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an oath of righteous anger, but the sparing of prudent reasoning. For having received the supplication of Abigail, he quenched his anger. For it was better to transgress the oath of the threat, than to commit so great a murder. But the "uphei," Aquila interpreted as "sata"; and we have learned from the prophecy of the divine Ezekiel that the "gomor" is of equal measure to the "uphei." But the name Nabal, when changed into the Greek language, signifies folly. For Abigail has shown this, and the book of the interpretation of Hebrew names. But Aquila said thus, "Nabal is his name, and worthlessness is with him." And it has the same meaning; for when the rational faculty flows away and is extinguished, the affliction of folly arises. And the phrase, "As the Lord has kept you from entering 80.585 into innocent blood, and from saving your hands for yourself;" Aquila has said, "From being polluted," instead of: "That you might not be filled with the pollution of bloodshed." And the phrase, "There shall not be to you an abomination and a stumbling block of heart, for my lord;" instead of abomination, Aquila has said "pricking"; and he alludes to the goads of conscience. But Baruch means, The Lord is blessed. But what was said by David: "Blessed are you, who have kept me today on this day from entering into bloodshed, and from saving my hand for myself," I suppose to be a scribal error. For the other interpreters have said "not to pollute," instead of, "not to partake of pollution." However, Eusebius of Caesarea said that Carmel here is not the mountain, but a certain village so named to this day, lying south of Jerusalem, in which they say Nabal lived. QUESTION 60. How is this to be understood: "Saul was sleeping in the lampine?" A lampine is a type of covered wagon, as is also an apene. But Aquila did not say lampine, but "in the circular enclosure"; and the account indicates that the king was lying down in the midst of the people, and was walled in on all sides by the men-at-arms; and this I think to be more true; "For, it says, David said to Ahimelech the Hittite, and to Abishai son of Zeruiah, brother of Joab, saying: 'Who will go down with me into the camp to Saul?'" Therefore the account has shown that the king was sleeping in the midst of the army. But he entered boldly, and spared him prudently, and having found him bound by sleep, he did not kill him; but he even prevented Abishai who wanted to do this. "For, he says, he said to him: 'Do not destroy him, for who will lay his hand on the Lord's anointed, and be held guiltless?' 