John Chrysostom, On Anna I

having taken him within the rampart, and being lord to slay him, he spared him; and this, when those present were urging him to thrust in the sword. But neither the ease of his power, nor the being provoked by others, nor the having suffered many terrible things, nor the expectation of suffering worse things, allowed him to draw the sword; and yet he would not have been found out by the army for committing this slaughter. For it was a cave, and no one else was present, but he alone. And he did not say, what a certain man committing adultery said, 'Darkness is around me, and walls; what do I fear?' but he saw the sleepless eye, and knew that 'the eyes of the Lord are ten thousand times brighter than the sun.' For this reason he did and said all things as if He were present and judging what was said, and he says: 'I will not stretch forth my hand against the Lord's anointed.' I do not see the wickedness, but I see the dignity. Let no one say to me that this man is violent and defiled; for I honor the choice of God, even if this man appears unworthy. For it is not my charge, that this man should appear unworthy of the honor. Let all who despise priests hear, let them learn how much reverence this man showed for a king. And yet a priest is much more honorable and venerable than a king, inasmuch as he has been called to a greater office. Let them learn not to judge, nor to demand an account, but to submit and yield. For you do not know the life of the priest, even if it is base and neglected; but this man knew with exactness all that Saul had done; but nevertheless even so he respected the authority given by God. But that even if you know exactly, you have no defense, nor excuse, for despising those in authority and disobeying what they say, hear how Christ also took away this pretext of ours, through what he says in the Gospels, 'The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: all therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works.' Do you see how, of those whose life was so corrupt as to be worthy of slander by their disciples, he did not dishonor their exhortation, nor cast out their teaching? But I say these things, not wishing to accuse the priests; may it not be so; for you yourselves are witnesses both of their conduct and of all their reverence; but so that from great abundance we may offer them great respect and honor. For we will not benefit them so much as ourselves. Therefore he that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's 54.649 reward. For if we were not permitted to judge one another's lives, much more those of the fathers. But as I was saying (for it is necessary to return again to this woman), that to bear insults nobly becomes