And it was said to David, You shall not enter here, because the blind and

the lame resisted. {Cyril.} Therefore, to the blessed David those from Jerusalem, that is, Jebus, the blind and the lame resisted; and having done this, they miserably perished; for he captured it. The inhabitants of Jerusalem, lame and blind, resisted the Savior of all, Christ, at the time of his sojourning; for they did not know how to walk uprightly; nor did they receive the divine light into their minds, those not accepting the faith, especially the Scribes and Pharisees. And David sent messengers, and took her, and went in to her. {Cyril.} Do not be readily disturbed concerning the saints, if at times they too have fallen into oversights; for it is true that even the most exceedingly brave of soldiers, those admired for the courage of their bodies and skill, are sometimes struck while fighting, yet they do not fall down. Besides, I think it is necessary to add this to what has been said: It has been reserved for the philanthropic Savior Christ alone not to suffer sin; because being God by nature, he became flesh.

For this reason he also said of himself: The ruler of this age is coming, and he will find nothing in me; And after a little: And I say these things concerning the sin of David when he went in to Bathsheba the wife of Uriah. But the account of the story is fitting for all; for if he was weak as a man, and is found to have suffered something unexpected, yet he showed that the failings of the saints have a swift correction. And David said to Nathan: I have sinned against the Lord. {Cyril, from the commentary on the 50th psalm.} Here, marvel with me at the blessed David; ..., he has lamented over the sin. And indeed your son who was born to you, shall surely die. {Cyril, from the commentary on the psalter, on the preceding passage.} Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger. And yet, having heard these things from the prophet, ... rather than to be forgiven. And he took the crown of Molchom the king. {Cyril.} He drew up in battle against the sons of Ammon, and those who had allied themselves with their madness, I mean those from the land of the Syrians; and he was victorious, and took them by force; and having taken the crown of Molchom, then finding in it a very large and precious stone, he bound it into his own crown. And David went up weeping and with his head covered. {Cyril.} Since it happened before the war of 69.685 against Absalom, that the sin was committed by the blessed David, I mean the one against Uriah, there was a rumor throughout the entire land of the Jews, so to speak, and some had a not implausible suspicion about him; for they thought that he was paying the price for the offenses against Uriah; and having come into disfavor with God, he would then be easily captured by those who wished it, and everywhere suffering from a lack of courage. Scatter then the counsel of Ahithophel. {Cyril.} Scatter, he says, the counsel of Ahithophel, O Lord my God. For Ahithophel was profound and bitter and of much understanding, and capable of finding ways for every matter, and in addition to this most skilled in strategy. Therefore he feared Ahithophel most of all, because he always offered bitter opinions, and because he knew how to be a general. And behold, to meet him was Hushai. {Cyril.} Hushai, being one of his friends, he persuades to feign apostasy from him, and to wish to be attached to Absalom, so that he might secretly fight against the counsels of Ahithophel, which indeed also happened. And thus said Shimei while cursing him. {Cyril.} Shimei, having insulted him and having all but slung bitter words at him, departed having suffered nothing from him at that time; even if after this he paid harsh and fitting penalties; except that David endured, and though many urged him on, he considered silence to be worth everything, out of very great and admirable understanding.

