Jerome: "The word of the Lord that came to Hosea the son of Beeri." LXX similarly. The word of the Lord, which was in the beginning with God the Father, and the Word was God, came to Hosea the son of Beeri, so that he too might make God known as a prophet, with the Savior saying: "If those to whom the word of God came are called gods, and the Scripture cannot be broken: 'Whom the Father has sanctified' and sent into the world, you say I blaspheme because I said, 'I am the Son of God' " (John 10:35-36). Just as God makes gods and stands in the assembly of gods, yet judges among the gods (Psalms 81); and since he himself is the true light that illuminates every person coming into this world (John 1), he speaks to the apostles: "You are the light of the world" (Matthew 5:14), so too the Savior himself makes his prophet a savior. "Hosea," in our language, means "savior": a name that was also given to Joshua, the son of Nun (Numbers 14), before God changed his name. For he is not called "Ause," as is read wrongly in Greek and Latin texts, as it is completely incomprehensible; but "Hosea," that is, "savior," to which is added the Lord's name, so that "savior of the Lord" might be said. Therefore, this savior is the son of "Beeri," which means "my well," which Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had dug, and the foreigners had always tried to fill with rubbish. (Gen. 16, 21, 26, 46). Between a well and a lake, that is, a cistern, the difference is that a well has constantly flowing water, and it springs from a living source. The cistern, which cools, possesses its external and adventitious waters. From this, God speaks through the prophet Jeremiah: "They have deserted me, the fountain of living water, and dug cisterns for themselves, which cannot contain water" (Jeremiah II, 13). Concerning this fountain, the psalmist proclaims to God: "With you is the fountain of life, and in your light, we will see light" (Psalm XXXV, 10). From this, some think that "Beeri" means "my light"; but the correct translation is superior. "In the days of Ozias, Joathan, Achaz, Ezechias, kings of Judah; and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joas, king of Israel." The Septuagint in the same way. Azarias, who is also called Uzziah, from the offspring of David, reigned over the two tribes which were called Judah in Jerusalem for fifty-two years, then his son Joatham succeeded him in the kingdom, who also reigned for sixteen years. After him, his son Achaz reigned for similarly sixteen years. After Achaz, his son Ezechias reigned for twenty-nine years, in whose sixth year the sixteen tribes which were called Israel were captured by Salmanasar, the king of the Chaldeans, and placed in the mountains of the Medes. Since it is clear, with Hosea, Isaiah, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, and Jonah and Micah prophesying, who were his contemporaries, that the kingdom of the ten tribes was limited, which from the first king Jeroboam to the last Hosea remained for two hundred and fifty years. But at that time, when Uzziah began to reign over Judah, Jeroboam, the great-grandson of Jehu, was reigning over Israel, to whom the Lord had promised that his offspring would reign up to the fourth generation, because he had struck down two wicked kings of Judah and Israel. We say this so that we may briefly show it to you, Hosea the prophet, both before the captivity of Israel and after its captivity, and that he foresaw the future and announced the coming of the light and rewove the past for the improvement of Judah; which we will try to approve in the very prophet according to history. Uzziah means "the strength of the Lord"; Jotham, "the completion and perfection of the Lord"; Ahaz, "virtue"; Hezekiah, "the Lord's empire." They ruled in the "Juda" people, whose name means "confession." Furthermore, in Israel, Jeroboam, who had made idols for himself and had been separated from God's people, reigned. Jeroboam means "chronology," that is, "temporality" or "delay." He loved the world and thought that by dwelling in it for a long time, he would have a life, delighted not in the future but the present, that was never going to be eternal. — Commentary on Hosea 1:1 Jerome: We should not blame the prophet if he converted a prostitute to virtue, but we should rather praise him because he turned a bad woman into a good one.… Hence we understand that it was not the prophet who lost virtue by joining with a prostitute, but rather the latter gained virtue that she never had before. — COMMENTARY ON HOSEA Jerome: The beginning of the speech of the Lord (in Greek "Domini" and in the Vulgate "Domino") is in Hosea. LXX: "The beginning of the word of the Lord to Hosea." As we said above, they are preferred to other prophets in the title, Ozias, Joatham, Achaz, and Ezechias, to whom they prophesied while ruling. Therefore, he now says that among all these, the Lord spoke first in Hosea, and later to the others. But to speak of the Lord in Hosea is one thing, and to speak to Hosea is another. In Hosea, Hosea himself does not speak, but through Hosea to others; but speaking to Hosea, it is meant to bring the discourse to him. Others do not want Hosea to have been the first of all the prophets, from the fact that it is said: "The beginning of the Lord's speaking in Hosea." But it is shown that these which follow, the Lord first spoke to Hosea. "And the Lord said to Hosea: Go, take to thee a wife of fornications." LXX: "And the Lord said to Hosea: Go, take to thee a wife of fornication." The Hebrew word Zanunim does not mean "a harlot" or "fornication", as many believe, but rather means "many fornications". From which it is shown that the woman whom the prophet takes as wife has not committed fornication once, but many times, so that the more sordid she is, the more patient the prophet will be who has taken such a wife. And what is added is: "And ((Vulg. "And make for yourself")) children of fornication: for the land which fornicated shall fornicate with the Lord." LXX: "And the children of fornication: for the land which fornicated shall fornicate with the Lord after." By common consent is understood: Take a wife of fornications for yourself, and take children of fornications for yourself. Both can be understood, that the former harlots receive as their sons those begotten of fornication, and he himself begets sons from a harlot, who are called sons of fornication, because they were begotten of a harlot. The prophet is not to be blamed, as we can see from the narrative, if he converts a harlot to chastity, but rather is to be praised for making good out of evil. For he who is good does not himself become defiled by joining with evil, but he who is evil is transformed into good if he follows the example of the good. From this we understand that the prophet did not lose his chastity by having sexual relations with a whore, but it was rather the harlot who gained chastity she did not have before. Especially since the blessed Hosea did not do this for the sake of lust or pleasure or by his own choice, but rather obeyed God's command, so that we may approve what we read in a carnal sense as having been done spiritually in God. He who received the Synagogue, that is, the people of the Jews serving fornication and lust. To which the Lord speaks through Ezekiel: 'And you, harlot, hear the word of the Lord: For her breasts were broken in Egypt' (Ezech. XXIII, 3); and she dallied in blood, and had been defiled even to the crown, so that there was no part of her body and limbs that did not have a stain of deformity. The Lord covered such a one with a mantle, and joined her to His embrace, giving her honey and oil and meal to eat, and clothed her in the most precious garments, put jewel ornaments on her neck, adorned her ears with gold and precious stones, also provided bracelets for her arms to use in good works. Nevertheless, despite the contempt for the generosity and kindness of the man, who forgot his previous wickedness, the lovers of Chaldeans, Assyrians, and Egyptians, who are of great flesh, followed him. We have spoken in the preface about the type of the Savior and the Church, that he took for himself a fornicating wife who had previously served idols. But if anyone, especially among the contentious gentiles, refuses to receive the figurative saying and mocks the prophet joined to a fornicator, let us oppose him with what Greece often praises and the schools of the philosophers sing. By what reasoning do they praise the highly educated man Xenocrates, who made the most luxurious young Polemon obey wisdom among female musicians and flute players and shameless women, and transformed the most disgraceful young man into the wisest of philosophers? Why should they raise Socrates to heaven, who led Phaedo, from whom Plato's book is named, from the brothel, serving the lust of many because of the cruelty and greed of his master, to the Academy? And whatever they may have replied concerning the teachers of philosophy, we refer to the defense of the Prophet. We have said these things against the pagans and those like them. However, let us briefly explain to our own, who still wish to accept the truth, from the fact that it is said: 'Because the land sinned, it will be fornicating with the Lord,' that not so much the prophet was joined to a harlot as the whole race of men turned away from the society of the Lord. It is also possible from that which is unadded, "all the earth," to now accept Judaea, or properly Samaria and Israel, that is, the ten tribes, which at the time when these things were said, had departed from the Lord. — Commentary on Hosea 1:2 Theodore of Mopsuestia: By the law the prophet was allowed to take a woman into the marriage relationship, and on marrying her he probably brought her to chaste ways. In fact, while everyone could not but be surprised that a man who was very conscious of propriety should pass over women who enjoyed a good reputation and choose to take a prostitute into the marriage relationship, the novelty of the event provided the prophet with the occasion of telling them their duty. In addition [Hosea's marriage demonstrated] the greater marvel of God's condescending to choose such ungrateful people for special attention by the powerful example—namely, the remarkable prophet's doing his duty by entering into association with a prostitute. — COMMENTARY ON Hosea 1:2 Theodoret of Cyrus: Likewise the Lord of all had bade Hosea also, therefore, marry a loose woman so as by the event to charge the people with impiety and give evidence of his characteristic longsuffering. If the God of all put up with the loose and adulterous synagogue, however, and the fount of holiness was not defiled by that loathsome and abominable thing, neither did the prophet incur any defilement from that licentious woman. Without being in thrall to lust, and instead carrying out a command from on high, he put up with that awful relationship. Now one must realize how judgment is made between good and bad by the purpose involved: on that basis marriage is distinguished from adultery, and though intercourse involves no difference, the difference emerges in the purpose and the law, and on the same basis what is lawful is distinguished from what is lawless. — COMMENTARY ON Hosea 1:2 Jerome: "And he went and took Gomer the daughter of Debelaim: and she conceived and bare him a son. And the Lord said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel." LXX: "And he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son. And the Lord said to him: Call his name Jezreel: for yet a little while and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Judah, and will cause the kingdom of the house of Israel to cease." The prophets promised so many things about the coming of Christ and the calling of the Gentiles in the centuries that followed, that they may not neglect the present time, lest they seem to play with uncertain and future things and not to teach about those things which are pressing, even when the sermon is called for another purpose. Therefore, Gomer, the daughter of Diblaim, who is taken as wife by Hosea, conceives by him and bears him a son named "Jezreel," which means "God sows," and Jehu, or, as the bad mistake has it, "Judah," overthrows the kingdom in vengeance for his blood. And referring to the calling of the nations, it should be attributed to the time under which he is remembered as having begotten a son. And lest I delay the reader's avidity with a long discourse, these two women, of whom one is called Homer and is a whore and bears three children, first Jezreel, the second a girl named Without Mercy, and the third a male who is also called "Not My People." And the other woman, who is hired for fifteen silver shekels, a homer of barley and half a homer of barley, and is called an adulteress, is referred to Israel and Judah, that is, to the ten tribes that were in Samaria under King Jeroboam, who was of Ephraim, and to Judah, who reigned in Jerusalem of the line of David. These are two women, who are said to have wings of a Zachariah hen, or a vulture, or a heron, and to go to the land of Sennaar, where Babylon was founded. These women are signified under the name of two sisters, Oola and Ooliba: they are represented by two rods, which Ezekiel joins into one rod. And because we write commentaries, not lengthy books, reserving proper explanations for each chapter in its proper place, let us now only discuss the present chapter. "Gomer" means "completed," that is, "consummated," and "perfect." Some believe it signifies "breastplates." There are those who suspect it means "measure," or "bitterness," who would say rightly, if it did not have the letter Gimel. "Debelaim" means "palaces," of which there is a great abundance in Palestine, and which the prophet Isaiah orders to be applied to the ulcer of King Hezekiah (2 Kings 20 and Isaiah 38). But it is a mass of fat figs, which are shaped like sides, so that they remain uninjured for a long time, trampled and squeezed. Therefore, Israel, consummated in fornication and perfected as a daughter of pleasure, seems sweet and pleasant to those who enjoy her, and is received as a type of the Lord and Saviour's wife by Hosea; and from her is born the first son of God, that is, "Jezreel"; but it is also the metropolis of ten tribes, in which Naboth was killed ("Al." Nabutha), for whose blood Jehu was raised up, who destroyed the house of Ahab and Jezebel. But Jehu himself, the avenger of the blood of the righteous, entered by the ways of Jeroboam the son of Nabath, who made Israel fornicate and set up golden calves in Dan and in Bethel (III Kings 12), and his kingdom was said to be overthrown; of which Jeroboam's great-grandson, Hosea, began to prophesy: and when he died, his son Zacharias succeeded to the throne; whom Shallum, generated from another family, killed in the sixth month of his reign (IV Kings 15). For what reason it is now said: "Still a little while, and I will visit the blood of Jezrael," that is, the slaughter of my people, on the royal house of Jehu, who at that time ruled over Israel. It is not surprising if the house of Jehu is overturned when even the kingdom of the house of Israel, that is, the ten tribes, will be completely destroyed not many years after. From Zachariah, the son of Jeroboam, whose ancestor was Jehu, to the ninth year of Hosea, under whom the ten tribes were taken captive, forty-nine years are reckoned. And with the killing of Zachariah, who was the last of the line of Jehu, the kings of Assyria immediately captured Reuben, Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh, which were beyond Jordan; and then many cities of Samaria, and then all of Naphtali, and finally all the remaining tribes. In the Vulgate Edition, "Jehu" is read as "Judah": but this seems to me not the fault of the seventy interpreters, but the ignorance of the scribes who, not knowing the more familiar term "Jehu:", wrote "Judah." However, the type of God's seed and the revenge of His blood is related to the Lord's passion, because of which both the house of Judah and the kingdom of all Israel are said to be overthrown. — Commentary on Hosea 1:3-4 Jerome: "And in that day I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel." LXX likewise. When I avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and I will destroy the kingdom of Israel, with the Assyrians prevailing, then in that day, and at that time, I will break all the power of the army of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel. Above we have said that Jezreel, which is now near Maximianopolis, was the metropolis of the kingdom of Samaria, near which are the widest fields, and the valley of vast emptiness, which extends for more than ten thousand paces. In this conflict undertaken, Israel, that is, the ten tribes, which on account of Jeroboam of the tribe of Ephraim, who caused the first schism among the people, were called Ephraim, was slain by the Assyrians. Sometimes, on account of Joseph, the father of Ephraim, it is called Joseph; sometimes, Samaria, which itself also was the metropolis of the ten tribes, which later was called Augusta by Augustus Caesar, that is, Σεβαστὴ, in which the bones of John the Baptist were buried. After the division therefore of the two and ten tribes, the ancient name of Israel remained in the ten tribes, owing to the great part of the multitude which followed Jeroboam. And on account of the tribe of Judah, which reigned in Jerusalem, the others that were called tribes, Judas. And at the same time the types explain the truth. For just as on account of the blood of Naboth, which was shed in Jezreel, the house of Ahab was destroyed, that Elijah's prophecy might be fulfilled: so on account of the blood of the true Jezreel, that is, of the seed of God, the kingdom of the Jews was destroyed. In all the prophets, but especially in Hosea, the ten tribes are referred to as heretics, whose multitude is greatest. However, the two tribes called Judah possess the person of the Church, which was under the rule of the Davidic dynasty (who "are ruling"). Therefore, the bow of the heretics, of which it is written, "The sons of Ephraim, being armed and shooting with the bow, turned back in the day of battle" (Ps. 77:9), will be broken in the valley of the seed of God, which is humbled and sensed earthly things. — Commentary on Hosea 1:5 Jerome: "And she conceived again, and bore a daughter. And he said to her: Call her name without mercy, for I will not add any more to show mercy to the house of Israel, but I will utterly forget them. And I will have mercy on the house of Juda, and I will save them in the Lord their God: and I will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battles, nor by horses, nor by horsemen." LXX: "And she conceived again, and bore a daughter. And he said to her: Call her name, Without mercy: for I will now no more have mercy upon the house of Israel, but I will utterly forget them. But I will have mercy on the house of Juda, and will save them by the Lord their God: and I will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, nor by horses, nor by horsemen." After the bow of Israel was broken and shattered in the valley of Jezreel, and the kingdom of the ten tribes was abandoned, so that they were led into captivity, no longer was Jezreel, that is, the seed of God, nor a son of the male sex born: but a daughter, that is, a fragile sex, subject to the contempt of the victors, and called Without mercy. Therefore she was taken captive, because she had no mercy of God. And the indignation of the Lord must be considered. So that it will never be said to the house of Israel to have mercy on them anymore, but to erase them from his eternal memory; since they serve until today the kings of Persia, and their captivity has never been released. But the house of Judah promises mercy, saying that they will be saved in the Lord their God or in Himself speaking; or the Father will save in the Son according to what is written: "The Lord rained from the Lord" (Gen. XIX, 24) For He saved them ("alt." also) when Israel was handed over to Assyrians, from the hand of Sennacherib, not with bow and sword and war and a multitude of horses, but with His strength, when He sent the Angel and struck one hundred and eighty-five thousand from the Assyrian army in one night (IV Reg. XIX). According to the pattern, we say that those who are called the Seed of God, because of His blood, are without mercy, and have dared to say: "His blood be on us and on our children" (Matt. 27:25), have been serving the Romans until now. But the house of Judah, namely those from the Jews who have confessed the Lord, have been saved not in the strength of an army, but in the preaching of the Gospel. We interpret this in Israel and Judah both according to history and according to pattern, and we refer them to the councils of heretics and to the Church of the Lord and Saviour, which, having been abandoned by them without mercy and losing the kingdom, has overcome by the power of their God. — Commentary on Hosea 1:6-7 Hilary of Poitiers: For He says to Hosea the prophet, "I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel, but will altogether be their enemy. But I will have mercy upon the children of Judah, and will save them in the Lord their God." Here God the Father gives the name of God, without any ambiguity, to the Son, in Whom also He chose us before countless ages. "Their God," He says, for while the Father, being Unoriginate, is independent of all, He has given us for an inheritance to His Son. In like manner we read, "Ask of Me, and I will give Thee the Gentiles for Thine inheritance." None can be God to Him from Whom are all things, for He is eternal and has no beginning; but the Son has God, from Whom He was born, for His Father. Yet to us the Father is God and the Son is God; the Father reveals to us that the Son is our God, and the Son teaches that the Father is God over us. The point for us to remember is that in this passage the Father gives to the Son the name of God, the title of His own unoriginate majesty. — ON THE TRINITY 4:37 Novatian: Why, then, should we hesitate to say what Scripture does not hesitate to say? Why should the truth of faith waver where the authority of Scripture has never faltered? For behold, the prophet Hosea says in the person of the Father, "I will not save them by bow nor horses, but I will save them by the Lord their God." If God says that he will save them by God and if God does not save except by Christ, then why should people hesitate to call Christ God when they realize that the Father declares, through the Scriptures, that he is God? In fact, if God the Father cannot save except by God, no one can be saved by God the Father, unless one has acknowledged that Christ is God, in whom and through whom the Father promises to grant salvation. — ON THE TRINITY 12 Jerome: "And she that was without mercy hath taken him away and conceived and brought forth a son. And he said: Call his name, Not my people: for you are not my people, and I will not be yours. " (The Septuagint likewise) And he who was called the seed of God, turned into a woman and, on account of the weakness of his strength and the offence against God, was led captive, not mentioned as having been weaned, but as having been weaned: for he had already lost his strength as a man. He who is weaned departs from his mother and does not feed on a parent's milk, but is sustained by external nourishment. Thus Israel, having been cast out by the Lord, and surrounded by the narrowness of captivity, and sustained with impure foods in Babylon, is called not the people of God, and an eternal sentence of a foreign people is carried, so that it is said, "You are not my people," and will be cast off forever. Which we can rightly understand in all the people of the Jews who, on account of the offense of the seed of God, were handed over to captivity, lost the kingdom and the province, and are called not the people of God; and also in the person of heretics. But if any contentious interpreter will not receive these things which we have said, but will understand that Gomer, the daughter of Deblaim, first bore male and female children, then male again, desiring the Scripture to sound what is read, let him answer how in Ezekiel he explains that where the Lord commands to bear the iniquities of the house of Israel, that is, of the ten tribes, and to sleep forever for three hundred and ninety days on one side of the left, although in the LXX they are written as one hundred and ninety, and to sleep so as never to wake up or change sides unless, perhaps, he satisfies his hunger by opening his eyes a little to take the most sordid food of bread baked from wheat, barley, beans, lentils, and millet in human excrement. For the nature of things does not allow that anyone among men should always sleep hidden for three hundred and ninety days in one place. And he says again: 'You will bear the iniquities of the house of Judah, and you will sleep on your right side for forty days.' But these days are calculated ((or were calculated)) as years, during which Israel and Judah are held by a very long siege and captivity, so that, bound and immobilized, they cannot turn from one side to the other. If it cannot approve of these things and others like them which we read in Holy Scripture, but argues that they signify something else, then this harlot and other adulterous women, who were either joined to prophets or were saved by a prophet, indicate not a shameful union of lust but the sacraments of the future. — Commentary on Hosea 1:8-9 Jerome: "For he proclaims peace to his people, and to his faithful ones, and to those who turn to him from their hearts." I note here a threefold classification: his people, his loyal servants, and those who come back to him in hope. He proclaims peace to his people, not to the Jews of whom in Hosea he says, "You are not my people." — HOMILIES ON THE PSALMS, ALTERNATE SERIES 64 Salvian the Presbyter: For this reason, our God spoke elsewhere about the Hebrew people to the prophet, saying, "Call his name Not Beloved," and again to the Jews, "You are not my people, and I am not your God." But he himself showed clearly elsewhere why he said this about them, for he said, "They have forsaken the Lord, the vein of living waters," and again, "For they have cast away the word of the Lord, and there is no wisdom in them." — THE GOVERNANCE OF GOD 4:1 Augustine of Hippo: Because Hosea is such a profound prophet, it is no easy matter to get at his meaning. Still, I must keep my promise and quote something from him at this point. He says, "And it shall be in the place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people'; it shall be said to them, 'You are sons of the living God.' " The apostles themselves understood this text as a prophecy of the calling of the Gentiles, who were previously not God's people. And because the Gentiles are spiritually sons of Abraham and correctly therefore alluded to as Israel, Hosea goes on to say, "And the children of Judah and the children of Israel shall be gathered together, and they shall appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the earth." Now to add one word of explanation to this text would be to lose the savor of Hosea's prophetic style. — CITY OF GOD 18:28 Jerome: "And the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, that cannot be measured, nor numbered: and it shall be in the place where it shall be said unto them, Ye are not my people: there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God. And the children of Judah and the children of Israel shall be gathered together, and they shall appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel." We read of the rejection of the ten tribes, and of the unmeasurable Israel, no longer the people of God, subject to perpetual indignation. Now we learn how the sons of Judah and the sons of Israel are equally gathered together, and place themselves under one head or principality ("Al." beginning), and ascend from the earth, and in the place where previously it was said, "Not my people," they shall be called the sons of the living God, and this will happen because the day of Jezreel is great. To the doubting and wavering in various opinions, the statement of the Apostle Paul writing to the Romans occurs: "And if God, wishing to show his wrath and make his power known, endured with much patience the vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory in the vessels of mercy he prepared for glory, whom he also called us, not only from among the Jews, but also from the Gentiles." As Hosea says, "I will call those not my people, my people, and those not beloved, beloved." And they will be called the sons of the living God in the place where it was said to them, "You are not my people." But Isaiah cries out for Israel: "If the number of the sons of Israel were like the sand of the sea, the remainder will be saved." Because the word is ending and shortening in righteousness, "for the Lord will shorten the word upon the earth, as Isaiah foretold" (Cap. I, 9): "Unless the Lord Sabaoth had kept us a seed, we would have been as Sodom and Gomorrah. What then shall we say: That the Gentiles who did not follow righteousness have attained righteousness?" But righteousness which is of faith: but Israel, following the law of righteousness, did not come to the law of righteousness" (Rom. IX, 22 seqq.). Therefore, the blessed Apostle, taking testimony from the prophet Hosea and expounding upon the calling of the Gentiles, and the faith of those from the Jews who wished to believe, cut away all difficulty of interpretation for us, affirming that it was completed in the times of Christ, that is, that twelve tribes would be chosen in Israel, that is, all the people of the Jews, and in Judah those who confess Jesus as Lord from among the Gentiles. But if someone alien to the faith of Christ, and not receiving the authority of the New Testament, but responding from the number of circumcision, should say that the sons of Judah and the sons of Israel sound twelve tribes and ten, about which we have often spoken, and in this giving their hand, we will show nothing of our faith being harmed. "But after the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, dispersed throughout the whole world, and the multitude of the people shall have overcome every account, then shall Israel, who is even now captive and before was said to be without mercy and not my people, with the two tribes, that is, Juda and Benjamin, of which a great part believed in Christ, have permission to come to an agreement, so that faith may unite those who were separated in body, and they may have one head and prince, of whom Ezechiel wrote: 'And one prince shall be in the midst of them, my servant David, and they shall rise from the dead,' that is, Juda and Israel, who were dead in unfaithfulness." (Ezechiel 34:24) And all these things will happen, because the day of the seed of God, which is called "Christ," is great. From this it is clear that the blood of Naboth ((or Nabutha)) preceded in Jezrael, so that the truth would be fulfilled in Christ. For in this, and not in that, the great day of Jezrael is, of which it is said: "This is the day which the Lord hath made; let us be glad and rejoice therein." (Psalms 118:24) The third interpretation that we have undertaken, is to be explained as referring to heretics for Israel, and to men of the Church for Judah, and means that, after the Lord shall have come in His glory to reign, those who were once called not His people shall be called the sons of the living God, when they shall have been united with the Jews, that is, with the Church of God, and shall have one Head, Christ, and shall have ascended from the earth, that is, from earthly senses and the humility of the letter, and shall have received the great day of the seed of God. For not having mercy", that is, "without pity", is reported in some copies as "not beloved". But the more true copies have "without mercy", especially because God makes a distinction between Israel, whom he does not have mercy on, and says "But I will have mercy on the house of Judah. — Commentary on Hosea 1:10 Cyril of Alexandria: "They come up out of the land," namely, they will live the life of the saints as well, "for great is the day of Jezreel." Indeed, great is the day of Christ, when he will raise to life all the dead. In fact, he will descend from heaven and sit on his glorious throne. "And he will give everyone according to his works." Therefore if one wishes to understand by "day" the time of the visitation—when the remission of sins is given by Christ to the Greeks, the Judaeans and those who have sinned against him—this will not deviate from the true words. For David too indicated the time of the coming of our Savior by saying, "This is the day that the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it." — COMMENTARY ON Hosea 1:9 Jerome: "Tell your brothers and sisters, my people, that they have attained mercy." LXX: "Say to your brother, my people, and to your sister, having obtained mercy." Because the day of Jezrael is great, on which Judas and Israel will have one prince, and it will not be said of Israel, "you are not my people," but on the contrary they will be called the children of the living God. Therefore, O men of the tribe of Judah, do not despair of the ten tribes' salvation, but daily provoke them to repentance by speech, prayer, vow and letters because they are your brothers and sisters: brothers because they are called "my people," sisters because they are called "having obtained mercy." Otherwise: You who believe in Christ, being both from the Jews and from the Gentiles, say to those who have been cut off and to the former people, "You are my people," because they are your brothers, and "having obtained mercy" because they are your sisters. "For when the fullness of the Gentiles has entered, then all Israel shall be saved." (Romans 11:25). The same thing is prescribed to us, that we do not completely despair of heretics, but that we provoke them to penance: and we desire their salvation with the affection of brotherhood. — Commentary on Hosea 2:1 Cyril of Alexandria: She has not preserved the genuineness of love toward me, but rather she denied the intimacy and underestimated the purity of spiritual communion with me. Nor was she willing to bring forth the fruits of my will. — COMMENTARY ON Hosea 2:11 Jerome: "Judge your mother, judge her, for she is not my wife and I am not her husband: let her remove her fornications from her face, and her adulteries from between her breasts: lest perhaps I strip her naked, and make her as on the day of her birth." This is a message directed towards the Israelite people, that is, the ten tribes. Now begins the second chapter, and they are commanded to their sons, that is, the people, to judge against their mother, who bore them, who, becoming a harlot's wife, did not leave previous manners, and again committed fornication with her lovers. And observe the mercy of the husband. She has already been divorced, already rejected, already he has said to her: "This is not my wife, and I am not her husband:" yet he commands his sons, that they should not speak to the wife whom he dismissed, but to their mother who bore them. But let those who provoke to repentance speak, so as to remove fornication from their face, and their adultery from the midst of their breasts. She is a harlot, who lies with many. An adulteress is she who, deserting one man, joins herself to another. Both of these are a Synagogue, which if it remains in fornication and adultery, God will take away from her the clothes and ornaments He had given her. Of whom Ezekiel writes: "In the day when you were born, your navel was not cut, neither were you washed with water for your health; you did not rub yourself with salt, or wrap yourself in swaddling clothes. And when I passed by thee, I saw thee wallowing in thy blood (Ezek. 16:4-5)." And after a little while: "I clothed thee with broidered work and shod thee with badgers' skin, and I girded thee about with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk. I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands and a chain on thy neck." These things were given to her by her exceedingly lavish husband when he found her in Egypt, lusting after idolatry and spreading her legs to all. And now he threatens, if she does not return to her husband, she will become without God and without a husband, just as she once was in Egypt. Let it suffice rarely to have warned us that what has been said agrees with both the Jews denying Christ, and the heretics abandoning the faith of the Lord: whose fornication is properly among the breasts, and is situated in the craft of idols and various doctrines in the heart, who will return on the day of their birth, so that if they do not do penance, they will be compared to the heathen. And I will make it like a wilderness, and set it up like a desert land, and slay it with thirst" (Jeremiah 50:12). The Septuagint translates it as: "And I will make it as a desert, and I will set it up as a land without water, and I will kill it with thirst." If they do not want to turn to better things, I will do to them what I did in the wilderness, so that those led into captivity may fall in a foreign land, patiently enduring thirst for all good things, and unable to return to their homeland. Or certainly, let them hear in the Gospel: "Your house will be left desolate to you" (Matt. XXIII). And the Lord will not send him a famine of bread, nor a thirst of water; but a hunger to hear the word of the Lord (Amos. VIII). About whom Isaiah also speaks: "They shall be like a garden without water" (Isaiah I, 30). Heretics who are rejected by the Lord, if they do not return to their former home, suffer such scarcity of all things that even what they seem to possess falsely will be reduced to nothing. — Commentary on Hosea 2:2-3 Jerome: "And I will not have pity on her sons, for they are the sons of fornication, because their mother has committed fornication: she is confounded that conceived them, because she said: I will go after my lovers, that give me bread, and water, and clothes, and oil, and drink." LXX: "And I will not have mercy on her sons, because they are the children of fornication. For their mother has committed fornication. She that conceived them is covered with shame, for she said: I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread, and my water, my wool and my flax, my oil and my drink." I will do more for the one to whom I spoke, not my wife, and I am not your husband, and I will make her like a wilderness, and make her like a barren land. "For when I brought her out of Egypt, I killed their parents and their children entered into the land of promise. But now the children of a harlot mother will perish with their mother the prostitute, since they are sons of fornication and are born of evil. Of them it is said in the Gospel: 'You brood of vipers' (Matthew 3:7). They have come to such shamelessness that they are being compared to the "face of a harlot," and they are disgraced. " (Jeremiah 3:3) Is it not a stubborn and harlot's boldness that one should boast in their own wrongdoing and say, "I will follow my lovers"; I will go to the idols that have provided me with food and clothing. All that is described by the prophetic work, the Jews have received spiritually from the Lord. And since they denied the Son of God, choosing instead Barabbas, a robber and inciter of sedition, and crucifying the Son of God (John 18). Therefore, even today demons follow and refer God's blessings to those who have lost their souls to their own cults. The heretics have bread and water, whose bread is sadness, and their water is muddy, which suffocates and kills the baptized. They also have wool from diseased sheep, and flax that remains black, and oil, of which the prophet says: "The oil of the sinner shall not anoint my head" (Ps. CLX, 5), and the drink of the waters of Egypt, of which Jeremiah cries out: "What to you is the way of Egypt, that you would drink the water of Geon" (Jeremiah II, 18)? And he said: "Why do you want to drink water from the rivers of the Assyrians? We briefly went through everything, so that we can move on to the rest." — Commentary on Hosea 2:4-5 Augustine of Hippo: Who is that adulterous woman whom the prophet Hosea points out, who said, "I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, and everything that befits me?" Let us grant that we may understand this also of the people of the Jews that went astray; yet whom else are the false Christians (such as are all heretics and schismatics) wont to imitate, except false Israelites? — ON BAPTISM 3:26 Augustine of Hippo: They, therefore, who are wicked, evildoers, carnal, fleshly, devilish, think that they receive at the hands of their seducers what are the gifts of God alone, whether sacraments, or any spiritual workings about present salvation. But these men have not love towards God, but are busied about those by whose pride they are led astray, and are compared to the adulterous woman, whom the prophet introduces as saying, "I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, and my oil, and everything that befits me." For thus arise heresies and schisms, when the fleshly people which is not founded on the love of God says, "I will go after my lovers," with whom, either by corruption of her faith, or by the puffing up of her pride, she shamefully commits adultery. But for the sake of those who, having undergone the difficulties, and straits, and barriers of the empty reasoning of those by whom they are led astray, afterwards feel the prickings of fear, and return to the way of peace, to seeking God in all sincerity,—for their sake He goes on to say, "Therefore, behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and make a wall, that she shall not find her paths. And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them: and she shall seek them, but she shall not find them: then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband; for then was it better with me than now." Then, that they may not attribute to their seducers what they have that is sound, and derived from the doctrine of truth, by which they lead them astray to the falseness of their own dogmas and dissensions; that they may not think that what is sound in them belongs to them, he immediately added, "And she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her money; but she made vessels of gold and silver for Baal." — ON BAPTISM 3:27 Gregory the Dialogist: For hence is that which the Lord says, under the character of every soul, to Judaea who is weak, and walking in evil ways; "Behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and I will hedge it up with a wall, and she shall not find her paths, and she shall follow after her lovers, and she shall not overtake them, and she shall seek them, and not finding them shall say, I will go and return to my first husband, for then it was better with me than now." For the ways of the Elect are hedged up with thorns, when they find the pain of piercing in that which they desire in this world. He obstructs, as it were, by interposing a wall, the ways of those, whose desires the difficulty of attainment opposes. Their souls truly seek their lovers, and find them not, when by following malignant spirits, they do not gain hold of those pleasures of this world, which they desire. But it is well added that she says immediately in consequence of this very difficulty; "I will go and return to my former husband, for then it was better with me than now." For the Lord is the first husband, Who united to Himself the chaste soul, by means of the love of the Holy Spirit. And the mind of each one then longs for Him, when it finds manifold bitternesses, as thorns in those delights, which it desires in this world. For when the mind has begun to be stung by the adversities of the world which it loves, it then understands more fully, how much better it was for it with its former husband. Those then, whom an evil will perverts, adversity frequently corrects. — Morals on the Book of Job, Book 34:3 Gregory the Dialogist: For there are some who understand the good things they ought to do, but cease from doing them; they see what they ought to do, but do not follow it out of desire. To these, as we said above, it often happens that the adversity of this world strikes them in their carnal desires; they try to grasp temporal glory and cannot; and while they propose to sail through the deep waters, as it were, toward the greater concerns of this age, they are always driven back by contrary winds to the shores of their own dejection. And when they see themselves broken in their desires, with the world opposing them, they are reminded what they owe to their Creator, so that they return to Him with shame, whom they had abandoned in their pride for love of the world. For often some who wish to advance toward temporal glory either waste away in prolonged illness, or fall crushed by injuries, or are afflicted when struck by heavy losses, and in the sorrow of the world they see that they should have placed no confidence in its pleasures, and reproaching themselves for their own desires, they turn their hearts to God. Of these indeed the Lord says through the prophet: "Behold, I will hedge up your way with thorns, and I will wall it in with a barrier, and she shall not find her paths; and she shall follow after her lovers, and shall not overtake them; she shall seek them, and shall not find them, and she shall say: I will go and return to my first husband, because it was better with me then than now." The husband of every faithful soul is God, because she is joined to Him through faith. But that soul which had been joined to God follows after her lovers, when the mind which has already believed through faith still subjects itself in action to unclean spirits, seeks the glory of the world, feeds on carnal delight, and is nourished by exquisite pleasures. But often almighty God mercifully looks upon such a soul and mingles bitterness with her pleasures. Hence He says: "Behold, I will hedge up your ways with thorns." For our ways are hedged with thorns when in what we wrongly desire we find the pricks of pain. "And I will wall them in with a barrier, and she shall not find her paths." Our ways are walled in with a barrier when hard obstacles in this world resist our desires. And we cannot find our paths, because we are prevented from obtaining what we wrongly seek. "And she shall follow after her lovers, and shall not overtake them; she shall seek them, and shall not find them"; because the soul does not at all attain the fulfillment of her desires from the malign spirits to whom she had subjected herself in her desires. But what great benefit arises from this salutary adversity He adds when it follows: "And she shall say: I will go and return to my first husband, because it was better with me then than now." Therefore, after she finds her ways hedged with thorns, after she cannot overtake her lovers, she returns to the love of her first husband, because often after we cannot obtain what we want in this world, after we grow weary in earthly desires from their impossibility, then we bring God back to mind, then He who displeased us begins to please; and He whose precepts had been bitter to us suddenly becomes sweet in memory; and the sinful soul who had tried to be an adulteress, yet could not through open act, resolves to be a faithful wife. Those therefore who, broken by the adversities of this world, return to the love of God and are corrected from the desires of the present life—what are they, my brothers, but compelled to enter? — Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 36 Jerome: Therefore behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and I will fence it with a wall, and she shall not find her paths. And she shall follow after her lovers, and shall not overtake them: and she shall seek them, and shall not find, and she shall say: I will go, and return to my first husband, because it was better with me then, than now. " The LXX: "Therefore behold, I will hedge up thy way with thorns, and I will stop up her paths: and she shall not find her way. And she shall pursue her lovers, and shall not take them: and she shall seek them, and shall not find, and she shall say: I will go, and return to my first husband, because then it was better for me than it is now." The prostitute said: "I will follow after my lovers, who gave me abundance of all things. The Lord answered: "I will hedge thy way with thorns, or with stakes, that thou mayest not be able to go where thou desirest, and I will set a wall, or a rampart, and thou shalt not find the paths which thou hast trodden so often, that thou mayest apprehend those whom thou followedst with such great eagerness, so that, obliged by necessity of affairs thou mayest return to thy husband, and say that from the Gospel: 'How many hired servants in my father's house abound with bread, and I perish here with hunger. I will arise and will go to my father, and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, I am not worthy to be called thy son; make me as one of thy hired servants.'" From which we understand that the providence of God often happens to us as evils, so that we may not have those things which we desire, and oppressed with various calamities and miseries of this age, we may be compelled to return to the service of God. But let us understand that the lovers of Jerusalem and the Jewish people, according to the history of that time, include the Assyrians and Chaldeans and Egyptians and other nations, with whose idols they committed fornication, from whom in times of war, and from whom they vainly hoped for help in pressing evils. These lovers, according to spiritual understanding, follow heretics, from whom they are often deserted, and return to the bosom of Mother Church burdened with the weight of their misfortunes. For through all scourges and torments, Israel is taught. — Commentary on Hosea 2:6-7 John Cassian: Through the prophet Hosea the divine word well expressed God's concern and providence toward us. He speaks of the image of Jerusalem as a prostitute who is drawn with wicked ardor to the worship of idols. She says, "I will go after my lovers, who give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, my oil and my drink." The divine condescension replies, with a view to her salvation and not to her will, "Behold, I will hedge in her paths with thorns, and I will hedge her in with a wall, and she will not find her ways. And she will pursue her lovers and not lay hold of them, and she will seek them and not find them, and she will say, 'I will return to my first husband, because then it was better for me than it is now.' " — CONFERENCE 13:8.1 Origen of Alexandria: So, therefore, understand that there were also many lovers of your soul who have been seduced by its splendor with whom it has been a prostitute. It was also said of these, "I will go after my lovers, who give me my wine and my oil." But the soul has now come to that time that it should say, "I will return to my first husband because it was better for me than now." You have returned, therefore, to your first husband. You have doubtless displeased your lovers with whom you used to commit adultery. Unless, therefore, you now remain with your husband in total faith and are joined to him in total love, because of the many evil deeds that you committed, your every movement and look and even your walk is suspected by him, if these should be too careless. He must see nothing further in you that is playful, licentious or prodigal. But when you turn aside your eyes in the slightest from your husband, immediately he necessarily is reminded of your former conduct. Therefore, that you may destroy the former things and he henceforth may be able to have confidence in you, not only must you do nothing immodest, but also you must not even think of such. — HOMILIES ON Exodus 8:4 Jerome: And she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they have used in the service of Baal." LXX: "And she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver: but she turned these things which were made for her into silver and gold for Baal." She responded to her lovers, for she said: "I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread, and my water, my wool, and my flax, my oil, and my drink, all of which she had received, and used in the service of idolatry. But it is bread and wine, which strengthens and makes the heart of man happy (Psalms 103), and oil that illuminates every person coming into this world (John 1), and silver of which we often say: "The words of the Lord are pure words, as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times" (Psalm 12: 6) . And gold of which we read: "Though ye have liad among the pots, yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her feathers with the yellow gold." (Psalm 68: 13), is turned into idols, and made "Baal," which is interpreted as "higher and devouring:" while either thinking that they have more important doctrines than the Church, or are devoured in the knowledge of false opinion itself. But that which according to the letter Jerusalem has in abundance - gold and silver and all wealth - will be for the idols Baal demon of the Sidonians, or, as the better opinion holds, of the Babylonians, since he is called "Bel," as Ezekiel expounds more fully in his book, and as the chorus of the prophets bear witness. — Commentary on Hosea 2:8 Jerome: "Therefore, I will return and take my grain in its time, and my wine in its time, and I will free my wool, and my flax, which covered her disgrace." LXX: "Therefore I will return and take my wheat in its time, and my wine in its time, and I will take away my garments, and my coverings, not to cover her nakedness." A heavier punishment is when, in the time of harvest and the expected vintage, the crops are taken and the wine, and in a sense the tried ones are taken from the hands. But if in the time of harvest and of the harvest moon, when the earth is fruitful with new crops after the passing of the past barrenness, there is a shortage of all things, what should we think of the remaining season of the year, when the old crops are preserved? And wool and flax, that is, clothing and linens, are released, giving no more coverings to a harlot: so that, by the help of God, she might be stripped; and so that she might depart from the protection of all angels from Him. Therefore, the apostle also says that the creature is freed from the bondage of corruption into the liberty of the glory of the sons of God. (Romans 8) Many received gold and silver for wisdom and eloquence, from which they made a seven-branched candlestick of pure gold, and a golden table of the proposition, and a mercy seat, and Cherubim shining with golden radiance, and silver columns, and the wheat of the word of God, and the wine of the joy of the Holy Spirit: also the vestments and linens with which the believers were clothed in Christ: all of which they turned into the worship of idols, composing various doctrines of errors, and deceiving others as they were deceived. Which God will take away all things, so that those who had not perceived the giver in abundance may perceive him in scarcity. — Commentary on Hosea 2:9 Origen of Alexandria: "And if [the adulterous spirit] comes and finds the house vacant, clean, and furnished, it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself and enters that house and lives in it. And the last of that man is worse than the first." If we give attention to these words, how can we give place to carelessness even in a small matter? For the unclean spirit dwelled in us before we believed, before we came to Christ when our soul, as I said previously, was still committing fornication against God and was with its lovers, the demons. But afterward it said, "I will return to my first husband," and it came to Christ who "created" it from the beginning "in his image." Necessarily the adulterous spirit yielded when it saw the legitimate husband. We therefore have been received by Christ, and our house has been "cleansed" from its former sins and has been "furnished" with the furnishing of the sacraments of the faithful which they who have been initiated know. But this house does not deserve to have Christ as its resident immediately unless its life and conduct are so holy, so pure and incapable of being defiled that it deserves to be called the "temple of God." — HOMILIES ON Exodus 8:4 Jerome: "And now I will reveal her folly in the eyes of her lovers: and no man shall deliver her out of my hand: and I will cause all her mirth to cease, her solemnities, her new moons, her sabbaths, and all her festival times. And I will destroy her vines, and her fig-trees, of which she said: These are my rewards, which my lovers have given me: and I will make her a forest, and the beasts of the field shall devour her." LXX: "And now I will reveal her uncleanness in the sight of her lovers; and no one shall take her out of my hand. And I will turn away all her mirth, her feasts, her new moons, her sabbaths, and all her solemnities. And I will destroy her vines and her fig-trees, of which she said: These are my rewards, which my lovers have given me. And I will make her a forest, and the beasts of the field shall devour her." What follows: "The birds of the sky and the reptiles of the earth," must be marked with an obelus. Also, concerning the place that is called Jar in Hebrew, and from which comes the name of the city Cariath Jarim, which means "the city of the forests," the LXX translated it "testimony." The similarity of the letters Res and Daleth are false. For if the Res is read as Daleth, it is said "testimony," given that Jod letter does not precede. Therefore, having been freed from clothing and underwear, lest they should no longer cover the shame of the whore, all the foulness of Jerusalem, or the foolishness through which the foulness had been performed, will be revealed in the sight of her lovers, so that they may scorn openly that which they covertly desired. And when she is handed over to her lovers, the Assyrians or demons, to whom both she and the Assyrians serve, no one, he says, will be able to take her from my hand because of her proven demonic weakness, namely that they who had received all good things are not able to liberate those oppressed by evils. But being handed over to the servitude of Babylon, she will not be able to celebrate the three solemnities of Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. She will not observe the new moons, that is, the kalends, nor the Sabbaths with joy, nor all the festivals which are comprehended in one name. The vineyard, fig, and abundance of all things will also be corrupted: understand joy in the vineyard, sweetness and pleasantness in the fig, which are taken away by the evils of the most difficult servitude: and they will be taken away for this reason, because they were not given to themselves by God as a spouse, but they were considered as a prostitute by their lovers for the payment of lust. Then it will by no means have fruiting trees, but all will turn into a wooded thicket. And because it had once taken a metaphor from the forests, it ends in the rest, calling enemies, from whom all things are being devoured, beasts. Unhappy Judea suffered this both in history and metaphor; all of its ugliness was revealed to the eyes of the gentiles, and no one was able to rescue it from the hands of God. All ceremonies ceased, festivity was turned to mourning: everything which it thought would be given to it by demons, it now recognizes was taken away on account of the offense to God. First, Assyrians and Chaldeans devoured it, then the Medes and Persians and Macedonians; at the end, the most savage beast, the Roman Empire, tore it to pieces, whose name is hushed in Daniel so that greater fear may be increased for those who are to be devoured. Refer what we have said about Judaea to the heretics, who promising doctrines and knowledge at first, are abandoned by God after leaving the Church, and all their shame is placed in front of those whom they had previously deceived, and given to beasts which the prophet avoids, saying: "Do not give the soul confessing to you to beasts" (Psalms 73, 19), and by their bites they are abandoned. — Commentary on Hosea 2:10-12 Jerome: "And I will visit upon her the days of the Baals, wherein she burnt incense to them, and adorned herself with her earrings and her jewels, and went after her lovers: and she forgot me, saith the Lord." LXX: "And I will take vengeance upon her during the days of the Baals, when she sacrificed to them and adorned herself with her earrings and necklaces. She went after her lovers, forgetting me," says the Lord. " Keep in mind a prostitute who is adorned with gold and gems, so that she may please her lovers, and whatever beauty she does not have by nature, she acquires through art. She had earrings, with which her ears had been adorned by the doctrine of God, and these pearls that hung from her neck, so that the bridegroom said to her as husband: 'Your neck is like a chain of gold' (Song of Solomon 1:9), before the feet of pigs, and gave holy things to dogs (Matthew 7). And what we read in Proverbs was fulfilled: 'As golden earrings and a necklace of fine gold: so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.' (Proverbs 25:12). But all this she did, that she might follow her lovers, and leave her husband. And such was the desire of pleasure and lust, that she lost all memory of her marital obligations, and forgot that she had been a wife. Therefore, on those very days on which she burned incense to the demons, she shall be visited with plagues, and shall be seized with punishments. Baal, in the singular number, and Baalim, in the plural, are names of the same idols in the masculine gender. Wherever in the end of a Hebrew word we read the syllable "im," it is plural in number and masculine in gender; but when we have "oth," it is plural in number and feminine in gender. Therefore, we understand Seraphim and Cherubim as being plural in number and masculine in gender. Sabaoth, which means "of armies," "of hosts," or "of powers," is plural in number and feminine in gender. Therefore, Baalim is also plural in number and masculine in gender, although some read the feminine gender, incorrectly, as "tai Baaleim" or "al Balim." But how the heretics deceive their lovers, and are composed in their eloquence and the structure of their words, so that they simulate lies as truth, abandon conjugal chastity, and inflame Baalim, that is, idols, which they have fashioned from their own hearts, we see every day. They do not care for rustic simplicity, which seeks not meretricious ornaments; but rather for the artful and elegant lie, so that they may please their lovers, the devils and demons. — Commentary on Hosea 2:13 Cyril of Alexandria: "Behold, I will mislead her" not from what is necessary and useful to life … but from the things that are shameful and harmful to the fulfillment of any enjoyment.