Maximus the Confessor, Life

Shephelah and the plain, and who are the vinedressers, and what is the hill country and Carmel? and what, " Because he was a farmer?"............................................................................................. 141

QUESTION 49. ........................................................................................................ 146 What is it again in the same book: "And Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come, and

his face was set to make war, in (Sgt. on) Jerusalem; and he took counsel with his elders and mighty men, to stop up the waters of the springs, which were outside the city; and they helped him. And he gathered a great host, and stopped up the waters of the springs, and the river that flowed through the city?" What do these things mean in theory?................................................................................... 146

QUESTION 50. . .......................................................................................................... 152 What again is the meaning in the same book, of this: "And Hezekiah the king prayed,

and Isaiah the son of Amoz the prophet concerning these things; and they cried to heaven. And the Lord sent an angel, and destroyed every mighty man and warrior and ruler and commander in the camp of the king of Assyria; and he returned with shame of face to his own land. " ....................................... 152

QUESTION 51. ......................................................................................................... 156 "And many brought gifts to the Lord to Jerusalem, and presents to Hezekiah

king of Judah. And he was exalted in the sight of all the nations". What are the gifts, and what are the presents? and what is it to be exalted in the sight of all the nations. ... 156

QUESTION 52. . ........................................................................................................ 161 " And Hezekiah did not repay according to the recompense that God had given him;

but his heart was lifted up, and wrath came upon him, and upon Judah and upon Jerusalem; and Hezekiah was humbled from the height of his heart, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and the wrath of the Lord did not come upon them in the days of Hezekiah. " What is the recompense, and the rest? .......................................... 161

(501) QUESTION 53. .............................................................................................. 165 Again concerning Hezekiah he says, "And they buried him in the ascent of the tombs of the sons of David;

and all Judah gave him glory and honor at his death, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem." What is, " In the ascent of the tombs of the sons of David, " and the rest?.................................................................................................................................. 165

QUESTION 54. . ........................................................................................................ 168 In the first book of Esdras it is written concerning Zerubbabel: "And when the young man went out,

lifting up his face to heaven toward Jerusalem, he blessed the King of heaven, saying. From you is the victory, and from you is the wisdom, and yours is the glory; and I am your servant. Blessed are you, who have given me wisdom; and to you I give thanks, O Lord of the fathers. " What does it mean, " Lifting up his face to heaven toward Jerusalem," and the rest? ........................................................................... 168

QUESTION 55. . ........................................................................................................ 178 " All these were from Israel from twelve years old and upward, apart from children

and women, four myriads, three thousand three hundred sixty. Their male and female servants, seven thousand three hundred seven. Male singers and female singers, eight hundred fifty-five. Camels, four hundred thirty-five. And horses, seven thousand seven hundred thirty-six. Mules, eight hundred forty-five; beasts of burden, five thousand five hundred twenty-five;" Kindly explain such great and lofty things spoken by the Holy Spirit through the prophet concerning the return from the sixth captivity. What is this great humility, and inopportune narrative, and unworthiness of the Spirit, to mention camels and horses and mules and asses, and these with precise number? ................................................................... 178

QUESTION 16.......................................................................................................... 192

Σεφιλά καί ἡ πεδεινή, τίνες τε οἱ ἀμπελουργοί, καί τίς ἡ ὀρεινή καί ὁ Κάρμηλος; καί τί, " Ὅτι γεωργός ἦν;"............................................................................................. 141

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΜΘ΄. ........................................................................................................ 146 Τί ἐστι πάλιν ἐν τῇ αὐτῇ βίβλῳ· "Καί εἶδεν Ἐζεκίας ὅτι ἤκει Σενναχειρίμ, καί

τό πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ τοῦ πολεμῆσαι, ἐν (Sgt. ἐπί) Ἱερουσαλήμ· καί ἐβουλεύσατο μετά πρεσβυτέρων αὐτοῦ καί δυνατῶν, ἐμφράξαι τά ὕδατα τῶν πηγῶν, ἅ ἦν ἔξω τῆς πόλεως· καί συνεπίσχυσαν αὐτῷ. Καί συνῆγε λαόν πολύν, καί ἐνέφραξε τά ὕδατα τῶν πηγῶν, καί τόν ποταμόν τόν διορίζοντα διά τῆς πόλεως;" Τί θέλει ταῦτα σημαίνειν κατά θεωρίαν;................................................................................... 146

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ Ν΄ . .......................................................................................................... 152 Τί ἐστι πάλιν τό σημαινόμενον ἐν τῇ αὐτῇ βίβλῳ, τό· "Καί προσηύξατο

Ἐζεκίας ὁ βασιλεύς, καί Ἡσαΐας υἱός Ἀμώς ὁ προφήτης περί τούτων· καί ἐβόησαν εἰς τόν οὐρανόν. Καί ἀπέστειλε Κύριος ἄγγελον, καί ἐξέτριψε πάντα δυνατόν καί πολεμιστήν καί ἄρχοντα καί στρατηγόν ἐν τῇ παρεμβολῇ βασιλέως Ἀσσούρ· καί ἀπέστρεψε μετ᾿ αἰσχύνης προσώπου εἰς τήν γῆν αὐτοῦ. " ....................................... 152