Καὶ ἐῤῥέθη τῷ ∆αβὶδ Οὐκ εἰσελεύσῃ ὧδε, ὅτι ἀντέστησαν οἱ τυφλοὶ καὶ

χωλοί. {Κυρίλλου.} Οὐκοῦν τῷ μὲν μακαρίῳ ∆αβὶδ οἱ ἀπό τε τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ, ἤτοι τῆς Ἰεβοῦς, ἀντέστησαν τυφλοὶ καὶ χωλοί· καὶ τοῦτο πεποιηκότες, οἰκτρῶς διολώλασι· κατελάβετο γὰρ αὐτήν. Ἀντέστησαν τῷ πάντων Σωτῆρι Χριστῷ κατὰ τὸν τῆς ἐπιδημίας αὐτοῦ καιρὸν οἱ τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ οἰκήτορες χωλοὶ καὶ τυφλοί· οὐ γὰρ ᾔδεσαν ὀρθοποδεῖν· ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τὸ θεῖον εἰς νοῦν ἐδέξαντο φῶς οἱ τὴν πίστιν οὐ προσιέμενοι, Γραμματεῖς δὲ μάλιστα καὶ Φαρισαῖοι. Καὶ ἀπέστειλεν ∆αβὶδ ἀγγέλους, καὶ ἔλαβεν αὐτὴν, καὶ εἰσῆλθε πρὸς αὐτήν. {Κυρίλλου.} Μὴ ταραχθῇς ἑτοίμως περὶ τῶν ἁγίων, εἰ γεγόνασιν ἐν παροράμασιν ἔσθ' ὅτε καὶ αὐτοί· καὶ γάρ ἐστιν ἀληθὲς ὅτι καὶ οἱ σφόδρα γενναιότατοι τῶν στρατιωτῶν, οἱ ἐπ' ἀνδρείᾳ σωμάτων καὶ εὐτεχνίᾳ τεθαυμασμένοι, πλήττονται μὲν ἔσθ' ὅτε μαχόμενοι, πλὴν οὐ καταπίπτουσιν. Ἄλλως τε χρῆναι γὰρ ὑπολαμβάνω προσεπενεγκεῖν τοῖς εἰρημένοις καὶ τοῦτο· Μόνῳ τετήρηται τῷ φιλανθρώπῳ Σωτῆρι Χριστῷ, τὸ μὴ παθεῖν ἁμαρτίαν· ὅτι Θεὸς κατὰ φύσιν ὢν, γέγονε σάρξ.

∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ αὐτὸς ἔλεγε περὶ ἑαυτοῦ· Ἔρχεται ὁ ἄρχων τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου, καὶ ἐν ἐμοὶ εὑρήσει οὐδέν· Καὶ μετ' ὀλίγα· Καὶ ταῦτά φημι περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας τοῦ ∆αβὶδ ὅτε εἰσῆλθε πρὸς τὴν Βερσαβεὲ τὴν τοῦ Οὐρίου γαμετήν. Προσήκει δὲ ἅπασι τῆς ἱστορίας ὁ λόγος· εἰ γὰρ καὶ ἠσθένησεν ὡς ἄνθρωπος, καί τι τῶν ἀδοκήτων εὑρίσκεται πεπονθὼς, ἀλλ' ἔδειξεν ὡς τὰ τῶν ἁγίων πταίσματα ταχεῖαν ἔχει τὴν ἐπανόρθωσιν. Καὶ εἶπε ∆αβὶδ τῷ Νάθαν· Ἡμάρτηκα τῷ Κυρίῳ. {Κυρίλλου, ἐκ τῆς εἰς τὸν νʹ ψαλμόν.} Ἐνταῦθά μοι θαύμαζε τὸν μακάριον ∆αβίδ· ..., τεθρήνηκεν ὑπὲρ τῆς ἁμαρτίας. Καί γε ὁ υἱός σου ὁ τεχθείς σοι, θανάτῳ ἀποθανεῖται. {Κυρίλλου, ἐκ τοῦ εἰς ψαλτήριον ὑπομνήματος, ῥητοῦ προκειμένου.} Κύριε, μὴ τῷ θυμῷ σου ἐλέγξῃς με. Καίτοι ταῦτα ἀκούσας παρὰ τοῦ προφήτου, ... μᾶλλον ἢ συγγινώσκεσθαι. Καὶ ἔλαβε τὸν στέφανον Μολχὸμ τοῦ βασιλέως. {Κυρίλλου.} Παρετάξατο μὲν πρὸς τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἀμμὼν, καὶ τοὺς ταῖς ἐκείνων ἀπονοίαις συνησπισκότας τοὺς ἀπὸ γέας φημὶ τῆς Σύρων· νενίκηκε δὲ, καὶ εἷλε μὲν αὐτοὺς κατὰ κράτος· λαβὼν δὲ τὸν στέφανον τοῦ Μολχὼμ, εἶτα λίθον ἐν αὐτῷ παμμεγέθη καὶ πολύτιμον εὑρὼν, ἐνέδησε τῷ ἰδίῳ στεφάνῳ. Καὶ ∆αβὶδ ἀνέβαινε κλαίων καὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν ἐπικεκαλυμμένος. {Κυρίλλου.} Ἐπειδὴ συνέβη πρὸ τοῦ πολέμου τοῦ 69.685 πρὸς Ἀβεσσαλὼμ, τὴν ἁμαρτίαν γενέσθαι παρὰ τοῦ μακαρίου ∆αβὶδ, τὴν εἰς Οὐρίαν φημὶ, θρῦλος ἦν ἀνὰ πᾶσαν, ὡς ἔπος εἰπεῖν, τὴν Ἰουδαίων χώραν, καὶ ὑποψίαν τινὲς οὐκ ἀπιθάνως ἔχοντες περὶ αὐτοῦ· ᾤοντο γὰρ αὐτὸν τῶν εἰς Οὐρίαν πλημμελημάτων πράττεσθαι δίκας· καὶ ἐν προσκρούσει δὲ γεγονότα τῇ παρὰ Θεῷ, τοῖς ἐθέλουσι κᾆτα δὴ οὖν εὐάλωτον ἔσεσθαι, καὶ πανταχοῦ νοσοῦντα τὸ ἄναλκι. ∆ιασκέδασον δὴ τὴν βουλὴν Ἀχιτόφελ. {Κυρίλλου.} ∆ιασκέδασον, φησὶ, τὴν βουλὴν Ἀχιτόφελ, Κύριε ὁ Θεός μου. Ἦν γὰρ ὁ Ἀχιτόφελ βαθὺς καὶ πικρὸς καὶ πολυγνώμων, καὶ ὁδοὺς ἀνευρεῖν ἱκανὸς ἐφ' ἑκάστῳ πράγματι, καὶ πρός γε τοῦτο στρατηγικώτατος. Ἐδεδίει τοίνυν μάλιστα τῶν ἄλλων τὸν Ἀχιτόφελ, διὰ τὸ πικρὰς εἰσφέρειν ἀεὶ γνώμας, καὶ τὸ εἰδέναι στρατηγεῖν. Καὶ ἰδοὺ εἰς ἀπαντὴν αὐτῷ Χουσί. {Κυρίλλου.} Ἔνα ὑπάρχοντα τῶν ἑαυτοῦ φίλων τὸν Χουσὶ, πείθει προσποιήσασθαι τὴν ἀπόστασιν τὴν ἀπ' αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὸ προσκεκλῆσθαι θέλειν τὸν Ἀβεσσαλὼμ, ἵνα ταῖς τοῦ Ἀχιτόφελ λεληθότως μάχηται συμβουλαῖς ὃ δὴ καὶ γέγονεν. Καὶ οὔτως ἔλεγε Σεμεῖ ἐν τῷ καταρᾶσθαι αὐτόν. {Κυρίλλου.} Ὑβρίσας Σεμεῒ καὶ πικραῖς αὐτὸν μονονουχὶ κατασφενδονήσας φωναῖς, οὐδὲν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ τῷ τηνικάδε παθὼν ἀπηλλάττετο· εἰ καὶ δυσχερεῖς μετὰ τοῦτο καὶ τὰς αὐτῷ πρεπούσας ἐκτέτικε δίκας· πλὴν ὅτι διεκαρτέρησεν ὁ ∆αβὶδ, καὶ παρατρυνόντων αὐτὸν πολλῶν, τοῦ παντὸς ἀξίαν ἡγεῖτο τὴν σιωπὴν, ἐκ πολλῆς ἄγαν καὶ ἀξιαγάστου συνέσεως.