The Hebrew text exhibits numerous discrepancies when compared to the LXX translation, and both my interpretation and that of others are clouded by challenges that compel us to seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance more than ever, as His presence is essential in understanding Scripture. He alone can illuminate the messages delivered by the prophets, reminding us of His promise, "Open thy mouth, and I will fill it." Geth, one of Palestine's five cities, is situated near the borders of Judah along the route from Eleutheropolis to Gaza and remains a significant settlement today. It is from this city that Goliath, the giant slain by David, hailed. The prophet, speaking through divine inspiration, laments: "I will weep and wail, I will walk as robed and naked, I will howl like dragons, and cry like ostriches, because the plague of Samaria is hopeless and incurable, and has reached Judah, and has touched even the gates of my people Jerusalem.” Thus, I reminisce the words of the weeping prophet: “Do not declare in Geth,” for your foes may hear and take delight; do not let your tears flow; your sorrow should not burst forth in weeping. Conceal your anguish; let not your adversaries take joy in your distress; cover your countenance with tears even if your heart is heavy with grief—do not venture out, but rather seek refuge among the ashes of your desolation. Depart, or let the beautiful people of Saphir depart from you, for Samaria indeed lies in a coveted and fertile area of Judea, an observation that holds true even now. Thus, it is proclaimed: O dweller of the lush land, although shame blankets you, retreat and be led away as captives, lest a stranger hear your lamentations and rejoice in your downfall.
The subsequent phrase, “the inhabitants of Sennan have not departed,” implies an exodus or, as Simmachus translates, “the abundant population has not left,” referring again to Samaria, which stands on the threshold of Assyrian captivity and soon fell into enemy hands. The notion of ‘abundant’ parallels the idea of ‘beautiful’ we discussed earlier. It was not by their volition that the inhabitants, or those enduring the exodus, were taken but rather by force into the heart of Assyria. Moreover, the neighboring kingdom of Judah, represented by the term Azel, currently survives after the fall of Samaria, sustained by the protective hand of God, and will experience your mourning. The dwellers of Maroth or Ramoth, lacking in righteousness and filled with dread, represent a distressed populace that burdens themselves with grief—this distress is echoed in the Hebrew expression connected to the captivity of nearby tribes, for calamity has descended from the Lord upon Jerusalem’s gates. This calamity coincided with the Assyrian advance during the siege led by Rabshekah, chronicled in both the fourth book of Kings and the book of Isaiah. It relates how the king of Assyria sent forces from Lachish to besiege Jerusalem, proceeding from there to Lobna. O Lachish, city steeped in idol worship, the chariots and horsemen of Assyria will come upon you too, for the sins of Israel reside within you, and you were the inception of Judah’s idolatry, being the gateway through which the wickedness of the ten tribes entered Jerusalem.
Desolation and tumult will not merely engulf Lachish but also Geth, the chief city of Palestine, where it is advised not to boast. The Assyrian will dispatch his raiders, whom he calls spies, to seize the house of false worship and the city of deceit that has situated itself among the rulers of Israel. Yet, the ensuing declaration, “And I will bring an heir unto thee that dwelleth in Maresah,” aligns seamlessly with the meaning of the city, as Maresah translates to ‘heritage’; thus, the instance of enemies invading it refers to heirs. This intention extends as far as Odollam, known for its glorious status among Israelite cities, reflecting the future journey of God’s people. This is captured in Simmachus’s translation: "I will yet bring an heir to you dwelling in Maresh, and even to Odollam shall reach the glory of Israel." The glory discussed conveys the singular notion of honor, rather than a pluralistic one, allowing us to comprehend the gravity and weightiness of these declarations. Hence, it is clear that the impending destruction heading towards Lachish, Geth, and Maresa will inevitably reach Odollam, and it is further emphasized that it may extend to the very glories of Israel, bringing attention to the vastness of calamity and disgrace experienced.
Let it be known that the interpretation I provided regarding the prophet’s native land being an inheritance appears similarly in the previously mentioned verse, “therefore he shall send out spies over the heritage of Geth.” The Hebrew language instead articulates, “over the heritage of Geth,” as “maraseth geth.” Thus far, we have navigated as best we could through perilous passages and treacherous cliffs, guided by the Hebrew text and our understandings of Jewish interpretation; whether we have anchored at port or are still adrift on tumultuous seas remains a matter for the reader’s discernment. With your prayers, may we now shift our course, striving to avoid the treacherous shoals inherent in this exposition.
