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another heart?" Since he was a countryman, knowing only how to farm, having appointed him king, He gave him a kingly mind. QUEST. 21. What is, "He finished prophesying?" He did not have the gift of prophecy continuously. But for the emphasis and declaration of the spiritual gift, he prophesied at that time. Thus also the seventy elders, whom the great Moses chose, as soon as they were chosen were deemed worthy of prophetic activity. But after this they prophesied very little; but being made wise by the divine gift, they resolved the disputes of the people. QUEST. 22. Why indeed did Samuel, after anointing Saul, and hearing from the God of all that it was fitting to appoint him king, command the tribes to cast lots, Those living in wickedness did not trust even the divine prophets. Therefore, so that they might not suppose the choice to be of human favor, he ordered lots to be cast. Then, when the lot fell upon the tribe of Benjamin, and it was again divided into clans, and houses, and men, the lot was cast for Saul. But when he tried to hide (for he saw that the authority surpassed his worth), he was revealed by God to the prophet, and received the appointment over all the people. 80.553 QUEST. 23. For what reason did Nahash the Ammonite cut out the right eyes of the Israelites? Wishing to render them useless for war. For he who holds the shield forth with his left hand, covers his left eye with it, and sees the enemy with his right. Therefore, he who had his right eye taken out became vulnerable when fighting. QUEST. 24. Why did He give them Saul as their first king? Since they asked for a king to be appointed for them for the sake of bravery in wars, and not for the sake of piety, so as to be taught divine things by him; He chose the tallest of all, since they did not admire virtue of soul, but size of body. QUEST. 25. For what reason did the prophet, having gathered the people, remind them of his own conduct? Being a judge, he was stepping down from authority, and was handing it over to the king. Very rightly, therefore, he recounted the things concerning himself, and made the people assent to his praiseworthy conduct, teaching them that lawful authority. QUEST. 26. How should one understand, "Saul was a son of a year when he began to reign? Symmachus rendered it thus: "Saul was a son of a year when he began to reign." This shows the simplicity of soul, which Saul had when he received the appointment to the kingdom. But he did not make use of this for very long. Whence the historian added: "And he reigned two years over Israel," meaning, With this simplicity he reigned for two years; then turning aside to wickedness, he was stripped of divine grace. Whence the remaining time, which he continued to reign, has been reckoned to the leadership of Samuel. QUEST. 