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they said that he was covered with clothes, except for certain parts of his face; and that the liver of goats was placed underneath, so that its movement might make the figure believable. For they say that the liver of goats moves for a long time. Thus 80.573 he continued his killing, so that even when he learned that he was sick, he ordered him to be brought to receive the slaughter. But when he learned of his flight, he continually tracked him like hunting dogs. QUES. 50. Why did those sent by him to David and Samuel prophesy; and later he himself also? The Master's traps are various. For some he catches through men, and others he hunts with invisibility. For this happened in the case of Elisha. But these he caught alive through prophetic grace; and he prevented David from being killed. But not even this soothed his murderous intent. For he even sent twice against him; and again, having learned of the divine bonds, he proceeded, it says, to send others also; and when these were likewise restrained by grace, he himself later departed, and he himself also met with the bonds of loving-kindness. But he did prophesy, though not in the same way as the others. For he was unworthy of the grace. For which reason, stripped of his garment, he lay all day; and his condition indicated the removal of his kingship. QUES. 51. Why did Jonathan, wishing to reveal his father's plots to David, reveal them by means of arrows, that is, javelins? Some say it was because of the servant who was with him, so that he would not know what was being revealed. But it was easy for him to come alone. Therefore, what happened has another purpose. For so that he would not be obvious in reporting his father's murderous intent to his friend, he pretends to be practicing archery. And with his words to the servant, he enigmatically indicates the slaughter to David. And having sent the armor-bearer with the weapons ahead into the city, he both revealed the things that were said, and advised him to flee, and foretold to him the power of the kingdom, and strengthened the covenants of friendship with oaths. And the phrase: *Trisseuseis*, is instead of, "You will wait three days." For on the new moon, Saul, supposing that David had excused himself from the feast because he was not purified nor sanctified, was silent; "For Saul," it says, "spoke nothing on that day; for he said: Something has happened to him, he is not clean, because he has not been cleansed." But on the second day he asked, "Why has the son of Jesse not come either yesterday or today to the table?" And on the third day, before the city, Jonathan revealed the things that were spoken. And the phrase "I will do it a third time" instead of "I will let fly three shafts." And Aquila interpreted *schizas* as arrows. And the *amata- 80.576 -ran* I found thus explained in the interpretation of Hebrew names, among the Greeks a ditch, among the Romans a *fossatum*, and among the Syrians a target, at which those who practice are accustomed to send their arrows. And Aquila interpreted *Argoun* as "Adjoining the south." But I think that a certain hollow place was so called. For the history said, "And David arose from the Argoun, and fell on his face to the ground." QUES. 52. How did David endure to partake of the consecrated bread? Neither did he then incur blame, but also the Lord in the holy Gospels showed him to be free of accusation; for in defense of the disciples he mentioned this narrative. He foreshadows, however, by partaking of those things allotted only to the priests, the mystical table that would be set before all the pious. For not only the priests partake of the Lord's body and blood, but all who have received holy baptism. QUES. 53. What is, "If this way is profane, it shall be sanctified today because of my vessels." When the priest asked if he had kept himself pure on that day, he said that he had kept himself pure for three days; and he added that because of the journey ahead he would of necessity partake of the sacred food, so that, strengthened by it, he might accomplish the tasks before him. But he uses 'profane' not for what is unclean, but for what is not sacred. For 'not profane' and 'holy,' that which for the priests

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ἔφασαν τοῖς ἱματίοις συγκα λυφθῆναι, πλὴν ἐνίων τοῦ προσώπου μορίων· τὸ δὲ τῶν αἰγῶν ἧπαρ ὑποτεθῆναι, ἵνα κινούμενον τὸ σχῆμα πιθανὸν ἀπεργάσηται. Καὶ γάρ φασι τῶν αἰγῶν τὸ ἧπαρ κινεῖσθαι μέχρι πολλοῦ. Οὕτω 80.573 μέντοι διετέλει φονῶν, ὅτι καὶ ἀῤῥωστοῦντα μεμα θηκὼς ἀχθῆναι προσέταξεν αὐτὸν, ὥστε δέξασθαι τὴν σφαγήν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ἔγνω τὴν φυγὴν, κατὰ τοὺς θηρευτὰς κύνας ἰχνηλατῶν αὐτὸν δι ετέλει. ΕΡΩΤ. Νʹ. Τί δήποτε οἱ παρ' αὐτοῦ πεμφθέντες πρὸς τὸν ∆αβὶδ καὶ τὸν Σαμουὴλ, προεφήτευσαν· ὕσ τερον δὲ καὶ αὐτός; ∆ιάφορα τοῦ ∆εσπότου τὰ θήρατρα. Τοὺς μὲν γὰρ δι' ἀνθρώπων ἀγρεύει, τοὺς δὲ ἀορασίᾳ θηρεύει. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἐπὶ τοῦ Ἑλισσαίου γεγένηται. Τούτους δὲ διὰ προφητικῆς ἐζώγρησε χάριτος· καὶ τὸν ∆α βὶδ ἀποκτεῖναι κεκώλυκεν. Ἀλλ' οὐδὲ τοῦτο τὴν φο νικὴν αὐτοῦ κατεπράϋνε γνώμην. Ἀπέστειλε γὰρ καὶ δὶς ἐπ' αὐτόν· καὶ πάλιν μεμαθηκὼς τὰ θεῖα δεσμὰ, προσέθετο, φησὶν, ἀποστεῖλαι καὶ ἄλλους· καὶ τούτων δὲ ὡσαύτως ἐπισχεθέντων ὑπὸ τῆς χά ριτος, ὕστερον αὐτὸς ἀπελήλυθε, καὶ τετύχηκε καὶ αὐτὸς τῶν τῆς φιλανθρωπίας δεσμῶν. Ἀλλὰ προ εφήτευσε μὲν, οὐχ ὁμοίως δὲ τοῖς ἄλλοις. Ἀνάξιος γὰρ τῆς χάριτος ἦν. Οὗ δὴ χάριν γυμνωθεὶς τῆς ἐσθῆτος πανημέριον ἔκειτο· ἐδήλου δὲ τὸ σχῆμα τὴν τῆς βασιλείας ἀφαίρεσιν. ΕΡΩΤ. ΝΑʹ. Τί