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being outshone, and he continues to use honors as an insult against that man, the passion finds some occasion; but when he continues to honor him, or rather, to serve him even more, and to yield in all things, what pretext could envy have then? So that even if he had accomplished nothing else, for this very reason he ought to have loved him more, because having so great an opportunity to seize the tyranny, he remained, preserving the forbearance that was fitting for him. For not only the former things, but not even the things after these, which were much greater, puffed him up. What are these? David was prudent, it says, in all his ways, and the Lord Almighty was with him, and all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before the face of the people. And Michal the daughter of Saul and all Israel loved him. And he was more prudent than all the servants of Saul; and his name was greatly honored. And Jonathan son of Saul loved David greatly. But nevertheless, having won over all the people and the household of the king, and being victorious everywhere in wars, and failing nowhere, and having received such rewards in return for those good deeds, he did not become insolent, nor did he desire the kingship, nor did he take revenge on his enemy, but he continued doing good, and winning the wars on his behalf. What man, however savage and brutal, would these things not persuade to lay aside his enmity and be rid of his envy? But none of these things persuaded that cruel and inhuman man; but blinded to all things, and having given his soul over to envy, he attempts to destroy him; and while he was doing what—for this is the greater and more wondrous thing—? while he was playing the harp and calming his madness. David played with his hand, it says, as on each day; and the spear was in Saul's hand; and Saul lifted the spear, and said, I will strike David; and he struck the wall; and David escaped from his presence twice. Could anyone speak of an excess of wickedness greater than this? And indeed also the things after this. With the enemies just now driven away, and the city having recovered itself, and everyone offering sacrifices for victory, he attempted to destroy his benefactor and savior and the cause of those good things while he was playing the harp, and not even the occasion of the good deed calmed that mad and delirious man, but both once and twice he hurled the spear, wishing to destroy him. And such 54.681 were the rewards he gave him in return for his dangers. And he did this many times, and not on a single day. But that holy man, even after all these things, continued serving his interests, and endangering himself for his salvation, and drawing up for battle in all the wars, and preserving his own murderer by his own dangers, and neither in words nor in deeds did he grieve that savage beast, but he yielded and obeyed in all things, and not having received the prize of victory appointed to him, but being deprived of the reward for those dangers, he never made an accusation in word, not to the soldiers, not to the king; for he was not doing these things for a human reward, but was awaiting the recompense from above. And not only is this wondrous, that he did not demand his reward, but that he also refused it when it was offered, through an great excess of humility. For when Saul, setting everything in motion and contriving, was not strong enough to destroy him, he stitches together a plot through marriage, and devises some new kind of dowry and wedding gifts. For the king, he says, does not want wedding gifts, but a hundred foreskins to take vengeance on the king's enemies. What he is saying is this: Destroy for me, he says, a hundred men, and this will be to me in place of wedding gifts. And he said these things, wishing on the pretext of the marriage to expose him to the enemies. 4. But nevertheless David, judging matters according to his own meekness,

