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of the gazelles, Aquila translated. QUES. 29. For what reason did Israel not have iron? Having conquered them, the foreigners took all the iron, and prevented them from acquiring more; for which reason they fashioned their agricultural tools among them. Symmachus translated "tooth" as "ploughshare," and Aquila as "the plow." They called the shekel a "stater." When taken by weight, the shekel weighed half an ounce; but in silver, twenty obols. QUES. 30. Why did Jonathan, wishing to attack the enemies, give certain signs to his armor-bearer? He did not give them symbolically, but as a faithful man he wished to know the will of God, and gave himself signs of the divine will; so that if they were called 80.557 by them, they would attack, as God was obviously cooperating. For he said this: "And we will go up, for the Lord has delivered them into our hands; this is the sign for us." - "But if," he says, "they say to us, 'Stand back there,' we will not go up against them." That he, trusting in God, gave himself over to a manifest danger, his words testify. "For come," he says, "let us cross over to the garrison of these uncircumcised, perhaps the Lord will do something for us, for nothing hinders the Lord from saving by many or by few." These are the words of a soul trusting in God. And having been so bold, he was not disappointed in his hope. For immediately attacking, and letting loose a dart, and hurling stones, he threw the enemy's camp into confusion. For they, not recognizing one another, killed each other, being gathered from different cities, and treated one another as enemies. Saul, seeing this from afar, and having learned of the victory through the priestly vestment, himself also rushed against the foreigners; then seeing them routed, he foolishly and very stupidly anathematized anyone partaking of food or drink before evening. QUES. 31. If he anathematized foolishly, why did God confirm the anathema? For when he asked if he should go to war, He did not answer. First, He refutes him for having cursed irrationally. Then He teaches not to despise even such anathemas. Here, however, the intention was pious; for it was ordained for the honor of God. But he ought to have considered the toil of those fighting, and how it was likely that some, worn out by toil, would be pressed by thirst, and be forced to transgress the decree. For the admirable Jonathan also suffered this; but he transgressed the decree of the anathema in ignorance. For after tasting the honey, he heard his father's curse, others reporting it. But nevertheless, though having the excuse of ignorance, his very life was endangered. He was saved from slaughter through the just advocacy and earnest supplication of the people. QUES. 32. How should one understand, "I repent that I anointed Saul to be king"? We have often said that God's repentance is the change of His 80.560 dispensation. For example, He commanded Saul to be appointed on account of his remarkable physique; not because He Himself delights in the greatest bodies; for He is the creator of both the great and the small; but to gratify the people, who use only their physical eyes. For that He often prefers small bodies to large ones, and the young to the aged, Zacchaeus is a witness, who was small and received the Lord. Samuel is a witness, who was young and was deemed worthy of the divine manifestation. David is a witness, preferred over his greater and older brothers. Wishing to appoint him king, and to keep the kingdom for his seed, because of the king of creation who would be born from him according to the flesh, He used human words when speaking with humans, and said, "I repent that I anointed Saul to be king," instead of, "I wish to give the authority of the kingdom to another, and to remove this man from power." QUES. 33. And why did He strip him of the kingdom for his mercy? He foresaw his future transgressions, the plots against his benefactors, the slaughters of the priests, the violations of oaths, his running to the ventriloquist. But it is enough

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τῶν δορκάδων ὁ Ἀκύλας ἡρμήνευ σεν. ΕΡΩΤ. ΚΘʹ. ∆ιὰ ποίαν αἰτίαν σίδηρον οὐκ εἶχεν ὁ Ἰσραήλ; Νενικηκότες αὐτοὺς οἱ ἀλλόφυλοι πάντα τὸν σίδη ρον ἔλαβον, καὶ κτήσασθαι ἕτερον διεκώλυσαν· ὅθεν παρ' αὐτοῖς τὰ γεωργικὰ κατεσκεύαζον ὄργανα. Ὀδόντα δὲ ὁ μὲν Σύμμαχος ὕνιν, ὁ δὲ Ἀκύλας τὸ ἄροτρον ἡρμήνευσαν. Τὸν δὲ σίκλον στα τῆρα ἐκάλεσαν. Ἐπὶ δὲ σταθμοῦ ὁ σίκλος λαμβανό μενος, ἡμιόγκιον εἷλκεν· ἐπὶ δὲ ἀργυρίου, εἴκοσιν ὀβολούς. ΕΡΩΤ. Λʹ. Τί δήποτε ὁ Ἰωνάθαν προσβαλεῖν τοῖς πολε μίοις βουλόμενος, σημεῖά τινα δέδωκε τῷ ὁπλοφόρῳ; Οὐ συμβολικῶς δέδωκεν, ἀλλ' ὡς πιστὸς γνῶναι ἠθέλησε τὸ βούλημα τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ σημεῖα ἑαυτῷ δέδωκε τοῦ θείου θελήματος· ἵνα εἰ μὲν κληθεῖεν 80.557 ὑπ' αὐτῶν προσβάλωσιν, ὡς τοῦ Θεοῦ προφανῶς συνεργοῦντος. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἔφη· "Καὶ ἀναβησό μεθα, ὅτι παρέδωκεν αὐτοὺς Κύριος εἰς τὰς χεῖ ρας ἡμῶν· τοῦτο ἡμῖν τὸ σημεῖον." - "Ἐὰν δὲ, φησὶν, εἴπωσιν ἡμῖν, Ἀπόστητε ἐκεῖ, οὐκ ἀναβησό μεθα ἐπ' αὐτούς." Ὅτι δὲ τῷ Θεῷ θαῤῥήσας εἰς προῦπτον ἑαυτὸν ἐξέδωκε κίνδυνον, μαρτυροῦσιν οἱ λόγοι. "∆εῦρο γὰρ, φησὶ, διαβῶμεν εἰς τὴν ὑπό στασιν τῶν ἀπεριτμήτων τούτων, εἴπως ποιήσει τι Κύριος ἡμῖν, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι τῷ Κυρίῳ συν εχόμενον σώζειν ἐν πολλοῖς ἢ ἐν