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they made war, they sold; so great was the fear, lest these too should do this. So ignorance became the mother of safety. The prophet stood perplexed; Give me one of your sons. I have none, he says, but a small child tending the sheep. For man will not see as God will see. Where are those who pride themselves on beauty of appearance? Do not speak to me of beauty of body, but behold the beauty of the mind. For what is a beautiful woman? A whitewashed tomb, if she is not temperate. Beauty is a pit that has been dug, and a poison prepared for others, if she is not temperate; it either withers with sickness or is cut off by death; but the beauty of the soul remains immortal and stainless, but then rather it displays its own loveliness, when the passions cease, and the mind is in a state of calm. If, therefore, you see a handsome man or a beautiful woman, do not be amazed.

Since even the oaks, stretching up to a height, have no fruit useful for men, but only for irrational animals; but the vine, lying on the ground, has ripe fruit of grape clusters. What then do you want, to have a vine, or an oak? It is clear that a vine; for the oak standing on high has its fruit as food for irrational beasts. What is more insignificant than a bee? And what is more beautiful than a peacock? But which is better, a bee, or a peacock? It is clear that a bee. Take away the peacock, and you have harmed nothing; take away the bee, and many things are wanting. David therefore came, the oil is poured out, and he is anointed by the vote of God, but by the ministry of man. He placed the horn upon him, and it became for him instead of a purple robe and a diadem. And he went away having the kingdom, not clothed in a breastplate or a shield, nor with spears, but having the very vote of God, which is more powerful than all things. This man then, when war was calling, and affairs were in turmoil, and the barbarians were pressing upon the Jews, went to see the battle line and the barbarian challenging to single combat. And no one dared to rush forward and go out. David came, he saw the enemy flashing and being unbearable, and everyone cowering. The shepherd in the war, and those practiced in war could not even bear the voice of the enemy; but he who was familiar with trees and 55.569 shades and springs, stood at the sight of him, and says: Who is this uncircumcised one, who has reproached the battle line of the living God? And they say to him: From where do you get this audacity? And he: Not audacity, but faith; not arrogance, but I possess piety; I am not armed with a breastplate, but I am clothed in faith; I do not consider his size, but the desolation of his mind; I do not see that the ship is great, but that it has no pilot. I do not fear him (for he is an enemy of God), even if he were ten thousand times as strong. For because of the influence from above, this uncircumcised one is weaker than all. In what weapons do you trust, O David? Not in fleshly ones, but in spiritual ones.

For our weapons are not of the flesh, but spiritual. And how, because you are small and weak? But the Master is great. The weapon is insignificant; but the one who sent is strong. He made the sea dry, he split the rock, he changed the elements; much more will he overcome one man.

4. He came then to the men, and says to them: What will be given to the man

who takes his head? He speaks about rewards, not that he might receive a reward, but that he might lead them to faith. What then of the brothers? Again envy, again malice. Why did you leave those few sheep? We know the arrogance and the wickedness of your heart. O envy, full of passions, a fire unquenchable! For just as a moth eats through wool, so also envy wastes away the one who envies, but makes the one who is envied more illustrious. So also it happened in the case of Joseph and his brothers. For those who envied were brought from freedom into slavery; but the one who was envied became king. Again therefore the brothers;

