Verse 6: Who shakes the earth out of its place, and its pillars shall tremble. 7. The dispersion of the Jews is foretold. For the earth was shaken out of its place when the people of Israel, torn from the borders of Judaea, indeed bowed their necks to the Gentiles, because they refused to be subject to their Author. Which earth, forsooth, had pillars, because in the priests and princes, the doctors of the Law and the Pharisees, the structure of its future obstinacy arose. For in these the edifice of the letter held firm, and in the time of its tranquillity it bore the burdens of the carnal sacrifices as of a fabric set upon it. But when the mountains were removed, the pillars were shaken, because when the apostles had been withdrawn from Judaea,
neither were they themselves permitted to live in it, who had driven out from it the preachers of life. For it was fitting that, being subdued, they should lose the earthly country, for love of which they had by no means feared to assail the soldiers of the heavenly country. But when the holy doctors had been driven out, Judaea grew utterly torpid, and, by the just examination of the Judge, closed the eyes of its mind in the darkness of its own error. Whence it is further subjoined: