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to the one who captured and inhabited Jerusalem. This is Nathan, whom the blessed Luke traces in his genealogy, while the blessed Matthew traces his brother Solomon in his genealogy. And from here, I mean from the aforementioned sons of David, the one is said to be through one genealogy, and the other through another. 17 So from this too it is shown that, what God does not do but allows to happen, he is said to have done. It is agreed, therefore, that the rebellion of Absalom and the reviling of Shimei and his throwing stones at David were not the work of God. But what I say is shown more clearly by David's saying: let him curse, for the Lord has told him, that he may see my humiliation, and the Lord will repay me with good for his cursing on this day . For it is evident that what was happening was not pleasing to God; and what was not pleasing, he would not have commanded to be done. 18 If in his zeal for Israel and Judah Saul attempted to destroy the Gibeonites, with whom Joshua the son of Nun and all the people had made a covenant, and for this reason seven of Saul's descendants born of his daughters were killed, for what reason were the tribes not held responsible, but those who had done no wrong paid the penalty? For this is unjust. Unless perhaps someone were to say that Saul, being king, was unable to resist the Israelites and the tribe of Judah, and not to break the covenants of the fathers with the Gibeonites. But I would add to this that it was God's plan for the entire lineage of Saul to be destroyed, as much as was ever suspected of laying claim to the royal dignity and for this reason would rise up against David and his children. And the phrase, "the Gibeonites exposed them to the sun before the Lord on the mountain" means that they did not bury those who had been killed, but left them to lie under the sun. And he says, "they were decomposed and Dan son of Joah of the descendants of the giants took them". He certainly means to say that the giant took those who had been placed under the sun and carried them off, already decomposed by the sun's flame. {The account concerning the Gibeonites has become unknown, unless perhaps we were to say that, when he was settled in Gibeah for warring, Saul routed the foreigners and destroyed the Gibeonites along with them. And the narrative is in the thirty-second and thirty-third and thirty-seventh number of the first book of Kingdoms, where it says: "and he fought round about against all his enemies" and what follows. But what the text says is this: Saul acted unjustly against him, and from his own house came the vengeance for the injustice against Joshua. But those who have their being from him are not wronged when they are destroyed along with their progenitor. For from where they received their being, from there they receive their not-being, and if they were worthy of any good through themselves, they would receive this later.