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to the watering-trough, and ran to the well to draw and water all the camels. Great was the woman's hospitality, and great her modesty, and both these things can be best learned from what she did and from what she said. Do you see how neither did her modesty mar her hospitality, nor did her hospitality corrupt her modesty? For to not run up to him first, nor to greet the man, was a sign of modesty; but when asked, to not refuse, nor to deny, was a sign of great hospitality and love for mankind. For just as if she had run up first and spoken to him when he had said nothing, it would have been a sign of forwardness and shamelessness; so too, if she had turned him away when he asked, it would have been a sign of cruelty and inhumanity. But now she did neither of these things; neither did she mar her hospitality on account of her modesty, nor again did she diminish the praise of her modesty on account of her hospitality, but she displayed each virtue in its entirety, showing her modesty by waiting for the request, and her unspeakable hospitality by providing after the request. For it was a sign of unspeakable hospitality to give not only what he asked, but also to provide something more than what was requested. And if it was water that was given, of this she was then the mistress. But people are accustomed to judge the hospitable not by the lavishness of what is given, but by the means from which they provide, 51.237 since God praised the one who gave a cup of cold water, and said that she who put in two mites had put in more than all, because she then put in all that she had. So too did she entertain that noble man with these things, of which she had nothing more to offer him. And it is not simply added, 'She hurried,' and 'she ran,' and such things, but so that you may learn the eagerness with which she did the deed, not unwillingly, nor under compulsion, nor with difficulty, nor with indignation. And that this is no small thing, we have often asked someone passing by, holding a torch, to stop for a moment so we might light ours, or carrying water, so we might have a drink, and he did not endure it, but was annoyed; but she not only lowered her jar for him, but also watered all his camels, enduring so much labor, and bringing the service of her body to her hospitality with great graciousness; for not only doing it, but doing it eagerly, shows her virtue; she calls a man 'lord' whom she did not know and who had then appeared for the first time. And just as her father-in-law Abraham did not ask those passing by, 'Who are you, and from where? and where are you going? and from where have you come?' but simply reaped the fruit of hospitality; so also she did not say, 'Who are you, and from where, and for what reason have you come?' but having reaped the abundance of hospitality, she let go of all superfluous things. For those who buy pearls, and receive gold, seek this one thing only, how they may profit from those who have the goods, not how they might pry into their affairs; and she seeks this one thing only, how she may receive the fruit of hospitality, how she might receive her reward in full. She knew this clearly, that the stranger most of all is shy; for this reason he requires much friendliness, and an uninquisitive modesty; if, therefore, we are going to be inquisitive and meddlesome toward him, he hesitates and shrinks back, and approaches unpleasantly. For this reason she did not do this in his case, nor did her father-in-law in the case of the strangers, so as not to scare away the prey; but he served those passing by only, and reaping through them what he wished, he thus sent them on their way. 8. For this reason he also once entertained angels; for if he had been inquisitive, the reward awaiting him would have been diminished. For we marvel at him, not because he entertained angels, but because he entertained them unknowingly. For if he had served them knowing who they were, he would have done nothing marvelous, of the

