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having left him, he fixed the arrows in his most foul heart. Then having taken him down, and having cast him into the nearby ravine, he commanded all the people to stone him, so that the punishment became his tomb. QUES. 34. Why did the writer say above that he had three sons, and one daughter; but now has shown the contrary, that he built a pillar, as though he had no son, contriving a memorial for himself by means of it? Both are true; for it is likely that he both fathered children, and that the children had died. But Josephus said he had done this, as his children were not able to endure for a long time, but the building would better preserve his memory. 80.648 QUES. 35. For what reason did David so greatly mourn his most abominable son? He was both a lover of his children, and a lover of mankind. A proof of this is also the mourning which occurred over Saul. But here nature also wrought greater pains. And in addition to these, he mourned as a pious man for one who could no longer be healed through repentance. For after death the wound of sin is incurable. QUES. 36. Why did he promise the generalship to Amasa, when Joab had endured many toils and dangers on his behalf? He always continued to hate the audacity of Joab. But he put up with him, both on account of the goodwill he had, and suspecting that he might not plot some rebellion against him. But seeing Amasa—and this man also happened to be his nephew—who had been appointed general of the whole army by the usurper, he sent word, promising to hand over to him the generalship of Joab. When Joab learned this, and received the sting of envy, and being struck by what was reported, he brought slaughter upon him, feigning goodwill and friendship. QUES. 37. How is, "I have ten parts in the king," to be understood? When strife and contention arose, and the other tribes accused the tribe of Judah, because it had gone ahead and met the king, they replied that the king was their kinsman, and it was more fitting for them on account of the closer kinship. For this reason the other tribes said that they have ten parts in the king. For Benjamin was joined to Judah. And they added, that they also have the rights of the firstborn, both through Reuben, as the firstborn by nature, and through Joseph, as having obtained this lot through virtue. For the firstborn received a double portion of the paternal inheritance. Wherefore also the patriarch said to Joseph, "Ephraim and Manasseh shall be to me as Reuben and Simeon." Immediately, therefore, both Moses the great and Joshua the son of Nun, his successor, assigned them a double inheritance. 80.649 QUES. 38. For what reason did David shut up the concubines who had consorted against their will with the impious usurper? He considered it unholy to have relations with them after the abominable intercourse of his son. For the law also expressly forbade this. And he did not join her to another, lest this also become a pretext for usurpation; and besides, such was not a marriage. For while the husband lives, she is called an adulteress, if she be with another man, as the divine Apostle says. And although the law permitted a man who hated his wife to give a bill of divorce, yet here it was not hatred that separated, but the unlawful intercourse of his son. For this reason he moved them to another house, deeming them worthy of all care. QUES. 39. How is it to be understood, "Have the ordinances of the faithful of Israel failed?" Sheba, having played the usurper, then fleeing, took refuge in the city of Abel; this is a city of Palestine, now named Abela. Therefore, when the general had drawn up the army for a siege, the most wise woman reminded him of the divine laws. For the divine law commanded to use an embassy first, and then to wage war on those who speak against it. This she also said: "Have the ordinances of the faithful of Israel failed?" that is, it is necessary not to transgress what is prescribed by the laws. Then she added: "I am of the peaceful and faithful in Israel: you seek to kill a city and a mother in Israel: why would you swallow up the inheritance of the Lord?"