} 19 It is asked how David, who was forgiving and gentle, after pardoning Shimei, urges Solomon to kill him, and also Joab who had labored with him. Why then were these things so arranged? Being wise, David knew that Solomon would not let Shimei live for fear of rebellion, for as one of royal rank he would likely fight with Solomon for the kingdom, nor Joab, as one who, against David's will, had established the son of David as king, and as the one who had also killed Abner, though he had labored with his father in many wars and achieved success. Foreseeing these things, David preemptively ordered Solomon to do what Solomon would have done anyway on his own initiative, so that when the aforementioned men were killed by him (that is, by Solomon), Solomon might have pardon as one who fulfilled his father's will and did not act against them on his own. 20 And having turned back, he says, he fell asleep. And the angel of the Lord returned a second time and touched him. Perhaps they were symbols of powers ministering fitting food to the prophet, to the one withdrawing from human affairs and worthy of teaching from such as these, so that after these things he might be able to hear: Arise and eat , and might find at his head unutterable mysteries, of which a cake of barley was a type. of which also a second

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ἑλόντι καὶ οἰκήσαντι τὴν Ἱερουσαλήμ . οὗτος δέ ἐστι Νάθαν ὃν γενεαλογεῖ ὁ μακάριος Λουκᾶς, ὁ δὲ μακάριος Ματθαῖος Σολομῶνα τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ γενεαλογεῖ. καὶ ἐντεῦθεν, λέγω δὴ ἀπὸ τῶν μνημονευθέντων υἱῶν τοῦ ∆αβίδ, ὁ μὲν δι' ἑτέρας λέγεται γενεαλογίας, ὁ δὲ δι' ἄλλης. 17 Ὥστε καὶ ἐντεῦθεν δείκνυται ὅτι, ὅπερ ὁ θεὸς οὐ ποιεῖ μὲν συγχωρεῖ δὲ γενέσθαι, πεποιηκέναι λέγεται. ὡμολόγηται τοίνυν ὅτι οὐκ ἦν ἔργον τοῦ θεοῦ ἡ ἐπανάστασις τοῦ Ἀβεσσαλὼμ καὶ ἡ τοῦ Σεμεῒ λοιδορία καὶ τὸ βαλεῖν αὐτὸν λίθοις τὸν ∆αβίδ. τρανότερον δὲ δείκνυσιν ὅ φημι τὸ λέγειν τὸν ∆αβίδ· ἄφες αὐτὸν ἀρᾶσθαι, ὅτι κύριος εἴρηκεν αὐτῷ, ὅπως ἴδοι τὴν ταπείνωσίν μου, καὶ ἀνταποδώσει μοι κύριος ἀγαθὰ ἀντὶ τῆς κατάρας αὐ τοῦ τῆς ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ταύτῃ . φανερὸν γὰρ ὅτι οὐκ ἤρεσκε τῷ θεῷ τὸ γινόμενον· ὃ δὲ οὐκ ἤρεσκεν, οὐκ ἂν ἐνετείλατο ποιεῖν. 18 Εἰ ἐν τῷ ζήλῳ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ τοῦ Ἰούδα ὁ Σαοὺλ τοὺς Γαβαωνίτας ἀνελεῖν ἐπεχείρησεν, μεθ' ὧν συνθήκας ἐποιήσατο Ἰησοῦς ὁ τοῦ Ναυὴ καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαός, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἑπτὰ τοῦ Σαοὺλ ἀνῃρέθησαν οἱ ἀπὸ τῶν θυγατέρων αὐτοῦ γεγεννημένοι, τίνος ἕνεκεν οὐχ αἱ φυλαὶ ἐν αἰτίαις, ἀλλ' οἱ μηδὲν ἠδικηκότες δίκην δεδώκασι; τοῦτο γὰρ ἄδικον. πλὴν εἰ μή τις