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set apart; but profane, that which is assigned to all others. Wherefore Aquila said not profane, but common. That is, Although I am not a priest, yet I have obtained the prophetic grace. For I think this is what is indicated by: "He shall be sanctified through my vessels." For his vessels and full armor are the spiritual gift. QUES. 54. What is, "detained neasar before the Lord"? I found this name interpreted as "a gentle temptation of distress" in the book of the Hebrew 80.577 names. It is clear, therefore, that Doeg was troubled by some demon, or afflicted with sickness, and for this reason attended the divine tabernacle. But the all-wicked one not only informed Saul of the things said and given by Ahimelech, but also killed all the priests. This bloody murder of Saul was more impious than all his other sins. For when God had commanded him to destroy Amalek utterly, he not only saved Agag, but also flocks, and herds, and the vineyards, and whatever else was of value. But when moved by anger alone, he not only killed the priests, but also destroyed their city with all its men; commanding that no youth, no infant, no woman be saved. But Saul's bodyguards are worthy of praise; for not even when the king commanded did they endure to stain their hands with the bloody murder of the priests; but Doeg dared this impious murder, and slaughtered the three hundred and fifty priests. And it is added: "all who wore the ephod," for a greater accusation of the audacity. For they were not Levites, but descended from a high-priestly root. QUES. 55. Why did David feign seizure? Fleeing from Saul, he took refuge in Gath. For he did not suppose he would be recognized. But when he perceived that they had recognized him, as he himself had slain their champion, he feigned madness and escaped the danger of death. But the divine Scripture reveals his piety. For always inquiring of God, he both went into battle and kept quiet. For example, as soon as he learned that Saul was coming, knowing that he was staying in Keilah, he asked if those who had obtained their salvation through him would hand him over; and learning that they would hand him over, he moved to another place. And the phrase, "They went wherever they could go," indicates their wandering; for sometimes they stayed in Judea, and sometimes in the wilderness. And the phrase "David stayed in the wilderness in Meseram," the other interpreters have rendered "In the strong caves." However, Jonathan was clearly more warmly disposed toward David. For even though his father was murdering against him, and desired to hunt him, he did not bear the goads of his longing; but he came to where he was staying, and after encouraging him with the prophecy of the