29

it was written beforehand for our instruction, that we might learn that one ought not to associate with friends when they are doing well, but abandon them when they have fallen into misfortune. QUES. 29. Why did he forbid the priests and the ark to follow? Both being pious, and a prophet, he knew what had befallen the ark when it was taken to aid the lawless. 80.640 For they were slain, but it was given as spoil to the foreigners. Having been taught these things, he said to Zadok the priest, "Return the ark of God to the city, and let it be set in its place. If I find favor in the sight of the Lord, and he brings me back, I will see it, and its beauty; and if he says to me, I have no pleasure in you, behold, here I am, let him do to me what is pleasing in his sight." I cannot, he says, carry the accuser about with me. From within I hear the law speaking: "You shall not commit adultery, you shall not kill;" but I have trampled on both laws. When the lawgiver cleanses the eye of my soul, then I will be able to see its beauty; but if he strips me entirely of his own care, he is Master, and I a servant, subjecting myself to his corrections. The divine man said these things weeping, clothed in the habit of mourning; for his head was covered, and he walked with his feet bare; and the army shared in his grief. Thus while fleeing he learned of Ahithophel's betrayal; but he immediately took refuge with his own Lord, not asking that he be struck with thunderbolts, but that his counsel be shown to be in vain. For he says, "O my God, frustrate the counsel of Ahithophel." And Aquila says "make foolish" for "frustrate," meaning, show him to be foolish and witless. And *rhōs* means the summit. For having gone up, he says, to *rhōs*, that is, to the summit (and he means the Mount of Olives, from which the Lord Christ was taken up), he worshipped God there, looking towards the tabernacle, as is likely, and the ark lying within it. QUES. 30. Some do not praise Hushai's lie. It is fitting to examine the purpose of both good and evil things. For judging thus we shall find even truth being accused. "For Herod, on account of his oaths," it says, "and those who sat at table with him, killed John." But no one is so foolish as to praise a truth that resulted in slaughter. For it was better not to have sworn; but since he did swear, the lie was preferable to the slaughter. And 80.641 here, then, the deception occurred not for the sake of monetary gain, not for the harm of others, but out of zeal for a prophet and a pious king. QUES. 31. Some blame David for accepting the words of Ziba. I have often said that the prophets did not know all things; and this man used plausible