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to him; for this speaks of volition; and I appointed both him, and his lineage, to rule Jerusalem, in which I willed my name to be worshipped. The historiographer, having completed the things concerning Solomon, added: "And the rest of the acts of Solomon, and all that he did, and all his wisdom, are they not written in the book of the acts of the Days of Solomon?" The book of Chronicles also reveals this, that there is another book signifying these things. He reigned, according to the Scripture, forty years; but according to Josephus, eighty; and he died, as that one said, at ninety-four. When he died, his son Rehoboam succeeded to the kingdom. Q. 39. What is, "My littleness is thicker than my father's loins?" The book of Chronicles states this more clearly: "For my shortest," it says, "finger is thicker than my father's loins." Thus also the Syrian interpreted it; and Josephus likewise. 80.705 Q. 40. How is it to be understood, "And the king did not listen to the people, because the turn of events was from the Lord;" and what follows? As the verse, "The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh." For when, it says, God abandons someone, he is carried like a ship without a rudder; but nevertheless, by using those foolish words, he prepared for the decision of God to be fulfilled. When these things were said thus, the ten tribes defected, and they appointed Jeroboam as king; and Rehoboam reigned over only two tribes, and over the rest who dwelt with them, being from the other tribes. Then, when he wished to campaign against the ten tribes, he was prevented through Shemaiah the prophet; "For let each one," he said, "return to his house, because this word has come from me." The historiographer also reveals the lineage of Rehoboam's mother, for a refutation of the lawlessness of the one who begot him; "For the name," it says, "of his mother was Naanah, daughter of Anan, son of Nahash, king of the sons of Ammon." This is sufficient to shame the abomination of the Jews, who are puffed up with their noble birth, and call those from the nations who have believed in the Savior foreigners. For even their royal lineage is found to be of foreign stock; and Rehoboam emulated his father's lawlessness. Q. 41. Why does the historiographer say the same things twice, and often the later things before the former? For indeed here he has placed the decision against Jeroboam's child before his reign? He is forced to say the same things twice and often, since he is writing about two divided kingdoms; and at times, after setting down many narratives about one, then crossing over to the other, he is forced to take up again what