completely easy to cast aside, and having no power 69.689 to benefit the soul of man. Therefore, a truly precious and lovely possession for the soul of man is wisdom and knowledge, that is, concerning God. And what you did not ask I have given to you, both riches, etc. {Of Cyril.} Teaching us what things we ought to ask for, and what things to receive as an addition; for to the one who asked rightly for wisdom, after giving it, he added all other things. Since he is the one who said in the Gospels: Seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. That your eyes may be open toward this house. {Of Cyril.} And let, he says, your eyes, and your ears be open. But if the divine Scripture, speaking to us about God, makes mention of forms, or rather members, it must be known that it speaks to us in terms of what we know and what we are by nature; for it was not possible for us to understand the things concerning God in any other way. Therefore, the true cause and reason for the divinely-inspired Scripture to make its discourses to us about God in a bodily manner is the poverty of both mind and tongue in us; for the things concerning him are utterly ineffable. And it was not possible for those who are in tangible and dense bodies to be able to comprehend any of the necessary things, unless by receiving their own members in the manner of examples, we with difficulty thus ascend to faint notions concerning God. But the queen of Sheba, etc. Of Cyril, from the commentary on Luke. A barbarian woman, though great distances restrained her, became superior to hesitation, not in order to make a collection of money, but in order to hear the wisdom of Solomon, as he spoke parables and riddles, and described the beauties and blemishes of human characters. Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the idol of Moab. {Of Cyril.} And what could be more grievous than such outrageous offenses, than to assign the dignity of honor and love due to the one and by nature God to the herds of demons, or rather to fashion it for stones and wood, and to build temples for these? And the Lord was angry with Solomon, etc. {Of Cyril.} What then was it that was commanded both to him and to all the men under the law, not to make marriages with foreigners? For he said, You shall not give your daughter to his son, nor shall you take his daughter for your son. For he will turn your son away from me, and going, he will serve other gods. Having forgotten, therefore, such a commandment, he was entangled with the daughters of foreigners. Since, therefore, he says, you have made of no account the given commandment, having slipped toward apostasy you have served the gods of foreigners, and knowing creation to be my servant 69.692, you have assigned to it my and my only most fitting honor and glory, I also will tear your kingdom, and I will give it to your servant, so that what you have done, you may learn from the very thing that has happened.