words. For he himself came to the divine David, but said that the other one was imagining the kingdom for himself. And in addition to this, he also brought gifts, showing his own goodwill. And later, having accepted the words of Mephibosheth, he divided the possession between them both, and deemed him worthy again of the same care; and when the famine occurred, and the Gibeonites asked for seven of Saul's relatives, he did not give up Mephibosheth, but fulfilled the agreements made with Jonathan. And David's words to Abishai concerning Shimei are admirable. For while that one was stoning him, and casting dust at him, and insulting him with other words and deeds, and calling him a man of blood and a lawless man, Abishai, being a general, could not bear the drunken insolence, but said, "Why does this accursed dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over, and I will take off his head." But the meekest of all answered and said, "What have I to do with you, son of Zeruiah? Let him alone, because he curses me, for the Lord has told him to speak evil of David, and who shall say to him, Why have you done so?" This man, he says, is God's strap, and rod. I do not see the strap, but the one who scourges; I ascribe the calamities to my own transgressions; I do not touch the rod, lest I provoke the one who strikes. And it agrees

29

προ εγράφη διδασκαλίαν, ἵνα μάθωμεν, ὡς οὐ χρὴ εὖ μὲν πράττουσι τοῖς φίλοις συνεῖναι, δυσπραγίᾳ δὲ περι πεσόντας ἐᾷν. ΕΡΩΤ. ΚΘʹ. Τί δήποτε τοὺς ἱερέας καὶ τὴν κιβωτὸν ἀκολου θεῖν κεκώλυκεν; Καὶ εὐσεβὴς ὢν, καὶ προφήτης, ᾔδει τί πέπονθεν ἡ κιβωτὸς εἰς ἐπικουρίαν τῶν παρανόμων ληφθεῖσα. 80.640 Ἐκεῖνοι μὲν γὰρ ἀνῃρέθησαν· αὕτη δὲ δορυάλωτος ἐδόθη τοῖς ἀλλοφύλοις. Ταῦτα δεδιδαγμένος, πρὸς Σαδοὺκ εἶπε τὸν ἱερέα, "Ἀπόστρεψον τὴν κιβωτὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ εἰς τὴν πόλιν, καὶ καθισάτω εἰς τὸν τόπον αὐτῆς. Ἐὰν εὕρω χάριν ἐνώπιον Κυρίου, καὶ ἐπιστρέψῃ με, καὶ ὄψομαι αὐτὴν, καὶ τὴν εὐ πρέπειαν αὐτῆς· καὶ ἐὰν εἴπῃ μοι, Οὐ τεθέληκά σε, ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ, ποιείτω μοι τὸ ἀρεστὸν ἐνώπιον αὐ τοῦ." Οὐ δύναμαι, φησὶ, μετ' ἐμαυτοῦ τὸν κατ ήγορον περιφέρειν. Ἔνδοθεν ἀκούω φθεγγομένου τοῦ νόμου· "Οὐ μοιχεύσεις, οὐ φονεύσεις·" ἐγὼ δὲ τοὺς δύο πεπάτηκα νόμους. Ὅταν ὁ νομοθέτης καθαριεῖ μου τὸν τῆς ψυχῆς ὀφθαλμὸν, τότε ἰδεῖν δυνήσομαι τὴν εὐπρέπειαν αὐτῆς· ἐὰν δέ με παν τάπασι τῆς οἰκείας κηδεμονίας γυμνώσῃ, ∆εσπότης ἐστὶν, ἐγὼ δὲ οἰκέτης ἐμαυτὸν ὑποτιθεὶς ταῖς παι δείαις. Ταῦτα δακρύων ἔλεγεν ὁ θεῖος ἀνὴρ, τὸ πένθιμον περικείμενος σχῆμα· ἐκεκάλυπτο μὲν γὰρ τὴν κεφαλὴν, γυμνοῖς δὲ τοῖς ποσὶ κεχρημένος ἐβάδιζεν· ἐκοινώνει δὲ τοῦ πένθους ἡ στρατιά. Οὕτω φεύγων ἔγνω τοῦ Ἀχιτόφελ τὴν