THEOSISJerome of Stridon
Therefore, O Holla, declares the Lord God, I will provoke all your lovers, those to whom your soul clings, against you from every direction. I will assemble them: the children of Babylon, the Chaldeans, the nobles, tyrants, princes, and the impressive young men of the Assyrians, along with their chief leaders and distinguished horsemen. A multitude of nations shall confront you, armed with chariots and various forms of weaponry; they will surround you, prepared for battle with shields and protective gear. I will bring judgment upon them, and they shall render judgment upon you with their own standards; I will unleash my jealousy upon you, executing my wrath through them. They will mutilate you, taking your nose and ears, and those who remain will meet their end by the sword.
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Your sons and daughters will be taken from you, while the rest shall be consumed by fire. They will strip you of your garments and seize the vessels that symbolize your glory. They will eradicate your iniquity and your promiscuity from the land of Egypt, and you will no longer raise your eyes to them or remember Egypt again.
Because you remembered the flesh of the Egyptians and mimicked the detestable practices of an unclean people who worship idols, I will bring upon you those lovers whom you have forsaken, now filled with disdain for you. The children of Babylon, the Chaldeans, nobles, tyrants, and princes will come against you; these are the names that might suggest eastern nations, yet they are not found in the historical accounts of Kings, Chronicles, or even in the prophecies of Jeremiah. It is no surprise that the Septuagint used Jewish names, as Simmachus and Theodotion similarly employed them.
The Assyrians too, handsome young men, leaders, and dignitaries will encompass you on chariots and horses, fully armed for combat. I will hand down judgment in their presence so that you may be condemned by those you have abandoned and whose covenant you have broken; they shall judge you as an unfaithful woman. I will unleash my jealousy against you, which they will enact with furious wrath. They will disfigure you, making you unappealing, cutting off your nose and ears, akin to an adulteress found guilty who bears the shame of her sins. For just as a woman’s beauty is reflected in her features, so too will the honor of kings and judges be marred by their swords.
They will take your sons and daughters, not mine, for they are the result of your unfaithfulness, and what remains will be devoured by fire. They will take away the garments with which I adorned you, the vessels of your glory—the silver and gold I granted for the temple sacrifices—of which it is written, ‘I gave them gold and silver, and they made Baal of them.’
I will do all these things so that when you have lost your beauty and disfigured your once charming visage, your iniquities and promiscuity learned in Egypt may finally cease. When you have lost your features, you will not be bold enough to lift your gaze to the Chaldeans or reveal your flaws before former lovers, nor will you recall your infatuation with the Egyptians, whose flesh enticed you. This imagery is drawn from the depiction of an adulterous woman shamed by her actions, no longer able to take pride in her beauty but rather left to lament the ugliness earned through her excessive indulgences.
What is said here allegorically about Jerusalem can also apply to the soul, which, due to virtue, was once united with God but, through vice, became adulterous and estranged from Him. Once all its iniquities are exposed, it is revealed and disfigured, leading it finally to forsake its wrongdoings. It will not boast of its name’s dignity but, burdened by the memory of its sins and the allure of Egypt, will dare not lift its gaze to Heaven. Hence, its nose and ears are severed, for it has turned delightful fragrances into offensive odors and heeded the cries of bloodshed, reminding us not only of the senses of smell and hearing but also of sight—like Samson and Samuel, who suffered due to their failures.
This shall occur so the purification by fire can take effect, destroying the allure of Egyptian promiscuity, ensuring that the eyes no longer turn towards evil.