kingdom, he again 80.580 strengthened the covenants that had been made. But the new, Aquila interpreted as a forest; and Gibeah as a hill; And the phrase in the listening wilderness, in the plains. And the Lord also showed his own care. For when David was about to be hunted, by the attack of the foreigners he stopped the pursuit against David. For having learned this, Saul turned back. QUES. 56. How is the phrase, "Saul entered to prepare himself in the cave," to be understood? It was interpreted reverently by the Seventy. But Aquila has said it more clearly. "For he entered," he says, "to relieve himself." And Josephus, "to make the natural excretions." However, the cave was very large. For it held inside both David and those hidden with him. And here also the divine David displayed his own philosophy. For when those with him tried to kill Saul, he prevented the slaughter, saying: "Far be it from me from the Lord, that I should do this thing to my lord, to the Lord's anointed; to lay my hand on him, for he is the Lord's anointed." But he cut off the corner of his cloak; as a refutation of that one's wickedness, and a demonstration of his own philosophy. And the story taught us the strength of a sound mind. "For," it says, "David's heart smote him, because he had cut off the corner of the cloak;" instead of, To this extent the

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ἀφωρισμένον· βέβηλον δὲ, τὸ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασιν ἀπονενεμημένον. Ὅθεν καὶ ὁ Ἀκύλας οὐ βέβηλον εἶπεν, ἀλλὰ λαϊκόν. Τουτέστιν, Εἰ καὶ ἱερεὺς οὐκ εἰμὶ, ἀλλὰ προφητικῆς τετύχηκα χάρι τος. Οἶμαι γὰρ τοῦτο παραδηλοῦν τό· "Ἁγιασθήσε ται διὰ τὰ σκεύη μου." Σκεύη γὰρ αὐτοῦ καὶ παν οπλία, ἡ πνευματικὴ δωρεά. ΕΡΩΤ. Ν∆ʹ. Τί ἐστι, συνεχόμενος νεασὰρ ἐνώπιον Κυρίου; Τοῦτο τὸ ὄνομα "πειρασμὸν ἁπαλὸν συνοχῆς ἑρμηνευόμενον εὗρον ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ τῶν Ἑβραϊκῶν 80.577 ὀνομάτων. ∆ῆλος τοίνυν ἐστὶν ὁ ∆ωὴκ ὑπό τινος ἐνοχλούμενος δαίμονος, ἢ νόσῳ κατεχόμενος, καὶ τούτου χάριν τῇ θείᾳ προσεδρεύσας σκηνῇ. Ἀλλ' ὁ παμπόνηρος οὐ μόνον κατεμήνυσε τῷ Σαοὺλ τὰ παρὰ τοῦ Ἀβιμέλεχ εἰρημένα καὶ δεδομένα, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάντας τοὺς ἱερεῖς κατέκτεινεν. Αὕτη τοῦ Σαοὺλ ἡ μιαιφονία πασῶν τῶν ἄλλων ἁμαρτάδων δυσσεβεστέρα. Τοῦ μὲν γὰρ Θεοῦ προστεταχότος ἄρδην διολέσαι τὸν Ἀμαλὴκ, οὐ μόνον τὸν Ἀγὰγ διέσωσεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ ποίμνια, καὶ βουκόλια, καὶ τοὺς ἀμπελῶνας, καὶ τὰ ἄλλα ὅσα ἦν ἀξιόκτητα. Τοῦ θυμοῦ δὲ μόνου κεκινηκότος, οὐ μόνον τοὺς ἱερεῖς κατέκτεινεν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὴν πόλιν αὐτῶν διώλεσεν αὔτανδρον· οὐ μειράκιον, οὐ βρέφος, οὐ γύναιον διασωθῆναι κελεύσας. Ἀξιέπαινοι δὲ τοῦ Σαοὺλ οἱ δορυφόροι· οὐδὲ γὰρ τοῦ βασιλέως