for us a cause of many good things, this also happened in the case of Job. For I do not so much admire him before the advice of his wife, as after that destructive counsel. And let no one think what is said to be paradoxical. For often, those whom the nature of events did not trip up, a corrupt word and advice has destroyed. Therefore the devil, being aware of this, after the blow from the trial, brings on also the attack through words; which is what he also did in the case of David. For when he saw him nobly bearing the rebellion of his son, and that lawless tyranny, wishing to trip up his mind, and to persuade him to fall into anger, he sent forth that Shimei, having prepared him with bitter words to bite his soul. This he also worked evilly in the case of Job. For when he saw that he too mocked his arrows, and stood nobly like an adamantine tower against everything, he armed the wife, so that the counsel might be unsuspected, and hid the poison in her words, and made a tragedy of the misfortune. What then did that noble man do? 'Why have you spoken as one of the foolish women? If we have received good things from the hand of the Lord, shall we not endure the evil things?' What he says is something like this: If he were not a Master, nor so far superior to us, but some friend of equal rank, what kind of

τειχίου λαβὼν, καὶ κύριος ὢν ἀποσφάξαι, ἐφείσατο· καὶ ταῦτα, τῶν παρόντων κελευόντων ὠθῆσαι τὸ ξίφος. Ἀλλ' οὔτε τὸ τῆς ἐξουσίας εὔκολον, οὔτε τὸ παρ' ἑτέρων παροξύνεσθαι, οὔτε τὸ πολλὰ πεπονθέναι δεινὰ, οὔτε τὸ προσδοκᾷν πείσεσθαι χαλεπώτερα, συνεχώρησεν ἑλκύσαι τὸ ξίφος· καίτοι γε οὐδὲ τῷ στρατοπέδῳ κατάφωρος ἔμελλεν ἔσεσθαι ταύτην ἐργασάμενος τὴν σφαγήν. Σπήλαιον γὰρ ἦν, καὶ οὐδεὶς ἕτερος παρῆν, ἀλλὰ μόνος αὐτός. Καὶ οὐκ εἶπεν, ὅπερ τις μοιχείαν ἐργαζόμενος ἔλεγε, Σκότος κύκλῳ μου καὶ τοῖχοι, τί εὐλαβοῦμαι; ἀλλ' ἑώρα τὸν ἀκοίμητον ὀφθαλμὸν, καὶ ᾔδει ὅτι ὀφθαλμοὶ Κυρίου μυριοπλασίως ἡλίου φωτεινότεροι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο πάντα οὕτως ἔπραττέ τε καὶ ἔλεγεν, ὡς ἐκείνου παρόντος, καὶ δικάζοντος τοῖς λεγομένοις, καί φησιν· Οὐ μὴ ἐπαγάγω τὴν χεῖρά μου ἐπὶ χριστὸν Κυρίου. Οὐχ ὁρῶ τὴν πονηρίαν, ἀλλ' ὁρῶ τὴν ἀξίαν. Μή μοι λεγέτω τις ὅτι βίαιος καὶ μιαρὸς οὗτος· ἐγὼ γὰρ τὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ τιμῶ ψῆφον, κἂν οὗτος ἀνάξιος φαίνηται. Οὐ γάρ ἐστιν ἐμὸν ἔγκλημα, τὸ τοῦτον ἀνάξιον φανῆναι τῆς τιμῆς. Ἀκουέτωσαν ὅσοι καταφρονοῦσιν ἱερέων, μανθανέτωσαν ὅσην εὐλάβειαν οὗτος περὶ βασιλέα ἐπεδείξατο. Καίτοι πολὺ τιμιώτερος καὶ αἰδεσιμώτερος βασιλέως ὁ ἱερεὺς, ὅσον καὶ ἐπὶ μείζονα ἀρχὴν κέκληται. Μανθανέτωσαν μὴ κρίνειν, μηδὲ εὐθύνας ἀπαιτεῖν, ἀλλ' ὑποτάσσεσθαι καὶ εἴκειν. Σὺ μὲν γὰρ τὸν τοῦ ἱερέως βίον, κἂν φαῦλος ᾖ τις καὶ ἠμελημένος, οὐκ οἶδας· οὗτος