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does the lioness deliver her own male to slaughter? Do you see that Wisdom has spoken aptly, that "There is no head above the head of a serpent, and there is no wickedness above the wickedness of a woman?" And simply put, let him who has an evil wife know that he has already received the wages of his iniquities. The word is not without witness; hear Wisdom saying: "An evil wife will be given to a lawless man in return for his evil deeds." But let the discourse about the evil wife have its limit here. 2. But we must remember also the good women, especially for the sake of those present. For the good women see the virtues of the good as their own, and they reckon their labors to be their own crowns. A good and hospitable woman was the blessed Shunammite, who, having urged her husband, built a small room for Elisha, so that when he passed through he might have his rest without hindrance, having placed for him a bed and a lamp and a table; a bed not empty of coverings, but having bedding befitting the prophet; a lamp not without a light, but with the oil that feeds the light; a table not bare of bread, but fruitful with foods.

And what might one say about that blessed widow who received the prophet Elijah? for whom poverty of means was no hindrance, on account of the richness of her purpose? for whom there was no grain, no wine, no relish, nor any other of the earthly things for the consolation of poverty. No grain-bearing land offered her the seed of bread; no vine cultivated for her a sweet-flowing bunch of grapes; no tree offered her the sweetest fruit of the season. For how could it, for one who had not a span of arable land, nor a cubit's length of ground for planting a vine? but always in the time of summer, stooping in the fields, gleaning the ears of grain that fell from the reapers' hands, she set aside food measured out for the yearly cycle of time. To this woman Elijah went in the time of famine, when all the earth was nearly crumbling from the drought; when heaven was on fire, and the air was like bronze, and the clouds were reined in; when no grass, no flower, no shoot of a fruit tree, no dewy breeze, no prime ear of grain was stirred; when rivers grew thin, and springs constricted the breasts of their waters with the heat, and the sea became excessively salty, with no sweet waters flowing into it and the rains having been held back. Then Elijah went to the poor woman and the widow. And you know what a widow suffers even in a time of plenty. And the prophet left the rich, those who had bread in abundance, and coming down from the mountain, he came to her. For why did he who brought down fire from heaven with his words not bring down bread for himself? Was he not able? Yes, he was able; but he did not do this. Why? So that he might not deprive the widow of the fruits of hospitality; and besides, that he might multiply the handful of flour and the small amount of oil through the blessing.

For the prophet did not go so much to be fed, as to feed the poor woman, and to test a hidden and well-disposed heart. This God does, though he is able to feed all the saints who are in the world by himself; he withholds the gift, so that in the time of hospi 59.489 tality he might distinguish the well-disposed hearts by their fruits. But when there are none who ought to receive them, he either feeds them by birds, as Elijah on the mountain, or by a foreign prophet, as Daniel in the den, or by a sea creature, as Jonah through the whale, or he himself rained down food by himself, as to our fathers in the desert; for since there were none who ought to receive them, he rained the manna from heaven, and made water spring from a rock; but when the saints are in the world, living among others, he holds back his right hand; and even if he sees them afflicted, he permits it, so that he may give much grace through the good deeds done to them, to those who wish to reap salvation. Elijah therefore went to the widow, who had nothing, except a handful of flour, which with toil for her and her children at the time of the midday meal