For since, being overcome by desires for women, although Solomon was exceedingly wise, he all but, as far as the power of his undertakings went, tore apart the kingdom of God, assigning to idols the honor and glory most fitting for him alone; for this reason also God very rightly threatened to tear his kingdom apart, grieving him with equal things, according to what is written in the prophet Ezekiel: As you have done, so shall it be to you; your recompense shall be returned upon your own head. And the king took counsel and went and made two calves.9 {Of Cyril} Jeroboam became an agent [cod. agent] of destruction for those of Israel, showing that he preferred the kingdom of men, and departed from being ruled by God through prophets. For behold, Jeroboam provoked me, the Lord, by innovating with calves, and conferring my dignity upon them. And again: In the beginning Jeroboam devised the calves, and commanded the customary rites to be fulfilled for them, the wretched man assigning the glory due to God to his own inventions; so that he might have the kingdom securely, but he deprives as if of his own

εὐαπόβλητα παντελῶς, καὶ οὐδὲν ὠφελεῖν ἰσχύοντα 69.689 τὴν ἀνθρώπου ψυχήν. Κτῆμα δὴ οὖν τίμιόν τε καὶ ἐπέραστον ἀληθῶς τῇ ἀνθρώπου ψυχῇ σοφία καὶ γνῶσις, ἡ περὶ Θεοῦ δηλονότι. Καὶ ἃ οὐκ ᾐτήσω δέδωκά σοι, καὶ πλοῦτον, κ.τ.λ. {Κυρίλλου.} ∆ιδάσκων ἡμᾶς τίνα μὲν αἰτεῖν χρὴ, τίνα δὲ ὡς ἐν προσθήκης μέρει λαμβάνειν· αἰτήσαντι γὰρ καλῶς τὴν σοφίαν, μετὰ δοῦναι ταύτην, τἄλλα πάντα προστέθεικεν. Ἐπείπερ αὐτός ἐστιν ὁ ἐν Εὐαγγελίοις εἰπών· Ζητεῖτε πρῶτον τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ τὴν δικαιοσύνην αὐτοῦ, καὶ ταῦτα πάντα προστεθήσεται ὑμῖν. Τοῦ εἶναι τοὺς ὀφθαλμούς σου ἠνεῳγμένους εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦτον. {Κυρίλλου.} Καὶ ἔστωσαν, φησὶν, οἱ ὀφθαλμοί σου, καὶ τὰ ὦτά σου ἠνεῳγμένα. Εἰ δὲ μορίων, ἤτοι μελῶν, ἡ θεία μέμνηται Γραφὴ πρὸς ἡμᾶς λαλοῦσα περὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ, ἰστέον ὅτι ἐξ ὧν ἴσμεν τε καὶ πεφύκαμεν εἶναι πρὸς ἡμᾶς διαλέγεται· οὐ γὰρ ἦν ἑτέρως ἡμᾶς νοεῖν δύνασθαι τὰ περὶ Θεοῦ. Αἰτία τοίνυν καὶ πρόφασις ἀληθῶς τοῦ σωματικῶς περὶ Θεοῦ τοὺς πρὸς ἡμᾶς ποιεῖσθαι λόγους τὴν θεόπνευστον Γραφὴν, καὶ νοῦ καὶ γλώττης ἐν ἡμῖν ἡ πτωχεία· ἄῤῥητα γὰρ παντελῶς τὰ περὶ αὐτοῦ. Καὶ οὐκ ἧν συνιέναι τι τῶν ἀναγκαίων δύνασθαι τοὺς ἐν ἁπτοῖς καὶ παχέσιν ὄντας σώμασιν, εἰ μὴ ἐν τάξει παραδειγμάτων τὰ ἑαυτῶν δεχόμενοι μέλη, μόλις οὕτως ἄνιμεν εἰς ἐννοίας ἰσχνὰς τὰς περὶ Θεοῦ. Ἡ δὲ βασίλισσα Σαβὰ, κ.