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the temporal inactivity of the virtues. But also in the age to come, the works of sin will proceed into non-existence, with nature recovering its own powers intact through fire and judgment.

QUESTION 74.

What is it that David sings, saying, "Give your strength to your child, and save the son of your handmaid?"

Response. Because by nature we are servants of God; and of his handmaid, wisdom

sons, he prays first that strength be given to us; that is, dominion over the passions; and then through this, salvation comes to us.

QUESTION 75.

Since in the books of Kings it is written that God incited David to number the people; but in Chronicles it says the devil; how will holy Scripture be shown to be in harmony with itself?

Response. Because the Apostle calls the devil the god of this age; according to this

the passage in Kings is to be understood. Or, in another way, since nothing happens without the providence of God, (849) but all things happen either by good pleasure, or by economy, or by permission; it is pious to understand what is written in Kings, that God incited, as 'he permitted'; and in Chronicles, the devil who was at work, and who became the cause. And seventy thousand fall, who were found with Absalom; those having the passion of conceit and arrogance. And according to contemplation this signifies, that every David, who not by disposition but by seizure, has begotten a thought of haughtiness, repenting, asks God, and the thoughts concerning temporal and fleeting things die. For the number seventy signifies temporal movement, because of the weekly cycle. For this reason, therefore, it is better to decline, being pursued by the enemy demons, and not a famine of hearing the word of God.

QUESTION 76.

What is that which is said in the Apostle, "I wish they would even cut themselves off?" Response. This is said instead of, They will mourn and beat their breasts, coming to repentance for those things of which

they sinned by upsetting the faithful.

QUESTION 77.

For what reason are the Moabites and Ammonites forbidden to enter into the temple of the Lord, until the third and fourth and tenth generation; and even forever?

Response.

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χρόνου τήν ἀργίαν τῶν ἀρετῶν. Ἀλλά καί ἐν τῶ μέλλοντι αἰῶνι, τά ἔργα τῆς ἁμαρτίας εἰς ἀνυπαρξίαν χωρήσουσι, τῆς φύσεως τάς ἰδίας δυνάμεις σώας ἀπολαβούσης διά τοῦ πυρός καί τῆς κρίσεως.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ Ο∆΄.

Τί ἐστιν ὅπερ ὁ ∆αβίδ ψάλλει, λέγων, "∆ός τό κράτος σου τῷ παιδί σου, καί σῶσον τόν υἱόν τῆς παιδίσκης σου;"

Ἀπόκρισις. Ἐπειδή κατά φύσιν δοῦλοί ἐσμεν τοῦ Θεοῦ· τῆς δέ παιδίσκης αὐτοῦ τῆς σοφίας

υἱοί, δοθῆναι ἡμῖν εὔχεται πρῶτον τό κράτος· τουτέστι, τήν κατά τῶν παθῶν δυναστείαν· καί τότε διά τούτου ἡ σωτηρία ἡμῖν παραγίνεται.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΟΕ΄.

Ἐπειδή ἐν ταῖς Βασιλείαις γέγραπται, ὅτι ὁ Θεός ἐπέσεισε τόν ∆αβίδ ἀριθμῆσαι τόν λαόν· ἐν δέ ταῖς Παραλειπομέναις τόν διάβολον λέγει· πῶς δειχθήσεται ἡ θεία Γραφή ἑαυτῇ συμφωνοῦσα;

Ἀπόκιρισις. Ἐπειδή ὁ Ἀπόστολος θεόν τοῦ αἰῶνος τούτου λέγει τόν διάβολον· κατά τοῦτο

ἐκληπτέον τό τῶν Βασιλειῶν. Ἤ καί ἄλλως, ἐπειδή χωρίς τῆς τοῦ Θεοῦ προνοίας οὐδέν γίνεται, (849) ἀλλ᾿ εἴτε κατ᾿ εὐδοκίαν, εἴτε κατ᾿ οἰκονομίαν, εἴτε κατά συγχώρησιν τά πάντα γίνονται· τό ἐν ταῖς βασιλείαις γεγραμμένον, ὅτι ὁ Θεός ἐπέσεισεν, ἀντί τοῦ, παρεχώρησε, νοεῖν ἐστι εὐσεβές· ἐν δέ ταῖς Παραλειπομέναις, τόν διάβολον τόν ἐνεργήσαντα, καί αἴτιον γενόμενον. Ἑβδομήκοντα δέ χιλιάδες πίπτουσιν, οἱ εὑρεθέντες μετά Ἀβεσσαλών· οἱ τό πάθος ἔχοντες τῆς οἰήσεως καί ὑπερηφανείας. Κατά δέ τήν θεωρίαν τοῦτο σημαίνει, ὅτι πᾶς ∆αβίδ, ὁ μή κατά διάθεσιν, ἀλλά κατά συναρπαγήν, ἐπάρσεως ἀπογεννήσας λογισμόν, μεταγνούς, αἰτεῖται τόν Θεόν, καί θνήσκουσιν οἱ περί τά χρονικά καί πρόσκαιρα λογισμοί. Ὁ γάρ ἑβδομηκοστός ἀριθμός, τήν χρονικήν κίνησιν σημαίνει, διά τόν ἑβδοματικόν κύκλον. ∆ιά τοῦτο τοίνυν παραιτήσασθαι ἄμεινον, τό ἀπό τῶν ἐχθρῶν δαιμόνων διώκεσθαι, καί μή λιμόν τοῦ ἀκοῦσαι λόγον Θεοῦ.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΟΣτ΄.

Τί ἐστι τό ἐν τῷ Ἀποστόλῳ εἰρημένον, "Ὤφελον καί ἀποκόψονται;" Ἀπόκρισις. Τοῦτο εἴρηται ἀντί τοῦ, Θρηνήσουσι καί κόψονται, εἰς μετάνοιαν ἐρχόμενοι ὧν

ἥμαρτον ἀναστατοῦντες τούς πιστούς.

ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ ΟΖ΄.

Τίνος χάριν Μωαβῖται καί Ἀμμανῖται ἀπαγορεύονται εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τόν ναόν τοῦ Κυρίου, ἕως τρίτης καί τετάρτης καί δεκάτης γενεᾶς· καί ἕως εἰς τόν αἰῶνα;

Ἀπόκρισις.