has already been said, so as to preserve the sequence. But the child's illness, and the decision made against him, clearly happened after the impiety. For the prophet, having foretold the child's death, also delivered the verdict against the whole lineage. For Jeroboam sent his wife with gifts to the prophet. But the old man, whose sight was dim, sitting inside, perceived her arriving from afar, and sending his 80.708 servant, he commanded her to enter quickly, as one who would hear grievous things. And first he finds fault with the gifts: "Why have you brought me loaves, and grapes, and cakes, and a jar of honey?" And by revealing what was brought, he persuades her to believe what is to be said. Then, announcing the death of the child, he added that "Thus says the Lord: Behold, I will destroy of Jeroboam him that pisses against the wall." And not only did he foretell slaughter for them, but also to remain unburied after the slaughter, and to be set out as a feast and food for birds and beasts. Then he adds the cause, "Because no good word concerning the Lord was found in him." And by "pissing against a wall" he means one who is in a weak condition, and is altogether unable to stand without leaning on the wall. Q. 42. Why did he say above that Ahijah the Shilonite tore his cloak, and gave ten pieces to Jeroboam, but here Shemaiah the

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αὐτῷ· τοῦτο γὰρ λέγει θέλησιν· καὶ ὥρισα καὶ αὐτὸν, καὶ τὸ γένος αὐτοῦ, βασιλεύειν τῆς Ἱερουσαλὴμ, ἐν ᾗ ἠβουλήθην τὸ ἐμὸν ὄνομα σέβεσθαι. Ὁ δὲ ἱστοριογράφος τὰ κατὰ τὸν Σολομῶντα πεπληρωκὼς ἐπήγαγε· "Καὶ τὰ λοιπὰ τῶν λόγων Σολομῶντος, καὶ πάντα ὅσα ἐποίη σε, καὶ πᾶσα ἡ φρόνησις αὐτοῦ, οὐκ ἰδοὺ ταῦτα γέ γραπται ἐν βίβλῳ λόγων τῶν Ἡμερῶν Σολομῶν τος;" Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἡ τῶν Παραλειπομένων βίβλος δηλοῖ, ἑτέραν εἶναι βίβλον ταῦτα σημαίνουσαν. Ἐβα σίλευσε δὲ κατὰ μὲν τὴν Γραφὴν τεσσαράκοντα ἔτη· κατὰ δὲ τὸν Ἰώσηπον, ὀγδοήκοντα· ἐτελεύτησε δὲ, ὡς ἐκεῖνος ἔφησε, τεττάρων καὶ ἐνενήκοντα. Τούτου δὲ τελευτήσαντος, τὴν βασιλείαν Ῥοβοὰμ ὁ υἱὸς αὐτοῦ διεδέξατο. ΕΡΩΤ. ΛΘʹ. Τί ἐστιν, "Ἡ σμικρότης μου παχυτέρα ἐστὶ τῆς ὀσφύος τοῦ πατρός μου;" Τῶν Παραλειπομένων ἡ βίβλος σαφέστερον τοῦτο δηλοῖ· "Ὁ βραχύτατος γάρ μου, φησὶ, δάκτυλος παχύτερος τῆς ὀσφύος τοῦ πατρός μού ἐστιν." Οὕτω δὲ καὶ ὁ Σύρος ἡρμήνευσε· καὶ Ἰώσηπος ὡσαύτως. 