Fragmenta in libros Regum FROM THE COMMENTARY OF SAINT CYRIL ON THE BOOKS OF KINGS

BOOK 1. 69.680

And Samuel took one suckling lamb. Of Cyril, archbishop

of Alexandria. Do you see how he made Christ both mediator and prince of salvation? and by setting up the mystery concerning him, like an unbreakable weapon, against the assaults of the foreigners, he saved Israel? For he sacrificed a suckling lamb as a type of Christ, who long ago cried out through the voice of the prophets: But I, like an innocent lamb led to the slaughter, knew it not.

But observe how the power of the sacrifice made the Father more ready to help those in distress. For he thundered against the adversaries something great and extraordinary; and to those offering the sacrifice he gave salvation as a reward, as a type of the mystery concerning Christ. And now set a king over us. {Of Cyril.} Israel departed from being ruled by God through prophets; and called for a man as king. For this reason also it fell away from the 69.681 commandment; for first Solomon worshipped the Baalim; then after him Jeroboam set up the heifers. And the Lord said to Samuel: Hearken to their voice, etc. {Of Cyril.} When their affairs were going well, and were established in the best order, the wretched ones have conceived bitter things against themselves. And shaking off, as it were, the yoke of the kingdom under God, they came saying to the blessed Samuel: Set a king over us to judge us, and so forth;

Then, when the blessed Samuel declared to them the rights of the king, and terrified them with very many fears, and very forcefully dissuaded them from such corrupt and unholy thoughts, they nonetheless insisted, saying: Nay, but a kingdom shall be over us. And Saul said to the servant, etc. And what shall we bring? etc. {Of Cyril, from Matthew.} It is always natural for those who have been benefited, that is, those who have partaken of the pleasantest things that befall, to wish to render rewards according to their ability, and to delight with equivalent, or rather even greater, honors; and as a proof of gratitude they always somehow practice eagerness in these things, for those in whom a good and grateful disposition exists. And one of Saul's servants was there. And his name was Doeg. {Of Cyril.} There was a certain man, an Idumaean by race, whose name was Doeg. This man was turned away from among the bodyguards of the blessed David, and was a herdsman, but a bitter and barbarous man, in no way possessing genuineness. And he met secretly with Saul, and reported to him his thoughts and all his plans; and he promised from time to time that he would also betray him. And so once, having seen the blessed David entering into the house of God, when he ate the loaves of the presentation, and having met with Ahimelech the priest, he reported to Saul that he was with very few men, and that he could easily capture him by attacking, and easily overpower him. Therefore Doeg betrayed him by reporting to Saul that he had met with Ahimelech in the house of God; but the Master of all saved the prophet, and made his perverse attempt futile.

BOOK 2.

Fragmenta in libros Regum ΕΚ ΤΗΣ ΕΡΜΗΝΕΙΑΣ ΤΟΥ ΑΓΙΟΥ ΚΥΡΙΛΛΟΥ ΕΙΣ ΤΑΣ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΩΝ

ΒΙΒΛΟΥΣ ΒΙΒΛΟΣ Αʹ. 69.680

Καὶ ἔλαβε Σαμουὴλ ἄρνα γαλαθηνὸν ἔνα. Κυρίλλου ἀρχιεπισκόπου

Ἀλεξανδρείας. Ὁρᾷς ὅπως μεσίτην ὁμοῦ καὶ τῆς σωτηρίας πρύτανιν ἐποιεῖτο Χριστόν; καὶ τὸ ἐπ' αὐτῷ μυστήριον, ὅπλον οἷάπερ ἀῤῥαγὲς, ταῖς τῶν ἀλλοφύλων ἐφόδοις ἀντανιστὰς σέσωκε τὸν Ἰσραήλ; Ἄρνα γὰρ γαλαθηνὸν ἔθυσεν εἰς τύπον Χριστοῦ, καὶ πάλαι βοῶντος διὰ φωνῆς προφητῶν· Ἐγὼ δὲ ὡς ἀρνίον ἄκακον ἀγόμενον τοῦ θύεσθαι, οὐκ ἔγνων.