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ἐπολέμησαν, ἐπώλησαν· οὕτω δέος ἦν, μὴ καὶ οὗτοι τοῦτο ἐργάσωνται. Ὥστε ἡ ἄγνοια ἀσφαλείας μήτηρ ἐγένετο. Εἱστήκει ὁ προφήτης ἀπο ρῶν· ∆ός μοι ἕνα τῶν υἱῶν σου. Οὐκ ἔχω, φησὶν, ἀλλὰ παιδίον μικρὸν ποιμαῖνον τὰ πρόβατα. Οὐχ οὕτως ὄψε ται ἄνθρωπος, ὡς ὄψεται Θεός. Ποῦ εἰσιν οἱ καλλωπιζόμενοι ἐπ' εὐμορφίᾳ ὄψεως; Μή μοι λέγε εὐμορφίαν σώματος, ἀλλὰ βλέπε τὸ κάλλος τῆς διανοίας. Τί γάρ ἐστιν εὔμορφος γυνή; Τάφος κεκονια μένος, ἐὰν μὴ σωφρονῇ. Κάλλος δέ ἐστι βάραθρον ὀρω ρυγμένον, ἑτέροις δὲ δηλητήριον κατεσκευασμένον, ἐὰν μὴ σωφρονῇ· ἢ νόσῳ μαραίνεται καὶ θανάτῳ διακόπτε ται· τὸ δὲ κάλλος τῆς ψυχῆς ἀθάνατον μένει καὶ ἀκηλί δωτον, ἀλλὰ τότε μᾶλλον τὴν οἰκείαν ὡραιότητα ἐπιδεί κνυται, ὅταν παύσῃ τὰ πάθη, καὶ ἐν γαλήνῃ γένηται ὁ νοῦς. Ἐὰν οὖν ἴδῃς ἄνδρα, ἢ γυναῖκα καλὴν, μὴ θαυμά σῃς.

Ἐπεὶ καὶ αἱ δρύες εἰς ὕψος ἀνατεταμέναι καρπὸν οὐκ ἔχουσιν ἀνθρώποις χρήσιμον, ἀλόγοις δὲ μόνον· ἡ δὲ ἄμπελος χαμαὶ κειμένη ὥριμον ἔχει καρπὸν βοτρύων. Τί οὖν βούλει, ἄμπελον ἔχειν, ἢ δρῦν; ∆ῆλον ὅτι ἄμπε λον· ἡ γὰρ δρῦς ἐν ὕψει ἑστῶσα θηρίων ἀλόγων ἔχει τροφὴν τὸν καρπόν. Τί μελίττης εὐτελέστερον; τί δὲ ταῶνος ὡραιότερον; Ἀλλὰ τί βέλτιον, μέλιττα, ἢ ταών; ∆ῆλον ὅτι μέλιττα. Ἄνελε ταῶνα, καὶ οὐδὲν ἔβλα ψας· ἄνελε μέλιτταν, καὶ χωλεύει πολλά. Ἦλθε τοίνυν ὁ ∆αυῒδ, ἐκχεῖται τὸ ἔλαιον, καὶ χρίεται ψήφῳ Θεοῦ, διακονίᾳ δὲ ἀνθρώπου. Ἐπέθηκεν αὐτῷ τὸ κέρας, καὶ ἀντὶ πορφυρίδος καὶ διαδήματος ἐγένετο αὐτῷ. Καὶ ἀπῆλθεν ἔχων τὴν βασιλείαν, οὐ θώρακα, οὐκ ἀσπίδα περιβεβλημένος, οὐδὲ δόρατα, ἀλλ' ἔχων αὐτὴν τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ ψῆφον, τὴν πάντων δυνατωτέραν. Οὗτος δὴ καὶ πολέμου καλοῦντος, καὶ τῶν πραγμάτων τεταραγμένων, καὶ τῶν βαρβάρων ἐπικειμένων τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις, ἀπῆλθεν ἰδεῖν τὴν παράταξιν καὶ τὸν βάρβαρον προσκαλούμενον εἰς μονομαχίαν. Καὶ οὐδεὶς ἐτόλμα προπηδῆσαι καὶ ἐξελθεῖν. Ἦλθεν ὁ ∆αυῒδ, εἶδεν ἀστράπτοντα, καὶ ἀφό ρητον ὄντα τὸν πολέμιον, καὶ πάντας κατεπτηχότας. Ὁ ποιμὴν ἐν τῷ πολέμῳ, καὶ οἱ ἐν πολέμῳ μεμελετηκότες οὐδὲ τὴν φωνὴν ἔφερον τοῦ πολεμίου· ὁ δὲ δένδρεσι καὶ 55.569 σκιαῖς καὶ πηγαῖς προσομιλῶν, ἐπὶ ταῖς ὄψεσιν αὐτοῦ εἱστήκει, καὶ λέγει· Τίς ὁ ἀπερίτμητος οὗτος, ὃς ὠνείδισε παράταξιν Θεοῦ ζῶντος; Καὶ λέγουσι πρὸς αὐτόν· Πόθεν σοι ἡ ἀπόνοια αὕτη; Ὁ δέ· Οὐκ ἀπόνοια, ἀλλὰ πίστις· οὐχ ὑπερηφανίαν, ἀλλ' εὐσέβειαν κέκτη μαι· θώρακα οὐχ ὁπλίζομαι, ἀλλὰ πίστιν ἐνδέδυμαι· οὐ σκοπῶ ἐκείνου τὸ μέγεθος, ἀλλὰ τὴν ἐρημίαν τῆς δια νοίας· οὐ βλέπω ὅτι μέγα τὸ πλοῖον, ἀλλ' ὅτι κυβερνήτην οὐκ ἔχει. Οὐ δέδοικα αὐτὸν (ἐχθρὸς γάρ ἐστι τοῦ Θεοῦ), κἂν μυριάκις δυνατὸς ᾖ. ∆ιὰ γὰρ τὴν ἄνωθεν ῥοπὴν πάντων ἀσθενέστερός ἐστιν ὁ ἀπερίτμητος οὗτος. Ποίοις ὅπλοις θαῤῥεῖς, ὦ ∆αυΐδ; Οὐ σαρκικοῖς, ἀλλὰ πνευμα τικοῖς.