προδοσίαν· ἀλλ' εὐθὺς πρὸς τὸν οἰκεῖον ∆εσπότην κατέφυγεν, οὐ κεραυνοῖς αὐτὸν βληθῆναι παρακαλέσας, ἀλλὰ ματαίαν αὐτοῦ ἀποφανθῆναι τὴν συμβουλήν. Καὶ γὰρ φησὶν, "Ὁ Θεός μου, ματαίωσον δὴ τὴν βουλὴν Ἀχιτόφελ." Τὸ δὲ "ματαίωσον" ὁ Ἀκύλας, ἀφρόνησον, εἴρηκεν, ἀντὶ τοῦ, δεῖξον ἄφρονα καὶ ἀσύνετον. Τὸ δὲ ῥῶς τὴν ἄκραν λέγει. Ἀνελθὼν γὰρ, φησὶν, εἰς ῥῶς, τουτέστιν εἰς τὴν ἄκραν (λέγει δὲ τὸν ἐλαιῶνα, ἀφ' οὗ ὁ ∆εσπό της ἀνελήφθη Χριστὸς), προσεκύνησεν ἐκεῖ τῷ Θεῷ, εἰς τὴν σκηνὴν, ὡς εἰκὸς, ἀποβλέψας, καὶ τὴν κιβωτὸν τὴν ἐν αὐτῇ κειμένην. ΕΡΩΤ. Λʹ. Τινὲς οὐκ ἐπαινοῦσι τοῦ Χουσὶ τὸ ψεῦδος. Καὶ τῶν ἀγαθῶν καὶ τῶν ἐναντίων τὸν σκοπὸν ἐξετάζειν προσήκει. Οὕτω γὰρ κρίνοντες εὑρήσομεν καὶ κατηγορουμένην ἀλήθειαν. "Ὁ γὰρ Ἡρώδης διὰ τοὺς ὅρκους, φησὶ, καὶ τοὺς συνανακειμέ νους, ἀπέκτεινε τὸν Ἰωάννην." Ἀλλ' οὐδεὶς οὕτως ἠλίθιος, ὡς ἐπαινέσαι τὴν ἐπὶ σφαγῇ γεγενημένην ἀλήθειαν. Ἄμεινον γὰρ ἦν μὴ ὀμόσαι· ἐπεὶ δὲ ὤμοσε, τὸ ψεῦδος αἱρετώτερον τῆς σφαγῆς. Καὶ 80.641 ἐνταῦθα τοίνυν ἡ ὑπόκρισις, οὐκ ἐπὶ κέρδει χρημά των, οὐκ ἐπὶ λύμῃ ἑτέρων, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ ζήλῳ προφή του καὶ βασιλέως εὐσεβοῦντος, ἐγένετο. ΕΡΩΤ. ΛΑʹ. Μέμφονταί τινες τῷ ∆αβὶδ, ὡς τοῦ Σιβᾶ δεξα μένῳ τοὺς λόγους. Πολλάκις εἶπον, ὡς οὐχ ἅπαντα ἐγίνωσκον οἱ προφῆται· οὗτος δὲ καὶ πιθανοῖς ἐχρήσατο λόγοις. Αὐτὸς μὲν γὰρ ἀφίκετο πρὸς τὸν θεῖον ∆αβὶδ, ἐκεῖ νον δὲ ἔφη τὴν βασιλείαν φαντάζεσθαι. Πρὸς δὲ τούτοις, καὶ δῶρα προσήνεγκε, τὴν οἰκείαν ἐπιδει κνὺς εὔνοιαν. Ὕστερον δὲ καὶ τοῦ Μεμφιβαὰλ τοὺς λόγους δεξάμενος, ἀμφοτέροις μὲν τὴν κτῆσιν δι ένειμεν, ἐκεῖνον δὲ πάλιν τῆς αὐτῆς κηδεμονίας ἠξίωσε· καὶ τοῦ λιμοῦ γενομένου, καὶ τῶν Γαβαω νιτῶν ἑπτὰ τῶν τοῦ Σαοὺλ συγγενῶν αἰτησάντων, οὐκ ἐξέδωκε τὸν Μεμφιβαὰλ, ἀλλὰ τὰς πρὸς τὸν Ἰωνάθαν γεγενημένας συνθήκας ἐπλήρωσεν. Ἀξιάγαστα δὲ τοῦ ∆αβὶδ καὶ τὰ περὶ τοῦ Σεμεεὶ πρὸς τὸν Ἀβεσσὰ εἰρημένα. Ἐκείνου γὰρ αὐτὸν λίθοις βάλλοντος, καὶ τὸν χοῦν αὐτοῦ καταχέοντος, καὶ λό γοις ἑτέροις καὶ ἔργοις προπηλακίζοντος, καὶ ἄν δρα αἱμάτων καὶ παράνομον ἀποκαλοῦντος, ὁ μὲν Ἀβεσσὰ ὑποστράτηγος ὢν τὴν παροινίαν οὐκ ἤνεγκεν, ἀλλ' ἔφη, "Ἵνα τί καταρᾶται ὁ κύων ὁ ἐπικατάρατος οὗτος τὸν κύριόν μου τὸν βασι λέα; διελεύσομαι δὴ, καὶ ἀφελῶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐ τοῦ." Ἀλλ' ὁ πάντων πραότατος ὑπολαβὼν ἔφη, "Τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοὶ, υἱὲ Σαρουΐα; ἄφετε αὐτὸν, διότι καταρᾶταί με, ὅτι ὁ Κύριος εἶπεν αὐτῷ κακολογεῖν τὸν ∆αβὶδ, καὶ τίς ἐρεῖ αὐτῷ, Τί ὅτι πεποίηκας οὕτως;" Ἱμάς ἐστιν οὗτος, φησὶ, τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ῥάβδος. Οὐχ ὁρῶ τὸν ἱμάντα, ἀλλὰ τὸν μαστιγοῦντα· ταῖς ἐμαυτοῦ παρανομίαις ἐπιγράφω τὰς συμφοράς· οὐχ ἅπτομαι τῆς ῥάβδου, ἵνα μὴ παροξύνω τὸν παίοντα. Συμφωνεῖ δὲ