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but the prophet of the general. And the slingers and the archers were also sent with them; for he calls these the Cherethites and the Pelethites. QUESTION 3. Why ever did the rulers, blessing the new king in the presence of his father, pray that he become more glorious and more distinguished than his father? "For they said, 'May the Lord make the name of your son Solomon better than your name, and may he make his throne greater than your throne.'" They knew that no one having paternal affection is jealous of his children; and that it is characteristic of fathers to wish to see their children more brilliant even than themselves. For Arius and his children are the only ones who suffer from this madness. And David was so pleased by what was said by the rulers that even though his old age prevented him from rising, he worshipped God while lying down, the one who had brought his promises to fulfillment; "For he says, 'Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who has given today one from my seed to sit upon my throne, and my eyes see it.'" Therefore, he offered this hymn to God, and he charged his son, the successor to the kingdom, to keep his piety undefiled. But first he pointed out the common end; "For I," he said, "am going the way of all the earth; so be strong, and be a man of power, and keep the charge of the God of Israel, to walk before him, to keep his way; and his ordinances, his exact statutes, and his judgments, his commandments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses." Do not dare to transgress even the slightest of what is written. For this is what "the exact statutes, and the judgments, and the testimonies, and 80.672 commandments, and ordinances" means. And he also taught the benefit that springs from this; "That you may prosper in all that you do, and wherever you turn your gaze there." For, he says, when these things are done by you, our good Lord will confirm the promise made by him to me, that "A man shall not be cut off from you from the throne of Israel." QUESTION 4. For what reason, not having punished Joab himself, did he command his son to do this? First, he respected him, as one who had been a sharer of his labors and dangers; then, he was also suspicious of his audacity. For he made this clear through what he said, that "The sons of Zeruiah are too hard for me." And in addition to these things, having learned that he was contriving tyranny with Adonijah, he feared that, using his customary malevolence, he would despise Solomon's youth, and do one of two things: either, using the mask of goodwill, he would secretly kill him, just as he had killed Abner and Amasa; or he would openly set himself in opposition, and divide Israel. And he also taught