δὲ ᾔδει μετ' ἀκριβείας ἅπαντα, ὅσα ἐποίησεν ὁ Σαούλ· ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ οὕτως ᾐδεῖτο τὴν παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ δοθεῖσαν ἀρχήν. Ὅτι δὲ κἂν εἰδὼς ᾖς ἀκριβῶς, οὐκ ἔχεις ἀπολογίαν, οὐδὲ συγγνώμην, καταφρονῶν τῶν προεστώτων, καὶ παρακούων τῶν λεγομένων, ἄκουσον πῶς καὶ ταύτην ἡμῶν ἀνεῖλε τὴν πρόφασιν ὁ Χριστὸς, δι' ὧν φησιν ἐν Εὐαγγελίοις, Ἐπὶ τῆς καθέδρας Μωϋσέως ἐκάθισαν οἱ γραμματεῖς, καὶ οἱ Φαρισαῖοι· πάντα οὖν ὅσα ἂν εἴπωσιν ὑμῖν ποιεῖν, ποιεῖτε· κατὰ δὲ τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν μὴ ποιεῖτε. Ὁρᾷς πῶς ὧν ὁ βίος οὕτω διεφθαρμένος ἦν, ὡς ἄξιος εἶναι διαβολῆς τοῖς μαθητευομένοις, τούτων τὴν παραίνεσιν οὐκ ἠτίμασεν, οὐδὲ τὴν διδαχὴν ἐξέβαλε; Ταῦτα δὲ λέγω, οὐχὶ τῶν ἱερέων κατηγορεῖν βουλόμενος· μὴ γένοιτο· καὶ γὰρ ὑμεῖς μάρτυρες ἦτε τῆς τε ἀναστροφῆς αὐτῶν καὶ τῆς εὐλαβείας ἁπάσης· ἀλλ' ἵνα ἐκ πολλῆς τῆς περιουσίας πολλὴν αὐτοῖς τὴν αἰδῶ καὶ τὴν τιμὴν παρέχωμεν. Οὐ γὰρ αὐτοὺς τοσοῦτον, ὅσον ἡμᾶς αὐτοὺς ὠφελήσομεν. Ὁ δεχόμενος οὖν προφήτην εἰς ὄνομα προφήτου, μισθὸν προ 54.649 φήτου λήψεται. Εἰ γὰρ τοὺς ἀλλήλων βίους οὐκ ἐπετράπημεν κρίνειν, πολλῷ μᾶλλον τοὺς τῶν πατέρων. Ἀλλ' ὅπερ ἔλεγον πάλιν γὰρ ἐπὶ τὴν γυναῖκα ταύτην ἐπανελθεῖν ἀναγκαῖον, καὶ ὅτι τὸ φέρειν γενναίως τὰς λοιδορίας πολλῶν ἡμῖν ἀγαθῶν αἴτιον γίνεται, τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰὼβ συνέβη. Καὶ γὰρ ἐκεῖνον οὐχ οὕτω θαυμάζω πρὸ τῆς παραινέσεως τῆς γυναικὸς, ὡς μετὰ τὴν ὀλεθρίαν συμβουλὴν ἐκείνην. Καὶ μή τις παράδοξον εἶναι νομιζέτω τὸ λεγόμενον. Πολλάκις γοῦν οὓς ἡ τῶν πραγμάτων φύσις οὐχ ὑπεσκέλισε, ῥῆμα καὶ παραίνεσις διεφθαρμένη κατέλυσεν. Ὅπερ οὖν καὶ ὁ διάβολος συνειδὼς, μετὰ τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς πείρας πληγὴν, καὶ τὴν διὰ τῶν ῥημάτων ἐπάγει προσβολήν· ὅπερ οὖν ἐποίησεν καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ ∆αυΐδ. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ εἶδεν αὐτὸν γενναίως ἐνεγκόντα τὴν ἐπανάστασιν τοῦ παιδὸς, καὶ τὴν παράνομον ἐκείνην τυραννίδα, βουλόμενος ὑποσκελίσαι τὴν διάνοιαν, καὶ πεῖσαι εἰς ὀργὴν ἐκπεσεῖν, καθῆκεν ἐκεῖνον τὸν Σεμεεὶ, ῥήμασι πικροῖς παρασκευάσας δακεῖν αὐτοῦ τὴν ψυχήν. Τοῦτο καὶ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἰὼβ ἐκακούργησεν. Ὡς γὰρ εἶδε κἀκεῖνον καταγελάσαντα αὐτοῦ τῶν βελῶν, καὶ ὥσπερ ἀδαμάντινον πύργον πρὸς πάντα στάντα γενναίως, καθώπλισε τὴν γυναῖκα, ἵνα ἀνύποπτος ἡ συμβουλὴ γένηται, καὶ ἐνέκρυψε τὸ δηλητήριον τοῖς ἐκείνης ῥήμασι, καὶ τὴν συμφορὰν ἐτραγῴδησε. Τί οὖν ὁ γενναῖος ἐκεῖνος; Ἵνα τί ὡς μία τῶν ἀφρόνων γυναικῶν ἐλάλησας; Εἰ τὰ ἀγαθὰ ἐδεξάμεθα ἐκ χειρὸς Κυρίου, τὰ κακὰ οὐχ ὑποίσομεν; Ὃ δὲ λέγει, τοιοῦτόν ἐστιν· Εἰ μὴ ∆εσπότης ἦν, μηδὲ τοσοῦτον ἡμῶν ὑπερέχων, ἀλλὰ φίλος τις ὁμότιμος, ποίαν