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examine accurately. For David and Moses were meek. Therefore concerning the one Scripture says: Remember, O Lord, David and all his meekness; and concerning Moses, that Moses was the meekest of all men upon the earth; but nevertheless these meekest of all men appear to be avenging more than all. But if you wish, let us first speak of their meekness. Many times this blessed one, having captured Saul and becoming master of his life, did not raise his hand; but even when others urged him on, he spared him, and calmed his anger. And when Shimei was uttering such insults, and then trampling on his misfortune, and the generals 55.192 were demanding to cross over and cut off the insolent one for reviling him so, what words full of all wisdom he utters! And that parricide and licentious youth, how he commits him to his own generals, saying: Spare me the boy Absalom? And when in the beginning he spoke to his brothers who were jealous and envious because of the coming victory, consider how meekly he speaks, saying: Is it not a word? And what of Moses? For those who stoned him, for those who, as far as it was in their power, killed him, hear what he says: If you will forgive their sin, forgive it; but if not, blot me also out of the book which you have written. And when others again were provoking him to jealousy and stirring him to indignation, he uttered those philosophical words, saying: Would that all the Lord's people were prophets! And for his sister who again reviled him, what a great supplication he makes! And from many other places one might see his meekness, when, having been cast out of the land and forbidden to enter Palestine, he speaks with all gentleness to the Jews. But nevertheless this meek man deemed Dathan and Abiram and Korah worthy to be swallowed up by the earth when they rose up against the priesthood, and the others to be burned up when they offered strange fire. And the meek David also brought down Goliath, and drove the army, and seized the victory. For this is most characteristic of a meek person, to forgive things done against himself, but to avenge the wronged; just as Christ also did. For going up on the cross He said: Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And weeping again for Jerusalem He said: How often would I have gathered your children together, and you were not willing; behold, your house is left to you desolate. And when struck, he did not strike back, but makes a defense to the one striking him; and when called a demoniac, he cast out demons; and when called a deceiver and an adversary of God, he led them by the hand to the kingdom. And he commanded his disciples everywhere to be scourged, to be persecuted, to be driven out, and to accept the lower rank; For whoever wishes to be first among you, he says, let him be your servant. And he provided the example from his own case, saying: Just as the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many. But if he drives out demons, and wars against the devil, and destroys error—this too is especially of meekness: to undo all evil, and to free those who are held captive, to restrain the plotting demons, and to deliver those who are afflicted from their troubles. What then is, For the sake of truth, and meekness, and righteousness? He spoke of the war, he spoke of the battle-line, he showed the soldier; he speaks next of the achievements of his kingdom, he speaks of the form of the trophy, he speaks of the nature of the victory. For all other men who are kings make war, either for the sake of cities, or of money, or of enmity, or of vainglory; but he, for none of these things, but for the sake of 55.193 truth, that he might plant it in the earth; and of meekness, that he might make meek those who are more savage than wild beasts; and of righteousness, that he might make righteous those who are tyrannized by iniquity, first from grace, and second also from