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δὲ λέαινα τὸν ἴδιον ἄῤῥενα πρὸς σφαγὴν παραδίδωσιν; Ὁρᾷς ὅτι ἐπιτετευγμένως εἶπεν ἡ Σοφία, ὅτι Οὐκ ἔστι κεφαλὴ ὑπὲρ κεφαλὴν ὄφεως, καὶ οὐκ ἔστι κακία ὑπὲρ κακίαν γυναικός; Καὶ ἁπαξαπλῶς, ὁ ἔχων γυναῖκα πονηρὰν, γινωσκέτω ἤδη τοὺς τῶν ἀνομιῶν αὐτοῦ κεκομίσθαι μισθούς. Οὐκ ἀμάρτυρος ὁ λόγος· ἄκουε τῆς Σοφίας λεγούσης· Γυνὴ πονηρὰ ἀνδρὶ ἀνόμῳ δοθήσεται ἀντὶ ἔργων πονηρῶν. Ἀλλὰ περὶ πονηρᾶς γυναικὸς ὁ λόγος ἄχρι τούτου ἐχέτω ὅρον. βʹ. ∆εῖ δὲ ἡμᾶς μνημονεῦσαι καὶ τὰς ἀγαθὰς μάλιστα διὰ τὰς παρούσας. Αἱ γὰρ ἀγαθαὶ τὰς τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἀρετὰς ὡς ἰδίας ὁρῶσι, καὶ τοὺς ἐκείνων πόνους ὡς ἰδίους στεφάνους εἶναι λογίζονται. Γυνὴ ἀγαθὴ καὶ φιλόξενος ἦν ἡ μακαρία Σουναμῖτις, ἥτις τὸν ἄνδρα παρακαλέσασα, δωμάτιον ᾠκοδόμησε τῷ Ἑλισσαίῳ, ἵνα διερχόμενος ἀκωλύτως ἔχῃ τὴν ἀνάπαυσιν, τεθεικυῖα αὐτῷ κλίνην καὶ λυχνίαν καὶ τράπεζαν· κλίνην οὐ κενὴν ἱματίων, ἀλλ' ἔχουσαν πρέποντα τῷ προφήτῃ τὰ στρώματα· λυχνίαν οὐκ ἄνευ λύχνου, ἀλλὰ σὺν τῷ ἄρδοντι ἐλαίῳ τὸ φῶς· τράπεζαν οὐκ ἔρημον ἄρτων, ἀλλ' ἔγκαρπον ἐδεσμάτων.

Τί δ' ἄν τις εἴπῃ περὶ τῆς μακαρίας ἐκείνης χήρας τῆς τὸν προφήτην Ἠλίαν ὑποδεξαμένης; ᾗ οὐδὲν ἐνεπόδιζεν ἡ πενία τῶν χρημάτων, διὰ τὸ πλούσιον τῆς προαιρέσεως; ᾗ οὐ παρῆν οὐ σῖτος, οὐκ οἶνος, οὐ προσέψημα, οὐκ ἄλλο τι τῶν γεηρῶν πρὸς τὴν τῆς πενίας παραμυθίαν. Οὐ χώρα αὐτῇ σιτοφόρος σπέρμα ἄρτου προσέφερεν· οὐκ ἄμπελος αὐτῇ γλυκόῤῥυτον βότρυν ἐγεώργει· οὐ δένδρον αὐτῇ ὀπώρας καρπὸν ἥδιστον προσέφερε. Πῶς γὰρ, ᾗ οὔτε σπιθαμὴ γῆς ἀροσίμου τόπος ὑπῆρχεν, οὔτε πηχυαῖον ἔδαφος πρὸς ἀμπέλου φυτείαν; ἀλλ' ἀεὶ ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τοῦ θέρους ἐν ταῖς ἀρούραις κυρτοβατοῦσα, τοὺς ἀποπίπτοντας τῶν δρεπανιστῶν παλάμαις ἀστάχυας ἐρανιζομένη, συμμεμετρημένην τῷ ἐνιαυσιαίῳ κύκλῳ τοῦ χρόνου τὴν τροφὴν ἀπετίθετο. Πρὸς ταύτην ἀπῆλθεν Ἠλίας ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τοῦ λιμοῦ, ὅτε πᾶσα ἡ γῆ ἐκ τῆς ἀβροχίας σχεδὸν διεθρύπτετο· ὅτε οὐρανὸς ἐπεπύρωτο, καὶ ὁ ἀὴρ ἐχαλκοῦτο, καὶ αἱ νεφέλαι ἐχαλινοῦντο· ὅτε οὐ βοτάνη, οὐκ ἄνθος, οὐκ ἀκροδρύων βλαστὸς, οὐκ αὔρα ἔνδροσος, οὐ στάχυος ἀκμὴ ἐσαλεύετο· ὅτε ποταμοὶ ἐλεπτύνθησαν, καὶ πηγαὶ τοὺς μαζοὺς τῶν ὑδάτων τῷ καύσωνι ἔσφιγξαν, καὶ θάλασσα ἐξηλμίσθη, μὴ ἐπεισερχομένων αὐτῇ γλυκέων ὑδάτων καὶ ὄμβρων ἀνασταλέντων. Τότε ἀπῆλθεν Ἠλίας πρὸς τὴν πενιχρὰν καὶ τὴν χήραν. Οἷα δὲ πάσχει χήρα καὶ ἐν καιρῷ εὐθηνίας, οἴδατε. Καὶ ἀφῆκε τοὺς πλουσίους ὁ προφήτης, τοὺς ἔχοντας δαψιλῶς ἄρτους, καὶ καταβὰς ἀπὸ τοῦ ὄρους, ἦλθε πρὸς αὐτήν. ∆ιὰ τί γὰρ μᾶλλον ὁ πῦρ οὐρανόθεν ῥήμασι κατενέγκας, ἄρτους ἑαυτῷ οὐ κατήνεγκε; μὴ οὐκ ἠδύνατο; Ναὶ, ἠδύνατο· ἀλλὰ τοῦτο οὐκ ἐποίησε. ∆ιὰ τί; Ἵνα μὴ τῆς φιλοξενίας τοὺς καρποὺς στερήσῃ τὴν χήραν· ἄλλως δὲ καὶ τὴν δράκα τοῦ ἀλεύρου καὶ τὸ ὀλιγοστὸν ἔλαιον διὰ τῆς εὐλογίας πληθύνει.