27. How should one understand: "Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines, that was in the hill?" The Philistines, having conquered the Hebrews, established garrisons in the more fortified places, A gar- 80.556 rison therefore he called the guard. Jonathan utterly annihilated this. However, "The slaves have revolted," Aquila interpreted as, Let the Hebrews hear. QUEST. 28. What is, "And he tarried seven days for the testimony, as Samuel had said?" Samuel had instructed Saul to wait for him for seven days, and then, after making a favorable sacrifice, to draw up for battle. Saul, therefore, seeing the Philistines gathered together, did not wait for the prophet according to the commandments. Whence the prophet, finding him sacrificing, rebuked him very harshly, and foretold to him the loss of his kingdom. "For the Lord, he says, will seek for himself a man after his own heart; and the Lord will command him to be ruler over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you." From this the gloriously victorious Stephen has set down, "I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my heart, who will do all my will." For the most divine Samuel had spoken these things prophetically. But Gabaa, the land in Sabain, that in the valley

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καρδίαν ἑτέραν;" Ἐπειδὴ ἄγροικος ἦν, γεωργεῖν ἐπιστάμενος μό νον, χειροτονήσας αὐτὸν βασιλέα, βασιλικὸν αὐτῷ φρόνημα δέδωκε. ΕΡΩΤ. ΚΑʹ. Τί ἐστι, "Συνετέλεσε προφητεύων;" Οὐκ ἔσχε διηνεκὲς τῆς προφητείας τὸ χάρισμα. Εἰς ἔμφασιν δὲ καὶ δήλωσιν τῆς πνευματικῆς δωρεᾶς κατ' ἐκεῖνον προεφήτευσε τὸν καιρόν. Οὕτω καὶ οἱ ἑβδομήκοντα πρεσβύτεροι, οὓς ὁ μέγας ἐξελέξατο Μωσῆς, εὐθὺς μὲν ἐκλεγέντες προφητικῆς ἠξιώθησαν ἐνεργείας. Μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα προεφήτευον μὲν ἥκιστα· ὑπὸ δὲ τῆς θείας σοφιζόμενοι δωρεᾶς, τοῦ λαοῦ τὰς ἀμφισβητήσεις διέλυον. ΕΡΩΤ. ΚΒʹ. Τί δήποτε χρίσας ὁ Σαμουὴλ τὸν Σαοὺλ, καὶ παρὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῶν ὅλων ἀκούσας, ὡς αὐτὸν προσήκει βασιλέα χειροτονεῖν, κλήρους βαλεῖν ἐκέλευσε τὰς φυλάς, Οὐδὲ τοῖς θείοις προφήταις ἐπίστευον οἱ πονηρίᾳ συζῶντες. Ἵνα τοίνυν μὴ τοπάσωσι χάριτος ἀνθρω πίνης εἶναι τὴν ψῆφον, κλήρους βληθῆναι προσέτα ξεν. Εἶτα τῆς Βενιαμίτιδος κατακληρωθείσης φυ λῆς, καὶ πάλιν εἰς πατριὰς, καὶ οἴκους, καὶ ἄνδρας διαιρεθείσης, τῷ Σαοὺλ ψῆφος ἀπεκληρώθη. Πειρα θεὶς δὲ λαθεῖν (ἑώρα γὰρ τὴν ἐξουσίαν ὑπερβαί νουσαν αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀξίαν), ὑπὸ τοῦ Θεοῦ τῷ προφήτῃ κατεμηνύθη, καὶ τὴν ἐπὶ παντὸς τοῦ λαοῦ χειροτο νίαν ἐδέξατο. 