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a man, inflamed by much despondency, cursed the inanimate mountains. QUES. 7. Some mock what was said about Jonathan, "Your love has fallen upon me, as the love of women." They suffer this as fools. For they should have understood that, wishing to show the warmth and genuineness of his affection, he produced the image. For so great is a man's disposition toward his wife, that the law concerning marriage says: "For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." Elkanah also showed this when comforting Hannah; "Am I not better to you," he said, "than ten 80.601 children?" Therefore, just as union makes those who come together by the law of marriage one flesh, so disposition unites the souls of those who love sincerely. QUES. 8. For what reason did God first command David to go up to Hebron? He who commanded knows the truth; but I think it was because the patriarchs had lived in that city and, when they died, were deemed worthy of burial there. In addition to this, also for another reason: the most divine David was from the tribe of Judah; and of this tribe, Hebron was the metropolis at that time; for the Jebusites still held Jerusalem. And the tribe of Judah loved David more than the others, as a fellow tribesman. History teaches that Hebron held first place among the others. "For they went up," it says, "and dwelt in the cities of Hebron." That the other thing is also true, the following shows: "And the men of Judah come, and there they anoint David, to be king over the house of Judah." But "they anoint" is put instead of "they appoint." For Samuel the prophet had anointed him with the divine oil. But Abner appointed in opposition Mephibosheth, the son of Saul, whom other interpreters call Ish-baal; and leaving Ramah and Gibeon, the dwellings of Saul, he crossed the Jordan and declared the place called "the camps" a royal city. QUES. 9. How should we understand what was said by Abner, "Let the young men now arise and play before us"? He proposed a contest of war for the best of the young men. He called their engagement a game and a play, comparing the partial engagement to the general and greatest battle line. An equal number from the tribes were gathered from each phalanx. The slaughter of these men did not stop the engagement, but stirred it up. When the rout occurred, and Abner's army was fleeing at speed, while Joab was pursuing with might, Asahel, the youngest brother of Joab, being very swift and vying with the swiftest animals, pursued none of the others, but was eager only to strike down Abner. But he, even while being pursued, very gently and friendly 80.604 advised