προστεταχότος ἠνέσχοντο τῇ κατὰ τῶν ἱερέων μιαιφονίᾳ μιᾶναι τὰς χεῖρας· ὁ δὲ ∆ωὴκ τὸν δυσσεβῆ τοῦτον ἐτόλμησε φόνον, καὶ τοὺς πεντήκοντα καὶ τριακοσίους ἱερεῖς κατέσφαξεν. Πρόσκειται δὲ τό· "Πάντας αἴροντας ἐφοὺδ," εἰς κατηγορίαν πλείονα τοῦ τολμήματος. Οὐ γὰρ Λευῖται ἦσαν, ἀλλ' ἐξ ἀρχιερατικῆς ῥίζης κατῆγον τὸ γένος. ΕΡΩΤ. ΝΕʹ. Τί δήποτε τὴν ἐπίληψιν ὁ ∆αβὶδ ὑπεκρίνετο; Τοῦ Σαοὺλ ἀποδιδράσκων κατέφυγεν εἰς τὴν Γέθ. Οὐ γὰρ ὑπέλαβε δῆλος ἔσεσθαι. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ᾔσθετο ἐγνωκότας ἐκείνους, ὡς αὐτὸς αὐτῶν ἀνῃρήκει τὸν πρόμαχον, μανίαν ὑποκρινάμενος διέφυγε τοῦ θανάτου τὸν κίνδυνον. ∆ηλοῖ δὲ αὐτοῦ τὴν εὐσέβειαν ἡ θεία Γραφή. Ἀεὶ γὰρ τοῦ Θεοῦ πυνθανόμενος, καὶ παρετάττετο, καὶ ἡσύχαζεν. Αὐτίκα γοῦν μαθὼν, ὡς ἔπεισι Σαοὺλ, ἐν τῇ Κεϊλᾶ διάγειν αὐτὸν ἐγνω κὼς, ἤρετο εἰ ἐκδώσουσιν αὐτὸν οἱ δι' αὐτοῦ τῆς σωτηρίας τετυχηκότες· καὶ μαθὼν ὡς ἐκδώσουσιν, εἰς ἕτερον μετέστη χωρίον. Τὸ δὲ, "Ἐπορεύοντο οὗ ἐὰν ἐπορεύοντο," τὸν πλάνον δηλοῖ· ποτὲ μὲν γὰρ ἐν τῇ Ἰουδαίᾳ, ποτὲ δὲ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ διῆγον. Τὸ δὲ "Ἐκάθισε ∆αβὶδ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ ἐν Μεσερὰμ," οἱ λοιποὶ ἑρμηνευταὶ "Ἐν τοῖς σπηλαίοις τοῖς ὀχυροῖς" ἐκδεδώκασιν. Ὁ μέντοι Ἰωνάθαν δῆλος ἦν θερμότερον περὶ τὸν ∆αβὶδ διακείμενος. Καὶ γὰρ τοῦ πατρὸς κατ' αὐτοῦ φονοῦντος, καὶ θηρεῦσαι ποθοῦντος, οὐκ ἤνεγκε τοῦ πόθου τὰ κέντρα· ἀλλ' ἔνθα διῆγεν ἀφίκετο, καὶ παραθαῤῥύνας τῇ τῆς βασι λείας προῤῥήσει, τὰς γεγενημένας συνθήκας αὖθις 80.580 ἐκράτυνε. Τὴν δὲ καινὴν, δρυμὸν ὁ Ἀκύ λας ἡρμήνευσεν τὴν Γαβαὰδ δὲ, βουνόν· Τὸ δὲ ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ τῇ ἐπηκόῳ, ἐν τοῖς ὁμαλοῖς. Ἔδειξε δὲ καὶ ὁ Κύριος τὴν οἰκείαν κηδεμονίαν. Μέλλοντος γὰρ θηρεύεσθαι τοῦ ∆αβὶδ, τῇ τῶν ἀλλο φύλων ἐφόδῳ τὸν κατὰ τοῦ ∆αβὶδ ἐπέδησε δρόμον. Τοῦτο γὰρ ἐγνωκὼς ἀνέστρεψεν ὁ Σαούλ. ΕΡΩΤ. Ν ϛʹ. Πῶς νοητέον τὸ, "Εἰσῆλθε Σαοὺλ ἀνα σκευάσασθαι εἰς τὸ σπήλαιον; Σεμνῶς ἡρμηνεύθη παρὰ τῶν Ἑβδομήκοντα. Ὁ δὲ Ἀκύλας αὐτὸ σαφέστερον εἴρηκεν. "Εἰσῆλθε γὰρ, φησὶν, ἀποκενῶσαι. Ὁ δὲ Ἰώσηπος, "τὰς φυσικὰς ἐκκρίσεις ποιήσασθαι." Μέγιστον μέντοι τὸ σπήλαιον ἦν. Εἶχε γὰρ ἔνδον καὶ τὸν ∆αβὶδ, καὶ τοὺς σὺν αὐτῷ κεκρυμμένους. Ἐγύμνωσε δὲ κἀν ταῦθα τὴν οἰκείαν φιλοσοφίαν ὁ θεῖος ∆αβίδ. Τῶν γὰρ σὺν αὐτῷ ἀνελεῖν τὸν Σαοὺλ πειραθέντων, τὴν μὲν σφαγὴν διεκώλυσεν, εἰρηκώς· "Μηδαμῶς ἐμοὶ παρὰ Κυρίου, εἰ ποιήσω τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο τῷ κυρίῳ μου, τῷ χριστῷ Κυρίου· ἐπενεγκεῖν τὴν χεῖρά μου ἐπ' αὐτὸν, ὅτι χριστὸς Κυρίου ἐστίν." Τῆς διπλοΐδος δὲ τὸ πτερύγιον ἔτεμεν· εἰς ἔλεγχον μὲν τῆς ἐκείνου πονηρίας, ἀπόδειξιν δὲ τῆς οἰκείας φιλοσοφίας. Ἐδίδαξε δὲ ἡμᾶς ἡ ἱστορία τοῦ σώφρο νος λογισμοῦ τὴν ἰσχύν. "Ἐπάταξε γὰρ, φησὶ, τὸν ∆αβὶδ ἡ καρδία αὐτοῦ, ὅτι ἀφεῖλε τὸ πτερύγιον τῆς διπλοΐδος·" ἀντὶ τοῦ, Μέχρι τούτου τὴν