him of the goodwill of Barzillai, and commanded that his sons be deemed worthy of all care, confessing that he owed this debt to him. QUESTION 5. Why, having granted pardon to Shimei, did he command Solomon to punish him? He knew the man to be tyrannical and exceedingly bold; and, being provident for his son's safety, he taught him what Shimei had dared to do, so that he might guard against the man's wickedness. And he also knew, as a prophet, that by transgressing the commands of Solomon he would be destroyed. For the man was defiled, and a leader of seditions. QUESTION 6. What is the city of David? The divine Scripture calls Zion the city of David. And the upper city was also called this; but now the whole is named Jerusalem. In this city Josephus says that he himself was deemed worthy of burial, and the kings after him; and that the tomb is near Siloam, having the form of a cave, and displaying royal magnificence. And he said that much gold was also buried with him by his son Solomon; and that this became clear from later events. For Hyrcanus the high priest, when the city was being besieged by Antiochus the son of Demetrius, opened the tomb, and carried out from there three thousand talents. King David, however, having reached the age of seventy, 80.673 received the end of his life. For he became king at thirty, and he completed forty years reigning. QUESTION 7. They are indignant at the

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στρατηγοῦ δὲ ὁ προφήτης. Συναπεστάλησαν δὲ καὶ οἱ σφενδονῖται καὶ οἱ τοξόται· τούτους γὰρ καλεῖ Χερεθὶ καὶ Φε λεθί. ΕΡΩΤ. Γʹ. Τί δήποτε καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες τὸν βασιλέα τὸν νέον ἐπὶ τοῦ πατρὸς εὐλογοῦντες εὐκλεέστερον γενέσθαι τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ περιφανέστερον ηὔ ξαντο; "Ἀγαθύναι γὰρ, ἔφασαν, Κύριος τὸ ὄνομα τοῦ υἱοῦ Σολομῶντος ὑπὲρ τὸ ὄνομά σου, καὶ μεγαλύναι τὸν θρόνον αὐτοῦ ὑπὲρ τὸν θρόνον σου." Ἤδεσαν ὡς οὐδεὶς ἔχων πατρικὴν φιλοστοργίαν ἐζηλοτύπησε παῖδας· καὶ ὡς ἴδιον πατέρων τὸ βούλεσθαι τοὺς παῖδας καὶ ἑαυτῶν λαμπροτέρους ὁρᾷν. Ἄρειος γὰρ καὶ οἱ τούτου παῖδες ταύτην μόνοι νοσοῦσι τὴν ἄνοιαν. Ὁ δέ γε ∆αβὶδ οὕτως τοῖς παρὰ τῶν ἀρχόντων εἰρημένοις ἐφήσθη. ὅτι καὶ τοῦ γήρως αὐτὸν ἀναστῆναι κωλύοντος, κατακεκλι μένος προσεκύνησε τὸν Θεὸν, τὸν ταῖς ὑποσχέσεσι δεδωκότα τὸ πέρας· "Εὐλογητὸς γὰρ, φησὶ, Κύ ριος ὁ Θεὸς Ἰσραὴλ, ὃς ἔδωκε σήμερον ἐκ τοῦ σπέρ ματός μου καθήμενον ἐπὶ τοῦ θρόνου μου, καὶ οἱ ὀφθαλμοί μου βλέπουσι." Τῷ μὲν οὖν Θεῷ τοῦ τον τὸν ὕμνον προσήνεγκε, τῷ δὲ διαδόχῳ τῆς βασι λείας παιδὶ φυλάττειν ἀκήρατον τὴν εὐσέβειαν παρ εγγύησε. Πρῶτον δὲ τὸ κοινὸν ἐπέδειξε τέλος· "Ἐγὼ γὰρ, ἔφη, πορεύσομαι ἐν ὁδῷ πάσης τῆς γῆς, καὶ κραταιωθήσῃ, καὶ ἔσῃ εἰς ἄνδρα δυνάμεως καὶ φυλάξεις τὴν φυλακὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ Ἰσραὴλ, τοῦ πορεύεσθαι ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ φυλάσσειν τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ· καὶ τὰ προστάγματα αὐτοῦ, ἀκριβάσμα τα αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὰ κρίματα αὐτοῦ, ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὰ μαρτύρια αὐτοῦ, καθὼς γέγραπται ἐν τῷ νόμῳ Μωσέως." Μηδὲ τὸ τυχὸν τῶν γεγραμμένων παραβῆναι τολμήσῃς. Τοῦτο γὰρ δηλοῖ "τὰ ἀκρι βάσματα, καὶ τὰ κρίματα, καὶ τὰ μαρτύρια, καὶ 80.672 ἐντολὰς, καὶ προστάγματα" Ἐδίδαξε δὲ καὶ τὸ ἐν τεῦθεν φυόμενον κέρδος· "Ὅπως εὐοδωθῇ πάντα ἃ ποιήσεις, καὶ πανταχῆ οὗ ἐὰν ἐπιβλέψῃς ἐκεῖ." Τούτων γὰρ, φησὶ, παρὰ σοῦ γινομένων, ἐμπεδώσει ὁ ἀγαθὸς ἡμῶν Κύριος τὴν παρ' αὐτοῦ πρὸς ἐμὲ γεγενημένην ὑπόσχεσιν, ὅτι Οὐ μὴ ἐξαρθήσεταί σοι ἀνὴρ ἀπὸ τοῦ θρόνου Ἰσραήλ. ΕΡΩΤ. ∆ʹ. Τίνος χάριν αὐτὸς μὴ κολάσας τὸν Ἰωὰβ, τῷ παιδὶ τοῦτο δρᾶσαι προσέταξε; Πρῶτον μὲν ᾐδέσθη αὐτὸν, ἅτε τῶν πόνων καὶ κινδύνων γενόμενον κοινωνόν· ἔπειτα δὲ αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸ θρασὺ ὑφωρᾶτο. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἐδήλωσε δι' ὧν εἴρηκεν, ὅτι "Υἱοὶ Σαρουΐα σκληρότεροί μού εἰσι." Πρὸς δὲ τούτοις, μαθὼν συγκατασκευάζοντα αὐτὸν τῷ Ὀρνίᾳ τὴν τυραννίδα, ἔδεισε μὴ τῇ συνήθει κακο ηθείᾳ χρησάμενος, καταφρονήσῃ τῆς τοῦ Σολομῶν τος νεότητος, καὶ δυοῖν θάτερον δράσῃ· ἢ εὐνοίας προσωπείῳ χρησάμενος ἀνέλῃ λαθὼν, ὥσπερ δὴ τὸν Ἀβεννὴρ καὶ τὸν Ἀβεσσᾶ κατέκτεινεν· ἢ προφανῶς ἀντιπαρατάξηται, καὶ διέλῃ τὸν Ἰσραήλ. Ἐδίδαξε δὲ αὐτὸν καὶ τοῦ Βερσελῆ τὴν εὔνοιαν, καὶ τοὺς ἐκείνου παῖδας πάσης ἀξιωθῆναι κηδεμονίας ἐκέλευσεν, ὀφεί λειν αὐτῷ τοῦτο χρέος ὁμολογῶν. ΕΡΩΤ. Εʹ. ∆ιατί τῷ Σεμεῒ δεδωκὼς τὴν συγγνώμην, τῷ Σολομῶντι κολάσαι τοῦτον προσέταξε; Τυραννικὸν ᾔδει τὸν ἄνδρα, καὶ ἄγαν θρασύν· καὶ τῆς τοῦ παιδὸς προμηθούμενος σωτηρίας, ἐδί δαξεν αὐτὸν ἃ τετόλμηκεν, ἵνα τὴν τοῦ ἀνδρὸς φυλάτ τηται πονηρίαν. Ἤδει δὲ καὶ, ὡς προφήτης, ὅτι τοῦ Σολομῶντος παραβαίνων τὰς ἐντολὰς διαφθα ρήσεται. Μιαρὸς γὰρ ἦν ὁ ἀνὴρ, καὶ στάσεων ἀρχ ηγός. ΕΡΩΤ. ʹ. Τί ἐστιν ἡ πόλις ∆αβίδ; Τὴν Σιὼν ἡ θεία Γραφὴ πόλιν προσαγορεύει ∆αβίδ. Οὕτω δὲ καὶ ἡ ἄνω πόλις ἐκέκλητο· πᾶσα δὲ νῦν Ἱερουσαλὴμ ὀνομάζεται. Ἐν ταύτῃ φησὶν ὁ Ἰώσηπος καὶ αὐτὸν ἀξιωθῆναι ταφῆς, καὶ τοὺς μετ' αὐτὸν βασιλεῖς· τὸ δὲ μνῆμα παρὰ τὴν Σιλοὰμ εἶναι, ἀντροειδὲς ἔχον τὸ σχῆμα, καὶ τὴν βασιλικὴν δηλοῦν πολυτέλειαν. Ἔφη δὲ καὶ πολὺν αὐτῷ συγκατορυ γῆναι χρυσὸν παρὰ τοῦ παιδὸς Σολομῶντος· καὶ τοῦτο γενέσθαι δῆλον ἐκ τῶν ὕστερον γενομένων Ὑρκανὸν γὰρ τὸν ἀρχιερέα, πολιορκουμένης τῆς πόλεως ὑπὸ Ἀντιόχου τοῦ ∆ημητρίου παιδὸς, ἀνοῖ ξαι τὸ μνῆμα, καὶ τάλαντα ἐκεῖθεν ἐκφορῆσαι τρισ χίλια. ∆αβὶδ μέντοι ὁ βασιλεὺς ἑβδομηκοντούτης 80.673 γενόμενος ἐδέξατο τοῦ βίου τὸ πέρας. Τριακοντούτης μὲν γὰρ ἐβασίλευσε, τεσσαράκοντα δὲ βασιλεύων ἐξήνυσεν ἔτη. ΕΡΩΤ. Ζʹ. Νεμεσῶσι τῷ