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the assumption of the great Elijah, the heir of his grace, having gathered together they persuaded to send some in search of the common teacher; and they sent fifty swift-footed men; for such he called sons of power, instead of, powerful men. And from those who were sent, the multitude of those who sent them must be considered. 80.749 QUEST. 7. Why is it that, when Elisha had asked for a double portion of the grace of the spirit, the great Elijah said, You have asked a hard thing? He did not say this begrudging the grace to his disciple, but caring for other people. For since he had disciplined the impious people with a famine for three years and six months; it was necessary for the one inheriting the double grace to perform double the miracles; and one of these was the punishment through famine; out of compassion he said, "You have asked a hard thing." And this we learn also from the history. For the punishment was brought upon the people for seven years. QUEST. 8. How is it to be understood: "Father, father, the chariot of Israel and its horseman?" The kings of the other nations were arrayed for battle using horses and chariots. For this reason he addressed the great Elijah as the chariot and horseman of Israel, as being sufficient alone both to destroy the enemies and to provide victory for his countrymen. QUEST. 9. How is it to be understood: "Where is the God of Elijah, Aphpho?" Wishing to cross the Jordan, the prophet imitated his teacher, and with the mantle he struck the water, saying nothing, but believing the mantle to be sufficient for a miracle. But since the nature of the waters did not obey, he called upon the God of his teacher, the one who is invisible and inaccessible to men. For Aphpho is interpreted as "the hidden one," according to the edition of the other interpreters. QUEST. 10. For what reason did he heal the bitter nature of the waters with salt? Moses the great, by casting in a piece of wood, changed the bitter quality of the waters into sweet. But this one freed it from its destructive effect with salt. For it is easy for the Lord God, by his will, and word, and by whatever means he wishes, to change the natures of the elements. QUEST. 11. What is: And Mesha king of Moab was a nokedei? The other interpreters have translated nokedei as "chief shepherd." And what follows also makes this clear, "And he used to bring 80.752 a tribute to the king of Israel of a hundred thousand lambs, and a hundred thousand rams with their wool." By way of encomium, however, concerning Elisha they have said, that he poured water on the hands of Elijah. Such was the wonder they had for the great prophet. But need compelled even the impious kings to run to the all-praised Elisha. But he, using the