δήποτε μηνύσαι βουλόμενος τῷ ∆αβὶδ ὁ Ἰωνά θαν τὰς τοῦ πατρὸς ἐπιβουλὰς, διὰ τῶν βελῶν, ἤγουν τῶν ἀκοντίων, ἐμήνυσεν; Τινές φασι διὰ τὸν συνόντα οἰκέτην, ἵνα μὴ τὰ μηνυόμενα γνῷ. Ἀλλ' εὐπετὲς ἦν αὐτῷ καὶ μόνῳ πα ραγενέσθαι. Οὐκοῦν ἕτερον ἔχει τὸ γεγενημένον σκοπόν. Ἵνα γὰρ μὴ δῆλος γένηται τοῦ πατρὸς τὴν μιαιφόνον γνώμην καταμηνύων τῷ φίλῳ, τὴν τῆς τοξείας ὑποκρίνεται γυμνασίαν. Καὶ τοῖς μὲν πρὸς τὸν οἰκέτην λόγοις αἰνιγματωδῶς τῷ ∆αβὶδ παραδη λοῖ τὴν σφαγήν. Τὸν ὁπλοφόρον δὲ μετὰ τῶν ὅπλων εἰς τὴν πόλιν προπέμψας, καὶ τὰ εἰρημένα δεδή λωκε, καὶ φυγεῖν συνεβούλευσε, καὶ τὸ τῆς βασι λείας αὐτῷ προηγόρευσε κράτος, καὶ τὰς τῆς φιλίας συνθήκας ἐκράτυνεν ὅρκοις. Τὸ δέ· Τρισ σεύσεις, ἀντὶ τοῦ, "Τρεῖς ἡμέρας ἀναμενεῖς." Τῇ γὰρ νουμηνίᾳ τοπάσας ὁ Σαοὺλ, ὡς μὴ κεκα θαρμένον, μηδὲ ἡγνισμένον τὸν ∆αβὶδ παραιτή σασθαι τὸ συμπόσιον, ἐσίγησεν· "Οὐκ ἐλάλησε γὰρ, φησὶ, Σαοὺλ οὐδὲν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ· ὅτι εἶπε· Σύμπτωμά τι φαίνεται, μὴ καθαρὸς εἶναι, διότι οὐ κεκάθαρται." Τῇ δὲ δευτέρᾳ ἤρετο· "Τί ὅτι οὐ παρεγένετο υἱὸς Ἰεσσαὶ καὶ χθὲς, καὶ σήμε ρον ἐπὶ τὴν τράπεζαν;" Τῇ δὲ τρίτῃ πρὸ τοῦ ἄστεος ὁ Ἰωνάθαν τὰ εἰρημένα μεμήνυκεν. Τὸ δὲ τρισ σεύσω ἀντὶ τοῦ "τρεῖς ἀφήσω σχίζας." Τὰς δὲ σχίζας βέλη ὁ Ἀκύλας ἡρμήνευσεν. Τὴν δὲ ἀματά 80.576 ραν ἐν τῇ τῶν Ἑβραϊκῶν ὀνομάτων ἑρμηνείᾳ οὕτως εὗρον κειμένην, παρὰ μὲν τοῖς Ἕλλησι τά φρον, παρὰ δὲ Ῥωμαίοις φοσσάτον, παρὰ δὲ τῷ Σύρῳ σκοπὸν, εἰς ὃν οἱ γυμναζόμενοι τὰ βέλη πέμπειν εἰώθασι. Τὸ δὲ Ἀργοῦν ὁ Ἀκύλας "Ἐχόμενα τοῦ νοτίου" ἡρμήνευσεν. Ἐγὼ δὲ οἶμαι κοῖλόν τινα οὕτω κεκλῆσθαι τόπον. Ἔφη γὰρ ἡ ἱστορία, "Καὶ ∆αβὶδ ἀνέστη ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἀργοῦν, καὶ ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὑτοῦ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν." ΕΡΩΤ. ΝΒʹ. Πῶς ἠνέσχετο τῶν ἀφιερωμένων ἄρτων μετα λαβεῖν ὁ ∆αβίδ; Οὔτε τότε μέμψιν ὑπέμεινεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ Κύριος ἐν τοῖς ἱεροῖς Εὐαγγελίοις ἔδειξεν αὐτὸν κατηγορίας ἐλεύθερον· εἰς γὰρ τὴν ὑπὲρ τῶν μαθητῶν ἀπολο γίαν τοῦτο εἴρηκε τὸ διήγημα. Προδηλοῖ μέντοι, τῶν μόνοις τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν ἀπονενεμημένων μεταλαβὼν, τὴν πᾶσι προτεθεισομένην τοῖς εὐσεβέσι τράπεζαν μυστικήν. Οὐ γὰρ οἱ ἱερωμένοι μόνοι μεταλαμβά νουσι τοῦ ∆εσποτικοῦ σώματός τε καὶ αἵματος, ἀλλὰ πάντες οἱ τετυχηκότες τοῦ ἁγίου βαπτίσματος. ΕΡΩΤ. ΝΓʹ. Τί ἐστι, "Εἰ βέβηλος ἡ ὁδὸς αὕτη, σήμερον ἁγιασθήσεται διὰ τὰ σκεύη μου." Ἐρομένου τοῦ ἱερέως, εἴ γε κατ' ἐκείνην τὴν ἡμέραν ἡγνεύκει, τρεῖς ἔφη ἡμέρας ἡγνευκέναι· καὶ προστέθεικεν, ὅτι διὰ τὴν προκειμένην ὁδὸν ἀναγκαίως τῆς ἱερᾶς τροφῆς μεταλήψεται, ἵν' ὑπ' αὐτῆς κρατυνθεὶς τὰ προκείμενα κατορθώσῃ. Τὸ δὲ βέβηλον οὐκ ἐπὶ τοῦ ἀκαθάρτου τέθεικεν, ἀλλ' ἐπὶ τοῦ μὴ ἱεροῦ. Ἀβέβηλον γὰρ καὶ ἅγιον, τὸ τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν