THEOSISCyrill of Alexandria
Your stronghold has proven to be futile, and despite your refusal to heed the call, you assert that you will escape on steeds; thus, you shall indeed flee. You boast of being mounted on swift horses, yet it will be the swift footed who will pursue you. From the shout of one, a thousand will scatter, and from the cry of five, many will flee, until you are left desolate, like a staff on a mountain or a banner hoisted on a hill. Although you have experienced the futility of relying on false deities and observed their impotence, still you have chosen disobedience.
Read more (161 words)
For when you received the instruction not to venture into Egypt but rather to trust faithfully in Him who offers redemption, you chose not to listen, insisting instead on escaping on horseback, imagining that fleeing from Judea would suffice for your salvation. Yet, the swift will indeed be those who pursue you, fierce and relentless, instilling terror within you; the spirit of disobedience will sink into profound cowardice, as even one shout from an adversary will send a thousand fleeing, and a mere five voices will cause multitudes among the Jewish ranks to scatter. They will encounter a calamity so great that it will be unmistakable to all; it will stand out as clearly as a mast raised upon a mountain or a banner displayed on a hill. A banner and a mast signify a structure erected on high ground, marked with signs that inform commanders whether they are blessed with victory or need to gather their forces for critical counsel.