ὀλίγοις." Ταῦτα δὲ τὰ ῥήματα ψυχῆς ἐστι τῷ Θεῷ πεποιθυίας. Οὕτω δὲ θαῤῥήσας οὐκ ἐψεύσθη τῆς ἐλπίδος. Εὐθὺς γὰρ προσβαλὼν, καὶ βέλος ἀφιεὶς, καὶ λίθους ἀκοντίσας, συνέχεε τὴν τῶν πολεμίων παρεμβολήν. Ἀγνοοῦντες γὰρ ἀλλήλους ἀνῄρουν ἐκεῖνοι, ἐκ διαφόρων συν ειλεγμένοι πόλεων ὄντες, καὶ ἀλλήλοις ὡς πολεμίοις ἐκέχρηντο. Τοῦτο πόῤῥωθεν ὁ Σαοὺλ θεασάμενος, καὶ διὰ τῆς ἱερατικῆς στολῆς τὴν νίκην μεμαθηκὼς, ὥρμησε καὶ αὐτὸς κατὰ τῶν ἀλλοφύλων· εἶτα τραπέντας ἐκείνους ἰδὼν, ἀνοήτως καὶ ἄγαν ἠλιθίως ἀνεθεμάτισε τὸν τροφῆς ἢ ποτοῦ πρὸ τῆς ἑσπέρας μεταλαμβάνοντα. ΕΡΩΤ. ΛΑʹ. Εἰ ἀνοήτως ἀνεθεμάτισε, τί δήποτε ὁ Θεὸς τὸν ἀναθεματισμὸν ἐβεβαίωσεν; Ἐρομένῳ γὰρ, εἰ πολεμητέον, οὐκ ἀπεκρίνατο. Πρῶτον αὐτὸν διελέγχει παραλόγως ἐπαρασάμενον. Ἔπειτα διδάσκει μηδὲ τῶν τοιούτων ἀναθεμάτων καταφρονεῖν. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ ὁ μὲν σκοπὸς εὐσεβὴς ἦν· εἰς Θεοῦ γὰρ ὡρίσθη τιμήν. Ἀλλ' ἔδει σκοπῆσαι τῶν πολεμούντων τὸν πόνον, καὶ ὡς εἰκὸς ἦν τινας τῷ πόνῳ τρυχομένους πιεσθῆναι δίψει, καὶ βιασθῆναι παραβῆναι τὸν ὅρον. Τοῦτο γὰρ πέπονθε καὶ Ἰωνάθαν ὁ θαυμάσιος· ἀλλ' ἀγνοῶν παρέβη τὸν τοῦ ἀναθέματος ὅρον. Μετὰ γὰρ δὴ τὴν τοῦ μέλιτος γεῦ σιν, ἤκουσε τοῦ πατρὸς τὴν ἀρὰν, ἑτέρων ἀπαγγει λάντων. Ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ τὴν τῆς ἀγνοίας ἔχων ἀπο λογίαν, ἄχρις αὐτῆς ἐκινδύνευσε τῆς ζωῆς. Ἀπηλ λάγη δὲ τῆς σφαγῆς διὰ τὴν τοῦ λαοῦ δικαίαν συνη γορίαν καὶ ἱκετείαν σπουδαίαν. ΕΡΩΤ. ΛΒʹ. Πῶς νοητέον τὸ, Μεταμεμέλημαι ὅτι ἔχρι σα τὸν Σαοὺλ εἰς βασιλέα; Πολλάκις εἰρήκαμεν, ὅτι μεταμέλεια Θεοῦ ἡ τῆς 80.560 οἰκονομίας μεταβολή. Οἷον χειροτονηθῆναι προσέταξε τὸν Σαοὺλ διὰ τὸ τοῦ σώματος ἀξιοθέατον· οὐκ ἐπειδὴ μεγίστοις αὐτὸς ἐπιτέρπεται σώμασιν· αὐτὸς γάρ ἐστι καὶ τῶν μεγάλων, καὶ τῶν μικρῶν δημιουργός· ἀλλὰ τῷ λαῷ χαριζόμενος, τοῖς αἰσθητοῖς μόνοις ὀφθαλμοῖς κεχρημένῳ. Ὅτι γὰρ προτιμᾷ πολλάκις καὶ μικρὰ σώματα μεγάλων, καὶ νέους γεγηρακό των, μάρτυς ὁ Ζακχαῖος μικρὸς ὢν, καὶ τὸν ∆εσπό την ὑποδεξάμενος. Μάρτυς ὁ Σαμουὴλ νέος ὢν, καὶ τῆς θείας ἐπιφανείας ἀξιωθείς. Μάρτυς ὁ ∆αβὶδ τῶν μειζόνων καὶ πρεσβυτέρων προτιμηθεὶς ἀδελφῶν. Τοῦτον ἐθελήσας βασιλέα χειροτονῆσαι, καὶ τῷ σπέρ ματι αὐτοῦ φυλάξαι τὴν βασιλείαν, διὰ τὸν ἐξ αὐτοῦ τεχθησόμενον κατὰ σάρκα βασιλέα τῆς κτίσεως, ἀν θρωπίνοις ἐχρήσατο ῥήμασιν ἀνθρώποις διαλεγό μενος, καὶ εἶπε· "Μεταμεμέλημαι ὅτι ἔχρισα τὸν Σαοὺλ εἰς βασιλέα," ἀντὶ τοῦ, Ἑτέρῳ βούλομαι δοῦ- ναι τῆς βασιλείας τὴν ἐξουσίαν, τοῦτον δὲ παῦσαι τῆς δυναστείας. ΕΡΩΤ. ΛΓʹ. Καὶ τί δήποτε διὰ φιλανθρωπίαν αὐτὸν τῆς βασιλείας ἐγύμνωσεν; Προῄδει μὲν αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰς ἐσομένας παρανομίας, τὰς κατὰ τῶν εὐεργετούντων ἐπιβουλὰς, τὰς τῶν ἱε ρέων σφαγὰς, τῶν ὅρκων τὰς παραβάσεις, τὸν πρὸς τὴν ἐγγαστρίμυθον δρόμον. Ἀπόχρη δὲ