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Lord.” I marveled, he says, at the greatness of the promises, looking at myself; but these are small things when compared to Your power. Then, having extended the hymn, and having beseeched that the promises be confirmed, he added: "And now, my Lord, Lord, let the word that You have spoken concerning Your servant, and concerning his house, be established forever." And that he was supplicating for that promise to be confirmed, the following words bear witness: "For You, O Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, have revealed to the ear of Your servant, saying, I will build you that house." You, he says, taught me when I was ignorant, that You will build that house, through which I will be admired by all people; I ask that this promise be confirmed. QUES. 22. How is this to be understood: "And David smote Moab, and measured them with a line, casting them down to the ground?" So great was the might of the victory, and so great was the multitude of the captives, that he could not bear to subject them to a count. For he commanded them to be cast down prone upon the earth, dividing them into three parts; and two parts he killed, but one part he took alive, and commanded it to pay tribute. Indeed, Aquila interpreted the fineries of the Syrians as golden collars; and Hamath as Epiphania of Syria. QUES. 23. Why did he destroy most of the chariots of the Syrians? The divine law commands that kings should not use many horses, 80.621 so that they might not trust in them, but in divine power. Observing this law, he destroyed most of the chariots. And it is possible to hear him singing in the Psalms, and saying: "A king is not saved by a great host, and a giant will not be saved by the multitude of his strength. A horse is a vain thing for safety, and he will not be saved by the greatness of his power." He also fulfilled the blessing of Isaac the patriarch which was given to Jacob: "For," he said, "be lord over your brother." And he smote Idumea, and placed a garrison in it. And the phrase, "in all Idumea he placed stationed men," indicates that he established guards in each city. For those whom some call men-in-ambush, he named stationed men. Then he added: "And," it says, "all the Idumeans became servants to David." He therefore put the fulfillment to the ancestral prophecy. But the writer, about to narrate the transgression into which the divine man had fallen, thought it necessary first to show the man's virtue, so that we might know that the sin was not of intent, but of circumstance. "For," he says, "David was executing judgment and justice for all his people." Then he names the rulers, that so-and-so was entrusted with this office, and so-and-so with that one. And he also mentioned the priests, Zadok and Abiathar. But here I think there is a scribal error. For it was not Ahimelech son of Abiathar, but Abiathar son of Ahimelech. And the Pelethites and the Cherethites, he calls the slingers and the archers. And he who was humane toward his enemies, was not, then, about to be forgetful of his friends. Wherefore he asked, "Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan's sake?" For because of his good will toward this one, he overlooked the other's ill will. Then he deems Mephibosheth worthy of care, declaring him to be the master of all of Saul’s possessions, and commanding him to be with him, and to be his table-companion continually. 80.624 QUES. 24. Having previously spoken of the utter destruction of Hadadezer, how did he say that he came again as an ally of the Ammonites? He spoke of Hadadezer's defeat, he did not speak of his slaughter. And what is now said is also in harmony with what was said before. "For," it says, "Hadadezer sent, and brought out the Syrian, who was on the other side of the river Chalamah." But if he had his own force, he would not have needed another. However, how much adversity, and affliction, and care, are of benefit, we also learn from this history. For when he was persecuted, it says, by Saul, the divine David practiced every virtue; and when drawn up for battle, and occupying his mind with the cares of wars, he lived according to the divine laws.

