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288 Jacob and Laban, having made their covenants, called the mound a witness of the covenants. However, history teaches how much a pious and God-loving ruler benefits; "For," it says, "Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua and all the days of the elders who prolonged their time and who saw all the works of the Lord, which he did with Israel." But after their death, they turned aside to impiety; for this the end of the history also taught. But they paid the penalty for their impiety; for, having been stripped of divine care, they were subjected to the yoke of slavery, and they had the king of the Moabites as their master. But the philanthropic Lord, remembering the promise to the fathers, limited their slavery to a period of eighteen years.

289 QUESTIONS ON JUDGES I Why is the book named Judges? Just as the book of Kings has many and various narratives, but was named Kings because it recounts the events that happened to the people during the time of the kings, so also the present book was called Judges, because it teaches the things that happened during the time of popular leadership. However, I think the beginning of this history is a recapitulation of the achievements of Joshua the son of Nun. For it mentions both Adoni-bezek and the war against him, and his defeat and his destruction. And it also mentions Hebron, as being assigned to Caleb, and the destruction of the three giants, Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai, whom it called descendants of Anak. It is likely that their destruction was foretold then, but that the prophecy later reached its fulfillment. II If at that time Jerusalem had been laid waste, how did David later, when he was king, capture it by siege? The people had many changes of fortune, as the history of the Judges teaches. For at one time they were victorious, and at another time they were defeated; and at one time they ruled over the foreigners, 290 and at another time they were enslaved. It is clear, then, that after Jerusalem was burned, the Jebusites rebuilt it again, taking advantage of the people's misfortune. And I think that this book was written later, using as evidence the fact that the history calls this city Jerusalem; for it later received this name, having been named Jebus. III What is, "give me a redemption of water, and a redemption of the upper and a redemption of the lower"? Symmachus and his circle translated "a watering with water"; and instead of "lower", "of the plain". Achsah was prompted by her husband Othniel to ask for a field; she therefore asked for a watering with water; and she received just as she asked not only level land, but also mountainous. For "according to her heart" signifies what is pleasing. He has called the mountainous regions 'upper', and the low-lying regions 'lower'. IV How is it that here he has called the lawgiver's kinsman-by-marriage Hobab, when he was named Jethro and Raguel in those histories? And I have already said that Hobab was his son; but he has called him a father-in-law, as being the wife's brother. For even now many call such persons fathers-in-law. The children of Hobab, therefore, are the grandchildren of Jethro. V What does he call the "city of palm trees"? Jericho. I think it is so called on account of the fruit of the palm trees. For also in the book before this one, as soon as the people had crossed the Jordan, the writer said that: "they ate from the 291 fruit of the land unleavened bread, and that on that very day the manna ceased, after they had eaten from the grain of the land. And there was no longer manna for the sons of Israel; for they enjoyed the fruit of the land of the palm trees in that year." And the second book of Chronicles, narrating about those whom the ten tribes took captive from the tribe of Judah, said thus: "and they brought them to Jericho, the city of palm trees, to their brethren." VI How is it to be understood, "and the Lord was with

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ὁ 288 Ἰακὼβ καὶ ὁ Λάβαν ποιησάμενοι τὰς συνθήκας, τὸν βουνὸν ἐκάλεσαν μάρτυρα τῶν συνθηκῶν. ὅσον μέντοι ὀνίνησιν ἄρχων εὐσεβὴς καὶ φιλό θεος, ἡ ἱστορία διδάσκει· " ἐλάτρευσε, γάρ φησιν, Ἰσραὴλ τῷ Κυρίῳ πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας Ἰησοῦ καὶ πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας τῶν πρεσβυτέρων, ὅσοι ἐφείλκυσαν τὸν χρόνον καὶ ὅσοι εἶδον πάντα τὰ ἔργα Κυ ρίου, ὅσα ἐποίησε μετὰ τοῦ Ἰσραήλ ". μετὰ δὲ τὴν τούτων τελευτήν, ἀπέκλιναν εἰς ἀσέβειαν· τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ τῆς ἱστορίας τὸ τέλος ἐδίδαξεν. ἀλλ' ἔδοσαν δίκας τῆς ἀσεβείας· τῆς γὰρ θείας γυμνωθέν τες κηδεμονίας, ὑπεβλήθησαν τῷ τῆς δουλείας ζυγῷ, καὶ δεσπότην ἔσχον τὸν τῶν μωαβιτῶν βασιλέα. ἀλλ' ὁ φιλάνθρωπος Κύριος τῆς πρὸς τοὺς πατέρας μεμνημένος ἐπαγγελίας ὀκτωκαιδεκαετεῖ χρόνῳ περιώρισε τὴν δουλείαν.