… And as her ways are usefully hedged around with thorns so that she may not lay hold of her lovers, in the same manner she believes herself—now running downhill toward ruin and destruction—to be led astray by the mercy of God when she is brought to desire virtue. Having received the light of the knowledge of God in mind and heart, as I said, she is no longer able to find her old path. — COMMENTARY ON Hosea 2:22 Cyril of Alexandria: Since she [Israel] is accessible like a well-watered land to the herds of demons, he [the Lord] promises to treat her as a wilderness.… He will display it to their desires as an austere, untrodden and waterless place, so that finding no resting place they will despise it and depart. — COMMENTARY ON Hosea 2:22 Cyril of Alexandria: We who have Christ, the author of necessary things dwelling inside the heart, were at once enriched in every kind of virtue, and in the abundant and inalienable possession of the spiritual gifts.… He promises to speak in her heart. For the synagogue of the Judeans, exactly as the church from the nations, will be called to awareness by taking into mind the divine laws inscribed through the Spirit. — COMMENTARY ON Hosea 2:23 Jerome: "Therefore behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her. And I will give her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope." LXX: "Therefore, behold, I will seduce her, and bring her into the wilderness, and I will speak to her heart." Because we have said "to open hope," and the Septuagint translated "to open his understanding," Symmachus interpreted it "into the door of hope," that is, "into the gateway of hope," Theodotion "to renew her patience," that is, "to open her expectation." After the disgrace of Jerusalem, or the whore of Judaea, was revealed in the eyes of her lovers, and the entire solemnity had ceased, whether drought or hail had corrupted the vineyard and fig tree, and reduced it to forests and barren trees devoured by beasts, and the Lord had inflicted torture and torment on her; for she had ignited incense for the demons of the Baals, and did not believe that she could rise from the ashes and embers anymore, then, that is, in the coming of His Son Christ, he will open up the hope of salvation and provide room for repentance, and he will speak kindly to her: for this is what "I will give her milk" means; so that, after the magnitude of punishments, he may assuage her earlier pains with the promise of prosperity. "And I will lead her," he said, "into solitude," that is, I will bring her out of hardships, just as I had led [the people] out of Egyptian slavery previously: "and I will speak to her heart" gentle words, consoling words, so that I may temper sadness with joy, according to the idiom of the Scriptures, by which words Sichem spoke to Dinah's heart (Gen. 34), and Joseph in Egypt to his sad and fearful brothers (Gen. 40), so that mourning may be changed into joy. Quod sequitur. — Commentary on Hosea 2:14 Julian of Eclanum: Speaking directly to the heart indicates the promulgation of the law, which shaped the hearts of the listener. — COMMENTARY ON Hosea 1:2 Cyril of Alexandria: Whatever is necessary for life and understanding of God's knowledge in Christ, through whom and in whom we saw the Father, enriched in unfading hope—as I said, in glory, pride of adoption, of grace and of reigning together with Christ himself—these are the possessions of the saints; this is the heavenly wealth. — COMMENTARY ON Hosea 2:23 Cyril of Alexandria: [Israel] will be humble and obedient just as in the beginning, when she was born to the knowledge of God through the law and gladly received the decree of the divine adoption. Accordingly, he calls the regeneration to the knowledge of God through the law the "days [of her youth]." — COMMENTARY ON Hosea 2:25 Jerome: "And I will give him its vineyards, from the same place." Because He had previously spoken of flattery and the loneliness of those who left from Egypt, providing it as a similar example. In this example Moses and Aaron had stood as leaders of the Jews, who came from the same people. Now, He promises that he will give him the vineyards from the same place. The vineyard refers to Israel, which is attested by Scripture in both the Old Testament and the New: "The vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel" (Isaiah 5:7) and "You brought a vine out of Egypt" (Psalms 80:8). And in the Gospel (Matt. XXI). The father of the family leased his vineyard and did not receive its fruits. And after his son was killed, he leased it to other vinedressers. Therefore, this prophetic saying promises that the leaders of this vineyard, going out from the nations and captives of the enemies or vices, themselves are of the race of Jews, that is, apostles: and the place of tumult and the valley of turmoil, for this is what "Achor" means, is changed into the gate of hope, or to open up hope and patience, which is why he endured punishments and torments, so that through them he could attain prosperity. But the valley called "Achor," in which Achan was killed for stealing those things which had been consecrated to God, is interpreted as "trouble" and "tumult": and some think that it means διαστροφὴ, that is, "perversity," Jesus himself interpreting when he spoke to Achan: "Because you have troubled us, the Lord shall trouble you in this day" (Joshua VII, 23). Hence that place was called Emec Achor, that is, "the valley of trouble." At the same time, we understand in this that at the beginning of the Promised Land near Jericho, when the people came out of the wilderness because of the Jordan, the sorrow was changed into joy with the first victory of the Israelites. There hope was opened where there had been despair: so that, with these punished who have sinned in Christ and committed sacrilege, they may be saved of those who have detested blasphemous Jews and killed them as much as they could. This circumcision and our Judaizers refer to the kingdom of a thousand years, which we see in the beginning to have been completed by the apostles, preachers and many thousands of believers from Israel, and which is fulfilled daily in those who want to believe. And what we said: "I will cherish her," and 70 translated: "I will seduce her," they refer to the time of the Antichrist: so that those who have not received the truth of Christ may receive his lie, and later, with Christ's coming, be saved. "And he will sing there beside the days of his youth, and beside the days of his ascension from the land of Egypt." LXX: "And he shall be humbled according to the days of his infancy, and according to the days of his ascension from the land of Egypt." In the place where we have put "he will sing," and the LXX translated, "he shall be humbled," it is written in Hebrew "Anatha," which Symmachus interpreted as "he shall be afflicted," Theodotion "he shall answer," Aquila "he shall obey," that is, ὑπακούσει: we take more literally from the Hebrew, that is, "he shall sing;" so that because he had once placed the agitation and leading into the wilderness, and the vintners from the same place, and the valley of Achor, and the whole history of those leaving Egypt and going to the holy land in a brief sentence, now also he keeps the likeness of the story. Just as in that time, when they were leaving the land of Egypt and Pharaoh was submerged in the Red Sea, Mary grabbed a timbrel and, leading the others, rejoiced and said: "Let us sing to the Lord, for he is greatly glorified: horse and rider he has thrown into the sea" (Exodus 15:1): so now too, according to the days of her youth or adolescence, when she departed from the land of Egypt, let her sing and rejoice, and let her sing with the choirs of the Church about the kingdom of Christ and her salvation. And take notice that when we depart from Egypt, and pass over to better things, we are said to ascend: because Jerusalem is situated on hills, from which he who wished to descend to Jericho was wounded (Luke X). But to those who seek the aids of Egypt, that is, of this world, it is said: "Woe to them that go down into Egypt for help" (Isa. XXXI, 1). The translation of Aquila and Theodotion, one of whom put ὑπακούσει, that is, "he will hear," the other ἀποκριθήσεται, that is, "he will answer," makes it so that while some sing others answer. "But" he shall be "humbled" and "afflicted," which the LXX and Symmachus translated, does not fit the time of joy, unless perhaps it imitates Paul, who after being called an apostle, laments his ancient sins, and says that he is unworthy of the call of an apostle, because he persecuted the Church of God (I Cor. XV): so that humiliation and affliction in the conscience of past wounds, are not accepted in the pain of present evils. — Commentary on Hosea 2:15 Theodoret of Cyrus: Just as those at that early time have learned through Achan's punishment how serious is the transgression of the law, in the same manner these will come to the realization of their own trespasses through the captivity. — COMMENTARY ON Hosea 2 Jerome: And it shall be in that day, saith the Lord, I will call my servant, and I will not call him any more Baalim: and I will take away the names of Baalim out of his mouth, and he shall no more remember their names." Similarly the LXX. Ninus, the son of Belus, is reported by all the Greek and Barbarian historians to have been the first who reigned over all Asia, and to have founded the city of Nineveh, called by the Hebrews Ninus, after his own name: his wife was Semiramis, of whom many and wonderful things are related; she built the walls of Babylon, as the famous poet testifies (Ovid. Metam. IV, 58), saying: It is said that Semiramis once encircled the city with sea-fished brick. He fought a great battle against Zoroaster, the king of the Bactrians, and achieved such glory that he referred to his father Bel as God, who is called Bel in Hebrew and in many prophets, especially in Daniel according to Theodotion, under the name of the idol of Babylon. The Sidonians and Phoenicians call him Baal ( ): for between the consonant letters Beth and Lamed, the vocal letter Ain is placed, which, according to the peculiarity of their language, is read now as "Beel," now as "Baal". Therefore even Dido, a Sidonian of royal birth, when she had received Aeneas as a guest, poured wine in this cup to Jupiter, "whom Belus and all from Belus's stock." We have learned the origin of a demon, or rather of a man consecrated into a demon: for all idols grew from the error of the dead. Let us hear the remainder: In the Hebrew and Syrian language, Baal is interpreted by "having," that is, "having." If we want to say, "having me," let us say Baali: and among both nations, they call their husbands their "Baali," that is, "my husband," which is understood as, "having me:" and it is the meaning, he who has me in marriage. The same language of the Hebrews is called "vir is": wherefore also the wife, who is taken from the man, is called in Genesis "Issa" (Gen. II, 1), as though from "vir": a woman. Therefore, what the Lord says is this: with each word, he should be called "my husband" or "my spouse" both with Issi and Baali, however I hate the names of idols so much that even what can be said well, I do not want to be said on account of the ambiguity of the word, but to be called Issi more than Baali: lest, while speaking of one, he should remember the other, and while mentioning a husband [virum nominans], think of an idol. Forgive the obscurity which arises in three ways: either from the difficulty of the subject, or from the incompleteness of the teacher, or from the young age of the learner. For I should not make sport of the Hebrew prophet while delivering oratorical declamations, nor should I sing in the Asian style in stories and conclusions, but with your prayerful aid and incredible dedication to learning, I will reveal what is hidden. Finally, Aquila says, a diligent and curious interpreter: "He will call me his man, and he will not call me anymore having me," that is, Baal. — Commentary on Hosea 2:16-17 Jerome: And I will strike a deal with them in that day, with the beasts of the field and with the birds of the sky and with the creeping things of the ground; and I will shatter from the land, the bow, the sword, and war. And I will cause them to sleep with security. (LXX) And I will make a covenant with them in that day, with the beasts of the field, and with the birds of the sky, and with the creeping things of the earth; and I will break the bow, and the sword, and war out of the land, and I will cause them to dwell in hope. When all the words of the opposing religion have been taken away from the people confessing the Lord, and he calls me, "my husband," and not "Baal," that is, "my idol," then I will strike a deal and agreement with them with the beasts of the field and the birds of the sky and with the creeping things on the ground. From this time on, Isaiah speaks: "The wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the goat. The calf, the lion, and the sheep will live together, and a small child will lead them all. The calf and the bear will graze and their young will rest together. The lion will eat straw like an ox." (Isaiah 11:6-7) He desires neither flesh nor blood, but feeds on clean and simple foods. When Peter was instructed to welcome Cornelius among the nations (Acts 10:15), it was revealed and commanded that he should eat all kinds of animals and recognize nothing as unclean, which he received with thanksgiving. Later, he was told: "What God has cleansed, you must not call common." (Ephesians 2:1). Therefore, at the coming of the Lord and Savior, after his triumphs in the resurrection, and his ascent to the Father, two walls were joined together by a corner stone, made one by him who made both ("Al." both): and he called her who was called, "Without mercy, mercy obtained": and those who were said, "Not my people," his people: and with all things pacified, the bow and sword shall be brought to nothing, and war shall cease. For there will no longer be a need for weapons of those who fight, when those who fight no more exist. Israel shall be joined to the Gentiles, and that of Deuteronomy shall be fulfilled: "Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people" (Deut. 32:43). "God is known in Judah; his name is great in Israel." And: "In peace his habitation shall be, and his dwelling in Sion" (Psalms 75), that is, in the Church, wherein he hath broken the powers of bows, shield, sword, and battle: which being broken and bruised, the faithful sleep securely, and rest under one shepherd, whether they hope, believing in those things which the eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man, which God hath prepared for them that love him (1 Cor. 2). — Commentary on Hosea 2:18 John Chrysostom: For He hath come as a Physician, not as a Judge. Therefore in like manner as those of old took harlots for wives, even so God too espoused unto Himself the nature which had played the harlot: and this also prophets from the beginning declare to have taken place with respect to the Synagogue. But that spouse was ungrateful towards Him who had been an husband to her, whereas, the Church, when once delivered from the evils received from our fathers, continued to embrace the Bridegroom. — HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF Matthew 3:5 Ambrose of Milan: You have wisely thought it a subject of inquiry, whether there be any difference in God's love towards those who have believed from their childhood, and those who have believed in the course of their youth or more advanced age; for this also has not been past over nor left unnoticed in the sacred Scriptures. For it is not without meaning that the Lord our God says to the Prophet Joel, Lament to me for the spouse girded with sackcloth and for the husband of her youth, expressing his grief for the Synagogue, who, before, in her virginity, had been espoused to the Word of God, or, it may be, for a soul which had fallen from her good deeds, that by the heinousness of her sins she had incurred hatred, and through the defilement of impiety and the stains of unbelief had become miserable and despised, and far removed from the grace of that Spouse which had before been counted worthy to be told, I will betroth thee unto Me in righteousness and in judgment and in loving kindness and in mercies. — Letter 31 Jerome: How great is God's mercy! A prostitute fornicates with many lovers, and because of her offense is handed over to the beasts. After she returns to her husband, she is said not at all to be reconciled to him but rather to be betrothed. Now notice the difference between God's union and that of men. When a man marries, he turns a virgin into a woman—that is, a nonvirgin. But when God joins with prostitutes, he changes them into virgins. — COMMENTARY ON Hosea 1:2 Jerome: First, he [God] betrothed her [Israel] in Abraham (or rather, in Egypt) so that he may have an everlasting spouse. Second, on Mount Sinai in the betrothal, he gave her the equity and judgment of the law and the compassion added to the law, so that whenever she should sin she would be given up into captivity; whenever she should show penitence, she would be brought back to [her] homeland, and she would gain compassion.… By his crucifixion and resurrection from the dead, he [Jesus] betroths [her] not in the equity of the law but rather in faith and the grace of the gospel. — COMMENTARY ON Hosea 1:2 Jerome: "And I will espouse thee to me forever: and I will espouse thee to me in justice, and judgment, and in mercy, and in compassion. And I will espouse thee to me in faith: and thou shalt know that I am the Lord." Similarly in the Septuagint. Oh, what great mercy of God! The prostitute who has fornicated with many lovers, and was handed over to the beasts because of her crime; after she returns to her husband, though she is not reconciled to him, she is betrothed. And see what is between the conjunction of God and men: when a man accepts a wife, he makes a woman from a virgin, that is, not a virgin; Moreover, God, united with harlots, changes them into virgins, according to what is said through Jeremiah regarding adulteresses: "Not as thou hast called me, acknowledging me for thy master, and truly, he that is the protector of thy virginity" (Jer. III, 4). So the apostle, after fornication and idol worship, speaks to the Corinthians who believe: "For I have espoused you to one man, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ." (II Cor. XI, 2). We ask why he repeated the name of betrothal for the third time. For he says first: "I will betroth you to me forever." Second: "I will betroth you to me in righteousness and judgment, and in mercy and compassion." And not content with this, he adds the third: "I will betroth you to me in faith, and you shall know that I am the Lord." He betrothed her first in Abraham, or in Egypt, in order to have an eternal wife. Second on Mount Sinai, giving her the justice and judgment of the Law as a dowry, and joined to the Law mercy if when she sins, she should be delivered into captivity, when she has repented, she shall be recalled unto her country and obtain mercy. Concerning these betrothals in various places the psalmist sings: "I will sing of mercy and judgment to you, O Lord" (Psalms 102:2). And: "Mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other" (Psalms 85:10). We read of these two cups in the seventy-fourth psalm: "The cup in the Lord's hand, full of mixed wine, he inclined from this to that" - of the cup of justice into the cup of mercy, and again of the cup of mercy into the cup of justice. "If you, O Lord, will mark iniquities, Lord, who shall endure it? For with you there is merciful forgiveness." Therefore, this harlot, who had been first united in eternal embrace by the vow of her spouse, so as never to depart from the marital bond, because she departed and committed fornication in Egypt, is again received by the Law. And because he passed by this, after killing the prophets as if they were companions of her spouse (who had been sent to her), finally the Son of God, the Lord Jesus, came. With this crucified one, rising from the dead, she is betrothed not in the justice of the Law but in the faith and grace of the Gospel, so that when she knows the only-begotten, she may also know the Father. For he himself said to Philip: 'I am with you for so long a time, and you have not known me?' 'Philip, he who sees me, sees also my Father; how do you say, show us the Father? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in me?' (John 14:10-11). He who is espoused in faith and believes in the Gospel, will immediately know that he himself is a God, believing in him whom he had previously denied. — Commentary on Hosea 2:19 John Cassian: The sixth degree of chastity is that he not be deluded by the alluring images of women even when asleep. For although we do not believe that this delusion is sinful, nonetheless it is an indication of a desire that is still deeply ingrained. It is evident that this delusion can occur in a number of ways. For each person is tempted, even while asleep, according to how he behaves and thinks while awake. Those who have known sexual intercourse are led astray in one way, those who have had no part in union with a woman in another way. The latter are usually disturbed by simpler and purer dreams, such that they can be cleansed more easily and with less effort. But the former are deceived by filthier and more explicit images until, gradually and according to the measure of chastity for which each is struggling, even the mind that has fallen asleep learns to hate what it used to find pleasurable, and, through the prophet, the Lord grants it what is promised to brave men as the highest reward for their labors: "I will destroy the bow and the sword and war from your land, and I will make you sleep securely." — CONFERENCE 12:7.4–5 Peter Chrysologus: A betrothed woman was chosen, so that Christ's church might already be symbolically indicated as bride, according to the words of the prophet Hosea: "I will make you my bride in justice and right; I will make you my bride in mercy and benevolence, and I will espouse you in fidelity." Thus John says, "He who has a bride is the bridegroom." And blessed Paul: "I have promised you to one bridegroom, to present you to Christ as a chaste virgin." She is truly a bride who regenerates the new infancy of Christ by a virginal birth. — SERMON 146 Jerome: "And it shall come to pass in that day: I will hear, saith the Lord, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth. And the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil, and they shall hear Jezrael. And I will sow her unto me in the earth, and I will have mercy on her that was without mercy. And I will say to that which was not my people: Thou art my people: and they shall say: Thou art my God." LXX: "And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth; and the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil; and they shall hear Jezreel. And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God." On that day and at that time when I will espouse you to me in faith, and you will know that I am the Lord, I will hear the heavens, which declare the glory of God (Ps. 18), and the heavens will hear the earth, that it may be watered with heavenly rain, and the earth, from which truth arises (Ps. 84) , and into whose field the householder goes forth to sow his seeds (Matt. 13, 3), will yield wheat and wine and oil, of which we have spoken above, and all these things shall hear Jezrael, which is, the seed of God, that is, the abundance and fertility of all things may be attributed to the seed of God, who is Christ, that it is sown in the earth to bring forth manifold fruits, a hundredfold, sixtyfold, and thirtyfold (Ibid, 8). And that prostitute, who had been joined to God, and had borne three children, two males and one female; the first named Jezrael, the second, Without mercy; the third, not my people, may she see that the words of things have been changed because of the seed of God, and in the faith of Christ have obtained mercy, which was without mercy, and being called the people of God, who before were not called the people. From this we see that all that has been said can be referred both to the ten tribes called Israel, and under the name of the prostitute, they have borne three children, and to every people of Jewish name. On the hearing of heaven and earth, and of wheat, wine, and oil, and Jezrael, this is what some people believe, that after Christ's coming, everything runs in its own order, and the whole creature serves the usefulness of men, as it was established from the beginning. All of which Jews and Judaizers among us wait for corporally after Antichrist at the end of the world. — Commentary on Hosea 2:20-23 Ambrose of Milan: And not only is the operation of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit everywhere one but also there is one and the same will, calling, and giving of commands, which one may see in the great and saving mystery of the Church. For as the Father called the Gentiles to the Church, saying: "I will call her My people which was not My people, and her beloved who was not beloved;" and elsewhere: "My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations," so, too, the Lord Jesus said that Paul was chosen by Him to call forth and gather together the Church, as you find it said by the Lord Jesus to Ananias: "Go, for he is a chosen vessel unto Me to bear My name before all nations." As, then, God the Father called the Church, so, too, Christ called it, and so, too, the Spirit called it, saying: "Separate Me Paul and Barnabas for the work to which I have called them." "So," it is added, "having fasted and prayed, they laid hands on them and sent them forth. And they, being sent forth by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia." So Paul received the apostleship by the will not only of Christ, but also of the Holy Spirit, and hastened to gather together the Gentiles. — On the Holy Spirit 2:10.101-102 Aphrahat the Persian Sage: And the holy people inherited an eternal kingdom; the holy people who were chosen instead of the people. For "he provoked them to jealousy with a people that was not a people. And with a foolish people he angered them." For even if one has served the heathen, as soon as ever he draws near to the covenant of God, he is set free. The Gentiles are the new people chosen by God to replace the people of the old covenant as foretold by the prophet. — DEMONSTRATIONS 5:23 Bede: "You who were once not a people but now are the people of God, who did not seek after mercy but now have received mercy." By these verses he indicates clearly that he has written this letter to those who had come from the Gentiles to the faith, who were once separated from the way of life of the people of God but then through the grace of faith were joined to his people and obtained the mercy that they did not know how to hope for. He takes them, however, from the prophet Hosea, who predicted the calling of the Gentiles and said, "I shall call [those who were] not my people my people and [those who did] not receive mercy [a people] having received mercy. And it will be in the place where it was said, 'You are not my people,' there they will be called sons of the living God." — Commentary on the Catholic Epistles, 1 Peter 2:10 John Chrysostom: Having then given to the question that answer which was furnished by facts, in order to give his discourse the advantage of other testimony in its favor, he introduces the prophets also making the same declarations aforetime. For Hosea, he says, of old put this in writing, as follows: "I will call them My people, which were not My people; and her beloved, which was not beloved." Here to prevent their saying, that you are deceiving us here with specious reasoning, he calls Hosea to witness, who crieth and saith, "I will call them My people, who were not My people." Who then are the not-people? Plainly, the Gentiles. And who the not-beloved? The same again. However, he says, that they shall become at once people, and beloved, and sons of God. "For even they shall be called," he says, "the children of the living God." But if they should assert that this was said of those of the Jews who believed, even then the argument stands. For if with those who after so many benefits were hard-hearted and estranged, and had lost their being as a people, so great a change was wrought, what is there to prevent even those who were not estranged after being taken to Him, but were originally aliens, from being called, and, provided they obey, from being counted worthy of the same blessings? Having then done with Hosea, he does not content himself with him only, but also brings Isaiah in after him, sounding in harmony with him. — HOMILIES ON Romans 16 Origen of Alexandria: Next the promise of God is said for those who hear; if they do what is "commanded: And you will be my people and I will be your God." Not everyone who says they are a people of God are "a people" of God. Hence, that people who were proclaimed to be a people of God heard, "You are not my people," in the passage, "Therefore you are not my people." And it has been said to that people you are "not my people." Elsewhere this people was called a "people," for "they have provoked me to jealousy with what is not God"—he speaks concerning the former—"they have provoked me with their idols. So I will provoke them to jealousy with those who are not a people, with a senseless nation I will provoke them." — HOMILIES ON Jeremiah 9:4 Jerome: And the Lord said to me: Go still, love the beloved woman to a friend and an adulteress, just as the Lord loves the children of Israel, and they respect (look at) foreign gods, and they love "wine presses of grapes." (Vulgate "they look at") LXX: "And the Lord said to me: Go still and love the woman loving evil and an adulteress, just as the Lord loves the children of Israel, and they look (respect) to foreign gods, and they love baked goods with wine." The prophet was joined with the former woman as a symbol of the ten tribes, or the whole Jewish people, who committed adultery, and finally brought the abandoned and tortured children to salvation: here he is commanded to still love the adulterous woman. When it is said, 'still,' it shows that he has previously loved fornication: whether that adulteress loves those evils or is loved by a friend and neighbor: For the Hebrew word 'friend' or 'evil' is read. And lest we think that the love of the prophet is for the adulteress, it signifies something other than the love of God for the children of Israel, he brought it in: Just as the Lord loves the children of Israel. Therefore, because the prophet loves the adulteress, yet is not joined to her in marriage, nor is he linked in fornication, but only loves the transgressor, he is a type of God, who loves the most wicked children of Israel, who, though they are loved by the Lord, look to foreign gods and idols and love the grapes of the vineyards that have no wine, and have lost their original grace, just like demons who have fallen from their own dignity and possessing nothing of ancient grace, they are dry and withered by old dryness. From the 'vineyards,' which in Hebrew is called Asise. Aquila translated it as παλαιὰ, that is, 'old.' Symmachus [translated it as] ἀκάρπους, that is, 'sterile:' and they are not only vineyards, but also old vineyards, that ancient sins may be test. And it should be noted that this adulteress signifies the present time of the Jews, who without God and knowledge of the Scriptures and the grace of the Holy Spirit, are loved by the Lord, who awaits salvation for all, and opens the door to those who repent, and they nevertheless love useless things, loving human traditions and dreams of δευτερωσέων and do not have grapes and wine and full presses with must, but old vineyards that are rejected. Regarding "pemmatibus" which the 70 translated, and are eaten with raisins or grapes, we can say in Latin "placentas" or "crustula," which are offered to idols and are called πόπανα in Greek. But the children of Israel in this place are called twelve tribes; above the ten that were in Samaria and possessed the metropolis, Jezrael. — Commentary on Hosea 3:1 Ambrose of Milan: These then are that seven and eight whereof Hosea says that by that number he purchased to himself, and acquired the fulness of faith, for thus it is written, So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for an homer of barley, and an half homer of barley, and a measure of wine. But in the former verses God had commanded him to hire to himself an harlot, and it is manifest that he did so, in that he has mentioned the price of her hiring. Now the fifteen pieces of silver are made up of the numbers seven and eight, wherefore they represent these numbers. — Letter 44:7 Jerome: "And I dug it for myself for fifteen pieces of silver, and a cor of barley, and half a cor of barley, and I said to her." The LXX reads, "And I brought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and a gomor of barley, and a vessel of wine, and I said to her." Gomor in Hebrew is written Omer, which all interpreters, except the LXX, have translated as "cor". In Greek, especially in the dialect of Palestine, it represents thirty modii. And for nebel vini, in Hebrew it is written Lethech Seorim, which other interpreters have translated as "half a cor of barley," which constitutes fifteen modii. That which is joined in the Vulgate edition: "Neither will you be the husband of another: (you will be) the other" is not present in Hebrew, but simply, "You will not be the husband." For if "another" is inserted, it implies that she belongs to her own husband. However, when it is said absolutely, "You will not be the husband" we understand that she is not connected to anyone at all, and remains without marital union. We read the measurement of the heart in Ezekiel (Ezek. XLV) and in the Gospel (Luke XXVI). Therefore he, that is the adulterer, dug it himself, or hired it for fifteen pieces of silver. When he says 'dig,' he is showing the vineyard, which is planted by the Lord, and is put in many places in Scripture, signifying the Jewish people. But if we read 'I hired,' it is the price of an adulteress, not that he should sleep with a prophet, but that, content with her wages, she should stop committing adultery and not be joined with others indiscriminately. The heart of barley is also dug or hired, and with half a measure of barley, that is, forty-five bushels, accepted as payment, he heard from the Lord: — Commentary on Hosea 3:2 Jerome: And how shall I speak of the whore married by the prophet? She is the figure either of the church as gathered in from the Gentiles, or—an interpretation that better suits the passage—of the synagogue. She, Israel, was first adopted from among the idolaters by Abraham and Moses. She has now denied the Savior and proved unfaithful to him. Therefore she has long been deprived of her altar, priests and prophets and has to abide many days to return to her first husband. For when the faithfulness of the Gentiles shall be fulfilled, all Israel shall be saved. — LETTER 123:13 Jerome: "You shall wait for many days for me: you shall not fornicate, and you shall not be a man's wife; but I will also wait for you." LXX: "You shall sit for many days with me, and you shall not fornicate, nor be with another man, and I to you." This means, you will not shamefully prostitute yourself to other lovers, nor will you join me, the man whom you are hired by, in legitimate marriage. And so that you do not think that an injustice has been done to you because I said "you will wait for me," I will repay in kind by saying "and I will wait for you." On the fifteenth day of the month of Nisan, the firstborn of the Egyptians were struck, and the people of Israel were led out of Egypt and hired into the service of God (Exodus XII). Finally, for the firstborn of Israel who did not feel the common plague, receive five shekels of silver (Num. III), which are offered as a gift to the temple. Most of our people refer "fifteen" to the week of the Law, and "eight" to the Gospel, that is, the Sabbath and the day of resurrection, which exercises spiritual circumcision. But how can they explain the Testament if the adulterous woman, who feeds on barley and is another man's, receives both as a reward? On the forty-fifth day, the people reached Mount Sinai and immediately on the next day separated themselves from sexual relations for three days in order to prepare to receive God's law. After three days, on the fiftieth day, Moses ascended the mountain and received the Ten Commandments. The Jewish people, who were once brought for fifteen pieces of silver and forty-five bushels of barley, now await the coming of the Lord and his man. And that which he says: "Thou shalt not commit fornication, and thou shalt not be a man," shows that at the time being she does not serve idols, nor yet has God; but rather be stripped for both lovers and a man. And because she has no man, she does not eat human food, wheat and pulse, but barley of irrational animals, ruminating the vileness of the letter that kills, and not having the enlivening spirit. Whence, in the law, a woman who is accused of adultery by her husband, in the drink of accusation, that is, "conviction," when charged with sin, takes barley meal (Num. 5) , for she is like the horses and mules, which have no understanding (Ps. 32) , and are sustained with the food of horses and mules. For half a bushel of barley, the Septuagint translated 'a skin of wine,' which is not in the Hebrew at all. And we can say that in 'a skin of wine,' that is, a measure full and completely intoxicated adulteress, is afflicted with full punishments. Hence, Jeremiah offers the cup of wine to the peoples and Jerusalem as well (Jer. 15). A man also sits, or rather waits for the repentance of the adulteress, so that when the fullness of the Gentiles has entered and the last of Israel will believe, so that the head, which had been the tail, will be turned into a head and the tail into a head (Deut. 28), then there will be one flock and one shepherd. — Commentary on Hosea 3:3 Jerome: "For many days the children of Israel shall sit without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an altar, and without an ephod, and without teraphim. And after these things the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord their God and David their king: and they shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days." LXX: "For many days the children of Israel shall sit without a king, without a prince, without sacrifice, without an altar, without priesthood, without manifestations" (which in Greek are called δήλοι). "And after this the children of Israel shall return, and shall seek the Lord their God, and David their king: and they shall be astonished at the Lord, and at his goodness in the latter days." For "ephod" and "teraphim" the Septuagint have translated "sacerdotium," meaning "priesthood," and "manifestations." However, it should be known, as we have frequently said, that "ephod" signifies a priestly garment, which is called in the LXX by the word βαθύπεταλον, meaning "superhumeral," and by Aquila it is called ἐπένδυμα, meaning "outer garment." But "teraphim" properly denote μορφώματα, that is "figures" and "images," which we can, for the present place only, call "Cherubim" and "Seraphim," or any others which were commanded to be made for the decoration of the temple. But because the seventy have translated the clear things, for which Aquila translated (introduced) enlightenments. And these indeed are the (meanings) in the "Rational" account, that is, we understand that in the heart and mind of the bishop, truth and enlightenments, that is, "truth" ought to be, as well as "doctrine": so that he may not only know the correct faith but also be able to utter what he knows. Which Apostle Paul also writes to Titus, teaching what kind of bishop ought to be ordained: "For a bishop must be without crime as the dispenser of God, not proud, not irritable, not given to wine, not a striker, not greedy for filthy lucre: But hospitable, kind, sober, just, holy, continent, embracing him who is according to the "sound doctrine, faithful in speech, so he may be able to exhort in sound doctrine, and to contradict those who oppose it" (Titus 1: 7-9). We read of the ephod and theraphim in the book of Judges (Chapters 17 and 18), which the Levites made for themselves; later on, they departed with 600 armed men from the tribe of Dan. From the passion of the Savior until the present day, a little over 400 years have elapsed, and as for how much time remains until the day of judgment, neither the angels nor the Son know. He says that he doesn't know for this reason, because it is not beneficial for us to learn. These are indeed many days on which the unfortunate Synagogue and adulterous woman are fed with barley, and sits contracted, because she cannot stand with Christ. Without a king, of whom the Father said: "I have raised up a king with justice" (Isa. XLV, 13). And He himself says in the Psalm: "But I am appointed king by him over his holy mount Zion" (Psal. II, 6). Without a prince, either the Lord and Savior Himself, or certainly a pontiff, of whom it is written: "Thou shalt not revile the princes of thy people." (Exod. XXII). And without sacrifice, and without altar. For with the temple overthrown, and Jerusalem burned, neither sacrifice nor Judaic priesthood can exercise. And without ephod and without teraphim, that is, the instruments of the priestly habit. Concerning this king and Jacob in the blessing of Judah the patriarch speaks: "The leader shall not fail from Juda, nor the ruler from his thigh, till he come that is to be sent, and he shall be the expectation of nations." (Gen. XLIX, 10) Therefore, after the prince of Judah had fallen, and the leader from his thigh, and Herod, a foreigner and proselyte, had taken over the empire, we understand that someone has come to whom the kingdom was entrusted, and he himself was the expectation of the nations. This is the blindness that happened in part to Israel, so that the fullness of the Gentiles might enter, and then all Israel would be saved (Romans 11): and later they will return and seek the Lord their God, and David their king, who was born from David's lineage and interprets "strong by hand." For he himself freed his captive people and gave remission to the prisoners. And when the children of Israel shall see him that was rejected by his own brethren reigning in the majesty of his Father and his own, they shall fear and marvel at the Lord and at his good things. For the good son is born of a good father, whether to the good things of the Lord spoken of by the saint: "I believe to see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living" (Ps. 26:13): for the earth in which we dwell, sinners, is the land of the dead. The present chapter, among others of the Jews, is interpreted concerning the Babylonian captivity, when the temple was desolate for seventy years, and there was no altar, sacrifice, or priesthood, but afterwards they returned to their former seats under Zorobabel. Others, like us, delay for the future time ("they abandon" "Al.") and they cannot find any other cause of such a great offense that they have been abandoned for such a long time, especially since they do not worship idols, except for the killing of the Savior. — Commentary on Hosea 3:4-5 Origen of Alexandria: I ask, therefore, on what day the heavenly manna began to be given. I wish to compare our Lord's day with the sabbath of the Jews. For the divine Scriptures it appears that manna was first given on earth on the Lord's day. For if, as Scripture says, it was gathered for six consecutive days, but on the seventh day, which is the sabbath, it was stopped, without doubt it began on the first day, which is the Lord's day. But if it is plain from divine Scriptures that on the Lord's day God rained manna and on the sabbath he did not, let the Jews understand that already at that time our Lord's day was preferred to the Jewish sabbath. Even then it was revealed that on their own sabbath no grace of God descended to them from the sky; no bread of heaven, which is the Word of God, came to them. For a prophet also says elsewhere, "The sons of Israel will sit for many days without a king, without a prince, without a prophet, without a victim, without a sacrifice, without a priest." On our Lord's day, however, the Lord always rains manna from the sky. — HOMILIES ON Exodus 7 Origen of Alexandria: For the prophecy was fulfilled that had declared, "For the children of Israel shall abide many days without king and prince. There shall be no victim, nor altar, nor priesthood, nor answers." These testimonies, accordingly, we employ against those who presume to assert that what is spoken in Genesis by Jacob refers to Judah. They say that there still remains a prince of the race of Judah—he, namely, who is the prince of their nation, whom they style patriarch—and that there cannot fail [a ruler] of his seed, who will remain until the advent of that Christ whom they picture themselves. But if the prophet's words are true when he says, "The children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, without prince; and there shall be no victim, nor altar, nor priesthood," and if, certainly, since the overthrow of the temple, victims are neither offered, nor any altar found, nor any priesthood exists. So it is most certain that, as it is written, princes have departed from Judah and a leader from between his thighs, until the coming of him for whom it has been reserved. It is established, then, that he has indeed come from whom it has been reserved and in whom is the expectation of the Gentiles. And this manifestly seems to be fulfilled in the multitude of those who have believed in God through Christ out of the different nations. — ON FIRST PRINCIPLES 4:1.3 Augustine of Hippo: But let us hear what Hosea goes on to say: "And after this the children of Israel shall return and shall seek the Lord their God and David their king; and they shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the last days." You will never find a prophecy plainer than this, for the name King David means Christ, who, as Paul says, "was born according to the flesh of the offspring of David." Further on still, Hosea foretold the resurrection of Christ on the third day, but in the mysterious way that is proper to prophecy. He says, "He shall heal us after two days, and on the third day we shall rise up again." This is the theme underlying the words of Paul: "Therefore if you have risen with Christ, seek the things that are above." — CITY OF GOD 18:28 Jerome: "Hear the word of the Lord, sons of Israel; for judgment is for the Lord with the inhabitants of the earth: for there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. Cursed, and lying, and murder, and theft, and adultery have overflowed: and blood has touched blood." LXX: "Hear the word of the Lord, sons of Israel; for judgment is for the Lord with the inhabitants of the earth: for there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God over the earth. Curse, and lying, and murder, and theft, and adultery have been spilt over the earth, and they have mixed blood with blood." From the beginning of the prophet to this point, under the description of a prostitute and an adulteress, whose punishment is severe and long-lasting, a later restoration to their former or a better state is made for the ten tribes or two, and the sins of all are counted. Again now to Israel, that is, the speech turns to the ten tribes, explaining that God, angered, does not threaten and inflict such great punishments in vain: lest perhaps the sentence be not seen to have been passed justly, but by the power of God on those who have not sinned. Hear, said the prophet, the word of the Lord, O sons of Israel: for the Lord desires to judge with his people and to expose the reasons for his anger. There is no truth, and there is no mercy, and there is no knowledge of God in the land. For truth cannot be sustained without mercy, and mercy without truth makes the negligent; therefore, the one is mingled with the other, and whoever does not have either also does not have knowledge of God. But on the contrary, for truth there is falsehood, and for mercy there is cursing, murder, theft, adultery. He did not say, "there is"; but to demonstrate the abundance of sins, he uses the expression, "they have inundated" (Al. "they have overflowed"); and for the knowledge of God, which is not on earth, blood touched blood, or blood mingled with blood, so that they could increase sins with sins and add new ones to old. Indeed, those who are inhabitants of the earth and not sojourners are called to judgment: for from the face of the North evils blaze forth upon the inhabitants of the earth. And in the Apocalypse of John: Woe, woe, woe is said to the inhabitants of the earth. But he who is able to say with the prophet: "I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were" (Psa. 38:13), and passes through this world like a stranger and a sojourner, follows after truth and mercy and the knowledge of God, lest he be overwhelmed by an inundation of curses and falsehood, of murder, and theft, and adultery, and of blood. — Commentary on Hosea 4:1-2 Cyril of Jerusalem: After Moses, prophets were sent to heal Israel. But in their exercise of healing they deplored the fact that they could not overcome evil, so that one of them says, "The faithful are gone from the earth, among men the upright are no more," and again, "All alike have gone astray; they have become perverse; there is not one who does good, not even one." And again, "Cursing, and theft, and adultery, and killing have overflowed" upon the land. "They sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons." They engaged themselves in auguries and enchantments and divinations; and again, "they fastened their garments with cords and hung veils next to the altar." — CATECHETICAL LECTURE 12:6 Jerome: Therefore the earth will mourn, and all who dwell in it will be weakened: in the beast of the field and in the bird of the sky, and even the fish of the sea will be gathered. " LXX: "Therefore the earth will mourn and be diminished with all who dwell in it, with the beasts of the field," "with the serpents of the earth, and with the birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea will fail." For there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God on earth, but on the contrary, curse, lying, homicide, theft, and adultery have flooded in and blood has touched blood: therefore the earth will mourn with its inhabitants, and be weakened, so that it will not have beasts of the field, and birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea will fail. For when the captivity of the ten tribes shall have come, with the inhabitant being taken away, even the beasts of the earth and the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea shall fail; and even the mute elements shall feel the wrath of the Lord. Let whoever does not believe that this happened to the people of Israel look at Illyria, look at Thrace, at Macedonia and Pannonia, and the entire land that stretches from Propontis and the Bosphorus to the Julian Alps, and they will prove that all creatures, which were previously fed by the Creator for human use, will fail along with men. But if we wish, as some think, to interpret savage men as beasts, and birds of the air as those who are lifted up in pride, and all things human as those which are contemptible, and fishes of the sea as those which are irrational, and so brutes that they have absolutely no sense, and do not see free air and sky: this is not so much the wrath as the mercy of the Lord, that the evils which are among men may be taken away from the earth. — Commentary on Hosea 4:3 Jerome: "Nevertheless, let no one judge, and let no man be accused: for thy people are as they that contradict the priest, and thou shalt fall this day, and the prophet shall fall with thee." LXX: "That no one be judged, nor anyone be rebuked: but my people are like a priest who is contradicted, and shall be weakened" "during the day, and the prophet shall be weakened with thee." According to the Septuagint interpreters, what we have placed "that no one be judged or rebuked," should be combined with the previous chapter, but we follow the Hebrews. Summoned to the judgment of God, children of Israel, who dwelt in the land so that they might hear the reasons for the indignation of the Lord, and recognize past sins for which they would be delivered to their enemies, now because they persist in wickedness and contemptuously face God, they hear: It is not necessary for you to come to judgment, so that you may be accused of your shameful deeds; for you are of such impudence, that even when convicted, you have neither shame nor modesty; but you contradict me, as if a disciple contradicts his master, the priest of the people, who does not have the dignity of priesthood. And because you are such, therefore you fall today, that is, you are led into captivity, and the kingdom of Israel is lost. What he says, "today," means the present time, or not by fraud and deceit, but by clear light you are led into captivity, and such will be your weakness that even the prophets, who used to prophesy falsehood to you, will fall with you and feel the captivity. We must accept either prophets or false prophets, or certainly all prophetic grace. For as long as the ten tribes were not captured, they had both the prophet Elijah and Elisha, and the other sons of the prophets who prophesied in Samaria. Hence the prophet Amos, who was from the tribe of Judah and from the village of Tekoa, was forced to return to his homeland, lest he prophesy in a foreign kingdom and in Samaria. — Commentary on Hosea 4:4-5 Theodore of Mopsuestia: My people are like a priest who is compromised. He has fallen from his previous dignity and does not appear worthy for any reason, just as a priest who falls into controversy would be set aside and dishonored by everyone. "And he will be weak by day." To the greatest extent he will become weak because of the upcoming evils. — COMMENTARY ON Hosea 4 Augustine of Hippo: For us too, you see, once the night of this age is done, there will be a resurrection of the flesh for the kingdom; it's the model or sample of this that has already occurred in our head. That, indeed, is why the Lord wished to rise again at night; because, in the apostle's words, "God, who commanded the light to shine out of the darkness, has shone in our hearts." So the Lord represented light shining out of darkness by being born at night and also by rising at night. Light out of darkness, in fact, is Christ out of the Jews, to whom it was said, "I have likened your mother to night." But in that nation, as it were in that night, the virgin Mary was not night but somehow or other a star of the night; which is why a star also signaled her childbearing, guiding a far distant night, that is the magi from the east, to worship the light. Thus in them too would be realized the command to "the light to shine out of darkness." — SERMON 223D.2 Augustine of Hippo: "Day continues according to your ordinance." For all these things are day: "and this is the day which the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it" and "let us walk honestly as in the day." "For all things serve you." He said "all things of some," "all" which belong to this day "serve you." For the ungodly, of whom it is said, "I have compared thy mother unto the night," do not serve you. — EXPLANATION OF THE Psalms 119:91 Cyril of Alexandria: One says that Israel will be weak not forever but for days. For it has been reserved for her a time of salvation and a return to faith. — COMMENTARY ON Hosea 3:37 Theodore of Mopsuestia: Of the ones who first made use of false predictions to deceive you, most will also themselves become weak because of the calamity that holds them back. As if they were wrapped up in some kind of night darkness, they see the pursuit of deceit, which was useless for them. — COMMENTARY ON Hosea 4 Jerome: "At night, I made your mother be silent, my people have become silent, because they have no knowledge: for you have rejected knowledge, I will reject you, and you will not serve as a priest to me; and you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your sons." LXX: "I have compared thy mother to the night, and my people to have no knowledge. Since thou hast refused knowledge, I will also refuse thee, that thou shalt not be a priest to me. Thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, and I will forget thy children." Not because there are other mothers and other sons, does she call herself mother and sons; but just as the Lord spoke to the Jewish people and said, "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets and stonest those sent to thee, how often I have desired to gather thy children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and thou didst not want it." (Matthew 23, 5). Not as another Jerusalem, and another people thereof: for it did not speak without the people to the building of the city and the wood and the stones. Thus the mother is called the crowd of the people and every multitude of the Hebrew nation, to whom it speaks: but the sons, either single or dispersed through the towns and villages of the people. Therefore in the night and darkness of captivity, mourning and pressing distress, Israel is surrendered and its people remain silent in eternal silence; because it did not have knowledge of the law, nor did it keep the commandments of God, and received what it had done. For she herself has rejected God's law, and thus she has lost the priesthood forever, and worships the golden calves in Dan and Bethel; and because she has forgotten God's law, and entirely enslaved herself to Egyptian idols, therefore the Lord will also forget her children, delivering them to eternal captivity: "For he who is ignorant, let him be ignorant." (I Cor. XIV), and in the Psalms we read: "They did not know, nor did they understand, they walked in darkness." (Ps. LXXXI, 5). We can refer everything that is said about the ten tribes to the heretics who have left the kingdom of David and Jerusalem, that is, Christ and the Church: and therefore they are covered with eternal night, they do not have the knowledge of God, and they are rejected by the Lord so that they may not perform the priesthood to him, and they never remember the children they have generated, because they have become aliens to him. — Commentary on Hosea 4:6 Jerome: "According to their abundance, so they sinned against me: I will change their glory into shame." LXX: "According to their abundance, so they sinned against me, I will turn their glory into shame." Israel had as many altars built for demons as they had men, in whose sacrifices they sinned against me. Therefore, I will exchange their glory, in which they boasted to themselves and preferred to God, into ignominy, so that both the priests and the people may be captured. It is easy to understand about heretics, that the more there are, the more they sin against God and glory in the people. — Commentary on Hosea 4:7-9 Cyril of Alexandria: They used to sacrifice goats for sin; for this reason the sacrifice was called sin. By offering a goat on the altar, the priests at the right time used to bring the intestines and the lard, and they ate the rest. This was ordered by the divine law. … "They eat the sins of my people" means they eat the offerings brought for sins. — COMMENTARY ON Hosea 3:40 Gregory the Dialogist: But we must remember without ceasing what is written about certain ones: They shall eat the sins of my people. Why are they said to eat the sins of the people, unless because they encourage the sins of transgressors, lest they lose their temporal payments? But we also who live from the offerings of the faithful, which they offered for their sins, if we eat and remain silent, we without doubt eat their sins. Let us consider, therefore, what a crime it is before God to eat the price of sins and to do nothing against sins by preaching. — Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 17 Jerome: [The priests] are feasting on the sins of my people, approving the crimes of the sinners. For when they behold them sinning, not only do they not argue but they praise and extol them, calling them fortunate. — COMMENTARY ON Hosea 1:4 Jerome: "they will eat the sins of my people, and lift up their souls to their iniquity." LXX: "they will eat the sins of my people, and receive them in their iniquities; others their souls." For indeed, the priests eat the sins of my people, concerning whom it is written: "Those who devour my people, like bread" (Psalms 13:8). And therefore they eat the sins of my people, consenting to the crimes of wrongdoers since, when they witness them sinning, not only do they not rebuke them, but they praise and exalt them and call them blessed. About whom Isaiah speaks: "My people, who call you blessed, deceive you, and they 'supplant' the paths of your feet" (Isa. III, 12). Concerning them, the Psalmist cries out: "For the sinner is praised in the desires of his soul, and the unjust is blessed" (Ps. IX, 24). And so [heretics] deceive the unfortunate, so that they may eat the sins of the people, and by sweet words devour the houses of widows (Luke XX). For when they see some sinning, they say: God seeks nothing else but the truth of faith, which if you keep, he does not care what you do. For by saying these things, they lift up their souls in their iniquities, so that they not only do not repent or humble themselves, but rejoice in their wicked deeds and walk with heads held high. — Commentary on Hosea 4:7-9 Origen of Alexandria: The text wants you to make a more daring assertion if your hearing will still follow. What is the "sacrifice" that is offered "for sin" and is "very holy" except "the only begotten Son of God," Jesus Christ my Lord? He alone is the "sacrifice for sins," and he is "a very holy offering." But since it added that "the priest who offers it will eat it," it seems to be hard to understand. For that which it says must be eaten seems to be referring to the sin, just as in another place the prophet says concerning the priests that "they will eat the sins of my people." This also shows that the priest ought to eat the sin of the one who is offering. We frequently show from holy Scripture that Christ is also the sacrifice that is offered for the sin of the world and the priest who brings the offering. — HOMILIES ON Leviticus 5:2 Cyril of Alexandria: Seemingly he calls "ways" the walking in works and "counsels" the faults from outrageous thoughts. Then, he says, she [Israel] did not go rightly, having turned aside from the straight road. As if marching the footpath of all profanity, they devised the most shameful and absurd things, dishonoring the God of all while turning toward idolatry. — COMMENTARY ON Hosea 3:41 Gregory the Dialogist: We seek no gain of souls, we attend daily to our own pursuits, we desire earthly things, we eagerly chase human glory with intent mind. And because by the very fact that we are placed over others, we have greater license to do whatever we wish, we turn the ministry of the blessing we received into an instrument of ambition; we abandon God's cause, we attend to earthly business; we receive a place of holiness, and we are entangled in earthly activities. What is written has surely been fulfilled in us: "And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest." For the priest does not differ from the people when by no merit of his own does he transcend the common conduct. — Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 17 Jerome: "and it shall be as the people, so the priest, and I will visit upon him his ways, and render to him his thoughts." LXX: "and it will be as the people, so also the priest, and I will take vengeance on him for his ways, and render to him his thoughts." Hence, both the people and the priest will equally endure the sentence of God's indignation; for not only will He visit the works that they call "ways," in which they walk, but also the thoughts which they have entertained to do such things. For not only the work, but also the contemplation of evil deeds will pay the penalty. Therefore both the people and the priest, the learned and the teachers of the law, will be equally punished. — Commentary on Hosea 4:7-9 Julian of Eclanum: When, he says, the avenging judgment begins to work, these measures of griefs that they [Israel] made in sins will be filled, so that they may experience in punishments what they have achieved in desires. — COMMENTARY ON Hosea 1:4 Cyril of Alexandria: A remnant from Israel has been preserved. Since the judgment does not go entirely to the priest, he adds, "They eat, but they are not satisfied." This means either emigration and captivity for those leaders of Israel or, because of Christ, desolation of Judea by the hands of Romans.