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washed it; but the dogs licked it up. And the prostitutes at dawn washed themselves according to their custom, not intentionally wishing to wash in the blood, but in the spring water as they were accustomed. And this had been colored by the blood. 80.745

ON THE FOURTH BOOK OF KINGS. QUESTION 1. How is it to be understood: "Moab rebelled against Israel?" RESPONSE.

The Moabites brought tribute to Ahab, as his subjects; but when he died, they despised his son, and did not wish to be ruled. QUES. 2. What kind of thing is the latticed upper room? It was a house suitable for the summer season, having many windows constructed like a net, which many call latticed. QUES. 3. What is "to be provoked"? Both provocations and abominations, holy Scripture is accustomed to call idols. For they are full of abomination, and worthy of hatred. For "provocation" means hatred. For thus also Isaac said: "I am weary of my life because of the daughters of the Canaanites;" that is, I have hated. And the blessed David said: "He has set himself in every way that is not good, but he has not been provoked by evil;" that is, he did not hate wickedness. But it is worthy to lament the irrationality of the impious. For not only did they deify the largest of animals, but also the smallest and most worthless, and those full of filth. For what is more disgusting than a fly? But nevertheless they declared its image a god, and having forsaken the true God, they inquired of its image concerning life; and that which, when living, they drive away with fans, its form they called a god. QUES. 4. Some have accused the prophet of cruelty, because he delivered the two captains of fifty with their subordinates to fire from heaven. Those who accuse the prophet move their tongues against the God 80.748 of the prophet; for He himself sent the fire. It is therefore exceedingly rash to be indignant at the divine dispensations. For one must know the justice of divine providence, and how He justly punishes sinners, and benefits those who serve Him. And the captains of fifty and their subordinates were evident, concurring with the purpose of the one who sent them. Wherefore they also endured the divinely sent punishments. For the third captain of fifty, being adorned with gentleness and faith, and having learned by experience the power of the prophet, by using gentle words escaped the punishment. QUES. 5. How is it to be understood: "Then Jehoram the brother of Ahaziah reigned over Israel in his stead, because he had no son?" It was the law of the kings for the sons to inherit the kingdom. But when there were no sons, the eldest brother, or the most suitable. For instance, the Davidic kingdom until the captivity, son receiving it from father, they continued to administer. But when Jeconiah was taken captive before he had children, Mattaniah, also called Zedekiah, took possession of the kingdom, being his paternal uncle. QUES. 6. Whom does the holy Scripture call sons of the prophets? The prophets themselves, according to the Hebrew and Syriac idiom. For thus also it is accustomed to name men. "For sons of men," it says, "how long will you be dull of heart?" And: "According to your highness you have multiplied the sons of men;" that is, men. And the account also shows that many had become prophets. For indeed those who lived in Jericho and Bethel both foreknew and foretold the assumption of the great Elijah. And the very great Elisha, preeminent among all, also knew this. Wherefore he said to these and to those: "I too know it, be silent." And so great was the multitude of the prophets, that fifty of them followed them from afar. And after

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ἔπλυνεν· οἱ δὲ κύνες ἐξέλειχον. Αἱ δὲ πόρναι ὑπὸ τὴν ἕω κατὰ τὸ ἔθος ἐλούσαντο, οὐκ ἐξεπίτηδες εἰς τὸ αἷμα βουλόμεναι λούσασθαι, ἀλλ' εἰς τὸ πηγαῖον ὡς εἰώθεσαν ὕδωρ· Τοῦτο δὲ ἦν κεχρωσμένον τῷ αἵματι. 80.745

ΕΙΣ ΤΗΝ ΤΕΤΑΡΤΗΝ ΤΩΝ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΙΩΝ. ΕΡΩΤΗΣΙΣ Αʹ. Πῶς νοητέον τό· "Ἠθέτησε Μωὰβ ἐν Ἰσραήλ;" ΑΠΟΚΡΙΣΙΣ.