289 QUAESTIONES IN JUDICES I ∆ιὰ τί Κριταὶ τὸ βιβλίον ὠνόμασται; Ὥσπερ τῶν Βασιλειῶν ἡ βίβλος πολλὰ μὲν ἔχει καὶ διάφορα διηγήματα, ὠνομάσθη δὲ Βασιλεῖαι ἐπειδὴ τὰ τῷ λαῷ συμβεβηκότα κατὰ τὸν τῶν βασιλέων καιρὸν ἱστορεῖ, οὕτω καὶ τὸ προκείμενον βιβλίον προσηγορεύθη Κριτῶν, ἐπειδὴ τὰ κατὰ τὸν τῆς δημαγωγίας καιρὸν γεγενημένα δι δάσκει. τὴν μέντοι τῆσδε τῆς ἱστορίας ἀρχὴν ἀνακεφαλαίωσιν οἶμαι εἶναι τῶν ὑπὸ Ἰησοῦ τοῦ Ναυῆ κατορθωμένων. μέμνηται γὰρ καὶ τοῦ Ἀδωνιβεζὲκ καὶ τοῦ κατ' αὐτὸν πολέμου, καὶ ἥττης αὐτοῦ καὶ τῆς ἀναιρέσεως. μέμνηται δὲ καὶ τῆς Χεβρών, ὡς ἀπονεμηθείσης τῷ Χαλέβ, καὶ τῆς τῶν τριῶν γιγάντων ἀναιρέσεως, τοῦ Ἐσσὶ καὶ τοῦ Ἀχιμὰν καὶ τοῦ Θολόμ, οὓς τοῦ Ἐνὰκ ἀπογόνους ὠνόμασεν. εἰκὸς δὲ τότε μὲν προρρηθῆναι τὴν τούτων ἀναίρεσιν, ὕστερον δὲ λαβεῖν τὴν πρόρρησιν τέλος. II Εἰ κάτ' ἐκεῖνον τὸν καιρὸν ἀνάστατος Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἐγεγόνει, πῶς ὕστερον αὐτὴν βασιλεύων ὁ ∆αβὶδ εἷλε πολιορκίᾳ; Πολλὰς ἔσχε μεταβολὰς ὁ λαός, ὡς ἡ τῶν Κριτῶν ἱστορία διδάσκει. ποτὲ μὲν γὰρ ἐνίκων, ποτὲ δὲ ἡττῶντο· καὶ πότε μὲν ἦρχον τῶν ἀλλοφύλων, 290 ποτὲ δὲ ἐδούλευον. δῆλον τοίνυν, ὡς ἐμπρησθεῖσαν τὴν Ἰερουσαλὴμ πάλιν ἀνῳκοδόμησαν οἱ ἰεβουσαῖοι, τῆς τοῦ λαοῦ δυσκληρίας ἐπιλαβό μενοι. καὶ ταύτην δὲ ὕστερον οἶμαι συγγραφῆναι τὴν βίβλον, τεκμηρίῳ χρώμενος τῷ τήνδε τὴν πόλιν Ἰερουσαλὴμ ὀνομάζειν τὴν ἱστορίαν· ὕστε ρον γὰρ ταύτην ἔσχε τὴν προσηγορίαν Ἰεβοῦς ὠνομασμένη. III Τί ἐστι, " δός μοι λύτρωσιν ὕδατος, καὶ λύτρωσιν μετεώρων καὶ λύτρωσιν ταπεινῶν "; Οἱ περὶ τὸν Σύμμαχον " ἀρδείαν ὕδατος "· καὶ ἀντὶ τοῦ " ταπεινῶν ", " πεδινῶν " ἡρμήνευσαν. ὑπεβλήθη δὲ παρὰ τοῦ Γοθονιὴλ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς αὐτῆς Ἀσχὰν αἰτῆσαι ἀγρόν· ᾔτησε τοίνυν ἀρδείαν ὕδατος· καὶ ἔλαβεν ὥσπερ ᾔτησεν οὐ μόνον πεδιάδα γῆν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὄρειον. τὸ μὲν γὰρ " κατὰ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτῆς ", τὸ καταθύμιον σημαίνει. μετέωρα δὲ τὰ ὄρεια κέκληκε, ταπεινὰ δὲ τὰ ὕπτια. IV Πῶς ἐνταῦθα τοῦ νομοθέτου τὸν κηδεστὴν Ἰωβὰβ ὠνόμασεν, Ἰοθὼρ καὶῬαγουὴλ ἐν ἐκείναις ταῖς ἱστορίαις ὠνομασμένον; Καὶ ἤδη ἔφην, ὡς ὁ Ἰωβὰβ ἐκείνου ἦν υἱός· πενθερὸν δὲ αὐτὸν κέκληκεν, ὡς τῆς γαμετῆς ἀδελφόν. καὶ γὰρ νῦν πολλοὶ τοὺς τοιούτους πενθερίδας καλοῦσι. τοῦ Ἰωβὰβ τοίνυν οἱ παῖδες ἔγγονοι τοῦ Ἰοθώρ εἰσιν. V " Πόλιν φοινίκων " ποίαν καλεῖ; Τὴν Ἰεριχώ. νομίζω δὲ οὕτως αὐτὴν προσαγορεύεσθαι διὰ τὸν τῶν φοινίκων καρπόν. καὶ γὰρ ἐν τῇ πρὸ ταύτης βίβλῳ, εὐθὺς τοῦ λαοῦ δια βάντος τὸν Ἰορδάνην, ὁ συγγραφεὺς ἔφη ὅτι· " ἔφαγον ἀπὸ τοῦ 291 καρποῦ τῆς γῆς ἄζυμα, καὶ ὅτι ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐξέλιπε τὸ μάννα, μετὰ τὸ βεβρωκέναι αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ τοῦ σίτου τῆς γῆς. καὶ οὐκ ἔτι ὑπῆρχε τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰσραὴλ μάννα· ἐκαρπώσαντο γὰρ τὴν γῆν τῶν φοινίκων ἐν τῷ ἐνιαυτῷ ἐκείνῳ ". καὶ ἡ δευτέρα δὲ τῶν Παραλειπομένων περὶ ὧν ᾐχμαλώτευσαν ἐκ τῆς Ἰούδα φυλῆς αἱ δέκα φυλαὶ διηγουμένη οὕτως ἔφη· " καὶ κατέστησαν αὐ τοὺς εἰς Ἰεριχὼ τὴν πόλιν τῶν φοινίκων πρὸς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτῶν ". VI Πῶς νοητέον, " καὶ ἦν Κύριος μετὰ