Ἐπιτήρει δὲ ὅπως τῆς θυσίας ἡ δύναμις ἑτοιμότερον πρὸς τὴν ἐπικουρίαν τοῖς ἐπὶ τοῖς κάμνουσιν ἀποτετέλεκεν τὸν Πατέρα. Κατεβρόντησεν γὰρ τῶν δι' ἐναντίας μέγα τι καὶ ἐξαίσιον· καὶ τοῖς προσάγουσι τὴν θυσίαν μισθὸν ἐδίδου τὴν σωτηρίαν εἰς τύπον μυστηρίου τοῦ κατὰ Χριστόν. Καὶ νῦν κατάστησον ἐφ' ἡμᾶς βασιλέα. {Κυρίλλου.} Ἀπεφοίτησε μὲν ὁ Ἰσραὴλ τοῦ βασιλεύεσθαι παρὰ Θεοῦ διὰ προφητῶν· ἐκαλέσατο δὲ βασιλέα ἄνθρωπον. Ταύτῃ τοι καὶ ἀπώλισθε τῆς 69.681 ἐντολῆς· πρῶτος γὰρ Σολομὼν προσεκύνησε τοῖς Βααλείμ· εἶτα μετ' αὐτὸν Ἱεροβοὰμ τὰς δαμάλεις ἀνέστησεν. Καὶ εἶπεν Κύριος πρὸς Σαμουήλ· Ἄκουε τῆς φωνῆς αὐτῶν, κ.τ.λ. {Κυρίλλου.} Ἐχόντων εὖ τῶν πραγμάτων αὐτοῖς, καὶ ἐν τάξει τῇ παναρίστῃ κειμένων, πικρὰ καθ' ἑαυτῶν οἱ δείλαιοι πεφρονήκασιν. Ἀποσειόμενοι δὲ ὥσπερ τῆς ὑπὸ Θεῷ βασιλείας τὸν ζυγὸν, προσῄεσαν λέγοντες τῷ μακαρίῳ Σαμουήλ· Κατάστησον ἐφ' ἡμᾶς βασιλέα δικάζειν ἡμᾶς, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς·

Εἶτα τοῦ μακαρίου Σαμουὴλ τὰ δικαιώματα τοῦ βασιλέως καταγγέλλοντος αὐτοῖς, καὶ πολλοῖς ἄγαν καταπτοοῦντος δείμασιν, ἀφιστάντος δὲ καὶ μάλα γοργῶς τῶν οὔτω σαθρῶν καὶ ἀνοσίων σκεμμάτων, οὐδὲν ἧττον ἐπεφύοντο λέγοντες· Οὐχὶ, ἀλλ' ἢ βασιλεία ἔσται ἐφ' ἡμᾶς. Καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Σαοὺλ τῷ παιδαρίῳ, κ.τ.λ. Καὶ τί οἴσομεν; κ.τ.λ. {Κυρίλλου, ἐκτοῦ κατὰ Ματθαῖον.} Προσπέφυκεν ἀεὶ τοῖς ὠφελουμένοις, ἤγουν ὑπὸ τῶν τυχόντων ἡδίστων μετεσχηκόσιν, ἀνταποτιννῦναι θέλειν τὰς κατὰ δύναμιν ἀμοιβὰς, καὶ ταῖς ἰσοστάθμοις ἤγουν καὶ ἔτι καὶ μείζοσιν κατευφραίνειν τιμαῖς· καὶ ἀπόδειξιν τῆς εὐγνωμοσύνης τὴν ἐν τούτοις ἀεί πως ἐπιτηδεύουσι προθυμίαν, οἷσπερ ἂν ἀγαθὸς καὶ εὐγνώμων ἐνυπάρχοι τρόπος. Καὶ ἐκεῖ ἦν ἓν τῶν παιδαρίων τοῦ Σαούλ. Καὶ ὄνομα αὐτῷ ∆ωήκ. {Κυρίλλου.} Γέγονεν ἀνήρ τις Ἰδουμαῖος τὸ γένος, ᾧ ὄνομα ∆ωήκ. Οὗτος ἀπεστρέφετο παρὰ τοῖς δορυφόροις τοῦ μακαρίου ∆αβὶδ, καὶ ἧν κτηνοτρόφος, πλὴν ἀνὴρ πικρὸς καὶ βάρβαρος καὶ οὐδαμόθεν ἔχων τὸ γνήσιον. Περιετύγχανε δὲ λάθρα τῷ Σαοὺλ, καὶ ἀπήγγελλεν αὐτῷ τὰς σκέψεις καὶ πάντα τὰ βουλεύματα· ἐπηγγέλλετο δὲ κατὰ καιροὺς καὶ παραδώσειν αὐτόν. Καὶ δήποτε θεασάμενος τὸν μακάριον ∆αβὶδ εἰσελθόντα εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ Θεοῦ, ὅτε τοὺς ἄρτους τῆς προθέσεως ἔφαγεν, καὶ περιτυχὼν τῷ Ἀβιμέλεχ τῷ ἱερεῖ, ἀπήγγελλε τῷ Σαοὺλ, ὅτι μετ' ὀλίγων ἐστὶ παντελῶς, καὶ δύναται ῥᾳδίως αὐτὸν λαβεῖν ἐπελθὼν, καὶ εὐκόλως χειρώσασθαι. Οὐκοῦν προδέδωκε μὲν ὁ ∆ωὴκ ἀπαγγείλας τῷ Σαοὺλ, ὅτι συντετύχηκε τῷ Ἀβιμέλεχ ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ τοῦ Θεοῦ· διέσωζε δὲ τὸν προφήτην ὁ τῶν ὅλων ∆εσπότης, καὶ τῆς ἐκείνου δυστροπίας μάταιον ἐποίει τὸ ἐγχείρημα.

ΒΙΒΛΟΣ Βʹ.