Geth translates to a place where grapes are crushed; thus, those who dwell in Geth may mistakenly think they harvest life’s fruits while stomping upon the vines of Sorek, unaware that the true grape vines of Judah lay beyond foreign borders. The proclamation reads: Do not boast, residents of the winepress, for your vineyard is from Sodom, and your produce springs from Gomorrah; your grapes are filled with bitterness; they bring you gall, and your wine is the wrath of dragons and incurable rabies. Consequently, even if you produce fruit—stemming not just from Sodom and Gomorrah but also from Egypt and hostile tribes—the Lord will permit your harvest to rust, your efforts to be consumed by locusts, and your vineyards to be destroyed by hail, and your mulberry trees to be ravaged by frost. Do not be misled by the deceptive sweetness of wine; rather reflect upon what you drink thoroughly, and you will discover instead the rabid poison of aspids tinged in your cup. Therefore, do not take pride; humble yourselves under the mighty hand of the Lord and approach that place of grape crushing where He who comes from Edom, red from Bosra, can declare through the prophet Isaiah, “I trod the winepress alone, and of the nations, not one man was with me.”
While there are others among the foreign nations, numerous lands filled with cities who, despite their wickedness and defiance against God state, “We are defeated, but we will restore what has been ravaged,” the prophet delineates the boundaries of wickedness and the people against whom God’s wrath is directed: “They that dwell in Bahim shall not make their houses an object of mockery.” In our language, Bakhim signifies woe and lamentation; the LXX interprets it as lament. Therefore, O you who immerse yourselves in deeds and thoughts deserving of lament, do not rebuild the edifices of the wicked, nor consider thoughts birthed from your mind as God’s work; do not construct your house upon the sand, lest it collapse in the storm, rendering your labor a target of ridicule. How much better it is when you realize your constructions are worthy of derision, to sprinkle dust and ashes on your heads and repent for having sought to craft a house destined for downfall, contrary to sound counsel.
The following statement, “she that dwelleth well in her cities shall not escape that dwelleth in Sennan,” appears to convey this meaning. O arrogant individuals of Cephas and Bahima, your attempts to fashion a house worthy of scorn are in vain! Cover yourselves with ashes and repent for treading upon vile wine and for striving to create a dwelling in opposition to God. Yet, the Church of Christ, which dwells righteously in her cities and is dispersed throughout the world, is united by the Spirit’s coherence; she possesses strongholds in the law, the prophets, the Gospel, and the apostles. She remains firmly within her boundaries, meaning she does not stray from Holy Scripture, for she thrives in the land of abundance, as Symmachus interprets it. She embraces the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, who embody every spiritual gift of grace and a plethora of virtues. Hence it is declared regarding her: “Let there be peace in your fortifications, and abundance in your towers.”
Yet, you, heretics residing close to Senaan, the fruitful church, mourn for yourselves for having constructed a house of mockery while pridefully harvesting grapes, and you have based your work not on Scripture but on an imitation of it, creating a house deserving not of laughter but of weeping and sorrow. Therefore, the admonition to “Weep over the house that neighbours her, Sennan” indicates that the heretics are compelled to lament, as the enemy, the devil, who will ensnare them as a judgment for their deeds, will inflict sufferings upon them, and instead of an unholy structure, they will erect a site of their own affliction. These afflictions are meant to evoke a sense of guilt, prompting them to seek repentance so that the calamities they endure might transform into blessings. Alternatively, this may reflect the mourning of the Church for its lost children, serving as a pathway to salvation for heretics if they choose to return to their grieving mother.
Further, the expressions “for calamity came from the Lord upon the gates of Jerusalem” are often referenced by both Marcionites and Manicheans to declare the God of the Old Covenant as a designer of evil. In contrast, we assert: calamities descended from the Lord, akin to Christ’s proclamation in the Gospel, “I saw Satan falling from heaven like lightning.” Just as ruin fell from heaven in the morning light, ushered down to the nations by the Almighty, these calamities were declared not inherently as such until they originated from God’s will. The subtlety of the adversaries is evident when it states: “they came to the gates of Jerusalem”; since those gates are strongly constructed, akin to diamond, bolstered by the apostles to whom the keys of this city were entrusted. The enemies rush at these gates, attempting to strike down those wishing to exit. Therefore, the one residing in the safety of Jerusalem, who lives well within its confines, does not venture out, for life abounds within; remaining within the gates is their protection, whereas leaving results in demise at the hands of those dwelling in Geth and Bahima, who mockingly construct upon folly.
The calamities descending from the Lord to the gates of Jerusalem will generate great clamor and noise of chariots and horsemen, thus slaying those who attempt to flee. Following this narrative, the phrase regarding “the inhabitant of Lachish” emerges, designated as “the beginning of the sin of the daughter of Zion.” Lachish embodies the pathway; these people harness chariots and secure horses, producing a terrible uproar, to whom the one dwelling righteously within her cities will declare, “Behold, these are on chariots, and these on horses; but we will call upon the name of the Lord our God.” As they elevate their feet, seized by every passing wind of false teaching, longing to leave the Church—symbolizing the heights, or Zion—they exhibit the origin of wickedness for the daughter of Zion. The sins present within the Romans echo the transgressions of Israel, which separated the people from the original kingdom of God.
THEOSIS