2

being sown; so the peculiar property of marriage is communion, but of God, to give the nod to nature and to form the living creature. Anna, knowing this clearly (for having lived with her husband for a long time, she had not produced fruit), ran to the Creator himself, and with earnest prayer, and with tears, she healed her disabled womb, and opened what had been closed. It is also worthy to admire the moderation of her character. For being insulted as if she were drunk, she bore it meekly, and having put away the false suspicion, she explained her suffering, and received the high-priestly blessing. For she heard, "Go in peace, the Lord God of Israel grant you every petition that you have asked of him." And she heeded the blessing so faithfully, that she cast off all grief, and returned to her husband with courage, and immediately came together, and conceived. And having given birth, she fulfilled her promise. For she preserved his hair, and taught him to drink water. For this is the law of the Nazirites. And immediately after his weaning she brought him to God, 80.533 and with him a calf of the same age, which received the slaughter and holy offering on his behalf. And she received from God other children: three sons, and two daughters. For the Lord is generous and magnificent in giving to those who are mindful of former graces. And her hymnody is also most admirable. For not only did she praise the giver for what she had received, but she also mixed the hymn with prophecy, and partook of the grace of her child. For having conceived a prophet, she prophesies after the birth. For, "The Lord will make his adversary weak," reveals the destruction of the devil; and, "The Lord ascended to the heavens, and thundered," foretells the ascension of our Savior, and the coming of the all-holy Spirit, and the loud voice of the apostolic proclamations. And indeed it also foretells the second coming of the Lord Christ; "For he," it says, "being righteous, will judge the ends of the earth." And it foretells his progenitors according to the flesh, who continued from David until the captivity. "For he will give," it says, "strength to our kings." And teaching the reason for which they enjoyed divine providence, it adds: "And he will exalt the horn of his Christ." In addition to these things, she taught not to trust in wealth, nor in wisdom, nor in power, but only in the one who is able to both grant life and bring death, and to change prosperity into adversity, and good fortune into misfortune. And indeed, "The barren has borne seven," proclaims the fruitfulness of the Church. For the number seven is indicative of multitude. For in seven days all time is cycled, and the children of the Church have filled the world. "But she who has many children has grown weak." For