∆ασμὸν ἔφερον οἱ Μωαβῖται τῷ Ἀχαὰβ, ὡς ὑπήκοοι· τελευτήσαντος δὲ ἐκείνου, κατεφρόνησαν τοῦ υἱέος, καὶ οὐκ ἠθέλησαν ἄρχεσθαι. ΕΡΩΤ. Βʹ. Ὁποῖόν ἐστι τὸ δικτυωτὸν ὑπερῷον; Οἶκος ἦν ὥρᾳ θέρους ἐπιτήδειος, πολλὰς ἔχων φωταγωγοὺς δικτυοειδῶς κατεσκευασμένας, ἃς δια τρήτους ὀνομάζουσιν οἱ πολλοί. ΕΡΩΤ. Γʹ. Προσοχθίσαι τί ἐστι; Καὶ προσοχθίσματα καὶ βδελύγματα, τὰ εἴδωλα προσαγορεύειν εἴωθεν ἡ θεία Γραφή. Καὶ γὰρ βδελυγ μίας μεστὰ, καὶ μίσους ἄξια. Τὸ γὰρ προσόχθισμα τὸ μῖσος δηλοῖ. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ εἴρηκεν ὁ Ἰσαάκ· "Προσώχθισα τῇ ψυχῇ μου διὰ τὰς θυγατέρας τῶν Χαναναίων·" τουτέστι, μεμίσηκα. Καὶ ὁ μακά ριος ∆αβὶδ ἔφη· "Παρέστη πάσῃ ὁδῷ οὐκ ἀγαθῇ, κακίᾳ δὲ οὐ προσώχθισε·" τουτέστιν, Οὐκ ἐμίσησε τὴν κακίαν. Ἄξιον δὲ θρηνῆσαι τῶν δυσσεβῶν τὴν ἀλογίαν. Οὐ γὰρ μόνον τὰ μέγιστα τῶν ζώων ἐθεο ποίησαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὰ σμικρότατα καὶ εὐτελέστατα, καὶ μύσους μεστά. Τί γὰρ μυσαρώτερον μυίας; Ἀλλ' ὅμως τὴν εἰκόνα ταύτης θεὸν ἀνηγόρευσαν, καὶ τὸν ὄντως καταλελοιπότες Θεὸν, τὸ αὐτῆς ἴνδαλμα περὶ ζωῆς ἐπηρώτων· καὶ ἣν ζῶσαν ταῖς ῥιπίσιν ἐλαύνουσι, ταύτης τὸν τύπον θεὸν προσηγόρευσαν. ΕΡΩΤ. ∆ʹ. Τινὲς ὠμότητα τοῦ προφήτου κατηγόρησαν, ὅτι δὴ τοὺς δύο πεντηκοντάρχους μετὰ τῶν ὑπ ηκόων οὐρανίῳ πυρὶ παραδέδωκεν. Οἱ τοῦ προφήτου κατηγοροῦντες κατὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ 80.748 τοῦ προφήτου κινοῦσι τὰς γλώττας· αὐτὸς γὰρ ἐπαφῆκε τὸ πῦρ. Τολμηρὸν τοίνυν ἄγαν τὸ νεμεσῆ σαι ταῖς θείαις οἰκονομίαις. Χρὴ γὰρ εἰδέναι τῆς θείας προμηθείας τὸ δίκαιον, καὶ ὡς ἐνδίκως κολάζει τοὺς ἁμαρτάνοντας, καὶ εὐεργετεῖ τοὺς θεραπεύοντας. ∆ῆλοι δὲ ἦσαν οἱ πεντηκόνταρχοι, καὶ οἱ τούτων ὑπ ήκοοι, συμβαίνοντες τῷ σκοπῷ τοῦ πεπομφότος. Ὅθεν καὶ τὰς θεηλάτους τιμωρίας ὑπέμειναν. Ὁ γὰρ τρί τος πεντηκόνταρχος, ἐπιεικείᾳ καὶ πίστει κοσμού μενος, καὶ τῇ πείρᾳ μαθὼν τοῦ προφήτου τὴν δύνα μιν, ἠπίοις λόγοις χρησάμενος τὴν τιμωρίαν δι έφυγεν. ΕΡΩΤ. Εʹ. Πῶς νοητέον τό· "Τότε ἐβασίλευσεν ἐπὶ Ἰσραὴλ Ἰωρὰμ ἀδελφὸς Ὀχοσίου ἀντ' αὐτοῦ, ὅτι οὐκ ἦν αὐτῷ υἱός;" Νόμος ἦν τῶν βασιλέων τοὺς παῖδας τὴν βασιλείαν κληρονομεῖν. Παίδων δὲ οὐκ ὄντων, τὸν πρεσβύτατον ἀδελφὸν, ἢ τὸν ἐπιτηδειότατον. Αὐτίκα γοῦν τὴν ∆αβιδικὴν βασιλείαν μέχρι τῆς αἰχμαλωσίας παῖς παρὰ πατρὸς παραλαμβάνοντες, διετέλεσαν οἰ κονομοῦντες. Τοῦ δὲ Ἰεχονίου πρὸ τῆς παιδοποιίας δορυαλώτου ληφθέντος, Μετθανίας, ὁ καὶ Σεδε κίας, κατέσχε τὴν βασιλείαν, θεῖος αὐτοῦ ὢν πρὸς πατρός. ΕΡΩΤ. ʹ. Τίνας υἱοὺς τῶν προφητῶν ἡ θεία προσαγορεύει Γραφή; Αὐτοὺς τοὺς προφήτας, κατὰ τὸ Ἑβραίων καὶ Σύρων ἰδίωμα. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ τοὺς ἀνθρώπους εἴωθεν ὀνομάζειν. "Υἱοὶ γὰρ, φησὶν, ἀνθρώπων, ἕως πότε βαρυκάρδιοι;" Καί· "Κατὰ τὸ ὕψος σου ἐπολυώ ρησας τοὺς υἱοὺς τῶν ἀνθρώπων·" τουτέστι τοὺς ἀνθρώπους. ∆ηλοῖ δὲ καὶ ὁ λόγος πολλοὺς γεγενῆ σθαι προφήτας. Καὶ γὰρ οἱ τὴν Ἱεριχὼ καὶ τὴν Βαι θὴλ οἰκοῦντες, καὶ προεγνώκεισαν καὶ προειρή κεισαν τὴν τοῦ μεγάλου Ἠλιοῦ ἀνάληψιν. Ἐγνώκει δὲ τοῦτο καὶ ὁ τῶν ὅλων πρωτεύων Ἑλισσαῖος ὁ πάνυ. ∆ιὸ καὶ τούτοις ἔφη κἀκείνοις· "Καί γε ἐγὼ ἔγνωκα, σιωπᾶτε." Τοσοῦτον δὲ ἦν τῶν προφητῶν τὸ πλῆθος, ὅτι πεντήκοντα μὲν αὐτοῖς πόῤῥωθεν ἠκο λούθησαν. Μετὰ δὲ