… For among those Israelites brought then by Shalmaneser and Tiglath-pileser III to Assyria and Media, very few could offer to the priests the things prescribed by the law. — COMMENTARY ON Hosea 3:42 Cyril of Alexandria: "They kept the whoredom" means that they [Israel's leaders] got ready to preserve the error for those who were under their authority. Yet they should rather have removed and thrown it from their midst. For it is the vigilance of the teachers which should eagerly remove what hurts the people and turn down without delay what is hateful to God. By refusing to do this, they allow the works of error to stay somehow and to keep. Yet they confirm rather the contrary, when the minds of those who teach receive nothing but wine and drunkenness. For how will the disciples keep vigil, and how will they be able to point the eye of the understanding to God in nature and in truth, if the instructors and the teachers of useful things will still encourage them to err? — COMMENTARY ON Hosea 3:43 Jerome: Desire is insatiable, and the more it is felt, the more it creates in those who enjoy it a greater hunger. On the contrary: "Blessed are the ones who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied." For righteousness satisfies, while wickedness—because it has no substance—deceives by fraud those who feed on vain things and leaves empty the stomachs of those who hunger. "They played the whore continually." In fornication they run out of strength, yet the ardent desire of the fornication does not make a pause. The ten tribes played the whore with the idols of Jeroboam son of Naboth. — COMMENTARY ON Hosea 1:4 Jerome: "And they shall eat, and not be satisfied: and they have committed fornication, and have not ceased: because they have forsaken the Lord in not keeping him." LXX: "And they shall eat, and not be filled: they have committed fornication, and shall not be directed: because they have forsaken the Lord, to keep not his law." Insatiable pleasure is created, and the more one is captured by it, the more hunger it creates. On the contrary, blessed are the hungry and thirsty for justice, for they will be satisfied. As justice satisfies, so too does iniquity, having no substance, delude those who consume it deceitfully and leave the stomachs of the devourers empty. They have committed fornication and have not ceased. Their strength fails in fornication, and the desire to fornicate does not rest. They committed fornication with the idols of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, and left their Lord God, not keeping what he had commanded, saying: "You shall worship the Lord your God, and him only shall you serve" (Deuteronomy 6:13). — Commentary on Hosea 4:10-12 Jerome: "fornication, and wine, and drunkenness take away the heart." LXX: "fornication, and wine, and drunkenness take away the heart of my people." But it should be read emphatically: Fornication and wine and drunkenness take away the heart. For just as wine and drunkenness make him who drinks thereof incapable of his own mind, so does fornication and pleasure pervert the senses and weaken the spirit; and it turns a rational man into a brute animal, so that he pursues brothels, dens of vice, and places of debauchery. — Commentary on Hosea 4:10-12 Athanasius of Alexandria: Anthony then asked, "Who are you who say such things to me? And at once he [the demonic voice] uttered a contemptible speech: 'I am a lover of fornication; I have undertaken to ensnare the young and to entice them to it, and I am called the spirit of fornication. How many I have deceived who wished to be chaste! How many who practiced self-restraint have I by my seductions persuaded to change! I am he on whose account the prophet reproaches the fallen, saying, "You have been deceived by the spirit of fornication," for through me they were tripped up. I am he who often troubled you but whom you as often overthrew.' " — LIFE OF ST. ANTHONY 6 Jerome: The unclean spirit before had been in the synagogue and had led them into idolatry. Of him it is written, "The spirit of harlotry has led them astray." The spirit had gone out of a man and was roaming in the dry places in search of a resting place and could find none. He took with him seven other demons and returned to his former dwelling place. All these spirits were in the synagogue and could not bear the presence of the Savior. Indeed, "what harmony is there between Christ and Belial?" Christ and Belial could not abide in the same assembly. "Now in their synagogue there was a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out, saying, 'What have we to do with you?' " Who is asking, "What have we to do with you?" He is only one, but he cries out the recognition of many. He is aware that in his own defeat, his devils have been vanquished with him. — HOMILIES ON Mark 76 Jerome: "My people hath consulted their stocks, and their staff hath declared unto them: for the spirit of fornication hath deceived them, and they have committed fornication against their God." LXX: "They consulted their wood, and their staff answered them: for the spirit of fornication hath deceived them, and they have committed fornication against their God." And when his heart is stirred out of its place, he holds wood and stones as gods, and worships the works of his own hands. Hence the prophet, as if amazed and bewildered, speaks: "My people who were once called by my name have asked counsel of a wooden idol, and have sought intuition from rods, which the Greeks call divination by rods." Therefore in Ezekiel we read that Nebuchadnezzar mixed his rods against Ammon and Jerusalem, and a rod went forth against Jerusalem (Ezek. 25): and the cause of this madness of fornication is the spirit that deceived them, so that they might fornicate against their God. But he calls fornication idolatry, according to what we read in Jeremiah: "And they committed adultery with wood and stone, and I said, After they have committed adultery with all these things, return to me, but she did not return with all her heart, but with lies." And again: "You have left me and said, I will go on every high hill, and under every green tree I will spread myself in my fornication" (Jer. 3:5, 6). And in the Psalm it is said: "You have destroyed all who commit fornication away from you" (Ps. 72:27). For the beginning of fornication is the invention of idols. Heretics are never satisfied with their own error, and do not cease from the disgracefulness of fornication. They do not keep the holy Law and Scriptures, abandon the Lord, become insane and inebriated, and, with the judgment of their mind destroyed, worship idols which they themselves have fashioned from their hearts and are possessed by the spirit of fornication. — Commentary on Hosea 4:10-12 John Cassian: "It is written in the law: 'You shall not commit fornication.' " This is kept in a beneficial way according to the simple sound of the letter by the person who is still entangled in the passions of fleshly impurity. It is necessarily observed in spiritual fashion, however, by one who has already left behind this filthy behavior and impure disposition. This person also rejects not only all idolatrous ceremonies but also every superstition of the Gentiles and the observance of auguries and omens, and of all signs and days and times, and is certainly not engaged in the divination of particular words or names. [This] befouls the wholesomeness of our faith. Jerusalem is said to have been debauched by this fornication, having fornicated "on every high hill and under every green tree." And the Lord, rebuking [Jerusalem], says by the prophet: "Let the astrologers stand and save you, who gazed on the stars and counted the months, so that from them they might announce the things that are to happen to you." Concerning this fornication the Lord reproaches them elsewhere when he says, "The spirit of fornication has deceived them, and they went fornicating away from their God." — CONFERENCE 14:11.2–3 Jerome: "On the tops of the mountains, they sacrificed, and on the hills, they burned incense under an oak and a poplar and a terebinth because its shade was good." According to the Law, it is commanded that one should not offer sacrifice to the Lord anywhere other than the place that the Lord God chooses. Trees are not to be planted near the altar so that a passive and indulgent religion does not overthrow the austerity of the one true religion. On the contrary, Israel was sacrificing on the mountains and burning incense on the hills, loving the high places of the earth, for they had forsaken the Most High God and sought shadows, having lost the truth. This is what we read about each king: "But the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places" (3 Kings 22:44), which in Hebrew is called Bama. Heretics promise themselves the sublimity of their doctrines and sacrifice under oak, poplar and terebinth, under barren trees, having neither fig nor vine, under which the Saint is said to rest. However, they sometimes assume a terebinth for themselves, which, according to Isaiah, has no leaves, so that they may seem to imitate the example of Abraham. (Isaiah VI) — Commentary on Hosea 4:13 Cyril of Alexandria: And when these things occur, he says, I will remain calm, and I will not lay charges. Because of the misfortunes of the war and the troubles of the captivity, it seems right that all that will happen be predicted to the sinners. For they who once captured and overcame others will do with the captives as they like, making use of power without bridle and shamelessly attacking whomever they please, neither taking into account the law or considering what is likely or proper. But hardened and extremely wild in soul, they refuse to refrain from any kind of wretchedness. Therefore he clearly showed that the young children will be exposed to enemies because of the insult and shameless conduct of the fornicators. — COMMENTARY ON Hosea 3:46 Jerome: "Therefore, your daughters will prostitute themselves, and your daughters-in-law will commit adultery. I will not punish your daughters when they fornicate or your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery, because they themselves consorted with prostitutes and offered sacrifices with effeminate men, and the people who do not understand will be punished." LXX: "Therefore your daughters will prostitute themselves, and your brides will commit adultery; I will not punish them for prostitution nor for adultery, because they went to prostitutes and arranged pagan temple rites with sacred prostitutes; a senseless people they are." The word Cadesoth, which was translated by Aquila ἐνηλλαγμένων, by Symmachus ἑταιρίδων, by the Seventy τετελεσμένων, by Theodotion κεχωρισμένων, we translate as "effeminate" in order to convey the meaning of the word to our ears. These are they who serve today in Rome, not the gods but the demons, who are called Gauls, because the Romans castrated men of this tribe for the honor of Atys (whom the goddess harlot had made a eunuch) and appointed them to be priests. Therefore, the men of the Gaulish race are effeminate, so that those who captured the city of Rome are struck by this ignominy. There was such idolatry in Israel, mostly by women, who worshiped Beelphegor for the obscenity of his magnitude, whom we can call Priapus. Therefore, Asa the king took away the lofty ones of the people and such priests and deposed his mother from her august throne, as is testified in the scripture, saying: "And Asa did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, as did David his father, and took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made. And also Maacha his mother, he removed from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove: and Asa destroyed her idol, and burnt it by the brook Cedron. But the high places were not taken away: nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect with the Lord all his days." (III Kings 15, 11 seqq.) It must be known however, that at present in Kadesh, "prostitutes," are called "sacerdotes" or "priests" of Priapus. In other places, we read of Ca'desim, men who, driven by lust have been castrated, of whom Isaiah says, "And the mockers shall rule over them," for which in Hebrew it is written, "And the eunuchs shall rule over them," which we translate to mean "effeminate" people. But Aquila, giving an interpretation, that is to say, "those who have been changed," wanted to show that their nature had changed, and that men had been made women. Symmachus properly called them "prostitutes." The Septuagint called them "consecrated and initiated" to show themselves as idol worshipers. Theodotion called them "separated from the people" who seemed to have something more than the common people. We have briefly discussed the words, now let us return to the meaning of the chapter. It is a great offense to not merit the anger of the Lord after you have sinned. Israel had fornicated with their God, and were seduced by a spirit of fornication: therefore their daughters and brides fornicate, and are left unpunished in their sin, so that they may feel what their sons and wives did to their true parents and husbands, and understand the pain of God from their own pain, who is so angry that he does not strike these sinners. For the Apostle also testifies in mystical language, writing to the Romans: "For saying they were wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of the image of corruptible man, and of birds, and of four-footed beasts, and of serpents. Therefore God gave them up to the desires of their heart, unto uncleanness, to dishonor their own bodies among themselves, who changed the truth of God into a lie and worshipped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen." And in order that we may know that the visitation of God is inflicted upon us when we are wounded and weak, in order that by means of the cauterization of bitter potions we may be cured of sickness – let us listen to the Lord speaking through the prophet: "I will visit their iniquities with a rod, and their sins with stripes; but my mercy will I not take from him" (Ps. 88:33-34). Therefore, he who is loved is corrected; he who is neglected is left to his own sins. And so great was the number of fornicators in Israel that vengeance ceased, despairing of amendment. For what is more shameful than to be joined to the worship of harlots and to offer sacrifices of their lust with effeminate men? And what the phrase, "A people that doth not understand shall be beaten," which in the Septuagint is translated: "And a people not understanding adhered to the harlot," means is that such a people shall be scourged in captivity and shall be visited with various plagues in order that, by means of pain, it may receive discipline. The easy understanding about heretics is that their children will fornicate and their spouses, namely, the souls which they have begotten in error and married to their doctrines. Such persons are unworthy of correction by God, for their every form of worship is fornication and they mingle foul deeds with foul doctrines. Therefore, they shall be beaten so that they may finally understand what God they seek. When you see a sinner abound in riches, boast in power, rejoice in health, delight in his spouse, be surrounded by a garland of children, and fulfill that which is written: "They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men" (Ps. 73:5), say that the Prophet's threat has been accomplished in him: "I will not visit upon your daughters when they commit fornication, nor upon your spouses when they shall commit adultery." — Commentary on Hosea 4:14 Origen of Alexandria: Hear what he says through the prophet. When he had enumerated abominable things that the people had committed, he adds these words also: "And for this reason I will not visit your daughters when they fornicate, nor your daughters-in-law when they commit adultery." This is terrible! This is the outcome when we are no longer reproached for sins, when we offend and are no longer corrected. For then, when we have exceeded the measure of sinning "the jealous God" turns his jealousy away from us, as he said above, "For my jealousy will be removed from you, and I will no longer be angry over you." I have said these things about the statement "God is jealous." — HOMILIES ON Exodus 8 Jerome: "If you fornicate, Israel, let not at least Judah sin, and do not enter into Gilgal, and do not ascend into Bethaven, neither shall you swear, by the living Lord, for as an wanton heifer, Israel has sinned. Now the Lord will feed them as a lamb in a large place." LXX: "But you, Israel, do not ignore, and Judah, do not enter into Galgala, nor ascend into the house [ὢν] and do not swear, the Lord lives: for as a refuge-killed cow, Israel went insane. Now the Lord will feed them like a lamb in a spacious place." "For home" [ὢν] being read in some copies, and most particularly in Theodotion as "house of iniquity," which Aquila and Symmachus interpreted as ἀνωφελοῦς ["house of the profitless,"] that is, "useless" which is of no benefit, and is designated by another word "idol". But Bethel was formerly called the "House of God," but after the calves were placed in it, it was called "Bethaven," that is, "useless house" and "house of idols," which we have expressed as we read it in Hebrew. But it seems to me that both the people of Israel and Jeroboam the son of Nebat made a golden calf to be worshipped in the wilderness, and fashioned golden calves as they had learned in Egypt, where the bulls are worshipped as gods in their superstition. Let us discuss the meaning of the chapter: Sisemel, O Israel, you have been deceived by error and have mixed with prostitutes, so that whoever fulfills the act of offering and giving gifts to the king or himself, would become a priest of the high places. At least you, Judah, who possess Jerusalem and have Levites from the law and perform temple ceremonies, should not imitate the examples of your former sister Oolla in fornication and worship idols with her. Do not enter Galgala, about which we read in this same prophet: 'All their wickedness is in Galgala' (Hosea 9:15), where Saul was anointed king, where the people, coming out of the wilderness, camped for the first time, and were purified by a second circumcision. From that time on, in this notorious place, error of an opposing religion crept in. And do not go up to Bethaven, that is, what was once called Bethel, because after golden calves were placed there by Jeroboam son of Nabath, it is not called the House of God but the house of an idol. For which reason, I wonder why the Septuagint interpreted it as "unless I make a mistake, the middle Jod letter which is surrounded on both sides by Aleph and Nun letters was believed to be Vau based solely on its size." "You shall not make a false oath by my name," says the Lord. For I do not want my name to be mentioned on your lips, which is tainted by the memory of idols. For just as a cow that is wanton and throws off her yoke, so too Israel, that is, the ten tribes, turned away from the service of the Lord. For the wanton cow, the Seventy translated παροιστρῶσαν, which stung by desire and struck by the asylum, which they commonly call "tabanus". About which Virgil also reports in the third book of the Georgics. ...The name of the asylum is Roman: the Greeks called it "oestrum," a harsh and bitter name that drives all the herds to flee in terror from the woods. The sky roars and trembles with their cries, and the banks of the dry Tanagra shake. And so because Israel had become insane and, struck by the spirit of fornication, went mad with unbelievable fury, not much longer afterwards, but while the prophet's body was still possessed by the spirit, the Lord said: "I will feed them as a lamb in a spacious place." He kept the metaphor of a cow in heat, in the same way that he had used it before, calling the captivity in Assyria and the dispersion of Israel into the widest land of the Medes, the pasture of a wide field and of flocks of sheep and lambs. A predisposition is present against heretics, concerning whom or about whom it is said: If you fornicate once, heretic, at least, do not offend, church-goer, and do not enter into Galgala, the meetings of heretics, where the sins of everyone are exposed, and are rolled in the mud like pigs. Do not assume that you rise up to the proud and arrogant fictions of false teachings. For there is not the house of God, but the house of an idol. And do not swear by the name of Christ, whose majesty you have defiled by mingling it with idols. For just as a slaughtered cow falls in the asylum, so the heretics are struck by the burning arrows of the devil and abandon knowledge of the Law. Therefore, they will graze in the broad and spacious way that leads to death, and the patience of the Lord and the care of the good Shepherd will nourish them unto their own destruction. — Commentary on Hosea 4:15-16 John Chrysostom: But what is the source of this hardness? It comes from gluttony and drunkenness. Who says so? Moses himself. "Israel ate and was filled, and the darling grew fat and frisky." When brute animals feed from a full manger, they grow plump and become more obstinate and hard to hold in check; they endure neither the yoke, the reins, nor the hand of the charioteer. Just so, the Jewish people were driven by their drunkenness and plumpness to ultimate evil. They kicked about and failed to accept the yoke of Christ. And they failed to pull the plow of his teaching. Another prophet hinted at this when he said, "Israel is as obstinate as a stubborn heifer." And still another called the Jews "an untamed calf." — DISCOURSES AGAINST JUDAIZING CHRISTIANS 1:2.5 Philoxenus of Mabbug: In another place, the prophet heapeth contumely upon Israel who had slipped his shoulder from [under] the yoke of the divine commandments: "As an ox which hath escaped from the yoke, so have the children of Israel escaped, they and their kings and their nobles." Now Israel became rebels because there was no fear [in them]; and they trod under foot the commandments because they were not mindful of what was threatened; and they despised the law because they remembered not the penalty of Him that ordained it. — 13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 6 -- First Discourse on the Fear of God Jerome: "Partaker of their idols is Ephraim, leave him." LXX: "Ephraim, a participant in idols, has placed scandals for himself." Ephraim, of whose tribe Jeroboam son of Nabath, who first set up golden calves in Bethel and Dan, is king of ten tribes. Therefore, O Judah, whom I mentioned above, if Israel commits fornication, let at least Judah not sin. Listen to my advice, do not disregard the words of the prophets; for Ephraim once was a friend and partner with idols. Leave him, do not follow his impiety, for his worship and religion and food are separated from your fellowship. This same thing can also be referred to heretics, and it is said to Judah, that is, to an ecclesiastical man, because Israel, who is interpreted as bearing fruit, promises himself a false richness of doctrine, and fruitful teachings, and once was a friend of demons, dismiss him and despise him: especially since their sacrifices are separated from your own sacrifices. — Commentary on Hosea 4:17-19 Jerome: "he is separated from their congregation: they have committed fornication in their fornication; they loved to bring disgrace upon their protectors." LXX: "he has provoked the Canaanites, they have committed fornication, they have loved disgrace from his roar." They serve idols once, sacrificed to devils, fornicating every day, and loving their fornication. Indeed, its leaders and protectors, that is, the kings, took pleasure in bringing dishonor to the people, that is, in the vice of the princes. That which the Seventy translated ("Al." placed) as "provoked the Canaanites," is not found in Hebrew, but it can be thus interpreted, that we say only that Israel had such zeal for the worship of idols, that it did not imitate the Canaanites, that is, the heathen; but it provoked them to emulate its own error. And what is said, "He provoked the Canaanites," can be referred to heretics in the same sense, that most heretics have invented such abominations and filthy things, and have impure sacrifices, so that idolatry is inferior. Or certainly because "Cananaean" means "trader," or μετάβολος, that is, "translator," all those who make the Father's house a house of trade (John 2), and seek profits from the people, and transfer the truth of the Church into falsehood, are to be called Canaanites. For this is what is said: their gathering has been separated, they committed fornication once, and their leaders have deceived the unhappy people; and for the worship of God they have imbued them with the disgrace of idols. — Commentary on Hosea 4:17-19 Ishodad of Merv: The words "I will not visit your daughters when they prostitute themselves," that is, when a woman is accused of being adulterous and there is no witness, "she will make," Scripture says, "her offering of barley flour and will not pour any oil or incense." And since she is in her sorrow, the appearance of her offering will be equally sad. "And the priest," Scripture says, "will take some water from a vase of clay, and will throw some dust of the soil into the water, and will place the woman before the Lord and will make her swear." If she is innocent, she will remain unscathed and will still be fertile and will conceive; otherwise she will be torn. But in the meantime God threatens, "I will ravage Jerusalem, and there will be no one of your establishments which you cared for," and so on, because everything in the temple will be bound and delivered. "A nation that does not understand has kissed the woman of whoredom," that is, these people, who are blind and do not realize who God is, who lives and abides among them, prefer to worship idols rather than God. They foolishly kiss the calves and give themselves over to the prostitution with demons. — COMMENTARY ON HOSEA Jerome: "his spirit is bound up in their wings, and they shall be confounded because of their sacrifices." LXX: "a whirlwind of spirit will whistle in his wings, and they will be confounded from their altars." The unhappy people received the worship of idols, whose unclean spirits bound Israel in their wings and do not allow it to fly freely. Therefore they shall be confounded in their sacrifices, and they shall receive disgrace for their confusion. Symmachus, because we have interpreted it as "he bound his spirit on his wings," translates it into Greek in this way, as if one binds the wind in the wings of the wind, so that both the princes and the people, indeed both demons and Israel, may assert that they are vainly coupled with vanities. For wind and spirit are called "Rua" in one word in Hebrew. And devilish spirits have bound them on their wings, who are carried around by every wind of doctrine; and they cannot remain firm on the solid foundation of the Church. Those who truly are confounded in their sacrifices, because their bread is the bread of sorrow. — Commentary on Hosea 4:17-19 Gregory the Dialogist: There are some also who investigate spiritual precepts with cunning care, but what they penetrate with their understanding they trample on in their lives: all at once they teach the things which not by practice but by study they have learnt; and what in words they preach by their manners they impugn. Whence it comes to pass that when the shepherd walks through steep places, the flock follows to the precipice. Hence it is that the Lord through the prophet complains of the contemptible knowledge of shepherds, saying, "When ye yourselves had drunk most pure water, ye fouled the residue with your feet; and My sheep fed on that which had been trodden by your feet, and drank that which your feet had fouled." For indeed the shepherds drink most pure water, when with a right understanding they imbibe the streams of truth. But to foul the same water with their feet is to corrupt the studies of holy meditation by evil living. And verily the sheep drink the water fouled by their feet, when any of those subject to them follow not the words which they hear, but only imitate the bad examples which they see. Thirsting for the things said, but perverted by the works observed, they take in mud with their draughts, as from polluted fountains. Hence also it is written through the prophet, "A snare for the downfall of my people are evil priests." Hence again the Lord through the prophet says of the priests, "They are made to be for a stumbling-block of iniquity to the house of Israel." For certainly no one does more harm in the Church than one who has the name and rank of sanctity, while he acts perversely. For him, when he transgresses, no one presumes to take to task; and the offence spreads forcibly for example, when out of reverence to his rank the sinner is honoured. — The Book of Pastoral Rule, Part 1, Chapter 2 Jerome: "Hear these things, O priests, and attend, O house of Israel, and O house of the king, give ear; for judgment is for you. For you have become a snare at Mizpah and a net spread upon Tabor, and victims on high have been turned aside into the depths." LXX: "Listen to these things, priests, and attend, House of Israel, and House of the King, perceive with your ears, for judgment belongs to you, since you have become a snare for speculation, and like a net spread out over Italy, those who capture it have established a hunt." The priests of the ten tribes are called to judgment, and the kings, not because the priests are from the tribe of Levi, but because the priests are called by the people. So even the priests of Baal, and four hundred and fifty prophets whom Elijah slew (1 Kings 18), and later Jehu the son of Namshi (2 Kings 9:10), in the presence of Jonadab the son of Rechab, were called priests. But even Israel, that is the people, is called to judgment, and none is excused, so that both priests and people and kings, who had led the people and appointed priests, hear together what they did and why they are handed over to enemies. I have appointed you as spies," he said, "and as leaders among the people, and have placed you on the high pinnacle of dignity, so that you might guide the wandering people. But you have become a trap, and are to be called not so much spies and leaders as hunters. For you have spread your net over Mount Tabor, which the Seventy translated as Itabyrium, having the custom of using Greek speech to decline Hebrew names, just as Edom, that is, Esau, and Seir are always interpreted as Idumea. But Mount Tabor is in Galilee, located in a plain, round and lofty, and finished equally on every side. About this mountain, we also read in the Psalms: "Thabor and Hermon shall rejoice in thy name". (Psalms 88:13). This mountain was translated as "Itabyrium" by the Seventy translators [of the Septuagint], as in Jeremiah. Birds are often caught in traps set upon this mountain. "And ye have cast off my fear, and have not kept my covenant. I also will cast off you for ever." (Jeremiah 34:15-16). The kings and priests have prohibited the people from going to the Temple of Jerusalem; therefore, they are said to have turned down sacrifices into the depths. According to the trope, the people are accused not to consider themselves strangers to crime, if they are induced by kings and priests, whom we understand as leaders of heretics. The leaders themselves are also accused of having taken the people like a trap and, with spies placed in the Church, led them astray. And on the lofty and most beautiful mountain "Tabor", which is interpreted as "coming light", they set traps, so that they could draw every deceiving person into the abyss, and offer them as sacrifices to demons, and steer them into the pit, lest they ever come to their senses, or sigh for the house of God, the Church. Some think that Thabor means a lake, that is, a cistern, and is suitable for the immediate meaning, that the heretics dug a lake and fell into the pit which they made. (Ps. LVI). — Commentary on Hosea 5:1-2 Jerome: "And I am skilled in all of them, and I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hidden from me: for now Ephraim has committed fornication, Israel is contaminated: they will not give their thoughts, to turn again to their God, for the spirit of fornication is in the midst of them, and they have not known the Lord." LXX: "For I am your master: I have known Ephraim, and Israel has not departed from me; for now Ephraim has fornicated, Israel is defiled. They have not given their thoughts to turn back to the Lord their God, for the spirit of fornication is in them and they have not known the Lord." O priests and kings, who deceived my people; and you, the people, who have been deceived, have sinned so gravely that you have not only killed victims, but also sent them down to the depths of hell: do not think that the magnitude of your crimes has caused you to be completely separated from me. I am your teacher, indeed a scholar, who desires to improve, not punish; and to save, not destroy. "I know Ephraim," he says, "that is, Jeroboam, from whom the people were persuaded; and all the kings who followed him in both rank and wickedness, and Israel was not hidden from me, that is, the people of ten tribes, because Israel was contaminated by a fornicating king. At first the king began to fornicate from the worship of God, desiring to worship golden calves, and the people wanting to follow him, they fulfilled equal impiety with equal zeal." (III Kings 12) Finally, they shall not return to the Lord because they found what they wanted, and the spirit of fornication, which according to the apostle, works in the sons of diffidence, possesses their captive hearts, and therefore under that ruler, they did not know, no, they forgot their Creator. (Ephesians 2). Therefore, the leaders of perverse teachings and the people of the Lord do not ignore: not because they are worthy of His knowledge, but because nothing of what they do in secret is hidden from Him, of whom some were deceived and others fell. And they will not give their thoughts to repentance, who always advance in destruction. For the spirit of fornication, by which they have committed fornication in the Church and have departed from true marriage, is in their midst: therefore they have not known the Lord. — Commentary on Hosea 5:3-4 Jerome: First the king [Jeroboam I] chose to play the whore away from the worship of God, wishing to adore golden calves. And the people followed him willingly—with equal zeal they accomplished equal ungodliness. They do not return to the Lord, for they found what they were looking for, and the spirit of whoredom—which according to the apostle "works in the sons of distrust"6—holds their hearts captive. As long as it governs, they will not know the Lord. In fact, they forgot their Creator.… They—whoever advances in ruin—do not have thoughts of penitence. For the spirit of whoredom, by which they played the whore in the church and by which they went away from the true marriage, dwells in their midst. That is why they did not know the Lord. — COMMENTARY ON Hosea 1:5 Jerome: "And the pride of Israel shall answer in his face: and Israel and Ephraim shall fall in their iniquity: Juda shall also fall with them." LXX: "And the injury of Israel will be humbled before him: and Israel and Ephraim will be weakened in their iniquities, and Judah will also be weakened with them." The word "Gaon" is interpreted by Septuagint and Symmachus as "injury," by Aquila and Theodotion as "pride." Therefore, whatever Israel did, whether acting arrogantly against the Lord or worshipping idols to injure the Creator, will be answered in its face so that it may not go unpunished, but rather its humiliation will be humbled, and both people and kings will fall or weaken in their injustice, so that those who were strong in wickedness are forced to return to the Lord in weakness. And this will not only happen to Israel and Ephraim, that is, the ten tribes and their kings, so that they will be led into captivity; but Judah also, that is, the two tribes which ruled in Jerusalem, will follow the footsteps of the captives, that as they imitated the crime, they may imitate the punishment. Heretics have the mother of their iniquity in their pride, while they boast that they always know more, and rage against the Church. But their pride will weaken, and the people and teachers will equally fall: even Judah, who appears to be in the house of God, and in the Church, dwells not in mind but in body: and he has the same opinion in error with heretics; he is useless in promising the ecclesiastical name, because he also must be punished with the heretics. We rush towards what is clear, so that we may linger in the more obscure. — Commentary on Hosea 5:5 Jerome: "In their flocks and herds they will go to seek the Lord, but they will not find Him; He has withdrawn Himself from them. They have transgressed against the Lord, for they have produced illegitimate children. Now the month and its parts will devour them." LXX: "When they go with sheep and calves seeking the Lord, but shall not find him, he hath withdrawn himself from them. Because they have forsaken the Lord, and have brought up strange children, their rust shall devour them and their portions." Not only Israel and Ephraim will go with flocks and herds to seek the Lord, but also Judah, of whom it is written above: "Judah will also fall with them," all having this struggle, that they may try to appease with sacrifices those whom they have offended with their transgressions; and they will not find whom they seek, because he also departed from those who were departing. Especially when elsewhere he says, "Will I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats?" And again, "I will not accept a bull from your house, nor goats from your flocks" (Ps. 49:13 and 9). And in Isaiah: "I do not want the sacrifices of rams or the fat of lambs or the blood of goats and bulls" (Isaiah 1:11). For they have transgressed against the Lord; because fornicating with idols, they did not beget children to God, but to demons. Some think that this signifies what is said in Ezra much later (1 Esdras 10) when they took foreign wives, creating children with them, and later were compelled to repudiate them. But it is better to accept foreign children who were generated in idolatrous error or whom they consecrated to idols by leading them through fire. Because, therefore, they did this, shortly afterwards, not after infinite periods of years, and as I used to predict before, far from the future; but now and in the present, the Assyrian and Chaldean will come and devour them with their parts, that is, with the possessions that they received in the division of the land according to the measure of the rope. Because we said "he will devour them," the Seventy translated "rust" for "them"; yet indeed rust, that is, ἐρυσίβη, in Hebrew is called Hasil, as they also said in the Prophet Joel: "The remnants of a worm will eat rust," which is to say, Hasil. But the month is called Hodes; finally Aquila translated "neomenias," that is, "Kalendas"; Symmachus and Theodotion translated "month"; and the sense is, the enemy will come each month and devastate all things. We read the Books of Kings and Chronicles, and we find that under King Pekah, who reigned over ten tribes, Tiglath-pileser, the king of Assyria, came and took a great part of the people of Samaria to the Assyrians, at which time, according to the Greeks, it was the second year of the first Olympiad; and among the Latins (not yet founded Rome) Amulius was ruling in the twentieth year, whom later Romulus drove out of the kingdom. Heretics suspect that God is pleased with the multitude of sacrifices; and ecclesiastics, that by giving alms, they redeem sins, in which they remain: whereas every sacrifice except past sins, not present ones; thus, they do not find the Lord, Who removes Himself from such things, and retreats far away. These have truly ($"Al." however$) acted deceitfully against God, and have begotten children for the devil, not for Christ: therefore their works are cursed at all times, and all things that they do, the rusty color of blood lays waste, because they are closely related to blood and killing. But the rusty color is said in a proper sense to come down in the night dew, and to stain the lactating grains of wheat with the color of vermilion or red lead, and suitably in accordance with conversion, it devastates the clergy of heretics, of whom it is said, "Their clergy shall not " "profit them" (Jeremiah XII, 13, according to the LXX). — Commentary on Hosea 5:6-7 Jerome: Blow the horn in Gabaa, trumpet in Rama: howl at Bethaven after your back, O Benjamin: Ephraim shall be in desolation in the day of rebuke, among the tribes of Israel have I made known the truth." LXX: "Blow the trumpet on the hills, sound on the high places," "proclaim it in the house." ὢν: "Benjamin's mind has failed, Ephraim has become desolate in the days of reproof, in the tribes of Israel I have shown faithfulness." Ephraim and Israel and Judah shall each month, or the rust with its parts, devour. Therefore, I command you who listen that you do not sound a trumpet with a lofty voice, but a clear one: for there is a need for a clear hearing, so that all who are around may hear. "Blow the trumpet in Gabaa," which the Septuagint translated the etymology into "hills": and "sound the trumpet in Rama," which means "high": and these two are in the tribe of Benjamin, cities close to each other, that is, Gabaa, where Saul was born; and Rama, which is near Gabaa, situated on the seventh stone from Jerusalem; and which the king of Israel tried to occupy, to close the exit and entrance of the tribe of Judah. In Gabaa and in Rama, therefore, a clear trumpet and tuba resound, whose trumpet is pastoral, and the horn is made curved; whence it is properly called a Hebraic Sophar, and a κερατίγνυμι in Greek. But the tuba is made of bronze or silver, with which they rattled in wars and ceremonies. Above Bethaven, which was once called Bethel, and is in the tribe of Ephraim, where there was a golden calf, there is a need for not a clangor and sound, but a wailing: because there is a nearby captivity. And he said beautifully that Bethaven is located behind Benjamin, for where the tribe of Benjamin finishes, not far in the tribe of Ephraim, this city was founded. Therefore, I say and command: Blow the trumpet in Gabaa, and the horn in Rama, and howl in Bethaven, because the regal house of Ephraim, or Ephraim himself, that is the empire of Israel, will now be in desolation; and the neighboring captivity approaches. On the day of correction and supplication of the ten tribes of Israel, I showed my faithful words that I threatened through the prophets, so that I might prove, by action, what I had announced by word. Certain people who were near Bethaven according to the Seventy who said the house was the "city of the sun," were interpreted as saying that Christ, the sun of righteousness, was the city, and they wanted his Church to be that city. But this displeases me, for the house of an idol, which Aquila interpreted as "useless house," cannot be referred to the Church by means of tropology. But let us say this, that the heretics who promise themselves lofty knowledge in Gabaa and Rama, are ordered to howl ((or "jubilate")) in the house of an idol; and they should not be before the face of Benjamin, who is interpreted as "son of the right hand," but rather behind him, where he does not have eyes. For all the boasting of Ephraim, which means "abundance," he will soon be in desolation, and when the day of judgment and time of correction comes, I will show that my words are not in vain. Because we translated "Benjamin at your back," the Seventy translated it as "Benjamin's mind was moved," always adapting Benjamin, a man of the church, to excess of mind. Hence in the sixty-seventh psalm it is said: "There Benjamin, the youth, is in excess of mind." And in Jacob's blessings, in the person of Benjamin, from whom Paul the Apostle was descended, we read: "Benjamin is a ravenous wolf; in the morning he shall devour the prey, and in the evening he shall divide the spoil." (Gen. XLIX, 27). For he who persecuted the Church in the beginning, later on throughout the whole world, bestowed nourishment upon those who believed in the Gospel. From this it happened that Saul, who was from the tribe of Benjamin, raving with madness, prophesied among the choir of prophets all day long until evening (1 Kings 10). — Commentary on Hosea 5:8-9 Jerome: "The leaders of Judah have become like those who remove a boundary; upon them I will pour out my wrath like water." LXX: "The leaders of Judah have become like those who move boundary lines. I will pour out my rage on them like a flood, raging and swift." After the captivity of Ephraim and Israel, and their land became desolate, the leaders of Judah who should have wept and encouraged their people to turn away from idolatry, lest they suffer similarly, began to rejoice and be happy that their land was opened wide for them to possess. They became like those who remove boundary lines and expanded their kingdom and possession in the former places of Israel. Therefore, thus says the Lord: And upon those princes of Judah shall come the Babylonians; and they shall take them: their bowels will not be of force, but of my indignation. And he also speaks to the princes of Judah, that is, the Church, that they ought not to exult; and to estimate their own salvation through the perdition of heretics, but rather to mourn because they are lost. Wherefore even the Apostle Paul teaches the ecclesiastical men not to glory in the breaking off of the Jewish branches, but rather to fear lest they themselves be broken off (Rom. XI). And in another place: "Who," he says, "is scandalized, and I am not burned." (2 Corinthians 2:29)? Otherwise, against such leaders who glory in the miseries of others, and therefore think that they are standing if others fall, the Lord will pour out His anger like water. Seventy interpreted the word "impetus" as wrath, and some think that it should be understood as a blessing, according to what we read elsewhere: "The impetus of a river rejoices the city of God" (Ps. 45:4). But more correctly (as all except the Seventy have translated) anger should be received, especially since the name of effusion and anger is appropriate, as the prophet says to the Lord: "Pour out your anger upon them, and let the fury of your wrath take hold of them" (Ps. LXVIII, 25). The princes of Judah have moved the boundaries which their fathers had set, when they change truth with falsehood, and they preach something different from what they have received from the apostles. — Commentary on Hosea 5:10 Jerome: "Ephraim endures slander, broken in judgement, because he started to follow after filth." LXX: "Ephraim oppressed his adversary, trampled justice, because he began to pursue vain things." If Ephraim is wicked, and because of his wickedness he will be destroyed, how can it now be said: "Ephraim endures slander, broken in judgement?" For he who endures slander is also broken, his judgement oppressed unjustly, especially when a just cause is stated for which he was given up to captivity. For it follows: 'since he began to leave behind filth', that is, behind the idols which are compared to filth. Therefore, what he says is this: Ephraim is oppressed by the Assyrians, first by Pul, then by Tiglath-pileser (2 Kings 15), and afterwards by Salmanazar; not because they were righteous who oppressed him, and therefore he was handed over to them; but because those who were once my people, when I abandoned them, were handed over to punishment, and in this there seems to be slander, not towards God ("Al." from God), who inflicts just sentence: but towards those who endure torments, while they are handed over to more wicked adversaries. And the Lord brought upon them the cause of contempt in this part, and to be delivered unto the worst, and no judgment to be had toward them: for Ephraim began to go after idols, and to forsake God: for he himself had made golden calves. According to the interpretation of the Septuagint, Ephraim, that is, Jeroboam, oppressed his adversary Rehoboam, that is, the tribe of Judah, and in it he oppressed: because he followed the filthy idols of the Egyptians, and deserted Jerusalem and the temple. The meaning concerning heretics is clear: that with their false sophisms and dialectical art they often suppress churchmen; but when they have done this, they do not follow the purity of true faith, but the filth of lies; who are given over to the devil and his angels and seem to suffer slander and have the truth of judgment broken within them. Thus Israel is laid waste; and all its labors are devastated by the Assyrian conqueror; and the bishop lost God and therefore he is broken in judgment; because he followed idols. — Commentary on Hosea 5:11 Jerome: "And I am like a moth to Ephraim, and like rottenness to the house of Judah." LXX: "And I am like a tribulation to Ephraim, and like a stimulus to the house of Judah." In the Hebrew language "moth" is called "Recob" for "rot and decay"; one of which consumes clothes and the other wood: for which the LXX translated as "turbulence", which is "disorder" or "turbulence", and "stimulus". And it should be noted that the moth pertains to Ephraim, and the rottenness to the house of Judah. Therefore, how does a clothes moth consume clothing, and decay or rot consume wood; which both take a long time: In the same way, God gave a place for repentance to the ten tribes, and later to the two tribes for a long time, calling them to salvation, storing up His wrath for the day of wrath, like a moth or decay, not because God is a moth or decay, disturbance or affliction, but because to those who suffer punishment all these things seem so. Therefore, first consumed was Ephraim and Israel, then followed was the house of Judah: not Judah himself, but his house; otherwise, it was reserved for the genealogy of Judah, among whom He had been placed: And He was the expectation of the nations. However, the heretics, who are understood to be Ephraim, and also Judas, namely, those who remain with the Church, and who are con­tained in the errors or vices of heretics, will be subject to the same judgment. — Commentary on Hosea 5:12 Jerome: Just as the moth consumes clothing and decay or dry-rot consumes wooden things (which both occur over a long time), in the same manner God, giving a place of penitence over a long time to the ten tribes and then afterward to the two tribes—summoning to salvation those who treasure for themselves wrath for the day of wrath—becomes like a moth or rot. — COMMENTARY ON Hosea 2:5 Jerome: "And Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah his band: and Ephraim went to the Assyrian, and sent to the avenging king: and he shall not be able to heal you, neither shall he be able to take off the band from you." LXX: "And Ephraim saw his weakness, and Judah his pain, and Ephraim went to the Assyrians, and sent ambassadors to king Jareb, and he will not be able to free you, nor will he make an end of your pain." Embassies are not held in Hebrew. And where the Septuagint place "Jarib," we translate it as "avenger" according to Symmachus; for Aquila and Theodotion translated it as "judge." And this name "Jarib," signifying "avenger" and "judge," is shown by the name of Gideon who, when the worshippers of Baal sought him for punishment, because he had overthrown the grove of Baal and its altars, answered his father, "Let Baal therefore plead against him" or "avenge" himself, and he was afterward called "Jerubbaal," that is to say, "Let Baal plead against him." Therefore, understanding their own weakness, Ephraim sought not aid from Him who could loose them, but from the King of the Assyrians, to whom they were in sinfulness bound together with the ten tribes. We read that under King Manahen, who ruled over ten tribes (IV Kings XV), Israel sent gifts to the Assyrians; and Judah under King Ahaz, sought aid from Tiglath-pileser king of the Assyrians, who was unable to deliver them from those who opposed God, nor could he loosen the bonds of captivity. We can refer to those bonds, for which it is written in Hebrew as Mezur, and which Aquila interpreted as ἐπίδεσιν or συνδεσμὸν, that is, "binding" or "conspiracy," and to that time when Rezin and Pekah son of Remaliah devastated many thousands of men from the tribe of Judah (Ibid. XVI), and Judah pleaded in vain for help against not two, but the aid of the kings of Assyria. Some people, according to the trope of Ephraim and Judah, refer both to heretics and to men of the church, because both they and Judas, the sinners, are bound with the chains of sins, according to what is written: "With the cords of his sins every one is bound" (Prov. 5:22). They have sent to Assyria and to the avenging king, that is, to the devil, of whom we read: "That thou mayst destroy the enemy and the avenger" (Ps. 8:3). And because they did not beseech the true helper or judge; therefore He has made them abide in the pain of sickness and the chains of their own offenses. I have read in the commentaries of someone that the King "Jarib" is interpreted as Christ. And because it follows: "He will not be able to heal you," this argument is used, that Christ cannot heal heretics or sinning Christians at the time of judgment, where there is no mercy, according to what is written: "But in hell, who shall confess to thee?" (Ps. VI). And that he cannot heal or free, not because of his weakness, but because of their merit, who have sought help too late. How our Lord was said to have been unable to work miracles in his own country, and the reason why he was unable, he explains: 'Because,' he says, 'they did not believe in him.' He said these things: we will interpret the king unfavorably. Because we explained 'Jarib,' which means 'avenger:' others read Jarim with the letter Mem, which is transferred to 'woods:' hence Cariath Jarim, interpreted as 'the village of woods.' — Commentary on Hosea 5:13 Jerome: "For I am like a lioness of Ephraim, and like a lion's cub to the house of Judah." LXX: "For I am like a panther to Ephraim, and like a lion in the house of Judah." When they go to Assyria and send to the avenging or the revenger king, who will not be able to heal them; nor to undo the bound chain, I will show that with me opposing, all human help is vain: for I will be like a lioness to Ephraim, and like a lion's whelp to the house of Judah. For the lioness, which in Hebrew is called Sohel, the Seventy [translators] interpreted it as 'panther,' which is similarly said in Greek and in Latin, and both the name of the beast and every beast can be taken [in this sense]: so that you may recognize whatever is savage in the beasts, as existing in God's indignation. There is nothing swifter than the panther, nothing stronger than the lion: in the panther the swiftness of the destruction of the kingdom of Samaria is significant among the Assyrians; and in the lion, the strongest [beast], is shown their kingdom against Jerusalem and Judah somewhat later in time of the Chaldeans. And because she had said that she was both a lioness or panther, she maintains the metaphor and says: — Commentary on Hosea 5:14 Cyril of Alexandria: It seems that the saying refers very suitably to the mystery of Christ and the redemption through him, pointing to the conversion to God. For the face of God we seek signifies most certainly the Son himself, "who is the image, and the radiance, and the very seal of the Father's nature." Thus the true face of God and Father is the Son, inasmuch as he is recognized in him: "And who saw him, saw the Father." The psalmist thus calls him when he cries out to God of all, saying: "Cause your face to shine upon your servant." Indeed, just as from the person of those who were already transformed according to the Son through the Spirit: "The light of your face, O Lord, has been marked upon us." Or as the prophet says: "The light of our face, the anointed Lord." — COMMENTARY ON Hosea 4:61 Cyril of Alexandria: "They seek early" seems to indicate here that they, as if awakened from the sleep of thoughtlessness which was in them, and further as if brought from night and darkness to light and day, will call out to one another that it is fitting to return to the Lord. This is a return to the senses of those fallen into deception and those taken up by the worship of idols. For the fruit of vigilance is at present seeking to get out of the gloom which is demonic. — COMMENTARY ON Hosea 4:62 Jerome: "I will take and go, and I will take away and there is no one who can deliver: going I will return to my place until you fail and seek my face." LXX: "And I will snatch, and go and take away, and there will be no one who can deliver: I will go and return to my rightful place until they are destroyed and seek my face." It is asked, if God takes, and takes away, and holds, no one can take them from his hands, according to what is written: "No one can snatch them from the hand of my Father" (John X, 29) how was Judas snatched from the hand of God through betrayal? We will briefly answer this, that no one can snatch from the hand of God: however, he who is held, can by his own will fall away from the hand of God. And what follows: "Going, I shall return to my place," we ought to accept the place of God, his magnificence and majesty: so that he does not in any way descend to deal with men, become angry, show mercy, forget, become like a panther, turn into a lion, change into beasts: but may despise human things, and allow those whom he formerly protected to submit to their enemies, so that they may waste away, and fail, and die, and afterwards seek the face of the Lord and say: "Illuminate your face and we will be saved" (Ps. LXXIX, 4). "And: Show us, Lord, your mercy, and grant us your salvation" (Psalms 85:8). Even to heretics and the negligent Church, God turns into a panther and a lion; and He will reclaim the prey from those who had previously seized it from the Church, so that those who had been lost might be saved when they are captured. He will not dwell in the gathering of the wicked but will return to His place, as He said, "I am in the Father, and the Father is in me" (John 14:1). He will reject and despise them until they are consumed by their impiousness and seek Him through penance, abandoned as they once were. Some think heaven is God's dwelling place; thus God, offended by those who dwell on earth, will return and make perish those who, through the enormity of their sins, have converted the most merciful Lord into a wild beast for themselves. — Commentary on Hosea 5:15 Jerome: By "my place" we have to understand God's place, his splendor and majesty, so that by no means according to the dispensation does he descend to men, become angry, merciful, forgetful, become as a panther, turn into a lion, change into beasts. On the contrary, he disdains human things and allows those whom he once protected to be cast to enemies so that they may languish, disappear and be destroyed, and seek eventually the face of the Lord.