Judea, having many children, and having brought forth many prophets and righteous men, now suffers from barrenness. Q. 4. From which family was Eli the high priest? From that of Ithamar; but because of the wickedness of his children, his whole family was deprived of the high-priestly honor. For history teaches what great transgressions they dared. Q. 5. What is an Ephod? Aquila called this a special outer garment. And we have already said, both in interpreting Exodus and indeed also Judges, that through this the Lord God revealed very many things that were unknown. 80.536 Q. 6. Why did Samuel, being a Levite, use the ephod? for it was set apart for the high priest alone. It is likely that Eli, having seen the divine grace flourishing upon him, and that he was born miraculously, and promised before labor pains, and being raised inside the divine tabernacle, as one holy and a Nazirite, and one asked of God; for this is the interpretation of the name Samuel; and imparted this honor to him while he was still quite young. [Of Diodorus.] And it was by the economy of God, that Samuel, being called by him, went to Eli thinking he was being called by him, both once, and twice, and a third time. For since God was about to foretell evils to Eli through Samuel, so that Samuel might not be thought to have fabricated the revelation, God arranged for him, thinking he was being called by Eli, to go to him; so that

2

σπειρόμενα· οὕτως ἴδιον τοῦ γάμου μὲν ἡ κοινω νία, τοῦ δὲ Θεοῦ τὸ νεῦσαι τῇ φύσει, καὶ διαπλάσαι τὸ ζῶον. Τοῦτο ἡ Ἄννα σαφῶς ἐπισταμένη (πολὺν γὰρ τῷ ἀνδρὶ συνοικήσασα χρόνον, καρπὸν οὐκ ἐβλάστησε), πρὸς αὐτὸν ἔδραμε τὸν ∆ημιουργὸν, καὶ τῇ σπουδαίᾳ προσευχῇ, καὶ τοῖς δάκρυσι, τὴν πε πηρωμένην ἐθεράπευσε μήτραν, καὶ κεκλεισμένην ἀνέῳξεν. Ἄξιον δὲ αὐτῆς θαυμάσαι καὶ τὴν τῶν ἠθῶν μετριότητα. Παροινουμένη γὰρ ὡς μεθύουσα πράως ἤνεγκε, καὶ τὴν ὑποψίαν ἀποσκευασαμένη τὴν ἐψευσμένην, τὸ πάθος ἐδίδαξε, καὶ τῆς ἀρχ ιερατικῆς ἔτυχεν εὐλογίας. Ἤκουσε γὰρ, "Πο ρεύου ἐν εἰρήνῃ, Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς Ἰσραὴλ δῴη σοι πᾶν αἴτημά σου, οὗ ᾐτήσω παρ' αὐτοῦ." Οὕτω δὲ πιστῶς τῆς εὐλογίας ἐπήκουσεν, ὡς πᾶσαν ἀποῤ ῥίψαι ἀχθηδόνα, καὶ μετὰ θάρσους ἐπανελθεῖν πρὸς τὸν ἄνδρα, καὶ παραυτίκα συνελθεῖν, καὶ κυῆσαι. Καὶ τεκοῦσα δὲ πεπλήρωκε τὴν ὑπόσχεσιν. Ἐφύ-λαξε γὰρ αὐτοῦ τὴν κόμην, καὶ τὴν ὑδροποσίαν ἐδί δαξεν. Οὗτος γὰρ τῶν Ναζιραίων ὁ νόμος. Εὐ θὺς δὲ μετὰ τὴν θηλὴν αὐτὸν προσενήνοχε τῷ Θεῷ, 80.533 καὶ σὺν αὐτῷ μόσχον ὁμόχρονον, τὴν ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ σφαγὴν καὶ ἱερουργίαν δεξάμενον. Ἀντέλαβε δὲ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ παῖδας ἑτέρους· τρεῖς μὲν υἱοὺς, θυγατέ ρας δύο. Φιλότιμος γὰρ καὶ μεγαλόδωρος ὁ Κύριος περὶ τοὺς μεμνημένους τῶν προτέρων χαρίτων. Ἀξιάγαστος δὲ αὐτῆς καὶ ἡ ὑμνῳδία. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον ἐφ' οἷς ἔλαβεν ἀνύμνησε τὸν δοτῆρα, ἀλλὰ καὶ προφητείᾳ τὸν ὕμνον ἐκέρασε, καὶ τῆς τοῦ παιδὸς μετ έλαχε χάριτος. Κυήσασα γὰρ προφήτην, προφητεύει μετὰ τὸν τόκον. Τὸ γὰρ, "Κύριος ἀσθενῆ ποιήσει τὸν ἀντίδικον αὐτοῦ," προδηλοῖ τὴν τοῦ διαβόλου κατάλυσιν· καὶ τὸ, "Κύριος ἀνέβη εἰς οὐρανοὺς, καὶ ἐβρόντησε," τὴν τοῦ Σωτῆρος ἡμῶν ἀνάληψιν προθεσπίζει, καὶ τὴν τοῦ παναγίου Πνεύματος ἐπι φοίτησιν, καὶ τῶν ἀποστολικῶν κηρυγμάτων τὸ με γαλόφωνον. Καὶ μέντοι καὶ τὴν δευτέραν ἐπιφάνειαν τοῦ ∆εσπότου προαγορεύει Χριστοῦ· "Αὐτὸς γὰρ, φησὶ, κρινεῖ ἄκρα γῆς δίκαιος ὤν." Προλέγει δὲ αὐτοῦ καὶ τοὺς κατὰ σάρκα γεγενημένους προγό νους, οἳ ἀπὸ ∆αβὶδ μέχρι τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας διήρκεσαν. "∆ώσει γὰρ, φησὶν, ἰσχὺν τοῖς βασιλεῦσιν ἡμῶν." Καὶ διδάσκουσα τὴν αἰτίαν, δι' ἣν ἐκεῖνοι τῆς θείας ἀπήλαυσαν προμηθείας, ἐπήγαγε· "Καὶ ὑψώσει κέρας Χριστοῦ αὐτοῦ." Πρὸς δὲ τούτοις, ἐδίδαξε μὴ πλούτῳ θαῤῥεῖν, μὴ σοφίᾳ, μὴ δυναστείᾳ, ἀλλὰ μόνῳ τῷ δυναμένῳ καὶ ζωὴν χορηγεῖν, καὶ θάνατον ἐπάγειν, καὶ τὴν εὐπραξίαν μεταβάλλειν εἰς δυσ πραγίαν, καὶ τὴν εὐκληρίαν εἰς δυσκληρίαν. Καὶ μέντοι καὶ τὸ, "Στεῖρα ἔτεκεν ἑπτὰ," τὴν τῆς Ἐκκλησίας προκηρύττει πολυγονίαν. Ὁ γὰρ ἑπτὰ ἀριθμὸς τοῦ πλήθους δηλωτικός. Ἐν ἑπτὰ γὰρ ἡμέ ραις ἅπας χρόνος ἀνακυκλεῖται, καὶ τῆς Ἐκκλησίας οἱ παῖδες τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐπλήρωσαν. "Ἡ δὲ πολλὴ ἐν τέκνοις ἠσθένησε." Πολύπαις γὰρ οὖσα ἡ Ἰου δαία, καὶ πολλοὺς προφήτας καὶ δικαίους γεγεννη κυῖα, νῦν ἀκαρπίαν νοσεῖ. ΕΡΩΤ. ∆ʹ. Ἡλεὶ ὁ ἀρχιερεὺς ἐκ ποίας ἦν πατριᾶς; Ἐκ τῆς τοῦ Ἰθάμαρ· ἀλλὰ διὰ τὴν τῶν παίδων πονηρίαν, ἅπαν αὐτοῦ τὸ γένος τῆς ἀρχιερατικῆς ἐστερήθη τιμῆς. Ἡλίκας γὰρ ἐτόλμων παρανομίας, ἡ ἱστορία διδάσκει. ΕΡΩΤ. Εʹ. Τί ἐστιν Ἐφούδ, Ὁ Ἀκύλας ἐπένδυμα ἐξαίρετον τοῦτο κέκληκεν. Εἰρήκαμεν δὲ ἤδη, καὶ τὴν Ἔξοδον ἑρμηνεύοντες, καὶ μέντοι καὶ τοὺς Κριτὰς, ὡς διὰ τούτου πλεῖστα προεδήλου τῶν ἀγνοουμένων ὁ ∆εσπότης Θεός. 80.536 ΕΡΩΤ. ϛʹ. Τί δήποτε Λευΐτης ὢν ὁ Σαμουὴλ τῷ ἐφοὺδ ἐκέ χρητο; μόνῳ γὰρ ἀφώριστο τῷ ἀρχιερεῖ. Εἰκὸς τὸν Ἡλεὶ, τὴν θείαν αὐτῷ χάριν ἐπαν θοῦσαν ἑωρακότα, καὶ παραδόξως τεχθέντα, καὶ πρὸ ὠδίνων ἐπαγγελθέντα, καὶ ἔνδον τρεφόμενον ἐν τῇ θείᾳ σκηνῇ, ὡς ἁγίῳ καὶ Ναζιραίῳ, καὶ θεαιτήτῳ· τοῦτο γὰρ ἑρμηνεύει τοῦ Σαμουὴλ τοὔνομα· καὶ κομιδῇ νέῳ μεταδοῦναι ταύτης τῆς τιμῆς. [∆ιοδώρου.] Οἰκονομίας δὲ Θεοῦ ἦν, τὸ τὸν Σαμουὴλ καλούμενον ὑπ' αὐτοῦ, ἀπιέναι πρὸς Ἡλεὶ οἰόμενον ὑπ' αὐτοῦ καλεῖσθαι, καὶ ἅπαξ, καὶ δὶς, καὶ τρίτον. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἤμελλεν ὁ Θεὸς τῷ Ἡλεὶ κακὰ προλέγειν διὰ τοῦ Σαμουὴλ, ἵνα μὴ νομισθῇ πλάσαι ὁ Σαμουὴλ τὴν ἀποκάλυψιν, ᾠκονόμει ὁ Θεὸς ἐκεῖνον οἰηθέντα ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἡλεὶ καλεῖσθαι πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀπιέναι· ἵνα