THEOSISTheodoret of Cyrus
I will increase the firewood and ignite a flame so that the flesh may waste away, the richness of the young will diminish, and the bones shall rot. It will become lean upon its leaders; the fire shall burn brightly, consuming the copper, and purging the impurities from its midst, causing its toxins to lessen. Let the toxins be humbled; they shall not escape from him. I will elevate the leader, declares God, meaning I will amplify the onset of troubles, I will amass firewood, or in other words, I will provide numerous occasions and sustenance for the fire of affliction, intensifying that fire and leading the inhabitants of the city, represented as rotting meat, to decline.
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Some will perish from hunger, akin to charred bones, while others will fall prey to various calamities, like stewed meat. The intense heat of the flames will consume the yuha and all that is necessary for cooling, leading to the melting away and destruction of even copper, alongside its toxins. When the defenders of the city were overcome, the city fell, suffered devastation, and was surrendered to flames. Yet, says God, despite numerous calamities afflicting it, the poison remained; the propensity for sin lingered. Therefore, He states: Many is his toxin; his poison will be brought low. In your filth reaps consequences. In your wrongdoing, says God, you have formed a sore and ignited a flame, for there was much sinful toxin within you, now revealed and destined for disgrace. Because you have soiled yourself and have not purified yourself from your impurities: and unless you cleanse yourself in accordance with these matters, how long will I continue to unleash my wrath upon you? If you do not heal your wounds, you will not find forgiveness, and true cleansing will elude you until you have faced consequences for all just offenses. Thus, it is not the falsehood of what has been proclaimed that is demonstrated by the nature of the individual.