80.553 ΕΡΩΤ. ΚΓʹ. Τίνος χάριν Ναὰς ὁ Ἀμμανίτης τῶν Ἰσραηλιτῶν τοὺς δεξιοὺς ἐξέκοπτεν ὀφθαλμούς; Ἀχρήστους αὐτοὺς εἰς πόλεμον ἀποφῆναι βουλό μενος. Ὁ γὰρ τὴν ἀσπίδα τῇ εὐωνύμῳ χειρὶ προ βαλλόμενος, συγκαλύπτει ταύτῃ τὸν εὐώνυμον ὀφθαλ μὸν, τῷ δεξιῷ δὲ τοὺς πολεμίους ὁρᾷ. Ὁ τοίνυν τὸν δεξιὸν ἀφῃρημένος εὐάλωτος ἐγίνετο πολε μῶν. ΕΡΩΤ. Κ∆ʹ. ∆ιατί τὸν Σαοὺλ πρῶτον αὐτοῖς ἔδωκε βασιλέα; Ἐπειδὴ τῆς ἐν πολέμοις ἀνδραγαθίας ἕνεκα χειρο τονηθῆναι αὐτοῖς ᾔτησαν βασιλέα, καὶ οὐκ εὐσεβείας χάριν, ὥστε καὶ παρ' αὐτοῦ τὰ θεῖα παιδεύεσθαι· τὸν πάντων μέγιστον ἐξελέξατο, ἐπειδήπερ οὐ ψυχῆς ἀρετὴν, ἀλλὰ σώματος ἐθαύμαζον μέγεθος. ΕΡΩΤ. ΚΕʹ. Τίνος ἕνεκα συναθροίσας τὸν λαὸν ὁ προφήτης, τῆς οἰκείας αὐτοῦ πολιτείας ἀνέμνησεν; Κριτὴς ὢν ἐξίστατο τῆς ἐξουσίας, καὶ ταύτην παρεδίδου τῷ βασιλεῖ. Μάλα τοίνυν εἰκότως τὰ καθ' ἑαυτὸν διηγήσατο, καὶ τῆς ἀξιεπαίνου πολιτείας σύμψηφον ἐποιήσατο τὸν λαὸν, τὴν ἔννομον ἐκεῖνον ἐξουσίαν διδάσκων. ΕΡΩΤ. Κ ϛʹ. Πῶς νοητέον τὸ, "Υἱὸς ἐνιαυτοῦ Σαοὺλ ἐν τῷ βασιλεύειν αὐτόν; Ὁ Σύμμαχος οὕτως ἐξέδωκεν· "Υἱὸς ὢν ἐνιαυ σιαῖος Σαοὺλ ἐν τῷ βασιλεύειν αὐτόν." ∆ηλοῖ δὲ τοῦτο τὴν ἁπλότητα τῆς ψυχῆς, ἣν εἶχεν ὁ Σαοὺλ, ἡνίκα τῆς βασιλείας τὴν χειροτονίαν ἐδέξατο. Ταύτῃ δὲ οὐκ ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἐχρήσατο. Ὅθεν ὁ ἱστοριογρά φος ἐπήγαγε· "Καὶ δύο ἔτη ἐπὶ Ἰσραὴλ ἐβασίλευ σεν," ἀντὶ τοῦ, Μετὰ τῆς ἁπλότητος ταύτης δύο ἔτη ἐβασίλευσεν· εἶτα εἰς πονηρίαν ἀποκλίνας, τῆς θείας χάριτος ἐγυμνώθη. Ὅθεν ὁ λοιπὸς χρόνος, ὃν βασιλεύων διετέλεσε, τῇ τοῦ Σαμουὴλ δημαγωγίᾳ λε λόγισται. ΕΡΩΤ. ΚΖʹ. Πῶς νοητέον τό· "Ἐπάταξεν Ἰωνάθαν τὸ ὑπόστημα τῶν ἀλλοφύλων, τὸ ἐν τῷ βουνῷ;" Οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι τοὺς Ἑβραίους νενικηκότες ἐν τοῖς ὀχυρωτέροις χωρίοις φρουρὰς ἐγκατέστησαν, Ὑπό 80.556 στημα τοίνυν ἐκάλεσε τὴν φρουράν. Ταύτην ἄρδην ὁ Ἰωνάθαν κατηκόντισε. Τὸ μέντοι, "Ἠθετήκασιν οἱ δοῦλοι," ὁ Ἀκύλας, Ἀκουσάτωσαν οἱ Ἑβραῖοι,ἡρμήνευσεν. ΕΡΩΤ. ΚΗʹ. Τί ἐστι, "Καὶ διέλιπεν ἑπτὰ ἡμέρας τῷ μαρτυ ρίῳ, ὡς εἶπε Σαμουήλ;" Παρηγγύησεν ὁ Σαμουὴλ τῷ Σαοὺλ ἑπτὰ αὐτὸν προσμεῖναι ἡμέρας, εἶθ' οὕτω καλλιερησάμενον παρα τάξασθαι. Ὁ τοίνυν Σαοὺλ τοὺς ἀλλοφύλους ἀθροι σθέντας ἰδὼν, οὐκ ἀνέμεινε κατὰ τὰς ἐντολὰς τὸν προφήτην. Ὅθεν αὐτὸν θύοντα καταλαβὼν ὁ προ φήτης, σφόδρα χαλεπῶς ἐπετίμησε, καὶ τῆς βασι λείας αὐτῷ τὴν στέρησιν προεμήνυσε. "Ζητήσει γὰρ, φησὶν, ἑαυτῷ Κύριος ἄνθρωπον κατὰ τὴν καρδίαν αὑτοῦ· καὶ ἐντελεῖ αὐτὸν Κύριος εἰς ἄρχοντα ἐπὶ τὸν λαὸν αὑτοῦ, ὅτι οὐκ ἐφύλαξας ὅσα ἐνετείλατό σοι Κύριος." Ἐντεῦθεν ὁ καλλίνικος Στέφανος τέθεικε τὸ, "Εὗρον ∆αβὶδ τὸν τοῦ Ἰεσσαὶ, ἄνδρα κατὰ τὴν καρδίαν μου, ὃς ποιήσει πάντα τὰ θελήματά μου." Προφητικῶς γὰρ ταῦτα προειρήκει ὁ θειότα τος Σαμουήλ. Γαβαὰ δὲ τὴν ἐν Σαβαῒν γῆν, τὴν ἐν τῇ κοιλάδι