THEOSISJerome of Stridon
Therefore, O Holla, the Lord God declares that He will summon all those whom you have loved, those who have filled your soul, and gather them against you from every direction: the children of Babylon, all the Chaldeans, the noblemen, rulers, princes, and the children of Assyria, the attractive young men, leaders, and eminent riders. Nations will converge upon you equipped with chariots and wheels, coming armed with armor, shields, and helmets from all sides. I will execute judgment upon them, and they shall pass judgment upon you using their own standards; my fervor will be directed against you, and they will administer it with great wrath. They will remove your nose and ears, and the remainder of you will perish by the sword.
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Your sons and daughters will be taken, and what remains will be consumed by fire; they will strip you of your garments and take your glorious treasures. They will eliminate your wickedness and your immoral acts from the land of Egypt, and you will neither lift your gaze to them nor remember Egypt any longer.
You have clung to the flesh of the Egyptians and mimicked the abominations of a corrupt people, who idolize the creatures of the earth. I will bring upon you those lovers from whom you have strayed, and you have been satisfied with their association, converting what was once strong love into mutual hatred. I refer to the sons of Babylon and all the Chaldeans, along with the nobles, tyrants, and princes. While the Hebrew text refers to others like Phasud and Sce, which are not mentioned in the historical records or the accounts of captivity, the Septuagint cites the names differently, mirrored by the terminology used by Simmachus and Theodotion.
All those from Assyria, who are fine horsemen and distinguished young men, leaders, and dignitaries will come upon you from the north with chariots and horses, surrounded by a multitude of nations armed with shields. I will deliver judgment in their presence, so that you may be judged by those you have rejected and with whom you have broken covenant, as an unfaithful spouse. My fervor shall be directed toward you, administered through them with full force, as my jealousy arises due to your infidelity.
Just as a guilty woman’s beauty is marred, so shall yours be rendered undesirable; for the aesthetic of your visage has been likened to the beauty of your external features, which will be destroyed by their swords. Your sons and daughters will be taken from you, born not of genuine love but of infidelity, and what remains shall be consumed by fire. They will take your adornments and the vessels of your glory, the silver and gold I bestowed upon you for sacred sacrifices, of which it is written: ‘I gave them gold and silver, and they made Baal with them.’
I will undertake these things so that once you have lost your beauty and your once-pleasing visage has been made vile, your sin and your prostitution learned in Egypt may finally cease. When you have lost your nose and ears, you shall no longer dare to lift your eyes to the Chaldeans or expose your shame to past lovers, nor will you remember your affection for the Egyptians, whose flesh once drew you to them. This is all illustrated through the metaphor of an adulterous woman disfigured by her infidelity, no longer able to take pride in her beauty, now blushing at the shame wrought by her excessive lust.
Everything attributed allegorically to Jerusalem may also be ascribed to the soul, which, through virtue, was united with God but, through vice, has become unfaithful and turned away from Him. After her iniquities are revealed, she is laid bare and shamed, ultimately leading her to abandon her sins and cease boasting in her name's dignity—rather, burdened by her vices and the memory of Egypt, she can no longer raise her gaze heavenward. Thus, her nose is severed and her ears are destroyed, as she turned the scent of fragrance into loathsome odor, and listened to the judgment of blood, which is understood not just in terms of smell and hearing but also in sight, as exemplified by the fates of Samson and Samuel. All this serves to ensure that everything might be purified by fire, the Egyptian lewdness eradicated, and she will no longer look toward evil.