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παρευδοκιμουμένου, καὶ διατελῇ ταῖς τιμαῖς εἰς ὕβριν κεχρημένος ἐκείνου, λαμβάνει τινὰ ἀφορμὴν τὸ πάθος· ὅταν δὲ μένῃ τιμῶν, μᾶλλον δὲ θεραπεύων μειζόνως, καὶ εἴκων ἐν ἅπασι, ποίαν ἂν ἔχοι πρόφασιν ἡ βασκανία λοιπόν; Ὥστε εἰ καὶ μηδὲν αὐτῷ κατώρθωται ἕτερον, δι' αὐτὸ τοῦτο μειζόνως αὐτὸν ἀγαπᾷν ἔδει, ὅτι τοσαύτην ἀφορμὴν λαβὼν πρὸς τυραννίδος ἐπίθεσιν, ἔμενε τὴν αὐτῷ πρέπουσαν ἐπιείκειαν διατηρῶν. Οὐδὲ γὰρ δὴ μόνον τὰ πρότερα, ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τὰ μετὰ ταῦτα πολλῷ μείζονα ὄντα ἐπῆρεν αὐτόν. Ποῖα δὴ ταῦτα; Ἦν ∆αυῒδ συνιὼν, φησὶν, ἐν πάσαις ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτοῦ, καὶ Κύριος παντοκράτωρ μετ' αὐτοῦ, καὶ πᾶς Ἰσραὴλ καὶ Ἰούδας ἠγάπων τὸν ∆αυῒδ, ὅτι αὐτὸς ἐξεπορεύετο καὶ εἰσεπορεύετο πρὸ προσώπου τοῦ λαοῦ. Καὶ Μελχὼλ ἡ θυγάτηρ Σαοὺλ καὶ πᾶς Ἰσραὴλ ἠγάπα αὐτόν. Καὶ συνῆκε παρ' ἅπαντας τοὺς δούλους Σαούλ· καὶ ἐτιμήθη τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ σφόδρα. Καὶ Ἰωνάθαν υἱὸς Σαοὺλ ἠγάπα τὸν ∆αυῒδ σφόδρα. Ἀλλ' ὅμως τὸν δῆμον ἅπαντα καὶ τὴν οἰκίαν τοῦ βασιλέως οἰκειωσάμενος, καὶ κρατῶν ἐν τοῖς πολέμοις πανταχοῦ, καὶ οὐδαμοῦ διαμαρτάνων, καὶ τοιαύτας ἀντὶ τῶν εὐεργεσιῶν ἐκείνων ἀπολαβὼν τὰς ἀμοιβὰς, οὐκ ἐξετραχηλίζετο, οὐδὲ ἐπεθύμει τῆς βασιλείας, οὐδὲ ἠμύνατο τὸν ἐχθρὸν, ἀλλ' ἔμενεν εὐεργετῶν. καὶ τοὺς ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ πολέμους κατορθῶν. Τίνα οὐκ ἂν ἔπεισε ταῦτα ἐκτεθηριωμένον καὶ ἄγριον καταθέσθαι τὴν ἔχθραν, καὶ ἀπαλλαγῆναι τῆς βασκανίας; Ἀλλὰ τὸν ὠμὸν ἐκεῖνον καὶ ἀπάνθρωπον οὐδὲν τούτων ἔπεισεν· ἀλλὰ πρὸς ἅπαντα ἀποτυφλωθεὶς, καὶ τῇ βασκανίᾳ τὴν ψυχὴν ἐπιδοὺς, ἀνελεῖν αὐτὸν ἐπιχειρεῖ· καὶ τί ποιοῦντα τοῦτο γάρ ἐστι τὸ μεῖζον καὶ θαυμαστόν; ψάλλοντα καὶ καταστέλλοντα αὐτοῦ τὴν μανίαν. ∆αυῒδ ἔψαλλε τῇ χειρὶ αὐτοῦ, φησὶν, ὡς καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν· καὶ τὸ δόρυ ἐν τῇ χειρὶ Σαούλ· καὶ ἦρε Σαοὺλ τὸ δόρυ, καὶ εἶπε· Πατάξω ἐν ∆αυΐδ· καὶ ἐπάταξεν ἐν τῷ τοίχῳ· καὶ ἐξέκλινε ∆αυῒδ ἀπὸ προσώπου αὐτοῦ δίς. Ἆρα ἂν ἔχοι τις εἰπεῖν μείζονα τούτων πονηρίας ὑπερβολήν; Ἄρα δὲ καὶ τὰ μετὰ ταῦτα. Ἄρτι τῶν πολεμίων ἀπελαθέντων, καὶ τῆς πόλεως ἑαυτὴν ἀνακτησαμένης, καὶ πάντων ἐπινίκια θυόντων, τὸν εὐεργέτην καὶ σωτῆρα καὶ τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἐκείνων αἴτιον ἀνελεῖν ἐπεχείρησε ψάλλοντα, καὶ οὐδὲ τῆς εὐεργεσίας ἡ ὑπόθεσις τὸν μεμηνότα καὶ παραπαίοντα κατέστειλεν ἐκεῖνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἅπαξ καὶ δὶς ἠκόντισε, βουλόμενος ἀνελεῖν. Καὶ τοιαύτας 54.681 αὐτῷ ἀντὶ τῶν κινδύνων τὰς ἀμοιβὰς ἐδίδου. Καὶ πολλάκις τοῦτο ἐποίησε, καὶ οὐκ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ μιᾷ. Ὁ δὲ ἅγιος ἐκεῖνος καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα πάντα ἔμενε τὰ ἐκείνου θεραπεύων, καὶ ὑπὲρ τῆς σωτηρίας αὐτοῦ κινδυνεύων, καὶ παραταττόμενος ἐν τοῖς πολέμοις ἅπασι, καὶ τὸν ἑαυτοῦ διασώζων σφαγέα τοῖς οἰκείοις κινδύνοις, καὶ οὔτε ἐν ῥήμασιν, οὔτε ἐν πράγμασιν ἐλύπησε τὸν ἄγριον θῆρα ἐκεῖνον, ἀλλὰ πρὸς πάντα εἶκε καὶ ὑπήκουε, καὶ τὸ ὁρισθὲν αὐτῷ τῆς νίκης ἔπαθλον οὐ λαβὼν, ἀλλ' ἀποστερηθεὶς τὸν μισθὸν τῶν κινδύνων ἐκείνων, οὐδὲ λόγῳ ποτὲ ἐνεκάλεσεν, οὐ τοῖς στρατιώταις, οὐ τῷ βασιλεῖ· οὐ γὰρ ἐπὶ μισθῷ ταῦτα ἔπραττεν ἀνθρωπίνῳ, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἄνωθεν ἐκδεχόμενος ἀμοιβήν. Καὶ οὐ τοῦτο μόνον ἐστὶ τὸ θαυμαστὸν, ὅτι οὐκ ἀπῄτησε τὸν μισθὸν, ἀλλ' ὅτι καὶ διδόμενον διεκρούσατο διὰ πολλὴν ταπεινοφροσύνης ὑπερβολήν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ὁ Σαοὺλ πάντα κινῶν καὶ πραγματευόμενος οὐκ ἴσχυσεν αὐτὸν ἀνελεῖν, ῥάπτει τὸν διὰ τοῦ γάμου δόλον, καὶ καινόν τινα προικὸς καὶ ἕδνων ἐπινοεῖται τρόπον. Οὐ γὰρ βούλεται, φησὶν, ὁ βασιλεὺς ἕδνα, ἀλλ' ἢ ἑκατὸν ἀκροβυστίας ἐκδικῆσαι εἰς τοὺς ἐχθροὺς τοῦ βασιλέως. Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· Ἄνελέ μοι, φησὶν, ἑκατὸν ἄνδρας, καὶ τοῦτο ἀντὶ τῶν ἕδνων ἔσται μοι. Ταῦτα δὲ ἔλεγε βουλόμενος αὐτὸν προφάσει τοῦ γάμου παραβαλεῖν τοῖς ἐχθροῖς. δʹ. Ἀλλ' ὅμως ὁ ∆αυῒδ κατὰ τὴν αὑτοῦ πραότητα τὰ πράγματα κρίνων,