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God? He was going to be a living reproof of the transgression, 80.632 and a reproach to the pious king. Therefore, caring for the prophet, the Master did not allow him to live. QUESTION 26. How is Jedidiah interpreted? Aquila interpreted it, "for the sake of the Lord"; but Symmachus, "appointed to be king." QUESTION 27. Some criticize David as cruel for punishing the Ammonites with such punishments. It is necessary to remember what they dared to do against Israel. For they gouged out their right eyes; and the prophets teach of their other cruelties. Therefore they paid an equal penalty for what they had dared. QUESTION 28. Why did he call Jonadab the son of Shimeah "prudent," when he employed such counsels? In the same way Moses also said the serpent was the most prudent of all the beasts on the earth. Therefore it must be known that divine Scripture is not accustomed to assign "prudent" as praise everywhere. "For they are wise," it says, "to do evil." -"And God," it says, "chose the foolish things of the world, that he might shame the wise." And Solomon was wiser "than all the wise men of Egypt;" but the wise men of Egypt were impious. In this case divine Scripture did not praise the counsel of Jonadab, but his mind, as being suitably disposed to perceive what was to be done. But he did not use his nature for what was right; but he cooperated with the licentiousness of Amnon, and partook of the transgression that was dared. "For if you saw a thief," it says, "you ran with him, and cast your lot with an adulterer." As for the tunic that reached the ankles, Aquila interpreted it as "fruit-adorned," meaning, having fruits woven into it; 80.633 but those of today call it "embroidered." And Josephus, "the one reaching down to the ankles." The affair concerning Tamar, however, is a certain beginning and root of the calamities of the royal house. For the king was grieved when he learned of the transgression; but being affectionately disposed toward Amnon as his firstborn son, he did not exact punishment for the wicked deed. But her full brother, being otherwise both arrogant and bold, at first concealed his anger, but after two years had passed, having called his brothers together for the sheep shearing, he killed Amnon. Then he fled to his maternal grandfather. For his mother Maachah was the daughter of Talmai, who was king of Geshur. And the king mourned at great length for them both, the one who had killed, and the one who had been killed. After three years had passed, and his anger was extinguished by time, the general devised something of this sort. He instructed a certain wise woman, having fabricated a story, capable of drawing the king to pity. She, approaching the king according to the general's instructions, said she was a widow, and had borne only two sons; and that these, having come to manhood, had fallen into a harsh quarrel, and from the quarrel a fight was born; and since no one was willing to break it up, the one was struck by the other and met the end of his life. But those who had been unwilling to break up that quarrel, now having gathered together demand that the other be handed over to them. If this should happen, I, in addition to my widowhood, will continue to lament my childlessness; and the spark of the family will be completely extinguished, and the memory of my husband will be handed over to oblivion; and through these things she hinted at the king, as neither having punished Amnon, nor having dispersed the despondency of Absalom; and with the matter having become incurable, he was being angry in vain. Nevertheless, when the king was charmed by these words, and promised to order the general to stop the onslaught of the kinsmen, again the woman used soothing words, charming the king's hearing. And when the king swore: "For as the Lord lives," he said, "if a hair of your son shall fall to the ground," the woman immediately added that it was not possible for her son to escape the slaughter, unless the king's son first returned from exile. For that, she says, will be the precedent for this. But if that does not 80.636 happen, they will speak against it

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Θεός; Ἤμελλεν εἶναι ζῶν τῆς παρανομίας ἔλεγχος, 80.632 καὶ τοῦ εὐσεβοῦς βασιλέως ὄνειδος. Τοῦ προφήτου τοίνυν κηδόμενος, ζῇν αὐτὸ οὐκ εἴασεν ὁ ∆εσπότης. ΕΡΩΤ. Κ ϛʹ. Τί ἑρμηνεύεται τὸ Ἰεδδίδει; Ὁ Ἀκύλας, ἕνεκεν Κυρίου, ἡρμήνευσεν· ὁ δὲ Σύμμαχος, εἰς βασιλέα ἀφωρισμένον. ΕΡΩΤ. ΚΖʹ. Τινὲς ὡς ἀπηνῆ τὸν ∆αβὶδ ἐπιμέμφονται τοιαύ ταις τιμωρίαις τοὺς Ἀμμανίτας κολάσαντα. Ἀναμεμνῆσθαι δεῖ ὧν κατὰ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ τετολ μήκασι. Τοὺς δεξιοὺς γὰρ αὐτῶν ὀφθαλμοὺς ἐξώρυττον· καὶ τὰς ἄλλας δὲ αὐτῶν ὠμότητας οἱ προφῆται διδάσκουσι. Τὴν ἴσην τοίνυν ὧν ἐτόλμησαν ἔτισαν ποινήν. ΕΡΩΤ. ΚΗʹ. Τὸν Ἰωναδὰβ τοῦ Σαμαὰ τὸν υἱὸν τί δήποτε φρόνιμον ὠνόμασε, τοιαύταις χρησάμενον συμ βουλίαις; Καὶ τὸν ὄφιν οὕτως ὁ Μωσῆς φρονιμώτατον εἶπεν εἶναι πάντων τῶν θηρίων τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. Τοιγάρ τοι ἰστέον, ὡς οὐ πανταχῆ τὸ φρόνιμον ἐπὶ ἐπαίνου τάττειν εἴωθεν ἡ θεία Γραφή. "Σοφοὶ γάρ εἰσιν, φησὶ, τοῦ κακοποιῆσαι." -"Καὶ ἐξελέξατο, φη σὶν, ὁ Θεὸς τὰ μωρὰ τοῦ κόσμου, ἵνα καταισχύνῃ τοὺς σοφούς." Καὶ ὁ Σολομὼν ἐσοφίσατο "ὑπὲρ πάντας σοφοὺς Αἰγύπτου·" δυσσεβεῖς δὲ ἦσαν οἱ Αἰ γύπτου σοφοί. Ἐνταῦθα οὐ τὴν συμβουλὴν τοῦ Ἰωναδὰβ ἐπῄνεσεν ἡ θεία Γραφὴ, ἀλλὰ τὰς ἐκείνου φρένας, ὡς ἐπιτηδείως ἐσχηκυίας πρὸς τὸ συνορᾷν τὸ πρακτέον. Ἀλλ' οὐκ ἐχρήσατο εἰς δέον τῇ φύ σει· ἀλλὰ τῇ τοῦ Ἀμνὼν ἀκολασίᾳ συνέπραξε, καὶ τῆς τολμηθείσης παρανομίας μετέλαχεν· "Εἰ ἐθεώ ρεις γὰρ, φησὶ, κλέπτην, συνέτρεχες αὐτῷ, καὶ μετὰ μοιχοῦ τὴν μερίδα σου ἐτίθεις." Τὸν δὲ χιτῶνα τὸν ἀστραγαλωτὸν, ὁ μὲν Ἀκύλας καρπωτὸν ἡρμή νευσεν, ἀντὶ τοῦ καρποὺς ἐνυφασμένους ἔχοντα· 80.633 οἱ νῦν δὲ αὐτὸν καλοῦσι πλουμαρικόν. Ὁ δὲ Ἰώσηπος, "τὸν μέχρις ἀστραγάλων διήκοντα." Ἡ μέντοι κατὰ τὴν Θάμαρ ὑπόθεσις ἀρχή τίς ἐστι καὶ ῥίζα τῶν τῆς βασιλικῆς οἰκίας συμφορῶν. Ἤλγησε μὲν γὰρ ὁ βασιλεὺς τὴν παρανομίαν μαθών· φι λοστόργως δὲ ὡς περὶ πρωτότοκον υἱὸν τὸν Ἀμνὼν διακείμενος, τῆς πονηρᾶς πράξεως οὐκ εἰσέπραξε δίκας. Ὁ δὲ ὁμογάστριος αὐτῆς ἀδελφὸς, καὶ ἄλ λως αὐθάδης ὢν καὶ θρασὺς, παραυτίκα μὲν ἔκρυψε τὴν ὀργὴν, δύο δὲ διεληλυθότων ἐτῶν, εἰς τὴν τῶν προβάτων κουρὰν τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς συγκαλέσας, κατ έκτεινε τὸν Ἀμνών. Εἶτα πρὸς τὸν πάππον ἀπ έδραμε τὸν πρὸς μητρός. Μααχὰ γὰρ ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ θυγάτηρ ἦν τοῦ Θολμὴ, ὃς τῆς Γεσσὶρ ἐβασί λευσεν. Ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ἐπὶ πλεῖστον ἐθρήνησεν ἀμ φοτέρους, καὶ τὸν ἀνῃρηκότα, καὶ τὸν ἀναιρεθέντα. Τριῶν δὲ διεληλυθότων ἐτῶν, καὶ τῆς ὀργῆς τῷ χρόνῳ σβεσθείσης, μηχανᾶται τοιοῦτόν τι ὁ στρατ ηγός. Ὑπέθετο γυναικί τινι συνετῇ δρᾶμα διαπλά σας, εἰς οἶκτον ἑλκῦσαι τὸν βασιλέα δυνάμενον. Ἡ· δὲ τῷ βασιλεῖ προσελθοῦσα, κατὰ τὰς ὑπο θήκας τοῦ στρατηγοῦ, χήρα μὲν ἔφησεν εἶναι, δύο δὲ μόνους παῖδας γεγεννηκέναι· τούτους δὲ εἰς ἄν δρας τελέσαντας εἰς ἔριν χαλεπὴν ἐμπεσεῖν, ἐκ δὲ τῆς ἔριδος τεχθῆναι διαμάχην· διαλῦσαι δὲ ταύτην οὐδενὸς ἐθελήσαντος, θάτερον ὑπὸ θατέρου πληγέντα τοῦ βίου τὸ τέλος καταλαβεῖν. Ἀλλ' οἱ τὴν ἔριν ἐκεί νην διαλῦσαι μὴ βουληθέντες, νῦν ἀθροισθέντες ἐκ δοθῆναι σφίσιν ἀπαιτοῦσι τὸν ἕτερον. Εἰ δὲ τοῦτο γένοιτο, ἐγὼ μὲν πρὸς τῇ χηρείᾳ, καὶ τὴν ἀπαιδίαν ὀλοφυρομένη διατελέσω· σβεσθήσεται δὲ παντάπασιν ὁ τοῦ γένους σπινθὴρ, καὶ τοῦ ἀνδρός μου ἡ μνήμη παραδοθήσεται λήθῃ· τὸν βασιλέα δὲ διὰ τούτων ᾐνίττετο, μήτε τὸν Ἀμνὼν κολάσαντα, μήτε τοῦ Ἀβεσσαλὼμ τὴν ἀθυμίαν διασκεδάσαντα· ἀνηκέ στου δὲ τοῦ πράγματος γεγονότος, διακενῆς ὀργιζό μενον. Τούτοις δὲ ὅμως καταθελχθέντος τοῖς λόγοις τοῦ βασιλέως, καὶ προστάξειν ὑπισχνουμένου τῷ στρατηγῷ παύσειν τῶν φυλετῶν τὴν ὁρμὴν, πάλιν ἡ γυνὴ θεραπευτικοῖς ἐχρήσατο λόγοις, κατακη λοῦσα τοῦ βασιλέως τὴν ἀκοήν. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ ὤμοσεν ὁ βασιλεύς· "Ζῇ γὰρ, ἔφη, Κύριος, εἰ πεσεῖται ἀπὸ τῶν τριχῶν τοῦ υἱοῦ σου ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν, εὐθὺς ἐπήγαγεν ἡ γυνὴ, ὡς οὐχ οἷόν τε διαφυγεῖν τὸν υἱὸν αὐτῆς τὴν σφαγὴν, μὴ πρότερον τοῦ υἱοῦ τοῦ βασι λέως ἐκ τῆς φυγῆς ἐπανελθόντος. Ἐκεῖνο γὰρ, φησὶν, ἔσται τούτου παράδειγμα. Εἰ δὲ ἐκεῖνο μὴ 80.636 γένοιτο, ἀντιλέξουσιν