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καταλιπὼν, ἐν τῇ μυσαρωτάτῃ καρδίᾳ τὰ βέλη κατέπηξεν. Εἶτα καθελὼν, καὶ εἰς τὴν παρακει μένην φάραγγα ῥίψας, τὸν λαὸν ἅπαντα κατα λεῦσαι προσέταξεν, ὥστε γενέσθαι αὐτῷ τάφον τὴν τιμωρίαν. ΕΡΩΤ. Λ∆ʹ. Τί δήποτε ἄνω μὲν ὁ συγγραφεὺς εἴρηκεν ὅτι τρεῖς ἔσχεν υἱοὺς, μίαν δὲ θυγατέρα· νῦν δὲ τοὐναντίον δεδήλωκεν, ὅτι στήλην ᾠκοδόμη σεν, ὡς υἱὸν οὐκ ἔχων, τὴν δι' αὐτῆς αὐτῷ μηχανώμενος μνήμην; Ἑκάτερον ἀληθές· εἰκὸς γὰρ αὐτὸν καὶ παιδο ποιῆσαι, καὶ τετελευτηκέναι τοὺς παῖδας. Ἰώση πος δὲ ἔφη τοῦτο αὐτὸν δεδρακέναι, ὡς τῶν παίδων μὲν ἐπὶ πολὺ διαρκεῖν οὐ δυναμένων, τῆς δὲ οἰκοδομίας μᾶλλον φυλαττούσης τὴν μνή μην. 80.648 ΕΡΩΤ. ΛΕʹ Τίνος ἕνεκεν τοσοῦτον ἐθρήνησεν ὁ ∆αβὶδ τὸν μιαρώτατον παῖδα; Καὶ φιλόπαις ἦν, καὶ φιλάνθρωπος. Τεκμήριον δὲ τούτου καὶ τὸ ἐπὶ τοῦ Σαοὺλ γενόμενον πένθος. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ καὶ ἡ φύσις μείζους τὰς ὀδύνας εἰργά σατο. Πρὸς δὲ τούτοις, ἐθρήνησεν ὡς εὐσεβὴς τὸν διὰ μεταμελείας ἰαθῆναι μηκέτι δυνάμενον. Μετὰ γὰρ δὴ τὴν τελευτὴν ἀνίατος ἡ τῆς ἁμαρτίας πληγή. ΕΡΩΤ. Λ ϛʹ. Τί δήποτε τῷ Ἀβεσσᾶ τὴν στρατηγίαν ἐπηγ γείλατο, τοῦ Ἰωὰβ ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ πολλοὺς ὑπο μείναντος πόνους καὶ κινδύνους; Τὸ θρασὺ τοῦ Ἰωὰβ ἀεὶ μισῶν διετέλεσεν. Ἠνέσχετο δὲ αὐτοῦ, διά τε τὴν εὔνοιαν, ἣν εἶχε, καὶ ὑφορώμενος μή τι νεώτερον βουλεύσηται κατ' αὐτοῦ. Θεασάμενος δὲ τὸν Ἀβεσσά· ἀδελφιδοῦς δὲ αὐτοῦ καὶ οὗτος ἐτύγχανεν· ὃν στρατηγὸν ὑπὸ τοῦ τυράν νου πάσης χειροτονηθέντα τῆς στρατιᾶς, ἐπέστει λεν, ὑποσχόμενος αὐτῷ παραδώσειν τὴν τοῦ Ἰωὰβ στρατηγίαν. Τοῦτο μαθὼν ὁ Ἰωὰβ, καὶ τοῦ φθόνου τὴν ἀκίδα δεξάμενος, καὶ πληττόμενος ἐπὶ τοῖς με μηνυμένοις, ἐπήνεγκεν αὐτῷ τὴν σφαγὴν, εὔνοιαν καὶ φιλίαν ὑποκρινάμενος. ΕΡΩΤ. ΛΖʹ. Πῶς νοητέον τὸ, "∆έκα μοι χεῖρες ἐν τῷ βα σιλεῖ;" Ἔριδος γενομένης καὶ διαμάχης, καὶ τὴν φυ λὴν τοῦ Ἰούδα τῶν ἄλλων αἰτιασαμένων, ὅτι δὴ προλαβοῦσα ὑπήντησε τῷ βασιλεῖ, ὑπολαβόντες ἔφασαν αὐτοὶ, φυλέτην αὐτῶν εἶναι τὸν βασιλέα, καὶ μᾶλλον