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Κύριε." Ἐθαύ μασα, φησὶ, τὴν τῶν ἐπηγγελμένων ὑπερβολὴν, εἰς ἐμαυτὸν ἀποβλέψας· σμικρὰ δὲ ταῦτα τῇ σῇ δυνάμει παραβαλλόμενα. Ἔπειτα τὸν ὕμνον ἐκτεί νας, καὶ βεβαιωθῆναι τὰς ἐπαγγελίας ἀντιβολήσας, ἐπήγαγε· "Καὶ νῦν, Κύριέ μου, Κύριε, τὸ ῥῆμα ὃ ἐλάλησας ὑπὲρ τοῦ δούλου σου, καὶ ὑπὲρ τοῦ οἴκου αὐτοῦ πιστωθήτω ἕως αἰῶνος." Καὶ ὅτι τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν ἐκείνην ἱκέτευε βεβαιωθῆναι, τὰ ἐπαγόμενα μαρτυρεῖ· "Ὅτι σὺ, Κύριε παντο κράτωρ ὁ Θεὸς Ἰσραὴλ, ἀπεκάλυψας τὸ ὠτίον τοῦ δούλου σου λέγων, Οἶκον ἐκεῖνον οἰκοδομήσω σοι." Σὺ, φησὶν, ἀγνοοῦντα ἐδίδαξας, ὅτι τὸν οἶκον ἐκεῖνον οἰκοδομήσεις, δι' οὗ περίβλεπτος ἔσομαι πᾶσιν ἀνθρώποις· ταύτην ἐμπεδωθῆναι τὴν ἐπαγγε λίαν παρακαλῶ. ΕΡΩΤ. ΚΒʹ. Πῶς νοητέον τὸ, "Ἐπάταξε ∆αβὶδ τὴν Μωὰβ, καὶ διεμέτρησεν αὐτοὺς ἐν σχοινίῳ, κοιμί σας αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν;" Τοσοῦτον ἦν τῆς νίκης τὸ κράτος, καὶ τοσοῦτον τῶν ζωγρηθέντων τὸ πλῆθος, ὡς μὴ ἀνασχέσθαι τούτους ὑποβαλεῖν ἀριθμῷ. Ἐκέλευσε γὰρ αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς καταβληθῆναι πρηνεῖς, τριχῆ δι ελών· καὶ τὰς μὲν δύο μοίρας κατέκτεινε· τὴν δὲ μίαν ἐζώγρησε, καὶ φόρον φέρειν ἐκέλευσε. Τοὺς μέν τοι χλιδῶνας τῶν Σύρων τοὺς χρυσοῦς κλοιοὺς ὁ Ἀκύλας ἡρμήνευσεν· Ἐμὰθ δὲ τὴν Ἐπιφάνειαντῆς Συρίας. ΕΡΩΤ. ΚΓʹ. Τί δήποτε τὰ ἅρματα τῶν Σύρων τὰ πλεῖστα δι έλυσεν; Ὁ θεῖος παρακελεύεται νόμος, μὴ πολλοῖς ἵπποις 80.621 κεχρῆσθαι τοὺς βασιλέας, ἵνα μὴ αὐτοῖς, ἀλλὰ τῇ θείᾳ δυνάμει θαῤῥῶσι. Τοῦτον τηρῶν τὸν νό μον, τὰ πλεῖστα τῶν ἁρμάτων διέλυσεν. Ἔστι δὲ αὐτοῦ ἀκοῦσαι καὶ ἐν τοῖς Ψαλμοῖς μελῳδοῦντος, καὶ λέγοντος· "Οὐ σώζεται βασιλεὺς διὰ πολλὴν δύναμιν, καὶ γίγας οὐ σωθήσεται ἐν πλήθει ἰσχύος αὐτοῦ. Ψευδὴς ἵππος εἰς σωτηρίαν, ἐν δὲ πλήθει δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ οὐ σωθήσεται." Πεπλήρωκε δὲ καὶ Ἰσαὰκ τοῦ πατριάρχου τὴν εὐλογίαν τὴν τῷ Ἰακὼβ δοθεῖσαν· "Γίνου γὰρ, ἔφη, κύριος τοῦ ἀδελ φοῦ σου." Αὐτὸς δὲ τὴν Ἰδουμαίαν ἐπάταξε, καὶ ἔθετο φρουρὰν ἐν αὐτῇ. Τὸ δὲ, "Πάσῃ τῇ Ἰδουμαίᾳ ἔθηκεν ἐστηλωμένους," δηλοῖ ὡς ἐν ἑκάστῃ πόλει κατέστησε τοὺς φρουρούς. Οὓς γάρ τινες καλοῦσιν ἐγκαθέτους, ἐστηλωμένους ὠνόμασεν. Εἶτα ἐπ ήγαγε· "Καὶ ἐγένοντο, φησὶ, πάντες οἱ Ἰδουμαῖοι δοῦλοι τῷ ∆αβίδ." Ἐπέθηκε τοίνυν τῇ προγονικῇ προῤῥήσει τὸ τέλος. Ὁ δὲ συγγραφεὺς διηγεῖσθαι μέλλων τὴν παρανομίαν, ᾗ περιπέπτωκεν ὁ θεῖος ἀνὴρ, ἀναγκαῖον ᾠήθη πρῶτον ἐπιδεῖξαι τὴν τοῦ ἀνδρὸς ἀρετήν· ἵνα γνῶμεν ὡς οὐ γνώμης ἦν, ἀλλὰ περιστάσεως τὸ πλημμέλημα. "Ἦν γὰρ, φησὶ, ∆αβὶδ ποιῶν κρῖμα καὶ δικαιοσύνην εἰς πάντα τὸν λαὸν αὐτοῦ." Εἶτα λέγει τοὺς ἄρχοντας, ὅτι ὁ δεῖνα μὲν τήνδε τὴν ἀρχὴν, ὁ δεῖνα δὲ τήνδε ἐπιστεύθη. Ἐμνήσθη δὲ καὶ τῶν ἱερέων, τοῦ Σαδὼκ καὶ τοῦ Ἀβιάθαρ. Ἐνταῦθα δὲ οἶμαι γραφικὸν εἶναι ἁμάρτημα. Οὐ γὰρ ὁ Ἀχιμέλεχ υἱὸς Ἀβιάθαρ, ἀλλ' ὁ Ἀβιάθαρ υἱὸς Ἀχιμέλεχ. Τὸν δὲ Φελεθὶ καὶ τὸν Χερεθὶ, τοὺς σφενδονήτας καὶ τοὺς τοξότας κα λεῖ. Ὁ δὲ περὶ τοὺς ἐχθροὺς φιλάνθρωπος, οὐκ ἄρα ἤμελλεν ἀμνημονήσειν τῶν φίλων. Ὅθεν ἤρετο, "Εἰ ἔστι τις ἔτι ὑπολελειμμένος τῷ οἴκῳ Σαοὺλ, καὶ ποιήσω μετ' αὐτοῦ ἔλεος ἕνεκεν Ἰωνάθαν;" ∆ιὰ γὰρ τὴν περὶ τοῦτον εὔνοιαν παρεώρα τὴν ἐκείνου δυσμένειαν. Εἶτα ἀξιοῖ τὸν Μεμφι βαὰλ θεραπείας, πάντων μὲν αὐτὸν ἀποφήνας εἶναι τῶν τοῦ Σαοὺλ κτημάτων δεσπότην· συνεῖναι δὲ αὐτῷ κελεύσας, καὶ ὁμοδίαιτον εἶναι διηνεκῶς. 80.624 ΕΡΩΤ. Κ∆ʹ. Πῶς τοῦ Ἀδρααζὰρ τὴν πανωλεθρίαν προει ρηκὼς, πάλιν αὐτὸν εἶπεν εἰς συμμαχίαν τῶν Ἀμμανιτῶν ἀφικέσθαι; Τοῦ Ἀδρααζὰρ ἧτταν εἶπε, σφαγὴν οὐκ εἶπε. Συνᾴδει δὲ καὶ τὰ νῦν εἰρημένα τοῖς ἔμπροσθεν. "Ἀπέστειλε γὰρ, φησὶν, Ἀδρααζὰρ, καὶ ἐξήγαγε τὸν Σύρον, τὸν ἐν τῷ πέραν τοῦ ποτα μοῦ Χαλαμά." Εἰ δὲ δύναμιν εἶχεν οἰκείαν, οὐκ ἂν ἑτέρας προσεδεήθη. Ὅσον μέντοι ὀνίνησι συμφορὰ, καὶ θλῖψις, καὶ μέριμνα, καὶ ἐκ τῆσδε τῆς ἱστορίας μανθάνομεν. ∆ιωκόμενος γὰρ, φησὶν, ὑπὸ τοῦ Σαοὺλ ὁ θεῖος ∆αβὶδ, πᾶσαν κατώρθου φιλοσοφίαν· καὶ παραταττόμενος δὲ, καὶ ταῖς φροντίσι τῶν πολέμων ἐνασχολῶν τὴν διάνοιαν, κατὰ τοὺς θείους ἐπολιτεύετο νό μους.