THEOSISTheodoret of Cyrus
I will increase the supply of wood and ignite a fire to bring about decay in the flesh, the fat of the young, and the bones. It will become emaciated in its leaders, and the flames will consume it, reducing its bronze to ashes, erasing its impurities, and diminishing its poison. Let the poison be subdued and not escape from within. I will elevate the leader, declares God, which means I will intensify the onset of disasters. I will multiply the wood, or in other terms, I will provide ample fuel for the fires of hardship to blaze forth, leading to the demise of those within the city. Some will perish from famine, akin to charred bones, while others will fall victim to various calamities like stewed flesh.
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The intense heat will obliterate the yuha and everything meant to provide relief, ultimately melting even the bronze and destroying it along with the poison. When the city's protectors were vanquished, the city itself was seized, ravaged, and set ablaze. Nonetheless, God states that despite the numerous hardships it faced, it was not freed from its poison; the propensity to sin remained entrenched within it. Therefore, He adds, “Many is his poison, his poison shall be put to shame,” indicating that in your impurity, you have nurtured a boil. In your wrongdoing, God says, you have ignited this fire because of the abundance of sinful poison within you; this, now revealed, shall end in disgrace. Because you have defiled yourself and have not cleansed your impurities, if you do not purify yourself in these matters, how long until I complete my wrath against you? If you refuse to treat your wounds, you will not be forgiven, and you will not experience cleansing until you have faced punishment for all your rightful transgressions. Thus, it is not the deceitfulness of what is stated that is confirmed by the nature of the individual.