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εἰς τὸ ποτιστήριον, καὶ ἔδραμεν ἐπὶ τὸ φρέαρ ἀντλῆσαι καὶ ὑδρεύσασθαι πάσαις ταῖς καμήλοις. Πολλὴ μὲν τῆς γυναικὸς ἡ φιλοξενία, πολλὴ δὲ ἡ σωφροσύνη, καὶ ἀμφότερα ταῦτα καὶ ἀφ' ὧν ἐποίησε, καὶ ἀφ' ὧν εἶπε, μάλιστα ἔστι καταμαθεῖν. Εἶδες πῶς οὔτε ἡ σωφροσύνη τὴν φιλοξενίαν ἐλυμήνατο, οὔτε ἡ φιλοξενία τὴν σωφροσύνην διέφθειρε; Τὸ μὲν γὰρ μὴ προτέραν ἐπιδραμεῖν, μηδὲ προσειπεῖν τὸν ἄνδρα, σωφροσύνης ἦν· τὸ δὲ αἰτηθεῖσαν μὴ ἀνανεῦσαι, μηδὲ ἀρνήσασθαι, φιλοξενίας καὶ φιλανθρωπίας πολλῆς. Ὥσπερ γὰρ εἰ προτέρα προσέδραμε, καὶ μηδὲν εἰπόντι διελέχθη, ἰταμότητος ἦν καὶ ἀναισχυντίας· οὕτως, εἰ παρακαλέσαντα διεκρούσατο, ὠμότητος ἦν καὶ ἀπανθρωπίας. Νῦν δὲ οὐδέτερον τούτων ἐποίησεν· οὔτε διὰ τὴν σωφροσύνην τὴν φιλοξενίαν ἐλυμήνατο, οὐδ' αὖ πάλιν διὰ τὴν φιλοξενίαν τὸ τῆς σωφροσύνης ἐγκώμιον ὑπετέμετο, ἀλλ' ὁλόκληρον ἑκατέραν ἐπεδείξατο τὴν ἀρετὴν, τῷ μὲν ἀναμεῖναι τὴν αἴτησιν τὴν σωφροσύνην ἐπιδεικνυμένη, τῷ δὲ παρασχεῖν μετὰ τὴν αἴτησιν τὴν φιλοξενίαν τὴν ἄφατον. Καὶ γὰρ ἀφάτου φιλοξενίας ἦν, τὸ μὴ μόνον ὅπερ ᾔτησε δοῦναι, ἀλλὰ καὶ πλέον τι παρασχεῖν τῶν αἰτηθέντων. Εἰ δὲ ὕδωρ ἦν τὸ διδόμενον, τούτου κυρία ἦν τότε. Τοὺς δὲ φιλοξένους οὐκ ἀπὸ τῆς πολυτελείας τῶν διδομένων, ἀλλ' ἀπὸ τῆς δυνάμεως, ἧς παρέχουσι, κρίνειν εἰώθα 51.237 σιν· ἐπεὶ καὶ τὸν ποτήριον δόντα ψυχροῦ ὁ Θεὸς ἐπῄνεσε, καὶ τὴν δύο λεπτὰ καταβαλοῦσαν πάντων πλέον καταβεβληκέναι ἔφη, ἐπειδὴ πάντα, ἅπερ εἶχε, τότε κατέβαλεν. Οὕτω καὶ αὕτη τούτοις τὸν γενναῖον ἐκεῖνον ἐξένισεν, ὧν οὐδὲν εἶχε πλέον αὐτῷ παρασχεῖν. Οὐχ ἁπλῶς δὲ πρόσκειται τὸ, Ἔσπευσε, καὶ ἔδραμε, καὶ ὅσα τοιαῦτα, ἀλλ' ἵνα μάθῃς τὴν προθυμίαν, μεθ' ἧς ἐποίει τὸ πρᾶγμα, οὐκ ἄκουσα, οὐδὲ ἀναγκαζομένη, οὐδὲ δυσχεραίνουσα, οὐδὲ ἀγανακτοῦσα. Καὶ ὅτι οὐ μικρὸν τοῦτό ἐστι, πολλάκις παριόντα τινὰ στῆναι μικρὸν ᾐτήσαμεν δᾷδα κατέχοντα, ἵνα ἅψωμεν, ἢ ὕδωρ βαστάζοντα, ὥστε ἀποπιεῖν, καὶ οὐκ ἠνέσχετο, ἀλλ' ἐδυσχέρανεν· ἐκείνη δὲ οὐ μόνον ἀπέκλινεν αὐτῷ τὴν ὑδρίαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ταῖς καμήλοις πάσαις ὑδρεύσατο, πόνον τοσοῦτον ἀνασχομένη, καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ σώματος λειτουργίαν εἰς τὴν φιλοξενίαν εἰσενεγκοῦσα μετὰ πολλῆς προσηνείας· οὐ γὰρ τὸ ποιῆσαι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸ προθύμως, δείκνυσιν αὐτῆς τὴν ἀρετήν· κύριον καλεῖ ἄνθρωπον ἀγνῶτα καὶ τότε φανέντα πρῶτον. Καὶ καθάπερ ὁ κηδεστὴς αὐτῆς Ἀβραὰμ οὐκ ἠρώτα τοὺς παριόντας, Τίνες τέ ἐστε, καὶ πόθεν; καὶ ποῦ πορεύεσθε; καὶ πόθεν ἥκατε; ἀλλ' ἁπλῶς τὴν φιλοξενίαν ἐκαρποῦτο· οὕτω καὶ αὕτη οὐκ εἶπε, Τίς εἶ, καὶ πόθεν, καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν παραγέγονας; ἀλλὰ καρπωσαμένη τὴν εὐπορίαν τῆς φιλοξενίας, τὰ περιττὰ πάντα ἀφῆκε. Καὶ γὰρ οἱ μαργαρίτας ὠνούμενοι, καὶ χρυσίον λαμβάνοντες, ἓν τοῦτο ζητοῦσι μόνον, ὅπως κερδαίνοιεν ἀπὸ τῶν ἐχόντων τὰ χρήματα, οὐχ ὅπως αὐτοὺς περιεργάσοιντο· καὶ αὕτη τοῦτο μόνον ζητεῖ, ὅπως δέξηται τὸν τῆς φιλοξενίας καρπὸν, ὅπως λάβοι τὸν μισθὸν ἀπηρτισμένον. Ἤδει τοῦτο σαφῶς, ὅτι ὁ ξένος μάλιστα πάντων αἰσχύνεται· διὰ τοῦτο δεῖται πολλῆς τῆς φιλοφροσύνης, καὶ ἀπεριεργάστου τῆς σωφροσύνης· ἂν τοίνυν μέλλωμεν αὐτὸν περιεργάζεσθαι καὶ πολυπραγμονεῖν, ὀκνεῖ καὶ ἀναδύεται, καὶ ἀηδῶς προσέρχεται. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο οὐδὲ αὕτη τοῦτο ἐποίησεν ἐπὶ τούτου, οὐδὲ ἐπὶ τῶν ξένων ὁ κηδεστὴς ὁ ταύτης, ἵνα μὴ τὴν θήραν ἀποσοβήσῃ· ἀλλ' ἐθεράπευε τοὺς παριόντας μόνον, καὶ καρπούμενος δι' αὐτῶν ὅπερ ἐβούλετο, οὕτως αὐτοὺς ἐξέπεμπε. ηʹ. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἀγγέλους ποτὲ ὑπεδέξατο· ὡς εἴ γε περιειργάζετο, ἠλαττώθη ἂν αὐτῷ ὁ ἐπικείμενος μισθός. Καὶ γὰρ θαυμάζομεν αὐτὸν, οὐχ ὅτι ἀγγέλους ὑπεδέξατο, ἀλλ' ὅτι ἀγνοῶν ὑπεδέξατο. Εἰ μὲν γὰρ εἰδὼς ἐθεράπευσεν, οὐδὲν θαυμαστὸν ἐποίει, τῆς