… Others consider God's place the heaven where God returns after being offended by the inhabitants of the earth, and he allows to go to ruin those who, due to the multitude of their sins, turned the mercy of the Lord into the rage of beasts toward them. — COMMENTARY ON Hosea 2:5 Cyprian: The Holy Spirit set this forth of old, when he said in the Psalms, "O my king and my God. For to you will I pray; O Lord, in the morning you shall hear my voice. In the morning I will stand before you, and will see you." And again through the prophet the Lord says, "At dawn they will be on watch for me, saying, 'Let us go and return to the Lord our God.' " Likewise at the setting of the sun and at the end of the day necessarily there must again be prayer. For since Christ is the true sun and the true day, as the sun and the day of the world recede, when we pray and petition that the light come upon us again, we pray for the coming of Christ to provide us with the grace of eternal light. — Treatise IV. On the Lord's Prayer 35 Cyril of Alexandria: In the beginning he seized Adam's human nature; for he at once declared it accursed, ascribing it to death and corruption. Thus the wrath has struck, but grace plugged the wound with lint. For Christ has brought the healing. He invited [us] to know the true divine revelation; he confirmed [us] through the Spirit to observe the commandments. He showed us again to be zealous followers by placing us beyond corruption and freeing us from the previous infirmities, namely, sin and passions. — COMMENTARY ON Hosea 4:62 Jerome: "In their affliction they will rise early to me: come and let us return to the Lord, for he has taken us, and he will heal us; he will wound us and he will cure us; he will bring us to life after two days, and on the third day he will raise us up and we shall live in his sight: we shall know and we shall follow, that we may know the Lord." LXX: "In their affliction they will rise early to me, saying: let us go and return to the Lord our God: because he will strike and he will heal us: he will wound and he will cure us. He will heal us after two days: on the third day we shall rise again and live in his sight. We shall know, and we shall follow on, that we may know the Lord." Therefore God delivered Ephraim and Judah into captivity, and there is no one who can rescue them from his hand, and they will return to their place until they fail, and they will seek his face, so that they may seek the propitious and present one, whom they had not felt, but one who is angry and absent, and in their tribulation, with the light of penance rising for them, let them arise early to him, as we read in Isaiah: "In their tribulation they remembered the Lord" (Isaiah 26, LXX version). And in the first grade of the psalm: 'When I was in trouble, I cried out to the Lord,' 'and he heard me' (Ps. 119:1). And when they rise up in the morning to the Lord, what will they say? 'Come and let us return to the Lord.' They are not content with their own salvation, but they provoke one another to return to the Lord whom they left, whom they abandoned for their sins, from whom they were abandoned. 'For he has taken us, and he will heal us:' who had said earlier 'I will take myself' 'and I will go,' he will strike and heal us. For what we have said, 'will cure,' all have similarly translated, but properly they are called 'linteola' which are inserted or applied to wounds, so that they may eat away putrid flesh and extract pus: and the art of physicians is to heal large wounds in a long period of time and to restore health through pain. Therefore the Lord strikes and he heals us: for the Lord loves whom he corrects, and he chastises every son whom he receives (Heb. XII) ; and he not only heals, but he vivifies after two days and on the third day rising from the dead, he raises up with himself all human race. And when He shall have healed the stricken and given life to the healed, and raised up the living, then shall we live in His sight, we who lay dead in His absence. We shall live (being alive) in His sight, knowing Him, and with all zeal we shall strive to know the Lord, by whose rising again on the third day we also rose again. These words explain that which we have often warned, and both Israel and Judah, that is, the twelve tribes, shall then have one shepherd and king David, when they shall have believed in the risen Lord. And vainly the Jews of a thousand years promise themselves dreams of salvation, whereas the promised day of the resurrection of the Lord on the third day is the salvation of all. The Hebrews interpret the day secondly, in the coming of Christ, and the third day, in judgment, when they will be saved. Let us grant this, they reply, what is the first day, that is, the first coming of the Savior? And when they cannot respond, we infer that the first day is the same as they desire, in the humility of the Savior's coming, the second in glory, the third in the garb of the judge. And those who accept the second and third, testify that they have lost the first: because the second and third cannot be called without the first. — Commentary on Hosea 6:1-2 Augustine of Hippo: Further on, Hosea foretold the resurrection of Christ on the third day, but in the mysterious way that is proper to prophecy. He says, "He shall heal us after two days, and on the third day we shall rise again." This is the idea underlying the words of Paul [when he says], "Therefore if you have risen in Christ, seek the things that are above." — CITY OF GOD 28 Caesarius of Arles: The prince of this world did not want the Lord's army to recognize the engagement of those three days, as that engagement of which the prophet said, "He will revive us after two days; on the third day he will raise us up." The first day for us is the passion of the Savior; the second day on which he descended into hell; but the third day is the day of the resurrection. So then on the third day God went before them in a pillar of cloud by day and by night in a pillar of fire, and the people were led through the Red Sea. The three days we can fittingly call the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, for the Father is a day, the Son is one, and the Holy Spirit is one, and these three are one. — SERMON 97:1 Cosmas Indicopleustes: This is Hosea, the first of the twelve prophets who was privileged to speak concerning the Lord Christ in these terms: When they are afflicted, let them rise early to seek me saying, Come and let us return unto the Lord our God, for he hath smitten us and he will heal us; he that hath struck us will bind us up. After two days will he heal us. On the third day we shall be raised up again and we shall live! With reference to this passage the Apostle Paul says to the Corinthians: For I delivered unto you first of all that which also I received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. For that he was buried, and that he was raised up on the third day according to the scriptures, is not to be found anywhere else. — The Christian Topography, Book 5 Cyril of Jerusalem: A few of the Jews of that time were persuaded, but the world hearkened to the truth. Those who concealed the truth were buried in oblivion, but those who received it were made manifest by the power of the Savior, who rose from the dead and raised the dead himself. In the person of the risen dead the prophet Hosea says plainly, "He will revive us after two days; on the third day he will raise us up, to live in his presence." — CATECHETICAL LECTURE 14:4 Origen of Alexandria: Hear what the prophet says: "God will revive us after two days, and on the third day we shall arise and live in his sight." The first day is the passion of the Savior for us. The second is the day on which he descended into hell. The third day is the day of resurrection. Therefore on the third day "God went before them, by day in a column of cloud, by night in a column of fire." But if according to what we said above, the apostle teaches us rightly that the mysteries of baptism are contained in these words, it is necessary that "those who are baptized in Christ are baptized in his death and are buried with him." [They must] also arise from the dead with him on the third day, according to what the apostle says, "He raised up together with him and at the same time made them sit in the heavenly places." When, therefore, you shall have undertaken the mystery of the third day, God will begin to lead you and will himself show you the way of salvation. — HOMILIES ON Exodus 5 Cyril of Alexandria: For I suppose that he waters in two ways upon us who received faith and have known rightly his manifestation. On the one hand, he reveals knowledge in the spirit of the old and legal, and in addition to these, prophetic teachings. In my view, this is the early rain. On the other hand, he adds to this the late [rain], the interpretation of the gospel's teachings and the most desirable grace of the apostolic preachings. — COMMENTARY ON Hosea 4:62 Hippolytus of Rome: Nor is this the only thing that proves the dignity of the water. But there is also that which is more honorable than all—the fact that Christ, the maker of all, came down as the rain, and was known as a spring, and diffused himself as a river, and was baptized in the Jordan. For you have just heard how Jesus came to John and was baptized by him in the Jordan. Oh, things strange beyond compare! How should the boundless river that makes glad the city of God have been dipped in a little water! — ON THE HOLY THEOPHANY 2 Jerome: His going forth is prepared as the morning light, and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth." LXX: "We shall find him ready as the morning, and he shall come to us as the early and the latter rain to the earth." Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. And let us know, let us follow on to know the Lord: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth. About which the title of the twenty-first psalm is: "For the morning assumption:" Although it is written in Hebrew: "For the morning deer:" because after death and the twisted ancient serpent he desires to climb towards the mountains, and he, with the darkness dissipated, rises to us the sun of justice, that he may illuminate our blindness. And it is beautifully said, "his going forth is from the end of heaven, and his circuit even to the end of it." concerning which, according to the tropology, we read in the eighteenth psalm: "And he, as a bridegroom, coming out of his bride-chamber." (Ps. XVIII, 5). He who is not only called morning, dawn, and daybreak, but will come to us like a temporary and late rain to the earth. We receive Christ as a temporary (savior), when the foundations of faith have been cast in us, and we will welcome rain in the late season when we will gather eternal crops from the mature crops, and we will be stored in the Lord's granaries. Therefore, you Jews who do not receive temporary rain, and without rains cast seeds, will not receive the fruits of crops in the end times. This is the rain of which the Lord promises, saying: "I will give you rain in due season, and the latter rain" (Deut. 11:14). According to the allegory, rain is given in due season, when we partly know: the latter rain is given when what is perfect comes. And the Lord is always ready for those who rise in the morning, who can say, "I will arise at dawn" (Ps. 56:1). And: "O God, my God, I watch for you at break of day. My soul thirsts for you" (Ps. 62). — Commentary on Hosea 6:3 Jerome: [God] is called not only at morning or dawn or daybreak; he will come to us as an early and later rain to earth. We accept Christ as an early rain when the foundations of the faith are laid within us, and we shall take him as a late rain when after the crop is ripened we grasp eternal fruits and store them up in the Master's barn. — COMMENTARY ON Hosea 2:6 Jerome: "What shall I do to you, Ephraim? What shall I do to you, Judah? Your mercy is like the morning clouds and like the dew that goes away early: therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments shall go forth as the light." LXX: "What shall I do to you, Ephraim? What shall I do to you, Judah? Your mercy is like a morning cloud, and like dew that passes away early: therefore I have hewed your prophets, I have killed them with the words of my mouth, and your judgment shall come forth like the light." When He says, 'What shall I do to thee, Ephraim? What shall I do to thee, Juda?,' He shows the affection of a parent for his lost children, according to what we read in Isaiah: 'What is there that I ought to have done more to my vineyard, that I have not done to it?' (Isaiah 5:4) And in Micah: "My people, what have I done to you, or how have I caused trouble to you? Answer me; because I brought you out of the land of Egypt, I freed you from the house of slaves, and I sent Moses, Aaron, and Miriam before your face" (Micah 6:2, 4). Therefore, what shall I do to you, Ephraim, what shall I do to you, Judah? Your mercy, with which I have always shown mercy to you, has passed like the morning clouds, and like the morning dew that dries up when the sun rises. For now captivity is near, I already see you being led captive into the Assyrians and chained to the Babylonians. I grieved for you in the prophets and threatened you with terrible words; I brandished a scalpel, fire and branding irons, so that you who despised my clemency might fear my offence, and I might kill the careless with the words of my mouth, punishing sinners beforehand with the terror of words before captivity should approach. And I did all this so that the truth of the judgement by which I am about to judge you might be made manifest and that no one might doubt that you have suffered what you have deserved. For what it is, 'I have grieved for the prophets,' the Seventy translated, 'I have cut down your prophets,' understanding that they had killed false prophets themselves, to the Lord: so that those who were the cause of error, promising prosperity, would be killed and turned into an opportunity for salvation. And the sense is: Lest you should say, we believed in the prophets, even we killed them: so that every occasion of sin might be taken away from you. We read in the book of Kings that 450 prophets of Baal were killed under Elijah (3 Kings xviii), and another innumerable multitude under Jehu (4 Kings x), who overthrew the house of Ahab. We believe that the same things were said both to heretics and to the true man Judas, who was about to suffer similar things, so that the Lord may provoke them to mercy, and may desire to return to salvation. But those men who pursue the delights and refreshments of this world like a cloud and dew that quickly pass away, of whom it is said in the Gospel: "Thou fool, this night do they require thy soul of thee: and whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?" (Luke 12:20). And that richly adorned man, who despised Lazarus lying before his doors (Luke 16), knew that all that he had enjoyed had passed away like a cloud or a dewdrop. But God always destroys the prophets of the heretics, while He threatens them with eternal punishments, takes away true life from them, and abandons them to the death of their crimes. However, let us love that cloud which is eternal, and which protects us from the heat of this world, under which sitting the Lord came into Egypt, and broke all the idols of the Egyptians. Let us love that dew about which Moses speaks: "Let my doctrine drop as the rain" (Deut. XXXII, 2). And about which Isaiah says: "Thy dead men shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust: for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast forth the dead" (Isai. XXVI, 19, sec. LXX). There are some who think that the prophets who were truly slain (("Al." holy men)) were given up to the enemies because of the sin of the people. — Commentary on Hosea 6:4-5 Ambrose of Milan: For the Word of God Himself tells us that He prefers the performance of His commandments to the offering of sacrifice. God proclaims this, Moses declares it to the people, Paul preaches it to the Gentiles. Do that which you understand is most profitable for the time. "I prefer mercy," it is said, "rather than sacrifice." Are they not, then, rather Christians in truth who condemn their own sin, than they who think to defend it? "The just is an accuser of himself in the beginning of his words." He who accuses himself when he has sinned is just, not he who praises himself. — Letter 51:15 Clement of Alexandria: For to every one who has turned to God in truth and with a whole heart, the doors are open, and the thrice-glad Father receives his truly repentant child. And true repentance is to be no longer bound in the same sins for which he denounced death against himself, but to eradicate them completely from the soul. For on their uprooting God takes up his abode again in you. For it is said there is great and exceeding joy and festivity in the heavens with the Father and the angels when one sinner turns and repents. This is why he cries, "I will have mercy, and not sacrifice." — Who is the Rich Man that Shall Be Saved? Cyril of Alexandria: Most of all, worship of God displays love.… For truly the compassion from beside the Father is Christ, as he takes away the sins, dismisses the charges and justifies by faith, and recovers the lost and makes [them] stronger than death. For what is good and he does not give? Therefore the knowledge of God is better than sacrifice and holocausts, as it is brought to perfection in Christ. For by him and in him we have known the Father, and we have become rich in the justification by faith. — COMMENTARY ON Hosea 4:65 Jerome: For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice: and the knowledge of God more than holocausts; but they themselves like Adam have transgressed the covenant: there they have prevaricated against me." LXX: "For I desire mercy, and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than holocausts: but they themselves are like a man passing by the covenant." What follows in the Septuagint: "There hath despised me the city of Galaad, the vain-doer," and the rest, is to be connected with the following chapter: we will discuss what we have proposed: I have grieved them in my prophets, I have slain them with the words of my mouth: I have struck them with hard punishments, so that I might have mercy on the repentant, that I might extend my hand to those who have fallen and risen. For I am not pleased with sacrifices and offerings, and the multitude of burnt offerings. My sacrifice and offerings, the salvation of believers, and the conversion of sinners is. But they imitated Adam, and disregarding my covenant and law, they did on earth what he had done in paradise. And there, that is, in paradise, all have transgressed against me, in the likeness of Adam's transgression. For it is not surprising that what preceded in the parent should also be condemned in their children. Every day God calls those who are outside the Church and those who sin while dwelling in the Church to repentance, and says to them: "I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and knowledge of God rather than holocausts." But they offer sacred bread and give alms, and seem to pursue humility: this I interpret as holocausts, if they are truly done. However, when they have abandoned knowledge of God, they boast in vain of having the rest of the members, with the head of faith cut off, for they have transgressed the covenant of God in the Church, just as Adam transgressed it in Paradise; and they show themselves to be imitators of that ancient parent, so that just as he was cast out of Paradise, so they may also be cast out of the Church. — Commentary on Hosea 6:6-7 John Chrysostom: Great is the principle of mercy to God. Not only his to us, but also that issuing from us to our fellow servants. In the Old Testament and the New, God lays down innumerable laws pertaining to this matter. He orders us to be benevolent continually in all quarters, through words, money and deeds. And Moses throughout—up and down, here and there—scatters words about these matters in all his legislations. And in the person of God the prophets shout, "I desire mercy, and not sacrifice." And all the apostles act and speak in harmony with these prophetic words. Therefore let us not neglect the matter. By mercy we greatly benefit ourselves, not the poor only. We receive much more than we provide. — HOMILIES ON REPENTANCE AND ALMSGIVING 10:5.22 Tertullian: But he would not threaten the impenitent if he failed to pardon the penitent. This would be doubtful only if he had not revealed elsewhere the profusion of his mercy. Has he not said, "He who is fallen shall rise, and he who was turned away shall return"? He it is, most assuredly, who "will have mercy rather than sacrifice." The heavens and the angels who are there rejoice at human repentance. Look at you now, sinner, be of good heart! You see where it is that you are a cause of joy. — ON PENITENCE 8 Theodoret of Cyrus: Whereas I [the Lord] have no need of sacrifices, I accept them out of considerateness for the limitations of your way of thinking. These two things, on the contrary, I do require: the right disposition toward me and lovingkindness toward the neighbor, these also being the first obligations I imposed, "You will love the Lord your God with your whole heart, your whole soul, your whole mind and your whole strength; and you will love your neighbor as yourself." But whereas I imposed these obligations, they resembled someone breaking agreements made by him with somebody else. In similar fashion, in fact, they despised my longsuffering and trampled on the laws given them. — COMMENTARY ON Hosea 6:6–7 Jerome: Galaad a city of idolaters, supplanted by blood, and like the throats of robbers (or "the city of a robber") for both readings are possible. The Septuagint: "There Galad despised me, a city that is devoted to vanity, and disturbs the water, and your strength, O violent men." We read in Ramoth Galaad that Jehu was anointed in king (IV Kings IX), who mixed blood with blood, and overthrew the house of Achab, and before sunrise ordered heaps of his sons' heads to be placed; in this city across the Jordan in the possession of the tribe of Gad, an idol was consecrated, which was inhabited by priests, for it was a city of fugitives. Therefore, the more celebrated and authoritative it was, because it had been delegated to a part of the priests, the more it was the beginning of idolatry and all evil for Israel living across Jordan, so that those who had sinned first were the first to be captured by the Assyrians. And since the province itself is full of thefts, compares them to thieves, just as priests have laid ambushes for the simplicity of the people, so have those [the thieves] done to travelers. Furthermore, according to the tropology, "Gilead" means "migration of testimony"; and he despises God, while he twists the testimonies of the Scriptures into perverse doctrines, and all his works are in vain, and he disturbs the waters of the Church, and from the purest fountains makes muddy and dirty streams that stain the baptized rather than cleanse them. And all the strength of this city, like that of pirate men, while imitating the devil, who, in the sea of this age, in which ships cross over, lies in wait for those who strive to reach port. Finally Symmachus has more clearly interpreted, saying: "And your throat like that of a lying pirate." We read about such pirates in Job: "There is no delay for the pirates" (Job XXV, 3, sec. LXX). Although they seem to boast of themselves in the present age, to stir up the waters, to act vainly, and to carry on piracy, yet there is no delay to the punishments that will quickly overtake them. — Commentary on Hosea 6:8 Jerome: "The participation of the priests on the road of those going to kill from Shechem: for they have committed a crime." LXX: "The priests have hidden" "the way of the Lord and killed Shechem: for they have committed iniquity." Symmachus interpreted this passage as: "The association of priests were killing Shechem on the road:" Theodotion in this way, "The priests hid the way, they killed from behind:" Aquila, "The participation of the priests on the road were killing shoulders:" when we sought the understanding of these versions in accordance with the story from the Hebrew, it was presented to us as follows: The priests of Bethel, or rather the fanatics of Bethaven, during the times of Passover and Pentecost, as well as Scenopegiae, when it was necessary to go to Jerusalem through Sichem, which is now called Neapolis, placed robbers on the road who would lay in wait for those who were traveling, so that they would worship the golden calves in Dan and Bethaven more than in Jerusalem and in the temple of God. But what he says: "Participation and partnership of priests", signifies their conspiracy and agreement for an evil purpose. But if we read it, as we have interpreted it, "partaker of the priests", he says, it refers to Gilead, which works with an idol; it has also been saturated with blood, which followed the impiety of the priests, and is free of plundering and bloody deeds. If they have said this, we must say, let us cut off heretics so that we do not proceed from Shechem, that is, from good works, to Jerusalem, that is, to the Church. These are like the jaws of bandits, and they kill those who wish to proceed through the way of truth in this age. Sichem is interpreted as "shoulders," that is, shoulders: we understand the work on the shoulders, and all false priests hide the way, and kill men with evil deeds so that they do not reach Jerusalem. But what the shoulder work signifies is shown by: "Put your heart on your shoulder" (Gen. IV, 9, 15), that is, what you understand, turn into actions. And of Issachar we read, that he placed his shoulder to work, and was a farmer. — Commentary on Hosea 6:9 Jerome: In the house of Israel, I saw dreadful things; there were the fornications of Ephraim, Israel is defiled; and, Judah, I will put a harvest for you, when I will return the captivity of my people. From this crime and terrible horror, Jeremiah also spoke: "The heavens were astounded at this and the earth became deeply afraid" (Jeremiah 2). For what is more terrible than ten tribes suddenly turning to the worship of idols? Where it is said to their metropolis, "Take away your calf, Samaria, in which Ephraim first fornicated," that is, Jeroboam of the tribe of Ephraim, and by his fornication, Israel was defiled, namely the people of Samaria, who obtained for the most part the common name of Israel. Hence the speech is also turned to Judah: "You too, Judah, set up your harvest," and the sense is, "Do not think yourself secure because Israel is led away captive; prepare your crops, so that they can be harvested; for not long after, you yourself will be led captive to Babylon, and the time of your harvest will come." And when the Chaldeans cut you down, I will bring back the captivity of my people and under Cyrus the king of Persia and Artaxerxes will I lead back my people. And observe how significantly the captivity and the return of Judah is prophesied; but of Israel, that is, of the ten tribes, it is now silent, although when something prosperous is said, the advent of Christ is deferred. And in the house of the heretics, we see horrible things every day: first the masters fornicate, and the people who are led by them are defiled. It is also commanded to the Jews, that is, to the Church, that he himself should prepare, because of sins, his own harvest or vintage, when the time of judgment comes. But to him forgiveness is granted, and the Lord promises pardon, because he whom he loves he rebukes, and chastises every son whom he receives, to establish the proven and cleansed in his treasures. Some refer to what is said, "Juda, begin your harvest," or "put your harvest for yourself," in a good way, so that after Israel is punished, he may receive the fruit of his deeds according to what is written: "Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy" (Psalm 126: 5). We prefer a higher level of perception. — Commentary on Hosea 6:10-11 Jerome: When I wanted to heal Israel, the iniquity of Ephraim was revealed, and the malice of Samaria: for they have wrought falsehood, and a thief is come in to spoil, a robber without. The Septuagint likewise. Often has Israel received wounds of idolatry, and especially that one, when in the desert they fashioned a calf's head, and said: 'These are thy gods, O Israel, that have brought thee out of the land of Egypt' (Exod. XXXII, 4). Therefore I, who desire the sinner's repentance rather than his death (Ezech. XVIII, XXXIII), afterwards say in the Gospel: 'They that are in health need not a physician, but they that are ill' (Luke V, 31), and have attempted to heal the wounds of my people. And when I treated all these things with every art, that the miserable people might be cured, suddenly Jeroboam of the tribe of Ephraim appeared, who made golden calves, and the wickedness of Samaria was revealed, following the impious king: for both the king and the people operated in falsehood, that is, idolatry. For just as an image is contrary to God, so is falsehood to truth. But the king himself, like a thief, entered among the people of Israel, and like a robber despoiled the unhappy people of God with the help of his people. And the sense is this: When I wished to wipe away the sins of my people, because of their ancient idolatry, Ephraim and Samaria found new idols. But it can also be said that after the shedding of his own blood, the Lord and Savior sought to heal the sins of the people and lead them to repentance, both Jews and Gentiles gathered in his Church. Suddenly Ephraim, who promised the fertility of false dogmas, and the people of Samaria who proclaimed they followed God's commands, arose and performed the idolatry of false dogmas, and through them, the thief and robber, the devil, entered the Church, or the doctrine of heretics entered like a thief and robber, of whom the Savior said in the Gospel, "All who came before me were thieves and robbers" (John 10: 8). Thieves lie in wait, and deceive with hidden fraud: robbers boldly plunder the possessions of others. For those who steal, steal at night and in darkness. Hence, it is significantly said, that the thief enters secretly, and the robber plunders outside. For they cannot strip those of Christ's clothes whom they have taught, unless they have led them out of the Church, and made them walk in the perverse way of their doctrines. We must consider thieves and robbers who came before the Lord, not Moses, and the prophets who are always praised by the Savior's mouth, but false prophets, and afterwards heretics who were not sent by the Lord, but came of their own will. — Commentary on Hosea 7:1 Jerome: "And lest perhaps they should say in their hearts: all their wickedness (all wickedness Vulg.) I have remembered, they have encompassed me in the inventions of their own thoughts, before my face they are made." LXX: "That they may sing as it were a new song in their hearts, all their wickedness I have remembered." "Now their own devices have encompassed them about, they have been executed in my sight." Lest perhaps, they say in their hearts: God hath restored to us, our ancient sins, we have repaid the iniquities of our fathers: they have eaten a sour grape, and their teeth are set on edge. (Jeremiah 31); therefore, I will recount to them, what they have done both now and in the present, in my sight, and daily, and I will show them their own inventions, and the thoughts by which they have most studiously pursued mischief, and what they have done in my presence, not fearing my face. But what we read in the Septuagint, 'that they sing together as if singing in their hearts,' refers to the fact that if a thief has entered, or a robber stripped them of their possessions outside, they would not repel the thief's and robber's agreement by staying in their former riches and clothing; but when they have been stripped, they sing together with them, and become of one heart (Dist. 4, de Poenit., cap. Cum ita): therefore they will receive what they have done, and all their thoughts and deeds will not deserve my sight. Heretics also cannot be accused of old sins against God, since every day they add new impiety to their old deeds, and when they perish in destruction, they are abandoned by their own errors, and when they think they can hide from God, they cannot avoid his eyes. — Commentary on Hosea 7:2 Origen of Alexandria: Therefore each one must keep his heart with all watchfulness, for when the Lord comes in the day of judgment, "He will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts," "all the thoughts of men meanwhile accusing or else excusing them," "when their own devices have beset them about." But of such a nature are the evil thoughts that sometimes they make worthy of censure even those things which seem good and which, so far as the popular judgment is concerned, are indeed worthy of praise. — COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF Matthew 11:15 Jerome: "In their malice, they made the king rejoice, and in their lies, the princes." LXX: "In their wickedness, the kings rejoiced, and in their lies, the princes." It explains what they did before Him: In their wickedness, they made King Jeroboam rejoice, and in their lies, the princes who led the people under Jeroboam. Heretics also rejoiced the devil as their king in the wickedness of their deeds, and the princes of perverse doctrines in their lies, without a doubt, of this world, whose false wisdom God destroys. We can call a king among the heretics, who first discovered the heresy, and those princes who, claiming a false priesthood for themselves, are placed over the people of the heretics. And at the same time, it should be noted that in our sins, the opposite strengths rejoice, and the leaders and princes of these darknesses. — Commentary on Hosea 7:3 Caesarius of Arles: Although you might marry and in the face of the authority of all the Scriptures never commit adultery, why do you not with God's grace accept what is lawful? Instead you dare to offend God and commit what is unlawful. I would like to know whether those who have no wives, and neither fear nor blush to commit adultery before they are joined in wedlock, would want their spouses to be violated by adulterers before they come to marriage. Since there is no one who would patiently accept this, why does not each one observe toward his spouse the fidelity he wants observed by her? Why does one desire to take a virgin as his wife, when he himself is corrupted? Why does he wish to be united to a wife who is alive, when he is dead in soul because of adultery, according to what is written: "The soul that sins shall die"? Moreover, the apostle exclaims in terrible words, "God will judge the immoral and adulterers," and "Adulterers will not possess the kingdom of God." Furthermore, "They are all adulterers, their hearts like an oven." — SERMON 43 Jerome: "All adulterers are like an oven heated by the baker: the city rested for a little while from the mixture of the ferment, until it had fermented all. " LXX: "All adulterers are like a burning oven for baking bread, heated by the fire of mixed bread, until it has fermented all." Those who rejoice in their wickedness, kings in their lies, are all adulterers, and like a burning oven, consumed by the fire of Jeroboam's idolatry, to bake bread of impiety which, when it sent an error into their souls, like an oven and kiln first set on fire, rested for a little while, so as not to overpower the people, but to let them follow their own will until all lies had fermented: for whatever is done out of necessity, is quickly dissolved: what is willingly taken up, endures. Therefore even here, because he had taken the translation from the shovel, which is used to bake bread, he preserves in the rest, so that in the mixing of the whole people, he shows their consent: namely, that both king and people are consumed by equal ardor in idolatry. No one doubts that the hearts of the heretics are set ablaze by the fire of the devil, so that the loaves of Antichrist can be baked in them: who therefore first remain silent in the Church, and speak secretly, and promise all peace, so that cancer gradually creeps into peoples, and their teaching leaven (which the Lord also understands when he says: "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees" (Matth. XVI, 6) when it swells in the hearts of the deceived, then they break out into open madness, and what is said by John the Apostle is fulfilled in them: "They went out from us, but they were not of us: for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us" (I John I, 19). — Commentary on Hosea 7:4 Origen of Alexandria: But where shall I find an approach to the divine Scripture that teaches me what "an oven" is? I must call upon Jesus my Lord, that he may make me the seeker find and may open to the one knocking, that I may find in Scriptures "the oven" where I can rightly bake my sacrifice that God may accept it. Indeed, I think I have found it in Hosea the prophet, where he says, "All adulterers are as an oven ignited for burning." And again he says, "Their hearts glowed as an oven." The human heart therefore is "an oven." But this heart, if vices ignite it or the devil inflames it, will not bake, but it will burn up. But if that one who said, "I came to send fire into the earth" should ignite it, the loaves of the divine Scriptures and of the words of God which I receive in my heart, I do not burn up for destruction, but I bake for sacrifice. — HOMILIES ON Leviticus 5:2 Jerome: "The day of our king: the princes began to rage from wine: he stretched out his hand with the mockers." LXX: "The days of your kings. The princes began to rave from wine: he stretched out his hand with pestilences." A dark place and in need of the attentive reader's sense, so that we may first understand the history. Israel and the city of Samaria rested for a little while, with the passion of error received into itself, until the whole mass became like leaven, and grew and burst forth, and the swelling people cried out at the gates of King Jeroboam, and said: This is the day of our king Jeroboam, this is the festive day that our emperor has appointed for us; this we celebrate, this we sing, in this we exult and play, in this we worship the golden calves. The people are shouting, the leaders are not angry, as some may think; but they themselves began to rage from the wine, and lose the understanding of their minds, forget God, and push into the idols' woods. When the king saw this, he cried out to the people and said, "This day belongs to our king," and the leaders, like drunk and fanatical people, not knowing what they were saying, extended their hands to the jesters, deceiving those who flattered him with empty praises. We have spoken boldly rather than knowingly according to the Hebrew tradition, leaving the authors of our words to faith. Now let us move on to spiritual understanding: unhappy peoples, who are seduced by the devil king and his princes, or who have taken other solemnities from the prince of heresy and his leaders, leaving the Church and trampling on the truth of faith, are wont to cry out and say: This is the day of our king: for example, Valentinius, Marcion, Arius, and Eunomius. Those who are put in charge of them, upon hearing this (advice) must not be glad with wine (lest) it be thought as a minor sin; but they act like mad men because of wine, of which Moses wrote in the Song of Deuteronomy: "The wine of their dragons, and the fury of the unhealable asps" (Deut. 32:33): for they eat the food of wickedness and are intoxicated with the wine of evil. Concerning this, the Apostle says: "Be not drunk with wine, wherein is luxury" (Ephesians 5:18). And in Proverbs, we read: "Princes should not drink wine: lest they forget wisdom, and not be able to judge what is right" (Prov. XXXI, 5). Hence, with deceived peoples and leaders, a prince stretches out his hand, be they deceivers or pests, such as the sons of Eli, about whom we read in the first Psalm: "He did not sit in the seat of pestilence" (Ps. I, 1); of whom it is said: "Cast out the pestilent one from your council, and contention will go out with him" (Prov. XXII, 10): with their hearts inflamed, so that they may collide with whom they have deceived. For according to the seventy this points to "cataracts," which do not lift upwards, but drag downwards. — Commentary on Hosea 7:5-7 Jerome: "who placed his heart in the oven as he dined with them. He slept throughout the entire night cooking them, and in the morning he burned like a flame of fire." LXX: "because their hearts were burning like an oven, when they were rushing down all night. Ephraim is filled with sleep: in the morning it happened: he is inflamed like the flame of fire." Those deceivers, when their king was plotting against them, and was trying to draw them away from their God, gave their heart as a furnace to him, so that he might kindle them and cause them to burn with the flames of idolatry. Therefore, because all of them were turned in mind to error, the people agreed. And what follows: "He slept all night, baking them; in the morning he himself was kindled as a flame of fire," means this: after he had sent fire into their heart as a furnace and had seen them go mad and there being no one to resist his will, he slept all night, that is, he was secure; walking in darkness while they were being cooked and made into the bread of impiety. Therefore, in the morning he rose up, and showed openly the flame of his wickedness, so that they might not pass over into the ceremonies of idols by treachery, but shamelessly. And when he says: "Ephraim is filled in sleep throughout the entire night," he shows that heretics who are sleeping cannot see the light of the sun of righteousness. For those who sleep, sleep at night: because their senses are oppressed. And of them we read in the Psalms: "They slept their sleep, and found nothing" (Ps. LXXV, 6). Their hearts are heated by various disturbances: anger, love, avarice. — Commentary on Hosea 7:5-7 Origen of Alexandria: But where shall I find an approach to the divine Scripture that teaches me what "an oven" is? I must call upon Jesus my Lord, that he may make me the seeker find and may open to the one knocking, that I may find in Scriptures "the oven" where I can rightly bake my sacrifice that God may accept it. Indeed, I think I have found it in Hosea the prophet, where he says, "All adulterers are as an oven ignited for burning." And again he says, "Their hearts glowed as an oven." The human heart therefore is "an oven." But this heart, if vices ignite it or the devil inflames it, will not bake, but it will burn up. But if that one who said, "I came to send fire into the earth" should ignite it, the loaves of the divine Scriptures and of the words of God which I receive in my heart, I do not burn up for destruction, but I bake for sacrifice. — HOMILIES ON Leviticus 5:2 Jerome: "all of them were heated like a hot oven, and they devoured their judges: all their kings fell, there is none who cries out to me from them." LXX: "All are heated like an oven of burning fire, and fire devoured their judges. All their kings fell: there is none among them who calls upon me." What more? All were heated as if in a furnace, with the fire of idolatry, and devoured their judges, so that he who could have been good by nature and could have remembered the religion of the Lord, seeing both rulers and people subject to calves, and thinking that they were gods, also was devoured by wickedness. Finally, all the kings of Israel fell, and they walked in the ways of Jeroboam the son of Nabath, who caused Israel to sin, and no one was found who, having abandoned idols, returned to God. And [heretics] devour their judges, or if they can have anything in mind with virtues, or senses by which they can discern evils from goods. Whether this is to be said, that the leaders of the heretics are devoured by their own people, as they devour their homes for the sake of shameful gain, they themselves are devoured by their consent. All the leaders of the heretics have fallen: although he cries out to the Lord, there is no one who calls upon his name: "For everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Romans X). "Moses and Aaron were among his priests, and Samuel among those who called upon his name; they called upon the Lord, and he answered them" (Psalm XCVIII), he does not hear them who are kings and princes of the heretics, because there is none among them who calls upon the Lord. — Commentary on Hosea 7:5-7 Gregory the Dialogist: Ephraim is a cake under the ashes not turned. For a cake under the ashes, that hath ashes upon it, lays the cleaner side flat to the ground, and has the upper side the fouler, in proportion as it carries the ashes upon it. And so with the mind that harbours earthly thoughts, what else does it carry upon itself but a load of ashes? But if it will be 'turned,' the clean surface, which it had kept downwards, it brings back to the top, when it has shaken off the ashes that it had upon it. If therefore we shake off from the mind the ashes of earthly thoughts, as it were we 'turn the cake under the ashes,' that that bent of our mind may henceforth go to the rear, which the ashes of grovelling thought before overlaid, and the clean face come to the top, that our right bent of mind may not henceforth be surcharged with the weight of earthly desire. Which we can never do, except we be bedewed with the grace of the Holy Spirit, in that when Almighty God 'sendeth out the waters, they will overturn the earth.' — Morals on the Book of Job, Book XI, Section 10 Jerome: The kingdom of the ten tribes has become like any other nation because they went away from the Lord. And he [Ephraim] is like a bread beneath the ashes that is not turned, that is, he does not repent. — COMMENTARY ON Hosea 2:7 Jerome: "Ephraim mingled himself with the people. Ephraim is become as bread baked under the ashes, that is not turned." LXX: "Ephraim was mingled with his own people: Ephraim is become as ashes, which is not returned." The kingdom of ten tribes has been made, like all nations, because they have departed from the Lord: and like ashes of bread, which does not return, that is, does not do penance. But when Ephraim ought to teach the people so as to lead them to another way of thinking and draw them to himself as an example, he mixes with the people and becomes like them, according to what was said above: "He will be like the people, so will the priest." Whether Ephraim mixes with the people and nations, so that all heretics differ in nothing from the error of the Gentiles. And he who was once a leader in the Church becomes a worthless heap of ashes, completely filthy with ashes on every side and surrounded by the fire of sins, so that he does not return to the Lord, but remains in the beginning of error. — Commentary on Hosea 7:8-10 Gregory the Dialogist: Strangers have devoured his strength, and he hath known it not. For by 'strangers' are usually understood apostate angels, who devour our strength, when they consume the virtue of the mind by perverting it. Which Ephraim both endured, and knew it not, because through the temptation of malignant spirits he both lost the strength of his mind, and understood not that he had lost it. Want therefore goes before the face of Leviathan, because he spoils by his temptation the minds of the careless, before he who is tempted knows his snares. — Morals on the Book of Job, Book XXXIV, Section 6 Jerome: "Foreigners have devoured his strength, and he knew it not. Yea, gray hairs also are spread upon him, and he is not aware of it." LXX: "strangers have devoured his strength, and he knew it not: yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him, yet he knoweth not." The Assyrians and the Chaldeans have eaten up its strength, and whatever it could have in terms of power, they have devoured. And the madness was such that he did not know that he had been devoured, or indeed did not know the reason for which he had been handed over to the devourers: in short, he remained in the mistaken belief until old age, that is, until the ultimate captivity. The demons have eaten his strength: for they are indeed strangers and enemies of all Christians, and he did not know, thinking adversaries were friends, and considering his devourers as guests; but they also poured out like dogs upon him, indeed they flourished, that is, he erred for a long time; and nevertheless he ignored his old age and antiquity, about which it is written, "What grows old and aged, is near extinction" (Heb. VIII, 13). And if it is said of the just man and the ecclesiastic: "The wisdom of his intellect is the dog of a man." (Wisdom 4:8): Why should it not be said of the wicked and the heretic: "The stupidity of his intellect is the dog of a man?" Concerning this old age Daniel spoke to the elder: "Thou hast grown old in days of wickedness" (Dan. III, 52). Wherefore also in the book of the Pastor (if, however, one is pleased to receive it), the Church seems to be first seen as an old man, then as a youth, and finally as a maiden adorned with hair. — Commentary on Hosea 7:8-10 John Cassian: Not content with these words, the blessed Anthony entered upon a wider field of discussion, and he said, "This way of life and this most lukewarm condition not only causes you the loss that I have spoken of, even though you yourself may not feel it now. You may even somehow say in keeping with a sentence from Proverbs: 'They strike me, but I did not grieve, and they mocked me, but I was unaware.' And remember what is said by the prophet Hosea: 'Aliens devoured his strength, and he himself did not even recognize it.' " — CONFERENCE 24:11.3 Jerome: "And the pride of Israel shall be humbled before his face: and they have not returned to the Lord their God, nor have they sought him in all these." LXX: "And the pride of Israel shall be humbled before his face: and they have not returned to the Lord their God, nor have they sought him in all these." Therefore, the pride of Israel will be humbled not long after, but now and in the present, for this is what he says: "in his presence:" he will be humbled, because he had exalted himself and trusted in the multitude of armies, not in God. And because God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James IV); for pride, that is, Gaon, according to their custom, translated ὕβριν, that is, "insult." And because he had said before: "Ephraim has become like a cake unturned," and it seemed ambiguous, or did not sound enough what he was saying, now he explains it more clearly: "They have not returned to their Lord their God, nor have they sought him in all these things." If they had returned to their Lord their God, they would surely have heard through Jeremiah, speaking from God, "Return to me, and I will return to you." And although they have done so much, they have not sought him, whom they have lost by their own fault. And when the pride of the heretics is humbled, or the insult they daily offer to ecclesiastical men, they do not turn to the Lord. But in all these things, they never seek him; for they are heated like an oven and have not sought him: their judges have been devoured, and their kings have fallen together, and there is none among them who calls upon the Lord. All these things they have suffered so that they might seek the Lord, whom they refused to seek. — Commentary on Hosea 7:8-10 Jerome: "And Ephraim became like a bird deceived, not having a heart. They called upon Egypt, they went to the Assyrians. But when they shall go, I will spread my net upon them: I will bring them down as the fowls of the air; I will strike them as their congregation hath heard." LXX: "And Ephraim was like a foolish dove, without understanding; they called to Egypt, they went to Assyria. I will spread my net over them; I will bring them down like birds of the heavens; I will discipline them according to the report made to their congregation." The Lord commanded in the Gospel (Matthew 10) that we should be simple like doves, and shrewd like serpents, so that imitating the simplicity of doves and the shrewdness of the serpent, we may neither harm others nor suffer from their snares; but let us exhibit a tempered humanity with simplicity and prudence, for prudence without goodness is malice, and simplicity without reason is called foolishness. Therefore Ephraim became like a deceived dove, which in Hebrew is called Photha, deceived by the eagle and Symmachus, or seduced, as it is said, or 'nursed', or 'deceived': and by the Septuagint 'foolish' or 'senseless': for both express the foolish. And she is rightly called a deceived dove, or foolish, because she is a dove and wise, which says in the Psalms: "Who will give me wings like doves, and I will fly and rest" (Ps. 54:7)? Whose feathers are silvered, and the rear of its back in a greenish gold. But Ephraim like an insipid dove, and not having a heart, is shown to be of such a brutish mind, that invoking Egypt, he has gone to the Assyrians. For he who has solicited the aid of the Egyptians is led away captive by the Assyrians. The Egyptian reed staff, on which he has relied, immediately crushes him, and his hand is broken, transformed into one of those who lie on it. And to show that God rules everywhere, and that we cannot escape his watchful eye by changing our place, and that we are always subject to the power of God: 'When they have set out for the Assyrians,' he said, 'I will stretch out my net there too, and if they are exalted like birds, thence I will bring them down.' But I will not bring them down to destruction but rather that I may slay them as sons; and I will slay them not with great pains but in fear, so that hearing of the punishments to come, they may be corrected by the terrors alone. It is asked why Ephraim is compared not to other birds but to a dove. Other birds hasten to protect their chicks even at the risk of their own lives, and when they see a hawk, serpent, crow, or raven approach their nest, they fly here and there and throw themselves upon them with bites and claws, and with plaintive voice they testify [to their chicks] concerning their parent's teaching; alone, the dove does not grieve over her lost chicks, nor does she seek them out: and thus Ephraim is rightly compared to her, because though the people are laid waste in parts he does not feel it, but is careless [of his] safety. And what he says, "I will cut them down according to the hearing of their heavens," can signify this: just as by a joint council all the idols were made, in the same way, in my anger, all will be destroyed together. We can rightly call the teachers of opposing doctrines, who have abandoned Christ's wisdom and left the Church, foolish and insane doves, who, desiring earthly things, have been delivered to the Assyrians. And when they have departed from the Church, the Lord spreads his net over them, woven with the wisdom of Scripture and skillful words, so that, raising themselves up against the wisdom of God, and flying like birds to the heights, he brings them down to the depths and corrects them with threats and punishments, so that they may not perish forever. — Commentary on Hosea 7:11-12 Jerome: One may ask: Why was Ephraim compared with a dove and not with other birds? The other birds hurry to protect their offspring even at the risk of life, and when they see a bird of prey, snake, raven or crow approaching their nest, they fly to and fro, and attack with their beak, and wound with their claws, and with a crying voice show the parent's suffering. Only the dove does not grieve for or miss [its] robbed offspring. Ephraim is rightly compared with this bird because he does not suffer for his devastated people but is indifferent to its salvation. — COMMENTARY ON Hosea 2:7 Philoxenus of Mabbug: And the prophet of God abuseth those who are foolish in respect of good things, and wise in respect of evil things. "Ephraim is like a silly dove, without understanding; he cometh to Egypt and he goeth to Assyria, and in the way of repentance towards Me he walketh not." Now