80.705 ΕΡΩΤ. Μʹ. Πῶς νοητέον, "Καὶ οὐκ ἤκουσεν ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ λαοῦ, ὅτι παρὰ Κυρίου ἦν ἡ μεταστροφή·" καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς; Ὡς τὸ, "Ἐσκλήρυνε Κύριος τὴν καρδίαν Φαραώ." Ὅταν γὰρ, φησὶν, ὁ Θεός τινα καταλείπῃ, ὡς ἀκυ βέρνητον φέρεται σκάφος· ἀλλ' ὅμως τοῖς ἀνοήτοις ἐκείνοις χρησάμενος λόγοις, πληρωθῆναι παρεσκεύα σε τοῦ Θεοῦ τὴν ἀπόφασιν. Τούτων δὲ οὕτω ῥηθέν των, ἀφίστανται μὲν αἱ δέκα φυλαὶ, καὶ χειροτονοῦσι τὸν Ἱεροβοὰμ βασιλέα· μόνων δὲ τῶν δύο φυλῶν ὁ Ῥοβοὰμ ἐβασίλευσε, καὶ τῶν λοιπῶν ὅσοι τούτοις συνῴκουν, ἐκ τῶν ἄλλων ὄντες φυλῶν. Εἶτα βουλη θέντα στρατεῦσαι κατὰ τῶν δέκα φυλῶν, διὰ Σα μαίου τοῦ προφήτου κεκώλυκεν· "Ἀναστρεφέτω γὰρ, ἔφη, ἕκαστος εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἐξ ἐμοῦ γέγονε τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο." ∆ηλοῖ δὲ ὁ ἱστοριο γράφος καὶ τῆς μητρὸς τοῦ Ῥοβοὰμ τὸ γένος, εἰς ἔλεγχον τῆς τοῦ γεγεννηκότος παρανομίας· "Ὄνομα γὰρ, φησὶ, τῇ μητρὶ αὐτοῦ Ναανὰ, θυγάτηρ Ἀνὰν, υἱοῦ Ναὰς βασιλέως υἱῶν Ἀμμών." Ἱκανὸν δὲ τοῦτο καὶ τὴν Ἰουδαίων βδελυρίαν ἐντρέψαι, οἳ ἐπὶ τῇ εὐ γενείᾳ βρενθύονται, καὶ τοὺς ἐξ ἐθνῶν τῷ Σωτῆρι πεπιστευκότας ἀλλογενεῖς ὀνομάζουσιν. Εὑρίσκεται γὰρ αὐτῶν καὶ τὸ βασιλικὸν γένος ἀλλόφυλον· ὁ δὲ Ῥοβοὰμ τὴν τοῦ πατρὸς παρανομίαν ἐζήλωσεν. ΕΡΩΤ. ΜΑʹ. Τί δήποτε καὶ δὶς τὰ αὐτὰ ὁ ἱστοριογράφος λέ γει, καὶ πολλάκις τὰ ὕστερα πρότερα; καὶ γὰρ ἐνταῦθα τὴν κατὰ τοῦ παιδὸς Ἱεροβοὰμ ἀπόφασιν προτέραν τῆς βασιλείας τέθει κεν; ∆ὶς μὲν τὰ αὐτὰ καὶ πολλάκις ἀναγκάζεται λέγειν· ἐπειδὴ περὶ δύο βασιλειῶν διῃρημένων συγγράφει· καὶ ἔστιν ὅτε πολλὰ περὶ θατέρας τιθεὶς διηγήματα, εἶτα εἰς τὴν ἑτέραν διαβαίνων, ἀναγκάζεται ἀναλα βεῖν τὰ ἤδη προειρημένα, ὥστε τὴν ἀκολουθίαν φυ λάξαι. Ἡ δὲ τοῦ παιδὸς ἀῤῥωστία, καὶ ἡ κατ' αὐτοῦ γεγενημένη ἀπόφασις, δηλονότι μετὰ τὴν ἀσέ βειαν γέγονε. Προειπὼν γὰρ τοῦ παιδίου τὴν τελευτὴν ὁ προφήτης, καὶ τὴν κατὰ παντὸς τοῦ γένους ἐξενή νοχε ψῆφον. Ὁ μὲν γὰρ Ἱεροβοὰμ τὴν γυναῖκα μετὰ τῶν ξενίων πρὸς τὸν προφήτην ἀπέστειλεν. Ἀμβλυώττων δὲ ὁ πρεσβύτης ἔνδον καθήμενος ἤσθετο πόῤῥωθεν ἀφικνουμένης ἐκείνης, καὶ τὸν 80.708 ὑπηρέτην ἀποστείλας, συντόμως αὐτὴν εἰσελθεῖν ἐκέλευσεν, ὡς ἀλγεινὰ πευσομένην. Καὶ πρῶτον μὲν ἐπιμέμφεται τοῖς δώροις· "Ἵνα τί ἐνήνοχάς μοι ἄρτους, καὶ σταφυλὴν, καὶ κολλύρια, καὶ στάμνον μέ λιτος;" Τὸ δὲ δηλῶσαι τὰ κομισθέντα πείθει τοῖς ῥη θησομένοις πιστεῦσαι. Εἶτα τοῦ παιδὸς ἀπαγγείλας τὴν τελευτὴν, ἐπήγαγεν, ὅτι "Τάδε λέγει Κύριος· Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ ἐξολοθρεύσω τοῦ Ἱεροβοὰμ οὐροῦντα πρὸς τοῖχον." Καὶ οὐ μόνον σφαγὴν αὐτοῖς προηγό ρευσεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἀτάφους μεῖναι μετὰ σφαγὴν, καὶ προτεθῆναι θοίνην καὶ βορὰν οἰωνοῖς καὶ θηρίοις. Ἔπειτα τὴν αἰτίαν ἐπάγει, "Ὅτι οὐχ εὑρέθη ἐν αὐτῷ ῥῆμα καλὸν περὶ τοῦ Κυρίου." Οὐροῦντα δὲ πρὸς τοῖχον λέγει τὸν ἀσθενῶς διακείμενον, καὶ στῆ ναι δίχα τοῦ ἐρείδεσθαι τῷ τοίχῳ παντελῶς μὴ δυνά μενον. ΕΡΩΤ. ΜΒʹ. Τί δήποτε ἄνω μὲν τὸν Ἀχιὰ τὸν Σιλωνίτην εἶπε ῥῆξαι τὸ περιβόλαιον, καὶ δοῦναι δέκα ῥήγματα τῷ Ἱεροβοὰμ, ἐνταῦθα δὲ Σαμαίαν τὸν