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he paid the just penalty, and taught all through the punishment, how great is the power of God in those vessels, and that He was not deprived of His own unwillingly, but willingly gave them up on account of the great lawlessness of the people. This He had also done long ago in the case of the ark. For since Hophni and Phinehas, the lawless and abominable sons of Eli the priest, took it and went out to aid their countrymen, God rebuked their impiety, deeming them worthy of no providence, but delivering them to a worthy slaughter, and the ark to the foreigners; again chastening Israel, and teaching that He had no need of the ark, but had made it for their sake, and that its use was superfluous to them, who fearlessly transgressed the divine law, and chose to live in impiety. And so that the foreigners would not become proud, as if they themselves had prevailed over God (for they thought the ark itself was the God of the Jews, using the construction of their own idols as proof), and so that they would not draw 81.1273 much harm from this, as though having captured the God of the Jews, and having dedicated something like a trophy of victory to their own gods; He causes Dagon, the idol worshipped by them, to fall and be shattered before the ark, and to show the posture of worship, and to confess defeat by the events, and to show the servitude of the demon dwelling within; and this not once, but twice and many times. He also inflicts various plagues upon them, until they returned the ark, and offered up votive offerings signifying the punishment. Thus, the benefit was twofold, both then and in the time of Nebuchadnezzar; for the brief concession made by God benefited not only the Jews, but also the barbarians. 3, 4. "And the king said to Ashpenaz, the chief of his eunuchs, to bring in from the sons of the captivity of the sons of Israel, and from the royal seed, and from the phorthommin; young men, in whom there is no blemish, handsome in appearance, and understanding in all wisdom, and knowing knowledge and wisdom, and conceiving prudence, in whom there is strength, to stand in the house of the king, and to teach them the letters and language of the Chaldeans." The God of all, therefore, chose the foolish things of the world, and the weak, and the despised, so that through these He might shame the wise and the powerful; but men seek beauty of body, and size, and strength, and wisdom, not that which knows divine things, but that which is adorned with eloquence. It is possible, therefore, to learn from this as well how great the difference is between the divine and the human. It also reveals the arrogance of the king, in that he wished to take as servants not only the other captives, but also those who were of the royal lineage. Nevertheless, here is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which he foretold to king Hezekiah. "Hear, he says, the word of the Lord of Sabaoth, which he spoke to me: Behold, the days are coming, and they shall take all that is in your house, and whatever your fathers have gathered up until this day will come to Babylon, and they shall leave nothing behind, said God; for they shall also take from your children whom you shall beget, and they shall make them eunuchs in the house of the king of the Babylonians." Reminding us of this prophecy, the blessed Daniel says that the king commanded to bring in from the captivity of the sons of Israel, and from the royal seed, and from the phorthommin. And he called the virgins "phorthommin" in the Hebrew tongue; but Symmachus interpreted "porthmin" as the chosen ones. 81.1276 5, 6. "And the king appointed for them a daily portion from the king's table, and from the wine of his drinking, and to nourish them for three years, and after this for them to stand before the king. And there were among them from the sons of Judah, Daniel, and Hananiah, and Azariah, and Mishael." Here, therefore, it teaches us the generosity of the king, that not as to captives of war some mean thing and