Οὐ γὰρ τοσοῦτον ἀπῆλθεν ὁ προφήτης τραφῆναι, ὅσον θρέψαι τὴν πενιχρὰν, καὶ ἐλέγξαι κρυπτομένην καρδίαν καὶ εὐπροαίρετον. Τοῦτο ποιεῖ ὁ Θεὸς δυνάμενος πάντας τοὺς ἁγίους, τοὺς ὄντας ἐν κόσμῳ, δι' ἑαυτοῦ θρέψαι· ἐπέχει τὴν δόσιν, ἵνα τὰς εὐπροαιρέτους καρδίας ἐν τῷ τῆς φι 59.489 λοξενίας καιρῷ ἀπὸ τῶν καρπῶν διακρίνῃ. Ἐπειδὰν δὲ μὴ ὦσί τινες οἱ ὀφείλοντες αὐτοὺς ὑποδέξασθαι, ἢ δι' ὀρνέων τρέφει, ὡς τὸν Ἠλίαν ἐν τῷ ὄρει, ἢ διὰ προφήτου ξένου, ὡς τὸν ∆ανιὴλ ἐν τῷ λάκκῳ, ἢ διὰ θαλαττίου ζώου, ὡς τὸν Ἰωνᾶν διὰ τοῦ κήτους, ἢ αὐτὸς δι' ἑαυτοῦ τὴν τροφὴν ἐπώμβρισεν, ὡς τοῖς πατράσιν ἡμῶν ἐν ἐρήμῳ· οὐκ ὄντων γὰρ τῶν ὀφειλόντων αὐτοὺς ὑποδέξασθαι, οὐρανόθεν τὸ μάννα ἐπώμβρισε, καὶ ἐκ πέτρας ὕδωρ ἐπήγαζεν· ὅταν δὲ ὦσιν οἱ ἅγιοι ἐν κόσμῳ συναναστρεφόμενοι τοῖς ἄλλοις, ἀναστέλλει αὐτοῦ τὴν δεξιὰν χεῖρα· κἂν ὁρᾷ αὐτοὺς θλιβομένους, ἀφίησιν, ἵνα δῷ χάριν διὰ τῆς εἰς αὐτοὺς γινομένης εὐποιίας πολλῆς τοῖς βουλομένοις τὴν σωτηρίαν καρπώσασθαι. Ἀπῆλθεν οὖν Ἠλίας πρὸς τὴν χήραν, ᾗ οὐδὲν παρῆν, εἰ μὴ δρὰξ ἀλεύρου, ὅπερ μετὰ καμάτου αὐτῇ καὶ τοῖς τέκνοις αὐτῆς ἐν τῷ καιρῷ ἀρίστου