the prophet maketh an accusation against such silliness, because it is not simplicity, but folly. And this also is the wickedness of those who are silly in respect of good things. Instead of one Redeemer, they have chosen unto themselves many helpers, and they have forsaken the path which leadeth to God, and have run after the Egyptians and Assyrians that they might come to their help. And although they have experienced many times that they were not able to redeem them from the evils in which they stood, they never became wise enough through the experience of facts to run to God's place of refuge. And the prophet likened them unto doves whose fruit others carried off, and the children of whose bowels were made servants unto others; and he considered them to be without understanding, because they possessed not the discretion through which they would have drawn nigh to God. — 13 Ascetic Discourses, Discourse 5 -- Second Discourse on Simplicity Jerome: "Woe to them, for they have departed from me; they will be destroyed because they have transgressed against me. I redeemed them, yet they spoke lies against me and did not cry out to me in their hearts, but instead howled in their beds." LXX: "Woe to them, for they have departed from me: they have acted wickedly against me: but I have redeemed them: but they spoke falsehood against me, and did not cry out to me with their hearts, but they howled in their beds." They got away from me who was spreading out my net to catch them as a bird of the sky, to get rid of pride, and I was falling in difficulty when they withdrew and jumped away from me, for ἀπεπήδησαν means this, which the Septuagint translated: "And for this reason they will be laid waste, because they have transgressed against me." For that which we have said, 'they shall be laid waste,' is written also in Hebrew, Sod Laem, that is, 'a desolation to them:' Symmachus translates it 'destruction:' Theodotion, 'misery.' Moreover, in the Vulgate edition we read in two ways; for some codices have δῆλοί εἰσιν, that is, "they are manifest:" others δειλαῖοί εἰσιν, that is, "they are timid," or "miserable." Therefore they will be devastated and will be miserable forever, always fearing and trembling, because they have transgressed against God, worshipping golden calves, and leaving Him who redeemed them from Egyptian slavery, and led them with a high arm. They spoke lies against the Lord, saying of idols: "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt" (Exodus XXXII), and did not cry out to the Lord in their hearts, but wallowed in idolatrous fornication. Either because lust and luxury follow the worship of demons, those who worshiped demons were consequently being turned around in the mire of lust in the manner of swine. And beautifully sounding songs of idolaters, not hymns to God, but a cry of wolves, they were barking. It is easy to interpret about heretics that they have woe forever, because they have departed from God, and they are miserable because they have left their Creator who redeemed them with his blood: and they speak lies against him themselves, composing wicked dogmas of falsehood, and they do not shout in their hearts, but they always howl in the meetings, which are beautifully called bedrooms and beasts' lairs. They cannot say this kind of thing: "I will wash my bed every night, and with my tears I will water my couch" (Psalms 6:7); but they roll in the filth of lust, they are filled with indecency, and whatever they say and think they are praising God, is like the howling of wolves and the sound of mad revelers. Rarely does a heretic love chastity, and those who pretend to love purity, like Manichaeus, Marcion, Arius, Tatianus, and the restorers of the old heresy, promise honey with a poisoned mouth. Moreover, it is shameful to speak of things done in secret, according to the Apostle (Ephesians 5). — Commentary on Hosea 7:13 John Cassian: If [birds] do not hold to the narrow path with cautious and careful restraint as they go their way, making their airy progress through the void, thanks to their marvelous skill, the earth, which is as it were the natural mooring for everyone and the most solid and safe foundation for all, becomes for them a present and manifest danger—not because its nature is changed but because they fall precipitously upon it by the weight of their body. Similarly, the unwearying goodness of God and his unchangeable substance itself certainly hurt no one, but we ourselves bring death upon ourselves by falling from the heights to the depths. For this very fall means death for the one who falls. For it is said: "Woe to them, for they have departed from me. They shall be destroyed, for they have transgressed against me." — CONFERENCE 23:9.2–3 Theodoret of Cyrus: "First I will educate them through the threat of sufferings. Then I will catch all of them like birds, placing around them a cloud of enemies like a net." And having said that, he does not forget his love for mankind but offers a dirge from fatherly love for them. — COMMENTARY ON Hosea 7 Jerome: "They muttered about wheat and wine: they separated themselves from me." LXX: "Over wheat and wine they were being cut to pieces." On account of the abundance, they said, they have fallen because of their own foolishness. Which Ezekiel also mentions was done in Sodom and Gomorrah (Ezek. XIX), that they chewed on nothing other than food and lust: for which reason the Seventy translated, "they were sliced over grain and wine," as an example of the prophets of Baal, who, with Elijah present, prayed for rain by cutting off the members (III Kings. XVIII). And at the same time, to show that they were like animals, he did not say they ate, but ruminated: and therefore they wandered from the Lord. Concerning wheat and wine, and false mysteries of the body and blood of Christ, who says in the Gospel: "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone" (John 12:24): And in another place: "I am the true vine" (John 15:1): And: "Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you" (John 6:54). Therefore, heretics fall over this with wheat and wine and construct different tabernacles for themselves: whether they are prevented by the body of the Church, and simulate meditating and reflecting on the law of God. — Commentary on Hosea 7:14-16 Jerome: "and I taught them a lesson. I strengthened their arms, and they thought evil against me." LXX: "they were instructed in me, and I strengthened their arms, and they thought evil against me." The Lord says, "I have taught them, I have provided strength, and they have raised their necks against me; not that they can do anything and harm their Creator, but what they could do, they thought evil against me." But those who do this depart from the Lord who taught them in the Church, and gave them the strength to fight their enemies. They, on the other hand, considered evil against the Lord, building the most impious heresies. — Commentary on Hosea 7:14-16 Jerome: "They turned back, so as to be without a yoke: they became as a deceitful bow: their princes shall fall by the sword, by the rage of their tongue: this their derision in the land of Egypt." LXX: "they were turned into nothing, they became like a tense bow, their rulers shall fall by the sword because of their lack of understanding; this is their derision in the land of Egypt." And as they were in the beginning, before I called them by Abraham, and afterwards by Moses and Aaron, and they were without the yoke of the law and without knowledge, and mingled with all nations: so now they have returned to their former state, so as to be carried down headlong without a yoke and reins, and changed into a deceitful bow, so that having aimed at whom God had directed them, they turned their weapons against their own Lord, and sent forth arrows of blasphemy against Him. Therefore, their princes shall fall by the sword because of the rage of their tongue: this is their derision in the land of promise. They have said: "Where is he that he may reign over us?" In undisciplined pride they have pushed you away from your people, saying: "Be gone from us, for we do not desire to know your ways." And: "Would that we had died in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots" (Exodus 32:4), and the rest. And [heretics] return to the state of the Gentiles so that they were without the knowledge and yoke of God: or they returned to nothingness, not that they ceased to be, but that in comparison to Him who speaks to Moses, "Go, tell the people of Israel: He who sent me" (Exodus 3:14), all who are against the Lord should not be said to be (they are called). According to what we read in Esther, specifically in the Septuagint: "Do not give your scepter to those who are not worthy" (Esther XIV, 11, sec. LXX), it is undoubtedly referring to idols. For if God is truth, whatever is contrary to truth is falsehood and cannot be named. This is what heretics agree on, who, having learned from the Holy Scriptures, translate the words of the Lord of the Law, Prophets, and Gospel against Him, and they are like a deceitful and perverse bow. A deceitful and wicked is the bow that strikes its director and wounds its master. Whether they have been made like a bow drawn taut, always ready for battle and disputes, for the overthrow of those who hear them. Therefore their leaders, that is, the heresiarchs, are struck with the sword of the Lord, because of the insanity of their tongue, with which they blasphemed the Lord: doing the same thing in the false name of the Church, which they did at the time when they lived in the ages of Egypt, that is, when they were gentiles. For all the questions of heretics and Gentiles are the same, because they follow not the authority of Scripture, but the sense of human reason. — Commentary on Hosea 7:14-16 Jerome: "Let the trumpet be in your throat, like an eagle over the house of the Lord: because they have transgressed my covenant, and violated my law." LXX: "In their bosom they are like the earth, like an eagle over the house of the Lord: because they have transgressed my covenant, and acted wickedly against my law." This which we have interpreted as "let the trumpet be in your throat," is what is written in Hebrew. Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodotion have similarly translated it as Alechchac Sophar. Only the seventy said, "Like the earth in their bosom", and what this means is uncertain. For some people, bosom is understood in two ways: the lower part of the clothing from the genitals to the feet, or the gulf of the sea, that is, the bosom, for example, of the Adriatic and Ionian Seas and the Propontis, as well as the false teachers who followed the blasphemy of Egypt, keeping all things serving their lusts and earthly desires in their bosom; or indeed in the port and refuge of their navigation, nothing of precious merchandise, but acquiring earthly things. But we, following the Hebrew truth, weave the order of the begun explanation together. It is commanded to the prophet, and it is said to him: "Let the trumpet be in your throat," that is, so elevate your voice, as if it were like a trumpet: so that most may hear, because most have sinned. And when you have lifted up your voice, say this with a shout, like an eagle over the house of the Lord, and the meaning is: Nebuchadnezzar will come with his entire army so swiftly, so quickly, that it imitates the flight of an eagle, hastening to prey; and he will come not to another place, but to Jerusalem, where the temple of God is located, so that he may destroy and subvert it. Of this, the eagle and Ezekiel speaks more fully (Ezek. 17): the great wings, feathers, and talons, which have the direction of entering into Lebanon, that is, into the temple of God. According to the prophet Zachariah, in which it is written: "Open, Lebanon, thy gates, and let fire devour thy cedars" (Zach. 11: 1). But this, O prophet, what I tell you and command: "Let there be a trumpet in your throat," so that you may shout and say, like an eagle upon the house of the Lord, the king is coming of the Chaldeans, I order for no other reason, except that they have violated my covenant, and have left my ceremonies. We frequently read that the devil, who desires to place his nest above the stars of heaven, is like an eagle: "If you are exalted as an eagle, thence I will draw you down," saith the Lord (Obadiah 1:4). Also, the eye which mocks father and despises the old age of the mother, shall be rooted out by the ravens of the valley, and shall be eaten by the younglings of eagles (Proverbs 30): through the devil and demons, losing the clear light of his vision. Therefore, it is commanded in the Law, that we do not eat the eagle (Leviticus 11). Therefore, this eagle comes upon the councils of heretics which formerly were the homes of the Lord. And thus, she comes because they have violated His covenant and abandoned the law of God. — Commentary on Hosea 8:1-4 Jerome: "They will call upon me, (or 'They called upon me') my God, we have known you, Israel." LXX: "They called upon me (or 'They will call upon me'), God, we have known you." At the time of necessity and distress, when captivity will come, they will call upon me and say: "My God, we know you, Israel;" we who are called Israel, we know and recognize you, and we keep the ancient name of Jacob, which pleased you, so that we may be called Israel. And [heretics] call upon him without cause and say: You are my God, and we have known you, we who are called Israel, seeing God and we are called by the name Christian. — Commentary on Hosea 8:1-4 Jerome: "Israel has rejected the good, the enemy will pursue him." LXX: "because Israel has rejected the good; they persecuted the enemy." To which the Lord responds: "How can you be called Israel, when Israel has rejected the good, that is, the Lord God, whom Israel was named after? Therefore, because Israel has rejected the good, the enemy, that is, the Assyrian, will pursue him and capture him." — Commentary on Hosea 8:1-4 Cyprian: When Peter is speaking to the people concerning the bishop to be ordained in the place of Judas, it says, "Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, for the multitude was together." But we notice that the apostles observed this, not only in the ordination of bishops and of priests but also in the ordinations of deacons. Concerning this very thing, in their Acts, it is also written, "The Twelve called together the multitude of the disciples," it says, "and spoke to them."6This matter was carried on diligently and cautiously, with the whole people assembled so that no unworthy man should attain to the ministry of the altar or to the priestly rank. For the fact is that sometimes unworthy men are ordained, not according to the will of God but according to human presumption. These things that do not come from a legitimate and just ordination are displeasing to God. God himself makes this known through the prophet Hosea, saying, "They made themselves a king, but not by me." — Epistle LXVII:4 Gregory the Dialogist: But it can be reasonably asked, How it is said in this place that the Lord makes the hypocrite to reign, when by the Prophet He complains especially of this thing, saying, They have reigned, but not of Me: they have become princes, and I know them not? For, who that thinks rightly, can say that the Lord does that of which He knows nothing? But, because God's knowledge is approval, His ignorance is disapproval. Whence He says to some whom He rejects, I know you not whence ye are; depart from Me, all ye workers of iniquity. And sometimes God's doing a thing, is His allowing in His anger that which He forbids to be done. Hence He asserted that He hardened the heart of the king of Egypt, because He, in truth, allowed it to be hardened. In a marvellous manner then does God make hypocrites to reign, and knows them not. He makes them, by suffering; He knows them not, by rejecting them. Whence it is necessary, with reference to every thing, which is desired in this life, that the Inner Will should be first enquired into. And when the ear of the heart is anxious to catch Its sound, let it know that It speaks, not in words, but in deeds. When then a post of authority is offered, it is necessary for a man first to question with himself, whether his conduct is suited to the place, whether his doings are at variance with the distinction it confers; lest, perchance, the just Ruler of all should, afterwards, not regard his prayers in tribulation, because He knows not his very entering on that high office, which is the source of all his tribulation. — Morals on the Book of Job, Book XXV, Section 41 Jerome: "They themselves have reigned, and not by me; principalities have arisen, and I have not known them. They made for themselves idols of their silver and gold, so that they should be destroyed." LXX: "they themselves have reigned, and not by me; principalities have arisen, and have not declared it to me: they have made idols for themselves with their silver and gold, so that they may perish." They who, with me as their deserted ruler, have sought a king for themselves, as have the other nations, and they have acted against my (or "his") will. Finally, Samuel therefore exposes to them the harsh commands of the king, and says that their sons and daughters will serve the kings, so that they may be converted to the Lord, the most merciful king (1 Kings 18). But they became rulers without God's will. And this crime did not satisfy them, they doubled the sin with greater impiety, converting the silver and gold which they had received into idols for wealth and decoration. Therefore, Saul was made king not by God's will, but by the error of the people. And because he had no root of piety, as soon as he began to reign, he was filled with impiety. It may be that what he says, "They reigned, and not by me; the princes existed, and I did not know them," may also be accepted of Jeroboam the son of Nebat and of the other princes who succeeded him in the empire. And not immediately, because God was angry with Solomon, did Israel receive him as king. For according to the precepts of the law he ought to have asked the Lord whether he wished this to be done. For it is said of the Savior: Indeed, woe to him by whom the Son of Man is betrayed (Matt. XXVI). They do these things in vain, he says, since they themselves have appointed their own kings and have acted against my will; they have princes who are my adversaries, whom I do not know, for they do not deserve my knowledge. They also turned their silver, and gold, and whatever they were able to have naturally, into idols of speech and thought, which they fashioned out of their own hearts; And they turned, not that they might perish, but because they turned, therefore they perished. For they did not do this in order to perish, but because they did this, therefore they perished. — Commentary on Hosea 8:1-4 John Chrysostom: Because He is exceedingly desirous, that we should always take refuge in Him, and in everything make our requests unto Him; and do nothing and speak nothing without Him. For men, when we trouble them repeatedly concerning our affairs, become slothful and evasive, and conduct themselves unpleasantly towards us; but with God it is quite the reverse. Not when we apply to him continually respecting our affairs, but when we fail to do so, then is he especially displeased. Hear at least what He reproves the Jews for, when He says, "Ye have taken counsel, but not of Me, and made treaties, but not by My Spirit." For this is the custom of those who love; they desire that all the concerns of their beloved should be accomplished by means of themselves; and that they should neither do anything, nor say anything, without them. On this account did God not only on that occasion, but again elsewhere, uttering a reproof, speak the same language. "They have reigned, but not by Me; they have ruled, and they made it not known to Me." — HOMILIES CONCERNING THE STATUES 3:5 Jerome: Your calf has been cast away, Samaria. My fury is against them: how long will they be incapable of purity? Because he is also from Israel: the craftsman made it, and it is not a god: for the calf of Samaria shall become spider's webs." LXX: "Cast away your calf, Samaria: my wrath is kindled against them: how long will they be incapable of purity in Israel? And the craftsman made it, and it is not a god: because your calf, Samaria, was deceiving." In the place where we have put "spider's webs," in Hebrew script it is written Sababim, with the Iod letter as penultimate: not as some wrongly think, Sababum, that is, with the Vau, which the Seventy and Theodotion have interpreted as "deceiving," and "fooled:" Aquila, "erring," or "converted:" Symmachus, "unstable," or "unstable," that is, ἀκαταστατῶν: Fifth edition, ῥεμβεύων, "vagrant" and "fluctuating." We learned from the Hebrew that Sababim are properly called "cobwebs" flying in the air, which when they appear disappear and dissolve into atoms and nothingness. And rightly your Samaria is compared to these golden calves, which at that time, because of their great value, the people worshipped. This is explained more clearly by what he said above: 'They have made for themselves idols of silver and gold, that they may perish'; 'Your calf has been thrown down, Samaria; my fury is kindled against them': either against the calves, because two were made; or against the inhabitants of Samaria, who worshipped them. Moreover, what we read in the Septuagint: 'Cast away your calf, Samaria,' exhorts the inhabitants thereof, not of one city, but of all ten tribes which are called Samaria (for the calves were not named in the city of Samaria, but in Dan and Bethel), to cast away the calves over which God is angry: or he will cast away, that is, 'brush away': so that he who had worshipped them for a long time would gradually brush them away from himself and purify himself. And with them not listening, he turns to others, and speaks as if in the third person: "How long will they not be cleansed?" What madness is this, he says, with me providing an opportunity for repentance, that they do not desire to turn to health? And because he had said, "Cast away your calf, Samaria," he explains what that calf is: Because he is from Israel himself, not acquired from others; you yourselves and your king Jeroboam did this in Israel, because of what you had learned in Egypt. (2 Kings 23) Or what kind of God is formed by the hand of an artisan? Finally, just as spider webs are dissolved into the wind, so the calf of Samaria will be reduced to nothing. The Lord rejects the calves of the heretics and Samaria, who say they keep the precepts of the law: calves that cling to the ground and work in the earth, not in spirit, nor do they lift their eyes to heaven; and therefore the fury of the Lord is upon them, and he wonders what such perversity is, that they are not willing to abandon the idols they have fabricated for themselves and love the heretical filth in place of the cleanliness of the Church. Israel did not receive these calves, who pretends to see the Lord among other nations: but from the Holy Scriptures he has created for himself a wicked intelligence, and he is the craftsman of his own God, who will quickly perish and imitate the webs of spiders which are easily broken by touch. — Commentary on Hosea 8:5-6 Novatian: We acknowledge, therefore, and know that he is God, the Creator of all things. He is our Lord, because of his power; our author, because of his creation. "He spoke, and all things were made. He commanded, and all things came forth." Of him it is written, "You have made all things in wisdom." Moses says of him, "God is in heaven above and on earth below," and according to Isaiah, "He has measured the heavens with a span, the earth with the width of the fist"; he "looks upon the earth and makes it tremble." He "holds the orb of the earth and those who live on it as if they were locusts"; he "weighed the mountains on scales and the groves on a balance," by the exact precision of the divine plan. He laid out this weight of the earth's mass with precise equipoise, lest the huge ill-balanced mass should easily fall into ruin, if they were not balanced by providential weights. It is he who says through the prophet, "I am God, and there is none beside me." He says by means of the same prophet, "I will not give my majesty to another," so that he might exclude all heathens and heretics with their images, proving that he is God who is not made by the hand of an artificer. Nor is he some God whom heretical ingenuity has devised. — ON THE TRINITY 3 Gregory the Dialogist: For it is infinite folly to labour painfully, and pant after the breath of applause, to apply one's self to the heavenly precepts with hard toil, but to aim at the reward of an earthly kind of recompense. For that I may so express myself, he that in return for the good that he practises looks for the applause of his fellowcreatures, is carrying an article of great worth to be sold at a mean price. From that whereby he might have earned the kingdom of heaven, he seeks the coin of passing talk. His practice goes for little, in that he spends a great deal, and gets back but very little. Whereunto then are hypocrites like but to luxuriant and untended vines, which put forth fruit from their fertility, but are never lifted from the earth by tending? All that the rich branches bud forth, stray beasts tread under foot, and the more fruitful they see it is, the more greedily they devour it, thus cast away and laid low, in that the works of hypocrites while they shew fair, come forth as if rich, but whilst they aim at human praises, it is as if they were left forsaken upon the ground. And the beasts of this world, i.e. the evil spirits, devour them, because they turn them to account to the end of perdition, and they seize upon them with greater avidity, in proportion as great things are more clearly known. Hence it is well said by the Prophet, The standing stalk, there is no bud in them, and they shall yield no meal; if so be it yield, the strangers shall swallow it up. For the stalk is without a bud, when the life lacks the merit of virtuous habits. The stalk yieldeth no meal, when he that thrives in this world understands nothing refined, and yields no fruit of good practice. — Morals on the Book of Job, Book VIII, Sections 70-71 Jerome: For they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind: standing stalk, there is no grain in it, it shall not make flour: and if it should make any, strangers would devour it. " LXX: "Because they have sown corruption, they shall reap a fall: a handful of corn hath not the beauty of ear; they shall yield no flour; and if it should yield, strangers shall devour it. " She compares the calf of Samaria with a spider's web: therefore she keeps the metaphor in the remaining parts, that what she called spider's webs, she compares with the wind, and the whirlwind, and standing stalks: and if they stand, having no grain; and if they make any flour, she says, it shall be devoured by others. And because the common sense is the same, both in regard to heretics and to those who have made idols in Samaria, it must be jointly discussed. They sow the wind, or seeds corrupted by the wind, which have no kernel, which the Greeks call "enterion," and so they, sowing in emptiness, receive emptiness and vanity. Rather, sowing in the flesh, they reap corruption from the flesh, and are carried away by every wind of doctrine. And when they sow the wind, they will reap hurricanes and storms, and first of all, the stalk, that is, the straw, will not be from these seeds, nor will they be able to have any appearance of a fruitful harvest. But if it happens rarely that the Ecclesiastics seem to have something similar to dogma: the seed itself and the ear of corn do not make flour. In the flour of which, the Gospel woman puts enough yeast (Matthew XIII): so that both the spirit by which we feel, and the soul by which we live, and the body by which we move are reduced to one holy Spirit, according to the Apostle: "In him we live, move, and have our being" (Acts XVII, 18). But if it happens rarely to heretics that they also make flour from their seed, the flour will make a sub-ashen bread, which will not come back, and which aliens will eat. And now he says: "Even if he makes flour, others will eat it." But we must accept those strangers of whom it is written: "Foreign sons have lied to me" (Ps. XVII, 46). And in the eighteenth psalm: "Cleanse me from my hidden sins, O Lord, and spare your servant from strangers." If they have not ruled over a just man, then he will be blameless and shall be cleansed from the greatest sin. — Commentary on Hosea 8:7 Theodoret of Cyrus: For you pluck no fruit from the idol's service, but their bundles are like ears of wheat destroyed by the wind, which show full stalks from the outside but which internally have no grain. Such is the nature of idolatry, for on the one hand it can take the image of a man or a woman, or a lion or a different animal from art, but on the other hand it is deprived of any strength or energy. — COMMENTARY ON Hosea 8 Basil of Caesarea: O appalling hardness! O strange cruelty! You did not fear God, nor did you reverence others or feel shame before your friends. So you have suffered shipwreck of all things at once. You have stripped yourselves of every good thing at the same time. Therefore again I grieve for you, wretched man! You who were announcing your ardor for the kingdom have fallen from the kingdom. You who were inspiring all with a reverence for the doctrine did not have the fear of God before your eyes. You who were preaching holiness are now found to be polluted. You who glory in poverty are caught stealing money. You who through your guidance point out the punishment of God have drawn down chastisement upon yourselves. How shall I bewail you? How shall I grieve for you? The morning star, which rose early, has fallen and shattered upon the earth. The two ears of everyone who hears it will ring. How did the Nazirite who shone brighter than gold become darker than soot? And how did the worthy son of Zion instantly become like a polluted vessel? — LETTER 44, TO A FALLEN MONK Jerome: "Israel has been devoured, now he has become like an unclean vessel among the nations." The Septuagint translated "unclean" as "useless," the rest likewise. The Hebrews call the unclean vessel, or useless, a chamber pot, which we usually use to receive and discard feces. This uncleanness is compared to idolaters and heretics who mix with the Gentiles, while not guarding the truth of God, and have become vessels of honor, turned into vessels of (( "Al." vas)) insult. For what is more unclean than a demonic spirit and the teachings of the heretics who have mixed them with those of the pagans? Such was Jechonias, enslaved to idols, of whom God speaks through Jeremiah: "Jechonias was dishonoured like a vessel of no use" (Jer. XXII, 18) . Conversely, Paul, who could say: "Do you seek a proof of Christ speaking in me?" (II Cor. XIII)? is called a vessel of election, made of gold and silver, because he had the wisdom and the eloquence to preach the Gospel of Christ. But when he says, "devoured," or "absorbed," this means that he lost his own name of Israelite and Christian, being mixed with idols and nations. — Commentary on Hosea 8:8 Jerome: "For they are gone up to Assyria, a wild ass alone by himself: Ephraim hath given gifts to his lovers, yea, though they have hired among the nations, now will I gather them together, and they shall rest a little from the burden of the king and the princes." LXX: "Because they went up to the Assyrians, Ephraim has flourished within himself: they have loved gifts, therefore they shall be given to the Gentiles: now will I gather them together, and they shall rest a little from the labour of the king and the princes." Israel is devoured," he says, "and has become like a useless vessel, or unclean, from which no shard remains, in which water can be drawn, or a little bit of fire. And because he became an unclean vessel, therefore they went up to the Assyrians, imitating a wild ass alone: they were not fed like lambs by the Lord, but rather abusing their freedom and being led into captivity, of whom the prophet mourns and says, 'Ephraim gave gifts to the Assyrians, and hired lovers with a reward,' of which Ezekiel writes: 'All harlots receive rewards; but thou hast given rewards to thy lovers' (Ezek. 16: 33), and it has become the opposite in you. And when he has given gifts to peoples and nations have been hired to help him, they will gather for battle and will be taken captive together. And because they love to offer gifts to their adversaries, for a short time they will receive benefit, so that they will not pay tribute to the king and princes until they reach the Assyrians, where they will not give either tribute or stipend as free men; but they will be brought into the ultimate bondage. We do not doubt concerning the heretics, that they, according to the error of their minds, going to the Assyrians, will think that they are ascending and not descending. Therefore it is said to them through Isaiah: "What is happening to you now, that you have all gone up on vain roofs?" (Isa. XXII, 1), whose Assyrian prince is a great sense. Therefore, Ephraim grew up in presumption within himself. Whether he became a solitary wild ass, as he penetrated not sown by the Church but by the devil's deserted places. He loved gifts for his own error, promising rewards to himself, or doing all things out of the motive of shameful profit. Or certainly he gave gifts and rewards to his lover demons, and when he did this, he will be handed over to the nations. For just as nations venerate physical images: so do they think that they are idols of gods, which they have invented from their own hearts, and therefore they will be considered among the number of nations. But if, he says, now, and in the present age they have repented, and I have accepted them, they will cease to establish a little king and his princes over themselves. So that we understand the small king as the devil, as distinguished from the great king who cannot have fellowship with Belial; but as soon as he is received, he drives out the small king and his princes from the hearts of believers. But according to the Hebrew, those who were previously dispersed will gather in the Church of God and will have hired nations for themselves, and they will rest from the burden of the king, whom the Apostle reproaches for being torn apart from the Church, saying: "You reign without us, and would that you did reign" (I Cor. IV, 8), and from the princes whom they have established in the synagogues of the devil. — Commentary on Hosea 8:9-10 Jerome: Because Ephraim has multiplied altars to sin, altars have been made for him to sin on. He said, led into captivity, they'll cease for a short while from the burden of the king and prince. And this they suffer, because Ephraim their prince has multiplied altars, not in which to sacrifice to the Lord, but in which to join sins and sins: these altars, that is, will turn into a sin for them, so that the more there are, the more their crimes will multiply. Then as he had said before: "What shall I do to you, Ephraim? What shall I do to you, Judah?" as if doubting and seeking, with what remedy he might heal the sick, and with what counsels he might draw the sinner back to salvation. — Commentary on Hosea 8:11 Jerome: I will write to him many of my laws, which are regarded as alien: they will offer sacrifices, they will slaughter meats and eat, and the Lord will not receive them." LXX: "I will write to them a multitude: their rightful altars have been regarded as foreign. Because if they sacrifice and eat meat, the Lord will not accept them:" which I had previously given through Moses. But what profit is there in writing further, since he has despised those which he previously received? Is it not contempt of God when, at my command that there be one altar in Jerusalem, idols were made on all the mountains and hills to provoke the Lord? They also made altars for the same reason, not to please me, but so they could eat the meat of the many sacrifices offered, according to what the Lord says in the gospel, "Amen, amen I say unto you, you seek me, not because you saw miracles, but because you did eat of the loaves, and were filled." (John VI, 26). For every pursuit of sacrifices, they have it, to devour the offerings, not to please God through them; and the Lord will not receive those which they have immolated not to Him, but to their own stomachs and throats. But the apostle teaches that there is one altar in the Church, and one faith, and one baptism (Ephesians 4), which heretics, deserting them, have fabricated many altars for themselves, not to placate God, but to multiply transgressions. Therefore they do not deserve to receive God's laws, since they have previously despised the ones they received. And if they say anything about the Scriptures, it must be understood, not as divine words, but as expressing the ideas of the heathen. These men offer many sacrifices and eat the meat of these animals, abandoning the one sacrifice of Christ; and they do not partake of his flesh, the flesh which is the food of believers. Whatever they do, pretending to follow the order and rites of sacrifices, whether they give alms, make promises of chastity, or feign humility, and deceive the simple with false flattery, God will accept nothing of such sacrifices. — Commentary on Hosea 8:12 Jerome: "Now their iniquities will be remembered, and their sins will be punished: they themselves will be turned into Egypt, and Israel, their maker, has forgotten them, and has built shrines, and Judah has multiplied fortified cities, and I will send a fire into its cities, and it will devour their houses." LXX: "Now their iniquities will be remembered, and their injustices will be avenged. They themselves turned into Egypt, and forgot him who made them, and they built shrines, and Judah multiplied fortified cities, and I will send fire into their cities, and it will devour their foundations." Between lawlessness, which means "iniquity and sin," this is the difference: iniquity is before the law, sin is after the law, and those who persist in their sins will be remembered for their iniquities committed before the law by the Lord. However, their sins will not be remembered, but vengeance will be taken. Therefore, he will remember the iniquity of the ancients, and will visit the former sins: because they returned to Egypt, either asking for help, or worshipping the same gods in which they had previously erred, ἄπιν and μνεῦιν. For Israel has forgotten his Maker, and built shrines on high hills, and under shady trees, consecrating to Baal and Astarte, and to other idols as well. Judah also, understanding that Israel had turned away from the love of God, and that their sins had been visited upon them, did not turn back to the Lord, but instead relied on fortified cities, which the Lord said He would destroy, devouring them down to their foundations. "His," no doubt, means Judah ("Al." Judah): though some read the foundations of "those," that is, cities, instead of "his." According to the spiritual sense, however, iniquities, that is, ἀνομίαι and ἀδικίαι, are called those which we committed before baptism, and which were forgiven us in baptism; but sins that we committed after baptism, concerning which it is written in the psalm, "Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered" (Ps. XXXI). All of which shall be imputed to the heretics, so that both their ancient iniquities and their new sins may be accounted for. For those who had left Egypt by confessing Christ, they returned to perfidy in Egypt. Israel has forgotten its maker, and rejecting its Creator, has devised another master for itself. Judas also, that is, the Ecclesiastical man, in evil deeds, or in perverse interpretation of the Holy Scriptures, built fortified cities for himself, not by the help of God, but by an artisan's lie: which the Lord says he will enflame with the fire of his spirit, and devour their burdens, that is, the great houses built up like towers, and he will upset the ill-laid foundations, so that they may not be able to build sacrilegious shrines against God. Certain cities fortified by the Jews are received in good faith, and they try to temper that which seemed contrary to this view: "I will send fire upon its cities, and it shall devour the houses thereof," so that when what is perfect has come, that which is partly destroyed. What we read according to the LXX interpretation, "they have eaten unclean things among the Assyrians," is not found in the Hebrew, and therefore must be marked with an obelus. We may say, however, that the Israelites, desiring Egypt, were captured by the Assyrians and ate unclean food there, according to Ezekiel, who describes them as eating food sacrificed to idols in Chaldea (Ezek. IV): and polluted to such an extent with the filth of idols, that they are compared to human excrement. The heretics also, whose leaders are Assyrians (of whom we have spoken frequently), eat unclean things among them, while they themselves are polluted by their filth. — Commentary on Hosea 8:13-14 Jerome: "Do not rejoice, Israel: do not exult as the peoples: for you have committed fornication with your God: you have loved the reward above all the wheat fields. The floor and the winepress shall not feed them, and the wine shall deceive them." LXX: "Do not rejoice, Israel, and do not be glad like the other peoples: for you have committed fornication against your God; you have loved the wages of fornication above every wheat floor. The threshing floor and winepress shall not feed them, and the wine will deceive them." "Those who have departed from God, when they have come into the depth of sinners and have despaired of their salvation, will despise everything." (Proverbs 18) Finally, Israel departing from the law of God and worshiping idols, says that it is one people from many nations: rejoicing and congratulating that it has departed from knowledge of God and is a mixed people with others, and therefore now it corrects them, saying, "Do not rejoice, do not be glad, and do not think that you are like other nations. For one who does not know God is punished differently than one who departs from God, because a servant who knows the will of his master but does not do it will be beaten severely (Luke 12)." Your reward for prostitution, you thought many threshing floors and wine presses, so that you might enjoy abundance of all things; therefore, the threshing floor and wine press will not make wheat and wine, and the wine press will lie to them, or it will deny its wine, which they thought would make them drunk. We read that there was a severe famine in Samaria during the reign of Ahab, king of Israel, and the prophet Elijah, so much so that mothers ate their own children's corpses (3 Kings 6). At that time, according to the letter, the threshing floor and wine press did not feed them, and the wine was a lie to them, and they languished in want. It is said to the heretics, 'Do not exult and rejoice, and think yourselves similar to the other nations. For those did not believe in God; but these worship idols under the name of God, and fornicate against their God: and they multiply for themselves countless fields and winepresses, and they eat wheat from which mourning bread is made, and they drink the wine of Sodom, which is trodden down with adder's gall. And because they have prepared for themselves many winepresses and fields: therefore they will not feed on the true and one field, and on the wine-press which our Lord Jesus has trodden, nor will they drink; but whatever they have thought to have, it will be corrupted by falsehood.' — Commentary on Hosea 9:1-2 Theodore of Mopsuestia: It is not fitting for you to rejoice and exult like the rest of the peoples. For they did not receive any teaching which might lead them to piety, but you, after much instruction and knowledge of God, rebelled against the knowledge which had been given to you because of the depravity of your opinion, and turned to the worship of the idols. — COMMENTARY ON Hosea 9 Jerome: "They shall not dwell in the land of the Lord. Ephraim returned to Egypt, and in Assyria he ate polluted food. They shall not offer wine to the Lord, nor shall their sacrifices please him; like the bread of mourners, all who eat it shall be defiled, because their bread does not enter the house of the Lord, which is their soul." LXX: "They did not dwell in the land of the Lord; Ephraim lived in Egypt and ate unclean things among the Assyrians. They did not pour out wine to the Lord, nor did their sacrifices please Him; their bread was like mourning; all who eat of it will be defiled; for their bread of their souls will not enter the house of the Lord." Not only has the threshing floor and the winepress not fed them, and the wine has lied in the land of Israel, when everything had perished for three years and six months, but also the inhabitants themselves will depart from the land of the Lord, and will be led into a foreign land, so that they may not dwell in the holy land which they have defiled with their fornication. "He returned," he said, "to Egypt, and in Assyria he ate defiled things." Of this place, some have added above: "and in Assyria he ate defiled things," which is not in Hebrew, as we have already said. But since they were in Chaldea without a temple and without an altar, they will not pour out wine to the Lord, but to demons, and they will not please those who pour out to alien gods, and those who are held captive and eat idols in Assyria are like mourning bread. For it is not lawful to eat of the food of mourners, and whoever shall eat of it shall be defiled, even what is lawfully offered. The Greeks call the suppers of mourners νεκρόδειπνα, and we may call them "parentalia," from the fact that they are offered to the dead. And not only he that offers, but also he that partakes of such food, shall be unclean; for their bread, that is, the food which they offer, shall not enter into the house of the Lord, which is destroyed, and burnt up with the fire of the Babylonians; let their souls be put to silence. And there is a sense, to its own gluttony, and it provides enjoyment for itself; but I do not like what is polluted. Those who have left the Church and returned to Egypt, and of the Assyrians, that is, they eat sacrifices of demons, will not dwell in the land of the Lord: nor do they drink wine offered to the Lord, in their drunkenness, and neither they nor those who offer it please Him. The sacrifice of heretics is bread of mourning and tears: for all that they do shall be turned into weeping. They will not be able to hear: 'Blessed are the mourning, for they shall be comforted' (Matt. 5:5); but on the contrary, they will hear: 'Woe to the laughing, because they will weep' (Luke 6:25). Whatever they offer, they offer not to God, but to the dead: namely those who have concocted wicked heresies; and whoever eats of their victims, will be contaminated. They will be led by the blind into the pit. Whatever they do, they do for the sake of pleasures, to deceive the people and to devour the houses of widows. We can say that grief is bread, deadly words with which they speak iniquity against the Lord: for he who does not enter the house of God is bread: for the assemblies of heretics are called not the house of God, but the dens of robbers. — Commentary on Hosea 9:3-4 Cyprian: Let not the people flatter themselves as if they could be safe from contagion of sin, communicating with a sinful priest and yielding their obedience to the unjust and unlawful episcopacy of their leader, when the divine censure threatens through the prophet Hosea and says, "Their sacrifices shall be like the bread of mourning: all who eat them shall be defiled." [This] teaching obviously [shows] that all are indeed involved in sin who have been contaminated by the sacrifice of a blasphemous and unjust priest. — Epistle LXVII:3 Cyril of Alexandria: Having collected the fruit of the vine into the wine-vats, they offered the firstlings as a libation to the demons, and not to the God who gave them. They also offered loaves of bread as firstfruits of the harvest—except that the sacrifice will become for them defiled and impure, he says, and the offerings will be considered as mourning breads (that is, disgusting, impure and odious). For what reason? For the law considered unclean anyone who approached a dead body either by blood relationship or rather by the very touching of the body. Therefore it was easy for the relatives or friends of the dead person to become unclean during mourning, since they handled the dead body and since they were willing to do for him what was customary. And whatever they touched became unclean. Therefore the mourning bread is that bread which was at hand as food for those who were mourning for the dead; for those who strive to avoid contamination with a dead body it is considered terrible even to taste this bread. Wherefore the breads themselves are defiled and rejected, even though they may have been offered as firstfruits of the harvest. "Those who eat them will become unclean." They will be useful only to their souls, that is, as a food for them. — COMMENTARY ON Hosea 4:96 Jerome: "What will you do on the solemn day, on the day of the Lord's festival? For behold, they have gone forth from desolation: Egypt shall gather them, Memphis shall bury them: the desirable silver of them, the nettle shall inherit, the burdock shall be in their tabernacles." LXX: "What will you do on the day of the assembly and on the day of the solemnity of the Lord? Therefore, behold they shall go from the misery of Egypt, and Memphis shall receive them, and Machmas shall bury them; their silver shall possess destruction, thorns shall be in their tabernacles." When the day of captivity will come, he says, and the most cruel enemy will attack, what is my solemnity? How pleasing a sacrifice do I have? For it avenges me against my enemies and puts a limit on their wrongdoing, and it flogs the impious sons. What then will you do on the day of the Lord's festival? Respond. With them being silent, he responds to himself, indeed he figures out with divine eyes what they will do: Behold, I say, in misery and ruin, they fled to Egypt, where those who want to capture the Assyrians and Chaldeans are bound. There Memphis will bury those, which at that time was the metropolis of Egypt, before Alexandria, which was formerly called No, received both the greatness of the city and its name. But what is said in the Septuagint, "Machmas will bury them," is not found in Hebrew; but Mamad, which means "beloved." From which it is clear that they are false, because of the similarity of the letters Daleth and Chaph; and instead of "Mamad," which everyone translated as "beloved," they thought "Machmas" to be an Egyptian city. We can consider that which is said: "For, behold, they are gone because of destruction, Egypt shall gather them up, Memphis shall bury them," and take from the tribe of Judah: when, after the murder of Gedaliah by Ishmael, whom Nebuchadnezzar had appointed over the land, the remnant of the people with the prophet Jeremiah fled to Egypt, and there later were either captured or buried by the Chaldeans who pursued them. However, their desirable silver that nettles possess, we will understand to be the villages and all the ornaments of the villages, which are bought with the price of silver. "And what follows, 'a burr in their tabernacles,' signifies a long desolation; so that where once their houses were, there burrs and nettles and thorns may grow. And is said also to heretics: When the solemn day shall come, what will ye do? Aquila interprets 'solemn day' as 'time.' From this it is manifest that it does not mean a festive day, but a time of retribution; for immediately it follows: 'The days of vengeance are come, the days of thy visitation.' Behold, ye are devastated by many enemies: the Assyrians and the Chaldeans have slaughtered you, ye have fled into the world, and ye are likened to other nations: there ye shall be buried in 'Memphis,' which means 'from the mouth,' and the sense is: According to your blasphemies ye shall receive, and what ye have spoken ye shall feel in punishments; your desirable things, that is, the doctrines which ye have artificially composed with language, which is interpreted silver, shall be possessed by the nettle, which shall consume you with eternal fire: and there shall be the burr or thorn in your tabernacles; for thorns shall grow on the hands of those who have been made drunk with the Babylonish cup." (Jer. 51) And in the Gospel we read that shameful thoughts and worries of this world, and clinging vices, are called thorns, which rising up in the herbs choke the grain. (Matthew 15). — Commentary on Hosea 9:5-6 Jerome: "The days of visitation have come, the days of retribution have come: know, O Israel, a foolish prophet, a spiritual madman because of the multitude of your iniquity, and the multitude of your madness." LXX: "The days of vengeance have come, the days of your retribution have come, and Israel shall be afflicted as a raving prophet, a man who had the Spirit, because" "the multitude of your iniquities, your madness has multiplied." And in this place there is a usual error: for where we have translated, "know, O Israel," that is, Israelites, and in Hebrew it is read Jadau, the Septuagint has translated "and will be afflicted:" thinking Jod is the vowel and Res the consonant instead of it, and reading it for Daleth: the former of which means knowledge, the latter affliction or malice. Therefore came the days of visitation, of which it was said above (Verse 5): "What will you do in the solemn day, and in the day of the feast of the Lord? The days of retribution have come." O Israel, now know your words, who called the prophet speaking true things to you, and prophesying by the Holy Spirit, a fool and insane, according to what the princes spoke to Jehu in Ramoth Galaad: "What is this madman coming to you?" (4 Kings 9:11). Therefore, because of the multitude of your injustices, in which you have revelled in wickedness for a long time, recognize that you are not my prophet, but rather insane, who labours to trample on my words. For "insanity," Aquila translates ἐγκότησιν, which we can also say in Latin as "anger" or "memory of pain". Some interpret the day of vengeance and retribution as the day of judgment, when Israel, who now boasts of seeing God, will be afflicted, not guided by the Holy Spirit but swept into various parts by demons, not knowing what they are saying: calling the Son of God a creature, denying the Holy Spirit God. And again another good God, asserting another creator of the world: their madness is manifold, because there were many iniquities. We said that he was a foolish prophet, and they interpreted him as a seventy pseudoprophet. And lest, by often repeating the same things, we seem to distrust the prudence of the reader, we briefly admonish that whatever is said about Israel and Ephraim in this prophet must be referred to heretics, who truly speak lies against God, being insane. — Commentary on Hosea 9:7 Ishodad of Merv: "Ephraim is a sentinel with my God," that is, Israel was established by God, he says, so that he might receive the truth and watch over honorable feasts, and that he might be, as is the true prophet, with the help of God, the teacher of the others. But Israel, like a false prophet, has dissuaded others from the truth. The Greek [says], "The sentinel of Ephraim was with God, [yet] the prophet has become a deceptive trap in every path." In fact, the prophet was a sentinel with a god in this manner: each of the gods with a false name had his own false diviner, and those, through their heresies, differed from each other in many ways. Some worshiped Baal, some others Chemosh or Baal-Peor; and there was an idol in each temple, and by each of them an appointed false prophet sat. And finally, the ways of worship and divination differed among them. — COMMENTARY ON HOSEA Jerome: "Ephraim the spy with my God: the prophet is a snare of ruin" "above all his ways: insanity in the house of his God, deeply they have sinned: as in the days of Gabaa, their iniquities will be remembered, and their sins will be visited." LXX: "Ephraim the spy with God the prophet: a twisted snare over all his ways, insanity" "they have fabricated in the house of God: they have been corrupted according to the days of the hill: " "their iniquities will be remembered, and they will be avenged for their sins." Therefore, God gave the leaders to rebuke the delinquent people and to guide them back to the right path: hence, he speaks to Ezekiel: "I have made you a spy for the house of Israel" (Ezek. V, 17). Therefore Jeroboam was given as a spy among people, and as a prophet with my God, that is, with God who speaks these things by Hosea. But he is called the trap, according to that which is written above: "You have become a spectacle of snare, and a net spread out over Tabor, and you have turned victims into the abyss", and even now the people of Israel are referred to as the trap, because all fall into its snare, especially since he has put insanity in the house of God, or schemed it, that is, he made a golden calf in "Bethel", for this is interpreted as the house of God: and he has also deeply sinned in wickedness, and so he is submerged in the abyss of impiety, so that he surpasses the sin that was once committed in Gibeah, when they killed the wife of the Levite returning from Bethlehem in an illicit way (Judges 19). We can accept the days of Gibeah and that time, when for God they chose for themselves a king from the city of Gibeah, that is, Saul. And now they are said to have sinned much more, by choosing Jeroboam and worshipping idols, than at that time when they chose Saul: for here schism even was coupled with idolatry: but there the worship of God remained in the people. Therefore their injustices, which now by patience are considered forgotten, will be remembered, and their sins and the wounds that have been festering for a long time will be visited. Scrutinizing the ancient histories, I am unable to find that the Church was split, and that the people seduced the house of the Lord, except for those who were the priests appointed by God and the prophets, that is, the watchers. Therefore, these people are turned into a twisted snare, placing scandal in all places, so that whoever enters by their path may fall and not be able to stand in Christ, and be led astray by various errors and taken down paths to ruin. These are the Ephraim's spies, who have brought madness into the house of the Lord, that is, in the Church, or in the holy scriptures, interpreting them perversely, or certainly in the case of each of the believers who is most rightly called the house of God. Therefore they are corrupt and have perished according to the days of the hill, when they spoke iniquity against the highest ones and ascended into empty roofs. God will remember their iniquity by which they acted unjustly towards their neighbor, bringing him out of the Church, and will visit their sins with which they sinned against their souls. This is what we read in the psalm: 'They have laid a stumbling block for me beside the way' (Ps. 140:6). For unless someone has seen the way of God, that is, heard the name of Christ, they will not enter through it. Therefore, even heretics set traps beside the way in the name of Christ, so that anyone who believes they are walking in Christ—of whom we read that he is the way—may instead tread upon their snares, which they have woven in the house of God. — Commentary on Hosea 9:8-9 Caesarius of Arles: Similarly, the law of the Old Testament, which we said the image of the fig tree represented, threw away the first Jewish people who were useless, that is, sinful and wicked. When these sycophants, to use the Greek word, had been rejected, that is, the conceited and worthless Israelites, there created for Christ through grace as its mother, the rich and fruitful Christian people who were further brought to perfect knowledge of the gospel. Although there is a genus of fig trees that brings its first fruits to maturity, called double bearing, it may signify those of whom it is said, "The Lord loved those figs as his precursors." The patriarchs are the precursors. — SERMON 106 Jerome: "As I found grapes in the desert, I saw Israel, as the first figs of the fig tree in the top thereof: but they went in to Beelphegor, and alienated themselves to that confusion, and became abominable, as those things were which they loved." LXX: "As I found Israel in the desert like a grape, and as I saw their fathers like a fig tree's temporary figs, but they entered Baal Peor and became alienated in confusion and became abominable like their love." For in other examples, we read: "and they became beloved, as if abominable," which is more consistent with the truth. When the whole world was deserted and did not have knowledge of God, I found, he says, the people of Israel like a grape in the wilderness, and how he found them, he says: "As the first fruits of the fig tree, in the top of it I saw their fathers. Therefore, the people were found in Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And note the property, the parents are seen, the people are found, and in both there is a vineyard and fig tree, under which those who trust in the Lord are said to rest. But they, having been led out of Egypt, fornicated with the Midianite women, and went into Beelphegor, the idol of the Moabites, which we can call Priapus. Finally, "Beelphegor" is interpreted as an idol of tentacles, having "skin" on its top, i.e., on its summit, to show the obscenity of the male member. And because they entered into Beelphegor, they thus alienated themselves from God, to their own confusion, that is, they worshipped idols. As it is written, "For by whom a man is overcome, for him he is become also the slave" (2 Peter 2:19), and as those who serve their appetites, calling their belly their god (Philippians 3), so those who serve their lust have Beelphegor as their god. "And they became," he says, "abominable, like those whom they loved," according to what is written in the Psalms: "Let those who make them become like them, and all who trust in them" (Ps. 134:18) so that not only are idolaters, but also the idols named. But the Lord said in his passion: "I trod the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was with me" (Isaiah 63:3). And in the Psalm: "Save me, O Lord, for the godly one is gone; for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man" (Psalms 12:1). When the whole world was held in sin, and the nations knew not God, and Israel had cast away Him whom they had formerly known, first in the apostles, and the men of the apostles, did the Lord find the Christian people of Israel, and seeing with understanding God was satisfied with their sweet fruits of grapes and figs which, if found in the desert and before their proper season, would be of greater grace. They, however, that is, Israel, who assume the Christian name for themselves (for it is not to be understood of the parents), entered into the idol Beelphegor, which has the skin in its mouth. For whatever a heretic speaks, it is deadly, and is separated from the living Word of God. Whether they have entered into lust: for it is difficult to find a heretic who loves chastity, not because they do not cease to prefer it on their lips, but because they do not keep it in their conscience, speaking one thing and doing another; hence, they are alienated from God and have glory in their confusion, and have become abominable, who previously were loved among the fathers. But if we wish to read "they became abominable as those whom they loved," which still is not in the Hebrew, we shall say that the Gentiles have become abominable even as the heretics who formerly were beloved in the fathers, that is to say, so that both the former and the latter are alike vicious. — Commentary on Hosea 9:10-11 Cyril of Jerusalem: God is not ashamed to take flesh from such members, for he framed these very members. Who tells us this? The Lord said to Jeremiah, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you. Before you were born I dedicated you." If in fashioning me, therefore, he touched them and was not ashamed, was he ashamed in forming for himself the holy flesh, the veil of his Godhead? It is God who even now creates the babes in the womb, as it is written in Job, "Did you not pour me out as milk, and thicken me like cheese? With skin and flesh you clothed me, with bones and sinews knit me together." There is nothing corrupt in the human bodily frame unless one defiles it with adulteries and wantonness. He who formed Adam formed Eve also; and male and female were fashioned by the divine hands. None of the members of the body, as fashioned from the beginning, is corrupt. Let all heretics be silent who slander their bodies, or rather him who formed them. But let us be mindful of Paul's words: "Do you not know that your members are the temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you?" Again, the prophet has foretold in the person of Jesus, "my flesh is from them." — CATECHETICAL LECTURE 12:26 Jerome: "Ephraim has flown away like a bird: their glory from birth and from the womb and from conception. Even if they bring up their children, I will make them childless in men. But woe to them when I depart from them. Ephraim, as I saw, was founded in Tyre in beauty, and Ephraim will bring their sons to the slayer." LXX: "Ephraim has flown away like a bird: their glory is in giving birth and in births and conception: because even if they bring up their children, they will be without children among men: because woe to them, for my flesh is from them. Ephraim, as I saw, offered his children into captivity, and Ephraim, to bring his children to slaughter." There is much disagreement among interpreters on this passage. In that place where we said, "woe to them when I depart from them," the Septuagint and Theodotion translated it as "woe to them, my flesh from them." Seeking the reason for such a variation, I seem to have found this: "My flesh" is said in Hebrew "Basari;" again, if we say "my departure" or "my declination," it is said "Basori." Therefore, the Septuagint and Theodotion translated "my departure" and "my declination" as "my flesh," whereas for "Ephraim, as I saw, Tyre was," the Septuagint interpreted "θήραν," which means "hunting" or "capture," Aquila and Symmachus and Theodotion interpreted as "a very hard rock," that is, a flint, which in Hebrew is called "Sur;" but if we read "Sor," it means "Tyre." "But the Seventy interpreters, thinking from the similarity of the letters of Res and Daleth that it was not Res but Daleth, have read Sud, that is, "hunting" or "capture," from which Bethsaida is also called "the house of hunters." We have stated the diversity of interpreters; let us return to the sense. Ephraim, that is, the ten tribes, flew away like a bird into captivity and departed from their own place. And he called them birds to demonstrate their swift passage into Babylon." But if we read, "as though the glory of them had flown away like a bird," we say that their aid has departed and flown away from God. And that which follows, "from birth, and from the womb, and from conception," can be understood in two ways, so that the glory which has flown away from Ephraim also departs from their birth, from the womb, and from their conception. That is, their children shall be deserted and their posterity forsaken. Or indeed, we say that all the glory of Israel was in its multitude, and that Judah, his brother, esteemed himself greater because he ruled over ten tribes, whereas the other over two. Where the Lord speaks that even if they raise their children and gather a multitude of offspring, they will be handed over to death. And now the true burden lies with them when God departs from them. He then explains how once Ephraim was so forsaken, though he was beautiful, and so supported by God's help, that he seemed as if he were Tyre, which is surrounded by the sea, or certainly like a hardest rock, fixed on the ground, which disdains all storms and cares nothing for tornadoes and winds. But he, that is, Ephraim or Tyre, which was founded in the beauty ("Al." fullness) of the sea, will bring his sons into captivity. Many refer this chapter to the times of Azahel, who besieged Samaria and afflicted it with hunger for a long time, so that those besieged by the sword might be thought to perish more lightly than from hunger (2 Kings 6, 7, and 8). But let us say, according to the tropology, that Ephraim, that is, the heretics, as if they had gone away from the Church like a bird, and that they have all their glory in childbirth, in the womb, and in conception, if they have born many sons whom the Lord threatens, even if they have been raised and punished, not by anyone else, but by the Lord himself, because they have generated children of fornication, and woe to them when God departs from them. And he repeats that which was Ephraim: when, he says, he was in the Church, in such a way was he pounded by the waves of this world like Tyre, but yet he could withstand nothing adverse, because he had the foundation of Christ, upon which the house was built, cannot be overturned (Matt. VII). But now he brings up his sons for slaughter: that is, for the devil. And well said he brings up, that is, he makes them go outside the Church. We are able to speak evil of the sons of Ephraim, and contrary dogmas to truth, which the Lord destroys with the breath of his mouth; he does not allow them to have such children, and leaves them to eternal destruction. As for what we read in the Septuagint, 'From these, my flesh: Ephraim, how I have seen, has provided for his sons a livelihood of prey,' we understand it thus: If Christ is the head of the body, that is, the Church, all of us are members of Christ and the Church. Therefore, whoever departs from the Church tears apart the body of Christ: therefore, Ephraim was also flesh and a member of the Lord Savior. But he provided his children for hunting, and for the hunting of those about whom it is written: "Our soul has been rescued like a bird from the fowler's snare" (Psalms 123, 7). And he led his children out of the Church, for slaying or for wounding: so that they may be wounded by those who send burning arrows, so that they may be struck and burned together. — Commentary on Hosea 9:12 Jerome: "Give them, Lord: what will you give them? Give them a womb without children" (Vulg. "sons"), and dry breasts" LXX similarly. If we abuse those things which God gave us for a blessing and they are turned to the opposite of why they were given, it is better for them to be taken away from us. Finally, the tongue was given to praise the Lord God and to speak good things: If anyone misuses it in blasphemy, the Psalmist prays to the Lord against him: "Let deceitful lips be made dumb, that speak against the just with pride and abuse" (Ps. XXX, 19). And in another place: "May the Lord destroy all deceitful lips, and the tongue that speaks high things" (Psalm XI, 4). Therefore, since Ephraim boasted in the womb, and in conception, and in birth, and in the multitude of peoples, the Prophet prays to the Lord and says: "Give them, O Lord." And he himself answers: "What will you give them?" and immediately adds: "Give them a barren womb, and dry breasts," so that they would have no reason for pride and may be confounded in that which they used to glory. It is clear that even teachers with contrary doctrines can be understood, who boast in the multitude of people and in those children whom they have raised to destruction, that they might lead them out of the Church and into the midst of the slayer. For as many children as heretics have produced in error, the devil has killed. Of such a soul it is said: "Blessed is the chaste woman, who has not known the bed of sin." (Wisdom 3:12) For the Ecclesiastic man is blessed, who in comparison with a heretic, does not beget children in error. And in another place we read, 'It is better to not have children with virtue. For from an unlawful union, offspring will perish' (Wisdom 4 and 3, sec. 70): and when they have been long gone, they will be considered as nothing and ignoble in their final old age. For the fecund multitude of the impious is unto nothing; for we should not consider it, that he has prayed bodily for a sterile womb and drying breasts. — Commentary on Hosea 9:14 Jerome: "All their wickedness is at Gilgal: for there I hated them." LXX similarly. In Gilgal, Saul was anointed as king, with Samuel announcing God's anger to the people. (1 Kings 10) "There," he said, "I had them skinned, and they asked for a human king, and withdrew from my authority. Whether it was because Galgala is a place of idolatry, where they committed all kinds of sin. But because Galgala means "revelation," or "rolling," that is, "rolling away," all the wickedness of the heretics will be revealed at that time, when God gives them a barren womb and withered breasts, and they see their shame. And those who boasted through pride that they had ascended to lofty places, will be cast down to the ground or dragged down to hell. Truly, heretics are worthy of God's hatred, those who speak lies against the Lord, of whom he speaks in the following lines Because of the malice of their inventions, I will cast them out of my house. I will not continue to love them: all their rulers have departed," that is, "disobedient." The same is true of the Seventy. And indeed, there is no doubt that the heretics were cast out of God's house, and he will not love them as long as they remain in error, and all their rulers have turned away from God, that is, disobedient, such as Valentinus, Marcion, and others. We can say that the leaders of the heretics are demons who have truly turned away from God and are called princes, just as the Lord speaks in the Gospel: "The prince of this world will come and find nothing in me" (John 14:30). And the Apostle tells us to fight against the powers, principalities, and rulers of these darknesses (Ephesians 6). However, according to history, how did he cast them out of his house, that is, the ten tribes, when they were not in the house of God? But we shall call the house of God, or the Holy Land into which they were conducted, or the false name 'Israelites,' or the fact that the prophets were sent to them as though they were the people of God. But what is clear is that he does not add that he loves them, and that all the kings of Israel have departed from God, for until today they remain in captivity. Others believe that what is written, "I will eject them from my house," refers to the kingdom of Judah, which will also be led into captivity. But how can it be adapted to them, "I will not add that I love them," since they were later led back to Jerusalem: and "all their leaders are departing," since we have read that David, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, and Josiah were righteous kings? Hence we must pass on to the time of Christ, who, at His coming, was cast out of the house of God, and was not saved as Israel, but as the Christian people. Hence the Lord made a scourge for Himself out of cords, and cast them out of the temple: because they had made the house of His Father a house of business (John, ii). — Commentary on Hosea 9:15 Pachomius the Great: While he was still praying, an angel of the Lord, very terrifying, appeared to him, having in his hand a fiery sword unsheathed. He said to our father Pachomius, "Just as God has blotted out his name from the 'Book of Life,' just so do you drive them out from the midst of the brothers, for they are not ignorant. Indeed, even to the ignorant, impurities of this sort seem like abominations before God." When it was morning he put them in worldly clothing and told them, "Go and do as is fitting to the clothes whose practices you have made your own." And he expelled them from among the brothers. The words of the prophet were fulfilled about them, "I will drive them out of my house, and I will love them no longer." — LIFE OF PACHOMIUS (BOHAIRIC) 108 Jerome: "Ephraim is struck: their root has dried up, they will bear no fruit. Even if they do, I will kill the beloved offspring of their womb. My God will reject them because they did not listen to him, and they will wander among the nations." LXX: "Ephraim grieves over his roots: they are withered, and bear no fruit, and even if they give birth, I will kill the cherished offspring of their wombs. God will reject them because they have not listened to him, and they will wander among the nations." It takes a metaphor from a tree, which if its roots are dried up, it will not be able to bear fruit, and if it does even a little, it will soon wither in its own flower. But he speaks of Ephraim, whose root is withered, because he destroyed the God in whom he was founded, or did not deserve to have his fathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in whom he had sent his roots: and therefore he does not bear the fruit of righteousness; and if he does, "I will slay," he said, "the dearest of his womb," according to what he had said above: "If they bring up their children, I will make them childless among men:" hence God rejected them and made them go into captivity. "And they shall wander among the nations." We can say this about all the Jews whose leaders have departed from God, stirring up the people to demand his death; therefore, he cast them out of his house and will not love them anymore. He struck their root and dried it up, and they will never bear fruit again, even if they study the Holy Scripture and the Law, and produce something of knowledge and doctrine from their heart as if they were beloved children; the Lord will oppose them and they will be cut off. For God has rejected them, all the prophets, because they did not listen to Him; and they will wander among the nations, not having an altar, not having a seat, not having a proper city. Therefore, David also speaks in the psalm: "Do not kill them, lest my people forget: scatter them by your power" (Psalms 59:12). And in another place: "Expel them according to the multitude of their impieties, for they have provoked You, Lord" (Psalms 5:12). We read about this tree also in the Gospel: 'Now the ax is laid at the root of the trees, and every tree therefore that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into fire' (Matthew 3:10). Let no one doubt that heretics are incapable of producing the fruits of virtues, because they have lost the Lord, on whom, according to the Apostle, they ought to have been rooted and founded (Ephesians 3). And even if they should produce some fruit and generate some offspring by the fertility of their own womb, they will die with the Lord being against them. Whether because their fruits are all those things which they imagine and generate from their own heart, they will wither and perish: and it will be clear to all that a dry root cannot produce fruits. These will be cast away, indeed they are cast away by God, because they did not listen to him saying: "Do not move the boundaries which your fathers have established" (Deut. XIX, 14). And for this reason they will wander among nations, passing from these opinions to those, since it does not please them to keep what they have once found, but always changing old things for new, and imitating the errors of the pagans. — Commentary on Hosea 9:16-17 Jerome: "Lush vine of Israel; its fruit satisfies it; according to the abundance of its fruit, it has multiplied its altars; it has enriched itself with its idols, in proportion to the fertility of its land." LXX: "A leafy vine in Israel: abundant fruit in it: according to the multitude of its fruit it has multiplied altars: they will build titles beside the good of their land." On behalf of a leafy life," the eagle explained, "ἔνυδρον," which we can say means "watery" or "diluted" because it loses the taste of wine; Symmachus called it "ὑλομανοῦσαν," which has grown entirely in the leaves. Vines, which were not of value to the vintner, grow into whips and leaves, and destroy the moisture which they should have turned into wine, by the vain ambition of foliage and leaves: such a vine is harmful to farmers. Such was Israel, growing in the multitude of peoples, and not returning the fruits owed to the Farmer God. Let us say it differently: A leafy vine, or according to the Septuagint, a fruitful vine, brought forth many bunches, and the productivity of grapes equaled the magnitude of the branches: but this, which was such before it offended God, later turned the abundance of fruit into a multitude of offenses: so that the more people it had, the more altars it would build, and it would surpass the abundance of the land with the number of idols. For statues, the Septuagint translates "columns," which we call "statues" or "titles," which properly belong to demons or dead men. And so heretics, while they were being planted in the Church and growing in the house of God, were called the Sorec vineyard and brought forth the most bountiful fruits: but afterwards, as they became more numerous, they multiplied altars for themselves, so that for every one true altar there were built many altars of their error, and according to the abundance of their land they overflowed with idols. The land of heretics is fruitful, those who sensing the acumen and talent from God, in order to consecrate the good of nature to God, made idols for themselves. For no one can build up heresy unless they are of a passionate mind and have the gifts of nature; which were created by God the creator. Such was Valentinus, such was Marcion, whom we read to be very learned. Such was Bardesanes, whose talent even philosophers admire. Therefore, they turned the good of their land into titles for the dead, because all their teaching is not referred to the living, but to the dead, to both those whom they worship and those whom they deceive. — Commentary on Hosea 10:1 Jerome: Having good shoots and fruit-bearing branches, she [Israel] produced many clusters, and the abundance of the grapes equaled the great number of the branches. But she who before was of such a kind offended God afterward, turning the abundance of the fruits into a great number of offenses. The more people she had, the more altars she built, and she overmatched the abundance of the land by the number of the idols. — COMMENTARY ON Hosea 2:10 Jerome: Their heart is divided; now they shall perish: he shall break down their idols, he shall lay waste their altars." LXX: "They have divided their hearts: now shall they perish: he shall break down their altars, he shall distress their statues." The Hebrews hand down a similar story, confirming their suspicion with the authority of Scripture: captivity did not come until both kings and peoples alike adored golden calves and were united in impiety. The last king of the ten tribes was Hoshea, about whom it is written (4 Kings 17) that indeed he did evil in the sight of the Lord, but not as the kings of Israel who were before him, in whose ninth year Salmanazar, king of the Assyrians, captured the people of Israel, and led them into the Assyrians, and made them dwell near the river Gozan in the cities of the Medes. Therefore, it is asked why they were not captured under the worst kings, but under him who had begun to turn in some way to better things? To which they add these things: at first the people excused themselves, saying, "We obey the commands of the kings, nor can we resist their tyranny; we worship calves which we are compelled to adore." But in the days of Hosea the same king commanded that the calves should not be worshiped with such zeal, but that whoever wished should go to Jerusalem and offer sacrifice there to God; to this, they say, the people objected. And this is what he says now: "their heart is divided," that is, the heart of the king and the people, and with no excuse remaining, now they will perish and be delivered to eternal captivity; for as soon as the people dissented from the king, destruction came. And what follows: "He himself will break their images," speaks about God: "And he shall destroy their altars," not because God himself did this with his own hand, but because his will was fulfilled through his enemies. The hearts of heretics are divided among themselves and they resist each other's opinions, which they do not deny, while they feel different. Hence they will be dispersed, and the Lord will break or dig out their images, or altars, which they invented in their own hearts, and will destroy the titles by which each is called by their own names, and they called their names over their lands, so they may not be said to belong to Christ's Church, but to those of this or that. — Commentary on Hosea 10:2 Jerome: Because now they will say, 'There is no king for us, for we did not fear the Lord, and what will the king do to us?' Speaking words of useless vision, and you will strike a covenant, and judgment will germinate like bitterness over the furrows of the field. "LXX: "Therefore now they will say, there is no king for us, because we did not fear the Lord, but what will the king do to us? Speaking words, false excuses: he will arrange a testament, and judgment will arise like grass over the desert of the field. "After God breaks the idols of Israel, and depopulates their altars, or statues, and their extreme captivity comes, they will say, "There is no king for us." And lest they think that the sentence is prolonged for a long time, he added: "Now they will say," when they are devastated, when they will feel that Hosea is the last king taken from them: now the king is taken away from us, because we did not fear the Lord the true king: for what could a man do as king to benefit us? Say what you wish, lament old mistakes, promise yourselves success, which will turn into the opposite, you will strike a treaty, not with God by any means, but with deception. And after the "treaty," which the Seventy have interpreted as "testament," bitterness will sprout for you, not a productive harvest of wheat, nor even food for livestock, barley, nor various legumes, nor vines which sweat forth their fruit in must, nor will trees bear fruit which changes the moisture of the earth into various flavors; but bitterness will arise for you, indeed a judgment of bitterness, or wild oats, which in Latin we translate as "grass." For there is a kind of herb like a reed, which sends its stem upwards and its root downwards through each joint, and again the very shoots and shrubs of another herb are nursery plants of it, and so in a short time, if it is not dug up by its lowest roots, it makes whole fields like brambles. Moreover, even if any dry part of it, provided it has a joint, falls on tilled ground, it fills it all with grass. We have said this according to the translators of the LXX, but in the Hebrew it is written as "Ros", which is turned into bitterness, that is, a judgment of bitterness, concerning which the Lord also speaks in the Gospel: "For judgment I am come into this world" (John IX, 39) : and of others it is written, "they shall receive greater damnation" (Mark XII). The students of opposing doctrines, when their lies are exposed and their altars and temples are destroyed, will say late: "We have no kings who had previously commanded us, under whose deceit we did not fear the Lord; for what gain is it for us to follow those, from whom we did not feel any help in necessity?" They will speak such words seeking some excuse, so that they may not seem to have erred through their own fault but through the worst teachings. Wherefore their seventy words they translated false excuses, which the prophet avoids by saying: "Let not my heart decline to words of malice," to excuse "excuses in sins" (Ps. 140: 4). We willingly applaud our faults, and having overcome pleasures, we shield ourselves behind the frailty of the flesh or the harsh demands of our ancestors: from whence the words and useless visions of heretics will be in vain. And they will strike a pact, not with God, but with bitterness, which when the day of judgment comes, will sprout over the furrows of their field, so that those who have sown in joy, will reap in tears: those who have laughed, will weep: those who had consolation, will mourn. — Commentary on Hosea 10:3-4 Jerome: "The inhabitants of Samaria have worshipped the cows of Bethaven, because its people have mourned over it; and its priests have rejoiced over it, for its glory has departed from it. Moreover, it has been carried away to Assyria, as a gift to the avenging king. Ephraim will be put to shame by the confusion he caused; Israel will be ashamed of his own will." LXX: "At the calf of the house of Ὦn, those who dwell in Samaria will reside: because his people mourned over him. And just as they angered him, they will rejoice over his glory: because it was taken away from him, and they themselves, binding him to the Assyrians, brought gifts to King Jarib in his house. Ephraim will receive shame: Israel will be confounded in their counsel." What Bethaven is, for which the LXX translated as 'house' of Ὦn, and who King Jarib is, which means 'avenger,' we have discussed more fully above. So in Bethaven, that is, Bethel, the inhabitants of Samaria worshipped calf idols, which the male sex did not mock as bulls, but as cows, that is, as females: so that Israel would worship not only calf gods, but also cow goddesses. And to show cows in Bethaven, the people did not bring in one calf in Bethel to feel, they mourned over them, but over it, that is, the golden calf. But if the people mourned, why did its priests exult over it? The Hebrews report that golden calves were stolen by the priests, and in their place bronze ones covered in gold were placed. Therefore, when the people were mourning in a time of necessity and distress, even among other gifts which were sent among the Assyrian kings, especially to King Sennacherib by the king of Israel, the golden calves were there and the priests rejoiced because their wrongdoing could not be accused or discovered. And this is what is said, "its priest," that is, of the calf, they rejoiced in its (the calf's) glory representing the glory of the people; because it had migrated from it, that is, from the people, and was transferred to the Assyrians. And they say, so that we might know, the following verse clearly indicates that this is what is being referred to: "For he himself was brought into Assyria, a gift to the avenging king." And immediately follows: "Ephraim shall be taken away with confusion, and Israel shall be ashamed of his own counsel," or "in his own plan." For the deceit of the golden calves, made by the people of Israel, is indicated to the king of Israel in the letters, and from where they thought they would please, there they are most of all confounded and offend those to whom they have sent gifts, supposing not just the thievery of the priests, but that this had been carried out by the deceit of the kings and their counsel. We read in the book of Kings that the king of Israel, Manahen, sent a thousand talents of silver to the king of the Assyrians, Phul, so that he would be on his side, that is, so that he would provide him with help, among which some claim that even golden calves were sent. In the current location, Symmachus interpreted Jarib as ὑπερμάχοντι, that is, "bishop" and "defender." According to our spiritual understanding, we must work how we can bring everything to the model of the heretics. The heretics cultivated cows in Bethaven, or the house of On, which is interpreted as "labor," and boasted that they lived in the custody of God's commandments, that is, in Samaria, and on the day of judgment when bitterness will sprout like judgment on the furrows of the field, the people will mourn over it, that is, over the calf, and over the perverse doctrine which they thought was of God. And the keepers of the temple did not say, "they will rejoice," but "they rejoiced," referring to their past glory, which they had once gloriously fixed, because the people had migrated from God, or because the glory of God itself had migrated from the people, from whom it had been forsaken. Whatever the heretics say, and however beautifully they speak, they send gifts to their king the devil, referring everything to him, from whom confusion will take them in eternity, and they will be confounded in their own desires. Someone also left written above and in the present place in his commentaries, that king Jarib, that is, the avenger, is to be understood as Christ. Which displeases us entirely. For it is impious to understand as historical events, which are tropologically related to Christ, to be about the king of Assyria. — Commentary on Hosea 10:5-6 Justin Martyr: And the expression, "They opened their mouth upon me like a roaring lion," designates him who was then king of the Jews, and was called Herod, a successor of the Herod who, when Christ was born, slew all the infants in Bethlehem born about the same time, because he imagined that amongst them He would assuredly be of whom the Magi from Arabia had spoken; for he was ignorant of the will of Him that is stronger than all, how He had commanded Joseph and Mary to take the Child and depart into Egypt, and there to remain until a revelation should again be made to them to return into their own country. And there they did remain until Herod, who slew the infants in Bethlehem, was dead, and Archelaus had succeeded him. And he died before Christ came to the dispensation on the cross which was given Him by His Father. And when Herod succeeded Archelaus, having received the authority which had been allotted to him, Pilate sent to him by way of compliment Jesus bound; and God foreknowing that this would happen, had thus spoken: "And they brought Him to the Assyrian, a present to the king." — Dialogue with Trypho, Chapter CIII Tertullian: The Lord himself comes to a trial with "the elders and rulers of the people," as Isaiah predicted. And then he fulfilled all that had been written of his passion. At that time "the heathen raged, and the people imagined vain things; the kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers gathered themselves together against the Lord and against his Christ." The heathen were Pilate and the Romans; the people were the tribes of Israel; the kings were represented in Herod and the rulers in the chief priests. When, indeed, he was sent to Herod gratuitously by Pilate, the words of Hosea were accomplished, for he had prophesied of Christ, "And they shall carry him bound as a present to the king." — AGAINST MARCION 4.42 Jerome: "He made his king pass like foam over the face of the water of Samaria, and the high places of idols shall be destroyed, the sin of Israel." LXX: "He has cast out his king from Samaria as a brand on the face of the water, and the altars will be removed." For "foam," which the LXX and Theodotion translated as φρύγανον, that is, "brand," Symmachus has placed ἐπίζεμα, wanting to show the upper waters of boiling water, and the foam and bubbles rising, which the Greeks call πομφόλυγας. Therefore, just as spume over the water dissolves quickly, so the kingdom of the ten tribes will quickly end, and the lofty places, that is, Bamoth, will perish, of which it is written: "Nevertheless, the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places" (3 Kings 22:44). But these lofty places are idols, or Aven, that is, idols, which are interpreted as "useless," which is a useless idol and a sin for Israel. But when the idol and its lofty places are dispersed. — Commentary on Hosea 10:7-8 Jerome: "Israel sinned from the days of Gabaa: there they stood. They will not be caught at Gabaa in battle against the sons of iniquity. According to my desire, I will rebuke them: when the peoples are gathered together against them and will be corrected over their two iniquities." LXX: "Since Israel sinned on the hills, there they stood; they were not captured in battle on the hills against the sons of lawlessness. He came to rebuke them, and the peoples will be gathered against them when they are rebuked for their two iniquities." From the day when Benjamin in the city of Gabaa shamefully and cruelly killed the wife of the Levite, all Israel sinned against me (Judges 19): not because he avenged the injury and crime with blood, but because of his marital grief he rushed into battle, and did not want to avenge the sacrilege against his God, because in Micah's house they neglected the ephod and teraphim which were worshiped as idols. Therefore, Israel stood here, where he restrained his step, lest he should walk any longer in the paths of the Lord: for this reason he will not overtake them on account of the battle of Gabaa, or of captivity, as they themselves suppose; for it was well done by them to pursue the sons of iniquity there; but I will rebuke them, saith the Lord, and will instruct them with the whole desire of my heart, and will gather together against them the multitude of peoples, because they have done two iniquities: they have avenged man, and neglected the injury done to their God. Either two iniquities: firstly, they sinned in Michae's idols, secondly, in Jeroboam's calves. Or certainly two calves of Samaria in Dan and Bethel, we can call two iniquities, about which also Jeremiah speaks: "My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that can hold no water." (Jeremiah 2:13). These two iniquities went against two precepts of the Decalogue, in which it is said: "I am the Lord your God: you shall have no other gods before me." (Exodus 20:2-3). The Septuagint interpreted "Gabaa, hills" as: In the days of the hills, Israel sinned, when it deserted the mountains of the Church and went down to the hills or cliffs of the heretics, thinking itself more learned than the Church and having discovered something more sublime. "There they stood," that is, they persevered in error. Some interpret what follows, "He will not apprehend them in the hill battle," in this way: because they begot children of iniquity and, departing from the Church, began to be on the hills, when persecution comes, the battle will not apprehend them, since the devil does not want to attack his own. Some say: Since Israel has sinned on the hills, and he stood there and was not able to walk anymore, should he not be caught in the hills from battle? Should not ecclesiastical men fight against him, to destroy them over the sons of iniquity? If they are caught and defeated, they will no longer be able to reproduce. At the same time, the Lord promises that he will rebuke them and that, when they are defeated as masters, their disciples will gather against them, whom they had previously deceived, and see correction for two injustices: because they left the Church, the source of the Lord, and dug broken cisterns for themselves, namely the caves of heretics, which cannot hold water, that is, the doctrine of the Savior and the sacrament of baptism. — Commentary on Hosea 10:9-10 Jerome: Thistles and tribulations will ascend upon their altars, and they will say to the mountains, 'Cover us,' and to the hills, 'Fall upon us.' LXX: 'Thorns and tribulations will ascend upon their altars, and they will say to the mountains, 'Cover us,' and to the hills, 'Fall upon us.' It is a sign of ultimate loneliness, that not even walls or the last remnants of buildings will be left. At that time, 'they will say to the mountains, 'Cover us,' and to the hills, 'Fall upon us.' This is what the Lord says will be fulfilled in the last days of the captivity of Judah. Therefore, whatever is said now against the ten tribes or against all of Israel, let us know that it can also be transferred typologically to the entire people, so that when the Romans capture Jerusalem and overthrow the temple, or when the day of judgment comes, as some suspect, they will say with great horror, fearing, "Cover us, mountains," and "Fall on us, hills," preferring to die rather than see what brings death. But the spiritual wickedness of Samaria, which had separated itself from the people of God, caused its king to pass quickly, namely, the speech of heretics and doctrine like foam or cream on the surface of the water, some of which, while it appears, suddenly dissolves, while others are easy to remove from the summits of the waters and cast into the fire. Such are the heretics, swelling with foaming words, and mixing the teachings and words of Christ with the baptism and their own sermons. All of these things will pass away, and the great words in which they labored, which is interpreted as "being", will be immediately scattered, in which Israel sinned: and there will be such a great solitude of wicked doctrine that thorns and thistles will ascend upon their altars. It is well known that thorns and thistles grow where there is no cultivation of the fields. These are the thorns, which choke the seed and do not let what grows in the hand of a drunkard to flourish, which Israel made instead of grapes. For the Lord waited for grapes to come forth and there came forth instead thorns, having the appearance of grapes and twisting the mouths of those who eat into a bitter taste. Therefore, when the time of judgment comes and all things are reversed, they will say to the mountains, which they had once thought high, and to their former masters, 'Cover us;' and to the hills, 'fall upon us.' But because in the mountains he has put 'cover us' and in the hills 'fall upon us,' something more sacred is to be explained. Mountains, that is, those which have a true and not a false height, shall say: "Cover us. For blessed are they whose iniquities are covered" (Psalms 31). And hills that do not have a natural height, which once they thought to have some summit, will say: "Fall upon us." For the mountains shall cover them, and the hills shall fall. But these things shall be done out of fear and incredible dread, by which both mountains and hills shall be humbled. — Commentary on Hosea 10:9 Jerome: "Ephraim likes to tread his grain, as a trained cow; and I passed over his beauty in the hill and climbed over Ephraim: Judah will plow; Jacob will break up the land for himself." LXX: "Ephraim is a cow" (or "heifer:" for what is called Egla in Hebrew means both a calf and heifer), so "Ephraim is a trained cow that loves to thresh; but I will come over his beautiful hill; I will set upon Ephraim, and Judah will be silent. Jacob will again be strengthened." This passage, indeed, all that follows in this chapter, is involved in great obscurity. Therefore, both we who strive to explain, and the wise reader who pays attention, so that we may be able to investigate not the truth, which is very difficult, but at least the suspicion of what is probable. Divine language has this custom of expressing truth through allegory and metaphor in history. Therefore, Ephraim is like a cow or a young cow that learned from its youth to tread the area, and to pull iron wheels over heaps of crops, so that chaff could be separated from the grain; and not only did he learn, but began to love excessively what he was taught. And I," he said, "passed over the beauty of its hill. The Hebrew word Abarthi, that is, "I passed over," especially when said by God, always signifies wounds and adversity. Finally even the destroyer in Egypt is said to have passed over. Therefore, because Ephraim loves to graze in the area like a cow or calf, "I," he said, "passed over the beauty of its hill," and tamed the swelling necks with a yoke imposed. Why should I mention the yoke of the Law? I myself ascended upon it, and while I was working, Judas, that is, two tribes began to cleave the fields with a plow and recline the earth into furrows. However, carrying the yoke of Ephraim, and tilling, he broke the furrows for Jacob. Here we understand by the distinction of Israel and Judah that there were twelve tribes: they began to break the clods with plows ("Al." harrows), and to break apart the earth so that, softened, it may receive seeds and that, after a short time, fertile crops may sprout. For 'threshing floor' or 'area of contention,' the Septuagint translated, and the sense is: Because Ephraim does not want to receive the yoke of the Law, I will cross over and ascend on the beauty of his hill; for the contentious cow and the lustful labor which she does not want to do. But Judah will plow his own land willingly, because he has the temple and remains in the Law, so that all twelve tribes will eagerly prepare fields for planting. And what follows alongside the same Septuagint; 'I will place Ephraim on top and Judah will be silenced, Jacob will be strengthened for himself,' the sense here may be: I will impose captivity on Ephraim, who is contentious and does not want to bear the burden of the Law. But I shall momentarily leave Judah and say nothing more about him: whoever keeps my commands as well in Ephraim as in Judah, he shall be strengthened, and shall be called Jacob. According to interpretation, it can be said that Ephraim, who was learned in the law of God, to plough the field of Scripture, and to meditate in it day and night, began to love contention and to cast off the yoke of the Law, and to contend against the ecclesiastics in the subversion of those who hear. Therefore the Lord shall press upon him who raises his head and promises himself great things, either by the yoke or by passing by and treading underfoot, and shall ascend over him, so that he may know that he has the Lord. But Judas, that is, the Ecclesiasticus, will plow, persevering in the work begun. Whether he says, "I will retain Judas," for it is not those who are healthy who require a physician, but those who are ill. (Luke 5) But Jacob, who is interpreted as "supplanter," and daily supplants vices and sins, and receives his brother's birthright, and is heir to his father's possession, and sleeps in Bethel, which is interpreted as "house of God," will break up furrows and clods, so that the soft soil may receive the thrown seed, and make one hundred measures of barley, or, as it is held in Hebrew, a hundredfold. For it is unbelievable that the patriarch Isaac strove for barley and not wheat. Even today, the holy man Jacob breaks the clods of history and the hardness of letters into parts and divides them spiritually so that they may produce spiritual fruits. Indeed, we read that the Lord Himself did this, that he broke the five loaves of bread from the Law into fragments, which the people could not eat whole, in order to give them to the believers to eat by the hands of the apostles (Luke 9). But he says according to the Septuagint, "Jacob shall be strengthened to himself," showing that he who labors labors for himself, that he may obtain eternal fruits. — Commentary on Hosea 10:11 Apostolic Constitutions: Be careful, therefore, O bishop, to study the Word, that you may be able to explain everything exactly and that you may copiously nourish your people with much doctrine and enlighten them with the light of the law. For God says, "Enlighten yourselves with the light of knowledge, while we have yet opportunity." — CONSTITUTIONS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES 2:2.5 Basil of Caesarea: So that we may know clearly what is meant by not having a share in the works which do not bear fruit, let us first inquire as to what sort of actions merit the attribute unfruitful—whether those only that are forbidden or such also are commendable but are not performed in good dispositions. In the Old Testament, the prophet, comparing the saints with the tree, says, "which shall bring forth its fruit in due season." Solomon declares, "The work of the just is unto life, but the fruit of the wicked is sin"; and Hosea, "Sow for yourselves in justice, reap the fruit of life." — ON BAPTISM 2:9 Jerome: "Sow for yourselves according to righteousness, reap according to the merciful act. Cultivate for yourselves a new crop, but require the time of seeking the Lord when He comes to teach you righteousness. Sow for yourselves according to righteousness, reap the fruit of life. Illuminate yourselves with the light of knowledge, for it is time to seek the Lord until the fruits of righteousness come to you." The translation once begun by the farmers is preserved. Ephraim said that he loved the trained heifer for threshing and had gone up to the mountains to plow Judah and break up Jacob's clods or furrows. Now he advises that they plant for themselves through repentance, and sow in justice, that is, in the Law, and they reap in mercy, that is, in the grace of the Gospel. For there we read, "An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth" (Exod. XXI); but here we read, "But I say to you not to resist evil: but if one strike you on thy right cheek, turn to him also the other" (Matt. V, 39). And when you have sown in justice, and reaped in mercy, then renew for yourself joyful gardens. And give reasons for why they sow, why they reap, and why they renew the joyful gardens. "Time," said Christ, our savior, "to seek the Lord, when he comes, who will teach you righteousness," which you now hope for in the law: "For the end of the law is Christ, to righteousness to everyone who does good" (Rom. X). For what we have said, "measure in the mouth of mercy," the Seventy translated, "reap the fruit of life:" and the Messiah is more fitting for the seed, than the vintage: but the fruit of life itself is the tree of life. And because we have put forth "innovate vobis novale," they have turned it into "illuminate vobis lumen scientiae," so that we may deserve to have knowledge of the Law from its works and commands, according to what we read in a certain book: "You have desired wisdom: keep the commandments, and the Lord will give it to you" (Ecclus. 1:33). For he who turns commandments into works, sows in justice, and will reap from it the fruits of life. Hence, we read elsewhere: "The commandment of the Lord is a shining light, enlightening the eyes" (Ps. 18:9). And Isaiah said to the Lord: "Your command is a lamp upon my feet." And in another place: "From your precepts I gained understanding" (Psal. 119). Those also, who have separated themselves from the Church, and have falsely taken on the name of Christians, are commanded to repent and receive both the Old and New Testaments: in the Old they sow justice, in the New they reap mercy: and let them illuminate themselves with the light of knowledge, or renew themselves by seeking the Lord, who can teach them true justice, and destroy false teachers from whom they do not learn justice, but iniquity. — Commentary on Hosea 10:12 John Cassian: Therefore, if you are concerned to attain to the light of spiritual knowledge not by the vice of empty boastfulness but by the grace of correction, you are first inflamed with desire for that blessedness about which it is said, "Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God." [Thus] you may also attain to that about which the angel said to Daniel: "Those who are learned shall shine like the splendor of the firmament, and those who instruct many in righteousness like the stars forever." And in another prophet: "Enlighten yourselves with the light of knowledge while there is time." — CONFERENCE 14:9.1 Origen of Alexandria: Observe how holy and how marvelous is the sequence of things. Do not imagine that wisdom will come before its enactment in deeds. The deeds ought to come first, and wisdom sought afterwards.… We ought not teach others before we ourselves are instructed and rational. After these things, however, "truth" is added because "truth" is the highest wisdom. The prophet also preserves this same order when he says, "Sow for yourselves righteousness and reap the fruit of life; illuminate yourselves with the light of knowledge." See how he does not first say, "Illuminate yourselves with the light of knowledge," but first, "Sow for yourselves righteousness." It is not sufficient just to sow, but he says, "reap the fruit of life" so that after these you can fulfill what follows, "illuminate yourselves with the light of knowledge." — HOMILIES ON Leviticus 6:4.4 Apostolic Constitutions: It is the bishop's duty not to be silent in the case of offenders but to admonish them, to exhort them, to wrestle them down, to afflict them with fastings, that so he may strike a pious dread into the rest. For he is called to bring up the children of Israel in piety. For the bishop must be one who discourages sin by exhortations, who sets a pattern of righteousness, who proclaims those good things that are prepared by God, and who declares that wrath which will come at the day of judgment, lest he neglect the field of God and increase its condemnation. To avoid this carelessness, hear that which is said by Hosea: "Why have you held your peace at impiety? You have reaped the fruit of lies." — CONSTITUTIONS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES 2:3.17 Cyril of Alexandria: "They ate the fruit of deception," namely, they had a useless and senseless hope. For the true fruit is the one that can save and help, the love toward God and the glory of righteousness. On the contrary, the false fruit would reasonably be considered impiety, for in the end it altogether descends to what is abominable. — COMMENTARY ON Hosea 6:122 Jerome: "You harvested impiety and iniquity; you consumed the fruit of lies." LXX: "Why are you silent about his impieties and injustices? You harvested the fruit of deceit." Against my will, I often find myself debating the nuances of the Hebrew language. For we do not merely repeat sentiments in the manner of rhetoricians, we construct words and rouse the admiration of our listeners or readers by means of our declamatory style. Instead, we strive to explain what is obscure, especially to those who are unfamiliar with the language of others. Above the place where we have interpreted, "Judas will till," in Hebrew is read "Jeros" with the first letter being Yod, which the Septuagint, thinking it was the letter Vau, translated as "and I will be silent." Now it is also written as "Arasthem" in Hebrew which we translate as "you plowed;" for this the Septuagint translated, "why are you silent," interpretating similarly to the mistake above, interpreting "silence" instead of "plowing." The meaning of these words is: Over the neck of the calf of the contentions Ephraim, which I love, I have passed the harrow. And I have ascended in order to plow the land of Judah and to break its furrows. Jacob will harrow its land and bring the warmth of the sun. And I warned them to sow in justice, and to reap in mercy, and to make for themselves new fields; and to know that the time for seeking the Lord is when he comes to teach us justice. While I ordered them to receive the fruits of justice and mercy from happy new fields, they plowed impiety, through which they acted impiously against the Lord, abandoning the Creator and worshiping idols, and they harvested iniquity, receiving bad fruit from bad seed, from which they not only made bread of ash, but also deceitful and false, which would deceive the eater with vain hope. "These are heretics who plow with composed speech, and protect or remain silent about impiety: so that impiety might not appear, but piety be believed. Therefore, because they said in their heart, 'there is no God' (Psalms 13), they have become corrupt and abominable, and they have reaped or harvested iniquities. For just as the love of money is the root of all evils (1 Timothy 6): so impiety is the root of all sins and wickedness, which whoever plows or sows will reap iniquities." Therefore, those who plowed iniquity, and reaped sorrow, have eaten the fruit of lies: preaching all the false things to deceive the people, so that they do not seek the true bread, which comes down from heaven: but the bread of lies, which suffocates and kills those who devour it. — Commentary on Hosea 10:13 Jerome: "Because you trusted in your ways: tumult shall arise among your people because of the multitude of your strong ones, and all your fortifications shall be laid waste. Just as Salman was devastated in his own house, he who was judging Baal on the day of the battle, when a mother was dashed upon her children, so has Bethel done to you because of the malice of your wickedness." LXX: "Because you trusted in your chariots, in the multitude of your strength, destruction shall arise in your people, and all your fortified walls shall go away; just as the princes of Salman from the house of Jerobaal on the days of battle, who dashed a mother upon her children, so I will do to you, the house of Israel, because of your malice." Therefore, you have eaten the fruit of lies, and in all your plans, your false hope deceived you. Because you trusted, O Ephraim, in your ways of idolatry: for these are your ways, and in the multitude of your strong ones, you do not have hope in God, but in the strength of armies. Therefore there shall arise a tumult among thy people, which in Hebrew is called Saon, that is, the "sound" and "roaring" of an howling army; whereby, with their cry, all thy fortifications shall be laid waste, and those things which thou didst esteem as defenced and secure, shall be opened to thy enemies, and so shall be wasted, as Salmana, prince of the Madianites, was wasted and broken, who was slain by the house of Jerobaal (Judges 8). Doubtless it signifies Gedeon, who, for that he destroyed the temple of Baal, and cut down the grove, could not be revenged, received the surname of Jerobaal, that is, "let Baal revenge himself." As Salmana slew the children before their mothers' faces, so there shall they slay thy sons, O Ephraim, yea, and thou thyself shalt be compelled to be slain. We search where it is written that Salmana killed her mother over her children: we read in the book of Judges, Gideon speaking to the chief of Midian: 'As your sword has made many mothers childless, so will your mother be childless among women.' (Judges 8) Therefore Salmana was devastated by Jerobaal, whom some think was the son of Nabath Jeroboam, who led ten tribes, and was devastated, as is contained in Hebrew, by Arbel, which also means "Jerobaal," but in a shorter and more expressive language: thus has Bethel done to you, O Israel, from the face of your malice, in which you placed a golden calf and worshipped Egyptian gods. For 'Bethel,' which is interpreted as 'house of God,' the LXX translated 'house of Israel,' which is not at all in Hebrew. We have somehow escaped from the shattered places: now, sailing towards the open sea of metaphor, let us cross over. 'Because thou hast trusted,' o Ephraim, 'in thy ways,' or 'in thy chariots,' of which it is written: 'Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God' (Ps. XIX, 8): and thou hast trusted in the multitude of thy heroes, whom thou hast strengthened with false knowledge: therefore there shall arise tumult and noise among thy people. For whatever the heretics speak, they do not have a voice explaining opinions, but rather turmoil, shouting, and noise. "And all your fortifications," whether walled or not, "will be destroyed" (for they are fortified and built not by the testimonies of the Scriptures, but by dialectical art and arguments of philosophers) "as Salmone was devastated" by Gideon, with the mother killed above her sons. The eighty-second psalm mentions the story, where among other leaders, it recalls that Salmana was also among the Midianites, saying, "Do to them, Lord," without a doubt, he means those who entered into a pact or covenant against the Lord, "as to Midian and Sisara" (Ps. 82: 12-13). And furthermore: 'Put their leaders like Oreb and Zeb, and Sebee, and Salmana, all their leaders who said, 'We possess the sanctuary of God as our inheritance.' And in this very psalm, the leaders of the heretics are described, who tried to claim the altar of God for themselves. And what follows: 'Just as he did for you, Bethel, because of the malice of your wickedness,' is properly adapted to the leaders of the heretics, because he did that to them which he did to Bethel, which they call Bethel, that is, 'House of God,' and a false Church; so that it must be understood thus: Thus shall your Church, which you call the House of God, be done to you. It must be otherwise called Bethaven by you, that is, 'House of idol,' because of the multitude of your malice. — Commentary on Hosea 10:14-15 Ephrem the Syrian: Because Israel, symbolically called "son" since Egypt, had lost its sonship through having worshiped Baal and offered incense to idols, John gave them a name which suited them: race of vipers. Because these had lost that title of sonship, which had been poured over them through grace in the days of Moses, they received from John a name congruent with their deeds. After the Lord went down into the land of the Egyptians and had returned from there, the Evangelist said, "Now the true word spoken by the prophet is accomplished." He said, "I will call my son out of Egypt." He also said, "He will be called a Nazarene," because in Hebrew nezer means a "scepter," and the prophet calls him a "Nazarene" because he is the Son of the scepter. — COMMENTARY ON TATIAN'S DIATESSARON 3:8–9 Gregory of Nazianzus: I will address myself as is right to those who have come from Egypt. They have come here eagerly, having overcome ill will by zeal. They come from that Egypt which is enriched by the river who is Christ, raining out of the earth and like the sea in its season—if I too may follow in my small measure those who have so eloquently spoken of these matters. They too are enriched by Christ my Lord. He too was once fugitive in Egypt; the first, when he fled from Herod's massacre of the children, and now by the love of the fathers for their children, by Christ the new food of those who hunger after good, who offers the greatest alms of corn of which history speaks and men believe. He is the bread that came down from heaven and gives life to the world, that life which is indestructible and indissoluble. It is of him that I now seem to hear the Father saying, "Out of Egypt have I called my son." — ON THE ARRIVAL OF THE EGYPTIANS, ORATION 34:1 Jerome: "Just as the morning passes, the king of Israel passes away: for Israel is a boy, and I have loved him, and I called my son out of Egypt: they called them: so they went from their presence: they sacrificed to Baalim, and offered sacrifices to idols." LXX: "They have cast off the morning, the king of Israel has been cast off, because Israel is a little one, and I have loved him, and have called his sons out of Egypt. As I called them, so they went away from my face: they immolated to Baalim, and burnt incense to idols." He explains the same idea in different ways. As he previously said: "He made his king pass over Samaria like foam on the surface of the water", because foam and bubbles that float on the surface of water rapidly dissolve; now he puts the same thing in another comparison. Just as the dawn and the beginning of the day, which is called morning, quickly passes between the night and the vicinity of the sun; so that the night is finished and daybreak comes: so the king of Israel, that is, of the ten tribes, will pass quickly. And He explains the benefits that God had conferred upon himself. He says: "While I was still a young boy and a captive in Egypt, I loved him so much that I sent my servant Moses to call my Son out of Egypt, of whom I spoke in another place, 'My firstborn Son, Israel' (Exodus IV). And because Israel is singularly spoken of, but understood in a plural sense, like both the people and Ephraim and Judah: since there are many in number who are included in this number, an old history recalls that He had called them through Moses and Aaron, who had called them to leave Egypt: but those who were called by them left them, turning their backs on them and indicating by bodily gesture the stubbornness of their minds. Nor was it enough for them to despise those who called upon them unless they sacrificed to Baal and their idols, or offered incense to their images. We read that Baal was first worshipped under Achab, king of Israel, who took as his wife the daughter of the king of Sidon, and transferred the idol of Babylon and the Phoenicians to Samaria. Thus, he combines sins separated by time into one discourse: how they were first called from Egypt and named sons, then withdrew from God in the wilderness, worshipping Beelphegor more than God, and afterwards served Baalim and Astaroth, and other idols in the holy land. And we understand heretics passing by like the dawn, and their king as the devil or heresiarch, whom in infancy (when they believed in the Church, and were little ones, and were considered in Christ's name) God loved, and called them out of the tribulation and darkness of Egypt. He called through the apostles and teachers of the Church. But when they were called by my leaders, they turned away from them, and worshiped Beelphegor, that is, they served their vices and lust, and afterwards sacrificed to Baalim and idols, which they had fashioned for themselves. For each heretic has his own gods, and they worship whatever they have made as if it were an idol or a statue. As for what we have said, "Out of Egypt I have called my Son" (Matth. II), the Septuagint translated it to "Out of Egypt I have called his sons," which is not in the Hebrew; there is no doubt that Matthew took this testimony according to the Hebrew truth. Therefore, those who disparage our translation should provide Scripture from which the Evangelist took this testimony, and it should be interpreted in the Lord and Savior, when he was brought back from Egypt to the land of Israel. And when they cannot find (it), they cease to ask respectfully, arch their eyebrow, curl their nostrils, and snap their fingers. Julian Augustus vomited (slanders) against us Christians in this place, in the seventh volume, and says: that which is written of Israel, Matthew the evangelist translated to Christ, in order to mock the simplicity of those who believed from the nations. We will respond to this briefly: Firstly, that Matthew published the Gospel in Hebrew letters, which the Hebrews alone could read. Therefore, he did not do it to mock the Gentiles. But if he wanted to mock the Hebrews, he was either foolish or ignorant: foolish, if he concocted an obvious falsehood; ignorant, if he did not understand what he was saying. The work itself excuses any foolishness, since it is prudently and carefully arranged; we cannot call him ignorant, since we know from other testimony of the Scriptures that he had knowledge of the Law. It remains for us to say that those things that precede in others typologically are related to Christ according to truth and fulfillment: which we know the Apostle did in the two mountains, Sinai and Zion, and in Sarah and Hagar. For neither is Sinai now, nor is it Zion: neither was it Sara, nor was it Agar; because the Apostle Paul said these things with respect to the two Testaments (Gal. IV). Therefore, what is written: "A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a perfect nation: I the Lord will suddenly do this thing in its time," is indeed said of the people of Israel, who are called forth from Egypt, who are loved, who at that time, after the error of idolatrous worship, are called like infants and little ones: but it is also perfectly referred to Christ. For Isaac also was a figure of Christ in that he carried the wood for his own sacrifice (Genesis 22); and Jacob, because he had a wife whom he did not love (Leah) and one whom he did (Rachel) (Genesis 29). In Leah, the elder sister, we may understand the blindness of the Synagogue; in Rachel's beauty, the glory of the Church. Yet those who in some degree are figures of the Lord's Saviourship, are not in every detail to be believed to have done the same things in a figure. For a type indicates a part: but if the whole precedes in the type, it is no longer a type, but should be called the truth of history. We said this briefly in the Commentaries; now let us return to the rest. — Commentary on Hosea 11:1-2 John Chrysostom: Herod sought him after his birth. He was going to kill all the children in that place. And the prophet revealed this too, foretelling it long beforehand when he said, "A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation, mourning and much weeping, of Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are not." The Scriptures also predicted that he would come to Egypt when they said, "Out of Egypt I called my son." — DEMONSTRATION AGAINST THE PAGANS 3:7 Theodoret of Cyrus: It is as a result of folly and a childish attitude that they suffer this punishment. I recalled them from Egypt and freed them from that harsh servitude, but they proved ungrateful to me and opted for the worship of the idols (referring to them as "Baals"). Though I was the one who taught them to walk, who cured them of their awkward gait, showed them paternal affection and applied all kinds of healing to them, they refused to acknowledge me, even though I protected them from manifold destruction at the hands of the invaders as if clutching them to me in love like a kind of bond. It is in love that even now I care for them and invest them in these chastisements, acting in the manner of someone striking a forward child on the cheek. — COMMENTARY ON Hosea 11:1–4 Cyril of Alexandria: "Because I am kind and good, I bound the feet of Ephraim," that is, the whole Israel … although he was awkward. God himself declares why this is so: "I will take them in my arms." This image is from child raising. Those who take infants in their arms are those who bind their feet, bringing their feet together. For it is necessary, I think, that the thighs and knees of anyone who sits down should be drawn together. And in fact this is so. "I bound the feet" as, for instance, it was written about Abraham, who bound his son Isaac when he thought to bring him as a sacrifice to God. One must note that the Hebrew version and other versions do not have "I bound the feet" but rather "I became as one who nourishes Ephraim." — COMMENTARY ON Hosea 6:126 Jerome: "And I, as a foster father to Ephraim, carried them in my arms, and they did not know that I healed them. I drew them with cords of Adam, with the bonds of love. And I will be to them like one who lifts the yoke from their cheeks, and I inclined to him so he could eat." LXX: "And I gathered" ((or "placed")) Ephraim, I took him up on my arm; and they did not know that I healed them in the corruption of humans. I drew them with the cords of my love. And I will be to them like one who gives slaps on his cheeks, and I will look at him being strong." The Hebrew and the edition of the interpreters differ much from one another. Therefore, let us try to recount the history according to the Hebrews; to write a comprehensive account according to the Septuagint. The one who said above: "I loved the son of Israel, and called him out of Egypt," and later brought to light the crime he had committed, "they were sacrificing to the Baals and to the idols," now tells how Israel was beloved through as per Deuteronomy: "The Lord your God has carried you, as a man carries his little son, in all the ways that you have gone," "until you came to this place" (Deut. I, 31). And in another place: "He spread his wings and took him, and carried him on his shoulders" (Ibid. XXXII, 11). I, he said, who was a father, became a nurse, and I carried my little one in my arms, so that he would not be harmed in the wilderness, and so that he would not be frightened by either heat or darkness. In the day I was a cloud, in the night a pillar of fire (Exod. XIII): so that those who I had protected, I might enlighten and heal them with my light. And when they had sinned and had made themselves a calf's head, I gave them a place for repentance, and they did not know that I cured them, and for the space of forty years, I covered the wound of idolatry and restored them to their former health. But I cared for them because of the cords and bands of charity, with which I bound them as if with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Indeed, Aquilae, Symmachus, Septuagint, and Theodotio translated "Adam" as "men": so they would say, "I will draw them in the cords of men, in the bands of charity." And what follows: "I will be to them as one lifting up the yoke," for which Symmachus interpreted: "and they thought that I would put a yoke on their jaw," is understood in two ways: either I took away from them the yoke of all the nations round about, or they thought that my Law was like the heaviest weight of a yoke. And I gave them manna to eat in the desert (Exodus 16), that they might eat, for this is what he says, "I have turned to him to be fed:" for which Symmachus interpreted, "and I have turned to him with food." Not that God turned to him, but that he made the food of manna turn to him. Otherwise: I loved them so much and was such a merciful shepherd, that I myself carried the sick sheep on my shoulders (Luke 15): but they themselves did not know that I cared for them with my passion; and as I am a lover of all people, I drew them to believe in the bonds of love, according to what is written in the Gospel: "No one comes to me unless the Father who sent me draws him" (John 6:44). And they thought my yoke light, to be very heavy: and I turned to them forsaking the kingdom of heaven, to eat with them, assuming the form of a man, or gave them food of my body: both the food and the guest. Let us go to spiritual understanding, according to the Septuagint only interpreters: lest if we want to explain both according to history and according to interpretation, we tend to the size of the book. When they sacrifice Baalim, things they have made from their own hearts, and when they flee from my face at my call (for thus it is contained in the Septuagint), I, the most merciful Lord, bound the feet of Ephraim so that they would not flee further from me: this is what συνεπόδισα means. But I bound (them) by the testimonies of the Scriptures, and by the discussion of the teachers of the Church, so that by patience it would hold bound with its arms those who did not understand that God's patience was an opportunity for their salvation. Hence, in the corruption of men, namely, of teachers, who had deceived them bound by the coldness of their treachery, I extended the warmth of faith and, as it were, binding those who resisted, I bound them with the bonds of my love. And because they did not run according to their own will, but were dragged by ropes, I slightly struck their cheeks with slaps, not punishing them, but correcting and improving. "The judge tears flesh, twists with ropes, and tortures with whips and fire. But a father, he who is, strikes the wanton son with the palm of his hand. And he did not say beautifully, 'I will beat them with slaps,' but striking the cheeks with his hand like a man. But God strikes errant sons with the threat of punishments, with the reading of the Gospel, and with the testimony of the prophets. And when he strikes thus on the cheek, that he may drive out from the foul mouth of heretics their bread and doctrine: then he looks at him, his son having been beaten, saying to him, 'Look at me, and have mercy on me.'" (Psalm LXXXV,16) And again: "Look upon me and hear me, O Lord my God" (Psalm XII, 4). And when he has looked upon him, he shall prevail, or be helpful to them, that is, he shall overcome his adversaries, and shall make slaves flee. And he shall give them true and sweet food, who before devoured the lies and most bitter food of heretics. — Commentary on Hosea 11:3-4 Jerome: And as the lover of humankind I will draw them to believing in cords of love, just as that which is written in the Gospel: "No one comes to me unless the Father who sent me will have drawn him." But they thought that my light yoke was very heavy; and I bent toward them, leaving the kingdom of heaven so that I may eat with them, having assumed the human form. Or rather, I gave them my body as food; I was both food and table companion. — COMMENTARY ON Hosea 3:11 Jerome: "It won't return to the land of Egypt, and Assur himself" (The Vulgate adds "is") "its king, because they refused to convert. The sword has begun in its cities, and will consume its chosen ones: it will eat their heads, and my people will hang in my return. But a yoke will be imposed on them together, which will not be removed." LXX: "Ephraim will dwell in Egypt, and Assur himself will be its king: because he did not want to convert. And the sword grew weak in its cities, and rested in his hands, and they will eat of his thoughts: and his people is suspended from their sojourn, and God is angry with its treasures, and will not exalt him." When it says: "it won't return to the land of Egypt," it shows that it wants to return, but can't go. But Israel wanted to go back seeking help from the Egyptians; but he was captured by Assyria, who took him, and ruled him with the right of the victor, and he suffered this because he did not want to turn back, nor to repent. Or let us certainly say that he returned to the land of Egypt, when he worshiped the gods of Egypt in the holy land, or it is to be understood in that sense, as has been said above: "They called upon Egypt, they went to the Assyrians." Therefore, the sword began in its cities, whether "it will fall," as Aquila interpreted, or "it will wound," as Symmachus translated. And see how great a weight of miseries it is, so that not only fields or possessions and countryside are devastated; but the enemy enters the very heart of the cities and consumes their chosen ones, or "his arms," as Symmachus interpreted, which in Hebrew is called Baddau. And when the sword has consumed the chosen and the leaders, or the strength of the army, and has devoured either their heads or their counsels, so that they cannot find any aid, then the miserable people who did not want to return to me will wait for my return to them. And he who sows will repent, with enemies laying waste to everything. Therefore, because great sins are to be punished by great punishments, they will impose on those who have been abandoned by their people (with their king and Assyrian princes cut down by the sword) the heaviest yoke of slavery, and they will also impose what will not be taken away according to the letter, unless it is taken away spiritually in Christ. According to the Seventy, Ephraim will dwell in Egypt, saying that he has the holy land and the Church of the Lord Savior; but he has always stayed in Egypt because of vices, sins, and faithlessness. Therefore, as he dwelt in Egypt, his understanding will be great as an Assyrian king: for he will not return to the Church, and having lost his strength, that is, Christ, who is the power and wisdom of God, he was always in weakness, and was subject to all demons and disturbances: for this reason the sword, that is, spiritual knowledge, or the word of the Ecclesiastic man, will always be present in his cities, which he impiously built against the Lord, and the sword will rest in his hands, so that being slain by another, he cannot kill another, nor raise his hand against his adversary. Finally, they receive and consume according to their own plans. But the unhappy people and the uneducated crowd will long for their ancient homeland, and they will realize that they have been captured, and whether they hang in their own dwelling, not knowing what to do and where to turn. But God, above their valuable possessions, namely the gold and silver they received from Him, of which we have often spoken, will be angry, and will by no means free him who fell due to his own fault. This is according to the Septuagint; however, we will adapt the same meaning to the Hebrew. — Commentary on Hosea 11:5-7 Jerome: "How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim? mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together. I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim: for I am God, and not man; the Holy One in the midst of thee: and I will not enter into the city." LXX: "What shall I do unto thee, Ephraim? shall I protect thee, Israel? what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goes away. Therefore have I hewed them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments are as the light that goes forth. For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice; and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings." In the place where we and the seventy were interpreters, is it written in Hebrew "Shall I protect you, Israel?" which Aquila rendered into Greek as, "I will surround you with a shield." When we thought that this might be understood in a favorable sense and might indicate protection, the opposite meaning is suggested by the edition of Symmachus, which has, "I will surrender you." The translation of Theodotion is also unfavorable, but unfavorable in a different way: "I will strip you," he says, "and take away your weapon," that is, "the shield" with which I had previously protected you; and this meaning is more in keeping with the Lord's threatening. Therefore what he says is this: because they did not want to repent, and Assur became their king, the sword will devour cities, princes, and the people, and a yoke will be imposed upon them which will not be taken from them. And because the sentence seemed harsh, leaving them no place for repentance, God, as a concerned parent, now speaks to Israel: "What shall I do for thee, Ephraim?" How shall I strip thee by my help? What shall I do for thee? By what means shall I correct thee? By what remedy can I heal you? Like Admah and Zeboiim I will make you, which are two of the five cities, just as we read in Genesis: 'Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim and Bela, which is called Segor,' and in the Syrian language 'Zoar.' Therefore, I will make you and turn you into a desert, and I will wipe you out until you become ashes and dust, just as I wiped out Admah and Zeboiim. And when a harsh, indeed cruel, sentence had been pronounced, the father is again overcome by his affection for his child, and with his kindness he moderates the severity of his judgement. For he says, "My heart is turned within me; all my sorrow is stirred up." As soon as I spoke, there was something in my heart that moved me to mercy; I will not execute the fierceness of my wrath; I will not destroy Ephraim again: for I am God, and not man; and I will not consume them in my indignation: but I will instruct them, by opening their eyes to their iniquity. My cruelty is the opportunity for penance and piety: "I am God, not a man." Man punishes in order to destroy, God corrects in order to improve. "I am holy in your midst and will not enter the city," meaning, I am not one of those who dwell in cities, who live by human laws, who consider cruelty to be justice, for whom the highest law is the greatest malice; but my law, and my justice, is to save those who are corrected. We can also say: because first Cain, a parricide, built a city in the name of his son Enoch, the Lord does not enter such a city, which is made of wickedness, blood, and parricide. However, if we want to read, "How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? How shall I deliver thee, Israel?", it should be understood: What shall I do with you? Are you worthy of protection, for you have done so much? Note also that when it is said against Judah, that is, the people of God, it is not Admah and Zeboiim that are mentioned but Sodom and Gomorrah. For we read in Isaiah: "Hear the law of God, you rulers of Sodom; give ear to the word of the Lord, you people of Gomorrah" (Isai. I, 10). Likewise, in the Gospel, the city that did not receive the apostles, when they shook the dust from their feet, is said to be worse off on the day of judgment than the land of Sodom and Gomorrah (Matt. X). And the prophetic word is also directed at Jerusalem: "Sodom has been justified by your example" (Ezek. XVI). Therefore, suspicion is given to us that Sodom and Gomorrah were leaders in sin, and Adama and Seboim followed their examples, that the powerful suffer powerful torments: and that servant who knows the will of his Lord, and does not do it, shall be beaten with many [stripes]. Hence even the learned men of Ecclesiasticus, if they are involved in the same crimes as heretics, will be subject not to the punishments of Adama and Seboim, which are inferior but to those of Sodom and Gomorrah, which are said to be greater crimes. To heretics also and those deceived by them, the Lord speaks to the people, that unless they repent, they will be put like Adama and Seboim, so that they have no hope of salvation. Again, as a most merciful father, he says he will change his own decision and repent of having spoken such things, so that he may also provoke them to conversion and penance. 'I will not make,' he said, 'in my fury, I will not destroy Ephraim. As much as it is in me, as much as I desire, if he corrects error with truth, if he loves me more than the leaders of heresy, for 'I am God and not man,' I will extend my hand to the fallen, and call the wandering towards salvation. And because I am holy, I will not enter a city, that is, the assemblies and cities of heretics. I willingly receive those who leave their cities, but I will not enter their cities. What he said, "I will not enter the city," and, according to the LXX, is followed by, "I will walk after the Lord," some have interpreted as meaning that the people responded to the Lord, and that the sense is: Because your heart has turned to you, and you have not made us according to our sins; but you imitate your clemency, and do not punish our sins, and you promise to be holy and merciful and to dwell among us; therefore, I will not enter the city of evil men: nor will I be among the number of sinners; but I will walk after the Lord my God. But the Hebrews, from the person of God, have thus spoken: I will not abandon you, I will not go to another people, nor enter another city. — Commentary on Hosea 11:8-9 Jerome: In the same book, it is written, "I am God and not man, the holy one in the midst of thee, and I will not enter into the city," into the den, to be sure, of vices. He himself is the only one who does not enter into the city that Cain built in the name of his son, Enoch. All of this is chanted daily by the lips of the priests: ho monos anamartētos, which in our language is translated as qui solus est sine peccato. — AGAINST THE PELAGIANS 2:23 John Chrysostom: The philanthropy of God does not tolerate [abandonment]. "What can I do for you? Shall I view you as I did Sodom and destroy you like Gomorrah? My heart is upset." Here the love of God appears to imitate the passionate human being or, better yet, the affectionate mother. "My heart is upset, just as a woman would say about her child. My heart is upset just like the mother's." However, the previous metaphor was only partially adequate. "My heart is troubled in my regret"? God is troubled! Let no one ever think it! God forbid! — HOMILIES ON REPENTANCE AND ALMSGIVING 4:18 Theodoret of Cyrus: "My heart recoils within me, my compassion grows warm and tender. I will not execute the fierceness of my anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim." God imitates a father and mother who are naturally worried and cannot turn away from their children for too long. He says that, however, not because he wills one thing now and then changes his mind. Rather, he expresses his thought in different ways, in anger and love, in threat and mercy, chastising and persuading. — COMMENTARY ON Hosea 11 Jerome: "After the Lord they shall walk: He shall roar like a lion: for He shall roar, and the children of the sea shall fear, and shall fly away like a bird out of Egypt, and like a dove out of the land of the Assyrians: and I will place them in their houses, saith the Lord." LXX: "After the Lord I will walk; he will roar like a lion, because he will roar, and the sons of water will be afraid and fly like birds from Egypt, and like a dove from the land of the Assyrians, and I will place them in their houses, says the Lord." With the Lord promising success, the people will turn to Him: and they shall walk after the Lord, for the Lord shall roar like a lion. Of which also the prophet Amos recalls: 'The Lord will roar from Zion, and from Jerusalem He shall give His voice' (Amos 1:2). And He will roar when He says: 'I will make you like Sodom.' And when He roars, then the sons of the sea, or of the waters, will tremble, as the LXX translated. For the word Maim, which is written with three letters Mem, Yod, Mem: if it is read Maim, it means 'waters'; if Mejam, it is understood as 'from the sea.' The Hebrews refer these things to the coming of Christ, whom they hope will come. "We have now become convinced that from Egypt and Assyria, that is, from the East and the West, and from the North and the South, those who recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob have come, and come daily (Matthew 8). However, we can call the sons of the sea or the waters those who have been caught in the Lord's dragnet and taken from the sea of this world (Matthew 13:47). And when they have been taken from death to life, they will be placed in their own houses, which the Gospel calls granaries, in which selected and separated wheat is stored." (Matthew 13) It is said that it is the nature of lions that when they roar and roar, all animals tremble, and they cannot move with fixed steps: such is the terror and so great the fear. And so, when the Lord roars like a lion, and thunders, and gives his voice, all the birds and all flying things will tremble: and they will go to their nests, that is, to their homes where the Lord will dwell with them. Let us also say this differently: When a true lion roars, the false lion, who is our adversary according to the Apostle Peter, will immediately be silent, and he will not be able to open his perverse mouth to any doctrine: and those who were previously captured by him, loosened by the roar of the lion and terrible threats, will follow their Lord God. Then the sons of the sea or waters will fear, who were born in bitterness and salty waters of heretics; and having taken wings, they will fly like birds from Egypt and like doves from Assyrian land, and will say: "Who will give me wings like doves, and I will fly and rest"(Ps. LIV, 7)? So those who had labored among the heretics may rest in the Church and dwell in their homes from which they were seduced by error. Egypt, that is, we know as "trouble" and "distress"; likewise, concerning Assyrians, we recognize as "leaders" or, as we think better, "accusers." Therefore, heretics will be freed from them when they start living in their own homes and say to their wicked parents, "Your house will be left empty to you" (Matt. 23). — Commentary on Hosea 11:10-11 Jerome: "Ephraim surrounded me with his falsehood, and the house of Israel and Judah with his deceitfulness. But now God has perceived them, and they will be called people of God's sanctuary." The Hebrews tell a story of this kind: In the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt, when on one side there was a mountain, on the other the Red Sea, and Pharaoh's army surrounded them, and the trapped people were held, the other tribes despairing of salvation and either wishing to return to Egypt or wanting to fight, only Judah faithfully entered the sea. Hence, he deserved to receive the kingdom and this is what is now called "Juda testis sermonum Dei," and an approver and defender he descended with God into the sea, and among the saints he was the most faithful, that he might believe the words of God's command. They say this to him. Let us follow the order of the explanation undertaken, which surrounded Ephraim, the royal tribe, and the house of Israel, the people who served the royal tribes, and surrounded him in denial or falsehood, while they denied the Lord and confessed idols. But Judah, that is, the two tribes which had the Temple, the Law, the Prophets, and kept the legal precepts, were witnesses, and walked faithfully with God and with the holy ones. We can say the saints or the angels, the patriarchs and prophets, and others who served God's command. For in comparison to that time when these things were being said, Ephraim had completely gone astray and Israel had been deceived into the worship of idols; only Judah remained, who was engaged in the worship of God and his testimonies, and was able to go down with him, or be strong with strength: for "root" signifies both descent and strength, for which reason Aquila translated the term as "dominion." Heretics surround the Lord with falsehood, even with denial, according to their deduction. Whatever they say, it is a denial, rather a lie: and they surround Him in deceit or in the impiety of the house of Israel; while all things they pretend, they compose with an artful speech and speak impiety against the Lord. But Judas, that is, the ecclesiastical man, does not boast, he is not inflated with heretical pride, but he humbles himself with God, and with the faithful and strong choir of the saints he builds his house upon a rock which is shaken by no storm. (Matt.) They translated the Septuagint much differently: Ephraim and the house of Israel and Judah had surrounded God with lies and impiety, and God's mercy is so great that he does not cut off hope of salvation from them. But he recognizes them and is prepared to call the holy people and the people of God, who are now corrupted by impiety. Similarly, God desires heretics to be saved, and sinners in the church, and that all may be called by his name. "But he who is truly holy, does not surround God with a lie, but with truth, as the psalmist says: 'You are powerful, Lord, and your truth surrounds you'" (Psalms 88:9). — Commentary on Hosea 11:12 Augustine of Hippo: God of my heart … I didn't know how to love you, because I did not know how to conceive the existence of anything—however glorious—beyond mere matter. The soul that goes puffing and wheezing after such figments of the imagination [as fortune telling] is one that goes whoring from you and trusts what is phony and feeds on the wind. Yet while I wouldn't have this sorcerer sacrificing to demons on my behalf, I was actually sacrificing to them myself just by being involved in my superstition. For what else is to feed on the wind, if not to feed on error, and so to become the sport and plaything of the demonic? — CONFESSIONS 4:2 Jerome: "Ephraim feeds on the wind and follows after the east wind: all day long he multiplies lies and desolation. And he made a covenant with the Assyrians and brought oil into Egypt." LXX: "But Ephraim is a spirit of wickedness, following the heat: all the day long he hath multiplied lies and vanities, and he hath made a covenant with the Assyrians, and oil he carried into Egypt." The sacred story tells that Manahen, king of Israel, after making peace with the Assyrians, sought aid from the Egyptians (2 Kings 15), and this is what is now said, that Ephraim feeds the winds, that is, deceives himself with vain hope, follows the oppressive heat, that is, "summer," and goes to the South, and does nothing else all day but deceive himself. And while he runs here and there, he prepares destruction and devastation for his cities. Is it not destruction and deceit to make a covenant with the Assyrians and to carry oil into Egypt? By connivance, indeed, the whole thing was arranged, to send gifts to the Egyptians. Although some believe that oil is not produced in Egypt at all; but it was sent as a precious gift from Ephraim, whose land of Samaria is very fruitful in oil. Moreover, according to tropology, all heretics are held by the worst spirit of demons, about which it is written in the Apostle: "Against spiritual wickedness in high places" (Ephes. VI, 10). "And when an unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it wanders through waterless regions looking for a resting place, but not finding any, it says, 'I will return to my house from which I came.' And when it comes, it finds it swept and put in order. Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and live there; and the last state of that person is worse than the first." (Luke 11:24-26) Therefore, the worst spirit is followed by a desert wind, that is, a "scorching wind" or "burning wind," which destroys everything that is flowering and germinating. It pursues emptiness and vanity throughout the entire day, is not content with its own error but multiplies many disciples, indeed companions of its own emptiness and error. He also makes a covenant with Assyrians, whose prince is great sense, that whatever he may have devised, he might appear to have devised it wisely, that wisdom which was destroyed by God, which even the Apostle commands to be avoided, saying: "Beware lest any man shall cheat you by philosophy and vain seduction, according to the tradition of men, according to the elements of the world" (Col. II, 8). But he also brings oil to Egypt, or he trades in the wisdom of Egypt, desiring to mix with ecclesiastical dogmas the oil of anointing with which prophets and priests were anointed, with which even kings were anointed. They have this oil too, who are called saints, of whom it is said: "Your sons are like new olive trees around your table" (Ps. 127: 4). And the good olive tree in which our olive branch is inserted. Although heretics try to mix lies with the truth, oil cannot be coupled with waters and other moist and liquid substances. The truth is always above, and the lie is below. All other forms, that is, heresies, which do not have, as we have said, the oil of truth, can be mixed with themselves, and numerous ones can be made into one body. But the oil that is brought into Egypt, and descends from the holy land to Pharaoh's realms, is detested by the prophet, saying: "The oil of the sinner will not anoint my head" (Ps. 140:5). — Commentary on Hosea 12:1 Jerome: The judgment therefore of the Lord with Judah: and a visitation upon Jacob. He will render to him according to his ways, and according to his inventions he will recompense him. In the womb he supplanted his brother: and in his strength he had success with the angel, and he prevailed over the angel, and was strengthened: he wept and made supplication to him: he found him in Bethel, and there he spoke with us. And the Lord God of hosts, the Lord is his memorial, therefore turn to thy God, keep mercy and judgment, and hope in thy God always. And the judgment of the Lord with Judah, that he may revenge Jacob, and his ways according to his inventions will render unto him. In the womb he supplanted his brother, and by his strength he had success with God, and he had power with the angel, and prevailed: he wept, and made supplication to him: he found him in Bethel, and there he spoke with him. And the Lord of hosts will be his memorial, and thou Israel shalt be turned to thy God, keep mercy and judgment, and approach thy God always. Ephraim feedeth on the wind, and followeth after the east wind: he daily multiplieth lies and desolation: and they have made a covenant with the Assyrians, and oil is carried into Egypt. Now all their wickedness is in Gilgal, for there I hated them: for the wickedness of their practices I will cast them forth out of my house: I will love them no more, all their princes are revolters. However, he calls visitation scourges and punishments, so that he who has restored Ephraim, what he deserved, may also restore Judah, who is also of the seed of Jacob, according to its ways and inventions, who has not only been deceived by chance error, and fell by human frailty; but he sought and found in what he should sin and fall. However, he tells how much good Judah, that is, Jacob, has received, and the son is named in the father, and the ancient history is remembered, so that the mercy of God towards Jacob and his hardness against the Lord may also be known. While he was still in Rebecca's womb, he supplanted his brother Esau (Gen. 25), not by his own strength, which he could not feel, but by the mercy of God, who knows and loves those whom he has predestined. And he did not only supplant his brother in the womb; but he also wrestled with an angel in his strength, when he fought against the angel all night by the stream (Gen. 32). And because he wrestled with the angel, he received the name Isar, which in Hebrew means "directed" or "straightest". And he prevailed," he said, "against the angel; and by his blessing, whom he had conquered, he was strengthened. He also wept, and asked him, that is, the angel, saying: "I will not let you go, unless you bless me." And when he fled to Mesopotamia by the counsel of his father and mother, the same angel found him in Bethel, who spoke to him, spoke with us, that is, spoke in the father and with the sons, and loved Jacob and Judas: from that time until the present, his name, which was given to him by the angel and by God, endures in memory. When things are this way, and you, O Judas, imitate your parent, mourn and plead with the Lord of hosts, and turn to Him. Keep both mercy and judgment, and when you have done this, always hope in your God, making progress by good deeds. On account of what is in Hebrew, "he wept and begged him: he found him in Bethel, and there he spoke with us," we read in the Vulgate edition: "they wept and begged me, being in" a "house they found me, and there it was" said "to them;" "a" is interpreted as "pain." So, if anyone weeps, and does penance, and implores the Lord, they will find him in the pain of their heart, and when they call upon him, they will hear him respond to them. We can understand the Ecclesiastical (Jewish) man who is rebuked by the Lord because he does not remember his previous benefits but rather sins daily, and he reveals what those benefits are: "When you were born in the faith, the Church gave birth to you and you supplanted your Jewish or Gentile brother and received his birthright, and in your strength you were directed with the angel, either conquering opposing strengths or strengthened by the blessings of the angel who is God, and you prevailed in the image against an angel so that you could prevail against men, and you were strengthened". And when you had achieved victory, you wept, and you begged the angel of the Lord, and remembering the sins of old, you found him in Bethel, that is, in the house of God, which is the Church, or in his own house, of pain and tears and penitence. And we know who this Judas was, there, he said, he spoke with us, that is, with us Christians, and from that time until the present day, we are known by the name of Christ and are corrected by him. So, Ecclesiastical man, who is called Judas, and confesses, turn daily through penance to your Lord, and if by chance you have sinned, imitate the prophet saying: "I have labored in my groaning, every night I will wash my bed; I will water my couch with my tears" (Ps. 6:7). Let it be enough to have said this, but keep the commandments of God, show mercy to others, so that you may also obtain mercy. Judge with true judgment, so that in whatever you judge, you may be judged. And always hope in your God, whether you draw near to your God constantly, so that at every time, making progress in virtue, you draw near to your God. — Commentary on Hosea 12:2-6 Braulio of Zaragoza: It happened one day that the enemy of the human race met the wrestler of the eternal King on a journey and challenged him with these words: "If you would like to see what each of us can accomplish with his strength, let us have a contest." Barely finished speaking, he approached the saint and touched him in visible and corporeal reality, and for some time tried his wavering opponent, but the latter pressed Christ with prayers, and the divine aid strengthened his trembling steps and straightway caused the fugitive, apostate spirit to vanish into air. If it seems incredible to anyone that an invisible spirit can become substantial, save in the mystical sense, let it be explained to him how the divine pages narrate the struggle of Jacob with the angel too. I have this to say: that it would require less boldness for Satan to tempt a servant than the Lord, Emilian than Christ, man than God, the creature than the Creator. — LIFE OF ST. EMILIAN 7 Tertullian: There were places in Jerusalem where he taught and other places to which he retired. "In daytime he was teaching in the temple." Just this had been foretold by Hosea: "In my house did they find me, and there did I speak with them." — AGAINST MARCION 4.39 Basil of Caesarea: Combine justice with mercy, spending in mercy what you possess with justice. It is written, "Keep mercy and justice, and draw near to thy God always." Because God loves mercy and justice, he who takes care to do mercy and justice draws near to God. It remains, then, for each to examine himself and for the rich person to take careful inventory of the private resources from which he is to offer gifts to God, to make sure that he has not oppressed a poor person, or used force against one weaker than himself, or cheated one dependent upon him, thus exercising license rather than justice. We are bidden to practice fairness and justice also toward those who serve us. Do not employ force because you are in command, and do not take advantage because it is within your power to do so. — HOMILY ON MERCY AND JUSTICE Jerome: "Canaan in his hand deceitful balance, he loved calumny, and Ephraim said: Nevertheless, I have become rich, I have found myself an idol, all my labors will not find me the iniquity which I have sinned." LXX: "Canaan in his hand is the weight of iniquity, he loved to oppress through power, and Ephraim said: But I have become rich, I have found rest for myself, all his labors will not find him, for the iniquities in which he sinned." Judah had been warned to turn to the Lord his God, to keep mercy and judgment, and to hope in the Lord always, whether he approached him constantly. Now the discourse is turned to Ephraim, that is, to the ten tribes, which he calls Canaan, according to what Daniel speaks to the elder who was certainly of the seed of Judah: 'The seed of Canaan and not of Judah has deceived thee.' And in Ezekiel we read that it is said to Jerusalem: 'Thy father was an Amorite and thy mother a Hethite.' And in Isaiah it is said to the tribe of Judah: 'Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear to the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.' In the last verse of Zechariah we read: "And there shall be no more Canaanite in the house of the Lord" ((or "in the city")) (Zech. XIV, 21). But the Scripture says that Canaan, that is Ephraim, holds a deceitful or unjust balance in his hand, commanding, "Thou shalt have Just balances" (Leviticus XIX); not only does he have an unjust and deceitful balance, but he loves calumny and oppresses men by his power. And in case we might think Canaan referred to someone else, the Scripture more clearly shows who this Canaan is. Ephraim said: "Nevertheless, I have become rich;" and the meaning is: It does not matter where I possess, as long as I possess. Many suffer from this disease, about which it is written: "Wealth gathered unjustly will be vomited up again" (Job 20:15) "For the ransom of a life is costly, no payment is ever enough" (Proverbs 13:8). Hence we are commanded to make friends for ourselves with wicked mammon, who can receive us into eternal dwellings (Luke 16:9). But Ephraim, who boasts and says, "Nevertheless, I have become rich, I have found myself an idol," or, "useless," that is, Aven, which will not profit the possessor, has sweated in vain labor. But just as the gluttonous and luxurious belly is a god, so the greedy person worships the idol of gold, and says in his heart: 'I have found what I was looking for' but he will hear: 'You fool, this night your soul will be required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' (Luke 12:20). And when his eyes have once been blinded - not to speak of a brightness, but a blindness - by the wealth, he says: 'All my work will not find my iniquity, in which I have sinned.' And the sense is: whatever I may have sinned, if I have had wealth from those who need my help, it cannot be imputed to me, according to what is written: 'And he who behaves badly is blessed' (Ps. IX): For there are many friends of the rich. Therefore, this also refers to heretics themselves. "Canaan" can in fact be interpreted as "those who move." And note that he said, "as if moving" ((Al. "moving")), not "moving." They are moving, those whom they have deceived, as if moving, those whom they have tempted. But because they are founded on the rock (Matth. VII), they cannot be shaken by any storm, nor can they change the course of their feet. In the hand of this kind of Canaan, that is, in his works, the deceitful and unjust balance is; for whatever the heretic speaks, he does not have the justice of God, and is full of deceit and fraud; therefore, they love slander when they depress the innocent or oppress them by force. The poor cleric is overwhelmed by verbosity and clever arguments of heretics, who having deceived some people, often say: 'We have become rich, we have a large following; a crowd of disciples follows us; we have found an idol or a source of refreshment for ourselves.' For this reason, especially, heresies are formed, to consume the homes of widows who are always learning, but never coming to the knowledge of truth (2 Timothy 3). And fittingly, he says, 'I have found an idol for myself.' For all the inventions of heretics are nothing but idols and images of the heathen: and they differ little in impiety, though seeming to differ in name. And they are accustomed to say that whatever I do, whatever I accomplish, cannot be imputed to me: for I have my riches, the teachings of the philosophers; I have the multitude of the people, who whoever looks upon me will not consider me to be at fault. — Commentary on Hosea 12:7-8 Jerome: "And I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt; I will make you dwell in tabernacles as in the days of the feast. And I spoke to the prophets, and I multiplied visions, and by the hand of the prophets I was likened." LXX: "But I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt; I will still make you dwell in tabernacles, as in the days of solemnity, and I will speak to the prophets, and I have multiplied visions, and by the hands of the prophets I am likened." You have indeed sinned so greatly, that you rejoiced in wickedness, and thought a multitude of sins to be riches, and said: I have become rich, I have found an idol for myself: all my labors will not be able to find my sins. But I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt (Exod. V), when thou didst serve Pharaoh and was making cities of clay and palaces, yet I give you a place of penitence and by the greatness of my promises I urge you to return to me, and yet I will cause you to dwell in tabernacles as in the days of the festival. The day of the festival is called 'Scenopegia,' the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when the children of Israel came out of Egypt. As, he said, at that time I freed you from Egypt and you lived in tabernacles on your way to the holy land and hastened to go to the place of the temple, so also now I will lead you out of tribulation and distress and impending captivity, if you do what I have commanded. For I am the one who, through all the prophets and various forms of visions, has been likened to human beings, and I have challenged you to repent. Is it not of a human likeness when Moses, lifting his hands on high, prays for Jesus to vanquish Amalec (Exod. XVII), and the sacraments of the cross are shown in him? Isn't God likened to the hands of the prophets, since Jonah is in the depths for three days and nights to signify the Lord's resurrection from the underworld on the third day? However, we read multiplied visions in all the prophets, when Ezekiel sees the Lord sitting as a charioteer above the Cherubim (Ezek. 17). And Isaiah says, "I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne and elevated, and two Seraphim around him crying out to each other holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Sabaoth" (Isai. 6:1,2). And Habakkuk stood upon his watch-tower (or "cell"), and behold he beheld Christ's horns in his hands, wherein his strength lay hidden (Habakkuk 3). Hence the Psalmist cries out: "I will hear what the Lord God will speak in me" (Psalms 84:9). But in order that we may know that every prophecy in Holy Writ is called a vision, "And all the people saw the voice of the Lord" (Exodus 20:18): wherefore also the prophets were called seers. To those also who have been led astray by heretics, it is said that they should return to the Lord, who prefers the repentance of a sinner to their death (Ezekiel 18); for it is he who brought them out of the land of Egypt, that is, out of the darkness and error of the Gentiles. And that they may not be slow to return, mindful of their sins: "I will still cause you to dwell in tabernacles," he says, "as in the days of the festival"; that what baptism effects, penance may effect also, and they may dwell in the tabernacles of the Saviour, that is, in the churches, of which it is said: "Planted in the house of the Lord, they shall flourish in the courts of the house of our God" (Ps. xcii. 14). And lest the heresiarchs and leaders of error should be able to say that God did not speak through them, he said: 'I am the one who spoke to the prophets, not to your teachers, and I have multiplied visions and have been portrayed by my prophets who are established in the Church.' — Commentary on Hosea 12:9-10 Irenaeus: For certain of these men used to see the prophetic Spirit and His active influences poured forth for all kinds of gifts; others, again, [beheld] the advent of the Lord, and that dispensation which obtained from the beginning, by which He accomplished the will of the Father with regard to things both celestial and terrestrial; and others [beheld] paternal glories adapted to the times, and to those who saw and who heard them then, and to all who were subsequently to hear them. Thus, therefore, was God revealed; for God the Father is shown forth through all these [operations], the Spirit indeed working, and the Son ministering, while the Father was approving, and man's salvation being accomplished. As He also declares through Hosea the prophet: "I," He says, "have multiplied visions, and have used similitudes by the ministry of the prophets." But the apostle expounded this very passage, when he said, "Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are differences of ministrations, but the same Lord; and there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God which worketh all in all. But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal." But as He who worketh all things in all is God, [as to the points] of what nature and how great He is, [God] is invisible and indescribable to all things which have been made by Him, but He is by no means unknown: for all things learn through His Word that there is one God the Father, who contains all things, and who grants existence to all, as is written in the Gospel: "No man hath seen God at any time, except the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father; He has declared [Him.]" — AGAINST HERESIES 4:20.6 Irenaeus: But that both the apostles and their disciples thus taught as the Church preaches, and thus teaching were perfected, wherefore also they were called away to that which is perfect-Stephen, teaching these truths, when he was yet on earth, saw the glory of God, and Jesus on His right hand, and exclaimed, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God." These words he said, and was stoned; and thus did he fulfil the perfect doctrine, copying in every respect the Leader of martyrdom, and praying for those who were slaying him, in these words: "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge." Thus were they perfected who knew one and the same God, who from beginning to end was present with mankind in the various dispensations; as the prophet Hosea declares: "I have filled up visions, and used similitudes by the hands of the prophets." — AGAINST HERESIES 3:12.13 John Chrysostom: How is it, then, that John says, "No one has ever seen God"? He says this so that you may know that he is speaking of a clear knowledge and a perfect comprehension of God. All the cases cited were instances of God's condescension and accommodation. That no one of those prophets saw God's essence in its pure state is clear from the fact that each one saw him in a different way. God is a simple being; he is not composed of parts; he is without form or figure. But all these prophets saw different forms and figures. God proved this very thing through the mouth of another prophet. And he persuaded those other prophets that they did not see his essence in its exact nature when he said, "I have multiplied visions, and by the ministries of the prophets I was represented." What God was saying was, "I did not show my very essence, but I came down in condescension and accommodated myself to the weakness of their eyes." However, John does not say only of humanity that "no one has ever seen God." This was proved by what I have said—I mean by the prophetic utterance that states, "I have multiplied visions, and by the ministries of the prophets I was represented." — AGAINST THE ANOMOEANS, HOMILY 4:19 Jerome: "If Galahad was an idol, then they were sacrificing their cattle in vain at Galgal; for even their altars were like heaps on the furrows of the field." LXX: "If it is not Galahad, then the princes sacrificing at Galgala were false, and their altars were like tortoises on the desert of the field." Because we have translated "bobus," which is called Surim in Hebrew, the LXX translated it as "princes," which are called Sarim, being deceived by the similarity and ambiguity of the word. Again when we placed ourselves, 'acervos,' which in Hebrew are called Gallim and properly signify 'θῖνας,' that is, tumps gathered from sand, which are mostly increased or decreased in the desert and on the shores where the wind blows, the 70 translators translated to "testudines" (turtles): for which Symmachus interpreted "piles of stones": Theodotio "hills." And truly if you look at θῖνας, they have a similarity to the great tortoises in a desert field, or on the banks and shores slightly prominent from the ground. Therefore, what He says, "if in Gilead," about which it is written, "Gilead is a city of idolaters, overturned with blood," false gods and perverse religion, and it is across the Jordan where two tribes live, Reuben and Gad, and half a tribe of Manasseh, therefore even Galgal of which we read in this same prophet: "All their malice is in Galgal, which is behind Bethaven;" whoever worships idols does not sacrifice to gods but offers sacrifices to cattle, imitating the error of Samaria. For at the time when these things were prophesied, Galaad was in the kingdom of the ten tribes; and Galgal, under the rule of the two tribes which were called Juda. Therefore, both the ten tribes and the two, deceived by equal idolatrous error, and their altars gathered from stones, or from sands, like heaps and hills. And when both of them have been brought into captivity, the former altars of theirs will have the similarity of tortoise shells or hills without cultivators. Because truly "Galaad" is interpreted as "a translation of testimony," and "Galgal, of rolling things," we can say this, that the leaders of the heretics transfer the testimonies of truth into lies, and whatever they worship is an idol, and their sacrifices are similar to heaps of stones or turtles. For just as θίνες and heaps are gathered from stones and sand here and there, so too heretics compose idols from worldly wisdom and the cleverness of men, with fraud and lies. And when they have done this, they move slowly in one place and cannot occupy the whole world. The slow and burdened tortoise, crushed by its own weight, not so much walks as it moves, signifying the most serious sins of heretics who sacrifice themselves in the mire and mud of their errors, worshipping the works of their hands and working hard for earthly fruits like oxen. — Commentary on Hosea 12:11 Jerome: Jacob fled into the region of Syria and served for Israel in his wife, and he kept watch over his wife. In the prophet, the Lord led Israel out of Egypt, and in the prophet, he was saved. The seventy interpreters [translators] say: And Jacob went into the plain of Syria and served for Israel in his wife, and he kept watch over his wife, and in the prophet, the Lord led Israel out of Egypt, and in the prophet, he was saved. It seems that arbitrarily and without order or reason the narrative of Genesis concerning Jacob was inserted here after the idol of Gilead and Galgal and the altars similar to heaps of stones, but this is immediately solved by the one who remembers having read about Jacob previously: "He supplanted his brother in the womb, and he was upright with his angel in his strength, and was able with the angel he struggled with and was strengthened, he wept and implored him, he found him in Bethel and spoke with us." This Jacob, therefore, was comforted by an angel not in vain, but because he wrestled all night and conquered his adversary, so he learned not to fear his brother, from whom he fled to Syria to his uncle Laban (Genesis 27), and he served for Rachel his wife seven years, and preserved his father-in-law Laban's sheep for the same amount of years. And since once Jacob named Israel, he has united father and his sons, and remembers the following history, when the Lord led Israel out of Egypt through the prophet Moses, and the twelve tribes which have come from Israel were saved. He will not be mistaken who says that the supplanter of Jacob and Israel, who sees God, prefigures the Lord, and that Rachel, at first barren and whom Jacob loved very much, signifies the Church; Leah, however, with bleary eyes and fruitful, shows the mysteries of the Synagogue, and that he himself has led the people of believers out of the darkness of this age, and that he has come to the sweetest waters of the Jordan, that is, the streams of baptism. — Commentary on Hosea 12:12-13 Jerome: "Ephraim has provoked me to anger with his bitter words; his blood will be on him, and his Lord will repay him for his contempt." Likewise Septuagint. Therefore when I had so helped Ephraim that I had led the naked, the exiled and the lonely to a rich and a masterful Lord, and had made him the parent of many sons, Ephraim deserted me, indeed provoked me to anger: and with his bitterness made bitter what was sweet. Whence his blood will come upon him, that is, he will be the cause of his own death, according to what David says to him who reported to him the death of Saul, and remembered that he had killed the king of Israel: "Your blood be upon your own head" (2 Kings 1:16). Not my opinion, but the blood of Saul (i.e. "Al" for Saul) will be spilled because of your blood. And what follows: "And the Lord will restore his reproach to him," is consistent with the meaning spoken by Nathan to David: "Because you have blasphemed the enemies of the Lord's name, because of this" (1 Kings 12), that is, because of this sin in which you killed Uriah, the blasphemy and reproach itself, by which the Lord was blasphemed, will be turned on your head. Always heretics provoke the merciful Lord to anger, and they who prefer the repentance of the sinner to death, force to punish the hardness of their own hearts, and their blood, with which they have shed both their own and that of many, will come upon their heads, and the reproaches with which they blasphemed the Lord, their Lord will restore to them, not because He is their Lord, but because He was once their Lord. — Commentary on Hosea 12:14 Jerome: "While Ephraim was speaking, horror invaded Israel, and he sinned in Baal and died, and now they have added more sins. They made an idol for themselves from their silver, resembling the idols made by craftsmen. They say of them, "Let them sacrifice humans and adore calves."" LXX: "According to the word, Ephraim received justification in Israel, and placed it by Baal, and he died, and now he has appointed himself to sin, and they have made for themselves a molten image of gold and silver, according to the likeness of idols, the work of craftsmen complete; they say to them, 'Offer men, for the calves have failed.'" Because the seventy [translators] interpreted "Slay ye men, for the calves are failing," and we render [it], "Slay ye men that worship calves"; and Symmachus has interpreted [it], "Slay ye, men, [those] who worship calves"; so that the sense is, "Slay, that is, sacrifice to the idols, and thus let the distinction follow: rational animals, [namely] men, worship calves; mute animals [worship calves]." Therefore, when Ephraim spoke, that is, Jeroboam son of Nabat from the tribe of Ephraim, horror invaded Israel, that is, the ten tribes. For "horror," which is said in Hebrew Rathath, which Symmachus and Theodotion interpreted as "tremor"; while wishing for something, they translated δικαιώματα, that is, "justifications," in the LXX. And so great a horror invaded Israel, that he sinned and offended God in Baal and died, losing him who said, "I am the life" (John XIV, 6). For every soul that sins shall die (Ezekiel 18). And the Apostle said: "But she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, let her trust in God, and continue in supplications and prayers night and day. For she that liveth in pleasures is dead while she is living" (I Timothy 5:5-6). And not only was he dead in Baal, but he also added sins to sins, so that from the silver which the Lord had given, idols were made, the work of men's hands. To which they themselves say, that is, the priests and princes who ought to have taught the people good things: "Slay men, worshipping calves"; which is also said in the Psalms: "They sacrificed their sons and daughters to devils" (Psalms 106:37). Because we translate it according to Symmachus and Theodotion, as "adoring;" but Aquila interpreted it as καταφιλοῦντες, that is, "kissing." For those who adore, they are accustomed to kiss their own hand; which Job denies having done, saying: "If I have kissed my hand with my mouth and my right hand the envious man hath deserved it" (Job 31:27-28). But, as some believe, if demons speak to the people saying, "Sacrifice men, for the calves have failed," then their appetite is revealed of those who are nourished by the blood of the victims and the smoke of the holocausts because as the victims run short, they desire to have men sacrificed to them, not only with their death but also with their blood. But, as the heretics spoke, rather the leaders of the heretics, that is, Ephraim, horror and trembling invaded the unhappy people; and they fell into idols, which they fashioned from their own hearts, and died with the people they seduced. And it is not enough to have fallen, but they also turn the tongue that they received to sing to God into images of idols, and compose dogma with eloquent words similar to truth, which is nothing else but an invention of human wickedness. And they command their disciples, that they themselves also sacrifice men, that is, are furious against the Church of God, and lead them to heretics, and kill those whom they have deceived; And what follows, "The calves have failed," has this meaning: Do not seek those whom you have deceived from the Gentiles, who are called brute animals; but seize them, sacrifice them, who are established in the Church, are considered in the name of Christ, and are called men. — Commentary on Hosea 13:1-2 Gregory of Nazianzus: Such, brethren, is our life, we whose existence is so transitory. Such is the game we play upon earth. We do not exist, and then we are born, and being born we are soon dissolved. We are a fleeting dream, an apparition without substance, the flight of a bird that passes, a ship that leaves no trace upon the sea. We are dust, a vapor, the morning dew, a flower growing but a moment and withering in a moment. "Man's days are as grass: as the flower of the field, so shall he flourish." How beautifully has holy David meditated on our weakness: "Declare unto me the fewness of my days." — ON HIS BROTHER ST. CAESARIUS, ORATION 7:19 Jerome: Therefore they will be like morning clouds, and like morning dew that passes away, like dust swept up by a whirlwind, and like smoke from a chimney." (Vulgate "passing by"). And similarly in the Septuagint: "changing only the final image, 'and like the vapor from locusts' or 'from tears,' since we find it rendered as either 'locusts' or 'tears' in most manuscripts. For, he says, they sacrificed to calves as though slaughtering men; therefore they will be like morning clouds, and like the morning dew that passes, like dust swept up by a whirlwind, and like smoke from a chimney." "All things seem to exist for a time and then quickly pass away, in keeping with the saying, 'He caused his king of Samaria to pass like foam on the surface of water,' and again, 'The king of Israel passes away like a morning shadow.' Everyone knows that clouds, dew, dust from the ground, and smoke from the hearth, all quickly vanish, in accordance with the scripture that says, 'As smoke is driven away, so let them be driven away.'" (Psalms 68:2) However, why have the LXX rendered "fumario" as "locustas," which Theodotion translates as καπνοδόχην (the editions read καπνοδόχον)? Among the Hebrews, locust and fumarium are written with the same letters, Aleph, Res, Beth, He. If it is read as Arbe, it means "locust"; if Orobba ((Al. "arobba")), it means "fumarium": for which Aquila interprets καταράκτην and Symmachus interprets "foramen." Cataractam, however, properly signifies the hole made in the wall through which smoke comes out. But if anyone is contentious and unwilling to receive the truth of Hebrew (Scripture), let him seek after the sense of locusts; let him hear Ephraim compared to "vapour" or "air" and "wind," which is so fine and thin that it cannot be perceived coming forth from the mouth of the locust. And if he objects to this, then why did Ephraim liken himself to anything that is even smaller, such as a flea, which has all of its members, a head, eyes, feet, belly, and all the rest, which, although we do not see with our eyes, we still understand through our senses; for we feel the bites of its mouth, even though we do not see its mouth and teeth. It must be answered that the glory of the dying is compared to the vapor of the locust or the thinnest air because the locust is harmful and so hostile to humans that it causes famine and devastates cultivated crops, to the extent that it even strips trees and vines of their bark, which we read more fully in the Prophet Joel (Joel I and II). And this locust is compared to the morning cloud, dew, and heretic dust, about which it is also said in the Catholic Epistle: "These are clouds without water" (Judae XII). For they have the appearance of prophets, and of apostolic clouds, to which the truth of God has come: but they do not have water, that is, the grace of the Holy Spirit, with the Lord saying in the Gospel: "He who believes in me, (as the Scripture says) rivers of living water will flow out of his belly. But this," he said, "refers to the spirit which " "those who believe in him would receive" (John 7:38-39). But as for tears, which have some resemblance in the Greek language to locusts, δακρύων καὶ ἀκρίδων, it is a clear mistake, with some thinking they mean "tears" in place of "locusts". — Commentary on Hosea 13:3 Hilary of Poitiers: For through the Lord Christ all things were created; and therefore it is His proper name that He should be the Creator. Does not both the reality and the title of His creative power belong to Him? Melchisedec is our witness, thus declaring God to be Creator of heaven and earth: "Blessed be Abraham of God most high, Who created heaven and earth." The prophet Hosea also is witness, saying, "I am the Lord thy God, that establish the heavens and create the earth, Whose hands have created all the host of heaven." Peter too is witness, writing thus, "Committing your souls as to a faithful Creator." Why do we apply the name of the work to the Maker of that work? Why do we give the same name to God and to our fellowmen? He is our Creator, He is the Creator of all the heavenly host. — ON THE TRINITY 12:4 Jerome: "But I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt." For this, in the Septuagint it is written: "I am the Lord your God: who made firm the heaven, and created the earth: whose hands created all the hosts of heaven, and I did not show them to you, that you may walk after them ... And I brought you out of the land of Egypt." Since these words are not found in the Hebrew, and are not translated by any interpreter, they are marked with an obelus in the ancient version of the Septuagint: especially since their meaning is clear. So let us move on to the rest, joining the following to the previous chapter. — Commentary on Hosea 13:4 Jerome: "But I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt: and thou shalt know no God but me, and there is no saviour beside me. I knew thee in the desert, in the land of drought. According to their pastures they were filled, and were made full: and they lifted up their heart, and have forgotten me." LXX: "But I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt: thou shalt not know any god but me, and there is no savior beside me. I fed thee in the wilderness, in a land of drought. According to their pasture, they were filled, and were made full, and their heart was exalted: and therefore they have forgotten me." He who above had said, "Jacob fled into the land of Syria, and served for a wife, and for a wife he kept sheep. And by a prophet the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt, and by a prophet he was preserved. Now what hath God rendered to them? I am thy Lord God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, which commanded thee through Moses. Take heed lest thou eat and be satisfied, and forget thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt; for there is no God but me, and none other can save." I am the founder of all things, I knew that whether you were fed in the desert and in uninhabitable land, where there was a shortage of everything, where there were no waters: I gave you manna from Heaven and produced fountains of water from the hardest rock. As it is also written elsewhere: "He waxed fat, and kicked, and forgot the God which he had made him" (Deut. XXXII, 15): now they also have eaten and are filled, and their heart has been lifted up, and they have forgotten Him, who they should have been mindful of His benefits. For through so great a waste of desert, where not only does no corn or trees or vines grow, but not even grass, and no waters mitigate the burning heat of the sun, the people of Israel could not have reached the land of the Jordan in forty years, unless the Lord had provided all things. The Lord also brought forth heretics from the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and from the iron furnace, who had previously served the king Pharaoh and his leaders: and He commanded them in the Church not to know any other God except Him who is the creator of all things, and who knows how to save those who He created. He himself knew them and was afraid in a land of solitude; so that they may say: "The Lord feeds me and nothing will be lacking to me: he has placed me in a place of pasture: he has led me over the water of refreshment" (Ps. 22, 1-2). And he gave them the bread of angels, manna from heaven, which they had never eaten in Egypt, and water from a rock that followed them. And that rock, according to the Apostle, was Christ (1 Cor. 10): those who ate and were satisfied, and did not endure the food of the Lord. The same Apostle speaks to them: "Now ye are full, now ye are become rich: ye reign without us, and I would to God ye did reign, that we also might reign with you" (I Corinthians 4:8). For they ate the bread that descended from heaven in Holy Scripture, and as David said: "You have revealed to me the uncertain and secret things of your wisdom" (Psalms 50:8). They were filled and satiated and lifted up their heart against the Creator, and fashioned themselves another god, attributing to their own merits whatever they drank or ate, and not to the mercy of God. Therefore they have forgotten God, who commanded them to bind the words of the Law on their eyes, and in their hands, and in the fringes of their garments, lest they would ever forget their God. — Commentary on Hosea 13:5-6 Jerome: "And I will be to them like a lioness, like a leopard on the road to Assyria; I will confront them like a bear that has lost its cubs, and I will tear open their chests; there I will devour them like a lion - the wild animals will tear them apart." They were filled and satisfied; they lifted up their hearts and forgot me. But I, he said, will be to them like a lioness, or a panther, of which we have spoken more fully above: and like a leopard on the way of the Assyrians, when they are led captive by the Assyrians: and I will meet them like a bear robbed of its cubs, or an animal in need of food: and I will tear apart all their vital organs. Those who have written about the nature of wild beasts say that among all animals there is nothing more savage than a bear when it has lost its cubs or needs food; and he not only threatens the ferocity of panthers, leopards, bears, lions, and all wild beasts that are born in the forests, but he says that he will direct all of this towards them when they go to the Assyrians: lest they attribute their miseries not to the power and indignation of the Lord, but to the strength of their enemies, when they have suffered hard things there. And at the same time, let us consider what he who speakes in the Gospel to those who believe: "Come to me all you who labor and are burdened, and I will refresh you; for my yoke is sweet and my burden light" (Matt. XI, 28, 29), now through the prophet he becomes a panther, pardus, bear and lion to the unbelievers and those who refuse to do penance: not only to the Israelites, because they were set up for idolatry in the cities or mountains of the Medes; but also to heretics because, due to the pride of their minds and the vanity of their false teachings, they have forgotten their God, have fashioned idols and have followed strange gods. — Commentary on Hosea 13:7-8 Augustine of Hippo: In fulfillment of holy Writ, the truth has resounded through the voice of the apostles, for the psalmist has sung, "Their voice has gone forth unto all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world." So also "Christ our Passover is sacrificed," for of him the prophet had foretold: "He was led as a sheep to the slaughter, and he was mute as a lamb before its shearer, and he opened not his mouth." Who is this man? He is the man of whom the prophet at once goes on to say, "In humility his judgment was taken away; who shall declare his generation?" I recognize the realization of so much humility in a king of so much power, for he who is as a lamb that opens not its mouth before its shearer is also "the lion of the tribe of Judah." Who is this lamb and lion? He suffered death like a lamb, and he has devoured like a lion. Who is this lamb and lion? Meek yet courageous; lovable yet fearsome; innocent yet powerful; silent under judgment, yet roaring to pronounce judgment. Who is this lamb and lion—suffering like a lamb; rising up like a lion? Rather, is he not at the same time a lamb and lion in his suffering and his resurrection? Let us discern the lamb in the suffering. "He was," as we have just reminded you, "mute as a lamb before its shearer, and he opened not his mouth." Let us discern the lion in the suffering. — SERMON 4 Jerome: "Your destruction, Israel, only your help is with me. Where is your king? May he save you now in all your cities; and your judges, of whom you said: Give me a king and princes: I will give you a king in my fury, and take away in my indignation." LXX: "Who will help you in your corruption, O Israel? Where is your king? May he save you in all your cities and judge you as you said: 'Give me a king and prince.' I gave you a king and prince in my anger and took away in my fury." Because the seventy interpreted it as "I have had," everyone translated "I took away." Unhappy is Israel and worthy of eternal curse, who has descended into such profound impiety that he can be saved only by the mercy of God. Yet this may be read in Hebrew and understood in this sense: "May you perish, Israel, because there is nothing left for you except that you be preserved by my mercy alone." But the meaning in the LXX is different: "To your corruption, Israel, who will give assistance?" that is, who will be able to provide help for your captivity and ultimate servitude, those whom you esteemed as your princes? Where is your king, whom you said to Samuel: 'Establish a king over us, to judge us, just as the other nations have'? (2 Kings 8:5). And when he objected, you replied: 'No, but we will have a king, and we will be like all the other nations, and our king will judge us, and he will go out before us and fight for us.' Therefore, where is the promise you made that he would wage your wars, that now he may come to your aid in this time of need, and liberate all your cities from servitude? Where are your judges? Where are your kings? For you have said: "Give me a king and princes"; therefore I gave you Saul as king in my anger, so much so that in the days of the harvest I brought rain contrary to the nature of the province of Judah. "I have removed," he says, "the king in my indignation," that is to say, Zedekiah, "whom I gave in anger, and whom I took away in indignation." Others believe that Jeroboam the son of Nabat was given as king in anger, and the last king of the ten tribes, Hoshea, was taken away in indignation. What we have explained, I gave you a king and took away a king in my indignation, the Hebrews report for future times. At that time, when you said, "Give me a king and princes," I would respond to you through Samuel that I would give it to you in my fury and take it away in my indignation. Every heretic is lost and handed over to corruption; for he who corrupts the temple of God, the Lord will corrupt him: he has no aid in any other way except in the mercy of God, which he attains through penitence. This king and judges are the devil and demons, or all the princes of perverse dogmas, who could not free them in times of necessity and distress, who were given in fury, and taken away in indignation: not that the Lord wanted to have such kings: otherwise he would not take away those whom he had given willingly, but because he left them to their own wills: so that they, eating and fattening up their flesh, would become nauseous, and vomit through their noses, and begin to hate those whom they had so eagerly followed. — Commentary on Hosea 13:9-11 Augustine of Hippo: Praise wicked King Saul, because he also was a punishment for sinners, as the Lord says: "I gave you a king in my wrath." Praise the demon that king suffered, because it also was punishment for a sinner. Praise the blindness of heart that has befallen Israel, and do not be silent about why it is said, "Until the full number of the Gentiles should enter," although you will perhaps deny this is a punishment. If you were a lover of the inner light, you would cry out that it is not merely a punishment but a very great punishment. — AGAINST JULIAN 3:8 Gregory the Dialogist: But let no one who suffers such a ruler, blame him whom he suffers: because his being subject to the power of a wicked ruler was doubtless of his own desert. Let him therefore rather blame the fault of his own evil doings, than the injustice of his ruler. For it is written, "I will give thee kings in Mine anger." Why then do we scorn their being set over us, whose authority over us we endure from the anger of the Lord? If then we receive rulers, according to our deserts, from the wrath of God, we infer from their conduct, what to think in our estimate of ourselves. Although even the Elect are frequently placed under the reprobate. Whence also David for a long time endured Saul. But it is proved by the subsequent sin of adultery, that he then deserved to be thus heavily oppressed by the cruelty of him who was set over him. — Morals on the Book of Job, Book 25:34 Jerome: "The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up; his hidden sin is enfolded. Pangs of childbirth come for him, but he is an unwise son, for now he does not present himself at the opening of the womb." LXX: "The congregation of iniquity of Ephraim; his sin is concealed. Labor pains shall come upon him as of a woman giving birth. This is your wise son, for he will not now be able to stand the test of the sons' contrition." Just as something that is bound in the world is preserved and does not perish for the one to whom it is bound, so every iniquity by which Ephraim sinned against God is bound to him and hidden as if reserved in a pouch. Finally, when the day of vengeance arrives, and the ultimate captivity, pains like those of a woman in labor will come to him, whether they seize him. A woman in labor, long before giving birth, from the time she conceives, knows that she is going to give birth, and she expects daily that extreme torments and pains will come. So also Ephraim, the foolish son of whom we have said above, "Ephraim is a foolish dove without a heart in contrition" of "his children and his people," when the day of delivery and captivity arrives, will not be able to stand or suffer. For the 'Foolish Son,' it is read ironically in the LXX: 'This is the wise son,' that is, whom you thought wise, so that on the contrary, he may be understood as foolish. But for all heretics, iniquity is gathered, which they spoke on high; and their sin is hidden when they think they are hiding the poison of their hearts and having secrets, which, when the day of delivery comes, will be exposed by pain and effort. This foolish son is Ephraim, because he abandoned the wisdom of God, of whom it is written in Jeremiah: 'His last shall be foolish,' and he will not be able to withstand the wrath of God, in the overthrow of his sons whom he has slain and killed. — Commentary on Hosea 13:12-13 Ambrose of Milan: No one could know Wisdom; for no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son, and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him. Therefore, He Himself revealed to John with whom Wisdom was; and for this reason, he said, not as his own, but what Wisdom had infused in him: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God. Wisdom does not know destruction, it does not know wickedness. For destruction could not hold it, who said: Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? — The Prayer of Job and David 1:9.31 Augustine of Hippo: What is it the chaste person would like? That no lust at all should stir in the members against chastity. [The chaste person] wants peace but hasn't yet got it. I mean, when we get to the stage where no lusts at all rise up to be opposed, there won't be any more enemy for us to wrestle with; nor is there in that state any expectation of victory, because the triumph is being celebrated over the enemy already conquered. Listen to the apostle telling you about that victory: "The perishable must put on imperishability, and the mortal put on immortality; then will come about the saying that is written: 'Death has been swallowed up in victory.' " Now listen to the song of triumph: "Where, O death, is your striving? Where, O death, is your sting?" You have stabbed, you have wounded, you have knocked down; but the one who made me was wounded for me. O death, death! The one who made me was wounded for me, and by his death he conquered you. And that's when those who triumph over you are going to say, "Where, O death, is your striving? Where, O death, is your sting?" — SERMON 128 Braulio of Zaragoza: In spite of these words, we are so deeply affected that we fall into tears and the longing of desire crushes the beliefs of the mind. How miserable is the human lot! How vain is all our life without Christ! O death, that separates those who were joined, cruel and harsh in forcing apart those who were tied by friendship! Now, now your strength is destroyed. Now is that wicked yoke of yours broken by him who sternly threatened you in the words of Hosea: "O death, I will be your bite!" So let us with the apostle voice our taunt: "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" He who conquered you has redeemed us—he who betrayed his beloved soul into the hands of the wicked, that those who were once wicked he might make his beloved. — LETTER 19 Cosmas Indicopleustes: Yet again the same prophet says: From the power of the grave will I ransom them. Where is thy victory, O death! Where is thy sting, O grave!—a passage which the Apostle has used concerning the resurrection. — The Christian Topography, Book 5 Gregory of Nazianzus: But that brazen serpent was hung up as a remedy for the biting serpents, not as a type of him that suffered for us but as a contrast. And [the brazen serpent] saved those that looked upon it, not because they believed it to live but because it was killed, and killed with it were the powers that were subject to it, being destroyed as it deserved. And what is the fitting epitaph for it from us? "O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory?" You are overthrown by the cross; you are slain by him who is the giver of life; you are without breath, dead, without motion, even though you keep the form of a serpent lifted up on a pole. — ON HOLY EASTER, ORATION 45:22 Gregory the Dialogist: From this solemnity indeed the example of resurrection was given to us, the hope of the heavenly homeland was opened, and the glory of the supernal kingdom was made something we might already anticipate. Through this, the elect, who although they were in the bosom of tranquility, were nevertheless held in the confines of hell, were led back to the delights of paradise. What the Lord said before His passion, He fulfilled in His resurrection: "If I am lifted up from the earth," He said, "I will draw all things to myself." For He drew all things, He who left none of His elect in the underworld. He took away all things—that is, all the elect. For He did not restore to pardon by rising again any unbelievers or those consigned to eternal punishments for their crimes; but He snatched from the confines of hell those whom He recognized as His own in faith and in deeds. Whence rightly also He says through Hosea: "I will be your death, O death; I will be your sting, O hell." For what we kill, we cause to exist no more entirely. But from what we bite, we take away a part and leave a part behind. Therefore, because in His elect He utterly killed death, He became the death of death. But because He took away a part from hell and left a part behind, He did not utterly kill but bit hell. Therefore He says: "I will be your death, O death." As if He were saying openly: Because in my elect I utterly destroy you, I will be your death; I will be your sting, O hell, because when they have been taken away, I pierce you in part. — Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 22 Gregory the Dialogist: Whence rightly also He says through Hosea: "I will be your death, O death; I will be your sting, O hell." For what we kill, we cause to exist no more entirely. But from what we bite, we take away a part and leave a part behind. Therefore, because in His elect He utterly killed death, He became the death of death. But because He took away a part from hell and left a part behind, He did not utterly kill but bit hell. Therefore He says: "I will be your death, O death." As if He were saying openly: Because in my elect I utterly destroy you, I will be your death; I will be your sting, O hell, because when they have been taken away, I pierce you in part. What then is this solemnity which destroyed the confines of hell and opened to us the gates of the heavenly kingdom? — Forty Gospel Homilies, Homily 22 Jerome: I will free them from the hand of death; I will redeem them from death. O death, I will be your death; O underworld, I will be your sting. Comfort is hidden from my eyes because He will Himself divide among brothers. According to both the understanding of Ephraim, that is, the ten tribes, and the heretics, who will not be able to bear the pain of their sons' contrition, when pains come upon them like those of a woman in labor, the Lord promises to liberate them from the hand of death and to redeem them from death. However, the hand of death refers to the works by which it kills, according to that which is written: "Death and life are in the power of the tongue" (Prov. XVIII, 21). But the Lord freed all, and redeemed in the passion of the cross and the shedding of His blood: when His soul descended into hell, and His flesh did not see corruption, and even to death and hell He spoke: "I will be thy death, O death." Therefore, I died, so that by my death thou might die. "I will be thy biting, O hell," who devourest everyone in thy jaws. And seeing the harsh necessity of death, and that there is no man who lives and does not see death (Psalm LXXXVIII), the most merciful Father remembers the ancient sentence: that in Adam we all die (1 Corinthians XV). Having understood his own weakness and the frailty of human flesh, the prophet said: 'Consolation,' he said, 'is hidden from my eyes,' with the meaning: I cannot console myself, whatever I conceive in my mind, my pain cannot be mitigated, seeing ('Al.' seeing) the dearest names separated by death: For hell ('Al.' he said) itself divides brothers. Therefore, whatever separates brothers should be called hell: especially the harlot woman, who calls the foolish man to her, saying in the wealth of her wisdom: Touch willingly hidden breads and drink the sweetness of stolen waters; and the foolish man does not know that those who are of the earth die with her, and fall into the depths of hell. For whatever is not allowed, is desired more, and what is sweet through rarity, turns bitter through frequent indulgence. And honey drips from the lips of a harlot who, for a time, fattens up the throat of the fool; but in the end, it is found more bitter than gall, and sharper than a double-edged sword. Whoever is an earthborn and does not come from heaven, falls into their embraces; they are bound with the chains of their couches, and their feet walk towards foolishness, leading those who use them to death and to hell. Between death and the underworld, there is this difference: death is when the soul is separated from the body; the underworld is the place where the souls are either held in cold storage or punished, depending on the quality of their merits. We have said this to show that death does what a harlot does. For death divides brothers, just as a woman does. In the case of brothers, understand that any brotherly love is divided: a mother is divided from her daughter, and a father from his son, and a brother from his brother. But what is death, and what is hell, the psalmist shows, saying: "There is no one in death who remembers you: in hell, who will confess you" (Ps. VI, 6)? And in another place: "Let death come upon them, and let them go down alive into hell" (Ps. LIV, 16). Because we have translated: "I will be your death, O death: I will be your bite, O hell," the LXX (Septuagint) translated: "Where is your cause, O death? Where is your stimulus, O hell?" For which reason the Apostle placed: "Death has been swallowed up in" "contention; where is your contentio, death? Where is your sting, O death" (1 Co. XV, 54 et seqq)? And explaining the power of the testimony, he said: "But the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who has given us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." Therefore, what he interpreted as the resurrection of the Lord, we cannot nor dare interpret differently. Death, hell, and the devil may be understood, who was killed by the death of Christ, about whom Isaiah also speaks: "Death has been swallowed up by victory" (Isaiah 25:8, LXX translation). And afterwards it follows: "The Lord hath taken away every tear from every face." Now, however, some understand that the two brothers who were separated by death, according to the history of that time, are Israel and Judah, so that what was then prefigured partly may now be felt in its entirety, and that with every human race Israel and Judah must be liberated and redeemed. In the place where the LXX have translated, "Where is thy cause?" and we have said, "Thy death shall be," Symmachus has interpreted, "Thy plague will be," the fifth edition and Aquila: "Where are thy words?" which is written in Hebrew Dabarach: reading Dabar, which means "word," for Deber, which is interpreted as "death;" according to what we read in Isaiah: "The Lord hath sent death upon Jacob, and it is come into Israel" (Isaiah 9), that is, "deber," for which we have interpreted: "The Lord sent the Word into Jacob, and it came into Israel," that is, "dabar." Also for the sting which we translated as "bite," Symmachus translated ἀπάντημα, that is, "encounter:" Theodotion and the fifth edition have interpreted as "plague, and conclusion." — Commentary on Hosea 13:14 Paulus Orosius: Thus, if the glory of incorruptibility has been hidden from all people in this time, how do you, in this very same age, boast that you are able to be clothed with that very same incorruptibility? For just as sinking into sin has become for humans the beginning of corruption, so not having sin will be the beginning of incorruption. Who, therefore, concealed this prior to the judgment of God or removed it from the bosom of Christ and handed it over to you? Or do you perhaps think that a person would not merit this in the future from the hand of the Lord? That most distinguished man, Paul, teaches this and says, "But when this mortal thing has put on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying which is written, 'Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death is your sting?' Now the sting of death is sin." Through this the apostle shows that by no means can anyone so scoff at death and sin, until immortality follows mortality, and incorruption, corruption, and when, with the destruction of weakness, perfect virtue succeeds it; when there will not be male and female, but when all will be similar to the angels of God. — DEFENSE AGAINST THE PELAGIANS 32 Hippolytus of Rome: Wherefore let us direct our discourse to a second witness. And of what sort is this one? Listen to Hosea, as he speaks thus grandly: "In those days the Lord shall bring on a burning wind from the desert against them, and shall make their veins dry, and shall make their springs desolate; and all their goodly vessels shall be spoiled. Because they rose up against God, they shall fall by the sword, and their pregnant women shall be ripped up." And what else is this burning wind from the east than the antichrist that is to destroy and dry up the veins of the waters and the fruits of the trees in his times, because people set their hearts on his works? For which reason they shall serve him in his pollution. — ON THE END OF THE WORLD 4 Jerome: "The Lord shall bring upon him a burning wind, and shall wither all his veins: and shall make his sources desolate, and he shall pull down all his fences: because he hath done wickedly." LXX: "The Lord will bring a scorching wind from the desert upon them, and he will dry up their springs. Their fountains shall be desolate, the land will be parched, and all that is in it will be ruined." I have read in the comments of someone that the whirlwind which the Lord brings from the desert, is the same one who struck Job's house at its four corners and made it collapse on the feasting sons (Job 1), and that it is one of those winds which we read of in the Gospel to blow and come as a storm with heavy rain and floods, to overthrow the house built on a rock or on sands (Matthew 7). Which seems not at all to me: for it is not written in Job that the Lord brought a wind from the desert; but the name of the Lord is silent, so that the wind from the desert, which had come against the holy man by its own will, might be taken as a contrary strength, and the winds that overthrow the foundations of houses cannot be referred to the good side. It remains that we understand the burning wind that the Lord will bring from the desert, as we also read about in Habakkuk: "God will come from the South, and the Holy One from Mount Paran" (Habakkuk 3:3): which, of course, is located in the desert and at midday. And in the Song we read: "Where do you feed, where do you rest at midday" (Song of Solomon 1:6)? The Lord will bring this scorching wind, which dries up the veins of death and dries up its springs, from the ascending desert: from the desert, however, of the human race, in which even the devil seeking rest could not find. Whether we understand the desert to be the virgin womb of Saint Mary, which gave birth to this flower without the seed of man, which shot up through its pure and fecund union as a simple rod and produced that flower that says in the Song of Songs: "I am the flower of the field, and the lily of the valleys" (Song of Songs 2:2). And beautifully, as much in Isaiah as in the present place, the ascending flower is said to be the ascending wind: because it ascends from the humility of the flesh to the heights, and he led us with him to the Father, saying in the Gospel: "And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all things to myself" (John 12:32). He himself, as though a root, will ascend from the uninhabitable earth, and death will by no means have power over him, but he will come upon death, for death will find no way of power in him, and this is what is said in the Proverbs: "It is impossible to find the footsteps of a serpent upon a rock" (Proverb 30). And he himself speaks in the Gospel: "Behold, the prince of this world shall come, and find in me nothing" (John XIV, 30). He shall dry up the veins of death, and lay waste its sources. The veins of death and its sources and its sting are designated by the Apostle as sins: when these have been dried up, even death itself shall be dried up. And what follows: "He himself will plunder the treasure," "which is in every vessel desirable," is taken in a twofold sense either because they are desirable to those who dwell in death, or because we understand by the desirable vessels, saints who were perhaps bound, whom the Lord delivered and carried off from the underworld, and, as it were, valuable vessels, brought them along with him into paradise. For 'treasure' they have transferred 'earth': without doubt, 'earth' signifies death. And in Psalms we read: 'I believe to see the good things of the Lord in the land of the livings' (Psal. XXVI, 13). And according to the Gospel: 'Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the land' (Matthew V). On the contrary, we must accept that the land of hell is not the land of the living, but rather of the dead, which is ravaged and devastated, when the souls bound at the time of Christ's death in hell are freed. According to the tropology in the same Commentaries (of which we have spoken above), we read that the scorching wind is understood as the devil and every heresiarch. We dislike this, because the devil cannot dry up the veins of death and the fountains of error, since he himself is the source and beginning of the dead. Therefore, the word of the Ecclesiasticus, 'burning wind' is to be understood as the wind that withers all the dogmas of heretics and leads them to nothingness, and tears them apart and scatters them who were gathered in death by the doctrine of heretics. — Commentary on Hosea 13:15 Jerome: "Turn back, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled because of your iniquity. Take with you words and return to the Lord; say to him, 'Take away all iniquity and receive us graciously, that we may offer the fruit of our lips. Assyria shall not save us; we will not ride on horses; and we will say no more, 'Our God,' to the work of our hands. In you the orphan finds mercy.'" LXX: "Convert, O Israel, to the Lord your God, because you have been weakened by your iniquities: Take with you words, and return to the Lord, say to him, 'Take away all iniquity, and receive what is good, and we will render the calves of our lips. Assyria shall not save us, we will not ride upon horses, neither will we say any more: you are our gods; for the fatherless finds mercy in you.'" As Samaria was perishing. "And men, women, and children having been killed, slaughtered, and torn apart, Israel as a whole is provoked to repentance so that he who is sick or has fallen in his iniquities may return to the doctor and receive health, or he who has fallen may begin to stand up again; and it is taught how one should do penance. 'Take with you words,' that is to say, prayers and confession of sins, and turn to the Lord both in words and in works; and say to Him: 'Take away all iniquity,' leave nothing of our weakness and former ruin, lest again the evil seed bring forth live plants. And He says, 'Accept the good': For if You do not take away our evils, we cannot have anything good to offer You, according to what is written elsewhere: 'Turn away from evil and do good, and we will offer You the calves of our lips.'" (Psalms 36:27) For the calves which in Hebrew are called Pharim, the Septuagint translated "fruit" as Pheri, by a similarity of false speech. But the calves of our lips are praises to God and thanksgiving: "For a contrite spirit is a sacrifice to God" (Ps. L, 19). Therefore, with carnal victims now rejected, a pure confession is a placable sacrifice to God. Those who say they will offer calves of their lips and sing God's praises with their voice, also promise that they will not have hope in Assyria or trust in Egyptian horses, because the deceitful horse does not bring salvation (Psal. XXXII), and that they will not worship the golden calves that they made in Dan and Bethel with their own hands and, therefore, they say: "We will not say the work of our hands are our gods, for you will have mercy upon him who is your pupil (or people)," that is, the people of Israel, of whom you said: "My firstborn son is Israel" (Exod. IV, 22). "And: "I have brought up and exalted sons, but they despised me". And in another place: "Alien children have lied to me". But he is called an orphan because he has lost his father to God. However, some exposed the orphan who had left the evil father, the devil, and therefore was helped by the mercy of God. Also, the prophet speaks on a daily basis to all perverse dogma and provokes his followers to repentance, saying: Turn to your Lord God, who have fallen, or lost, the health of the Lord. Take with you words and confess the true faith: "For" ((or rather which)) with the heart it is believed unto justice, but with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Rom. X). Calves and sacrifices, or the fruits of lips, are to believe in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit and in the passion and resurrection of the Lord; whoever offers it to Him will by no means hope in the king of Assyria, of whom we have often spoken. Nor will he ascend the horse which the Lord forbids to be multiplied (Deut. XVII), as did Pharaoh who was submerged with his cavalry (Exod. XIV). For every heretic mounts horses in pride, which he himself has generated in his error. And they shall no more say: Our gods, the works of our hands, which beareth the eloquence of the craftsman is our god. The belly is the god of the glutton: and the glory of mammon is the god of the covetous, and the dogma of the heretic, which he hath forged. He that shall forsake all these, namely, Assur and the horse, and shall flee to the Lord, shall be taken care of, and shall have mercy on him. — Commentary on Hosea 14:2-4 Jerome: "Let Samaria be destroyed, for she has provoked her God to bitterness. Let them perish by the sword. May their infants be dashed to pieces, and their pregnant women be ripped open." LXX: "Samaria will be destroyed because she has resisted her God; they will fall by the sword, and their suckling infants will be dashed to the rock, and their women with child will be ripped open." We have often said that the ten tribes are called Samaria, whose capital is now called Augusta, that is, Sebaste, from the name of Augustus. But why Samaria was called a city, we read in the Book of Kings. Therefore the prophet commands, and, to speak more truly, speaks wishfully, that Samaria may perish. And when God had prepared so many good things for her, she is against God, and follows more the idols of demons. But Symmachus did not say "perish," but μεταμελήσει that is "will repent," and she will repent of her mistake, which has turned the sweetest God into bitterness, so that her warriors perish by the sword, little ones and infants are dashed to the ground, and her pregnant and expectant mothers are torn in death. It is to be believed that all of this happened to them during their captivity and distress, when they lost their homeland and were subdued into perpetual slavery. The understanding of heretics is easy, that they are called Samaritans, since they boast of obeying God's commands, not because they are keepers of His law; but that they say they are, in the likeness of the schism of Novatians, who also call themselves καθαροὺς, that is, "pure," although they are the filthiest of all, denying repentance, by which sins are cleansed, according to what is written: "Thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow" (Ps. X). And in Isaiah: "Wash yourselves, be clean" (Isaiah 1:16). However, it is not called a baptism, but rather all penance that washes away the filth of sins. Let Samaria therefore perish, because whatever she speaks, opposes her God, and turns his mercy into cruelty, so much so that even the men who have attained the perfect age of malice ("Al." warfare)) are cut down by the spiritual sword. But the little ones and infants are dashed against the rock. About which we also read in the Psalm: "Blessed is he who seizes and dashes your little ones against the rock." (Ps. 136:9). Also, its pregnant animals that have conceived from evil seed, will be destroyed so as not to produce worthless offspring. Something similar is mentioned in the Gospel: "Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days" (Luke 21:23): in the days of affliction and distress. The warriors of Samaria are killed by the sword, and nursing infants are thrown down and pregnant women are ripped open, so that when the evil seed has perished and its weeds have been burnt, only the wheat remains, which is stored in the Lord's barns. — Commentary on Hosea 14:1 John Chrysostom: Do not be surprised that I view the people of the old covenant as pitiable and woeful. When so many blessings from heaven came into their hands, they thrust them aside and were at great pains to reject them. The morning Sun of justice arose for them, but they thrust aside its rays and still sit in darkness. We [the Gentiles], who were nurtured by darkness, drew the light to ourselves and were freed from the gloom of error. They were the branches of that holy root, but those branches were broken. We had no share in the root, but we did reap the fruit of godliness. From their childhood they read the prophets, but they crucified him whom the prophets had foretold. We did not hear the divine prophecies, but we did worship him of whom they prophesied. And so they are pitiful because they rejected the blessings that were sent to them, while others seized hold of these blessings and drew them to themselves. Although they had been called to the adoption of sons, they fell to kinship with dogs; we who were dogs received the strength, through God's grace, to put aside the irrational nature that was ours and to rise to the honor of sons. — DISCOURSES AGAINST JUDAIZING CHRISTIANS 1:2.1 Jerome: "I will heal their apostasy; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them. I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall blossom like the lily; he shall take root like the trees of Lebanon; his shoots shall spread out; his beauty shall be like the olive, and his fragrance like Lebanon. They shall return and dwell beneath my shadow; they shall flourish like the grain; they shall blossom like the vine; their fame shall be like the wine of Lebanon. O Ephraim, what have I to do with idols? It is I who answer and look after you. I am like an evergreen cypress; from me comes your fruit." LXX: "I will heal their inhabitants; I will love them openly, for my anger has turned away from them. I will be like dew for Israel; he shall blossom like the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be like the olive tree, and his fragrance like Lebanon. They shall return, and sit under his shade; they shall drink and be filled with the grain, and they shall flourish like the vine; the memory of Ephraim shall be as wine. What will he have more to do with idols? I have humbled him, and I will strengthen him; I am as a cypress tree, your fruit has come forth from me." Turning to repentance, and like an orphan recognizing the father whom they had abandoned, God responded: "I will heal their contrition," or "their dwelling places" in which they had been wounded, or broken, or in which they had lived so poorly: "I will love them freely;" which the LXX translated as "confessing" or "clearly" and "openly," or "without any doubt." But the Lord loves those who love him, of whom he also says in another place: "I love those who love me" (Prov. 8:17). For I used to be angry with them because of the sins they had committed, but now I will have mercy on them because of my clemency. And I will be to them as dew, so as to extinguish the Babylonian furnace and the furnace of burning heat with my moisture, which I spoke through the patriarch Isaac to my servant Jacob: 'Your dwelling place will be from the dew of heaven.' For just as the Lord becomes for believers light, way, truth, bread, vine, fire, shepherd, lamb, gate, worm, etc. Thus, to those in need of His mercy, and inflamed with the fever of sin, He is turned to us as dew, whom Isaiah says: "For when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness." (Isai. XXVI, 9) And in the Song of Deuteronomy, Moses speaks: "My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass" (Deut. XXXII, 2). But when the Lord has sprinkled us with His dew, and moistened the dryness of our hearts with His rain, we will flourish, and indeed flower into usefulness, imitating the Lord and Savior, who says in the Song of Songs: "I am the flower of the field and the lily of the valley" (Cant. II, 1), and speaks to His bride, who has no wrinkle or blemish: "As a lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters." And when we grow in the Lord, we will send down our roots like the trees of Lebanon, which rise as high as the heavens, so sink as low in the earth, that they may not be shaken by any storm, but remain steadfast. The branches of these trees are stretched out here and there, so that the birds of the sky may come and dwell in them. And lest we might think because it was said, his root shall break forth, or his roots shall be like Lebanon, that he speaks of cedar and unfruitful trees, he likens the holy man, converted to the Lord, to fruitful olive trees, who says in another place: "But I am like a fruitful olive tree in the house of God" (Psalm LI, 1). Five wise virgins have prepared their fruit, from which the swelling of wounds is mitigated, the limbs of the languishing rest, light is kindled in the darkness, those who fight in agony are anointed. This olive will have a fragrance like that of Lebanon or frankincense, which is a kind of incense. It is called the same thing among Greeks and Hebrews, both the mountain and the incense, or certainly the mountain of Lebanon. It is very fertile and green, protected by the thickest hair of trees, so that the olive may say: "We are the good odor of Christ" (2 Corinthians 2:16). But whoever turns to the Lord will receive the reward of his conversion, to sit in His shadow and say: "I rested and sat down under His shadow, and His fruit is sweet to my mouth" (Song of Solomon 2:3). And when they sit in its shade, they who were once dead will live again, and they will drink and be drunken with wheat, that is, with the abundance of all things. And that this drunkenness here does not mean a disturbance of the mind, but the abundance of all things, that verse declares, saying, 'You have visited the earth and made it drunk' (Ps. 64:10). And Joseph's banquet, in which it is said that he made his brothers drunk (Gen. 43). And the Lord speaking to the apostles: "Eat, my friends, and drink, and be drunk, brethren" (Cant. V,1). Whether because our Lord himself is the grain and vine, whoever believes in him is said to be intoxicated. Finally it follows: "And his memorial shall flourish as the vine, as wine of Libanus." But we can call wine Libanus mixed and seasoned with thyme, so that it has the sweetest smell, or wine Libanus which is offered to the Lord in the temple, about which we read under the name of Libanus in Zacharias: "Open," "your gates, O Libanus" (Zach. XI,1). When the abundance of things is about to come to an end, O Ephraim, you who repent and have begun to be mine, cast away your idols and despise your images; for I am the one who humbled you, and I will exalt you, and whether I hear and direct you, I will make you like a green fir tree, so that it shall be said of you according to the Hebrews in the Psalm: "The fir tree is the house of the Lord." (Psalms 104:18). Or certainly I will be as a fir tree that is dense, so that one may rest in my shade. About the juniper, which is "ἀρκεύθοις" in Greek according to the Septuagint, it is recorded that Solomon made the doors of the temple, because Christ, through whom we approach the Father, has this nature, that it always flourishes, always brings forth new fruit, and never loses its vigor. This juniper, while those resting under its shade may not be struck by the fever of this world and, like those who once hit Jonah (Ch. IV), it provides food and not only rest to those who sleep and sit; but also satiety to those who eat. Whatever we have interpreted according to allegory, in the coming of the Lord and Savior and the conversion of true Israel, can refer to heretics and Jews as well as to misguided nations and all perverse teachings: so that they attain pardon when they repent. If, therefore, the fullness of the promise has been fulfilled in the coming of the Savior and is daily fulfilled in the Church, it is to be believed that it will be more fully completed when perfection arrives, which is now in part, will be destroyed. Note that we have often said, the safety of Israel and the return to the Lord, and the redemption from captivity, is not to be accepted carnally, as the Jews think, but spiritually, as is most truly proved. — Commentary on Hosea 14:5-9 Ambrose of Milan: This is our Faith. Thus did God will that He should be known by all, thus believed the three children, and felt not the fire into the midst whereof they were cast, which destroyed and burnt up unbelievers, whilst it fell harmless as dew upon the faithful, for whom the flames kindled by others became cold, seeing that the torment had justly lost its power in conflict with faith. For with them there was One in the form of an angel, comforting them, to the end that in the number of the Trinity one Supreme Power might be praised. God was praised, the Son of God was seen in God's angel, holy and spiritual grace spake in the children. — Exposition of the Christian Faith 1:4.33 John Cassian: Holy people have never testified that they attained by their effort the right path to travel on as they made their way to the increase and perfection of virtue. Rather they would plead to the Lord and say, "Direct me in your truth," and, "Direct my way in your sight." Another one declares that it is not by faith alone but also by experience and, as it were, in the very nature of things that he has seized upon this, [saying], "I have known, O Lord, that a person's way is not in him, nor is it in a man to walk and to direct his own steps." And the Lord himself says to Israel, "I will direct him like a green fir tree; from me your fruit has been found." — CONFERENCE 3:13.1 Cyril of Alexandria: It is only by deeply considering the matters in the divinely inspired Scriptures that we shall find the hidden truth. It would be fitting for us when looking into the dark shadows of the law to say what one of the holy prophets rightly said, "Whoever will be wise will understand these things; and whoever will be prudent will know them." "For the law is but a shadow of the good things to come, and not the exact image of the objects," as it is written. Yet the shadows bring forth the truth, even if they do not contain the whole truth in themselves. Because of this, the divinely inspired Moses placed a veil upon his face and spoke thus to the children of Israel, all but shouting by this act that a person might behold the beauty of the utterances made through him, not in outwardly appearing figures but in meditations hidden within us. — LETTER 41:7 Origen of Alexandria: If any reader is "a spiritual man who judges all things and he is judged by no one," not only will he allegorize the major regions as Judea and Egypt and Babylon but also areas of the earth. And just as in Judea is Jerusalem and Bethlehem and other cities, so in Egypt when he reads, "Diospolis, Bubastis, Taphnis, Memphis, Syene," he will understand the meaning of things figuratively. "Who is wise and understands these things? Or who is understanding and will know them?" — HOMILIES ON Jeremiah 28:5 Origen of Alexandria: And to such a degree does the gospel desire that there should be wise people among believers, that for the sake of exercising the understanding of its hearers, it has spoken certain truths in enigmas, others in what are called "dark" sayings, others in parables, and others in problems. And one of the prophets—Hosea—says at the end of his prophecy, "Who is wise, and he will understand these things? Or prudent, and he shall know them?" — AGAINST CELSUS 3:45 Theodore of Mopsuestia: You could really demonstrate that a wise and understanding person is the one with knowledge of what has been said and with zeal for the things by which it is possible for people who avoid evil and zealously practice good to be established in freedom from lower things and in enjoyment of higher things. This is because everything done by God is marked by great correctness, with which he also applies punishment to the fallen and knows how to achieve their salvation when they repent. You could also demonstrate that the righteous are those of their number who also know how to profit from each category and who develop greater self-control from the punishments, on the one hand, while taking the enjoyment of the good things stemming from repentance as a stimulus to virtue, on the other. You could also demonstrate that the impious are those who deserve troubles in every way and of every kind, gaining nothing from them, stuck fast in a downward direction, and as a result not able to understand anything of their duty. — COMMENTARY ON Hosea 14:10