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ἀκριβῶς ἐξετάσῃ. Ἐπεὶ καὶ ∆αυῒδ καὶ Μωϋσῆς πρᾶοι ἦσαν. ∆ιὸ περὶ μὲν ἐκείνου φησὶν ἡ Γραφή· Μνήσθητι, Κύριε, τοῦ ∆αυῒδ καὶ πάσης τῆς πραότητος αὐτοῦ· περὶ δὲ Μωϋσέως, ὅτι Ἦν πραότατος Μωϋσῆς πάντων ἀνθρώπων τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς· ἀλλ' ὅμως φαίνονται οὗτοι οἱ πάντων πραότατοι, μάλιστα πάντων ἀμυνόμενοι. Ἀλλ' εἰ βούλεσθε, πρότερον τὴν πραότητα αὐτῶν εἴπωμεν· Πολλάκις λαβὼν ὁ μακάριος οὗτος τὸν Σαοὺλ, καὶ γενόμενος κύριος ἀνελεῖν, οὐκ ἐπήγαγε τὴν χεῖρα· ἀλλὰ καὶ ἑτέρων ἐγκελευομένων, ἐφείσατο, καὶ τὸν θυμὸν ἐχάλασε. Καὶ τοῦ Σεμεεὶ δὲ τοιαῦτα ὑβρίζοντος, καὶ τῇ συμφορᾷ τότε ἐπεμβαίνοντος ἐκείνου, καὶ τῶν στρατηγῶν 55.192 ἀξιούντων διαβῆναι καὶ ἀποτεμεῖν τὸν ὑβριστὴν τοιαῦτα ἐμπαροινοῦντα, οἷα φθέγγεται ῥήματα πάσης σοφίας γέμοντα! Τὸν δὲ πατραλοίαν ἐκεῖνον καὶ ἀκόλαστον νεανίσκον, πῶς παρακατατίθεται τοῖς ἑαυτοῦ στρατηγοῖς λέγων· Φείσασθέ μοι τοῦ παιδαρίου Ἀβεσσαλώμ; Ὅτε δὲ ἐν προοιμίοις πρὸς τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς διελέγετο διαφθονουμένους καὶ βασκαίνοντας διὰ τὴν ἐσομένην νίκην, ἐννόησον πῶς πράως διαλέγεται, Μὴ οὐχὶ ῥῆμά ἐστι; λέγων. Τί δὲ Μωϋσῆς; Ὑπὲρ τῶν λιθασάντων αὐτὸν, ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀνελόντων, τό γε εἰς αὐτοὺς ἧκον, ἄκουσον τί φησιν· Εἰ μὲν ἀφῇς αὐτοῖς τὴν ἁμαρτίαν, ἄφες· εἰ δὲ μὴ, κἀμὲ ἐξάλειψον ἐκ τῆς βίβλου ἧς ἔγραψας. Ἑτέρων δὲ πάλιν αὐτὸν εἰς ζῆλον κινούντων, καὶ παροξυνόντων εἰς ἀγανάκτησιν, τὰ φιλόσοφα ἐκεῖνα ἐφθέγξατο ῥήματα λέγων· Τίς δώῃ πάντα τὸν λαὸν Κυρίου προφήτας εἶναι; Ὑπὲρ δὲ τῆς ἀδελφῆς πάλιν λοιδορησάσης αὐτὸν, ὅσην τίθεται τὴν ἱκετηρίαν! Καὶ πολλαχόθεν ἑτέρωθεν ἴδοι τις ἂν αὐτοῦ τὴν πραότητα, ὅτε καὶ τῆς γῆς ἐκπεσὼν, καὶ εἰς τὴν Παλαιστίνην κωλυθεὶς εἰσελθεῖν, μετὰ πάσης ἐπιεικείας διαλέγεται τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις. Ἀλλ' ὅμως οὗτος ὁ πρᾶος τὸν ∆αθὰν καὶ Ἀβειρὼν καὶ Κορὲ ἠξίωσε καταποθῆναι, ἡνίκα τῇ ἱερωσύνῃ ἐπανέστησαν, ὑπὸ τῆς γῆς, καὶ τοὺς ἄλλους ἐμπρησθῆναι, ὅτε προσήνεγκαν πῦρ ἀλλότριον. Καὶ ὁ ∆αυῒδ δὲ τὸν Γολιὰθ κατήνεγκεν ὁ πρᾶος, καὶ τὸ στρατόπεδον ἤλασε, καὶ τὴν νίκην ἤρατο. Τοῦτο γὰρ μάλιστά ἐστι πράου, τὰ μὲν εἰς ἑαυτὸν ἀφεῖναι, τοῖς δὲ ἀδικουμένοις ἀμύνειν· καθάπερ καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς ἐποίησεν. Εἰς γὰρ τὸν σταυρὸν ἀναβὰς ἔλεγε· Πάτερ, ἄφες αὐτοῖς· οὐ γὰρ οἴδασι τί ποιοῦσι. Καὶ θρηνῶν πάλιν τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἔλεγε· Ποσάκις ἠθέλησα ἐπισυναγαγεῖν τὰ τέκνα ὑμῶν, καὶ οὐκ ἠθελήσατε· ἰδοὺ ἀφίεται ὁ οἶκος ὑμῶν ἔρημος. Καὶ ῥαπιζόμενος, οὐκ ἀντεῤῥάπισεν, ἀλλ' ἀπολογεῖται τῷ ῥαπίζοντι· καὶ δαιμονῶν καλούμενος, δαίμονας ἐξέβαλε· καὶ πλάνος καὶ ἀντίθεος καλούμενος, εἰς βασιλείαν αὐτοὺς ἐχειραγώγει. Καὶ τοῖς μαθηταῖς ἐκέλευε πανταχοῦ μαστιγοῦσθαι, διώκεσθαι, ἐλαύνεσθαι, καὶ τὴν ἐλάττω καταδέχεσθαι τάξιν· Ὁ γὰρ θέλων ἐν ὑμῖν εἶναι πρῶτος, φησὶν, ἔστω ὑμῶν διάκονος. Καὶ τὸ ὑπόδειγμα οἴκοθεν ἐπῆγε λέγων· Καθάπερ ὁ Υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου οὐκ ἦλθε διακονηθῆναι, ἀλλὰ διακονῆσαι καὶ δοῦναι τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ λύτρον ἀντὶ πολλῶν. Εἰ δὲ ἐλαύνει δαίμονας, καὶ πολεμεῖ τῷ διαβόλῳ, καὶ τὴν πλάνην ἀναιρεῖ καὶ τοῦτο μάλιστα πραότητός ἐστι, τὸ τὴν κακίαν μὲν πᾶσαν λύειν, τοὺς δὲ κατεχομένους ἐλευθεροῦν, τὸ τοὺς ἐπιβουλεύοντας δαίμονας ἀναστέλλειν, τοὺς δὲ ἐπηρεασθέντας ἀπαλλάττειν τῶν δεινῶν. Τί δέ ἐστιν, Ἕνεκεν ἀληθείας, καὶ πραότητος, καὶ δικαιοσύνης; Εἶπε τὸν πόλεμον, εἶπε τὴν παράταξιν, ἔδειξε τὸν ὁπλίτην· λέγει λοιπὸν καὶ τῆς βασιλείας αὐτοῦ τὰ κατορθώματα, λέγει τοῦ τροπαίου τὸ εἶδος, λέγει τῆς νίκης τὴν φύσιν. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἄλλοι πάντες ἄνθρωποι βασιλεύοντες πολεμοῦσιν, ἢ πόλεων ἕνεκεν, ἢ χρημάτων, ἢ ἔχθρας, ἢ κενοδοξίας· αὐτὸς δὲ δι' οὐδὲν τούτων, ἀλλ' ἕνεκεν 55.193 ἀληθείας, ἵνα αὐτὴν ἐν τῇ γῇ φυτεύσῃ· καὶ πραότητος, ἵνα θηρίων ὄντας χαλεπωτέρους, πράους ἐργάσηται· καὶ δικαιοσύνης, ἵνα ὑπὸ τῆς ἀνομίας τυραννουμένους, δικαίους ποιήσῃ, πρῶτον μὲν ἀπὸ χάριτος, δεύτερον δὲ καὶ ἀπὸ