the lives of all, having endured an honorable cross for us, He said: now is judgment for this world: now the prince of this world will be cast out. And even if I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself (John 12:31,32). So, He subjugated all those living on earth to His power, driving out the prince of this age; the word exile well denotes the humiliation of tyranny (the devil) over everyone. ιερωσυνης. According to other readings: δικαιοσυς righteousness. We believe that instead of what is in the original: ἐν ὑστεροις καιροῖς ; should be read: ἐν προτεροις καιροῖς. φυλην σου. In some Greek codices of the Bible there is a similar expression, although in most of the lists it is not, and therefore not in the Slavic translation. The tribe of Benjamin also belonged to the kingdom of Judah. Holy Apostle and Evangelist Luke. Dioscuri were called Castor and Polydeuces (or Pollux), considered the children of Zeus (Διὸς – κοῦροι), the main Deity of pagan Greece. That is, the Mediterranean, which lay to the west of Palestine. Compare Thucydides, History 1, 2.4, 5.7ff. Καὶ σωθησομαι ἐν αυτῶ. These words are not found in most of the Greek lists of the Bible; no and, and in the Slavic translation. But few Greek lists have these words, from where St. borrowed them. Kirill. Δραπετης actually means: runaway slave and indicates a person’s previous relationship with the devil. According to other lists: Divon, as in the Slavic Bible. Ἐργαστηριον, is a place where false predictions were invented and given to people by soothsayers, false prophets, who in this case are compared to masters of some craft. Ἐλαλησεν. So it is in some translation lists of LXX. But most of the latter, according to the Hebrew original, have instead a similar proper name Ἐλεαλη from where in the Slavic text of the interpreted place: and Eleala. Ῥ εμμων. So it is in some Greek copies of the Bible. But most of them have Δειμων, from which the Slavic text has: Dimon. Τὸ ὀρος Σιων. So do some lists of the Greek translation of the Bible, but the largest part of them, according to the Hebrew original, has: τὸ ὀρος θυγατρὸς Σιων, whence the Slavic translation: Mount of the Daughter of Sioni. Ἀπαρχῆς. So do many lists of the Greek translation of the Bible, while others have: ἀχθῆς, from where the Slavic: let us not be distracted. Ἐπι τῆς γῆς. This is how most of the lists of the Greek translation of the Bible have, while some (albeit the most ancient) have: ἀπο τῆς γῆς, from where the Slavic translation: from the earth. Thought – μελετησις and “euphonious” – ευμελης; This is why both of these concepts are compared in the interpretation of the Holy Father, although, strictly speaking, the roots of both words are not identical, but different. Τὴν ἐρημον. So do some Greek copies of the Bible, while others have τὴν θαλασσαν, hence the Slavic: sea. Here, just as in Is. 15:4, according to some biblical lists it stands ἐλαει, as in St. Cyril, or ἐλαλησεν, and according to others a similar-sounding proper. name: Ἐλεαλη (Slavic Elgala). Τεῖχος ὅ ἐνεκαιλσας . So do almost all the Greek copies of the Bible, with the exception of one, which has: τεῖχος ἐνεκαινισας, according to which the Slavic translation has: you renovated the wall. Regarding this expression (ὁποτε καὶ ἐλαλησεν) exactly the same must be said as is said in the note to verse 11. Ἀλλ ’ ἐσονται πεποιθοτες ἐπὶ τὸν ἀγιον του Ἰ σραηλ, as is found in one of the Greek copies of the Bible. Δεβρα, as is also found in one of the Greek lists of the Bible, while in all other lists neither this word nor the saying given in the previous note is present, and only instead of the word: δενδρα they have τὰ ἀλση, hence the Slavic translation: on oak groves. Γμ ᾶ ς . So it is in many copies of the Greek translation of the Bible, while in some it is read from where in the Slavic: us. What was said in the previous note also applies to the present case. According to our measurements, 14 versts. The wife of Pluto, otherwise Hades, was Persephone or Proserpina. For the myth regarding Adonis and the festival mentioned here, see Ovid in “Metamorphoses (Transformations)” X, 288–739; Theocritus in idyll 15; Vion in his Ἐπιυαφιος Ἀδωνιδος, etc. The main participation in this celebration, as will be clear from what follows, belonged to women. The myth of Adonis and the festival described here mean the life of nature, awakening in the spring and, as it were, dying out for the winter. The myth is of Syriac origin and the very name Adonis means “lord” (compare the Hebrew ָדון - Lord, lord). And Θαμμουζ or Θαμοῦς is the name of more than one Egyptian king. See Platonis, Phaedr. 274, d. e. Polyaen. 2, 3, 5. This very name (Heb. חַּםּזו) literally means “son of life,” and then, in general, “Offspring,” “Descendant,” why the god Duzi or Fammuz means “Divine Descendant,” “Child of God.” The name Adonis corresponding to this name, without a doubt, passed on to the Greeks from the Phoenicians, who had one of the names of Baal, as the god of the sun, who revives nature in the spring after its winter, as it were, falling asleep, dying. Σταχυς. So it is in some copies of the Greek Bible; but for the most part they are ἀνθος, hence the Slavic color. Ἐπεκλὴθη. This is how it is read in some Greek copies of the Bible, although most of them do not have this word. Ἐ ῤῥ ῶσθαι φρασαντες, - actually: “saying: be great!” Rinokorura or Rinocolura, also Rinokorura or Rinocolura, was a city on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea in the northeastern part of Egypt and was considered either part of Egypt or part of Syria (Phoenicia). This city at one time was important as a storage place for Arab trade. Nowadays Qasr El Arish. Watch Liv. 45, 11 and Strab. Georg. XVI, 741. 750. You might be interested in: