THEOSISJerome of Stridon
And the Lord spoke to me, saying, Son of man, your relatives, your people, who share the same heritage with you, and all the house of Israel, those to whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem declared, “Stay away from the Lord; the land has been granted to us as an inheritance.” Therefore, the Sovereign Lord declares: since I have exiled them among the nations and dispersed them across the land, I will serve as a small sanctuary for them in the lands to which they have been taken.
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In the Greek translation, it states: The word of the Lord came to me, saying, Son of man, your kin and the people of your captivity, and all the house of Israel, are harmed, as those who dwell in Jerusalem told them, “You have moved far from the Lord; the land has been given to us as an inheritance.” Therefore, Adonai, the Lord, says: since I will send them to the nations and scatter them throughout the earth, I will be a small sanctuary for them in the lands they have entered.
There is a notable difference in the translation. In Hebrew, it refers to "men of one blood with you," indicating a shared lineage, while the LXX interprets this as "men of your captivity." Moreover, where the Hebrew mentions, “all those to whom they said, who dwelled in Jerusalem,” the LXX uses “destroyed,” stemming from the uncertainty surrounding the original letters and the term chullo, which was interpreted variously by Aquila, Symmachus, and Theodotion, all equating it with destruction—a reading that does not align well with the intended meaning.
Thus spoke the Lord to Ezekiel, asking, “Oh, Lord God, are You truly destroying the remnant of Israel?” This destruction came in the death of Phaltias and his companions; yet, the remnants referred to are not those juxtaposed in Jerusalem but rather those perceived as exiles in Babylon. The message is clear: Son of man, speak to your kin and fellow members of your tribes, whom the residents of Jerusalem have labeled as having forsaken the Lord, stating that as captives they have betrayed themselves alongside Jechoniah, while claiming the land of Israel as an eternal possession.
Yet, I declare, even as I have led them away from Israel and dispersed them among foreign lands, and commanded them to dwell in distant regions; because they follow My command, I will be their small sanctuary in these alien and hostile places. Many among them will resist idolatry, remembering the commandments of God, like Daniel and the three young men, as well as others like the notable princes mentioned in Scriptures.
From this, we learn not to ridicule those whom God has allowed to face punishment, nor should we criticize someone who has turned away from their wrongdoings, or tell those who have repented and returned to the Church, “You have strayed from the Lord; the land has been allotted to us.” For the Lord states: Though I have distanced them for a time from My Church and scattered them among nations, I will still be a small sanctuary for them when they acknowledge their sins. Those who have departed due to their faults can eagerly return to their rightful place through repentance.