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and burdens. For some of the prophets saw something either through dreams or while awake; and this form was called a vision. But some, with the divine Spirit working through them, would speak and foretell the things that were to be; this they called a burden. Jehu, therefore, recalled the great prophecy of Elijah, that where the dogs licked the blood of Naboth, there they would lick the blood of Ahab. For this reason he ordered the body of Joram to be thrown there; and having learned that Jezebel's body had been consumed by dogs, Jehu marveled at the truthfulness of the prophecy. "For in the portion of Jezreel," he said, "the dogs shall eat 80.769 the flesh of Jezebel," and what follows. And when the other children of Ahab were slain by their guardians, Jehu spoke very wisely to the people: "Behold, I conspired against my lord and killed him, but who struck down all these? See both, that not one of the Lord's words that he spoke against the house of Ahab shall fall to the ground." I, he says, as one wishing to be a tyrant, killed Joram; who killed his brothers, seventy in number? Was it not the divinely-sent wrath, using their closest servants? Therefore, the prophecies of the prophets are true. QUES. 32. Whom does it call knowers? The seers, who think they know the future. For just as they named the prophets seers and those who see, as foreseeing the future; so also they called the seers knowers, as thinking they know hidden things and foreknow things that have not yet happened. QUES. 13. What is "Jonadab the son of Rechab?" He was a pious man, both himself and his clan. For they continued to dwell in tents and abstained from drinking wine. The prophet Jeremiah also mentioned these with praise. And history itself shows their piety. For first, when King Jehu saw him, he blessed him, that is, he greeted him. Then he asked: "Is your heart right with my heart, as my heart is with your heart?" And when he said, "It is," Jehu said to him, "If it is, give me your hand." Then taking him as a companion into his chariot, he said: "Come with me, and see my zeal for the Lord; and he made him sit in his chariot." And from this, therefore, it is clear that even in the ten tribes there were some adorned with piety, on whose account the one who wisely governs all things also bore with the others. QUES. 34. Why, when he was about to slaughter the priests of the idols, did he lie? For he said: "Ahab served Baal a little, but I will serve him much." One must examine the purpose of both words and deeds. This must also be done here. For 80.772 Jehu, not wanting anyone to escape the slaughter, used those words so that all might take courage and come. But lest any of the divine priests share in the punishment, he ordered them to be cast out as if unworthy of the festival; then thus he slew all of them alone with javelins. And he burned the pillar of Baal, and cut down the groves, and freed the whole land of Israel from the other idols. But he continued to worship the golden calves. But he called the temple of Baal Baalim. QUES. 35. For what reason did Athaliah kill her descendants as well? As an impious and tyrannical woman, she wished to cut out by the roots the entire family of David, as being pious; so that, having seized power, she might teach the people her own impiety. But the Master who wisely directs all things arranged for the priestly tribe to be mixed again with the royal tribe, and for Jehoiada the most wise priest to marry Jehosheba the daughter of Joram, so that the spark of the royal seed might be preserved. For she, seeing the royal family being destroyed, both stole and hid her nephew Joash, and continued to raise him inside the temple, and for six years the most abominable Athaliah held and governed the kingdom; but in the seventh year the all-wise high priest restored the kingdom to the royal line. QUES. 30. Whom does it call runners? The

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καὶ λήμ ματα. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ τῶν προφητῶν ἢ δι' ἐνυπνίων, ἢ ὕπαρ ἑώρων τινά· καὶ τοῦτο τὸ εἶδος ὅρασις ἐκαλεῖτο. Τινὲς δὲ τοῦ θείου Πνεύματος δι' αὐτῶν ἐνεργοῦντος ἐφθέγγοντο, καὶ προὔλεγον τὰ ἐσόμενα· τοῦτο ἐκάλουν λῆμμα. Ἀνεμίμνησκε τοίνυν ὁ Ἰηοῦ τῆς Ἠλιοὺ τοῦ μεγάλου προῤῥήσεως, ὅτι ἔνθα τοῦ Ναβουθὲ ἔλειξαν οἱ κύνες τὸ αἷμα, ἐκεῖ τὸ αἷμα τοῦ Ἀχαὰβ λείξουσιν. Οὗ δὴ χάριν καὶ τοῦ Ἰωρὰμ ἐκεῖ τὸ σῶμα ῥιφῆναι προσέταξε· καὶ τῆς Ἰεζάβελ δὲ τὸ σῶμα μεμαθηκὼς ὑπὸ κυνῶν ἀνηλῶσθαι, ἐθαύμασεν ὁ Ἰηοῦ τὸ τῆς προῤῥήσεως ἀψευδές. "Ἐν τῇ μερίδι γὰρ, ἔφη, Ἰεσδραὴλ καταφάγον 80.769 ται οἱ κύνες τὰς σάρκας Ἰεζάβελ," καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Τῶν δὲ ἄλλων παίδων τοῦ Ἀχαὰβ ἀναιρεθέντων ὑπὸ τῶν θρεψαμένων, σοφῶς ἄγαν πρὸς τὸν λαὸν ὁ Ἰηοῦ ἔφη· "Ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ συνεστράφην ἐπὶ τὸν ἐμαυτοῦ κύριον, καὶ ἀπέκτεινα αὐτὸν, καὶ τούτους πάντας τίς ἐπάταξεν; Ἴδετε ἀφφὼ, ὅτι οὐ πεσεῖται ἀπὸ τῶν λόγων Κυρίου ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, ὧν ἐλάλησε κατὰ τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ Ἀχαάβ." Ἐγὼ, φησὶν, ὡς τυραννῆσαι βουλόμενος ἀνεῖλον τὸν Ἰωράμ· τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς αὐτοῦ ἑβδομήκοντα ὄντας τὸν ἀριθμὸν τίς ἀνεῖλεν· Οὐχὶ ἡ θεήλατος ὀργὴ τοῖς οἰκειοτάτοις ὑπουργοῖς χρησα μένη; Ἀψευδεῖς ἄρα τῶν προφητῶν αἱ προῤῥήσεις. ΕΡΩΤ. ΛΒʹ. Γνώστας τίνας καλεῖ; Τοὺς μάντεις, τοὺς οἰομένους εἰδέναι τὰ μέλλοντα. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁρῶντας καὶ βλέποντας τοὺς προφήτας ὠνόμαζον, ὡς τὰ μέλλοντα προορῶντας· οὕτω καὶ τοὺς μάντεις γνώστας ἐκάλουν, ὡς καὶ γινώσκειν τὰ κεκρυμμένα οἰομένους, καὶ προγινώσκειν τὰ μηδέπω γεγενημένα. ΕΡΩΤ. ΙΓʹ. Τί ἐστιν "Ἰωναδὰβ ὁ τοῦ Ῥηχάβ;" Εὐσεβὴς ἀνὴρ ἦν καὶ αὐτὸς, καὶ τὸ γένος αὐ τοῦ. Ἐν σκηναῖς γὰρ διετέλεσαν κατοικοῦντες, καὶ τῆς τοῦ οἴνου πόσεως ἀπεχόμενοι. Τούτων καὶ ὁ προφήτης Ἱερεμίας σὺν ἐπαίνοις ἐμνήσθη. Καὶ αὐτὴ δὲ ἡ ἱστορία δηλοῖ αὐτῶν τὴν εὐσέβειαν. Πρῶ τον μὲν γὰρ ἰδὼν αὐτὸν ὁ βασιλεὺς Ἰηοῦ εὐλό γησεν αὐτὸν, τουτέστι προσεῖπεν αὐτῷ. Εἶτα ἤρε το· "Εἰ ἔστιν εὐθεῖα ἡ καρδία σου μετὰ τῆς καρδίας μου, καθώς ἐστιν ἡ καρδία μου μετὰ τῆς καρδίας σου;" Τοῦ δὲ εἰρηκότος· Ἔστιν, εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰηοῦ· "Εἰ ἔστι, δὸς τὴν χεῖρά σου." Ἔπειτα αὐτὸν σύνεδρον εἰς τὸ ἅρμα αὑτοῦ λαβὼν ἔφη· "∆εῦρο μετ' ἐμοῦ, καὶ ἴδε ἐν τῷ ζηλῶσαί με τῷ Κυρίῳ· καὶ ἐπεκάθισεν αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ ἅρματι αὑτοῦ." Καὶ ἐν τεῦθεν τοίνυν δῆλον, ὡς καὶ ἐν ταῖς δέκα φυλαῖς ἦσάν τινες εὐσεβείᾳ κοσμούμενοι, δι' οὓς καὶ τῶν ἄλλων ὁ σοφῶς πάντα πρυτανεύων ἠνείχετο. ΕΡΩΤ. Λ∆ʹ. Τί δήποτε μέλλων κατασφάττειν τῶν εἰδώλων τοὺς ἱερεῖς ἐψεύσατο; Ἔφη γάρ· "Ἀχαὰβ ἐδούλευσε τῷ Βάαλ ὀλίγα, καί γε ἐγὼ δουλεύσω αὐτῷ πολλά." Καὶ τῶν λόγων καὶ τῶν ἔργων τὸν σκοπὸν ἐξετά ζειν δεῖ. Τοῦτο κἀνταῦθα ποιητέον. Καὶ γὰρ ὁ 80.772 Ἰηοῦ μηδένα διαφυγεῖν βουλόμενος τὴν σφαγὴν, ἐκείνοις ἐχρήσατο τοῖς λόγοις, ἵνα θαῤῥήσαντες πάντες παραγένωνται. Ἵνα δὲ μήτις τῶν θείων ἱερέων μεταλάχῃ τῆς τιμωρίας, ὡς ἀναξίους δῆ θεν τῆς ἑορτῆς ἐξελαθῆναι προσέταξεν· εἶθ' οὕτω μόνους ἐκείνους κατηκόντισεν ἅπαντας. Καὶ τοῦ Βάαλ δὲ τὴν στήλην ἐνέπρησε, καὶ τὰ ἄλση ἐξέκοψε, καὶ τῶν ἄλλων εἰδώλων πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ἠλευθέρωσε. Τὰς δέ γε χρυσᾶς δαμάλεις σέβων διατετέλεκε. Βααλεὶμ δὲ τὸν τοῦ Βάαλ σηκὸν προσ ηγόρευσεν. ΕΡΩΤ. ΛΕʹ. Τίνος χάριν ἡ Γοθολία καὶ τοὺς ἐκγόνους ἀνεῖλεν; Ὡς δυσσεβὴς καὶ τυραννικὴ, ἅπαν τοῦ ∆αβὶδ τὸ γένος, ὡς εὐσεβὲς, ἐκκόψαι πρόῤῥιζον ἠβουλήθη· ἵνα ἐπειλημμένη τῆς δυναστείας ἐκπαιδεύσῃ τὸν λαὸν τὴν οἰκείαν ἀσέβειαν. Ἀλλ' ὁ πάντα σοφῶς ἰθύνων ∆εσπότης παρεσκεύασεν αὖθις τῇ βασιλικῇ τὴν ἱερατι κὴν μιγῆναι φυλὴν, καὶ τὸν Ἰωδαὲ τὸν σοφώτατον ἱερέα γῆμαι τὴν Ἰωσαβεὲ τοῦ Ἰωρὰμ τὴν θυγατέρα, ἵνα φυ- λαχθῇ τοῦ βασιλικοῦ σπέρματος ὁ σπινθήρ. Αὕτη γὰρ ὁρῶσα τὸ βασιλικὸν ἀναιρούμενον γένος, καὶ ἔκλεψε καὶ ἔκρυψε τὸν ἀδελφιδοῦν Ἰωὰς, καὶ διετέλεσεν ἔνδον ἐν τῷ ναῷ διατρέφουσα, καὶ ἓξ μὲν ἔτη κατέσχε διέπουσα τὴν βασιλείαν ἡ μιαρωτάτη Γοθολία· τῷ ἑβδόμῳ δὲ ἔτει ὁ πάνσοφος ἀρχιερεὺς τὴν βασι λείαν εἰς τὸ βασιλικὸν ἐπανήγαγε γένος. ΕΡΩΤ. Λʹ. Παρατρέχοντας τίνας καλεῖ; Τοὺς