him to vent his anger on some other of the fleeing soldiers, and not even to kill this one, but only to take his armor, he urged, so that he might have some fruit of his labor. But seeing him disobey, he threatened mildly, "Turn aside from me, lest I strike you to the ground; and how shall I lift up my face to Joab your brother?" But when he saw him eager for his slaughter, he struck him with the butt-end of his spear, and stopped his running, and took away his life besides. QUES. 10. How should one understand, "Shall the sword devour for ever?" Abner's soldiers, while fleeing, took refuge on a certain hill. But Joab with his subordinates attempted to attack. Again, therefore, Abner wisely and gently reminded the commander-in-chief of the vicissitudes of war. For this it shows, "Shall the sword devour for ever? Do you not know that the end will be bitter, and until when will you not tell the people to turn back from after their brothers?" He also reminded him of their kinship, in order to stop the hostility, and pointed out the vicissitudes of wars; for often the victors are defeated, and the pursuers flee. Besides, he says it is not just for the victors, having seen a rout, to seek to bring utter destruction upon the vanquished; for this is what "Shall not unto victory" signifies

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ἀνὴρ, ὑπὸ τῆς πολλῆς ἀθυμίας φλεγό μενος, τοῖς ἀψύχοις ὄρεσιν ἐπηράσατο. ΕΡΩΤ. Ζʹ. Τινὲς κωμῳδοῦσι τὸ περὶ τοῦ Ἰωνάθαν εἰρημέ νον, "Ἐπέπεσεν ἡ ἀγάπη σου ἐπ' ἐμὲ, ὡς ἡ ἀγάπη τῶν γυναικῶν." Ὡς ἠλίθιοι τοῦτο πάσχουσιν. Ἔδει γὰρ αὐτοὺς συνιδεῖν, ὡς δεῖξαι βουληθεὶς τῆς φιλοστοργίας τὸ θερμόν τε καὶ γνήσιον, τὴν εἰκόνα παρήγαγε. Το σαύτη γάρ ἐστι τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἡ περὶ τὴν γυναῖκα διά θεσις, ὡς τὸν περὶ τοῦ γάμου νόμον εἰπεῖν· "Ἀντὶ τούτου καταλείψει ἄνθρωπος τὸν πατέρα αὑτοῦ, καὶ τὴν μητέρα αὑτοῦ, καὶ προσκολληθήσεται πρὸς τὴν γυναῖκα αὑτοῦ, καὶ ἔσονται οἱ δύο εἰς σάρκα μίαν." Τοῦτο καὶ ὁ Ἐλκανᾶ δεδήλωκε τὴν Ἄνναν ψυχαγωγῶν· "Οὐκ ἀγαθός σοι γὰρ ἐγὼ, ἔφη, ὑπὲρ δέκα 80.601 τέκνα;" Ὥσπερ τοίνυν τοὺς νόμῳ γάμου συνελθόν τας ἡ συνάφεια σάρκα μίαν ἀποτελεῖ, οὕτω τῶν εἰλικρινῶς ἀγαπώντων ἑνοῖ τὰς ψυχὰς ἡ διά θεσις. ΕΡΩΤ. Ηʹ. Τίνος χάριν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν ∆αβὶδ πρῶτον εἰς τὴν Χεβρὼν ἀνελθεῖν προσέταξεν; Τὸ μὲν ἀληθὲς αὐτὸς ὁ κελεύσας ἐπίσταται· ἐγὼ δὲ οἶμαι διὰ τὸ τοὺς πατριάρχας κατ' ἐκείνην τὴν πόλιν καὶ ζῶντας οἰκῆσαι, καὶ τελευτήσαντας ἀξιω θῆναι ταφῆς. Πρὸς δὲ τούτοις καὶ δι' ἕτερον, ἐκ τῆς Ἰούδα φυλῆς ὁ θειότατος ∆αβίδ· ταύτης δὲ τῆς φυλῆς κατ' ἐκεῖνον τὸν καιρὸν μητρόπολις ἦν ἡ Χε βρών· ἔτι γὰρ τὴν Ἱερουσαλὴμ οἱ Ἰεβουσαῖοι κατεῖχον. Ἡ δὲ τοῦ Ἰούδα φυλὴ τὸν ∆αβὶδ, ὡς φυλέτην, πλέον τῶν ἄλλων ἠγάπα. Ὅτι δὲ τῶν ἄλλων ἐπρώτευσεν ἡ Χεβρὼν, ἡ ἱστορία διδάσκει. "Ἀνῆλ θον γὰρ, φησὶ, καὶ κατῴκησαν ἐν ταῖς πόλεσι Χε βρών." Ὅτι δὲ καὶ τὸ ἕτερον ἀληθὲς, δηλοῖ τὰ ἑξῆς· "Καὶ ἔρχονται οἱ ἄνδρες Ἰούδα, καὶ χρίουσιν ἐκεῖ τὸν ∆αβὶδ, τοῦ βασιλεύειν ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον Ἰούδα." Τὸ δὲ, χρίουσιν ἀντὶ τοῦ χειροτονοῦσι τέθεικεν. Ἐκεχρίκει γὰρ αὐτὸν τῷ θείῳ ἐλαίῳ Σαμουὴλ ὁ προ φήτης. Ὁ δὲ Ἀβεννὴρ ἀντεχειροτόνησε τὸν Μεμ-φιβοσθὲ, τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ Σαοὺλ, ὃν οἱ ἄλλοι ἑρμηνευταὶ Ἱσβαὰλ ὀνομάζουσι· καὶ καταλιπὼν τὴν Ῥαμὰ καὶ τὴν Γαβαὼν, τὰ τοῦ Σαοὺλ οἰκητήρια, διέβη τὸν Ἰορδάνην, καὶ τὰς καλουμένας παρεμβολὰς βασι λικὴν ἀπέφηνε πόλιν. ΕΡΩΤ. Θʹ. Πῶς νοητέον τὸ ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἀβεννὴρ εἰρημένον, "Ἀναστήτω δὴ παιδάρια ἐνώπιον ἡμῶν, καὶ παιξάτωσαν;" Ἀγῶνα πολεμικὸν τοῖς τῶν νέων ἀρίστοις προτέ θεικε. Παίγνιον δὲ καὶ Παιδιὰν τὴν τούτων προσ ηγόρευσε συμπλοκὴν, τῇ κοινῇ καὶ μεγίστῃ παρα τάξει παρεξετάζων τὴν μερικήν. Ἰσάριθμοι δὲ τῶν φυλῶν ἐξ ἑκατέρας συνελέγησαν φάλαγγος. Ἡ σφα γὴ δὲ τούτων οὐκ ἔπαυσε τὴν συμπλοκὴν, ἀλλ' ἠρέ τισε. Τῆς δὲ τροπῆς γενομένης, καὶ τῆς μὲν τοῦ Ἀβεννὴρ στρατιᾶς κατατάχος φευγούσης, τοῦ δὲ Ἰωὰβ κατακράτος διώκοντος, ὁ Ἀσαὴλ ὁ νεώτατος τοῦ Ἰωὰβ ἀδελφὸς, ὠκύτατος ὢν, καὶ τοῖς ὀξυ τάτοις ἁμιλλώμενος ζώοις, οὐδένα μὲν τῶν ἄλλων ἐδίωκεν, ἐγλίχετο δὲ μόνον κατακοντίσαι τὸν Ἀβεν νήρ. Ὁ δὲ καὶ διωκόμενος πράως ἄγαν καὶ φιλικῶς 80.604 παρῄνεσε τὸν θυμὸν εἰς ἄλλον τινὰ κατακενῶσαι τῶν φευγόντων στρατιωτῶν, καὶ οὐδὲ τοῦτον ἀνε λεῖν, ἀλλὰ μόνον λαβεῖν τὴν σκευὴν παρηγγύησεν, ἵνα ἔχῃ τινὰ τοῦ πόνου καρπόν. Ἀπειθοῦντα δὲ ἰδὼν, ἡμέρως ἠπείλησεν, "Ἀπόστηθι ἀπ' ἐμοῦ, ἵνα μὴ πατάξω σε εἰς τὴν γῆν· καὶ πῶς ἀρῶ τὸ πρόσ ωπόν μου πρὸς Ἰωὰβ τὸν ἀδελφόν σου;" Ἐπειδὴ δὲ εἶδε τῆς αὐτοῦ σφαγῆς ὀρεγόμενον, τῷ σαυρω τῆρι πλήξας, καὶ τὸν δρόμον ἔπαυσε, καὶ τὴν ζωὴν προσαφείλετο. ΕΡΩΤ. Ιʹ Πῶς νοητέον, "Μὴ εἰς νῖκος καταφάγεται ἡ ῥομφαία;" Οἱ τοῦ Ἀβεννὴρ στρατιῶται φεύγοντες εἴς τινα λόφον κατέφυγον. Ὁ δὲ Ἰωὰβ σὺν τοῖς ὑπηκόοις προσβαλεῖν ἐπεχείρει. Πάλιν τοίνυν συνετῶς καὶ πράως ὁ Ἀβεννὴρ ἀνέμνησε τὸν ἀρχιστράτηγον τῶν τοῦ πολέμου μεταβολῶν. Τοῦτο γὰρ δηλοῖ, "Μὴ εἰς νῖκος καταφάγεται ἡ ῥομφαία; οὐκ οἶδας, ὅτι πικρὰ τὰ ἔσχατα, καὶ ἕως πότε οὐ μὴ εἴπης τῷ λαῷ ἀποστρέφειν ἀπὸ ὄπισθεν τῶν ἀδελφῶν αὐτῶν;" Καὶ τῆς συγγενείας ἀνέμνησεν, ἵνα τὴν δυσμένειαν παύσῃ, καὶ τῶν πολέμων ἐδήλωσε μεταβολάς· πολλάκις γὰρ οἱ νικῶντες ἡττῶνται, καὶ οἱ διώ κοντες φεύγουσιν. Ἄλλως τε οὐδὲ δίκαιόν φησι τοὺς νικῶντας θεασαμένους τροπὴν πανωλεθρίαν ἐπ αγαγεῖν τοῖς ἡττημένοις ζητεῖν· τοῦτο γὰρ δηλοῖ τὸ "Μὴ εἰς νῖκος