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τὴν ἀξίαν ἔτισε δίκην, ἐδίδαξε δὲ ἅπαντας διὰ τῆς τιμωρίας, πόση τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡ δύναμις τῶν σκευῶν ἐκείνων, καὶ ὅτι οὐκ ἄκων ἀπεστερήθη τῶν ἑαυτοῦ, ἀλλ' ἑκὼν αὐτὰ προὔ δωκε διὰ τὴν πολλὴν τοῦ λαοῦ παρανομίαν. Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς κιβωτοῦ πάλαι πεποίηκεν. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ Ὠφνὶ καὶ Φινεὲς, οἱ Ἡλὶ τοῦ ἱερέως παῖδες παράνομοι καὶ βδελυροὶ, ταύτην λαβόντες εἰς ἐπι κουρίαν τῶν ὁμοφύλων ἐξῆλθον, ἐλέγχει μὲν αὐτῶν τὴν ἀσέβειαν ὁ Θεὸς, οὐδεμιᾶς ἀξιώσας προνοίας, ἀξίᾳ δὲ σφαγῇ παραδοὺς, τὴν δὲ κιβωτὸν τοῖς ἀλ λοφύλοις· πάλιν τὸν Ἰσραὴλ παιδεύων, καὶ διδάσκων, ὡς οὐκ αὐτῷ χρεία τῆς κιβωτοῦ, ἀλλ' αὐτῶν ἕνεκεν αὐτὴν κατεσκεύασε, περιττὴ δὲ αὐτοῖς ἡ ταύτης χρεία, ἀδεῶς τὸν θεῖον νόμον παραβαίνουσι, καὶ ἀσεβείᾳ συζῇν προαιρουμένοις. Ἵνα δὲ μὴ μέγα φρονήσαντες οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι, ὡς αὐτοὶ περιγενόμενοι τοῦ Θεοῦ (ἐνόμιζον γὰρ τὴν κιβωτὸν αὐτὸν εἶναι τὸν τῶν Ἰουδαίων Θεὸν, τεκμηρίῳ χρώμενοι τῇ τῶν οἰ κείων εἰδώλων κατασκευῇ), καὶ ἵνα μὴ πολλὴν ἐν 81.1273 τεῦθεν ἐπισπάσωνται βλάβην, ὡς αἰχμάλωτον λα βόντες τὸν τῶν Ἰουδαίων Θεὸν, καὶ οἷόν τι ἀριστεῖον τοῖς οἰκείοις ἀνατεθεικότες θεοῖς· παρασκευάζει μὲν τὸν ∆αγὼν, τὸ ὑπ' αὐτῶν προσκυνούμενον εἴδωλον, πεσεῖν τε καὶ πρὸ τῆς κιβωτοῦ συντριβῆναι, καὶ τὸ τῆς προσκυνήσεως ὑποδεῖξαι σχῆμα, καὶ ὁμολογῆσαι διὰ τῶν πραγμάτων τὴν ἧτταν, καὶ τὴν τοῦ ἐνοι κοῦντος δαίμονος ὑποδεῖξαι δουλείαν· καὶ τοῦτο οὐχ ἅπαξ, ἀλλὰ καὶ δὶς καὶ πολλάκις. Ἐπιφέρει δὲ καὶ αὐτοῖς διαφόρους πληγὰς, ἕως οὗ τὴν κιβωτὸν ἀπ έδοσαν, καὶ ἀναθέματα δηλοῦντα τὴν τιμωρίαν ἀνέθεσαν. ∆ιπλῆ τοίνυν καὶ τηνικαῦτα, καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ναβουχοδονόσορ ἡ ὠφέλεια γεγένηται· οὐ γὰρ μόνον Ἰουδαίους, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς βαρβάρους ὠφέλησεν ἡ πρὸς βραχὺ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ γενομένη συγχώρησις. γʹ, δʹ. "Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἀσφανὲζ τῷ ἀρχιευνούχῳ αὑτοῦ, εἰσαγαγεῖν ἀπὸ τῶν υἱῶν τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ σπέρ ματος τῆς βασιλείας, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν φορθομμίν· νεανίσκους, ἐν οἷς οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν αὐτοῖς μῶμος, κα λοὺς τῇ ὄψει, καὶ συνιέντας ἐν πάσῃ σοφίᾳ, καὶ γινώσκοντας γνῶσιν καὶ σοφίαν, καὶ διανοουμένους φρόνησιν, ἐν οἷς ἐστιν ἰσχὺς ἐν αὐτοῖς, τοῦ ἑστά ναι ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ τοῦ διδάξαι αὐ τοὺς γράμματα καὶ γλώσσας Χαλδαίων." Ὁ μὲν οὖν ὅλων Θεὸς ἐξελέξατο τὰ μωρὰ τοῦ κόσμου, καὶ τὰ ἀσθενῆ, καὶ τὰ ἐξουθενημένα, ἵνα διὰ τούτων καταισχύνῃ τοὺς σοφοὺς καὶ δυνατούς· ἄνθρωποι δὲ σωμάτων ὥραν, καὶ μέγεθος, καὶ ῥώμην ἐπιζητοῦσι, καὶ σοφίαν, οὐ τὴν τὰ θεῖα γινώσκουσαν, ἀλλὰ τὴν εὐγλωττίᾳ κεκομψευμένην. Ἔστι τοίνυν καὶ ἐν τεῦθεν μαθεῖν, ὁπόσον τῶν θείων καὶ ἀνθρωπίνων τὸ μέσον. ∆ηλοῖ δὲ τοῦ βασιλέως τὴν ἀλαζονείαν, τὸ μὴ μόνον τοὺς ἄλλους αἰχμαλώτους ὑπηρέτας ἐθελῆσαι λαβεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοὺς ἐκ τοῦ βασιλικοῦ γένους ὑπάρ χοντας. Πληροῦται δὲ ὅμως ἐνταῦθα ἡ Ἡσαΐου πρόῤ ῥησις, ἣν Ἐζεκίᾳ βασιλεῖ προεῖπεν. "Ἄκουσον, φησὶ, τὸν λόγον Κυρίου Σαβαὼθ, ὃν ἐλάλησε πρός με· Ἰδοὺ ἡμέραι ἔρχονται, καὶ λήψονται πάντα τὰ ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ σου, καὶ ὅσα συνήγαγον οἱ πατέρες σου ἕως τῆς ἡμέρας ταύτης εἰς Βαβυλῶνα ἥξει, καὶ οὐδὲν οὐ μὴ καταλίπωσιν, εἶπεν ὁ Θεός· ὅτι καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν τέκνων σου ὧν γεννήσεις λήψονται, καὶ ποιήσουσι σπάδοντας ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ βασιλέως τῶν Βαβυλωνίων." Ταύτης ἡμᾶς τῆς προφητείας ἀναμι μνήσκων ὁ μακάριος ∆ανιὴλ, φησὶ προστάξαι τὸν βασιλέα εἰσαγαγεῖν ἀπὸ τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας τῶν υἱῶν Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ σπέρματος τῆς βασιλείας, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν φορθομμίν. Φορθομμὶν δὲ τὰς παρθένους ἐκάλεσε τῇ Ἑβραίων φωνῇ· ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος τὸ πόρθμιν ἐπιλέκτους ἡρμήνευσε. 81.1276 εʹ, ϛʹ. "Καὶ ἔταξεν αὐτοῖς ὁ βασιλεὺς τὸ τῆς ἡμέρας καθ' ἡμέραν ἀπὸ τῆς τραπέζης τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ οἴνου τοῦ πότου τοῦ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐκ θρέψαι αὐτοὺς ἔτη τρία, καὶ μετὰ ταῦτα στῆναι αὐτοὺς ἐνώπιον τοῦ βασιλέως. Καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν αὐ τοῖς ἐκ τῶν υἱῶν Ἰούδα, ∆ανιὴλ, καὶ Ἀνανίας, καὶ Ἀζαρίας, καὶ Μισαήλ." Ἐνταῦθα μὲν οὖν τὴν τοῦ βασιλέως ἡμᾶς διδάσκει φιλοτιμίαν, ὅτι οὐχ ὡς δορυαλώτοις εὐτελῆ τινα καὶ