τ.λ. Κυρίλλου, ἐκ τοῦ εἰς τὸν κατὰ Λουκᾶν. Γυνὴ βάρβαρος, μακρῶν αὐτὴν εἰργόντων διαστημάτων, ὄκνου γέγονε κρείττων, οὐχ ἵνα χρημάτων ποιήσηται συλλογὴν, ἀλλ' ἵνα ἀκούσῃ τὴν σοφίαν Σολομῶντος, παραβολὰς λαλοῦντος καὶ αἰνίγματα, καὶ ἀνθρωπίνων ἠθῶν ὑπογράφοντος κάλλη τε καὶ ψόγους. Τότε ᾠκοδόμησε Σολομὼν ὑψηλὸν τῷ Χαμὼς εἰδώλῳ Μωάβ. {Κυρίλλου.} Καὶ τί ἂν γένοιτο τῶν οὕτως ἐκτόπων πλημμελημάτων τὸ δυσαχθέστερον, τιμῆς καὶ ἀγάπης τῆς εἰς ἕνα καὶ φύσει Θεὸν ἀξίωμα ταῖς τῶν δαιμονίων ἀπονέμειν ἀγέλαις, μᾶλλον δὲ λίθοις ἀναπλάττειν καὶ ξύλοις, καὶ τούτοις οἰκοδομεῖν ναούς; Καὶ ὠργίσθη Κύριος ἐπὶ Σολομὼν, κ.τ.λ. {Κυρίλλου.} Τί δὲ ἧν ἄρα τὸ ἐνταλθὲν αὐτῷ τε καὶ πᾶσι τοῖς ὑπὸ τὸν νόμον ἀνδράσι μὴ κηδεύειν ἀλλογενέσιν; Ἔφη γὰρ, ὅτι Τὴν θυγατέρα σου οὐ δώσεις τῷ υἱῷ αὐτοῦ· καὶ τὴν θυγατέρα αὐτοῦ οὐ λήψῃ τῷ υἱῷ σου. Ἀποστήσει γὰρ τὸν υἱόν σου ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, καὶ πορευθεὶς λατρεύσει θεοῖς ἑτέροις. Ἀμνημονήσας τοίνυν τῆς τοιαύτης ἐντολῆς, ταῖς τῶν ἀλλοφύλων συνεπλέκετο θυγατράσιν. Ἐπειδὴ τοίνυν, φησὶ, δι' οὐδενὸς ἐποίησας λόγου τὴν δοθεῖσαν ἐντολὴν, κατολισθήσας πρὸς ἀπόστασιν τοῖς τῶν ἀλλοφύλων λελάτρευκας θεοῖς, καὶ δούλην ἐμὴν τὴν κτίσιν οὖσαν 69.692 εἰδὼς, τὴν ἐμὴν καὶ μόνην πρεπωδεστάτην ἐκνενέμηκας αὐτῇ τιμήν τε καὶ δόξαν, κἀγὼ τὴν σὴν διαῤῥήξω βασιλείαν, καὶ δώσω αὐτὴν τῷ δούλῳ σου, ἴν' ὃ πεποίηκας, μάθῃς ἐξ αὐτοῦ τοῦ συμβεβηκότος.

Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ταῖς εἰς γυναῖκας ἐπιθυμίαις ἡττώμενος, καίτοι σοφὸς ὢν ἄγαν ὁ Σολομὼν, μονονουχὶ καὶ ὅσον ἧκεν εἰπεῖν εἰς ἐγχειρημάτων δύναμιν, τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ βασιλείαν διέῤῥηξεν, εἰδώλοις ἀνάπτων τὴν αὐτῷ μόνῳ πρεπωδεστάτην τιμήν τε καὶ δόξαν· ταύτῃτοι καὶ μάλα εἰκότως διαῤῥηγνύναι Θεὸς ἐπηπείλει τὴν βασιλείαν αὐτοῦ, τοῖς ἴσοις ἀντιλυπῶν, κατὰ τὸ ἐν προφήτῃ γεγραμμένον Ἰεζεκιήλ· Καθὼς ἐποίησας, οὕτως ἔσται σοι· τὸ ἀνταπόδομά σου ἀνταποδοθήσεται σοι εἰς κεφαλήν σου. Καὶ ἐβουλεύσατο ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ ἐπορεύθη καὶ ἐποίησε δύο δαμάλεις.9 {Κυρίλλου} Πρόξενος [cod. πρόξενον] ὀλέθρου γέγονε τοῖς ἐξ Ἰσραὴλ Ἱεροβοὰμ, τὸ ἀνθελέσθαι τὴν τῶν ἀνθρώπων βασιλείαν δεικνὺς, καὶ ἀποφοιτῆσαι τοῦ βασιλεύεσθαι παρὰ Θεοῦ διὰ προφητῶν. Ἰδοὺ γὰρ ὁ Ἱεροβοὰμ ἐμὲ τὸν ∆εσπότην παρώργισε καινοτομήσας δαμάλεις, καὶ τὸ ἐμὸν αὐταῖς ἀξίωμα περιθείς. Καὶ πάλιν· Ἐπενόησεν ἐν ἀρχαῖς Ἱεροβοὰμ τὰς δαμάλεις, καὶ πληροῦν ἐκέλευσεν ἐπ' αὐταῖς τὰ νενομισμένα, τὴν τῷ Θεῷ πρέπουσαν δόξαν τοῖς ἰδίοις εὑρέμασιν ἀνάπτων ὁ δείλαιος· ἵν' ἔχοι μὲν αὐτὸς τὴν βασιλείαν ἀσφαλῶς, ἀποστερεῖ δὲ ὥσπερ τῶν ἰδίων