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΝΑ΄ ......................................................................................................... 156 "Καί πολλοί ἔφερον δῶρα τῷ Κυρίῳ εἰς Ἱερουσαλήμ, καί δόματα τῷ Ἐζεκίᾳ

βασιλεῖ Ἰούδα. Καί ὑπερήρθη κατ᾿ ὀφθαλμούς πάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν". Τί τά δῶρα, καί τί τά δόματα; καί τί τό ὑπεραρθῆναι κατ᾿ ὀφθαλμούς πάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν. ... 156

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΝΒ΄ . ........................................................................................................ 161 " Καί οὐ κατά τό ἀνταπόδομα ὅ ἀνταπέδωκεν αὐτῷ ὁ Θεός ἀνταπέδωκεν

Ἐζεκίας· ἀλλ᾿ ὑψώθη ἡ καρδία αὐτοῦ, καί ἐγένετο ἐπ᾿ αὐτόν ὀργή, καί ἐπί Ἰούδαν καί ἐπί Ἱερουσαλήμ· καί ἐταπεινώθη Ἐζεκίας ἀπό τοῦ ὕψους τῆς καρδίας αὐτοῦ, καί οἱ κατοικοῦντες Ἱερουσαλήμ· καί οὐκ ἐπῆλθεν ἐπ᾿ αὐτούς ὀργή Κυρίου ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις Ἐζεκίου. " Τί τό ἀνταπόδομά ἐστι, καί τά ἑξῆς; .......................................... 161

(501) ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΝΓ΄ . .............................................................................................. 165 Πάλιν περί Ἐζεκίου φησί, "Καί ἔθαψαν αὐτόν ἐν ἀναβάσει τάφων υἱῶν ∆αβίδ·

καί δόξαν καί τιμήν ἔδωκαν αὐτῷ ἐν τῷ θανάτῳ αὐτοῦ πᾶς Ἰούδα, καί οἱ κατοικοῦντες Ἱερουσαλήμ." Τί ἐστι τό, " Ἐν ἀναβάσει τάφων υἱῶν ∆αβίδ, " καί τά ἑξῆς;.................................................................................................................................. 165

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ Ν∆΄ . ........................................................................................................ 168 Ἐν τῶ πρώτῳ Ἔσδρᾳ γέγραπται περί τοῦ Ζοροβάβελ· "Καί ὅτε ἐξῆλθεν ὁ

νεανίσκος, ἅρας τό πρόσωπον εἰς τόν οὐρανόν ἐναντίον Ἱερουσαλήμ, εὐλόγησε τῷ Βασιλεῖ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, λέγων. Παρά σοῦ ἡ νίκη, καί παρά σοῦ ἡ σοφία, καί σοῦ ἡ δόξα· καί ἐγώ σός οἰκέτης. Εὐλογητός εἶ, ὅς ἔδωκάς μοι σοφίαν· καί σοί ὁμολογῶ, ∆έσποτα τῶν πατέρων. " Τί σημαίνει, τό, " Ἄρας τό πρόσωπον εἰς τόν οὐρανόν ἐναντίον Ἱερουσαλήμ," καί τά ἑξῆς; ........................................................................... 168

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΝΕ΄ . ........................................................................................................ 178 " Οἱ δέ πάντες ἦσαν ἐξ Ἰσραήλ ἀπό δωδεκαετοῦς, καί ἐπάνω, χωρίς παίδων

καί γυναικῶν, μυριάδες τέσσαρες τρισχίλιοι τριακόσιοι ἑξήκοντα. Παῖδες τούτων καί παιδίσκαι, ἑπτακισχίλιοι τριακόσιοι ἑπτά. Ψάλται καί ψαλτῳδοί, ὀκτακόσιοι πεντήκοντα πέντε. Κάμηλοι τετρακόσιοι τριάκοντα πέντε. Καί ἵπποι ἑπτακισχίλιοι ἑπτακόσιοι τριάκοντα ἕξ. Ἡμίονοι ὀκτακόσιοι τεσσαράκοντα πέντε· ὑποζύγια πεντακισχίλια πεντακόσια εἴκοσι πέντε·" Ποίησον ἀγάπην τοιούτων μεγάλων καί ὑψηλῶν περί τῆς ἕκτης αἰχμαλωσίας ἐπανόδου ὑπό τοῦ ἁγίου Πνεύματος διά τοῦ προφήτου εἰρημένων. Τίς ἡ τοσαύτη ταπεινότης, καί ἀκαιρόγραφος ἐξήγησις, καί ἀναξιότης τοῦ Πνεύματος, καμήλων μνημονεῦσαι καί ἵππων καί ἡμιόνων καί ὄνων, καί ταῦτα μετ᾿ ἀκριβείας ἀριθμοῦ; ................................................................... 178

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ Ιστ΄.......................................................................................................... 192