80.588 QUESTION 61. How is this to be understood: "Unless the Lord strikes him, or his day comes and he dies?" and what follows. The phrase, "The Lord strikes him," signifies the blow sent by God, which also the firstborn of the Egyptians endured, and the people in the desert many times, and Nabal the Carmelite. But the phrase, "or his day comes," signifies the death brought on according to nature, which is wont to happen, either from excess, or from deficiency, or from some one of our humors having predominated. But that which happens in war is rather violent; for those strong in body are killed. However, the wondrous David took the spear and the flask of water, so that he might again show the kindness that had been done. And everywhere the writer proclaims divine providence. For having said that all were sleeping, he added, that "a deep sleep from the Lord had fallen upon them." And admirable are the very words of the prophet. For it shows the care he has taken for the hostile king; "For as the Lord lives," he says, "you are sons of death, you who do not guard your lord the king, the Lord's anointed." And in addition to these things, having said, that "one of the people came in to kill my lord the king," he showed the spear and the flask. And when Saul, the fickle and all-wicked, recognized the voice and said, "Is this your voice, my son David?" the divine man answered and said, "My voice, my Lord; your servant, my lord king;" And although the royal anointing had taken place, and the spiritual grace had departed, he called himself a servant of the one stripped of grace, and of the

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ὅρκος τοῦ δικαίου θυμοῦ, ἡ δὲ φειδὼ τοῦ σώφρονος λογισμοῦ. ∆εξάμενος γὰρ τῆς Ἀβιγαίας τὴν ἱκετείαν, ἔσβεσε τὸν θυμόν. Ἄμεινον γὰρ ἦν παραβῆναι τῆς ἀπειλῆς τὸν ὅρκον, ἢ τοσοῦτον ἐργά σασθαι φόνον. Τὸ δὲ ὑφεὶ, σάτα ὁ Ἀκύλας ἡρμήνευσε· τὸ δὲ γόμορ ἰσόμετρον εἶναι τῷ ὑφεὶ μεμαθήκαμεν ἐκ τῆς τοῦ θεσπεσίου Ἐζεκιὴλ προφητείας. Τὸ δὲ Νάβαλ ὄνομα εἰς τὴν Ἑλλάδα φωνὴν μεταβαλλόμενον, τὴν ἀφροσύνην σημαίνει. Τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ἡ Ἀβιγαία δεδήλωκε, καὶ τῆς τῶν Ἑβραϊκῶν ὀνομάτων ἑρμηνείας ἡ βίβλος. Ὁ δὲ Ἀκύλας οὕτως ἔφη, "Νάβαλ ὄνομα αὐτῷ, καὶ ἀπόῤῥευσις μετ' αὐτοῦ." Τὴν αὐτὴν δὲ ἔχει διάνοιαν· ἀποῤῥέοντος γὰρ τοῦ λογικοῦ, καὶ σβεννυμένου, τὸ τῆς ἀφροσύνης ἐπιγίνεται πάθος. Τὸ δὲ, "Καθὼς ἐκώλυσέ σε Κύριος τοῦ μὴ εἰσελθεῖν σε 80.585 εἰς αἷμα ἀθῶον, καὶ σώζειν τὰς χεῖράς σού σοι·" ὁ Ἀκύλας "Τοῦ μὴ μυσάζειν" εἴρηκεν, ἀντὶ τοῦ· "Ἵνα μὴ μύσους ἐκ τῆς μιαιφονίας ἀναπλη σθῇς." Καὶ τὸ, "Οὐκ ἔσται σοι βδελυγμὸς καὶ σκάνδαλον καρδίας, τῷ κυρίῳ μου·" ἀντὶ τοῦ βδε λυγμὸς, νυγμὸς ὁ Ἀκύλας εἴρηκεν· αἰνίτ τεται δὲ τὰς τοῦ συνειδότος ἀκίδας. Τὸ δὲ Βαροὺχ, Κύριος εὐλογητός. Τὸ δὲ ὑπὸ τοῦ ∆αβὶδ εἰρημέ νον· "Εὐλογημένη σὺ εἶ, ἀποκωλύσασά με σήμε ρον ἐν ταύτῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ μὴ εἰσελθεῖν εἰς αἵματα, καὶ σῶσαι τὴν χεῖρά