εἴποι Σαοὺλ βασιλέα ὄντα ἀδυνάτως ἔχειν ἀντιστῆναι τοῖς Ἰσραηλίταις καὶ τῇ φυλῇ Ἰούδα, καὶ μὴ λῦσαι τὰς συνθήκας τῶν πατέρων τὰς πρὸς τοὺς Γαβαωνίτας. ἐγὼ δὲ προσθοίμην ἂν τούτοις τὸ τοῦ θεοῦ οἰκονομίαν εἶναι τὸ γένος τοῦ Σαοὺλ ἀναλωθῆναι πᾶν, ὅσον ὑπωπτεύετό ποτε ἀντι ποιεῖσθαι τοῦ βασιλικοῦ ἀξιώματος διά τε τοῦτο ἐπαναστήσεσθαι τῷ ∆αβὶδ καὶ τοῖς τούτου παισίν. τὸ δὲ ἐξηλίασαν αὐτοὺς οἱ Γαβαωνῖται ἐναντίον κυρίου ἐν τῷ ὄρει ἀντὶ τοῦ ἀναιρεθέν τας οὐκ ἔθαψαν, ἀλλ' εἴασαν ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον κεῖσθαι. καὶ ἐξελύ θησάν φησιν καὶ ἔλαβεν αὐτοὺς ∆ὰν υἱὸς Ἰωὰ τῶν ἀπογό νων τῶν γιγάντων . πάντως που βούλεται λέγειν ὅτι τοὺς ὑπὸ τὸν ἥλιον τεθέντας λαβὼν ὁ γίγας ἀνείλετο ἐκλελυμένους ἤδη ὑπὸ τῆς ἡλιακῆς φλογός. {Ὁ λόγος ὁ κατὰ τοὺς Γαβαωνίτας ἄγνωστος καθέστηκεν, εἰ μή πού γε εἴπωμεν ὅτι, ἡνίκα ἐκάθητο ἐν Γαβεὲ τοῦ πολεμεῖν, καὶ ἐτρο πώσατο τοὺς ἀλλοφύλους ὁ Σαοὺλ καὶ ἀπώλεσεν μετ' αὐτῶν καὶ τοὺς Γαβαωνίτας. καὶ ἔστι τὸ διήγημα ἐν τριακοστῷ δευτέρῳ καὶ τριακοστῷ τρίτῳ ἀριθμῷ τῆς πρώτης Βασιλείας καὶ τριακοστῷ ἑβδόμῳ, ἔνθα φησίν· «καὶ ἐπολέμει κύκλῳ πάντας τοὺς ἐχθροὺς αὐ τοῦ» καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. ὃ δὲ λέγει τὸ ῥητόν, τοῦτό ἐστι· Σαοὺλ ἠδίκησεν κατ' αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ γεγένηται ἡ ἐκδίκησις τῆς ἀδι κίας ἡ ἐπὶ Ἰησοῦν. Οὐκ ἀδικοῦνται δὲ συναιρούμενοι τῷ ἐν ἀρχῇ οἱ ἐξ ἐκείνου τὸ εἶναι λαχόντες. ὅθεν γὰρ ἔσχον τὸ εἶναι, ἐντεῦθεν τὸ μὴ εἶναι ἔχοντες, εἰ δέ τινος ἀγαθοῦ δι' ἑαυτοὺς ἦσαν ἄξιοι, ὕστερον τοῦτο κομιζόμενοι.} 19 Ζητεῖται πῶς ὁ ∆αβὶδ τῷ Σεμεῒ συγχωρήσας παρακελεύεται τῷ Σολομῶντι ἀνελεῖν αὐτὸν ὁ ἀμνησίκακος καὶ πρᾶος, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν Ἰωὰβ συγκαμόντα αὐτῷ. τί δήποτ' οὖν ταῦτα οὕτως ᾠκονομήθη; σοφὸς ὢν ὁ ∆αβὶδ ἠπίστατο ὅτι οὔτε τὸν Σεμεῒ Σολομῶν ἐάσει ζῆν δέει τῆς ἐπαναστάσεως, ὡς γὰρ ἀπὸ βασιλικοῦ ἀξιώματος μέλλει περὶ τῆς βασιλείας μάχεσθαι τῷ Σολομῶντι, οὔτε τὸν Ἰωάβ, ὡς ἐκτὸς τῆς τοῦ ∆αβὶδ γνώμης εἰς βασιλέα τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ∆αβὶδ καταστή σαντα, ὡς ἀνελόντα τοίνυν καὶ τὸν Ἀβεννήρ , συγκαμόντα δὲ τῷ πατρὶ ἐν πολλοῖς πολέμοις καὶ κατορθώσαντα. ταῦτα προϊδὼν ὁ ∆αβὶδ προλαβὼν διατάττει τῷ Σολομῶντι ποιῆσαι, ἃ καὶ ἀφ' ἑαυ τοῦ Σολομῶν πάντως ἐποίει, ἵν' ὅταν ἀναιρεθῶσιν ὑπ' αὐτοῦ (τουτ έστι τοῦ Σολομῶντος) οἱ προειρημένοι, συγγνώμην σχῇ ὁ Σολομῶν ὡς πατρικὸν βούλημα πληρώσας καὶ οὐκ αὐτὸς ἀφ' ἑαυτοῦ κατ' αὐ τῶν κινηθείς. 20 Καὶ ἐπιστρέψας φησὶν ἐκοιμήθη. καὶ ἐπέστρεψεν ὁ ἄγ γελος κυρίου ἐκ δευτέρου καὶ ἥψατο αὐτοῦ . τάχα δυνάμεων σύμβολοι ἦσαν διακονουμένων προφήτῃ πρέπουσαν τροφήν, τῷ ἀνα χωροῦντι ἀπὸ τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων καὶ ἀξίῳ τῆς ἀπὸ τῶν τοιούτων διδασκαλίας, ἵνα μετὰ ταῦτα ἀκοῦσαι δυνηθῇ· ἀνάστηθι καὶ φάγε , καὶ εὕρῃ πρὸς κεφαλῆς ἀπόρρητα μυστήρια, ὧν ὀλυρίτης ἐγκρυφίας τύπος ἦν. οὗ καὶ δεύτερον