boldness of his teacher, said, "What have I to do with you? Go to the prophets of your father, and to the prophets of your mother." And necessity makes even the insolent gentle. For immediately Joram, replying gently, said, "Is it not that the Lord has called these three kings, to deliver them into the hand of Moab?" But not even so did he persuade the prophet not to expose his impiety. For he said, "As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not have looked toward you, nor seen you." Therefore, since need had brought down the arrogance of power, the rebuke was offered at the right time. QUEST. 12. How is this to be understood, "Bring me a minstrel?" The most divine David, having been deemed worthy of both royal and prophetic grace, also wisely arranged the priestly liturgy, and he commanded the priests, according to the Mosaic law, to use trumpets, but the Levites to use lyres, and harps, and cymbals, and the other instruments. And they used the spiritual melody of David. The prophet commanded one of these to be summoned. And while he was playing, the grace of the Spirit indicated what was to be done; for in the wadi he commanded very large trenches to be dug; so that when the torrent was brought from afar, the trenches might be filled with water, and supply the need of the army. It should be noted, however, that he called the spiritual grace the hand of the Lord. For it came to pass,

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τὴν Ἠλιοῦ τοῦ μεγάλου ἀνάληψιν, τὸν τῆς χάριτος κληρονόμον συναθροισθέντες ἔπεισαν ἀποστεῖλαί τινας εἰς ἐπιζήτησιν τοῦ κοινοῦ διδα σκάλου· καὶ ἀπέστειλαν εὐζώνους πεντήκοντα· τοὺς γὰρ τοιούτους υἱοὺς δυνάμεως προσηγόρευσεν, ἀντὶ τοῦ, δυνατούς. Ἐκ δὲ τῶν ἀποσταλέντων σκοπητέον τῶν ἀποστειλάντων τὸ πλῆθος. 80.749 ΕΡΩΤ. Ζʹ. Τί δήποτε, τοῦ Ἑλισσαίου διπλῆν τοῦ πνεύμα τος τὴν χάριν αἰτησαμένου, ὁ μέγας εἶπεν Ἠλίας, Ἐσκλήρυνας τοῦ αἰτῆσαι; Οὐ φθονῶν τῆς χάριτος τῷ μαθητῇ τοῦτο ἔφη, ἀλλὰ τῶν ἄλλων ἀνθρώπων κηδόμενος. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τρισὶν ἔτεσι καὶ μησὶν ἓξ λιμῷ δυσσεβοῦντας τοὺς ἀνθρώπους ἐπαίδευσεν· ἀνάγκη δὲ ἦν, τὸν τῆς διπλῆς κληρονομοῦντα χάριτος διπλάσια ἐργάσασθαι θαύ ματα· ἓν δὲ τούτων ἦν ἡ διὰ τοῦ λιμοῦ τιμωρία· φειδοῖ κεχρημένος εἶπεν· "Ἐσκλήρυνας τοῦ αἰτῆ σαι." Τοῦτο δὲ καὶ ἐκ τῆς ἱστορίας μανθάνομεν. Ἑπτὰ γὰρ ἔτεσιν ἐπηνέχθη τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἡ τι μωρία. ΕΡΩΤ. Ηʹ. Πῶς νοητέον· "Πάτερ, πάτερ, ἅρμα Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ ἱππεὺς αὐτοῦ;" Οἱ τῶν ἄλλων ἐθνῶν βασιλεῖς ἵπποις κεχρημένοι καὶ ἅρμασι παρετάττοντο. Τούτου χάριν τὸν μέγαν Ἠλίαν ἅρμα Ἰσραὴλ καὶ ἱππέα προσηγόρευσεν. ὡς ἀποχρῶντα καὶ μόνον καταλῦσαι τοὺς πολεμίους, καὶ παρασχεῖν τοῖς ὁμοφύλοις τὴν νίκην. ΕΡΩΤ. Θʹ. Πῶς νοητέον· "Ποῦ ἐστιν ὁ Θεὸς Ἠλιοῦ ἀφφῶ; ∆ιαβῆναι βουληθεὶς τὸν Ἰορδάνην ὁ προφήτης ἐμι μήσατο τὸν διδάσκαλον, καὶ τῇ μηλωτῇ τὸ ὕδωρ ἐπά ταξεν οὐδὲν εἰρηκὼς, ἀλλ' ἀποχρῆν νομίσας εἰς θαυ ματουργίαν τὴν μηλωτήν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὐχ ὑπήκουσε τῶν ὑδάτων ἡ φύσις, ἐκάλεσε τὸν τοῦ διδασκάλου Θεὸν, τὸν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ἀόρατον καὶ ἀνέφικτον. Ἀφφὼ γὰρ ὁ κρύφιος ἑρμηνεύεται, κατὰ τὴν ἔκδοσιν τῶν ἄλλων ἑρμηνευτῶν. ΕΡΩΤ. Ιʹ. Τίνος χάριν δι' ἁλῶν τὴν πικρὰν τῶν ὑδάτων ἰάσατο φύσιν; Μωσῆς ὁ μέγας ξύλον ἐμβαλὼν τὴν πικρὰν τῶν ὑδάτων ποιότητα εἰς γλυκεῖαν μετέβαλεν. Οὗτος δὲ τοῖς ἁλσὶ τῆς λυμαντικῆς ἠλευθέρωσεν ἐνεργείας. Ῥᾴδιον γὰρ τῷ ∆εσπότῃ Θεῷ καὶ βουλήσει, καὶ λόγῳ, καὶ δι' ὧν ἐθέλει, μεταβάλλειν τῶν στοιχείων τὰς φύσεις. ΕΡΩΤ. ΙΑʹ. Τί ἐστι· Καὶ Μωσὰ βασιλεὺς Μωὰβ ἦν νω κηδεί; Οἱ ἄλλοι ἑρμηνευταὶ τὸ νωκηδεὶ "ἀρχιποιμένα" ἡρμήνευσαν. ∆ηλοῖ δὲ καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς, "Καὶ ἦν φέρων 80.752 φόρον τῷ βασιλεῖ Ἰσραὴλ ἑκατὸν χιλιάδας ἀρνῶν, καὶ ἑκατὸν χιλιάδας κριῶν ἐπιπόκων." Ἀντὶ ἐγκωμίου μέντοι περὶ τοῦ Ἑλισσαίου εἰρήκασιν, ὅτι ἐπέχεεν ὕδωρ ἐπὶ χεῖρας Ἠλιοῦ. Τοσ οῦτον εἶχον θαῦμα τοῦ μεγάλου προφήτου. Ἡ δὲ χρεία καὶ τοὺς δυσσεβοῦντας βασιλέας ἠνάγκασε πρὸς τὸν πανεύφημον Ἑλισσαῖον δραμεῖν. Ὁ δὲ τῇ τοῦ διδασκάλου παῤῥησίᾳ χρησάμενος, "Τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοὶ, ἔφη; ∆εῦρο πρὸς τοὺς προφήτας τοῦ πατρός σου, καὶ πρὸς τοὺς προφήτας τῆς μητρός σου." Η δὲ ἀνάγκη καὶ τοὺς θρασεῖς ἐπιεικεῖς ἀπεργάζεται. Αὐτίκα γοῦν ὁ Ἰωρὰμ πράως ὑπολαβὼν ἔφη· "Μὴ ὅτι κέκληκε Κύριος τοὺς τρεῖς βασιλεῖς τούτους, τοῦ παραδοῦναι αὐτοὺς εἰς χεῖρας Μωάβ;" Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ οὕτως ἔπεισε τὸν προφήτην, μὴ διελέγξαι αὐτοῦ τὴν ἀσέβειαν. Ἔφη γάρ· "Ζῇ Κύριος τῶν δυνάμεων, ᾧ παρέστην ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ, ὅτι εἰ μὴ πρόσωπον Ἰωσαφὰτ βασιλέως Ἰούδα ἐγὼ λαμβάνω, εἰ ἐπέβλεψα ἂν πρὸς σὲ, καὶ εἶδόν σε." Τῆς χρείας οὖν κατενεγκάσης τῆς δυναστείας τὸν τύφον, εἰς και ρὸν ὁ ἔλεγχος προσεφέρετο. ΕΡΩΤ. ΙΒʹ. Πῶς νοητέον τὸ, "Λάβετέ μοι ψάλλοντα;" Ὁ θειότατος ∆αβὶδ, καὶ βασιλικῆς καὶ προφητι κῆς χάριτος ἠξιωμένος, καὶ τὴν ἱερατικὴν σοφῶς ἔταξε λειτουργίαν, καὶ τοὺς μὲν ἱερέας κατὰ τὸν Μωσαϊκὸν νόμον ταῖς σάλπιγξι κεχρῆσθαι προσ έταξε, τοὺς δὲ Λευΐτας ταῖς κινύραις, καὶ νάβλαις, καὶ κυμβάλοις, καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ὀργάνοις. Ἐχρῶντο δὲ οὗτοι τῇ πνευματικῇ τοῦ ∆αβὶδ μελῳδίᾳ. Τούτων ἕνα μετακληθῆναι προσέταξεν ὁ προφήτης. Ἐκείνου δὲ ψάλλοντος, ἡ τοῦ πνεύματος χάρις τὸ πρακτέον ἐσήμαινεν· ἐν γὰρ τῷ χειμάῤῥῳ βόθρους μεγίστους ὀρυγῆναι προσέταξεν· ἵνα τῆς χαράδρας πόῤῥωθεν ἐνεχθείσης, πληρωθῶσιν οἱ βόθροι τοῦ ὕδατος, καὶ τὴν χρείαν παράσχωσι τῷ στρατῷ. Ἐπισημαντέον δὲ, ὡς χεῖρα Κυρίου τὴν πνευματικὴν ὠνόμασε χά ριν. Ἐγένετο γὰρ,