μου ἐμοὶ," ἁμάρτημα γρα φικὸν εἶναι ὑπολαμβάνω. Οἱ γὰρ ἄλλοι ἑρμηνευταὶ "μὴ μυσῶσαι" εἰρήκασιν, ἀντὶ τοῦ, "μὴ μύσους μεταλαχεῖν." Τὸν μέντοι Κάρμηλον ἐνταῦθα Εὐσέβιος ὁ Καισαρεὺς οὐ τὸ ὄρος εἴρηκεν, ἀλλὰ κώ μην τινὰ μέχρι τοῦ νῦν οὕτως ὀνομαζομένην, νοτό θεν τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ κειμένην, ἐν ᾗ φασιν ᾠκηκέναι τὸν Νάβαλ. ΕΡΩΤ. Ξʹ. Πῶς νοητέον τὸ "Σαοὺλ ἐκάθευδεν ἐν τῇ λαμπίνῃ; Λαμπίνη μέν ἐστιν εἶδος ἁρμαμάξης, ὥσπερ αὖ καὶ ἀπήνη. Ὁ δὲ Ἀκύλας οὐκ εἶπε λαμπίνῃ, ἀλλὰ τῇ στρογγυλώσει· δηλοῖ δὲ ὁ λόγος, τὸ ἐν μέσῳ τοῦ λαοῦ κατακεκλῖσθαι τὸν βασιλέα, καὶ πανταχόθεν ὑπὸ τῶν ὁπλοφόρων τειχίζεσθαι· καὶ τοῦτο μᾶλλον ἀληθέστερον εἶναι νομίζω· "Εἶπε γὰρ, φησὶ, ∆αβὶδ πρὸς Ἀχιμέλεχ τὸν Χετ ταῖον, καὶ πρὸς Ἀβεσᾶ υἱὸν Σαρουΐα, ἀδελφὸν Ἰωὰβ, λέγων· Τίς εἰσελεύσεται μετ' ἐμοῦ εἰς τὴν παρεμ βολὴν πρὸς Σαούλ." Τοιγάρτοι δεδήλωκεν ὁ λόγος, ὡς μεταξὺ τῆς στρατιᾶς ἐκάθευδεν ὁ βασιλεύς. Ἀλλ' εἰσῆλθε μὲν θαῤῥαλέως, ἐφείσατο δὲ σωφρόνως, καὶ πεπεδημένον ὕπνῳ λαβὼν οὐκ ἀπέκτεινεν· ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν Ἀβεσὰ τοῦτο δρᾶσαι βουληθέντα κε κώλυκεν. "Εἶπε γὰρ, φησὶν, πρὸς αὐτόν· Μὴ δια φθείρῃς αὐτὸν, ὅτι τίς ἐποίσει χεῖρα αὑτοῦ ἐπὶ χριστὸν Κυρίου, καὶ ἀθωωθήσεται; 80.588 ΕΡΩΤ. ΞΑʹ. Πῶς νοητέον· "Ἐὰν μὴ Κύριος παίσῃ αὐτὸν, ἢ ἡ ἡμέρα αὐτοῦ ἔλθῃ καὶ ἀποθάνῃ;" καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Τὸ, "Κύριος παίσῃ αὐτὸν, τὴν θεήλατον σημαίνει πληγὴν, ἣν καὶ τὰ πρωτότοκα τῶν Αἰγυπτίων ὑπέμεινε, καὶ ὁ λαὸς ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ πολλάκις, καὶ Νάβαλ ὁ Καρμήλιος. Τὸ δὲ, "ἢ ἡμέρα αὐτοῦ ἔλθῃ," τὸν κατὰ φύσιν ἐπαγόμενον θάνατον, ὃς γίνεσθαι πέφυκεν, ἢ ἐκ πλησμονῆς, ἢ ἐξ ἐνδείας, ἤ τινος τῶν ἐν ἡμῖν χυμῶν πλεονάσαντος. Ὁ δ' ἐν πολέμῳ γινόμενος βίαιος μᾶλλόν ἐστιν· ἐῤῥωμένοι γὰρ τὰ σώματα κατακτείνονται. Τὸ μέντοι δόρυ, καὶ τοῦ ὕδατος τὸν φακὸν εἴληφεν ὁ ∆αβὶδ ὁ θαυμάσιος, ἵνα τὴν γεγενημένην πάλιν εὐεργεσίαν ἐπιδείξῃ. Παν ταχῆ δὲ ὁ συγγραφεὺς τὴν θείαν κηρύττει προμή θειαν. Εἰρηκὼς γὰρ ὅτι πάντες ἐκάθευδον, ἐπήγαγεν, ὅτι "Θάμβος Κυρίου ἐπέπεσεν ἐπ' αὐτούς." Ἀξιά γαστα δὲ καὶ αὐτὰ τοῦ προφήτου τὰ ῥήματα. ∆ηλοῖ γὰρ ἣν πεποίηται τοῦ δυσμενοῦς βασιλέως κηδεμο νίαν· "Ζῇ γὰρ Κύριος, φησὶν, ὅτι υἱοὶ θανάτου ὑμεῖς, οἱ μὴ φυλάττοντες τὸν κύριον ὑμῶν τὸν βασιλέα τὸν χριστὸν Κυρίου." Καὶ πρὸς τούτοις εἰπὼν, ὡς "εἰσῆλθέ τις τοῦ λαοῦ ἀποκτεῖναι τὸν κύριόν μου τὸν βασιλέα," ὑπέδειξε τὸ δόρυ καὶ τὸν φακόν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ Σαοὺλ ὁ παλίμβουλος, καὶ παμ πόνηρος, τὴν φωνὴν ἐπιγνοὺς εἴρηκεν, "Ἡ φωνή σου αὕτη, τέκνον ∆αβίδ;" ὑπολαβὼν ὁ θεῖος εἶπεν ἀνὴρ, "Φωνή μου, Κύριέ μου· δοῦλος σὸς, Κύ ριέ μου βασιλεῦ·" Καὶ τῆς βασιλικῆς χειροτονίας γεγενημένης, καὶ τῆς πνευματικῆς χάριτος μετα στάσης, δοῦλον ἑαυτὸν ὠνόμαζε τοῦ γεγυμνωμένου τῆς χάριτος, καὶ τοῦ