αὐτοῖς προσήκειν διὰ τὴν πλησιαιτέραν συγγένειαν. Τούτου χάριν εἰρήκασιν οἱ τῶν ἄλλων φυλῶν, δέκα χεῖρας ἔχειν ἐν τῷ βασιλεῖ. Ἡ γὰρ Βενιαμῖτις τῇ Ἰούδα συνῆπτο. Προσέθηκαν δὲ, ὅτι καὶ τῶν πρωτοτοκίων ἔχουσι τὰ πρεσβεῖα, διά τε τὸν Ῥουβεὶμ, ὡς φύσει πρωτότοκον, καὶ διὰ τὸν Ἰωσὴφ, ὡς διὰ τὴν ἀρετὴν τοῦδε τοῦ κλήρου τετυχηκότα. ∆ιπλῆν γὰρ μοῖραν οἱ πρωτότοκοι τῆς πατρῴας κληρονομίας ἐλάμβανον. ∆ιὸ καὶ ὁ πα τριάρχης πρὸς τὸν Ἰωσὴφ ἔφη, "Ἐφραῒμ καὶ Μανασσῆς ὡς Ῥουβεὶμ καὶ Συμεὼν ἔσονταί μοι." Αὐτίκα γοῦν καὶ Μωσῆς ὁ μέγας, καὶ Ἰησοῦς ὁ τοῦ Ναυῆ, ὁ τούτου διάδοχος, διπλοῦν αὐτοῖς ἀπένει μαν κλῆρον. 80.649 ΕΡΩΤ. ΛΗʹ. Τίνος χάριν ∆αβὶδ καθεῖρξε τὰς παλλακὰς παρὰ γνώμην τῷ δυσσεβεῖ τυράννῳ συγγενομένας; Ἀνόσιον ὑπέλαβε συνελθεῖν αὐταῖς μετὰ τὴν μυ σαρὰν τοῦ παιδὸς συνουσίαν. Τοῦτο γὰρ καὶ ὁ νόμος ἄντικρυς ἀπηγόρευσεν. Ἑτέρῳ δὲ οὐ συνῆψεν, ἵνα μὴ καὶ τοῦτο πρόφασις γένηται τυραννίδος· ἄλ λως τε δὲ οὐδὲ γάμος ἦν ὁ τοιοῦτος. Ζῶντος γὰρ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς μοιχαλὶς χρηματίζει, ἐὰν γένηται ἀν δρὶ ἑτέρῳ, ᾗ φησιν ὁ θεῖος Ἀπόστολος. Εἰ δὲ καὶ ὁ νόμος ἐπέτρεπε τὸν ἀπεχθανόμενον τῇ γυναικὶ βι βλίον ἀποστασίου διδόναι· ἀλλ' ἐνταῦθα οὐ μῖσος ἐχώριζεν, ἀλλ' ἡ τοῦ παιδὸς παράνομος συνουσία. Τούτου χάριν εἰς ἑτέραν αὐτὰς μετέστησεν οἰκίαν, πάσης ἀξιῶν θεραπείας. ΕΡΩΤ. ΛΘʹ. Πῶς νοητέον, "Εἰ ἐξέλιπεν ἃ διέθεντο οἱ πιστοὶ τοῦ Ἰσραήλ;" Ὁ Σαβεὲ τυραννήσας, εἶτα φυγὼν, εἰς τὴν Ἀβὲλ κατέφυγε πόλιν· ἔστι δὲ αὕτη πόλις τῆς Παλαιστί νης, Ἀβελᾶ νῦν ὠνομασμένη. Τοῦ στρατηγοῦ τοίνυν εἰς πολιορκίαν τὴν στρατιὰν παραστήσαντος, τῶν θείων αὐτὸν ἀνέμνησε νόμων ἡ σοφωτάτη γυνή. Ὁ γὰρ θεῖος ἐκέλευσε νόμος πρεσβείᾳ κεχρῆσθαι πρότερον, εἶθ' οὕτως τοῖς ἀντιλέγουσι παρατάτ τεσθαι. Τοῦτο ἔφη καὶ αὕτη· "Εἰ ἐξέλιπεν ἃ δι έθεντο οἱ πιστοὶ τοῦ Ἰσραήλ;" τουτέστι, μὴ παρα βῆναι χρὴ τὰ διηγορευμένα τοῖς νόμοις. Εἶτα ἐπ ήγαγεν· "Ἐγὼ δέ εἰμι εἰρηνικὴ τῶν στηριγμά των Ἰσραήλ· σὺ δὲ ζητεῖς θανατῶσαι πόλιν καὶ μητρόπολιν Ἰσραήλ· καὶ ἵνα τί ὅτι καταποντί ζεις κληρονομίαν Κυρίου;"