Τὰ γὰρ ὅπλα ἡμῶν οὐ σαρκικὰ, ἀλλὰ πνευ ματικά. Καὶ πῶς, ὅτι σὺ μικρὸς καὶ ἀσθενὴς εἶ; Ἀλλὰ μέγας ὁ ∆εσπότης. Εὐτελὲς τὸ ὅπλον· ἀλλ' ὁ πέμψας ἰσχυρός. Θάλασσαν ἐποίησε ξηρὰν, πέτραν διέῤῥηξε, τὰ στοιχεῖα μετέβαλε· πολλῷ μᾶλλον ἑνὸς ἀνδρὸς περιγίνε ται.

δʹ. Ἦλθε τοίνυν πρὸς τοὺς ἄνδρας, καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· Τί δοθήσεται τῷ ἀνδρὶ

τῷ αἴροντι τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ; Περὶ μισθῶν διαλέγεται, οὐχ ἵνα λάβῃ μισθὸν, ἀλλ' ἵνα τούτους εἰς πίστιν ἀγάγῃ. Τί οὖν οἱ ἀδελφοί; Πάλιν φθόνος. πά λιν βασκανία. Ἐπὶ τί ἀφῆκας τὰ μικρὰ πρόβατα ἐκεῖνα; Ἡμεῖς οἴδαμεν τὴν ὑπερηφανίαν καὶ τὴν κακίαν τῆς καρδίας σου. Ὢ φθόνος παθῶν πεπληρωμένος, πῦρ μὴ σβεννύμε νον! Καὶ γὰρ καθάπερ σκώληξ τὸ ἔριον διεσθίει, οὕτω καὶ ὁ φθόνος τὸν μὲν φθονοῦντα διατήκει, τὸν δὲ φθο νούμενον λαμπρότερον κατασκευάζει. Οὕτω καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰωσὴφ καὶ τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ φθονήσαντες ἀπὸ ἐλευθερίας εἰς δουλείαν καθίσταντο· ὁ δὲ φθονηθεὶς βασιλεὺς ἐγένετο. Πάλιν οὖν οἱ ἀδελφοί·